Millions of iPhone owners in the UK will be asked to verify they are over 18 in order to access several Apple services, following pressure from the UK government on smartphone makers to do more to protect children online.
The UK is believed to be the first European market where Apple is rolling out its new age controls, which are designed to ensure that only adults can download apps rated on its App Store as being suitable for over-18s.
Following an iOS software update that was pushed out on Wednesday, adults who do not verify their age will face restrictions on web browsing, as well as “communication safety” checks to their messages and FaceTime video calls, which are designed to detect nude photos and videos.
Well, it’s not coming quite the way some might have hoped, but today is the day for Intel’s BMG-G31 GPU, releasing now as the Intel Arc Pro B70. This (very) long-rumored card sports Intel’s most powerful Arc GPU to date, with a full 32 Xe2 cores and a 256-bit memory interface that wires up the big Battlemage GPU to 32GB of GDDR6 memory running
As a shopping writer for Lifehacker, I’ve learned many tricks over the years that have helped me become a savvy Amazon shopper. You do not need to be a Prime member for most of these, but becoming one will make your Amazon experience better. And yes, it’s worth it—we’ve done the math.
If your shipping is delayed, call Amazon to get free money
If your Amazon delivery is late, you can contact customer service and may be eligible for a refund or credit, often proportional to the product’s value—especially if the order had a guaranteed delivery date. The status of an order on Amazon changes during different stages of the shipment. If Amazon said a delivery was going to arrive at a specific date and later sent a message that it’s delayed, get a hold of someone from customer service (this is the quickest way to get someone from Amazon on the phone). Tell them your order is late and you want to be compensated because you needed the delivery on time for whatever reason you can come up with. Customer service is very likely to offer you an Amazon credit. I’ve personally received a $20 credit when a laptop was arriving late.
Use price tracking tools to get the best prices on Amazon
Knowing an item’s price history tells you if you’re better off waiting a bit; it also ensures you’re getting the best price. There are many tracking tools, but if I were to recommend one for Amazon, it’s Keepa. Keepa automatically displays the price history under the image of the product. It also lets you track specific products and sends you notifications when they go below a specific price that you set. You can download the extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge, and Safari.
Get the most accurate product reviews from Amazon
Amazon sometimes combines reviews from multiple versions of a particular product. For example, take the review section of this Apple Watch Series 11 GPS. At the time of this writing, it says there are 1,049 customer reviews. But (and here’s the hack): If you click on the “All Variants” dropdown and check the specific variant you’re looking at, you’ll see there are only 194 matching customer reviews (at the time of writing) for this particular model and version. The rest of the reviews are for other sizes, colors, storage size, cellular vs GPS versions, etc.
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Ask Rufus, Amazon’s AI, questions about products
Last year, Amazon released Rufus AI, which scraped the internet, each Amazon product page, and even product manuals to gather information on each product, no matter how specific the question. It’s much faster and sometime more accurate than looking for the answer by reading the manual or the product page. You can find this search bar right on top of the review section or anywhere you see the “Ask Rufus” banner.
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Get credits from Amazon when you don’t need rushed delivery
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
While having two-day delivery is great, it’s not always necessary. Sometimes, Amazon will offer you “digital rewards” (essentially free money you can use on Amazon purchases, among other things) to have the shipping not be “Prime” or two days. While the rewards might be small—usually under $2—they quickly add up. Before you know it, you can have a $20 Amazon credit waiting for you on your next checkout payment.
You can game Amazon’s “subscribe & save” system
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Amazon offers a “subscribe & save” program, which incentivizes you to buy the same product periodically by giving you discounts going up to 15%. It’s a neat tool if you, say, buy your protein powder through Amazon and you know you’ll need it at least every six months. It’s less obvious, though, that you can get that $80 protein powder with the 15% subscribe discount and then cancel the subscription right away, saving you 15% pain-free.
