Ubisoft has announced a new game prototype featuring voice-controlled AI teammates that understand visual context and natural language. This “Teammates” project builds on the Neo NPCs Ubisoft showed off with Nvidia in 2024 to demo in-game AI that can naturally respond to players. A key difference this time, besides the complexity of the interactions the prototype supports, is that Teammates is already being played in a closed playtest with “a few hundred players,” Ubisoft says.
Teammates, even if Ubisoft describes it as a playable “experimental research project,” still uses the basic concepts of a first-person shooter. The prototype casts players as “a member of the resistance in a dystopian future, tasked with moving through an enemy base to locate five missing members of their team,” where directing in-game AI characters is key to success. Ubisoft came up with three AI NPCs for the project, “Jaspar,” an AI assistant with awareness of in-game lore and the ability to adjust game settings on the fly, and “Pablo” and “Sofia,” robotic characters that are physically present in the game and can respond to commands.
Based on footage shared with Engadget, Ubisoft’s AI characters not only understand voice commands, but also have a visual awareness of what the player is seeing. A direction to “stand behind a barrel” prompted Sofia to take into consideration where the player was looking and position itself appropriately. In the version of Teammates available in the closed playtest, Ubisoft also uses Jaspar to onboard and teach players about the basics of the game. In most cases, the AI characters seemed overly chatty and verbose, but Ubisoft is experimenting with letting players choose sets of personalities for Sofia and Pablo — including an option curiously labelled “Bad Cat and Good Boy” — that can change up how each character expresses itself.
“This technology opens doors to new, personalized experiences,” Ubisoft’s Data & AI Director Rémi Labory shared in the Teammates announcement. “Player input shapes character reactions in real time, something traditional development can’t achieve. We’re also delivering a full pipeline, with the experience taking players from onboarding to debrief, which is a first.”
Ubisoft has explored applying generative AI to other parts of the development process in the past. The company’s Ghostwriter tool, introduced in 2023, uses AI to generate first drafts of in-game dialogue. Ubisoft also recently adimitted to publishing Anno 117: Pax Romana without removing its AI-generated loading screen art.
Ultimately, the underlying technology powering Teammates could appear in other Ubisoft projects in the future. The company is collecting feedback from its playtest to apply towards future research, but Ubisoft suggests the middleware it created for Teammates already works with both its Snowdrop and Anvil engines, opening up the tool for future teams to use in their games.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-made-a-prototype-game-with-voice-controlled-ai-teammates-200834163.html?src=rss
Google confirmed in a statement Friday that hackers have stolen the Salesforce-stored data of more than 200 companies in a large-scale supply chain hack. TechCrunch reports: On Thursday, Salesforce disclosed a breach of “certain customers’ Salesforce data” — without naming affected companies — that was stolen via apps published by Gainsight, which provides a customer support platform to other companies.
In a statement, Austin Larsen, the principal threat analyst of Google Threat Intelligence Group, said that the company “is aware of more than 200 potentially affected Salesforce instances.” After Salesforce announced the breach, the notorious and somewhat-nebulous hacking group known as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, which includes the ShinyHunters gang, claimed responsibility for the hacks in a Telegram channel, which TechCrunch has seen.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Someone stealing your credit card information is the absolute worst. Opening your statement to see expensive charges you didn’t make is stressful, and canceling your card—and dealing with all of your attached subscriptions—is a nightmare. So if you get a call about an unauthorized charge for a brand new iPhone, you’re probably going to want to get to the bottom of it. Here’s the thing: It’s likely a scam.
I speak from experience: My wife keeps getting calls from unknown numbers, all of which leave voicemails about charges for iPhones. The voicemail starts off with what sounds like standard holding music. Suddenly, a voice pops in, saying something to the affect of: “This is Amazon. This call is to authorize the payment of $999 for the recent order of Apple iPhone 16 Pro on your account. If you do not authorize this payment, please press “one” to speak to our customer support representative.” Your call may also be about, “the payment of $1,099 for the recent order of Apple iPhone 17 Pro on your account.”
