An anonymous reader shares a report: With gingko “memory-boost tinctures,” fennel “tummy-soothing syrups” and “citrus-immune gummies,” AI “slop” has come for herbalism, a study published by a leading AI-detection company has found. Originality.ai, which offers its tools to universities and businesses, says it scanned 558 titles published in Amazon’s herbal remedies subcategory between January and September this year, and found 82% of the books “were likely written” by AI.
“This is a damning revelation of the sheer scope of unlabelled, unverified, unchecked, likely AI content that has completely invaded [Amazon’s] platform,” wrote Michael Fraiman, author of the study. “There’s a huge amount of herbal research out there right now that’s absolutely rubbish,” said Sue Sprung, a medical herbalist in Liverpool. “AI won’t know how to sift through all the dross, all the rubbish, that’s of absolutely no consequence. It would lead people astray.”
The family of Adam Raine has filed an amended lawsuit against OpenAI. Raine died by suicide in April, and his family claims ChatGPT enabled the tragedy. The updated lawsuit accuses the company of weakening self-harm safeguards in the period leading up to Raine’s death, according to Financial Times. In addition, the company reportedly asked for a list of attendees and documents from Raine’s memorial service.
The accusations in the amended lawsuit relate to GPT-4o, ChatGPT’s default model in the months before Raine’s suicide. The suit says OpenAI removed crucial protections by instructing it not to “change or quit the conversation” when discussing self-harm. The filing claims the company “truncated safety testing” due to competitive pressures.
The lawsuit reportedly says OpenAI weakened its guardrails again in February. At that point, the company allegedly instructed GPT-4o to “take care in risky situations” and “try to prevent imminent real-world harm” rather than refusing to engage on the subject. The filing adds that the model still had a series of “disallowed content.” Intellectual property rights and the manipulation of political opinions were said to be included. Suicide wasn’t.
In addition, FT reports that OpenAI requested a complete list of attendees at Adam Raine’s memorial. The company asked for “all documents relating to memorial services or events in the honour of the decedent including but not limited to any videos or photographs taken, or eulogies given… as well as invitation or attendance lists or guestbooks.”
Lawyers for the Raine family described the request as “unusual” and “intentional harassment.” They speculated that OpenAI would subpoena “everyone in Adam’s life.”
Engadget reached out to OpenAI for comment. We’ll update this story if we hear back. After the initial lawsuit was reported, the company acknowledged GPT-4o’s shortcomings in some distressing situations. OpenAI introduced ChatGPT parental controls soon after. In addition, it’s exploring a system to identify teen users and automatically restrict their usage. The company says GPT-5, the current default, is updated to better handle signs of distress.
Raine’s parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, claim Adam’s use of ChatGPT shot up dramatically after the model’s February updates. They say that, in January, he only had a few dozen chats with the model, 1.6 percent of which referred to self-harm. But they claim that in April, his use rose to 300 chats daily, with 17 percent regarding self-harm.
The Raines first sued OpenAI in August. The wrongful death suit alleged that ChatGPT was aware of four suicide attempts before helping Adam plan his actual death. The filing says the company “prioritized engagement over safety.” Maria Raine concluded that “ChatGPT killed my son.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-reportedly-asked-for-memorial-guest-list-in-teen-suicide-case-163309269.html?src=rss
Reports of problems with the Android Spotify app first started on the Spotify help forums, although they have since spread to social media as well. Those affected complain that the app either freezes when opening, or crashes midway through listening. Others mention that problems only pick up when connecting to wifi—Spotify has since confirmed that “the issue doesn’t occur while using mobile data.”
According to Spotify, the company is aware of the problem and is working on a solution. Additionally, Spotify says most complaints are coming from Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel users, although the cause is unclear. While there could be a problem with these devices specifically (a user on Reddit has theorized that the culprit might be Chromecast compatibility), because these are also popular Android phones, it could just be an issue with sample size.
Regardless of phone model, not all users on Android are affected. While listening on my Pixel 10, I experienced no difference from using the app on my iPhone 15 Pro.
