Monthly Archives: September 2025

All About ERG Mode in Zwift Workouts

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If you’re new to indoor bike training, ERG mode can be confusing. What exactly is it, anyway? And when should you use it? Here’s a full explanation…

What Is ERG Mode?

Smart trainers run in different modes which determine how much resistance they apply while you ride. The two most common modes are ERG and Sim.

Sim mode is simulator mode. This is the mode used in all Zwift activities except for structured workouts. In Sim mode, the controlling software (Zwift) sends parameters such as rider weight, air density, Crr, and gradient to your trainer. The smart trainer then tries to replicate the “feel” of that virtual ride environment through its resistance on your drivetrain.

ERG mode is completely different. In ERG mode, your trainer’s job is to help you maintain a specific wattage. “ERG” comes from Greek “Ergasía” which means “work,” becase ERG mode literally forces you to work at a particular level.

Example:

  • Your Zwift workout interval wants you to hold 200 watts for 10 minutes
  • If you are spinning at a cadence of 90 and putting out 200 watts, then slow your cadence to 60, your trainer will increase resistance so you are still holding 200 watts even though you are pedaling slower.
  • If you are spinning at a cadence of 90 and putting out 200 watts, then increase your cadence to 110, your trainer will decrease resistance so you are still holding 200 watts even though you are pedaling faster.

ERG mode simplifies your workout so your only job is to manage your cadence. You don’t need to worry about shifting (although it is certainly allowed), or whether you are hitting your wattage target. You just need to keep your cadence where you want it, and the trainer will make sure you’re hitting the target power.

When Should I Use ERG Mode?

ERG mode is enabled by default if you begin a workout while using a smart trainer in Zwift. And you should leave it that way, for workouts where you want to maintain specific power levels for designated intervals without needing to focus on holding accurate power.

Some riders (and/or coaches) prefer to do structured training with ERG mode disabled so they can learn to hit and hold steady power targets without help from the trainer. This is a valid point, particularly for time trialists.

I’ve been asked if ERG mode should be used in races. First of all: this would be a little challenging to implement given Zwift’s event functionality. But even if you could do it, why would you? Racing requires constantly adjusting your effort to stay with the pack, attack on punchy climbs, ease off on descents, etc. ERG mode was not made for on-the-fly adjustments.

That said: you could use ERG mode in a race by pairing your smart trainer to your head unit and controlling it in ERG mode there. (You wouldn’t pair anything for “resistance” in Zwift.) This may be interesting in a flat TT race, where you want to hold a target wattage for certain amounts of time.

How to Disable and Enable ERG Mode in Zwift

You can disable and enable Erg mode from the workout browser screen by toggling the “Use ERG Mode” button. But you won’t see this option if you simply choose your workout from the workout collections when Zwift starts up.

You can also turn it on or off during your workout via the action bar, which is reachable by clicking the up arrow, or clicking your mouse near the bottom-middle of your screen, or swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the action bar which includes a button for turning Erg on and off (see below).

Additionally, the Companion app has the same button to toggle ERG on and off during your workout.

What Gear Should I Use?

Note: if you’re on virtual shifting with the Zwift Cog, this section doesn’t apply to you.

While ERG mode will work in any gear on your bike with no shifting required, riders sometimes wonder which gearing is best. There is no clear “right answer” for everyone, but here are a few things to consider:

  • If you want to work on climbing, train in a climbing gear (small ring on the front). This will reduce your trainer’s flywheel speed, mimicking the feel of a low-speed climbing effort where your muscles aren’t able to “coast” as long at the top and bottom of each pedal stroke.
  • Train what you race. If you’re training for a particular type of outdoor race, use a gear that mimics the pedal inertia you’ll be experiencing during the race. So a flat TT might use the big ring and one of your smaller cogs in back (high inertia), while a hill climb race might use the small ring and a big cog in back (low inertia).
  • If you ride a lot of ERG workouts, you might consider varying your gearing in order to wear your cassette more evenly. If 90% of your riding is in the same gear, you’ll wear out your cassette prematurely.
  • Chain line is always a consideration. Although your trainer and bike may allow it, having a bad chain line will increase drivetrain wear and wattage loss. So if you’re in your big ring in front, try to stay out of your easiest gears in back. And if you’re in your little ring in front, stay out of your hardest gears in back. Try to keep that chain line as straight as possible.
  • The lower your trainer’s inertia, the faster it can change resistance between intervals. If your trainer is slow to respond, and/or you’re doing very short intervals, you might consider shifting to the small ring to help your trainer respond more quickly to resistance changes.
  • Noise may also be an issue with certain trainer setups. An easier gear (small ring in front) should reduce your overall spinning and thus the overall noise level.
  • Shifting is OK: there are times when shifting at the start of certain intervals may make sense. Read this post for more thoughts on this topic >

For more info on the muscle recruitment side of things, check out this video from our favorite Aussie Lama:

The Spiral of Death

If you understand how ERG mode works, you’ll understand what we mean by the “Spiral of Death.” This torturous event happens when you are in ERG mode, attempting to hold a particular wattage, then your legs get tired and your cadence slows. To keep hitting the wattage target, your trainer will then increase the resistance (see examples above).

Your cadence will slow even more due to this increased resistance, which means the trainer will pile on more resistance… until you come to a grinding halt.

Feeling the spiral of death beginning? Ramp up your power a bit while shifting to an easier gear so you can raise your cadence. If you’re out of gears, the only way out of the spiral is to push harder, increasing your cadence so the trainer reduces its resistance.

ERG Mode FAQ

What is ERG mode power smoothing, and should I use it?

This feature is included and enabled by default on some popular smart trainers, including those from Wahoo. It essentially smooths out the power data sent from the trainer to Zwift, so your structured workout graphs look very clean. Some riders like the clean lines of smoothed ERG workouts, while others prefer the more “accurate” and jagged graphs with smoothing turned off. Read more about ERG mode power smoothing >

How is resistance controlled during a “free ride” section in an ERG workout?

Some workouts, including 20-minute FTP tests and certain sprint workouts, include “free ride” sections where you can hold whatever wattage you’d like. In ERG mode, free ride sections feel like you’re on a flat road, with resistance not changing to match in game gradients or have you hit a particular power target. To change resistance in free ride mode, you’ll need to shift gears.

Questions or Comments?

Still confused about ERG mode? Got some insights to share? Comment below!

The Morning After: What to expect from Amazon’s big devices event today

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The fall tech events just won’t stop. Today, Amazon has its fall hardware event, which is likely to reveal improvements to voice assistant Alexa and some new Echo homes for it to live inside. It’s been a couple years since the Echo Show got an update, and it’s been even longer for the standard Echo.

The invitation suggests we’re expecting some Kindle upgrades too — the image on the invitation is a Kindle with a color illustration. The Kindle Scribe 2 came out earlier this year as did the Kindle Colorsoft, so maybe there’s something in the works that combines the best features of both.

While Alexa and Kindle will be the main draws, Amazon’s other tech brands, such as Ring and Eero, may also be present. In short, it’s likely to be a busy event.

It all kicks off at 10AM ET in New York City, where we’ll be reporting live. Stay tuned for all the announcements on our Amazon devices liveblog. There’s no video livestream, so we’ll be updating from the event like it’s 2010.

— Mat Smith

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The news you might have missed

EA confirms it will go private in $55 billion acquisition

Owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.

Electronic Arts has agreed to a $55 billion acquisition that will take the company private. Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners have reached a deal to buy EA and its collection of sports game franchises and, er, other games that have recently struggled. This year, the company canceled an upcoming Black Panther game and closed the studio behind it, and has reportedly “shelved” its Need For Speed Franchise. Then there was Anthem. The deal, the largest-ever leveraged buyout, marks the end of EA’s 35-year run as a publicly traded company.