We are inundated with the calls, and besides the payment amount and the specific iPhone model, the rest of the message is identical. As you might expect, no such charges are actually present on either our Amazon account or in our credit card history. That’s because no one bought an iPhone in our name, or by using our financial information: This was simply a scam.
Had we answered the phone and pressed “one” to speak with a “customer support representative,” or called the number back after listening to the voicemail, this is what would have likely happened: The “representative” would have assured us that they would be able to dispute the charge, but of course they’d need some information from us first. Perhaps they would have needed us to confirm the credit card information, and would ask us to read our digits out loud. Maybe they’d need to make sure we actually owned the Amazon account in question, and would ask for our two-factor authentication code to “confirm our identity.” No matter what the case, the scammers would have been praying on our concern about the charge to extract some type of sensitive information from us, all for their own financial gain. Had we called back and complied, we would have almost assuredly handed the scammers the money we thought they were helping us get back.
If you get a voicemail like this, don’t call them back. If you pick up the phone, and you get this message, don’t press “one;” just hang up. You are definitely being scammed, and there’s no risk in simply ignoring the caller completely.
If you’d like to verify their claims, don’t involve the caller at all. Instead, head to your Amazon account, and check your order history. You’ll be able to see if any such iPhones were ordered under your account—and, if they were, you can cancel the order here. Similarly, check your credit card history: If you don’t see a charge for an iPhone, there wasn’t one. If you do see one, reach out to the credit card company directly through their official contact information.
Scammers rely on pressure tactics that stress you out, and make you feel like time is of the essence. It rarely ever is. While it might seem common practice for companies like Amazon to call customers about large charges, it really isn’t. If you ever receive unsolicited communications from someone claiming to represent a company you belong to, you can always end the conversation, and reach out directly yourself. If you contact Amazon’s official customer support, or the company that issues your credit card, they’ll be able to confirm or deny the claim for you.
While you can block the number, it might not do much good. Each time we’ve received a call, it’s been from a different number, so my guess is they’re not reusing numbers when calling you back. Instead, you should strongly consider using one of Apple’s built-in anti-spam tools. If you’re running iOS 26, you can choose to have your iPhone screen calls from unknown numbers, and ask for information before sending the call your way. No matter which version of iOS you have, you can also choose to silence unknown callers en masse, so you’re never interrupted by any caller that isn’t in your contacts.
Google has started inserting ads into query results from its AI Mode, which was originally spotted by an SEO consultant named Brodie Clark. These ads show up in the bottom of search results in the Gemini-powered AI Mode. They are labeled as “sponsored” content, but otherwise look similar to other links whipped up by the chatbot.
Google says this is just a test and that ads shouldn’t be showing up for all users. The company also told 9to5Google that there are no current plans to fully update AI Mode to incorporate ads. Those are nice words, but AI has to make money somehow and ads seem to be a good way to do that.
The time has come. Google is now showing ads within AI Mode for the first time ever.
Similar to the ads that I had originally spotted showing within AI overviews earlier this year, the placement is at the bottom of the response.
And as you can see, the ad results are labelled… pic.twitter.com/JZa7g8rS2N
— Brodie Clark (@brodieseo) November 21, 2025
For now, the software seems to be prioritizing organic links over sponsored links, but we all know how insidious ads can be once the floodgates open. AI presents an especially slippery slope here, as these chatbots are often advertised as personal assistants. I don’t really want a personal assistant barking ads at me 24/7.
Incidentally, there doesn’t seem to be any way to hide the aforementioned sponsored links. Google Search lets users hide sponsored results once they scroll past them.
It sure looks like our free ride is already coming to an end, as AI companies are really speedrunning through that whole enshittification thing. X recently announced that it would be incorporating ads into query results.
