The Internet Archive must block access to books in its Open Library project for Belgian users after negotiations with publishers failed. A Brussels Business Court issued a site-blocking order in July targeting several shadow libraries and the Internet Archive. A Belgian government department paused the order for the U.S. nonprofit and urged both parties to negotiate. The talks over recent weeks were unsuccessful.

The Department for Combating Infringements of Copyright concluded last week that the Internet Archive hosts the contested books and has the ability to render them inaccessible. Publishers must supply a list of books to be blocked. The nonprofit then has 20 calendar days to implement the measures and prevent future digital lending of those works in Belgium. The order includes a one-time penalty of $578,000 for non-compliance and remains in place until July 16 next year. The Internet Archive operates Open Library by purchasing physical copies and digitizing them to lend out one at a time. Publishers previously won a U.S. federal court case against the project.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Artificial intelligence companies have been working at breakneck speeds to develop the best and most powerful tools, but that rapid development hasn’t always been coupled with clear understandings of AI’s limitations or weaknesses. Today, Anthropic released a report on how attackers can influence the development of a large language model.

The study centered on a type of attack called poisoning, where an LLM is pretrained on malicious content intended to make it learn dangerous or unwanted behaviors. The key finding from this study is that a bad actor doesn’t need to control a percentage of the pretraining materials to get the LLM to be poisoned. Instead, the researchers found that a small and fairly constant number of malicious documents can poison an LLM, regardless of the size of the model or its training materials. The study was able to successfully backdoor LLMs based on using only 250 malicious documents in the pretraining data set, a much smaller number than expected for models ranging from 600 million to 13 billion parameters. 

“We’re sharing these findings to show that data-poisoning attacks might be more practical than believed, and to encourage further research on data poisoning and potential defenses against it,” the company said. Anthropic collaborated with the UK AI Security Institute and the Alan Turing Institute on the research.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-find-just-250-malicious-documents-can-leave-llms-vulnerable-to-backdoors-191112960.html?src=rss

Apple yesterday announced a plan to comply with a Texas age verification law and warned that changes required by the law will reduce privacy for app users.

“Beginning January 1, 2026, a new state law in Texas—SB2420—introduces age assurance requirements for app marketplaces and developers,” Apple said yesterday in a post for developers. “While we share the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety, we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or sports scores.”

The Texas App Store Accountability Act requires app stores to verify users’ ages and imposes restrictions on those under 18. Apple said that developers will have “to adopt new capabilities and modify behavior within their apps to meet their obligations under the law.”

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A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the National Retail Federation challenging a New York state law that requires retailers to tell customers when their personal data are used to set prices, known as surveillance pricing. From a report: U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the world’s largest retail trade group did not plausibly allege that New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act violated its members’ free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

The first-in-the-nation law required retailers to disclose in capital letters when prices were set by algorithms using personal data, or face possible civil fines of $1,000 per violation. Governor Kathy Hochul said charging different prices depending on what people were willing to pay was “opaque,” and prevented comparison-shopping.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Last week was a good one for Tesla, as it beat analysts’ estimates for the number of cars it could sell in the third quarter of the year. This week is probably a less good week for Tesla, since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened yet another preliminary probe into the automaker—the third this year alone.

2025 hadn’t been going long before NHTSA announced an investigation following multiple crashes involving Tesla’s remote parking features. And last month, the agency started a second, concerning multiple deaths after the company’s signature retractable door handles became inoperative after a crash.

Now it’s the controversially named “Full Self-Driving” feature in the crosshairs, after dozens of reports of Teslas breaking traffic laws while using this partially automated driving assist.

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Nintendo just released an odd little game onto the SNES Virtual Console that was previously exclusive to Japan. The simply-titled Mario & Wario is a point-and-click puzzle game that finds the plumber on the search for his brother after his money-obsessed doppelganger drops a bucket on his head. That’s the actual plot.

Players lead the bucket-headed Mario through 100 levels, each of which are filled with point-and-click puzzles set in a sidescrolling world. The original game was controlled via mouse and this Virtual Console release is no different. Switch owners can simply plug in a USB mouse to get going but Switch 2 owners have a niftier option.

