Apple’s new Workout Buddy feature incorporates your workout data and fitness history to generate personalised, motivational insights during your workout sessions.
Announced yesterday as part of the WatchOS 26 update, the feature is a “first-of-its-kind workout experience”.
Workout Buddy will be on the Apple Watch and uses Apple Intelligence, the AI system developed by Apple.
It will be available only in English at first, across the most popular workout types, including outdoor cycling, running, walking, HIIT and strength training.
Alongside an Apple Watch, you will need a pair of Bluetooth headphones for it to work and an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Workout Buddy uses a new text-to-speech model that will then translate insights into a “dynamic generative voice” that Apple says will match the tone and energy required for a workout.
Apple says: “To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data from a user’s current workout along with their fitness history, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.”
Apple has also revealed the kinds of encouragement Workout Buddy will provide. These include statements such as “Way to go on your run this morning”, “You just broke your all-time weekly distance record!” and “You’ve climbed 2,000 feet in elevation”.
As soon as you start an activity, Workout Buddy can start with a pep talk before marking key moments in an activity, such as distance covered. Then, once you’ve completed your activity, it will recognise your effort and provide summary stats, including speed and average heart rate.
As part of WWDC25, Apple’s annual developer conference, Apple says Workout is one of its most popular apps.
It has a new layout to help you easily create a custom workout or race against your fastest time on a route.
There are also new media features built into the app. You can now let Apple choose the best playlist for your workout, or you can select playlists or podcasts based on what you’ve been listening to.
Lies of P: Overture is a $30 expansion for the Pinocchio-inspired ode to Bloodborne that developer Neowiz shadow-dropped last Friday during Summer Game Fest Live. It immediately started kicking players asses. Even the veterans with tons of gear and multiple New Game Plus playthroughs. The developer says it’s taking a…
Zwift version 1.91 begins its phased rollout today. As far as we know, it’s really just a bug fix release. Here are the release notes from Zwift:
Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum > (link coming soon)
If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!
A group of 20 internationally renowned scientists have issued a strong warning against attempts to narrow the definition of “forever chemicals” in what they describe as a politically or economically motivated effort to weaken regulation of the potentially harmful chemicals. From a report: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a large group of synthetic chemicals used for their oil-, water- and stain-resistant properties in a range of consumer and industrial products from waterproof clothing and non-stick cookware to firefighting foams and electronics.
Their molecular structure makes them resistant to degradation, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.” In the last few years there has been growing awareness of the problems associated with Pfas, and a push for more stringent regulation, resulting in the banning of certain forms. A group of scientists are now raising the alarm about efforts, including by some individuals and groups in the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUpac), to narrow the current international definition of Pfas in ways that could exclude certain chemical subgroups.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The iov_iter interface is used to
describe and iterate through buffers in the kernel. David Howells led a combined storage and
filesystem session at
the 2025 Linux Storage,
Filesystem, Memory Management, and BPF Summit (LSFMM+BPF) to discuss ways
to improve iov_iter. His topic
proposal listed a few different ideas including replacing some
iov_iter types and possibly allowing mixed types in chains of iov_iter
entries; he would like to make the interface itself and the uses of iov_iter in
the kernel better.
Nintendo just dropped a trailer for a Splatoon spinoff game. Titled Splatoon Raiders, the third-person paint slinging shooter spinoff will be released exclusively on the Switch 2. This marks the first spinoff in the franchise and will take players to a new location called the Spirhalite Islands.
While details are sparse at this early stage, the trailer mentions players will take on the role of “a mechanic” alongside Deep Cut, a fictional band in the Splatoon universe. There’s no mention of multiplayer (and no footage of it in this teaser), so Splatoon Raiders may well be a single-player experience. While the initial launch will be exclusive to Nintendo’s newest handheld, the trailer says that “research is still underway,” implying there may be future releases on additional consoles.
A substantial update for Splatoon 3 was also announced, with version 10.0 landing on both Switch and Switch 2 June 12. Included in the update is the Splatlands Collection, a cache of 30 new weapons from the Barazushi and Emberz in-game brands. While they are based on previous weapons, they will sport new designs, sub weapons and specials.