I love Sora 2
Sam Altman must love this too pic.twitter.com/YexwVEoBKQ
— Adyseus (@Adyseku) October 1, 2025
There are also rumors that OpenAI has been hiring people to turn ChatGPT into an ad platform. That company’s recently-launched AI social media slop factory Sora reportedly burns through $15 million a day generating videos of Sam Altman eating pizza in space or whatever.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-starts-testing-ads-in-ai-mode-192800265.html?src=rss
Microsoft has acknowledged in a support article that major Windows 11 core features including the Start Menu, Taskbar, File Explorer and System Settings break after applying monthly cumulative updates released on or after July 2025.
The problems stem from XAML component issues that affect updates beginning with July’s Patch Tuesday release (KB5062553). The failures occur during first-time user logins after cumulative updates are applied and on non-persistent OS installations like virtual desktop infrastructure setups. Microsoft lists Explorer.exe crashes, shellhost.exe crashes, StartMenuExperienceHost failures and System Settings that silently refuse to launch among the symptoms. The company provided PowerShell commands and batch scripts as temporary workarounds that re-register the affected packages. Both Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 share the same codebase and are affected. Microsoft said it is working on a fix but did not provide a timeline.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
For months, the Trump administration has warned that semiconductor tariffs are coming soon, leaving the tech industry on pins and needles after a chaotic year of unpredictable tariff regimes collectively cost firms billions.
The semiconductor tariffs are key to Donald Trump’s economic agenda, which is intended to force more manufacturing into the US by making it more expensive to import materials and products. He campaigned on axing the CHIPS Act—which provided subsidies to companies investing in manufacturing chips in the US—complaining that it was a “horrible, horrible thing” to “give hundreds of billions of dollars” away when the US could achieve the same objective by instead taxing companies and “use whatever is left over” of CHIPS funding to “reduce debt.” However, as 2025 winds down, the US president faces pressure on all sides to delay semiconductor tariffs, insiders told Reuters, and it appears that he is considering caving.
According to “two people with direct knowledge of the matter and a third person briefed on the conversations,” US officials have privately told industry and government stakeholders that semiconductor tariffs will likely be delayed.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.
Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.
Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
When it comes to how I live, there are a few basic facts: I dwell in a small apartment and I am constantly “working on it.” Sometimes, this involves overhauling my entire organizational system. Other times, I’m overcome with the sudden desire to wallpaper the kitchen. I am constantly in a state of decorating, cleaning, rearranging, and generally improving. Lately, that’s involved a lot of tech and appliance upgrades to make my environment better and more serviceable, not just nice to look at.
One of the best things I’ve gotten my hands on is the Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat, which is both a heater and a fan. I’m picky about both because I always want to be warmer and need a heater, but I also like the noise of a fan at night to fall asleep (while I’m safe from the cool air under my blanket). Having both in one has been awesome and, now that the device is $150 off ahead of Black Friday, you should consider getting one, too.
First of all, I always want to be upfront when I’ve been given something by a company so I can review it. That’s what happened here. I don’t write a nice review if something stinks, though, so here I am, saying this thing is extremely useful.
Typically, the TurboBlade Cool + Heat is $400. That’s a lot, although it makes economic sense if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a good fan and a good heater separately. It also makes sense for someone like me in a little apartment. It’s frustrating to have to store two large devices when I could just have one. Still, the discount, which puts this at $250 for the shopping holiday, is much appreciated.
The TurboBlade Cool + Heat is bladeless and modern-looking, which I like. It’s also powerful. You can adjust it up to 10 levels of air-blasting, so you can get just a touch or a whole wind storm. I opt for a level-10 wind storm because I am especially interested in white noise at bedtime, but it comes with a convenient little remote so if it gets too loud or too airy, I don’t have to get up to adjust it. The heat option, which is easy to toggle on, has three modes. There’s a filter at the bottom that looks easy to clean, but I haven’t had to do that yet.
