Now that Apple has finally brought OLED to the iPad in the form of the most recent iPad Pro, its next goal seems to be foldables. The big news on the horizon is the foldable iPhone, which The Information first reported on way back in 2024, saying the company hopes to have a foldable iPhone on the market in 2026. But according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone maker is also working towards releasing a foldable iPad, originally rumored to be coming by 2028. Since those reports, others have come forward with supposed design leaks and potential release dates, and now we’ve got a pretty good idea of what Apple’s first foldable devices might look like.

The foldable iPhone’s design, release window, and price

Way back when the iPhone Fold (or whatever Apple will call it) was first being discussed, the Wall Street Journal said it’ll have a bigger screen than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Since then, others had speculated that it might look like two iPhone Airs side-by-side. But now, we’ve got a much better idea about the specifics, including a price.

In a new post on Chinese social media site Weibo today, leaker Instant Digital laid out several key details about the iPhone Fold’s design. Previously, Instant Digital had leaked details about the iPhone 17, which all turned out to be correct. It’s unclear what these leaks’ sources are, but as far as rumors go, Instant Digital has a decent track record.

Via a machine translation, the post says that the iPhone Fold will feature an “elegant internal stacking structure” and will be thin enough to “shock the industry.” More concretely, the post also said that all buttons are being moved to the right side of the phone, as that’s where the phone’s motherboard will be. That means the volume buttons would be on the top-right of the device, while the camera and power buttons will be on the right side of the device. If that sounds cramped to you, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s Galaxy Fold Z 7 also only has buttons on the right side of the device.

Speaking of Samsung’s Galaxy phones, people who dislike the iPhone’s large Dynamic Island should also be happy, as the leaks say the selfie camera is changing to a small pinhole design more akin to what you’d find on Android.

As for how the phone will actually function, internal specs are still a bit up in the air, although yet another leaker named Fixed Focus Digital (no relation) alleged that the iPhone Fold will have a 5,500 mAh battery, which matches a previous rumor from last fall. That’s a bit larger than any iPhone so far, and if the rumor pans out, shows that Apple will use the phone’s extra internal space well.

All of this is, of course, in service of a bigger screen, which we can also nail down a bit now. The most recent leaks, coming from South Korean publication The Elec, say that the iPhone Fold’s outer display will be 5.38 inches and the inner display will be 7.58 inches. That makes the internal screen just a little over half-inch larger than the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max display, although maybe the enhanced portability of folding part of that screen away will help supplement it a bit. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s screen is 8 inches.

In its report, The Elec also expressed concern that Apple might miss its 2026 release target. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo split the difference, saying that the device is likely to be announced in 2026, but that “smooth shipments” may not come until 2027.

Regardless, when the phone does come, it’s expect to cost between $2,100 and $2,500, going by another leak from Instant Digital.

All of this helps us have a much better idea about what to expect, but there’s still plenty of time for changes to be made. For instance, a 2026 release would see the phone come out during an ongoing RAM crisis that could raise prices, although Kuo recently said that, at least for the iPhone 18 series, Apple plans to eat any extra costs rather than pass them on to the consumer.

An iPhone flip?

Even if it gets delayed to next year, the iPhone Fold’s release seems imminent. Much less certain is a potential successor, a clamshell iPhone Flip.

In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple Labs is also now considering a smaller foldable device akin to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or Motorola Razr lines, which are essentially standard, candy bar-shaped phones that can fold once vertically to store away like makeup compacts.

“The product is far from guaranteed to reach the market,” writes the reporter, citing unnamed sources inside Apple. But Gurman says “Apple is betting that its first foldable iPhone will be successful enough to generate real demand” and that “customers will want additional shapes and sizes.”

This is our first time hearing that Apple is interested in additional foldable phones beyond one that opens horizontally like a book. On that note, Gurman also speculated that Apple might also make a larger foldable phone in the future, with a screen closer in size to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. Although, unlike with the flip phone, this appears to simply be a prediction.

The foldable iPad faces a delay

Finally, speaking of larger foldable devices, Gurman has some bad news for iPad fans. While the reporter had previously covered a folding iPad with a rumored 18.8-inch display, following up on predictions from market research firm Omdia, it now seems to be behind schedule.

