Amazon Music has just launched new AI-powered weekly playlists based on the “preferences and mood” of listeners. This just means it scrapes what you’ve already been listening to and extrapolates further. It doesn’t apply modern technology to gauge the actual mood of users.

The company says the playlists include “a curated mix of familiar favorites from their most listened-to artists and latest favorites to new discoveries.” I’m not exactly sure how this is different from what music streaming platforms have always done to create personalized playlists, other than these are made using Amazon’s Bedrock generative AI platform.

Amazon

They do arrive with snappy names to suggest the type of songs included, like “Empowerment Anthems” and “Melodic Flex.” This seems similar to Spotify’s Daylists, which also use cute little names. The Amazon playlists can be saved to the library or shared with friends via text or social media.

“The feature represents another way we’re harnessing AI to help fans connect with more music that resonates with them,” said Ryan Redington, General Manager of Amazon Music. He also said this brings a “new dimension” to the service by “creating personalized playlists celebrating their favorite artists while introducing new music that matches their unique tastes.” Again, personalized playlists are nothing new.

Download the latest update to the app to get started. These weekly playlists are currently only available to US listeners and drop on Mondays.

This is just the latest AI-forward move by a music-streaming platform. Spotify recently introduced prompt-driven playlists and an AI DJ that takes requests. This isn’t even Amazon Music’s first dip into AI-infested waters. The platform already uses AI-enhanced search results that can be used to create playlists.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/amazon-music-launches-ai-powered-weekly-playlists-based-on-preferences-and-mood-174239246.html?src=rss

Private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) might just turn out to be Rian Johnson’s greatest creation. Introduced in 2019’s Knives Out, Blanc’s syrupy Southern drawl and idiosyncratic approach to solving a mysterious New England death charmed audiences worldwide and launched a modern whodunnit franchise.

The third installment in the series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, has already garnered early rave reviews after screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) over the weekend. And now Netflix has released the official trailer, showcasing Blanc tackling the inexplicable death of a parish priest in a spookily Gothic small-town setting.

(Very minor spoilers for Knives Out and Glass Onion below.)

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Samsung’s new budget earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE, are the latest model in the Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds series, and they’re already seeing a great deal despite being released this month. You can get them with a free SmartTag2 tracker for $149.99 (originally $179.98). At its latest Galaxy Event, the company unveiled three other devices along with the Buds 3 FE: the Galaxy Tab S11, the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite, and the Galaxy S25 FE phone, all of which are seeing similar deals.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE + Galaxy SmartTag 2

$149.99
at Amazon

$179.98
Save $29.99

$149.99
at Amazon

$179.98
Save $29.99

Samsung’s FE series stands for “Fan Edition,” and it’s the budget version of its devices, similar to Pixel’s A-series. The design is sleek and stays on brand compared to previous models. You can pinch and swipe the earbuds to control media. You can take them on a run outside without worrying about sweat and some rain since it’s rated IP54 (water and dust resistance).

In the audio department, it’s nice to see Samsung not skimp out just because they’re “budget” earbuds, offering support for 24-bit audio that lets you play hi-fi sound. It also features ANC, which Samsung claims to have improved upon compared to the previous generation. Something new is Samsung’s Crystal Clear Call, which uses AI to help isolate your voice when you’re on a call. The mics are now also facing your mouth so it should result in better overall call quality.

If you have a Pixel, Samsung, or compatible phone, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Gemini or the Galaxy AI support, which can do real-time translation, where someone speaks to you in another language and you hear the translation on your earbuds in real time. You also get auto-switching and can track your earbuds, among other features. The battery is great, at eight hours with ANC off (six hours with ANC on), the highest run time in the Galaxy Buds series.

A 67-year-old US man is still alive more than six months after receiving a kidney from a genetically modified pig. This is the longest a pig organ has survived in a living person. From a report: Researchers say the outcome is a landmark case of successful xenotransplantation — the process of transplanting organs from animals to humans. The recipient, Tim Andrews, had end-stage kidney disease and had been receiving dialysis for more than two years before he underwent the surgery in January. He has been dialysis-free since receiving the kidney. Andrews was one of three patients to receive genetically modified pig kidneys supplied by the biotechnology company eGenesis in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on compassionate grounds.

