Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created what they believe is the largest single piece of lab-grown meat to date: a chicken nugget-sized chunk measuring 7 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide, and 2.25 centimeters thick, weighing 11 grams. The breakthrough, reported today in Trends in Biotechnology, uses an artificial circulatory system to overcome a fundamental limitation in cultured meat production.

The team, led by biohybrid system engineer Shoji Takeuchi, grew cells around a network of semipermeable hollow fibers — similar to those used in water filters and dialysis machines — that deliver nutrients and oxygen throughout the tissue. Unlike most commercial approaches that produce tiny meat fragments later assembled with binders or scaffolds, this method creates a single coherent piece with more natural structure and texture.

This is the first working model using tubes to grow muscle tissue into a thick slab, according to Mark Post, chief science officer at Mosa Meat, who created the world’s first lab-grown hamburger in 2013. Significant hurdles remain before commercialization. The hollow fibers aren’t edible and must be manually removed. Researchers are exploring automating this process or creating edible alternatives using cellulose.

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Discord has begun testing age verification via facial scans or ID uploads for users in the UK and Australia seeking access to sensitive content. “The chat app’s new process has been described as an ‘experiment,’ and comes in response to laws passed in those countries that place guardrails on youth access to online platforms,” reports Gizmodo. From the report: Users may be asked to verify their age when encountering content that has been flagged by Discord’s systems as being sensitive in nature, or when they change their settings to enable access to sensitive content. The app will ask users to scan their face through a computer or smartphone webcam; alternatively, they can scan a driver’s license or other form of ID. “We’re currently running tests in select regions to age-gate access to certain spaces or user settings,” a spokesperson for Discord said in a statement. “The information shared to power the age verification method is only used for the one-time age verification process and is not stored by Discord or our vendor. For Face Scan, the solution our vendor uses operates on-device, which means there is no collection of any biometric information when you scan your face. For ID verification, the scan of your ID is deleted upon verification.”

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: As part of the company’s months-long obsession with catching employees leaking internal developments to the press, staff at WordPress parent company Automattic recently noticed individually-unique watermarks on internal sites, according to employees who spoke to 404 Media. Automattic added the watermarks to an internal employee communications platform called P2. P2 is a WordPress product other workplaces can also use. There are hundreds of P2 sites across teams at Automattic alone; many are team-specific, but some are company-wide for announcements. The watermarks in Automattic’s P2 instance are nearly invisible, rendered as a pattern overlaid on the site’s white page backgrounds. Zooming in or manually changing the background color reveals the pattern. If, for example, a journalist published a screenshot leaked to them that was taken from P2, Automattic could theoretically identify the employee who shared it.

In October, as part of a series of buyout offers meant to test employee’s loyalty to his leadership, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg issued a threat for anyone speaking to the press, saying they should “exit gracefully, or be fired tomorrow with no severance.” Earlier this month, the company laid off nearly 300 people. […] It’s not clear when the watermarks started appearing on P2, and Automattic has not responded to a request for comment. But Mullenweg has been warring with web hosting platform WP Engine — and as the story has developed, seemingly with his own staff — since last year. […] One Automattic employee told me they don’t think anyone is shocked by the watermarking, considering Mullenweg’s ongoing campaign to find leakers, but that it’s still adding to the uncertain, demoralized environment at the company. “Can’t help but feel even more paranoid now,” they said.

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For the first time — and despite fears that it might never happen — nations have agreed a series of measures to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics. Nature: The terms of the first global pandemic accord were still being hashed out at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, up until the early hours of 16 April. “This is a definitive moment in the history of global health,” says Lawrence Gostin, a specialist in health law and policy at Georgetown University in Washington DC, who followed the negotiations closely. The accord “sets out some very important norms to keep the world safe,” he says.

The accord was agreed without the United States, which withdrew from the pandemic treaty the day that President Trump was inaugurated. This reduces its power, says Gostin, but is also a source of strength. “Instead of collapsing in the face of President Trump’s assault on global health, the world came together.” The treaty is not perfect but represents a major achievement, says Michelle Childs, policy advocacy director at the non-profit organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative in Geneva. “People didn’t think that they’d get to this stage of agreeing at all.”

