After many years of Xbox and PC exclusivity, the Forza franchise is finally making its debut on PlayStation hardware with the release of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. As exciting as it is for Sony fans to finally get a chance to dive into this exciting open-world racing series, it’s fair to wonder if these new players will…
Meta is releasing a new tool it hopes will encourage developers to use its family of Llama models for their next project. At its inaugural LlamaCon event in Menlo Park on Tuesday, the company announced the Llama API. Available as a limited free preview starting today, the tool gives developers a place to experiment with Meta’s AI models, including the recently released Llama 4 Scout and Maverick systems. It also makes it easy to create new API keys, which devs can use for authentication purposes.
“We want to make it even easier for you to quickly start building with Llama, while also giving you complete control over your models and weights without being locked to an API,” the company said in a blog post published during the event. To that end, the initial release of the Llama API includes tools devs can use to fine-tune and evaluate their apps.
Additionally, Meta notes it won’t use user prompts and model responses to train its own models. “When you’re ready, the models you build on the Llama API are yours to take with you wherever you want to host them, and we don’t keep them locked on our servers,” the company said. Meta expects to roll out the tool to more users in coming weeks and months.
Despite the fact Meta’s Llama models have been downloaded more than one billion times, the company typically isn’t viewed as a leader in the AI space in quite the same way as OpenAI and Anthropic. It doesn’t help push against that perception that the company was caught gaming LMArena to make its Llama 4 models look better than they actually were.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-making-it-easier-to-use-llama-models-for-app-development-171514630.html?src=rss
Last year was big for zero-day exploits, security threats that appear in the wild before vendors have a chance to develop patches. Through its sprawling network of services and research initiatives, Google is the first to spot many of these threats. In a new report from the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), the company reveals it detected 75 zero-day exploits in 2024, which is a bit lower than the previous year. Unsurprisingly, a sizable chunk of them was the work of state-sponsored hackers.
According to Google, zero-day exploits are becoming increasingly easy for threat actors to develop and procure, which has led to more sophisticated attacks. While end-user devices are still regularly targeted, GTIG notes that the trend over the past few years has been for these vulnerabilities to target enterprise systems and security infrastructure. There were 98 zero-days detected in 2023 versus 75 in 2024, but Google says the overall trend in enterprise threats is increasing.
That’s not to say the products you use every day are safe from sneaky hacks—a slim majority of GTIG’s 2024 zero-day threats still targeted users. In fact, Google says hackers were even more interested in certain platforms last year compared to the year before.
“The Festival of Accord – Blossomdance” event is finally live in Monster Hunter Wilds. While there are a bunch of fun things that have been added or changed for the game’s first limited-time event, the biggest highlight is unlocking new cherry blossom-themed equipment to change your hunter’s appearance with. That…
Meta didn’t wait for Tuesday’s LlamaCon keynote to unveil its first big AI announcement of the week. The company launched a standalone app that competes with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other multimodal AI chatbots. Sticking to the company’s roots, the app also includes a social feed and the ability to draw on info from your profile and posts you’ve shared.
The Meta AI app offers similar features to rival chatbots, including text and voice chats, live web access and the ability to generate and edit images. But it also includes a Discover feed that (for better or worse) adds a social element to your AI queries. The company describes it as “a place to share and explore how others are using AI.” It highlights the prompts that others share and lets you “remix them to make them your own.”
Meta stresses that none of your private chats will post to others’ feeds unless you explicitly choose to share them.
For users in the US and Canada, Meta AI can personalize its answers based on data you’ve shared with Meta products. This includes info like your social profile and content you like or engage with. The company says linking your Facebook and Instagram accounts to the same Meta AI account will provide “an even stronger personalized experience.” If you don’t want that, this might be a good time to check your privacy settings.
The app has a live conversation mode for users in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Much like a similar feature in ChatGPT and Gemini, Meta’s version lets you and the AI assistant listen and speak simultaneously, with a natural flow that should feel more like a real conversation. However, Meta only describes it as a demo that provides “a glimpse into the future,” suggesting it’s still in an early stage. This mode also doesn’t offer live web access.
The Meta AI web version includes the app’s new features, including voice interactions and the Discover feed. This version has a few differences, including enhanced image generation (more presets and new editing modes for style, mood, lighting and colors). The web version also lets you test a rich document editor (in some countries) that can spit out text- and image-rich docs to export as PDFs.
The app has merged with the Meta View companion app for the company’s Ray-Ban glasses collab. The company says it will include a handoff feature that lets you start a conversation on the glasses and then access it in your history tab on the app or web. After installing the update, you can manage your glasses in the Meta AI app’s Devices tab.
