Here are some recently released titles to add to your reading list. This week, we read First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens, plus James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ take on Dracula — now in black and white for extra creep-factor.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-a-deep-dive-into-humankinds-search-for-alien-life-201422007.html?src=rss
An anonymous reader shared this report from CNN:
[C]iting delays in Starship’s development and competitive pressure from China, NASA asked SpaceX and Blue Origin — which holds a separate lunar lander contract with the space agency — to submit plans to expedite development of their respective spacecraft by October 29. Both companies have responded. But the space agency is also asking the broader commercial space industry to detail how they might get the job done more quickly, hinting that NASA leadership is prepared to sideline its current partners. CNN spoke with half a dozen companies about how they plan to respond to NASA’s call to action, which the agency will formally issue once the government shutdown ends, according to a source familiar with the matter.
One possibility is Lockheed Martin…
Notably, as a legacy NASA contractor, the company built the $20.4 billion Orion spacecraft that astronauts will ride when they take off from Earth… Now, Lockheed says it can piece together a two-stage lunar lander that uses spare parts harvested from Orion. The company would make use of Space Shuttle-era OMS-E engines — which are also used on Orion — to serve as the propulsion for an “ascent stage” of the lunar lander, providing the thrust for the vehicle to lift off the moon after a mission is completed. But the vehicle also needs a descent stage to get down to the lunar surface in the first place…
Other commercial space companies contacted by CNN — including Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman — said simply that they were “ready to support” NASA in its endeavor to find a faster way to complete the Artemis III mission. They did not confirm whether they would formally respond to the space agency’s anticipated request for companies to submit proposals.
The more important goal, argue some experts, is to pave the way for a permanent lunar base where astronauts can live and work…
[P]erhaps the true winner will be the country that is able to build lasting infrastructure, experts say.
“It makes great press fodder to frame this as competition,” said one space policy source, who was among several that spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity to discuss controversial issues. “But this is about the long game and the sustainability.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shared this report from NPR:
It’s known as the “Dueling Dinosaurs” fossil: A triceratops and a tyrannosaur, skeletons entangled, locked in apparent combat right up until the moment of their mutual demise… That discovery in 2006 now appears to have overturned decades of dinosaur dogma about Tyrannosaurus rex, the fearsome giant long thought to be the sole top predator stalking the late Cretaceous. In a paper in the journal Nature, paleontologists Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli conclude that some of the bones from that specimen belong not to a teenage T. rex, but to a fully grown individual of a different tyrannosaur species — Nanotyrannus lancensis….
One of the first of those red flags in the new specimen was the arm bones. They looked completely different than T. rex’s puny appendages… “These are powerful arms with large claws, large hands. They were using them for prey capture.” Contrast that with T. rex, “an animal that’s a mouth on legs.” There were additional clues. The animal had fewer tail vertebrae and more teeth than T. rex. Zanno and Napoli considered other lines of evidence. They created 3D models of numerous purported T. rexes against which they compared their specimen. They looked at the growth stages of the cranial nerves and sinuses of close living relatives of dinosaurs, features that were visible in the fossilized skeleton.
“But maybe the most important and damning thing that we did was we were able to figure out that our animal is not a juvenile at all,” she says. This conclusion was based on slicing through the fossil’s limb bones to examine the growth rings. That work demonstrated that this animal was mature and done growing when it died around the age of 20. “That means it’s half the size and a tenth of the mass of a full grown Tyrannosaurus rex,” says Zanno… In addition, while making models of all those other alleged T. rex skeletons, Zanno says they identified another new species of tyrannosaur, one they’re calling Nanotyrannus lethaeus…
“It tells us that these end-Cretaceous ecosystems right before the asteroid hit were flourishing,” says Zanno. “They had an abundance of different predators. And refutes this idea that dinosaurs were in decline before the asteroid struck.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Ayaneo is breaking into the competitive smartphone market with its latest offering, but it’s hoping to attract the mobile gamers out there. In a teaser posted to its YouTube, the gaming handheld maker offered its first look at the Ayaneo Phone. As vague as the trailer is, Ayaneo clearly has a target demographic in mind, describing the smartphone as when a “mobile phone meets the soul of gaming handheld.”
From the teaser, it looks like the Ayaneo Phone will be built with a standard dual-camera setup. Perhaps more relevant for its gaming-centric design, it looks like the smartphone will have physical shoulder buttons when held horizontally. Ayaneo previously mentioned the Ayaneo Phone during a product sharing session in the summer, where it hinted at a form factor that slides out. This could be another hint that Ayaneo is looking at making a modern-day version of the Sony Xperia Play, particularly since the Ayaneo Phone will fall under the company’s Remake branding that features remakes of retro consoles and devices.
