Meta has invested $15 billion into data-labeling startup Scale AI and hired its co-founder, Alexandr Wang, as part of its bid to attract talent from rivals in a fiercely competitive market.

The deal values Scale at $29 billion, double its valuation last year. Scale said it would “substantially expand” its commercial relationship with Meta “to accelerate deployment of Scale’s data solutions,” without giving further details. Scale helps companies improve their artificial intelligence models by providing labeled training data.

Scale will distribute proceeds from Meta’s investment to shareholders, and Meta will own 49 percent of Scale’s equity following the transaction.

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Google will discontinue its Android Instant Apps feature in December 2025, ending a nearly decade-long experiment that allowed users to try portions of mobile apps without installing them. The feature, rolled out in early 2017, enabled developers to create lightweight app versions under 15 megabytes that could run temporarily on users’ devices when they tapped specific links.

The feature struggled with low developer uptake due to the technical complexity of creating these stripped-down app versions.

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Tesla has officially launched new versions of the Model S and the Model X in the US. As Electrek notes, however, the upgrades may not be quite as big or compelling as one could hope when the vehicles now cost $5,000 more. The automaker has posted a list of updates for the vehicles on X, including a new Frost Blue paint color option and a range of up to 410 miles for the Model S Long Range version, which is Tesla’s longest range yet. Getting the Frost Blue paint will cost buyers $2,500 more, however, and the new range is only 5 miles longer than the previous versions. 

The company said the vehicles are now quieter inside, thanks to a more effective Active Noise Cancellation feature, and that their interiors now come with dynamic ambient lighting with unique animations. They can run more smoothly due to their new bushings and suspension design, and their new wheel designs enable the longer range. In addition, the models now have a new front bumper camera for better visibility, as well as adaptive driving beams. Model S Plaid’s new exterior styling was apparently optimized for high-speed stability. Meanwhile, Model X now has more space for third row passengers and cargo. Take note that the base vehicles come with 19-inch wheels, but customers can upgrade with 20-to-22-inch wheels for $4,500 more. 

Tesla only sold approximately 50,000 Model S and X vehicles around the world last year, whereas it delivered over 1.7 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Whether these changes can convince people to buy the Models S and X remains to be seen. The Model S will now cost customers at least $84,990, while the Model Y will set them back at least $89,990.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-new-model-s-and-x-vehicles-are-now-available-in-the-us-133020684.html?src=rss

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I love my Peloton Bike—which I got directly from the at-home fitness giant in 2021—and anyone who knows me will tell you that. As of today, I’m on an 89-day streak of consistent, daily use (though a small portion of that streak is made up of other Peloton offerings, like walking, stretching, and meditation classes).

But just because I’m into it doesn’t mean everyone is. I am, after all, an actual spin teacher, so I’m always trying to take classes, learn new techniques, and stay on top of my game for my own unique reasons. My Peloton, honestly, is just one of many different bikes I use in a given week and have used over the past decade of being dedicated to spinning. Unlike me, many people are looking to get rid of their bikes, treadmills, row machines, and more—whether because they’re back in a gym, they’re upgrading to something better, or they just don’t have the time or desire to work out as much anymore. If you want to get into at-home fitness, let their loss be your gain.

Why fitness equipment resale is a good idea

While we were discussing this post, Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki made an excellent point: There are simply fewer to buy new Pelotons, given how many are out on the market now and the fact that the Peloton Bike itself hasn’t changed much since its debut. Many of the company’s newer innovations are software-focused, not hardware-focused. You can upgrade your operating system, download Peloton’s apps, and continue to engage with the content, games, and classes it’s still continually rolling out—all with machines that already exist.

If you’re looking for non-Peloton equipment, the argument still stands. Some spin bikes and treadmills have better features than others, but they’re all basically doing the same thing at the end of the day. As long as the thing’s been maintained well, a 15-year-old bike still does exactly what a bike that was built yesterday does. You don’t need a new one to get a good workout.

You can save a lot of money, fight consumerism, and still access a great product by buying used, provided you use a safe, trusted platform to do it. And Peloton agrees: The company announced recently that it’s launching its own resale platform.

Even prior to that, people were buying, selling, and trading not only Peloton equipment, but other at-home fitness machines as well. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and other platforms have been awash in these kinds of listings for years.

I’m a proponent of buying used stuff: I love saving money, renewing my wardrobe, and selling my own things to get money to get new—or new-to-me—things. Still, I understand that some people have hangups about owning, wearing, or using items that once belonged to someone else. Break free of the limiting mindset of capitalism, my friend. Save your coins. You can absolutely obtain a quality piece of used equipment that looks and functions similarly a new one.

