The MBM-T113 is a 60x60mm Mobile-ITX embedded board from FusionTech, built around the Allwinner T113-S3 processor. It incorporates a dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 and a HiFi4 DSP, and is intended for use in compact embedded systems where multimedia capabilities and space efficiency are required. FusionTech notes that the Cortex-A7 cores operate at 1.2GHz. The board is […]
Do you remember the Pirelli Cyber Tire? No, it’s not an angular nightmare clad in stainless steel. Rather, it’s a sensor-equipped tire that can inform the car it’s fitted to what’s happening, both with the tire itself and the road it’s passing over. The technology has slowly been making its way into the real world, starting with rarified stuff like the McLaren Artura. Now, Pirelli is going to put some Cyber Tires to work for everybody, not just supercar drivers, in a new pilot program with the regional government of Apulia in Italy.
The Cyber Tire has a sensor to monitor temperature and pressure, using Bluetooth Low Energy to communicate with the car. The electronics are able to withstand more than 3,500 G as part of life on the road, and a 0.3-oz (10 g) battery keeps everything running for the life of the tire.
The idea was to develop a better tire pressure monitoring system, one that could tell the car exactly what kind of tire—summer, winter, all-season, and so on—was fitted, and even its state of wear, allowing the car to adapt its settings appropriately. But other applications suggested themselves—at a recent CES, Pirelli showed how a Cyber Tire could warn other road users about aquaplaning. Then again, we’ve been waiting more than a decade for vehicle-to-vehicle communication to make a difference in daily driving to no avail.
Microsoft is preparing to change the way your PC handles updates with a new centralized software update platform. Instead of relying on a patchwork of tools and notifications, this system aims to streamline the process—updating all apps, drivers, and system components in one place. This kind of coordination could have as much impact on your digital life as a shift in perspective on people can have in your personal one.
Windows users have long been frustrated by inconsistent and scattered update systems. While Windows Update handles the OS and some drivers, third-party apps often require their own updaters—or worse, manual intervention. This leads to missed updates, security gaps, and wasted time.
Microsoft’s solution is a single orchestration platform that can manage all updates intelligently and efficiently. Developers can register their apps using PowerShell or WinRT APIs, allowing the operating system to handle everything from update scheduling to notifications.
The post Microsoft Wants to Update All Your Software — Here’s What That Means appeared first on Linux Today.
If you’ve got a Pixel phone, you should find Google has now pushed out both Android 16 and the June 2025 Pixel Drop to it, which brings you several significant new features to make use of. One of those new features is Pixel VIPs: It lets you grant Very Important Person status to a select number of your contacts, giving them privileges that include being able to override your active Do Not Disturb settings.
This helps solve the main worry with Do Not Disturb: You might miss a call or a text about something important. There’s always a chance that some emergency could happen when you’ve blocked incoming alerts, but Pixel VIPs gives you a way to make sure the most significant people in your life can still get through.
If you’re not familiar, the Do Not Disturb options on a Pixel can be found by opening the main Settings app, then tapping Modes. The Do Not Disturb mode is listed alongside any other variations you’ve set up—for bedtime or for driving, for example. Tap Do Not Disturb, and you can turn it on or off manually, set it to run on a schedule, and choose which contacts, apps, and alarms are allowed to override it.
Before Pixel VIPs, your choices for allowing communications with Do Not Disturb were all your contacts, none of your contacts, or your starred contacts: There wasn’t much scope for creating a customized list. Pixel VIPs improves on that, enabling you to create a new level of super-starred people with some extra features included.
To get started with Pixel VIPs (if indeed the update has reached you), open the Contacts app, switch to the Organize tab, then tap on Pixel VIPs. Tap Next on the introductory blurb, and you get to choose up to eight different contacts for the privilege: You’ll see some suggestions on screen and you can tap on Add to see your full contacts list.
Tap Next to move on, and you can then give the Pixel VIPs feature permission to access your SMS conversations, your WhatsApp chats, and your location—all of this information is kept private to you, and it’s worth mentioning that your contacts won’t know you’ve selected them as Pixel VIPs either.
When you’ve worked your way through the setup wizard, you get shown a preview of the Pixel VIPs home screen widget. You can choose Add to home screen right away, or add it later by long pressing on a blank part of the home screen, then tapping Widgets. The VIPs widget is under the Contacts heading.