If you are an Android user and are currently unable to use the Spotify app normally, try these solutions while waiting for an official fix:
Listen on mobile data instead
Because the issues with the Spotify app are limited to wifi, the simplest solution to the problem is to use mobile data instead. While it’s not an ideal solution, as not everyone has unlimited data, it’s a simple fix for those who do. Disconnecting from wifi depends on your model of phone, although you can usually find the toggle by swiping down from the top of the screen.
Use the web player
While it’s not as convenient as using the Spotify app, you could try using the browser version of Spotify instead to get around the issue. Click here to access it. Note, however, that the web player will try to swap over to the Spotify app if you have it installed, so you’ll either need to temporarily uninstall it, or adjust your browser’s permissions to keep it from redirecting links to the app. On my Pixel 10, this is under Settings > Apps > Default apps > Opening links > Spotify, although your phone’s controls might be different. Note that the web player also lacks a few features, such as downloads.
Try a different wifi network
While this isn’t an ideal solution if your home wifi network is affected, Spotify says the bug is currently only affecting “certain WiFi networks.” If you find yourself in the office or at a coffee shop, it’s worth connecting to their wifi to see if the problem persists there.
The first time I drove this generation of mid-engined Ferrari, it was on a curated route on the company’s home turf. As the Po Valley gives way to the Apennines, you find plenty of narrow winding roads, steep gradients, and hairpin turns. It was an engaging few hours of driving, but it was too brief to properly assess some of the 296’s technology. I found the ride firm but comfortable on rough Italian tarmac and the hybrid system easy to operate, flicking into calm-and-quiet electric-only mode through the villages I encountered.
That was back in 2022 during the unveiling of Ferrari’s 499P race car. Last month, I met the 499P again as it visited the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, along with the rest of the World Endurance Championship. And that afforded another chance to get to know the 296, with three days rather than three hours to form an impression.
Head west from Austin and you’ll find twisty roads that wrap around the hills. It would have been easy to spend an entire day out there, but that seemed repetitive—I’d experienced the 296’s back road behavior already. Plus, there were things to do at the racetrack, although I’ll admit I took the long way there and back each day.
In addition to announced Snap-based silicon-optimized AI large language models, Canonical used the ongoing Ubuntu Summit 25.10 virtual event to announced Canonical Academy. Canonical Academy is their new effort for badges/certifications around Ubuntu Linux…
An anonymous reader writes: Gboard has introduced some significant changes to the app over the past few weeks, making typing on the app much easier than ever before. You can now resize the keyboard to your desired size, and there’s even something in the works that will make adding apostrophes to your text even more seamless.
If all of that wasn’t enough, the app is now introducing a feature that some will find peculiar, which will allow users to remove the period and common punctuation keys from Gboard. This news comes to us from 9to5Google, sharing that this is now an option with the latest version of the app.
Apparently, web browsers are cool again. Two days after OpenAI launched its AI browser, Microsoft has some updates for its Edge’s AI mode. (Fancy that!) Copilot Mode, introduced in July, now has several features that were teased at launch.
First up: Copilot Actions, which is Microsoft’s branding for AI-assisted, multi-step tasks. This feature is already available in the standard version of Copilot, but it’s now being previewed for Edge’s Copilot Mode. Microsoft’s examples of Copilot Actions in Edge include unsubscribing from email newsletters or making a restaurant reservation.
Another new (but previously announced) feature is Journeys. These are saved projects you can return to anytime. “Remember that project you started a while back, but life got in the way?” Microsoft’s blog post asks. “No need to bookmark all those tabs.” For example, if you’re researching starting a business, Copilot can recap articles you’ve read, suggest next steps and resurface a tutorial video you watched.
Here’s a video from when Microsoft teased Journeys in July.
Along similar lines, another new Copilot Mode feature is the option to let the assistant access your browsing history. One example Microsoft gives is chatting with Copilot about a clothing item you checked out last week. Or, ask it for movie recommendations based on content you previously liked.
Copilot requires explicit permission to access your private data for these new features. Microsoft’s blog post stresses that your browser data is protected under the company’s privacy statement and that Copilot “only collects what’s needed to improve your experience.” The company also notes that you’ll see clear visual cues so you know when Copilot is active.
