Grab the just-released Galaxy Z Flip7 FE in unlocked mode with no strings attached for just $700, a $400 drop from the Flip7.
The post Samsung Drops Its New Galaxy Z Flip7 FE by Hundreds With No Trade-In Needed, Likely to Rival the iPhone 17 Launch appeared first on Kotaku.
An anonymous reader shares a report: SoftBank Group will lay off nearly 20% of its Vision Fund team globally as it shifts resources to founder Masayoshi Son’s large-scale AI bets in the United States, according to a memo seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the plan. The cuts mark the third round of layoffs at the Japanese investment conglomerate’s flagship fund since 2022. Vision Fund currently has over 300 employees globally. Unlike previous rounds, when the group was saddled with major losses, the latest reductions come after the fund last month reported its strongest quarterly performance since June 2021, driven by gains in public holdings such as Nvidia and South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang. The move signals a pivot away from a broad portfolio of startup investments. While the fund will continue to make new bets, remaining staff will dedicate more resources to Son’s ambitious AI initiatives, such as the proposed $500 billion Stargate project — an initiative to build a vast network of U.S. data centers in partnership with OpenAI, the source added.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Security researcher Dirk-jan Mollema discovered two vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Entra ID identity platform that could have granted attackers administrative access to virtually all Azure customer accounts worldwide. The flaws involved legacy authentication systems — Actor Tokens issued by Azure’s Access Control Service and a validation failure in the retiring Azure Active Directory Graph API.
Mollema reported the vulnerabilities to Microsoft on July 14. Microsoft released a global fix three days later and found no evidence of exploitation. The vulnerabilities would have allowed attackers to impersonate any user across any Azure tenant and access all Microsoft services using Entra ID authentication. Microsoft confirmed the fixes were fully implemented by July 23 and added additional security measures in August as part of its Secure Future Initiative. The company issued a CVE on September 4.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft is adding a whole load of AI agents to Teams today, promising Copilot assistants for every channel, meeting, and community. The new agents will also work across SharePoint and Viva Engage, and are rolling out for Microsoft 365 Copilot users.
Facilitator agents will now sit in on Teams meetings, creating agendas, taking notes, and answering questions. Agents can also suggest time allotments for different meeting topics — letting participants know if they’re running over — and create documents and tasks. A mobile version is designed to be activated “with a single tap” so you can make sure the agent doesn’t miss out on “a quick hallway chat or a spontaneous in-person sync.” Channel agents are designed to answer questions based on a channel’s previous conversations and meetings and can also generate status reports for a project the same way.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
alternative_right writes: Austria’s armed forces have switched from Microsoft’s Office programs to the open-source LibreOffice package. The reason for this is not to save on software license fees for around 16,000 workstations. “It was very important for us to show that we are doing this primarily (…) to strengthen our digital sovereignty, to maintain our independence in terms of ICT infrastructure and (…) to ensure that data is only processed in-house,” emphasizes Michael Hillebrand from the Austrian Armed Forces’ Directorate 6 ICT and Cyber.
This is because processing data in external clouds is out of the question for the Austrian Armed Forces, as Hillebrand explained on ORF radio station O1. It was already apparent five years ago that Microsoft Office would move to the cloud. Back then, in 2020, the decision-making process for the switch began and was completed in 2021.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The upcoming Football Manager 26 will include the officially licensed Barclays Women’s Super League and National Women’s Soccer League, among other women’s competitions, marking the first time that women’s soccer has featured in the long-running management sim. This means you’ll be able to select a women’s team to manage, complete with accurate player imagery, club logos and kits.
The debut of women’s soccer was actually announced way back in 2021, and was supposed to feature in Football Manager 2025. That game was eventually cancelled, with developer Sports Interactive shifting its attention to Football Manager 26, which arrives on November 4.
When the developer first discussed the prospect of adding the women’s game to its various game modes, it said it would only do so once it was able to offer the same level of depth and authenticity as it does for men’s soccer. Since making that initial statement, the popularity of women’s soccer has grown enormously, and Sports Interactive says in FM26 it has created a “single ecosystem” in which you’re not limited to exclusively managing a men’s or women’s team on a single save. To ensure its virtual recreation of women’s soccer is as realistic as it can be, the studio consulted real-life players, managers, clubs and organizations.
At launch, the latest entry will feature 14 playable leagues that span 11 nations and three continents, with leagues in Germany, France, Japan, Australia and more represented alongside England and the US. The FM26 database currently consists of more than 36,000 players, and the studio now has a 40-strong team of researchers working exclusively on building it out further, with additional playable competitions planned.
The off-the-field differences between the men’s and women’s game are also reflected, taking into account the typically shorter contracts in women’s soccer, and fewer release clauses that can be activated in the transfer market. Sports Interactive also used real-world data to inform the average recovery rates for various injuries where they might differ between men and women.
