Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report: A Romanian national pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to his role in a “swatting” ring that targeted dozens of public officials, including a former US president. Going by the aliases “Plank,” “Jonah” and “Cypher,” 26-year-old Thomasz Szabo took part in a years-long conspiracy to place bogus 911 calls, claiming emergencies were taking place at the homes of top government officials, and make bomb threats against government buildings and houses of worship, according to the Justice Department.

Szabo and a co-conspirator, 21-year-old Serbian national Nemanja Radovanovic, allegedly targeted about 100 people, including members of Congress, governors, cabinet-level executive branch officials and state officials. Szabo, who was extradited from Romania last November, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making bomb threats. He is slated to be sentenced in a Washington, DC, federal court in October. […] Charges against Radovanovic are still pending.

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I didn’t think I’d be talking about iOS 26 before the year 2032, but here we are. At WWDC 2025, Apple will likely announce the latest update for iPhones, complete with new features and a fresh naming scheme.

We won’t know for sure what Apple is planning until they officially announce it, but there’s reason to believe some leaks and rumors are accurate. I’ve been following those leaks and rumors closely as they’ve trickled in, and have a good sense of what to expect with iOS 26. Not all of the rumored features are winners—cough cough, Apple Intelligence—but there are others I’m genuinely excited for. Here are six of the features I hope really do make it to iOS 26.

RCS End-to-end encryption

RCS support was probably my favorite new feature of the iOS 18 era. For the first time since iMessage launched in 2011, iPhones and Android could text each other natively without resorting to SMS. The bubbles might still be green, but at least group chats are intact.

One major RCS perk has been missing since it launched on iOS, however: encryption. While RCS currently supports high-quality images and videos, your messages sent with this protocol are as unprotected as they are over SMS. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) guarantees that only the devices involved in the chat can decrypt and read the messages that are sent. No one else, not even Apple, can read E2EE. It’s a bummer, because RCS does support encryption (though even Android devices need to deal with some quirks here, as well).

Luckily, we know that E2EE is coming to RCS on iPhone—we just don’t know exactly when. Apple confirmed back in March that RCS encryption is on its way “in future software updates,” which could mean iOS 26, but also iOS 26.1 or any other number of updates. Personally, I hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Live Translate for AirPods

Picture this: You’re talking to someone who speaks a language you don’t. But as they speak, you hear their words translated to your language in your ear. It sounds like the future, but it’s very much the present—and it might be coming to AirPods.

That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reported in March that certain AirPods models would be getting this “live translate” feature. While Apple is apparently trying to keep this feature as secret as possible, Gurman says that AirPods will translate your conversationalist’s words in your ears, while your iPhone will translate your words in the other person’s language.

And actually, the feature is nothing new: Google’s Pixel Buds have had live translation for years at this point, via Conversation mode in the Translate app. It works the same way as Gurman describes Apple’s vision, so there is a clear precedent here. Still, I’d love if this feature really did ship with iOS 26.

A new look for iOS

If you know anything about iOS 26, you might know that Apple is planning a visual overhaul for the iPhone. If the rumors are true, the changes go beyond the mobile device: Apple is reportedly working on a design change across all of its products, to unify the look of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

The main UI inspiration seems to come from Apple’s newest product of the bunch, Apple Vision Pro: Icons and elements are rounded, windows and menu bars are floating and translucent, and there are fresh animations.

You can see an example of what this might look like from this Jon Prosser video, which showcases an iOS 26 mock-up based on leaked designs:

It’s not necessarily the design itself I’m excited about, but the change in general. While Apple has mixed up its UI a bit over the years, the general design language has been building off iOS 7, which dropped over a decade ago. While my nostalgic side would love to see Apple bring back the skeuomorphic design of iOS 6 and earlier, I welcome any new UI that looks good. And if I get a similar experience across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, all the better.