You can turn the vents horizontally or vertically, plus it can tilt and oscillate on its own. If you’re going to pay a few hundred bucks for something, it should do a few cool tricks, and this does. You can also dim the control panel, which I do because I like to sleep in pitch darkness.
Some tech specs: It has 1,400 watts, its air flow capacity is 1,180 cubic feet per minute, and its top speed is 10 RPM. It has a 120 voltage and weighs a little over 21 pounds. I am a simple person, so I don’t pay attention to any of those things except the weight. It doesn’t come put-together, so I foolishly assembled it in the middle of my entryway (which was perfectly easy to do and took me maybe five minutes), then had to haul it around, assembled and heavy, to place it where I wanted it. Is 21 pounds a ton of weight? No, but it was tricky for me to push it up the ladder into my lofted bedroom and I do wish I had assembled it in the room where I planned to use it. Just a word of advice.
What stores have the best sales on Black Friday?
Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Black Friday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers who can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.
My colleagues on Engadget’s buying advice team have put out great recommendations for physical gadgets like this humble fabric shaver that are on sale for Black Friday. I, however, am an evolved being who swims in the digital ether, so my top product of the year lives only online — though DeleteMe will still improve your life wherever you are. From now until December 5, DeleteMe is offering 30 percent off all subscriptions with the coupon code BFCM30OFF25.
Chances are you’ve seen at least one public-facing “people search” site. You know the ones: they usually have names like 411.info or Find.people, and you can type in a person’s name and find all the info the site has been able to scrape on them. If you search your own name, it’s hard to avoid immediately running to the kitchen to make yourself a tinfoil hat. The most annoying thing is that these “data broker” sites are perfectly legal to run and use.
However, that’s also their Achilles’ heel. If they want to operate in the open, brokers legally have to include a way for you to remove yourself from their database. Most of them make it as aggravating and time-consuming as possible, but the option is there.
That’s where DeleteMe comes in. All you have to do is sign up and enter all the data you want removed from brokerage sites. DeleteMe handles the rest. It searches for your information on people database sites, automatically sends opt-out requests, bugs the broker if they don’t comply quickly enough and gives you a weekly report on how it’s doing. You do have to be OK with DeleteMe itself having your data, but I trust them way more than the randos over at violate.privacy.
It’s so much faster than handling all the opt-out requests yourself, which — if you’ve ever tried it — rapidly becomes a full-time job. Since I’ve been using DeleteMe, I almost never get spam calls or texts anymore, except in short bursts before its crawlers catch my name on another site. And yes, it doesn’t work on shady data brokers who don’t follow the rules, but it’s still a massive reduction of your online footprint.
The only problem is that it’s pretty expensive, so I strongly recommend jumping on this Black Friday deal. A few months on DeleteMe should be long enough for you to see if it reduces spam for you — and I’m betting it will.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-most-effective-anti-spam-tool-ive-ever-used-is-on-sale-for-black-friday-190526952.html?src=rss
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.
Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.
Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
Back in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, I was looking for a universal travel adapter to accompany me across the world. I stumbled upon this older one by Epicka and bought it almost without thinking, something I rarely do. That turned out to be one of my best purchase decisions ever, because that travel adapter is still going strong. I’ve taken it to multiple countries and have used it extensively while traveling to remote locations in India, where you don’t always have a reliable power supply. Last year, I gave it away to a friend I met during a meditation retreat, and she’s been happily using it since then.
This is the first time I’ve had a travel adapter for that long. I’d bought a few crappy ones before and they couldn’t always reliably charge multiple devices or last very long. This Epicka unit was quite impressive in that regard, but it did have a couple of limitations. It was a fairly slow charger, and it had only one USB-C port. I’ve been looking to upgrade to a better travel adapter for about a year now, and I think I’m going to do it this time. Epicka has another model with three USB-C ports and support for up to 75W charging, which makes it ideal for me. That one is now down to its lowest ever price in an early Black Friday deal.