You can download the new Meta AI app from the App Store and Google Play.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-chatgpt-competitor-includes-conversational-voice-chat-and-a-social-feed-164735307.html?src=rss
If you want to upgrade your video call setup without buying an external webcam, your iPhone can help. With macOS Ventura or later, Apple’s Continuity Camera feature allows users to turn their iPhone into a high-quality, wireless webcam for Mac. Whether you’re joining a meeting on Zoom, recording a presentation or creating content for YouTube, using your iPhone as a webcam can provide a sharper image, better low-light performance and useful extras like Center Stage and Desk View. Here’s how to set up and use your iPhone as a webcam with your Mac, along with additional tips for microphone-only use, Desk View, Studio Light and more. It works natively in macOS, so it’s easy to set up. All you need to do is mount your phone and start your call.
You’ll need the following things to use this feature properly:
An iPhone XR or newer running iOS 16 or later
A Mac running macOS Ventura or later
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on both devices
Both devices signed into the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication enabled
A way to mount your iPhone (Apple sells a MagSafe-compatible Belkin mount, but any secure mount or tripod will work)
Continuity Camera works wirelessly by default, though you can connect your iPhone to your Mac via USB if you prefer a more stable connection.
Continuity Camera is automatically enabled on supported iPhones and Macs. However, it’s worth confirming that the feature is active in your iPhone’s settings:
Open Settings on your iPhone
Tap General
Select AirPlay & Handoff
Make sure Continuity Camera is toggled on
On your Mac, no additional setup is required, but you’ll want to ensure both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled and that both devices are nearby and awake.
Once Continuity Camera is active, your Mac should automatically detect your iPhone as a webcam source in any compatible app. That includes FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, QuickTime, Safari and most other video and streaming applications.
To use your iPhone as the camera in a specific app:
Open the app you want to use (e.g., Zoom or FaceTime)
Go to the app’s video settings or preferences menu
Select your iPhone from the list of available camera sources (it may appear as “iPhone Camera”)
Your iPhone will automatically activate its rear camera and stream a live video feed to your Mac. Continuity Camera uses the iPhone’s higher-quality rear camera, but you can leverage the front camera using third-party apps such as EpocCam, iVCam or DroidCam.
If nothing happens, make sure:
Both devices are unlocked and on the same Wi-Fi network
Continuity Camera is enabled on your iPhone
You’re signed into the same Apple ID on both devices
In addition to camera input, Continuity Camera lets you use your iPhone as a high-quality microphone source. This is handy if you prefer to use your Mac’s built-in camera or another webcam but still want the clarity of the iPhone’s microphone.
To use your iPhone as a mic:
Open System Settings on your Mac
Go to Sound > Input
Select your iPhone from the list of available input devices
You can also choose the iPhone microphone directly from within most video apps under their audio settings or microphone input menus.
Desk View is a unique feature of Continuity Camera that uses the iPhone’s ultrawide lens to simulate a top-down camera angle. It creates a second video feed showing your desk or workspace, which is useful for demos, unboxings, or sketching on paper.
It’s worth mentioning that Desk View is only available on Macs with the 12MP Center Stage camera, and with iPhone 11 or later (excluding iPhone 16e and iPhone SE, as these models do not meet the hardware requirements for this feature).
To use Desk View:
Position your iPhone horizontally in a mount at the top of your display
Open the Desk View app on your Mac (found in Applications or Launchpad)
The app will generate a simulated overhead view of your desk
You can share this view in apps like Zoom by selecting Desk View as the video source
Some third-party apps (such as FaceTime and Camo) also support displaying both your face and the Desk View simultaneously using picture-in-picture.
MacOS allows you to enable various video effects in the Control Center when using your iPhone as a webcam. These features enhance your appearance and help you stay centered on screen, though you need to be on a video call to use them.
To access these effects:
While using a video conferencing app (such as FaceTime) on your Mac, click the Control Center icon in the top-right of your Mac’s menu bar
Select Video Effects
Choose from the following options:
Center Stage: Uses the iPhone’s ultrawide lens to keep you centered as you move
Portrait: Adds a soft background blur similar to Portrait Mode in the Camera app
Studio Light: Brightens your face and dims the background to mimic professional lighting
Desk View: Activates the Desk View camera feed
You can toggle these effects on or off at any time during a call or recording session, or even when you’re outside of a video call.
To get the best results, use a secure mount that keeps your iPhone stable and aligned with your face. Apple recommends positioning the iPhone horizontally with the rear camera facing you and the screen facing away.
If you’re using a MacBook, the Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe is designed to clip directly onto your Mac’s display. For desktop Macs, any tripod or adjustable mount that aligns the phone at eye level will work.
