This is a video from WIRED of entomologist Dr. Jessica Ware answering questions about insects that were submitted by internet users, including could cockroaches survive a nuclear war? Do dragonflies and flies coordinate their flight while mating? Why do crickets chirp? Are tarantulas dangerous? PLUS MORE. Sooooo much more. I feel like I just earned a bachelor’s degree in entomology after watching the whole half hour. Plus whenever I hear my girlfriend scream I relocate the bug outside with no issues. I’m practically a bug whisperer. Don’t crawl in my butt when I’m sleeping.

Everyone in quantum computing agrees that error correction will be the key to doing a broad range of useful calculations. But early every company in the field seems to have a different vision of how best to get there. Almost all of their plans share a key feature: some variation on logical qubits built by linking together multiple hardware qubits.

A key exception is Nord Quantique, which aims to dramatically cut the amount of hardware needed to support an error-corrected quantum computer. It does this by putting enough quantum states into a single piece of hardware, allowing each of those pieces to hold an error-corrected qubit. Last week, the company shared results showing that it could make hardware that used photons at two different frequencies to successfully identify every case where a logical qubit lost its state.

That still doesn’t provide error correction, and they didn’t use the logical qubit to perform operations. But it’s an important validation of the company’s approach.

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An anonymous reader shares a report: There are more than 1,000 technology unicorns, meaning venture-backed companies worth $1 billion or more, but at least one in 5 are likely to fail, said Rich Wong, a partner at venture capital firm Accel Partners. “I think maybe out of that thousand, 20% fully die. The end,” Wong said on Thursday at the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco.

The estimate reinforces what’s become a grim calculus for many companies. Tech start-up valuations soared during the 2021 pandemic boom — before crashing back to earth, as interest rates rose and venture capital investments fell. Of the companies that don’t fail, about half will be stuck — muddling along without being able to grow bigger or go public, Wong said. Some of those may “ultimately have reality set in,” and sell themselves for lower prices than once seemed feasible. Others, not quite failing, “will be a bit zombie-ish and grind on,” he said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Tesla has been awfully cagey with its self-driving data this week. Reuters is now reporting that Tesla is trying to stop the city of Austin from handing over public records involving its robotaxi operations in the city, which are set to expand this month. This comes just a few days after the automaker asked a judge to prevent the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from releasing certain data related to crashes that involved its cars with self-driving features.

Reuters says that it requested two years’ worth of communications between Tesla and Austin officials in February, shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that Austin would play home to the robotaxi experiment.

Dan Davis, an Austin public information officer, told Reuters in April that “third parties” were asking the city to withhold these records in the interest of protecting “privacy or property.” After the publication escalated the matter to the Texas Attorney General’s office, an attorney for Tesla wrote Ken Paxton opposing the release of what it called “confidential, proprietary, competitively sensitive commercial and/or trade secret information.”

Reuters also spoke with Neal Falgoust, an Austin Law Department official overseeing public records issues about the matter. Falgoust told reporters that the city of Austin doesn’t take any particular position on the confidentiality of the materials involved. When Reuters pressed further, asking if the people of Austin have a right to information about the driverless cars that would be traversing their streets, Falgoust did not respond.

Tesla said just last week that it had been testing driverless Model Ys in Austin for several days, which Elon Musk said was a month ahead of schedule. This would not be the first fleet of autonomous taxis on the streets of the Texas capital, with Waymo operating there since 2023 within a specific geofenced area. Waymo has also partnered with Uber in Austin since March.

By Texas law, the Attorney General’s office has 45 business days to decide whether the city of Austin is required to make these records public, which would be next week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-is-reportedly-blocking-the-city-of-austin-from-releasing-robotaxi-records-155643815.html?src=rss

Apple‘s AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are on sale for $170 via Amazon. This is close to a record low price and represents a discount of 32 percent, as the typical cost is $249.

This model easily made our list of the best wireless earbuds, and this is particularly true for those tied to the Apple ecosystem. The earbuds seamlessly switch between Apple devices, which is handy. The transparency mode is fantastic and the ANC is solid.

They also sound great, thanks to a new amplifier, driver and transducer, in addition to updated algorithms. We found that they offered a “massively improved” experience over the first-gen version of these earbuds. Music even sounds better at lower levels here, which is something we noticed in our official review.

