Android devices are vulnerable to a new attack that can covertly steal 2FA codes, location timelines, and other private data in less than 30 seconds.

The new attack, named Pixnapping by the team of academic researchers who devised it, requires a victim to first install a malicious app on an Android phone or tablet. The app, which requires no system permissions, can then effectively read data that any other installed app displays on the screen. Pixnapping has been demonstrated on Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and likely could be modified to work on other models with additional work. Google released mitigations last month, but the researchers said a modified version of the attack works even when the update is installed.

Like taking a screenshot

Pixnapping attacks begin with the malicious app invoking Android programming interfaces that cause the authenticator or other targeted apps to send sensitive information to the device screen. The malicious app then runs graphical operations on individual pixels of interest to the attacker. Pixnapping then exploits a side channel that allows the malicious app to map the pixels at those coordinates to letters, numbers, or shapes.

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Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source.

Google’s sponsored ads are generally a pain. Not only are they often not relevant to what you’re searching for, they can occasionally be malicious: You might think you’re clicking on a legitimate link for something you’ve searched for, but you’re actually heading somewhere else entirely. Together with all the new AI components Google has introduced in recent years, it’s increasingly tough to get the search results you’re actually looking for.

But there’s some small good news on this front: As initially reported by The Verge, Google’s sponsored ads are getting a little less annoying. Previously, these ads would appear one after another, each within its own “Sponsored” header. Going forward, you’ll only see one “Sponsored” header, with all sponsored links listed below. And the best part? Once you scroll to the end of that content block, you’ll have the option to collapse all those sponsored links, hiding all the ads from your search view.

It’s a small but helpful change for anyone who is tired of dealing with Google’s often frustrating sponsored ads on each and every search they conduct. Google makes much of its money from search ads, so the company will never get rid of them completely. But to give you the option to hide them from view—even if you only see that option after scrolling past all sponsored ads—is a step in the right direction.

Of course, if you elect to use an ad blocker, you never need to worry about sponsored ads appearing in search to begin with. Heck, iif you’re already using one, you might never have known about this change in the first place. But ad blockers aren’t for everyone, and they can hurt smaller sites that rely on ad revenue to run, even as they protect you from malicious (and annoying) ads.

If you choose not to use an ad blocker, thanks to these changes, perusing your Google search results can be a little bit better, at least.

Health officials in South Carolina are warning that the highly infectious measles virus is spreading undetected in communities in the northern part of the state, specifically Spartanburg and Greenville counties.

Last week, officials in Greenville identified an eighth measles case that is potentially linked to the outbreak. Seven outbreak cases had been confirmed since September 25 in neighboring Spartanburg, where transmission was identified in two schools: Fairforest Elementary and Global Academy, a public charter school.

Across those two schools, at least 153 unvaccinated children were exposed to the virus and have been put in a 21-day quarantine, during which they are barred from attending school, state officials said in a press conference. Twenty-one days is the maximum incubation period, spanning from when a person is exposed to when they would develop a rash if infected.

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It’s been an interesting few months in the realm of streaming service branding. Warner Bros. Discovery reverted Max back to HBO Max after a baffling decision to trim the name in the first place. Disney made Hulu the “global general entertainment brand” on Disney+ when it rebranded the Star hub on the service. Now Apple would like you to know that it’s changing the name of its streaming service too. Going forward, Apple TV+ is now just Apple TV.

The company revealed the news in very lowkey fashion, at the end of a press release about when its F1 movie will land on Apple TV, the streaming service with a monthly subscription (December 12, FYI). “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity,” the company said without elaborating.

Apple does like to keep things clean, and shearing off the plus sign is one way of doing that. But oversimplification can cause greater confusion.

As Apple states in its own press release, “Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app” and “For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.” Did no one at Apple’s (generally very effective) marketing team spot the problem with this? Buying Apple TV to get free Apple TV sounds like a recursive capitalist fever dream that will never end.

As it stands, you can turn on your Apple TV device to open the Apple TV app to watch Apple TV. There are lots of things in the Apple TV app that aren’t actually Apple TV shows or movies and you may have to pay for those separately. The press release also states that you can watch F1 right now if you buy it on Apple TV through the Apple TV app, so you don’t have to wait for the film to make its “global streaming debut” on Apple TV. What a mess.

Apple hasn’t fully rolled out the change yet, as there are still plenty of references to “Apple TV+” on the streaming service’s website. It’s still referred to as Apple TV+ on the TV app’s listing on the App Store too. I’m interested to see how confusing things really get if, in the coming months, Apple reveals a refreshed Apple TV. You know, that device you can use to watch Apple TV.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-is-now-just-apple-tv-200644609.html?src=rss

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I am the biggest booster of Google’s NotebookLM, an AI tool that functions like a personal ChatGPT. I have recommended it for studying, used it for my own work loads of times, and generally found it to be one of the best bits of software available right now. But recently, I tried using it on my phone, not just on my computer browser—and it fell surprisingly flat. Here’s how I’ve been managing to use it via mobile, anyway, and why you should stick to the computer version for now.

