Hacker News

Encrypted messaging platform Signal is rolling out a feature called Screen Security to its Windows app. It's broadly a way to prevent a computer from logging screenshots of your messages when the app is open, but in a <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://signal.org/blog/signal-doesnt-recall/"><ins>blog post</ins></a>, the company directly called out the Recall feature in Windows 11 as the reason for this new capability.  Signal explained that what it essentially did was to flag its application as protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), because content under that umbrella will not be recorded in a screenshot on a Windows device. It's the same reason that a movie streaming from Netflix will appear in screenshots as a black box. Screen Security will be on by default, but this setting can be easily disabled for cases where a user does need to be able to access the application, such as when using a screen reader. "We hope that the AI teams building systems like Recall will think through these implications more carefully in the future," the company said. "Apps like Signal shouldn’t have to implement 'one weird trick' in order to maintain the privacy and integrity of their services without proper developer tools." The Recall feature in Windows 11 has had a difficult and <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsofts-recall-ai-tool-for-copilot-pcs-faces-a-third-delay-191301031.html"><ins>well-delayed</ins></a> development process. While the AI-powered tool to record everything on a PC's screen has some potential benefits for user productivity, it's also raised a lot of concerns about privacy and security. Although <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/microsoft/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Microsoft" data-original-link="">Microsoft</a> has started rolling out Recall to <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-recall-and-improved-windows-search-start-rolling-out-to-copilot-ai-pcs-today-170014913.html"><ins>Copilot+ PCs</ins></a>, not everyone is convinced that it's ready for prime time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/signal-will-block-microsoft-recall-from-snooping-on-your-texts-225853193.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

News/Media Alliance calls Google's AI Mode 'theft'

The News/Media Alliance took aim at Google today after the tech company's announcement at its <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-recap-ai-updates-android-xr-google-beam-and-everything-else-announced-at-the-annual-keynote-175900229.html">I/O showcase</a> that AI Mode will be rolling out to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-rolling-out-ai-mode-to-everyone-in-the-us-174917628.html"><ins>all US search users</ins></a>. This feature more closely integrates an AI chatbot into Google search. Ostensibly, AI Mode can help people get better answers to their queries, but it also serves to keep users on a Google property rather than clicking through to get information from other publications. "Links were the last redeeming quality of search that gave publishers traffic and revenue. Now Google just takes content by force and uses it with no return, the definition of theft," <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.newsmediaalliance.org/google-ai-mode-statement/"><ins>said</ins></a> News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey. "The DOJ remedies must address this to prevent continued domination of the internet by one company." This isn't the first time the organization has fired shots at Google; it filed an <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.newsmediaalliance.org/google-antitrust-remedy-brief/"><ins>amicus brief</ins></a> earlier this month looking for remedy in the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-a-monopolist-in-search-us-judge-rules-in-antitrust-case-193358356.html">antitrust</a> case about Google's monopoly control over search. The group argued that publishers should be able to opt out of letting search engines use their content for retrieval augmented generation. Google has also taken an aggressive stance toward publishers as it develops more AI-driven services. The company's recent attitude can be seen in Bloomberg's <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-19/google-gave-sites-little-choice-in-using-data-for-ai-search?embedded-checkout=true"><ins>discovery</ins></a> of an internal <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rrHiVslpyEfE/v0"><ins>document</ins></a> showing that the company decided not to give publishers a choice to opt out of AI training if they wanted their material to appear in search results.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/newsmedia-alliance-calls-googles-ai-mode-theft-223128521.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

GeoGuessr community maps go dark in protest of EWC ties to human rights abuses

A group of GeoGuessr map creators have pulled their contributions from the game to protest its participation in the Esports World Cup 2025, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/geoguessr/comments/1ks0f6e/geoguessr_map_blackout_statement/">calling</a> the tournament "a sportswashing tool used by the government of Saudi Arabia to distract from and conceal its horrific human rights record." The protestors say the blackout will hold until the game's publisher, GeoGuessr AB, cancels its planned Last Chance Wildcard tournament at the EWC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 21 to 27. <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.geoguessr.com/">GeoGuessr</a> is a browser game where players try to pinpoint locations using only Google Street View images, and it relies on community mapmakers to stay relevant. The blackout, which began on May 21, includes "dozens of creators and their maps, including a supermajority of the most popular competitively relevant world maps," according to a statement the group shared <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/geoguessr/comments/1ks0f6e/geoguessr_map_blackout_statement/">on Reddit</a>. The removed maps have been played tens of millions of times. One of the largest GeoGuessr communities, Plonk It, has also <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.plonkit.net/maps">removed its Map Directory</a> and shared the mapping community's open letter. That statement reads in full as follows: <div class="breakout-box">We, the creators of a considerable share of GeoGuessr’s most popular maps, have decided to make our maps unplayable in protest of GeoGuessr AB’s decision to host a World Championship wildcard tourney at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh. The EWC is a sportswashing tool used by the government of Saudi Arabia to distract from and conceal its horrific human rights record. Groups targeted by the government include women, LGBTQ people, apostates and atheists, political dissenters, migrant workers in the Kafala system, religious minorities, and many others. The subjugation of these groups is extensive and pervasive. Members of these groups are routinely subjected to discrimination, imprisonment, torture, and even public executions. These severe human rights violations are well-documented and indisputable. By participating in the EWC, GeoGuessr is contributing to that sportswashing agenda, which is designed to take attention away from Saudi Arabia's human rights violations. The GeoGuessr community is diverse and includes many members of groups that would be harshly persecuted were they to live in Saudi Arabia. In solidarity with those currently residing in Saudi Arabia while being subject to oppression, as well as members of the community who would feel and be unsafe attending the tournament in Riyadh, we have decided to black out our maps by replacing all their previous locations with random garbage locations, rendering them unplayable. This blackout includes dozens of creators and their maps, including a supermajority of the most popular competitively relevant world maps. It will continue until we see action from GeoGuessr; specifically, we demand that GeoGuessr cancels its wildcard event in Saudi Arabia and commits to not hosting any events there as long as it continues its oppressive regime. You don't play games with human rights. Thank you for reading. The GeoGuessr mapping community </div> We've hit up GeoGuessr AB for a comment on the blackout and will update this story as we hear back. The EWC is a huge, multi-game event owned and operated by the Saudi government and held in the country's capital city. It's an evolution of the Gamers8 tournament and this year marks the second EWC-branded competition; it's due to take place <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://liquipedia.net/esports/Esports_World_Cup/2025">in July and August</a> with a total prize pool of $38 million, split among 24 games. Franchises participating in the 2025 event include Rocket League, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Overwatch, Dota 2, Valorant, Street Fighter 6, EA Sports FC and PUBG. It's difficult to compete in esports without running into Savvy Games Group, the <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Video_game" data-original-link="">video game</a> arm of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Alongside hosting the EWC, Savvy has financial stakes in Nexon (10.2 percent ownership), Electronic Arts (9 percent), Embracer Group (8.3 percent), Nintendo (7.5 percent), Capcom (5 percent) and Take-Two Interactive (6.8 percent <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/public-investment-fund-now-owns-6.80-of-take-two-interactive-software-ttwo">as of 2023</a>). Savvy also runs ESL FACEIT Group, which contains the Electronic Sports League, a longstanding and significant esports event company. <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/technology/saudi-arabia-video-game-investment.html">The New York Times</a> reported last year that the Saudi government plans to invest $38 billion in the video game industry by 2030. Human rights groups including <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/saudi-arabia/">Amnesty International</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/north-africa/saudi-arabia">Human Rights Watch</a> have long documented the abuses of the Saudi government. HRW describes Saudi Arabia's human rights record as "abysmal," and specifically calls out the PIF as a reputational whitewashing tool. Saudi authorities have been accused of sportswashing in traditional sports as well, specifically through the country's ownership of LIV Golf and Newcastle United FC. In February, Riot Games — the operator of League of Legends, Valorant and Teamfight Tactics, and arguably the largest name in esports — signed a <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/ewc-2025">three-year deal</a> with the Esports World Cup Foundation for an undisclosed sum. Riot defended the partnership, arguing that the resulting financial boon for players and the esports industry outweighed other concerns. "We know some of you may not feel great about our decision to partner with the EWC in this way, and we respect that," Riot's <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/ewc-2025">statement</a> read. Though corporate support for the EWC remains strong, the GeoGuessr mapping community isn't alone in rejecting this year's tournament. Street Fighter 6 player Christopher Hancock, who plays as ChrisCCH for FlyQuest, recently declined his spot at EWC 2025. In a <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://x.com/ChrisCCH_/status/1901786490293948842">social media statement</a>, Hancock said, "I gave this decision a lot of thought and ultimately decided that, due to the nature in which the event is funded and managed, I do not feel comfortable participating in it." He added that the partnership between the Capcom Pro Tour and the EWC effectively forced him to work with the Saudi-backed group. "Choosing to not participate in any EWC qualifiers would effectively mean retirement from competing," Hancock said. "I find it regrettable that this event has become so deeply embedded in the [fighting game community], but I have not yet made a decision on whether I will stop competing in events associated to it altogether." Alongside the GeoGuessr map blackout, the community protest added one new, short challenge to the game called <a data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/m2wzS07Em6Honsm1">How to Run A Dictatorship</a>. It takes players through five locations around Riyadh, documenting the alleged government-sanctioned torture, kidnapping, imprisonment and oppression of women, LGBTQ people, religious minorities and political dissenters occurring in these places. The challenge takes just a few minutes, so feel free to <a data-i13n="cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/m2wzS07Em6Honsm1">experience it yourself</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/geoguessr-community-maps-go-dark-in-protest-of-ewc-ties-to-human-rights-abuses-221037118.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Android 16 includes a desktop interface Google built from Samsung DeX

Devices running Android 16 will pick up a new trick when the software update rolls out later this year: The ability to run a desktop-style interface while connected to an external display. An early version of the idea <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.androidauthority.com/android-desktop-mode-leak-3550321/">was spotted for phones</a> in betas of Android 16, but as <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://9to5google.com/2025/05/20/android-16-desktop-mode-samsung-dex/">9to5Google noticed</a>, Google made the feature official during <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjvgtwSOCao">its developer keynote</a>. According to the presentation, the new windowing and external display feature was created in collaboration with Samsung, "building on the foundation of Samsung DeX, to bring enhanced desktop windowing capabilities in Android 16." Prior to this official support, Samsung DeX was a custom feature Samsung built into One UI that allowed certain Samsung phones and tablets to display a desktop-style interface while connected to a display. Google's implementation seems to be aiming for the same thing, with resizable windows and a dock for your most used apps. The company also appears open to the feature working on tablets and phones, too. In <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/05/adaptiveapps-io25.html">a blog post</a> touting the advantages of developing adaptive apps, Google says that Android 16 offers "a true desktop-like experience on large screens and when devices are connected to external displays." While Google's language leaves things open-ended, support for this desktop experience could still hinge on phone makers enabling it and app developers making sure their apps play nice with resizable windows. <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/16">A developer beta of Android 16</a> is available to download on select phones and tablets right now. Assuming desktop windowing and support for external displays isn't dropping in a later update, you'll be able to try the new features for yourself when Android 16 launches in June.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/android-16-includes-a-desktop-interface-google-built-from-samsung-dex-213611668.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Microsoft blames Apple for Xbox mobile store delays

<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/microsoft/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Microsoft" data-original-link="">Microsoft</a> says <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a>'s App Store rules are to blame for the continued delay of the Xbox mobile app store it <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-web-based-mobile-game-store-opens-in-july-090044359.html">announced last summer</a>. In <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70190916/25/epic-games-inc-v-apple-inc/__;!!Op6eflyXZCqGR5I!Edszmo20bZzFrP49q-5LC9pLypSdj3GHoWti3fAUIZ-FAL3PL7ycGQXSLxuc3AqxZJK0ne7yVaepNSd4W2ikaGWno6C3hEbMFBU$">an amicus brief</a> filed this week <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.theverge.com/news/671409/microsoft-xbox-mobile-store-delay-apple-epic-court-case">first spotted by The Verge</a>, Microsoft expressed support for Epic Games in the company's long-running bout against Apple. The company also expressed concern that Apple could <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-appeals-recent-ruling-against-anticompetitive-app-store-practices-191536385.html">succeed in overturning</a> the <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/court-orders-apple-to-stop-collecting-fees-for-purchases-made-outside-the-app-store-110036376.html">injunction</a> that has opened the floodgates for payments outside of apps that circumvent Apple's 30 percent fee. "Among its other provisions, the order challenged in this appeal would prevent Apple from requiring consumers and app developers (like Microsoft) to use Apple’s in-app payment processing system as the exclusive means for the purchase of digital goods or services for use within iOS apps available for download on the Apple App Store, Microsoft said in the brief. "In part as a response to the district court’s injunction issued over a year ago, Microsoft undertook significant work to prepare new consumer offerings. However, Apple’s evasion of the injunction has hampered Microsoft in delivering these offerings."  The offering in questions would have allowed Microsoft to direct users of its apps like the Xbox app or games like Candy Crush and Minecraft to "separate platforms for payment." That's exactly what Spotify and Amazon's Kindle app has started doing in recent weeks, letting those companies avoid Apple's standard in-app purchase fees.  "The district court’s injunction allows Apple to maintain its in-app exclusivity but at least should have enabled Microsoft to offer consumers a workable solution by launching its own online store — accessible via link-out — for in-app items to be purchased off-app and used in games or other apps," the brief reads in part. "And that is what Microsoft wants to do. But even this solution has been stymied by Apple." <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.364265/gov.uscourts.cand.364265.1521.0.pdf">Apple filed an appeal</a> against the injunction earlier this month, and just a few days later it <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/zgvojeggwpd/Apple%20motion%20Epic%20Games%20-%2020250507.pdf">asked the Ninth Circuit</a> to halt enforcement of the original ruling while it works through its appeal. Microsoft, for its part, is urging the court to enforce the injunction while the courts handle the appeal. The company points out that Apple itself has said that the <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-app-store-guidelines-to-allow-external-payment-options-123039994.html">policy changes it made in response</a> to the injunction "can be undone," raising concern that without firm enforcement by the courts, Apple could pull the rug at any given moment. While things are moving quickly, with apps like <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/fortnite-is-finally-back-in-the-us-app-store-222946133.html">Fortnite already returning</a> to the App Store in the US, Microsoft remains in a holding pattern awaiting a firm outcome in the case. It seems they want to avoid a situation where the Xbox mobile store is released, only to be taken down should Apple win on appeal. Update, May 21, 2025, 3:42PM ET: This story has been updated with a link to the amicus brief that Microsoft filed and now includes more details from that filing. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-blames-apple-for-xbox-mobile-store-delays-162413207.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Sonos portable speakers are 25 percent off for Memorial Day

Sonos' speakers are known for their premium price tags, but if you're looking for a more affordable entry-point to the ecosystem, you can <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/portable-speakers">get up to 25 percent off</a> some of the company's portable speakers and speaker bundles for Memorial Day. That includes $113 off the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/move-2-black">Sonos Move 2</a>, which brings the speaker's price down from $449 to $336. The <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/sonos-move-2-review-better-sound-and-battery-life-comes-at-a-cost-130015983.html">Sonos Move 2</a> was introduced in 2023 as the more expensive follow-up to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-18-sonos-move-review.html">the original Move</a>, Sonos' first "portable" speaker. You can argue over it's portability — the Move 2 makes more sense as something your carry to your backyard than take on a hike — but the speaker packs a punch and lets you play music over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. We liked the Sonos Move 2 when we originally reviewed it, but took issue with how expensive it was, so this sale helps make splurging on it more palatable. <core-commerce id="3f3651ca90494f16a856bfafd68d1b4b" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/move-2-black"></core-commerce> If you're looking for something even more portable and affordable, the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-sonos-roam-2-fixes-the-original-speakers-confusing-button-setup-161311479.html">Sonos Roam 2</a> is also on sale for $45 off. Like the Move 2, the speaker has the ability to connect to a smartphone over Bluetooth outside while still being able to hook into your larger Sonos sound system over Wi-Fi at home. The Sonos Roam 2 offers some key improvements to the original Roam's design, too, like new colors and easier to understand buttons, while still providing the company's signature sound profile and 10 hours of battery life. On top of the two speakers, you could also buy a bundle of a speaker and an accessory, like the Sonos Roam 2 and an OtterBox case, or a bundle of multiple speakers. You can get two Roam 2's for $268 or a Sonos Roam 2 and Sonos Move 2 for $479, for example. Sonos has faced issues in the last year <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/sonos-apologized-for-messing-up-its-app-and-has-offered-a-roadmap-for-fixing-everything-191528422.html">ironing out software problems</a> — the bugs and missing features were so bad <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-ceo-patrick-spence-falls-on-his-sword-after-horrible-app-launch-160704330.html">the company's CEO stepped down</a> — but the fundamentals of how the company's speakers sound have remained great. With the ship mostly righted on the software side of things, a sale is a great time to see what all of the fuss is about. Follow <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-portable-speakers-are-25-percent-off-for-memorial-day-185627228.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Google still doesn't have much to show for Android XR

When <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-lays-out-its-vision-for-an-android-xr-ecosystem-160001103.html">Google unveiled Android XR last year</a>, it seemed like a clear response to <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-review-beta-testing-the-future-201430272.html">Apple's Vision Pro</a>: It was a plan for a true mixed reality platform that could easily hop between AR, VR and smart glasses like <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-review-instagram-worthy-shades-070010365.html">Meta's Ray-Bans</a>. At Google I/O 2025 today, Google announced the second developer preview for Android XR, and it also showed off a bit more about how it could work in headsets and smart glasses. It'll likely be a while before we see Android XR devices in action, though, as Google also revealed Samsung's Project Moohan headset will arrive later this year. Additionally, Xreal is also building Project Aura, a pair of tethered smart glasses powered by the platform. Update: Google demoed <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-demos-android-xr-glasses-at-io-live-translation-191510280.html">prototype Android XR smart glasses at I/O with live translation</a>, which <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-demos-android-xr-glasses-at-io-live-translation-191510280.html">Engadget's Karissa Bell</a> called "lightweight, but with a limited field of view." Google isn't planning to sell those devices, but it is <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://investors.warbyparker.com/news/news-details/2025/Warby-Parker-Partners-with-Google-To-Develop-Intelligent-Eyewear/default.aspx">partnering with Warby Parker</a> and Gentle Monster to provide frames for future smart glasses.  Basically, there really isn't much to get excited about just yet. It's clear that Google is working hard to catch up with both <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> and Meta, which actually have XR products on the shelves already. Given that Google tends to kill its ambitious projects with a swiftness — just take a look at <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-retires-glass-ar-eyewear-082512062.html">Google Glass</a>, <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-stops-selling-cardboard-vr-goggles-141926732.html">Cardboard</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-10-15-google-daydream-view-smartphone-vr-pixel-4.html">Daydream</a>, which were all early stabs at AR and VR — it's hard to put much faith in the future of Android XR. Is the availability of much better XR hardware enough to make the platform a success? At this point, it's just too tough to tell. For now, though, it looks like Google is aiming to deliver all of the features you'd expect with Android XR. Its second developer preview adds the ability to play 180-degree and 360-degree immersive videos, bring hand-tracking into apps and support dynamic refresh rates (which could seriously help battery life). As expected, Google is also making it easier to integrate its Gemini AI into Android XR apps, something the company promised when it first announced the platform last year. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/2b11f370-3583-11f0-b1cf-52cb490acb84" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/2b11f370-3583-11f0-b1cf-52cb490acb84" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="Android XR" data-uuid="cd691b05-9154-30f2-a07d-407b437b6f6e"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> In a series of pre-rendered videos, Google showed off the ideal ways to use Gemini in smart glasses and headsets. If your glasses have a built-in display (something Meta's Ray-Bans don't offer yet), you could see a small Google Map to give you directions, message friends while you're prepping dinner or take a picture while dancing with your partner at sunset (seriously). All I can say is: "Cool demo, bro." Get back to us when this is all working in headsets and glasses we can actually wear. Update 5/21, 2:45PM ET: This story has been updated with references to Google's XR prototype glasses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-still-doesnt-have-much-to-show-for-android-xr-174529434.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics has over 50 old-school games for people over 50

Game Pass members can now play over 50 old-school games for free. <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/microsoft/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Microsoft" data-original-link="">Microsoft</a>'s <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/game-issues/retro-classics-known-issues">Retro Classics</a> is a library of old-school Activision and Blizzard games from the '80s and '90s, like Pitfall! and MechWarrior 2. You can play on Xbox consoles, PCs and supported cloud gaming devices. Like <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-latest-switch-online-expansion-pack-update-includes-three-classic-sega-genesis-games-184621721.html">Nintendo's Switch Online classics</a>, the Game Pass version includes save states. That should come in handy for some of the excruciatingly difficult ones. Although there's no online multiplayer, you can play against friends locally in titles that support it. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/5ed0c200-366d-11f0-a3de-b2970845d71d" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/5ed0c200-366d-11f0-a3de-b2970845d71d" style="height:264px;width:470px;" alt="Still from the classic graphical adventure game Police Quest." data-uuid="1a230751-43d0-31e5-a653-0e6caa0eebd2"><figcaption>Police Quest</figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Sierra / Microsoft</div></figure> Retro Classics includes Atari-era games like the pioneering platformer Pitfall! and its sequel Pitfall II: Lost Caverns, the bomb-catching game Kaboom! and the shoot-'em-up River Raid. Fans of early adventure games also have plenty to chew on. There's the groundbreaking text adventure Zork, as well as the <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-08-30-sierra-adventure-classics-reach-steam.html">Sierra classics</a> Space Quest II and Police Quest. Just remember to connect a keyboard (or play on PC) for the latter three, or you won't get far. Microsoft says it will expand the collection over time, planning to eventually pass 100 games. GameSpot published a complete <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-pass-now-has-a-retro-games-app-including-a-ps1-game/1100-6531713/">list</a> of the 58 titles available at launch. Retro Classics is available today for all Game Pass tiers. You can find the collection <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/retro-classics/9MTVJ3HHTQGS">here</a> or by searching for and installing it on your Xbox console or in the Xbox on PC app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-retro-classics-has-over-50-old-school-games-for-people-over-50-181453629.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Mario Kart World was initially planned for the original Switch

The upcoming <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-hands-on-the-perfect-launch-game-for-the-switch-2-130003924.html"><ins>Switch 2 launch title</ins></a> Mario Kart World was originally intended for the OG Switch console, according to an <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-18-mario-kart-world-part-1/"><ins>interview with the game's developers</ins></a>. This was the goal until the dev team realized that the console couldn't handle it. "It was difficult for us to incorporate everything we wanted, so we were always conscious of what we were giving up in return,” said programming director Kenta Sato. A big sticking point seemed to be that the original Switch would have had to run the game at 30FPS. Mario Kart games have always run at 60FPS, for obvious reasons. You can't simulate speed without, uh, simulating speed. <div id="b174008cde3d4a79aa1db599a1de6282"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3pE23YTYEZM?si=n6EmCnlAlayOKln7" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> Developers pecked away at the "tough situation" until finally deciding to create more DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a way to bide time as the team figured out what to do. "As we’d decided to release Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass, we thought that would give us a bit more time to continue development," said producer Kosuke Yabuki. "That’s when the conversation of moving it to the Nintendo Switch 2 system came up, and this suddenly opened up a bunch of possibilities on what we could do. It was truly a ray of hope.” This interview also revealed that the game has been in development since 2017, which is a heck of a long time. However, it makes a certain amount of sense given that the original Mario Kart 8 came out in 2014. <div id="7ad070ce1d334ab0b55a6d9b36e6c61a"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mq4uCJDwO9U?si=dUQxT4YrIbjOXTvk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> The upcoming racer was always set in an open world and it was never going to be called Mario Kart 9. The developers wanted to "take the series to the next level." The big, connected world seems to do just that. "I felt that in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we were able to perfect the formula that we’d been following in the series up to that point, where players race on individual courses," Yabuki continued. "That’s why, this time, we wanted the gameplay to involve players driving around a large world, and we began creating a world map like this.” I personally think the company made the right call by delaying this game until the Switch 2. Recent first-party Switch titles have experienced massive framerate issues, and there's no way the console could have handled races with 24 participants. In any event, we only have a couple of weeks until we get to play Mario Kart World, if you've <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-the-new-system-update-sold-out-pre-orders-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-143310479.html"><ins>successfully reserved the Switch 2</ins></a> for the June 5 launch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-was-initially-planned-for-the-original-switch-174704456.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

OpenAI buys Jony Ive's design startup for $6.5 billion

<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/openai/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="OpenAI" data-original-link="">OpenAI</a> is buying Jony Ive's startup, io, for $6.5 billion, as first reported by <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/technology/openai-jony-ive-deal.html">The New York Times</a>. The company confirmed the news in a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://openai.com/sam-and-jony/">blog post</a> on its website headlined by the photo you see above, which is apparently real and not AI generated. As part of the deal, Ive and his design studio, <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apples-iphone-designer-is-leaving-to-work-with-jony-ive-and-sam-altman-on-ai-hardware-093028794.html">LoveForm</a>, will continue to work independently of OpenAI. However, Scott Cannon, <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-hardware-design-leader-evans-hankey-leaves-155100957.html">Evans Hankey</a> and Tang Tan, who co-founded io with Ive, will become OpenAI employees, alongside about 50 other engineers, designers and researchers. In collaboration with OpenAI's existing teams, they'll work on hardware that allows people to interact with OpenAI's technologies.   OpenAI has not disclosed whether the deal would be paid for in cash or stock. Per the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:The Wall Street Journal;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=2f007401-3eaa-4237-b69b-54ccbe125502&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=1fed3536-0c58-4e68-8974-fdfc8491a78a&featureId=text-link&merchantName=The+Wall+Street+Journal&linkText=Wall+Street+Journal&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53c2ouY29tL3RlY2gvYWkvZm9ybWVyLWFwcGxlLWRlc2lnbi1ndXJ1LWpvbnktaXZlLXRvLXRha2UtZXhwYW5zaXZlLXJvbGUtYXQtb3BlbmFpLTU3ODdmN2RhIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIxZmVkMzUzNi0wYzU4LTRlNjgtODk3NC1mZGZjODQ5MWE3OGEiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vdGVjaC9haS9mb3JtZXItYXBwbGUtZGVzaWduLWd1cnUtam9ueS1pdmUtdG8tdGFrZS1leHBhbnNpdmUtcm9sZS1hdC1vcGVuYWktNTc4N2Y3ZGEifQ&signature=AQAAAclV9WMlo7JLJtoPHT8-tCMpGB38V988QQM3Cu-e1sz9&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Ftech%2Fai%2Fformer-apple-design-guru-jony-ive-to-take-expansive-role-at-openai-5787f7da" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/former-apple-design-guru-jony-ive-to-take-expansive-role-at-openai-5787f7da">Wall Street Journal</a>, it's an all-equity deal. Open AI has yet to turn a profit. Moreover, according to <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-plans-slash-revenue-share-microsoft-information-reports-2025-05-07/">reporting from The Information</a>, OpenAI agreed to share 20 percent of its revenue with <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/microsoft/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Microsoft" data-original-link="">Microsoft</a> until 2030 in return for the more than $13 billion the tech giant has invested into it. When asked about how it would finance the acquisition, Altman told The Times the press worries about OpenAI's funding and revenue more than the company itself. "We'll be fine," he said. "Thanks for the concern." The deal is still subject to regulatory approval.   <div id="26a4d366ab6b4e59a82ac1e92184a25e"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W09bIpc_3ms?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> In an interview with The Times, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Ive, best known for his design work on the iPhone, said the goal of the partnership is to create "amazing products that elevate humanity." Before today, Altman was an investor in Humane, the startup behind the <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-humane-ai-pin-debacle-is-a-reminder-that-ai-alone-doesnt-make-a-compelling-product-190119112.html">failed Humane AI Pin</a>. HP bought the company earlier this year for <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/all-of-humanes-ai-pins-will-stop-working-in-10-days-225643798.html">$116 million</a>, far less than the $1 billion Humane had reportedly sought before the sale.   "The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco," OpenAI writes of the acquisition on its website. "As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io."  According to The Times, OpenAI already had a 23 percent stake in io following an agreement the two companies made at the end of 2024. OpenAI is now paying approximately $5 billion to take full control of the startup. Whether this points towards physical OpenAI devices on the horizon, and if so what form they take, remains unclear. The description for the YouTube video you see above says, "Building a family of AI products for everyone." Whatever comes out of the acquisition could take years to hit the market, and some of what Ive and his team do may never see the light of day.  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-buys-jony-ives-design-startup-for-65-billion-173356962.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Sony is ending its PlayStation Stars loyalty program

May 21, 2025

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is coming to PS5 this summer

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh4QQyM1KP0"><ins>is coming to PS5 this summer</ins></a>, though we don't have a concrete release date just yet. Ninja Theory says it will be optimized for both the standard-issue PS5 and the beefier PS5 Pro. The company also says it launches alongside a free update that'll be available for all platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. We don't know much about this update, but the developer promises "new features." There's a trailer that discusses the update, but is also devoid of any real details. <div id="078e9a4eafb94c45be3ad903e69018c3"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sh4QQyM1KP0?si=k3sfcXrFy3N39a4z" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> This is something of a homecoming for the franchise, as Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2015-06-10-hellblade-ps4-pc-2016-mental-health.html"><ins>originally released for PS4</ins></a> back in 2017. Ninja Theory says it's "excited to bring Senua back to where her journey began and for PlayStation players to be able to experience the next chapter in her brutal saga of survival." For the uninitiated, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-review-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-080047631.html">brutal and gorgeous game</a> that first hit the Xbox and PC in 2024. It's a third-person adventure set in Iceland during the 10th century. We called it an outstanding "interactive brutality visualizer" in our original review, going on to say it features "an extended, extremely anxious and violent vibe." Good times! <div id="e3e28f934213434a9910a2e68f2f460b"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VYGOkMnGCE?si=rlH1sAZm8szbxNch" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> The combat is decent, though not groundbreaking, and the puzzles are just average. The sheer violence, however, is epic. The protagonist Senua screams with each swing of the sword and every fight is close combat. This is for those who revel in simulated physical violence. We'll let you know when we have an actual summer release date for this gem.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-is-coming-to-ps5-this-summer-163539229.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Google I/O 2025 recap: AI updates, Android XR, Google Beam and everything else announced at the annual keynote

Today is one of the most important days on the tech calendar as Google kicked off its I/O developer event with its annual keynote. As ever, the company had many updates for a wide range of products to talk about. The bulk of the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-google-announced-at-the-android-show-174155773.html">Android news was revealed last week</a>, during a special edition of The Android Show. However, Tuesday's keynote still included a ton of stuff including, of course, a pile of AI-related news. We covered the event in real-time <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-io-2025-live-updates-on-gemini-android-xr-android-16-updates-and-more-214622870.html">in our live blog</a>, which includes expert commentary (and even some jokes!) from our team. If you're on the hunt for a breakdown of everything Google announced at the I/O keynote, though, look no further. Here are all the juicy details worth knowing about: <h2 id="jump-link-ai-mode-chatbot-is-coming-to-search-for-all-us-users">AI Mode chatbot is coming to Search for all US users</h2> <div id="e54863873c8a4fb4bd7f3f17588a714d"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxUBThVQLjU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> Quelle surprise, Google is continuing to shove more generative AI features into its core products. AI Mode, which is what the company is calling a new chatbot, will <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-mode-is-now-rolling-out-to-everyone-in-the-us-174917212.html">soon be live in Search for all US users</a>. AI Mode is in a separate tab and it's designed to handle more complex queries than people have historically used Search for. You might use it to compare different fitness trackers or find the most affordable tickets for an upcoming event. AI Mode will soon be able to whip up custom charts and graphics related to your specific queries too. It can also handle follow-up questions. The chatbot now runs on Gemini 2.5. Google plans to bring some of its features into the core Search experience by injecting them into AI Overviews. Labs users will be the first to get access to the new features before Google rolls them out more broadly. Meanwhile, AI Mode is <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-mode-lets-you-virtually-try-clothes-on-by-uploading-a-single-photo-174820693.html">powering some new shopping features</a>. You'll soon be able to upload a single picture of yourself to see what a piece of clothing might look like on a virtual version of you.  Also, similar to the way in which Google Flights keeps an eye out for price drops, Google will be able to let you know when an item you want (in its specific size and color) is on sale for a price you're willing to pay. It can even complete the purchase on your behalf if you want. <h2 id="jump-link-15-billion-people-see-ai-overviews-each-month">1.5 billion people see AI Overviews each month</h2> AI Overviews, the Gemini-powered summaries that appear at the top of search results and <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-is-putting-more-restrictions-on-ai-overviews-after-it-told-people-to-put-glue-on-pizza-011316780.html">have been buggy to say the least</a>, are<a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/15-billion-people-see-googles-ai-overviews-each-month-174526822.html"> seen by more than 1.5 billion folks every month</a>, according to Google. The "overwhelming majority" of people interact with these in a meaningful way, the company said — this could mean clicking on something in an overview or keeping it on their screen for a while (presumably to read through it). Still, not everyone likes the AI Overviews and would rather just have a list of links to the information they're looking for. You know, like Search used to be. As it happens, there are some easy ways to <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://tenbluelinks.org/">declutter the results</a>.  <h2 id="jump-link-another-look-at-googles-universal-ai-assistant">Another look at Google's universal AI assistant</h2> <div id="4e720376bb844515b39d347db495f7bd"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JcDBFAm9PPI?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> We got our first peek at <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-project-astra-hands-on-full-of-potential-but-its-going-to-be-a-while-235607743.html">Project Astra</a>, Google's vision for a universal AI assistant, at I/O last year and the company provided more details this time around. <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/project-astra-googles-vision-for-a-universal-ai-assistant-is-pulling-into-focus-174539875.html">A demo showed Astra</a> carrying out a number of actions to help fix a mountain bike, including diving into your emails to find out the bike's specs, researching information on the web and calling a local shop to ask about a replacement part. It already feels like a culmination of Google's work in the AI assistant and agent space, though elements of Astra (such as granting it access to Gmail) might feel too intrusive for some. In any case, Google aims to transform Gemini into a universal AI assistant that can handle everyday tasks. The Astra demo is our clearest look yet at what that might look like in action. <h2 id="jump-link-notebooklm-mobile-app">NotebookLM mobile app</h2> On the NotebookLM front, Google has released an <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ae83f37a-5441-4ff5-b2b2-f62302edd406&featureId=text-link&linkText=iOS&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwcHMuYXBwbGUuY29tL3VzL2FwcC9nb29nbGUtbm90ZWJvb2tsbS9pZDY3Mzc1Mjc2MTUiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFlODNmMzdhLTU0NDEtNGZmNS1iMmIyLWY2MjMwMmVkZDQwNiIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hcHBzLmFwcGxlLmNvbS91cy9hcHAvZ29vZ2xlLW5vdGVib29rbG0vaWQ2NzM3NTI3NjE1In0&signature=AQAAATpcS1F9pHop1t7B_bTm9wtOxwplTm4bgP9tRYh2n2bY&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fgoogle-notebooklm%2Fid6737527615" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-notebooklm/id6737527615">iOS</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.labs.language.tailwind">Android</a> app for the tool. The company also took the opportunity at I/O to <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-talks-up-notebooklm-upgrades-by-making-it-talk-up-google-io-2025-114240186.html">show off what NotebookLM can do</a>.  Google put together a notebook featuring the <a data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-io-2025-live-updates-on-gemini-android-xr-android-16-updates-and-more-214622870.html">I/O keynote video</a> from YouTube as well as associated blog posts, press releases and product demos. You can drill down into all of this information or just ask the AI questions about I/O. Of course, you'll be able to <a data-i13n="cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-notebooklm-adds-improved-audio-overviews-and-background-listening-feature-174804128.html">generate audio summaries</a> as well as a mind map to structure all the info that's in the notebook. <h2 id="jump-link-ai-updates">Other AI updates</h2> <div id="b3b3473590e746f99d55fffcd4bccdb3"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qNrQdZF1pLU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> Gemini 2.5 is here with (according to Google) improved functionality, upgraded security and transparency, extra control and better cost efficiency. Gemini 2.5 Pro is bolstered by a new enhanced reasoning mode called Deep Think. The model can do things like turn a grid of photos into a 3D sphere of pictures, then add narration for each image. <a data-i13n="cpos:15;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-text-to-speech-can-switch-languages-on-the-fly-174528459.html">Gemini 2.5's text-to-speech feature</a> can also change up languages on the fly. There's much more to it than that, of course, and we've got <a data-i13n="cpos:16;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-introduces-the-deep-think-reasoning-model-for-gemini-25-pro-and-a-better-25-flash-174531020.html">more details in our Gemini 2.5 story.</a>  You know those smart replies in Gmail that let you quickly respond to an email with an acknowledgement? Google is now going to offer <a data-i13n="cpos:17;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/personalized-ai-powered-smart-replies-are-coming-to-gmail-172422777.html">personalized versions of those</a> so that they better match your writing style. For this to work, Gemini looks at your emails and Drive documents. Gemini will need your permission before it plunders your personal information. Subscribers will be able to use this feature in Gmail starting this summer. Google Meet is getting <a data-i13n="cpos:18;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-brings-live-translation-to-meet-starting-with-spanish-174549788.html">a real-time translation option</a>, which should come in very useful for some folks. A demo showed Meet being able to match the speaker's tone and cadence while translating from Spanish to English.  Subscribers on the Google AI Pro and Ultra (more on that momentarily) plans will be able to try out real-time translations between Spanish and English in beta starting this week. This feature will soon be available for other languages. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/fd9ae070-358a-11f0-b87f-17ebdff5a443" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/fd9ae070-358a-11f0-b87f-17ebdff5a443" style="height:1456px;width:2646px;" alt="An example of camera sharing using Google's Gemini Live AI. " data-uuid="f3a4cabb-5854-3159-afa7-9f3b39f99ea5"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> Gemini Live, a tool Google <a data-i13n="cpos:19;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-live-video-and-screensharing-arrive-on-android-devices-later-this-month-151743457.html?_fsig=bbrDHKVtvQsXAUO55LyqiA--%7EA">brought to Pixel phones last month</a>, is coming to all compatible Android and iOS devices in the Gemini app (which already has more than 400 million monthly active users). This allows you to ask Gemini questions about screenshots, as well as live video that your phone's camera is capturing. Google is <a data-i13n="cpos:20;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/screen-and-camera-sharing-in-gemini-live-is-heading-to-all-android-and-ios-devices-174547592.html">rolling out Gemini Live</a> to the Gemini iOS and Android app starting today. <a data-i13n="cpos:21;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-search-live-will-let-you-ask-questions-about-what-your-camera-sees-174532593.html">Google Search Live</a> is a similar-sounding feature. You'll be able to have a "conversation" with Search about what your phone's camera can see. This will be accessible through Google Lens and AI Mode. A new <a data-i13n="cpos:22;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-filmmaking-tool-flow-ai-generated-video-175212520.html">filmmaking app called Flow</a>, which builds on <a data-i13n="cpos:23;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-expands-digital-watermarks-to-ai-made-video-175232320.html">VideoFX</a>, includes features such as camera movement and perspective controls; options to edit and extend existing shots; and a way to fold AI video content generated with Google's Veo model into projects. Flow is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US starting today. Google will expand availability to other markets soon. <div id="a650d9a935ab4ef0baeeb37a9ab5e4ff"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0VttaLy4sU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> Speaking of Veo, that's getting an update. The latest version, <a data-i13n="cpos:24;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-veo-3-ai-model-can-generate-videos-with-sound-174541183.html">Veo 3</a>, is the first iteration that can generate videos with sound (it probably can't add any soul or actual meaning to the footage, though). The company also suggests that its Imagen 4 model is better at generating photorealistic images and handling fine details like fabrics and fur than earlier versions. Handily, Google has a tool it designed to help you determine if a piece of content was generated using its AI tools. It's called <a data-i13n="cpos:25;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/synthid-detector-can-check-media-to-see-if-it-was-generated-with-googles-ai-tools-194002070.html">SynthID Detector</a> — naturally, it's named after the tool that <a data-i13n="cpos:26;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-magic-editor-will-watermark-its-ai-tweaked-photos-170009281.html">applies digital watermarks to AI-generated material</a>.  According to Google, SynthID Detector can scan an image, piece of audio, video or text for the SynthID watermark and let you know which parts are likely to have a watermark. Early testers will be able to to try this out starting today. Google has opened up a waitlist for researchers and media professionals. (Gen AI companies should offer educators a version of this tech <a data-i13n="cpos:27;pos:1" href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/openai-chatgpt-ai-cheating-education-college-students-school.html">ASAP</a>.) <h2 id="jump-link-the-new-ai-ultra-plan-costs-250-per-month">The new AI Ultra plan costs $250 per month</h2> <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bc032c60-3591-11f0-bda6-830ae98745c7" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bc032c60-3591-11f0-bda6-830ae98745c7" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="Google AI Ultra pricing chart" data-uuid="9d954903-cf2e-3091-8580-9d966cb9f4aa"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> To get access to all of its AI features, Google wants you to pay <a data-i13n="cpos:28;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-wants-250-per-month-in-return-for-its-new-ai-ultra-plan-180248513.html">250 American dollars every month for its new AI Ultra plan</a>. There's really no other way to react to this other than "LOL. LMAO." I rarely use either of those acronyms, which highlights just how absurd this is. What are we even doing here? That's obscenely expensive.  Anyway, this plan includes early access to the company's latest tools and unlimited use of features that are costly for Google to run, such as <a data-i13n="cpos:29;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-gemini-deep-research-is-now-available-to-everyone-160043485.html">Deep Research</a>. It comes with 30TB of storage across Google Photos, Drive and Gmail. You'll get YouTube Premium as well — arguably the Google product that's most worth paying for. Google is offering new subscribers 50 percent off an AI Ultra subscription for the first three months. Woohoo. In addition, the AI Premium plan is now known as Google AI Pro. <h2 id="jump-link-a-second-android-xr-device-has-been-announced">A second Android XR device has been announced</h2> As promised during last week's edition of The Android Show, Google offered another look at Android XR. This is the platform that <a data-i13n="cpos:30;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-lays-out-its-vision-for-an-android-xr-ecosystem-160001103.html">the company is working on</a> in the hope of doing for augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality what Android did for smartphones. After the company's <a data-i13n="cpos:31;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-retires-glass-ar-eyewear-082512062.html">previous</a> <a data-i13n="cpos:32;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-stops-selling-cardboard-vr-goggles-141926732.html">efforts</a> in those <a data-i13n="cpos:33;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-10-15-google-daydream-view-smartphone-vr-pixel-4.html">spaces</a>, it's now playing catchup to the likes of Meta and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a>. The initial Android XR demo at I/O <a data-i13n="cpos:34;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-still-doesnt-have-much-to-show-for-android-xr-174529434.html">didn't offer much to get too excited about for now</a>. It showed off features like a mini Google Map that you can access on a built-in display and a way to view 360-degree immersive videos. We're still waiting for actual hardware that can run this stuff. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/fabf3a90-3544-11f0-bef7-b3f3acdd95aa" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/fabf3a90-3544-11f0-bef7-b3f3acdd95aa" style="height:1440px;width:2560px;" alt="Xreal's Project Aura is the second official Android XR headset " data-uuid="36bf1a25-f4f0-3f99-8460-1d78b19c04b5"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Xreal</div></figure> As it happens, Google revealed the second Android XR device. <a data-i13n="cpos:35;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/xreals-project-aura-is-the-second-official-android-xr-headset-174526481.html">Xreal is working on Project Aura</a>, a pair of tethered smart glasses. We'll have to wait a bit longer for more details on Google's own <a data-i13n="cpos:36;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/samsung-could-launch-its-extended-reality-wearable-device-next-year-123008566.html">Android XR headset</a>, which it's collaborating with Samsung on. That's slated to arrive later this year. A second demo of Android XR was much more interesting. Google <a data-i13n="cpos:37;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-demos-android-xr-glasses-at-io-including-translation-191510501.html">showed off a live translation feature</a> for Android XR with a smart glasses prototype that the company built with Samsung. That seems genuinely useful, as do many of the accessibility-minded applications of AI. Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are making smart glasses with Android XR too. Just don't call it Google Glass (or do, I'm not your dad). <h2 id="jump-link-chromes-password-manager-is-getting-an-upgrade">Chrome's password manager is getting an upgrade</h2> Google is giving the Chrome password manager <a data-i13n="cpos:38;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-chrome-previews-feature-to-instantly-change-compromised-passwords-175051933.html">a very useful weapon against hackers</a>. It will be able to automatically change passwords on accounts that have been compromised in data breaches. So if a website, app or company is infiltrated, user data is leaked and Google detects the breach, the password manager will let you generate a new password and update a compatible account with a single click. The main sticking point here is that it only works with websites that are participating in the program. Google's working with developers to add support for this feature. Still, making it easier for people to lock down their accounts is a definite plus. (And you should <a data-i13n="cpos:39;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/five-ways-a-password-manager-will-make-your-online-life-easier-204622296.html">absolutely be using a password manager if you aren't already</a>.) <div id="0f3319fa0cd64d91a54be49d0ddbc3fe"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBjM0SHg-aU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> On the subject of Chrome, Google is <a data-i13n="cpos:40;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-bringing-gemini-to-chrome-so-it-can-answer-questions-about-your-open-tabs-174903787.html">stuffing Gemini into the browser</a> as well. The AI assistant will be able to answer questions about the tabs you have open. You'll be able to access it from the taskbar and a new menu at the top of the browser window. <h2 id="jump-link-beam-is-the-new-name-of-googles-3d-video-conferencing-booths">Beam is the new name of Google's 3D video conferencing booths</h2> <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/8d71c7a0-3508-11f0-bffc-52702e915a19" data-uuid="d7262265-a056-32e8-bf52-b18cbc445f3a"><figcaption></figcaption></figure> It's been a few years since we first heard about <a data-i13n="cpos:41;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-project-starline-191228699.html">Project Starline</a>, a 3D video conferencing project. We <a data-i13n="cpos:42;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/googles-project-starline-booths-gave-me-a-holographic-meeting-experience-205804960.html">tried this tech out</a> at I/O 2023 and found it to be an enjoyable experience. Now, Google is starting to sell this tech, but only to enterprise customers (i.e. big companies) for now. It's got a new name for all of this too: <a data-i13n="cpos:43;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/goodbye-project-starline-hello-google-beam-3d-video-conferencing-171056302.html">Google Beam</a>. And it's probably not going to be cheap. HP will reveal more details in a few weeks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-recap-ai-updates-android-xr-google-beam-and-everything-else-announced-at-the-annual-keynote-175900229.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Tamagotchi Paradise looks like the most exciting virtual pet toy in years

You've got to hand it to the Tamagotchi team for continuing to find new ways to spin a toy that is now pushing 30 years old. We've seen a <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/tamagotchi-pix-hands-on-133027822.html"><ins>Tamagotchi with a built-in camera</ins></a>, a <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/tamagotchi-smart-180405450.html"><ins>Tamagotchi watch with a touchscreen</ins></a> so you can pet your virtual pet and <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/tamagotchi-uni-finally-feels-complete-after-its-biggest-update-yet-140041168.html"><ins>another one with its own Tamaverse</ins></a>. Sometimes these experiments don't work out as well as we'd like them to — the flat buttons introduced with Tamagotchi Pix were kind of terrible in practice — but they keep the franchise feeling alive. And alive seems like the best way to describe the newest member of the Tamagotchi family. Tamagotchi Paradise looks like it's absolutely bustling with life. Bandai first teased the upcoming <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/bandai-releases-tamagotchi-paradise-comic-for-free-comic-book-day-and-it-may-hint-at-the-next-device-160602490.html"><ins>Tamagotchi Paradise in a comic</ins></a> for Free Comic Book Day at the beginning of May, but it's now official: we're getting a Tamagotchi that's equipped with a zoom dial feature to observe the critters up close (like, even down to the cellular level) and from afar. It'll bring back gene-mixing, too, meaning you'll be able to create unique characters through breeding. Tamagotchi Paradise will also be able to physically connect to other devices with a docking port on the top of the egg. <div id="023b99c29e404edbaaf1f48803370336"><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dgWn6l16bjY?rel=0&start=1" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div></div> There is a lot of information to unpack in the Tamagotchi Paradise announcement. For one, instead of starting off by hatching a Tamagotchi character from an egg, players will hatch an entire planet in an Egg Bang (get it?) event. You'll be able to view the planet from space, and zoom in to observe what's going on down at the surface. Your mission is to "enrich your planet and make its Tamagotchi population flourish." The device will come in three shell designs — Pink Land, Blue Water and Purple Sky — and whichever shell you have will determine which location you start in. It appears that you'll be able to unlock all three areas eventually no matter what device you have. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/c8757180-3657-11f0-ad7f-d440078a806a" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/c8757180-3657-11f0-ad7f-d440078a806a" style="height:1500px;width:1500px;" alt="Previews of 9 Tamagotchi Paradise experiences including mini games and the character compendium are pictured in a grid" data-uuid="f52b28ce-f234-3530-be17-aa02093706c8"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Bandai</div></figure> As always, you'll have to raise Tamagotchi characters from babies to adults and do all the usual caretaking tasks, like feeding them and cleaning up poop. But for once, you'll be able to put all that poop to good use by turning it into biofuel for space travel. When a Tamagotchi gets sick, you'll use the dial to "zoom in and treat them at the cellular level." There are a total of 25 different care menus according to Bandai, including shops and mini-games. Tamagotchi Paradise introduces a ton of new, more animal-like characters than we've been seeing in recent years, and they're really cute. (Don't worry, <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://tamagotchi.fandom.com/wiki/Mametchi"><ins>Mametchi</ins></a>, <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://tamagotchi.fandom.com/wiki/Mimitchi"><ins>Mimitchi</ins></a> and a few other existing favorites will still be there too). There are also three secret characters that haven't yet been revealed.  <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/5ea8fb40-3658-11f0-b7e7-5067b8159167" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/5ea8fb40-3658-11f0-b7e7-5067b8159167" style="height:1378px;width:2264px;" alt="All the characters in the Land, Water and Sky fields from Tamagotchi Paradise are pictured, plus the silhouettes of three unannounced secret characters" data-uuid="de2f678e-2912-32af-b19f-52d500352f04"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Bandai</div></figure> It looks like it's packed with activities, which would be really nice coming off of the Tamagotchi Uni, a device I've loved in the two years since it was released but still can't help but feel like it's a bit boring compared to others. <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://tamagotchi-official.com/us/item/01_999/">Tamagotchi Paradise</a> goes back to AAA batteries, which should be good for longevity. And it'll be cheaper than other recent flagship Tamagotchis, at $45. Pre-orders haven't opened in the US just yet, but the device will ship on July 12 according to the Japanese <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0F8H25KHL?crid=2GPIP3UHECR50&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JebaBmephmWnEabPu3IftZ3IP84TXBlbBrg0CuQDnw9RxaTRoeq26n5sBJe-aLl4vmYmmqf5DQKY6jIdu-4y7rYbO_tJGp1ssayTl3p8FzwVvkx5kGj1WDUX-zyWys8irccNWEmXfrf8picHe_NEmtbAUmFP0841J0oyPqOV8b7z1WIBYDdZ7e5mc3jGB-TwVMquj_VWZNVM9ZVbU3aqnBb-fM4IVmXFFLYe0g5u9CwjRY3ayxpNFGGjLsUQLzxcgajKKavS7NtcEHZbkHKKyY-tVSgLX3VZDG_9KWQWYtw.mU6o85LilV8M4NFs5BXnAq8ciP-03QH_eDlLkgd_lvk&dib_tag=se&keywords=tamagotchi+paradise&qid=1747841845&s=toys&sprefix=tamagotchi+paradise,toys,119&sr=1-2&th=1">Amazon</a> listing. The wait might actually kill me. Once Tamagotchi Paradise arrives, there will be pop-up <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:9;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://tamagotchi-official.com/gb/series/paradise/labtama/">Tamagotchi Labs</a> in some as yet unannounced stores where you'll be able to connect your device to access exclusive items and experiences. Tamagotchi Uni owners will be able to get a taste of all this ahead of the release as well if they buy the Tamagotchi Lab Tamaverse ticket, which comes out on July 3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tamagotchi-paradise-looks-like-the-most-exciting-virtual-pet-toy-in-years-155010892.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Extortionists bribed Coinbase employees to give them customer data

Coinbase has been betrayed from within. The cryptocurrency exchange <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.coinbase.com/blog/protecting-our-customers-standing-up-to-extortionists">said</a> that cyber criminals bribed some of its support agents to share personal information about Coinbase customers. Attackers acquired data such as names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, images of government IDs, masked bank account numbers and masked sections of social security numbers. The perpetrators tricked some Coinbase users into sending them money and also demanded $20 million from the company to not publicly disclose the ill-gotten information. Coinbase has not paid the ransom and is cooperating with law enforcement to press charges. In the blog post, the company said it would offer a $20 million reward for information that could lead to arresting and convicting the remaining attackers. A Maine Attorney General <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/f61fae18-f669-499e-9a87-f4d323d281f8.html">filing</a> (<a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/coinbase-says-its-data-breach-affects-at-least-69000-customers/">via</a> TechCrunch) says the breach affected 69,461 customers. The hack began on December 26, 2024, and ran until May 11. Coinbase said that users' login credentials, two-factor authentication codes and private keys are still secure. It will reimburse customers who sent funds to the extortionists and will place additional safeguards on vulnerable accounts. According to an <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001679788/000167978825000094/coin-20250514.htm">SEC filing</a>, the incident is projected to cost Coinbase $180 million to $400 million. Update, May 21, 2025, 11:23 PM ET: This story has been updated with new info from the Maine Attorney General filing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/extortionists-bribed-coinbase-employees-to-give-them-customer-data-174713732.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Memorial Day deals include the Apple Watch Series 10 for $100 off

The <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-smartwatches-153013118.html"><ins>best smartwatch</ins></a> you can get your hands on right now is the Apple Watch Series 10 (at least if you're an iPhone user). The wearable is on sale at the minute, making it a more enticing proposition. The <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DGJ5KQL7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=5be5a5fd-78e4-43aa-ae82-8886dbf76c06&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Watch+Series+10&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREdKNUtRTDc_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNWJlNWE1ZmQtNzhlNC00M2FhLWFlODItODg4NmRiZjc2YzA2Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREdKNUtRTDciLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAaBBbKyMyQbdOgmyFuSmcR5CIsUYfL2ItOJA5mGXg0J5&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DGJ5KQL7" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGJ5KQL7?th=1"><ins>Apple Watch Series 10</ins></a> can be yours for $299. That marks a discount of $100 and is a record-low price. This price is for a GPS version (meaning it doesn't support LTE) with the smaller 42mm case. At the time of writing, the $299 price applies to two color variants: a jet black aluminium case with black sport band and a rose gold aluminium case with light blush sport band. Discounts vary on other configurations. <core-commerce id="090635f60aa748dc9f9b654303641c7d" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGJ5KQL7?th=1"></core-commerce> The Apple Watch Series 10 is an iterative upgrade. If you already have a Series 8 or 9, it's perhaps not worth switching to the latest model. However, if you're rocking an older Apple Watch or you're looking to pick up your first one, this is our recommendation. We gave the Apple Watch Series 10 <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-10-review-legacy-and-sequel-in-equal-measure-120021405.html"><ins>a score of 90 in our review</ins></a>. The Series 10 is a little thinner and lighter than the previous model, but it has a larger OLED screen, which makes it easier to see what's on the display. <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> has improved the efficiency of the battery life as well, and it should often last longer on a single charge than the 18 hours for which it's rated. The new sleep apnea feature is very welcome, but the blood oxygen feature from older models is not available here (Apple <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-remove-blood-oxygen-app-from-watch-series-9-and-ultra-2-to-evade-us-import-ban-194517839.html"><ins>removed</ins></a> that app from certain models in the US due to a patent dispute). In general, though, the Series 10 is a solid step forward for the Apple Watch. The latest model is a terrific fitness tracker that helps you keep an eye on the most important alerts and notifications you receive on your iPhone. Check out our coverage of the <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-apple-deals-150020110.html">best Apple deals</a> for more discounts, and follow <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/memorial-day-deals-include-the-apple-watch-series-10-for-100-off-151537320.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