Avoid placing the iPhone too close to your face and ensure the camera lens is unobstructed. You will be able to see yourself during the call, so you can adjust to your preference. The rear camera is used for higher video quality (though like I mentioned you can use the front camera with compatible third-party apps). Make sure the iPhone is not in low-power mode, as it may affect performance.
Most popular video conferencing and streaming apps on macOS support Continuity Camera without any extra setup. However, some apps may require manual input selection.
Here’s how to change the camera on a few commonly used platforms:
Zoom: Go to Preferences > Video and select “iPhone Camera.”
Google Meet (in Safari or Chrome): Click the gear icon before joining a call and select your iPhone under Camera
OBS Studio: Add a new video capture device source and select your iPhone as the input
QuickTime: Open QuickTime Player, choose New Movie Recording, click the arrow next to the record button, and select your iPhone
Continuity Camera works with most macOS-native and browser-based platforms as long as permissions for camera and microphone access are enabled.
If you want to return to using your Mac’s built-in webcam or switch to another device, simply change the input source in your app’s settings. Continuity Camera only takes over as the default when an iPhone is detected and selected.
To switch back:
Open the video or audio settings in your app
Select a different camera or microphone input
Your Mac will revert to using the built-in hardware or another connected device
You can also disconnect your iPhone from the mount or place it out of range to stop Continuity Camera from activating. You’ll have to do this for every app you’ve used. If you want a systemwide change or if you’d rather not dismount or unplug your iPhone, you can switch off Continuity Camera by doing the following on your phone:
Go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff)
Turn off Continuity Camera.
If your iPhone is not showing up as an available webcam, try the following:
Ensure both devices are running the latest versions of iOS and macOS
Confirm that both devices are signed into the same Apple ID
Restart both the Mac and iPhone
Toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on again on both devices
Make sure no other app is already using the iPhone camera
Try using a wired USB connection instead
For persistent issues, resetting your Mac’s privacy permissions for camera and microphone access may help. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and Microphone, and verify that the apps you’re using have access.
Using your iPhone as a webcam over an extended period can guzzle its battery quickly, especially with effects like Studio Light or Center Stage enabled. To avoid interruptions during longer calls or recordings, consider connecting the iPhone to power while it’s in use.
Apple includes privacy protections when using Continuity Camera. A green LED will appear next to your iPhone’s camera lens to indicate it’s active, and the screen will show a message confirming that the camera is in use. No video or audio is transmitted unless you have explicitly selected the iPhone as a source in your Mac app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-use-your-iphone-as-a-webcam-with-your-mac-164248242.html?src=rss
Bitcoin mining has crossed a critical economic threshold, with costs now exceeding market value for most operators. According to data cited by CoinShares, large public mining companies spend over $82,000 to produce a single Bitcoin — nearly double last quarter’s figure — while smaller operations face even steeper costs of approximately $137,000 per coin.
With Bitcoin currently trading around $94,703, the math no longer works for most miners. The economics become particularly challenging in high-electricity-cost regions like Germany, where mining a single coin requires approximately $200,000. Industry analysts suggest larger mining operations are adapting by optimizing energy consumption and positioning their computational infrastructure for alternative uses. These companies can potentially lease their mining setups for other computational tasks during unprofitable mining periods, then resume mining when market conditions improve.
For individual miners, however, the era of profitable home operations appears effectively over, as industrial-scale facilities with strategic positioning and optimized technology have fundamentally altered the mining landscape.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
There’s a lot of racing to do in Forza Horizon 5, and the cars tend to steal the spotlight. But your character is the one behind the wheel, so you’ll want to make sure they represent you in a way that feels rewarding, too.
President Donald Trump is set to ease up slightly on the automotive industry this week. After being warned that his trade war will result in hiked prices and fewer vehicles being built, government officials over the past two days have signaled that Trump will sign an executive order today that will mitigate some of the pain the 25 percent import tariffs will inflict.
Trump’s approach to tariffs has been nothing if not inconsistent. In this case, the White House is not dropping the 25 percent tariff on all imported vehicles, but the other tariffs imposed by the Trump administration—like the 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum that went into effect in February—won’t stack up on top.
The potential for multiple tariffs to have an additive effect on prices could have seen new car prices soar in the coming weeks; now, they are likely to just rise a lot instead. According to The Wall Street Journal, the move will be retroactive, and automakers who have (for example) paid aluminum or steel tariffs on top of the car import tariff can seek a refund for the former.