Continue reading.

FCC accidentally leaked iPhone schematics, potentially giving rivals a peek at company secrets

Whoops.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently published a 163-page pdf showing the electrical schematics for the iPhone 16e, despite Apple specifically requesting they be confidential. This was most likely a mistake on the part of the FCC, according to a report by AppleInsider.

The files included block diagrams, electrical schematic diagrams, antenna locations and more. Competitors could simply buy a handset and open it up to access this information, as the iPhone 16e was released back in February, but this leak would eliminate any guesswork. The FCC hasn’t addressed how this leak happened.

Continue reading.

A PlayStation photography book is my next coffee-table tome

That no-one else will read.

TMA
Sony

Sony has been marking the 30th anniversary of PlayStation by selling stuff. Things like PS5 consoles and accessories styled after the PS1. (I just got the controller. Brag.) The company is also publishing a photography book showcasing “never-before-seen prototypes, concept sketches and design models that shaped hardware development” from the early days through to the current PS5 era. Sony has also teamed up with Reebok for a collection of 30th anniversary sneakers styled after the PS1.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-what-to-expect-from-amazons-big-devices-event-2025-113059183.html?src=rss

My Monsters Hands-On: A Beautiful World, Corrupted By Negative Emotions

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For those already experienced with third-person diorama-style games such as Moss or (to a lesser extent) Escaping Wonderland, My Monsters will feel like a familiar descent into a miniature, surreal world filled with light puzzles and platforming. Where My Monsters differs from its genre peers is in its beautiful hand-painted art style, which is paired with striking themes of emotional struggle.

You are The Traveller, a human interloper in the dreamlike lands of Onirium. Your bonded ward, a curious monster named Moti, is quickly cursed by the oppressive God of Void, and your connection is almost severed. The God’s Generals steal three parts of your soul, starting you on a quest to retrieve what you’ve lost and free the land from the God of Void’s corruption.

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Your initial introduction to the world of Onirium and its struggles is brisk, delivered by an omnipotent narrator. Many of the world’s key NPCs are voice-acted well, adding additional color to the world and its characters. More can be learned about Onirium and its residents by collecting reminiscences throughout each biome, and these little luminous sprites trigger additional insight from the narrator.

My Monsters leans hard into its theming of emotional concerns, providing manifestations of concepts like fear and loneliness in the God of Void’s Generals, with underground waterfalls described as tears of grief from ancient beings. It’s executed well and respectfully, without feeling too gimmicky, with Anxiety being the first boss you encounter. He goads the player with cutting remarks that play on our own insensitivities around self-worth, resulting in a climax that leaves me with goose bumps as a corrupted Moti looms over me and color drains from the screen. It’s a sense of active participation and immersion I don’t often find in these types of games.

The manifestation of Anxiety above corrupted thornes. Includes the subtitles "you AND that little monster made it this far, impressive..."
The manifestation of Anxiety, one of the God of Void’s Generals

Moving through My Monsters is typical fare for fans of the genre. You progress through interconnected scenes, solving light puzzles as you go. Puzzles range from moving platforms to collecting items to unlock new routes. As you delve deeper into the adventure, Moti’s skillset also evolves, allowing you to face harder challenges or access previously blocked paths. The dodge ability becomes invaluable for providing additional maneuverability to escape any area-of-effect attacks from specific enemies, and the heavy attack combo lets me open new routes and dispatch lower-level enemies much quicker.

Early on in your adventure, the narrator notes how violence is an unfortunate and difficult necessity in a corrupted Onirium. I do hope this concept is explored further later in the game. Although you can navigate some scenes without the need to engage enemies, some areas remain blocked by tainted thorns until the appropriate number of foes have been dispatched. Facing the manifestations of ugly emotions defiantly as a pacifist could have delivered a meaningful foil to the God of Void’s minions and the game’s themes.

