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Stuck for ideas on how to show your kids’ teachers the depth of your gratitude? We’re in the midst of Teacher Appreciate Week, which is a great time to thank them for all their work this year—or at least get a jump on picking out an end-of-school-year gift. If your favorite teacher is tech-inclined, they will likely appreciate one of the gadgets on this list, all of which are under $50.
Thermal printers have gotten smaller and smaller, and now they can fit in your pocket. Why a thermal printer? They can quickly produce stickers, notes, even temporary tattoos. I can think of 100 ways a teacher would use one of these printers. I like the Notebuddy for its compact shape and easy-to-replace sticker paper. You connect via Bluetooth from your phone or laptop.
If you have a Kindle or TikTok habit, you know all too well the hand cramping that comes from having to hold and flip through with your thumb. There is a solution—the scrolling ring. Worn on your finger, you can press the forward, backward, or select button on your ring and control your phone or tablet remotely. You could even use it on whatever you are showing your class onscreen.
For the last year, this neck massager has been all the rage on TikTok, but I didn’t think much of it until I was gifted one. Holy moly. What makes it work differently is that it’s shaped like a scarf you stretch around you, and put your arms through, so you can easily change the pressure based on how hard you stretch the massager.
I’ve been obsessed with this Super Mario Bros. question mark light up brick. It attaches to the wall or wherever else you’d like to stick it, and yes, you can actually punch it, and yes, it will make that deeply satisfying sound effect from the classic game. Imagine this in a classroom, where a swipe can serve as a reward.
My desk is where everything goes—mail, projects, books, gloves, my purse—so it often needs a cleaning. Can you even imagine what a teacher’s desk looks like at the end of the day? I love this cordless vacuum cleaner that I can keep nearby and grab as needed to vacuum my keyboard and mousepad if I need to, without needing to clear away pens and cords.
The Hue is a fascinating piece of tech: a small camera on a bendy, telescoping arm can project anything to your screen via USB. The macro lens can project a doc, picture, live handwriting, or an ant walking across a table, all at 720px.
The allure of LEGO is forever. This flower bouquet set is a project for relaxing at home, or working on with students. In either case, the resulting bouquet is more interesting than fresh flowers, and will give any teacher instant credibility with kids.
Waking up for another day of school with your little rays of light can be… a lot, but a sunrise alarm is the gentlest way someone can rise and shine. The alarm subtlety brings the level of light up in your room, timed to when you need to get up, mimicking the sunrise.
Teachers use their voice constantly during the day, trying to be heard over students. A little amplification couldn’t hurt. A simple wireless microphone means less shouting, and many less sore throats.
For some people, a tablet is too much tech, but a spiral notebook is too basic. Enter Rocketbook, which is the best of both. Write manually on the pages, and they’ll be scanned to the Rocketbook app.
Revenge of the Savage Planet is a semi-open world game that takes heavy inspiration from the Metroidvania genre, asking you to thoroughly explore every nook and cranny as you work on building yourself into a god of navigation and combat. There’s a lot to see and do in this densely packed world. It can feel a little…
Microsoft announced a series of upcoming new features for Copilot+ PCs and Windows 11. One of the most compelling updates for Copilot+ PCs is agent, which provides on-device AI assistance for adjusting a PC’s settings. Some of the example tweaks Microsoft gave for this application are issues such as “how to control my PC by voice” and “my mouse pointer is too small.”
Not only can the agent answer these types of queries, but if the necessary permissions are granted, the AI can also make the requested changes for a user. The blog post specifies that only questions in English are “initially” supported, which hints that more languages will be added at a later date. This feature will first roll out to Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon chips, while thoe computers powered by Intel and AMD will get agents “soon.”
Microsoft is also adding more actions to the Click to Do capability for Copilot AI assistance with whatever is currently active on a computer’s screen. Copilot will be able to act on text or an image, including creating a bulleted list from selected text or drafting copy into Microsoft Word. Other new actions include scheduling a meeting, sending a message to Microsoft Teams and sending data to Microsoft Excel. Click to Do will also support engaging a computer’s Reading Coach and Immersive Reader modes.