This is a video of pianist Lord Vinheteiro (previously) performing a medley of Johann Sebastian Bach chronologically from 1707 – 1750 to hear his musical evolution from age 22 – 65. Now I’ll be the first to admit I’m tone-deaf and have absolutely zero musical inclinations, but I wasn’t able to hear any clear evolution. There was no point when I thought, “Yes, here — this is when the music grew a tail!” But let me reiterate I know very little about music beyond passing out at the tailgate at a Jimmy Buffet concert. I slept on the roof of a car through the whole thing, I still have my unripped ticket.
With the formerly Xbox-exclusive Forza series now heading to PS5, more people than ever before can enjoy Playground Games’ massive driving sim. Forza Horizon 5 sends players racing through a gorgeous recreation of Mexico in their effort to become the Horizon Champion. With a bevy of cars to find and drive, an…
An anonymous reader shares a report: Reddit’s top lawyer, Ben Lee, said the company is considering legal action against researchers from the University of Zurich who ran what he called an “improper and highly unethical experiment” by surreptitiously deploying AI chatbots in a popular debate subreddit. The University of Zurich told 404 Media that the experiment results will not be published and said the university is investigating how the research was conducted.
As we reported Monday, researchers at the University of Zurich ran an “unauthorized” and secret experiment on Reddit users in the r/changemyview subreddit in which dozens of AI bots engaged in debates with users about controversial issues. In some cases, the bots generated responses which claimed they were rape survivors, worked with trauma patients, or were Black people who were opposed to the Black Lives Matter movement. The researchers used a separate AI to mine the posting history of the people they were responding to in an attempt to determine personal details about them that they believed would make their bots more effective, such as their age, race, gender, location, and political beliefs.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Amazon and the White House are not getting along at the moment.
A report from Punchbowl News claims that Amazon had plans to disclose how tariffs are raising the price of products across the site. It seems that when you clicked on a product, you would not only see the current cost, but also the northward effect Trump’s tariffs had on that price tag. The move directly contradicts the notion, oft-repeated by the administration, that the costs of tariffs are paid by the countries the tariffs are levied against. Amazon showing a tariff-related price increase would make it plain as day to consumers that they are, in fact, the ones making up the difference.
The White House was not pleased when news of this plan became public. In fact, the White House was furious. During a Tuesday morning press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lambasted Amazon solely based on Punchbowl’s reporting, callin the proposition a “hostile and political act” by the company. She wondered why Amazon didn’t do the same with, in her view, price increases due to the Biden administration’s impact on inflation. Leavitt also asserted, “This is another reason why Americans should buy American.”
As it turns out, Punchbowl’s sources didn’t have the whole story—that, or the story changed in the wake of the White House’s ire. According to Jeff Stein, chief economics reporter for The Washington Post, an Amazon spokesperson is now saying that the company never planned for the tariff price label to be included on the company’s main site; rather, Amazon Haul had considered listing import price duties on some products.
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Amazon Haul is the “ultra-low cost” section of Amazon’s marketplace. Rather than display all of the products the company sells, Amazon Haul solely focuses on products that are $20 or less. (Amazon says that most products are actually $10 or less.)
If Amazon is really only considering these tariffs labels on Amazon Haul products, that would suggest a far smaller scope for the rollout than Punchbowl or the White House made the situation out to be. The Trump administration likely would reject any assertion that consumers were paying more for products due to tariffs, but Amazon Haul is pretty tucked away, and is currently in beta. (I had personally never heard of the service until this report.)
Of course, it isn’t clear if this was the plan all along, or if Amazon is doing damage control. The company might be trying to placate the White House without claiming that Punchbowl misreported the entire story by shifting the blame to a niche section of its marketplace—but all the while had been considering including this tariff transparency on the main site. It’s all speculation, and we’ll need to see how the company responds going forward.
Punchbowl’s report said that Amazon will, “display how much of an item’s cost is derived from tariffs—right next to the product’s total listed price.”
That would be the simplest way to go about it: You could see the total cost of the product, the amount that price went up due to tariffs, and then do the calculation yourself to determine what that product would have cost had the Trump administration not imposed these tariffs in the first place.
You can see why the White House is unhappy.
You don’t need to wait for Amazon to add these labels to see any effects from tariffs, however. If you use a price tracking tool, you’ll be able to track how prices have fluctuated over time on the site. The tool won’t be able to confirm for you without doubt that a price increase was due to tariffs, but if something unexpectedly jumps in price this spring with no other clear explanation, it won’t be much of a leap to believe tariffs had something to do with it.
The ground has just shifted for anyone trying to figure out the exact release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 as 2K has altered plans for another game in its stable, Borderlands 4. The latest entry in Gearbox’s series will arrive 11 days earlier than previously announced as it will debut on September 12.