What is NotebookLM?

NotebookLM is a language model that only uses resources you provide. Like ChatGPT, it can offer summaries, outlines, and studying or organizational help, but unlike ChatGPT, it’s not pulling from the World Wide Web to do that. Instead, you upload PDFs, links, plain text, and documents and, when you ask it a question, it relies only on those to give you an answer.

Here’s a practical example.: I use it a lot when I’m writing an article that features a load of interviews. I copy and paste my interview transcripts into NotebookLM, then prompt it, to, say, “Find me three quotes about the value of good sleep.” If three of my sources mentioned how important it is to get a good night’s rest, I’ll get three quotes right away, plus a hyperlink to where they each appear in their respective interview, so I can go back and read the context around them. It makes being organized so much easier and I don’t waste time searching, word by word, through every transcript for what I need.

For studying, it’s even better. You can upload all the slide decks, e-texts, and notes you have from a class, then ask it to generate practice quizzes, flashcards, summaries, or essay outlines. One of its coolest features is that it will even create a fake podcast, complete with two hosts who have vocal ticks and even vocal fry. The two AI hosts discuss the material from your sources in an informational, conversational way, like a real podcaster might, and you can listen to it and learn wherever you are.

It’s been incredibly helpful for me, and it doesn’t feel unethical to use, like other AI chatbots, because it’s synthesizing information I already found, compiled, and put the work in on. It doesn’t feel like I’m cheating when I use it; instead, it feels like I’m getting a little boost in my organization, but still doing most of the work. Plus, there’s never a risk that it will make up a fake fact or pull in information that is irrelevant or faulty, like there is with ChatGPT. It relies only on what you give it.

The mobile app problem

All of that said, I became and stayed obsessed with this after only using it on my desktop browser for the last six months or so. Last weekend, though, I was studying for an upcoming certification exam and was, as usual, using NotebookLM to generate flashcards, quizzes, and fake podcasts. But I was also cleaning my apartment and doing the laundry, which involved a lot of running to and from the laundromat. I decided to use the NotebookLM iPhone app so I could study on the go; I assumed that since the product is so stellar on the computer, it would be great on the app, too. It was not.

On the app, all you can do is review your sources, talk to the chatbot, and listen to your generated podcasts. Here’s what you can’t do:

• Generate flashcards

• Review existing flashcards

• Generate a quiz

• Take existing quizzes

• Select the sources from which you make a podcast, quiz, flashcards, or chat topic

One of the best things about the browser version is you can toggle sources on and off. So, if you upload a separate PDF for five different book chapters, you can select only Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before generating a quiz or flashcards, for instance. If you keep them all selected, your quizzes, flashcards, podcasts, or chats will pull from all of them. By narrowing the scope, you can study more specifically.

You can’t do that on the app, but it doesn’t actually matter because you can’t generate (or use) anything on the app, anyway. You can generate a podcast, but only one that pulls from all your sources. The other features—quizzes and flashcards—aren’t available at all.

Workarounds for NotebookLM

The first workaround I found was a little annoying: I generated a podcast for every chapter using my computer, then listened to them through the mobile app on my phone while I ran my errands. I had to stay on top of my schedule, bouncing from cleaning to laundromat to computer and back again, so I wouldn’t find myself without a study podcast to review, but all in all, I got the hang of it. You can’t do this for flashcards, quizzes, or mind maps, but if you’re after the podcasts, this works with some pre-planning.

The second workaround is not to use the app at all. Most websites and companies want to push you toward app use, presumably for data-collection purposes, but never forget there is a browser on your phone, too. I navigated to the NotebookLM website on my mobile browser and, though it’s smaller and harder to navigate than the computer, have been able to use it to generate flashcards, quizzes, mind maps, and more. You can check and uncheck sources on the mobile browser version, which is ideal.

I’m hopeful the app will improve. NotebookLM is such a great resource that has helped me a ton, but it would be much better if it were more usable in its app format. I can’t always be attached to my laptop; the real value of studying with flashcards, especially, is that they should be accessible and reviewable anywhere via my phone.

Google began experimenting with conversational image editing earlier this year in the dev-focused AI studio, but the feature didn’t remain experimental for long. Over the summer, Google rolled out the “Nano Banana” image-editing model in Gemini 2.5 Flash. You can use this feature to modify images with just a prompt, and now you don’t even need to go to Gemini to use it. Google says Nano Banana is now coming to search, Google Photos, and NotebookLM.

The AI image editor is coming to search via Lens and AI Mode. For Lens, you can simply open the app (iOS and Android) and snap a photo to get started. When the rollout is complete, you’ll see a “Create” button at the bottom, with a banana icon. Tap that to enter a prompt, telling the AI how you’d like the photo changed.

When you begin an edit in Lens, the Google app will display the results and offer the chance for follow-up edits in the AI Mode interface. Google is always looking for more ways to get people plugged into its conversational search bot, so there’s also a separate way to access Nano Banana there. Simply select the “Create image” tool and enter your prompt to create an image. You can then continue the conversation to have Nano Banana change the image.