While most of Microsoft’s recent messaging about Windows 11 has put Copilot+ PCs at front and center, but there will be some new goodies for the owners of other machines coming to the operating system. Users will be able to customize the Start menu and use AI-focused features in File Explorer. The Copilot app will also be getting support for sharing a screen with the AI assistant thanks to Copilot Vision on Windows.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-introduces-agent-for-ai-powered-settings-controls-in-copilot-pcs-182056293.html?src=rss
Revenge of the Savage Planet is a colorful and hilarious sequel to 2020’s Journey to the Savage Planet, taking everything that worked the first time around and building on it in creative and thrilling ways. It’s a hell of a lot bigger and longer, too. So, whether you’re new to the franchise or are diving back in for…
Microsoft has unveiled a substantial AI-focused update for Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs, introducing features that leverage neural processing units across the operating system. The update centers on AI-powered helpers across core Windows apps, with an intelligent agent in Settings that can locate and adjust options via natural voice commands. Key additions include expanded Click To Do functionality, allowing users to draft Word content based on screen context, engage Reading Coach, or send details directly to Excel tables.
The Photos app gains a relight feature with support for three customizable light sources, while Paint adds object selection and text-to-sticker generation. Snipping Tool will automatically detect and crop prominent screen content, adding text extraction and color picking capabilities. System-level enhancements include an updated Start menu with phone companion integration, AI-powered actions in File Explorer for content summarization, and text generation in Notepad with new formatting options.
Most features will debut first on Windows Insider builds for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs before expanding to systems with AMD or Intel chips. Several tools, including Ask Copilot and Reading Coach, are already available to Insiders.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Yesterday, Zwift quietly rolled out a new “Route of the Week” Challenge card on the homescreen:
What’s the big idea? Simple, really: ride the Route of the Week and earn 500XP:
Note: “accidentally” riding the Route of the Week won’t earn you the XP bonus. You have to click the challenge card, which brings you to the blue screen shown above, in order to “register” for the Route of the Week challenge for that week. Then you can ride the featured route in any way you choose, in order to get the XP bonus.
Tip: If you’re new to Zwift and don’t understand how the XP (experience points) system works, read All About Zwift XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Cyclists.
Triple Flat Loops is a Watopia route that began life as Zwift Insider’s first-ever Rebel Route back in April of 2019. It does what it says on the tin, covering three connected loops of Watopia’s flattest roads, including the Tempus desert, Ocean Boulevard, the base of the Volcano, and the Esses.
Learn more about Triple Flat Loops >
Want even more XP? Zwift has also scheduled “XP Express” events on Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 22 where you earn double XP (so 40XP per kilometer/64XP per mile, vs 20XP per kilometer/32XP per mile).
These rides are 50 minutes long, open-paced, and held on a different route each day. Events are scheduled every three hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
See upcoming XP Express events at zwift.com/events/tag/xpexpress >
Zwift tells me we’ll see a new Route of the Week featured each of the four weeks of May. This looks to be just the initial launch of a “weekly quest” concept that could include other small weekly goals that deliver an XP bonus. Being a big fan of carrots, I support this initiative!
As for the XP Express events, it sounds like these will continue to be added to the calendar strategically, and community events may also strategically get set up as double XP events in order to give them a boost. My guess is you won’t see XP Express events when other bonus XP series are happening (like Tour of Watopia), but you may see them more regularly otherwise.
(The XP Express idea is clearly popular. There are 193 riders signed up for the next event on the calendar, which is over 2 hours away as I write this!)
What do you think of this “Route of the Week” idea, and what sort of weekly quests (apart from route completion) would you like to see Zwift set up? Will you be riding in the XP Express events? Share your thoughts below…
Fraudsters are increasingly using recognizable and trusted domains to perpetuate phishing schemes that trick people into handing over their personal and financial information. In recent months, bad actors have exploited settings for both Google and PayPal to lull targets into a false sense of security, making these attacks harder to spot.
Another way scammers are trying to look legitimate while evading detection is through Google Forms that request sensitive data.
Phishing via Google Forms is not new. As a recent report from ESET Security points out, Google Forms are free, easy to create and implement, and trusted by users, making them a low-risk, high-reward vector for scammers. They’re also encrypted with TLS and use dynamic URLs, making them less likely to be flagged as malicious.