May's Game Pass additions include the brilliant Metaphor: ReFantazio and The Division 2

This is a big month for Xbox Game Pass, as there are <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/05/21/xbox-game-pass-may-2025-wave-2/"><ins>some real standout titles</ins></a> hitting the service. Upcoming games include the sublime Metaphor ReFantazio, Tales of Kenzera: Zau and The Division 2, among others. Let's get to the games. You likely heard a whole lot about Metaphor ReFantazio last year. The JRPG was a bona-fide phenomenon, and it actually grabbed a nomination for game of the year. It also easily made our list of the <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/engadgets-games-of-the-year-2024-133005519.html"><ins>best games of 2024</ins></a>. It's developed by Atlus and the game improves on the formula behind the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises in nearly every way. <div id="b36f5eb2e24c4303936f0c47f3f6ec37"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yQPk4cVrU_w?si=t0pCOiUZEQ_DpwGc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> The characters are great. The dungeons aren't procedurally generated. The world feels alive, with quests and objectives in nearly every nook and cranny. The story is perhaps the biggest reason why the game became such a sensation. It's grounded and feels like it was plucked from today's news, despite being set in a fantasy-laden kingdom. It'll be playable on May 29. <div id="3783f45dc9d5484cb2f06a3bc1fde58c"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-BWx6mJQj8?si=hbHyTEnnMLkpRRCK" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a Metroidvania platformer that wears its heart on its sleeve. The story is extremely emotional and engaging, particularly for this genre. The graphics are lovely and the gameplay is fluid, with plenty of nifty upgrades as you advance. What's not to like? The game arrives on May 22. <div id="43ad406f3c134319b56aa770e19888eb"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jF9OG_2NH4M?si=5XzIlaIh8bjfvFy_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is something of a hybrid, with plenty of both tactical shooter and RPG mechanics. The game is set in an open world version of Washington DC, which is a pretty cool location. It's online-only, so there's a deep emphasis on multiplayer. It can be played solo, but you have to be connected to the game's servers. It'll be available on May 27. Other forthcoming games include Spray Paint Simulator (May 29) and Stalker 2 (May 22.) The deckbuilding roguelike Monster Train 2 is available right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mays-game-pass-additions-include-the-brilliant-metaphor-refantazio-and-the-division-2-151424740.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

The best streaming deals: Save on Peacock, Starz, Disney+ and more

If you’ve been shocked by how much you spend on streaming services lately, you’re not alone. Companies like Netflix, <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/disney-plus-review-204658966.html" data-original-link="">Disney</a>, Max and others have been <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-is-increasing-prices-again-for-standalone-streaming-plans-183518837.html">consistently</a> <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/discovery-is-raising-prices-for-all-customers-160646636.html">raising</a> <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-raises-subscription-praises-again-with-its-standard-plan-now-costing-18-per-month-234344714.html">prices</a> to the point where you may question <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/is-streaming-video-even-still-worth-it-192651141.html">if streaming is even worth it anymore</a>. We at Engadget still think it is, but we also think you should be smart with your money — and that’s where streaming deals come in. Yes, it is possible to get discounts on services like Peacock and Paramount+, even if those deals aren’t as common as a sale on AirPods. If you’re looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Streaming_media" data-original-link="">streaming service</a>. <h2 id="jump-link-best-streaming-deals">Best streaming deals</h2> True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they’ll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, we’ll see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while you’ll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing. If you’re able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. You’ll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that you’re fine paying full price for it — that’s the ideal situation. But if you’re not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/how-to-find-and-cancel-your-unused-subscriptions-130036314.html">cancel</a> at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now. <core-commerce id="8141e05ca9d948869846ffefcc4c0f70" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.peacocktv.com/"></core-commerce> <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Spotify;elmt:;cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=449e2503-c6b5-44c5-bdb8-b3045047b3e5&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Spotify&linkText=Spotify+Premium+Individual+%28one+month%29+for+%240+%28%2412+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG90aWZ5LmNvbS91cy9wcmVtaXVtLyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMDI2ZmUxYjUtZWEyMi00OWY2LTgwMTYtZmQ4Njg2OTI4ZjVjIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG90aWZ5LmNvbS91cy9wcmVtaXVtLyJ9&signature=AQAAAdaiYdV6ebxlNdxxOVsJY1iaGuffnyPKLzxLXI3yggbh&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spotify.com%2Fus%2Fpremium%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.spotify.com/us/premium/">Spotify Premium Individual (one month) for $0 ($12 off):</a> This is our <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/best-music-streaming-service-130046189.html">favorite</a> music streaming service for podcasts and social features. Right now, users who have not signed up for Spotify's Premium service before are eligible to get one month for free. The Premium Individual plan lets you listen ad-free and skip songs at will. You can also organize your listening queue and download content for offline listening. Just be aware, your subscription will auto-renew at the end of the trial period. So if you don't want to be on the hook for the $12 monthly fee, set a reminder to cancel and go back to the free version. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:STARZ;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=cc213f7f-ca63-4b41-92c9-3fcfeaf9686b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=STARZ&linkText=Starz+%28six+months%29+for+%2418+%28%2428+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdGFyei5jb20vdXMvZW4vYnV5IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0YXJ6LmNvbS91cy9lbi9idXkifQ&signature=AQAAASvBZnmRMUepaJ9V51qB_SFah2VNJT7ZShmZ1jEvguLh&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.starz.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fbuy" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.starz.com/us/en/buy">Starz (six months) for $18 ($28 off):</a> <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:STARZ;elmt:;cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=cc213f7f-ca63-4b41-92c9-3fcfeaf9686b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=STARZ&linkText=Starz%27s&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdGFyei5jb20vdXMvZW4vYnV5IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0YXJ6LmNvbS91cy9lbi9idXkifQ&signature=AQAAASvBZnmRMUepaJ9V51qB_SFah2VNJT7ZShmZ1jEvguLh&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.starz.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fbuy" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.starz.com/us/en/buy">Starz's</a> latest offer gives you six months of access for only $18, which shakes out to just $3 per month. This represents a 66-percent discount off the standard annual plan. This gives you access to all Starz content, including originals like Power Book III: Raising Kanan and movies like Fast X. If you'd prefer less of a commitment, you can get three months of access for only $15. <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/">YouTube TV (two months) for $120 ($46 off)</a>: You can get two months of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-live-tv-streaming-service-133000410.html">live TV streaming service</a> for $60 per month which works out to $46 less than paying the full $83 each month. And right now, the service is free for the first 21 days. That should give you a decent chunk of time to see if the service is right for you. The discount and trial are only open to new subscribers to YouTube TV’s base plan, which includes access to over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space and six household accounts with the ability to stream on three devices at once. The deal ends July 31. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Sling TV;elmt:;cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=34c77505-6db4-4664-9320-2c38b4122d5e&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Sling+TV&linkText=Sling+Orange+for+%2423%2Fmonth+for+the+first+month+%2850+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbGluZy5jb20vIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNsaW5nLmNvbS8ifQ&signature=AQAAAQfw-Yf92m_e6aRtA2aL1MrguwqpyVySo7MIxY3fYLno&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.sling.com/">Sling Orange for $23/month for the first month (50 percent off):</a> New customers can get Sling Orange or Sling Blue for half off the usual price for the first month, bringing the final prices to $23/month and $25.50/month, respectively. Orange is likely best for sports fans, with eight exclusive sports and family channels, while Blue includes 19 exclusive news and entertainment channels. You can get both Orange and Blue access also for half off for one month, or $33 total. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:FuboTV;elmt:;cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=9a941868-c063-4b44-9207-896f1fb5891e&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=FuboTV&linkText=Fubo+Pro+for+%2465%2Fmonth+for+the+first+month+%28%2420+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mdWJvLnR2L3dlbGNvbWUiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnViby50di93ZWxjb21lIn0&signature=AQAAAXqYkMKAUm8799Kqd7h3b8qXj7L_Ft7q4NAGclsLGpGU&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fubo.tv%2Fwelcome" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.fubo.tv/welcome">Fubo Pro for $65/month for the first month ($20 off): </a><a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/fubo-review-134550375.html" data-autolinker-wiki-id="FuboTV" data-original-link="">Fubo</a> has introductory discounts on most of its packages, and the Pro package is the least expensive plan currently listed. It offers access to 224 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. It even includes regional sports content from the NHL, MLB and NBA. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Sling TV;elmt:;cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=34c77505-6db4-4664-9320-2c38b4122d5e&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Sling+TV&linkText=Sling+TV+%2B+MLB.TV+for+%2430+off%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbGluZy5jb20vcHJvZ3JhbW1pbmcvc3BvcnRzL21sYiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMDI2ZmUxYjUtZWEyMi00OWY2LTgwMTYtZmQ4Njg2OTI4ZjVjIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbGluZy5jb20vcHJvZ3JhbW1pbmcvc3BvcnRzL21sYiJ9&signature=AQAAAcWdNGpWO1LQ1ke7so_lUUQwu3Yt8bvwJBt0hOIIY3nY&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2Fprogramming%2Fsports%2Fmlb" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.sling.com/programming/sports/mlb">Sling TV + MLB.TV for $30 off:</a> New subscribers can get $30 off their first month of Sling TV when they sign up and add MLB.TV to their package. The offer applies to Sling Orange, Sling Blue and Sling Orange & Blue, and <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:MLBshop.com;elmt:;cpos:15;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=4b5774f7-b9f2-4bbb-b1dc-195558aba230&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=MLBshop.com&linkText=MLB.TV&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5tbGIuY29tL2xpdmUtc3RyZWFtLWdhbWVzL3N1YnNjcmliZS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWxiLmNvbS9saXZlLXN0cmVhbS1nYW1lcy9zdWJzY3JpYmUvIn0&signature=AQAAAfgbI_tnLsPzGf7C5fW54XkTo-P0FfqWsYn0HtSzctr_&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com%2Flive-stream-games%2Fsubscribe%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/subscribe/">MLB.TV</a> gives you access to MLB Network along with access to all out-of-market games during the regular season. This offer runs through May 31. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:National Basketball Association;elmt:;cpos:16;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=c109eac4-825f-483e-8edf-51532ca9e7cb&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=National+Basketball+Association&linkText=NBA+League+Pass+student+discount+%E2%80%94+one+year+for+%24120+%2840+percent+off%29&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmEuY29tL2xlYWd1ZS1wYXNzLXB1cmNoYXNlIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iYS5jb20vbGVhZ3VlLXBhc3MtcHVyY2hhc2UifQ&signature=AQAAAZadDR9xCS5BtTDzW1IBtori54n6wL80q-F8WuzWbEgt&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fleague-pass-purchase" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.nba.com/league-pass-purchase">NBA League Pass student discount — one year for $120 (40 percent off)</a>: Students can get one year of League Pass for only $10 per month, which includes access to NBA TV and the ability to watch classic and archive games on-demand. On the NBA League Pass website, look for the student discount banner at the top and follow the instructions to verify your student status. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:HBO Max;elmt:;cpos:17;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=c7892fca-8328-4299-9c5b-59b5f841f383&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=HBO+Max&linkText=Max+student+discount+%E2%80%94+subscribe+for+%245%2Fmonth+%2850+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYXguY29tL3N0dWRlbnQiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWF4LmNvbS9zdHVkZW50In0&signature=AQAAATKMxp1yl1CtHU6i6YQIW6tmEXYt-HWlvvzENQzDdK8Z&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.max.com%2Fstudent" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.max.com/student">Max student discount — subscribe for $5/month (50 percent off):</a> Max offers their ad-supported tier to students for half off the usual rate. You’ll just have to verify that you’re a student through <a data-i13n="cpos:18;pos:1" href="https://www.myunidays.com/US/en-US">Unidays</a>, and make note that this offer is only good for up to 12 months of service. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Hulu;elmt:;cpos:19;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=ca19dea0-e7ad-4f54-beed-6302bce56589&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Hulu&linkText=Hulu+student+discount+%E2%80%94+subscribe+for+%242%2Fmonth+%2875+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5odWx1LmNvbS9zdHVkZW50IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmh1bHUuY29tL3N0dWRlbnQifQ&signature=AQAAAV4KsYBbX0kLrA2y-GMrG3k9z_PHlyJK2q92V_FBdUqc&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Fstudent" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.hulu.com/student">Hulu student discount — subscribe for $2/month (75 percent off):</a> Those with a valid student ID can get Hulu’s ad-supported tier for 75 percent off the typical rate. They’ll keep the same sale price for as long as they’re a student as well. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Spotify;elmt:;cpos:20;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=449e2503-c6b5-44c5-bdb8-b3045047b3e5&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Spotify&linkText=Spotify+student+discount+%E2%80%94+Premium+%2B+Hulu+with+ads+for+%246%2Fmonth+%2872+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG90aWZ5LmNvbS91cy9zdHVkZW50LyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMDI2ZmUxYjUtZWEyMi00OWY2LTgwMTYtZmQ4Njg2OTI4ZjVjIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG90aWZ5LmNvbS91cy9zdHVkZW50LyJ9&signature=AQAAARP4AyvppygFvJ4vrPFGYZ9k2weFDpL_FzdcVGE3uM9X&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spotify.com%2Fus%2Fstudent%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.spotify.com/us/student/">Spotify student discount — Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off):</a> Spotify’s student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulu’s ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, you’d pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Peacock TV;elmt:;cpos:21;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=cbef8901-c2f3-4af7-b1b7-e2c3afcffd7a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Peacock+TV&linkText=Peacock+first+responders+discount+%E2%80%94+one+year+for+%2448+%2850+percent+off%29&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wZWFjb2NrdHYuY29tL21lZGljYWwtZmlyc3QtcmVzcG9uZGVyIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnBlYWNvY2t0di5jb20vbWVkaWNhbC1maXJzdC1yZXNwb25kZXIifQ&signature=AQAAARqJuOoUjDZNtKscxwIfpm0X_JvwZ2OOwPnBGy5pVszg&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peacocktv.com%2Fmedical-first-responder" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.peacocktv.com/medical-first-responder">Peacock first responders discount — one year for $48 (50 percent off)</a>: Medical professionals and first responders can save 50 percent each year of Peacock. The deal requires annual verification and is open to those who work for either private or public institutions. Peacock has some great stuff to watch, including <a data-i13n="cpos:22;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/poker-faces-season-two-trailer-features-guest-stars-like-john-mulaney-and-katie-holmes-184741470.html">Poker Face</a> and Killing It and <a data-i13n="cpos:23;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/twisted-metal-season-two-crashes-onto-peacock-on-july-31-182717907.html">more</a>. <h2 id="jump-link-streaming-bundle-discounts">Streaming bundle discounts</h2> There’s more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, you’ll spend less overall by just paying for the single service. Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option. Here are some of the best streaming bundles you can get right now. <core-commerce id="1df24922c60d4c8797c71e56ab44bf2c" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.disneyplus.com/welcome/disney-hulu-max-bundle"></core-commerce> <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Disney Store;elmt:;cpos:24;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=9c431828-c2cf-402b-a23c-df7fba43d348&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Disney+Store&linkText=Disney%2B%2C+Hulu%2C+Max+bundle+with+ads+for+%2417%2Fmonth&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kaXNuZXlwbHVzLmNvbS93ZWxjb21lL2Rpc25leS1odWx1LW1heC1idW5kbGUiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlzbmV5cGx1cy5jb20vd2VsY29tZS9kaXNuZXktaHVsdS1tYXgtYnVuZGxlIn0&signature=AQAAAduD_oqRyynLYkzWzDFLK1tpl2rJVpZNu-qVQ1XrfSaQ&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fwelcome%2Fdisney-hulu-max-bundle" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.disneyplus.com/welcome/disney-hulu-max-bundle">Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle with ads for $17/month</a>: Ad-supported Max is included here, along with full, ad-supported access to <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/disney-plus-review-204658966.html" data-original-link="">Disney</a>+ and Hulu. You’ll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for all three services individually. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Paramount Plus;elmt:;cpos:25;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=b0d3a482-802c-4eb1-9616-94f7490562f7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Paramount+Plus&linkText=Paramount%2B+with+Showtime+for+%2413%2Fmonth+or+%24120%2Fyear&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wYXJhbW91bnRwbHVzLmNvbS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGFyYW1vdW50cGx1cy5jb20vIn0&signature=AQAAAV8iOXVl016P3T1Ibx0jMonfg-tZJd-51LFlOrDY5Khd&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.paramountplus.com/">Paramount+ with Showtime for $13/month or $120/year</a>: This includes everything in Paramount+’s Essential plan, except the ads, and also provides access to Showtime content, live CBS streams and download features. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Sling TV;elmt:;cpos:26;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=34c77505-6db4-4664-9320-2c38b4122d5e&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Sling+TV&linkText=Sling+TV+%2B+Max+starting+at+%2453%2Fmonth%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbGluZy5jb20vcHJvZ3JhbW1pbmcvbWF4IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNsaW5nLmNvbS9wcm9ncmFtbWluZy9tYXgifQ&signature=AQAAATyEE7UlDDC1wlrG2y5A_t2EIt6qCU566bztlvocQWqo&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2Fprogramming%2Fmax" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.sling.com/programming/max">Sling TV + Max starting at $53/month:</a> Sling TV and Max have partnered on a discount that gives new subscribers 50 percent off their first month of Sling TV, plus $5 off monthly when you subscribe to the Sling TV + Max bundle. The standard price for the Sling Blue + Max duo is roughly $58/month, so you'll get a monthly discount of $5 off that. In addition, for the first month only, you'll get half off the price of the bundle. The promotion also applies to the Sling Orange & Blue + Max package, which has a standard price of $73/month. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Hulu;elmt:;cpos:27;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=ca19dea0-e7ad-4f54-beed-6302bce56589&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Hulu&linkText=Hulu+%2B+Live+TV+with+Disney%2B+and+ESPN%2B+for+%2496%2Fmonth%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5odWx1LmNvbS9saXZlLXR2IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIwMjZmZTFiNS1lYTIyLTQ5ZjYtODAxNi1mZDg2ODY5MjhmNWMiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmh1bHUuY29tL2xpdmUtdHYifQ&signature=AQAAAcqJA3U15Rm-fZoUDBrpnFfOj6R9bPJaLP5OPglFG9Ku&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Flive-tv" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.hulu.com/live-tv">Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $96/month:</a> This streaming bundle amalgamation is a bit confusing but it does offer a lot: you get live <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/article/best-streaming-services-173846237.html" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Streaming_television" data-original-link="">TV streaming</a> via Hulu’s service plus access to the following VOD services: <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/hulu-review-183007028.html" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Hulu" data-original-link="">Hulu</a>, <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/disney-plus-review-204658966.html" data-original-link="">Disney</a>+ and ESPN+. Out of those three, only ESPN+ will have ads. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Disney Store;elmt:;cpos:28;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=9c431828-c2cf-402b-a23c-df7fba43d348&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Disney+Store&linkText=Disney%2B+and+Hulu+Bundle+Premium+for+%2420%2Fmonth&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kaXNuZXlwbHVzLmNvbS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlzbmV5cGx1cy5jb20vIn0&signature=AQAAAfTrIOOmtx6dAIKCTZ26nxRVnZ6d5zjFO4nGLRZV9o6l&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.disneyplus.com/">Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium for $20/month</a>: <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/disney-plus-review-204658966.html" data-original-link="">Disney</a> and Hulu offer a few different bundles, which you can view in the drop-down lists under Choose Your Plan. This bundle removes the ads from both <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/disney-plus-review-204658966.html" data-original-link="">Disney</a>+ and Hulu (with the exception of select live and linear content) and allows you to download content for offline viewing. You’ll save 42 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for both ad-free tiers individually. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Disney Store;elmt:;cpos:29;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=9c431828-c2cf-402b-a23c-df7fba43d348&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Disney+Store&linkText=Disney%2B%2C+Hulu%2C+ESPN%2B+Bundle+Basic+for+%2417%2Fmonth&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kaXNuZXlwbHVzLmNvbS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlzbmV5cGx1cy5jb20vIn0&signature=AQAAAfTrIOOmtx6dAIKCTZ26nxRVnZ6d5zjFO4nGLRZV9o6l&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.disneyplus.com/">Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic for $17/month</a>: You get full access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ content with this package, albeit with ads across the board. This bundle price is 46 percent off the total price of all three separate subscriptions. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Disney Store;elmt:;cpos:30;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=9c431828-c2cf-402b-a23c-df7fba43d348&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=026fe1b5-ea22-49f6-8016-fd8686928f5c&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Disney+Store&linkText=Disney%2B%2C+Hulu%2C+ESPN%2B+Bundle+Premium+for+%2427%2Fmonth&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kaXNuZXlwbHVzLmNvbS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjAyNmZlMWI1LWVhMjItNDlmNi04MDE2LWZkODY4NjkyOGY1YyIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlzbmV5cGx1cy5jb20vIn0&signature=AQAAAfTrIOOmtx6dAIKCTZ26nxRVnZ6d5zjFO4nGLRZV9o6l&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.disneyplus.com/">Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium for $27/month</a>: Similarly to the Duo bundles, the Premium version of the Trio removes ads from most content in Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, and you can download content for offline viewing. This price represents a 43-percent savings when compared to paying for all three ad-free tiers separately. <h3 id="jump-link-read-more-streaming-coverage">Read more streaming coverage</h3> <ul> <li><a data-i13n="cpos:31;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-live-tv-streaming-service-133000410.html">The best live TV streaming services to cut cable</a></li> <li><a data-i13n="cpos:32;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-streaming-services-154527042.html">The best streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, Max and more</a></li> <li><a data-i13n="cpos:33;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-streaming-devices-media-players-123021395.html">The best streaming devices</a></li> </ul> Follow <a data-i13n="cpos:34;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a data-i13n="cpos:35;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:36;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-streaming-service-deals-133028980.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Oura's smart ring gets better at tracking your activities

<a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-ring-4-long-term-review-out-ahead-of-its-rivals-150047874.html">Oura</a> has rolled out activity updates for Gen3 and Ring 4 users, including a new trend view for active minutes so that they can get a better look at how active they are for the day, the week or even the whole month. They'll also be able to add their max heart rate to the activity setting, and Oura will adjust heart rate zones accordingly. Oura now allows users to add or edit activities for the past seven days manually, instead of just for that particular day, and it now displays heart rate data from activities imported from partner integrations via <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> HealthKit and Health Connect by Android. Its Automatic Activity Detection feature has also been updated to work all hours to track movements, even for activities between midnight and 4AM.  In addition to those new features, Oura has upgraded its system to be able to count steps more accurately. The company uses an advanced machine-learning model to determine whether a movement is an actual step, and it says the technology slashes average daily step count error by 61 percent. It has upgraded its Active Calorie burn feature to be more accurate by taking heart rate into account during exercise, as well. Oura can now also use your phone's GPS data to show your runs and walks in more detail within its app. All these updates are now available on iOS, but the new fitness metrics and new trend view for active minutes won't be out on Android until June.  Aside from announcing its upgraded features, Oura has revealed its new partnerships with third-party entities. Users can now link their smart ring with CorePower Yoga so that they can track their yoga activities, Sculpt Society, Technogym and Open, which uses a person's biometrics to create personalized recovery rituals for them.  Update, May 21, 2025, 10:50AM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that the updates are available for Gen3 and Ring 4 users with Oura Membership. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ouras-smart-ring-gets-better-at-tracking-your-activities-130012859.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Best Memorial Day tech sales from Amazon, Apple, Dyson and others that you can shop now

Memorial Day has long been the unofficial kickoff to summer, but recently it’s also been a good time to grab some tech on sale. In the past few years, Memorial Day sales have brought solid discounts on some of our favorite tech, from affordable portable chargers to expensive tablets and robot vacuums. That’s on top of all the seasonal items that usually go on sale this time of year like grilling gear, pizza ovens and other outdoor tech. Now’s a great time to look for any of those items you may have on your wish list. And like most seasonal holidays as of late, you don't have to rush to make your purchase. Memorial Day deals are live now, and there's a good chance they'll be available until the holiday weekend has passed. We’ve collected the best Memorial Day sales on tech below, and we’ll continue to update this post as more offers become available. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day/">Amazon Prime Day</a>, though. The biggest iteration of the online retailer's annual shopping event typically happens in July, and Amazon confirmed it will be back again this year (although official dates remain unknown). Tech is usually heavily discounted on Prime Day for Prime members, so if you're unsure about a purchase, you could take the chance and wait a little while longer to see if that pair of earbuds you've been eyeing drops even further in price during Prime Day. If not, Memorial Day offers the next best opportunity this time of year to save on gadgets and gear. <h2 id="jump-link-best-memorial-day-tech-sales-top-deals">Best Memorial Day tech sales: Top deals</h2> <core-commerce id="1783e482582140e6912a851f60d246d3" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL72PK1P?th=1"></core-commerce> <core-commerce id="f37d7e97e8c5407dbc2bd4706bf60720" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DZ77D5HL?th=1"></core-commerce> <core-commerce id="bbd461ccbb884a1c81426e5239ce3aee" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Beats-Pill-2024-release-Compatible/dp/B0D4SX9RC6?th=1"></core-commerce> <h2 id="jump-link-best-memorial-day-tech-deals">Best Memorial Day tech deals</h2> <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Peacock TV;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=cbef8901-c2f3-4af7-b1b7-e2c3afcffd7a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Peacock+TV&linkText=Peacock+Premium+%28one+year%29+for+%2425+%28%2455+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wZWFjb2NrdHYuY29tLyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wZWFjb2NrdHYuY29tLyJ9&signature=AQAAARbTVMZ7kR2UDoafGEzpd6X-TaBeWDFqsg-Qqoh2GZ5s&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peacocktv.com%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.peacocktv.com/">Peacock Premium (one year) for $25 ($55 off):</a> The latest Peacock deal gives you one year of the Premium membership for only $25 when you use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout. This ad-supported tier gives you access to some live sports content and more than 50 always-on channels, as well as the whole library of on-demand TV shows and movies Peacock has to offer. The deal runs through May 30. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.jdoqocy.com/click-100230748-17083451?sid=1234">ProtonVPN (two years) for $81 (66 percent off):</a> ProtonVPN two-year plans are 66 percent off and down to only $81 right now. You'll save more than $150 on the total cost of the subscription with this deal, and in addition to <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html">VPN</a> coverage for all your devices, you also get access to features that let you block ads, malware and other trackers. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Best+Buy&linkText=Best+Buy+Memorial+Day+sale%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL2NscC9zYWxlLXBhZ2UvcGNtY2F0MTg1NzAwMDUwMDExLmM_aWQ9cGNtY2F0MTg1NzAwMDUwMDExIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJlc3RidXkuY29tL3NpdGUvY2xwL3NhbGUtcGFnZS9wY21jYXQxODU3MDAwNTAwMTEuYz9pZD1wY21jYXQxODU3MDAwNTAwMTEifQ&signature=AQAAAZuO49WL1qPogxdLRcjqI--tFF_FPkK3MUCdeVezPZBT&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fclp%2Fsale-page%2Fpcmcat185700050011.c%3Fid%3Dpcmcat185700050011" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/clp/sale-page/pcmcat185700050011.c?id=pcmcat185700050011">Best Buy Memorial Day sale:</a> Running through May 26, this sale includes big discounts on laptops, TVs, wearables, appliances and more. Standout deals include the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Best+Buy&linkText=Bose+QuietComfort+headphones&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL2Jvc2UtcXVpZXRjb21mb3J0LXdpcmVsZXNzLW5vaXNlLWNhbmNlbGxpbmctb3Zlci10aGUtZWFyLWhlYWRwaG9uZXMtYmxhY2svNjU1NDQ2MS5wP3NrdUlkPTY1NTQ0NjEiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmVzdGJ1eS5jb20vc2l0ZS9ib3NlLXF1aWV0Y29tZm9ydC13aXJlbGVzcy1ub2lzZS1jYW5jZWxsaW5nLW92ZXItdGhlLWVhci1oZWFkcGhvbmVzLWJsYWNrLzY1NTQ0NjEucD9za3VJZD02NTU0NDYxIn0&signature=AQAAAWuvEotvtOxMTQ5ZEfhsqd365JK_dEN6YUuRfXxWRLeC&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fbose-quietcomfort-wireless-noise-cancelling-over-the-ear-headphones-black%2F6554461.p%3FskuId%3D6554461" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/bose-quietcomfort-wireless-noise-cancelling-over-the-ear-headphones-black/6554461.p?skuId=6554461">Bose QuietComfort headphones</a> for $229, a <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Best+Buy&linkText=75-inch+LG+4K+TV&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL2xnLTc1LWNsYXNzLXV0NzAtc2VyaWVzLWxlZC00ay11aGQtc21hcnQtd2Vib3MtdHYtMjAyNC82NTkzNTc1LnA_c2t1SWQ9NjU5MzU3NSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL2xnLTc1LWNsYXNzLXV0NzAtc2VyaWVzLWxlZC00ay11aGQtc21hcnQtd2Vib3MtdHYtMjAyNC82NTkzNTc1LnA_c2t1SWQ9NjU5MzU3NSJ9&signature=AQAAAXxD6PRQv1j2cM6X7vxoqs1tY-S6j51BMcnpSJ24YZ_c&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Flg-75-class-ut70-series-led-4k-uhd-smart-webos-tv-2024%2F6593575.p%3FskuId%3D6593575" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-75-class-ut70-series-led-4k-uhd-smart-webos-tv-2024/6593575.p?skuId=6593575">75-inch LG 4K TV</a> for $480 and the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Best+Buy&linkText=GoPro+Hero+11+Mini&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL2dvcHJvLWhlcm8xMS1ibGFjay1taW5pLWJsYWNrLzY1MjAzNzIucD9za3VJZD02NTIwMzcyIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJlc3RidXkuY29tL3NpdGUvZ29wcm8taGVybzExLWJsYWNrLW1pbmktYmxhY2svNjUyMDM3Mi5wP3NrdUlkPTY1MjAzNzIifQ&signature=AQAAAUN24qrZ8dCRnMkH82oVP3MiZnJakDNmg5KzT9AWY_BS&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgopro-hero11-black-mini-black%2F6520372.p%3FskuId%3D6520372" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gopro-hero11-black-mini-black/6520372.p?skuId=6520372">GoPro Hero 11 Mini</a> for $130. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Ooni Pizza Ovens;elmt:;cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=0de15002-ec35-49d8-b24c-3d060213cd2b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Ooni+Pizza+Ovens&linkText=Ooni+Memorial+Day+sale+%E2%80%94+20+percent+off+almost+everything%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL29vbmkuY29tL2NvbGxlY3Rpb25zL3NhbGUiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vb25pLmNvbS9jb2xsZWN0aW9ucy9zYWxlIn0&signature=AQAAAemlBGRNkVJq_y-Bm6a8QebN4QrIXsccwWeh3Vylgb7s&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fooni.com%2Fcollections%2Fsale" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://ooni.com/collections/sale">Ooni Memorial Day sale — 20 percent off almost everything:</a> Most of Ooni's pizza ovens are on sale for Memorial Day, including the second-gen <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Ooni Pizza Ovens;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=0de15002-ec35-49d8-b24c-3d060213cd2b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Ooni+Pizza+Ovens&linkText=Karu+2&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL29vbmkuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL29vbmkta2FydS0yIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vb29uaS5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvb29uaS1rYXJ1LTIifQ&signature=AQAAAa2jwmsOjLSPjyU2elAhGUnB7fLnG_E-Mj7OjDqs5tFQ&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fooni.com%2Fproducts%2Fooni-karu-2" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://ooni.com/products/ooni-karu-2">Karu 2</a>, which is down to $319 from $399. The company's indoor electric pizza oven, the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Ooni Pizza Ovens;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=0de15002-ec35-49d8-b24c-3d060213cd2b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Ooni+Pizza+Ovens&linkText=Volt+12&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL29vbmkuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL29vbmktdm9sdD92YXJpYW50PTQwNjMzNzYzNzkwOTQ1IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vb29uaS5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvb29uaS12b2x0P3ZhcmlhbnQ9NDA2MzM3NjM3OTA5NDUifQ&signature=AQAAAWq_UngAsNQRTH5mRpHUbhD_mkBDgtlhCOr3d--BFJKE&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fooni.com%2Fproducts%2Fooni-volt%3Fvariant%3D40633763790945" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://ooni.com/products/ooni-volt?variant=40633763790945">Volt 12</a>, is also included in the sale: you can grab it for $629 instead of the usual $899. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Anker;elmt:;cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=aac3354f-048f-410b-ae8a-eb1da43ee6cf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Anker&linkText=Anker+On-the-Go+sale+%E2%80%94+up+to+50+percent+off+for+members%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbmtlci5jb20vb24tdGhlLWdvLXNhbGU_cmVmPWhvbWVwYWdlX21hc3RlckJhbm5lcl8xIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFua2VyLmNvbS9vbi10aGUtZ28tc2FsZT9yZWY9aG9tZXBhZ2VfbWFzdGVyQmFubmVyXzEifQ&signature=AQAAAZLMd6Hqgz4GEDtdlQJvUz5ZLJUgothieNtW74HbZrWt&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.anker.com%2Fon-the-go-sale%3Fref%3Dhomepage_masterBanner_1" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.anker.com/on-the-go-sale?ref=homepage_masterBanner_1">Anker On-the-Go sale — up to 50 percent off for members:</a> It's free to sign up as an Anker member, and then you can get up to half off charging gear during this sale. For example, the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Anker;elmt:;cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=aac3354f-048f-410b-ae8a-eb1da43ee6cf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Anker&linkText=Anker+Prime+20K+200W+power+bank&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbmtlci5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvYTEzMzYtMjAwMDBtYWgtcG93ZXItYmFuaz92YXJpYW50PTQyNjkxODU0OTI1OTc0JnJlZj1vbi10aGUtZ28tc2FsZSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbmtlci5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvYTEzMzYtMjAwMDBtYWgtcG93ZXItYmFuaz92YXJpYW50PTQyNjkxODU0OTI1OTc0JnJlZj1vbi10aGUtZ28tc2FsZSJ9&signature=AQAAAWUSYOPBbUujECWorkkpqjex41fg3b_chRlYS_mYzskl&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.anker.com%2Fproducts%2Fa1336-20000mah-power-bank%3Fvariant%3D42691854925974%26ref%3Don-the-go-sale" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.anker.com/products/a1336-20000mah-power-bank?variant=42691854925974&ref=on-the-go-sale">Anker Prime 20K 200W power bank</a> normally costs $130, but members can get it for $80 right now. Members will also get free gifts with some purchases, like a free 100W USB-C to C cable when you spend $79 or more. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:PopSockets;elmt:;cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=112fd8e3-139f-49a6-869b-1695dd06bacf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=PopSockets&linkText=PopSocket+Memorial+Day+sale+%E2%80%94+up+to+50+percent+off%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wb3Bzb2NrZXRzLmNvbS9lbi11cy8lRjAlOUYlOUElQTgtbWVtb3JpYWwtZGF5LXNhbGUiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9wc29ja2V0cy5jb20vZW4tdXMvJUYwJTlGJTlBJUE4LW1lbW9yaWFsLWRheS1zYWxlIn0&signature=AQAAAbyVOoqq3lGahmf5ESdMGCv0hGxH2oOqzZQDYeZqbZFQ&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsockets.com%2Fen-us%2F%25F0%259F%259A%25A8-memorial-day-sale" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.popsockets.com/en-us/%F0%9F%9A%A8-memorial-day-sale">PopSocket Memorial Day sale — up to 50 percent off:</a> Through May 26, you can get half off some PopSocket grips, cases, wallets, mounts and more. There's a lot of variety in the styles on sale, so you'll likely be able to find something that fits your personal taste. Tons of <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:PopSockets;elmt:;cpos:15;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=112fd8e3-139f-49a6-869b-1695dd06bacf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=PopSockets&linkText=MagSafe+grips&custData=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_Y2dpZD1tZW1vcmlhbC1kYXkifQ&signature=AQAAAecNS5QnihwRih6tC0EUBrW0m64U606D3kGQ7BMIbr5F&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsockets.com%2Fen-us%2Fp%2F%25F0%259F%259A%25A8-memorial-day-sale%2Fstoneware-coconut-cream-%25E2%2580%2594-magsafe-popgrip%2F807176.html%3Fcgid%3Dmemorial-day" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.popsockets.com/en-us/p/%F0%9F%9A%A8-memorial-day-sale/stoneware-coconut-cream-%E2%80%94-magsafe-popgrip/807176.html?cgid=memorial-day">MagSafe grips</a> and <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:PopSockets;elmt:;cpos:16;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=112fd8e3-139f-49a6-869b-1695dd06bacf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=PopSockets&linkText=cases&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5wb3Bzb2NrZXRzLmNvbS9lbi11cy9wLyVGMCU5RiU5QSVBOC1tZW1vcmlhbC1kYXktc2FsZS9zaGltbWVyLSVFMiU4MCU5NC1pcGhvbmUtMTYtcHJvLW1heC1tYWdzYWZlLWNhc2UvNzA4NDE5Lmh0bWw_Y2dpZD1tZW1vcmlhbC1kYXkiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9wc29ja2V0cy5jb20vZW4tdXMvcC8lRjAlOUYlOUElQTgtbWVtb3JpYWwtZGF5LXNhbGUvc2hpbW1lci0lRTIlODAlOTQtaXBob25lLTE2LXByby1tYXgtbWFnc2FmZS1jYXNlLzcwODQxOS5odG1sP2NnaWQ9bWVtb3JpYWwtZGF5In0&signature=AQAAAT2lUWfTIdOMW1kgrWopsEXK0DWfuER9aV6Tamg6Jj93&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsockets.com%2Fen-us%2Fp%2F%25F0%259F%259A%25A8-memorial-day-sale%2Fshimmer-%25E2%2580%2594-iphone-16-pro-max-magsafe-case%2F708419.html%3Fcgid%3Dmemorial-day" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.popsockets.com/en-us/p/%F0%9F%9A%A8-memorial-day-sale/shimmer-%E2%80%94-iphone-16-pro-max-magsafe-case/708419.html?cgid=memorial-day">cases</a> are included, as well as <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:PopSockets;elmt:;cpos:17;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=112fd8e3-139f-49a6-869b-1695dd06bacf&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=PopSockets&linkText=MagSafe+wallet+accessories&custData=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&signature=AQAAAWA7mfO_9cMAvwJA_qiboAg9tIpCBYk0bShPbGvr1EdP&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsockets.com%2Fen-us%2Fp%2F%25F0%259F%259A%25A8-memorial-day-sale%2Fcobalt-%25E2%2580%2594-magsafe-popwallet-%2F807091.html%3Fcgid%3Dmemorial-day" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.popsockets.com/en-us/p/%F0%9F%9A%A8-memorial-day-sale/cobalt-%E2%80%94-magsafe-popwallet-/807091.html?cgid=memorial-day">MagSafe wallet accessories</a>, too. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:18;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D54JZTHY&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+AirTags+%28four-pack%29+for+%2475+%2824+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLU1YNTQyTEwtQS1BaXJUYWctUGFjay9kcC9CMEQ1NEpaVEhZL3JlZj1hc3Rfc3RvX2RwX3B1aXM_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLU1YNTQyTEwtQS1BaXJUYWctUGFjay9kcC9CMEQ1NEpaVEhZL3JlZj1hc3Rfc3RvX2RwX3B1aXMiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAVZYAbVcovoN1xKei9K46XQbC5uIBokYxMbvncL9pBzn&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MX542LL-A-AirTag-Pack%2Fdp%2FB0D54JZTHY%2Fref%3Dast_sto_dp_puis" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MX542LL-A-AirTag-Pack/dp/B0D54JZTHY/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis">Apple AirTags (four-pack) for $75 (24 percent off):</a> iPhone owners will appreciate how easy it is to keep track of things like wallets, keys, handbags and more with AirTags. These <a data-i13n="cpos:19;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-bluetooth-tracker-140028377.html">Bluetooth trackers</a> monitor the location of your belongings so you can check in on them using the Find My app. Those with newer iPhones can also use UWB technology to get turn-by-turn directions to find their stuff when the AirTag is within close range. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:20;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DGJ5KQL7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Watch+Series+10+for+%24299+%28%24100+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREdKNUtRTDc_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREdKNUtRTDciLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAcZwFKiCGXDaQIzsucXti8fUvk1KTO39-fdrBdEXdKox&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DGJ5KQL7" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGJ5KQL7?th=1">Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off):</a> The latest Apple Watch is the <a data-i13n="cpos:21;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-smartwatches-153013118.html">best smartwatch</a> for most people thanks to its always-on OLED display, accurate and continuous activity tracking, solid workout tracking capabilities and handy features provided by watchOS 11. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:22;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DZ76QBLQ&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+iPad+Air+%28M3%2C+13-inch%29+for+%24699+%28%24100+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFo3NlFCTFE_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFo3NlFCTFEiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAe4mM32R4h2dsyXsQjXAeBzi3C5TS2moQ7rh-oLxZk-O&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DZ76QBLQ" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZ76QBLQ?th=1">Apple iPad Air (M3, 13-inch) for $699 ($100 off):</a> This is the larger version of our top pick for the <a data-i13n="cpos:23;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ipads-how-to-pick-the-best-apple-tablet-for-you-150054066.html">best iPad</a> for most people. Recently updated with the M3 chipset, the latest iPad Air is extra speedy and powerful, plus it now has a better display than before and support for the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:24;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D3J71RM7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Pencil+Pro&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLVBlbmNpbC1Qcm8tUGl4ZWwtUGVyZmVjdC1JbmR1c3RyeS1MZWFkaW5nL2RwL0IwRDNKNzFSTTc_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLVBlbmNpbC1Qcm8tUGl4ZWwtUGVyZmVjdC1JbmR1c3RyeS1MZWFkaW5nL2RwL0IwRDNKNzFSTTciLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAWW0ONyeRS-T8a_nFWkUDh5msXNh_Mg_ofAkfJURLuR1&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading%2Fdp%2FB0D3J71RM7" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading/dp/B0D3J71RM7">Apple Pencil Pro</a>. If you're looking for a big-screen iPad but don't want to pay top dollar, this is the most budget-friendly option available. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:25;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DZD9S5GC&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=MacBook+Air+%28M4%2C+13-inch%29+for+%24899+%28%24100+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFpEOVM1R0MvP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9kcC9CMERaRDlTNUdDLyIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtZW5nYWRnZXQiLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&signature=AQAAASoLRubX8ioSRDQ2hKXxV6y7LBaGFuhqicLt5Z69rdps&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DZD9S5GC%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZD9S5GC/?">MacBook Air (M4, 13-inch) for $899 ($100 off):</a> Our top pick for the <a data-i13n="cpos:26;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-120008636.html">best laptop</a> for most people, the latest MacBook Air has an impressively thin design and performance to match thanks to the M4 chipset. It also has excellent battery life and a comfortable keyboard-and-trackpad combo. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:27;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D3J71RM7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Pencil+Pro+for+%2499+%2823+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAU8sv5Y7OwDUke35FTdru_KSgTOTPq0OBviVxpLaqJZ2&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading%2Fdp%2FB0D3J71RM7%2Fref%3Dast_sto_dp_puis" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading/dp/B0D3J71RM7/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis">Apple Pencil Pro for $99 (23 percent off):</a> If you have a new iPad Pro or iPad Air, this is the <a data-i13n="cpos:28;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-pencil-lineup-is-a-mess-so-heres-a-guide-to-which-one-you-should-buy-190040913.html">best Apple Pencil</a> to get. It has a built-in gyroscope, supports squeeze gestures and pressure sensitivity and still magnetically attaches to the side of iPads for charging and safe keeping. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:29;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DD29W5Z4&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Thermacell+E-Series+rechargeable+mosquito+repeller+for+%2432+%2820+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1JlY2hhcmdlYWJsZS1Nb3NxdWl0by1SZXBlbGxlci1DaGFyZ2luZy1QYWNrYWdpbmcvZHAvQjBERDI5VzVaND90YWc9Z2RndDBjLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vUmVjaGFyZ2VhYmxlLU1vc3F1aXRvLVJlcGVsbGVyLUNoYXJnaW5nLVBhY2thZ2luZy9kcC9CMEREMjlXNVo0IiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&signature=AQAAAXZ5KlVvoX0fV-EpQNZs4KFVoi6E97MDQxTx0U55uTEW&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FRechargeable-Mosquito-Repeller-Charging-Packaging%2Fdp%2FB0DD29W5Z4" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Mosquito-Repeller-Charging-Packaging/dp/B0DD29W5Z4?th=1">Thermacell E-Series rechargeable mosquito repeller for $32 (20 percent off):</a> Thermacell devices have long been some of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:30;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-outdoor-gifts-140004525.html">outdoor gear</a>, and the E-series is compact but powerful. It'll keep mosquitos away within its 20-foot range and now it comes with a fast-charging dock. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:ThermoWorks;elmt:;cpos:31;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8ec42127-5c25-4160-a755-9edb36e27b1b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=ThermoWorks&linkText=ThermoWorks+ThermaPen+One+for+%2476+%2830+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVybW93b3Jrcy5jb20vdGhlcm1hcGVuLW9uZS8iLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlcm1vd29ya3MuY29tL3RoZXJtYXBlbi1vbmUvIn0&signature=AQAAAbE_CPcXcOnCsye3FqwHfJQXjteY_gNkvCcoIVUbVoCw&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermoworks.com%2Fthermapen-one%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.thermoworks.com/thermapen-one/">ThermoWorks ThermaPen One for $76 (30 percent off):</a> We've long been fans of the ThermaPen One, so much so that it's reserved a spot on our <a data-i13n="cpos:32;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-grilling-gear-143011296.html">best grilling gear</a> list for a number of years. It provides accurate food temperature readings within a second or so, and its display is now brighter than the previous model. The screen will also auto-rotate depending on how you're holding the ThermaPen, so it'll be easier to read. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:ThermoWorks;elmt:;cpos:33;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8ec42127-5c25-4160-a755-9edb36e27b1b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=ThermoWorks&linkText=ThermoWorks+RFX+starter+kit+%28four-probe%29+for+%24349+%28%2486+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVybW93b3Jrcy5jb20vcmZ4LXN0YXJ0ZXIta2l0LyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVybW93b3Jrcy5jb20vcmZ4LXN0YXJ0ZXIta2l0LyJ9&signature=AQAAARa2iWEO1rUWTNFv5hAQ9ygYGtMyfeG42thp_1zNc7Zp&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermoworks.com%2Frfx-starter-kit%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.thermoworks.com/rfx-starter-kit/">ThermoWorks RFX starter kit (four-probe) for $349 ($86 off):</a> ThermoWorks' new smart grill probe is accurate and reliable, and the starter kit includes everything you need to get grilling immediately. We gave it a <a data-i13n="cpos:34;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/thermoworks-rfx-review-a-wireless-grilling-tool-with-unparalleled-accuracy-140056393.html">score of 92</a> in our review and declared that "the company simply does not miss." <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:35;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0B1LPNDGF&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Anker+Soundcore+Space+A40+earbuds+for+%2445+%28%2435+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3NvdW5kY29yZS1BZGFwdGl2ZS1DYW5jZWxsaW5nLUNvbWZvcnRhYmxlLUN1c3RvbWl6YXRpb24vZHAvQjBCMUxQTkRHRi8_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3NvdW5kY29yZS1BZGFwdGl2ZS1DYW5jZWxsaW5nLUNvbWZvcnRhYmxlLUN1c3RvbWl6YXRpb24vZHAvQjBCMUxQTkRHRi8iLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAQPQ3aKMamZYFnc6f5UpNXhyf2NycBnMJJA9d_sY03J4&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fsoundcore-Adaptive-Cancelling-Comfortable-Customization%2Fdp%2FB0B1LPNDGF%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/soundcore-Adaptive-Cancelling-Comfortable-Customization/dp/B0B1LPNDGF/?th=1">Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds for $45 ($35 off):</a> Our top pick for the <a data-i13n="cpos:36;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-budget-wireless-earbuds-130028735.html">best budget wireless earbuds</a>, the Space A40 punch above their weight in almost every way. They have excellent ANC, a good sound profile overall, a comfortable fit, multi-device connectivity and wireless charging support. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:37;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CT9552BL&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Dyson+V8+Plus+cordless+vacuum+for+%24350+%2826+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0R5c29uLUNvcmRsZXNzLVZhY3V1bS1TaWx2ZXItTmlja2VsL2RwL0IwQ1Q5NTUyQkw_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0R5c29uLUNvcmRsZXNzLVZhY3V1bS1TaWx2ZXItTmlja2VsL2RwL0IwQ1Q5NTUyQkwiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAdiGaaJX1blv8il0OGtbphTbMplAGTMc26fpbQS7dMrV&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDyson-Cordless-Vacuum-Silver-Nickel%2Fdp%2FB0CT9552BL" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Dyson-Cordless-Vacuum-Silver-Nickel/dp/B0CT9552BL">Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $350 (26 percent off):</a> The V8 is a great entry-level Dyson that boasts 40 minutes of runtime, two power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works on all kinds of flooring and four additional cleaning attachments. Also available at <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Dyson;elmt:;cpos:38;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8b96b196-8902-4854-bf81-2e614eba034c&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Dyson&linkText=Dyson&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5keXNvbi5jb20vdmFjdXVtLWNsZWFuZXJzL2NvcmRsZXNzL3Y4L2Fic29sdXRlLWhlcGEtc2lsdmVyIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmR5c29uLmNvbS92YWN1dW0tY2xlYW5lcnMvY29yZGxlc3MvdjgvYWJzb2x1dGUtaGVwYS1zaWx2ZXIifQ&signature=AQAAATjeGmHXy3SvFgpFeVirwxAqGWDNHHA6eKTxvJYEPSy1&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dyson.com%2Fvacuum-cleaners%2Fcordless%2Fv8%2Fabsolute-hepa-silver" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/v8/absolute-hepa-silver">Dyson</a> in the Absolute model. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:39;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CQMRKRV5&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Amazon+Fire+TV+Stick+HD+for+%2420+%2843+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQ1FNUktSVjU_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQ1FNUktSVjUiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAfA1GrMJf4JzatEuILw40uM9BxIySNVESN7bgk97BUFG&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CQMRKRV5" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQMRKRV5?">Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (43 percent off):</a> The top budget pick in our <a data-i13n="cpos:40;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-streaming-devices-media-players-123021395.html">best streaming devices</a> guide, this latest model of the Fire TV Stick HD is an easy way to update an aging TV with streaming smarts. It supports HD video and all major streaming services, plus the updated remote can now control your TV's power and volume. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:41;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0BZWRSRWV&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Ring+Battery+Doorbell+for+%2455+%2845+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAa6BxyR0DWLYQBPzBMCEBeTmsQDlsuJeZ0SmO95sPr5x&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FRing-Battery-Doorbell-Head-to-Toe-Video-Satin-Nickel%2Fdp%2FB0BZWRSRWV" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Battery-Doorbell-Head-to-Toe-Video-Satin-Nickel/dp/B0BZWRSRWV?th=1">Ring Battery Doorbell for $55 (45 percent off):</a> This 2024 battery-powered Ring video doorbell records 1440p video, sends motion alerts to your phone and supports two-way talk, live view and quick replies. It powers up via USB-C, and it can be installed with or without hardwiring it to your existing doorbell setup. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:42;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0BWX1D2DW&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Blink+Mini+2+%28two-pack%29+for+%2438+%2846+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0JsaW5rLU1pbmktMi1DYW1lcmEtV2hpdGUvZHAvQjBCV1gxRDJEVz90YWc9Z2RndDBjLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vQmxpbmstTWluaS0yLUNhbWVyYS1XaGl0ZS9kcC9CMEJXWDFEMkRXIiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&signature=AQAAAZ6hKxbPe2lWw2LYfg1CvuGXmih626zrMpJ4XTSK3Aqk&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBlink-Mini-2-Camera-White%2Fdp%2FB0BWX1D2DW" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Mini-2-Camera-White/dp/B0BWX1D2DW?th=1">Blink Mini 2 (two-pack) for $38 (46 percent off):</a> These are some of the <a data-i13n="cpos:43;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-security-camera-130035012.html">best security cameras</a> if you're looking for something cheap and only need basic functionality. They record 1080p video and send motion alerts to your phone, plus they work with Alexa voice commands. Blink Mini 2 cams are wired, but they can be placed outside with the right <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:44;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CBL72HYD&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=weather-resistant+power+adapter&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0JsaW5rLS1NaW5pLTItUG93ZXItQWRwYXRlci9kcC9CMENCTDcySFlELz90YWc9Z2RndDBjLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vQmxpbmstLU1pbmktMi1Qb3dlci1BZHBhdGVyL2RwL0IwQ0JMNzJIWUQvIiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&signature=AQAAAbbRKfAmiYYlx1VOnFqLsnX7SYuXP2PKO86hk8XyibnS&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBlink--Mini-2-Power-Adpater%2Fdp%2FB0CBL72HYD%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Blink--Mini-2-Power-Adpater/dp/B0CBL72HYD/?th=1">weather-resistant power adapter</a>. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:45;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0B1N4LM4J&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Blink+Outdoor+4+security+cameras%2C+5+camera+system+for+%24200+%2850+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0JsaW5rLU91dGRvb3ItNHRoLUdlbi01LUNhbWVyYS9kcC9CMEIxTjRMTTRKP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9CbGluay1PdXRkb29yLTR0aC1HZW4tNS1DYW1lcmEvZHAvQjBCMU40TE00SiIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtZW5nYWRnZXQiLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&signature=AQAAAQXGkNUjUeu9AVGWd3HiMxwLGwb_nirpxHbuCaA30IwD&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBlink-Outdoor-4th-Gen-5-Camera%2Fdp%2FB0B1N4LM4J" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Outdoor-4th-Gen-5-Camera/dp/B0B1N4LM4J?th=1">Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras, 5 camera system for $200 (50 percent off):</a> This pack-up includes give weather-resistant Blink Outdoor 4 cameras plus a Sync Module 2 to connect them all. These are some of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:46;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-security-camera-130035012.html">security cameras</a> thanks to their wireless design, accurate and speedy motion alerts and the ability to save footage locally when you use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:47;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B09J6Y8Y73&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Google+Nest+%28wired%29+security+camera+for+%2470+%2830+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0dvb2dsZS1OZXN0LVNlY3VyaXR5LUNhbS1XaXJlZC9kcC9CMDlKNlk4WTczP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFiMTZkNzhiLTczYmEtNDExNy05ZDAyLTE5MDVlZDBkY2Y0NSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9Hb29nbGUtTmVzdC1TZWN1cml0eS1DYW0tV2lyZWQvZHAvQjA5SjZZOFk3MyIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtZW5nYWRnZXQiLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&signature=AQAAAXZAsB3WN3xGaUUwyrxjRu9zh0nAx-BliGMX2Dfga2yv&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGoogle-Nest-Security-Cam-Wired%2Fdp%2FB09J6Y8Y73" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Google-Nest-Security-Cam-Wired/dp/B09J6Y8Y73?th=1">Google Nest (wired) security camera for $70 (30 percent off):</a> One of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:48;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-security-camera-130035012.html">security cameras</a>, the wired Nest cam has an attractive design and a super simple setup process — both experienced and new security camera owners will be able to get it up and running in minutes. It'll send motion alerts to your phone, and pet/person detection is a standard feature — most other security cams make you pay for that.  <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:49;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DK468KVS&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Samsung+24-inch+Essential+monitor+S30GD+for+%24100+%2823+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAASWmu8cat4ugSMtqvOfAMTiQSZHpw764OGxqN18HvBzM&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSAMSUNG-Essential-Ergonomic-Advanced-LS24D304GANXZA%2Fdp%2FB0DK468KVS" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Essential-Ergonomic-Advanced-LS24D304GANXZA/dp/B0DK468KVS?th=1">Samsung 24-inch Essential monitor S30GD for $100 (23 percent off):</a> This 1080p IPS display has a 100Hz refresh rate and can be adjusted via tilting. Its design is pretty slim with thin bezels, and it connect to your computer via HDMI port. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Lenovo;elmt:;cpos:50;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=59bdf74a-dd5e-49bf-af3d-ef9ab46255e9&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Lenovo&linkText=Lenovo+ThinkVision+23.8-inch+Monitor+T24i-30+for+%24183+%2846+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5sZW5vdm8uY29tL3VzL2VuL3AvYWNjZXNzb3JpZXMtYW5kLXNvZnR3YXJlL21vbml0b3JzL29mZmljZS82M2NmbWFyMXVzIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmxlbm92by5jb20vdXMvZW4vcC9hY2Nlc3Nvcmllcy1hbmQtc29mdHdhcmUvbW9uaXRvcnMvb2ZmaWNlLzYzY2ZtYXIxdXMifQ&signature=AQAAAV-CKbUHaLXalpQiQUErJ9nBj1S1XUkCmoJm3km1YEsz&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lenovo.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fp%2Faccessories-and-software%2Fmonitors%2Foffice%2F63cfmar1us" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/monitors/office/63cfmar1us">Lenovo ThinkVision 23.8-inch Monitor T24i-30 for $183 (46 percent off):</a> This FHD IPS panel has a three-side, NearEdgeless bezel design and can be adjusted via tilt, lift, swivel and pivot. In addition to four USB-A ports for connecting peripherals, it also supports a number of display connections including HDMI, DP and VGA. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:iRobot;elmt:;cpos:51;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8563d83f-1364-4ebb-9231-315c2b426cbd&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=iRobot&linkText=iRobot+Combo+Essential+robot+vacuum+for+%24150+%28%24125+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5pcm9ib3QuY29tL2VuX1VTL3Jvb21iYS1jb21iby1lc3NlbnRpYWwtcm9ib3QvWTAxMzQyMC5odG1sIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJhYjE2ZDc4Yi03M2JhLTQxMTctOWQwMi0xOTA1ZWQwZGNmNDUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmlyb2JvdC5jb20vZW5fVVMvcm9vbWJhLWNvbWJvLWVzc2VudGlhbC1yb2JvdC9ZMDEzNDIwLmh0bWwifQ&signature=AQAAAQEx7KTBWeiHdoI8-nsKA0HTEOCJ1WKrcm8oN1qHjvt0&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irobot.com%2Fen_US%2Froomba-combo-essential-robot%2FY013420.html" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.irobot.com/en_US/roomba-combo-essential-robot/Y013420.html">iRobot Combo Essential robot vacuum for $150 ($125 off):</a> This is a great entry-level robot vacuum that has the added convenience of being a mopping machine, too. It'll suck up dirt, debris and pet hair while it vacuums, and you can use the included water reservoir when you want to mop hard floors. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:52;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DGRZHXZN&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Shark+PowerDetect+NeverTouch+Robot+Vacuum+and+Mop+for+%24700+%2830+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAaKKuVJdA6_qs2bF6dWhnZvfVp32OejsBDuJ1ck5wTE-&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FShark-PowerDetect-NeverTouch-Self-Refill-AV2810YS%2Fdp%2FB0DGRZHXZN" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Shark-PowerDetect-NeverTouch-Self-Refill-AV2810YS/dp/B0DGRZHXZN?ref_=pb_hm_dp&th=1">Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Robot Vacuum and Mop for $700 (30 percent off):</a> A version of one of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:53;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-robot-vacuums-130010426.html">robot vacuums</a>, this Shark machine can vacuum and mop floors for you. Its self-emptying base station holds up to 30 days worth of debris, and it has a refill tank for the mopping reservoir as well. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:54;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CB6B2JWG&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Levoit+LVAC-200+cordless+vacuum+cleaner+for+%24150+%2825+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAdUmPnAIC5av_Q3LwjRM0DBe4qQjhQ1pmsnz1PSwMJru&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLEVOIT-Tangle-Resistant-Rechargeable-Lightweight-Versatile%2Fdp%2FB0CB6B2JWG" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/LEVOIT-Tangle-Resistant-Rechargeable-Lightweight-Versatile/dp/B0CB6B2JWG?th=1">Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum cleaner for $150 (25 percent off):</a> A top budget pick in our <a data-i13n="cpos:55;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-cordless-vacuum-130007125.html">best cordless vacuums</a> guide, this Levoit machine has a single-button start, tackles debris and pet hair with ease and it has a lightweight design that can be easily disassembled for convenient storage. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:56;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B08CDQ52TB&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Tineco+Pure+ONE+S11+Cordless+Vacuum+Cleaner+for+%24140+%28%2460+off+with+coupon%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1RpbmVjby1Db3JkbGVzcy1IYW5kaGVsZC1NdWx0aS1TdXJmYWNlLUNsZWFuaW5nL2RwL0IwOENEUTUyVEI_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1RpbmVjby1Db3JkbGVzcy1IYW5kaGVsZC1NdWx0aS1TdXJmYWNlLUNsZWFuaW5nL2RwL0IwOENEUTUyVEIiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAbdh8shSmkW-m48N4ur7ZWcWJZWBgXtw-mUR11uHEfSe&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTineco-Cordless-Handheld-Multi-Surface-Cleaning%2Fdp%2FB08CDQ52TB" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Tineco-Cordless-Handheld-Multi-Surface-Cleaning/dp/B08CDQ52TB?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1">Tineco Pure ONE S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $140 ($60 off with coupon):</a> Our top budget pick among the <a data-i13n="cpos:57;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-cordless-vacuum-130007125.html">best cordless vacuums</a>, this Tineco machine offers good suction and a relatively lightweight design at a great price. It also includes the company's iLoop smart sensor, which will auto-adjust suction power as you clean. <h2 id="jump-link-expired-deals">Expired deals</h2> <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:58;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Best+Buy&linkText=Withings+Thermo+smart+thermometer+for+%2486+%28%2414+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL3dpdGhpbmdzLXRoZXJtby1zbWFydC1ub24tY29udGFjdC10aGVybW9tZXRlci13aGl0ZS81ODY5NTM3LnA_c2t1SWQ9NTg2OTUzNyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL3dpdGhpbmdzLXRoZXJtby1zbWFydC1ub24tY29udGFjdC10aGVybW9tZXRlci13aGl0ZS81ODY5NTM3LnA_c2t1SWQ9NTg2OTUzNyJ9&signature=AQAAAWDOUkkakS1U7YnJIgbtkgK2O_kBsLp8tncBVaaqLSJP&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fwithings-thermo-smart-non-contact-thermometer-white%2F5869537.p%3FskuId%3D5869537" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/withings-thermo-smart-non-contact-thermometer-white/5869537.p?skuId=5869537">Withings Thermo smart thermometer for $86 ($14 off):</a> This FDA cleared, FSA/HSA/HRA eligible thermometer can take no-contact temperature readings in just a few seconds with a simple swipe across the forehead. It uses 16 infrared sensors to take over 4,000 measurements for the most accurate readings, and the built-in LED screen will show you color-coded results. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Ninja;elmt:;cpos:59;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=994e1870-52dd-4a45-a479-718c3b12f605&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Ninja&linkText=Ninja+Artisan+5-in-1+outdoor+electric+pizza+oven+for+%24230+%2823+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uaW5qYWtpdGNoZW4uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL25pbmphLWFydGlzYW4tNS1pbi0xLXBvcnRhYmxlLWVsZWN0cmljLXBpenphLW91dGRvb3Itb3Zlbi16aWRNTzIwMSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uaW5qYWtpdGNoZW4uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL25pbmphLWFydGlzYW4tNS1pbi0xLXBvcnRhYmxlLWVsZWN0cmljLXBpenphLW91dGRvb3Itb3Zlbi16aWRNTzIwMSJ9&signature=AQAAAeJUnuWs48pjAiW0_625YHv_0j9xtBTo1dmlVr7Ritpm&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ninjakitchen.com%2Fproducts%2Fninja-artisan-5-in-1-portable-electric-pizza-outdoor-oven-zidMO201" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.ninjakitchen.com/products/ninja-artisan-5-in-1-portable-electric-pizza-outdoor-oven-zidMO201">Ninja Artisan 5-in-1 outdoor electric pizza oven for $230 (23 percent off):</a> This model from Ninja can create 12-inch pies in as little as three minutes, and it also has other cooking modes like bake, proof, broil and warm. You can choose from five unique pizza settings (Neapolitan, Thin Crust, Pan, New York, and Custom) and you can take control of cooking by adjusting the temperature from 90 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Also available at <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:60;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DWTFBFWT&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL05pbmphLTMtbWludXRlLU5lYXBvbGl0YW4tVGVtcGVyYXR1cmUtTU8yMDEvZHAvQjBEV1RGQkZXVC8_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL05pbmphLTMtbWludXRlLU5lYXBvbGl0YW4tVGVtcGVyYXR1cmUtTU8yMDEvZHAvQjBEV1RGQkZXVC8iLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAYyaM7NHGkJcf6KCSctuQXH3hI8trslefqvJJxQi20vk&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNinja-3-minute-Neapolitan-Temperature-MO201%2Fdp%2FB0DWTFBFWT%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-3-minute-Neapolitan-Temperature-MO201/dp/B0DWTFBFWT/">Amazon</a>. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:61;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0C8PWSW7T&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Beats+Studio+Pro+for+%24170+%2851+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAQKtgoK9QH2C9OzCWLFKbTxWENpJOmlFoTZSXisam1g3&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBeats-Studio-Pro-Personalized-Compatibility%2Fdp%2FB0C8PWSW7T" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Beats-Studio-Pro-Personalized-Compatibility/dp/B0C8PWSW7T?th=1">Beats Studio Pro for $170 (51 percent off):</a> The latest version of the Beats Studio Pro have much-improved sound quality along with good voice performance and Transparency mode. While these are <a data-i13n="cpos:62;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-headphones-wireless-bluetooth-120543205.html">wireless headphones</a>, you can also connect a USB-C cable to them to use them as wired headphones, too. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:63;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DT2LTRL7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Beats+Powerbeats+Pro+2+for+%24200+%2820+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFQyTFRSTDc_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFQyTFRSTDciLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAQkrsM_MA0cQTZfkm3jfaIsTjC6gn4uJlpJH28YoGf0t&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DT2LTRL7" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT2LTRL7?th=1">Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for $200 (20 percent off): </a>The new Powerbeats Pro 2 have a comfortable design, improved sound quality and bass performance and heart rate sensors on board that make them good workout companions. However, you'll only be able to get that heart rate data if you have these buds paired to an iOS device. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:64;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D15YWYMD&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Shark+Clean+%26+Empty+Cordless+Stick+Vacuum+for+%24280+%2820+percent+off%29%3A&custData=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&signature=AQAAAfqJQ0PSkhZejfzv4se3W0yB3dHtSN8Z-CfZD0MiNh38&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FShark-Lightweight-Rechargeable-Auto-Empty-BU3523%2Fdp%2FB0D15YWYMD" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Shark-Lightweight-Rechargeable-Auto-Empty-BU3523/dp/B0D15YWYMD?ref_=pb_hm_dp&th=1">Shark Clean & Empty Cordless Stick Vacuum for $280 (20 percent off):</a> This is a slightly cheaper version of one of our favorite <a data-i13n="cpos:65;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-cordless-vacuum-130007125.html">cordless stick vacuums</a> and it comes with a self-emptying base. This Shark stick vacuum has good suction power, can easily convert to a hand vacuum and it docks neatly on its auto-empty base station that traps over 99 percent of dust and allergens. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:66;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0C4DW17PD&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=EcoFlow+Delta+2+Max+2048Wh+power+station+for+%24999+%2841+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQzREVzE3UEQ_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQzREVzE3UEQiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAUg8TFYl23AoD1Ev-0yBgYQizC7AGcX2TmTJKbdikCR-&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0C4DW17PD" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4DW17PD?th=1">EcoFlow Delta 2 Max 2048Wh power station for $999 (41 percent off):</a> This is a higher-capacity version of the Delta 2, so it'll last longer and power gadgets and appliances for a longer period of time on a full charge. It also has 15 connectors and you can optionally add on solar panels for easy powering-up on the go. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:67;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0F13TX71J&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=EcoFlow+Delta+2+1024Wh+power+station+with+waterproof+bag+for+%24479+%2831+percent+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRjEzVFg3MUo_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRjEzVFg3MUoiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAASWkXEY3fZ-pY2b8hPi8OwSMqP286MBzbwvRSEdJhJvI&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0F13TX71J" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F13TX71J?th=1">EcoFlow Delta 2 1024Wh power station with waterproof bag for $479 (31 percent off):</a> This EcoFlow power station provides 15 connectors to power up multiple devices at once — those include six AC outlets, two USB-C ports and four USB-A ports. It's versatile enough to take it camping or on a road trip, but it can also act as a home backup battery, powering a refrigerator, lights, CPAP machines and more. <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Dyson;elmt:;cpos:68;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=8b96b196-8902-4854-bf81-2e614eba034c&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=ab16d78b-73ba-4117-9d02-1905ed0dcf45&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Dyson&linkText=Dyson+Supersonic+hair+dryer+for+%24330+%28%24100+off%29%3A&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5keXNvbi5jb20vaGFpci1jYXJlL2hhaXItZHJ5ZXJzL3N1cGVyc29uaWMvYmx1ZS1jb3BwZXItY2FzZSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYWIxNmQ3OGItNzNiYS00MTE3LTlkMDItMTkwNWVkMGRjZjQ1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5keXNvbi5jb20vaGFpci1jYXJlL2hhaXItZHJ5ZXJzL3N1cGVyc29uaWMvYmx1ZS1jb3BwZXItY2FzZSJ9&signature=AQAAARjILRv8vZusl8xKzTQ3aBR3pxoPuImLt3fp8dFBS_A4&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dyson.com%2Fhair-care%2Fhair-dryers%2Fsupersonic%2Fblue-copper-case" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.dyson.com/hair-care/hair-dryers/supersonic/blue-copper-case">Dyson Supersonic hair dryer for $330 ($100 off):</a> This is the original Dyson Supersonic hair dryer that has been super popular since its debut. It includes five attachments for drying and styling, and it's billed as a fast dryer that protects hair from heat damage. Follow <a data-i13n="cpos:69;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a data-i13n="cpos:70;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:71;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-memorial-day-tech-sales-from-amazon-apple-dyson-and-others-that-you-can-shop-now-144526756.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025) review: When a traditional gaming laptop just won't do