Earlier, Gurman had said the new iPad would be like “two iPad Pros side-by-side” and wouldn’t feature an external screen. While the expected design hasn’t changed, it seems Apple’s now run into some manufacturing issues. Now, instead of being projected for 2028, the foldable iPad seems more likely to come out in 2029.

Gurman says that’s because of “engineering challenges” with the device’s weight and display technology, so at least skeptics can breathe a sigh of relief that it isn’t due to supply chain issues. As such, pricing is likely to remain unaffected. Granted, the expected price is still likely to be on the high end—Gurman says you’ll likely have to pay around $3,000 for the device.

France may take additional steps to prevent minors from accessing social media platforms. As its government advances a proposed ban on social media use for anyone under age 15, some leaders are already looking to add further restrictions. During an appearance on public broadcast service Franceinfo, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff said VPNs might be the next target. 

“If [this legislation] allows us to protect a very large majority of children, we will continue. And VPNs are the next topic on my list,” she said.

A virtual private network would potentially allow French citizens younger than 15 to circumnavigate the social media ban. We’ve already seen VPN’s experience a popularity spike in the UK last year after similar laws were passed over age-gating content. However, a VPN also offers benefits for online privacy, and introducing age verification requirements where your personal data must be submitted negates a large part of these services’ appeal. 

The French social media ban is still a work in progress. France’s National Assembly voted in favor of the restrictions last week with a result of 116-23, moving it ahead for discussion in the country’s Senate. While a single comment doesn’t mean that France will in fact ban VPNs for any demographic, it does point to the direction some of the country’s leaders want to take. Critics responded to Le Hénanff’s statements with worry that these attempts at protective measures were veering into an authoritarian direction. 

The actions in France echo several other legislative pushes around the world aimed at reducing children and teens’ access to social media and other potentially sensitive content online. The US had seen 25 state-level laws for age verification introduced in the past two years, which has created a new set of concerns around users’ privacy and personal data, particularly when there has been no attempt to standardize how that information will be collected or protected. When data breaches at large corporations are already all too common, it’s hard to trust that the individual sites and services that suddenly need to build an age verification process won’t be an easy target for hacks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/france-might-seek-restrictions-on-vpn-use-in-campaign-to-keep-minors-off-social-media-205308716.html?src=rss

The Trump administration is no fan of renewable energy, but it reserves special ire for wind power. Trump himself has repeatedly made false statements about the cost of wind power, its use around the world, and its environmental impacts. That animosity was paired with an executive order that blocked all permitting for offshore wind and some land-based projects, an order that has since been thrown out by a court that ruled it arbitrary and capricious.

Not content to block all future developments, the administration has also gone after the five offshore wind projects currently under construction. After temporarily blocking two of them for reasons that were never fully elaborated, the Department of the Interior settled on a single justification for blocking turbine installation: a classified national security risk.

The response to that late-December announcement has been uniform: The companies building each of the projects sued the administration. As of Monday, every single one of them has achieved the same result: a temporary injunction that allows them to continue construction. This, despite the fact that the suits were filed in three different courts and heard by four different judges.

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Like practically every other tech company under the sun, Mozilla has been jamming generative AI features into its products. The organization has now acknowledged that not everyone wants things like plagiarism machines chatbots in the Firefox sidebar, so it’s giving you the option to turn off all of that. 

On February 24 (or earlier in Firefox Nightly builds), Mozilla will roll out Firefox 148, which will include an AI controls section in the desktop browser settings. From here, you’ll be able to block current and future generative AI features, or only enable select tools. 

At the jump, you’ll have the option to disable (or enable) chatbots in the sidebar, automated translations and alt text generation for PDFs. You’ll also be able to nix a tool called AI-enhanced tab grouping (which offers suggestions of related tabs and group names), as well as webpage previews that display “key points” before you actually click on a link. If you’d prefer to get rid of all of these — and for Firefox to not bother you with pop-ups and notifications about current and upcoming AI features — just make sure the “Block AI enhancements” toggle is on. 