Reaching six months’ survival is an amazing feat, says Wayne Hawthorne, a transplant surgeon at the University of Sydney in Australia. The first six months is the period of “highest risk for the patient and also the transplant,” he adds. Possible complications include anaemia and graft rejection, when the immune system attacks the new organ. “The six-month time point marks that things have gone extremely well,” Hawthorne says. Reaching 12 months would be another milestone and a “fantastic long-term outcome,” he adds. Previously, the recipient with longest-surviving genetically modified pig organ was a 53-year-old US woman, Towana Looney, who had a functioning pig kidney for four months and nine days. However, the organ was removed earlier this year because her immune system began to reject it.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In five years, you won’t be able to spell IT without AI, Gartner predicted today.

VP analysts Alicia Mullery and Daryl Plummer delivered the sentiment at their keynote address at Gartner’s IT Symposium in Gold Coast, Australia, as reported by The Register. Gartner believes that by 2030, all work performed by an IT department will involve the use of AI. That’s a progression from the 81 percent of IT work that’s done today without any use of AI, per Mullery.

By 2030, not only will all IT work rely on AI, but much of it will be performed by bots without the help of humans, Gartner’s analysts said. They predicted that in five years, 25 percent of IT work will be totally performed by bots, while 75 percent of IT workloads will be performed by humans with the help of AI.

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Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event is nearly here. Every September, like clockwork, Apple hosts a virtual hardware event to showcase its latest products. For many, this is simply an iPhone event, and I can’t blame them: The iPhone 17 series will likely steal the show this year, as Apple prepares to announce the first radical design change for its smartphone line in years.

In particular, the iPhone 17 Air should get people talking, making its debut as the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever made. Then there are the 17 Pros, which will likely introduce a brand new camera “bar” housing the Pros’ signature tri-lens setup. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, will probably seem pretty similar to the iPhone 16 before it, and is positioned as the iPhone for people looking for a new device without needing to spend $1,000 or more for the privilege.

But it’s not all about the iPhone. This year, Apple will likely unveil a number of other products, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and the AirPods Pro 3. If you’re due for an upgrade in any of these categories, Apple has options for you—though don’t expect any revolutionary changes here, as these are mostly minor updates. I also would expect Apple to officially announce the release dates for its slate of upcoming software updates, such as iOS 26.

The show kicks off at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) from both Apple’s website as well as its official YouTube channel. I’ll be covering the event live as it airs, posting each new update to the blog below. If you want the latest on all of Apple’s biggest announcements, stay tuned to this page.

President Trump’s attempt to fire a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission was given a boost today, as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts granted a stay that temporarily blocks a lower-court ruling against Trump.

The Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the merits of the case. Today’s order from Roberts stayed the lower-court ruling “pending further order of The Chief Justice or of the Court.” Roberts set a September 15 deadline for Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the Democrat who was fired from the FTC, to file a response to the government’s motion for a longer-term stay.

Slaughter beat Trump last week in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which affirmed a District Court ruling that Trump violated US law and Supreme Court precedent with her firing. Slaughter was back in her office temporarily. Her name was re-added to the FTC website’s list of commissioners after last week’s ruling, but was off the list again as of today.

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The former head of security for WhatsApp filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Meta of ignoring major security and privacy flaws that put billions of the messaging app’s users at risk, the latest in a string of whistle-blower allegations against the social media giant. The New York Times: In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of the District of Northern California, Attaullah Baig claimed that thousands of WhatsApp and Meta employees could gain access to sensitive user data including profile pictures, location, group memberships and contact lists. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, also failed to adequately address the hacking of more than 100,000 accounts each day and rejected his proposals for security fixes, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Baig tried to warn Meta’s top leaders, including its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, that users were being harmed by the security weaknesses, according to the lawsuit. In response, his managers retaliated and fired him in February, he claims. Mr. Baig, who is represented by the whistle-blower organization Psst.org and the law firm Schonbrun, Seplow, Harris, Hoffman & Zeldes, argued in the suit that the actions violated a privacy settlement Meta reached with the Federal Trade Commission in 2019, as well as securities laws that require companies to disclose risks to shareholders.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Formula 1 held its Italian Grand Prix at Monza this past weekend. It’s the third-oldest purpose-built racetrack on the planet, and even includes an old and rather dangerous-looking oval that, while no longer in use, is accessible on foot if you feel like exploring. It’s a deceptively simple-looking track where it’s all about top speed and nailing your braking into the four heavy deceleration zones. Downforce is actually an impediment here, and that means the pecking order that we have become familiar with this season got a little upended.