A Stage Manager-like interface

If you have a compatible iPad, you can plug it into an external monitor, and extend your display like you would with a laptop. It’s part of a feature Apple calls Stage Manager, and it’s a cool way to make your iPad a bit more useful for serious computing tasks.

Rumor has it Apple is working on something similar for the iPhone. Should the leaks be true, you’ll be able to plug your USB-C iPhone into a monitor, and while you won’t be able to use it like a computer, you’ll be able to extend your screen space to match the display.

This is a great idea, and something that would make the iPhone a portable presentation station. If you have a slideshow, a video, or any type of demonstration on your iPhone, you could share it full-screen on any connected monitor. It’d pale in comparison to something like Samsung DeX, which turns your Galaxy phone into a true desktop experience, but I feel this could be the start of something similar on iOS.

Fewer glitches

I don’t need much from Apple when it comes to the iPhone, but if I had a single request, I’d ask for a more stable experience. In general, thing are good, but I do run into a lot of small issues day to day, and I’m willing to bet you do too if you have an iPhone.

According to Mark Gurman, reducing glitches is a high priority for Apple. He says the company is “pushing engineers to ensure that this year’s releases are more functional and less glitchy. Past upgrades were criticized for bugs and features that sometimes didn’t work properly.”

Sounds good to me, Apple.

AI-powered battery life enhancements

I might not be excited for any of Apple’s new generative AI features, but I’d be lying if battery life improvements powered by AI didn’t pique my interest. We all want our iPhones to last longer between charges, after all.

In the same report that spilled the beans on the “less glichy” goal, Gurman says Apple is working on a feature that will analyze your iPhone usage, and make changes to conserve battery life when possible. Maybe the AI notices that you don’t take advantage of intensive features in certain apps, and as such, reduces the performance of those apps to prioritize energy conservation.

What I like even better, though, is that Apple is reportedly working on a Lock Screen utility that tells you how long it’ll take to finish charging your iPhone. These are the small yet mighty changes I want to see from Apple.

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We all need a little laughter, right? Whether your idea of “funny” is sharp social satire, complete absurdism, a comforting, old school sitcom, or anything in between, there is a show streaming on Netflix right now that will satisfy you.

The ten comedy series below are all ranked at above 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so you can count on smart writing, the dialed-in performance, and critically approved laughs.

Detroiters (2017-2018)

Before he took off by making the best sketch show in the last decade, I Think You Should Leave‘s Tim Robinson created and starred in Detroiters, an absurdist sitcom about a couple of best friends who run a low-rent ad firm in Detroit. Detroiters takes the anarchic energy of I Think You Should Leave and plops it into the kind of persistent sitcom universe people are comfortable with, then upends the formula constantly. This show was criminally under-watched when it originally aired on Comedy Central, so if you missed it, catch up now.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

North of North (2025-Present)

For a show set on the literal frozen tundra, North of North sure is warm. Anna Lambe stars as Siaja, a young single mother who talks her way into a job as the assistant to the town manager of Ice Cove, Nunavut. Siaja may be an Inuit from a place way too cold for you to ever have visited, but her struggles and triumphs are universal, and North of North presents it all in such a loving way, it’s impossible to not like it. I mean, 100% of TV critics dig it, and they’re some cynical folks.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

Resident Alien (2021-Present)

In this fish-way-out-of-water series, Alan Tudyk plays a space alien who crashes on Earth and is forced to hide inside the skin of small-town doctor Harry Vanderspeigle. The alien’s mission to kill all people depends on assimilating with the local population of a Colorado mountain town and impersonating a human doctor, a task made more difficult when he starts falling for one of the natives and discovers a kid who can see what he really is. The premise is innovative, the cast is stellar, and the jokes are actually funny. Don’t sleep on Resident Alien.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Documentary Now! (2015-present)

In the universe of Documentary Now!, Helen Mirren hosts a PBS-style documentary series that’s been around for 53 years. Mirren introduces self-contained short films that parody famous documentaries and documentary styles. Created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas and starring a who’s-who of comedic heavyweights too long to list, Documentary Now! is a comedy show for huge fans of D.A. Pennebaker who think it’s about time someone parody Grey Gardens. Pointy-heads need comedy too, right?