On paper, the idea of a PC gaming tablet doesn't really make sense. Anything with a screen larger than eight to ten inches is generally too big to hold for longer sessions. Their thin chassis don't leave much room for big batteries, ports or discrete graphics. But with the second-gen ROG Flow Z13, ASUS is turning that line of thought on its head with a surprisingly powerful system that can do more than just game — as long as you don't mind paying a premium for some niche engineering. <h2 id="jump-link-design-and-display-not-exactly-stealthy">Design and display: Not exactly stealthy</h2> For better or worse, the Z Flow 13 looks like someone tweaked a Surface Pro to accommodate the stereotypical gamer aesthetic. It has cyberpunky graphics littered across its body along with a small window in the back that’s complete with RGB lighting. <core-commerce id="03c1a5d801df497d8a28f4aabce34eae" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-flow-z13-13-4-2-5k-180hz-touch-screen-gaming-laptop-copilot-pc-amd-ryzen-ai-max-395-32gb-ram-1tb-ssd-off-black/6619034.p?skuId=6619034"></core-commerce> Unlike a lot of tablets, ASUS gave the Z13 a thicker-than-normal body (0.6 inches), which left space for a surprising number of ports. Not only do you get two USB 4 Type-C ports, there's also a regular USB-A jack, full-size HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio and even a microSD card reader. This instantly elevates the tablet from something strictly meant for playing games into something that can also pull double duty as a portable video editing station. ASUS' 13.4-inch 2.5 IPS display leans into that even more thanks to a 180Hz refresh rate, strong brightness (around 500 nits) and Pantone validation. Regardless of what you're doing, colors will be both rich and accurate. Rounding out the package are some punchy speakers, so you don't have to suffer from subpar sound. But there are limitations here, as deep bass is always tough to produce on smaller systems like this. <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/9de68760-35bc-11f0-be9b-17ae028ffe41" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/9de68760-35bc-11f0-be9b-17ae028ffe41" style="height:2000px;width:3333px;" alt="The back of the ROG Flow Z13 features a window with customizable RGB lighting. " data-uuid="e722a2f2-0d38-3cf4-9e89-8eb861affd8e"> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Sam Rutherford for Engadget </div> </figure> Finally, there are some pogo pins along the bottom of its display for connecting its folding keyboard. Sadly, this is one of the system's weak points. Because the Z13 is heavier than a typical tablet PC, its keyboard has to carry a hefty load. On a table, it's fine. But if you try to use this thing on your lap (or any uneven surface), I found that the keyboard can flex so much it can result in accidental mouse clicks. It's a shame because the bounce and travel of the keys generally feels pretty good. Nothing is more of a bummer than playing a game while relaxing on the couch and then having to fight with the tablet to avoid errant clicks. <h2 id="jump-link-performance">Performance</h2> Instead of relying on discrete graphics, ASUS opted for AMD's Ryzen AI Max 390 or Max+ 395 APUs, which feature up to 32 cores and a whopping 128GB of unified RAM. However, our review unit came with a more modest, but still ample, 32GB. Unsurprisingly, this makes mincemeat out of basic productivity tasks while having more than enough power to quickly edit videos on the go. <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/d08dc0c0-35bc-11f0-afec-64fbae270c24" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/d08dc0c0-35bc-11f0-afec-64fbae270c24" style="height:2000px;width:3333px;" alt="On a flat surface it's fine, but one of the biggest issues with the ROG Flow Z13 is that when used on your lap, it's weak keyboard can produce errant mouse clicks. " data-uuid="d6302fd1-5321-3911-aaea-63e0d7615bd0"> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Sam Rutherford for Engadget </div> </figure> But without a proper graphics card, can it actually game? Yes, and rather well, I might add. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and Ultra settings, the Z13 hit an impressive 93 fps. And while numbers weren't quite as high in Control at 1080p on Epic presets, 70 fps is still very playable. The one wrinkle is that when I tested Cyberpunk 2077 a second time on Ultra with ray tracing enabled, the Flow's performance was cut in half to just 45 fps. Unless you're playing a brand new AAA title that requires RT support (of which there are a growing number), the Z13 is a shockingly good portable gaming companion for frequent travelers. You just have to be careful about how you configure its power settings. That's because if you're out in public or a quiet room, high performance (especially turbo) can result in a fair bit of fan noise, which may draw some unwanted attention. Or in my case, it got much harder to talk to someone sitting next to me on the couch. <h2 id="jump-link-battery-life">Battery life</h2> <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/f76d3ae0-35bc-11f0-9dbf-0299cbfa94e4" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/f76d3ae0-35bc-11f0-9dbf-0299cbfa94e4" style="height:2000px;width:3333px;" alt="For a gaming tablet, the ROG Flow Z13 has surprisingly good connectivity including a microSD card reader and a full-size HDMI 2.1 port. " data-uuid="0950732a-daf3-3b61-b267-06a05a1736ff"> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Sam Rutherford for Engadget </div> </figure> When it comes to longevity, you'll get one of two outcomes. In normal use and on PCMark's Modern Office productivity battery life test, the Z13 fared quite well, finishing with a time of six hours and 54 minutes. That's not quite a full day's worth of work untethered, but it's good enough for most folks. You'll just want to keep its chunky power adapter nearby. However, if you plan on gaming without plugging this thing into the wall, just be prepared for the Z13 to conk out after two hours at best. When I played League of Legends' Teamfight Tactics, I only made it through two games (about 30 to 40 minutes each) before its battery got dangerously low (around 10 percent). And suffice it to say, TFT isn't a very demanding title. <h2 id="jump-link-wrap-up">Wrap-up</h2> <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/294eb340-35bd-11f0-b0db-585267aaf243" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/294eb340-35bd-11f0-b0db-585267aaf243" style="height:2000px;width:3333px;" alt="The right side of the ROG Flow Z13 features a customizable button that can be programmed to launch an app of your choice. " data-uuid="e0622123-e9fd-3bb3-a7fd-9fae3fc43da2"> <figcaption> The right side of the ROG Flow Z13 features a customizable button that can be programmed to launch an app of your choice. </figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Sam Rutherford for Engadget </div> </figure> The Flow Z13 is a niche device that's more of an all-rounder than it might seem at first glance. This system fills an interesting gap between ASUS' gaming machines and more creatively-focused PCs from its ProArt family. In a lot of ways, slapping an ROG badge on it doesn't really do this thing justice. It's got more than enough performance to breeze through general productivity or video edits, and its built-in microSD card reader makes transferring footage to the tablet a breeze. Its screen is bright and vibrant, while also offering accurate colors and a decently high refresh rate. And even without a discrete GPU, the Z13 didn't have much trouble rendering games with lots of graphical bells and whistles turned on. However, this tablet's issues boil down to a couple of major sticking points. Its detachable keyboard is simply too flimsy, to the point where if you use it anywhere besides a table or desk, you risk fighting with it just to ensure your mouse clicks are correct. But the bigger hurdle is price. Starting at $2,100 (or around $2,300 as tested), the Flow Z13 costs the same or more as a comparable ROG Zephyrus G14 with a proper RTX 5070. Not only does it have worse performance, it's less stable too due to its tablet-style design. For people trying to get the most value out of their money, that proposition is a hard sell. <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/49076d80-35bd-11f0-bbff-a31c1ef1e1fd" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/49076d80-35bd-11f0-bbff-a31c1ef1e1fd" style="height:2000px;width:3333px;" alt="The ROG Flow Z13 also comes with a rather large 240-watt power brick, which is something you'll need to account for while traveling. " data-uuid="922918e8-7642-3904-983d-0dcf3019c787"> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Sam Rutherford for Engadget </div> </figure> Deep down, I want to like the ROG Flow Z13. And I do, to a certain extent. It's got a funky build and unapologetically aggressive styling. But unless you have a very particular set of requirements, it doesn't fit neatly into most people's lives as an equivalent laptop. And that's before you consider how much it costs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-rog-flow-z13-2025-review-when-a-traditional-gaming-laptop-just-wont-do-133510833.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Memorial Day Apple deals include the USB-C Magic Mouse for $68

<a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-memorial-day-tech-sales-from-amazon-apple-dyson-and-others-that-you-can-shop-now-144526756.html">Memorial Day</a> brings the unofficial start of summer in addition to tons of deals across the internet. It's a decent time to shop for tech, believe it or not, from big purchases like laptops and tablets down to more affordable devices like tech accessories. In the latter category, you'll find the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DL72PK1P&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=478d171d-58f1-4747-90b4-9f33885be125&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Magic+Mouse+with+a+USB-C+port&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREw3MlBLMVA_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNDc4ZDE3MWQtNThmMS00NzQ3LTkwYjQtOWYzMzg4NWJlMTI1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwREw3MlBLMVAiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAUiTxwe0mra45b3ouzwKThcqFp4T1UjtHP2tQns3xSXr&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DL72PK1P" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL72PK1P?th=1">Apple Magic Mouse with a USB-C port</a> down to $68 for Memorial Day. That's a 14-percent discount and only $5 more than its record-low price. Notably, this deal is only for the white model with a USB-C port. <core-commerce id="2b0524b2b0a5427c97734cd797c0b699" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL72PK1P?th=1"></core-commerce> The Apple Magic Mouse is a solid wireless and rechargeable option to go with any of your Macs. It should pair automatically with the computer. Plus, one charge should last about a month and you can recharge it with an included woven USB-C Charge Cable.  In addition to the Magic Mouse, there are a handful of other <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=478d171d-58f1-4747-90b4-9f33885be125&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+accessories&custData=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&signature=AQAAAbT8EsXXAzblKTmfgcbPtJ5rBzkDKqMe1DUaoqI3WVzz&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fstores%2Fpage%2F41DE96BD-19FC-4967-A4D3-F75DB811DD16" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/41DE96BD-19FC-4967-A4D3-F75DB811DD16?ingress=0&visitId=f69321cc-abdc-4be3-840b-3c002ea4d294&ref_=fs_a_accy_4">Apple accessories</a> on sale for Memorial Day. Key among them are the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D3J71RM7&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=478d171d-58f1-4747-90b4-9f33885be125&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+Pencil+Pro&custData=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&signature=AQAAAYDgelebBvP4jLhYQc2i5zyyCcRaY1-eGvca7u2Mc1Fo&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading%2Fdp%2FB0D3J71RM7%2Fref%3Dast_sto_dp_puis" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading/dp/B0D3J71RM7/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis">Apple Pencil Pro</a> for $99 and a <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0D54JZTHY&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=478d171d-58f1-4747-90b4-9f33885be125&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=four-pack+of+AirTags&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLU1YNTQyTEwtQS1BaXJUYWctUGFjay9kcC9CMEQ1NEpaVEhZL3JlZj1hc3Rfc3RvX2RwX3B1aXM_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNDc4ZDE3MWQtNThmMS00NzQ3LTkwYjQtOWYzMzg4NWJlMTI1Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLU1YNTQyTEwtQS1BaXJUYWctUGFjay9kcC9CMEQ1NEpaVEhZL3JlZj1hc3Rfc3RvX2RwX3B1aXMiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAARj991gZQwPVD9gt3J42bVLuSQngFJRsJ5f1PmWRdew-&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-MX542LL-A-AirTag-Pack%2Fdp%2FB0D54JZTHY%2Fref%3Dast_sto_dp_puis" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MX542LL-A-AirTag-Pack/dp/B0D54JZTHY/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis">four-pack of AirTags</a> for $75. <core-commerce id="74902d8afeed40bfbd9353237ecb55cc" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pencil-Pro-Pixel-Perfect-Industry-Leading/dp/B0D3J71RM7/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis"></core-commerce> <core-commerce id="8a1a7e078870489e87c3e63c31f9c00b" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MX542LL-A-AirTag-Pack/dp/B0D54JZTHY/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis"></core-commerce> Check out our coverage of the <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-apple-deals-150020110.html">best Apple deals</a> for more discounts, and follow <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/memorial-day-apple-deals-include-the-usb-c-magic-mouse-for-68-143823657.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Google talks up NotebookLM upgrades by making it talk up Google I/O 2025

Google used news from its I/O developer conference this year to show what <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/notebooklm-the-acceptable-face-of-google-ai-is-getting-an-app-in-may-182041294.html">NotebookLM</a> can do. The AI-powered research and note-taking tool has been <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/googles-ai-infused-notebooklm-note-taking-app-is-open-to-everyone-in-the-us-155239999.html">around for years</a>, but the company has infused it with more and more features as its AI tech improved. To demonstrate those features, Google <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://blog.google/feed/notebooklm-google-io-2025/">created a notebook</a> filled with news from I/O 2025, including a YouTube video of the keynote (complete with a transcript of the whole event), press releases, blog posts and even product demonstrations. You can visit all of those one by one, since the company uploaded them as sources to the notebook, but you can also use the AI tool to digest all the information for you.  You can ask NotebookLM anything you want about the event in the chat box, so that you can quickly find details for whatever it is you want to know. When I asked it what is NotebookLM, for instance, it gave me a response that aligned with what was announced during the event. "According to Google's announcements at I/O," the tool responded, "...NotebookLM becomes an 'expert' by grounding its responses in the provided material and offering creative ways to transform information."   Under the Studio section of its interface, you'll be able to generate <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-notebooklm-adds-improved-audio-overviews-and-background-listening-feature-174804128.html">audio overviews</a> that can give you a quick or a more comprehensive spoken summary of the information you've uploaded. You can also create a Mind Map, which visually summarizes uploaded sources, showing one main topic branching towards several smaller topics and relevant ideas. Mind Maps are meant to structure information in a way that's easier to understand and remember. Google added a reminder to its announcement, however, that "like all AI, NotebookLM can generate inaccuracies," which is something to keep in mind while using the tool. Google has released an official app for the tool in time for I/O 2025, which you can now download on Android or iOS. To see the company's <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="http://g.co/notebooklm/io2025">I/O 2025 notebook</a>, you'll have to be signed into a Google account. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-talks-up-notebooklm-upgrades-by-making-it-talk-up-google-io-2025-114240186.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Google co-founder Sergey Brin admits to 'mistakes' over Google Glass

Before augmented reality was ever a thing, there was <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2013-04-30-google-glass-review.html">Google Glass</a>: a much hyped experiment that was ultimately a failure over issues like privacy (and just looking like a dork). At an <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.youtube.com/live/mri4JFkv6Ow">I/O session</a> yesterday with Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis, Google co-founder Sergey Brin admitted that he made "mistakes" with Google Glass in several areas. "I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chain chains, really, and how hard it would be to build that and have it it at a reasonable price point and managing all the manufacturing and so forth," he said during the session. Brin said that he's still a believer in the form factor, though, adding that <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/xreals-project-aura-is-the-second-official-android-xr-headset-174526481.html">Xreal's latest device</a> looks like "normal glasses" without "that thing in front." He noted that rather than going it alone as before, Google now has "great partners" in Samsung (the Project Moohan headset) and Xreal (Project Aura glasses) as part of the <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-lays-out-its-vision-for-an-android-xr-ecosystem-160001103.html">Android XR</a> extended reality program.  There was also a "technology gap" when Google Glass came along in 2013 that no longer exists, according to Brin. "Now in the AI world, the things that these glasses can do to help you out without constantly distracting you, that capability is much higher," he said Google Glass wasn't a complete flop. It's easy to forget that the product soldiered on for many years after its debut, largely as an enterprise device, and was only <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-retires-glass-ar-eyewear-082512062.html">fully discontinued in 2023</a>. It also paved a path for future VR and AR wearables like the <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-03-28-oculus-rift-review.html">Oculus Rift</a>, <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2016-03-18-htc-vive-an-oral-history.html">HTC Vive,</a> Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. Come to think of it, though, none of those projects have exactly set the world on fire, either. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-co-founder-sergey-brin-admits-to-mistakes-over-google-glass-110659349.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

The best MacBook for 2025: Which Apple laptop should you buy?

There are just two models of <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> laptops: the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. In a nutshell, those who need a computer for productivity, work and everyday use — in other words, most people — will be happy with a MacBook Air. People who do intense video and audio editing and other high-demand tasks may want to spring for a Pro model. Within the Air and Pro categories, there are a few other choices to make, including screen size, chip type and memory capacity. This guide recaps our reviews and explains the specs to help pick the best MacBook for you. <h2 id="jump-link-table-of-contents">Table of contents</h2> <ul> <li><a href="#jump-link-best-macbooks-for-2025">Best MacBooks for 2025</a></li> <li><a href="#jump-link-factors-to-consider-when-buying-a-macbook">Factors to consider when buying a MacBook</a></li> <li><a href="#jump-link-best-macbook-faqs">Best MacBook FAQs</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="jump-link-best-macbooks-for-2025">Best MacBooks for 2025</h2> <core-commerce id="82d56b1f447a4b189e4f7acf9bbe4314" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZDC3WW5?th=1"></core-commerce> <core-commerce id="9fbbebcb114f4764baf16f6dd901327f" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2024-MacBook-13-inch-Laptop/dp/B0CX24BNQC/?th=1"></core-commerce> <core-commerce id="5dbc5563fe2847c589826837672252e5" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2024-MacBook-Laptop-10%E2%80%91core/dp/B0DLHBYRPS?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1"></core-commerce> <h2 id="jump-link-factors-to-consider-when-buying-a-macbook">Factors to consider when buying a MacBook</h2> Compared to PCs, Apple computers tend to have more streamlined specifications. The company has long been known for this simplicity, and the M-series “system-on-a-chip” condenses things even further. Prior to the <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-silicon-m1-mac-181040846.html">M1</a> chip, Apple <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-silicon-arm-mac-processor-intel-182826202.html">used Intel chips</a> in its laptop and desktop computers. The M2 and <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apples-m3-chips-pro-max-003004080.html">M3</a> generations followed that first chip and currently sells MacBooks equipped with M4-series chips. You’ll find the standard M4 processor in the Air and the base-model Pro and the upgraded M4 Max and M4 Pro chips as options for the MacBook Pro (currently there is no M4 Ultra chip, as there was with the <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/apples-new-mac-studio-comes-with-the-long-awaited-m3-ultra-chip-140005216.html">M3 series</a> in the Mac Studio). All M-series chips combine, among other technologies, the CPU, graphics card and unified memory (RAM). Apple’s Neural Engine is included too, which is a specialized group of processor cores that handles machine learning tasks such as image analysis and voice recognition. While a unified chip means you have fewer decisions to make when picking a MacBook, there are still a few factors to consider, including specs like the number of CPU cores, amount of RAM, storage capacity, screen size, and, obviously, price. The finish color may be a minor consideration, but it's worth pointing out that the Pro comes in just two colors (Silver or Space Black) but the Air comes in four hues (Midnight, Starlight, Sky Blue and Silver). <h3 id="jump-link-cpu-cores">CPU cores</h3> Currently the lowest-specced chip in a MacBook is the M4, which comes in all models of the MacBook Air and the base model, MacBook Pro 14-inch. That chip houses a 10-core CPU and either an 8- or 10-core GPU. The burliest chip, the <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-unveils-its-top-of-the-line-m4-max-chip-150241987.html">M4 Max</a> is built with either a 14- or 16-core CPU and a 32- or 40-core GPU. Cores are, in essence, smaller processing units that can handle different tasks simultaneously. Having more of them translates to the computer being able to run multiple programs and applications at once, while also smoothly processing demanding tasks like video editing and high-level gaming. In short, more cores allow for more advanced computing and better performance. But if your processing power needs fall below professional-level gaming and cinematic video and audio editing, getting the highest number of cores is likely overkill — and after all, more cores equals higher cost and more power usage. <figure> <img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-11/e536a1d0-7c1e-11ee-9e77-9ea8e142b078" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-11/e536a1d0-7c1e-11ee-9e77-9ea8e142b078" style="height:1541px;width:2500px;" alt="Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch from the rear, showing off the Apple logo." data-uuid="ac886def-985e-3d7f-bde1-fb1809410bcf"> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget </div> </figure> <h3 id="jump-link-ram">RAM</h3> Your options for RAM, or in Apple’s terminology, unified memory, varies, but with the switch to the M4 chip in all laptops, the lowest amount of RAM you can get is now 16GB. That’s a necessary spec-bump to accommodate the tech world’s favorite feature of the moment: AI or, in this case, <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-imac-gets-an-m4-refresh-for-faster-apple-intelligence-151251449.html">Apple Intelligence</a> (still AI, but Cupertino’s version). The M4 Pro chip has 24 or 48GB memory options, while the M4 Max chip supports 48, 64 or a whopping 128GB of RAM. You’ve likely heard the analogy comparing memory to the amount of workspace available on a literal desktop surface, whereas storage is the amount of drawers you have to store projects to work on later. The larger the worktop surface, the more projects you can work on at once. The bigger the drawers, the more you can save for later. In addition to supporting Apple Intelligence, more RAM is ideal for people who plan to work in multiple apps at once. And the more demanding each program is, the more RAM will be required. Extra memory can also come in handy if you’re the type who likes to have infinite numbers of tabs open on your browser. If your daily workflow doesn’t involve simultaneously using a vast number of memory-intensive programs, you can save yourself money and buy the RAM configuration that you’re most likely to actually use. For a long time, Apple continued to offer MacBooks with just 8GB of RAM, and we recommended upgrading to at least 16GB of RAM. With this being the standard today, grabbing a base model should be fine for most non-pro-level users. One thing to note is that, unlike most PCs, the RAM in a MacBook is not user-upgradable since it’s tied into the system-on-a-chip. If you think you might end up needing more memory, you should go for the spec upgrade up front. <h3 id="jump-link-storage-capacity-ssd">Storage capacity (SSD)</h3> Storage options range from 256GB of SSD for the base-model MacBook Air and 8TB of storage for the MacBook Pros with the M4 Max chip. If you want to rotate between a long roster of game titles or keep lots of high-res videos on hand, you’ll want more storage. If you’re mostly working with browser- and cloud-based applications, you can get away with a smaller-capacity configuration. That said, we recommend springing for 512GB of storage or more, if it’s within your budget. You’ll quickly feel the limits of a 256GB machine as it ages since the operating system alone takes up a good portion of that space. Having 1TB will feel even roomier and allow for more data storage over the life of your laptop. When Apple announced the <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/iphone-15-pro-max-first-impressions-lights-camera-action-button-200647981.html">iPhone 15</a>, the company also announced new iCloud+ <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/icloud-adds-new-6tb-and-12tb-storage-tiers-194853580.html">storage storage plans</a>, with subscriptions that allow up to 12TB of storage shared among your iOS and MacOS devices. You could also transfer files to an external storage device. But if you don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription and prefer the convenience of having immediate access to your files, it’s best to get the highest amount of storage space your budget allows for at the outset. <h3 id="jump-link-screen-size">Screen size</h3> The MacBook Air comes in 13- or 15-inch sizes. Pro models have either 14- or 16-inch screens. A two-inch delta may not seem like much but, as Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham noted when he <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-macbook-air-15-inch-review-a-bigger-screen-makes-a-surprising-difference-130033172.html">reviewed</a> the then-new 15-inch M2-powered MacBook Air, a larger screen "makes a surprising difference.” That’s especially true if you plan to use your laptop as an all-day productivity machine and won’t be using an external monitor. More space means you can more clearly view side-by-side windows and have a more immersive experience when watching shows or gaming. But screen size is one of the main factors influencing weight. The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 weighs 2.7 pounds, whereas the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro with the Max chip weighs 4.7 pounds. If you plan to travel a lot or swap your work locations regularly, a smaller screen will make life easier in the long run. All MacBooks feature IPS LCD panels (<a data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/how-to-buy-a-monitor-143000069.html">in-plane switching</a>, liquid crystal display), which Apple markets as Retina displays. The MacBook Air M4 has a Liquid Retina display and the Pro models have Liquid Retina XDR displays. “Liquid” refers to the way the lighted portion of the display “flows” within the contours of the screen, filling the rounded corners and curving around the camera notch. “XDR” is what Apple calls HDR (high dynamic range). You also get the option of a standard or nano-texture display on the MacBook Pro. The glass, which reduces glare and is also available on the Studio Display, iMac and iPad Pro, comes with a $150 price increase, but if you really don’t like reflections on your screen, it could be worth it. Compared to most other laptops, MacBook displays are notably bright, sharp and lush. But one feature worth pointing out is another Apple marketing term: ProMotion. It’s the company’s term to describe a screen with a higher, 120Hz refresh rate, which results in smoother scrolling and more fluid-looking graphics. Only MacBook Pros offer ProMotion; the Air maxes out at 60Hz, which is perfectly fine for everyday browsing and typical workdays. But if you want buttery-smooth motion from your display, you’ll have to shell out more money for an upgrade. <h3 id="jump-link-price">Price</h3> When Apple announced the MacBook Air M4, it also delivered a bit of refreshing news: The latest model would start $100 cheaper than the previous generation. So now, the least expensive MacBook is the 13-inch, M4-powered Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $999. Alternatively, you can spend up to $7,349 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max with the nano-texture glass, 128GB of RAM and 8TB of storage. Chip type, screen size, memory and storage capacity all influence the final price, which is why guides like this can help you determine just what you need (and what you don’t) so you can get the most cost-effective machine for you. We recommend the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:14;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DZDC3WW5&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=a6dcab25-0d73-4da2-98ba-8a4bd8cb864d&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=MacBook+Air+M4&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFpEQzNXVzU_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYTZkY2FiMjUtMGQ3My00ZGEyLTk4YmEtOGE0YmQ4Y2I4NjRkIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFpEQzNXVzUiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAY3C6dRJRhLzH2QgnArxHdChhMu1cHRl90dHcblNn7-2&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DZDC3WW5" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZDC3WW5?th=1">MacBook Air M4</a> for most people, the <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:15;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CX24BNQC&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=a6dcab25-0d73-4da2-98ba-8a4bd8cb864d&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=MacBook+Air+M3&custData=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&signature=AQAAAVpWmmUa-A_gKGKsWYLYUl1cfzeYiR6LGWt6VRhozpW5&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-2024-MacBook-13-inch-Laptop%2Fdp%2FB0CX24BNQC%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2024-MacBook-13-inch-Laptop/dp/B0CX24BNQC/?th=1">MacBook Air M3</a> for students and those on a budget, and the 14- or 16-inch <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:16;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DLHBYRPS&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=a6dcab25-0d73-4da2-98ba-8a4bd8cb864d&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=MacBook+Pros&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLTIwMjQtTWFjQm9vay1MYXB0b3AtMTAlMjUyNUUyJTI1MjU4MCUyNTI1OTFjb3JlL2RwL0IwRExIQllSUFM_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiYTZkY2FiMjUtMGQ3My00ZGEyLTk4YmEtOGE0YmQ4Y2I4NjRkIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLTIwMjQtTWFjQm9vay1MYXB0b3AtMTAlMjVFMiUyNTgwJTI1OTFjb3JlL2RwL0IwRExIQllSUFMiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAd0ba78XgBjYPCuTFNTD7Td1sjGjxlPSmw7GnArmLVaw&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-2024-MacBook-Laptop-10%2525E2%252580%252591core%2Fdp%2FB0DLHBYRPS" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2024-MacBook-Laptop-10%E2%80%91core/dp/B0DLHBYRPS?th=1">MacBook Pros</a> for professionals. If you have extra money to spare once you’ve picked your machine, we recommend upgrading to at least 512GB of storage to make your machine as future-proof as possible. <h2 id="jump-link-best-macbook-faqs">Best MacBook FAQs</h2> <h3 id="jump-link-whats-the-difference-between-macbook-air-and-pro">What's the difference between MacBook Air and Pro?</h3> Both the MacBook Air and Pro models come with the M4 chip. MacBook Pro models have the option of more powerful M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. The Pro has a higher resolution screen with a higher peak brightness that supports up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rates and XDR (extreme dynamic range). The battery life on most Pro models is longer than on the Air models as well. Pro models also have more ports and more speakers. In short, the MacBook Air is aimed at everyday users looking for good productivity and entertainment capabilities, while Pro models are aimed at professionals who need a high-performance computer. <h3 id="jump-link-whats-the-difference-between-macos-and-windows">What's the difference between macOS and Windows?</h3> MacOS is the operating system developed by Apple and used in all of its desktop and <a href="https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-120008636.html" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Laptop" data-original-link="">laptop computers</a>. It can only be found in hardware made by Apple including MacBooks and iMacs. <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/microsoft/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Microsoft" data-original-link="">Microsoft</a>’s Windows operating system can be found in the company’s own <a data-i13n="cpos:17;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-surface-laptop-7-review-success-at-last-120056125.html">Surface</a> laptops as well as computers made by a wide array of manufacturers, like Acer, Asus, Dell and Razer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-macbook-140032524.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

Volvo expands its Google partnership to bring new features like Gemini to cars sooner

Following the announcement that <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-bringing-gemini-to-wear-os-android-auto-and-more-170028033.html">Gemini is coming to cars</a>, Volvo is using <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-io-2025-live-updates-on-gemini-android-xr-android-16-updates-and-more-214622870.html">I/O 2025</a> to announce a new expanded partnership with Google. The companies' new deal makes Volvo's cars reference hardware for future Android Automotive OS development, and means Volvo drivers will be "among the first to benefit" when Gemini fully replaces Google Assistant in cars. Volvo describes itself as Google's "lead development partner for new features and updates," making the company's cars the first to receive new updates to the Android Automotive OS. Google offers <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-announced-an-update-for-android-auto-with-new-apps-and-casting-support-170831358.html">Android Auto</a> as its CarPlay-like solution for beaming a software interface from your phone to in-car displays, but its <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-android-automotive-os-honda-2022-160039999.html">Automotive OS</a> is more complete, running on your vehicle locally and connected to car controls for A/C and more. You can already experience Android Automotive OS in <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvos-ex90-suv-was-mostly-worth-the-wait-153035616.html">Volvo's EX90</a>, for example. Google's current vision for Android in cars is, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on getting drivers to talk to Gemini. In a car with the assistant, you'll be able to ask Gemini to send a message, pull up directions, or answer the more open-ended, natural language questions that <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/screen-and-camera-sharing-in-gemini-live-is-heading-to-all-android-and-ios-devices-174547592.html">Gemini Live</a> is designed to handle. If it works as advertised, it seems better than pecking at a screen, and Volvo notes it could "help reduce your cognitive load so that you can stay focused on driving." There's no release date for when you can expect Gemini to show up as your driving copilot, but at the very least this new partnership means it'll be in Volvos first.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/volvo-expands-its-google-partnership-to-bring-new-features-like-gemini-to-cars-sooner-070020853.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

AMD unveils Radeon RX 9060 XT at Computex 2025

AMD has unveiled its 9060 XT GPU at Computex 2025. The midrange GPU will be the clear competitor to <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidia-rtx-5060-ti-16gb-review-a-solid-semi-budget-gpu-for-429-but-good-luck-scoring-that-price-130058124.html"><ins>Nvidia’s 5060 Ti</ins></a> and goes toe-to-toe with it on almost every spec. Built on <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-previews-rdna-4-graphics-with-ai-upscaling-teases-rx-9070-gpus-194500173.html"><ins>AMD’s 4-nanometer RDNA 4 silicon</ins></a>, the 9060 XT will pack 32 compute units, along with 64 dedicated AI accelerators and 32 ray-tracing cores. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/9f9230d0-3596-11f0-bffe-f7507b0cc2b4" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/9f9230d0-3596-11f0-bffe-f7507b0cc2b4" style="height:2160px;width:3840px;" alt="Render of AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT" data-uuid="12886346-5a21-395a-b4b9-202058d20688"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">AMD</div></figure> Notably, the RX 9060 XT will ship in 8GB and 16GB GDDR6 versions, whereas Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti uses faster 28 Gb/s GDDR7, delivering roughly 40 percent more bandwidth (448 GB/s vs. approximately 322 GB/s) on the same 128-bit bus. We’ll have to wait for some side-by-side performance comparisons before drawing any strong conclusions from those specs. AMD has listed the 9060 XT’s boost clock at speeds up to 3.13 GHz. The GPU boasts 821 TOPS for AI workloads and will draw a modest 150 to 182 watts from the board. The card will connect via PCIe 5.0 x16 and supports the now-standard DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1b. Based on these initial specs, the 9060 XT should be a solid entry for games running at 1080p and a decent option for those at 1440p. Those wishing to play at 4K should still opt for the <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-radeon-rx-9070-and-9070-xt-review-hitting-nvidia-where-it-hurts-140014376.html"><ins>Radeon RX 9070 or 9070 XT</ins></a>. Pricing and exact release timelines have not yet been announced.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-unveils-radeon-rx-9060-xt-at-computex-2025-030021776.html?src=rss

May 21, 2025

AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 9000 chips have up to 96 cores, just like the last bunch

May 20, 2025

Fortnite is finally back in the US App Store

Fortnite is <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=77478eaa-b55e-4e6e-b4c3-527f70515c19&featureId=text-link&linkText=back+in+the+US+App+Store&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwcHMuYXBwbGUuY29tL3VzL2FwcC9mb3J0bml0ZS9pZDY0ODM1Mzk0MjYiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6Ijc3NDc4ZWFhLWI1NWUtNGU2ZS1iNGMzLTUyN2Y3MDUxNWMxOSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hcHBzLmFwcGxlLmNvbS91cy9hcHAvZm9ydG5pdGUvaWQ2NDgzNTM5NDI2In0&signature=AQAAARS2Pf9YwCbMnsL-9PM9iO3SdLMSrLxiCY1nXJMpiAYj&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Ffortnite%2Fid6483539426" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fortnite/id6483539426">back in the US App Store</a>. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that he <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1917716512347152499">intended to relaunch the game</a> in late April, following <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/court-orders-apple-to-stop-collecting-fees-for-purchases-made-outside-the-app-store-110036376.html">a court order</a> that demanded <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> stop collecting a 27 percent fee on app transactions that happen outside of its in-app purchase system. The company finally <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-app-store-guidelines-to-allow-external-payment-options-123039994.html">amending its rules</a> to remove that additional commission is why Epic moved forward with the relaunch. The origins of this conflict can be traced all the way back to 2020, when Epic added its own method for collecting payments for in-game items in Fortnite and encouraged players to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/epic-games-fortnite-direct-payment-discounts-143422257.html">circumvent Apple's system</a>. Fortnite was <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-removes-fortnite-190920925.html">removed from the App Store</a> (and the Google Play Store for that matter), <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/fortnite-maker-epic-games-sues-apple-195415590.html">Epic sued</a> and the rest is history.  Epic didn't win its entire case against Apple, but it did secure <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:8;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-epic-games-lawsuit-ruling-app-store-153113436.html">a permanent injunction</a> allowing developers to include in-app text that makes users aware of payment options other than the App Store. According to the latest court order, Apple allowed that text, but was still demanding developers pay it a fee for those non-App Store transactions. That prompted the judge overseeing the companies' case to demand Apple stop and remove even more obstacles from the payment process. <div id="84253f241bd24c93b9929dab3bbf749c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads... and on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the E.U! It’ll show up in Search soon! Get Fortnite on the App Store in the U.S. ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/HQu3pYCXFm">https://t.co/HQu3pYCXFm</a> <a href="https://t.co/w74QPFFkOS">pic.twitter.com/w74QPFFkOS</a>— Fortnite (@Fortnite) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fortnite/status/1924949632628523199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> </div> It was anticipated that Fortnite would return far earlier than it actually did. Companies like <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/spotify-breaks-free-from-apples-app-store-fees-170617269.html">Spotify swiftly updated</a> their apps to take advantage of Apple's rule change, with approved applications showing up in early May. In fact, Spotify <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/spotify-ios-users-can-now-buy-audiobooks-directly-from-the-app-230304105.html">managed to get a second update focused on Audiobooks approved</a> before Epic was able to get Fortnite in the App Store. Today's news comes in the wake of a <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:CNBC;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=34e37b9c-8975-48da-aa39-df8bcd5badc3&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=77478eaa-b55e-4e6e-b4c3-527f70515c19&featureId=text-link&merchantName=CNBC&linkText=Judge+ordering+Apple&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jbmJjLmNvbS8yMDI1LzA1LzE5L2FwcGxlLWZvcnRuaXRlLWVwaWMtZ2FtZXMuaHRtbCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNzc0NzhlYWEtYjU1ZS00ZTZlLWI0YzMtNTI3ZjcwNTE1YzE5Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jbmJjLmNvbS8yMDI1LzA1LzE5L2FwcGxlLWZvcnRuaXRlLWVwaWMtZ2FtZXMuaHRtbCJ9&signature=AQAAAWZ3sNZdMmNYNbqfeRHnJVLQffxZRuvtb0_fjsT7ep6S&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2025%2F05%2F19%2Fapple-fortnite-epic-games.html" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/19/apple-fortnite-epic-games.html">Judge ordering Apple</a> on May 19 to either resolve the matter or have the "Apple official who is personally responsible" show up in court next week to explain why. Fortnite has technically been available on Apple devices in other ways for a while now, whether its through the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:12;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-returns-to-ios-in-the-eu-as-the-epic-games-store-debuts-on-mobile-142457411.html">Epic Game Store in the European Union</a>, or game streaming services like <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:13;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/fortnite-xbox-cloud-gaming-free-iphone-ipad-android-164349771.html">Xbox Cloud Gaming</a> and <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:14;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/forntite-iphone-ipad-ios-android-nvidia-geforce-now-epic-games-apple-google-163017833.html">NVIDIA GeForce Now</a> in the US. Returning to the App Store is a symbolic victory. The real prize are the court orders that came from Epic v. Apple.   Assuming they survive <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:15;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-appeals-recent-ruling-against-anticompetitive-app-store-practices-191536385.html">Apple's appeal</a>, they could dramatically reshape Apple's business and the way apps work on the iPhone. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/fortnite-is-finally-back-in-the-us-app-store-222946133.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google XR glasses hands-on: Lightweight but with a limited field of view

One of the biggest reveals of Google I/O was that the company is officially back in the mixed reality game with its own <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-demos-android-xr-glasses-at-io-live-translation-191510280.html">prototype XR smart glasses</a>. It's been years since we've seen anything substantial from the search giant on the AR/VR/XR front, but with a swath of hardware partners to go with its XR platform it seems that's finally changing. Following the keynote, Google gave me a very short demo of the prototype device we saw onstage. I only got a few minutes with the device so my impressions are unfortunately very limited, but I was immediately impressed with how light the glasses were compared with <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/metas-orion-prototype-offers-a-glimpse-into-our-ar-future-123038066.html">Meta's Orion prototype</a> and Snap's <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snaps-fifth-generation-spectacles-bring-your-hands-into-into-augmented-reality-180026541.html">augmented reality Spectacles</a>. While both of those are quite chunky, Google's prototype device was lightweight and felt much more like a normal pair of glasses. The frames were a bit thicker than what I typically wear, but not by a whole lot. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/d374b740-35c0-11f0-bfbf-a6583f76c3e7" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/d374b740-35c0-11f0-bfbf-a6583f76c3e7" style="height:2620px;width:3495px;" alt="Google's XR prototypes." data-uuid="e46f8a4a-d1b2-3fa4-bd01-09559ea5ba4d"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Karissa Bell for Engadget</div></figure> At the same time, there are some notable differences between Google's XR glasses and what we've seen from Meta and Snap. Google's device only has a display on one side — the right lens, you can see it in the image at the top of this article — so the visuals are more "glanceable" than fully immersive. I noted during Google's demo onstage at I/O that the field of view looked narrow and I can confirm that it feels much more limited than even Snap's 46-degree field of view. (Google declined to share specifics on how wide the field of view is on its prototype.) Instead, the display felt a bit similar to the front display of a foldable phone. You can use it to get a quick look at the time and notifications and small snippets of info from your apps, like what music you're listening to.  Gemini is meant to play a major role in the Android XR ecosystem, and Google walked me through a few demos of the AI assistant working on the smart glasses. I could look at a display of books or some art on the wall and ask Gemini questions about what I was looking at. It felt very similar to multimodal capabilities we've seen with Project Astra and elsewhere. There were some bugs, though, even in the carefully orchestrated demo. In one instance, Gemini started to tell me about what I was looking at before I had even finished my question to it, which was followed by an awkward moment where we both paused and interrupted each other. One of the more interesting use cases Google was showing was Google Maps in the glasses. You can get a heads-up view of your next turn, much like Google augmented reality walking directions, and look down to see a little section of map on the floor. However, when I asked Gemini how long it would take to drive to San Francisco from my location it wasn't able to provide an answer. (It actually said something like "tool output," and my demo ended very quickly after.) <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/02a698a0-35c4-11f0-bd9d-e31778ff831d" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/02a698a0-35c4-11f0-bd9d-e31778ff831d" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="I liked how you can preview photos taken with the glasses." data-uuid="ece004b0-0e3d-35cf-ad09-9df332a787a3"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Engadget</div></figure> I also really liked how Google took advantage of the glasses' onboard camera. When I snapped a photo, a preview of the image immediately popped up on the display so I could see how it turned out. I really appreciated this because framing photos from a camera on smart glasses is inherently unintuitive because the final image can vary so much depending on where the lens is placed. I've often wished for a version of this when taking photos with my Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, so it was cool to see a version of this actually in action.  I honestly still have a lot of questions about Google's vision for XR and what eventual Gemini-powered smart glasses will be capable of. As with so many other mixed reality demos I've seen, it's obviously still very early days. Google was careful to emphasize that this is prototype hardware meant to show off what Android XR is capable of, not a device it's planning on selling anytime soon. So any smart glasses we get from Google or its hardware partners could look very different.  What my few minutes with Android XR was able to show, though, was how Google is thinking about bringing AI and mixed reality together. It's not so different from Meta, which sees smart glasses as key to long-term adoption of its AI assistant too. But now that Gemini is coming to just about every Google product that exists, the company has a very solid foundation to actually accomplish this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-xr-glasses-hands-on-lightweight-but-with-a-limited-field-of-view-213940554.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Solar trade association warns of 'devastating energy shortages' if incentives are cut