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In a bulletin on Friday, GM announced that it will end its HYDROTEC brand’s work on hydrogen fuel cell development. Instead, GM will focus its R&D efforts on batteries, charging technologies and electric vehicles. The company said it will continue its Fuel Cell System Manufacturing joint venture with Honda, which creates cells for data centers and power generation. 

The post from GM said that due to limited infrastructure and high costs, hydrogen cells simply haven’t taken off for consumer vehicles. Lately, the automotive industry seems to agree. GM’s shift follows a similar move in February from Toyota, which isn’t completely giving up the ghost but instead pivoted its hydrogen cell projects to focus on industrial applications rather than consumer ones.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-ends-development-of-hydrogen-fuel-cells-195212217.html?src=rss

SpaceX is set to launch the 11th full-scale test flight of the company’s Starship rocket Monday evening, with hopes of capping a tumultuous year with a successful one-hour voyage from South Texas to the Indian Ocean.

Liftoff of the Super Heavy booster with the Starship upper stage is scheduled for 6:15 pm CDT (7:15 pm EDT; 23:15 UTC). SpaceX has a 75-minute window to launch Monday. You can watch a livestream of the flight here.

SpaceX’s control team, positioned a couple of miles away from the launch pad at Starbase, Texas, will oversee the loading of more than 10.5 million pounds of super-cold methane and liquid oxygen into the two-stage rocket beginning about an hour before liftoff. In the final minutes of the countdown, the world’s largest rocket will undergo a steering check, and the launch director will give a final “go” for launch.

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Best Buy is holding a sitewide sale on Microsoft Copilot+ PCs with steep discounts up to $700 off. This is fantastic timing, given that Microsoft ends official support for Windows 10 this week. If you’re thinking about upgrading, now is likely the time.

One cool deal here is for a souped-up version of the Microsoft Surface 7 laptop. This one ships with a Snapdragon X Plus processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. It also includes a 13.8-inch touchscreen and a battery that gets 20 hours per charge. The laptop ships with Windows 11 Home, which should be relatively futureproof for the next several years. It costs just $1,100, which is a nice discount of $700.

This model can be outfitted with even more bells and whistles. There’s one with a more powerful Snapdragon X Elite processor and a 15-inch touchscreen. That one costs $1,500, which is a discount of $600.

Other deals include the HP Omen gaming laptop with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti for $2,000 instead of $2,380 and the MSI Codex gaming desktop with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU for $1,460 instead of $1,600. There are plenty of other discounted laptops, desktops and accessories on the main sale page.

Microsoft will officially end support of Windows 10 on October 14, but it may not be an immediate death knell. There is a way for users to get an additional 12 months of support via the company’s Extended Security Updates plan. Many Windows 10 computers can also easily handle Windows 11, and a software update would be much cheaper than buying a new computer.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-up-to-700-off-a-new-microsoft-copilot-pc-before-windows-10-support-ends-165735272.html?src=rss

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills on Monday that establish the nation’s most comprehensive framework for regulating how technology companies interact with minors. AB 56 requires social media platforms to display health warnings to users under 18. A child must view a skippable ten-second warning upon logging on each day. An unskippable thirty-second warning must appear if a child spends more than three hours on a platform. That warning repeats after each additional hour. The warnings must state that social media “can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” Minnesota passed a similar law in July.

SB 243 makes California the first state to regulate AI companion chatbots. The law takes effect January 1, 2026. Companies must implement age verification and disclose that interactions are artificially generated. Chatbots cannot represent themselves as healthcare professionals. Companies must offer break reminders to minors and prevent them from viewing sexually explicit images. The legislation gained momentum after teenager Adam Raine died by suicide following conversations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. A Colorado family filed suit against Character AI after their daughter’s suicide following problematic conversations with the company’s chatbots.

AB 1043 requires device-makers like Apple and Google to collect birth dates when parents set up devices for children. Device-makers must group users into four age brackets and share this information with apps. Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Snap supported the bill. The Motion Picture Association opposed it.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Philadelphia culture has become inescapable in certain corners of the internet. People who spend substantial time online report developing knowledge of the city’s cultural touchstones and forming opinions about its regional debates despite minimal or no physical presence there, according to a new report. The phenomenon has prompted a theory: prolonged exposure to these digital spaces can make someone spiritually and culturally Philadelphian regardless of geography.

Several factors explain Philadelphia’s outsized online presence. The city is large but retains a small-town sensibility. Its residents wake earlier than West Coast users and can set the daily online agenda. Philadelphia sports teams have performed well for twenty-five years. The internet rewards visual absurdity and energetic presentation. Gritty functions as both hockey mascot and anti-fascist meme. The city’s working-class union identity and reliably anti-Trump stance align with leftist online communities. The alternative explanation is simpler: Philadelphians believe their city dominates conversation and find confirming evidence everywhere they look. The internet may not have made Philadelphia bigger. It may have just made Philadelphians easier to find.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.