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

One Day at a Time (2017-Present)

While this comedy-drama was inspired by Norman Lear’s 70s sitcom of the same name, it doesn’t feel dusty or dated—the universal struggle to get by is timeless. Justina Machado stars as Penelope, a newly single nurse raising two kids with the help of her old-school mom, played by Rita Moreno, and her building manager Schneider, played by Todd Grinnell. If you like comfort comedy filmed in that familiar three-camera style, and you like it when love and family conquer all (but not in a cheesy way), check out One Day at a Time. (If you like sitcoms in general, here’s Lifehacker’s list of the top situation comedies on Netflix.)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%

Cunk on Earth (2022)

I love this very British mockumentary series. In Cunk on Earth, Diane Morgan plays Philomena Cunk, an absolute idiot who’s been given the job of hosting a BBC documentary series that explores the history of human civilization. Cunk visits real academics and experts—some of the smartest people on Earth—who are not in on the joke. She then asks them incredibly stupid questions like “do we know if China has a roof?” The reactions are hilarious as they try to gently explain basic concepts to a moron.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

A Man on the Inside (2024-present)

In this Netflix original comedy series, Ted Danson plays a retired professor who finds a new lease on life when he goes undercover to investigate a series of crimes in a retirement home. A Man on the Inside is a gentle show, but it’s not afraid to take on big topics like loneliness, aging, and death while striking a perfect balance between comedy and heart.

Rotten Tomato score: 96%

The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019)

In this stylish, edgy, pitch-dark series, teenage misfits James and Alyssa meet and embark on a road trip/crime spree while searching for Alyssa’s estranged father. But James is a wannabe serial killer, and he’s chosen Alyssa as his first victim. As you’d probably guess, everything spirals violently out of control. The End of the F***ing World isn’t for the faint-of-heart, but it’s darkly funny, with an off-kilter sensibility and real affection for the weirdos and outcasts it features. (Yeah, I know it’s 94% fresh not 95%, but I’m a rebel like that.)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020)

In the opening episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the title character escapes the apocalypse cult where she spent most of her life and moves to New York. Schmidt, played by Ellie Kemper, unleashes her wide-eyed innocence on modern life in the Big City. This show’s sharp writing, and amazing performances set it way above most comedy. If you like funny things, you’ll love this one.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (2017)

The original MST3K, a long-running, bad-movie-watching marathon, was pulled from obscurity by its fans via a Kickstarter. The Return breathes fresh life into the old formula courtesy of a new cast that includes Patton Oswalt, Jonah Ray, and Felicia Day. The plot (mad scientists imprison a guy to make him watch bad movies with wise-cracking robots) is really just an excuse for hilarious jokes at the expense of terrible films. Not every joke is a winner, but so many of them are that it becomes addictive. Mystery Science Theater 3000: the Return is the kind of show you settle into like a comfy couch.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

A federal judge ruled today that Florida cannot enforce a law that requires social media platforms to block kids from using their platforms. The state law “is likely unconstitutional,” US Judge Mark Walker of the Northern District of Florida ruled while granting the tech industry’s request for a preliminary injunction.

The Florida law “prohibits some social media platforms from allowing youth in the state who are under the age of 14 to create or hold an account on their platforms, and similarly prohibits allowing youth who are 14 or 15 to create or hold an account unless a parent or guardian provides affirmative consent for them to do so,” Walker wrote.

The law is subject to intermediate scrutiny under the First Amendment, meaning it must be “narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest,” must “leave open ample alternative channels for communication,” and must not “burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government’s legitimate interests,” the ruling said.

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A deck-building game with soulslike elements is an odd genre mashup, to say the least. But that’s what the three-person Danish studio The Outer Zone is creating with Death Howl. The second demo for the indie PC title launches next week on Steam.