After teasing a delay, Gearbox co-founder and CEO Randy Pitchford said “the team has been working very hard. Everything’s going great, actually. In fact, everything’s going kind of the best case scenario. The game is awesome, the team is cooking.” As such, Gearbox and 2K are bringing the release date forward. Gearbox said the decision was made after “a lot of meetings, playtesting and incredible development work.”
Announcement about the Borderlands 4 launch date – Please watch until the end: pic.twitter.com/cF85jG1p09
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 29, 2025
Sony is hosting a dedicated State of Play for Borderlands 4 on April 30 (which is tomorrow, fact fans). The stream will run for around 20 minutes or so and you can watch it on the PlayStation’s Twitch and YouTube channels at 5PM ET.
Meanwhile, that sound you just heard was countless game developers and publishers scrambling to deduce what the revised Borderlands 4 date means for GTA 6. The latter is still scheduled to arrive this fall and 2K is likely to want to have a buffer of at least a few weeks to avoid cannibalizing Borderlands 4 sales. If the fall release window still holds for GTA 6, that means it should arrive sometime in October or November (2K will certainly want to have the game out before Black Friday in that scenario).
It’s been widely reported that publishers and studios are holding off on revealing release dates for any games they have coming out this fall to see when GTA 6 lands, so they can give that guaranteed juggernaut as wide a berth as possible. As it happens, Sony is one of the few companies that’s locked in fall dates for major games. Marathon will drop on Borderlands 4‘s old date of September 23 while Ghost of Yōtei is slated to hit PS5 on October 2. Perhaps Sony, which is working with 2K on promoting Borderlands 4, knows more about the GTA 6 release date than it’s letting on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/borderlands-4-release-date-moves-up-to-september-12-154958162.html?src=rss
Nobody does pasta quite like the Italians, as anyone who has tasted an authentic “pasta alla cacio e pepe” can attest. It’s a simple dish: just tonnarelli pasta, pecorino cheese, and pepper. But its simplicity is deceptive. Cacio e pepe (“cheese and pepper”) is notoriously challenging to make because it’s so easy for the sauce to form unappetizing clumps with a texture more akin to stringy mozzarella rather than being smooth and creamy.
A team of Italian physicists has come to the rescue with a foolproof recipe based on their many scientific experiments, according to a new paper published in the journal Physics of Fluids. The trick: using corn starch for the cheese and pepper sauce instead of relying on however much starch leaches into the boiling water as the pasta is cooked.
“A true Italian grandmother or a skilled home chef from Rome would never need a scientific recipe for cacio e pepe, relying instead on instinct and years of experience,” the authors wrote. “For everyone else, this guide offers a practical way to master the dish. Preparing cacio e pepe successfully depends on getting the balance just right, particularly the ratio of starch to cheese. The concentration of starch plays a crucial role in keeping the sauce creamy and smooth, without clumps or separation.”
It’s almost majestic: HDR display support working on the Linux desktop. If you asked me at the start of the calendar year if I’d expect to see modern Linux distributions shipping with working HDR display support in H1’2025, I would have been doubtful. But after a lot of miraculous work that landed across numerous upstream repositories over the past two months or so, everything has come together just in time for the likes of Ubuntu 25.04 and Fedora Workstation 42. There still are apps not supporting HDR and the like, but the core infrastructure is in place and working. The past two weeks I’ve begun testing out the Linux HDR desktop experience with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM 27-inch 4K display. Between the ASUS PG27UCDM’s QD-OLED display and HDR support enabled under Linux, it delivers a very beautiful Linux desktop experience.
As part of the Global Change Research Act of 1990, Congress mandated that every four years, the government must produce a National Climate Assessment. This document is intended to provide an overview of the changing state of our knowledge about the process itself and its impact on our environment. Past versions have been comprehensive and involved the work of hundreds of scientists, all coordinated by the US’s Global Change Research Program.
It’s not clear what the next report will look like. Two weeks after cutting funding for the organization that coordinates the report’s production, the Trump administration has apparently informed all the authors working on it that their services are no longer needed.
The National Climate Assessment has typically been like a somewhat smaller-scale version of the IPCC reports, with a greater focus on impacts in the US. It is a very detailed look at the state of climate science, the impacts warming is having on the US, and our efforts to limit warming and deal with those impacts. Various agencies and local governments have used it to help plan for the expected impacts of our warming climate.
I’ve already written about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s wonderful homage to classic turn-based RPGs, and how it gives me a feeling most RPGs haven’t given me in a while. Its economy with scale, complex and rewarding systems, and the feel-it-in-your-bones melodrama makes even its most vicious moments hurt so good. If…