Even at the deal price of $45 (15% off), it is a bit pricey, but I think the premium is worth paying for a fast charger from a brand with a good track record. I will say that this product is a bit bulky and some people will prefer to travel with a more compact charging adapter, but its size never bothered me much. You also get two USB-A ports (one on each side) in this adapter, which is good for those with older charging cables.
This Epicka universal travel adapter has a 4.8 rating on Amazon, with a total of 336 reviews at time of writing. The general consensus among Amazon reviewers is that this is a great product. One review says that if you charge multiple devices, this adapter splits power evenly across the devices, which means that all devices will be charged reasonably quickly. It has plugs for the US, UK, Australia, and EU, and a nice locking mechanism to keep the plugs in place.
Note, though, that if you’re planning to use high-wattage electronics such as hair dryers with this adapter, then it’s not for you. This adapter is also not a voltage converter, so be sure to check if your electronics ship with a built-in converter when using the Epicka adapter in other countries. Most phone and laptop chargers are dual voltage, so you probably won’t have to worry about it much, but safety first.
How long do Black Friday deals really last?
Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. You can get the same Black Friday sales early, and we expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.
Thunderbird Pro has moved its Thundermail email service into production testing as the open-source email client’s subscription bundle of additional services prepares for an Early Bird beta launch at $9 per month that will include email hosting, encrypted file sharing through Send, and scheduling via Appointment.
Internal team members are now testing Thundermail accounts and the new Thunderbird Pro add-on automatically adds Thundermail accounts for users who sign up through it. The project migrated its data hosting from the Americas to Germany and the EU.
Appointment received a major visual redesign being applied across all three services while Send completed an external security review and moved from its standalone add-on into the unified Thunderbird Pro add-on. The new website at tb.pro is live for signups and account management.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.
Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.
Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
When buying a new device, it takes me a long time to actually click the “buy” button. I grew out of using my iPhone and Mac to read ebooks a few years ago, but I waited until this year to finally grab the e-reader I’d been eyeing since 2020. It’s the Kindle Paperwhite, which I bought on discount a few months ago. I love it, which is why I’m happy to report that it’s now on sale for Black Friday and is down to its lowest ever price.
I know what you might be about to say, but buying a Kindle doesn’t mean that you’re forced to opt into Amazon’s ebook ecosystem. I’ve successfully de-Amazoned my Kindle, and it’s been going fine so far. You have lots of Amazon alternatives to buy ebooks, and I’ve made the most of the opportunity to read many of the DRM-free ebooks purchased over the years. The Kindle Paperwhite itself is a great device, too. It’s quite snappy and doesn’t show any performance issues even if you turn a lot of pages back-to-back.
It’s water-resistant, which means that you can use it by the pool, beach, or even while doing the dishes. And yes, there was a time when I got so locked into a book that I actually was reading the series even while doing the dishes. It was a bit annoying to stop and turn the page every minute or so, but the point is that I never worried about causing any water damage to my Kindle Paperwhite.
Yes, there is a cheaper Kindle, too, but it lacks water resistance and has about half the battery life of a Paperwhite, which makes it less appealing to me. If you can afford to do so, I think buying the Kindle Paperwhite is the smart choice. But there still are a few more decisions to factor in. One is the color. The Paperwhite is available in black, green, and pink colors and all are currently at their lowest ever price. Once you’ve figured out your color, you need to choose if you’re buying your Kindle with ads or ad-free. I always recommend spending the extra 20 bucks to get the ad-free version, but if lock screen ads don’t bother you, then you can get the lower priced model.
The third and final choice is whether you want to stretch your budget for the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. This variant has 32GB of built-in storage (double that of the regular Paperwhite), an auto-adjusting front light, and support for wireless charging. It’s just $5 more than the ad-free Kindle Paperwhite at time of writing, and it’s worth remembering that this variant also doesn’t have ads.
Personally, I think the choice is really between an ad-supported Paperwhite at $125 or an ad-free Paperwhite Signature Edition at $150. Both are great devices, so no matter what, you can’t really go wrong.