The unusual blend of genres isn’t the game’s only hallmark. Death Howl also has a gorgeous art style and music to match its rich themes. You play as Ro, a hunter from a small tribe, who is grieving her son’s death. Mystical voices beckon her toward a spirit realm as she tries to bring him back. Ro’s adventure leads her on a journey of “love, loss and the slow path toward acceptance.”

The game’s deck-based combat will unlock various melee and ranged spell attacks. As you progress, you’ll craft cards built around your preferred tactical style. Meanwhile, shamanic totems will enhance your deck and buff up your strikes.

The Outer Zone / 11 Bit Studios

What makes it soulslike, besides being hard? Publisher 11 Bit Studios offered some insight on Reddit. “Initially, we thought about a different label for Death Howl,” the publisher wrote. “But as we played it more and brought in random testers, we noticed something surprising. The game, despite not being an action RPG, does feel like a soulslike. It evoked emotions similar to what you experience in a soulslike.” Meanwhile, the game’s difficulty reveals itself most in boss battles and side quests.

Death Howl doesn’t arrive until sometime later this year. But the second demo will be playable from June 9 to 16. Head to the game’s Steam page to check it out. In the meantime, you can watch its new trailer below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-gorgeous-indie-game-death-howl-will-have-a-new-demo-on-june-9-205057519.html?src=rss

TikTok is giving users more options to personalize their For You feeds, so you can see more of what you want and less of what you don’t. The platform is rolling out “Manage Topics,” a new feature that piloted in the U.S. last year and is now available to users globally.

How “Manage Topics” changes your TikTok feed

With Manage Topics, TikTok users can adjust how often they want to see content related to popular topics in their For You feed—some examples include creative arts, dance, travel, food & drinks, and health & fitness. According to the announcement explaining the update, changing your preferences won’t eliminate topics entirely, but it will affect how often related content is recommended over time.

If you do want to restrict certain types of content, you can use TikTok’s new AI-powered Smart Keyword Filtering, which builds on existing keyword filters to limit content based on synonyms or related words found in captions, hashtags, and descriptions. You’ll also be able to select or deselect specific keywords identified by the AI filter.

Of course, TikTok has a range of other features for customizing your For You feed, including liking, following, and searching content to adjust what the algorithm shows you. You can also turn on Restricted Mode or mute accounts you don’t want to see.

How to update Manage Topics

To personalize your topics, go to Settings > Content preferences > Manage topics (or tap Share on any post in your feed and select Why this video > Adjust your For You > Manage Topics.) You see a list of topics with slider bars, which you can adjust to see less or more of that type of content. TikTok will also show you a pop-up describing the content typically included in that topic. Then hit Save to confirm your preferences.

In 1979, Atari released the Atari 400 and 800, groundbreaking home computers that included custom graphics and sound chips, four joystick ports, and the ability to run the most advanced home video games of their era. These machines, which retailed for $549 and $999, respectively, represented a leap in consumer-friendly personal computing, with their modular design and serial I/O bus that presaged USB. Now, 46 years later, a hobbyist has shrunk down the system hardware to a size that would have seemed like science fiction in the 1970s.

Polish engineer Piotr “Osa” Ostapowicz recently unveiled “Atarino,” which may be the world’s smallest 8-bit Atari computer re-creation, according to retro computing site Atariteca. The entire system—processor, graphics chips, sound hardware, and memory controllers—fits on a module measuring just 2×1.5 centimeters (about 0.79×0.59 inches), which is roughly the size of a postage stamp.