For a full rundown of all the new additions, click here. Football Manager 26 launches November 4 on Xbox and PS5, with a mobile version via Netflix arriving on the same day, and FM26 Touch for Nintendo Switch releasing digitally a month later.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/football-manager-26-will-feature-womens-soccer-for-the-first-time-145658807.html?src=rss
The second day of a two-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—a panel currently made up of federal vaccine advisors hand-selected by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—is off to a dramatic start, with the advisors seemingly realizing they have no idea what they’re doing.
The inexperienced, questionably qualified group that has espoused anti-vaccine rhetoric started its second day of deliberations by reversing a vote taken the previous day on federal coverage for the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Yesterday, the group voted to restrict access to MMRV, stripping recommendations for its use in children under age 4. While that decision was based on no new data, it passed with majority support of 8–3 (with one abstention). (For an explanation of that, see our coverage of yesterday’s part of the meeting here).
But puzzlingly, they then voted to uphold access and coverage of MMRV vaccines for children under age 4 if they receive free vaccines through the federal Vaccines For Children program, which covers about half of American children, mostly low-income. The discrepancy projected the idea that the alleged safety concerns that led the panel to rescind the recommendation for MMRV generally, somehow did not apply to low-income, vulnerable children. The vote also created significant confusion for VFC coverage, which typically aligns with recommendations made by the panel.
Just $6 per charger versus $30 on Apple’s site.
The post If You Went for the iPhone 7, This Official 2-Pack of 20W Chargers Costs Only $11 appeared first on Kotaku.
So a Microsoft employee now boasts that they’re making Git – not GitHub – dependent on Rust, which Microsoft controls in GitHub. We already saw the trouble this causes in Linux and very much foresaw it (LibreOffice is also targeted).
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Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source.
The right headphones or earbuds can make or break a run. Whether you’re grinding through mile 20 of a marathon or just trying to make it through a Tuesday morning one-miler, your earbuds need to be up to the task.
My all-time favorite running earbuds were the Plantronics BackBeat Fit 2100. Comfortable, secure, sweat-resistant, and with just the right amount of ambient sound awareness. Tragically, they’ve been discontinued, leaving runners like me searching for worthy successors.
Of course, the best running earbuds depend on your specific needs, running style, and preferences. After extensive testing (and more than a few mid-run equipment failures), here’s my breakdown of the top options across different categories.
When I’m running around Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, I rely on bone conduction technology to keep my ears completely open to traffic, other runners, and deranged cyclists. As my colleague Daniel Oropeza reviews in-depth here, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are best for anyone who wants to still hear their surroundings without sacrificing too much on audio quality.
I’ve experienced little-to-no ear fatigue, even during 18+ mile runs. Their IP55 rating has proven true for me, having worn these headphones during humid summer runs, not to mention unexpected downpours. Most important for me, their battery life holds up, lasting even my longest training runs. Plus, even if I forget to charge the night before a run, a quick five-minute charge gives you around 1.5 hours of listening time.
While they’ll never match the bass response of traditional in-ear monitors, they provide clear, detailed audio that’s perfect for podcasts, audiobooks, and music during my training runs.
For a budget alternative, consider Shokz OpenMove for just $79.95. They’re great for runners new to bone conduction who want to test the waters. And speaking of waters—might I recommend this pair of bone conduction headphones that actually work underwater?
I usually prefer the secure fit of headphones over disconnected earbuds. Similarly, Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki prefers ear hooks (even if she knows an earbud is secure, she will worry), and Shokz is her go-to choice as well. She recommends using this measuring guide from Shokz to find the perfect fit for you.
If you prefer earbuds, or you’re in a pinch, you can’t go wrong with Apple AirPods Pro 2. AirPods are ubiquitous for a reason, and if you like the pair you have, there’s no reason you need to buy a new set of earbuds just for running. They’ve got excellent active noise cancellation, with transparency mode for safety.
For the best fit all-around, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are pretty unbeatable. I’m talking active noise cancellation, earhooks with flexible grip, and even heart rate monitoring.
Another set of wireless earbuds I used to love: the Bose QuietComfort. The only reason I say “used to” is because I tragically left my pair on a plane years ago. They’re small but mighty, not mention surprisingly secure given just how little they are. I especially appreciate a pair of earbuds with customizable tap control buttons, so you can easily skip a song that isn’t matching the vibe of your run.
Audiophiles may spring for fancier options, but my philosophy here is if you know you’re going to sweat in a pair of soundproof headphones, you should use a budget pair for the task.
My under-the-radar budget recommendation for you is the BlueAnt Pump X Headphones. They deliver on the two things I need during an intense workout: sweat resistance and impressive sound quality. If I’m on a treadmill, I need true over-the-ear bass pumping through my skull. The Pump X headphones have an “X-mode” bass boost that feels like it was designed specifically for the moment when you’re struggling through that final mile.