Moti and Sophi, a prominent NPC, standing over a gold mirror. Sophi's fish cart is to the left of them.
You’ll meet interesting NPCs throughout your adventure through Onirium.

My time with My Monsters, although enjoyable, is not without some minor frustration. When obtaining my first collectible, it isn’t immediately obvious what I need to do. Moti holds it aloft, but he is immovable. After some small trial and error, I realize I need to take it from Moti and add it to my inventory; however, he’s so deep into the scene I can’t take it without moving in my play space and reorienting my view. The same occurs when removing items from my inventory to pass to NPCs. As a seated experience, you’ll have to ensure enough free space in front of you to really stretch into scenes when required.

Accessibility options are also very limited. There are currently no options for those who are left-hand dominant, with the right hand used for jumping and combat and the left for primary movement and inventory management. My Monsters also only supports English and Portuguese language options. Those with sound sensitivity will be pleased to see the ability to independently adjust the volume sliders for music, sound effects, and voice-overs.

My Monsters evokes all the things I liked about Moss, all while peppering the world with the post-collapse intrigue of Hollow Knight and humanist subject matter I find really intriguing. I look forward to playing more.

My Monsters launches on October 2 for Quest and Steam.

OpenAI will let you buy things from Etsy within ChatGPT

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You’ll now be able to buy some items you’re looking for without leaving your ChatGPT conversation. OpenAI has launched a new feature called Instant Checkout, which is powered by Agentic Commerce Protocol, a technology it developed with Stripe. When you search for items to buy through ChatGPT, you’ll be able to see which ones you can buy from within the chatbot among the products it shows you. The feature is available for both free and paid users, but it only supports single-item purchases from Etsy sellers in the US at the moment. 

OpenAI says over a million sellers that use Shopify, including Glossier, SKIMS and Spanx, will support the Instant Checkout “soon.” It’s also adding multi-item cart checkout and is expanding the feature’s reach to more regions in the future. The company is open sourcing Agentic Commerce Protocol to allow more merchants to work on their ChatGPT integrations.

In its post, OpenAI said that it will continue ranking the product results most relevant to your search query based on availability, price and quality. It will not give products that support Instant Checkout a boost and will not rank them higher than other options just because of the feature. Your orders and payments will still be handled by the merchant you’re buying from, and you can either use your card on file with OpenAI or other available payment options. The company also said that it’s the merchants who’ll be paying a “small fee on completed purchases,” and that Instant Checkout will not affect product prices for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-will-let-you-buy-things-from-etsy-within-chatgpt-110032055.html?src=rss

Zero Caliber 2 Locks In PC VR Release Date Next Month

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Zero Caliber 2 gets its PC VR remaster next month, though its new changes mean crossplay “isn’t feasible” with Quest.

We’ve known for some time that developer XREAL Games is remastering FPS sequel Zero Caliber 2 on PC VR following last year’s Quest launch. Featuring a campaign that supports both single-player and four-player co-op, PvP modes, and more, this upcoming remaster promises reworked combat scenarios and overhauled graphics. Having initially targeted a Q3 2025 launch, it’s now launching on October 30.

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PC VR release date trailer

However, this upcoming PC VR remaster will not support cross-platform multiplayer with Quest. In an email to UploadVR, XREAL Games advised that crossplay “isn’t feasible” due to the Steam version being rebuilt “with a very different scope.” XREAL cites the reworked missions, higher enemy counts, new AI behaviors, new features, and visual overhaul as meaning these two editions “simply aren’t aligned in a way that crossplay would work.”

XREAL Games detailed its planned changes back in July, stating Zero Caliber 2 Remastered overhauls the core gameplay systems with more challenging AI, ragdoll physics, and more enemies. Promised visual upgrades include dynamic shadows, alongside changes to weapon effects, explosions, environments, lighting, and vehicle animations. XREAL hopes to bring some of these gameplay changes to Quest, but only if it’s “technically feasible.”