May 20, 2025

Google demos Android XR glasses at I/O with live language translation

Google has dug back into its past and introduced its latest take on smart glasses during <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-io-2025-live-updates-on-gemini-android-xr-android-16-updates-and-more-214622870.html">I/O 2025</a>. Glasses with Android XR brings Gemini AI to smart glasses thanks to an expanded partnership between Google and Samsung. These smart glasses can sync with a smartphone to access apps, and they're equipped with speakers and an optional in-lens display for privately viewing information. And for those that remember the less-than-stylish old Google Glass frames, this iteration seems more focused on real world wearability and style. Google is also working with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker as inaugural partners for providing the frames. In an indicator of how seriously Google is taking this project, the tech giant is committing up to <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://investors.warbyparker.com/news/news-details/2025/Warby-Parker-Partners-with-Google-To-Develop-Intelligent-Eyewear/default.aspx"><ins>$150 million</ins></a> as part of the Warby Parker deal. Half of that is for product development and the other half is for potential equity investment into Warby Parker. The highlight of the I/O presentation of the glasses attempted to do a live translation. Shahram Izadi and Nishtha Bhatia spoke Farsi and Hindi to each other as the XR frames provided real-time translation into English. The demo fell victim to the curse of AI misbehaving during a live show, but there was a brief moment where each of their glasses did successfully work as hoped. In addition to that demo, Bhatia also showcased how the Gemini assistant could work with the XR glasses, asking it questions about images she was seeing backstage at the theater and calling up information about the cafe where she got coffee before the show. Update, May 20, 2025, 5:14PM ET: Added financial details about the Warby Parker partnership. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-demos-android-xr-glasses-at-io-live-translation-191510280.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is banned from leaving France without permission following his arrest

The French government has forbidden Telegram CEO Pavel Durov from leaving the country without official authorization, according to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-telegram-founder-pavel-durov-from-travelling-us-business-related-trip/">a report from Politico</a>. Durov was <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/general/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-was-reportedly-arrested-in-france-142730565.html">arrested in France</a> in August 2024 and <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-has-been-charged-and-released-from-police-custody-214333241.html">later indicted</a> for being complicit in illegal activity that occurrs on Telegram, like money laundering and the distribution of CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Durov was attempting to travel to the US for "negotiations with investment funds," Politico writes, something that French officials decided "did not appear imperative or justified." In March, Durov received permission to travel to the United Arab Emirates, where he maintains citizenship.  Following Durov's arrest, <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://t.me/telegram/329">Telegram shared</a> that it abided by EU laws, including the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/european-union-digital-markets-services-acts-131818075.html">Digital Services Act</a>, and that "its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving." As evidence of that constant improvement, Telegram decided it would <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/telegram-will-now-provide-ip-addresses-and-phone-numbers-in-response-to-legal-requests-170300911.html">provide user IP addresses and phone numbers</a> in response to legal requests in September 2024, something it originally made a point of avoiding. The messaging platform later <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/telegram-finally-takes-action-to-remove-csam-from-its-platform-134514444.html">partnered with the International Watch Foundation</a> in December 2024 to use the organization's tools to block links to CSAM in Telegram. Both moves could be seen as attempts to appease authorities who might want the messaging platform to answer for the criminal activity it's seemingly enabled. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-is-banned-from-leaving-france-without-permission-following-his-arrest-210401130.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

US libraries cut ebook and audiobook lending programs following Trump executive order

In the latest episode of <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/doge-workers-quit-rather-than-help-musk-dismantle-critical-public-services-194237479.html">How to Dismantle Public Services in 12 Easy Steps</a>, a Trump executive order targeting libraries has real-world consequences. The AP <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/institute-museum-library-services-funding-cuts-trump-d3a236243b3a5c2b04e85d2004d1a946">reported</a> over the weekend that libraries across the country are cutting programs that offer ebooks, audiobooks and other loan programs. These initiatives exploded in popularity following the pandemic, with over 660 million people globally borrowing them in 2023 — a 19 percent annual increase. The cuts and slashing of grants followed a Trump executive order issued on March 14 targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). His appointee to helm the agency, Keith E. Sonderling, quickly signaled that he was there to do the president's bidding. He <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/31/nx-s1-5334415/doge-institute-of-museum-and-library-services">placed</a> the IMLS's entire staff on administrative leave, sent termination notices to most of them, canceled grants and contracts and fired everyone on the National Museum and Library Services Board. Federal judges have temporarily <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/institute-of-museum-library-services-trump-dc5dee2513e33f8bfab1dc2e4a473ff6">blocked</a> the administration from further gutting the IMLS. But while <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/washington-one-21-states-suing-trump-protect-libraries-museums-and-other-small">lawsuits</a> from 21 states and the American Library Association make their way through the courts, the agency's federal funding remains frozen. And libraries are scrambling to adjust. If you've ever used your library to borrow an ebook or audiobook through an app like <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/libby-app-irl-123053789.html">Libby</a> or <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2015-05-19-hoopla-ebooks-comic-books.html">Hoopla</a>, there's a good chance federal funding made that possible. Libraries purchase digital leases for ebooks and audiobooks from publishers, enabling them to lend titles to patrons. The leases typically cost much more than physical copies and must be renewed after a set period or number of checkouts. With library digital borrowing surging, those federal funds went a long way toward keeping the programs afloat. Mississippi has indefinitely suspended its Hoopla-based lending program. The IMLS was created in 1996 by a Republican-controlled US Congress. The agency has an annual budget of under $300 million, with nearly half of that amount allocated to state libraries, which, in turn, help fund local libraries' digital lending programs. "The small library systems are not able to pay for the ebooks themselves," Rebecca Wendt, California's state library director, told the AP.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/us-libraries-cut-ebook-and-audiobook-lending-programs-following-trump-executive-order-205113868.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

An animated Clash of Clans series is coming to Netflix

The latest <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Video_game" data-original-link="">video game</a> to be getting the TV show treatment is a pair of hugely popular mobile titles. Developer Supercell is partnering with Netflix for an animated series based on the world of its games Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Fletcher Moules, who directed the original Clash of Clans animated videos on YouTube, will be the showrunner for the Netflix project and Ron Weiner, who has worked on Silicon Valley, 30 Rock, Futurama and Arrested Development, will be the head writer. Clash of Clans debuted in 2012 and the casual strategy game got a deck battler sequel in Clash Royale, which launched in 2016. According to the show <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Netflix;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=2a170a1e-7e5c-4edd-b5dd-ea6d3bd9416a&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=cd312cb3-09ae-49e1-8b90-8e06215539ee&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Netflix&linkText=announcement&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXRmbGl4LmNvbS90dWR1bS9hcnRpY2xlcy9jbGFzaC1vZi1jbGFucy1zZXJpZXMiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImNkMzEyY2IzLTA5YWUtNDllMS04YjkwLThlMDYyMTU1MzllZSIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV0ZmxpeC5jb20vdHVkdW0vYXJ0aWNsZXMvY2xhc2gtb2YtY2xhbnMtc2VyaWVzIn0&signature=AQAAARBi5_m4OQm8cNQHUBWmBPYmtkpEtIujuD0rMf7W7Tso&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.netflix.com%2Ftudum%2Farticles%2Fclash-of-clans-series" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/clash-of-clans-series">announcement</a>, the pair of games have more than 4 billion downloads and more than 180 billion gameplay hours logged by players. The Netflix show will center on the Barbarian character from this game universe as he tries to "rally a band of misfits to defend their village and navigate the comically absurd politics of war." The series is in pre-production, and no additional casting or release info has been shared at this stage. Netflix has hosted several animated shows based on video games, from <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/riots-arcane-is-the-first-streaming-series-to-win-an-animated-emmy-award-095847137.html">Arcane</a> to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-devil-may-cry-netflix-series-has-a-real-trailer-and-now-papa-roach-is-stuck-in-my-head-131853378.html">Devil May Cry</a>. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/an-animated-clash-of-clans-series-is-coming-to-netflix-204104822.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Apple's latest iPad is on sale for $50 off ahead of Memorial Day

Whether you're traveling for a vacation or just relaxing in the sunshine, a tablet is one of the easiest ways for you and your family to stay entertained while out and about during the summer. If you're looking for a new tablet, Amazon is selling the most recent <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0DZ753ZT8&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=c9ee0764-9778-4ba8-9e11-6bbe770cabae&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=Apple+iPad+%28A16%29&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2dwL2F3L2QvQjBEWjc1M1pUOD90YWc9Z2RndDBjLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJjOWVlMDc2NC05Nzc4LTRiYTgtOWUxMS02YmJlNzcwY2FiYWUiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vZ3AvYXcvZC9CMERaNzUzWlQ4IiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&signature=AQAAAZXEtEqkXiFlwPPJC6UAb_G3wy-U-2agnpUHYaEHxvtb&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Faw%2Fd%2FB0DZ753ZT8" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DZ753ZT8?th=1"><ins>Apple iPad (A16)</ins></a> for $50 off. It's an 11-inch model powered by the A16 chip. You can buy the 128GB tablet in any of the four available colors — silver, blue, pink or yellow — of the tablet for $299. If you need more storage, you can opt for the 256GB model for $399 or the 512GB version for $595. All of these discounts are for the WiFi only models and do not include any time under the Apple Care protection plan. <core-commerce id="b9d9258637544017b385718778e8967f" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DZ77D5HL?th=1"></core-commerce> <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple</a> has a bunch of different iPads for sale these days, and the A16 one is <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ipads-how-to-pick-the-best-apple-tablet-for-you-150054066.html"><ins>our favorite budget option</ins></a> for this brand. That's because although the A16 chip is notably less powerful than the M3 or M4 you'll find in higher-end tablets, this <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-2025-with-a16-review-no-apple-intelligence-no-problem-132641539.html">model</a> still performs well on the basic tasks that you'd use an iPad for. This iPad has a liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2360x1640. Again, it's not flashy, but plenty serviceable.  One additional caveat for the A16 is that it can't run Apple Intelligence, so this isn't the iPad for you if you're looking to experiment with lots of AI tools. But for about $300, it's a great starter option if you want to have an easy way to play games, watch shows or read on a larger screen. Follow <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-latest-ipad-is-on-sale-for-50-off-ahead-of-memorial-day-195749473.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

SynthID Detector can check media to see if it was generated with Google's AI tools

Google originally launched <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:1;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-wants-an-invisible-digital-watermark-to-bring-transparency-to-ai-art-164551794.html">SynthID</a>, its digital watermark for AI-generated content, as a way to detect whether an image was created using the company's Imagen model in 2023. Now, at <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">Google I/O 2025</a>, the company is introducing a public-facing tool called <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-synthid-ai-content-detector/">SynthID Detector</a> that claims to detect those watermarks in just about anything you upload. SynthID Detector will be available as a web portal where you can upload images, video, audio and text to be scanned. Once uploaded, SynthID Detector Google claims the portal can tell you whether your upload contains AI-generated material and even "highlight specific portions of the content most likely to be watermarked." For audio, the tool is supposed to be able to identify a specific portion of a track that contains the watermark, too. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/c79524e0-35ad-11f0-bdf9-1463b2455810" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/c79524e0-35ad-11f0-bdf9-1463b2455810" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="A gif showing how SynthID Detector scans media." data-uuid="5cc662b0-72eb-3ee0-bf5f-41a46e83dcd7"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> SynthID was designed to mark content from Google's models but Google hopes other companies will adopt the watermark for their own AI output. An open source version of SynthID is already available for text watermarking, and as part of the rollout of SynthID Detector, Google is partnering with NVIDIA to mark media its<a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-launches-cosmos-world-foundation-model-platform-to-accelerate-physical-ai-development"> NVIDIA Cosmos</a> model generates. SynthID Detector won't be the only tool that can spot Google's watermark, either. The company says GetReal Security will also be able to verify if media contains SynthID.  Considering the sheer number of ways Google hopes people will using AI to create images, <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:5;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-veo-3-ai-model-can-generate-videos-with-sound-174541183.html">video</a>, text and audio, from the <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-notebook-can-generate-a-podcast-about-your-notes-140004869.html">Audio Overviews in NotebookLM</a> to short films made with its new <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:7;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-filmmaking-tool-flow-ai-generated-video-175212520.html">Flow</a> tool, it makes sense that it would offer a way to know if any of those things are real. Until models from one company produces the vast majority of content or a digital watermark reaches widespread adoption, though, a tool like SynthID Detector can only be so useful. Journalists, researchers and developers can join a waitlist to try SynthID Detector through <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:8;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17AiEqHpgnp7GwsIfQNFLCB-5nSr7YxnLI_4jmm7kBGU/viewform?edit_requested=true">Google's online form</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/synthid-detector-can-check-media-to-see-if-it-was-generated-with-googles-ai-tools-194002070.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Our favorite budget streaming stick drops to only $20 for Memorial Day

The popular Amazon Fire Stick HD <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0CQMRKRV5&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=48e7bb6f-3161-4497-b600-c534e4ef5f11&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=is+on+sale+for+%2420&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQ1FNUktSVjU_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiNDhlN2JiNmYtMzE2MS00NDk3LWI2MDAtYzUzNGU0ZWY1ZjExIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwQ1FNUktSVjUiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAS7FcYomNiq44p48LA0Jw5mVvgl30yil4CS45IPHvzSR&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0CQMRKRV5" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQMRKRV5?">is on sale for $20</a> as part of a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-memorial-day-tech-sales-from-amazon-apple-dyson-and-others-that-you-can-shop-now-144526756.html">Memorial Day promotion</a>. This is a discount of 43 percent, as the usual price is $35. This particular stick made our list of the <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-streaming-devices-media-players-123021395.html">best streaming devices</a>, and we particularly recommend it for the budget-conscious. The Fire Stick HD supports 1080p streaming at 60 FPS and includes an Amazon remote that can control the power and volume on the actual TV. This is something the previous iteration, the Fire TV Stick Lite, couldn't do. The days of having to navigate multiple remotes are over. <core-commerce id="47233d4a59864f5b89efd1053d195afe" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQMRKRV5?"></core-commerce> The remote also integrates with Alexa for voice control. Amazon's Fire TV interface supports all of the major streaming services, including Netflix, <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/max-which-was-once-hbo-reverts-to-hbo-max-154149241.html">HBO Max</a>, <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/review/hulu-review-183007028.html" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Hulu" data-original-link="">Hulu</a> and all the rest. The Fire TV Stick HD ships with the updated interface that includes user profiles and a simpler UI. On the downside, this is a streaming stick for HD content. It cannot stream stuff in 4K. Also, Amazon's interface is heavy on the ads, especially when compared to rival platforms. Still, the price is right. We enjoyed this streaming stick at the original cost, so we definitely recommend it at $20. Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max <a data-i13n="elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazon_B0BP9SNVH9&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=48e7bb6f-3161-4497-b600-c534e4ef5f11&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&linkText=is+also+on+sale+for+%2440&custData=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&signature=AQAAAYSog1CwcqibYgAp6DQsMhuq7CuWv9Xyy4AHl-NQzNWc&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fall-new-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max%2Fdp%2FB0BP9SNVH9%2F" class="rapid-with-clickid" data-original-link="https://www.amazon.com/all-new-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max/dp/B0BP9SNVH9/">is also on sale for $40</a>, which is a discount of 33 percent.  <core-commerce id="8051803a0aa4445887dd449f8dfcc857" data-type="product-list" data-original-url="https://www.amazon.com/all-new-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max/dp/B0BP9SNVH9/"></core-commerce> Follow <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-streaming-stick-drops-to-only-20-for-memorial-day-185649504.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google is rolling out AI Mode to everyone in the US

Google has begun <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-ai-mode-update/">rolling out AI Mode to every Search user in the US</a>. The company announced the expansion during its <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">I/O 2025 conference</a>. Google first began previewing AI Mode with testers in its <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://labs.google/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22499151541&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0LDBBhCnARIsAMpYlApBdjdyNt-PYutUVjEMYxwgpebRTvBxJe6px84urm0PjT5FJg7IVQMaAiooEALw_wcB">Labs program</a> at the <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-mode-adds-a-dedicated-search-chatbot-to-google-170016310.html">start of March</a>. Since then, it has been gradually rolling out the feature to more people, including in recent weeks <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-prepares-to-start-testing-ai-mode-with-regular-search-users-160027861.html">regular Search users</a>. At its keynote today, Google shared a number of updates coming to AI Mode as well, including some new tools for shopping, as well as the ability to compare ticket prices for you and create custom charts and graphs for queries on finance and sports.  For the uninitiated, AI Mode is a chatbot built directly into Google Search. It lives in a separate tab, and was designed by the company to tackle more complicated queries than people have historically used its search engine to answer. For instance, you can use AI Mode to generate a comparison between different fitness trackers. Before today, the chatbot was powered by <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-20-is-googles-most-capable-ai-model-yet-and-available-to-preview-today-170329180.html">Gemini 2.0</a>. Now it's running a custom version of Gemini 2.5. What's more, Google plans to bring many of AI Mode's capabilities to other parts of the Search experience. <div id="567f455831314833a1beb96bdd1efa2d"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxUBThVQLjU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> "AI Mode is where we'll first bring Gemini's frontier capabilities, and it's also a glimpse of what's to come," the company wrote in a blog post published during the event. "As we get feedback, we'll graduate many features and capabilities from AI Mode right into the core search experience in AI Overviews." Looking to the future, Google plans to bring Deep Search, an offshoot of its Deep Research mode, to AI Mode. Google was among the first companies to<a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-gemini-deep-research-tool-is-here-to-answer-your-most-complicated-questions-154354424.html"> debut the tool in December</a>. Since then, most AI companies,<a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpts-deep-research-tool-can-create-reports-from-hundreds-of-online-sources-022223298.html"> including OpenAI</a>, have gone on to offer their take on Deep Research, which you can use to prompt Gemini and other chatbots to take extra time to create a comprehensive report on a subject. With today's announcement, Google is making the tool available in a place where more of its users are likely to encounter it. Another new feature that's coming to AI Mode builds on the work Google did with<a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/jarvis-googles-web-browsing-ai-is-now-officially-known-as-project-mariner-191603929.html"> Project Mariner</a>, the web-surfing AI agent the company began previewing with "trusted testers" at the end of last year. This addition gives AI Mode the ability to complete tasks for you on the web. For example, you can ask it to find two affordable tickets for the next MLB game in your city. AI Mode will compare "hundreds of potential" tickets for you and return with a few of the best options. From there, you can complete a purchase without having done the comparison work yourself. "This will start with event tickets, restaurant reservations and local appointments," says Google. "And we'll be working with companies like Ticketmaster, StubHub, Resy and Vagaro to create a seamless and helpful experience." AI Mode will also soon include the ability to generate custom charts and graphics tailored to your specific queries. At the same time, AI Mode will be more personalized in the near future, with Google introducing an optional feature allowing the tool to draw their past searches. The company will also give people the option to connect their other Google apps to AI Mode, starting with Gmail, for even more granular recommendations. As mentioned above, Google is <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-mode-lets-you-virtually-try-clothes-on-by-uploading-a-single-photo-174820693.html">adding a suite of shopping features to AI Mode</a>. Engadget has a separate post dedicated to the Shopping features Google announced today, but the short of it is that AI Mode will be able to narrow down products for you and complete purchases on your behalf – with your permission, of course. All of the new AI Mode features Google previewed today will be available to Labs users first before they roll out more broadly. Update, May 20 2025, 2:45PM ET: This story has been updated to preview in the intro some of the updates coming to AI Mode.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-rolling-out-ai-mode-to-everyone-in-the-us-174917628.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google wants $250 (!) per month for its new AI Ultra plan

<div id="3c8a76533b8c4e1abbc5b352a9b2ace2"><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2CquRQiDzx8?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div></div> Google has just announced a new $250 per month AI Ultra plan for people who want unlimited access to its most advanced machine learning features. Yes, you read that right. It means the new subscription is $50 more expensive than the already pricey <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-wants-200-a-month-for-its-most-advanced-features-191054506.html">ChatGPT Pro</a> and <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-max-plan-offers-nearly-unlimited-claude-usage-for-200-per-month-170032710.html">Claude Max</a> plans from <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/openai/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="OpenAI" data-original-link="">OpenAI</a> and Anthropic. For $250, you're getting early access to new models like Veo 3, and unlimited usage of features like Flow (the new AI film-making app the company announced today) and the compute-intensive <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-gemini-deep-research-is-now-available-to-everyone-160043485.html">Deep Research</a>. In the coming weeks, Google will also roll out Deep Think to AI Ultra users, which is the new enhanced reasoning mode that is part of its Gemini 2.5 Pro model. Subscribers can also look forward to access to <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/jarvis-googles-web-browsing-ai-is-now-officially-known-as-project-mariner-191603929.html">Project Mariner</a>, Google's web-surfing agent, and Gemini within Chrome, plus all the usual places where you can find the chatbot like Gmail and Docs. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bc032c60-3591-11f0-bda6-830ae98745c7" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bc032c60-3591-11f0-bda6-830ae98745c7" style="height:1080px;width:1920px;" alt="Google AI Ultra pricing chart" data-uuid="9d954903-cf2e-3091-8580-9d966cb9f4aa"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> Google is partly justifying the high cost of AI Ultra by touting the inclusion of YouTube Premium and 30TB of cloud storage across Google Photos, Drive and Gmail. On its own, a YouTube Premium subscription would cost you <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/youtube-premium-quietly-goes-up-in-price-to-14-per-month-100531473.html">$14 per month</a>, and Google doesn't offer 30TB of cloud storage separately. The closest comparison would be Google One, which includes a Premium tier that comes with 2TB of storage for $10 per month. As another incentive to sign up for AI Ultra, Google is giving new subscribers 50 percent off their first three months. As of today, Google is also revamping its existing AI Premium plan. The subscription, which will be known as Google AI Pro moving forward, now includes the Flow app and early access to Gemini in Chrome. Google says the new benefits will come to US subscribers first, with availability in other countries to follow.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-wants-250-per-month-in-return-for-its-new-ai-ultra-plan-180248513.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google’s new filmmaking tool Flow adds editing tools and some consistency to AI-generated video

<div id="2c525b2225e8431ebaca71ecab741da6"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0VttaLy4sU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> At <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">I/O today</a>, Google pitched creators on a new app for "AI filmmaking": <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-flow-veo-ai-filmmaking-tool/">Flow</a>. Combining all of Google’s recent announcements and developments across AI-powered services, including <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-veo-2-video-generation-to-gemini-advanced-170014422.html">Veo</a> (video), Imagen (images) and Gemini, the company bills Flow as a storytelling aid "built with creatives.” If it sounds familiar, this is the advanced version of VideoFX, previously a Google Labs experiment. The company says Flow is aimed at helping storytellers to explore ideas and create clips and scenes, almost like storyboards and sketches in motion. Google’s generally impressive Veo 2 model seems to form the core of Flow, able to extend footage and create video that “excel(s) at physics and realism”, although I’m not sure many agree with that. You can use Gemini’s natural language skills to construct and tweak the video output, and creatives can pull in their own assets or create things with Imagen through simple text input. What’s notable is the ability to integrate your creations and scenes into different clips and scenes with consistency. While the early demo footage we saw was impressive, it still had a not-so-faint AI-slop aroma. There are further film-making tools, too. Flow will also feature direct control over the movement of your ‘camera’, and even choose camera angles. You can also edit and extend shots, adding different transitions between AI-generated videos. Creating video with Veo is often a piecemeal process, but Flow will have its own asset management system to organize assets and even your prompts. These richer controls and editing abilities could make for more compelling creations in time. Let’s not forget: It’s been less than a year since that very weird <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/toys-r-us-uses-openais-sora-to-make-a-brand-film-about-its-origin-story-and-its-horrifying-214730500.html">Toys R’Us ad.</a> Google buddied up with several notable filmmakers to <del>attempt to legitimize</del> collaborate on these still-early steps into AI video creation, including Dave Clark, Henry Daubrez and Junie Lau. It says it offered creatives early access to the tools, and folded in their insights and feedback into what is now called Flow. Flow is now available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the US, and will roll out to other countries soon. Pro users will get Flow tools outlined so far and 100 generations each month. With the Ultra sub, you’ll get unlimited generation and early access to Veo 3, with native audio generation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-filmmaking-tool-flow-ai-generated-video-175212520.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google Chrome previews feature to instantly change compromised passwords

Google Chrome has announced a feature for its <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-password-manager-gets-new-security-and-usability-features-035347775.html">built-in password manager</a> that it claims will let users instantly change passwords compromised in data breaches. Google Password Manager <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-12-10-google-chrome-password-notifications.html">already alerts you</a> when your credentials have appeared in a data breach, and <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-chrome-change-compromised-passwords-using-assistant-duplex-on-the-web-173750747.html">partially automates the process of changing your password</a>, but — until now — you still had to go through the steps manually for each of your online accounts. The Automated Password Change feature, announced at today's Google I/O keynote presentation, goes a step farther. It will apparently let you generate a new password and substitute it for the old one with a single click, without ever seeing a "Create New Password" page. The feature only works on participating websites. Google is currently in talks with developers to expand the range of sites that will support one-click password changes, with plans for a full rollout later in 2025. Automated Password Change was discovered as far back as February by <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://x.com/Leopeva64/status/1887877987288097139">eagle-eyed software diggers</a>, but was limited to the early developer-only builds made public as <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.google.com/chrome/canary/">Chrome Canary</a>. At that time, it was located in the "AI Innovations" settings menu, though it's not yet clear how AI figures in the process. This feature builds on password health functionality that Google has been steadily incorporating into Chrome since it released the <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-02-05-google-password-checkup-chrome-extension.html">Password Checkup extension</a> in 2019, recognizing that compromised credentials are a common vector for cybercrime. People often reuse the same short, memorable password on multiple websites. If hackers steal a credential database from one weakly defended site and dump it on the dark web, other cybercriminals can try the leaked usernames and passwords on more secure sites — like online banks and cash apps — until one fits. The best way to prevent this is to use a password manager to generate and save a different strong password for every account you make, even ones you don't think will handle sensitive information. If you haven't done this, the second-best prevention is to monitor password data breaches and immediately change any password that gets leaked. If Automated Password Change works as advertised, it'll make that crisis response a lot more convenient. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-chrome-previews-feature-to-instantly-change-compromised-passwords-175051933.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google is bringing Gemini to Chrome so it can answer questions about your open tabs

Google's Chrome browser is the latest major product from the company to get its own built-in Gemini features. Today <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">at Google I/O</a>, the company detailed its plans to bring its AI assistant to Chrome. While Gemini can already distill information from websites, having the assistant baked into Chrome allows it to provide insights and answer questions about your open tabs without ever having to move to a different window or application. Instead, Gemini lives in a new menu at the top of your browser window as well as in the taskbar. The company envisions its assistant as being able to help out with tasks that may normally require switching between several open tabs or scrolling around to different parts of a web page. For example, Google showed off how Gemini can give advice about potential modifications for dietary restrictions while looking at a recipe blog. Gemini in the browser could also come in handy while shopping as it can answer specific questions about products or even summarize reviews. <div id="19f982d3231a4f8b89406adedfa8a14a"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBjM0SHg-aU?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div> To start, Gemini will only be able to answer queries about a single open tab, but the company plans to add multi-tab capabilities in a future update. This would allow the assistant to synthesize info across multiple open tabs and answer even more complex questions. Gemini in Chrome will also have Gemini Live capabilities, for anyone more comfortable conversing with the assistant using their voice. The company also teased a future update that will allow Gemini to actually scroll through web pages on your behalf, like asking it to jump to a specific step in a recipe. (Notably, all this is separate from Google's other web-browsing AI,<a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/jarvis-googles-web-browsing-ai-is-now-officially-known-as-project-mariner-191603929.html"> Project Mariner</a>, which is still a research prototype.) Gemini is starting to roll out to Chrome users on Mac and Windows today, beginning with AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the United States. The company hasn't indicated whether it plans to bring similar features to Chromebooks or Chrome's mobile app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-bringing-gemini-to-chrome-so-it-can-answer-questions-about-your-open-tabs-174903787.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google's AI Mode lets you virtually try clothes on by uploading a single photo

As part of its <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">announcements for I/O 2025</a> today, Google shared details on some new features that would make shopping in AI Mode more novel. It's describing the three new tools as being part of its new shopping experience in AI Mode, and they cover the discovery, trying on and checkout parts of the process. These will be available "in the coming months" for online shoppers in the US.  The first update is when you're looking for a specific thing to buy. The examples Google shared were searches for travel bags or a rug that matches the other furniture in a room. By combining Gemini's reasoning capabilities with its shopping graph database of products, Google AI will determine from your query that you'd like lots of pictures to look at and pull up a new image-laden panel.  It's somewhat reminiscent of Image search results, except these photos take up the right half or so of the page and are laid out vertically in four columns, according to the screenshots the company shared. Of course, some of the best spots in this grid can be paid for by companies looking for better placement for their products.  As you continue to refine your search results with Gemini, the "new righthand panel dynamically updates with relevant products and images," the company said. If you specify that the travel bag you're looking for should withstand a trip to Oregon, for example, the AI can prioritize weatherproof products and show you those images in this panel.  The second, and more intriguing part of the shopping updates in AI Mode, is a change coming to the company's virtual try-on tool. Since its launch <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://blog.google/products/shopping/virtual-try-on-google-generative-ai/">in 2023</a>, this feature has <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-stuffs-even-more-ai-tools-into-online-shopping-120026444.html">gotten more sophisticated</a>, letting you pick specific models that most closely match your body type and then virtually reimagine the outfit you've found on them. At Google I/O today, the company shared that it will soon allow users to upload a single picture of themselves and its new image generation model that has been designed for fashion will overlay articles of clothing on your AI-imagined self.  According to Google, the custom image generation model "understands the human body and nuances of clothing — like how different materials fold, stretch and drape on different bodies." It added that the software will "preserve these subtleties when applied to poses in your photos." The company said this is "the first of its kind working at this scale, allowing shoppers to try on billions of items of clothing from our Shopping Graph." The Try It On with an upload of your photo is rolling out in Search Labs in the US today, and when you're testing it, you'll need to look for the "try it on" icon on compatible product listings. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/116cc910-353b-11f0-b536-3857ae6e69ad" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/116cc910-353b-11f0-b536-3857ae6e69ad" style="height:1182px;width:2096px;" alt="Three screenshots showing the price tracking and buy for me features coming to AI Mode. The left shows a Track Price button at the bottom right of a panel about a travel duffle bag; the middle shows an alert in the Android notifications shade saying " data-uuid="0ce933f9-10ce-3346-8a37-14828fc157c4"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> Finally, when you've found what you want, you might not want to purchase it immediately. Many of us know the feeling of having online shopping carts packed and ready for the next upcoming sale (Memorial Day in the US is this weekend, by the way). Google's new "agentic checkout feature" can keep an eye on price drops on your behalf. You'll soon see a "track price" option on product listings similar to those already available on <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights">Google Flights</a>, and after selecting it you'll be able to set your desired price, size, color and other options. The tracker will alert you when those parameters are met, and if you're ready to hand over your money, the agentic checkout tool can also simplify that process if you tap "buy for me." According to Google, "behind the scenes, we'll add the item to your cart on the merchant's site and securely complete the checkout on your behalf with Google Pay." The agentic checkout feature will be available "in the coming months" for product listings in the US. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-mode-lets-you-virtually-try-clothes-on-by-uploading-a-single-photo-174820693.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google's Veo 3 AI model can generate videos with sound

As part of this year's announcements at its I/O developer conference, Google has revealed its latest media generation models. Most notable, perhaps, is the <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-generative-ai-video-model-is-available-in-private-preview-160055983.html">Veo 3</a>, which is the first iteration of the model that can generate videos with sounds. It can, for instance, create a video of birds with an audio of their singing, or a city street with the sounds of traffic in the background. Google says Veo 3 also excels in real-world physics and in lip syncing. At the moment, the model is only available for Gemini Ultra subscribers in the US within the Gemini app and for enterprise users on Vertex AI. It's also available in Flow, Google's new AI filmmaking tool.  Flow brings Veo, <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-unveils-veo-and-imagen-3-its-latest-ai-media-creation-models-173617373.html">Imagen</a> and Gemini together to create cinematic clips and scenes. Users can describe the final output they want in natural language, and Flow will go to work making it for them. The new tool will only be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US for now, but Google says it will roll out to more countries soon.  While the company has released a brand new video-generating model, it hasn't abandoned Veo 2 just yet. Users will be able to give Veo 2 images of people, scenes, styles and objects to use as reference for their desired output in Flow. They'll have access to camera controls that will allow them to rotate scenes and zoom into specific objects for Flow, as well. Plus, they'll be able to broaden their frames from portrait to landscape if they want to and add or remove objects from their videos.  Google has also introduced its latest image-generating model, Imagen 4, at the event. The company said Imagen 4 does fine details like intricate fabrics and animal fur with "remarkable clarity" and excels at generating both photorealistic and abstract images. It's also significantly better at rendering typography than its predecessors and can create images in various aspect ratios with resolutions of up to 2K. Imagen 4 is now available via the Gemini app, Vertex AI and in Workspace apps, including Docs and Slides. Google said it's also releasing a version of Imagen 4 that's 10 times faster than Imagen 3 "soon."  Finally, to help people identify AI-generated content, which is becoming more and more difficult these days, Google has launched SynthID Detector. It's a portal where users can upload a piece of media they think could be AI-generated, and Google will determine if it contains <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-wants-an-invisible-digital-watermark-to-bring-transparency-to-ai-art-164551794.html">SynthID</a>, its watermarking and identification tool for AI art. Google had open sourced its watermarking tool, but not all image generators use it, so the portal still won't be able to identify all AI-generated images. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-veo-3-ai-model-can-generate-videos-with-sound-174541183.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google Search Live will let you ask questions about what your camera sees

One of the new AI features that Google has announced for Search <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html">at I/O 2025</a> will let you discuss what it's seeing through your camera in real time. Google says more than 1.5 billion people use visual search on Google Lens, and it's now taking the next step in multimodality by bringing <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/googles-project-astra-uses-your-phones-camera-and-ai-to-find-noise-makers-misplaced-items-and-more-172642329.html">Project Astra's</a> live capabilities into Search. With the new feature called Search Live, you can have a back-and-forth conversation with Search about what's in front of you. For instance, you can simply point your camera at a difficult math problem and ask it to help you solve it or to explain a concept you're having difficulty grasping.  Search will also give you links to more resources you can explore. To be able to access Search Live, you'll have to tap the Live icon in Google Lens or in AI Mode, which the company has just rolled out in the US after <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-prepares-to-start-testing-ai-mode-with-regular-search-users-160027861.html">making it available to Labs users</a> earlier this month. AI Mode is a new chatbot Google built directly into Search that can break down your query into subtopics so it can serve you more thorough results with "hyper-relevant content." The new AI Mode tab will show up in Search and in the Google app in the coming weeks.  AI Mode will be able to help you analyze and visualize numbers and data, as well, by generating interactive graphics for you. If you want to compare two different sports teams, for instance, Google will be able to generate a graph showing their performance using its own real-time sports information. The company will also be able to create real-time graphs for finance queries.  Soon, AI Mode will be able to give you personalized responses based on your past activities. If you ask it where you can eat while visiting a specific city, for example, it can name restaurants with outdoor seating if you've booked an outdoor table in the past. It can also give you suggestions based on your hotel and flight bookings. In addition, AI Mode will come with a Shopping experience that will let you try on clothes virtually by uploading a photo of yourself. When you're done, Google's new checkout feature will be able to buy the clothes you want in your stead from their respective websites with Google Pay. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-search-live-will-let-you-ask-questions-about-what-your-camera-sees-174532593.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google introduces the Deep Think reasoning model for Gemini 2.5 Pro and a better 2.5 Flash

Google has started testing a reasoning model called Deep Think for <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-experimental-ai-model-gemini-25-pro-is-now-available-to-free-users-too-150005863.html">Gemini 2.5 Pro</a>, the company has revealed at its I/O developer conference. According to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Gemini's Deep Think uses "the latest cutting-edge research" that gives the model the capability to consider multiple hypotheses before responding to queries. Google says it got an "impressive score" when evaluated using questions from the 2025 United States of America Mathematical Olympiad competition. However, Google wants to take more time to conduct safety evaluations and get further input from safety experts before releasing it widely. That's why it's making Deep Think initially available to trusted testers via the Gemini API first in order to get their feedback first.  The company has also introduced a better Gemini 2.5 <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/googles-new-gemini-15-flash-ai-model-is-lighter-than-gemini-pro-and-more-accessible-172353657.html">Flash model</a>, which is optimized for speed and efficiency. It's now more efficient than before, uses fewer tokens and has scored higher in benchmarks for reasoning, multimodality, code and long context than its predecessor. It will be generally available in early June. For now, the improved Gemini 2.5 Flash is available as a preview via Google AI Studio for developers, via Vertex AI for enterprise customers and via the Gemini app for other users.  While most of the efficiency gains covered on the I/O stage were focused on 2.5 Flash, Google did announce that it's bringing the 2.5 Flash concept of "Thinking Budgets" to its more advanced 2.5 Pro model. This feature will let you balance tokens spent vs. accuracy and speed of output. Separately, Google is bringing <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/jarvis-googles-web-browsing-ai-is-now-officially-known-as-project-mariner-191603929.html">Project Mariner</a> into the Gemini API and Vertex AI, as well. Project Mariner is Google's Gemini-powered AI agents that can navigate pages on the web browser to complete tasks for users. The company will roll the agents out more broadly this summer so that developers can experiment with them. In addition, the company is releasing new previews for text-to-speech on both 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash models via the Gemini API, with support for two voices in 24 languages. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-introduces-the-deep-think-reasoning-model-for-gemini-25-pro-and-a-better-25-flash-174531020.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Project Astra, Google's vision for a universal AI assistant, is pulling into focus

Last year at Google I/O, one of the most interesting demos was Project Astra, an early version of a multimodal AI that could recognize your surroundings in real-time and answer questions about them conversationally. While the demo offered <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-project-astra-hands-on-full-of-potential-but-its-going-to-be-a-while-235607743.html">a glimpse</a> into Google's plans for more powerful AI assistants, the company was careful to note that what we saw was a "research preview." One year later though, Google is laying out its vision for Project Astra to one day power a version of Gemini that can act as a "universal AI assistant." And Project Astra has gotten some important upgrades to help the company accomplish this. Google has been working on upgrading Astra's memory — the version we saw last year could only "remember" for 30 seconds at a time — and added computer control so Astra can now take on more complex tasks. <div id="3a91b6be70aa4ed1ac9a6ece14d08246"><div style="left:0;width:100%;height:0;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JcDBFAm9PPI?rel=0" style="top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;border:0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" data-embed-domain="www.youtube.com"></iframe></div></div> In its latest video showcasing Astra, Google shows the assistant browsing the web and pulling out specific pieces of information necessary to complete a task (in this example, fixing a mountain bike). Astra is also able to look through past emails to find specific specs of the bike in question and call a local bike shop to inquire about a replacement part. Eventually, according to DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, Astra's advancements will show up in Gemini. "Our ultimate vision is to transform the Gemini app into a universal AI assistant that will perform everyday tasks for us, take care of our mundane admin, surface delightful new recommendations, making us more productive and enriching our lives," Hassabis writes in a blog post. "This starts with the capabilities we first explored last year in our research prototype Project Astra, such as video understanding, screen sharing and memory." Some of that work is already evident in Gemini Live, which recently got some <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-live-video-and-screen-sharing-is-now-free-for-android-users-140051993.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK8jOG6ZjW9Df42BRFk1UksqV40HVE8Q0wTbOH5IZuP59ZiagOZy1iL3UxuJIEu2MfuOi8q-jZs_dNIKmHAs4qdPGtWziwt_PzQMluCqRQfu_ogi2IkikiavMMFYoH6ITEl6V-WNJ7QEcT1zAs49Sv0IJakYQTh3G8DM-5A36fuc">multimodal capabilities</a> of its own. But, as I <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/google-project-astra-hands-on-full-of-potential-but-its-going-to-be-a-while-235607743.html">noted last year</a>, Project Astra gets even more interesting in the context of smart glasses — an idea Google briefly teased in its I/O video last year. That vision appears to be inching closer to reality, with Hassabis noting that Google is working on bringing Project Astra abilities to "new form factors, like glasses." There's no clear timeframe on when any of this will be available, but given Google's updates on Android XR elsewhere at I/O, we know the company has big plans for AI-powered smart glasses later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/project-astra-googles-vision-for-a-universal-ai-assistant-is-pulling-into-focus-174539875.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

Google's new text-to-speech can switch languages on the fly

Google is enhancing Gemini's text-to-speech (TTS). On Tuesday at <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-io-2025-live-updates-on-gemini-android-xr-android-16-updates-and-more-214622870.html">Google I/O 2025</a>, the company previewed a new TTS feature, built on native audio output, that can "converse in more expressive ways." Google’s Tulsee Doshi showed a quick demo of the Gemini 2.5 TTS models onstage in Mountain View. It showed an AI-powered voice that sounds more natural and less robotic, with subtler nuances. The TTS can converse in over 24 languages, switching between them seamlessly. The demo showed the model beginning in English, shifting to Hindi, and then circling back to English. They all used the same voice, helping create the illusion that it’s the same “person.” The TTS can also switch to a whisper (which sounded a little creepy) on the fly. The new text-to-speech is available starting today in the Gemini API. Also on Tuesday, the Gemini Live API will have a 2.5 Flash preview of native audio dialog. Google's annual I/O developer conference kicked off on Tuesday, May 20. Google is highlighting new and notable improvements to its Gemini AI services, including <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-brings-live-translation-to-meet-starting-with-spanish-174549788.html">real-time translation</a>, <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/project-astra-googles-vision-for-a-universal-ai-assistant-is-pulling-into-focus-174539875.html">AI enhancements to Project Astra computer vision</a> and more. Follow Engadget's <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-watch-the-google-io-2025-keynote-tomorrow-214622661.html">Google I/O liveblog</a> for real-time coverage of the event. Google previewed some key pre-I/O Android 16 news during its <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-google-announced-at-the-android-show-174155773.html">Android Show</a> video stream last week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-text-to-speech-can-switch-languages-on-the-fly-174528459.html?src=rss

May 20, 2025

1.5 billion people see Google's AI Overviews each month

Google just touted some big numbers regarding its AI Overviews feature during its I/O conference. On the stage, company CEO Sundar Pichai said that the service has 1.5 billion monthly users. That's around 18 percent of the total human population of planet Earth, give or take. For the remaining 82 percent of humanity, AI Overviews are those little recaps that appear at the top of Google queries. These primarily appear when the search engine is asked a question, with the company saying they only show up for more complex questions, where the systems recognize that they're helpful beyond what the rest of the results page offers. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bf25c5f0-358d-11f0-bffe-67549a598aaf" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/bf25c5f0-358d-11f0-bffe-67549a598aaf" style="height:1012px;width:1008px;" alt="A response about soundproofing." data-uuid="3a3c87ef-f7d2-333b-827c-034693ab83d1"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure> We asked the company what that 1.5 billion number actually means, being how the recaps spawn automatically. Google responded by saying the number is a measure of people who have seen AI Overviews in their results. It also noted that the overwhelming majority of these users engage with the service in some meaningful way. The company continued by saying that users are interacting with it, which leads them to "search more often." Google says that Overviews are driving a 10 percent increase in search engine usage, with regard to the types of queries that show AI-generated results. The biggest markets for this feature are the US and India. Back in October, Google pledged to <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-expanding-ai-overviews-in-search-to-more-than-100-countries-170925933.html">bring the platform to 100 new countries</a> and hoped to one-day reach one billion users per month. It looks like the company has sailed past that. The company has also been busy bringing it to even more regions. All told, Overviews is available in more than 200 countries and in 40 languages. It's even been testing a <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-is-testing-its-own-version-of-ai-overviews-145353147.html">similar service for YouTube</a>. <figure><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/a0231540-358d-11f0-9f3e-eaeea7415d47" data-crop-orig-src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/a0231540-358d-11f0-9f3e-eaeea7415d47" style="height:1292px;width:2376px;" alt="An incorrect response." data-uuid="d9a15256-bc9a-3414-9c52-0ae9ca6ddf76"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Engadget</div></figure> Of course, this is AI. The Overviews feature may be inching toward omnipresence, but that doesn't mean it's always correct. The service has been known <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/05/31/1093019/why-are-googles-ai-overviews-results-so-bad/">to make stuff up</a>, get things wrong or <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-trick-googles-ai-overviews-into-explaining-made-up-idioms-162816472.html">just act plain goofy</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/15-billion-people-see-googles-ai-overviews-each-month-174526822.html?src=rss

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[$] An update on continuous testing of BPF kernel patches

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[$] Debian AI General Resolution withdrawn

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 released

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U.S. Ambassador Huckabee is 'outraged' at European leaders for condemning Israel

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Why Baptists in North Carolina agreed to resettle Afrikaners as refugees

The Onion

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Teacher Asks What First Graders Want To Be Once Child Labor Laws Repealed

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May 21, 2025

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May 20, 2025

DHS Considers Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete For Citizenship

May 20, 2025

U.S. Military Bans Men With Girl Names From Participating In Combat

May 20, 2025

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Relationship Experts Recommend Saying ‘I Love You’ Even If You Don’t Mean It

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King Charles Switches To More Comfortable Silicone Crown

May 20, 2025

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May 20, 2025

Trump Accuses Kamala Harris Of Paying For Stepchildren’s Endorsement

New Scientist

May 21, 2025

Why taping your mouth shut at night probably isn't a good idea

May 21, 2025

Why the climate crown is ready for China to take – if it wants to

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The first teeth were sensory organs on the skin of ancient fish

May 21, 2025

Vagus nerve stimulation shows promise for spinal cord injury recovery

May 21, 2025

Weird planet is orbiting backwards between two stars

May 21, 2025

How buried cables are revealing Earth’s interior in incredible detail

May 21, 2025

West Nile virus detected in mosquitoes in the UK for the first time

May 21, 2025

China is readying a mission to two rocky bodies in our solar system

May 21, 2025

Supergiant crustaceans could live across half the deep-sea floor

May 21, 2025

Tropical forest loss doubled in 2024 as wildfires rocketed

May 20, 2025

How the US military wants to use the world's largest aircraft

May 20, 2025

Earliest galaxy ever seen offers glimpse of the nascent universe

May 20, 2025

How an ancient alchemy technique is transforming modern chemistry

May 20, 2025

Vaccine may treat cocaine addiction by blocking drug's entry to brain

May 20, 2025

Ancient Maltese temples may have been schools for celestial navigation

May 20, 2025

Astronomers double down on claim of strongest evidence for alien life

May 19, 2025

AI doesn't know 'no' – and that's a huge problem for medical bots

May 20, 2025

Sea level will rise fast even if we limit global warming to 1.5°C

May 19, 2025

Attempt to reach expert consensus on teens and phones ends in argument

May 19, 2025

This new book is a one-sided attempt to puncture the AI bubble

May 19, 2025

Capuchin monkeys are stealing howler monkey babies in weird fad

May 19, 2025

Why honing your sense of smell could keep you sharp as you age

May 19, 2025

Cervix-on-a-chip inspires potential new treatment for preterm birth

May 19, 2025

Is the COP30 climate summit already in crisis, with six months to go?

May 14, 2025

Already know the Big Dipper? There's more to this group of stars

May 12, 2025

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

May 14, 2025

Joshua Oppenheimer's The End is a superb musical set in the end times

May 13, 2025

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

May 16, 2025

US East Coast faces rising seas as crucial Atlantic current slows

May 16, 2025

Babies start showing empathy even before they can speak

May 16, 2025

The most – and least – satisfying jobs out there, according to science

May 15, 2025

Baby with rare disease given world-first personal CRISPR gene therapy

May 16, 2025

Toxic waste is spilling onto beaches as rising seas erode landfills

May 16, 2025

Could a $125 billion investment fund halt global deforestation?

May 15, 2025

What the complete ape genome is revealing about the earliest humans

May 16, 2025

Risk of a star destroying the solar system is higher than expected

May 16, 2025

An interview with Larry Niven – Ringworld author and sci-fi legend

May 14, 2025

Remarkable photos highlight the haunting resilience of nature

May 14, 2025

Grisly new book reveals what zombie insects can teach us

May 15, 2025

Are entangled qubits following a quantum Moore's law?

Apr 30, 2025

Robert Macfarlane is wrong to cast rivers as life forms in new book

May 15, 2025

Physicists reveal the secret to chopping onions without crying

May 14, 2025

How dark energy findings may inspire a new generation of physics nerds

May 14, 2025

Who needs Eurovision when we have the Dance Your PhD contest?

May 15, 2025

Promises to improve nature are being broken by English house builders

May 14, 2025

When it comes to crime, you can't algorithm your way to safety

May 14, 2025

A doe-eyed look at space exploration is inadequate for the zeitgeist

May 15, 2025

China's CO2 emissions have started falling – is this finally the peak?

May 14, 2025

Norovirus vaccine pill protects against winter vomiting bug

May 14, 2025

Exquisite new-to-science frog species has golden legs and odd habits

May 14, 2025

Are democratic countries like the UK just climate hypocrites?

May 14, 2025

The complexity of female sex hormones calls for more science, not less

May 14, 2025

One half of the moon is hotter than the other

May 14, 2025

Fossil tracks rewrite history of animals leaving water to live on land

May 14, 2025

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

May 14, 2025

Earth is heading for a second year above 1.5°C climate goal

May 14, 2025

Chemists discover 'anti-spice' that could make chilli peppers less hot

May 14, 2025

Smart device can measure how much milk breastfed babies really drink

May 12, 2025

Radical photon idea could rewrite standard model of particle physics

May 13, 2025

The FBI is getting new technology to see through walls

May 13, 2025

Massive wildfires in Canada helped keep the world cooler in 2023

May 13, 2025

Parkinson's disease could be detected by listening to someone's voice

May 12, 2025

Migraine drug that treats headache also eases symptoms like dizziness

May 12, 2025

Go-to migraine drug actually does nothing to relieve vertigo symptoms

May 12, 2025

How ancient humans survived a global climate disaster 8200 years ago

May 12, 2025

Alien megastructures would likely self-destruct before we spot them

May 12, 2025

New way to pull uranium from water can help China's nuclear power push

May 9, 2025

All living things emit an eerie glow that is snuffed out upon death

May 7, 2025

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

May 6, 2025

Why physicists keep trying to get rid of space-time entirely

May 7, 2025

Can we get better at spotting when someone is lying?

May 6, 2025

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

May 6, 2025

Nothing is stronger than quantum connections – and now we know why

May 5, 2025

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

May 7, 2025

Climate drama Families Like Ours deserves to be a word-of-mouth hit

May 9, 2025

Does intermittent fasting improve gut health? Why it’s hard to say

May 9, 2025

AI hallucinations are getting worse – and they're here to stay

May 9, 2025

The everyday ways climate change is already making our lives worse

May 9, 2025

Was a famous supernova an alien invader from another galaxy?

May 9, 2025

Chimps share 'building blocks of musical rhythm' with humans

May 8, 2025

Major US cities like New York and Seattle are sinking at a rapid rate

May 9, 2025

Is the fungal science in The Last of Us going off the rails?

May 9, 2025

Our favourite science fiction books of all time (the ones we forgot)

May 9, 2025

Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs

May 7, 2025

These photos reveal the unique agricultural system of the Maya people

May 7, 2025

Marcus du Sautoy's new book is good on maths, less so on the arts

May 8, 2025

Failed Soviet probe will soon crash to Earth – and we don't know where

May 8, 2025

The maths that tells us when a scientific discovery is real – or not

May 8, 2025

Record heat in 2023 and 2024 may just have been natural variability

May 7, 2025

What if we could experience life as another species?

May 7, 2025

The birds upending our idea of shared parenting

Apr 8, 2025

Quantum computers could protect our data from quantum computers

May 7, 2025

Would snails be better than whales for explaining big data? Maybe

May 7, 2025

Don't ban kids from social media; create a site that works for them

May 7, 2025

An expert's new book unravels the amazing secrets of the vagus nerve

May 7, 2025

Dementia cases are rising faster in China than the rest of the world

May 7, 2025

99.999 per cent of the deep seabed remains unexplored by humans

May 7, 2025

Science is a Pandora's box – but we should open it anyway

May 7, 2025

Strange microbes give clues to the ancestor of all complex life

May 7, 2025

Concerns raised over AI trained on 57 million NHS medical records

Phys

May 21, 2025

Eldest daughters often carry the heaviest burdens: Insights from Madagascar

May 21, 2025

Applying fragrance and lotion can reduce OH radicals near skin, affecting indoor air composition

May 21, 2025

'Intercrystals' pave the way for greener electronics and quantum technologies

May 21, 2025

Faster, more stable plasma simulations help advance chip manufacturing

May 21, 2025

Unlocking G-protein subunit GS3: How redox regulation shapes rice grain size

May 21, 2025

Novel equation predicts how crystals and bubbles in magma alter seismic waves

May 21, 2025

Stricter air pollution controls could prevent ozone-related early deaths

May 21, 2025

Data-driven approach identifies promising CO₂ conversion catalysts

May 21, 2025

SWOT satellite spots large-scale river waves for first time

May 21, 2025

Extreme weather cycles change underwater light at Tahoe

May 21, 2025

Archaeologist sailing like a Viking makes unexpected discoveries

May 21, 2025

Los Angeles smog: Higher-than-expected ammonium nitrate levels found

May 21, 2025

Building a giant catcher's mitt on the moon

May 21, 2025

Climate change has sobering effect on wine regions worldwide, but with uneven impacts

May 21, 2025

Positive expressive writing consistently improves well-being, but not all techniques are created equal

May 21, 2025

An accidentally discovered class of nanostructured materials can passively harvest water from air

May 21, 2025

Ready for space travel? GENESTAR can track how space affects your health

May 21, 2025

Transparent hydrogen boride nanosheets show antimicrobial properties against multiple pathogens

May 21, 2025

PFAS detected in most US beers, with highest levels near contaminated water

May 21, 2025

New research highlights opportunities to transform UK marine monitoring

May 21, 2025

Chip-scale soliton microcombs reach femtosecond precision

May 21, 2025

Sensation through the legs: What flies do and don't perceive when walking

May 21, 2025

NASA's Mars Perseverance snaps a selfie as a Martian dust devil blows by

May 21, 2025

Novel AI methodology improves gully erosion prediction and interpretation

May 21, 2025

Seasonal resource subsidies shape life-history variations in red-spotted masu salmon

May 21, 2025

Study finds sand lizards feel at home on railway tracks

May 21, 2025

How deep-Earth carbon movements shape continents and diamonds

May 21, 2025

The psychology of climate traps and how to avoid them

Quanta

May 21, 2025

For Algorithms, a Little Memory Outweighs a Lot of Time

May 19, 2025

‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys

May 16, 2025

New ‘Superdiffusion’ Proof Probes the Mysterious Math of Turbulence

May 15, 2025

How Did Geometry Create Modern Physics?

May 14, 2025

How the Universe Differs From Its Mirror Image

PC Gamer

May 22, 2025

In an uncontroversial move that will bother no one, Lies of P is getting an easy mode

May 22, 2025

Final Fantasy 15's longest boss fight is coming to Magic: The Gathering, hopefully it won't take 30 days to defeat

May 22, 2025

Mafia: The Old Country: all the key details on the gritty gangster prequel

May 22, 2025

World of Warcraft game director details which combat add-ons are safe and which will be eliminated in the coming purge

May 21, 2025

A delayed review, a GOTY controversy, and a Big Geralt: Our strange 10-year relationship with The Witcher 3

May 21, 2025

The Battlefield subreddit is an endless feed of leaked Battlefield 6 gameplay, and it might be the best marketing campaign of 2025

May 21, 2025

A Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dev has formed an anime rivalry with the godlike buildcrafters who only needed 'like, one week' to beat his record of dealing 3.4 billion damage with one attack

May 21, 2025

Former Dragon Age writer says Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 prove 'what's possible when a game is given time to cook'

May 21, 2025

Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford wades back into the Borderlands 4 pricing controversy: 'Game budgets are increasing ... it's getting gnarly out there'

May 21, 2025

The Witcher 3's development took CDPR from 'How do we escape annihilation?' to having Sony on speed-dial

May 21, 2025

Live service games are 'innovating' all the way back around to what worked 20 years ago, except way worse

May 21, 2025

'It doesn't feel like Blade Runner': Cyberpunk's creator teases one of the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel's new locations, saying that 'it feels more like Chicago gone wrong'

May 21, 2025

'We can't just have Geralt for every single game': The Witcher's Doug Cockle tells the Ciri-haters to 'read the damn books, you won't think it's so woke anymore'

May 21, 2025

Looks like the latest Nvidia driver has given some RTX 5080 and 5090 laptops a little performance boost

May 21, 2025

Ducky's year of the snake keyboard is my favourite shown off at Computex so far, and it's limited to just 2025 units

May 21, 2025

Cherry proclaims a 'new era' for keyboard switches: induction is 'half the cost of a regular mechanical switch', more reliable, and less power hungry than analog alternatives

May 21, 2025

Nvidia's CEO says attempts to control chip exports to China are a failure: 'If they don’t have enough Nvidia, they will use their own.'