You may remember that the new console’s Joy-Con controllers can flip over and be used as a mouse. Mario & Wario is another use case for this concept, after Drag x Drive and a minigame in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The game is available right now for Nintendo Switch Online members.

That’s not the only title that hit Virtual Console today. The SNES platformer Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind is available to play, as is the SNES fighter Fatal Fury Special. That one includes characters from both the original game and Fatal Fury 2.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-just-surprise-dropped-a-japan-only-snes-mario-game-onto-the-virtual-console-183536913.html?src=rss

Discord says that hackers made off with images of 70,000 users’ government IDs that they were required to provide in order to use the site.

Like an increasing number of sites, Discord requires certain users to provide a photo or scan of their driver’s license or other government ID that shows they meet the minimum age requirements in their country. In some cases, Discord allows users to prove their age by providing a selfie that shows their faces (it’s not clear how a face proves someone’s age, but there you go). The social media site imposes these requirements on users who are reported by other users to be under the minimum age for the country they’re connecting from.

“A substantial risk for identity theft”

On Wednesday, Discord said that ID images of roughly 70,000 users “may have had government-ID photos exposed” in a recent breach of a third-party service Discord entrusted to manage the data. The affected users had communicated with Discord’s Customer Support or Trust & Safety teams and subsequently submitted the IDs in reviews of age-related appeals.

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Lyft is partnering with San Jose-based Tensor Auto. Lyft says it has reserved “hundreds” of Tensor robotaxis and will operate its own fleet. The other piece of the partnership: Tensor will make its Robocar “Lyft-ready” straight out of the factory.

Shipping the Robocar with Lyft’s platform will allow a futuristic form of passive income for owners in regions with level 4 regulatory approval. “Traditional car ownership means a vehicle loses value as it sits idle most of the time,” the companies wrote in a press release. “Tensor Robocars flip this model, turning personal luxury vehicles into productive assets that can generate income around the clock.”

It’s similar to what Tesla plans to do with its yet-to-be-shipped Cybercab. Lyft’s rival Uber announced a similar plan in July, involving 20,000 Lucid EVs.

Tensor / Lyft

Tensor plans to deliver its first Robocars by the end of 2026. The company says the “Lyft-ready” autonomous vehicle (AV) will include over 100 sensors. (That includes 37 cameras, five lidars, and 11 radars.) Eight NVIDIA chips, based on Blackwell GPU architecture, help it interpret sensor data. Tensor says the computer is capable of 8,000 trillion operations per second.

This is far from Lyft’s first AV partnership. Among others, it teamed up last month with May Mobility to launch an autonomous fleet in Atlanta. Lyft also plans to match users with Waymo rides in Nashville starting next year. However, Bloomberg notes that the Tensor partnership is Lyft’s first where it will purchase its own AV fleet.

Tensor spun out of the Chinese robotaxi company AutoX. The company says it divested and discontinued its China operations to focus exclusively on the US-based Tensor. The Robocar will be produced in Vietnam through a partnership with VinFast.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tensors-robocar-will-be-lyft-ready-out-of-the-factory-182010143.html?src=rss

The Rubik’s Cube has been reinvented with more games and many more screens for much more money.

What has long been cherished as a simple toy yet complex puzzle requiring nothing but a healthy amount of twisting, turning, and patience has been rebooted for the 21st century. Naturally, that calls for a few dashes of technology.

Differing from the original Rubik’s Cube, which has six faces that each contain a 3×3 grid, the Rubik’s WOWCube, made available for preorder today, as spotted by The Verge, has six faces with 2×2 grids.

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Monarch Money is one of our favorite budgeting apps and, fittingly enough, there’s a way for newcomers to save money on a subscription right now. If you use the code WELCOME at checkout, you can get an annual plan for 30 percent off. It typically costs $100, but you can get 12 months of access for $70 with this code.

There are some key caveats here. The discount is only for new users, and it can’t be combined with other offers. The code only works when you sign up through the web. You can’t redeem it through the Monarch mobile app.

We feel that Monarch has a steeper learning curve than some other budget trackers and that certain aspects of the app are slightly more complex than they probably need to be. But it offers a great deal of customization and granularity, which outweighs our misgivings.