Google Forms scams may have several aims, ranging from stealing your login credentials or banking details to redirecting you to a fraudulent site that installs malware on your device.
A recent (and relatively sophisticated) iteration of this scam targeted higher education, including students, faculty, and staff at 15 institutions in the U.S. A post on Google’s blog from February 2025 outlines a campaign in which attackers sent links to Google Forms that mimicked legitimate university communications, complete with the school names, color schemes, and logos or mascots displayed in the headers. The forms were designed to trick recipients into providing university account credentials and, in some cases, financial institution logins under the pretense of maintaining an existing account or distributing aid.
Scammers sent forms out around important dates on the academic calendar, such as financial aid deadlines, when recipients have lots of administrative tasks to complete and are less likely to notice potential red flags.
While Google notes that all of the malicious forms identified were eventually removed, Stanford University’s Information Security Office issued an alert on April 23 warning of a similar phishing scheme meant to steal passwords and Duo passcodes for university network accounts.
The attack begins with Stanford-branded Google Forms hosted on real google.com domains with valid SSL certificates. The forms appear to come from real Google email addresses and may include familiar names in the notifications (such as “[Name] shared a document”). Not only do these forms look legitimate, but they are able to get past email malware detection.
Always have a critical eye when using Google Forms. Don’t open forms sent unsolicited, and never, ever submit sensitive information—login credentials, bank account numbers, etc.—via Google Forms. (Google displays this warning on the form itself. Heed it.) No legitimate institution will request this type of data via Google Forms anyway, and if you’re not sure, contact the organization directly to confirm the request.
Not all Google Forms phishing campaigns will be as well-designed as those targeting higher ed, so you should also look for misspellings, punctuation errors, and odd salutations. One of the examples identified by ESET begins with “Hello, Dear!”
If you believe you have already submitted sensitive information via Google Forms, change your login credentials, freeze your credit cards, and stay on top of your accounts and credit report to identify any fraudulent activity. You should also be on the lookout for any signs of malware on your computer and remove it as quickly as possible (whether you’re on Mac or PC).
Joy Way, the studio behind STRIDE: Fates (2023) and EXOcars (2024), initially announced VR action-platformer Red Flowers back in 2022, which was slated to bring bloody ninja-slicing action along with some high-flying parkour. Now, the studio revealed Red Flowers is making a major pivot to ostensibly appeal to younger users.
Now called Catana: Red Flowers, the game has done away with the the impossibly high city buildings and gritty aesthetic, instead offering up a decidedly more family-friendly vibe, replete with a kitty protagonist and wise (and accident prone) Grandpa Kenji to help you along the way.
Targeting a 2025 release on Quest and PSVR 2, Catana: Red Flowers lets you take on the role of a nimble ninja cat, letting you dash through enemies, deflect bullets, swing around, and wield a katana. Between levels, the game also offers up a cozy garden where you can sharpen your blade, play with Grandpa Kenji, “or just be a silly cat,” the studio says.
From the trailer, there’s still a good slice of bloody katana deaths, although Joy Way notes this can be toggled off in the settings, replacing it with a burst of flowers. While movement mechanics and enemies aren’t entirely a far cry from the 2022 demo (seen below), the art and level design marks a clear departure from the grittiness of the original.
Joy Way says that although its demo of Red Flowers garnered over 500k installs following its release on Quest’s now-defunct App Lab, “extensive player interviews and […] valuable feedback” led the studio to “fully reimagine and evolve the concept.”
While the studio hasn’t said as much, the pivot comes amid a wider shift in the Quest player base, principally driven by the entrance of Quest 3S, Meta’s latest $300 mixed reality headset.
Meta noted in early 2025 that a wave of younger players was not only boosting free-to-play content on the platform, but also paid premium content, which Meta noted at the time included games like I AM CAT (2024) and Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 (2024).
There’s no release date for Catana: Red Flowers yet beyond “later this year,” although you can now wishlist the game on the Horizon Store for Quest 2 and above, and on the PlayStation Store for PSVR 2.