Considering Ayaneo’s price tags for its other products, the Ayaneo Phone likely won’t be cheap. However, it could offer serious competition to other gaming smartphones from Asus or Redmagic.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ayaneos-first-smartphone-could-have-physical-shoulder-buttons-182033773.html?src=rss
Ubuntu “is adopting the memory-safe Rust language,” reports ZDNet, citing remarks at this year’s Ubuntu Summit from Jon Seager, Canonical’s VP of engineering for Ubuntu:
. Seager said the engineering team is focused on replacing key system components with Rust-based alternatives to enhance safety and resilience, starting with Ubuntu 25.10. He stressed that resilience and memory safety, not just performance, are the principal drivers: “It’s the enhanced resilience and safety that is more easily achieved with Rust ports that are most attractive to me”. This move is echoed in Ubuntu’s adoption of sudo-rs, the Rust implementation of sudo, with fallback and opt-out mechanisms for users who want to use the old-school sudo command.
In addition to sudo-rs, Ubuntu 26.04 will use the Rust-based uutils/coreutils for Linux’s default core utilities. This setup includes ls, cp, mv, and dozens of other basic Unix command-line tools. This Rust reimplementation aims for functional parity with GNU coreutils, with improved safety and maintainability.
On the desktop front, Ubuntu 26.04 will also bring seamless TPM-backed full disk encryption. If this approach reminds you of Windows BitLocker or MacOS FileVault, it should. That’s the idea.
In other news, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth said “I’m a believer in the potential of Linux to deliver a desktop that could have wider and universal appeal.” (Although he also thinks “the open-source community needs to understand that building desktops for people who aren’t engineers is different. We need to understand that the ‘simple and just works’ is also really important.”)
Shuttleworth answered questions from Slashdot’s readers in 2005 and 2012.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Later this month, Italian citizens will have one extra step to go through before getting on porn sites. On Friday, Italy’s regulatory agency for communications, known as AGCOM, announced an age verification system that’s meant to prevent minors from accessing websites with pornographic content. The initial list of sites covers around 50 sites, including Pornhub, XHamster and OnlyFans.
The new rule will require users to get verified through “certified third parties,” which could be another company, bank or mobile operator that already has the relevant info. Once the third party verifies the user’s age, it will issue a code that grants access to the porn site. While the legislation’s stated goal is to prevent harm to minors, the age verification process uses a “double anonymity” system to quell privacy concerns. In order to protect user privacy, porn sites can only see if a user is of age and not their identity, while the third-party verifier can only see the user’s identity and not the website they’re trying to get on.
According to the legislation, users have to do this each time they try to get on affected porn sites. AGCOM said the new rule goes into effect on November 12, and any porn sites that are found non-compliant could be hit with penalties of up to 250,000 euros.
Italy is the latest in the European Union to implement age verification rules, after France put a similar system into place in the summer. Just outside the EU, the UK also recently introduced its own age verification process that requires either a selfie or government ID. Since then, Pornhub said that UK visitors to its site have plummeted 77 percent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/italy-will-be-the-latest-country-to-require-age-verification-for-porn-sites-170913842.html?src=rss
Slashdot reader joshuark shares this report from SFGate:
The mystery object that struck a plane at 36,000 feet is likely not space debris, as some speculated, but rather a Silicon Valley test project gone wrong…
WindBorne Systems, a Palo Alto startup that uses atmospheric balloons to collect weather data for AI-based forecast models,has come forward to say that they believe they may be responsible for the object that hit the windshield… “At 6am PT, we sent our preliminary investigation to both NTSB and FAA, and are working with both of them to investigate further,” [WindBorne’s CEO John Dean posted on social media…]
WindBorne said the company has launched more than 4,000 balloons and that it coordinates with the Federal Aviation Administration for every launch.
WindBorne “has conducted more than 4,000 launches,” the company said in a statement, noting that they’ve always coordinated those launched with America’s Federal Aviation Administration and filed aviation alerts for every launched balloon. Plus “The system is designed to be safe in the event of a midair collision… Our balloon is 2.4 pounds at launch and gets lighter throughout flight.”
We are working closely with the FAA on this matter. We immediately rolled out changes to minimize time spent between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. These changes are already live with immediate effect. Additionally, we are further accelerating our plans to use live flight data to autonomously avoid planes, even if the planes are at a non-standard altitude. We are also actively working on new hardware designs to further reduce impact force magnitude and concentration.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Slashdot reader joshuark shares this report from SFGate:
The mystery object that struck a plane at 36,000 feet is likely not space debris, as some speculated, but rather a Silicon Valley test project gone wrong…
WindBorne Systems, a Palo Alto startup that uses atmospheric balloons to collect weather data for AI-based forecast models,has come forward to say that they believe they may be responsible for the object that hit the windshield… “At 6am PT, we sent our preliminary investigation to both NTSB and FAA, and are working with both of them to investigate further,” [WindBorne’s CEO John Dean posted on social media…]
WindBorne said the company has launched more than 4,000 balloons and that it coordinates with the Federal Aviation Administration for every launch.