Take advantage of Amazon’s free payment plans
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Your money makes more interest sitting in a savings account (ideally a high-yield one) than giving it away to Amazon. So when they offer you a free payment plan with 0% APR and no strings attached, it’s a no-brainer. Not all products will have this option, but most big ticket items being shipped directly from Amazon do. Be careful with this, however: It’s all too easy to spend more than you should. Which is why our shopping motto is “Don’t buy anything you weren’t going to buy anyway.“
If you’re a young adult or a student, you can get Prime benefits for less
If you’re between the ages of 18 and 24 or are currently a student, you get all of the Prime benefits at half the price. This is huge for anyone who is at least one of those two categories.
Use Amazon Family instead of having two separate accounts
I still know many people who share their Amazon accounts, like family, spouses, or roommates. This makes it very hard to keep Secret Santa exciting. People who live in the same household can have a single Prime membership payment, though, while keeping their own accounts private by using Amazon Family. This means your cart won’t be full of other people’s orders, notifications will only be for your orders, your order history will be showing only your products, etc.
Get free e-books on your Kindle every month
It’s not easy to fill a Kindle, but I’m well on my way, thanks to the many free e-books I’ve gotten through Amazon. If you’re a Prime Member, you get two to three free e-books every month through a program called Amazon’s First Reads, a curated list of new books handpicked by editors.
“As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere,” Disney said in a statement provided to media outlets. “We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”
Disney and OpenAI announced the blockbuster three-year licensing deal in December, saying that over 200 Disney-owned characters would be available for use in Sora-generated videos. At the same time, Disney said it would be making a $1 billion equity investment in the AI company.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Some laptops are performance powerhouses, but work better as a desktop and can be bulky to travel or commute with. If you’re looking for an ultraportable laptop that still offers robust performance but isn’t a headache (or a shoulder ache) to lug around, the MacBook Air remains one of the best lightweight laptops available, with a sleek and modern design to boot. Right now, as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4) is 21% off at $1,099 (originally $1,399), marking its lowest price ever.
The 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch model earned an Editor’s Choice Award from PCMag, which lauded it for its faster M4 processing chip, boosted RAM (even in the base model), quieter, fanless build, and Improved Center Stage camera, as well as Apple Intelligence features. The 15-inch model’s starting price is also lower than the previous-generation 15-inch Air, and it comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage and weighs just 2.7 lbs. Apple claims the battery lasts up to 18 hours, and in real-world testing, it actually exceeded that expectation by nearly two hours.
That said, some ultraportable Windows laptops outpace it, and the battery life, while impressive, is still about 90 minutes short compared to the 2024 model. Still, it surpasses the MacBook Pro in many areas, according to our reviewer. Much of this is due to the upgraded M4 chip, making it a potent combination of power and affordability. In our tester’s findings on CPU performance, the Pro only performed 5% better, making the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4) a versatile option for a range of users, now priced better than ever at $300 off.
If you’re looking for the 13-inch model instead, that’s also on sale right now for $250 off during the Amazon Big Spring Sale.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals Right Now
Earlier this month Honda decided to cancel a trio of electric vehicles it was planning to build in the US. And those cancellations are having a ripple effect. Today Sony Honda Mobility—the automaker’s joint venture with the electronics and entertainment company—announced that it won’t bring its EVs to market either.
Although Honda was an early adopter of hybrid technology, it has been left badly lagging when it comes to developing battery-electric cars. The diminutive Honda e might look like the most adorable city car you’ve ever seen, but it struggled to find more than 12,000 buyers in four years across Europe and Japan.
Here in North America, the Prologue has done much better: Honda sold 33,000 in 2024, and another 39,000 last year. But the rebadged GM, which shares a platform with the Chevrolet Blazer, has seen sales implode since the end of the federal clean vehicle tax credit last fall, and it, too, leaves production at the end of the year. An earlier plan to use GM’s battery platform for lower-cost EVs, meant to arrive in 2027, died in late 2023.
At Intel Pro Day, the chip maker unveiled its latest round of vPro processors based on Panther Lake, otherwise known as the Core Ultra Series 3 with vPro. As with past iterations, these new chips take aim at business PCs and IT admins with advanced security and management features not available on standard (read: non-vPro) processors, the
Ring has today announced a spec bump to its battery-powered video doorbells for all those folks who can’t wire their units to power. The flagship Battery Doorbell Pro (2nd gen) gets 4K video, with 10x zoom and the promise of far longer time between recharges than the previous model. At the same time, it’s bringing 2K imaging to its lower-end battery doorbells, the Battery Doorbell Plus and Battery Doorbell (2nd gen). The former, as fitting its higher price, gets a quick-release battery pack, while both models get 2K video and 6x zoom. Naturally, these features are already available on Ring’s wired products, the bulk of which were announced back in September 2025.