May 21, 2025

JDM: Japanese Drift Master review

May 21, 2025

Logitech G522 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset: gaming just got louder

May 21, 2025

Havn's Doom special edition PC case offers not one, but two sets of hollowed eye sockets to judge you while you game

May 21, 2025

Monster Train 2 review

May 21, 2025

All hail the biggest PC case to ever grace my eyes, a true monument to Prometheus and other gods of unfathomable technology

May 21, 2025

Hate RGB software but still want all the pretty LEDs on your AIO cooler? Lian Li might just have the very thing for you

May 21, 2025

Lian Li's new Rotation PSU has a power connector that swivels and I too have been asking, why?

May 21, 2025

'AH can we please keep them': Helldivers 2 players have fully imprinted onto the game's new SEAF troops like they're a bunch of kittens up for adoption

May 21, 2025

'It's not just a gimmick': Noctua is working with Pulsar on a gaming mouse that has a fan in it to cool your sweaty palm

May 21, 2025

Noctua aims to release its first liquid CPU cooler in 2026, working with Asetek to make the quietest water pump around, though it's not the thermosiphon project

May 21, 2025

Turns out asking AI chatbots for answers in a specific way can be like leaving them with the key to Trippy McHigh's magic mushroom farm

May 21, 2025

InWin unveils all-singing, all-dancing 'trophy-inspired' case that also looks a little bit like my morning brew

May 21, 2025

Doug Cockle wasn't the 'obvious' choice for Geralt in The Witcher—but he kept winning out because he was 'the best at being normal'

May 21, 2025

If you ever wanted to stick a screen inside your PC case Lian Li's just shown off something surprisingly affordable for you

May 21, 2025

'That's it, pre-order cancelled': GTA 6 investigators have managed to find the one slip-up in the second trailer, and it's pretty illuminating

May 21, 2025

Marvel Rivals' new Chrono Shield Cards item has divided players and reminded me that some people should just stay in Bronze

May 21, 2025

'We want to be as aggressive as possible, right?' says AMD GPU boss of the Nvidia-baiting pricing of the RX 9060 XT, calling it 'a tremendous value proposition to all our fellow gamers'

May 21, 2025

Overwatch players freak out over supposed Widowmaker butt nerf, proving that Marvel Rivals gooner skins have wound back the clock 10 years

May 21, 2025

Wooting is adding knobs to its gaming keyboards and the good news is existing Wooting owners can knob themselves too

May 21, 2025

Next and current banners in Honkai: Star Rail

May 21, 2025

Lian Li's new water cooler with a curved and motorised screen is basically pointless but you're still going to want one

May 21, 2025

The Scuf Envision Pro and non-Pro will finally get Hall effect from May 29, and if you already own a non-HE one you'll get a free calibration buff

May 21, 2025

How to kill a leviathan in Helldivers 2

May 21, 2025

Asus and Noctua team up once more, this time creating a hulking three-fan, four-slot RTX 5080 chonk of a graphics card

May 21, 2025

Cherry debuts new mechanical, magnetic, and inductive switches with a whole new naming scheme to match

May 21, 2025

AMD just gave us our first glimpse of FSR 4's 'Redstone' update, with a host of machine learning-based improvements

May 21, 2025

AMD announces the long-awaited RX 9060 XT starting at $299, says it's 6% faster than the RTX 5060 Ti at 1440p in 40 games

May 21, 2025

Today's Wordle answer for Wednesday, May 21

May 21, 2025

AMD unleashes up to 96 cores of Zen 5 with its new Threadripper 9000 Series chips

May 21, 2025

One of tech's best leakers drops the GPU specs for the RTX 5080 Super, likely confirming that 24GB VRAM update

May 21, 2025

1741 days after being kicked off iPhones, Fortnite is back on the US App Store

May 20, 2025

The original Polish Witcher comics are available in English if you can get past the way Geralt's fringe looks like the mustache of a cartoon walrus who is also a circus ringleader

May 20, 2025

Which version of Nicolas Cage will we get in the Madden movie? Boy, I hope it's the unhinged one

IEEE Spectrum

May 21, 2025

How To Come Back After A Layoff

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-illustration-of-stylized-people-wearing-business-casual-clothing.jpg?id=59104110&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C103%2C0%2C104"/> This article is crossposted from <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant" target="_self">IEEE Spectrum</a>’s careers newsletter. <a href="https://engage.ieee.org/Career-Alert-Sign-Up.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up now</a> to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written in partnership with tech career development company <a href="https://jointaro.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Taro</a> and delivered to your inbox for free!Last week, Microsoft laid off 6,000 employees—3 percent of its workforce—bringing the number of tech employees that have already been laid off in 2025 to nearly 60,000, according to <a href="https://layoffs.fyi/" target="_blank">layoffs.fyi</a>. In a future edition we’ll consider the role AI is playing in this, and how software engineers should safeguard against ever-smarter LLMs. But for now, I want to share my top recommendation if you’ve been laid off.I just spoke to a mid-level engineer who was laid off from a Big Tech company in London. They were understandably distraught and feeling demoralized.The most effective advice I have is quite simple: You need to identify your advantages and exploit them.Once you do some reflection, you’ll be able to identify a long list of people, resources, or opportunities that you have unique access to. The questions to ask yourself:<ul><li>Where do you have a strong network of people who could refer you? (This is likely your former colleagues or school alumni.)</li><li>Where do you have proven expertise in a skill that could be valuable for employers? (For example, being very effective with SEO or prompting.)</li><li>What are the domains that you’ve been passionate about before they became cool? (Saying that you’re passionate about AI doesn’t count since everyone seems to be passionate about AI these days.)</li></ul>The “spray-and-pray” approach for job applications is not only depressing but also ineffective. Please don’t waste your time applying to random jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed. Instead, follow the template established by people with the most enviable careers: find positions where you have an “in.”Too many engineers identify a buzzy company and use the standard approaches in trying to land a job. In an age where the market is flooded with job seekers, there is too much competition for this to be effective. Instead, work forward from unique advantages and promising situations.—Rahul<h3><a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/engineering-and-humanities" target="_blank">Why Engineers Still Need the Humanities</a></h3>Amid widespread funding cuts to many U.S. agencies, humanities research grants are being slashed. Historian and IEEE Spectrum contributor Allison Marsh explains how engineering is, and always has been entwined with the humanities. “The bygone engineers of the 20th century recognized this strong bond to the humanities,” Marsh writes.<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/engineering-and-humanities" target="_blank">Read more here.</a><h3><a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/guide-to-work-life-balance" target="_blank">Balancing Work and Life: An Engineer’s Guide to Fulfillment</a></h3>How can busy engineers achieve a work-life balance? The key to managing your career and personal life may actually lie in reframing the question. “Stop viewing work and life as opposites and start recognizing how they complement each other.” A few simple strategies can help engineers with this common challenge. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/guide-to-work-life-balance" target="_blank">Read more here.</a><h3>ICYMI: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/henry-samueli-moh" target="_blank">This Man Made the Modem in Your Phone a Reality</a></h3>In late February, Broadcom cofounder Henry Samueli received the 2025 IEEE Medal of Honor for his pioneering work in broadband communication and networking technology. Read about his career in this profile from Spectrum senior editor emeritus Tekla Perry.<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/henry-samueli-moh" target="_blank">Read more here.</a>

May 21, 2025

Robots Are Starting to Make Decisions in the Operating Room

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-white-robotic-arms-in-a-room-with-blue-and-green-light-working-above-an-operating-table-a-monitor-in-the-background-shows.png?id=60274875&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C158%2C0%2C159"/> Here’s a scene from the not-too-distant future. In a bright, high-tech operating room, a sleek robotic arm stands poised next to the operating table. The autonomous robot won’t operate completely alone, but it will assist in the upcoming procedure, performing key tasks independently with enhanced precision and reduced risk. Its patient is one of <a href="https://colorectalcancer.org/basics/facts-and-statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more than 150,000 patients</a> diagnosed with colon cancer in the United States alone each year. The only curative treatment is to remove the diseased part of the colon—ideally in a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure, performed with surgical tools and a thin camera inserted through small incisions. But the surgery tends to be challenging. The surgeon’s skills, experience, and technique are the most <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222282/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">important factors influencing surgical outcomes and complications</a>, which occur in up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26137968/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">16 percent of cases</a>. These complications can diminish the patient’s quality of life and increase the risk of death. The hope is that an autonomous surgical robot will improve these odds. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4djbWmuO804?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> See the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) in action in this video demonstrating how the system laparoscopically sutures a piece of small intestine. During surgery, this robot will perform tasks that require the utmost accuracy. The surgeon will first control its motions by hand to remove the cancerous tissue, then supervise the robot’s motion as it independently sews the remaining healthy colon back together. Using several forms of imaging and real-time surgical planning, the robot will place each stitch with submillimeter precision, a feat not possible with human hands. As a result, the resulting suture line will be stronger and more uniform, making it less likely to leak, a dangerous complication that can occur when the connection doesn’t heal properly.While autonomous robots aren’t yet being used to operate on people in the way we’ve just described, we now have the tools capable of this futuristic style of surgery, with more autonomy on the way. Our team, centered around coauthor <a href="https://engineering.jhu.edu/faculty/axel-krieger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Axel Krieger</a>’s <a href="https://imerse.lcsr.jhu.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">robotics lab</a> at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, is dedicated to developing robots that can perform complex, repetitive tasks more consistently and accurately <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/in-fleshcutting-task-autonomous-robot-surgeon-beats-human-surgeons" target="_blank">than the best surgeons</a>. Before too long, a patient may expect to hear a new version of the familiar greeting: “The robot will see you now.” <h2>The History of Surgical Robots</h2> Robot-assisted surgery <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878788611000324#:~:text=The%20Programmable%20Universal%20Machine%20for,of%20the%20thalamus%20%5B2%5D." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dates back to 1985</a>, when a team of surgeons at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Calif., used an adapted industrial robot arm to guide a needle into a brain for a biopsy. Although the procedure went well, <a href="https://westinghouse.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqHC734HikBtdYXIzQNd8VSXyKG79PfKZ1AFuVaKdSI_vT-Ylgx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Westinghouse</a>, the robot’s manufacturer, halted further surgeries. The company argued that because the robot was designed for industrial applications, it lacked necessary safety features. Despite this hitch, surgical robots continued to evolve. In 1994, U.S. regulators approved the first surgical robot: the Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning (AESOP), a voice-controlled robotic arm for laparoscopic camera positioning. The year 2000 saw the introduction of <a href="https://www.intuitive.com/en-us/patients/da-vinci-robotic-surgery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the da Vinci robot</a>, a teleoperated system that enables surgeons to have fine control over tiny instruments. <img alt="a metal rod pulls thread attached to a yellowish piece of tissue poking out from blue surgical fabric." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b72654f1473ae6c16454a09fb356843a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="50c3b" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-metal-rod-pulls-thread-attached-to-a-yellowish-piece-of-tissue-poking-out-from-blue-surgical-fabric.png?id=60279532&width=980"/> The first version of STAR sutured a piece of small intestine pulled up through an incision.Ryan Decker Surgeons are a cautious bunch, and so were initially slow to adopt the technology. In 2012, less than 2 percent of surgeries in the United States involved robots, but by 2018, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2758472" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">that number rose to about 15 percent</a>. Surgeons found that robots offered clear advantages for certain procedures, such as the removal of the prostate gland—today, <a href="https://auanews.net/issues/articles/2024/february-2024/robotics-robotic-prostatectomy-a-game-changer-in-prostate-cancer-treatment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more than 90 percent</a> of such procedures in the United States are robot-assisted. But the benefits for many other surgeries remain uncertain. The robots are expensive, and the human surgeons who use them require specialized training, leading some experts to question the overall utility of robotic assistance in surgeries. However, autonomous robotic systems, which can handle discrete tasks on their own, could potentially demonstrate better performance with less human training required. Surgery requires spectacular precision, steady hands, and a high degree of medical expertise. Learning how to safely perform specialized procedures takes years of rigorous training, and there is very little room for human error. With autonomous robotic systems, the high demand for safety and consistency during surgery could more easily be met. These robots could manage routine tasks, prevent mistakes, and potentially perform full operations with little human input. The need for innovation is clear: The number of surgeons around the world is quickly decreasing, while the number of people who need surgery continues to increase. <a href="https://www.aamc.org/media/75236/download?attachment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A 2024 report</a> by the Association of American Medical Colleges predicted a U.S. shortage of up to 19,900 surgeons by the year 2036. These robots present a way for millions of people to gain access to high-quality surgery. So why aren’t autonomous surgeries being performed yet? Typically, when we think of robots in the workplace, we imagine them carrying out factory tasks, like sorting packages or assembling cars. Robots have excelled in such environments, with their controlled conditions and the relatively small amount of variation in tasks. For example, in an auto factory, robots in the assembly line install the exact same parts in the exact same place for every car. But the complexity of surgical procedures—characterized by dynamic interactions with soft tissues, blood vessels, and organs—does not easily translate to robotic automation. Unlike controlled factory settings, each surgical scenario presents unexpected situations that require making decisions in real time. This is also why we don’t yet see robots in our day-to-day lives; the world around us is full of surprises that require adapting on the fly. Developing robots capable of navigating the intricacies of the human body is a formidable challenge that requires sophisticated mechanical design, innovative imaging techniques, and most recently, advanced artificial-intelligence algorithms. These algorithms must be capable of processing real-time data in order to adapt to the unpredictable environment of the human body. <h2>STAR: An Autonomous Surgical Bot</h2> 2016 marked a major milestone for our field: One of our team’s robotic systems <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/autonomous-robot-surgeon-bests-human-surgeons-in-world-first" target="_self">performed</a> the first autonomous soft-tissue surgery in a live animal. Called the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/scitranslmed.aad9398" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot</a>, or STAR, it sewed together tissue in the small intestine of a pig using a commercially available robot arm while supervised by a human surgeon. The robot moved independently between suturing locations along the tissue edge and waited for the surgeon’s approval before autonomously placing the stitches. This control strategy, called supervised autonomy, is commonly used to make sure surgeons stay engaged when automating a critical task. STAR’s suturing was the first time a robot had demonstrated autonomous surgical performance that was objectively better than the standard of care: Compared with the performance of human surgeons, STAR achieved more consistent suture spacing, which creates a stronger and more durable suture line. And a stronger stitch line can withstand higher pressures from within the intestine without leaking, compared with sutures done by the manual laparoscopic technique. We consider this a groundbreaking achievement, as <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22324-anastomotic-leak" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">such leaks</a> are the most dreaded complication for patients receiving any kind of gastrointestinal surgery. Up to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878788614001441" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">20 percent</a> of patients receiving surgery to reconnect the colon develop a leak, which can cause life-threatening infections and may require additional surgery. <img alt="a white robotic arm with a thin metal attachment sits above an operating table, where a circular piece of plastic holds a piece of pink tissue poking out from a grey fabric shroud" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="007d81fa5c99697fc298db4734b8b061" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="a517c" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-white-robotic-arm-with-a-thin-metal-attachment-sits-above-an-operating-table-where-a-circular-piece-of-plastic-holds-a-piece.png?id=60279261&width=980"/> The 2016 STAR system sutures the small intestine with a single robotic arm. Behind the robot, a screen shows near-infrared and 3D imaging side by side. Ryan Decker Before this 2016 surgery, autonomous soft-tissue surgery was considered a fantasy of science fiction. Because soft tissue constantly shifts and contorts, the surgical field changes each time the tissue is touched, and it’s impossible to use presurgical imaging to guide a robot’s motion. We had also been stymied by the state of surgical imaging. The best cameras that were compatible with surgical scopes—the long, thin tubes used to view internal surgeries—lacked the quantifiable depth information that autonomous robots need for navigation. Critical innovations in surgical tools and imaging made the STAR robot a success. For instance, the system sutured with a curved needle, simplifying the motion needed to pass a needle through tissue. Additionally, a new design allowed a single robotic arm to both guide the needle and control the suture tension, so there was no risk of tools colliding in the surgical field. But the most important innovation that made STAR possible was the use of a novel dual-camera system that enabled real-time tracking of the intestine during surgery. The first camera provided color images and quantifiable three-dimensional information about the surgical field. Using this information, the system created surgical plans by imaging the intestinal tissue and identifying the optimal locations for the stitches to yield the desired suture spacing. But at the time, the imaging rate of the system was limited to five frames per second—not fast enough for real-time application. To solve this limitation, we introduced a second, near-infrared camera that took <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2fa7/65bb04002c406d602cd6c90e983e40985dbc.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">about 20 images per second</a> to track the positions of near-infrared markers placed on the target tissue. When the position of a given marker moved too much from one frame to the next, the system would pause and update the surgical plan based on data from the slower camera, which produced three-dimensional images. This strategy enabled STAR to track the soft-tissue deformations in two-dimensional space in real time, updating the three-dimensional surgical plan only when tissue movement jeopardized its success. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27147588/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This version of STAR</a> could place a suture at the correct location on the first try a little more than half the time. In practice, this meant that the STAR system needed a human to move the suture needle—after it had already pierced the skin—once every 2.37 stitches. That rate was nearly on par with how frequently human surgeons have to correct the needle position when manually controlling a robot: once every 2.27 stitches. The number of stitches applied per needle adjustment is a critical metric for quantifying how much collateral tissue is damaged during a surgery. In general, the fewer times tissue is pierced during surgery (which corresponds to a higher number of sutures per adjustment), the better the surgical outcomes for the patient. For its time, the STAR system was a revolutionary achievement. However, its size and limited dexterity hindered doctors’ enthusiasm, and it was never used on a human patient. STAR’s imaging system was much bigger than the cameras and endoscopes used in laparoscopic surgeries, so it could perform intestinal suturing only through an open surgical technique in which the intestine is pulled up through a skin incision. To modify STAR for laparoscopic surgeries, we needed another round of innovation in surgical imaging and planning. <h2>Improving STAR’s Surgical Autonomy</h2> In 2020 (results published in 2022), the next generation of STAR set another record in the world of soft-tissue surgery: the first <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/scirobotics.abj2908" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">autonomous laparoscopic surgery in a live animal</a> (again, intestinal surgery in a pig). The system featured a new endoscope that generates three-dimensional images of the surgical scene in real time by illuminating tissue with patterns of light and measuring how the patterns are distorted. What’s more, the endoscope’s dimensions were small enough to allow the camera to fit within the opening used for the laparoscopic procedure. <img alt="Top: a robotic machine in the foreground manipulates illuminated red tissue held in a white plastic circle, which is farther away from the viewer." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3fb52f777fc0425d4be8c07cf2f4390e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ffdaf" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/top-a-robotic-machine-in-the-foreground-manipulates-illuminated-red-tissue-held-in-a-white-plastic-circle-which-is-farther-awa.jpg?id=60279446&width=980"/> <img alt="Bottom: a man wearing a surgical mask closely inspects the same piece of tissue and apparatus from a few inches away" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="60f20cccc702e8f79c75798da29a13fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="429d4" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/bottom-a-man-wearing-a-surgical-mask-closely-inspects-the-same-piece-of-tissue-and-apparatus-from-a-few-inches-away.jpg?id=60279441&width=980"/> The autonomy afforded by the 2020 STAR system allows surgeons to take a step back from the surgical field [top]. Axel Krieger [bottom] takes a close look at STAR’s suturing. Max Aguilera Hellweg Adapting STAR for a laparoscopic approach affected every part of the system. For instance, these procedures take place within limited workspace in the patient’s abdomen, so we had to add a second robotic arm to maintain the proper tension in the suturing thread—all while avoiding collisions with the suturing arm. To help STAR autonomously manipulate thread and to keep the suture from tangling with completed stitches, we added a second joint to the robot’s surgical tools, which enabled wristlike motions. Now that the intestine was to be sutured laparoscopically, the tissue had to be held in place with temporary sutures so that STAR’s endoscope could visualize it—a step commonly done in the nonrobotic equivalent of this procedure. But by anchoring the intestine to the abdominal wall, the tissue would move with each breath of the animal. To compensate for this movement, we used machine learning to detect and measure the motions caused by each breath, then direct the robot to the right suture location. In these procedures, STAR generated options for the surgical plan before the first stitch, detected and compensated for motion within the abdomen, and completed most suturing motions in the surgical plan without surgeon input. This control strategy, called task autonomy, is a fundamental step toward the full surgical autonomy we envision for future systems. While the original STAR’s method of tissue detection still relied on the use of near-infrared markers, recent advancements in deep learning have enabled autonomous tissue tracking without these markers. Machine learning techniques in image processing also shrank the endoscope to 10 millimeters in diameter and enabled simultaneous three-dimensional imaging and tissue tracking in real time, while maintaining the same accuracy of STAR’s earlier cameras. All these advances enabled STAR to make fine adjustments during an operation, which have reduced the number of corrective actions by the surgeon. In practice, this new STAR system can autonomously complete 5.88 stitches before a surgeon needs to adjust the needle position—a much better outcome than what a surgeon can achieve when operating a robot manually for the entire procedure, guiding the needle through every stitch. By comparison, when human surgeons perform laparoscopic surgery without any robotic assistance, they adjust their needle position after almost every stitch. AI and machine learning methods will likely continue to play a prominent role as researchers push the boundaries of what surgical jobs can be completed using task automation. Eventually, these methods could lead to a more complete type of automation that has eluded surgical robots—so far. <h2>The Future of Robotic Surgery</h2> With each technical advance, autonomous surgical robots inch closer to the operating room. But to make these robots more usable in clinical settings, we’ll need to equip the machines with the tools to see, hear, and maneuver more like a human. Robots can use computer vision to interpret visual data, natural-language processing to understand spoken instructions, and advanced motor control for precise movements. Integrating these systems will mean that a surgeon can verbally instruct the robot to “grasp the tissue on the left” or “tie a knot here,” for instance. In traditional robotic surgery systems, by contrast, each action has to be described using complex mathematical equations. <img alt="gray computer generated image of the tissue, which is stretched into two triangles with a common edge, with colored dots overlaid mapping the proposed suture" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="30a86dc589a23d23173e0991533c4f62" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="21fa6" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/gray-computer-generated-image-of-the-tissue-which-is-stretched-into-two-triangles-with-a-common-edge-with-colored-dots-overlai.png?id=60279548&width=980"/> Specialized imaging enables STAR’s laparoscopic suturing. The purple dots here show the system’s proposed suture locations. Hamed Saeidi To build such robots, we’ll need general-purpose robotic controllers capable of learning from vast datasets of surgical procedures. These controllers will observe expert surgeons during their training and learn how to adapt to unpredictable situations, such as soft-tissue deformation during surgery. Unlike the consoles used in today’s robotic surgeries, which give human surgeons direct control, this future robot controller will use AI to autonomously manage the robot’s movements and decision-making during surgical tasks, reducing the need for constant human input—while keeping the robot under a surgeon’s supervision. Surgical robots operating on human patients will gather a vast amount of data and, eventually, the robotic systems can train on that data to learn how to handle tasks they weren’t explicitly taught. Because these robots operate in controlled environments and perform repetitive tasks, they can continuously learn from new data, improving their algorithms. The challenge, however, is in gathering this data across various platforms, as medical data is sensitive and bound by strict privacy regulations. For robots to reach their full potential, we’ll need extensive collaboration across hospitals, universities, and industries to train these intelligent machines. As autonomous robots make their way into the clinical world, we’ll face increasingly complex questions about accountability when something goes wrong. The surgeon is traditionally accountable for all aspects of the patient’s care, but if a robot acts independently, it’s unclear whether liability would fall on the surgeon, the manufacturer of the robotic hardware, or the developers of the software. If a robot’s misinterpretation of data causes a surgical error, for example, is the surgeon at fault for not intervening, or does the blame lie with the technology providers? Clear guidelines and regulations will be essential to navigate these scenarios and ensure that patient safety remains the top priority. As these technologies become more prevalent, it’s also important that patients be fully informed about the use of autonomous systems, including the potential benefits and the associated risks. A scenario in which patients are routinely greeted by a surgeon and an autonomous robotic assistant is no longer a distant possibility, thanks to the imaging and control technologies being developed today. And when patients begin to benefit from these advancements, autonomous robots in the operating room won’t just be a possibility but a new standard in medicine.

May 20, 2025

Get to Know the IEEE Board of Directors

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-photo-of-a-woman-and-two-men.png?id=60206551&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=497%2C0%2C497%2C0"/> The <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/ieee-board-of-directors" target="_self">IEEE Board of Directors</a> shapes the future direction of IEEE and is committed to ensuring IEEE remains a strong and vibrant organization—serving the needs of its members and the engineering and technology community worldwide while fulfilling the IEEE mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. This article features IEEE Board of Directors members Takako Hashimoto, W. Clem Karl, and Yong Lian.<h2>IEEE Senior Member Takako Hashimoto</h2>Director, Region 10: Asia Pacific <img alt="Portrait of Takako Hashimoto smiling with her arms crossed." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="109c1c3eb340966119a9287948ba01ff" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c421a" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/portrait-of-takako-hashimoto-smiling-with-her-arms-crossed.png?id=60206743&width=980"/> PrameHashimoto is a professor and deputy to the president at <a href="https://www.cuc.ac.jp/eng/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chiba University of Commerce</a>, in Ichikawa City, Japan, where she specializes in data science, artificial intelligence, and information systems. Hashimoto is also involved with developing methods to analyze large-scale social media data to understand public perceptions and identify emerging topics.A key focus of Hashimoto’s work has involved the analysis of public sentiment and information diffusion related to major global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and political elections. Her research in this area has contributed to a better understanding of how misinformation spreads and how public trust in institutions evolve over time, enabling organizations to respond more effectively to societal needs and concerns. An active member of the <a href="https://www.computer.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Computer Society</a>, Hashimoto received the 2022 <a href="https://www.computer.org/volunteering/awards/golden-core" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Computer Society Golden Core Member Award</a>, the 2019 <a href="https://mga.ieee.org/news/33-membership-highlights/415-mga-2019-individual-award-recipients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award</a>, and the 2019 <a href="https://wie.ieeer10.org/awards/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Region 10 Women in Engineering</a> Outstanding Volunteer Award. She served on the IEEE Computer Society’s <a href="https://www.computer.org/volunteering/board-of-governors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">board of governors</a> from 2021 to 2023 and was chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering Committee in 2015 and 2016.As the <a href="https://www.ieeer10.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Region 10 director</a>, Hashimoto is focused on fostering collaboration, engagement, and professional development across the Asia Pacific region. She is additionally committed to promoting involvement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields and actively supports initiatives that empower all engineers and scientists. Through her leadership roles in IEEE, she strives to create an environment that nurtures many perspectives and helps drive innovation and progress in technology and engineering.<h2>IEEE Life Fellow W. Clem Karl</h2>Director and vice president, Publication Services and Products <img alt="Portrait of W. Clem Karl slightly smiling while wearing a suit." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01dd1eb6d0fd38f795f4b3a9e7a4e0b0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9c2f5" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/portrait-of-w-clem-karl-slightly-smiling-while-wearing-a-suit.png?id=60206759&width=980"/> W. Clem KarlA professor and chair of the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/eng/academics/departments-and-divisions/electrical-and-computer-engineering/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Boston University</a> and a Fellow of the <a href="https://aimbe.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering</a>, Karl has researched computational imaging and statistical signal and image processing with applications in security and medical imaging.Specifically, Karl’s work has contributed to the advancement of a variety of practical applications including airport checkpoint screening and tomographic cardiac imaging, through which 3D images of the heart, blood vessels, and surrounding structures can help diagnose heart conditions such as blockages in the coronary arteries. In his work on airport checkpoint baggage-screening technology, his algorithms have reduced the number of false alarms and increased the number of suitcases processed. For medical applications, his approaches have sought to reduce patient doses of medication and have enhanced the detection of abnormal conditions.A longtime active IEEE volunteer, Karl is a member of the <a href="https://www.computer.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Computer</a>, <a href="https://www.embs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Engineering Medicine and Biology</a>, and <a href="https://signalprocessingsociety.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Signal Processing</a> societies. He has authored more than 250 journal and conference articles and has contributed to a number of books including Multi-Sensor Image Fusion and Its Applications, The Handbook of Image and Video Processing, and Compressed Sensing and Sparse Filtering. He was the inaugural editor in chief and a cofounder of the <a href="https://signalprocessingsociety.org/publications-resources/ieee-transactions-computational-imaging" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging</a>, and he was editor in chief of the monthly journal <a href="https://signalprocessingsociety.org/publications-resources/ieee-transactions-image-processing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions on Image Processing</a>.Karl has served in positions related to IEEE publications for more than two decades. In his role as vice president of <a href="https://pspb.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Publication Services and Products</a>, he aims to maintain IEEE publications as the trusted repository of the scientific record.<h2>IEEE Fellow Yong Lian</h2>Director, Division I <img alt="Portrait of Yong Lian slightly smiling in a suit." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1e7e8116ff64fe8b5d1175a3db7eba3f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9157d" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/portrait-of-yong-lian-slightly-smiling-in-a-suit.png?id=60206764&width=980"/> Betty HuLian has been a technical leader and pioneer in biomedical circuits and systems for more than 40 years. His groundbreaking innovations have led to self-powered, miniaturized biomedical sensors that enable continuous, real-time health monitoring. These advancements have greatly enhanced the adoption and efficacy of wearable and implantable medical devices for those with chronic illnesses. His devices allow for early detection and timely intervention without frequent hospital visits. By making long-term, real-time monitoring more accessible, his work is revolutionizing patient care and lessening the burden on the health care system.Lian is a member of the <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Circuits and Systems</a>, <a href="https://eds.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Electron Devices</a>, and <a href="https://sscs.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Solid-State Circuits</a> societies as well as the <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Standards Association</a>. An active volunteer, he was the 2018–2019 president of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society. From 2022 to 2024 he was a member-at-large for the <a href="https://ethw.org/IEEE_Publication_Services_and_Products_Board" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Publication Services and Products board</a>. He has coauthored more than 340 papers, one book, and four book chapters, and he holds 20 patents. He has received 18 research awards and several honors. Among his most recent recognitions, he was the recipient of the 2024 <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/award/society-achievement-awards/ieee-circuits-and-systems-society-meritorious-service-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Circuits and Systems Society’s Meritorious Service Award</a>, the 2023 <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/post/announcement/congratulations-2023-ieee-cas-society-award-recipients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Circuits and Systems Society’s Mac Van Valkenburg Award</a>, and the 2023 <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/post/announcement/congratulations-2023-ieee-cas-society-award-recipients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems Best Paper Award</a>.Lian has played a pivotal role in shaping the biomedical engineering community. In 2003 he helped found the <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/technical-committees/BioCAS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Biomedical and Life Science Circuits and Systems (BioCAS) technical committee</a>, and in 2004 launched the IEEE BioCAS Conference. He also helped launch <a href="https://ieee-cas.org/publication/TBioCAS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems</a>. More recently, he founded the IEEE Standards Workshop on AI for Healthcare to promote the integration of artificial intelligence into medical applications.As IEEE Division 1 director, Lian is spearheading efforts to enhance collaboration among societies and councils. He is leading initiatives to develop IEEE standards for flexible and wearable biomedical devices in his effort to advance health care innovation and lay the groundwork for next-generation medical technology.

May 19, 2025

Prototype Computer Uses Noise to Its Advantage

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/close-up-of-a-stochastic-processing-unit-on-a-printed-circuit-board.jpg?id=60263459&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=112%2C0%2C113%2C0"/> A new computing paradigm—thermodynamic computing—has entered the scene. Okay, okay, maybe it’s just <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/waiting-for-quantum-computing-try-probabilistic-computing" target="_self">probabilistic computing</a> by a new name. They both use noise (such as that caused by thermal fluctuations) instead of fighting it, to perform computations. But still, it’s a new physical approach.“If you’re talking about computing paradigms, no, it’s this same computing paradigm,” as probabilistic computing, says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/behtash-behin-aein-6a28b241/" target="_blank">Behtash Behin-Aein</a>, the chief technology officer and founder of probabilistic computing startup <a href="https://www.ludwigcomputing.com/" target="_blank">Ludwig Computing</a> (named after Ludwig Boltzmann, a scientist largely responsible for the field of, you guessed it, thermodynamics). “But it’s a new implementation,” he adds.In a recent <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59011-x" target="_blank">publication</a> in Nature Communications, New York city–based startup <a href="https://www.normalcomputing.com/" target="_blank">Normal Computing</a> detailed its first prototype of what it calls a thermodynamic computer. It demonstrated that it can use the computer to harness noise to invert matrices. It also demonstrated Gaussian sampling, which underlies some AI applications.<h2>How Noise Can Aid Some Computing Problems</h2>Conventionally, noise is the enemy of computation. However, certain applications actually rely on artificially generated noise. And using naturally occurring noise can be vastly more efficient.“We’re focusing on algorithms that are able to leverage noise, stochasticity, and nondeterminism,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-belateche-68b298a5/" target="_blank">Zachery Belateche</a>, silicon engineering lead at Normal Computing. “That algorithm space turns out to be huge, everything from scientific computing to AI to linear algebra. But a thermodynamic computer is not going to be helping you check your email anytime soon.”For these applications, a thermodynamic—or probabilistic—computer starts out with its components in some semi-random state. Then, the problem the user is trying to solve is programmed into the interactions between the components. Over time, these interactions allow the components to come to equilibrium. This equilibrium is the solution to the computation.This approach is a natural fit for certain scientific computing applications that already include randomness, such as Monte Carlo simulations. It is also well suited for AI image generation algorithm <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/these-ai-tools-generate-breathtaking-art-and-controversy" target="_self">stable diffusion</a>, and a type of AI known as probabilistic AI. Surprisingly, it also appears to be well suited for some linear algebra computations that are not inherently probabilistic. This makes the approach more broadly applicable to AI training.“Now we see with AI that a paradigm of CPUs and GPUs is being used, but it’s being used because it was there. There was nothing else. Say I found a gold mine. I want to basically dig it. Do I have a shovel? Or do I have a bulldozer? I have a shovel, just dig,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcbozchalui/" target="_blank">Mohammad C. Bozchalui</a>, the CEO and cofounder of Ludwig Computing. “We are saying this is a different world which requires a different tool.”<h2>Normal Computing’s Approach</h2>Normal Computing’s prototype chip, which it termed the stochastic processing unit (SPU), consists of eight capacitor-inductor resonators and random noise generators. Each resonator is connected to each other resonator via a tunable coupler. The resonators are initialized with randomly generated noise, and the problem under study is programmed into the couplings. After the system reaches equilibrium, the resonator units are read out to obtain the solution.“In a conventional chip, everything is very highly controlled,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-crooks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gavin Crooks</a>, a staff research scientist at Normal Computing. “Take your foot off the control little bit, and the thing will naturally start behaving more stochastically.”Although this was a successful proof of concept, the Normal Computing team acknowledges that this prototype is not scalable. But they have <a href="https://www.normalcomputing.com/post/scaling-thermodynamic-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">amended</a> their design, getting rid of tricky-to-scale inductors. They now plan to create their next design in silico, rather than on a printed circuit board, and expect their next chip to come out later this year.How far this technology can be scaled remains to be seen. The design is CMOS-compatible, but there is a lot to be worked out before it can be used to solve large-scale real-world problems. “It’s amazing what they have done,” Bozchalui of Ludwig Computing says. “But at the same time, there is a lot to be worked to really take it from what [it] is today to [a] commercial product to something that can be used at the scale.”<h2>A Different Vision</h2>Although probabilistic computing and thermodynamic computing are essentially the same paradigm, there is a cultural difference. The companies and researchers working on probabilistic computing almost exclusively trace their academic roots to the group of <a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/People/ptProfile?resource_id=3286" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supryo Datta</a> at Purdue University. The three cofounders of Normal Computing, however, have no ties to Purdue and come from backgrounds in quantum computing.This results in the Normal Computing cofounders having a slightly different vision. They imagine a world where different kinds of physics are utilized for their own computing hardware, and every problem that needs solving is matched with the most optimal hardware implementation.“We coined this term physics-based ASICs,” Normal Computing’s Belateche says, referring to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuit" target="_blank">application-specific integrated circuits</a>. In their vision, a future computer will have access to conventional CPUs and GPUs, but also a quantum computing chip, a thermodynamic computing chip, and any other paradigm people might dream up. And each computation will be sent to an ASIC that uses the physics that’s most appropriate for the problem at hand.

May 16, 2025

Video Friday: Robot Battlefield Triage

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/robot-dog-and-human-in-a-dark-room-with-holographic-star-like-lights.png?id=60250560&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/> Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please <a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Robotics%20event%20suggestion%20for%20Video%20Friday">send us your events</a> for inclusion.<h5><a href="https://2025.ieee-icra.org/">ICRA 2025</a>: 19–23 May 2025, ATLANTA, GA</h5><h5><a href="https://humanoidssummit.com/">London Humanoids Summit</a>: 29–30 May 2025, LONDON</h5><h5><a href="https://smartconf.jp/content/rcar2025/">IEEE RCAR 2025</a>: 1–6 June 2025, TOYAMA, JAPAN</h5><h5><a href="https://www.edrcoalition.com/2025-energy-drone-robotics-summit">2025 Energy Drone & Robotics Summit</a>: 16–18 June 2025, HOUSTON</h5><h5><a href="https://roboticsconference.org/">RSS 2025</a>: 21–25 June 2025, LOS ANGELES</h5><h5><a href="https://robotx.ethz.ch/education/summer-school.html">ETH Robotics Summer School</a>: 21–27 June 2025, GENEVA</h5><h5><a href="https://ias-19.org/">IAS 2025</a>: 30 June–4 July 2025, GENOA, ITALY</h5><h5><a href="https://clawar.org/icres2025/">ICRES 2025</a>: 3–4 July 2025, PORTO, PORTUGAL</h5><h5><a href="https://2025.worldhaptics.org/">IEEE World Haptics</a>: 8–11 July 2025, SUWON, SOUTH KOREA</h5><h5><a href="https://ifac2025-msrob.com/">IFAC Symposium on Robotics</a>: 15–18 July 2025, PARIS</h5><h5><a href="https://2025.robocup.org/">RoboCup 2025</a>: 15–21 July 2025, BAHIA, BRAZIL</h5><h5><a href="https://www.ro-man2025.org/">RO-MAN 2025</a>: 25–29 August 2025, EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS</h5><h5><a href="https://clawar.org/clawar2025/">CLAWAR 2025</a>: 5–7 September 2025, SHENZHEN, CHINA</h5><h5><a href="https://www.corl.org/">CoRL 2025</a>: 27–30 September 2025, SEOUL</h5><h5><a href="https://2025humanoids.org/">IEEE Humanoids</a>: 30 September–2 October 2025, SEOUL</h5><h5><a href="https://worldrobotsummit.org/en/">World Robot Summit</a>: 10–12 October 2025, OSAKA, JAPAN</h5><h5><a href="http://www.iros25.org/">IROS 2025</a>: 19–25 October 2025, HANGZHOU, CHINA</h5>Enjoy today’s videos!<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><div style="page-break-after: always"> </div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="x11efid6ghw">Behind the scenes at DARPA Triage Challenge Workshop 2 at the Guardian Centers in Perry, Ga.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x11EfId6Ghw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://triagechallenge.darpa.mil/">DARPA</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="4doigyceqxe">Watch our coworker in action as he performs high-precision stretch routines enabled by 31 degrees of freedom. Designed for dynamic adaptability, this is where robotics meets real-world readiness.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4DOiGYcEqXE?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://www.limxdynamics.com/en">LimX Dynamics</a> ]Thanks, Jinyan!<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="zmdhabkwucw">Featuring a lightweight design and continuous operation capabilities under extreme conditions, LYNX M20 sets a new benchmark for intelligent robotic platforms working in complex scenarios.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zMDHABkwUCw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://www.deeprobotics.cn/en/index/lynx.html">DEEP Robotics</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>The sound in this video is either excellent or terrible, I’m not quite sure which.<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g26yMjrrVm4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://rbo.gitlab-pages.tu-berlin.de/pages/acoustic-jamming-page/">TU Berlin</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="ofsvj5-fyzg">Humanoid loco-manipulation holds transformative potential for daily service and industrial tasks, yet achieving precise, robust whole-body control with 3D end-effector force interaction remains a major challenge. Prior approaches are often limited to lightweight tasks or quadrupedal/wheeled platforms. To overcome these limitations, we propose FALCON, a dual-agent reinforcement-learning-based framework for robust force-adaptive humanoid loco-manipulation.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OfsvJ5-Fyzg?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://lecar-lab.github.io/falcon-humanoid/">FALCON</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="k2k5sfq9uui">An MRSD Team at the CMU Robotics Institute is developing a robotic platform to map environments through perceptual degradation, identify points of interest, and relay that information back to first responders. The goal is to reduce information blindness and increase safety.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k2K5sfq9UUI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://mrsdprojects.ri.cmu.edu/2025teamg/the-team/">Carnegie Mellon University</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="dlt6vhx4dz4">We introduce an eldercare robot (E-BAR) capable of lifting a human body, assisting with postural changes/ambulation, and catching a user during a fall, all without the use of any wearable device or harness. With a minimum width of 38 centimeters, the robot’s small footprint allows it to navigate the typical home environment. We demonstrate E-BAR’s utility in multiple typical home scenarios that elderly persons experience, including getting into/out of a bathtub, bending to reach for objects, sit-to-stand transitions, and ambulation.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DlT6vHx4Dz4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2025/eldercare-robot-helps-people-sit-stand-catches-them-fall-0513">MIT</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="wakqoz5f65a">Sanctuary AI had the pleasure of accompanying Microsoft to Hannover Messe, where we demonstrated how our technology is shaping the future of work with autonomous labor powered by physical AI and general-purpose robots.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wAKQoz5F65A?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://www.sanctuary.ai/blog/if-you-missed-messe">Sanctuary AI</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="aqoabdeftoi">Watch how drywall finishing machines incorporate collaborative robots, and learn why Canvas chose the Universal Robots platform.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AQOabdEftoI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://www.canvas.build/">Canvas</a> ] via [ <a href="https://www.universal-robots.com/case-stories/canvas/">Universal Robots</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="fzee5hmltuu">We’ve officially put a stake in the ground in Dallas–Fort Worth. Torc’s new operations hub is open for business—and it’s more than just a dot on the map. It’s a strategic launchpad as we expand our <a data-linked-post="2656423157" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/parallel-systems-autonomous-trains" target="_blank">autonomous freight network</a> across the southern United States.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZEe5hmltUU?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://torc.ai/torc-opens-first-autonomous-hub-fort-worth-celebrates-commercialization-era/">Torc</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>This <a data-linked-post="2650255165" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/next-big-thing-in-silicon-valley-robotics" target="_blank">Stanford Robotics Center</a> talk is by Jonathan Hurst at Agility Robotics, on “Humanoid Robots: From the Warehouse to Your House.”<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMVE4bq-CL8?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><blockquote>How close are we to having safe, reliable, useful in-home humanoids? If you believe recent press, it’s just around the corner. Unquestionably, advances in Al and robotics are driving innovation and activity in the sector; it truly is an exciting time to be building robots! But what does it really take to execute on the vision of useful, human-centric, multipurpose robots? Robots that can operate in human spaces, predictably and safely? We think it starts with humanoids in warehouses, an unsexy but necessary beachhead market to our future with robots as part of everyday life. I’ll talk about why a humanoid is more than a sensible form factor, it’s inevitable; and I will speak to the excitement around a ChatGPT moment for robotics, and what it will take to leverage Al advances and innovation in robotics into useful, safe humanoids.</blockquote>[ <a href="https://ee.stanford.edu/event/04-09-2025/humanoids-warehouse-your-house">Stanford</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>

May 15, 2025

What to Look Out for When Acquiring AI Systems

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/conceptual-illustration-of-a-large-language-model.jpg?id=60221501&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=203%2C0%2C204%2C0"/> For more than three years, an <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Standards Association</a> working group has been refining a draft standard for procuring artificial intelligence and automated decision systems, <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/3119/10729/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE 3119-2025</a>. It is intended to help procurement teams identify and manage <a href="https://time.com/6303127/ai-future-danger-present-harms/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks</a> in high-risk domains. Such systems are used by government entities involved in education, health, employment, and many other <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308596120300689?via%3Dihub" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">public sector</a> areas. Last year the working group partnered with a European Union agency to evaluate the draft standard’s components and to gather information about users’ needs and their views on the standard’s value.At the time, the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/5-ways-strengthen-ai-acquisition" target="_blank">standard</a> included five processes to help users develop their solicitations and to identify, mitigate, and monitor harms commonly associated with <a href="https://ai-regulation.com/guidance-on-high-risk-ai-systems-under-eu-ai-act/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">high-risk</a> AI systems.Those processes were problem definition, vendor evaluation, solution evaluation, contract negotiation, and contract monitoring.The EU agency’s feedback led the working group to reconsider the processes and the sequence of several activities. The final draft now includes an additional process: solicitation preparation, which comes right after the problem definition process. The working group believes the added process addresses the challenges organizations experience with preparing AI-specific solicitations, such as the need to add transparent and robust data requirements and to incorporate questions regarding the maturity of vendor AI governance.The EU agency also emphasized that it’s essential to include solicitation preparation, which gives procurement teams additional opportunities to adapt their solicitations with technical requirements and questions regarding responsible AI system choices. Leaving space for adjustments is especially relevant when acquisitions of AI are occurring within <a href="https://opentools.ai/news/ai-regulation-in-2025-navigating-a-global-maze" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emerging</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03560-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changing regulatory environments</a>. <img alt="Flow chart of an AI procurement workflow, from pre-procurement, to proposal evaluation, contracting and post-procurement. Steps include problem definition, solicitation preparation, vendor evaluation, solution evaluation, contract negotiations and contract monitoring." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b58e96db12a6c66f63dc51f79a8364fc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="bb181" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/flow-chart-of-an-ai-procurement-workflow-from-pre-procurement-to-proposal-evaluation-contracting-and-post-procurement-steps.jpg?id=60221504&width=980"/> Gisele Waters<h2>IEEE 3119’s place in the standards ecosystem</h2>Currently there are several internationally accepted standards for <a href="https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec:42001:ed-1:v1:en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI management</a>, <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/browse/standards/get-program/page/series?id=93" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI ethics</a>, and general <a href="https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec-ieee:41062:ed-2:v1:en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">software acquisition</a>. Those from the IEEE Standards Association and the <a href="https://www.iso.org/home.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Organization for Standardization</a> target AI design, use, and life-cycle management.Until now, there has been no internationally accepted, consensus-based standard that focuses on the procurement of AI tools and offers operational guidance for responsibly purchasing <a href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/article/6/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">high-risk AI systems</a> that serve the public interest.The <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/guide-on-acquiring-ai-systems" target="_blank">IEEE 3119 standard</a> addresses that gap. Unlike the AI management standard ISO 42001 and other certifications related to generic AI oversight and risk governance, IEEE’s new standard offers a <a href="https://www.inq.law/post/the-risk-based-approach-to-ai-a-global-trend" target="_blank">risk-based, operational approach</a> to help government agencies adapt <a href="https://www.governmentprocurement.com/news/the-seven-stages-of-government-procurement-what-they-are-and-what-they-mean" target="_blank">traditional</a> procurement practices.Governments have an important role to play in the responsible deployment of AI. However, market dynamics and unequal AI expertise between industry and government can be barriers that discourage success.One of the standard’s core goals is to better inform procurement leaders about what they are buying before they make high-risk AI purchases. IEEE 3119 defines high-risk AI systems as those that make or are a substantial factor in making <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11189344/" target="_blank">consequential decisions</a> that could have significant impacts on people, groups, or society. The definition is similar to the one used in Colorado’s 2034 <a href="https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2024/06/colorados-landmark-ai-act" target="_blank">AI Act</a>, the first U.S. state-level law comprehensively addressing high-risk systems.The standard’s processes, however, do complement ISO 42001 in many ways. The relationship between both is illustrated below.<h3>Relationship of processes in IEEE 3119 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023</h3> <table border="1" style="white-space: unset;" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <th center;="" scope="col" style="color: #ffffff; background-color: #000000;" text-align:=""> IEEE 3119 clause </th> <th center;="" scope="col" style="color: #ffffff; background-color: #000000;" text-align:=""> ISO/IEC 42001:2023 clause </th> </tr> <tr> <td> 6 Problem definition </td> <td> 4.1 Understanding the organization and its context 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties 6.1.4 AI system impact assessment </td> </tr> <tr> <td> 7 Solicitation preparation process </td> <td> 4.3 Determining the scope of the AI management system 4.4 AI management system and its processes </td> </tr> <tr> <td> 8 Vendor evaluation process </td> <td> 5. Leadership (commitment, policies, roles, etc.) 6.1.2 AI risk assessment 7.1 Resources 7.2 Competence 7.3 Awareness </td> </tr> <tr> <td> 9 Solution evaluation process </td> <td> 4.3 Determining the scope of the AI management system 4.4 AI management system and its processes 6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities 7.4 Communication 7.5 Documented information </td> </tr> <tr> <td> 10 Contract negotiation process </td> <td> 6.1.3 AI risk treatment 9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation 10.2 Nonconformity and corrective action </td> </tr> <tr> <td> 11 Contract monitoring process </td> <td> 4.4 AI management system 6.3 Planning of changes 7.1 Resources 7.2 Competence 7.5.2 Creating and updating documented information 7.5.3 Controlling documented information 8.1 Operational planning and control 8.2 AI risk assessment 8.3 AI risk treatment 8.4 AI system impact assessment 9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation 9.2 Internal audit 9.3 Management review 10.2 Nonconformity and corrective action </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Source: IEEE 3119-2025 Working Group International standards, often characterized as <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/soft-law-as-a-complement-to-ai-regulation/" target="_blank">soft law</a>, are used to shape AI development and <a href="https://lsi.asulaw.org/softlaw/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/12/Wallach-et-al_Soft-Law-Functions-in-the-International-Governance-of-AI.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">encourage international cooperation</a> regarding its governance.Hard laws for AI, or legally binding rules and obligations, are a work in progress around the world. In the United States, a <a href="https://iapp.org/media/pdf/resource_center/us_state_ai_governance_legislation_tracker.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">patchwork</a> of state legislation governs different aspects of AI, and the approach to national AI regulation is <a href="https://www.govtech.com/artificial-intelligence/the-impacts-of-a-fragmented-ai-legislative-landscape" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fragmented</a>, with different federal agencies implementing their own guidelines.Europe has led by passing the European Union’s <a href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI Act</a>, which began governing AI systems based on their risk levels when it went into effect last year.But the world lacks <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03560-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">regulatory hard laws</a> with an international scope.The IEEE 3119-2025 standard does align with existing hard laws. Due to its focus on procurement, the standard supports the high-risk provisions outlined in the <a href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/chapter/3/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EU AI Act’s Chapter III</a> and <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/fpf_legislation_policy_brief_the_colorado_ai_act_final.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colorado’s AI Act</a>. The standard also conforms to the proposed <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB1709/2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas HB 1709</a> legislation, which would mandate reporting on the use of AI systems by certain business entities and state agencies.Because <a href="https://public-buyers-community.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-05/Slides_Keegan_McBride_5XcbzBTbz0t605NhjuA2FmGE7Y_86850.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most AI systems used in the public sector</a> are procured rather than built in-house, IEEE 3119 applies to commercial AI products and services that don’t require <a href="https://www.aiact-info.eu/definitions/substantial-modification/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">substantial modifications</a> or customizations.<h2>The standard’s target audience</h2>The standard is intended for:<ul><li>Mid-level procurement professionals and interdisciplinary team members with a moderate level of AI governance and AI system knowledge.</li><li>Public- and private-sector procurement professionals who serve as coordinators or buyers, or have equivalent roles, within their entities.</li><li>Non-procurement managers and supervisors who are either responsible for procurement or oversee staff who provide procurement functions.</li><li>Professionals who are employed by governing entities involved with public education, utilities, transportation, and other publicly funded services that either work on or manage procurement and are interested in adapting purchasing processes for AI tools. </li><li>AI vendors seeking to understand new transparency and disclosure requirements for their high-risk commercial products and solutions. </li></ul><h2>Training program in the works </h2>The <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Standards Association</a> has partnered with the <a href="https://www.aiprocurementlab.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI Procurement Lab</a> to offer the <a href="https://blp.ieee.org/responsible-procurement-of-ai/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Responsible AI Procurement Training program</a>. The course covers how to apply the standard’s core processes and adapt current practices for the procurement of high-risk AI. The standard includes over 26 tools and rubrics across the six processes, and the training program explains how to use many of these tools. For example, the training includes instructions on how to conduct a risk-appetite analysis, apply the vendor evaluation scoring guide to analyze <a href="https://firstanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/Vetting-Vendor-AI-Claims.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI vendor claims</a>, and create an AI procurement “risk register” tied to identified use-case risks and their potential mitigations. The training session is now available for purchase.It’s still early days for AI integration. Decision makers don’t yet have much experience in purchasing AI for high-risk domains and in mitigating those risks. The IEEE 3119-2025 standard aims to support agencies build and strengthen their AI risk mitigation muscles.