Ostapowicz’s creation reimplements the classic Atari XL/XE architecture using modern FPGA (field-programmable gate array) technology. Unlike software emulators that simulate old hardware (and modern recreations that run them, like the Atari 400 Mini console) on a complete computer system of another architecture, Atarino reproduces the original Atari components faithfully at the logic level, allowing it to run vintage software while maintaining compatibility with original peripherals.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Latin Times: A once-hyped AI startup backed by Microsoft has filed for bankruptcy after it was revealed that its so-called artificial intelligence was actually hundreds of human workers in India pretending to be chatbots. Builder.ai, a London-based company previously valued at $1.5 billion, marketed its platform as an AI-powered solution that made building apps as simple as ordering pizza. Its virtual assistant, “Natasha,” was supposed to generate software using artificial intelligence. In reality, nearly 700 engineers in India were manually coding customer requests behind the scenes, the Times of India reported.

The ruse began to collapse in May when lender Viola Credit seized $37 million from the company’s accounts, uncovering that Builder.ai had inflated its 2024 revenue projections by 300%. An audit revealed the company generated just $50 million in revenue, far below the $220 million it claimed to investors. A Wall Street Journal report from 2019 had already questioned Builder.ai’s AI claims, and a former executive sued the company that same year for allegedly misleading investors and overstating its technical capabilities. Despite that, the company raised over $445 million from big names including Microsoft and the Qatar Investment Authority. Builder.ai’s collapse has triggered a federal investigation in the U.S., with prosecutors in New York requesting financial documents and customer records.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Everyone knows that a lottery is a tax on people who can’t do math—your odds of ever winning are laughably low. That doesn’t stop a lot of people from playing, whether it’s the occasional scratcher for fun or an organized effort to win a billion bucks or so.

But a lottery is just a system of collecting entry fees and awarding a prize—a price that doesn’t have to be money. Sometimes the best and most equitable way to award something, sell something, or give access to something is a lottery, because it leaves everything up to chance, removing bias—and because it can actually be a more profitable way to transfer property than through a straightforward sale. Here are some of the coolest lotteries where you won’t win any cash.

Liquor

You might not think you’d need a lottery to buy whiskey, a product that’s available in most places at relatively reasonable prices. But what about rare and expensive whiskies? A bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Years Old will run you thousands of dollars at a store, for example—but this year the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board holds a lottery of limited-release whiskies, and the 2025 lottery included the chance to buy a bottle for just $400.

Other states have similar lotteries for rare liquors—Ohio holds an annual Bottle Lottery in the fall, and the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority holds one every year as well. These lotteries aren’t restricted to whiskey—tequilas and other spirits are often included—but they all operate similarly: Winners get the chance to purchase extremely rare and pricey bottles at heavy discounts.

A house

If you’ve thought about buying a house recently, you may have noticed that they are a bit expensive—housing prices have risen 30% in five years, on average. One solution might be to win a house in a lottery.

This is a thing that actually happens. Recently, a woman in Ireland put her house up in a lottery using the site Raffall.com. She charged people $7 per ticket, figuring she’d actually make more from ticket sales than she would from a traditional sale—and it seems to have worked, as an American woman won the lottery, and the house.

Other house lotteries pop up from time to time—the CHEO Foundation holds an annual lottery that includes a “dream home,” for example, and in some communities, lotteries are being used to help people afford houses. In Uniondale, N.Y., for example, the Uniondale Community Land Trust uses a lottery to sell houses in the town—though the house isn’t free. The final price tag is determined by the lottery winner’s income, though it’s expected to be about one-third of market value. And Newark, N.J. recently held a lottery to sell homes for just $1.

Fireflies

If you’ve never lived in an area where fireflies thrive—or if you live in an area where the fireflies have vanished—you know how cool they are. If you want the chance to see some truly spectacular firefly displays out in nature, however, you’ll need to enter a lottery to win the chance.

Every year some national parks hold lotteries to grant a limited number of people access to prime firefly viewing. The Great Smoky Mountains Firefly Viewing Lottery is held every year for dates in late May and early June when the bugs’ mating season is in high gear. Similarly, Congaree National Park hosts firefly events around the same time of year. Access to both events is granted through a lottery.

Some state parks are getting in on the firefly action as well—this year Lamar Alexander Rocky Form State Park in Tennessee launched its own lottery to view nature’s tiny light show.