WindBorne “has conducted more than 4,000 launches,” the company said in a statement, noting that they’ve always coordinated those launched with America’s Federal Aviation Administration and filed aviation alerts for every launched balloon. Plus “The system is designed to be safe in the event of a midair collision… Our balloon is 2.4 pounds at launch and gets lighter throughout flight.”
We are working closely with the FAA on this matter. We immediately rolled out changes to minimize time spent between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. These changes are already live with immediate effect. Additionally, we are further accelerating our plans to use live flight data to autonomously avoid planes, even if the planes are at a non-standard altitude. We are also actively working on new hardware designs to further reduce impact force magnitude and concentration.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The address bar/ChatGPT input window in OpenAI’s browser ChatGPT Atlas “could be targeted for prompt injection using malicious instructions disguised as links,” reports SC World, citing a report from AI/agent security platform NeuralTrust:
NeuralTrust found that a malformed URL could be crafted to include a prompt that is treated as plain text by the browser, passing the prompt on to the LLM. A malformation, such as an extra space after the first slash following “https:” prevents the browser from recognizing the link as a website to visit. Rather than triggering a web search, as is common when plain text is submitted to a browser’s address bar, ChatGPT Atlas treats plain text as ChatGPT prompts by default.
An unsuspecting user could potentially be tricked into copying and pasting a malformed link, believing they will be sent to a legitimate webpage. An attacker could plant the link behind a “copy link” button so that the user might not notice the suspicious text at the end of the link until after it is pasted and submitted. These prompt injections could potentially be used to instruct ChatGPT to open a new tab to a malicious website such as a phishing site, or to tell ChatGPT to take harmful actions in the user’s integrated applications or logged-in sites like Google Drive, NeuralTrust said.
Last month browser security platform LayerX also described how malicious prompts could be hidden in URLs (as a parameter) for Perplexity’s browser Comet. And last week SquareX Labs demonstrated that a malicious browser extension could spoof Comet’s AI sidebar feature and have since replicated the proof-of-concept (PoC) attack on Atlas.
But another new vulnerability in ChatGPT Atlas “could allow malicious actors to inject nefarious instructions into the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistant’s memory and run arbitrary code,” reports The Hacker News, citing a report from browser security platform LayerX:
“This exploit can allow attackers to infect systems with malicious code, grant themselves access privileges, or deploy malware,” LayerX Security Co-Founder and CEO, Or Eshed, said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The attack, at its core, leverages a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) flaw that could be exploited to inject malicious instructions into ChatGPT’s persistent memory. The corrupted memory can then persist across devices and sessions, permitting an attacker to conduct various actions, including seizing control of a user’s account, browser, or connected systems, when a logged-in user attempts to use ChatGPT for legitimate purposes….
“What makes this exploit uniquely dangerous is that it targets the AI’s persistent memory, not just the browser session,” Michelle Levy, head of security research at LayerX Security, said. “By chaining a standard CSRF to a memory write, an attacker can invisibly plant instructions that survive across devices, sessions, and even different browsers. In our tests, once ChatGPT’s memory was tainted, subsequent ‘normal’ prompts could trigger code fetches, privilege escalations, or data exfiltration without tripping meaningful safeguards….”
LayerX said the problem is exacerbated by ChatGPT Atlas’ lack of robust anti-phishing controls, the browser security company said, adding it leaves users up to 90% more exposed than traditional browsers like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. In tests against over 100 in-the-wild web vulnerabilities and phishing attacks, Edge managed to stop 53% of them, followed by Google Chrome at 47% and Dia at 46%. In contrast, Perplexity’s Comet and ChatGPT Atlas stopped only 7% and 5.8% of malicious web pages.
From The Conversation:
Sandboxing is a security approach designed to keep websites isolated and prevent malicious code from accessing data from other tabs. The modern web depends on this separation. But in Atlas, the AI agent isn’t malicious code — it’s a trusted user with permission to see and act across all sites. This undermines the core principle of browser isolation.
Thanks to Slashdot reader spatwei for suggesting the topic.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“Traditionally, exploring the interior of atomic nuclei requires enormous particle accelerators that stretch for kilometers and propel beams of electrons at extremely high speeds,” writes SciTechDaily.