The company is also aware that swapping out batteries isn’t ideal if you really need a doorbell to work all of the time. That’s why it’s also launching a new Solar Charger which integrates into the mount, keeping your doorbell running for longer between trips to the wall outlet. There’s also a bigger Solar Panel, which pumps out more juice than its smaller sibling, and can be mounted in a wider variety of places. All of the above are available to pre-order from today, and are priced as follows: Pro ($250), Plus ($180), Battery Doorbell ($100), Solar Charger ($50), Solar Panel ($60).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ring-adds-4k-to-its-battery-powered-video-doorbells-130021181.html?src=rss
To go along with Intel’s Pro Day announcements this morning, Dell’s got a whole pile of new Dell Pro machines. Dell says that these commercial computers offer exceptional scalability and reliability to make life easier for business and corporate IT departments. All of these systems can be configured with remote manageability and extensive
The M4 chip keeps things feeling quick in everyday use. You can move between a bunch of tabs, documents, and light edits without things getting stuck or slowing down. Apple has also made 16GB of RAM the standard this time, which helps the laptop hold up better over time. It’s the kind of change you notice after a few months, when everything still runs the way it did on day one, even if you’re someone who leaves apps open in the background. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is also easy to like. Text looks crisp, colors feel natural, and it’s bright enough to use comfortably in most lighting. Using it day to day feels straightforward—the keyboard is comfortable enough that you don’t think about it much, and Touch ID makes small things like unlocking or approving downloads faster.
You also get Wi-Fi 6E and MagSafe charging, so you can free up the two Thunderbolt 4 ports for accessories. Those ports can also drive up to two external 6K displays, which is more flexibility than older Air models offered. That said, the port selection is limited to two USB-C connections, so using multiple peripherals often means adding a hub. Storage is fixed at 512GB unless you pay more upfront, and upgrades get expensive quickly within Apple’s ecosystem. This also is not built for heavy, sustained workloads like advanced video editing or 3D rendering, where a MacBook Pro is still the better fit. But for everyday use, this covers a wide range of tasks without feeling restrictive, and the combination of performance, display quality, and battery efficiency makes it the best MacBook for most people.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The DJI Osmo 360 Essential Combo is down to $389.35 for Amazon’s Spring Sale (March 25 through March 31), a sizable drop from its usual $599. This bundle gives you more than just the camera. You get the Osmo 360 itself, an invisible selfie stick, a protective pouch, a rubber lens guard, a charging cable, and an extra battery pack. DJI is also discounting other versions like the Skiing, Cycling, and Vortex combos, but the Essential kit covers most general use cases without locking you into one activity.
At this price, it sits closer to midrange action cameras while offering something those cameras don’t: full 360-degree capture. The Osmo 360’s main draw is its ability to record native 8K 360 footage at 30fps. That gives you enough resolution to crop and reframe clips later without losing too much detail. In practice, it means you can shoot first and decide your angles after. Battery life is decent for a compact camera, with DJI estimating it at around 100 minutes when shooting 8K, and up to 190 minutes if you drop to 6K at 24fps. The included extra battery in the Essential Combo helps stretch that further.
The invisible selfie stick does exactly what it promises by removing itself from footage automatically, so you get that floating third-person perspective without editing. There’s also a SuperNight mode for low-light scenes, slow-motion recording up to 100 fps, and a selfie mode for wide-angle clips. You also get 105GB of built-in storage (though you can expand it when needed), which is a practical addition, especially if you forget a microSD card. The OLED touchscreen is bright enough for outdoor use, and at around 0.4 pounds, the camera stays easy to carry for long shoots.