May 14, 2025

New AI Model Advances the “Kissing Problem” and More

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/green-code-screen-on-top-of-green-pixilated-landscape-on-black-background.jpg?id=60214792&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=115%2C0%2C116%2C0"/> There’s a mathematical concept called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissing_number" target="_blank">kissing number</a>. Somewhat disappointingly, it’s got nothing to do with actual kissing. It enumerates how many spheres can touch (or “kiss”) a single sphere of equal size without crossing it. In one dimension, the kissing number is 2. In two dimensions, it’s 6 (think The New York Times’ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spelling-bee" target="_blank">spelling bee puzzle</a> configuration). As the number of dimensions grows, the answer becomes less obvious: For most dimensionalities over 4, only upper and lower bounds on the kissing number are known. Now, an AI agent developed by Google DeepMind called AlphaEvolve has made its contribution to the problem, increasing the lower bound on the kissing number in 11 dimensions from 592 to 593.This may seem like an incremental improvement on the problem, especially given that the upper bound on the kissing number in 11 dimensions is 868, so the unknown range is still quite large. But it represents a novel mathematical discovery by an AI agent, and challenges the idea that large language models are <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-for-science-2" target="_self">not capable</a> of original scientific contributions. And this is just one example of what AlphaEvolve has accomplished. “We applied AlphaEvolve across a range of open problems in research mathematics, and we deliberately picked problems from different parts of math: analysis, combinatorics, geometry,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matejbalog/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Matej Balog</a>, a research scientist at DeepMind that worked on the project. They found that for 75 percent of the problems, the AI model replicated the already known optimal solution. In 20 percent of cases, it found a new optimum that surpassed any known solution. “Every single such case is a new discovery,” Balog says. (In the other 5 percent of cases, the AI converged on a solution that was worse than the known optimal one.)The model also developed a new algorithm for matrix multiplication—the operation that underlies much of machine learning. A previous version of DeepMind’s AI model, called AlphaTensor, had already <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/matrix-multiplication-deepmind" target="_self">beat</a> the previous best known algorithm, discovered in 1969, for multiplying 4 by 4 matrices. AlphaEvolve found a more general version of that improved algorithm. <img alt="Three blue diagram icons showing a data center, a chip, and multiple chips with arrows. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8cc5a378de048b58faf206babba5575f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="3d355" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/three-blue-diagram-icons-showing-a-data-center-a-chip-and-multiple-chips-with-arrows.jpg?id=60214830&width=980"/> DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve made improvements to several practical problems at Google. Google DeepMindIn addition to abstract math, the team also applied their model to practical problems Google as a company faces every day. The AI was also used to optimize data-center orchestration to gain 1 percent improvement, to optimize the design of the next Google <a data-linked-post="2653906697" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/heres-how-googles-tpu-v4-ai-chip-stacked-up-in-training-tests" target="_blank">tensor processing unit</a>, and to discover an improvement to a kernel used in Gemini training leading to a 1 percent reduction in training time.“It’s very surprising that you can do so many different things with a single system,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-novikov-b0a968a6/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Alexander Novikov</a>, a senior research scientist at DeepMind who also worked on AlphaEvolve.<h2>How AlphaEvolve Works</h2>AlphaEvolve is able to be so general because it can be applied to almost any problem that can be expressed as code, and which can be checked by another piece of code. The user supplies an initial stab at the problem—a program that solves the problem at hand, however suboptimally—and a verifier program that checks how well a piece of code meets the required criteria.Then, a large language model, in this case Gemini, comes up with other candidate programs to solve the same problem, and each one is tested by the verifier. From there, AlphaEvolve uses a <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/fighting-buggy-code-with-genetic-algorithms" target="_self">genetic algorithm</a> such that the “fittest” of the proposed solutions survive and evolve to the next generation. This process repeats until the solutions stop improving. <img alt="A chart with four components pointing to code" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="914b17ff7e1d7fabe57677be4e227b31" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="aadf6" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-chart-with-four-components-pointing-to-code.jpg?id=60214833&width=980"/> AlphaEvolve uses an ensemble of Gemini large language models (LLMs) in conjunction with an evaluation code, all orchestrated by a genetic algorithm to optimize a piece of code. Google DeepMind“Large language models came around, and we started asking ourselves, is it the case that they are only going to add what’s in the training data, or can we actually use them to discover something completely new, new algorithms or new knowledge?” Balog says. This research, Balog claims, shows that “if you use the large language models in the right way, then you can, in a very precise sense, get something that’s provably new and provably correct in the form of an algorithm.”AlphaEvolve comes from a long lineage of DeepMind’s models, going back to AlphaZero, which <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/can-machine-learning-teach-us-anything" target="_self">stunned the world</a> by learning to play chess, Go, and other games better than any human player without using any human knowledge—just by playing the game and using <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/reinforcement-learning" target="_self">reinforcement learning</a> to master it. Another math-solving AI based on reinforcement learning, AlphaProof, <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/math-ai" target="_self">performed</a> at the silver-medalist level on the 2024 International Math Olympiad.For AlphaEvolve, however, the team broke from the reinforcement learning tradition in favor of the genetic algorithm. “The system is much simpler,” Balog says. “And that actually has consequences, that it’s much easier to set up on a wide range of problems.”<h2>The (Totally Not Scary) Future</h2>The team behind AlphaEvolve hopes to evolve their system in two ways.First, they want to apply it to a broader range of problems, including those in the natural sciences. To pursue this goal, they are planning to open up an early access program for interested academics to use AlphaEvolve in their research. It may be harder to adapt the system to the natural sciences, as verification of proposed solutions may be less straightforward. But, Balog says, “We know that in the natural sciences, there are plenty of simulators for different types of problems, and then those can be used within AlphaEvolve as well. And we are, in the future, very much interested in broadening the scope in this direction.”Second, they want to improve the system itself, perhaps by coupling it with another DeepMind project: the <a href="https://research.google/blog/accelerating-scientific-breakthroughs-with-an-ai-co-scientist/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI coscientist</a>. This AI also uses an LLM and a genetic algorithm, but it focuses on hypothesis generation in natural language. “They develop these higher-level ideas and hypotheses,” Balog says. “Incorporating this component into AlphaEvolve-like systems, I believe, will allow us to go to higher levels of abstraction.”These prospects are exciting, but for some they may also sound menacing—for example, AlphaEvolve’s optimization of Gemini training may be seen as the beginning of recursively self-improving AI, which some <a href="https://medium.com/%40cognidownunder/the-unsettling-rise-of-self-improving-ai-agi-a-pandoras-box-of-potential-and-peril-4aaf5f720e2a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">worry</a> would lead to a runaway intelligence explosion referred to as the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/special-reports/singularity/" target="_self">singularity</a>. The DeepMind team maintains that that is not their goal, of course. “We are excited to contribute to advancing AI that benefits humanity,” Novikov says.

May 14, 2025

Teething Babies and Rainy Days Once Cut Calls Short

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/illustration-of-a-baby-chewing-on-the-cord-of-an-old-candlestick-telephone-the-baby-is-in-the-style-of-a-line-drawing-while-th.png?id=60190647&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=401%2C0%2C401%2C0"/> <div class="intro-text"> Humans are messy. We spill drinks, smudge screens, and bring our electronic devices into countless sticky situations. As anyone who has accidentally dropped their phone into a toilet or pool knows, moisture poses a particular problem. And it’s not a new one: From early telephones to modern cellphones, everyday liquids have frequently conflicted with devices that must stay dry. Consumers often take the blame when leaks and spills inevitably occur. <a href="https://mediaschool.indiana.edu/people/profile.html?p=raplotni" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rachel Plotnick</a>, an associate professor of cinema and media studies at Indiana University Bloomington, studies the relationship between technology and society. Last year, she <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/touchscreens" target="_self">spoke to IEEE Spectrum</a> about her research on how people interact with buttons and tactile controls. In her new book, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262551588/license-to-spill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">License to Spill: Where Dry Devices Meet Liquid Lives</a> (The MIT Press, 2025), Plotnick explores the dynamic between everyday wetness and media devices through historical and contemporary examples, including cameras, vinyl records, and laptops. This adapted excerpt looks back at analog telephones of the 1910s through 1930s, the common practices that interrupted service, and the “trouble men” who were sent to repair phones and reform messy users. </div> Mothers never liked to blame their babies for failed telephone service. After all, what harm could a bit of saliva do? Yet in the early decades of the 20th century, reports of liquid-gone-wrong with telephones reached the pages of popular women’s magazines and big-city newspapers as evidence of basic troubles that could befall consistent service. Teething babies were particularly called out. The Boston Daily Globe in 1908 recounted, for instance, how a mother only learned her lesson about her baby’s cord chewing when the baby received a shock—or “got stung”—and the phone service went out. These youthful oral fixations rarely caused harm to the chewer, but were “injurious” to the telephone cord. <img alt="book cover with a smartphone under water and blue background, with title \u201cLicense to Spill,\u201d subtitle \u201cwhere dry devices meet liquid lives\u201d and author name \u201cRachel Plotnick\u201d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4cfe8a4825a05a8d87c559c945192c13" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="bb15b" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/book-cover-with-a-smartphone-under-water-and-blue-background-with-title-u201clicense-to-spill-u201d-subtitle-u201cwhere-dry.png?id=60190839&width=980"/> License to Spill is Rachel Plotnick’s second book. Her first, Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing (The MIT Press, 2018), explores the history and politics of push buttons. The MIT Press As more Americans encountered telephones in the decades before World War II, those devices played a significant role in daily life. That daily life was filled with wet conditions, not only teething babies but also “toy poodles, the ever-present spittoon, overshoes…and even people talking while in the bathtub,” according to a 1920 article from the journal Telephony. Painters washed ceilings, which dripped; telephones sat near windows during storms; phone cords came in contact with moist radiators. A telephone chief operator who handled service complaints recounted that “a frequent combination in interior decoration is the canary bird and desk telephone occupying the same table. The canary bird includes the telephone in his morning bath,” thus leading to out-of-order service calls. Within the telephone industry, consensus built around liquids as a hazard. As a 1913 article on telephone service stated ominously, “Water is one of the worst enemies.” At the time, cords were typically made from silk tinsel and could easily corrode from wetness, while any protective treatment tended to make them too brittle. But it wasn’t an elemental force acting alone or fragile materials that bothered phone workers. Rather, the blame fell on the abusing consumer—the “energetic <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/toshiba-rice-cooker" target="_self">housewife</a>” who damaged wiring by scrubbing her telephone with water or cleaning fluid, and men in offices who dangerously propped their wet umbrellas against the wire. Wetness lurked everywhere in people’s spaces and habits; phone companies argued that one could hardly expect proper service under such circumstances—especially if users didn’t learn to accommodate the phone’s need for dryness. In telephony’s infancy, though, users didn’t always make the connection between liquidity and breakdown and might not even notice the wetness, at least in a phone company’s estimation. This differing appraisal of liquids caused problems when telephone customers expected service that would not falter and directed outrage at their provider when outages did occur. Consumers even sometimes admitted to swearing at the telephone receiver and haranguing operators. Telephone company employees, meanwhile, faced intense scrutiny and pressure to tend to telephone infrastructures. “Trouble” took two forms, then, in dealing with customers’ frustration over outages and in dealing with the damage from the wetness itself. <h2>The Original Troubleshooters</h2> Telephone breakdowns required determinations about the outage’s source. “Trouble men” and “trouble departments” hunted down the probable cause of the damage, which meant sussing out babies, sponges, damp locations, spills, and open windows. If customers wanted to lay blame at workers’ feet in these moments, then repairers labeled customers as abusers of the phone cord. One author attributed at least 50 percent of telephone trouble to cases where “someone has been careless or neglectful.” Trouble men employed medical metaphors to describe their work, as in “he is a physician, and he makes the ills that the telephone is heir to his life study.” <img alt="line drawing illustration of a telephone user and repairman. The man on the left is dripping wet and holds the phone receiver to his ear with one hand, and a closed umbrella against the phone cord with the other. The man on the right holds a toolbox and is looking at the umbrella." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bedc60aec8627e94c8121c77c0b89aed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="a02c5" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/line-drawing-illustration-of-a-telephone-user-and-repairman-the-man-on-the-left-is-dripping-wet-and-holds-the-phone-receiver-to.png?id=60198024&width=980"/> Serge Bloch Stories about this investigative work abounded. They typically emphasized the user’s ignorance and established the trouble man as the voice of reason, as in the case of an ill-placed wet umbrella leaned up against the telephone wiring. It didn’t seem to occur to the telephone worker that the umbrella user simply didn’t notice the umbrella’s positioning. Phone companies thus tried to make wetness a collective problem—for instance, by taking out newspaper announcements that commented on how many households lost power in a particular storm due to improper umbrella habits. Even if a consumer knew the cord had gotten wet, they didn’t necessarily blame it as the cause of the outage. The repairer often used this as an opportunity to properly socialize the user about wetness and inappropriate telephone treatment. These conversations didn’t always go well: A 1918 article in Popular Science Monthly described an explosive argument between an infuriated woman and a phone company employee over a baby’s cord habits. The permissive mother and teething child had become emblematic of misuse, a photograph of them appearing in Bell Telephone News in 1917 as evidence of common trouble that a telephone (and its repairer) might encounter. However, no one blamed the baby; telephone workers unfailingly held mothers responsible as “bad” users. <img alt="black and white photo of a woman looking at a baby, who is sitting on a table and chewing on the cord of a candlestick telephone. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f9a1fb7680d3b7ce1d5561bbb8b83a41" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f7a52" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/black-and-white-photo-of-a-woman-looking-at-a-baby-who-is-sitting-on-a-table-and-chewing-on-the-cord-of-a-candlestick-telephone.png?id=60198042&width=980"/> Teething babies and the mothers that let them play with phone cords were often blamed for telephone troubles. The Telephone Review/License to Spill Repair work often involved special tools meant to identify the source of the outage. Not unlike a doctor relying upon an X-ray to visualize and interpret a patient’s body, the trouble man relied on an apparatus known as the Telefault to evaluate breakages. The repairer attached an exploring coil to a telephone receiver and then generated an intermittent current that, when sent out over the malfunctioning wire, allowed him to hear the source of the fault. This wasn’t always an easy process, but linemen nevertheless recommended the Telefault through testimonials and articles. The machine and trouble man together functioned as co-testers of wetness, making everyday life’s liquidity diagnosable and interpretable. Armed with such a tool, repairers glorified their own expertise. One wire chief was celebrated as the “original ‘find-out artist’” who could determine a telephone’s underlying troubles even in tricky cases. Telephone company employees leveraged themselves as experts who could attribute wetness’s causes to—in their estimation—uneducated (and even dimwitted) customers, who were often female. Women were often the earliest and most engaged phone users, adopting the device as a key mechanism for social relations, and so they became an easy target. Phone repairers were constructing everyday life as a problem for uninterrupted service; untamed mouths, clumsy hands, and wet umbrellas all stood at odds with connectivity. <h2>Cost of Wet Phone Cord Repairs</h2> Though the phone industry and repairers were often framed as heroes, troubleshooting took its toll on overextended phone workers, and companies suffered a financial burden from repairs. One estimate by the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-end-of-att" target="_self">American Telephone and Telegraph Company</a> found that each time a company “clear[ed] wet cord trouble,” it cost a dollar. Phone companies portrayed the telephone as a fragile device that could be easily damaged by everyday life, aiming to make the subscriber a proactively “dry” and compliant user. Telephone workers also quantified the cost of moisture incidents that impaired good service. According to an investigation conducted by an Easton, Pa., central office employee, a baby chewing on a cord could lead to 1 hour and 45 minutes of lost service, while a spilled pitcher of water would cause a whopping 8-hour outage. Other quantifications related to spilled whisky, mustard, wet hands, and mops. In a cheeky summary of this work, a reporter reminded readers that the investigator did not recommend “doing away with babies, sponges and wet bouquets” but rather offered his statistics “as an educational hint to keep the telephone cord away from dampness.” <img alt="table listing 13 different causes of phone breakdowns related to wet sources and the corresponding time lost in telephone service" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cd3d68fa345f52c999736583bdadcbac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9aece" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/table-listing-13-different-causes-of-phone-breakdowns-related-to-wet-sources-and-the-corresponding-time-lost-in-telephone-servic.png?id=60198093&width=980"/> Everyday sources of wetness, including mops and mustard, could cause hours of phone interruption. Telephony/License to Spill A blossoming accessory market also emerged, which focused on moving phones away from sources of moisture. The telephone bracket, for example, clamped onto a desk and, like a “third arm” or “human arm,” would “hold [the phone] out of your way when not in use; brings it where you want it at a touch.” The Equipoise Telephone Arm was used in offices and on ships as a sort of worker’s appendage. One company’s advertisements promised that the Equipoise could prevent liquid messes—like overturned inkstands—and could stop cords from getting tangled or impeding one’s work. <h2>Moisture-Proofing Telephone Cords</h2> Although telephone companies put significant effort into reforming their subscribers, the increasing pervasiveness of telephony began to conflict with these abstinent aims. Thus, a new technological solution emerged that put the burden on moisture-proofing the wire. The Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Manufacturing Co. of Rochester, N.Y., began producing copper wire that featured an insulating enamel, two layers of silk, the company’s moisture-proof compound, and a layer of cotton. Called Duratex, the cord withstood a test in which the manufacturer submerged it in water for 48 hours. In its advertising, Stromberg-Carlson warned that many traditional cords—even if they seemed to dry out after wetting—had sustained interior damage so “gradual that it is seldom noticed until the subscriber complains of service.” <img alt="line drawing of an orange bird in a filled bathtub with a candlestick phone also partially submerged in water" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="427d59beb69f4482823d73dc4886867c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="80f46" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/line-drawing-of-an-orange-bird-in-a-filled-bathtub-with-a-candlestick-phone-also-partially-submerged-in-water.png?id=60198228&width=980"/> Serge Bloch Western Electric, another manufacturer of liquid-friendly cords, claimed its moisture-proof and “hard-knock proof” cord could handle “rough” conditions and wore its coating like the Charles Dickens character Tony Weller in The Pickwick Papers, with his many layers of clothing. The product’s hardiness would allow the desk telephone to “withstand any climate,” even one hostile to communication technology. Telephone companies that deployed these cords saw significant cost benefits. A report from Bell Telephone noted that in 1919, when it installed 1,800,000 of these protected cords, it began saving US $90,000 per year (about $1.6 million in today’s dollars). By 1926, that same report concluded, the company had saved $400,000. But something else significant had shifted in this transition that involved far more than developing a moisture-proof solution. The cultural balance tilted from encouraging consumers to behave properly to insulating these media technologies from their everyday circumstances. This subtle change meant that the burden to adapt fell to the device rather than the user. As telephone wires began to “penetrate everywhere,” they were imagined as fostering constant and unimpeded connectivity that not even saliva or a spilled drink could interrupt. The move to cord protection was not accompanied by a great deal of fanfare, however. As part of telephone infrastructure, cords faded into the background of conversations. <h3></h3> Excerpted from License to Spill by Rachel Plotnick. Reprinted with permission from The MIT Press. Copyright 2025.

May 13, 2025

Overcoming Tech Workforce Shortages With IEEE Microcredentials

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-inspectors-manually-operating-a-coordinate-measuring-machine-to-measure-the-physical-geometrical-characteristics-of-an-objec.jpg?id=60207020&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=219%2C0%2C219%2C0"/> By 2030, there will be a global shortage of 85 million workers, many of them in technical fields, according to the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/04/cybersecurity-industry-talent-shortage-new-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>. Many industries that need to <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/data-center-jobs" target="_blank">employ technical workers</a> will be impacted by the shortage, which is projected to cost them up to US $8.5 trillion in unrealized revenue. Many technical roles now require university degrees. However, as companies consider how to overcome the worker shortage, some are reevaluating their higher education requirements for certain roles requiring specialized skills. Those jobs might include technician, electrician, and programmer, along with other positions that compose the <a href="https://www.sri.com/press/story/expand-the-skilled-technical-workforce-one-answer-to-the-u-s-labor-shortage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">skilled technical workforce</a>, as described by <a href="https://www.sri.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SRI International</a>’s <a href="https://www.sri.com/commercialization/innovation-strategy-policy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy</a>. Positions that don’t require higher education widen the pool of candidates. Even if they eliminate the need for a degree, organizations will still need to rely on some kind of credential to ensure that job candidates have the skills necessary to do the job. One option is the skills-based microcredential. Microcredentials are issued when learners prove mastery of a specific skill. Unlike traditional university degrees and course certificates, microcredential programs are not based on successfully completing a full learning program. Instead, a student might earn multiple microcredentials in a single program based on demonstrated skills. A qualified instructor using an assessment instrument determines if a learner has acquired the skill and earned the credential. The <a href="https://www.ieee.org/education/credentialing/microcredentials.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE microcredentials program</a> offers standardized credentials in collaboration with training organizations and universities seeking to provide skills-based credentials outside formal degree programs. <a href="http://ieee.org" target="_blank">IEEE</a>, as the world’s largest technical professional organization, has decades of experience offering industry-relevant credentials and expertise in global standardization. <h2>A seal of approval</h2> IEEE microcredentials are industry-driven professional credentials that focus on needed skills. The program allows technical learning providers to supply credentials that bear the IEEE logo. When a hiring organization sees the logo on a microcredential, it confirms to employers that the instruction has been independently vetted and the institution is qualified to issue the credential. Credentials issued through the IEEE program include certificates and digital badges. Training providers that want to offer standardized microcredentials can apply to the program to become approved. A committee reviews the applications to ensure that providers are credible, offer training within <a href="https://www.ieee.org/membership/join/index.html" target="_blank">IEEE’s fields of interest,</a> have qualified instructors, and have well-defined assessments. The IEEE program offers standardized credentials in collaboration with training organizations and universities seeking to provide skills-based credentials outside formal degree programs. Once a provider is approved, IEEE will work with it to benchmark the credentialing needs for each course, including the skills to be recognized, designing microcredentials, and creating a credential-issuing process. Upon the learner’s successful completion of the program, IEEE will issue the microcredentials on behalf of the training provider. Microcredentials are stackable; students can earn them from different programs and institutions to demonstrate their growing skill set. The microcredentials can be listed on résumés and CVs and shared on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> and other professional networking websites. All IEEE microcredentials that a learner earns are stored within a secure digital wallet for easy reference. The wallet also provides information about the program that issued each credential.

May 13, 2025

Could This Fuel Cell Tech Help Scale Green Hydrogen?

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-researchers-in-lab-coats-working-together-in-a-lab.jpg?id=60199788&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=130%2C0%2C131%2C0"/> Researchers who are developing electrolyzers for hydrogen production are increasingly turning to a membrane platform originally used in fuel cells to scale up their technology. Their strategy: use anion-exchange membranes, which could be more cost-effective and combine the best features of conventional proton-exchange membranes and alkaline approaches. Anion-exchange membrane (AEM) technology enables the selective transport of negatively charged ions between cathode and anode. In a hydrogen <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/precious-metal-free-fuel-cell" target="_blank">fuel cell,</a> the membrane helps facilitate the chemical reactions needed to generate electricity. In hydrogen electrolysis, the membrane helps split water by separating hydrogen from oxygen. So far, AEM has only been deployed at a small scale. But several renewable hydrogen companies are poised to change that. On 7 May, Ithaca, N.Y.–based <a href="https://ecolectro.com/" target="_blank">Ecolectro</a> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/07/3076216/0/en/Ecolectro-and-Re-Build-Manufacturing-Partner-to-Scale-Low-Cost-Renewable-Hydrogen-in-the-U-S.html" target="_blank">announced</a> a partnership with Framingham, Mass.–based <a href="https://rebuildmanufacturing.com/" target="_blank">Re:Build Manufacturing</a> to deploy advanced AEM electrolyzers in the United States. And in March the French tire company <a href="https://www.michelin.com/en/" target="_blank">Michelin</a> and several French research institutions launched a <a href="https://www.michelin.com/en/publications/products-and-services/a-research-corporate-collaboration-for-green-hydrogen-production" target="_blank">multiyear collaboration</a> to develop more durable versions of these membranes as part of Michelin’s expansion into renewable markets.These companies, and several others globally, are betting on AEM technology to fulfill the long-sought promise of “green” hydrogen produced with renewable energy. “This has long been considered the potential savior to a lot of issues with other types of electrolysis that we’ve been trying to scale,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseymotlow/" target="_blank">Lindsey Motlow</a>, a physicist and research director at Darcy Partners, a market intelligence firm in Houston.<h2>Challenges in Scaling Green Hydrogen</h2>Scaling up <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/green-hydrogen" target="_self">green hydrogen</a> comes with challenges that have rendered it less competitive than other hydrogen production methods. The field relies on electrolyzers, which use electricity to split water molecules to release hydrogen. Most employ either a proton-exchange membrane (PEM), which uses precious metal catalysts and polymer membranes to split the molecules, or alkaline electrolysis, which works with an electrolyte solution.PEM can quickly ramp up and down in response to variable energy sources like wind and solar power, but it requires iridium, which is <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/green-hydrogen-2666062685" target="_self">in limited supply</a>. Alkaline electrolysis is less capital intensive and more established at larger scales, but it lacks efficiency and its harsh, alkaline solution complicates system design.That has led groups to turn to AEM, which substitutes nickel and steel for PEM’s costly metals. And while it does use an alkaline solution, AEM has better efficiencies than alkaline electrolysis, at least at the lab scale, Motlow says.Saerbeck, Germany–based <a href="https://www.enapter.com/enapter-news/a-big-month-for-multi-core-aem-electrolysers-the-scale-up-begins/" target="_blank">Enapter</a> and Austin, Texas–based <a href="https://agastyah2.com/1-mw-aem-electrolyser/#:~:text=Agastya%20Modular%201%20MW%20AEM,efficiency%2C%20scalability%2C%20and%20reliability." target="_blank">Agastya</a> offer commercial megawatt-scale AEM electrolyzers used in industry for chemical reactions and heating. In China, Shandong-based <a href="https://www.hygreenenergy.com/" target="_blank">Hygreen Energy</a> in September 2024 <a href="https://www.hygreenenergy.com/hygreen-energy-launches-new-aem-electrolyzer-systems/" target="_blank">launch</a><a href="https://www.hygreenenergy.com/hygreen-energy-launches-new-aem-electrolyzer-systems/" target="_blank">ed</a> a kilowatt-scale AEM electrolyzer for plug-and-play use in industrial parks, community buildings and transportation. However, these demonstrations remain limited in scale and maturity. AEM technology has not yet been proven at commercial scale for continuous industrial hydrogen supply. <img alt="A gloved worker inspects an AEM electrolyzer stack in a lab." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b108315166e7a3ad8ff2f84b241f8a02" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="15605" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-gloved-worker-inspects-an-aem-electrolyzer-stack-in-a-lab.jpg?id=60203811&width=980"/> Ecolectro’s AEM electrolyzer stack uses a PFAS-free, iridium-free membrane platform.Ecolectro<h2>Why Choose AEM for Green Hydrogen?</h2>The partnership between Ecolectro and Re:Build aims to reduce the high costs that have hindered the scale-up of green hydrogen for industrial use. In addition to sourcing cheaper materials for the electrolyzer components, Ecolectro is outsourcing the manufacturing to Re:Build’s plants in New York and Pennsylvania. For the membranes, Ecolectro will use a proprietary blend of chemicals with a nickel catalyst for better durability.Ecolectro is taking it one step at a time, says cofounder and CEO <a href="https://fellows.echoinggreen.org/fellow/gabriel-rodriguez-calero/" target="_blank">Gabriel Rodríguez-Calero</a>. The company’s first commercial-scale units, to be developed this year at Re:Build’s design plant in Rochester, N.Y., will be 250 to 500 kilowatts. Rodríguez-Calero says his team plans to reach megawatt scale in 2026.To deploy beyond lab scale, powering AEM with renewables faces significant engineering hurdles. The high efficiencies at the lab scale assume a steady flow of electricity powered by fossil fuels, but the ability to quickly respond to fluctuations in renewable energy hasn’t been tested widely. Membrane durability is another challenge, because materials must withstand AEM’s harsh, alkaline conditions. Fluorinated polymer membranes are an efficient option, but they pollute water and introduce forever chemicals.To solve the membrane issue, Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and its research partners launched a <a href="https://www.michelin.com/en/publications/products-and-services/a-research-corporate-collaboration-for-green-hydrogen-production" target="_blank">collaboration</a> they call Alcal’Hylab. Researchers will develop a new, more durable membrane using a mix of chemicals alongside a cost-effective metal catalyst—a similar model to Ecolectro’s. Alcal’Hylab’s goal is to deploy this membrane in a 25-kW AEM electrolyzer stack by 2027.“It’s difficult to find a structure of a polymer that is really compatible with these operating conditions for a long time,” says <a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/en/person/jacques-maddaluno" target="_blank">Jacques Maddaluno</a>, director of chemistry at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, which will host the collaborative lab. “You get very good results at time zero, but it degrades very, very quickly.”<h2>Can Green Hydrogen Compete With Renewable Electricity?</h2>Despite the many research groups working on the problem, skepticism around green hydrogen remains. The scientific and economic hurdles to developing it at an industrial scale do not lend themselves to a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-23/green-hydrogen-prices-will-remain-stubbornly-high-for-decades" target="_blank">worthwhile investment</a>, even for a company like Michelin, says <a href="https://islandpress.org/author/joseph-j-romm?tab=book" target="_blank">Joseph Romm</a>, physicist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Hype About Hydrogen: False Promises and Real Solutions in the Race to Save the Climate (Island Press, 2025). “The fact that they are making deals with research organizations tells you how far they have to go,” he says.True, green hydrogen has yet to live up to its hype, says Rodríguez-Calero of Ecolectro. “I think the pace of adoption of some of this new hydrogen market has been slower than what a lot of people hoped,” he says. He sees Ecolectro as a meaningful step toward competing with fossil-fuel-derived hydrogen for industrial users that need to produce it on site. But to go beyond these kinds of point-to-point replacements, green hydrogen still struggles to compete with renewable electricity. The industry also lacks the infrastructure to transport hydrogen long distances. Says Romm: “The biggest problem for AEM is that hydrogen doesn’t just have one problem.”

May 12, 2025

Cartwheel Robotics Wants to Build Humanoids That People Love

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/small-humanoid-robot-with-a-white-body-and-round-head-standing-on-a-tiled-floor-indoors.jpg?id=60204075&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C76%2C0%2C77"/> The main assumption about humanoid robotics that the industry is making right now is that the most realistic near-term pathway to actually making money is in either warehouses or factories. It’s easy to see where this assumption comes from: Repetitive tasks requiring strength or flexibility in well-structured environments is one place where it really seems like robots could thrive, and if you need to make billions of dollars (because somehow that’s how much your company is valued at), it doesn’t appear as though there are a lot of other good options.<a href="https://www.cartwheelrobotics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cartwheel Robotics</a> is trying to do something different with humanoids. Cartwheel is more interested in building robots that people can connect with, with the eventual goal of general-purpose home companionship. Founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/slavalley/" target="_blank">Scott LaValley</a> describes Cartwheel’s robot as “a small, friendly humanoid robot designed to bring joy, warmth, and a bit of everyday magic into the spaces we live in. It’s expressive, emotionally intelligent, and full of personality—not just a piece of technology but a presence you can feel.”<hr/> <img alt="A robot and child play with wooden blocks outdoors, near patio furniture and lush greenery." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="491d20371fb6ea3e7ef7043640e84a45" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="1b950" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-robot-and-child-play-with-wooden-blocks-outdoors-near-patio-furniture-and-lush-greenery.jpg?id=60137186&width=980"/> This rendering shows the design and scale of Cartwheel’s humanoid prototype.CartwheelHistorically, making a commercially viable social robot is a huge challenge. A little less than a decade ago, a series of social home robots (backed by a substantial amount of investment) tried very, very hard to justify themselves to consumers and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/anki-jibo-and-kuri-what-we-can-learn-from-social-robotics-failures" target="_self">did not succeed</a>. Whether the fundamental problems with the concept of social home robots (namely, cost and interactive novelty) have been solved at this point isn’t totally clear, but Cartwheel is making things even more difficult for themselves by going the humanoid route, legs and all. That means dealing with all kinds of problems from motion planning to balancing to safety, all in a way that’s reliable enough for the robot to operate around children.LaValley is arguably one of the few people who could plausibly make a commercial social humanoid actually happen. His extensive background in humanoid robotics includes nearly a decade at Boston Dynamics working on the Atlas robots, followed by five years at Disney, where he led the team that developed Disney’s <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/how-disney-imagineering-crammed-a-humanoid-robot-into-a-groot-suit" target="_self">Baby Groot robot</a>. <h2>Building Robots to Be People’s Friends</h2>In humanoid robot terms, there’s quite a contrast between the versions of Atlas that LaValley worked on (<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/atlas-drc-robot-is-75-percent-new-completely-unplugged" target="_self">DRC Atlas in particular</a>) and Baby Groot. They’re obviously designed and built to do very different things, but LaValley says that what really struck him was how his kids reacted when he introduced them to the robots he was working on. “At Boston Dynamics, we were known for terrifying robots,” LaValley remembers. “I was excited to work on the Atlas robots because they were cool technology, but my kids would look at them and go, ‘That’s scary.’ At Disney, I brought my kids in and they would light up with a big smile on their face and ask, ‘Is that really Baby Groot? Can I give it a hug?’ And I thought, this is the type of experience I want to see robots delivering.” While Baby Groot was never a commercial project, for LaValley it marked a pivotal milestone in emotional robotics that shaped his vision for Cartwheel: “Seeing how my kids connected with Baby Groot reframed what robots could and should evoke.”The current generation of commercial humanoids is pretty much the opposite of what LaValley is looking for. You could argue that this is because they’re designed to do work, rather than be anyone’s friend, but many of the design choices seem to be based on the sort of thing that would be the most eye-catching to the public (and investors) in a rather boringly “futuristic” way. And look, there are plenty of good reasons why you might want to very deliberately design a humanoid with commercial (or at least industrial) aspirations to look or not look a certain way, but for better or worse, nobody is going to like those robots. Respect them? Sure. Think they’re cool? Probably. Want to be friends with them? Not likely. And for Cartwheel, this is the opportunity, LaValley says. “These humanoid robots are built to be tools. They lack personality. They’re soulless. But we’re designing a robot to be a humanoid that humans will want in their day-to-day lives.” <img alt="Cute robot vacuuming crumbs on wooden floor in modern, cozy room with wooden shelves." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79d2bb9b767517d8d5d2754a6d2f9897" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="901b5" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/cute-robot-vacuuming-crumbs-on-wooden-floor-in-modern-cozy-room-with-wooden-shelves.jpg?id=60137189&width=980"/> Eventually, Cartwheel’s robots will likely need to be practical (as this rendering suggests) in order to find a place in people’s homes.CartwheelYogi is one of Cartwheel’s prototypes, which LaValley describes as having “toddler proportions,” which are the key to making it appear friendly and approachable. “It has rounded lines, with a big head, and it’s even a little chubby. I don’t see a robot when I see Yogi; I see a character.” A second prototype, called Speedy, is a bit less complicated and is intended to be more of a near-term customizable commercial platform. Think something like Baby Groot, except available as any character you like, and to companies who aren’t Disney. LaValley tells us that a version of Speedy with a special torso designed for a “particular costume” is headed to a customer in the near future.As the previous generation of social robots learned the hard way, it takes a lot more than good looks for a robot to connect with humans over the long term. Somewhat inevitably, LaValley sees AI as one potential answer to this, since it might offer a way of preserving novelty by keeping interactions fresh. This extends beyond verbal interactions, too, and Cartwheel is experimenting with using AI for whole-body motion generation, where each robot behavior will be unique, even under the same conditions or when given the same inputs.<h2>Cartwheel’s Home Robots Plan</h2>While Cartwheel is starting with a commercial platform, the end goal is to put these small social humanoids into homes. This means considering safety and affordability in a way that doesn’t really apply to humanoids that are designed to work in warehouses or factories. The small size of Cartwheel’s robots will certainly help with both of those things, but we’re still talking about a robot that’s likely to cost a significant amount—certainly more than a major appliance, although perhaps not as much as a new car, is as much as LaValley was willing to commit to at this point. With that kind of price comes high expectations, and for most people, the only way to justify buying a home humanoid will be if it can somehow be practical as well as lovable. LaValley is candid about the challenge here: “I don’t have all the answers,” he says. “There’s a lot to figure out.” One approach that’s becoming increasingly common with robots is to go with a service model, where the robot is essentially being rented in the same way that you might pay for the services of a housekeeper or gardener. But again, for that to make sense, Cartwheel’s robots will have to justify themselves financially. “This problem won’t be solved in the next year, or maybe not even in the next five years,” LaValley says. “There are a lot of things we don’t understand—this is going to take a while. We have to work our way to understanding and then addressing the problem set, and our approach is to find development partners and get our robots out into the real world.” <img alt="A glowing robot sits on a couch at night, exuding a warm, inviting light." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ba0863fd1c4f48fdbf2ffc0bdf9a7f85" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="07d97" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-glowing-robot-sits-on-a-couch-at-night-exuding-a-warm-inviting-light.jpg?id=60137191&width=980"/> CartwheelCartwheel has been in business for three years now, and got off the ground by providing robotics engineering services to corporate customers. That, along with an initial funding round, allowed LaValley to bootstrap the development of Cartwheel’s own robots, and he expects to deliver a couple dozen variations on Speedy to places like museums and science centers over the next 12 months.The dream, though, is small home robots that are both companionable and capable, and LaValley is even willing to throw around terms like “general purpose.” “Capability increases over time,” he says, “and maybe our robots will be able to do more than just play with your kids or pick up a few items around the house. I see all robots eventually moving towards general purpose. Our strategy is not to get to general purpose on day one, or even get into the home day one. But we’re working towards that goal. That’s our north star.”

May 12, 2025

The Quest to Ensure Nonspeaking Autistic People Are Heard

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-concept-drawing-shows-hands-pointing-at-letters.jpg?id=60179414&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C787%2C0%2C788"/> Jeremy is a 31-year-old autistic man who loves music and biking. He’s highly sensitive to lights, sounds, and textures, has difficulty initiating movement, and can say only a few words. Throughout his schooling, it was assumed he was incapable of learning to read and write. But for the past 30 minutes, he’s been wearing an augmented-reality (AR) headset and spelling single words on the <a href="https://etherealresearch.ca/research/" target="_blank">HoloBoard</a>, a virtual keyboard that hovers in the air in front of him. And now, at the end of a study session, a researcher asks Jeremy (not his real name) what he thought of the experience. Deliberately, poking one virtual letter at a time, he types, “That was good.” It was not obvious that Jeremy would be able to wear an AR headset, let alone use it to communicate. The headset we use, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/" target="_blank">Microsoft’s HoloLens 2</a>, weighs 566 grams (more than a pound), and the straps that encircle the head can be uncomfortable. Interacting with virtual objects requires precise hand and finger movements. What’s more, some people doubt that people like Jeremy can even understand a question or produce a response. And yet, in study after study, we have found that most nonspeaking autistic teenage and adult participants can wear the HoloLens 2, and most can type short words on the HoloBoard. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nt5-8TkmcGI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> Nonspeaking autistic people can use the HoloBoard to type independently. The HoloBoard prototype that Jeremy first used in 2023 was three years in the making. It had its origins in an interdisciplinary <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580721" target="_blank">feasibility study that</a> considered whether individuals like Jeremy could tolerate a commercial AR headset. That study was led by the three of us: a developmental psychologist (<a href="http://www.jaswallab.org/" target="_blank">Vikram Jaswal</a> at the University of Virginia), an electrical and software engineer <a href="https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/diwakar-krishnamurthy" target="_blank">(Diwakar Krishnamurthy</a> at the University of Calgary), and a computer scientist (<a href="https://networks.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/mea/" target="_blank">Mea Wang</a>, also at the University of Calgary). Our journey to this point was not smooth. Some autism researchers told us that nonspeaking autistic people “do not have language” and so couldn’t possibly communicate by typing. They also said that nonspeaking autistic people are so sensitive to sensory experiences that they would be overwhelmed by augmented reality. But our data, from more than a half-dozen peer-reviewed studies, have shown both assumptions to be wrong. And those results have informed the tools we’re creating, like the HoloBoard, to enable nonspeaking autistic people to communicate more effectively. <h2>What Is Nonspeaking Autism?</h2> <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank">Autism</a> is a lifelong neurological condition that affects people in very different ways. It’s most commonly associated with social differences, but many autistic people also have difficulty with communication. In fact, about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3869868/" target="_blank">one-third</a> of autistic children and adults are nonspeaking: Even after years or decades of speech therapy, they cannot communicate effectively using speech. We don’t yet know why, but it may be related to the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17979963/" target="_blank">significant motor challenges</a> associated with producing speech. As with autism in general, nonspeaking autistic people have a range of abilities and language skills: Some are comfortable typing, while others struggle to communicate at all. Nonspeaking autistic people may also appear inattentive, engage in impulsive behavior, and score poorly on standard intelligence tests (many of which require spoken responses within a set amount of time). Historically, these challenges have led to unfounded assumptions about these individuals’ ability to understand language and their capacity for symbolic thought. To put it bluntly, it has sometimes been assumed that someone who can’t talk <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25520586/" target="_blank">is also incapable of thinking</a>. Most attempts to provide nonspeaking autistic people with an alternative to speech have been rudimentary. <a href="https://speakforyourself.org/" target="_blank">Picture-based communication systems</a>, often implemented on an iPad or tablet, are frequently used in schools and therapy clinics. If a user wants a cookie, they can tap a picture of a cookie. But the vocabulary of these systems is limited to the concepts that can be represented by a simple picture. <img alt="An augmented reality image shows a letter board and text field floating in the air in front of a table. The text field contains the words \u201cthatwasgood.\u201d " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56cfe1b4933e83a32f0cc8074f474fdd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ec580" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-augmented-reality-image-shows-a-letter-board-and-text-field-floating-in-the-air-in-front-of-a-table-the-text-field-contains.png?id=60158351&width=980"/> When asked what he thought of a HoloBoard session, a user typed out a positive review. Ethereal Research Group There are other options. Some nonspeaking autistic people have learned, over the course of many years and guided by parents and professionals, to communicate by spelling words and sentences on a letterboard that’s held by a trained human assistant—a communication and regulation partner, or CRP. Part of the CRP’s role is to provide attentional and emotional support, which can help with conditions that commonly accompany severe autism and that interfere with communication, including anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Having access to such assisted methods of communication has allowed nonspeaking autistic people to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g5aJExZQwg" target="_blank">graduate from college</a>, <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/dj-saverese" target="_blank">write poetry</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Jump-Inner-Thirteen-Year-Old-Autism/dp/081298515X" target="_blank">publish a best-selling memoir</a>. But the role of the CRP has generated considerable controversy. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-43145-007" target="_blank">Critics</a> contend that the assistants can subtly guide users to point to particular letters, which would make the CRP, rather than the user, the author of any words produced. If nonspeaking autistic people who use a letterboard really know how to spell, critics ask, why is the CRP necessary? Some professional organizations, including the <a href="https://www.asha.org/policy/PS2018-00351/" target="_blank">American Speech-Language-Hearing Association</a>, have even cautioned against teaching nonspeaking autistic people communication methods that involve assistance from another person. And yet, research suggests that CRP-aided methods can teach users the skills to communicate without assistance; indeed, some individuals who previously required support now type <a href="https://communicationfirst.org/thoughts-from-an-autistic-aac-user-after-the-april-2022-meeting-of-the-interagency-autism-coordinating-committee/" target="_blank">independently</a>. And a recent study by coauthor Jaswal showed that, contrary to critics’ assumptions, most of the nonspeaking autistic individuals in his study (which did not involve a CRP) <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613241230709" target="_blank">knew how to spell</a>. For example, in a string of text without any spaces, they knew where one word ended and the next word began. Using eye tracking, Jaswal’s team also showed that nonspeaking autistic people who use a letterboard look at and point to letters <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64553-9" target="_blank">too quickly and accurately</a> to be responding to subtle cues from a human assistant. <h2>Our AR Approach to Autism</h2> So how can technology help nonspeaking autistic people communicate? It’s not unusual for researchers to look at a platform technology like AR and imagine how it could be used to help a group of people. However, the ultimate success of any such project isn’t judged by technical innovation or elegance. Rather, the main criterion for success is whether or not the end result is used and useful. An amazing technology that is, say, too delicate or expensive to escape the laboratory is of limited value. And a raft of innovations that miss the mark in meeting the needs of the people it’s supposed to help is similarly limited. Our focus then was not on improving underlying AR hardware and system software, but finding the most productive ways to adapt it for our users. We knew we wanted to design a typing system that would allow users to convey anything they wanted. And given the ongoing controversy about assisted communication, we wanted a system that could build the skills needed to type independently. We envisioned a system that would give users more agency and potentially more privacy if the tool is used outside a research setting. <img alt="A man sits on a chair wearing a headset that\u2019s wired to a computer. The man is reaching his hand out into the air. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dabf5ca4037e553753c107cbd4b8d139" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="2c7b6" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-man-sits-on-a-chair-wearing-a-headset-that-u2019s-wired-to-a-computer-the-man-is-reaching-his-hand-out-into-the-air.png?id=60158317&width=980"/> Geoff Ondrich [left] uses the Meta Quest 3 headset to type letters independently via the HoloBoard system. The augmented-reality system can be configured to use either hand tracking or eye tracking to determine which letter the user intends to press. Madison Imber Augmented reality has various features that, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3491101.3519869" target="_blank">we reasoned</a>, make it attractive for these purposes. AR’s eye- and hand-tracking capabilities could be leveraged in activities that train users in the motor skills needed to type, such as isolating and tapping targets. Some of the CRP’s tasks, like offering encouragement to a user, could be automated and rolled into an AR device. Also, AR allows users to move around freely as they engage with virtual objects, which may be more suitable for autistic people who have trouble staying still: A HoloBoard can “follow” the user around a room using head tracking. What’s more, virtual objects in AR are overlaid on a user’s actual environment, making it safer and less immersive than virtual reality (VR)—and potentially less overwhelming for our target population. We carefully considered our choice of hardware. While lightweight AR glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses and <a href="https://www.spectacles.com/" target="_blank">Snap’s AI Spectacles</a> would have been less cumbersome for users, they don’t have the high-fidelity hand-tracking and gaze-tracking we needed. Headsets like the HoloLens 2 and <a href="https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/" target="_blank">Meta’s Quest 3</a> provide greater computing power and support a broader range of interaction modalities. We aren’t the first researchers to consider how AR can help autistic people. Other groups have used AR to offer autistic children real-time information about the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/upgraded-google-glass-helps-autistic-kids-see-emotions" target="_self">emotions</a> people show on their faces, for example, and to gamify <a href="https://www.holautisme.com/en/" target="_blank">social- and motor-skill training</a>. We drew inspiration from those efforts as we took on the new idea of using AR to help nonspeaking autistic people communicate. <h2>A Collaborative Design Project</h2> Our efforts have been powered by our close collaboration with nonspeaking autistic people. They are, after all, the experts about their condition, and they’re the people best suited to guide the design of any tools intended for them. Everything we do is informed by their input, including the design of prototypes and the studies to test those prototypes. When neurotypical people see someone who cannot talk, whose body moves in unusual ways, and who acts in socially unconventional ways, they may assume that the person wouldn’t be interested in collaborating or wouldn’t be able to do so. But, as noted by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/integrative-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnint.2024.1469778/full" target="_blank">Anne M. Donnellan</a> and others who conduct research with disabled people, behavioral differences don’t necessarily reflect underlying capacities or a <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/abs/being-versus-appearing-socially-uninterested-challenging-assumptions-about-social-motivation-in-autism/4E75B5E49CC0061E65A4D78552482AF9" target="_blank">lack of interest in social engagement</a>. These researchers have emphasized the importance of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10665680500540376" target="_blank">presuming competence</a>—in our case, that means expecting nonspeaking autistic people to be able to learn, think, and participate. Thus, throughout our project, we have invited nonspeaking autistic people to offer suggestions and feedback in whatever manner they prefer, including by pointing to letters on a physical letterboard while supported by a CRP. Although critics of assisted forms of communication may object to this inclusive approach, we have found the contributions of nonspeakers invaluable. Through Zoom meetings, email correspondence, comments after research sessions, and shared Google docs, these participants have provided essential input about whether and how the AR technology we’re developing could be a useful communication tool. In keeping with the community’s interest in more independent communication, our tests of the technology have focused on nonspeakers’ performance without the assistance of a CRP. <img alt="An augmented reality image shows a letter board and text field floating in the air in front of a table. The text field contains an unfinished sentence: \u201cit was int.\u201d A hand is visible and the letter \u201cE\u201d is lit up. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ad4e595883fb34c4bb5d47115a2140e6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0b64b" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-augmented-reality-image-shows-a-letter-board-and-text-field-floating-in-the-air-in-front-of-a-table-the-text-field-contains.png?id=60158336&width=980"/> A user selects a letter on the HoloBoard by “pushing” it toward a virtual backplate. Successful activation is accompanied by a click and a recorded voice saying the letter aloud.Ethereal Research Group In early conversations, our collaborators raised several concerns about using AR. For example, they worried that wearing a head-mounted device wouldn’t be comfortable. Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580721" target="_blank">first study</a> investigated this topic and found that, with appropriate support and sufficient time, 15 of 17 nonspeakers wore the device without difficulty. We now have 3D-printed models that replicate the shape and weight of the HoloLens 2, to allow participants to build up tolerance before they participate in actual experiments. Some users also expressed concern about the potential for sensory overload, and their concerns made us realize that we hadn’t adequately explained the difference between AR and VR. We now provide a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rZugMBjlDg&t=9s" target="_blank">video</a> before each study that explains exactly what participants will do and see and shows how AR is less immersive than VR. Some participants told us that they like the tactile input from interacting with physical objects, including physical letterboards, and were concerned that virtual objects wouldn’t replicate that experience. We currently address this concern using <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642626" target="_blank">sensory substitution</a>: Letters on the HoloBoard hover slightly in front of a semitransparent virtual backplate. Activating a letter requires the user to “push” it approximately 3 centimeters toward the backplate, and successful activation is accompanied by an audible click and a recorded voice saying the letter aloud. <h2>Nonspeakers’ Preferences and Goals</h2> Our users’ needs and preferences have helped us set priorities for our research program. One person noted that an AR communication system seemed “cool,” but worried that the motor skills required to interact in AR might not be possible without practice. So from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580721" target="_blank">very first app</a> we developed, we built in activities to let users practice the motor skills they needed to succeed. Participants also told us they wanted to be able to customize the holograms—not just to suit their aesthetic preferences but also to better fit their unique sensory, motor, and attentional profiles. As a result, users of the HoloBoard can choose its color scheme and the size of the virtual letterboard, and whether the letters are said aloud as they’re pressed. We’ve also provided several ways to <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641825.3687743" target="_blank">activate letters:</a> by pressing them, looking at them, or looking at them while using a physical clicker. We had initially assumed that users would be interested in predictive text capabilities for the HoloBoard—having it autofill likely words based on the first letters typed. However, several people explained that although such a system could theoretically speed up communication, they would find it distracting. We’ve put this idea on the back burner for now; it may eventually become an option that users can toggle on if they wish. To make things easier for users, we’ve investigated whether the HoloBoard could be positioned automatically in space, dynamically adjusting to the user’s motor skills and movement patterns throughout a session. To this end, we used a <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3640543.3645153" target="_blank">behavioral cloning</a> approach: During real-world interactions between nonspeakers and their CRPs, we observed the position of the user’s fingers, palms, head, and physical letterboard. We then used that data to train a machine learning model to automatically adapt the placement of a virtual letterboard for a specific user.So many assumptions are made about people who cannot speak, including that they don’t have anything to say. Many nonspeaking participants who currently communicate with human assistance see the HoloBoard as providing a way to communicate with more autonomy. Indeed, we’ve found that after a 10-minute training procedure, most users of the HoloBoard can, like Jeremy, <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642626" target="_blank">use it to type short words</a> independently. We recently began a six-month study with five participants who have regular sessions in building their typing skills on the HoloBoard. One of the most common questions from our nonspeaking participants, as well as from parents and professionals, is whether AR could teach the skills needed to type on a standard keyboard. It seems possible, in theory. As a first step, we’re creating other types of AR teaching tools, including an <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10316454" target="_blank">educational AR app</a> that teaches typing in the context of engaging and age-appropriate lessons. We’ve also begun developing a <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613905.3651063" target="_blank">virtual CRP</a> that can offer support and feedback as a user interacts with the virtual letterboard. This virtual assistant, named ViC, can demonstrate motor movements as a user is learning to spell with the HoloBoard, and also offers verbal prompts and encouragement during a training session. There aren’t many professionals who know how to teach nonspeakers typing skills, so a virtual CRP could be a game changer for this population. <h2>Practical and Technical Challenges of AR</h2> Although nonspeakers have responded enthusiastically to our AR communication tools, our conversations and studies have revealed a number of practical challenges with the current technology. For starters, most people can’t afford Microsoft’s HoloLens 2, which <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/hololens-2/91pnzzznzwcp?activetab=pivot:overviewtab" target="_blank">costs US $3,500</a>. (It’s also recently been <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/themixedrealityblog/windows-holographic-final-feature-release/4275961" target="_blank">discontinued</a>!) So we’ve begun testing our software on less expensive mixed-reality products such as <a href="https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/?srsltid=AfmBOooAjpimhogGWsyBVIZUXX8_NH9KY3Q_Lu3lzsL2RjW8SPYiIXNN" target="_blank">Meta’s $500 Quest 3</a>, and preliminary results have been promising. But regardless of which device is used, most headsets are bulky and heavy. It’s unlikely that someone would wear one throughout a school day, for example. One idea we’re pursuing is to design a pair of AR glasses that’s just for virtual typing; a device customized for a single function would weigh much less than a general-purpose headset. <img alt="A concept drawing shows eyes looking in different directions." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1052ed618b13aa516b4b6e333b91ed1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="d47f1" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-concept-drawing-shows-eyes-looking-in-different-directions.jpg?id=60190700&width=980"/> Shonagh Rae We’ve also encountered technical challenges. For example, the HoloLens 2’s field of view is only 52 degrees. This restricts the size and placement of holograms, as larger holograms or those positioned incorrectly may be partially or entirely invisible to the user. So when participants use their fingers to point at virtual letters on the HoloBoard, some letters near the edges of the board may fall outside the visible area, which is frustrating to users. To address these issues, we used a vertical layout in our <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10316454" target="_blank">educational app</a> so that the multiple-choice buttons always remain within a user’s field of view. Our systems also allow a researcher or caregiver to monitor an AR session and, if necessary, adjust the size of virtual objects so they’re always in view. We have a few other ideas for dealing with the field-of-view issue, including deploying devices that have a larger field of view. Another strategy is to use eye tracking to select letters, which would eliminate the reliance on hand movements and the problem of the user’s pointing fingers obscuring the letters. And some users might prefer using a joystick or other handheld controller to navigate and select letters. Together, these techniques should make the system more accessible while working within hardware constraints. We have also been developing <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9974576" target="_blank">cross-reality</a> apps, which allow two or more people wearing AR headsets to interact within the same virtual space. That’s the setup we use to enable researchers to monitor study sessions in real time. Based on our development experience, we created an open-source tool called <a href="https://github.com/ETHEREAL-Research-Group/SimpleShare" target="_blank">SimpleShare</a> for the development of multiuser extended-reality apps in a device-agnostic way. A related issue is that many of our users make sudden movements; a sudden shake of a head can interfere with the sensors on the AR headset and upset the spatial alignment between multiple headsets. So our apps and SimpleShare instruct the headset to routinely scan the environment and use that data to automatically realign multiple devices, if necessary. We’ve had to find solutions to cope with the limited computing power available on AR headsets. Running the AI model that automates the <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3640543.3645153" target="_blank">custom placement</a> of the HoloBoard for each user can cause a lag in letterboard interactions and can cause the headset to heat up. We solved this problem by simplifying the AI model and decreasing the frequency of the model’s interventions. Rendering a realistic virtual CRP via a headset is also computationally intensive. In our <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613905.3651063" target="_blank">virtual CRP work</a>, we’re now rendering the avatar on an edge device, such as a laptop with a state-of-the-art GPU, and streaming it to the display. As we continue to tackle these technology challenges, we’re well aware that we don’t have all the answers. That’s why we discuss the problems that we’re working on with the nonspeaking autistic people who will use the technology. Their perspectives are helping us make progress toward a truly usable and useful device. <h2>Everyone Deserves to Be Heard</h2> So many assumptions are made about people who cannot speak, including that they don’t have anything to say. We went into this project presuming competence in nonspeaking people, and yet we still weren’t sure if our participants would be able to adapt to our technology. In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580721" target="_blank">initial work</a>, we were unsure whether nonspeakers could wear the AR device or interact with virtual buttons. They easily did both. In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642626" target="_blank">evaluation of the HoloBoard prototype</a>, we didn’t know if users could type on a virtual letterboard hovering in front of them. They did so while we watched. In a recent <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641825.3687743" target="_blank">study </a>investigating whether nonspeakers could select letters using eye-gaze tracking, we wondered if they could complete the built-in gaze-calibration procedure. They did. The ability to communicate—to share information, memories, opinions—is essential to well-being. Unfortunately, most autistic people who can’t communicate using speech are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30395694/" target="_blank">never provided an effective alternative</a>. Without a way to convey their thoughts, they are deprived of educational, social, community, and employment opportunities. We aren’t so naïve as to think that AR is a silver bullet. But we’re hopeful that there will be more community collaborations like ours, which take seriously the lived experiences of nonspeaking autistic people and lead to new technologies to support them. Their voices may be stuck inside, but they deserve to be heard.