But MIT physicists have unveiled a groundbreaking alternative that “used the atom’s own electrons as probes to momentarily enter the nucleus…”
In research published in Science, a team of MIT physicists achieved exceptionally precise measurements of the energy of electrons orbiting a radium atom that had been chemically bonded with a fluoride atom to form radium monofluoride. By studying these molecules, the researchers created a kind of miniature particle collider. Within this environment, the electrons surrounding the radium atom were confined closely enough to occasionally slip into the nucleus before returning to their usual orbits… When those electrons returned to their outer paths, they retained the altered energy, effectively carrying a “message” from within the nucleus that could be decoded to reveal its internal arrangement…
[The researchers] trapped and cooled the molecules and sent them through a system of vacuum chambers, into which they also sent lasers, which interacted with the molecules. In this way, the researchers were able to precisely measure the energies of electrons inside each molecule. When the researchers analyzed their measurements, they noticed that the electrons carried slightly different energies than expected if they had remained outside the nucleus. The difference was incredibly small, only about one millionth of the energy of the laser photon used to excite the molecules, but it was clear evidence that the electrons had entered the radium nucleus and interacted with its protons and neutrons…
The researchers plan to use this new technique to create a detailed map of how forces are distributed inside the nucleus… to chart the nucleus with greater precision and search for possible violations of fundamental symmetries in nature.
“It is thought that additional sources of fundamental symmetry violation are required to explain the almost complete absence of antimatter in our universe,” the article points out. “Such violations could be seen within the nuclei of certain atoms such as radium…
“Unlike most atomic nuclei, which are spherical in shape, the radium atom’s nucleus has a more asymmetrical configuration, similar to a pear. Scientists predict that this pear shape could significantly enhance their ability to sense the violation of fundamental symmetries, to the extent that they may be potentially observable.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Korean semiconductor giant Samsung said Thursday that it plans to buy and deploy a cluster of 50,000 Nvidia graphics processing units to improve its chip manufacturing for mobile devices and robots. The 50,000 Nvidia GPUs will be used to create a facility Samsung is calling an “AI Megafactory.” Samsung didn’t provide details about when the facility would be built. It’s the latest splashy partnership for Nvidia, whose chips remain essential for building and deploying advanced artificial intelligence. […]
On Thursday, Nvidia representatives said they will work with Samsung to adapt the Korean company’s chipmaking lithography platform to work with Nvidia’s GPUs. That process will results in 20 times better performance for Samsung, the Nvidia representatives said. Samsung will also use Nvidia’s simulation software called Omniverse. Known for its mobile phones, Samsung also said it would use the Nvidia chips to run its own AI models for its devices. In addition to being a partner and customer, Samsung is also a key supplier for Nvidia. Samsung makes the kind of high-performance memory Nvidia uses in large quantities, alongside its AI chips, called high bandwidth memory. Samsung said it will work with Nvidia to tweak its HBM4 memory for use in AI chips.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Elon Musk has told Joe Rogan that he hopes to unveil a flying car “before the end of the year.” As Gizmodo has reported, Rogan asked Musk about about the long-delayed second-gen Tesla Roadster in his show, when the Tesla CEO suddenly started talking about wanting the vehicle to fly. If you’ll recall, Tesla unveiled a new Roadster in 2017 and had plans to start deliveries in 2020, but its production got delayed again and again. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently tweeted that he’d been having difficulties getting a refund on the $50,000 deposit he made for one way back in 2018. But instead of talking in depth about Roadster’s status, Musk talked about getting close to an “unforgettable” product demo of a prototype instead.
He was giving Rogan vague answers in the interview, but he eventually said: “Well, you know, my friend Peter Thiel, once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I mean, I think if Peter wants a flying car, we should be able to buy one” He didn’t want to divulge all the details in the show, but he claimed that the vehicle Tesla is supposedly working on contains “crazy, crazy technology.” Musk said he wasn’t sure it’s a car but that “it loos like a car.” He didn’t answer when Rogan asked if it had “retractable wings” or mentioned if the vehicle would be VTOL, or a Vertical Take-off and Landing, aircraft.
Musk has been talking about developing flying cars as early as 2014, as Gizmodo notes. However, take note that the CEO is rather infamous for being overly optimistic and ambitious with his timelines, not just for the automaker but also for his other companies like SpaceX. Take for example, the aforementioned Roadster, which is yet to go into production, and the SpaceX Falcon Heavy whose first launch didn’t happen until five years later than he predicted. That said, it’s also possible for Tesla to unveil a prototype that would still have to go through massive changes and improvements if and when it becomes ready for production.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/elon-musk-teases-a-flying-car-on-joe-rogans-show-120022824.html?src=rss
Techtober may have come to an end, but our reviews team is still hard at work with this fall’s haul of new devices. Over the last two weeks, we’ve tested two new Apple products, a powerful gaming handheld, some seriously impressive headphones and Meta’s sporty smart glasses — and that’s just the start. Read on to catch up on all you might’ve missed, including our picks for the best of 2025.