Perhaps Mozilla has come to realize that, rather than having AI cruft soaking up resources and causing apps to bloat, what many people actually want is a fast, secure and streamlined web browser. At the very least, giving users a way to opt out of features they don’t want is a positive step. Now then, Google, about AI Overviews…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/firefox-will-soon-offer-a-way-to-block-all-of-its-generative-ai-features-203132958.html?src=rss

Infrastructure delivering updates for Notepad++—a widely used text editor for Windows—was compromised for six months by suspected China-state hackers who used their control to deliver backdoored versions of the app to select targets, developers said Monday.

“I deeply apologize to all users affected by this hijacking,” the author of a post published to the official notepad-plus-plus.org site wrote Monday. The post said that the attack began last June with an “infrastructure-level compromise that allowed malicious actors to intercept and redirect update traffic destined for notepad-plus-plus.org.” The attackers, whom multiple investigators tied to the Chinese government, then selectively redirected certain targeted users to malicious update servers where they received backdoored updates. Notepad++ didn’t regain control of its infrastructure until December.

Hands-on keyboard hacking

Notepad++ said that officials with the unnamed provider hosting the update infrastructure consulted with incident responders and found that it remained compromised until September 2. Even then, the attackers maintained credentials to the internal services until December 2, a capability that allowed them to continue redirecting selected update traffic to malicious servers. The threat actor “specifically targeted Notepad++ domain with the goal of exploiting insufficient update verification controls that existed in older versions of Notepad++.” Event logs indicate that the hackers tried to re-exploit one of the weaknesses after it was fixed but that the attempt failed.

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Microsoft is reevaluating its AI strategy on Windows 11 and plans to scale back or remove Copilot integrations across built-in apps after months of sustained user backlash, according to a Windows Central report citing people familiar with the company’s plans.

Copilot features in apps like Notepad and Paint are under review and could be pulled entirely or stripped of their Copilot branding in favor of a more streamlined experience. The company has paused work on adding new Copilot buttons to any other in-box apps. Windows Recall, the screenshot-based search feature delayed by an entire year in 2024 over security and privacy concerns, is separately under review — Microsoft internally considers the current implementation a failure and is exploring ways to rework or rename the feature rather than scrap it entirely, the report said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cracked down on lead-based products—including lead paint and leaded gasoline—in the 1970s because of its toxic effects on human health. Scientists at the University of Utah have analyzed human hair samples spanning nearly 100 years and found a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations, concluding that this regulatory action was highly effective in achieving its stated objectives. They described their findings in a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

We’ve known about the dangers of lead exposure for a very long time—arguably since the second century BCE—so why conduct this research now? Per the authors, it’s because there are growing concerns over the Trump administration’s move last year to deregulate many key elements of the EPA’s mission. Lead specifically has not yet been deregulated, but there are hints that there could be a loosening of enforcement of the 2024 Lead and Cooper rule requiring water systems to replace old lead pipes.

“We should not forget the lessons of history. And the lesson is those regulations have been very important,” said co-author Thure Cerling. “Sometimes they seem onerous and mean that industry can’t do exactly what they’d like to do when they want to do it or as quickly as they want to do it. But it’s had really, really positive effects.”

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When Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, it announced that all users would eventually need to link their devices to a Google account to continue using Fitbit’s features and services. Google initially set a deadline sometime in 2025 for the mandatory migration, then pushed it to February 2, 2026—a date that seemed final at the time. Now, Google has granted yet another extension.

Now, if you’re still using a legacy Fitbit account (an account from before 2021), Google has extended the deadline for migrating Fitbit accounts to Google accounts for the second time, giving users until May 19, 2026, to make the switch.

How to switch over to a Google account

For those who’ve been procrastinating, the migration process itself is straightforward and should only take a few minutes. Google provides step-by-step instructions on the Fitbit support page that walk users through linking their existing Fitbit data to a Google account.

To move your Fitbit account to a Google Account:

1. Open the Fitbit app.

2. Sign in to your Fitbit account.

3. Tap Settings and select Move account.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

During the migration, you can review and make changes to your Fitbit data and setup. After that, you can then manage your Fitbit data from your Google Account settings and the Fitbit app. And if you change your mind, you can cancel until the final step. Again, you have until May 19, 2026, to complete the transition.