Outdoor activities

Keeping our natural wonders clean and well-maintained typically means restricting access. Too many visitors to national parks and protected wilderness areas leads to erosion, damage, and pollution. Since the best way to lessen the damage is to restrict the number of people with access, lotteries are often used to limit access in an equitable way. A few examples of outdoor activities you won’t be able to experience unless you win a lottery include:

• The challenging Half Dome hike in Yosemite National Park requires a permit you can only get via lottery.

• Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon can only be done if you get a permit via lottery.

• Hiking the Left Form North Creek (aka the Subway Hike) canyon requires winning a seasonal lottery.

You can check recreation.gov for open lotteries if you don’t have a specific plan in mind; if something is managed via lottery, it’s probably pretty special.

Broadway shows

Broadway Shows remain an exciting experience for both native New Yorkers and tourists—and an expensive one. The average ticket price for a Broadway show is about $119, and nothing is getting any cheaper. Even if you live in or near New York, the cost of seeing a show could easily be $1,000 depending on how many people are going and other details.

If that’s too rich for your blood, you can always try the lottery. Individual shows frequently hold ticket lotteries (Hamilton is probably one of the best-known, offering $10 tickets to all performances), so doing a little research on the shows you want to see might reveal a chance to win. The site Broadway Direct maintains a listing of open lotteries you can enter as well.

Winning a lottery is always a thrill—but since winning huge amounts of money isn’t the slam dunk of happiness and problem-solving you might think it is, winning a non-cash prize in one of these lotteries is probably a better experience.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney anticipated his company’s battle with Apple would create “fireworks,” but he never expected Fortnite to disappear from the iOS App Store for nearly five years. When Epic deliberately violated App Store rules in 2020 by inserting its own payment system into Fortnite, Sweeney thought the resulting legal clash would be brief. “I had actually hoped that we would get an injunction against Apple blocking Fortnite and that we’d only be off for a few weeks,” Sweeney told The Verge. “But the court process dragged out, and we were off for five years.”

Fortnite returned to iOS last month and has quickly reclaimed its position as the top free game in the App Store, accumulating roughly 10 million downloads since May 20th. The game now offers players a choice between Epic’s payment system, which provides 20% back in Epic Rewards, and Apple’s traditional in-app purchase system. About 60% of users have chosen Apple’s system while 40% have opted for Epic’s alternative, according to Sweeney. He expects that ratio to shift toward Epic’s system as more players associate payment methods with their Epic accounts.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In a modified version of the Stanford marshmallow experiment (in which children were told they would receive a second marshmallow if they could avoid eating a first for a certain period of time), researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory at the University of Chicago have determined that cuttlefish can pass delayed gratification tests. This puts them in the ranks of humans and other primates, dogs, and some birds. Of course the experiment’s design seems flawed to me because they used a piece of far less desirable raw shrimp as the instant gratification reward, and a much more appetizing live shrimp as the delayed gratification reward. What cuttlefish wouldn’t be more attracted to a dinner that’s still moving? This isn’t hibachi, the chef isn’t about to flip a piece of shrimp into my mom’s hair. Also, just for the record, I have zero tolerance for delayed gratification. I will eat that first marshmallow as soon as you set it down and fight you for the second while I’m chewing.

If you have your PayPal account linked to your Google Wallet for purchases, you need to update your payment method ASAP. Google is ending its support for PayPal integration, and users in the U.S. will see their PayPal accounts and transaction histories deleted from their digital wallets on June 13.

That means that Google Wallet users will need to replace PayPal with an alternative payment method. If you have recurring payments, such as subscriptions, set up with a linked PayPal account, you’ll also need to go to the individual merchant site to manually update your payment information.

Connecting PayPal to Google Wallet allowed users to maintain and manage their cards and bank accounts centrally in PayPal rather than separately in their digital wallets. Google had already stopped new PayPal links as of April 11, though users were still able to pay via previously connected PayPal accounts from their Google Wallet.