How long do Black Friday deals really last?
Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. You can get the same Black Friday sales early, and we expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025.
Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?
Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
I’ve DIYed three kitchen and two bathroom renovations so far in my life; I’ve re-caulked countless old windows and doors; I’ve applied construction adhesive to a lot of things. And I’ve always struggled with caulking. It’s difficult to get smooth, equal caulk lines, and when caulking large areas my arm gets pretty tired, especially if I’m pushing some thick and heavy material out of that tube. Plus, I always ended up wiping away accidents with my hands, leaving me smeared with caulk.
After years of constant frustration, it finally occurred to me that the culprit might be the old-school manual caulk gun I’d been using for decades. It’s bent, rusted, and covered in a crust of old caulk, cement, and dirt; I couldn’t think of a single reason why I hadn’t upgraded it. When I did, I decided to try out a power caulking gun, so I picked up this cordless one by DeWalt. It’s not the cheapest option, but I love this thing.
A power caulking gun is similar to the standard manual tool you’re used to. It’s a bit bulkier and heavier, of course, but it operates in much the same way: You pop in a cartridge (or a sausage tube if your gun can switch between them), you cut the tip, and the rod pushes the caulk or adhesive out. The main difference is that the rod advances automatically when you press the trigger—you don’t have to keep exerting force with your hand, and caulk is dispensed continuously instead of in the chaotic waves I always managed manually.
What’s fantastic about this power caulk gun is the level of control. You can set the maximum and minimum speed of the tool precisely, so you get exactly the flow rate you need for your job, and you can change speed within that range easily with the trigger. It comes with different canister trays to accommodate different tubes, and it has a nifty little light that allows you to actually see what you’re doing—something I didn’t realize I needed until I experienced it.
One thing I love is that the rod retracts when you release the trigger, preventing caulk or adhesive from oozing out of the tube. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set the caulking gun down to do something and discovered a nice pile of caulk on my floor. That’s not an issue any more.
There’s a bit of a learning curve with this—it’ll take a moment to get a feel for the flow and to mentally calibrate what speed setting is right for what job. Once you get the hang of it, though, being able to caulk an entire run of tile or countertop without pausing feels like a superpower. And not getting covered in caulk is priceless.
Nothing Phone 3 owners, your Android 16 update is here. Owners of other models? Well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. Regardless, the company’s Nothing OS 4.0 update brings Google’s newest mobile software, along with a bunch of UI tweaks.
In addition to Android 16, Nothing OS 4.0 should deliver a smoother, zippier experience. The company promises “faster responses, cleaner visuals, smoother interactions” and more. Along those lines, app transitions, the notification shade and gestures have been redesigned to respond “with sharper tactility and depth.”
Nothing also redesigned its first-party icons, with cleaner, more minimal styling. “The home screen feels balanced, modern and comfortable to use,” the company claims. Status bar icons have been refined, drawing inspiration from Android 16’s stylings. There are also new lock-screen clocks to choose from, and an “extra dark mode” (in addition to standard dark mode), designed for nighttime reading.
The Glyph Interface has always been one of Nothing’s most unique features, and it gets some updates, too. Glyph Progress integrates with Android 16’s Live Updates. “Rides, deliveries, and timers now sync across your screen and the Glyph Interface,” as the company describes it.
You can read up on all the changes on the release page. Nothing OS 4.0 is rolling out now to the Nothing Phone 3. Most other devices will start seeing it “over the coming weeks.” The company’s (recently spun off) CMF brand devices will receive the update by the end of 2025. Finally, Phone 3a Lite owners have to wait until “early next year.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/android-16-starts-rolling-out-to-nothing-phones-182637951.html?src=rss
SpaceX has confirmed that its third-gen Super Heavy Booster, the first stage of the two-stage Starship system, suffered an explosive gas failure of sorts during testing on Thursday morning. In a post on X, the aerospace company said, “Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during gas system pressure testing that we were conducting in advance of structural proof testing.”