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After over 40 years in operation, the last RadioShack store in Maryland is closing. Store manager Cindy Henning, who worked there for three decades, reflected on the joy of helping customers and the legacy left by late owner Michael King: Henning told WTOP she’s going to miss it dearly. She’s worked there for three decades. “We would have a lot of fun. That was half of our day was to have fun with people and show them how electronics work,” Henning said. It was owned and operated by longtime local resident Michael King, who passed away at the end of January at the age of 79. His son Edward has taken over as owner. “It’s the end of an era,” he said.

King said his grandfather owned a TV repair shop in the ’50s and then his dad worked with him. They started carrying RadioShack products and grew to franchise three stores in Maryland. The RadioShack franchise first declared bankruptcy in 2015. King said they used the RadioShack name, but they don’t have a warehouse in the U.S., so they were buying product from other wholesalers and selling it. “It was fun while it lasted, but it’s not the same anymore,” King said. “I know my dad realized that.” The store’s last day is Saturday, April 26.

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On Wednesday, OpenAI announced the release of two new models—o3 and o4-mini—that combine simulated reasoning capabilities with access to functions like web browsing and coding. These models mark the first time OpenAI’s reasoning-focused models can use every ChatGPT tool simultaneously, including visual analysis and image generation.

OpenAI announced o3 in December, and until now, only less capable derivative models named “o3-mini” and “03-mini-high” have been available. However, the new models replace their predecessors—o1 and o3-mini.

OpenAI is rolling out access today for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, with Enterprise and Edu customers gaining access next week. Free users can try o4-mini by selecting the “Think” option before submitting queries. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted that “we expect to release o3-pro to the pro tier in a few weeks.”

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According to Bloomberg (paywalled), OpenAI is in talks to buy AI-assisted coding tool Windsurf for about $3 billion. “The deal would be OpenAI’s largest to date, the terms of which have not yet been finalized,” notes Reuters. From a report: Windsurf was in talks with investors such as Kleiner Perkins and General Catalyst to raise funding at a $3 billion valuation, the report added. It closed a $150 million funding round led by General Catalyst last year, valuing it at $1.25 billion.

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If you have a smartphone running Android 12 that can’t upgrade past that version, I have some bad news: Google is dropping support for your phone.

RIP Android 12

As spotted by Android Authority, Google is no longer seeding security updates for devices running Android 12 and Android 12L. The company omitted the Android version from its April 2025 Android Security Bulletin, which notes security vulnerabilities Google has identified and patched, and as well as which versions of Android receive those patches. The company highlights Android 13, 14, and 15 across a number of different vulnerabilities, but not Android 12.

The outlet isn’t basing this news off these omissions alone: Android Authority reports that Google dropped support for Android 12 and 12L as of March 31, based on a source that says the company ended security patch backports for those versions on that date. Backporting is when a developer takes a security patch from a newer version of software and adds it to an older version of that software. It seems Google had been doing that for Android 12 from newer versions of Android, but as of the end of March, has stopped.

Google hasn’t said exactly why it is ending support for Android 12 at this time, but it almost assuredly has to do with the OS’ age. The company released the version (codenamed Snow Cone) back in October of 2021. It was a relatively big update for Android, notably introducing “Material You” to devices for the first time. Material You significantly changed the look of Android, adjusting UI elements, app icons, and applying a universal theme based on the colors of your wallpaper. The update also included a number of privacy settings as well as a handful of new gesture controls. According to Android Authority, Google stops most Android OS backporting around three and a half years after release, so this timing tracks.

Is your device affected?

The biggest issue here is that there are a lot of devices out there running Android 12. Statcounter says nearly 12.5% of Android phones around the globe are running this version, while 9.14% of Android users in the United States are running it. Blacklinko claims there are more than three billion Android phones active across the world, which means there could be more than 370 million Android phones out there about to lose security updates.

If your Android phone can’t update past Android 12, it might be time to upgrade. Sure, you can live without new Android features, but security updates are vital. Inevitably, someone will discover security flaws within Android that affect Android 12, but since Google is no longer backporting patches to this version, those flaws will go unpatched. As such, bad actors can exploit those flaws in targeted attacks, leaving you vulnerable.

