Author: News Room
I have been watching, with some grim amusement, Elon Musk discovering the limits of being just another political donor. While he was at DOGE, he literally could control the Treasury and DOD — he effectively had the IT reins of the entire country, and could simply gut things he hated at will. There was a price for that: it destroyed what was left of his reputation. But it was real, true power — being able to stop payments at will makes you more powerful than the president.So much for that. These days, Musk is reduced to begging his followers on…
Introduction Shokz being early to the open-style earphone party was hardly a surprise, given its laser focus on fitness; no other wireless earbuds come close for situational awareness, which helped make the original Open Fit just as workout-friendly as the bone conduction neckbands that established the firm as an exercise must-have. First attempts usually leave room for improvement, of course, and Shokz has done exactly that for the second-gen version. The Open Fit 2 brings a bigger sound courtesy of dual drivers, better battery life, and an even comfier fit. That should help them compete with a rapidly growing number…
The Wall Street Journal reports Meta is in talks with Disney and A24 to try and secure exclusive streaming content for a new headset it’s developing. WSJ says Meta’s new device is a glasses-like headset codenamed “Loma,” with an external puck you slip into your pocket. Meta is reportedly seeking new and existing licensed content that would be exclusive to its platform on VR or as timed exclusives. That puck design sounds like Meta’s recently rumored “Puffin” headset, which is reportedly in development and could succeed the Quest 3 and Quest 3S VR headsets. UploadVR described Puffin as an extremely…
Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.I’ve been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and I’ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the Pocketbook Era. Whether you want something your kid can…
Glance AI, a brand owned by mobile advertising company InMobi, has announced a partnership with the Samsung Galaxy Store to roll out its e-commerce platform to Galaxy phones in the US. The company’s app centers around what it calls “a Generative AI shopping platform,” which is a serious contender for the most cursed phrase I’ve read today. The “experience” comprises both a standalone app and a lock screen component to try and sell you clothes. Crucially, the whole thing is “fully opt-in,” which, thank Christ. But even if you opt out — which you absolutely should! — this feels like…
The US Department of Commerce has renamed its AI Safety Institute to the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), shifting its focus from overall safety to combating national security risks and preventing “burdensome and unnecessary regulation” abroad. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced the change on June 3rd, calling the agency’s overhaul a way to “evaluate and enhance US innovation” and “ensure US dominance of international AI standards.”The AI Safety Institute was announced in 2023 under former President Joe Biden, part of a global effort to create best practices for governments mitigating AI system risk. It signed memorandums of…
The Switch 2 has finally arrived — well, at least in some parts of the world. Nintendo’s latest console officially launches in the US tomorrow, June 5th, bringing with it more processing power, a larger 7.9-inch LCD display, and an all-new racing title in the form of Mario Kart World. Preorders for the $449 hybrid console remain sold out; however, if you’re looking to grab one on launch day, rest assured that a handful of retailers have announced availability, both in-store and online.We’ll be publishing a ton of Switch-related coverage in the coming days — including our full Switch 2…
LG has announced a new 40-inch Thunderbolt 5 monitor with an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio, and the company is being very upfront about who it’s for: people who love crunching data and want more room to do that. The new LG UltraFine 40WT95UF is designed to “meet the needs of data-intensive industries such as finance and IT,” according to a release from the company today. But it may still appeal far beyond that, with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for AMD’s FreeSync Premium to help reduce screen tearing and flickering.Although LG is promoting the 40WT95UF as the “world’s first…
Apps stopping support for older hardware is a normal occurrence – but it’s still inconvenient for those affected. WhatsApp has announced it’s stopping hardware support for three key iPhones and numerous Android phones stuck on older operating systems. WhatsApp will now require iOS 15.1 or later or Android 5.1 or later. That means that three iPhones are now no longer supported – the colorful 2013 iPhone 5s as well as 2014’s iPhone 6 and the first larger iPhone, the 6 Plus. Some have suggested this also includes the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the iPhone SE (1st gen) but…
Introduction It took a few tries, but Motorola’s Edge series has finally found its niche. Sitting above the best mid-range phones but not quite in true flagship territory, they’re an appealing blend of Eastern and Western phone philosophies. Where else can you get both streamlined software and distinctive design, and big batteries with rapid charging speeds? The Edge 60 Pro continues that streak. Beyond one of the largest battery capacities you’ll find in its class, the successor to the Edge 50 Pro brings more power and upgraded cameras. There have a been one or two backwards steps elsewhere on the…
Figma is launching a new tool that can help AI models more effectively translate designs into fully coded applications. The product design company is giving LLMs and agentic coding tools like Copilot in VS Code and Claude Code more context about how designs are created in Figma via a new Dev Mode Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which is rolling out in beta for users with Dev or Full seat Figma access.The MCP server is a developer tool that allows AI models to directly tap into data from Figma, such as precise figures used in graphs or the exact color…
I have always had a soft spot for the Surface Pro X. It was the thinner, lighter, and fanless Surface tablet that I had always wanted Microsoft to make, but when it came out nearly six years ago, Windows wasn’t ready to handle the Arm chip inside — and vice versa. Sluggish performance and app compatibility issues kept the Surface Pro X from living up to its beautiful design. It was a heartbreaker.Microsoft is once again trying to perfect the Surface Pro design with a $799 12-inch version of its tablet and laptop hybrid that ditches the fan and uses…