There was no propellant inside the booster as the engines were not installed at that point. No injuries were reported and the company shared that personnel are always kept at a safe distance during these types of tests. The company said it will “need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause.”
The explosive release of gas, or whatever it was, seems to have blown out the side of the bottom half of the booster. Pictures taken by SpaceX content creators show this in detail. Clips of the livestream show the incident in question at around 4AM on Friday.
Booster 18 seems to have just exploded during testing at the Massey outpost. pic.twitter.com/fmVdYPmWvA
— LabPadre Space (@LabPadre) November 21, 2025
The booster is part of the third generation of Starship, SpaceX’s enormous and fully reusable rocket designed for high payload capacity. The ship weighs 5,000 tons and towers over 400 feet in height (taller than a 30-story building).
So far, Starship has had 11 successful launches at a cost of over $100 million per launch, and five explosions during testing. While this most recent explosion was fairly benign, previous incidents have seen fiery debris rain down from the sky. SpaceX’s ultimate plan for Starship is delivering payloads to the moon and Mars. Most recently, the last iteration of the second-gen Starship had a successful test flight in October. This came after its first ever payload deployment in August.
86 percent of global payload mass sent to space has been carried by SpaceX since 2024, though companies like Blue Origin are investing heavily to compete. According to NASA, the cost per kilogram to launch into space has seen a 95 percent reduction from its shuttle days. The SpaceX Falcon 9 costs 20 times less per kilogram to launch than NASA’s space shuttle.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-booster-for-spacexs-starship-v3-suffered-a-gas-system-failure-during-testing-181459063.html?src=rss
Adam Marshall spent more than a decade developing Kingdoms of the Dump while working as a custodian at a school in suburban Philadelphia, cleaning floors and hauling trash bags from 3 PM to 11 PM before coming home to work on his turn-based role-playing game until 5 or 6 AM. The game, which Bloomberg has called “one of the year’s most charming RPGs,” came out on Tuesday after Marshall and his childhood friend Matt Loiseau — also a janitor — built it using RPG Maker alongside a small team of hobbyists who mostly worked for free.
The pair launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2019 that raised $76,560, but the pandemic disrupted their plans and forced them to lose contractors and rethink their approach. Marshall maintained this schedule for five years straight before quitting his custodial job last year to finish the game full-time. Kingdoms of the Dump has sold about 7,000 copies since its release. The game stars a walking trashcan named Dustin Binsley who adventures through landfills and sewers in a world made entirely of garbage.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
So far, macOS hasn’t been as big on theming and customization as I’d like, but that’s changing with its newest version. In macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple’s shipped a bunch of ways to customize the look and feel of your Mac’s desktop, app icons, and menu bar, among other things. And there’s more to it than just tweaking how Liquid Glass looks. If you’re the sort of person who enjoys theming and customization, try these tips.
Your Mac’s Dock probably has a bunch of colorful icons. I’ve always enjoyed those diverse colors, but others might want something more uniform. If you feel like going with a particular tint, or if you just want your app icons to use dark mode, it’s just a quick tweak away. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac’s screen and go to System Settings > Appearance > Icon & widget style. Here, you can change the app icons to Dark, Clear, or Tinted. The Tinted option lets you select a single tint for all your app icons, so choose the color you like the most.
Once you upgrade to macOS Tahoe, you’ll probably notice the new clock on your lock screen. You can tweak this to your liking, too. Just go to System Settings > Wallpaper > Clock Appearance. You can choose one of six clock styles. Don’t forget to adjust the slider below the Weight option, which lets you change the font to make the clock look sleeker or more prominent.