Elsewhere, XREAL Games advised that the original Zero Caliber has entered certification on PlayStation VR2 and that’s targeting an October launch. Zero Caliber: Reloaded will also join the Meta Horizon+ subscription roster next month. No update was given on Zero Caliber 2 for PS VR2, though the studio previously told UploadVR it’s targeting a holiday release window this year.

Zero Caliber 2 is out now on Quest, and the Steam version is coming on October 30. Pricing on Steam is currently subject to a wishlist campaign.

Zero Caliber 2 Review: A Thrilling VR Action Romp
Zero Caliber 2 is a strong follow-up to the original game, delivering a thrilling action-packed VR romp. Our full review.
UploadVRPete Austin

NASA Backs Lunar Wi-Fi Project To Connect Astronauts and Rovers On the Moon

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BrianFagioli shares a report from NERDS.xyz: NASA has awarded Solstar Space a $150,000 SBIR Phase I contract to develop a Lunar Wi-Fi Access Point (LWIFI-AP). The system is designed to provide wireless connectivity for astronauts, rovers, and orbiting spacecraft as part of the Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs. Solstar’s goal is to build a space-rated, multi-band, multi-protocol access point that can survive radiation, extreme lunar temperatures, and other harsh conditions. NASA has identified Wi-Fi and 3GPP standards as core communication needs across mission systems ranging from the Human Landing System and Lunar Terrain Vehicle to the Lunar Gateway.

Although this is only an early-stage contract, Solstar’s proposal addresses a clear gap in space-qualified networking hardware. The company says that just as Wi-Fi transformed daily life on Earth, it will be equally important for living and working on the Moon. If the project advances, astronauts could soon be relying on familiar wireless technology that has been adapted for one of the most challenging environments in existence.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Introducing AI Quests: A new gamified learning experience within Experience AI

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Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are shaping our world in many ways. Helping young people develop AI literacy — in other words, helping them understand how AI tools work and how to use them responsibly — is essential. 

At the Raspberry Pi Foundation, we’re committed to empowering educators around the world with everything they need to teach AI confidently and help young people develop AI literacy. That’s why we developed Experience AI: a set of high-quality AI literacy resources designed in collaboration with Google DeepMind that any educator can use, no matter their level of tech knowledge.  

AI Quests

We’re excited to introduce a new addition to the Experience AI resources: AI Quests.

Enter AI Quests

Developed by Google Research in collaboration with the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, AI Quests is a browser-based learning experience that lets students step into the role of AI researchers. Through interactive, story-driven activities, they’ll explore essential AI topics such as:

  • Data preparation
  • Testing and evaluation
  • Bias in AI systems

Students will use what they learn about these topics to tackle simulated global challenges. The first quest, Market Marshes, introduces them to how AI technology can be used in flood forecasting, while upcoming quests will explore other real-world issues.

Why AI Quests matters

AI technology is frequently used but often poorly understood. AI Quests, like Experience AI more broadly, gives students practical experience of how AI technology works, and shows why it’s so important. 

Market Marshes AI Quest start screen

Here’s what sets AI Quests apart:

  • Gamified learning: Storytelling and role play turn abstract ideas into immersive experiences
  • Real-world relevance: Students see how AI technology addresses challenges like climate resilience and health equity
  • No prior knowledge required: Any teacher, regardless of subject specialism, can bring AI Quests into their classroom
  • Developed by experts: Built with Google Research and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, content is high-quality and credible

What’s next

AI Quests is launching in English, with future plans for translations and additional quests to reach even more learners globally.

To support educators, we’re also hosting two free webinars on YouTube and LinkedIn:

  • 9 October at 4pm BST
  • 16 October at 4pm BST
AI Quests, search for data mid game screen

These sessions will walk you through AI Quests, offer classroom tips, and give you the chance to ask questions directly.

Register now on LinkedIn or subscribe on YouTube to get notified and join the live session. 