The post ‘Red Flowers’ Becomes ‘Catana’ as Joy Way Aims to Appeal to Younger Quest Crowd appeared first on Road to VR.
Elden Ring is getting fresh content in 2025 thanks to the Switch 2. FromSoftware recently revealed that the Tarnished Edition, coming to Nintendo’s new handheld hybrid later this year, will add two new classes to the game, as well as some additional cosmetics for the spirit horse Torrent. It sounds like that DLC will…
Last week, a federal judge ruled that Apple was in “willful violation” of a court injunction that required the company to refrain from “anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing” in its tightly controlled iOS App Store. Part of the ongoing litigation between Epic Games and Apple, the injunction specifically forbade Apple from “denying developers the ability to communicate with, and direct purchasers to, other purchasing mechanisms.”
Following the ruling, Apple said it would comply with the court’s injunction while the company continued to appeal the decision. The day after the ruling was handed down, Apple altered several of its App Review Guidelines to grant developers permission to do things they hadn’t been allowed to do before. As summarized in an email to developers, reported by MacRumors:
3.1.1: Apps on the United States storefront are not prohibited from including buttons, external links, or other calls to action when allowing users to browse NFT collections owned by others.
3.1.1(a): On the United States storefront, there is no prohibition on an app including buttons, external links, or other calls to action, and no entitlement is required to do so.
3.1.3: The prohibition on encouraging users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase does not apply on the United States storefront.
3.1.3(a): The External Link Account entitlement is not required for apps on the United States storefront to include buttons, external links, or other calls to action.
We’re already beginning to see new versions of apps that take advantage of these changes. Case in point: Amazon’s Kindle app for iPhones and iPads, which from its original launch in 2009 up until yesterday wouldn’t actually let anyone buy books in the app. Users instead needed to navigate on their own to Amazon’s store in Safari or on their PC and Mac and buy the books they wanted, at which point the books would be available in the Kindle app.
GoW: Reloaded will come with a bevy of enhancements,
You can save today on our top security camera pick for Alexa users. Amazon has the Blink Outdoor 4 for half price. A single camera (usually $100) only costs $50, which is only $10 more than its all-time low for Black Friday. And the half-off savings also apply to multi-camera bundles.
The Blink Outdoor 4’s name is somewhat deceiving because it works just as well for indoor use. The weather-resistant camera records in up to 1080p and supports black-and-white infrared for nighttime recording. The wireless camera is powered by a pair of AA batteries.
If the impressive Blink Outdoor 4 has an asterisk, it’s the company’s subscription scheme. First, you can cover the fundamentals without one. These include motion alerts, full HD recording, two-way audio, night vision, customizable motion sensitivity, activity zones and privacy zones. But advanced features like person detection, 60 days of cloud storage, motion event recording and an extended live view require a Blink Basic ($3 monthly or $30 annually) or Blink Plus ($10 monthly or $100 annually) plan. The more expensive one adds unlimited cameras, the ability to snooze notifications and an extended warranty. Otherwise, they’re the same.
Fortunately, if storage and multi-camera support are the only things pulling you toward a monthly fee, there’s a subscription-free workaround. Pop a cheap USB drive into the Blink Sync Module 2 (included) and store your clips locally. This option loads your recordings a tad slower than cloud storage, but it isn’t a dramatic difference.
Amazon’s sale ranges from $50 for a single camera to $315 for an eight-pack. Every bundle (which also includes two-, three-, four-, five- and six-camera systems) is half off.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/blink-outdoor-4-security-cameras-are-half-price-right-now-173641806.html?src=rss
BrianFagioli writes: Fedora Linux is now officially available as a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distribution! That’s right, folks, following prior testing, you can now run Fedora 42 natively inside Windows using WSL. As someone who considers Fedora to be my favorite Linux distribution, this is a pretty exciting development.