It’s worth noting that anyone who created a new Fitbit account or purchased a device in roughly the last two years is already using the Google-based system. The migration requirement only affects users with older, pre-acquisition accounts.

What this means for you

From the start, this news didn’t sit well with everyone, and it still doesn’t sit well now. Many long-time Fitbit aren’t exactly eager to tie their health data to Google’s ecosystem.

For users who refuse to migrate, there’s still an option to preserve or erase your data. Google has set July 15, 2026, as the final date to download or delete your Fitbit account and all associated health information. And if you’re choosing to leave the platform entirely, keep in mind that deleting your data is the safest choice for privacy and security reasons.

There also seems to be general migration issues, like for young Fitbit users. Some parents have reported that Supervised Google accounts—designed for children and teenagers—cannot log into the Fitbit app, creating a roadblock for families who purchased devices for their kids.

Despite the extensions and the complaints, the direction is clear: Google is moving forward with integrating Fitbit into its ecosystem. Whether you embrace the change or walk away from your tracker, the clock is ticking on making that decision.

The ongoing AI-fueled shortages of memory and storage chips has hit RAM kits and SSDs for PC builders the fastest and hardest, meaning it’s likely that, for other products that use these chips, we’ll be seeing price hikes for the entire rest of the year, if not for longer.

The latest price hike news comes courtesy of Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton, who announced today that the company would be raising prices on most of its single-board computers for the second time in two months.

Prices are going up for all Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 boards with 2GB of more of LPDDR4 RAM, including the Compute Module 4 and 5 and the Raspberry Pi 500 computer-inside-a-keyboard. The 2GB boards’ pricing will go up by $10, 4GB boards will go up by $15, 8GB boards will go up by $30, and 16GB boards will increase by a whopping $60.

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Sony’s long-anticipated flagship WF-1000XM6 earbuds have leaked online, according to a report by The Walkman Blog and posts on Reddit. The retailer Power Buy posted a listing for the earbuds, complete with multiple photos and some specs.

Let’s get to the specs. We don’t know a lot, but the listing does suggest the earbuds will boast an IPX4 water-resistance rating and ANC/transparency modes. None of this is all that surprising, though we don’t have any details regarding the audio drivers or anything like that.

The Walkman Blog / Power Buy / Sony

We do know what they look like, assuming the listing is accurate. There are two colorways, black and white, with a pill-shaped design that differs from the previous iterations. The case looks like a standard earbud case.

One interesting design aspect is that the eartips are slightly bigger than with previous models. This could indicate a larger air channel, which would translate to an increased bass response. Earbuds tend to struggle with bass, so this could be a nifty little upgrade.

However, that’s conjecture and we won’t know more until Sony does its own official drop. It’s been well over two years since the company released the WF-1000XM5 earbuds, so the refresh is long overdue.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sonys-flagship-wf-1000xm6-earbuds-have-been-leaked-on-a-retail-site-194146960.html?src=rss

On Friday, a judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the law in forming its Climate Working Group, which released a report that was intended to undercut the rationale behind greenhouse gas regulations. The judge overseeing the case determined that the government tried to treat the Climate Working Group as a formal advisory body, while not having it obey many of the statutory requirements that govern such bodies.

While the Department of Energy (DOE) later disbanded the Climate Working Group in the hopes of avoiding legal scrutiny, documents obtained during the proceedings have now revealed the group’s electronic communications. As such, the judge ruled that the trial itself had essentially overcome the government’s illegal attempts to hide those communications.

Legal and scientific flaws

The whole saga derives from a Supreme Court Ruling that compelled the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate the risks posed to the US public by greenhouse gases. During the Obama administration, this resulted in an endangerment finding that created the foundation for the EPA to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. The science underlying the endangerment finding was so solid that it was left unchallenged during the first Trump administration.

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I love getting things done around the house. I’m not the greatest carpenter, electrician, or plumber, but I like learning how things work and even enjoy learning from my mistakes (sometimes). And most of all, I like saving a bucket of money on home maintenance and repairs. None of this means that DIY isn’t an incredible amount of work, however.