The widget will start out as a 4 x 1 block, but you can change the size by tapping and holding on the widget, then using the handles around the edges. You can also tap the pen icon (lower right) to get back to the Pixel VIPs screen for managing included contacts and permissions.
Tap on any contact on the widget, and you get to a special Pixel VIPs page for that person. You can see your recent messages from that person, their current location if you’ve chosen to share it through Find My Device or Google Maps, and any other details, like their birthday, that you may have stored.
There’s also a Notes section here, if you need to jot down a reminder or a memo about someone: Google suggests you could put birthday gift ideas in here. There’s even a box of suggestions for things you might want to do with this person, such as watch a movie or visit a restaurant. You can tweak these suggestions via the slider button on the right.
When it comes to the Do Not Disturb settings, nothing has changed, except that Pixel VIPs are automatically added to your starred contacts. Google doesn’t exactly make it clear, but as far as I can tell, you still need to select your starred contacts on the actual Do Not Disturb screen mentioned above—it’s not enough to simply select someone as a Pixel VIP, but it does give you an easier way of managing this privileged list of people.
I can see Pixel VIPs being a useful way of managing important contacts, and it would be nice to see additional integrations with more apps here—though that does depend on the app developers as well as Google. For now, it’s earned a place on my home screen.
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The abstract of a study on NBER: We examine the performance of startups co-founded by immigrant and native teams. Leveraging unique data linking startups to founders’ and employees’ employment and education histories, we find native-migrant teams outperform native-only and migrant-only teams.
Native-migrant startups have larger employment three years after founding, are more likely to secure funding, access larger funding rounds, and achieve more successful exits. An instrumental variables strategy based on native shares in university-degree programs confirms native-migrant teams are larger and more likely to receive funding. Superior access to diverse labor pools, successful VCs, and expanded product markets are key factors in driving native-migrant outperformance.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
In this final article based on Matt Godbolt’s talk on making APIs easy to use and hard to misuse, I will discuss locking. This is actually an area where C++ has produced some interesting ideas, most notably something called RAII — Resource Acquisition Is Initialization.
The post Constructor acquires, destructor releases appeared first on Linux Today.
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You don’t have to be a dad to score some big discounts on tools for Father’s Day. Anyone is allowed to shop for additions to their home shop or DIY maintenance tool set during Father’s Day sales going on right now on Amazon, so even if you’re not shopping for a gift, you can save on cordless tools, yard and garden equipment, and accessories. Since these items can be expensive to buy, much of the time, getting a deal can mean that your DIY budget remains intact, even if you want some fancy new impact drill bits or a cordless chainsaw.
Cordless tool sets are an essential part of any DIY toolkit, and getting a good-quality tool that will last a long time can help you save money in both the short and long term.
The DeWalt 20-volt drill and impact driver set is on sale for $149, 43% off its regular price. This set includes a drill, an impact driver, two batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. This drill/driver set comes with everything you need to get started drilling holes and driving hardware, except for the bits.
The DeWalt 20-volt oscillating tool is on sale for $94.99, 50% off its usual price. This is a tool-only deal and doesn’t include a battery or a charger, so you’ll need those in order to use it. An oscillating tool is great for plunge-cutting, trimming at odd angles, and sanding in tight corners, as well as several other functions. It’s one of the most versatile tools in the cordless kit and has a wide variety of applications.
The Milwaukee cordless 18-volt router is on sale for $145, 42% off its typical price. This is a compact router, good for finishing edges on shelving, moulding, and other woodworking projects. This is a tool-only deal, so you’ll need router bits, a battery, and a charger to use it.
From cleaning off patio furniture to cutting branches, outdoor cordless power tools can be indispensable.
The Makita 14-inch, 20-volt cordless chainsaw is on sale for $399.62, 41% off its regular price. This tool comes with two 5-amp-hour, 20-volt batteries and a charger, so you can use it right out of the box if you have some bar and chain oil. The blade can handle branches up to 12 inches in diameter.
The Ryobi 18-volt cordless 100mph leaf blower is on sale for $152.99, 30% off its regular price. This tool comes with a 4-amp-hour battery and a charger, so you have everything you need to start blowing leaves. A leaf blower is good for more than just leaves, and can be used to dust off your projects in your home shop as well.