When it comes to the new M5-powered MacBook Pro, the question isn’t whether it’s a capable machine or not. The real dilemma is whether to buy now or wait for even more muscle from the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. “If you absolutely need a workhorse MacBook Pro today, you’ll have to settle for the M4 Pro and M4 Max (which are still far faster than the base M5 chip),” senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardawar explained. “But for most creatives, the M5 MacBook Pro offers an impressive balance of power and portability.”
Sennheiser uses a USB-C dongle to bridge the gap between wireless convenience and audiophile-grade sound quality with the HDB 630. The problem is they don’t really look like a set of high-end headphones and the $500 asking price is steep. “As good as the HDB 630 is sound-wise, I can also appreciate that these aren’t the best headphones for everyone,” I wrote. “If you crave the best sound quality that still offers the convenience of wireless headphones — and you’re okay with a few extra steps — the HDB 630 is a worthy investment. Just don’t leave home without that dongle.”
Sometimes it’s better to have a utility player instead of a specialist. According to senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford, that’s exactly what you get with Lenovo’s Legion Go 2. You encounter great performance from a device with a huge 8.8-inch OLED display, but the handheld is expensive and bulky. “Just like an SUV that might go off-road once or twice a year, you might not use the Legion Go 2’s full capabilities all the time, but when you do and everything comes together, you realize all that utility isn’t just for show,” he said. “While the ROG Xbox Ally X is the better value, I appreciate how Lenovo’s handheld was made to handle a variety of battle conditions.”
The M5 iPad Pro is impressive, but it’s also entirely too expensive. While the new chip offers a sizable upgrade, the screen is excellent and fast charging has finally hit the iPad, this model also requires you to spend more on accessories. “Unless you are going to use it as your main computer — all day, every day — and know exactly what benefits you’ll get from the iPad over a more traditional laptop, you’re probably better off buying an iPad Air and saving yourself a lot of money,” deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham wrote.
Meta’s sportier collab with Oakley has arrived, with a slew of features that might convince you to replace your action cam with a set of smart glasses. “If you’re a dedicated cyclist, runner, hiker or [insert outdoor activity of your choice], there’s a lot to like,” senior reporter Karissa Bell said. “The camera makes a lot more sense for action cam-like POV footage, and better video stabilization means you’re more likely to get shots you actually want to share.”
In other reviews, deputy buying advice editor Valentina Palladino put the slightly updated Powerbeats Fit through their paces and senior reporter Igor Bonifacic went on a gaming spree with the Fractal Design Scape. Igor also spent some time with the Galaxy S25 FE and I test drove Amazon’s completely rebuilt Echo Studio. Senior writer Sam Chapman compiled a list of the best free VPNs and published an in-depth review of Private Internet Access VPN.
In case you missed it, we announced our best of 2025 earlier this week. We made our picks based solely on the highest review scores in a variety of categories, so there’s a range of devices that made the cut. Our editors also explained why each one was the best in its category, so this is a good opportunity to get reacquainted with this year’s crop of gadgets and services.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-an-apple-duo-sennheiser-hdb-630-lenovo-legion-go-2-and-more-120000983.html?src=rss
Maybe a client hears about them in the comment section of the Facebook group “Medical Exemption Accepted,” or on the r/unvaccinated forum on Reddit. Maybe it’s through an interview posted on the video-sharing platform Rumble. Or maybe it’s the targeted advertisements on Google: “We do medical exemptions.”
Cassandra Clerkin, a mother in upstate New York, first got in touch with Frontline Health Advocates near the start of the 2024–2025 school year, after hearing they had doctors who would write exemptions from school immunization requirements. One of Clerkin’s children, she said, had suffered seizures after receiving a vaccine. The family didn’t want more shots. But New York has some of the country’s strictest school immunization policies.
Perhaps Frontline could help.
Apple continues to refine the look and feel of the iPhone with each major iOS release, and iOS 26 places more emphasis than ever on personalization. The one big change is the introduction of Spatial Scenes, a feature that allows you to create what Apple calls “holographic” lock screens. Instead of being a flat image, the wallpaper reacts to the way you move your device, giving it a sense of depth and motion that feels far more dynamic than a standard background. The effect is similar to the parallax wallpapers Apple experimented with years ago, but this time it is more refined, more responsive and built around machine learning that separates the subject from the background in a photo.
This effect works exclusively on the lock screen, leaving the home screen static unless you choose to pair wallpapers. It integrates seamlessly with existing customization tools, including widgets, clock styles and color options, giving your lock screen a fresh appearance without limiting your control.
Spatial Scenes in iOS 26 provides a more immersive and interactive way to personalize the iPhone. Unlike static wallpapers, the holographic lock screen responds to movement, adding depth and visual interest. It gives users more control over their device’s appearance, while still preserving usability and readability. By selecting images with clear depth and following the step-by-step setup, anyone can create a lock screen that feels dynamic and engaging.