That said, 8K 360º footage sounds great, but it demands more storage and editing time, and while DJI’s app is fairly approachable, working with 360-degree video adds extra steps compared to standard video. Also, low-light performance improves with SuperNight mode, but it does not fully match traditional action cameras with larger sensors. Still, at $389.35, the overall package feels more accessible, and it’s a good entry point into 360º video if you’re willing to spend a bit more time editing.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Amazon Big Spring Sale Deals Right Now
Hearing aid company Sonova has put its Sennheiser consumer audio division on the auction block less than five years after acquiring it, the company announced on Reddit. “Today Sonova announced they intend to divest the business and will focus on Hearing Care,” Sonova wrote, adding it intends to find “the right new owner.”
Sennheiser’s consumer audio division mainly manufactures high-end headphones like the HD 400, HD 500, HD 600 and HD 800 series and recently launched the HDB 630, $500 wireless headphones aimed at audiophiles. The company’s most (in)famous lineup is the HE series, which includes the $55,000 HE 90 and €89,990 HE 1.
Sonova originally purchased Sennheiser with the intent of expanding its demographic to younger customers. At the time, it said “even if [young people] don’t have hearing loss, most of them will gradually get hearing loss with age, and devices like Sennheiser’s allow us to have earlier consumer access to such people.” For its part, Sennheiser said it wanted to relinquish its consumer business in order to focus on its pro audio, business and Neumann (high-end microphone) divisions that it still owns.
Things apparently didn’t go to plan, though. Sonova’s Sennheiser division’s sales in the last half-year declined significantly year-over-year and the company was hit with a €6 million fine over its retail pricing practices (that occurred prior to the acquisition). However, the company’s recent products have been praised by the audiophile community as a return to previous form, with Engadget’s audio reviewer Billy Steele calling the HDB 630 “a sonic marvel.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/sennheisers-owners-want-to-sell-its-consumer-headphone-business-121830441.html?src=rss
Late last year, Samsung launched its newest generation of affordable A-series phones, starting with the entry-level A17. Following the arrival of the flagship Galaxy S26 line, the company has returned to flesh out the rest of its midrange portfolio. The more affordable Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57 sport some interesting upgrades, even when compared to some of their pricier siblings.
Core specs and features
Before we dive into my hands-on impressions, I want to do a quick rundown of each phone’s specs as that should help set up (or temper) expectations. As you’d expect based on their numbering, the A37 is the more affordable of the two with a base price of $450 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can also choose 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage for $540. Notably, when compared to the A17, the A37 features a much more recent and more powerful Exynos 1480 chip that brings a big jump in NPU performance and helps unlock much of the phone’s newfound AI capabilities. It also comes with a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display, a 5,000mAh battery and three rear cameras. However, two of those will likely get more use than the other as the A37 packs a 50-megapixel main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide, along with a 5MP macro shooter.
The Galaxy A37 will be available in four colors: charcoal, white, lavender and graygreen. However, the middle two are Samsung.com exclusives and the last one is only available from Best Buy.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Meanwhile, the Galaxy A57 is a bit more expensive, starting at $550 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or $610 for the 8GB/256GB version. It also features a slightly more powerful Exynos 1680 processor and a higher-res 12MP sensor for its ultra-wide lens, but aside from that, it has the same general camera setup as A37 and the same size battery. One small difference is that the A57 has Bluetooth 6 connectivity and Wi-Fi 6E, but the A37 is still stuck with BT 5.3 and basic Wi-Fi 6.
For some reason, the A57 is only available in one color: navy.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Both phones come with IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance (which is an upgrade from IP67 on the A36) and 120Hz refresh rates. However, the most important shared trait is that while neither supports wireless charging, they can both take wired power at up to 45 watts, which is actually faster than a base Galaxy S26’s limit of just 25 watts. Finally, in addition to six years of OS and security updates, the A37 and A57 are getting some trickle-down AI features from its flagship siblings. Those include improved support for Google’s Circle to Search, Object Eraser and better transcription and translation capabilities in the Samsung Voice Recorder app.
Galaxy A37 impressions
Both phones have nearly identical designs, right down to the same screen size and number of cameras. That said, one area where Samsung cut corners on A37 is that it features a plastic frame instead of the A57’s aluminum. But even when you hold them side by side, it’s rather difficult to discern between the two. There’s no obvious difference in appearance or button layout, so the main way to tell the two apart is by feeling for the cooler touch you typically get from a metal chassis. Alternatively, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the A37 has slightly thicker bezels around the outside of its screen.