Still, these features require loads of private information to be useful. Don’t grant those permissions without first giving it some serious thought.
The new Copilot features are currently free in a US-only “limited preview.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-makes-edges-copilot-mode-a-bit-smarter-160031147.html?src=rss
Yesterday, Zwift added a set of new New York City routes to the Companion app’s route browser. The new routes are marked as “event only” and include route length, total elevation, and a list of included leaderboard segments. The routes also include maps showing the new roads… here are a few examples:
New Routes
Here’s a complete list of the routes that showed up in Companion yesterday. (Click a route for details, which are pretty sparse right now. We’ll be filling in these route pages next week after we’re able to ride the routes, take cool photos, launch Strava segments, etc.)
Since the Companion app lists which leaderboard segments are included in each route, we can figure out the names of new segments being added to the NYC map. (Again, click for details, which are currently sparse and will be filled in next week.)
There are also new lap segments for “Prospect Park Lap” and “Times Square Circuit” which will probably award orange jerseys like other in-game lap segments.
This expansion includes a new feature called “Power Segments” which are time-based (5 seconds, 20 seconds, etc) instead of distance-based like current sprint and KOM segments throughout the game. The leaderboards, in turn, rank results based on power output, not finishing time. I don’t see any mention of Power Segments in Companion, but it seems sensible that we would eventually be able to browse our power KOMs on these segments.
When can we ride the new roads?
Some of the routes (The Greenway, Spinfinity, and Prospect Park Loop Run) added to Companion yesterday will be released on Monday, October 27, as they are the routes used in next week’s stage 4 of Zwift Unlocked.
Additional NYC routes will be featured for the final Unlocked stage the following week: Stay Puft Pursuit, The Double Borough, and Times Square Circuit Run.
It’s unclear when the other routes on the list will be available for free rides, club events, Meetups, etc. I’m guessing some or all of them will be available for free riding beginning this Monday, but we won’t know for sure until then.
Your Thoughts
This is the first time Zwift has “teased” an expansion via the Companion app. Are you looking forward to new roads next week? Share your thoughts below…
You’ll have to wait a bit longer than expected to explore the Lands Between on Nintendo Switch 2. FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have delayed Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition — the Switch 2 version of the massively successful action RPG — until 2026. The port was announced back in April and it was originally slated to arrive sometime this year.
“While development on #ELDENRING Tarnished Edition continues wholeheartedly toward release, we have decided to move the launch to 2026 to allow time for performance adjustments,” a post on the Elden Ring X account reads. “We apologize to players looking forward to the game and thank you for your patience and support.”
Players got their first taste of the port during public demos at Gamescom in August, but performance issues were evident. At the time, IGNdescribed the game as a “disaster” in the Switch 2’s handheld mode, citing “significant” frame rate drops and a “confusing” button layout. Nintendo Life saw “multiple instances of frame drops and stuttering while out in the open world.” So, taking extra time to make sure Elden Ring runs as smoothly as possible on the Switch 2 seems wise.
The Tarnished Edition includes the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as well as new classes, weapons, armor and customization options for your horse, Torrent (other versions of the game will get these additions as well). FromSoftware is also working on The Duskbloods, a Switch 2 exclusive that’s slated to arrive in 2026 as well.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-version-of-elden-ring-is-delayed-until-2026-154500911.html?src=rss
An interstellar visitor known as 3I/ATLAS, currently hurtling toward its closest approach to the Sun, has ignited a debate among astronomers (and enthusiasts) over its true nature: is it a natural black swan comet from another star system, or, as a Harvard scientist suggests, a potential piece of alien technology (or both)? The hubbub has
Greg Kroah-Hartman has released the 6.17.5, 6.12.55, and 6.6.114 stable kernels. As usual, each
contains important fixes throughout the tree; users are advised to
upgrade.
Along with the new device, the release of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X also comes with a new full-screen gaming experience based on the revamped Xbox app. The machine boots into this “experience,” which is essentially the Xbox app. It’s not a fundamentally different environment from the Windows 11 you’re familiar with; all of the same applications
The companies Airbus, Leonardo and Thales have finalized this deal. The new unnamed entity will be based in France and will employ around 25,000 people. Airbus will own 35 percent, while the other two companies will each own 32.5 percent.