Ready to get started?

AI literacy is one of the most valuable skills young people can develop today. With this new addition to Experience AI, we’re making it even more engaging, practical, and accessible for classrooms everywhere.

Explore AI Quests in lesson 6 of our Experience AI resources.

The post Introducing AI Quests: A new gamified learning experience within Experience AI appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Scientists unlock secret to Venus flytrap’s hair-trigger response

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To trap its prey, the Venus flytrap sends rapid electrical impulses, which are generated in response to touch or stress. But the molecular identity of the touch sensor has remained unclear. Japanese scientists have identified the molecular mechanism that triggers that response and have published their work in a new paper in the journal Nature Communications.

As previously reported, the Venus flytrap attracts its prey with a pleasing fruity scent. When an insect lands on a leaf, it stimulates the highly sensitive trigger hairs that line the leaf. When the pressure becomes strong enough to bend those hairs, the plant will snap its leaves shut and trap the insect inside. Long cilia grab and hold the insect in place, much like fingers, as the plant begins to secrete digestive juices. The insect is digested slowly over five to 12 days, after which the trap reopens, releasing the dried-out husk of the insect into the wind.

In 2016, Rainer Hedrich, a biophysicist at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, led the team that discovered that the Venus flytrap could actually “count” the number of times something touches its hair-lined leaves—an ability that helps the plant distinguish between the presence of prey and a small nut or stone, or even a dead insect. The plant detects the first “action potential” but doesn’t snap shut right away, waiting until a second zap confirms the presence of actual prey, at which point the trap closes. But the Venus flytrap doesn’t close all the way and produce digestive enzymes to consume the prey until the hairs are triggered three more times (for a total of five stimuli).

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Climate Change Spurs Rare Hybrid Between Blue Jay and Green Jay

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Researchers in Texas confirmed the first documented wild hybrid between a blue jay and a green jay — a rare pairing that is likely a result of climate change and habitat shifts. Slashdot reader fjo3 shares a report from CNN: “We think it’s the first observed vertebrate that’s hybridized as a result of two species both expanding their ranges due, at least in part, to climate change,” said Brian Stokes, a doctoral student of biology at the University of Texas at Austin and first author of the study published September 10 in the journal Ecology and Evolution. The vividly colored green jay is found in parts of South and Central America, Mexico and a limited portion of southern Texas. But since 2000, the tropical bird’s territory has expanded north by hundreds of kilometers — more than 100 miles and about 2 degrees of latitude — along the Rio Grande and up toward San Antonio, said study coauthor Timothy Keitt.

Avid birders across Central Texas have taken note, sharing sightings of the emerald birds on social media and apps like eBird. Keitt, a professor of integrative biology at UT Austin, has been keeping tabs on their rapid northward creep since 2018. “They’re pretty unmistakable in the field,” he told CNN. “You see a green jay and you absolutely know that it’s a green jay.” Stokes joined Keitt’s project a few years later, trapping birds to take blood samples for genetic analysis and releasing them back into the wild. While monitoring social media for green jay sightings in May 2023, Stokes came across an intriguing post on a Facebook group called Texbirds. A woman in a suburb of San Antonio shared a photo of an unusual bird that didn’t look like any jay Stokes or Keitt had ever seen.

“He happened to notice that this person posted a picture of this odd jay, and immediately told me, and we got in the car and drove down to find it right away,” Keitt said. He and Stokes described their finding as one of the “increasingly unexpected outcomes” that arise when global warming and land development converge to drive animal populations to new habitat ranges. This, they wrote, can lead to unpredictable animal interactions — in this case, between a tropical species and a temperate one — and create never-before-seen ecological communities.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Reddit Mods Sued By YouTuber Ethan Klein Fight Efforts To Unmask Them

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alternative_right shares a report from 404 Media: Critics of YouTuber Ethan Klein are pushing back on subpoenas that would reveal their identities as part of an ongoing legal fight between Klein and his detractors. Klein is a popular content creator whose YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. He’s also involved in a labyrinthine personal and legal beef with three other content creators and the moderators of a subreddit that criticizes his work. Klein filed a legal motion to compel Discord and Reddit to reveal the identities of those moderators, a move their lawyers say would put them in harm’s way and stifle free speech on the internet forever.