Luckily, living in a consumption-based society means companies are always inventing new gadgets for me to buy, and some of them are incredibly useful for DIYers. The eight tool accessories below are ones I truly recommend. Each can help make your next project a little faster, easier, and/or safer.

A multipail makes painting and cleaning neater

This is one of those simple ideas that seems so obvious it’s hard to believe it took this long to be invented. The Multipail is a simple concept: A standard five-gallon bucket with a dustpan built in. It can also be used with a paint roller as a tray replacement, and has a drip-proof spout for pouring liquids without making a mess. You need a five-gallon bucket anyway, so why not use one that has these useful features molded in, instead of buying two or three wonky attachments?

Flashlight gloves are a super convenient way to shed light on your work

There are a lot of ways to illuminate your work site, from standard flashlights to headband lamps to bendable LED lights. But sometimes you need to get light into a small space, and you need to be able to illuminate what you’re doing just by pointing at things. These flashlight gloves are cheap, waterproof, and make it easy to see what you’re doing without having to hold a separate light.

An attachable bit holder will keep all your drill bits at hand

Cordless drills are one of the most commonly-used tools in DIY projects, but they come with one major frustration: All those damn bits. If you’re constantly swapping out different-size drill bits and different screwdriver bits, you know how hard it can be to keep them organized (and how hard it is to not lose them).

Enter this nifty drill bit holder that attaches to the bottom of your drill’s battery. It holds not just bits, but just about anything, from utility blades to fasteners. Designed to work with just about any manufacturer, it attaches to the bottom of the battery and lets you carry whatever you need right there on the tool.

The Backsaver will eliminate the strain from low-down drilling

This drill attachment is probably overkill for most DIYers (and it isn’t cheap!), but if you’ve got a job requiring a lot of drilling down low, it might be the difference between a pleasant day of work and a broken back. Instead of getting on your hands and knees or even lying down in order to see what you’re drilling into, the Backsaver lets you work in a comfortable standing position while drilling at foot-level. It takes a bit of practice before you can just dive in, but your back will definitely thank you for taking the time.

A panel carrier can help you lug around drywall and plywood

Carrying large sheets or panels like drywall or plywood can be challenging. It’s hard to maintain your grip and your balance, and navigating around corners and tight spaces often results in dropped items or scraped knuckles.

This panel carrier from Gator Lift just clamps onto whatever you’re hauling around (up to two sheets at a time) and makes it very easy to carry it one-handed—which means you can actually open doors and easily maneuver while carrying these awkward, heavy sheets around.

A ladder hook could save your neck

I don’t know about you, but whenever I have to climb up to my roof to inspect or repair something (or clean out the gutters), there’s always at least one terrifying moment when the ladder shakes and shimmies, and I think I’m about to die. Ladders are always incredibly dangerous, but they’re especially dangerous when you’re working on your roof. This ladder hook from Lock Jaw clamps onto the roof and ensures the ladder doesn’t move, giving you an extra boost of safety.

A clamping outlet will keep your power running safely

Running power to wherever you’re working is sometimes a logistical challenge. There are plenty of ways to run a power strip to your project, but ensuring that you have easy, safe access to the strip sometimes involve some seriously janky engineering involving zipties, duct tape, or precariously balanced equipment.

This clamping power strip is a lot more civilized. It ensures you’ll have plenty of outlets no matter where you’re working. It can clamp to a ladder, to a joist or rafter, a table, railing—literally anywhere. Power will always be nearby, and you won’t have to remember to plug in your corded tools before you climb up the ladder ever again.

A ladder leveler will help you reach new heights without the risk

If you’ve got a standard extending ladder, you know that your greatest enemy is uneven ground. An unbalanced ladder is a disaster waiting to happen, but most DIYers have climbed onto a shaking, leaning ladder at least once in their life, hoping their luck holds out long enough to get some quick bit of work done.

Instead, invest in a ladder stabilizer. Install it on your ladder and it automatically adjusts the legs on each side so you have a perfectly balanced, perfectly stable ladder to climb no matter how uneven the ground might be. Considering that half a million people go to the ER for ladder-related injuries every year, everyone should probably have this installed on their ladder.