Thales, Leonardo and Airbus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at creating a leading European player in space. ��
Executives are hoping this company will better serve Europe’s need for “sovereignty” in space and help it create a rival to SpaceX’s Starlink communications network. Increasing a presence in space is also seen as a good thing for security and defense.
“This proposed new company marks a pivotal milestone for Europe’s space industry. It embodies our shared vision to build a stronger and more competitive European presence in an increasingly dynamic global space market,” the companies wrote in a joint statement. “By pooling our talent, resources, expertise and R&D capabilities, we aim to generate growth, accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and stakeholders.”
This isn’t just bluster. Thales and Airbus have long been rivals in the satellite market, but it looks like they are friends now. Leonardo is known for space systems and services. Combining all three could actually give SpaceX a run for its money, but we will have to wait and see.
There are no planned site closures, as the companies say that each home country will keep its existing capabilities. This will be a standalone company, so think of it as an extremely well-financed startup. The first task for the upstart? Reporting indicates it’ll be to find more efficient ways to develop and manufacture satellites.
Discussions about this merger have been going on since 2019. Regulators still have to approve the deal, though the companies say they expect the new entity will be operational by 2027.
Starship reenters Earth’s atmosphere on Flight 11. Data gathered from this flight will inform future Starship missions that will return to the launch site for catch and reuse pic.twitter.com/34WV9ZVtAA
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/europes-big-three-aerospace-manufacturers-combine-their-space-divisions-to-create-a-rival-to-spacex-153424228.html?src=rss
Donald Trump is eyeing taking equity stakes in quantum computing firms in exchange for federal funding, The Wall Street Journal reported.
At least five companies are weighing whether allowing the government to become a shareholder would be worth it to snag funding that the Trump administration has “earmarked for promising technology companies,” sources familiar with the potential deals told the WSJ.
IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly “considering similar arrangements,” as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies.
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Fire TV sticks have one advantage over every other streaming stick: They’re owned by Amazon, which means they’re more likely to get discounted. Right now, for instance, you can get Amazon’s best streaming stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, for $39.99 (originally $59.99).
Two of the biggest competitors in the streaming stick market are Roku and Fire TV Sticks, and committing to one or the other comes with pros and cons, so make sure to know what they are before making your decision. Fire TV Sticks excel at their voice assistance, which makes sense since they use Alexa to execute your commands. If you already have Amazon’s Alexa devices in your house, you can take full advantage of this since you won’t even need to click on your remote to boot it up. If you have a soundbar hooked up, the Fire TV Stick will let you control it using the same remote.
It comes with a new 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, Dolby Vision support, DHR10+ support, 16GB storage, and more. One of the advantages of using a Fire TV Stick is that you can install Kodi on it, which essentially gives you free access to virtually anything you can stream. If you’re an Xbox gamer (or want to be one), you only need to get an Xbox remote to play their games over the cloud through the Xbox app (no console needed).
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has the most storage with 16GB, the best wifi support with Wi-Fi 6E, and the best voice assistant with Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced. At its current price, it’s cheaper than the more budget alternatives.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will cover a total of 1,175km, with 18,795m of climbing over nine stages, its longest distance ever. It starts off with three stages in Switzerland along the shores of Lake Geneva, before heading to France for a fourth-stage individual time trial around Dijon.
It’s Stage 7 that’s the queen stage, though, with a summit finish on Mont Ventoux. The eighth stage takes the race to Nice, with the final stage taking in four loops through the city and over the famous Col d’Èze.
Here’s a stage-by-stage guide to the route and what to expect.
The first stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes looks finely balanced between puncheurs and sprinters. But Marion Rousse, who heads up the Tour de France Femmes, reckons the steep 2.5km finale through the city roads away from Lake Geneva could favour the former.
Stage 2: Aigle to Geneva
Sunday 2 August
149km
There are plenty of ups and downs on the Stage 2 route, which climbs out of Aigle, home of the UCI, before a series of short, sharp climbs in the mid-section. Rousse thinks the peloton will likely regroup for a sprint finish on the banks of the lake on the Quai du Mont-Blanc.