The battery life is just average, with six hours of listening per charge and 30 hours with the case. The major downside with these earbuds is the price. No matter how you slice it, $249 is a whole lot of money. Luckily, today’s sale alleviates some of that sticker shock.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-pro-2-are-back-on-sale-for-170-154646082.html?src=rss

This week, Republicans in Congress and the executive branch stepped up their efforts to roll back clean vehicle legislation and regulations. Antipathy toward environmental protections was a hallmark of the first Trump administration, but in his second term, the president and his congressional allies are redoubling their efforts to allow cars to pollute more and limit the adoption of electric vehicles.

Congressional republicans have been working on a budget bill that would radically transform many aspects of American life. Among the environmental protections being stripped away in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (yes, that’s what it’s called) is a repeal of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s rules on “greenhouse gas and multi-pollutant emissions standards.”

These regulations are meant to limit the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the US vehicle fleet, a major driver of climate change, as well as the noxious pollutants containing sulfur and nitrogen compounds that have more immediate and deleterious effects on human health. And if the budget bill is sent to Trump to sign, the existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules, implemented in 2022, and the future rules meant to take effect next year will be no more.

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David Sacks, President Trump’s AI policy advisor, has dismissed the prospect of implementing a universal basic income program, declaring “it’s not going to happen” during his tenure. He said: The future of AI has become a Rorschach test where everyone sees what they want. The Left envisions a post-economic order in which people stop working and instead receive government benefits. In other words, everyone on welfare. This is their fantasy; it’s not going to happen.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

This is a video of the custom plasma speakers built by engineer Fabricio H. Franzoli from two CRT television flyback transformers playing the classic Popeye theme. Now those are some sexy speakers. I thought my Yamahas were nice, but they don’t look anything like two robot nipples shooting musical lightning.

The first thing you do after tearing open the Switch 2’s box is snap its Joy-Con 2 controllers to the sides of the console. But unlike the Switch 1, which used flimsy rails to connect its controllers, the Switch 2’s Joy-Con rely on magnets. That leads to a visceral “thunk” whenever you snap them on — it’s as if they leap out of your hands and right onto the Switch, ready for some Mario Kart World action. And every time it happens, I can’t help but smile.

Even before you turn on the Switch 2, it’s clear that Nintendo recognized one of the biggest issues of the original Switch: Those Joy-Con rails stunk. They didn’t hold the controllers in place well, and they wore down over time, which could lead to Joy-Cons slipping out mid-gameplay. In my case, one bad drop just two weeks into owning the original Switch made one of my Joy-Con gamepads loose for the system’s lifetime. The only fix was replacing the controller’s locking buckle, or buying a new an entirely new Joy-Con set for $80.

So, at the very least, it feels nice to have a new Switch console where the controllers feel sturdy. With the Joy-Con 2 attached, the Switch 2 feels almost as solid as the Switch Lite, which doesn’t have removable controllers. To put it another way, the Joy-Con 2’s “thunk” is like the satisfying sound of a luxury car door being slammed shut rather than the sound of a cheap economy car closing. The “thunk” means security. The “thunk” means quality.

We still don’t know if the Joy-Con 2 are completely free of the dreaded drifting problem that plagued the original controllers. One Reddit user claimed their launch system arrived with drifting controllers, and Redditor moshi_yo tore their controller apart and noticed that it uses the same joystick mechanism. But Nintendo producer Kouichi Kawamoto said in an interview that the company “redesigned everything from scratch.” They added, “Compared to the Joy-Con controllers for Switch, the control sticks are larger and more durable, with smoother movement.”

Less immediately noticeable than the Joy-Con 2 “thunk” is the Switch 2’s wider kickstand, which I quickly learned to appreciate. That’s something Nintendo brought over from the Switch OLED model, but it’s still useful this time around. As I was playing Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, the kickstand easily let me balance the system on my lap in tablet mode while using the Joy-Con 2 to mouse around on my leg. Is that an ideal setup? No. But it’s certainly functional in a pinch. 