The type of image you select is key to achieving a successful holographic lock screen. Photos with a clear subject in the foreground with sufficient separation from the background process more effectively. Portraits, pets, buildings and landscapes often yield the best results. Images with busy backgrounds, excessive filters or heavy editing can confuse the depth detection, producing a less convincing effect.
It is also important to consider the placement of your subject. Avoid placing the main focus near the top of the photo, where it could overlap the clock or widgets, as this may interfere with the visual layering. If you store photos in iCloud with “Optimize iPhone Storage” enabled, download the full-resolution version first to ensure the effect works correctly. Choosing the right photo will save time and improve the overall holographic appearance.
To create a holographic lock screen, start by waking up your iPhone and holding your finger on the lock screen until the wallpaper gallery appears. Tap Customize on an existing wallpaper or select the plus button to add a new one. If you are adding a new wallpaper, choose Photos and browse your library to select an image that shows a clear depth of field and a distinct foreground subject.
Once you’ve picked your photo, a preview screen appears with a small hexagon icon in the lower right corner. This icon activates the Spatial Scene effect. Tap it to allow iOS to process the image. The system creates a depth map, separating the subject from the background. If the icon does not appear, the photo may not be good for Spatial Scenes, so choosing another image is recommended.
After processing, adjust the image using pinch and drag gestures to zoom or reposition the subject. Proper framing ensures the subject does not conflict with the clock or widgets. Once satisfied, tap Add or Done. You will then choose whether to apply the wallpaper as a pair, which sets it for both lock and home screens, or restrict it to the lock screen only. The holographic effect will appear whenever you view your lock screen.
Spatial Scenes are supported on iPhone 12 models and newer, since the processing relies on more advanced chips. Low Power Mode may interfere with the motion effect, so disabling it can help if the wallpaper appears static. Accessibility settings like Reduce Motion also impact Spatial Scenes, so check these if the effect does not display. Restarting the device or selecting a different image often resolves any issues. Wide landscapes and images with a clear foreground are the most reliable, while selfies or highly filtered photos may not produce the intended depth.
It is also worth noting that the clock and widgets remain legible regardless of the effect. iOS adjusts the layering automatically, ensuring important information is not obscured by the animated depth. This balance between motion and readability makes the feature practical as well as visually appealing.
Once your lock screen is set, tilting your iPhone causes the foreground and background to shift independently, creating a layered, three-dimensional look. The effect is subtle enough to avoid distraction but noticeable enough to make the lock screen feel alive. You can still change clock styles, colors and widget placements without disrupting the 3D effect. If you later decide you prefer a standard wallpaper, simply hold down on the lock screen and tap the hexagon icon to disable Spatial Scenes while keeping the photo intact.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-make-your-lock-screen-background-holographic-in-ios-26-110049999.html?src=rss
Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. As always, we have a bunch of new games for you to check out this weekend, along with fresh looks at some upcoming projects and a release date or two.
But first, I really enjoyed this week’s edition of The Guardian‘s Pushing Buttons newsletter. The publication’s video games editor, Keza MacDonald, wrote about spending a day in a theater playing what sounds like the ultimate pass-the-controller game with dozens of other people.
The attendees were there to experience Asses.Masses, which is designed to be played collaboratively. The aim is to help a herd of unemployed donkeys get their jobs back. Audience members take turns to pick up the controller, and everyone else in the room can offer advice. It sounds like a fascinating social experiment.
‘Tis the season for scares, so of course we have to include some creepy games in this week’s roundup. There was some buzz this week around The Séance of Blake Manor from Spooky Doorway and publisher Raw Fury. This is a supernatural detective mystery game in which you investigate a woman’s disappearance in 19th century Ireland.
To solve the case, you’ll have to interrogate suspects and keep track of environmental clues and other evidence. You’ll encounter strange goings-on as you conduct the investigation amid a gathering of mystics who are looking to speak to the dead on All Hallow’s Eve. The art style is quite fetching, and the vibes remind me of Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Blue Prince.
The Séance of Blake Manor is out now on Steam. The regular price is $20, but there’s a 10 percent discount until November 10.
The Run is a choose-your-own-adventure-style interactive film from PRM Games, Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions. It’s an FMV experience in which you help a fitness influencer (played by Roxanne McKee, who appeared in Game of Thrones) make decisions and try to survive the masked figures who are hunting her in northern Italy. There are 20 possible deaths and around five endings. Legendary giallo filmmaker Dario Argento makes a cameo appearance too.
It’s neat to see more FMV games popping up (and we’ve got another one to highlight momentarily). The Run is out now on iOS for $10. It’s coming to Android and Steam soon. You’ll also be able to check it out at the Genesis Cinema in London. A two-month residency of The Run just started there. The audience votes on choices using glowsticks.