That was apparent from free practice on Friday, topped by the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz’s Williams in third. Verstappen looked quick in his Red Bull, armed with a new Monza-spec rear wing that made his car cut through the air even more efficiently. The McLarens of title contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris got faster through the practice sessions, with the Williams of Alex Albon and Sainz continuing to look strong.

Things often get messy when the cars have to funnel through the first chicane.
Credit:
Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Qualifying did not go well for the Williams drivers. The time constraints of the qualifying sessions meant neither Albon nor Sainz was able to get their tires into the right temperature window, and the two were relegated in Q2. Hopes of a home pole for Ferrari—and a repeat of last year’s win—were not to be, as Leclerc could manage only fourth on the grid. Hamilton was just over a tenth of a second slower in fifth, but would have to take a grid penalty as a consequence of last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

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If you already have a Ring doorbell or camera, adding a Ring Chime can make a big difference, especially if your phone isn’t always within reach. Right now, the current-gen Ring Chime Pro is on sale for $44.99 on StackSocial—25% off— making it an affordable upgrade for anyone looking to hear doorbell or motion alerts throughout their home. It plugs directly into a wall outlet, connects to your 2.4GHz wifi, and starts working within minutes. Setup is simple, and it works seamlessly with all Ring doorbells and cameras, no matter which model you own. The standard Ring Chime is sold out, but the Ring Chime Pro is also a wifi repeater, which extends the wifi signal in your home.

This Ring Chime offers a few thoughtful updates over the last versions. The design is sleeker, and there’s now an LED indicator that helps with setup and gives quick feedback on its power status. You can choose from a range of customizable chime tones and adjust the volume to suit the room. So, whether you’re in a noisy kitchen or a quiet office, you can tailor alerts to your environment. There’s also a snooze option in the Ring app—perfect for when you want peace and quiet during a meeting or nap.

That said, this doesn’t include a Ring Home subscription (which runs from $4.99/mo to $19.99/mo), so you won’t get cloud video history or AI-based alerts unless you sign up separately. But if you just want to hear when someone’s at the door or moving around your front yard, it does the job well. It weighs less than a pound, blends easily into most wall outlets, and doesn’t require any wiring or drilling. For under $30, it’s a solid companion for any Ring system, especially in homes where phones aren’t always nearby or notifications get missed.

Meta allegedly suppressed research that suggested kids were exposed to certain dangers when using its VR headsets, according to a report by The Washington Post. Current and former employees have presented documents to Congress that describe incidents in which children were groomed by adult predators in VR, but allege that internal reports were edited to omit the worst of these offenses. Meta has denied these allegations.

Two of these researchers claim they met with a German family in which a child younger than ten had been approached by strangers online while using a Meta VR headset. Some of these strangers allegedly sexually propositioned the child. When the employees issued the harrowing report, their boss allegedly ordered that the aforementioned claims be deleted. When the internal report was eventually published, it spoke of some parents being scared of this type of thing but didn’t mention the above incident.

The trove of documents presented to Congress reportedly indicate guidance from Meta’s legal team instructing researchers to avoid collecting data about children using VR devices. The memo suggests this is “due to regulatory concerns,” likely referring to fallout from congressional hearings that took place in 2021.

The documents also include warnings from employees that children younger than 13 were bypassing age restrictions to use VR headsets. However, Meta has since lowered the minimum age down to ten.

Meta spokeswoman Dani Lever told The Post that the documents were “stitched together to fit a predetermined and false narrative” and that the company doesn’t prohibit research about children under 13. “We stand by our research team’s excellent work and are dismayed by these mischaracterizations of the team’s efforts,” she said.

The company didn’t confirm or deny the events regarding the family in Germany, but said that if the anecdote was deleted from the official record it was to ensure compliance with a US federal law governing the handling of children’s personal data or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from the EU.

That one prohibits companies from collecting personal information without consent, but the researchers maintain they received consent from the child’s mother. They also say they received a signed contract from the mother at the start of the interview.

A Senate Judiciary subcommittee is scheduled to discuss these allegations at a hearing later in the week. This particular subcommittee examines laws and regulations regarding online safety.