May 12, 2025

Breaking 6G Barriers: How Researchers Made Ultra-Fast Wireless Real

May 9, 2025

Video Friday: Robotic Hippotherapy Horse-Riding Simulator

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/child-on-a-robotic-chair-playing-catch-with-a-blue-ball-in-a-bright-room.png?id=60160572&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/> Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please <a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Robotics%20event%20suggestion%20for%20Video%20Friday">send us your events</a> for inclusion.<h5><a href="https://uasconferences.com/2025_icuas/">ICUAS 2025</a>: 14–17 May 2025, CHARLOTTE, N.C.</h5><h5><a href="https://2025.ieee-icra.org/">ICRA 2025</a>: 19–23 May 2025, ATLANTA</h5><h5><a href="https://humanoidssummit.com/">London Humanoids Summit</a>: 29–30 May 2025, LONDON</h5><h5><a href="https://smartconf.jp/content/rcar2025/">IEEE RCAR 2025</a>: 1–6 June 2025, TOYAMA, JAPAN</h5><h5><a href="https://www.edrcoalition.com/2025-energy-drone-robotics-summit">2025 Energy Drone & Robotics Summit</a>: 16–18 June 2025, HOUSTON</h5><h5><a href="https://roboticsconference.org/">RSS 2025</a>: 21–25 June 2025, LOS ANGELES</h5><h5><a href="https://robotx.ethz.ch/education/summer-school.html">ETH Robotics Summer School</a>: 21–27 June 2025, GENEVA</h5><h5><a href="https://ias-19.org/">IAS 2025</a>: 30 June–4 July 2025, GENOA, ITALY</h5><h5><a href="https://clawar.org/icres2025/">ICRES 2025</a>: 3–4 July 2025, PORTO, PORTUGAL</h5><h5><a href="https://2025.worldhaptics.org/">IEEE World Haptics</a>: 8–11 July 2025, SUWON, KOREA</h5><h5><a href="https://ifac2025-msrob.com/">IFAC Symposium on Robotics</a>: 15–18 July 2025, PARIS</h5><h5><a href="https://2025.robocup.org/">RoboCup 2025</a>: 15–21 July 2025, BAHIA, BRAZIL</h5><h5><a href="https://www.ro-man2025.org/">RO-MAN 2025</a>: 25–29 August 2025, EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS</h5><h5><a href="https://clawar.org/clawar2025/">CLAWAR 2025</a>: 5–7 September 2025, SHENZHEN, CHINA</h5><h5><a href="https://www.corl.org/">CoRL 2025</a>: 27–30 September 2025, SEOUL</h5><h5><a href="https://2025humanoids.org/">IEEE Humanoids</a>: 30 September–2 October 2025, SEOUL</h5><h5><a href="https://worldrobotsummit.org/en/">World Robot Summit</a>: 10–12 October 2025, OSAKA</h5><h5><a href="http://www.iros25.org/">IROS 2025</a>: 19–25 October 2025, HANGZHOU, CHINA</h5>Enjoy today’s videos!<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><div style="page-break-after: always"> </div>Today I learned that “<a href="https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/what-is-hippotherapy" target="_blank">hippotherapy</a>” is not quite what I wanted it to be.<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wwwYxZ9_W4M?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><blockquote>The integration of KUKA robots into robotic physiotherapy equipment offers numerous advantages, such as precise motion planning and control of robot-assisted therapy, individualized training, reduced therapist workload and patient-progress monitoring. As a result, these robotic therapies can be superior to many conventional physical therapies in restabilizing patients’ limbs.</blockquote>[ <a href="https://www.kuka.com/rehabilitation-robotic">Kuka</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="_fmsjmkmjfc">MIT engineers are getting in on the robotic ping-pong game with a powerful, lightweight design that returns shots with high-speed precision. The new table-tennis bot comprises a multijointed robotic arm that is fixed to one end of a ping-pong table and wields a standard ping-pong paddle. Aided by several high-speed cameras and a high-bandwidth predictive control system, the robot quickly estimates the speed and trajectory of an incoming ball and executes one of several swing types—loop, drive, or chop—to precisely hit the ball to a desired location on the table with various types of spin.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_fMSJMkMJFc?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2025/ping-pong-bot-returns-shots-high-speed-precision-0508">MIT News</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="dku0pl1lfq8">Pan flipping involves dynamically flipping various objects, such as eggs, burger buns, and meat patties. This demonstrates precision, agility, and the ability to adapt to different challenges in motion control. Our framework enables robots to learn highly dynamic movements.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dkU0Pl1LFq8?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://tool-as-interface.github.io/">GitHub</a> ] via [ <a href="https://thehcalab.web.illinois.edu/">Human Centered Autonomy Lab</a> ]Thanks, Haonan!<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="ddmnoexvt5o">An edible robot made by EPFL scientists leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water’s surface, creating a safe—and nutritious—alternative to environmental monitoring devices made from artificial polymers and electronics.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDmnoexVT5o?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://actu.epfl.ch/news/eco-friendly-aquatic-robot-is-made-from-fish-foo-2/">EPFL</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="2v4nlkhwvfk">Traditional quadcopters excel in flight agility and maneuverability but often face limitations in hovering efficiency and horizontal field of view. Nature-inspired rotary wings, while offering a broader perspective and enhanced hovering efficiency, are hampered by substantial angular momentum restrictions. In this study, we introduce QuadRotary, a novel vehicle that integrates the strengths of both flight characteristics through a reconfigurable design.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2V4nLKHwVFk?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10971283">Paper</a> ] via [ <a href="https://airlab.sutd.edu.sg/">Singapore University of Technology and Design</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>I like the idea of a <a data-linked-post="2666662286" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/humanoid-robots" target="_blank">humanoid</a> that uses <a data-linked-post="2650275018" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/uc-berkeley-salto-is-the-most-agile-jumping-robot-ever" target="_blank">jumping as a primary locomotion mode</a> not because it has to, but because it’s fun.<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yvYhwQg4giI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://pal-robotics.com/robot/kangaroo/">PAL Robotics</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>I had not realized how much nuance there is to digging stuff up with a shovel.<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TmqxE80_t3Q?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://motion.cs.illinois.edu/">Intelligent Motion Laboratory</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div><blockquote class="rm-anchors" id="cxkpdz2u3uy">A new 10,000-gallon [38,000-liter] water tank at the University of Michigan will help researchers design, build, and test a variety of autonomous underwater systems that could help robots map lakes and oceans and conduct inspections of ships and bridges. The tank, funded by the Office of Naval Research, allows roboticists to further test projects on robot control and behavior, marine sensing and perception, and multivehicle coordination.</blockquote><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CxkPDz2u3UY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><blockquote>“The lore is that this helps to jump-start research, as each testing tank is a living reservoir for all of the knowledge gained from within it,” said Jason Bundoff, lead engineer in research at U-M’s Friedman Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory. “You mix the waters from other tanks to imbue the newly founded tank with all of that living knowledge from the other tanks, which helps to keep the knowledge from being lost.”</blockquote>[ <a href="https://robotics.umich.edu/">Michigan Robotics</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>If you have a humanoid robot and you’re wondering how it should communicate, here’s the answer.<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b5gSHDUwPQc?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>[ <a href="https://www.pollen-robotics.com/">Pollen</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>Whose side are you on, <a data-linked-post="2655252754" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/robot-video-2655252754" target="_blank">Dusty</a>?<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gIV1XiCH2Rw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>Even construction robots should be mindful about siding with the Empire, though there can be consequences! <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C4MVQby0InQ?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube [ <a href="https://www.dustyrobotics.com/">Dusty Robotics</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>This Michigan Robotics Seminar is by Danfei Xu from Georgia Tech, on “Generative Task and Motion Planning.”<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZqaztR-04E?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><blockquote>Long-horizon planning is fundamental to our ability to solve complex physical problems, from using tools to cooking dinners. Despite recent progress in commonsense-rich foundation models, the ability to do the same is still lacking in robots, particularly with learning-based approaches. In this talk, I will present a body of work that aims to transform Task and Motion Planning—one of the most powerful computational frameworks in robot planning—into a fully generative model framework, enabling compositional generalization in a largely data-driven approach.</blockquote>[ <a href="https://robotics.umich.edu/events/robotics-seminar-series/">Michigan Robotics</a> ]<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>

May 8, 2025

Balancing Work and Life: An Engineer’s Guide to Fulfillment

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-opposite-sex-adults-sitting-at-a-table-one-is-using-a-laptop-while-the-other-reaches-for-a-croissant-there-is-a-large-win.jpg?id=60155004&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=123%2C0%2C124%2C0"/> This article is part of our exclusive <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/career-advice" style="" target="_self">career advice</a> series in partnership with the <a href="https://www.ieee-tems.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="" target="_blank">IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society</a>.Throughout my 40-year career as an electrical engineer and entrepreneur, I’ve often been asked how I achieve a <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/work-life-balance" target="_self">work-life balance</a>. Over time, I’ve come to realize that the question—and the way it’s framed—is inherently flawed. So my response to the inquiry is simple: I seek to live an integrated life where work and personal joy are not in conflict but in harmony.The key is in shifting your mindset: Stop viewing work and life as opposites and start recognizing how they complement each other.The notion of work-life balance suggests that work and life are opposing forces. Balance is seen as an elusive goal. The implication is that success in one area inevitably comes at the expense of the other. But what if the conflict is more imagined than real? Instead of trying to balance two separate entities, the goal should be to integrate them into a cohesive whole.I won’t pretend that I have everything figured out. Life—especially with work, kids, and the everyday chaos of being part of a two-income household—is messy. But I’ve learned that work and life aren’t two things to balance; they’re two sides of the same coin. Rather than compartmentalizing them, I approach them as interconnected parts of a fulfilling journey.Here are tips that have helped me embrace work and life as a unified whole.<h2>Embracing chaos</h2>Let’s be real, balancing a <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/topic/careers/" target="_self">career</a> with caring for children and handling daily responsibilities is chaotic, especially when both spouses are working. Between shuttling the kids to after-school activities, keeping up with household chores, and managing work deadlines, it can feel impossible to find time for everything. But here’s the thing: Balance doesn’t always come in the form of perfectly blocked time. It can come in small, intentional moments.I’ve learned to make use of the in-between times to my advantage.When I used to attend my child’s swim meets or was waiting for an event to start, for example, I would catch up on work with my iPad. I wasn’t always working, but in those moments where I’d otherwise just be waiting, I got things done. By strategically using downtime, you can keep on top of work while also being present for your family.If you can find creative ways to merge the chaos of life with work demands, you can feel less overwhelmed, even when it all feels like a juggling act.<h2>The integrated life mindset</h2>When I experience joy or setbacks in my work, I share them with my family. By doing so, I bring them into the ups and downs of my <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/11/30/entrepreneurship-courses-at-oakland/" target="_blank">entrepreneurial journey</a> of running five technology companies. My work isn’t a separate part of my life, and having a conversation about it with those closest to me allows us to connect more deeply.By involving my family members in my professional world, they’ve become more than bystanders; they’ve become a supportive sounding board. The integration means that I don’t feel constantly torn between my work and my personal life. Instead, I’ve found harmony in embracing both.By introducing the key figures in my professional life to my partner, I create context for them. It fosters empathy and understanding, allowing my spouse to offer emotional support. The transparency avoids the unrealistic pressure of “leaving work at work.” After all, we are human, and what happens at work affects how we feel at home.For <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/henry-samueli-advice" target="_self">young engineers</a>, that mindset shift is key. Don’t view work as something that competes with your personal life. View it as something that can be shared. The more your loved ones understand your professional world, the stronger your relationships can become.For working couples, it can be especially relevant. Coordinating to give each other “catch-up time” helps create space for both partners to manage work commitments without sacrificing family experiences. It’s not about being perfect in both spheres. It’s about being present where you are.<h2>Merging work and travel</h2>Another way I’ve achieved the integration of work and life is by blending travel for business and pleasure.On family vacations, I don’t treat time away as a complete break from work. I typically start my day early in the morning, catching up on email before everyone else wakes up. By the time my family is ready for breakfast, I’ve usually handled my work responsibilities and can be fully present with my spouse and children. The approach allows me to enjoy the day stress-free, knowing I’ve kept up with professional demands.Work-life integration is also important at the personal level. On business trips, I always build in extra time to explore the area. These mini vacations transform my work trips from exhausting obligations into enriching experiences. I often visit places within a short flight from my business destination, turning a routine trip into an adventure.Not all adventures have to be shared to be fulfilling. Sometimes solo experiences can refresh you just as much. The approach works for my spouse and I, as we each find our own ways to recharge before reuniting. <h2>Dismissing the work-life balance myth</h2>It’s important to schedule downtime, as it can make you more productive in the long run. Taking a few hours to relax without guilt is exactly what you need to tackle your next project with clarity. Sometimes after a full day of meetings, my spouse and I watch a TV show together, sharing each other’s company. On other days, we plan a dinner with no electronics, and we just talk about our day.I’ve been able not only to achieve most of my professional goals but also to build a life rich in experiences and memories.Life isn’t a zero-sum game between work and personal time. It’s about finding synergy between the two and designing your life so both parts can thrive. As engineers with analytical mindsets and problem-solving skills, we’re well suited to take on the challenge. If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to engineers and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/a-charge-from-promoting-sustainability" style="" target="_self">young professionals</a>, it’s this: Don’t chase balance; pursue integration. If you do, you’re likely to find that life in all its complexity becomes far more fulfilling. The experiences you create—both at work and at home—are sure to be richer, and your sense of accomplishment can extend beyond just your career.

May 8, 2025

Can Geopolitics Unlock Greenland’s Critical Materials Treasure Chest?

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-workers-in-protective-gear-stand-by-mining-equipment-on-rocky-ground-in-greenland.jpg?id=60148725&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=156%2C0%2C156%2C0"/> For months, the world has wondered about the stated goal of the president of the United States to acquire <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/greenland" target="_self">Greenland</a>. Is he merely expressing a desire to make America greater again in terms of territorial area? Is it a question of security policy? Or are critical minerals—and especially Greenland’s immense rare earth riches—a key factor?The first two questions can’t really be answered without a fuller understanding of the administration’s motives and strategies than is currently available publicly. But for that third question, there exists a wealth of data and context, both historical and modern-day.Let’s start with the modern day. U.S. industries, like those of any developed economy, depend on critical materials. Lots of attention now is focused on the <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/rare-earths" target="_blank">rare earths</a>, a group of elements of unusual importance because of their indispensability in essential commercial, defense, and industrial applications. Roughly 90 percent of processed rare earths come from <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/china" target="_self">China</a>, creating supply-chain vulnerabilities that many countries are now trying to avoid, particularly since <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/consequences-chinas-new-rare-earths-export-restrictions" target="_blank">China announced restrictions</a> on the export of heavy rare earths in April 2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.22008/gpub/38124" target="_blank">Systematic studies</a> have indicated that <a href="https://www.eurare.org/countries/greenland.html" target="_blank">Greenland has 10 important deposits</a> of rare earth elements.But in mining, it’s the details that matter. To understand the value of a minerals deposit it’s important to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13563-022-00350-2" target="_blank">consider the history</a> and to make a reality check of documented resources. The facts and the obvious conclusions do not always reach decision-makers, investors, and the media.<h2>Greenland Is the World’s Biggest Island, But It’s Not as Big as You Think</h2>Greenland is the largest island in the world, but people often get an exaggerated impression of how big it is because the commonly used Mercator projection distorts the size of landmasses close to the poles. Greenland is about 2 million square kilometers. However, the ice-free part—which could much more feasibly be mined than the other part—is roughly the size of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/california" target="_self">California</a>, and without any scenic coastal highways. Traveling between settlements is possible only by boat or airplane.Greenland has had nine different mines since World War II, but only one, for the mineral <a href="https://www.arctictoday.com/can-greenlands-anorthosite-help-save-the-planet/" target="_blank">anorthosite</a>, is active today. Another one, for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d5jwvw9nlo" target="_blank">gold</a>, is expected to reach full production later this year. <img alt="An industrial platform with yellow railings sits over water, with snowy mountains in the background." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3e292f9b1f200277964cb713d868ba83" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c9e66" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-industrial-platform-with-yellow-railings-sits-over-water-with-snowy-mountains-in-the-background.jpg?id=60148734&width=980"/> Greenland’s only fully operational mine as of May 2025 extracts anorthosite rock at a site called White Mountain, on the central west coast of the island.Flemming Getreuer ChristiansenGreenland took over the handling of all mining licenses from Denmark in 1998 and full authority in 2010 after self-governance was introduced. Greenland has developed a modern licensing system for mining with an element of competition between companies and transparent procedures for public input on environmental and socioeconomic concerns. The number of licenses granted by the government has been high and relatively constant for many years, but the level of actual activities, such as drilling, has been low over the past decade. Several licenses have been relinquished or revoked without any mining ever taking place.The reasons are many. A major one is lack of human resources. The population of Greenland is only 57,000, scattered around an area three times the size of Texas. Another reason is high operational costs due to the harsh climate and lack of infrastructure. Others include restrictions favoring labor from Greenland or Denmark. Still others include puzzling recent bureaucratic changes in the legal framework of mining related to the requirements for resource assessments and feasibility studies, and also environmental and socioeconomic requirements for obtaining an exploitation license. Complex royalty schemes and relatively high corporate taxes contribute to uncertainty and risks that many investors have been unwilling to take. This is at a time when Greenland sorely needs investments to fuel its dreams of economic and political independence from Denmark.In the summer of 2021, the Greenland government said no to issuing further <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102425" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">petroleum licenses</a>. It didn’t matter very much because by then, all the largest oil and gas companies had already left Greenland as a result of declining oil prices and increasing costs caused by the changes to regulations. Since the 1970s, some 40 companies have been involved, but they drilled only 15 exploration wells and made no commercial discoveries. <img alt="Black and white aerial photo of a mining operation" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="24eb3c0967f3d7efd45a7c42b99d35d8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="23cce" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/black-and-white-aerial-photo-of-a-mining-operation.jpg?id=60148766&width=980"/> The Ivittuut mine, seen here in 1953, extracted huge amounts of cryolite during World War II. Ivittuut was one of the few places in the world known to have deposits of cryolite, which was necessary for the smelting of aluminum. The mine closed in 1987.<a href="https://www.arktiskebilleder.dk/pages/search.php?search=%40%406064" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kaj Skall Sørensen</a>/Danish Arctic InstituteStill, there have been some commercial activities. During World War II, the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-abandoned-mining-town-greenland-helped-win-world-war-ii-180973835/" target="_blank">Ivittuut mine</a> in South Greenland produced cryolite for aluminum production and was crucial for the U.S. war effort. Since that time, U.S. companies have shown only a modest interest in Greenland; of the total of 250 companies that have been granted exploration licenses over the past several decades, 10 have been American. Of 50 companies from various countries that have been drilling in Greenland, four were from the United States, and of the 15 companies that have applied for an exploitation license, precisely zero were American. So historically the U.S. fingerprint on mineral exploration in Greenland is negligible, even though the door has been open for decades.<h2>The Deposits Are Big but Have Low Concentrations of Rare Earth Elements</h2><a href="https://thinkeuropa.dk/brief/2025-01-the-green-transition-are-greenlands-critical-raw-material-deposits-the-key-to-the-eus" target="_blank">According to the European Union</a>, Greenland has great untapped potential for 25 of the 34 minerals identified in the Union’s official list of raw materials, including rare earth elements, graphite, platinum group metals, and niobium. Looking at these in more detail, however, a more complex picture emerges. In 2023, <a href="https://doi.org/10.22008/gpub/32049" target="_blank">an investigation</a> for the <a href="https://mima.geus.dk/language/en/rastoffer-forsyningssikkerhed-rastofudfordringer/" target="_blank">Center for Mineral Resources and Materials</a> of the <a href="https://eng.geus.dk/" target="_blank">Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland</a> found that Greenland’s mineral resources included everything from minor occurrences to substantial deposits scattered around the island.Of Greenland’s 10 important <a href="https://eng.geus.dk/media/13174/go29.pdf" target="_blank">rare earth deposits</a>, only two, Kvanefjeld (Kuannersuit) and Kringlerne (Killavaat Alannguat), have attracted much attention.In spite of being located just a few miles apart in the same complex in South Greenland, these two rare earth deposits are very different for all parameters: geology and mineralogy, stage of exploration, and documented resources. They are alike, however, in that both deposits have some serious drawbacks when compared with active mines or advanced projects elsewhere in the West. <img alt="A landscape in Greenland, with rugged mountains, scattered small lakes, and rocky terrain." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01ea6437e7b5165477c9c734e88f30d0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="22933" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-landscape-in-greenland-with-rugged-mountains-scattered-small-lakes-and-rocky-terrain.jpg?id=60148792&width=980"/> The Kvanefjeld plateau, near the southern tip of Greenland, is the site of large deposits of rare earth oxides, uranium, thorium, and other elements of industrial importance.Jan Richard Heinicke/laif/ReduxKvanefjeld is the only project in Greenland with well-documented reserves, but it suffers from–or, some would say, could potentially benefit from–a high content of uranium and thorium.In 2021, when the project was in the final phase of getting an exploitation license, the Greenlandic government dug in its heels and made it illegal to mine deposits with more than 100 parts per million of uranium. The new regulations were used against the Australian company behind the Kvanefjeld project, rendering worthless years of heavy investments; more than US $100 million was reportedly spent on drilling and other work.The company filed a request for arbitration in 2022, and in 2024 it commenced legal proceedings against the Greenland and Danish governments. It may be years before these cases are resolved. In the meantime, this case is likely to harm investment in Greenland due to the climate of high political risk it suggests. <img alt="Hands holding a large, speckled rock with red and gray spots." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="adadf397409e5222a6d5c38586c2f325" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f1781" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/hands-holding-a-large-speckled-rock-with-red-and-gray-spots.jpg?id=60148795&width=980"/> The rare earths at the Kringlerne deposit are contained within an igneous rock called kakortokite.Jan Richard Heinicke/laif/ReduxAt Kringlerne there are much lower concentrations of uranium. The privately owned company that has invested in the site, Tanbreez, claims that it is the largest deposit of its kind in the world, but that belief is based on very little drilling. In 2020, the company got an exploration license in spite of not having provided documentation of resources, updated studies of feasibility, or of environmental and socioeconomic impact. Deadlines for providing financial security and plans for mining and closure were extended for many years. Tanbreez was partly taken over by a <a href="https://www.criticalmetalscorp.com/projects/project-tanbreez" target="_blank">New York–based company</a> registered on the NASDAQ, and the new owners were obligated to follow international standards and disclose a confidential resource estimate from 2016. The report revealed considerably more disappointing numbers with regard to ore grade and other characteristics.Nor do Greenland’s deposits fare well in comparison with other mines or deposits. Typical ore grades at successful mines or attractive deposits are between 4 and 8 percent rare earths. The ore at the mines at <a href="https://lynasrareearths.com/mt-weld-western-australia-2/" target="_blank">Mount Weld</a> in Australia and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/rare-earth-elements-2670490876" target="_self">Mountain Pass in California</a>, and the deposits at <a href="https://www.arultd.com/projects/nolans/" target="_blank">Nolans Bore</a> in Australia and <a href="https://www.rareelementresources.com/company" target="_blank">Bear Lodge</a> in Wyoming, all fall within that range. In Kvanefjeld the number is 1.4 percent, and in Kringlerne, it dips as low as 0.38 percent. The Greenlandic mines would consequently require larger open pits and much more energy for crushing, separation, and refining, which would inevitably drive up costs for establishing mines and for actually operating them.Nevertheless, the recent U.S. interest in Greenland led to some surprising reactions on the stock market, combined with high volatility. The share price of Kvanefjeld tripled after intense trading at the start of 2025. The share price of Kringlerne has dropped significantly since the new owners were listed on the NASDAQ, but with many ups and downs following all sorts of stock announcements that referenced miscellaneous analyses of old cores.<h2>Greenland’s Flirtations With China Could Backfire</h2>After the Trump administration touched off a tariff war, the geopolitical skirmishing between the United States and China over rare earths became a much more complicated conflagration involving the United States, the European Union, and China. And the Greenland government has continued to fan the flames by courting Chinese investment. In March, for example, Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2025/04/greenland-eyes-china-amid-denmark-us-tensions-but-chinese-investors-wont-rush-in/" target="_blank">reportedly identified closer cooperation</a> with China as a priority, and even touted the possibility of a free trade agreement between Greenland and China. According to a report in The Diplomat, Motzfeldt’s actions were ”largely driven by the belief…that <a href="https://arcticyearbook.com/arctic-yearbook/2018/china-the-arctic/2018-sp-scholarly-papers/265-chinese-mining-in-greenland-arctic-access-or-access-to-minerals" target="_blank">a mining boom</a>, fueled by Chinese investment, was the most realistic path toward independence from Denmark—a goal shared by most Greenlandic parties.” Maybe so, but such moves have been widely perceived as a provocation against Denmark and the United States. Whatever their motivation, they could very well lead to increased U.S. pressure. For the United States it would be a geostrategic nightmare if China opened a mine in a remote part of Greenland, with a town, communication lines, harbor, and an airfield that could obviously be used for purposes other than resource extraction and export.Since Greenland took control of its mineral resources, Denmark has been reluctant to get involved in mining projects. That could very well change. Denmark and the E.U. may come under pressure to invest in much-needed infrastructure and energy projects and offer loans on more favorable conditions, if for no other reason than to keep the United States at bay.Though the situation is highly unstable, it’s important to try, at least, to separate the geopolitical posturing from the realities of mining. In that vein, it’s safe to say there will be no operating rare earth mines in Greenland during the term of Donald J. Trump.

May 7, 2025

Ensure Hard Work Is Recognized With These 3 Steps

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-illustration-of-stylized-people-wearing-business-casual-clothing.jpg?id=59104110&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C103%2C0%2C104"/> This article is crossposted from <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant" target="_self">IEEE Spectrum</a>’s careers newsletter. <a href="https://engage.ieee.org/Career-Alert-Sign-Up.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up now</a> to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written in partnership with tech career development company <a href="https://jointaro.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Taro</a> and delivered to your inbox for free! There is a widespread misconception in the tech industry that if you work hard, you are guaranteed to be rewarded. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. During my four and a half years at <a href="https://www.meta.com/about/" target="_blank">Meta</a>, I saw many people working crazy hours who still ended up with a ‘Meets Most Expectations” rating, putting them at risk for a remedial performance improvement plan. Not only were these engineers sacrificing their evenings and taking on tons of stress, but they weren’t even being acknowledged for their efforts. Whether you’re at a startup or Big Tech company, there is an endless amount of work you could take on. No matter how many weekends you dedicate to your team, you’ll always have more to do. In order to have a sustainably high impact, you must be deliberate about choosing what to work on. By understanding what your team and manager care about, you can ensure great results that are commensurate with great effort. So many engineers mess this up: They go down a rabbit-hole about some interesting problem instead of thinking about their performance review and how they’ll be judged. Tactically, here’s what that means for you:<ul><li>Build relationships with colleagues who understand your work and can vouch for you in a wide range of areas. Working in isolation often leads to misunderstood goals and priorities, resulting in wasted efforts. Talking about your work is also extremely valuable for identifying future problems and opportunities.</li><li>Tactfully share your work with colleagues so you get full credit for it. It’s not about “claiming” credit—it’s about sharing your work to help others. The byproduct of this is marketing. Figure out who might benefit from your work and send them regular project updates.</li><li>Set clear expectations with your team and manager. Negative feedback should never be a surprise. You should regularly receive (and seek out) feedback before your official performance review. I recommend having a dedicated “feedback 1:1” or “performance check-in” with your manager to chat about how you’re trending.</li></ul> The above steps will ensure that every action you take is loaded with value. Once you’re consistently exceeding expectations, you’re ready to take on more responsibility and grow your career.—Rahul ICYMI: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/chip-design-enrollment" target="_self">U.S. Semiconductor Courses Surge Amid Industry Boom</a> The U.S. semiconductor industry is booming, driven by rapid advancements in AI, federal funding, and private sector investments. As a result, electrical engineering programs in the U.S. are now seeing an uptick in student enrollment in semiconductor coursework. But some educators and recruiters warn that new tariffs and proposed immigration restrictions could potentially complicate job prospects for students. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/chip-design-enrollment" target="_self">Read more here</a>. ICYMI: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-ethics-advice" target="_self">How to Avoid Ethical Red Flags in Your AI Projects</a> A growing number of engineers now find themselves developing AI solutions while navigating complex ethical considerations, says IBM’s AI ethics global leader Francesca Rossi. In this guest article, Rossi provides some advice for engineers based on her experience developing IBM’s internal processes for responsible AI deployment. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-ethics-advice" target="_self">Read more here</a>. <a href="https://restofworld.org/2025/big-tech-ai-labor-supply-chain-african-workers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Big Tech hides its outsourced African workforce</a> Content moderation, AI data training, and other tasks imperative to the tech sector require a lot of labor. New data reported by Rest of World reveals that the people performing this labor are often hidden. Visualized as maps, the data shows that many African workers are indirectly employed by Big Tech companies across the globe. <a href="https://restofworld.org/2025/big-tech-ai-labor-supply-chain-african-workers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read more here</a>.

May 7, 2025

Amazon’s Vulcan Robots Now Stow Items Faster Than Humans

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/robotic-arm-sorting-yellow-storage-bins-in-a-warehouse-aisle.png?id=60140615&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/> At an event in Dortmund, Germany today, Amazon announced a new robotic system called Vulcan, which the company is calling “its first robotic system with a genuine sense of touch—designed to transform how robots interact with the physical world.” In the short to medium term, the physical world that Amazon is most concerned with is its <a data-linked-post="2657548996" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-warehouse-robots" target="_blank">warehouses</a>, and Vulcan is designed to assist (or take over, depending on your perspective) with stowing and picking items in its mobile robotic inventory system.Related: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-robotics-vulcan-warehouse-picking" target="_blank">Amazon’s Vulcan Robots Are Mastering Picking Packages</a>In two upcoming papers in <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=8860" target="_blank">IEEE Transactions on Robotics</a>, Amazon researchers describe how both the stowing and picking side of the system operates. We covered <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-warehouse-robots-2659064182" target="_blank">stowing in detail</a> a couple of years ago, when we spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-parness-5a9aaa46/" target="_blank">Aaron Parness</a>, the director of applied science at Amazon Robotics. Parness and his team have made a lot of progress on stowing since then, improving speed and reliability over more than 500,000 stows in operational warehouses to the point where the average stowing robot is now slightly faster than the average stowing human. We spoke with Parness to get an update on stowing, as well as an in-depth look at how Vulcan handles picking, which you can find in this <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-vulcan-picking-robots" target="_blank">separate article</a>. It’s a much different problem, and well worth a read.<h2>Optimizing Amazon’s Stowing Process</h2>Stowing is the process by which Amazon brings products into its warehouses and adds them to its inventory so that you can order them. Not surprisingly, Amazon has gone to extreme lengths to optimize this process to maximize efficiency in both space and time. Human stowers are presented with a <a href="https://robotsguide.com/robots/kiva" target="_blank">mobile robotic pod</a> full of fabric cubbies (bins) with elastic bands across the front of them to keep stuff from falling out. The human’s job is to find a promising space in a bin, pull the plastic band aside, and stuff the thing into that space. The item’s new home is recorded in Amazon’s system, the pod then drives back into the warehouse, and the next pod comes along, ready for the next item. <img alt="Robotic machinery organizing items on high shelves in an automated warehouse setting." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eda75ca026a72359c18081c71abc7692" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="e6279" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/robotic-machinery-organizing-items-on-high-shelves-in-an-automated-warehouse-setting.png?id=60140645&width=980"/> Different manipulation tools are used to interact with human-optimized bins.AmazonThe new paper on stowing includes some interesting numbers about Amazon’s inventory-handling process that helps put the scale of the problem in perspective. More than 14 billion items are stowed by hand every year at Amazon warehouses. Amazon is hoping that Vulcan robots will be able to stow 80 percent of these items at a rate of 300 items per hour, while operating 20 hours per day. It’s a very, very high bar.After a lot of practice, Amazon’s robots are now quite good at the stowing task. Parness tells us that the stow system is operating three times as fast as it was 18 months ago, meaning that it’s actually a little bit faster than an average human. This is exciting, but as Parness explains, expert humans still put the robots to shame. “The fastest humans at this task are like Olympic athletes. They’re far faster than the robots, and they’re able to store items in pods at much higher densities.” High density is important because it means that more stuff can fit into warehouses that are physically closer to more people, which is especially relevant in urban areas where space is at a premium. The best humans can get very creative when it comes to this physical three-dimensional “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/tetris-video-game-verb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tetris-ing</a>,” which the robots are still working on. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oWXco05eK28?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> Where robots do excel is planning ahead, and this is likely why the average robot stower is now able to outpace the average human stower—Tetris-ing is a mental process, too. In the same way that good Tetris players are thinking about where the next piece is going to go, not just the current piece, robots are able to leverage a lot more information than humans can to optimize what gets stowed where and when, says Parness. “When you’re a person doing this task, you’ve got a buffer of 20 or 30 items, and you’re looking for an opportunity to fit those items into different bins, and having to remember which item might go into which space. But the robot knows all of the properties of all of our items at once, and we can also look at all of the bins at the same time along with the bins in the next couple of pods that are coming up. So we can do this optimization over the whole set of information in 100 milliseconds.”Essentially, robots are far better at optimization within the planning side of Tetrising, while humans are (still) far better at the manipulation side, but that gap is closing as robots get more experienced at operating in clutter and contact. Amazon has had Vulcan stowing robots operating for over a year in live warehouses in Germany and Washington state to collect training data, and those robots have successfully stowed hundreds of thousands of items.Stowing is of course only half of what Vulcan is designed to do. Picking offers all kinds of unique challenges too, and you can read our in-depth discussion with Parness on that topic <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-vulcan-picking-robots" target="_blank">right here</a>.

May 7, 2025

Amazon’s Vulcan Robots Are Mastering Picking Packages

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/robotic-arms-organize-shelves-in-an-automated-warehouse-surrounded-by-yellow-storage-bins.png?id=60140652&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/> As far as I can make out, Amazon’s warehouses are highly structured, extremely organized, very tidy, absolute raging messes. Everything in an Amazon warehouse is (usually) exactly where it’s supposed to be, which is typically jammed into some pseudorandom fabric bin the size of a shoebox along with a bunch of other pseudorandom crap. Somehow, this turns out to be the most space- and time-efficient way of doing things, because (<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-warehouse-robots-2659064182" target="_self">as we’ve written about before</a>) you have to consider the process of stowing items away in a warehouse as well as the process of picking them, and that involves some compromises in favor of space and speed.For humans, this isn’t so much of a problem. When someone orders something on Amazon, a human can root around in those bins, shove some things out of the way, and then pull out the item that they’re looking for. This is exactly the sort of thing that robots tend to be terrible at, because not only is this process slightly different every single time, it’s also very hard to define exactly how humans go about it. Related: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-stowing-robots" target="_blank">Amazon’s Vulcan Robots Now Stow Items Faster Than Humans</a>As you might expect, Amazon has been working very very hard on this picking problem. Today at an event in Germany, the company announced Vulcan, a robotic system that can both stow and pick items at human(ish) speeds.<hr/>Last time we talked with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-parness-5a9aaa46/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aaron Parness</a>, the director of applied science at Amazon Robotics, <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-warehouse-robots-2659064182" target="_self">our conversation was focused on stowing</a>—putting items into bins. As part of today’s announcement, Amazon revealed that its robots are now <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-stowing-robots" target="_blank">slightly faster at stowing</a> than the average human is. But in the stow context, there’s a limited amount that a robot really has to understand about what’s actually happening in the bin. Fundamentally, the stowing robot’s job is to squoosh whatever is currently in a bin as far to one side as possible in order to make enough room to cram a new item in. As long as the robot is at least somewhat careful not to crushify anything, it’s a relatively straightforward task, at least compared to picking. <img alt="Automation robots retrieve boxes in a warehouse with yellow storage containers." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="195f3d2c7b9cb3339d1ce2aaf35131ed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="5fb6b" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/automation-robots-retrieve-boxes-in-a-warehouse-with-yellow-storage-containers.png?id=60140664&width=980"/> The choices made when an item is stowed into a bin will affect how hard it is to get that item out of that bin later on—this is called “bin etiquette.” Amazon is trying to learn bin etiquette with AI to make picking more efficient.AmazonThe defining problem of picking, as far as robots are concerned, is sensing and manipulation in clutter. “It’s a naturally contact-rich task, and we have to plan on that contact and react to it,” Parness says. And it’s not enough to solve these problems slowly and carefully, because Amazon Robotics is trying to put robots in production, which means that its systems are being directly compared to a not-so-small army of humans who are doing this exact same job very efficiently.“There’s a new science challenge here, which is to identify the right item,” explains Parness. The thing to understand about identifying items in an Amazon warehouse is that there are a lot of them: something like 400 million unique items. One single floor of an Amazon warehouse can easily contain 15,000 pods, which is over a million bins, and Amazon has several hundred warehouses. This is a lot of stuff. In theory, Amazon knows exactly which items are in every single bin. Amazon also knows (again, in theory), the weight and dimensions of each of those items, and probably has some pictures of each item from previous times that the item has been stowed or picked. This is a great starting point for item identification, but as Parness points out, “We have lots of items that aren’t feature rich—imagine all of the different things you might get in a brown cardboard box.”<h2>Clutter and Contact</h2>As challenging as it is to correctly identify an item in a bin that may be stuffed to the brim with nearly identical items, an even bigger challenge is actually getting that item that you just identified out of the bin. The hardware and software that humans have for doing this task is unmatched by any robot, which is always a problem, but the real complicating factor is dealing with items that are all jumbled together in a small fabric bin. And the picking process itself involves more than just extraction—once the item is out of the bin, you then have to get it to the next order-fulfillment step, which means dropping it into another bin or putting it on a conveyor or something. “When we were originally starting out, we assumed we’d have to carry the item over some distance after we pulled it out of the bin,” explains Parness. “So we were thinking we needed pinch grasping.” A pinch grasp is when you grab something between a finger (or fingers) and your thumb, and at least for humans, it’s a versatile and reliable way of grabbing a wide variety of stuff. But as Parness notes, for robots in this context, it’s more complicated: “Even pinch grasping is not ideal because if you pinch the edge of a book, or the end of a plastic bag with something inside it, you don’t have pose control of the item and it may flop around unpredictably.” <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xSm4Z7I3xXA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> At some point, Parness and his team realized that while an item did have to move farther than just out of the bin, it didn’t actually have to get moved by the picking robot itself. Instead, they came up with a lifting conveyor that positions itself directly outside of the bin being picked from, so that all the robot has to do is get the item out of the bin and onto the conveyor. “It doesn’t look that graceful right now,” admits Parness, but it’s a clever use of hardware to substantially simplify the manipulation problem, and has the side benefit of allowing the robot to work more efficiently, since the conveyor can move the item along while the arm starts working on the next pick. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZzLiD_fJFA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> Amazon’s robots have different techniques for extracting items from bins, using different gripping hardware depending on what needs to be picked. The type of end effector that the system chooses and the grasping approach depend on what the item is, where it is in the bin, and also what it’s next to. It’s a complicated planning problem that Amazon is tackling with AI, as Parness explains. “We’re starting to build foundation models of items, including properties like how squishy they are, how fragile they are, and whether they tend to get stuck on other items or no. So we’re trying to learn those things, and it’s early stage for us, but we think reasoning about item properties is going to be important to get to that level of reliability that we need.”Reliability has to be superhigh for Amazon (and with many other commercial robotic deployments) simply because small errors multiplied over huge deployments result in an unacceptable amount of screwing up. There’s a very, very long tail of unusual things that Amazon’s robots might encounter when trying to extract an item from a bin. Even if there’s some particularly weird bin situation that might only show up once in a million picks, that still ends up happening many times per day on the scale at which Amazon operates. Fortunately for Amazon, they’ve got humans around, and part of the reason that this robotic system can be effective in production at all is that if the robot gets stuck, or even just sees a bin that it knows is likely to cause problems, it can just give up, route that particular item to a human picker, and move on to the next one.The other new technique that Amazon is implementing is a sort of modern approach to “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_servoing" target="_blank">visual servoing</a>,” where the robot watches itself move and then adjusts its movement based on what it sees. As Parness explains: “It’s an important capability because it allows us to catch problems before they happen. I think that’s probably our biggest innovation, and it spans not just our problem, but problems across robotics.” <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLadeCl8rME?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> <h2>A (More) Automated Future</h2>Parness was very clear that (for better or worse) Amazon isn’t thinking about its stowing and picking robots in terms of replacing humans completely. There’s that long tail of items that need a human touch, and it’s frankly hard to imagine any robotic-manipulation system capable enough to make at least occasional human help unnecessary in an environment like an Amazon warehouse, which somehow manages to maximize organization and chaos at the same time.These stowing and picking robots have been undergoing live testing in an Amazon warehouse in Germany for the past year, where they’re already demonstrating ways in which human workers could directly benefit from their presence. For example, Amazon pods can be up to 2.5 meters tall, meaning that human workers need to use a stepladder to reach the highest bins and bend down to reach the lowest ones. If the robots were primarily tasked with interacting with these bins, it would help humans work faster while putting less stress on their bodies. With the robots so far managing to keep up with human workers, Parness tells us that the emphasis going forward will be primarily on getting better at not screwing up: “I think our speed is in a really good spot. The thing we’re focused on now is getting that last bit of reliability, and that will be our next year of work.” While it may seem like Amazon is optimizing for its own very specific use cases, Parness reiterates that the bigger picture here is using every last one of those 400 million items jumbled into bins as a unique opportunity to do fundamental research on fast, reliable manipulation in complex environments. “If you can build the science to handle high contact and high clutter, we’re going to use it everywhere,” says Parness. “It’s going to be useful for everything, from warehouses to your own home. What we’re working on now are just the first problems that are forcing us to develop these capabilities, but I think it’s the future of robotic manipulation.”

May 6, 2025

Master 5G and 6G Basics With IEEE’s New Training Program

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-telecommunications-workers-in-hardhats-working-on-a-cell-phone-tower.jpg?id=60143376&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C206%2C0%2C207"/> As <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/topic/telecommunications/" target="_self">5G network capabilities</a> expand globally, the need for trained engineers who know the protocols and procedures required to set up and manage telecommunications systems grows. The newest telecom generation has brought <a href="https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/how-5g-will-enable-the-internet-of-things-to-thrive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">higher data transmission speeds, lower latency, and increased device connectivity</a> to a wide variety of devices used for health care, entertainment, manufacturing, and transportation. <a href="https://technologymagazine.com/articles/5g-networks-revolutionising-the-iot-landscape-may-2024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Remote surgery, self-driving cars, real-time industrial monitoring, and immersive virtual reality experiences</a> are just some of the innovations that 5G has made possible.The more recent enhancements, known as <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/5G-Advanced-networks-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5G-Advanced</a>, include the integration of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/topic/artificial-intelligence/" target="_self">artificial intelligence</a> and machine learning solutions to enable more intelligent network management. The developments are paving the way for 6G, expected to be commercially available by 2030.Key <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/5g6g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">differences between 5G and 6G</a> are expected to include enhanced scalability, increased utilization of the radio spectrum, and dynamic access to different connection types including cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi. The improvements likely will result in more reliable connections with fewer interruptions—which is essential for supporting drones, robots, and more advanced technologies.To get engineers up to speed on the two technologies, IEEE and telecom training provider <a href="https://wraycastle.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqoFBpz9w1dFjumWgyL1tSllGiNZ7UHnktZmkX8uBU6y4wM3kyA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wray Castle</a> have launched the <a href="https://innovate.ieee.org/5g_6g_protocols_procedures_training_innovation_testbed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5G/6G Essential Protocols and Procedures Training and Innovation Testbed</a>. <h2>Self-paced learning, course books, and videos</h2>The training program provides a deep dive into essential 5G protocols including the network function (NF) framework, registration processes, and packet data unit (PDU) session establishment. The NF framework supports functions required for 5G networks to operate. Registration processes involve the steps needed for devices to connect to the network. PDU session establishment is the procedure for setting up data sessions between devices and the network.The comprehensive training includes 11 hours of on-demand, self-paced online learning, illustrated digital course books, and instructional videos. Learners receive three months of access to the IEEE <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-testbed-5g-6g-tech" target="_self">5G/6G Innovation Testbed</a>, a cloud-based, private, secure, end-to-end 5G network testing platform that offers hands-on experience. The platform is for those who want to try out their 5G enhancements, run trials of future 6G functions, or test updates for converged networks. Users may test and retest as many times as they want at no additional cost.Key differences between 5G and 6G are expected to include enhanced scalability, increased utilization of the radio spectrum, and dynamic access to different connection types including cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi.Tailored for professionals such as system engineers, integrators, and technical experts, the program provides knowledge and practical skills needed to excel in the evolving telecommunications landscape.After successful completion of the training program, learners earn an IEEE certificate bearing 11 professional development hours—which can be shared on résumés and professional networking sites such as <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZG8CoKBBj8Gc0m5lH5MkGOkUQ8FjRYUT_OtPR4K18EQ/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.5rlf1wj6d0wz" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.Ensure your mobile network expertise is up to speed on the latest advancements in wireless technology. Complete <a href="https://forms1.ieee.org/Wray-Castle-5G6G-Essential-Protocols-and-Procedures-Training.html?LT=LG_WB_Innovate_CU_5G_Protocols_Procedures_Training" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this form</a> to learn more.

May 6, 2025

See Inside Your Designs - Learn How CT Scanning Finds Hidden Flaws

May 6, 2025

Ready to Optimize Your Resource Intensive EM Simulations?

May 6, 2025

How to Fast-Track Perovskite Solar Cells

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/gloved-hands-reach-into-an-enclosed-glass-and-metal-box-to-use-a-needle-like-device.jpg?id=60140463&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C201%2C0%2C201"/> When British solar manufacturer <a href="https://www.oxfordpv.com/" target="_blank">Oxford PV</a> shipped the first commercial order of perovskite-silicon solar cells last September, it was touted as a <a href="https://www.pv-tech.org/oxford-pv-ships-first-commercial-perovskite-tandem-modules/" target="_blank">breakthrough</a> in the industry. The news marked a milestone in a 15-year global effort to develop this lightweight, versatile material that could outperform traditional silicon solar cells. But the lack of follow-on shipments since then served as a reminder that this technology wasn’t quite ready for mass commercialization. The main problem: Continued <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/perovskite-2667580324" target="_self">delays</a> in getting perovskites to the solar market has made them less cost-competitive than their established predecessor: silicon solar cells. In the time it took the sector to go from the first paper on perovskite-based solar cells in 2009 to the first commercial shipment in 2024, the cost of manufacturing silicon solar cells plummeted from US $2.11 per watt to as low as $.20 per watt. These prices were driven down largely by increased production throughout Southeast Asia. Now, hefty U.S. tariffs on silicon solar imports from these countries could give perovskite manufacturers a competitive edge. The U.S. Department of Commerce on April 21 <a href="https://www.trade.gov/final-affirmative-determinations-antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-investigations-crystalline" target="_blank">announced</a> a final decision to levy tariffs as high as over 3,400 percent on solar companies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The decision is the result of a long-term, countervailing antidumping investigation that found that companies in China attempted to bypass previous levies by moving manufacturing to these four countries. If confirmed by another U.S. agency in June, the levies would add to other U.S. import taxes already in place on solar components from the region. But the antidumping tariffs don’t apply to thin-film photovoltaics such as perovskites. This could be a boon for those solar developers, but they’re going to have to move quickly. The longer it takes to get perovskites to market, the more the landscape could change. And yet, some researchers in this field continue to focus on breaking power-conversion efficiency records, with some types of perovskite cells reaching <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/pv/module-efficiency" target="_blank">27 percent</a>. These accomplishments might lead to papers in high-impact journals but do little to get perovskites out the door. <h2>Perovskite Solar Cells’ Efficiency Limits </h2>Many researchers say it’s time to stop aiming for incremental efficiency gains and instead focus on scaling manufacturing and improving the life-span of the cells. This would involve developing manufacturing techniques that strike a balance between high-quality devices and low production costs. This won’t be easy. Lowering processing costs while increasing cell life-span and maintaining reasonably high efficiency will require a lot of research and effort. But if academic and industrial researchers unite, this manufacturing challenge could be solved quicker than one might think. Perovskite solar cells are composed of organic ions, metals, and halogens that form a special crystal structure that makes them very versatile. With the right composition, perovskites could be better than silicon at converting sunlight to electricity: They have a theoretical efficiency limit of 34 percent, compared with silicon’s 32 percent. They can achieve this with a much thinner layer of material, allowing them to be used in innovative ways such as flexible solar cells, curved solar panels, indoor photovoltaics, and solar windows. <img alt="A person reaching into an enclosed glass box using gloves." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ecffea94bb9f66ebd1f3d8a53c5a1fb9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="23ae7" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-person-reaching-into-an-enclosed-glass-box-using-gloves.jpg?id=60140552&width=980"/> <img alt="Square solar cell on a dark background, framed in black, with a grid pattern visible." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="141b1f37583175378c7bf72174fc71e2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="03ed8" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/square-solar-cell-on-a-dark-background-framed-in-black-with-a-grid-pattern-visible.jpg?id=60140550&width=980"/> Perovskite developer Tandem PV says perovskite layers produced with solution-based processes don’t have to be made in completely inert conditions. Tandem PV Perovskites can also be stacked on top of silicon photovoltaics to improve performance. The current record efficiency of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells stands at <a href="https://www2.nrel.gov/pv/cell-efficiency" target="_blank">34.6 percent</a>, an impressive 7 percent improvement compared to the best silicon cells. But manufacturing high quality perovskites at a low cost has proven challenging. Exposure to air and moisture during processing can hinder initial performance and lead to degradation over time. This has forced researchers to assemble them in highly controlled environments. Within these controlled environments, there are two ways to make perovskite solar cells. The more expensive route—<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/perovskite-2667580324" target="_self">vapor deposition</a>—involves evaporating or vaporizing perovskite materials under vacuum conditions and then depositing them as a thin film. This makes very high-quality films with few defects and reliable efficiency. But the set-up costs for this method are high, and rigorous maintenance and high environmental control is required. The simpler and cheaper method involves depositing perovskite layers using inkjet printing or spray coating. In these solution-based approaches, perovskite materials are dissolved in a precursor solution or “ink,” and directly applied to the desired surface or substrate. The simplicity of this technique has enabled researchers to rapidly improve perovskites over the past decade. However, these techniques allow plenty of room for contamination and defects to occur. With either route, to produce the highest-performing cells, fabrication usually happens in a controlled environment such as a laboratory glove box. This equipment pumps out oxygen and moisture, replacing it with a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen. However, increasing the amount of environmental control can drive up costs. Some glove boxes can bring internal oxygen and moisture levels down to less than 1 part per million (ppm). But installing and maintaining these systems is expensive. This level of environmental control requires a complex loop of filters and blower systems to extract contaminated air, purify it, then recirculate it into the system. These filters and control systems require regular upkeep and replacement, which raise maintenance costs. The ppm sensors alone can cost thousands of dollars. These maintenance costs will always scale with volume. The larger the environment, the more air that needs to be filtered, and the harder it is to maintain strict environmental control. This necessitates more powerful fans, larger filters, and if these systems are exposed to atmosphere, it will cost more time and money to get them working again. <h2>Innovative Perovskite Fabrication Methods </h2>These challenges have led solar developers to experiment with different fabrication methods for perovskite devices, especially on a larger scale. For example, <a href="https://www.powerroll.solar/" target="_blank">Power Roll</a> in Durham, England, which is developing flexible solar modules, is currently taking a solution-based approach while simultaneously evaluating other methods. “We continuously collaborate with both industrial and academic partners to stay at the forefront of fabrication techniques. This ensures we keep options open for both vacuum and solution processes,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-hill-b8854415b/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Nathan Hill</a>, a senior scientist at Power Roll. Oxford PV, based in Oxford, England, hasn’t disclosed how it fabricated the perovskite-silicon tandem modules in its first commercial shipment. In a <a href="https://scivpro.com/manuscript/10_32386_scivpro_000004/" target="_blank">2018 interview</a>, Oxford cofounder Henry Snaith hinted that his company might take the vapor route when he said that “vapor-deposited cells [would] advance more quickly than solution-processed cells.” <img alt="A machine with a spinning disk." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b477d3842f9e5283d0c4624be21cbdec" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="1f62c" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-machine-with-a-spinning-disk.jpg?id=60140554&width=980"/> <img alt="A gloved hand using tweezers to manipulate a postage-stamp-sized device " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="433cf29af165f4c5bdf4b13fe4712afa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="01a3e" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-gloved-hand-using-tweezers-to-manipulate-a-postage-stamp-sized-device.jpg?id=60140553&width=980"/> The spin coating technique deposits perovskite layers using centripetal force to spread material evenly across a substrate. Performing this process inside a glove box, where oxygen and moisture are controlled, helps improve performance. Ossila Completely inert processing—at very low ppm—isn’t ideal for large scale production, many manufacturers say. So they are exploring innovative approaches to simplify fabrication. “While we acknowledge that processing under inert conditions may be beneficial for lab-scale production, we and our partners find that controlling temperature and humidity are the key factors for managing perovskite grain growth, and have had promising results working outside of inert environments,” says Hill at Power Roll. Another perovskite innovator, <a href="https://www.tandempv.com/" target="_blank">Tandem PV</a> in San Jose, Calif., processes its perovskite layers from solutions outside of inert conditions, according to a spokesperson for the company. As manufacturers continue to experiment, researchers should reevaluate their goals for perovskite solar cells too. Typically, the more inert the environment, the higher performing the solar cell. But how high performing do these cells—and how inert do these environments—really have to be? Is there a middle ground where the environments are partially controlled, and the resulting perovskites are still high-enough quality? My colleagues and I at <a href="http://www.ossila.com/" target="_blank">Ossila</a> have <a href="https://www.ossila.com/pages/glove-box-perovskite-case-study" target="_blank">demonstrated</a> that triple-cation mixed-halide perovskites, which are relatively robust, can be reliably made in a <a href="https://www.ossila.com/products/glove-box" target="_blank">glove box</a> that maintains only 15 ppm moisture and 0.5 percent oxygen levels (5000 ppm). These solar cells achieved efficiencies comparable to those made in high-end glove boxes (19.2 percent compared to 19.7 percent, respectively). Devices approaching 19 percent are within the realm of competing with silicon solar technology (which largely achieve 13-23 percent efficiency, depending on the type of solar cell). Because perovskites are best used in situations where silicon cannot be used, or in conjunction with silicon devices, we think this is an impressive result. We also found that when the same perovskites (triple cation mixed halides) are processed in ambient air with a solution-based approach, devices still performed well. The best results, which reached 17.6 percent, indicate there is hope for good air-processed perovskite solar cells. <h2>Tariffs on Silicon Solar Could Make Perovskites More Competitive </h2>Many academic researchers are also experimenting with creating perovskite solar cells outside of glove box environments. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46016-1" target="_blank">A recent study</a> in Nature Communications described a solution-processed roll-to-roll perovskite fabricated entirely in ambient air. (Roll-to-roll processing involves high speed manufacturing that can continuously deposit solutions on flexible materials on moving rolls. It’s like newspaper printing, but for solar cells.) <img alt="Two people in lab coats and gloves operate a machine that is rolling a long, flexible sheet of perovskite material" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38647ef6c5b1df30a4eabc2fe99dac75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="01ef3" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-people-in-lab-coats-and-gloves-operate-a-machine-that-is-rolling-a-long-flexible-sheet-of-perovskite-material.jpg?id=60140540&width=980"/> Researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CISRO, last year demonstrated the first entirely roll-to-roll fabricated perovskite solar cell under ambient room conditions. CSIRO The resulting devices reach efficiencies of 15.5 percent for individual cells and 11 percent for mini-solar modules. What’s more, the estimated production costs are as low as $0.70 per watt and still have further space for cost reductions. To move the field into full commercialization, it’s critical that more focus be placed on scalable processing methods rather than chasing ever-higher efficiencies. Academia and industry must align their goals of increasing stability and scalability. Commercialization of perovskite solar cells is within reach. And evolving international trade conditions could give perovskite solar cells a competitive edge. But to achieve this, it’s extremely important to identify any unnecessary steps involved in making them. With low-costs, globally adaptable production, and flexible manufacturing opportunities, perovskite devices could offer a promising path for manufacturing worldwide, strengthening the overall global supply of photovoltaics.

May 6, 2025

Will Supercapacitors Come to AI’s Rescue?