The update also includes matchmaking improvements, with an added metric called Series Weapon Power, which will track your effectiveness per weapon based on your win-loss ratio in battles. This new metric will be considered when pairing you with other online players. Version 10.0 is also bringing back Urchin Underpass, a popular multiplayer map from the original Splatoon game. Nintendo says that Switch 2 players will notice more detailed visuals and improved performance with this update.
Alongside the Animal Crossing franchise, Splatoon and its sequels have been star properties for Nintendo, and have sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The Nintendo Switch 2 was released on June 5 and has been hard to find in stock during its first launch week.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/splatoon-spinoff-game-will-launch-exclusively-on-switch-2-151541869.html?src=rss
Along with releasing Linux 6.14.11 today to end-of-life the Linux 6.14 kernel series, Greg Kroah-Hartman released Linux 6.15.2 as the newest stable point release. There is a notable fix here for the CPU idle power regressing on some systems since moving to Linux 6.15…
SunRace Sturmey-Archer has released the new A2 two-speed rear hub, featuring automatic shifting and four braking options.
The A2 doesn’t require a shifter on the bar, meaning it should make for a low-maintenance solution for those seeking simple and efficient shifting on their commuter bikes.
A new kids’ version of the hub has also been released, so young riders can concentrate on pedalling rather than shifting gears.
Sturmey-Archer is well known for its internal gear hubs, creating its first in 1902 and being bought by SunRace in 2000.
Many riders choose internal gear hubs because they generally require less maintenance compared to derailleur setups, due to the mechanism being protected from the elements.
Sturmey-Archer says the A2 has a gear ratio of 138 per cent and changes gear based on the RPM of the rear wheel.
For a 28in wheel, the hub will shift into the low gear at approximately 14.6km/h and shift into the high gear at 19.4km/h.
There are four braking options available for the A2 hub, with rim, disc, coast and drum brakes all supported, making it compatible with a wide range of bikes.
SunRace Sturmey-Archer has yet to confirm pricing, but we can expect to see the hubs roll out as OEM parts on commuter bikes soon.
The more I use my Apple Watch, the more I miss one app above all others. The Apple Watch is great for managing notifications, checking on reminders, and tracking workouts. But the one thing it’s never had was an honest to goodness Notes app.
On my iPhone, I use the Notes app religiously. I use it for travel plans, for research, for planning out longer articles, and I prefer to use Notes for checklists instead of Reminders. When I leave my iPhone behind and am only using my Watch, these are the features I miss the most. It would be so convenient to be able to check things off or refer to a note right from my wrist. And if I could quickly add a new idea to a research note without lifting my iPhone, that would be sweet, too.
It seems like I’m not the only one who wants this (my editor, Jake Peterson, is also quite looking forward to it) because in watchOS 26, Apple is finally adding a real Notes app to the Apple Watch.
The Notes app on the Apple Watch will work similarly to the Reminders app, and will let you see a list of all your recent notes. You’ll even be able to pin notes to the top of the app, in case you regularly refer to them.
And yes, standard Notes formatting is supported, so you’ll see headings, emojis, images, and the rest, all on your wrist. Most importantly, for me, the Notes app will support checklists, too, so you’ll finally be able to check things off in your Notes app right from your wrist.
If you want to add to a note, or make a new one, you can even do that. You can use the Dictation feature to take quick notes, or you can use the Keyboard to type things out (although, that sounds really tedious to me).
The Notes app will ship with the watchOS 26 update, publicly available in fall 2025. Currently, you can get it as part of a developer beta, but I would strongly advise against installing a developer beta on your Apple Watch. Developer betas are notorious for being buggy, but at least on the iPhone, there are ways to roll back if something goes wrong. On the Apple Watch, you can’t downgrade or reset your OS, so you’ll have to wait until Apple rolls out a new beta update or a stable build. This applies to public betas, too, so I’d just recommend waiting until the full release. But at this point, I’m writing out these warnings more as a reminder for myself than you. Because I can’t wait to start using the Notes app on the Apple Watch, and it’s going to be hard waiting until fall to do it.
Looking for a budget-friendly iPad you can use for everyday tasks, like catching up on emails and messages, then reading the latest news before streaming a show? This might be the deal for you. The A16-powered iPad (a model that Apple released just a few months ago) has dipped to $299. That’s $50 off the list price.