Installing it is simple enough. Just open up a terminal and type wsl –install FedoraLinux-42 to get started. After that, launch it with wsl -d FedoraLinux-42 and set your username. No password is required by default, and you’ll automatically be part of the wheel group, meaning you can use sudo right out of the gate.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
You might know the story by now: Framework makes repairable, modular laptops where you can sub in new components for old or broken ones. It’s been two years since the company debuted an AMD mainboard for the Laptop 13 and so it’s time for the first replacement to arrive. The new model gets AMD’s Ryzen AI 300, a series of power-efficient chips for notebooks that can do all the Copilot+ AI nonsense the industry insists people need and want.
Framework sent me the new AMD mainboard to slot into the existing chassis, along with a new bezel and input cover. Rather than the usual solid colors, the company is now offering translucent plastic versions for all those late ‘90s kids who owned Game Boy Colors. I prefer the tinted translucent version over the clear transparent one, but you can judge for yourself in the pictures.
Would-be buyers have three options: They can buy a new pre-built laptop with Ryzen AI 300, a DIY edition to assemble or just get the mainboard on its own. Either way, you get the pick of a Ryzen 5 340, Ryzen 7 350 or the flagship Ryzen 9 HX 370 capable of harnessing up to 96GB of RAM. Naturally, the price will start to climb the greater your technological ambitions.
I was supplied with the midrange Ryzen 7 350, which took me about 11 minutes or so to swap into the existing AMD model. It’s amusing to think it took me the better part of an hour the first time I did this but once you’re fluent, it becomes effortless. If you, like me, lost the muscle memory to swap components at the turn of the millennium, don’t feel like this is beyond you.
The Ryzen 7 350’s performance is fine for the sort of tasks you’d expect to do with a 13-inch notebook. I didn’t find there was a clear, epoch-shifting leap between what I got out of this and the 7840U it replaced. If you’re using it for the usual stuff — work, browsing and watching videos — then it’ll handle that all with aplomb.
As usual, the best reason to recommend the AMD model over its Intel equivalent is for its greater strength in gaming. After all, you can easily get 50 to 60 fps in titles like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V, making this an effective all-rounder.
There are two downsides to Framework’s modular approach, one of which is that the hardware will always look more functional than its rivals. The second, and more critical, is that all of the CPU cooling has to be integrated onto the mainboard itself. Whereas a lot of machines can be designed around thermal management, this one can’t because everything is modular. So the fan on top of the mainboard has to do all of the work with one hand tied behind its back. Consequently both the Intel and AMD versions of Framework’s laptops are noisy in ways more modern machines aren’t.
Framework says it addressed the noise issue by redesigning the heatpipe, improving the fan algorithm and switching to Honeywell’s PTM7958 thermal paste. Sadly, as many hours as the company may have put in here, you’re still going to have to deal with plenty of fan noise and heat under heavy load. And while AMD promised the 300 AI was designed to be more power-efficient, the new processor further dents this thing’s battery life. I didn’t get anything close to a full day on a charge here, but that seems to be the way with so many laptops these days.
I’ve always commended Framework for its commitment to improving every hardware component as it goes. This time around, the company worked with manufacturing partner Lite-On to give its keyboard a makeover. It focused on hard-to-spot improvements like printing the caps in a slightly thinner weight, replacing the fingerprint sensor and redesigning the Shift and Enter keys.
Thankfully, what hasn’t changed is the 1.5mm key travel, and founder Nirav Patel told me years ago that he had no interest in trying to fix what wasn’t broken. This means the keyboard itself remains as easy to use as it was before, albeit with a slightly quieter typing action. The keys aren’t as loose in their housing as they were on the older model, which is another sign of higher quality. Users can also pick from keyboards with a dedicated Windows Copilot key or the Framework key, depending on your operating system loyalties.
More importantly, the company addressed feedback that the wide keys would rattle when the speaker played at high volumes. There’s a new scaffold supporting the Shift and spacebar to reduce vibration when the sound gets loud. I think the original problem was overstated, but perhaps my audio picks aren’t as bass-heavy as some other folks. Regardless, the changes here are welcome and when I’ve watched explosion-heavy audio, I found little to no rattle at all.
It’s not as simple to swap an Intel mainboard for an AMD one as there are issues with hardware compatibility. Similarly, the AMD boards support different USB standards for different expansion card slots, as you can see in the picture. This is true for AMD boards no matter the manufacturer, but it’s one thing to remember before you make your purchase.