Here’s a closer look at the A37’s color options.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Compared to the Galaxy A17, the A37’s Exynos 1480 felt significantly snappier and much better equipped for multitasking or AI-based tasks like removing unwanted objects from photos. Regardless, as the less expensive of Samsung’s new midrange phone options, the company did a really good job disguising the major differences between the two new models.
Galaxy A57 impressions
To be honest, the A57 wasn’t quite as appealing as the A37 due to its higher price and no additional features. The main tool it has that isn’t available on its more affordable sibling is Samsung’s Best Face camera tool, which allows the phone to analyze people’s expressions so you can select your favorite reaction and put it in the photo you want. On paper, its Exynos 1680 chip should be a bit faster, but in normal use, it’s really hard to tell. And unlike the A37, which comes in four colors (white, charcoal, lavender and gray/green, depending on the retailer), the A57 is only available in navy.
Early thoughts
While they look the same, the A57 features an aluminum chassis instead of plastic like on the A37, which should be better for long term durability.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
As a more powerful and more premium alternative to the $200 A17, the A37 feels like a worthy upgrade for the money. It offers noticeably smoother performance along with a more elegant hole-punch selfie cam (instead of a waterdrop) and stereo speakers (instead of mono). Starting at $450, the A37 can also undercut the Pixel 10a while offering a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED display (versus 6.3 inches for the Pixel) and a smattering of equivalent AI features. And in some ways, the wider selection of colors just reinforces that Samsung is probably placing bigger bets on the A37’s market prospects. If I were looking for an affordable Android phone with a big screen, I’d give more consideration to this new middle child in Samsung’s A-series lineup.
Aside from bezels that are a tiny bit bigger, the Galaxy A37 (left) looks almost exactly the same as the more expensive Galaxy A57 (right).
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
As for the A57, it’s certainly not a bad phone, but starting at $550, it suffers from being in a much more competitive price bracket. For those who prefer smaller devices, the $500 Pixel 10a is cheaper while offering even better AI tools, a cleaner UI, wireless charging, a slightly larger battery and unmatched photo quality. However, the A57’s biggest rival is arguably another Samsung phone: the Galaxy S25 FE. Aside from slower wired charging, it has an even nicer design, an extra year of software and security updates (seven total) and a proper telephoto camera instead of a macro lens. And while its MSRP is a bit higher at $650, it’s regularly on sale for under $600 (or less), which effectively sidesteps the A57’s biggest advantage.
That said, no matter which one you prefer, more options for affordable gadgets are always welcome — especially with the price of smartphones and PCs increasing due to the global RAM shortage.
The Galaxy A37 and A57 will officially go on sale April 9.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-a37-and-a57-hands-on-the-cheaper-phone-might-be-a-winner-120000965.html?src=rss
Apple has introduced more than just new features, like an AI playlist generator, with iOS 26.4 in the UK. The company now requires users in the region to verify their ages and to prove they’re 18 years old or above before they can access “certain services or features, or take certain actions on their account.” Users can verify their ages in Settings by linking a credit card to their account or scanning an ID. For people who’ve had an Apple account for a while, the company will check if they already have a payment method on file that can prove they’re of age.
The company says it will automatically switch on its Web Content Filter and Communication Safety features for everyone under 18 and for those who haven’t verified their ages. These tools are integrated into Apple’s operating systems and can restrict users from accessing specific websites on Safari and third-party browsers, as well as warn users when they’re receiving or sending images and videos containing nudity.
Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, praised Apple for the decision, especially since it’s not required to implement age verification for the iOS or its App Store under the region’s Online Safety Act. “Apple’s decision that the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive new child safety protections on devices is a real win for children and families,” the regulator said. “Our rules are flexible and designed to encourage innovation, particularly in age assurance. We’ve worked closely with Apple and other services to ensure they can be applied in a variety of contexts in order to ensure users are protected. This will build on the strong foundations of the Online Safety Act, from widespread age checks that keep young people away from harmful content, to blocking high-risk sites and stepping up action against child sexual abuse material.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-introduces-age-verification-for-icloud-accounts-in-the-uk-115340237.html?src=rss
alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Astronomers have an answer for a long-running mystery in astrophysics: why is the growth of supermassive black holes so much lower today than in the past? A study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes found that supermassive black holes are unable to consume material as rapidly as they did in the distant past. The results appeared in the December 2025 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
[…] The team ran tests of the three main possible scenarios currently being considered for the slowdown of black hole growth. These options were: could the decline in black hole growth be caused by less efficient rates of consumption, or by smaller typical black hole masses, or by fewer actively growing black holes? Their analysis of the data, extending over billions of years of cosmic history, led them to the conclusion that black holes are indeed consuming material less rapidly the later they are found after the Big Bang. The researchers expect this trend of slower-growing black holes to continue into the future.
Sony Honda Mobility, the automotive venture from two of Japan’s most storied companies, has swung the axe on its EV project. In a statement, it said it would “discontinue the development and launch” of the Afeela 1 and 2, its long-in-development electric cars. The company added it would review its “business direction,” and announce its future plans “at the earliest possible opportunity.” Which, if we’re honest, probably means the whole thing is going to be shut down, or scaled back so much it’s no longer worth talking about.
2026 has not been a great year for Honda. On March 12, it posted an up-to $15.7 billion loss as it wrote off a big chunk of its investment in EVs. The US’ pivot toward fossil fuels, removal of federal EV tax credits and the imposition of tariffs has hit its business pretty hard. Not to mention the high-profile embarrassment of its current F1 engine project with Aston Martin, which promised so much and has delivered less than nothing.
Sony’s journey into the automotive world began six years ago with the announcement of the Vision-S, the car which would eventually be re-christened Afeela. But while the product looked good on trade show stands, it stood still while the rest of the car world sprinted ahead. In January, Tim Stevens said Afeela 1 looked a little dated, and a little lacking in emotion, and a lot more expensive than comparable models from rivals. It’s also worth noting Sony and Honda’s vision of a smart device on wheels is hardly a novel concept these days.
Not to mention that Afeela 1 is a sedan, being sold to a world that’s increasingly fallen out of love with the type in favor of higher-riding SUVs. In Sony’s statement, however, the SUV-aping Afeela 2 didn’t even get a mention by name, which hints that it was as much an afterthought for the company as we might have guessed when it was announced.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sony-and-honda-kill-its-afeela-evs-100426852.html?src=rss
By the time you read this, the Audi RS6 Avant is dead. Production at the factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, has already switched over to new models; any unsold wagons at dealerships will be the last of their kind. Time moves on, leaving the unelectrified 2026 RS6 Avant Performance as a relic from a bygone age where people didn’t care quite so much about melting glaciers. In this regard progress is good and climate catastrophe is bad, but there are other things to like about the RS6 Avant, and much that Audi could and should bring to its other cars.
The car was always something of a unicorn here in the US. As the SUV became ascendant, the station wagon suffered a corresponding decline with the general public, and automakers like Audi responded by not importing them anymore. The economics, we were told, didn’t add up: wagon sales would just cannibalize SUV sales but at too small a rate to make the imported wagons profitable. But with smaller volumes, the math made more sense, which is why in 2019 the car maker buckled to pressure and said fine, we’ll import the RS6 Avant. And with a starting price of $130,700, you can understand why this is a low-volume model.
Subtly swollen
A look down its flanks reveals wheel arches that bulge to accommodate larger wheels, part of Audi Sport’s RS transformation applied to the sedate A6 starting point. Larger wheels provide clearance for larger brakes, which in turn help stop it from prodigious velocities—if you have a long enough runway or the right stretch of German Autobahn, top speed for this version, the Performance, tops out at 190 mph (305 km/h). Under the hood, hidden from view by plastic paneling, lies a twin-turbocharged 4.0 L V8 engine, which generates 621 hp (463 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm), sending power to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
X is updating its revenue-sharing incentives to give more weight to engagement from a user’s home region, Nikita Bier, the company’s Head of Product has announced. Bier said the change in policy was to “encourage content that resonates with people in [the user’s] country, in neighboring countries and people who speak [their] language.”