It was recently revealed that Meta is opening up its Horizon Worlds VR hangout app to preteens, so long as they get parental approval. This led the Senate Judiciary Committee to pen a letter demanding information as to the presence of minors on the app and the company’s alleged failures to protect the privacy and safety of children.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-reportedly-suppressed-research-about-how-dangerous-its-vr-headsets-are-for-kids-162509006.html?src=rss

Last year, we reported on the efforts of classic iPod fans to preserve playable copies of the downloadable clickwheel games that Apple sold for a brief period in the late ’00s. The community was working to get around Apple’s onerous FairPlay DRM by having people who still owned original copies of those (now unavailable) games sync their accounts to a single iTunes installation via a coordinated Virtual Machine. That “master library” would then be able to provide playable copies of those games to any number of iPods in perpetuity.

At the time, the community was still searching for iPod owners with syncable copies of the last few titles needed for their library. With today’s addition of Real Soccer 2009 to the project, though, all 54 official iPod clickwheel games are now available together in an easily accessible format for what is likely the first time.

All at once, then slowly

GitHub user Olsro, the originator of the iPod Clickwheel Games Preservation Project, tells Ars that he lucked into contact with three people who had large iPod game libraries in the first month or so after the project’s launch last October. That includes one YouTuber who had purchased and maintained copies of 39 distinct games, even repurchasing some of the upgraded versions Apple sold separately for later iPod models.

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University of Luxembourg mathematicians tested whether GPT-5 could extend a qualitative fourth-moment theorem to include explicit convergence rates, a previously unaddressed problem in the Malliavin-Stein framework. The September 2025 experiment, prompted by claims GPT-5 solved a convex optimization problem, revealed the AI made critical errors requiring constant human correction.

GPT-5 overlooked an essential covariance property easily deducible from provided documents. The researchers compared the experience to working with a junior assistant needing careful verification. They warned AI reliance during doctoral training risks students losing opportunities to develop fundamental mathematical skills through mistakes and exploration.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

OpenAI is throwing its resources behind a mostly AI-generated animated film that was the brainchild of one of the company’s employees. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the film will be called Critterz and will follow forest creatures who go on an adventure after their village is disrupted by a stranger. Chad Nelson, a creative specialist at OpenAI, started designing the characters three years ago with the intention of making a short film using OpenAI’s DALL-E image-generation tool.

The goal of the film is, in part, to show that animated films can be made for less money and in less time with AI. The team behind the film has set a budget of less than $30 million and a production schedule of only nine months. Both are a fraction of what it takes to produce a typical Hollywood animated picture. According to Nelson, OpenAI is hoping that if Critterz is successful, it might pave the way for adoption of more AI in the industry.

London-based Vertigo Films will produce the film along with Native Foreign, a studio in Los Angeles that specializes in using AI alongside more traditional video production methods. Native Foreign previously produced a faux Planet Earth-style short film, also titled Critterz, written and directed by Nelson. It used DALL-E to create all the visuals for the short, which Native Foreign then brought to life with (limited) animation.

The production team will hire human voice actors for the film’s characters and will hire artists to draw sketches that will then be fed into OpenAI’s chat and image-generating tools. The script for Critterz was penned by some of the same writers behind Paddington in Peru. The team aims to premiere the film at next year’s Cannes Film Festival in May.

Over the last few years, many Hollywood workers have fought to protect their livelihoods against AI encroachment. In 2023, after a protracted strike, SAG-AFTRA reached an agreement that would require “informed consent and compensation” should a studio wish to use AI-generated likenesses of any current or deceased SAG-AFTRA members. All of this comes against the backdrop of enormous lawsuits against AI companies by creatives and studios alike.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-tech-to-be-used-to-in-a-full-length-animated-film-155921502.html?src=rss

There are myriad questions about how NASA’s budget process will play out in the coming weeks, with the start of the new fiscal year on October 1 looming.

For example, the Trump administration may seek to shut off dozens of science missions that are either already in space or in development. Although Congress has signaled a desire to keep these missions active, absent a confirmed budget, the White House has made plans to turn off the lights.

Some answers may be forthcoming this week, as the House Appropriations Committee will take up the Commerce, Justice, and Science budget bill on Wednesday morning. However great uncertainty remains about whether there will be a budget passed by October 1 (unlikely), a continuing resolution, or a government shutdown.

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