If you are already inside Framework’s ecosystem then feel free to sleep on this upgrade. Yes, the AI 300 is better than the chip it replaces but not to the extent I’d suggest you shell out several hundred dollars on one. If you aren’t, then you’ll probably be swayed by Framework’s broader pitch rather than this specific update. My suspicion is that the company’s maturing ecosystem is ideally placed to take advantage of the current geopolitical brouhaha. After all, if the cost of every notebook is at risk of leaping through the roof, being able to keep one machine running for longer is compelling. And, if you’re looking to leap in, you should grab one of the discounted Ryzen 7040 machines before they go. After all, if you find the performance a little slow in a few years’ time, you’ll be well-placed to take advantage of the next generation upgrade when it arrives.
I know there are some who feel Framework’s underlying platform is getting a little stale, which I do understand. Tech consumers are constantly clamoring for a newer, flashier doodad, and when the Laptop 13 first launched, it already looked a generation behind rival 13-inch notebooks in the same class. When the Laptop 13 first launched, it already looked a generation behind rival 13-inch notebooks in the same class. Five years down the line, it won’t beat any machines from Dell, Acer or ASUS in look or feel.
But while it may not have the razzle or dazzle, it does have the staying power, and that’s going to be a bigger asset in the next few years. If you’re the sort of person who would buy a Lenovo Thinkpad and run it until it falls apart, then this is a better option. After all, with a Framework, you won’t even have to worry about it falling apart.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/framework-laptop-13-2025-with-amd-ryzen-ai-300-review-the-usual-iterative-upgrade-172031005.html?src=rss
The next year of Destiny 2 includes a massive homage to Star Wars. Destiny 2: Renegades is an expansion coming in December complete with lightsabers and a destination that looks very reminiscent of Tatooine.
HTC and Niantic launch the “Forge the Future” competition, offering cash prizes and professional support to aspiring XR developers.
The post “Forge the Future” Game Jam: Niantic and HTC launch global competition for next-gen game makers appeared first on MIXED Reality News.
They say that with age comes wisdom, so it should come as no surprise that on the eve of Alfa Romeo’s 115th anniversary, the company that originally made its name competing in endurance races like the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia with flame-spitting sportscars is currently looking to increase its market share with a sensible, high-riding crossover.
Produced in Stellantis’ Pomigliano d’Arco assembly plant near Naples, Italy, alongside its mechanical twin, the Dodge Hornet, the Tonale plug-in hybrid introduced last year helped the Italian automaker find a foothold at a time when many of the auto conglomerate’s brands have been struggling. Now, a non-hybrid version of Alfa’s answer to models like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 has joined the fray, sporting turbocharged power, standard all-wheel drive, and the same sharp styling at a significantly lower base price. But old habits die hard, and as I discovered over the course of a few days with the latest iteration of the Tonale, even Alfa Romeo’s most pragmatic offerings have their fair share of quirks.
The new base model comes with a double overhead-cam 2.0 L inline four-cylinder engine producing 268 hp (200 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. The turbocharged mill is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system that can send up to 50 percent of the available torque to the rear wheels. While those numbers are down a bit compared to the Tonale Hybrid, at 3,715 lbs (1,685 kg), the 2.0 L Turbo is more than 400 lbs (181 kg) lighter than the PHEV model.
For most of the original Nintendo Switch’s lifetime, I think I had a Mario profile icon for my personal account. I don’t have anything against the fireball-throwing plumber, but he’s hardly my favorite character in Nintendo’s stable of mascots. Pokémon is my go-to Nintendo series, but it weirdly took years before…
Reddit’s Steve Huffman isn’t mincing words about what he found when he came back as CEO in 2015: a company full of idealists who weren’t exactly killing themselves with hard work.
“We were really idealistic, and that’s been good in many ways, but we were also idealistic about not being a business,” Huffman said on the “Prof G Pod” podcast. “Wrapped up in some of that idealism was also not working very hard,” he added.
Huffman sees this as a Silicon Valley disease: “It’s almost an entitlement of, ‘I work at these companies, but I don’t have to work very hard and I’m here for myself.'”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.