If you’re looking for a new Android smartphone, Lifehacker’s sister site PCMag has a list of its favorite Android phones for 2025. If you opt for a new Google or Samsung phone, know that these company guarantee seven years of software and security support. If you buy a Pixel 9a today, for example, you won’t have to worry about a similar situation until 2032.

Should the city of Houston, which proudly bills itself as “Space City,” have a prized Space Shuttle orbiter on public display?

More than a decade ago, arguably, the answer was yes. After all, the Space Shuttle program was managed from Johnson Space Center, in southeastern Houston. All the astronauts who flew on the shuttle trained there. And the vehicle was operated out of Mission Control at the Houston-based facility.

But when the final decisions were being made to distribute the shuttles 15 years ago, the Houston community dragged its feet on putting together a competitive proposal. There were also questions about the ability of Space Center Houston to raise funding to house the shuttle within a new display area, which magnified concerns that the historical vehicle, like a Saturn V rocket before it, would be left outside in the region’s humid environment. Finally, other cities offered better proposals for displaying the shuttles to the public.

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American Airlines has announced plans to finally offer free Wi-Fi on flights. The company said that its AT&T-sponsored program will start offering free, high-speed Wi-Fi “across more than 2 million American flights per year” in January 2026.

To be able to access free Wi-Fi you’ll have to be a member of American’s AAdvantage loyalty program, but once you’re signed up, all you’ll need to do is log in to access the internet. Wi-Fi will be offered on planes with “Viasat and Intelsat high-speed satellite connectivity”, according to American, which includes 90 percent of the airline’s fleet. “American is also on pace to outfit more than 500 regional aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of 2025,” the company says.

Nearly every major US-based airline offer some kind of free Wi-Fi program, and they’re all able to do so thanks to satellite connectivity. United started using Starlink for Wi-Fi earlier this year, and both Hawaiian Airlines and Delta ran tests with SpaceX’s satellite internet service back in 2022. Delta ultimately went with Viasat for its T-Mobile-sponsored Wi-Fi program in 2023, with the same loyalty program requirement as American Airlines.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/american-airlines-will-provide-inflight-wi-fi-for-free-starting-next-year-211243870.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Google on Wednesday said it suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts on its platform in 2024 — more than triple the number from the previous year — in its latest crackdown on ad fraud. By leveraging large language models (LLMs) and using signals such as business impersonation and illegitimate payment details, the search giant said it could suspend a “vast majority” of ad accounts before they ever served an ad.

Last year, Google launched over 50 LLM enhancements to improve its safety enforcement mechanisms across all its platforms. “While these AI models are very, very important to us and have delivered a series of impressive improvements, we still have humans involved throughout the process,” said Alex Rodriguez, a general manager for Ads Safety at Google, in a virtual media roundtable. The executive told reporters that a team of over 100 experts assembled across Google, including members from the Ads Safety team, the Trust and Safety division, and researchers from DeepMind. “In total, Google said it blocked 5.1 billion ads last year and removed 1.3 billion pages,” adds TechCrunch. “In comparison, it blocked over 5.5 billion ads and took action against 2.1 billion publisher pages in 2023. The company also restricted 9.1 billion ads last year, it said.”

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Zoom went down for many of its users this afternoon. People began experiencing issues with video conferencing service over the past few hours, peaking at more than 60,000 reports on DownDetector. Zoom shared an update acknowledging the problems and posted on X that “a restore is underway.” Around 5PM ET, the company stated that normal service has resumed. 

On the down side, people may have been unable to connect to their meetings and calls during the workday. On the positive side, people may have been unable to connect to their meetings and calls during the workday.

It’s been a bad day for online services, as Spotify went down for several hours earlier today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/zoom-is-back-up-after-outages-this-afternoon-210704980.html?src=rss

The Trump administration plans to kill the free tax filing program operated by the Internal Revenue Service, the Associated Press reported today, citing two anonymous sources.

The IRS launched Direct File in a pilot for the 2024 tax filing season. It was available to taxpayers in 12 states last year, and was available in 25 states this year. The program’s website says the filing tool will be open until October 15 for people who obtained deadline extensions, but it hasn’t been updated to account for the plan to end Direct File.

“The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administration as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have slashed their way through the federal government,” the AP article said. “Musk posted in February on his social media site, X, that he had ‘deleted’ 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.”