On the main dashboard, you’ll see your net worth along with your latest transactions, spending versus the previous month, your income so far for the month and details about upcoming bills, your investments and goals you’ve set. There’s also a link to a month-in-review page, which offers an in-depth overview of what’s been happening with your money that month. You’ll also be able to take a peek at how your net worth has changed over time.

Monarch can connect to your bank and track Apple Card, Apple Cash and Savings accounts. It can pull in your transactions and balance history automatically and detect your recurring expenses and income. The app can even keep your car valuation up to date. While it might take a little work to set up Monarch (and you might have to tweak things here and there), it’s a detailed budgeting app that can help you keep better track of your income, expenditure and net worth.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-has-30-percent-off-annual-plans-right-now-174011690.html?src=rss

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is over, but some deals are still active.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

If you’re a content creator or enjoy capturing your adventures (and the scenery that comes with them), a durable and high-quality action camera is a must for smooth, hands-free footage. Right now, the rugged and feature-rich GoPro Hero13 Black Ultra Wide Edition is 31% off for Prime members, dropping it to its lowest price ever. 

GoPro Hero13 Black Ultra Wide Edition

$329.99

$479.99
Save $150.00

$329.99

$479.99
Save $150.00

An upgrade to the Hero12 black, this model adds Wi-Fi 6 and a longer-lasting 1,900mAh battery (up from 1,720mAh), built-in GPS, an improved HDR profile, new slow-motion options, and a wider vertical FOV that will appeal to adventurers and vloggers alike. At 5.6 ounces, it’s compact enough to carry all day or mount to a vehicle, helmet, or even a pet. It has a sleek, minimalist appearance compared to its predecessor and a durable chassis that can handle being dropped, knocked around, or used underwater (up to 33 feet deep) without a case.

Compared to the standard Hero13, this model comes with an ultra-wide lens for a broader field of view. It has dual LCDs (a 1.4-inch front screen and 2.3-inch rear touchscreen) with 5.3K video resolution and 27 MP sensor resolution. The rear display may feel a bit cramped, so using a selfie stick or tripod may make operation easier, but you can also control settings from the Quik app or use simple voice commands. While this cam received an Excellent rating from PCMag, the tester noted that the display isn’t bright enough to cut through glare on sunny days and struggles in low light settings. That said, the interface is still intuitive, with configurable presets for Video, Photo, and Time Lapse modes that make it easy to switch color profiles, lens views, frame rates, and more. 

It charges via USB-C, but has wireless features like integrated GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi 6 for smartphone pairing, and wireless file transfers. It also connects to select wireless earbuds and keeps audio separate from the built-in mic, letting creators mix ambient audio in with narration during the editing process. One standout feature is GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization system, which makes handheld video footage look like it was shot on a powered gimbal or Steadicam. It also launched alongside an updated accessory ecosystem, adding creative flexibility, though at an extra cost.

Ultimately, the GoPro Hero13 Black Ultra Wide Edition delivers impressive picture quality, durability, and video clarity. Plus, its significant updates to its predecessor make it ideal for people who haven’t owned a GoPro or are used to an older model.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

Heart Machine will wind down development on the third-person roguelike Hyper Light Breaker, seemingly confirming that it will never make it out of early access. The follow-up to indie darling Hyper Light Drifter was first announced in 2022 and after several delays finally entered early access at the beginning of 2025.

But it looks like a 1.0 release won’t be arriving, with the studio confirming that it is ending development on the game and has had to lay off an unspecified number of its staff as a result. In a statement, Heart Machine said: “As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances. While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.”

The studio said it plans to continue making games with its consolidated workforce — the Devolver-published sci-fi side-scrolling action game Possessor(s) is still due to launch next month — and indicated that Hyper Light Breaker won’t meet an entirely abrupt end. The studio said it plans to “deliver something meaningful and as polished and complete as we can given our current circumstances” in January, but added that no further updates are planned for the remainder of 2025.