Solo developer Yannick Audéoud (aka Misty Whale) spent a decade making his debut game, Orbyss, and now it’s out in the wild. This is a puzzle game that sees you switching between orbs to solve puzzles — bit like in Cocoon. Instead of a beetle that carries such spheres, you technically play as “a firefly of energy” that can bounce between the objects.
Orbyss has time-manipulation puzzles and ones that involve drones. Audéoud has included accessibility features as well, such as visual cues to represent sound-based mechanics on screen. This self-published game is on Steam. The regular price is $15 and there’s a 15 percent discount until November 12.
Death by Scrolling is the latest game from Ron Gilbert’s Terrible Toybox and publisher MicroProse Software. The famed director of the first two Monkey Island games (who has had a hand in so many other great games over the years) has now created a vertically scrolling roguelite.
The idea here is to stay alive long enough and earn enough gold to pay a ferryman and escape purgatory. I’m probably not going to jump into another roguelite for a minute since I’m still recovering from my time with CloverPit and Ball x Pit, but I definitely want to try out Death by Scrolling at some point. It’ll typically run you $8 on Steam, but there’s a 10 percent discount until November 11.
Here’s another FMV game for you. This one is all about taking care of a very, very good dog.
Golden Retriever Simple Life features Pichu, the pet pooch of developer Pablo Coma (Rablo Games). You’ll feed, train and play with the doggo. Going on walks and learning tricks is part of the fun too.
There’s no release window as yet for Golden Retriever Simple Life, which is coming to Steam. In the meantime, you can stay up to date on the game’s progress with developer updates Good Boy Diaries from Pichu.
I’ve seen Egging On pop up from time to time and I’ve been looking forward to checking it out. I won’t have to wait much longer to do that as it’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC (Xbox app and Steam) on November 6. It’ll hit Game Pass on day one.
In this precision platformer, you play as an egg (yes, a hen’s egg) that tries to escape a farm. Fall too far and… well, you can probably guess what happens. Egobounds developed Egging On, and Alibi Games and IndieArk are the game’s publishers.
Anchor takes the format of games like Rust and Valheim and plunges you into the depths of the sea in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. The multiplayer survival game is slated to support more than 150 players per server and there are plans to expand that.
You and your friends will take charge of genetically engineered beings and build a base that you have to defend from threats such as “failed clone experiments” and raids from other players. Things will change in this world even when you’re not playing the game, so you’d better make sure your base is secure.
Sharks are a major factor in Anchor as well. They aren’t always necessarily hostile. But, as in real life, they’re attracted to blood, so any damage you sustain could spell doom.
Fearem is the developer of Anchor, which doesn’t yet have a release window. It has set course for Steam.
Hi everyone!
Yes as ID@Xbox Showcase Fall 2025 announcement earlier, it’s coming soon to Xbox PC and Xbox Series X|S too for launch day.
We heard that there’s no default subtitle loaded in the IGN Showcase, here’s the one that do!
also thankyou for your support @jokoanwar… pic.twitter.com/xFEuC5F0xA
— Separuh Interactive | WISHLIST AGNI: VOC NOW! (@SeparuhGames) October 29, 2025
There’s a lot going on in this trailer for Agni: Village of Calamity, which premiered during the ID@Xbox indie showcase this week. In this debut title from Separuh Interactive, you play as Agni, an investigator who undertakes an unauthorized investigation in a remote village. You’ll need to solve puzzles and fend off monsters as you try to uncover the village’s secrets and find your missing partner.
Agni: Village of Calamity is steeped in Indonesian folklore. The one large monster that speaks in a childlike voice is quite unsettling. I’m intrigued to learn more about this survival horror game. It’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox PC and Steam in 2026.
Let’s wrap things up for this week with one more survival horror tale. There’s often horror in beauty and vice versa (take a look at Silent Hill f, for instance). The Florist leans into both as well.
As Jessica Park, you deliver a flower arrangement to a lakeside town. But an affliction takes over the area, causing the spread of flora that snares victims and turns them into monsters. For what it’s worth, the teaser in that final shot of the trailer reminds me of a certain sequence from The Last of Us Part II.
Unclear Games is taking an old-school approach here as it’s using a fixed-camera design. You likely know the drill here: solving puzzles and defeating foes is your only way to stay alive. Finding out information about floral specimens will be helpful too. The Florist is coming to Steam in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-supernatural-detective-mystery-fmv-terror-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000853.html?src=rss
Black Friday has become the time to buy the hottest tech of the year. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or stocking up on gifts for the holidays, Black Friday deals are sure to bring the best prices of the year to things like headphones, game consoles, robot vacuums, phone accessories and everything in between. You don’t even have to wait until Black Friday proper to save a ton of money. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Black Friday tech deals start earlier and earlier — to the point where the entire month of November is packed with discounts.