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May the Fourth is upon us, and Disney+ of course has a lineup of Star Wars premieres to celebrate. First is Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, a Lucasfilm Animation sequel to 2022’s Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and 2024’s Star Wars: Tales of the Empire. The new mini-series tells the stories of bounty hunter and former assassin Asajj Ventress and outlaw Cad Bane. Disney+ will also have two P.O.V. experiences from Disneyland: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Aside from Star Wars, May will bring Tucci in Italy (May 19), a new National Geographic miniseries combining travel and food with actor Stanley Tucci in, well, Italy. Lastly, Disney+ will be wrapping up seasons of both Andor and Doctor Who, with the finales set for May 13 at 6 p.m. ET and May 31 at 11 a.m. PT, respectively.

Here’s everything coming to Disney+ in May.

Disney Plus series with new episodes weekly in May 2025

• Andor (Season 2)—Disney+ Original, new episodes on Tuesdays through May 13

• Doctor Who (Season 2)—new episodes on Saturdays through May 31

Movies and complete series/seasons coming to Disney Plus in May 2025

Arriving May 1

• Rise Up, Sing Out (Shorts) (S2, 7 episodes)

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Arriving May 2

• Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols (S1, 6 episodes)

Arriving May 4

• Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge | Disneyland® Resort

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance | Disneyland® Resort

Arriving May 7

• Broken Karaoke (S3, 2 episodes)

• Firebuds (S2, 2 episodes)

• Hamster & Gretel (S2, 12 episodes)

• Big City Greens (S4, 1 episode—100th)

Arriving May 9

• History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning (S1, 8 episodes)

• The Toys That Built America (S3, 12 episodes)

• The UnXplained (S7, 6 episodes)

• WWE Rivals (S2, 10 episodes)

• WWE Rivals (S4, 6 episodes)

Arriving May 19

• Tucci in Italy

Arriving May 20

• Minnie’s Bow-Toons: Pet Hotel (S1, 5 episodes)

Arriving May 28

• Me & Winnie the Pooh (S2, 6 episodes)

• Playdate with Winnie the Pooh (S2, 5 episodes)

Arriving May 31

• How Not to Draw (S3, 4 episodes)

Hulu + ESPN content coming to Disney+ in May 2025

As in previous months, Disney+ subscribers will also have access to select content from Hulu and ESPN. This includes live sports like Day 1 of PGA TOUR LIVE events, an NWSL match, and UFC 315 Prelims. Here’s a sampling of what else is coming to Disney+:

• A Thousand Blows

• 9-1-1: Lonestar

• High Potential

• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

• Scandal

• White Collar

• King of the Hill

• Fight Club

• Kingsman: The Secret Service

• Black Swan

• Pardon the Interruption

• The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny

• ESPNFC

• Vince’s Places

• P.K.’s Places

• E60 Once Upon a Time in Anaheim

• No Easy Victories: The 1994 New York Rangers

Sony is jacking up PlayStation Plus prices in Canada. In an email to Engadget’s Kris Holt, the company said the increase would apply to subscribers’ first payments on or after June 24. The price hikes are now live on the PS Plus website for new Canadian subscribers. They vary depending on the tier and billing period but range from 12 to 22 percent higher than they were yesterday.

The new Canadian prices for PS Plus Premium are CA$25 monthly (up from $21), $69 for three months (from $60) and — yikes — $225 for a year (from $190). Meanwhile, Extra members will now pay $21 monthly (from $18), $56 for three months (from $50) and $190 annually (from $155). Finally, Essential subscribers’ prices go up to $14 monthly (from $12), $35 for three months (from $30) and $110 annually (from $95).

Sony

Other countries saw (previously announced) price increases go into effect on Wednesday. These include — deep breath — Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. So far, we haven’t seen or heard of any US or UK price increases.

The company didn’t mention the elephant in the room — tariffs — in its email, instead justifying the price increase in vague terms. “This is necessary to enable us to continue bringing you high-quality games and benefits,” it stated.

But in a blog post last week announcing similar rate hikes in other countries, Sony perhaps hinted at the “T” word. “Like many businesses around the world, we continue to be impacted by global market conditions and will be adjusting our local prices for PlayStation Plus,” Game Services Director Adam Michel wrote.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-raises-playstation-plus-prices-in-canada-205342723.html?src=rss