While the Switch 2 overall feels like a major refinement of the original, with its larger screen, dramatically faster hardware and more usable eShop, new issues have cropped up for Nintendo. The console’s reliance on expensive microSD Express cards will make it tough for players to deal with increasingly large games, and similarly developers seem to be balking at actually putting games on physical carts. Instead, many titles are taking advantage of Nintendo’s Game-Key Cards, which unlock digital versions of titles and can be resold like a physical used game. Unlike full-fledged carts, though, those Game-Key Cards won’t work down the line when Nintendo eventually moves on from the Switch 2 and shuts down its eShop.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2s-best-feature-is-its-satisfying-joy-con-2-thunk-150031872.html?src=rss

YouTube pulled a popular tutorial video from tech creator Jeff Geerling this week, claiming his guide to installing LibreELEC on a Raspberry Pi 5 violated policies against “harmful content.” The video, which showed viewers how to set up their own home media servers, had been live for over a year and racked up more than 500,000 views. YouTube’s automated systems flagged the content for allegedly teaching people “how to get unauthorized or free access to audio or audiovisual content.”

Geerling says his tutorial covered only legal self-hosting of media people already own — no piracy tools or copyright workarounds. He said he goes out of his way to avoid mentioning popular piracy software in his videos. It’s the second time YouTube has pulled a self-hosting content video from Geerling. Last October, YouTube removed his Jellyfin tutorial, though that decision was quickly reversed after appeal. This time, his appeal was denied.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicks off next week — but if I’m honest with myself, I’m struggling to care. I used to watch the shows with eager anticipation as to what new goodies would be coming to my Mac across the next year. But in recent years, a lot of the features highlighted either fell into the bucket marked “wait, you couldn’t do that already?” or the one marked “well, that’s not a thing I’m going to use.”

It doesn’t help the rumored slate of announcements for this year is mostly stuff I know I’m not going to need to engage with. The loudest rumor is a Vision Pro-inspired UI overhaul to bring the iPhone, iPad and Mac in line with their youngest sibling. Consistency is a fine thing to aim for, but Apple is reportedly justifying this change by saying it’s jarring to switch between platforms. I can’t say I’ve ever had an issue, and my concern is Apple will forget that each of those devices is different, and operates in a different way to its stablemates.

If a promise is made too often, there’s a risk you’ll stop believing it will ever be fulfilled. Apropos of nothing, Apple’s going to make the iPad more useful as a productivity tool. The rumors hint the slates will get better multitasking and app window management to make it more Mac-esque. But unless iPadOS gets the sort of radical changes that’ll make it operate a lot more like macOS, nothing will change. And I’m doubtful Apple would bring true multitasking to the iPad, lest it eat into Mac sales — not to mention the constraints of its form factor.

As someone who is aggressively indifferent toward generative AI and voice assistants, tweaks to Apple Intelligence and Siri leave me similarly cold. I’m not sure I would ever want a gussied up pattern-recognition algorithm writing messages and emails in my voice. Neither am I too into the idea of using generative AI to create images. I’d much rather stay in the real world. Sure, I’m a young man yelling at a cloud, I don’t care.

Apple

According to Apple, I’m clearly in the minority since the only time I ever engage with Siri is by accident. I can think, type and operate a phone far faster than I can say out loud “Hey Siri, dim my living room lights by 50 percent,” so the slowness of speech irks me. Of course, I’d love a virtual assistant that was as skilled and imaginative as a flesh-and-blood person who could marshal all of my data, organize it and keep me on track. But I don’t believe we’re close to that point, and Apple has failed to deliver on its promises in this area more than once.

The only rumored feature that excites me is the “AI-powered” battery management mode for iOS 19 (or 26, as the rumors indicate). I say “AI-powered,” since I’m not sure how much we need to oversell an algorithm that tracks your usage patterns to make power-saving adjustments. But it’s the sort of feature that, if it’s able to make meaningful improvements to the iPhone’s longevity, could be transformative.

After all, as a relatively heavy iPhone user, I rarely find my device lasting until the end of the day without a top-up charge. This isn’t a new problem, either, since the iPhone’s battery has been lackluster since the first model was launched in 2007. In a world where most Android handsets boast of multi-day battery life, the iPhone’s battery life remains embarrassing. Yes, you can take that as a not-too-subtle dig at the rumored thin-and-light iPhone Air, which feels to me like the most egregious waste of development resources imaginable.