Bier continued that while X appreciates everyone’s opinion on US politics, the company is hoping the new policy can “disincentivize gaming the attention of US or Japanese accounts.” The US and Japan have the largest number of users on X. Bier didn’t mention it outright, but dozens of popular accounts tweeting pro-Trump sentiments and commentaries focusing on US politics in general were revealed to be based outside the US late last year, when X rolled out a transparency feature that exposed users’ locations. Those accounts, which pretended to be from the US and garnered millions of likes, views and reposts, turned out to be based in countries like India, Kenya and Nigeria.
“X will be a much richer community when there’s relevant posts for people in all parts of the world,” Bier said. When one user responded to his post that some countries barely have any users, making it hard to earn money from the website, Bier just suggested that they should write about their day-to-day experiences. “Of course, you’re welcome to continue chiming in on America politics. We just won’t send money overseas for that content,” he said. X’s new policy will start taking effect on Thursday, March 26.
We’ve love to hear your thoughts about living in Portugal. I’m sure you have plenty of great stories about your day to day experience there.
Of course, you’re welcome to continue chiming in on America politics. We just won’t send money overseas for that content.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-changing-its-revenue-sharing-policy-to-deter-users-pretending-to-be-americans-090701729.html?src=rss
Bourbon is a multi-billion-dollar market, but the American barrel-aged whiskey also produces a lot of wasted grain at distilleries. Chemists at the University of Kentucky developed a method to transform that stillage into electrodes and used those electrodes to build supercapacitors with energy storage capacity on par with existing commercial devices. They presented their work at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Atlanta, Georgia.
US distillers began making bourbon in the 18th century, particularly in Kentucky, but it really took off commercially, in terms of consumption and exports, after World War II. Legally, a whiskey can only be sold as bourbon if its mash is comprised of at least 51 percent corn, with any other cereal grain (usually rye and barley) making up the remainder.
The grain is ground up and mixed with water, and mash from a previous distillation is added to create a sour mash. The addition of yeast launches fermentation, after which the mash is distilled to a clear spirit called “white dog.” That spirit is poured into charred new oak barrels for aging of at least two years. It’s the caramelized sugars and vanillin in the charred wood that give bourbon its distinctive dark color and flavor. The barrels are never reused for bourbon, typically being recycled for making barrel-aged beer, wine, and even barbecue and hot sauces.
NASA is reportedly halting work on the lunar Gateway in favor of a more direct push to build a lunar base. The new plan would cost tens of billions over the next decade, though the change could face hurdles because Congress previously funded Gateway specifically. SpaceNews reports: “Starting today, we’re building humanity’s first deep space outpost,” said Carlos Garcia-Galan, program executive for NASA’s moon base effort. The lunar base will take place in three phases. Phase 1, running from 2026 to 2028, “is all about getting to the moon reliably,” he said. That includes a significant increase in the cadence of lander missions through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and other programs. It will also focus on developing enabling technologies and getting “ground truth” for potential base locations at the lunar south pole.
Phase 2, from 2029 through 2031, starts building the base, he said. That would include building out communications, navigation, power and other infrastructure, developing larges CLPS cargo landers and supporting two crewed missions a year. Phase 3, beginning 2032, will enable “long distance and long duration human exploration” on the moon, he said, with routine logistics missions to the moon and uncrewed cargo return missions from the moon. Garcia-Galan said NASA foresees spending $10 billion each on Phases 1 and 2. Phase 3, lasting to at least 2036, would cost an additional $10 billion or more.
The base would leverage existing programs, although with some changes. NASA is planning to revamp the Lunar Terrain Vehicle program after concluding the current approach would take too long to get a crew-capable rover to the moon. “We were projecting a delivery on the lunar surface by 2030,” he said. The agency is instead issuing a draft request for proposals for simplified rovers that could be quicker and easier to develop but could be upgraded later. The base, though, would include some new capabilities and technologies. One example Garcia-Galan provided was MoonFall, a drone that would be able to hop from one location to another on the lunar surface. The drones will be “built on the legacy” of Ingenuity, the small Mars helicopter. “We’re going to take everything that we learned from Ingenuity’s systems, the avionics, all of that, to build this.”