How to find good used at-home workout equipment

As mentioned, Peloton is getting into the resale game, but the company’s platform is in its nascent stages: Right now, you can only list your own pre-owned Bike, Tread, Row, or branded accessories. In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to buy, but first the marketplace needs to gather inventory.

I don’t recommend using Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist if you’re specifically buying Peloton equipment. There are too many horror stories out there of buyers not being able to log into the devices with their own accounts because the machines are registered to someone else. Some people even report that there are fake bikes and machines on the market.

For equipment that doesn’t require a complex software component, like a regular old spin bike, go ahead and use a person-to-person marketplace if you’re comfortable—provided the seller is communicative, is willing to answer your questions or provide more photos, and, ideally, lets you examine the equipment before you take it home. Use common sense. Bring someone with you, meet in a public place if possible, and be prepared to back out if anything feels off.

If you’re looking for a more formal, managed experience or seeking a Peloton instrument, use a trusted platform that can act as an intermediary and keep everything on the up-and-up. Try Trade My Stuff, an online marketplace at the forefront of at-home gym equipment resale. There, you can get a Peloton, a Bowflex, or even a sauna. The platform offers some security, providing delivery and working with you on the transaction.

With Trade My Stuff, the seller pays a fee—between 10% and 20%, depending on the category of item sold—and the delivery contractor inspects the product at pickup before bringing it to you. You can even ask the delivery team to video call you so you can participate in the inspection before telling them to go ahead and bring it.

Shayne Boyle, a Peloton Bike user who purchased a used treadmill, tells me that his experience was surprisingly robust: The delivery driver traveled hours with the treadmill, even toggling on his location so Boyle could track the machine’s progress to his house. Trade My Stuff offers an optional 12-month warranty to protect the equipment. If anything goes wrong, you’ll get a replacement machine within a week. Yes, you’re paying a delivery fee, but it beats being ghosted by a scammy Craigslist seller.

What to keep in mind when buying used fitness equipment

When you’re buying something used, you have to keep two things in mind: condition and price. Boyle was looking for a Tread, but he wanted it to be near-perfect. He only searched for ones that had been originally purchased in the last year or two, so he was prepared to spend a little more. “For us, price was a big factor, sure, and how old and how used the machine was,” he says.

When I’m using resale apps to shop for a specific accessory or clothing item, I play a bit of a waiting game. I know its retail value, what I’m willing to spend, and the condition the item will likely be in if it aligns with my personal budgeting goals, but I also know there are people out there who just want to get rid of something as fast as they can and may be willing to sell me a piece in great condition for a low price if I just wait it out.

If you want your item to be in top condition, it’ll likely cost you more. If you don’t mind a little wear and tear, you’ll spend less. That’s fine for me when I buy clothes—I’m a savvy stain remover and seamstress—but when you’re considering fitness equipment, exercise caution. A device that doesn’t run right can pose a safety issue for you. The continued function of your knees is worth the extra few hundred dollars you may have to spend to get a spin bike with pedals that don’t jam up.

Don’t forget that Peloton charges $95 to activate used bikes and other equipment. That price is coming down to $45 soon, but it’s still a factor you need to budget for. (On Trade My Stuff, you can use discount code ACTIVATE4FREE to trigger a $95 rebate that will cover the fee.)

No matter what, communicate extensively with your seller. In my experience, if someone is unwilling to send more photos or answer questions, they’re hiding something or otherwise just aren’t great at customer service. Even though you’re paying less than retail, you’re still paying, so you have the right to deal only with sellers who are willing to play ball. Ask for videos, details, and pictures. If you’re getting slow responses or a weird vibe, move on to the next. There are thousands of listings out there.

Meta has finalized its $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, which now values the startup that provides other companies with data labeling and model evaluation services for AI training at $29 billion. As part of the deal, Scale AI’s founder and CEO Alexandr Wang will be joining Meta. According to The New York Times, Wang will lead Meta’s fledgling “Superintelligence lab.” A few days ago, several reports came out that Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has been personally overseeing the recruitment for a team he’s assembling to achieve AI superintelligence. 

Zuckerberg, who was reportedly frustrated by the quality of Meta’s Llama 4 LLM, has been inviting potential recruits to his home and offering them compensation packages worth seven to nine figures. Wang said in his note to Scale employees that he’s taking a few other people from the startup with him to Meta to work on artificial intelligence. Meta has yet to formally announce the team and to reveal what their role will be, but their ultimate goal based on the name “Superintelligence lab” is to develop AI with intellectual powers far beyond any human’s.