The tablet briefly dropped to $278 at one point. However, this is the best price we’ve seen for this iPad otherwise.
This 11-inch iPad has 128GB of storage and has Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (no LTE capabilities here). The discount applies to all four colorways: blue, pink, silver and yellow.
This is our current pick for the best budget iPad. We gave it a score of 84 in our review.
We feel that Apple could stand to upgrade the entry-level iPad’s display, which does not have an anti-reflective coating and has a 60Hz refresh rate (which is the bare minimum for a new device these days). The screen isn’t laminated, either — there’s a gap between the actual panel and the glass that encases it. While this is good for repairability, we feel that it makes the screen look cheaper. Actions like writing notes with an Apple Pencil feel less natural than on the likes of the iPad Air too.
Speaking of the Apple Pencil, the A16 iPad isn’t compatible with the second-gen model or the Pencil Pro. As such, the only pressure-sensitive Apple Pencil that works with this iPad is the original model from 2015, which doesn’t attach to the tablet magnetically. The USB-C Pencil can stick to the tablet, but it does not offer wireless charging or pressure sensitivity.
Still, perhaps you don’t care about doodling or taking handwritten notes on an iPad. If that, the screen issues and the lack of Apple Intelligence generative AI features (this model doesn’t support them) don’t matter to you, this iPad might be all you need.
The chip is fast enough to handle everyday tasks, while the storage and RAM increases compared to the previous model are very welcome — especially considering that Apple didn’t bump up the price. The build quality and battery life are still solid overall too.
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-latest-entry-level-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-299-145940023.html?src=rss
The Class of 2025 is encountering the worst entry-level job market in years with unemployment among recent degree-holders aged 22 to 27 reaching 5.8% this spring — the highest level in approximately four years and well above the national average. According to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data, 85% of the unemployment rate increase since mid-2023 stems from new labor market entrants struggling to find work.
Corporate hiring freezes implemented under threats of President Trump’s tariffs, combined with AI replacing traditional entry-level positions, have severely constrained opportunities for new graduates. More than 60% of executives surveyed on LinkedIn indicate that AI will eventually assume tasks currently assigned to entry-level employees, particularly mundane and manual roles.
The impact varies significantly by major, with computer engineering graduates — once highly sought-after — now facing a 7.5% unemployment rate, the third-highest among recent graduates. Employment in computer science and mathematical jobs for those under 27 has dropped 8% since 2022, even as it grew 0.8% for older workers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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If you’re looking for a gift (or you just like power tools), you should know that Father’s Day is one of the best sales of the year. If you’ve had your eye on a battery-powered chainsaw, or your current set of batteries is getting close to the end of its lifespan, here are some deals that can help you get your (or your dad’s) DIY projects finished under budget.
If you’re new to DIY or you need to build out your toolkit from scratch, sets are a good place to start. They come with multiple tools as well as batteries and chargers, so you’ll have a good chunk of what you need covered.
The Ryobi 18-volt, six-tool combo kit is on sale for $199, 33% off its regular price. The kit comes with a drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, an oscillating tool, a standable flashlight, a 1.5-amp-hour battery, a 4-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag. This is a good starter kit for home DIY, and the oscillating tool is a game-changer for cutting a wide variety of materials from plaster to metal.
The Milwaukee 18-volt, seven-tool kit is on sale for $499, 50% off its usual price. The set comes with a drill, an impact driver, a reciprocating saw, a circular saw, an angle grinder, an oscillating tool, a standable flashlight, two 3xc3o batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. This kit has everything you need to get started on your own DIY projects, and it’s a good choice if you need to upgrade an older tool set because Milwaukee tools tend to be durable and long-lasting.
The DeWalt 20-volt, six-tool kit is on sale for $499, 44% off its typical price. This set includes a drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, an oscillating tool, an orbital sander, an angle-grinder, a 2-amp-hour battery, a 5-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a hard-sided, rolling case. This is a good kit for starting out or as an upgrade for older cordless tools and batteries.
A good drill and driver is the cornerstone of a solid cordless tool kit—it allows you to do the basics of assembly for DIY projects as well as driving hardware for repairs.
The Milwaukee 18-volt drill is on sale for $99, 50% off its regular price. The drill comes with a two-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag.
