Author: News Room
Discord is about to force some of the people who use its messaging app to make a choice: Use the platform with restricted features, or prove their age. It’s a move that platforms have been slowly approaching, but Discord’s teen-by-default rollout is a stronger clampdown that could offer a glimpse at an age-gated future on the web worldwide.Starting next month, users who don’t verify their age using a face scan or government ID will no longer be able to access age-restricted servers and channels, can’t speak in Discord’s “stage” channels, and will see filters for any content deemed graphic or…
After a week vibe coding apps using Nothing’s Essential Apps Builder, I’m conflicted. I buy into the smartphone maker’s vision for software that adapts to you, not the other way around, but right now it doesn’t deliver. It’s hard to see how this goes from cool novelty to a reliable tool without serious refinement, and a level of consumer patience it may struggle to find.Nothing laid out its pitch for an “AI-native operating system” last year: something that would sit at the heart of its devices and make them feel more personal and more adaptable. While it’s not really an…
Stuff VerdictA silent assassin with unparalleled responsiveness. The Logitech Pro X2 Superstrike is, quite simply, the future of gaming mice.ProsInductive tech is hugely customisable and slashes time to clickSatisfying haptic feedback that’s whisper quiet Comfortable, lightweight form factorConsNew tech makes it quite expensiveBattery life takes a hit depending on haptic settingsNo dedicated DPI switch Introduction I’ve lost count of how many times new gaming gear has arrived with a promise to transform the way you play, but the Pro X2 Superstrike really can back up those claims. It’s the first gaming mouse with haptics rather than physical switches, giving your…
One year and nearly 2,000 pages of documents later, a group suing to uncover what the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was doing at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says the agency has withheld relevant documents “in bad faith” and is asking a court to allow discovery and depositions to draw out the information.“Thus far, the Defendant has sought to delay document production, and when pressed by this Court to act, Defendant has produced only sanitized email threads,” Arthur Belendiuk, attorney for advocacy group Frequency Forward and journalist Nina Burleigh, who together filed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request…
At the center of a consequential case about social media liability is a key question: did Meta lie or mislead the public about the safety of its platform, while knowing something very different?The state of New Mexico opened its case Monday arguing that public statements by Meta’s top executives regularly contradicted its own internal discussions and research about the harm Facebook and Instagram posed to teens. According to Don Migliori, an attorney for the state, Meta prioritized profits and its stated commitment to free expression over the safety of young users on Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, Meta attorney Kevin Huff…
ChatGPT users may soon start seeing ads in their chats, as OpenAI announced on Monday that it’s officially beginning to test ads on its AI platform. They’ll appear as labeled “sponsored” links at the bottom of ChatGPT answers, but OpenAI says the ads “do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you.”Currently, ads will only show up for users on the free version of ChatGPT or the lowest-cost $8 per month Go plan. Users in the Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans won’t see any ads, so anyone who wants to avoid them has to pay at least $20 per…
Beast Industries, owned by YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, announced on Monday that it has acquired Step, a banking app designed for teens and young adults. The move comes a couple of months after Donaldson announced plans to start a new YouTube channel centered on personal finance and investing. His main channel has 466 million subscribers and has long been one of the most popular on YouTube, frequently featuring videos where Donaldson gives away huge sums of money.MrBeast’s other business ventures also include a chain of ghost restaurants, the Feastables snack brand, and an upcoming phone service company called Beast Mobile.…
A new rumour claims Apple’s next AirPods Pro wireless earbuds will be equipped with components that’ll “see around” the wearer. That’s according to the leaker Kosutami, who, in a tweet over the weekend, also suggested the upgraded model will be available at the same price as the current, third generation AirPods Pro. The leaker doesn’t specify how the earbuds will see around the wearer but previous reports have claimed it will be via IR cameras. Reports to date have claimed an update will arrive this year and won’t be a fully-fledged AirPods Pro 4. It was said to be for…
On Sunday, Linux developer Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux 6.19, which will be the last update in this kernel cycle, as previously reported by Phoronix. It adds support for the modern AMDGPU driver for older AMD GCN 1.0 and 1.1 graphics cards, like Radeon HD 7000 series GPUs, along with Vulkan support through the RADV driver, and improved power management.Linux 6.19 also includes improved HDR support with the addition of the DRM Color Pipeline, an updated Asus Armoury driver, expanded support for newer Intel Wildcat Lake and Nova Lake chips, PCIe link encryption and device authentication, and more.Along…
The more affordable Apple iPhone 17e smartphone will be revealed “imminently”, according to a new report from the reliable Apple-watcher Mark Gurman. The Bloomberg reporter believes the new handset will kickstart Apple’s plans to jumpstart 2026 with new a hardware spree that’ll also include new Mac models. Previous rumours have suggested the phone will arrive on February 19. That’s the same date as the iPhone 16e arrived in 2025. Gurman doesn’t specify a date but “imminent” could for sure be classified as the next ten days. According to Gurman, writing in his weekly Power On newsletter, the iPhone 17e won’t…
Valentine’s Day often comes with more pressure than it needs to. At heart, though, February 14th is about showing appreciation for the people you care about in ways that feel thoughtful and sincere. And while big displays of romance can do that, it’s often the quieter, more personal gestures — or a meaningful gift that makes life just a little more enjoyable — that matter most.Whether you’re shopping for your wife, a close friend, a partner, or a girlfriend, these gifts are meant to make that special someone in your life feel seen, cared for, and appreciated — regardless of…
YouTube has announced details of long-awaited YouTube TV Plans that enable streamers to select genre specific content bundles in line with their live TV viewing habits. However, don’t expect to save much over the all-you-can-eat price by choosing to slim down your live TV offering from the $82.99 plus tax. YouTube says the Sports Plan costs $64.99. It’s $18 cheaper than the main plan and you’ll get the major broadcasters as well as the top sports networks. They include FS1, NBC Sports Network, all of the ESPN networks, and ESPN Unlimited. If you want to save just $11 on your…