This investment is Meta’s second largest after its $19 billion Whatsapp acquisition. With its $14.3 billion investment, Meta will have a 49 percent stake on Scale but will have little control over its operations. The Times said the companies decided on that structure to avoid being scrutinized by regulators. Both Amazon’s $4 billion investment in Anthropic and Microsoft’s close ties to OpenAI were probed by regulators, after all. Meta itself is still battling the FTC in an antitrust case over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. 

In his note to employees, Wang wrote that “opportunities of this magnitude,” pertaining to Meta’s investment, “come at a cost.” That cost, he said, was his departure. Wang will still serve on Scale’s Board of Directors, but his position as CEO will be taken over by Jason Droege, the startup’s current Chief Strategy Officer. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-invests-148-billion-in-scale-ai-and-recruits-its-ceo-130029612.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: US Navy Secretary John Phelan has told the Senate the service needs the right to repair its own gear, and will rethink how it writes contracts to keep control of intellectual property and ensure sailors can fix hardware, especially in a fight. Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Phelan cited the case of the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest and most expensive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which carried a price tag of $13 billion. The ship was struggling to feed its crew of over 4,500 because six of its eight ovens were out of action, and sailors were barred by contract from fixing them themselves.

“I am a huge supporter of right to repair,” Phelan told the politicians. “I went on the carrier; they had eight ovens — this is a ship that serves 15,300 meals a day. Only two were working. Six were out.” He pointed out the Navy personnel are capable of fixing their own gear but are blocked by contracts that reserve repairs for vendors, often due to IP restrictions. That drives up costs and slows down basic fixes. According to the Government Accountability Office, about 70 percent [PDF] of a weapon system’s life-cycle cost goes to operations and support. A similar issue plagued the USS Gerald Ford’s weapons elevators, which move bombs from deep storage to the flight deck. They reportedly took more than four years after delivery to become fully operational, delaying the carrier’s first proper deployment. “They have to come out and diagnose the problem, and then they’ll fix it,” Phelan said. “It is crazy. We should be able to fix this.” “Our soldiers are immensely smart and capable and should not need to rely on a third party contractor to maintain their equipment. Oven repair is not rocket science: of course sailors should be able to repair their ovens,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of repair specialists iFixit told The Register.

“It’s gratifying to see Secretary Phelan echoing our work. The Navy bought it, the Navy should be able to fix it. Ownership is universal, and the same principles apply to an iPhone or a radar. Of course, the devil is in the details: the military needs service documentation, detailed schematics, 3D models of parts so they can be manufactured in the field, and so on. We’re excited that the military is joining us on this journey to reclaim ownership.”

Further reading: Army Will Seek Right To Repair Clauses In All Its Contracts

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones are down to $117.99 on Amazon right now—nearly $80 off their usual price.

Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Multi-Sensory Bass and Charging Cable

$103.99
at Amazon

$199.99
Save $96.00

$103.99
at Amazon

$199.99
Save $96.00

They’re not going to win any awards for subtlety, but if you like your bass deep enough to make your molars vibrate, these are built for you. The main draw here is the adjustable haptic bass slider, which literally shakes your head at higher settings. You can dial it down, of course, but even at its lowest, you’re getting a sound that leans heavily into low-end punch. That makes them especially fun for EDM, hip-hop, and action-heavy games or movies. (For more over-ear headphones options, check out this roundup.)

That being said, they’re not for everyone. The Crusher Evo doesn’t offer active noise cancellation, so you’re still going to hear a bit of the world around you—commuters coughing, dogs barking, the works. Passive isolation helps a little, but it’s not the same. If you’re hoping for a more immersive or quiet experience, especially while traveling, this might not cut it. The soundstage also feels a bit closed in, so things don’t exactly feel surround sound. Still, the midrange is decently clear, vocals hold up well in the mix, and the built-in mic and Tile tracking are nice bonuses. Battery life is excellent too—reportedly around 30+ hours in real-world use—and they charge via USB-C.

Design-wise, they look pretty standard, which isn’t a bad thing. The matte plastic body is solid, with cushy padding on the headband and earcups that helps them stay comfortable over long listening sessions. They fold down and come with a carry pouch, though it won’t protect them from drops. The onboard buttons are easy to use, and there’s no touchscreen gimmickry to deal with. Just keep in mind there’s no custom EQ beyond the presets in the Skullcandy app, and the sound tuning is bass-heavy by default. If you’re OK with that, the Crusher Evo is fun and very battery-friendly. At this price, it’s a worthwhile pick for bass lovers who don’t care about noise cancellation but do want their headphones to have presence.