The Greenworks 40-volt, 150mph leaf blower is on sale for $30, 50% off its typical price. This blower has a tapered tip for more precise aim and can operate at multiple speeds. This is a tool-only deal, so you’ll need a Greenworks-compatible battery and charger to use it.
An often overlooked but also pricey component of cordless tools is their batteries and accessories. Although these things seem small, they can really add up in price, and you can’t do much without them.
A DeWalt 8-amp-hour, 20-volt battery is on sale for $149, 32% off its regular price. This battery has a larger capacity than traditional tool batteries and will last for several continuous hours of use without needing a charge. This battery type is especially useful if you are using your tools farther from a power source or in an emergency kit.
The Bosch 21-piece multimaterial drill bit set is on sale for $24.99, 51% off its usual price. This set includes 21 bits ranging in size from 1/16th inch to 1/2inch. This is a good set for basic home maintenance tasks.
The DeWalt 29-piece pilot point drill bit set is on sale for $73.15, 45% off its typical price. This set includes bits that range in size from 1/16-inch to ½-inch, and they have a tapered pilot point, good for preventing your bit from wandering while you are starting to drill. These bits are made from titanium and come with a metal carrying case and index.
Just in time for a last-minute Father’s Day gift (or perhaps a little treat for yourself, because you deserve nice things), Apple‘s AirPods 4 have dropped back down to their lowest price to date. You can snap up a pair for $99. That’s $30 off the list price.
This discount is for the base version of the earbuds without active noise cancellation (ANC). All the same, this is a good deal on our pick for the best budget AirPods, especially if foregoing ANC doesn’t bother you too much.
We gave the AirPods 4 a score of 88 in our review. The improved fit and comfort, and upgraded sound quality compared with the previous version are definite plus points.
The AirPods 4 include features seen in the higher end AirPods Pro 2 but, unfortunately, not that model’s onboard volume controls. The lack of wireless charging and Apple’s Conversation Awareness feature are also negatives.
However, due in large part to the H2 chip that’s included in the AirPods 4 (the same one that powers AirPods Pro 2), you’ll get features such as Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, “cinema-quality” audio for FaceTime, Adaptive EQ and Voice Isolation (which helps eliminate background noise). With Siri Interactions, you can nod or shake your head to accept or reject calls, and respond to or dismiss messages and notifications.
When Apple rolls out iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26 this fall, the company will release a firmware update for AirPods 4 (as well as AirPods 4 with ANC and the second-gen AirPods Pro). This update will bring new features to the earbuds, such as the ability to use them to control iPhone and iPad cameras. Apple is also promising “studio quality recording” that should help creators better capture sound, even in noisy environments. Audio quality upgrades are on the way too.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-4-earbuds-are-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-144223181.html?src=rss
If you’re looking for a versatile new wireless controller that isn’t exclusive to a particular platform, 8BitDo’s various pads are always worth considering. And Amazon’s current deal on the brand’s Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller is nearly the cheapest we’ve seen. Right now, if you pick up the controller in either its Purple or Green colorways, you’ll pay $25.49, as opposed to $30 or above (the special edition Black Wukong version costs $35) for the other available colors. The lowest price we’ve ever seen this model at is $25.
If you’re a console gamer you’ll need to look elsewhere, but the Ultimate 2C plays nice with Android devices and Windows PCs, connecting either via Bluetooth in the case of the former, or over 2.4G or a wired connection for PC. There’s also a mode switch button to make it easy to hop between devices. The controller offers extra bumpers that sit next to the standard left and right bumpers, and these can be remapped without the need for additional software, while the Hall Effect joysticks are precise and reassuringly durable.
The Ultimate 2C is compatible with devices running Windows 10 and above, and Android 9.0 or above. You can expect 32 hours of playtime over a Bluetooth connection, or 19 hours when using the wireless 2.4G adapter.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/8bitdos-ultimate-2c-controller-drops-to-25-144020474.html?src=rss
The World Bank is lifting its decades-long ban on financing nuclear energy, in a policy shift aimed at accelerating development of the low-emissions technology to meet surging electricity demand in the developing world. From a report: In an email to staff on Wednesday, Ajay Banga, the World Bank president, said it would “begin to re-enter the nuclear energy space” [non-paywalled source] in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog which works to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons.