Note that Google Wallet will support PayPal-branded debit cards, and full PayPal integration will still be available for Google Wallet users in Germany.

How to update your payment method in Google Wallet

To continue using Google Wallet after the PayPal integration ends, you need to have at least one credit or debit card added to your Google account.

To add a card, open the Google Wallet app and tap Add to Wallet at the bottom of the screen. Tap Payment card > New credit or debit card and either add the card information manually or use your camera to do so automatically. Tap Save and continue > Accept after reading the issuer terms and conditions. You may need to verify the payment method—via email, text, bank app, or temporary deposit, for example—to complete the link.

Alternatively, you can add cards from your bank’s app or website if “Add to GPay” is supported.

Reddit will now allow its users to do something it never before has permitted: to selectively “curate” their public-facing profiles by hiding some of their posting and commenting activity from other users.

Up to now, Reddit has included users’ full commenting and posting activity in profiles. So while most users are anonymous, others could easily check out their post history and see what communities they’re active in. The feature, which many users see as a key part of Reddit’s openness, has helped Redditors ferret out trolling, lying and numerous other types of bad (or merely embarrassing) behavior on the platform.

With the update, however, Reddit users will be able to “curate” their profile. The additional control will allow people to hide all their public posts and comments from their profile or hide public posts and comments in specific subreddits from their profiles. There is also a “NSFW” toggle, which would hide posts and comments in NSFW subreddits. The setting won’t hide a comment or post in the subreddit where it originally appeared, but it won’t be visible on a user’s profile.

The company notes that there will be some carveouts to these settings for moderators, who may rely on users’ past activity to suss out rule-breakers or decide who is eligible to join their community. “If you post, comment, send modmail, request to be an approved poster, or request to join a private subreddit, that mod team will have access to your full profile content history for 28 days after the interaction – regardless of your settings,” Reddit says in an FAQ.

Reddit

Despite that concession, many Redditors aren’t exactly happy about the changes, which could alter some of the core dynamics of the platform. “This seems like it’s going to lead to bad actors being able to more easily hide their behavior from the average user,” one of the most-upvoted comments on Reddit’s post says. “Unless you’re a mod, you won’t be able to see that they’re posting inflammatory misinformation across a dozen different subs, for instance.”

Others have noted the feature also means that creating an alt or throwaway account is somewhat less necessary, as it’s easier to hide posts you don’t want linked to your presence on the app. While that may be an added convenience for some, it also raises questions about the company’s approach to making new accounts. During the company’s most recent earnings call, CEO Steve Huffman suggested that Reddit was considering ways to “evolve” its “historically permissive account creation” process. Huffman didn’t elaborate on what that may look like, but said changes would be necessary to fight AI-powered “abuse or manipulation” of the platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-let-you-hide-posts-comments-and-nsfw-activity-from-your-public-profile-191956773.html?src=rss

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This year, Global Running Day is on June 4. Like most unofficial holidays, it is a day not only about celebrating our shared love of running—it’s also an excuse for brands to roll out deals and promotions on everything from shoes, to gear, to race registrations.

Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first real pair of running shoes or a veteran runner planning your next big race, it’s worth checking out the sales and discounts on offer before you stock up on gear or register for that half-marathon. I’ve scoured the web for this year’s best deals, found below, so you can celebrate Global Running Day with a fatter wallet (just don’t let it weigh you down during your next run).

Race registration deals for Global Running Day 2025

You might think you’ll never get into running organized races. I was like you, once: a casual runner who scoffed at the idea of paying money to run. Then I was coerced into running a 5k for charity. Then I experienced the high of crossing the finish line. Now, six marathons later, I understand why people budget races into their life. Because once you enter the world of racing, costs can quickly add up.