The Milwaukee 18-volt impact driver is on sale for $99, 50% off its usual price. The driver comes with a 2-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag. This key tool for home DIY projects makes it easier to drive screws, especially into tough material.
The DeWalt 20-volt drill is on sale for $99, 45% off its typical price. This kit comes with two 1.3-amp-hour batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. This is a good deal on a cornerstone tool for a DIY enthusiast.
Cordless tools are getting more powerful as battery technology improves, allowing tool batteries to be smaller and hold a charge for longer. Cordless power equipment is cheaper to run than gas-burning options, and with improved battery life, can be just as effective.
The Milwaukee 18-volt, 16-inch chainsaw is on sale for $229, 30% off its regular price. This is a tool-only deal, so you’ll need a Milwaukee battery set to use it. A 16-inch chainsaw blade is more than sufficient for most yard work projects.
The Milwaukee 18-volt, eight-inch chainsaw is on sale for $299, 40% off its usual price. This mini chainsaw comes with a six-amp-hour battery, a charge, and a tool bag, so you’ll have everything you need to trim to your heart’s content.
The Ryobi 40-volt rear tine tiller is on sale for $599, 40% off its regular price. This tool runs on four included six-amp-hour batteries, and it comes with a charger, too. You can till about 3000 square feet of ground with this tool before you need to recharge the batteries.
If you already have a cordless tool kit and you want to expand the number of batteries you have, this is often the most expensive improvement to make to your cordless tool kit.
The Milwaukee 18-volt, five-amp-hour lithium-ion battery is on sale for $99, 41% off its regular price. This is only the battery, so you’ll need an 18-volt Milwaukee charger to use it.
The Ryobi 18-volt portable power source starter kit is on sale for $44.97, 36% off its usual price. This kit allows you to use the included 1.5-amp-hour battery as a portable power source for charging devices or running some electronics for a limited time. It comes with a charger for the battery. This tool can be useful in case the power goes out or if you want to charge your phone while camping.
The Ryobi 2-battery 18-volt set is on sale for $99, 51% off its typical price. The set comes with a two-amp-hour battery, a four-amp-hour battery, and a charger. In addition to the discount, this set qualifies for a free tool, including an oscillating tool, a tire inflator, or a sander.
DXVK 2.6.2 was released this morning as the newest update to this Direct3D 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 over Vulkan API implementation. DXVK continues to be most notably used by Valve’s Steam Play (Proton) for running countless Windows games well on Linux…
Using nanolithography, Dr. Kelly Morrison and her team at Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England have created the world’s smallest violin, measuring only 35 microns long and 13 microns wide. For reference, the average width of a human hair is about 50 microns. Damn, that’s one small violin! Unfortunately it’s not actually playable, which is a shame because I’d love to bust this thing out and perform ‘My Heart Bleeds For You’ whenever a friend tells me what a bad day they’ve having because the barista at Starbucks spelled their name wrong. I need new friends. Ones with REAL problems that make me constantly think, “Well, at least I’m not Dave.”
Video below that explains the technology in case you aren’t familiar with nanolithography.
Robot vacuums are undeniably a big convenience, saving you so much time while keeping your house clean. But sometimes there’s a small mess you want to quickly remove or a little corner the robovac can’t reach, requiring a traditional vacuum. While you could purchase one of each, there’s another option available to you.
Eufy released the E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum earlier this year and it comes with a robot vacuum and a cordless option. Plus, right now, it’s on sale for $380, down from $650 — a 42 percent discount. It’s one of our favorite robot vacuums on the market, especially with such a steep price cut.
We gave Eufy’s E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum an 80 in our review largely thanks to its versatility. We also found that the robot vacuum performed well and that the self-emptying base held quite a lot for its petite size. The Eufy Clean app has also come a long way and offers great options like manual control. While having two vacuum options is great, we did find that most of the stick vacuums cleaning modes have weak suction.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/eufys-3-in-1-robot-vacuum-is-42-percent-off-right-now-141019001.html?src=rss
A nearly year-long battle between SAG-AFTRA game actors and the major publishers over AI protections for performances is set to end, after both sides reached a tentative agreement this week. Details of the deal haven’t yet been released, but the union says it includes “necessary AI guardrails” as companies adopt tools…