My honorable mention in this category is the Soundcore Life Q30 by Anker. They’re comfortable, have a solid battery life, and since they cost less than $100, I never feel guilty for sweating profusely in them. Their noise cancellation and sound quality have never disappointed me in the gym.
While I’m not huge on wired headphones myself, they’re worth considering. Think about it: no battery anxiety. No Bluetooth glitches. Perfect for races where you want zero tech failures. If you’re looking for a backup pair that you know you won’t lose, the JBL Endurance Run 2 are just $19.95.
Through years of trial and error, I’ve identified these non-negotiables in running earbuds and headphones.
Security is everything: If they fall out during mile 15, they’re useless. Look for multiple ear tip sizes, ear hooks, or bone conduction designs.
Sweat resistance matters: IPX4 minimum, but IPX7 or IP55+ ratings provide peace of mind during intense training.
Battery life should exceed your longest run: Nothing kills motivation like dead earbuds halfway through a long run.
Sound awareness equals safety: Whether through bone conduction, transparency modes, or single-ear wearing, you need to hear your environment.
Comfort for hours: What feels fine for 30 minutes might become torture after two hours.
While I mourn the loss of my beloved Plantronics BackBeat Fit 2100, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are treating me well. Their combination of safety, comfort, and performance makes them ideal for serious runners—especially those wanting to stay safe in city streets, like me.
That said, the best running earbuds are the ones that match your specific needs. Trail runners might prioritize different features than track athletes. Marathon trainers have different requirements than casual joggers (cough cough, battery life). The key is finding the pair that disappears during your run—earbuds that let you focus on your pace, your breathing, and the rhythm of your feet on the pavement.
This noise-canceling model beats the competition on value.
The post With the New Sony Model Out, 1000XM4 Plunges to an All-Time Low on Amazon appeared first on Kotaku.
Enter PurGAMEatory by buying a bunch more heavily discounted titles
The post Devolver’s Big Steam Sale Mocks You For Your Growing Backlog Of Games appeared first on Kotaku.
This 15-inch Inspiron with maxed-out RAM and storage, Windows 11 Pro, and Copilot, may be the ultimate bargain beast.
The post This 5-Star Fully Loaded Dell Copilot Laptop Is 70% Off, and Comes With a $400 Value Accessory Bundle for Free appeared first on Kotaku.
An anonymous reader shares a report: JM Video, one of only two remaining DVD rental stores in Paris, is a focal point for film lovers and visited by actors like Brad Pitt when they are in the city, but the ever-growing competition of streaming platforms means this Paris institution is fighting for survival. Choice is not the problem: JM Video has a library of more than 50,000 films, more than some 5,000 on offer at any time on Netflix and more than the catalogues of all the major streaming actors combined. “It’s one of the few places in Paris with a real film collection, you can find things here that you cannot find anywhere else,” said movie buff Virginie Breton, who rents DVDs several times a week. But not enough to keep JM Video afloat.
Sky-high Paris property rents and a dwindling customer base, combined with the arrival of ever-more streaming services like Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Apple TV+ are squeezing the life out of the cave-like shop, where DVDs spill out from floor-to-ceiling racks. Founded in 1982, JM Video was one of around 5,000 video rental shops in France at the end of last century, well before Netflix switched from being a DVD rental outfit to a streaming pioneer around 2010. Now, France has only about 10 DVD rental shops, two of which are in Paris.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
We’re still in iPhone mode this week, as all of our reviews of Apple’s new hardware are rolling out. In this episode, Senior Writer Sam Rutherford joins us to chat about his experience with the iPhone Air and our final thoughts on the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. Also, we dive into all of the news from Meta Connect 2025, including the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. Is Meta actually on to something with these smart glasses? Or is Zuck just desperate to get people away from phones?
iPhone 17 Air review: Thinness with a purpose – 1:21
What’s the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life like? – 14:47
iPhone 17 Pro: a more substantive update than meets the eye – 24:54
The base iPhone 17 is a great phone for pretty much everyone – 35:26
Mark Zuckerberg announces Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses during his Connect keynote – 39:35
Other News: The ‘framework’ of a TikTok deal is in place, U.S. may license ByteDance’s original algorithm – 1:09:08
New rumors about a touchscreen MacBook Pro – 1:10:41
Working on – 1:14:32
Pop culture picks – 1:15:02
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-iphone-air-and-17-reviews-meta-throws-a-screen-on-smart-glasses-140036926.html?src=rss
Fulcrum has teamed up with Polartec to launch a waterproof wheel bag for its Sharq aero carbon gravel/all-road wheels, producing a Sharq Polartec Edition with special graphics to mark the collaboration.