If you want to save on signup fees, Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series is hosting a 24-hour sale on race registrations, and offering some of the best prices of the year. These aren’t just any races—Rock ‘n’ Roll events are known for their incredible atmosphere, live music on the course, and post-race celebrations that make crossing the finish line even sweeter.

The timing couldn’t be better if you’re looking to sign up for a fall marathon or half-marathon. These races typically sell out, and with savings that can reach up to $130 off regular pricing, it’s worth checking out their destination events if you’re planning a run-cation. Think locales like Las Vegas, San Diego, Nashville, and Washington D.C. The sale starts June 4 at 12 a.m. PT.

The best Global Running Day sales on running shoes and gear

As someone who goes through two to three pairs of running shoes per year, I’ve learned to time my purchases well. I’ve done some digging, and can report there are significant discounts taking place in the running world right now, even if the shoe sales aren’t always explicitly tied to Global Running Day.

Running shoe sales

I’m a huge advocate for Saucony in general, and specifically the Ride 18 model, so I always speak up when they’re on sale. Light, soft, and responsive, these were my shoes of choice when I ran the NYC Marathon in 2023, and you can find them for a good discount at the moment.

Saucony Women’s Ride 18

$139.95
at Amazon

$139.95
at Amazon

Saucony Men’s Ride 18

$139.95
at Amazon

$139.95
at Amazon

Alternately, the HOKA Clifton 10 is perfect for runners seeking a comfortable running shoe that seamlessly transitions to casual wear. Right now, they are available for as low as $147.86 (women’s) and $149.18 (men’s).

Sales on running gear and Garmin fitness watches

Speaking of Hoka, their site has a “Global Running Day “tag filled with offers on shoes, shirts, and caps. Amazon similarly has a Global Running Day sale, and although it’s skimpy, it does feature a selection of lightweight shoes available for under $100.

There are also solid deals on running watches right now—specifically the Garmin Forerunners, aka the best dedicated running watches on the market. Here are the strongest deals I’ve seen as of this writing:

• The Forerunner 265 is $349.99 (down from $449.99)

• The Forerunner 255 is $299 (down from $399.99)

• The Forerunner 955 is $369.99 (down from $499.99)

Garmin Forerunner 265

$349.99
at Amazon

$449.99
Save $100.00

$349.99
at Amazon

$449.99
Save $100.00

Digital motivation and community

I do this one every year: Visit globalrunningday.org to sign up for the official NYRR Virtual Global Running Day 5K so you can “run with the world.” There’s something incredibly motivating about knowing runners across the globe are lacing up their shoes for the same celebration. Plus, it feels good to be part of all those names on the Strava leaderboard.

You can run the virtual 5K anywhere, anytime between May 31 and June 8. Race results will be available on the NYRR Results site and in your NYRR dashboard by Thursday, June 12.

My shopping strategy for maximizing my savings on running gear

Having navigated countless running sales over the years, I want to share my approach for scoring a deal: prioritize shoes first (they’re your most important and expensive piece of gear), then look for discounts on upcoming races you want to register for, and finally browse deals for gear and other items you’ve been putting off purchasing. In general, keep an eye out for curated packages from specialty running stores—they often provide great value and introduce you to products you might not have discovered otherwise.

Don’t get caught up in buying something just because it’s on sale. Stick to brands and models you’ve researched or used and loved before. The key is knowing what you need and acting quickly—the best deals tend to sell out fast, especially in popular sizes and colors. Set those alarms for early morning shopping, just like you would for a long training run.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some online shopping to do before I head out to log my Global Running Day miles.

Microsoft cut hundreds more jobs just weeks after its largest layoff in years, underscoring the tech industry’s efforts to trim costs even as it plows billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. From a report: More than 300 employees were told their positions had been eliminated on Monday, according to a Washington state notice reviewed by Bloomberg.

The cuts impacted a range of positions, including software engineers, marketers, product managers, lawyers and research scientists, a state document showed. A Microsoft spokesperson said the latest headcount reduction is in addition to the 6,000 job cuts announced last month.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.