With iOS 18’s release in 2024, Apple started letting you customize your iPhone’s Control Center. This year, that feature is finally on Mac, starting with macOS Tahoe. To use it, just click the Control Center button in the menu bar at the top of your Mac’s screen, and select Edit Controls. There are plenty of controls to choose from, so take your time and add what you need. You can drag-and-drop any of the controls to move them around, or you can click the – (minus) button next to any control to remove it from the Control Center. Alternatively, you can tweak your control center under System Settings > Menu Bar > Menu Bar Controls.
One of the more controversial changes to macOS Tahoe is the swap to a transparent menu bar. The clear color sometimes makes it harder to read text, but if you don’t like that, you can restore a background to your menu bar. This feature is under System Settings > Menu Bar > Show menu bar background.
If you’re tired of the default blue color for folder icons, macOS Tahoe lets you tweak this to suit your style. Go to System Settings > Appearance > Folder color and use the drop-down menu to change the color of folder icons. I’d have never thought of myself as a person who uses orange folder icons, but I suppose we all go through a tangerine season at some point in our lives.
macOS Tahoe also gives you limited control over your Mac’s theme. If you go to System Settings > Appearance > Theme and pick a color, you’ll notice that this color also applies to the cursor in writing apps, and the color of selected items in menus, too. On the same menu page, you can also choose a different color for highlighted text, which is a nice additional level of customization. It ensures that if I pick a particularly bright color for my overall theme, I can still choose a milder color for text selection. That helps me stay focused while I’m working, which is something I value a lot.
Millions of people around the world are living with the harsh reality of Alzheimer’s disease, which also significantly impacts family members. Nobody is immune, as A-list actor Chris Hemsworth discovered when his own father was recently diagnosed. The revelation inspired Hemsworth to embark on a trip down memory lane with his father, which took them to Australia’s Northern Territory. The experience was captured on film for A Road Trip To Remember, a new documentary film from National Geographic.
Director Tom Barbor-Might had worked with Hemsworth on the latter’s documentary series, Limitless, also for National Geographic. Each episode of Limitless follows Hemsworth on a unique challenge to push himself to the limits, augmented with interviews with scientific experts on such practices as fasting, extreme temperatures, brain-boosting, and regulating one’s stress response. Barbor-Might directed the season 1 finale, “Acceptance,” which was very different in tone, dealing with the inevitability of death and the need to confront one’s own mortality.
“It was really interesting to see Chris in that more intimate personal space, and he was great at it,” Barbor-Might told Ars. “He was charming, emotional, and vulnerable, and it was really moving. It felt like there was more work to be done there.” When Craig Hemsworth received his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore that personal element further.
After several delays, Analogue finally started shipping its 4K remake of the Nintendo 64 this week. That was great news for those lucky enough to have pre-orders secured, but the console was firmly sold out beyond that first wave of shipments. However, the company has now announced that it will have new stock of the Analogue 3D ready to go from November 24.
You’ll be able to order from 8am PST on the day, with orders set to start shipping on December 2, once Analogue has honored all of its original pre-orders. This batch will likely go very quickly too, and if you do manage to get one, you’ll have to accept a (seemingly tariff-related) price $20 hike, with the Analogue 3D now costing $270.
As with previous Analogue systems, the reimagined N64 uses an FPGA (field programmable gate array) chip to emulate Nintendo’s original hardware. FPGA-based systems are more accurate than software emulation options and deliver reduced input lag.
Every N64 cartridge is supported, according to Analogue, including both PAL and NTSC variants, and the 3D is capable of 4K output with variable refresh rate. You also get an “original display mode” filter to faithfully recreate the look of gaming on your dusty old CRT.
A word of warning, though: while our review of the Analogue 3D praised the hardware design and strength of the emulation, our reviewer’s biggest mark against the console is that a lot of N64 games just aren’t very fun to play in 2025. Still, if you still have the likes of Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time lying around in a cupboard, you’ll no doubt have an enjoyably nostalgic holiday season with the Analogue 3D, should you successfully get hold of one next week.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-analogue-3d-will-be-restocked-on-november-24-but-itll-cost-20-more-173615217.html?src=rss