Engadget’s Jessica Conditt tried out a build of Hyper Light Breaker in March of last year, and called it the “perfect amalgamation of Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash” (the studio’s other game), while praising its hoverboarding gameplay.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hyper-light-breaker-studio-will-end-the-games-development-and-lay-off-staff-162941243.html?src=rss

Who among us hasn’t fantasized about escaping hell as a skateboarding demon made of glass? That’s the task laid out for you in the offbeat indie title Skate Story. Devolver, always up for creative and subversive risk-taking, announced on Thursday that the game will arrive on December 8.

Skate Story has you performing ollies, kickflips and grinds to swallow the moon and free yourself from the Devil and his minions. Do I understand developer Sam Eng’s metaphors? Nope. Does it look badass nonetheless? You bet. Just check out the trailer below, where the shattering of your glass body looks just as satisfying as nailing that tailslide.

The game was announced way back in 2020 and delayed multiple times. In 2023, Devolver even included it in its tongue-in-cheek Delayed showcase, where it proudly announced titles it was pushing back to 2024. Of course, it missed that window, too.

But with its first specific release date, it looks like you’ll finally have the chance to play it (on PC, Mac, Switch 2 or PS5) on December 8. And you can try the Skate Story demo on Steam right now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/skate-story-finally-arrives-on-december-8-160911918.html?src=rss

Software vendors keen to monetize AI should tread cautiously, since they risk inflating costs for their customers without delivering any promised benefits such as reducing employee head count. From a report: The latest report from McKinsey & Company mulls what software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors need to do to navigate the minefield of hype that surrounds AI and successfully fold such capabilities into their offerings. According to the consultancy, there are three main challenges it identifies as holding back broader growth in AI software monetization in the report.

One of these is simply the inability to show any savings that can be expected. Many software firms trumpet potential use cases for AI, but only 30 percent have published quantifiable return on investment from real customer deployments. Meanwhile, many customers see AI hiking IT costs without being able to offset these by slashing labor costs. The billions poured into developing AI models mean they don’t come cheap, and AI-enabling the entire customer service stack of a typical business could lead to a 60 to 80 percent price increase, McKinsey says, while quoting an HR executive at a Fortune 100 company griping: “All of these copilots are supposed to make work more efficient with fewer people, but my business leaders are also saying they can’t reduce head count yet.”

Another challenge is scaling up adoption after introduction, which the report blames on underinvestment in change management. It says that for every $1 spent on model development, firms should expect to have to spend $3 on change management, which means user training and performance monitoring. The third issue is a lack of predictable pricing, which means that customers find it hard to forecast how their AI costs will scale with usage because the pricing models are often complex and opaque.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The how-to website iFixit posted a teardown of Meta’s new Ray-Ban Display augmented reality glasses and came away impressed by the tech but wary of repairability. As a matter of fact, one of the techs said in the accompanying video that it’s “very clear that the first iterations of these smartglasses are going to be unrepairable.”

This repairability issue is relatively unsurprising, given this is a newish technology. The website says there are several factors that contribute to the problem, noting that users would have to split the arms and frame in half to do something as simple as replacing a battery and Meta doesn’t provide any way to do that. “Any repairs here are going to need specialized skills and specialized tools,” the tech concluded. This also applies to the speakers, as they are soldered in.

The same goes when looking to replace the lenses, as they are specially-made and would be difficult to source. However, iFixit did come away impressed with the glassmaking skills used to manufacture these lenses.

The lenses use a reflective geometric waveguide system that bounce light to the wearer’s eyes at specific angles using partially reflective mirrors. This not only creates an augmented reality experience but helps prevent other people from getting a glimpse of the screen when staring at you.

iFixit

There’s a mini-projector in the right arm, which would also be difficult to repair. This liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device creates a 600×600-pixel grid image that should be free from artifacts and won’t flash the tell-tale “eye glow” at onlookers. Again, this is due to the lenses, as they differ from older diffractive systems.

All of this advanced tech adds up and iFixit thinks Meta may be selling these glasses at a loss, as those lenses are particularly expensive to manufacture. Despite this, the website urges Meta to prioritize “replaceable batteries, modular arms and swappable lenses” in the future.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display AR glasses are already on digital store shelves and cost $800. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them during a hands-on, calling them “discrete and intuitive.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/ifixit-calls-metas-ray-ban-display-glasses-unrepairable-but-praises-the-tech-154820301.html?src=rss