“We will support efforts to extend the life ofÂexisting reactors in countries that already have them, and help support grid upgrades andÂrelated infrastructure,” the email said. The shift follows advocacy from the pro-nuclear Trump administration and a change of government in Germany, which previously opposed financing atomic energy due to domestic political opposition to the technology. It is part of a wider strategy aimed at tackling an expected doubling of electricity demand in the developing world by 2035. Meeting this demand would require annual investment in generation, grids and storage to rise from $280 billion today to $630 billion, Banga said in the memo seen by the Financial Times.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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The Pixel Watch 2 isn’t Google’s newest gadget anymore, but at $149, it’s $100 off its launch price—and the lowest it’s ever been, according to price trackers.
It’s the follow-up to Google’s original Pixel Watch, which had a few first-gen stumbles (check out the differences between the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 here). With the second-gen Pixel Watch, Google cleaned up a lot of what felt unfinished in the first model, and this time around, it leans harder into Fitbit’s strengths. Daily health tracking, fitness insights, and wellness alerts come baked in, while Wear OS keeps the app experience smooth and familiar. Read this in-depth review of the Pixel Watch 2 to learn more about it.
At 41mm, the watch is small and wears light on the wrist. You’re still getting an always-on AMOLED display that holds up well in sunlight, and about 33 hours of battery life—just enough to stretch through a full day and night if you’re careful, but charging overnight still becomes part of the routine. The Pixel Watch 2 still runs Google’s Wear OS, so there’s tight integration with your Android apps and features, from Assistant to Gmail to Maps. You can start a workout, check your calendar, and swipe through your day without much lag or fuss. Plus, it has all the standard fitness smartwatch essentials, including GPS, heart rate tracking, skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, and a stress sensor. You’ll need a Fitbit Premium subscription ($9.99/month) to unlock all the insights, though. Without it, you’re still getting basic tracking, but not the full reports and coaching.
The Pixel Watch 2 holds its own against pricier competition like the Galaxy Watch 6, especially if you prioritize comfort and Google integration over raw specs. PCMag gave it an “Excellent” rating, mainly for the improved performance (thanks to the Qualcomm 5100 processor), smarter health tools, and durability (it’s IP68 rated). That said, this watch won’t be for everyone. There’s only one size (if you want a Pixel Watch for a bigger wrist, you might want to check out the Pixel Watch 3), and if you’re after big visuals or long stretches away from the charger, it’ll come up short. And some of the more advanced health metrics—such as stress responses and deeper sleep analysis—sit behind a paywall, which can feel like a letdown on an already premium device (even when on sale). Also, just a heads up: This is the wifi version of the watch, not LTE, but for most Android users, that won’t matter much.
Another day, another never-before-seen video of an underwater alien (previously: a colossal squid). This time, a living specimen of a Gonatus antarcticus squid that was filmed at a depth of 7,000-feet in the Southern Ocean while shooting a video for National Geographic. The species was only previously described via dead specimens. The squid was identified as Gonatus Antarcticus thanks to the hook it has at the end of each tentacle, an adaptation that presumably evolved for attaching to the deck railing of pirate ships to pull them down to Davey Jones’s locker. I’m kidding, this thing is only 3-feet long. With nothing in the video for scale though, feel free to send it to your friends and tell them it’s the length of three school buses and was spotted near the beach where they vacation.
Apple introduced a Swift-powered, open-source alternative to Docker for running Linux containers on macOS, focused on security and isolation.
More RAM is a handy script that sets up ZRAM to increase the capacity of your RAM. ZRAM is a kernel module to compress data on-the-fly and store it in RAM. It has all sorts of uses, and works well with the Pi.
The post Raspberry Pi 5 Desktop Mini PC: Script To Use a ZRAM Swapdrive appeared first on Linux Today.
Writeback for filesystems is the process of flushing the “dirty” (written)
data in the page cache to storage. At
the 2025 Linux Storage,
Filesystem, Memory Management, and BPF Summit (LSFMM+BPF), Anuj Gupta led a
combined storage and filesystem session on some work that has been done
to parallelize the writeback process. Some of the performance problems
that have been seen with the existing single-threaded writeback came up in
a session at last year’s summit, where the
idea of doing writeback in parallel was discussed.