Stage 3: Geneva to Poligny
Monday 3 August
157km
As the race heads into France, there’s plenty of climbing from the start, with the 11.4km Col de la Faucille averaging 6.3%. More cols follow before the flat run-in to Poligny. One for a breakaway or will the sprinters triumph? With 2,400m of total climbing, there’s plenty to play for.
Stage 4: Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon
Tuesday 4 August
21km ITT
The only time trial in the race covers 21km through the vineyards of the Côte d’Or. There’s a 1.8km climb in the middle, with a 6.9% average gradient, plus a kicker to the apex at Corcelles-les-Monts, before a rolling downhill to the finish in Dijon. This is a time trial that favours riders who can climb, rather than the flat time trial specialists.
Stage 5: Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais
Wednesday 5 August
140km
There’s 2,850m of elevation gain on this lumpy stage into the Beaujolais wine region. The final 3km, 7.7% climb of Mont Brouilly is only 10km from the finish line and likely to split the field or force a solo winner from a breakaway.
Stage 6: Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhone
Thursday 6 August
153km
There are more lumps on Stage 6, with Rousse highlighting the 8.6km, 5% climb of the Col de Lalouvesc as a point where a breakaway might go clear along the narrow descent.
Stage 7: La Voulte-sur-Rhone to Mont Ventoux
Friday 7 August
144km
Don’t let the size of the final climb fool you, there’s plenty of climbing before the riders even get to the foot of Mont Ventoux in this queen stage of the 2026 race. Once they hit the giant of Provence, there’s another 15.7km to go from Bédoin at an average 8.8%. Will it be one for the pure climbers, or will a GC rider triumph? This is also the stage chosen for the Etape du Tour de France Femmes.
Stage 8: Sisteron to Nice
Saturday 8 August
175km
The longest stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes tops the Col de Toutes Aures before it follows the river Var into Nice. To spice things up, there are two nasty little climbs before the finish, with the Côte de la Ginestière hitting 13.6% only 6km from the finish on the Promenade des Anglais. Is this another stage that will favour a lone puncheur holding off a sprint finish?
Stage 9: Nice to Nice
Sunday 9 August
99km
The final stage is a showcase for Nice, taking in four loops through the city and out to the famous Col d’Èze. But, rather than a smooth descent into the city, the final lap takes in a detour of 6km at 7.6%, which includes a kilometre-plus section at 12%. Another finish that favours a puncheur coming in alone?
Fujitsu has released a new laptop in Japan with a built-in Blu-ray drive. The FMV Note A A77-K3 includes a BDXL-compatible optical drive that can read and burn discs. Most laptop manufacturers globally stopped including optical drives in the second half of the 2010s. The Japanese market has refused to follow that trend.
Shops in Tokyo’s Akihabara district recently experienced a spike in demand for optical drives and systems capable of reading Blu-ray discs, Tom’s Hardware reports. Fujitsu sells two additional models in the FMV Note A line using Intel thirteenth-generation chips. Those systems include DVD drives instead of Blu-ray capability. Some other Japanese manufacturers also released optical-drive-equipped laptops earlier in 2025.
Most of you already know that the AI boom, for better or worse, puts a heavy strain on existing power grids. As companies race to build massive data centers to train the next generation of generative AI models, they’ve discovered that the local electricity supply often can’t keep pace with the insatiable demand. The solution? Repurposing retired
Apple’s iPhone Air was the company’s most interesting new iPhone this year, at least insofar as it was the one most different from previous iPhones. We came away impressed by its size and weight in our review. But early reports suggest that its novelty might not be translating into sales success.
A note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose supply chain sources are often accurate about Apple’s future plans, said yesterday that demand for the iPhone Air “has fallen short of expectations” and that “both shipments and production capacity” were being scaled back to account for the lower-than-expected demand.
Kuo’s note is backed up by reports from other analysts at Mizuho Securities (via MacRumors) and Nikkei Asia. Both of these reports say that demand for the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models remains strong, indicating that this is just a problem for the iPhone Air and not a wider slowdown caused by tariffs or other external factors.