Maybe this is a sign of my subconscious frustration with Apple that it feels so compelled to push forward rather than tidying up behind it. I groused last year that the company gave so much attention to the addition of multitrack recording to Voice Notes despite the feature already being in Garageband. I would love nothing more than Apple to do what it did in 2009 with Snow Leopard and in 2017 with High Sierra. In both of those instances, the company opted to focus on tidying up the existing code to make it smaller and run faster rather than over-extending itself with new features. That, to me, would seem like a far better use of Apple’s time than repainting the home screen with snazzier icons.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/is-it-wrong-the-iphones-ai-battery-management-is-the-only-wwdc-rumor-im-excited-about-143028037.html?src=rss

Maybe you’ve just picked up a Nintendo Switch 2 and want to try GameChat features with your friends in Mario Kart World, but can’t quite swing $55 for the official camera right now after plopping down $500 for the console and game bundle. The solution might be in your pocket.

The Switch 2 supports third-party USB-C webcams. However, you might be able to use your phone instead. YouTube channel Will It Work? has demonstrated how to use an iPhone as a camera for the console.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as opening the iPhone’s Camera app, plugging a USB-C cable into both devices and setting up the phone (perhaps on a MagSafe charger) so it points at your mug. I tried that, and nope, no dice. Instead, if you plug the cable into a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and that into an HDMI capture cable and hook the daisy chain into your Switch 2, your new console should recognize your phone as a camera. This process may work for Android devices too.

Since doing this will pipe whatever’s on your phone’s screen into your Switch 2, you might want to use an app that hides all of the on-screen camera controls and only shows what the selfie lens or rear-facing array picks up. There are a few free options in the App Store that can do the trick. You can check that this all works by opening up the Settings on your Switch 2 and going to Controllers & Accessories > Test USB Camera.

Links in the YouTube video that demonstrates this workaround point to Amazon listings where you can pick up the two cables for $31, but you may be able to find cheaper versions. Of course, that’s moot if you already have both cables. A regular capture card and HDMI to USB-C cable might work too. Naturally, if you have a USB-C webcam handy, that’s an easier way to go about all this.

There is one downside to note before you use your iPhone as a Switch 2 camera, as Will It Work? points out. There may be some lag, which could affect lip sync. But if you can live with that, this might be an option for you.

There’s another accessory you might already have on hand that could save you from buying an official Nintendo or third-party one. The Switch 2 fits into the Steam Deck’s case. You might want to add some padding, as the Switch 2 is a smaller device than the Steam Deck and might shift around in the case otherwise, but it’s still perhaps worth considering.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-can-use-an-iphone-as-a-nintendo-switch-2-camera-142622005.html?src=rss

Late Thursday, OpenAI confronted user panic over a sweeping court order requiring widespread chat log retention—including users’ deleted chats—after moving to appeal the order that allegedly impacts the privacy of hundreds of millions of ChatGPT users globally.

In a statement, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap explained that the court order came in a lawsuit with The New York Times and other news organizations, which alleged that deleted chats may contain evidence of users prompting ChatGPT to generate copyrighted news articles.

To comply with the order, OpenAI must “retain all user content indefinitely going forward, based on speculation” that the news plaintiffs “might find something that supports their case,” OpenAI’s statement alleged.

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Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the much-awaited follow-up to 2022’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus, is now available for pre-order. You can get the digital version for the old Switch for $60 or for the new Switch 2 for $70 from Nintendo’s website. In case you have no plans to get the Switch 2 anytime soon and you do get the game for the first Switch console, you can purchase an upgrade pack for $10 to get access to better graphics and higher frame rate for Nintendo’s new system later on. Pre-ordering lets you pre-load the game so you can play it as soon as it becomes available on October 16. 

The action role-playing game is not just a follow-up to Arceus, but also a sequel to Pokémon X and Y. It’s set in Lumiose City, introduced in X and Y over a decade ago, and features three available starters: Chikorita and Totodile from Gold and Silver, as well as Tepig from Black and White. Its gameplay is a mix of the real-time capture mechanics on Arceus and the old-school turn-based gameplay of traditional Pokémon titles. The game is also bringing back X and Y’s Mega Evolution mechanic, which can temporarily transform a Pokémon into a much stronger monster, boosting its power and sometimes even changing its type. 

The physical version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is now also available for pre-order from retailers like Walmart (Switch, Switch 2) and Best Buy (Switch, Switch 2.). It’s not clear if pre-ordering the game will get you any bonuses, but the Walmart listing URLs hint at an “exclusive gift with purchase.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-can-now-pre-order-pokemon-legends-z-a-for-the-switch-and-switch-2-140004626.html?src=rss