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/top-view-of-white-building-with-racks-and-wires-inside.jpg?id=60138823&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0"/> In the United Kingdom, electricity provider National Grid faces a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_pickup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">problem</a> every time there is a soccer match on (or any other widely viewed televised event, for that matter): During halftime, or a commercial break, an inordinate number of viewers go to turn on their tea kettles. This highly British coordinated activity strains the energy grid, causing spikes in demand of sometimes thousands of megawatts.In <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/new-records-for-ai-training" target="_self">AI training</a>, a similar phenomenon can occur every second. Because training is orchestrated simultaneously among many thousands of GPUs in massive data centers, and with each new generation of GPU consuming an ever-increasing amount of power, each step of the computation corresponds to a massive energy spike. Now, at least three companies are coming out with a solution to smooth out the load seen by the grid—to add banks of huge capacitors, known as <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/supercapacitor" target="_self">supercapacitors</a>, to those data centers.“When you have all of those GPU clusters, and they’re all linked together in the same workload, they’ll turn on and turn off at the same time. That’s a fundamental shift,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabuzzell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joshua Buzzell</a>, vice president and data-center chief architect at the power-equipment supplier <a href="https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eaton</a>.These coordinated spikes can strain the power grid, and the issue promises to get worse rather than better in the near future. “The problems that we’re trying to solve for are the language models that are probably 10 to 20 times, maybe 100 times larger” than the ones that exist today, Buzzell says. <img alt="A graph with quickly oscillating blue signal and a smoothly changing red signal on top, and a graph with a quickly oscillating purple signal on the bottom. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6d89b7f0835ce350f0d5ebfbc07a430f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="84c62" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-graph-with-quickly-oscillating-blue-signal-and-a-smoothly-changing-red-signal-on-top-and-a-graph-with-a-quickly-oscillating-p.jpg?id=60139412&width=980"/> AI workloads sometimes use power in short bursts, causing the power grid to experience a wildly oscillating load [blue]. Banks of supercapacitors can store energy on short time scales [purple], which compensates for AI’s power bursts and creates a smoother power demand on the grid [red]. Siemens EnergyOne solution is to rely on backup power supplies and batteries for charging and discharging, which can provide extra power quickly. However, much the way a phone battery degrades after multiple recharge cycles, lithium-ion batteries degrade quickly when charging and discharging at this high rate.Another solution is to use dummy calculations, which run while there are no spikes, to smooth out demand. This makes the grid carry a more consistent load, but it also wastes energy doing unnecessary work.<h2>Supercapacitors for AI Power Management</h2>Several companies are coming out with a new solution using banks of supercapacitors. Supercapacitors have two parallel plates, like regular capacitors. But they also have an electrolyte layer in between the plates, akin to a battery. However, while batteries store energy chemically, supercapacitors store energy electrostatically, without the need for a reaction to occur. This allows them to charge and discharge quickly, offering a power backup on short time scales that doesn’t significantly degrade over time. <a href="https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/en/home.html" target="_blank">Siemens Energy</a> is selling the <a href="https://www.siemens-energy.com/us/en/home/products-services/product/svcplus-frequency-stabilizer.html" target="_blank">E-statcom</a>, a supercapacitor bank that is connected in parallel to the load at the level of the whole data center. They can charge and discharge at millisecond time scales, cycle up to 75 megawatts per unit, and promise to last between 12 and 20 years. The company is currently looking for customers in the data-center space. Eaton is selling the <a href="https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/electronic-components/resources/data-sheet/eaton-xlhv-supercapacitor-module-data-sheet-elx1352-en.pdf" target="_blank">XLHV</a> (among other configurations), a supercapacitor bank the size of a single unit of a server rack (156 by 485 by 605 millimeters deep). One unit can dynamically deliver up to 420 kilowatts of power, and can also last up to 20 years. Some of these products are already deployed at data centers. And <a href="https://www.deltaww.com/en-US/index" target="_blank">Delta Electronics</a> is selling the <a href="https://www.deltaww.com/en-us/news/39632" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Power Capacitance Shelf</a>, a 1-rack-unit-size bank of lithium-ion capacitors capable of supporting a 15-kilowatt load for up to 5 seconds. “The capacitors Delta Electronics selected are kind of halfway between supercapacitors and lithium batteries,” says Jason Lee, global product manager for supercapacitors at Eaton.These and other such products can help smooth out load fluctuations on the grid. “That’s part of becoming a good grid citizen,” Lee says. “So instead of seeing all that fluctuation going back to the grid, we can take all the pulses and the low points and just smooth those out to where the utilities provide more or less average power.”This becomes particularly important when transitioning to renewables. The power supply of solar and wind power is more variable than that of oil and gas, as it depends on weather and other factors. This means it isn’t always easy to ramp the power supply up or down in response to a varying load. Predictable loads allow for better planning and provisioning, which makes implementing some kind of smoothing mechanism particularly important. However, Lee notes, this is not a panacea. The supercapacitors “have a niche. They’re not going to replace batteries everywhere. But these short-term events [like AI power bursts], that’s an ideal application for supercapacitors.”

May 5, 2025

Why Engineers Still Need the Humanities

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/black-and-white-photograph-of-victorian-co-ed-high-school-students-conducting-experiments-with-batteries.jpg?id=60133702&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C150%2C0%2C150"/> Since last September, I’ve been spending seven hours a day, five days a week happily researching the history of women in electrical engineering. So far I’ve uncovered the names of more than 200 women who contributed to electrical engineering, the first step in an eventual book project. No disrespect to <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/ada-lovelace-the-first-tech-visionary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ada Lovelace</a>, <a href="https://www.gracehopper.com/blog/grace-hopper-the-person-programmer-and-pioneer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grace Hopper</a>, or <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/katherine-johnson-the-hidden-figures-mathematician-who-got-astronaut-john-glenn-into-space" target="_self">Katherine Johnson</a>, but there are many other women in engineering you should know about. I’m doing my research at the <a href="http://lindahall.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering, and Technology</a>, in Kansas City, Mo., and I’m currently working through the unpublished papers of the <a href="https://ethw.org/AIEE_History_1884-1963" target="_blank">American Institute of Electrical Engineers</a> (a predecessor of today’s IEEE). These papers consist of conference presentations and keynote addresses that weren’t included in the society’s journals. They take up about 14 shelves in the closed stacks at the Linda Hall. Most of the content is unavailable on the Internet or anywhere else. No amount of Googling or prompting ChatGPT will reveal this history. The only way to discover it is to go to the library in person and leaf through the papers. This is what history research looks like. It is time intensive and can’t be easily replaced by AI (at least not yet). Up until 2 April, my research was funded through a <a href="https://apps.neh.gov/publicquery/AwardDetail.aspx?gn=RA-285477-22" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fellowship</a> with the <a href="https://www.neh.gov/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Humanities</a>. My fellowship was supposed to run through mid-June, but the grant was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/03/nx-s1-5350994/neh-grants-cut-humanities-doge-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">terminated early</a>. Maybe you don’t care about my research, but I’m not alone. Almost all NEH grants were similarly cut, as were thousands of research grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Drastic research cuts have also been made or are expected at the Departments of Defense, Energy, Commerce, and Education. I could keep going. This is what history research looks like. There’s been plenty of outrage all around, but as an engineer turned historian who now studies engineers of the past, I have a particular plea: Engineers and computer scientists, please defend humanities research just as loudly as you might defend research in STEM fields. Why? Because if you take a moment to reflect on your training, conduct, and professional identity, you may realize that you owe much of this to the humanities. Historians can show how the past has shaped your profession; philosophers can help you think through the social implications of your technical choices; artists can inspire you to design beautiful products; literature can offer ideas on how to communicate. And, as I have discovered while combing through those unpublished papers, it turns out that the bygone engineers of the 20th century recognized this strong bond to the humanities. <h2>Engineering’s Historical Ties to the Humanities</h2> Granted, the humanities have a few thousand years on engineering when it comes to formal study. Plato and Aristotle were mainly into philosophy, even when they were chatting about science-y stuff. Formal technical education in the United States didn’t begin until the founding of the <a href="https://www.westpoint.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">U.S. Military Academy</a>, in West Point, N.Y., in 1802. Two decades later came what is now <a href="https://www.rpi.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute</a>, in Troy, N.Y. Dedicated to “the application of science to the common purposes of life,” Rensselaer was the first school in the English-speaking world established to teach engineering—in this case, civil engineering. Electrical engineering, my undergraduate field of study, didn’t really get going as an academic discipline until the late 19th century. Even then, most electrical training took the form of technical apprenticeships. One consistent trend throughout the 20th century is the high level of anxiety over what it means to be an engineer.In addition to looking at the unpublished papers, I’ve been paging through the entire run of journals from the AIEE, <a href="https://ethw.org/IRE_History_1912-1963" target="_blank">the Institute of Radio Engineers</a> (the other predecessor of the IEEE), and the IEEE. And so I have a good sense of the evolution of the profession. One consistent, yet surprising, trend throughout the 20th century is the high level of anxiety over what it means to be an engineer. Who exactly are we? Early on, electrical engineers looked to the medical and legal fields to see how to organize, form professional societies, and create codes of ethics. They debated the difference between training for a technician versus an engineer. They worried about being too high-minded, but also being seen as getting their hands dirty in the machine shop. During the Great Depression and other times of economic downturn, there were lengthy discussions on organizing into unions. To cement their status as legitimate professionals, engineers decided to make the case that they, the engineers, are the keystone of civilization. A bold claim, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but what’s interesting is that they linked engineering firmly to the humanities. To be an engineer, they argued, meant to accept responsibility for the full weight of human values that underlie every engineering problem. And to be a responsible member of society, an engineer needed formal training in the humanities, so that he (and it was always he) could discover himself, identify his place within the community, and act accordingly. <img alt="Pie chart of an engineering curriculum totaling 89 course credits. Math is 20 credits, humanities and social sciences is 24, science is 18 and engineering science is 27 credits. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a86f696ed78de49095523e50aa1d394c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0e247" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/pie-chart-of-an-engineering-curriculum-totaling-89-course-credits-math-is-20-credits-humanities-and-social-sciences-is-24-sci.jpg?id=60133735&width=980"/> Thomas L. Martin Jr., dean of engineering at the University of Arizona, endorsed this engineering curriculum, in which the humanities accounted for 24 of 89 credits. AIEE<h2>What an Engineering Education Should Be</h2> Here’s what that meant in practice. In 1909, none other than <a href="https://ethw.org/Charles_Proteus_Steinmetz" target="_blank">Charles Proteus Steinmetz</a> advocated for including <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6660049" target="_blank">the classics in engineering education</a>. An education too focused on empirical science and engineering was “liable to make the man one sided.” Indeed, he contended, “this neglect of the classics is one of the most serious mistakes of modern education.”RELATED: <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/virtual-meeting" target="_blank">The First Virtual Meeting Was in 1916</a>In the 1930s, <a href="https://ethw.org/William_Wickenden" target="_blank">William Wickenden</a>, president of the Case School of Applied Science at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, wrote an <a href="https://archive.org/details/reportofinvestig01amer/page/n5/mode/2up" target="_blank">influential report on engineering education</a>, in which he argued that at least one-fifth of an engineering curriculum should be devoted to the study of the humanities and social sciences. After World War II and the deployment of the atomic bomb, the start of the Cold War, and the U.S. entry into the Vietnam War, the study of the humanities within engineering seemed even more pressing. In 1961, C.R. Vail, a professor at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., railed against “culturally semiliterate engineering graduates who...could be immediately useful in routine engineering activity, but who were incapable of creatively applying fundamental physical concepts to the solution of problems imposed by emerging new technologies.” In his opinion, the inclusion of a full year of humanities coursework would stimulate the engineer’s aesthetic, ethical, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Thus prepared, future engineers would be able “to recognize the sociological consequences of their technological achievements and to feel a genuine concern toward the great dilemmas which confront mankind.” In a similar vein, Thomas L. Martin Jr., dean of engineering at the University of Arizona, proposed an engineering curriculum in which the humanities and social sciences accounted for 24 of the 89 credits. Many engineers of that era thought it was their duty to stand up for their beliefs. Engineers in industry also had opinions on the humanities. James Young, an engineer with General Electric, argued that engineers need “an awareness of the social forces, the humanities, and their relationship to his professional field, if he is to ascertain areas of potential impact or conflict.” He urged engineers to participate in society, whether in the affairs of the neighborhood or the nation. “As an educated man,” the engineer “has more than casual or average responsibility to protect this nation’s heritage of integrity and morality,” Young believed. Indeed, many engineers of that era thought it was their duty to stand up for their beliefs. “Can the engineering student ignore the existence of moral issue?” asked the UCLA professors D. Rosenthal, A.B. Rosenstein, and M. Tribus in a 1962 paper. “We must answer, ‘he cannot’; at least not if we live in a democratic society.” Of course, here in the United States, we still live in a democratic society, one that constitutionally protects the freedoms of speech, assembly, and petitioning the government for a redress of grievances. And yet, anecdotally, I’ve observed that engineers today are more reticent than others to engage in public discourse or protest. Will that change? Since the Eisenhower era, U.S. universities have relied on the federal funding of research, but in the past few weeks and months, that relationship has been upended. I wonder if today’s engineers will take a cue from their predecessors and decide to take a stand. Or perhaps industry will choose to reinvest in fundamental and long-term R&D the way they used to in the 20th century. Or maybe private foundations and billionaire philanthropists will step up. Nobody can say what will happen next, but I’d like to think this will be one of those times when the past is prologue. And so I’ll repeat my plea to my engineering colleagues: Please don’t turn your back on the humanities. Embrace the moral center that your professional forebears believed all engineers should foster throughout their careers. Stand up for both engineering and the humanities. They are not separate and separable enterprises. They are beautifully entangled and dependent on each other. Both are needed for civilization to flourish. Both are needed for a better tomorrow. <h3>References</h3> With the exception of Charles Proteus Steinmetz’s “The Value of the Classics in Engineering Education,” which is available in <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6660049" target="_blank">IEEE Xplore</a>, and William Wickenden’s Report of the Investigation of Engineering Education, which is available on the <a href="https://archive.org/details/reportofinvestig01amer/page/n5/mode/2up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a>, all of the papers and talks quoted above come from the <a href="https://catalog.lindahall.org/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma993471793405961&context=L&vid=01LINDAHALL_INST:LHL&lang=en&search_scope=MyInstitution&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=LibraryCatalog&query=any,contains,aiee%20special%20publications&sortby=date_d&facet=frbrgroupid,include,9079721654370902477&mode=simple&offset=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unpublished papers of the AIEE</a> and <a href="https://catalog.lindahall.org/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma993471783405961&context=L&vid=01LINDAHALL_INST:LHL&lang=en&search_scope=MyInstitution&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=LibraryCatalog&query=any,contains,aiee%20special%20publications&sortby=date_d&facet=frbrgroupid,include,9079721654370902477&mode=simple&offset=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unpublished papers of the IEEE</a>. The former <a href="https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/what-happened-to-the-engineering-societies-library/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Engineering Societies Library</a>, which was based in New York City, bound these papers into volumes. They aren’t digitized and probably never will be; you’ll have to go to the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, Mo., to check them out.But if you’d like to learn more about how past engineers embraced the humanities, check out Matthew Wisnioski’s book <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262529792/engineers-for-change/" target="_blank">Engineers for Change: Competing Visions of Technology in 1960s America</a> (MIT Press, 2016) and W. Patrick McCray’s <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262044257/making-art-work/" target="_blank">Making Art Work: How Cold War Engineers and Artists Forged a New Creative Culture</a> (MIT Press, 2020).

May 5, 2025

China Plans to Bring Back Samples of Venusian Clouds

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/colorized-image-of-the-planet-venus.jpg?id=60133751&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=290%2C0%2C290%2C0"/> Some time in next 10 years, a Chinese mission aims to do what’s never been done before: collect cloud particles from <a data-linked-post="2650275973" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/jpl-design-for-a-clockwork-rover-to-explore-venus" target="_blank">Venus</a> and bring them home. But achieving that goal will mean overcoming one of the most hostile environments in the solar system—the planet’s cloaking clouds are primarily made up of droplets of sulfuric acid.When China unveiled a <a href="https://spacenews.com/venus-atmosphere-sample-return-noted-in-chinas-long-term-space-science-roadmap/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">long-term road map</a> for space science and exploration last fall, its second phase (2028–2035) included an unprecedented Venus atmosphere sample-return mission. As is typical for Chinese space missions, few details were made public. But information in a recent <a href="https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1905542234897776775" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">presentation</a> shared on Chinese social media gives us new insight into early mission plans.The slide shows that the key scientific questions being targeted include the potential for life on Venus, the planet’s atmospheric evolution, and the mystery of UV absorbers in its clouds. The mission will carry a sample-collection device as well as in situ atmospheric analysis equipment. The search for life is, in part, due to the interest generated by a controversial study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4" target="_blank">Nature Astronomy </a>in 2020 that suggested that traces of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere could be an indication of a biological process. <h2>Venus Sample-Return Mission Challenges</h2><a href="https://physics.mit.edu/faculty/sara-seager/" target="_blank">Sara Seager</a>, a professor at the <a href="https://physics.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>, led a team to put together a Venus atmosphere sample-return mission proposal in 2022. NASA did not select the proposal, but her team has carried on working, including experiments with concentrated sulfuric acid. “Although our DNA cannot survive, we have started to show that [a] growing number of organic molecules, biomolecules, are stable. And so we’re envisioning there could be life on Venus,” Seager told IEEE Spectrum.Mission <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/planetary-environments-atmospheres/venus-atmosphere-and-cloud-particle-sample-return-for-astrobiology/" target="_blank">proposals</a> like MIT’s offer a window into the daunting technical challenges that China’s team is facing. Getting to Venus, entering its thick atmosphere, collecting samples, and getting back into Venus orbit to a waiting orbiter to return the samples to Earth, all come with various challenges. But the potential scientific payoff clearly makes these hurdles worth clearing.The MIT team proposed a Teflon-coated balloon capable of resisting acid corrosion that would float through the sky without the need for propulsion and the associated fuel and mass. Conversely, China’s preliminary render shows a winged vehicle, suggesting it is pursuing a different architectural path.“It would be amazing to get samples in hand to really solve some of the big mysteries on Venus.” —Sara Seager, MIT<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=40-bZJQAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Rachana Agrawal</a>, a postdoctoral associate at MIT, says a couple of the main challenges are related to operations within the clouds. One is navigating through the dense clouds, typically opaque to visible light. While this isn’t critical during sampling, knowing exactly where you are is essential when it comes to using a rocket to return samples, with the rocket needing to enter a precise orbit. “On Venus, we don’t have GPS in the clouds. The rocket cannot see the stars or the surface, and Venus doesn’t have a magnetic field,” Agrawal states. One answer would be to set up a satellite navigation system for Venus to assist the mission, adding additional launch and complexity.An ascent vehicle will be needed to get the sample canister into orbit to rendezvous and dock with a waiting orbiter. A two-stage solid propellant rocket—similar to that planned for <a data-linked-post="2652904040" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/mars-sample-return-mission" target="_blank">Mars sample-return mission</a> architectures—would be one of the simpler options. But operating remotely or autonomously, millions of kilometers from Earth, in unknown conditions, will be exacting.“We don’t know much about the atmosphere, so we don’t know what the local conditions are. So it could be a very dynamic environment that the rocket has to launch from,” says Agrawal, adding that launches on Earth are often scrubbed due to high winds. China’s scientists and engineers will need to answer all these questions to pull off its own sample return. It has already demonstrated success with its Chang’e-5 and 6 lunar sample returns. It is set to launch the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sampling mission in late May this year and is targeting a late 2028 launch for its ambitious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianwen-3" target="_blank">Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission</a>. The experience and tech from these efforts will be instructive for Venus. MIT’s proposed mission design would require 22 tons of spacecraft, with the ultimate aim of delivering 10 grams of atmospheric samples to Earth. It’s likely the Chinese design would offer a similar ratio. However, even such a relatively small amount of material could be revolutionary in our understanding of Venus and our solar system.“I’m superexcited about this,” says Seager. “Even if there’s no life, we know there’s interesting organic chemistry, for sure. And it would be amazing to get samples in hand to really solve some of the big mysteries on Venus.”

May 4, 2025

Clouds Loom Over Europe’s Nuclear Titan

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/barbed-wire-outside-of-a-nuclear-power-plant-in-ukraine.jpg?id=60071453&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=117%2C0%2C118%2C0"/> Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, has provoked anxiety ever since Russian troops captured it barely two weeks into the 2022 invasion. But recently, after three years of occupation and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ukraine-nuclear-power-plant-fears" target="_self">frequent near misses</a> that threatened radiological disaster, a promise of sunnier days suddenly popped into view, albeit briefly. In a 19 March call U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed American protection and investment for Ukraine’s <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/nuclear-power" target="_self">nuclear power</a>—or even ownership, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/03/statement-from-secretary-rubio-and-nsc-waltz-on-call-with-zelenskyy/" target="_blank">according to a White House summary</a>. <a href="https://www.iaea.org/" target="_blank">International Atomic Energy Agency</a> (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi upped the ante one week later, telling Reuters that Zaporizhzhia’s reactors could restart <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-could-restart-months-after-ceasefire-iaea-chief-says-2025-03-26/" target="_blank">within “months” of a ceasefire</a>, and the plant could be fully operational in a year.The promise of a rapid restart at Zaporizhzhia, which has six 950-megawatt reactors, <a target="_blank">quickly</a> faded amid daily and deadly Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Nevertheless, the chief executive of <a href="https://energoatom.com.ua/en" target="_blank">Energoatom</a>, Ukraine’s nuclear power utility, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/06/unsafe-for-russia-to-restart-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-energoatom-says" target="_blank">essentially endorsed Grossi’s timeline for a demilitarized scenario in an interview this month</a>, even as he acknowledged serious technical challenges including deferred maintenance and a dearth of cooling water.In fact, according to Ukrainian, European, and U.S.-based experts interviewed by <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/wearable-health-device-skin-gases">IEEE Spectrum</a>, the challenges facing a <a href="https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_66130/ukraine-current-status-of-nuclear-power-installations" target="_blank">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a> (ZNPP) revival could go far deeper. Those experts say that Russia’s <a target="_blank">operation</a> of the plant <a target="_blank">may have so badly damaged</a> it that repairs could take years and cost billions of dollars. Particular problems include potential tilting of the reactor buildings, and the integrity of the complex and relatively fragile steam generators for the plant’s pressurized, light-water reactors.Even if there is a lasting cessation of hostilities, restarting ZNPP’s reactor-generator units may cost more than Ukraine is able to spend. And at least some Ukrainian energy experts say the country should focus instead on <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ukraine-renewable-energy" target="_self">building smaller, decentralized power plants</a>.<a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/event/lessons-ukraines-energy-front-conversation-volodymyr-kudrytskyi-former-ceo-ukraines-grid" target="_blank">Volodymyr Kudrytskyi</a>, the former director of Ukraine’s <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/power-grid" target="_self">power grid</a> operator, said as much in March <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfsqz_pttk4" target="_blank">during a forum at MIT</a>. Kudrytskyi said big nuclear power plants concentrate too much power at a few spots in the grid: “We are able to use this Soviet legacy to survive, but this is not the way forward.”<h2>Questionable Operating Practices May Have Damaged the Plant</h2>Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ZNPP experienced a wide range of unprecedented insults. During its armed seizure in March 2022, Russian forces fired on the plant. That October, Russia began bombing the Ukrainian power system. Those attacks repeatedly disconnected ZNPP from Ukraine’s grid, forcing the use of diesel generators to power the pumps that circulate water over <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/spent-fuel" target="_self">spent fuel</a>, keeping it from overheating and potentially melting down and releasing large amounts of radiation.Russia’s <a target="_blank">attacks</a> have destroyed some equipment and placed strain on others, but special concern arises from unprecedented long-term operating modes: <a href="https://www.grs.de/en/glossary/hot-shutdown" target="_blank">hot shutdown</a> and <a href="https://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-is-cold-shutdown.html" target="_blank">cold shutdown</a>.ZNPP is the first nuclear power plant in the world to persist in a condition of hot shutdown, in which the plant operates at minimum output. Sustained hot shutdown, for months on end, violated ZNPP’s license. But Russian plant managers insisted that it provided steam needed to sustain critical equipment, such as the water treatment plant, as well as heating for the nearby city of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enerhodar" target="_blank">Enerhodar</a>, <a target="_blank">also</a> under Russian occupation.Ukrainian and international safety experts argued instead that hot shutdown unnecessarily increased the risk of an accident causing a regional catastrophe, since hot reactors melt down more quickly after cooling systems fail. Ukrainians saw the enhanced risk as <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ukraine-nuclear-brinksmanship" target="_self">a form of nuclear blackmail</a>, arguing that Russian forces could deliberately unleash a radiological incident if they were forced to retreat from the area.In April 2024 the plant’s Russian management finally relented, <a href="https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/final-zaporizhzhia-unit-being-switched-to-cold-shu" target="_blank">placing the last operating generating unit into cold shutdown</a>. Cold shutdown is a safer mode for the plant, but still, several aspects of the cold shutdown are highly unusual and are provoking concern.These concerns stem from a complex combination of chemistry and physics. During cold shutdown the cooling flows are low—nearly stationary in some loops—and also relatively cool, in some cases dropping below 35 °C.The result is a coolant with higher density. Ukrainian nuclear expert <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiy-balakan-299370b8/?locale=en_US" target="_blank">Georgiy Balakan</a> says that high-density coolant puts greater mechanical load on the cooling pipes and the delicate tubes within the steam generators. That elevated load, in turn, increases strain on the many welds, as well as on the steel pipes themselves, because their metal is less ductile at lower temperatures, according to Balakan.<a target="_blank"></a>Low temperature and flow, meanwhile, also impact boric acid that’s added to the primary cooling water to regulate the reactor’s fission reactions, allowing boric acid to crystallize in sensitive areas of the primary circuit pipes and in the steam generators. Efforts to purge crystals can then exacerbate damage. If the damage perforates the steam-generator tubes, borated water can leak through and attack the secondary cooling circuits’ steel, which is of a lower grade. <img alt="An office building with an iconic atom decoration and framed by fir trees is seen reflected in a puddle." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="727fba542c2a3b7cfc4f28412191c966" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0353c" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-office-building-with-an-iconic-atom-decoration-and-framed-by-fir-trees-is-seen-reflected-in-a-puddle.jpg?id=60073930&width=980"/> An office building at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine was photographed on 14 June 2023, 15 months after the facility was captured by Russian troops. Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images<h2>Steam Leaks or Groundwater Extraction Could Doom Plant</h2>Russian officials controlling ZNPP have <a target="_blank">reported a series of leaks to IAEA observers</a>, including steam-generator leaks in half of its power units. Balakan, a former special advisor to the president of Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear utility, calls those telltale signs of the physical and chemical assault on the plant’s equipment. “The Russians acted as if they could operate the water-chemical regime for an unlimited time,” he says.Independent experts contacted by IEEE Spectrum affirmed Balakan’s analysis. They include a senior U.S. nuclear engineer familiar with Soviet-design reactors, who spoke to Spectrum on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution from national authorities, and a Ukrainian engineer who is not authorized to speak to the press.Steam-generator issues can shutter a nuclear plant for good. That scenario played out in California in 2013 when utility <a href="https://www.sce.com/" target="_blank">Southern California Edison</a> <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-jul-13-la-me-07-14-san-onofre-tic-toc-20130714-story.html" target="_blank">scrapped its only nuclear power plant</a> after botched steam-generator repairs that cost nearly US $2 billion ($2.7 billion in <a target="_blank">2025 dollars</a>).Another set of potentially costly issues stem from the operators’ shift to groundwater for cooling following the demolition of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023. Potential implications include impairment of a critical safety system: the reactor control rods.After the draining of the Kakhovka Reservoir eliminated ZNPP’s original source of cooling water, <a href="https://www.rosatom.ru/en/index.html" target="_blank">Rosatom</a>, the Russian nuclear generation and technology conglomerate, drilled 11 wells on site. The withdrawing of groundwater is cause for concern, according to <a href="https://independent.academia.edu/AybarsGurpinar" target="_blank">Aybars Gürpinar</a>, a former top safety official at the IAEA. “Especially when there is significant groundwater extraction, settlement is always a possibility,” wrote <a target="_blank">Gürpinar, </a>now a consultant based in Vienna and Brussels, in an email to Spectrum.Subsidence has caused multiple expensive headaches for Soviet-designed VVER-1000 reactors, including ZNPP’s. Nearly 20 years ago Energoatom had to attach counterweights to arrest the tilting of several reactor buildings settling into the site’s sandy soil, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-257-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine" target="_blank">according to a 2024 LinkedIn post by Balakan</a>. In 2011, Rosatom told then-president Dmitry Medvedev it had plans to fix the “<a href="https://bellona.org/assets/sites/3/2015/06/fil_attachment-3.pdf" target="_blank">progressing tilt</a>” at the Balakovo and Kalinin power plants.Gürpinar says tilting could crack ZNPP’s concrete base and interfere with reactor control rods, slowing their gravity-driven drop into the reactor to squelch fission reactions during station blackouts. He says the rods could even get “stuck,” forcing operators to rely on boric acid to control the reactor and leaving them without backup control.In a statement to Spectrum, Rosatom asserted, “No ground level changes or signs of subsidence have been observed.”<h2>Restarting the Reactors Would Require Solving Multiple Problems</h2>Addressing structural damage is only one of many challenges to safely restarting ZNPP’s reactors. Last month, ZNPP’s Russian-appointed director <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yuri.chernichuk/" target="_blank">Yuriy Chernichuk</a> said <a href="https://strana-rosatom.ru/2025/03/31/pervymi-budut-vtoroj-i-shestoj-kak-pla/" target="_blank">in an interview for Rosatom’s corporate magazine</a> that job one is shoring up the cooling water supply, because restarting reactors will generate thousands of times as much heat. Rosatom says it plans to tap the Dnieper River for this purpose.Chernichuk went on to provide a laundry list of additional challenges, including:•Repairing or replacing upgraded Western equipment subject to international sanctions;<a target="_blank">•Securing operating licenses</a> from Russia’s nuclear regulator, since Ukrainian unit licenses begin to expire this year;•Rebuilding personnel from ZNPP’s current skeleton staff; and•Building transmission links to Russia’s grid.Chernichuk said that “the most realistic option” is to launch Units 2 and 6 first. Their reactors are loaded with Russian-produced fuel, whereas other reactors contain fuel produced by U.S.-based <a href="https://westinghouse.com/" target="_blank">Westinghouse</a>, for which Rosatom has neither license nor experience.If Ukraine reclaims the plant, Energoatom might more easily address its issues. It could start with Units 1 and 3, which have fresher fuel. Energoatom also better understands ZNPP’s equipment, and it has access to Western gear and expertise.Similar advantages could flow to the United States if it <a target="_blank">could pressure Russia to give up the plant</a>. However, Zelenskyy has rejected U.S. ownership.Balakan projects that Energoatom would need one year to restart just one power unit in a best-case scenario where ZNPP is “under full control of Ukraine” and equipment damage is not severe.But showstoppers could still emerge. If the steam generators need extensive parts or replacement, it might not make sense to proceed—new steam generators could cost over $1 billion per unit, judging by the experience of <a href="https://www.sce.com/" target="_blank">Southern California Edison</a>. “They’re not only expensive. They’re very complicated gadgets, and they’re hard to fix,” says the U.S. expert who spoke with Spectrum.Unfortunately, only Russian firms manufacture the steam generators employed at ZNPP. And those might not be available at any price.

Feb 9, 2022

Andrew Ng: Unbiggen AI

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/andrew-ng-listens-during-the-power-of-data-sooner-than-you-think-global-technology-conference-in-brooklyn-new-york-on-wednes.jpg?id=29206806&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C210"/> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Ng" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrew Ng</a> has serious street cred in artificial intelligence. He pioneered the use of graphics processing units (GPUs) to train deep learning models in the late 2000s with his students at <a href="https://stanfordmlgroup.github.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stanford University</a>, cofounded <a href="https://research.google/teams/brain/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Brain</a> in 2011, and then served for three years as chief scientist for <a href="https://ir.baidu.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Baidu</a>, where he helped build the Chinese tech giant’s AI group. So when he says he has identified the next big shift in artificial intelligence, people listen. And that’s what he told IEEE Spectrum in an exclusive Q&A.<hr/> Ng’s current efforts are focused on his company <a href="https://landing.ai/about/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Landing AI</a>, which built a platform called LandingLens to help manufacturers improve visual inspection with computer vision. <a name="top"></a>He has also become something of an evangelist for what he calls the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06-AZXmwHjo" target="_blank">data-centric AI movement</a>, which he says can yield “small data” solutions to big issues in AI, including model efficiency, accuracy, and bias. Andrew Ng on... <ul> <li><a href="#big">What’s next for really big models</a></li> <li><a href="#career">The career advice he didn’t listen to</a></li> <li><a href="#defining">Defining the data-centric AI movement</a></li> <li><a href="#synthetic">Synthetic data</a></li> <li><a href="#work">Why Landing AI asks its customers to do the work</a></li> </ul> <a name="big"></a>The great advances in deep learning over the past decade or so have been powered by ever-bigger models crunching ever-bigger amounts of data. Some people argue that that’s an <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/deep-learning-computational-cost" target="_self">unsustainable trajectory</a>. Do you agree that it can’t go on that way? Andrew Ng: This is a big question. We’ve seen foundation models in NLP [natural language processing]. I’m excited about NLP models getting even bigger, and also about the potential of building foundation models in computer vision. I think there’s lots of signal to still be exploited in video: We have not been able to build foundation models yet for video because of compute bandwidth and the cost of processing video, as opposed to tokenized text. So I think that this engine of scaling up deep learning algorithms, which has been running for something like 15 years now, still has steam in it. Having said that, it only applies to certain problems, and there’s a set of other problems that need small data solutions. When you say you want a foundation model for computer vision, what do you mean by that? Ng: This is a term coined by <a href="https://cs.stanford.edu/~pliang/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Percy Liang</a> and <a href="https://crfm.stanford.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">some of my friends at Stanford</a> to refer to very large models, trained on very large data sets, that can be tuned for specific applications. For example, <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-ais-powerful-text-generating-tool-is-ready-for-business" target="_self">GPT-3</a> is an example of a foundation model [for NLP]. Foundation models offer a lot of promise as a new paradigm in developing machine learning applications, but also challenges in terms of making sure that they’re reasonably fair and free from bias, especially if many of us will be building on top of them. What needs to happen for someone to build a foundation model for video? Ng: I think there is a scalability problem. The compute power needed to process the large volume of images for video is significant, and I think that’s why foundation models have arisen first in NLP. Many researchers are working on this, and I think we’re seeing early signs of such models being developed in computer vision. But I’m confident that if a semiconductor maker gave us 10 times more processor power, we could easily find 10 times more video to build such models for vision. Having said that, a lot of what’s happened over the past decade is that deep learning has happened in consumer-facing companies that have large user bases, sometimes billions of users, and therefore very large data sets. While that paradigm of machine learning has driven a lot of economic value in consumer software, I find that that recipe of scale doesn’t work for other industries. <a href="#top">Back to top</a><a name="career"></a> It’s funny to hear you say that, because your early work was at a consumer-facing company with millions of users. Ng: Over a decade ago, when I proposed starting the <a href="https://research.google/teams/brain/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Brain</a> project to use Google’s compute infrastructure to build very large neural networks, it was a controversial step. One very senior person pulled me aside and warned me that starting Google Brain would be bad for my career. I think he felt that the action couldn’t just be in scaling up, and that I should instead focus on architecture innovation. “In many industries where giant data sets simply don’t exist, I think the focus has to shift from big data to good data. Having 50 thoughtfully engineered examples can be sufficient to explain to the neural network what you want it to learn.” —Andrew Ng, CEO & Founder, Landing AI I remember when my students and I published the first <a href="https://nips.cc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NeurIPS</a> workshop paper advocating using <a href="https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-zone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CUDA</a>, a platform for processing on GPUs, for deep learning—a different senior person in AI sat me down and said, “CUDA is really complicated to program. As a programming paradigm, this seems like too much work.” I did manage to convince him; the other person I did not convince. I expect they’re both convinced now. Ng: I think so, yes. Over the past year as I’ve been speaking to people about the data-centric AI movement, I’ve been getting flashbacks to when I was speaking to people about deep learning and scalability 10 or 15 years ago. In the past year, I’ve been getting the same mix of “there’s nothing new here” and “this seems like the wrong direction.” <a href="#top">Back to top</a><a name="defining"></a> How do you define data-centric AI, and why do you consider it a movement? Ng: Data-centric AI is the discipline of systematically engineering the data needed to successfully build an AI system. For an AI system, you have to implement some algorithm, say a neural network, in code and then train it on your data set. The dominant paradigm over the last decade was to download the data set while you focus on improving the code. Thanks to that paradigm, over the last decade deep learning networks have improved significantly, to the point where for a lot of applications the code—the neural network architecture—is basically a solved problem. So for many practical applications, it’s now more productive to hold the neural network architecture fixed, and instead find ways to improve the data. When I started speaking about this, there were many practitioners who, completely appropriately, raised their hands and said, “Yes, we’ve been doing this for 20 years.” This is the time to take the things that some individuals have been doing intuitively and make it a systematic engineering discipline. The data-centric AI movement is much bigger than one company or group of researchers. My collaborators and I organized a <a href="https://neurips.cc/virtual/2021/workshop/21860" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data-centric AI workshop at NeurIPS</a>, and I was really delighted at the number of authors and presenters that showed up. You often talk about companies or institutions that have only a small amount of data to work with. How can data-centric AI help them? Ng: You hear a lot about vision systems built with millions of images—I once built a face recognition system using 350 million images. Architectures built for hundreds of millions of images don’t work with only 50 images. But it turns out, if you have 50 really good examples, you can build something valuable, like a defect-inspection system. In many industries where giant data sets simply don’t exist, I think the focus has to shift from big data to good data. Having 50 thoughtfully engineered examples can be sufficient to explain to the neural network what you want it to learn. When you talk about training a model with just 50 images, does that really mean you’re taking an existing model that was trained on a very large data set and fine-tuning it? Or do you mean a brand new model that’s designed to learn only from that small data set? Ng: Let me describe what Landing AI does. When doing visual inspection for manufacturers, we often use our own flavor of <a href="https://developers.arcgis.com/python/guide/how-retinanet-works/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RetinaNet</a>. It is a pretrained model. Having said that, the pretraining is a small piece of the puzzle. What’s a bigger piece of the puzzle is providing tools that enable the manufacturer to pick the right set of images [to use for fine-tuning] and label them in a consistent way. There’s a very practical problem we’ve seen spanning vision, NLP, and speech, where even human annotators don’t agree on the appropriate label. For big data applications, the common response has been: If the data is noisy, let’s just get a lot of data and the algorithm will average over it. But if you can develop tools that flag where the data’s inconsistent and give you a very targeted way to improve the consistency of the data, that turns out to be a more efficient way to get a high-performing system. “Collecting more data often helps, but if you try to collect more data for everything, that can be a very expensive activity.” —Andrew Ng For example, if you have 10,000 images where 30 images are of one class, and those 30 images are labeled inconsistently, one of the things we do is build tools to draw your attention to the subset of data that’s inconsistent. So you can very quickly relabel those images to be more consistent, and this leads to improvement in performance. Could this focus on high-quality data help with bias in data sets? If you’re able to curate the data more before training? Ng: Very much so. Many researchers have pointed out that biased data is one factor among many leading to biased systems. There have been many thoughtful efforts to engineer the data. At the NeurIPS workshop, <a href="https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~olgarus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Olga Russakovsky</a> gave a really nice talk on this. At the main NeurIPS conference, I also really enjoyed <a href="https://neurips.cc/virtual/2021/invited-talk/22281" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Gray’s presentation,</a> which touched on how data-centric AI is one piece of the solution, but not the entire solution. New tools like <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/datasheets-for-datasets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Datasheets for Datasets</a> also seem like an important piece of the puzzle. One of the powerful tools that data-centric AI gives us is the ability to engineer a subset of the data. Imagine training a machine-learning system and finding that its performance is okay for most of the data set, but its performance is biased for just a subset of the data. If you try to change the whole neural network architecture to improve the performance on just that subset, it’s quite difficult. But if you can engineer a subset of the data you can address the problem in a much more targeted way. When you talk about engineering the data, what do you mean exactly? Ng: In AI, data cleaning is important, but the way the data has been cleaned has often been in very manual ways. In computer vision, someone may visualize images through a <a href="https://jupyter.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jupyter notebook</a> and maybe spot the problem, and maybe fix it. But I’m excited about tools that allow you to have a very large data set, tools that draw your attention quickly and efficiently to the subset of data where, say, the labels are noisy. Or to quickly bring your attention to the one class among 100 classes where it would benefit you to collect more data. Collecting more data often helps, but if you try to collect more data for everything, that can be a very expensive activity. For example, I once figured out that a speech-recognition system was performing poorly when there was car noise in the background. Knowing that allowed me to collect more data with car noise in the background, rather than trying to collect more data for everything, which would have been expensive and slow. <a href="#top">Back to top</a><a name="synthetic"></a> What about using synthetic data, is that often a good solution? Ng: I think synthetic data is an important tool in the tool chest of data-centric AI. At the NeurIPS workshop, <a href="https://tensorlab.cms.caltech.edu/users/anima/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anima Anandkumar</a> gave a great talk that touched on synthetic data. I think there are important uses of synthetic data that go beyond just being a preprocessing step for increasing the data set for a learning algorithm. I’d love to see more tools to let developers use synthetic data generation as part of the closed loop of iterative machine learning development. Do you mean that synthetic data would allow you to try the model on more data sets? Ng: Not really. Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re trying to detect defects in a smartphone casing. There are many different types of defects on smartphones. It could be a scratch, a dent, pit marks, discoloration of the material, other types of blemishes. If you train the model and then find through error analysis that it’s doing well overall but it’s performing poorly on pit marks, then synthetic data generation allows you to address the problem in a more targeted way. You could generate more data just for the pit-mark category. “In the consumer software Internet, we could train a handful of machine-learning models to serve a billion users. In manufacturing, you might have 10,000 manufacturers building 10,000 custom AI models.” —Andrew Ng Synthetic data generation is a very powerful tool, but there are many simpler tools that I will often try first. Such as data augmentation, improving labeling consistency, or just asking a factory to collect more data. <a href="#top">Back to top</a><a name="work"></a> To make these issues more concrete, can you walk me through an example? When a company approaches <a href="https://landing.ai/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Landing AI</a> and says it has a problem with visual inspection, how do you onboard them and work toward deployment? Ng: When a customer approaches us we usually have a conversation about their inspection problem and look at a few images to verify that the problem is feasible with computer vision. Assuming it is, we ask them to upload the data to the <a href="https://landing.ai/platform/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LandingLens</a> platform. We often advise them on the methodology of data-centric AI and help them label the data. One of the foci of Landing AI is to empower manufacturing companies to do the machine learning work themselves. A lot of our work is making sure the software is fast and easy to use. Through the iterative process of machine learning development, we advise customers on things like how to train models on the platform, when and how to improve the labeling of data so the performance of the model improves. Our training and software supports them all the way through deploying the trained model to an edge device in the factory. How do you deal with changing needs? If products change or lighting conditions change in the factory, can the model keep up? Ng: It varies by manufacturer. There is data drift in many contexts. But there are some manufacturers that have been running the same manufacturing line for 20 years now with few changes, so they don’t expect changes in the next five years. Those stable environments make things easier. For other manufacturers, we provide tools to flag when there’s a significant data-drift issue. I find it really important to empower manufacturing customers to correct data, retrain, and update the model. Because if something changes and it’s 3 a.m. in the United States, I want them to be able to adapt their learning algorithm right away to maintain operations. In the consumer software Internet, we could train a handful of machine-learning models to serve a billion users. In manufacturing, you might have 10,000 manufacturers building 10,000 custom AI models. The challenge is, how do you do that without Landing AI having to hire 10,000 machine learning specialists? So you’re saying that to make it scale, you have to empower customers to do a lot of the training and other work. Ng: Yes, exactly! This is an industry-wide problem in AI, not just in manufacturing. Look at health care. Every hospital has its own slightly different format for electronic health records. How can every hospital train its own custom AI model? Expecting every hospital’s IT personnel to invent new neural-network architectures is unrealistic. The only way out of this dilemma is to build tools that empower the customers to build their own models by giving them tools to engineer the data and express their domain knowledge. That’s what Landing AI is executing in computer vision, and the field of AI needs other teams to execute this in other domains. Is there anything else you think it’s important for people to understand about the work you’re doing or the data-centric AI movement? Ng: In the last decade, the biggest shift in AI was a shift to deep learning. I think it’s quite possible that in this decade the biggest shift will be to data-centric AI. With the maturity of today’s neural network architectures, I think for a lot of the practical applications the bottleneck will be whether we can efficiently get the data we need to develop systems that work well. The data-centric AI movement has tremendous energy and momentum across the whole community. I hope more researchers and developers will jump in and work on it. <a href="#top">Back to top</a> This article appears in the April 2022 print issue as “Andrew Ng, AI Minimalist.”

Feb 8, 2022

How AI Will Change Chip Design

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/layered-rendering-of-colorful-semiconductor-wafers-with-a-bright-white-light-sitting-on-one.jpg?id=29285079&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> The end of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/on-beyond-moores-law-4-new-laws-of-computing" target="_self">Moore’s Law</a> is looming. Engineers and designers can do only so much to <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ibm-introduces-the-worlds-first-2nm-node-chip" target="_self">miniaturize transistors</a> and <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/cerebras-giant-ai-chip-now-has-a-trillions-more-transistors" target="_self">pack as many of them as possible into chips</a>. So they’re turning to other approaches to chip design, incorporating technologies like AI into the process.Samsung, for instance, is <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/processing-in-dram-accelerates-ai" target="_self">adding AI to its memory chips</a> to enable processing in memory, thereby saving energy and speeding up machine learning. Speaking of speed, Google’s TPU V4 AI chip has <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/heres-how-googles-tpu-v4-ai-chip-stacked-up-in-training-tests" target="_self">doubled its processing power</a> compared with that of its previous version.But AI holds still more promise and potential for the semiconductor industry. To better understand how AI is set to revolutionize chip design, we spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-gorr-phd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Heather Gorr</a>, senior product manager for <a href="https://www.mathworks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MathWorks</a>’ MATLAB platform.How is AI currently being used to design the next generation of chips?Heather Gorr: AI is such an important technology because it’s involved in most parts of the cycle, including the design and manufacturing process. There’s a lot of important applications here, even in the general process engineering where we want to optimize things. I think defect detection is a big one at all phases of the process, especially in manufacturing. But even thinking ahead in the design process, [AI now plays a significant role] when you’re designing the light and the sensors and all the different components. There’s a lot of anomaly detection and fault mitigation that you really want to consider. <img alt="Portrait of a woman with blonde-red hair smiling at the camera" class="rm-shortcode rm-resized-image" data-rm-shortcode-id="1f18a02ccaf51f5c766af2ebc4af18e1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="2dc00" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/portrait-of-a-woman-with-blonde-red-hair-smiling-at-the-camera.jpg?id=29288554&width=980" style="max-width: 100%"/> Heather GorrMathWorksThen, thinking about the logistical modeling that you see in any industry, there is always planned downtime that you want to mitigate; but you also end up having unplanned downtime. So, looking back at that historical data of when you’ve had those moments where maybe it took a bit longer than expected to manufacture something, you can take a look at all of that data and use AI to try to identify the proximate cause or to see something that might jump out even in the processing and design phases. We think of AI oftentimes as a predictive tool, or as a robot doing something, but a lot of times you get a lot of insight from the data through AI.What are the benefits of using AI for chip design?Gorr: Historically, we’ve seen a lot of physics-based modeling, which is a very intensive process. We want to do a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_order_reduction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduced order model</a>, where instead of solving such a computationally expensive and extensive model, we can do something a little cheaper. You could create a surrogate model, so to speak, of that physics-based model, use the data, and then do your <a href="https://institutefordiseasemodeling.github.io/idmtools/parameter-sweeps.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">parameter sweeps</a>, your optimizations, your <a href="https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/monte-carlo-simulation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Monte Carlo simulations</a> using the surrogate model. That takes a lot less time computationally than solving the physics-based equations directly. So, we’re seeing that benefit in many ways, including the efficiency and economy that are the results of iterating quickly on the experiments and the simulations that will really help in the design.So it’s like having a digital twin in a sense?Gorr: Exactly. That’s pretty much what people are doing, where you have the physical system model and the experimental data. Then, in conjunction, you have this other model that you could tweak and tune and try different parameters and experiments that let sweep through all of those different situations and come up with a better design in the end.So, it’s going to be more efficient and, as you said, cheaper?Gorr: Yeah, definitely. Especially in the experimentation and design phases, where you’re trying different things. That’s obviously going to yield dramatic cost savings if you’re actually manufacturing and producing [the chips]. You want to simulate, test, experiment as much as possible without making something using the actual process engineering.We’ve talked about the benefits. How about the drawbacks?Gorr: The [AI-based experimental models] tend to not be as accurate as physics-based models. Of course, that’s why you do many simulations and parameter sweeps. But that’s also the benefit of having that digital twin, where you can keep that in mind—it’s not going to be as accurate as that precise model that we’ve developed over the years.Both chip design and manufacturing are system intensive; you have to consider every little part. And that can be really challenging. It’s a case where you might have models to predict something and different parts of it, but you still need to bring it all together.One of the other things to think about too is that you need the data to build the models. You have to incorporate data from all sorts of different sensors and different sorts of teams, and so that heightens the challenge.How can engineers use AI to better prepare and extract insights from hardware or sensor data?Gorr: We always think about using AI to predict something or do some robot task, but you can use AI to come up with patterns and pick out things you might not have noticed before on your own. People will use AI when they have high-frequency data coming from many different sensors, and a lot of times it’s useful to explore the frequency domain and things like data synchronization or resampling. Those can be really challenging if you’re not sure where to start.One of the things I would say is, use the tools that are available. There’s a vast community of people working on these things, and you can find lots of examples [of applications and techniques] on <a href="https://github.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub</a> or <a href="https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MATLAB Central</a>, where people have shared nice examples, even little apps they’ve created. I think many of us are buried in data and just not sure what to do with it, so definitely take advantage of what’s already out there in the community. You can explore and see what makes sense to you, and bring in that balance of domain knowledge and the insight you get from the tools and AI.What should engineers and designers consider when using AI for chip design?Gorr: Think through what problems you’re trying to solve or what insights you might hope to find, and try to be clear about that. Consider all of the different components, and document and test each of those different parts. Consider all of the people involved, and explain and hand off in a way that is sensible for the whole team.How do you think AI will affect chip designers’ jobs?Gorr: It’s going to free up a lot of human capital for more advanced tasks. We can use AI to reduce waste, to optimize the materials, to optimize the design, but then you still have that human involved whenever it comes to decision-making. I think it’s a great example of people and technology working hand in hand. It’s also an industry where all people involved—even on the manufacturing floor—need to have some level of understanding of what’s happening, so this is a great industry for advancing AI because of how we test things and how we think about them before we put them on the chip.How do you envision the future of AI and chip design?Gorr: It’s very much dependent on that human element—involving people in the process and having that interpretable model. We can do many things with the mathematical minutiae of modeling, but it comes down to how people are using it, how everybody in the process is understanding and applying it. Communication and involvement of people of all skill levels in the process are going to be really important. We’re going to see less of those superprecise predictions and more transparency of information, sharing, and that digital twin—not only using AI but also using our human knowledge and all of the work that many people have done over the years.

Feb 7, 2022

Atomically Thin Materials Significantly Shrink Qubits

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-golden-square-package-holds-a-small-processor-sitting-on-top-is-a-metal-square-with-mit-etched-into-it.jpg?id=29281587&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> Quantum computing is a devilishly complex technology, with many technical hurdles impacting its development. Of these challenges two critical issues stand out: miniaturization and qubit quality.IBM has adopted the superconducting qubit road map of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ibms-envisons-the-road-to-quantum-computing-like-an-apollo-mission" target="_self">reaching a 1,121-qubit processor by 2023</a>, leading to the expectation that 1,000 qubits with today’s qubit form factor is feasible. However, current approaches will require very large chips (50 millimeters on a side, or larger) at the scale of small wafers, or the use of chiplets on multichip modules. While this approach will work, the aim is to attain a better path toward scalability.Now researchers at <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-021-01187-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT have been able to both reduce the size of the qubits</a> and done so in a way that reduces the interference that occurs between neighboring qubits. The MIT researchers have increased the number of superconducting qubits that can be added onto a device by a factor of 100.“We are addressing both qubit miniaturization and quality,” said <a href="https://equs.mit.edu/william-d-oliver/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">William Oliver</a>, the director for the <a href="https://cqe.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Center for Quantum Engineering</a> at MIT. “Unlike conventional transistor scaling, where only the number really matters, for qubits, large numbers are not sufficient, they must also be high-performance. Sacrificing performance for qubit number is not a useful trade in quantum computing. They must go hand in hand.”The key to this big increase in qubit density and reduction of interference comes down to the use of two-dimensional materials, in particular the 2D insulator hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The MIT researchers demonstrated that a few atomic monolayers of hBN can be stacked to form the insulator in the capacitors of a superconducting qubit.Just like other capacitors, the capacitors in these superconducting circuits take the form of a sandwich in which an insulator material is sandwiched between two metal plates. The big difference for these capacitors is that the superconducting circuits can operate only at extremely low temperatures—less than 0.02 degrees above absolute zero (-273.15 °C). <img alt="Golden dilution refrigerator hanging vertically" class="rm-shortcode rm-resized-image" data-rm-shortcode-id="694399af8a1c345e51a695ff73909eda" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="6c615" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/golden-dilution-refrigerator-hanging-vertically.jpg?id=29281593&width=980" style="max-width: 100%"/> Superconducting qubits are measured at temperatures as low as 20 millikelvin in a dilution refrigerator.Nathan Fiske/MITIn that environment, insulating materials that are available for the job, such as PE-CVD silicon oxide or silicon nitride, have quite a few defects that are too lossy for quantum computing applications. To get around these material shortcomings, most superconducting circuits use what are called coplanar capacitors. In these capacitors, the plates are positioned laterally to one another, rather than on top of one another.As a result, the intrinsic silicon substrate below the plates and to a smaller degree the vacuum above the plates serve as the capacitor dielectric. Intrinsic silicon is chemically pure and therefore has few defects, and the large size dilutes the electric field at the plate interfaces, all of which leads to a low-loss capacitor. The lateral size of each plate in this open-face design ends up being quite large (typically 100 by 100 micrometers) in order to achieve the required capacitance.In an effort to move away from the large lateral configuration, the MIT researchers embarked on a search for an insulator that has very few defects and is compatible with superconducting capacitor plates.“We chose to study hBN because it is the most widely used insulator in 2D material research due to its cleanliness and chemical inertness,” said colead author <a href="https://equs.mit.edu/joel-wang/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joel Wang</a>, a research scientist in the Engineering Quantum Systems group of the MIT Research Laboratory for Electronics. On either side of the hBN, the MIT researchers used the 2D superconducting material, niobium diselenide. One of the trickiest aspects of fabricating the capacitors was working with the niobium diselenide, which oxidizes in seconds when exposed to air, according to Wang. This necessitates that the assembly of the capacitor occur in a glove box filled with argon gas.While this would seemingly complicate the scaling up of the production of these capacitors, Wang doesn’t regard this as a limiting factor.“What determines the quality factor of the capacitor are the two interfaces between the two materials,” said Wang. “Once the sandwich is made, the two interfaces are “sealed” and we don’t see any noticeable degradation over time when exposed to the atmosphere.”This lack of degradation is because around 90 percent of the electric field is contained within the sandwich structure, so the oxidation of the outer surface of the niobium diselenide does not play a significant role anymore. This ultimately makes the capacitor footprint much smaller, and it accounts for the reduction in cross talk between the neighboring qubits.“The main challenge for scaling up the fabrication will be the wafer-scale growth of hBN and 2D superconductors like [niobium diselenide], and how one can do wafer-scale stacking of these films,” added Wang.Wang believes that this research has shown 2D hBN to be a good insulator candidate for superconducting qubits. He says that the groundwork the MIT team has done will serve as a road map for using other hybrid 2D materials to build superconducting circuits.

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