The Polartec Power Shield Pro wheel bag, made from fabric usually reserved for high-tech waterproof clothing, is aimed at riders who want to keep their Fulcrum Sharq wheels in pristine condition – at least until they hit the trails.
The wheel bag is made from Biolon nylon with PFAS-free DWR waterproofing and a ‘monolithic membrane’ – no, we don’t know what one of those is either, but according to the dictionary, it’s made from a single large block of stone, which doesn’t sound right. It’s claimed to be breathable and weatherproof, however.
The brands say the new wheel bag is “engineered to protect the wheel rim and spoke while not in use”. They reckon the wheel bag “cleverly becomes a bold fashion accessory” too, while “reflecting the companies’ commitment to sustainability and long-term resilience”.
To reinforce the message that your wheels aren’t run-of-the-mill alloy, there’s a matching Polartec cycling cap thrown in with your wheel bag purchase.
Made from the same Power Shield Pro fabric, it’s said to be both breathable and quick-drying, so you’re protected from sun and rain on your gravel rides.
Aside from the über-engineered wheel bag and the special graphics, you’re getting the Sharq wheels’ asymmetric wavy rims with 25mm internal width.
Fulcrum says these are aero optimised for 30mm to 42mm tyres, with the Fulcrum 2-Way Fit non-drilled rim bed and a claimed weight of 1,440g. They’re laced to hubs with Fulcrum’s USB ceramic bearings.
With the Polartec x Fulcrum Sharq wheels carrying a £2,289 / $2,807 / €2,460 list price (the same as the standard Sharq wheels), including the limited-edition Polartec bag and cap, we’d guess there’s some incentive to keep them out of harm’s way.
So is this the strangest cycling collab of 2025? Possibly. But that honour may still belong to Castelli and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Blender 4.5 LTS was released
on July 15, 2025, and will be supported through 2027. This is the last
feature release of the 3D graphics-creation suite’s 4.x series; it
includes quality-of-life improvements, including work to bring the Vulkan backend up to
par with the default OpenGL backend. With 4.5 released, Blender
developers are turning their attention toward Blender 5.0, planned for
release later this year. It will introduce substantial changes,
particularly in the Geometry
Nodes system, a central feature of Blender’s procedural
workflows.
SRAM’s CEO Ken Lousberg says the company tried to engage the UCI over its new Maximum Gearing Protocol, but its concerns went “unheard”.
The UCI, cycling’s governing body, announced in June that it would trial gearing restrictions in a bid to improve rider safety.
Due to the gear ratios used by SRAM, concerns were raised at the time that the company’s athletes and teams would be most affected by the restrictions.
On Friday, SRAM announced it has filed “a formal complaint” with Belgium’s Competition Authority against the UCI, stating that it’s the only major manufacturer whose current pro team setup would be disadvantaged by the new UCI regulations.
In an open letter, Lousberg said: “The UCI’s new Maximum Gearing Protocol is set to restrict the equipment many of you rely on to ride and race at your best. It limits choice, stifles innovation, and unfairly targets SRAM riders – and SRAM itself.”
“We’ve tried to engage the UCI, cycling’s governing body, in good faith, but our concerns went unheard. That’s why we’ve taken legal action – not just to protect SRAM, but to protect the right to compete on equal footing,” added Lousberg.
“We’re not asking for much. We simply want our racers to compete on a level playing field, and for the industry to be recognized and included as a core stakeholder – working together to make our sport safer for athletes and more inspiring for fans.”
Lousberg added that he knows the rule has “already caused confusion, anxiety and disruption” and said SRAM’s commitment to rider safety and innovation “remains unchanged”.
SRAM said in an official statement: “Although the UCI refers to the Maximum Gearing Protocol as a ‘test’, its implementation has already caused tangible harm. SRAM’s gearing has been publicly labeled as non- compliant, creating reputational damage, market confusion, team and athlete anxiety, and potential legal exposure.”
Gearing restrictions are a divisive issue in professional cycling. Chris Froome and Wout van Aert called for gear restrictions in January. Froome said: “At some point, I think we’re maybe going to have to even have the discussion about limiting the progression of technology in the sport to accommodate for the safety aspect. That could be something as simple as limiting the gears we’re using.”
But following the UCI’s announcement in June, others objected to the proposal.
Ahead of the Arctic Race of Norway in August, Tom Pidcock said: “Limiting gears will only make everything more dangerous.”
Dan Bigham, head of engineering at Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe, also presented his research into the restrictions at the Science and Cycling Conference in Lille. He said the restrictions would have no impact on the speed of the peloton and therefore would not improve safety.
“We have the power to make changes. But restricting gear ratios simply distracts from making meaningful changes to rider safety,” said Bigham.