If you’re on the hunt for solid tech deals, Engadget has you covered. We’ve collected the best Black Friday deals on tech you can get right now, and we’ll continue to update this post as we get closer to the big day at the end of November. Note that you probably have the best chance of snagging record-low prices when we get to about one week before Thanksgiving, but these deals available now are worth considering.
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 ($200 off): Our top pick for the best laptop you can get, the M4 MacBook Air will be plenty of power for most people in a convenient, premium package. It’s thin and light as ever, with an excellent keyboard and trackpad, plus enough battery life to get you through a whole day of work, video calls and more.
Jisulife Life 7 handheld fan for $25 (14 percent off, Prime exclusive): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don’t have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan’s blades show its remaining battery level.
Lego Disney advent calendar 2025 43253 for $39 (14 percent off): I probably don’t need to tell you ’tis the season for advent calendars. Lego has a bunch, and this one in particular is on a good deal right now. Like most Lego advent calendars, this one includes a number of bricks and minifigs that, when put together, make a coherent, themed scene.
Leebin 2025 electric spin scrubber for $40 (43 percent off, Prime exclusive): This weird little scrubber makes cleaning my bathroom and shower much less of a pain. Just choose the brush head you need for your job and the rotating head takes care of most of the hard work. I love the adjustable handle, which extends from 12 to 50 inches so you can get into hard-to-reach places without breaking a sweat.
Ring Video Doorbell for $50 (50 percent off): This is the most affordable Ring doorbell and it includes a battery that’s rechargeable via USB-C. Once installed, it will send you alerts when motion is detected near your door, and you can use the Live View and two-way talk features to interact with visitors without opening your door.
Anker MagGo power bank with kickstand (Qi2, 15W, 10K) for $57 (37 percent off): One of our favorite power banks, this brick from Anker gives you 10K capacity in a magnetic, relatively slim package. The built-in kickstand makes it easy to watch videos or make FaceTime calls while powering up, and the small display on the bank’s edge will show you how much power is flowing to your phone.
SanDisk microSD Express card (256GB) for $60 (12 percent off): If you have a Switch 2, no regular microSD card will do if you want to expand the console’s storage. You need a newer microSD Express card, and currently there are only a handful on the market. We did some testing to find the best microSD Express card for the Switch 2 and found that performance was, in general, very similar amongst all the readily available cards. We recommend getting whichever fits within your budget at the capacity you want.
Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 (25 percent off): I personally have this air fryer, one of our top picks, in my house and I’ve used it for over a year with no issues. I love that it makes good use of vertical space so it doesn’t take up too much space on my counter, and its rounded-square shape allows me to cook more food than you’d think in one go in the basket. It crisps all kinds of foods up well and generally takes a lot of the guess work (and time) out of making a good meal.
Shark Steam and Scrub Steamer Mop for $110 (31 percent off): This is a slightly more affordable version of this Shark steamer I bought earlier this year and has become one of my favorite things. The one on sale has almost an identical design and arguably the most important feature: rotating dual pads on the bottom that actually lift up the dirt and stains on your floor without too much extra elbow grease needed on your part. It also has three different cleaning modes to choose from, depending on how stubborn the mess is that you’re trying to clean up.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum with 60-day self-emptying base for $300 (50 percent off): This is a version of one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums. We generally like Shark machines because they do a good job cleaning all types of flooring, produce accurate home maps and the companion app is pretty easy to use. This one in particularly comes with a self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Black Friday 2025 lands on November 28.
Many physical retail stores have Black Friday deals including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others. Even more retailers have online Black Friday deals, including Amazon, GameStop, Costco and others.
Gone are the times when Black Friday sales were one-day-only affairs. Now, Black Friday deals are often available starting on Thanksgiving, or even earlier. Last year, we saw Black Friday deals online begin the week before Black Friday proper.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have blended a lot over the past few years. Now, you can expect to see a good portion of Black Friday deals extend through the weekend and into Cyber Monday. It’s not uncommon for Black Friday deals to expire at the end of Cyber Monday.
The best Black Friday tech deals are typically available online at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target. It’s also a good idea to check the store websites of the companies that make the products you want — for example, if you’re looking for a Sonos speaker, check the Sonos website on Black Friday. Most of the time, you’ll find the best Black Friday tech deals are matched at multiple retailers.
No, you will usually not find Black Friday sales at Apple stores or on Apple’s website. However, you can find Black Friday deals on Apple devices elsewhere; we recommend checking Amazon, Best Buy and other big retailers for discounts on iPads, Apple Watches and more on Black Friday.
Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales. The online retailer’s site will look similar to Prime Day on Black Friday, with discounts on all sorts of items from household essentials to fashion to tech.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-2025-the-best-early-deals-on-apple-shark-lego-and-other-gear-plus-what-to-expect-during-the-sale-100052176.html?src=rss