[…] On July 31, a judge allowed Klein’s lawyers to file a subpoena with Reddit and Discord that would reveal the identities of the people running r/h3snark and an associated Discord server. On September 22, lawyers for the defendants filed a motion to quash the subpoenas. “On its face, the Action is about copyright infringement,” the latest filing said. “At its heart, however, the Action is about stifling criticism and seeking retribution by unmasking individuals for perceived reputational harms TEI [Klein’s production company] attributes to [John Doe moderators] unrelated to TEI’s intellectual property rights.” […]

The anonymity of places like Reddit and Discord grant a layer of protection to people seeking to critique power. This case could set a dangerous precedent, the lawyers believe. “If the court allows TEI’s Subpoenas, it would enable TEI to impose a considerable price on Does’ use of the vehicle of anonymous speech — including public exposure, real risks of retaliation and actual harm, and the financial and other burdens of defending the Action,” the filing said. The filing added: “Very few would-be commentators are prepared to bear costs of this magnitude. So, when word gets out that the price tag of criticizing Ethan is this high — that speech will disappear. But that is precisely what Ethan Klein wants.”


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Streameast Reclaims Domain Name Previously Seized By US Government

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Pirate sports streaming site Streameast has quietly reclaimed the Streameast.xyz domain after U.S. authorities allowed it to expire, despite having seized it under a federal warrant in 2024. TorrentFreak reports: While researching both old and newly-seized Streameast domains recently, we noticed that Streameast.xyz expired earlier this year. Apparently, it was not renewed by those who controlled it, as the seizure banner was gone. Instead, the domain appeared to have been reclaimed by the original Streameast team. While it is not listed as an official mirror site, Streameast.xyz points to content from the original site once again. And indeed, the original Streameast team confirms that the domain is theirs.

It is not clear why the U.S. authorities lost control of the domain or whether it was intentional. Other domain names covered by the same seizure warrant were renewed recently, including Streameast.io. The Streameast team might view this as a significant symbolic victory. After all, they effectively reclaimed a federally seized domain name without having to mount a legal challenge. In the grander scheme, one domain name is not going to make a massive difference. However, the U.S. government went through the trouble to obtain a federal warrant, so it’s ironic to see it controlled by pirates once again.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

ChatGPT Adds ‘Instant Checkout’ To Shop Directly In Chat

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OpenAI unveiled Instant Checkout, a new ChatGPT feature that lets users buy stuff directly through its chatbot. Currently, the feature supports single-item purchases directly from Etsy sellers, but support for more than one million Shopify merchants is coming soon. It’s also only available to U.S. ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Free users at this time. CNBC reports: OpenAI will take a fee from transactions that are completed through ChatGPT, which means Instant Checkout could become an important new revenue stream for the startup. OpenAI is not yet profitable, and is burning through cash as it works to scale up its computing infrastructure. The company declined to share specific details about how large the fees are since they are determined through confidential contracts with Etsy and Shopify. Instant Checkout is free to users and will not affect their prices, OpenAI said.

“Our vision for ChatGPT — and a lot of the technology we create, but especially ChatGPT — is that it’s not just providing you information, it is also helping you get things done in the real world,” Michelle Fradin, OpenAI’s product lead for ChatGPT commerce, told CNBC in an interview. The company plans to introduce multi-item carts and expand the regional availability of Instant Checkout moving forward. […]

Instant Checkout is powered by OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol, which is the underlying technology that allows users to complete a transaction directly with a merchant through ChatGPT. OpenAI built the framework in partnership with the fintech company Stripe, which powers ChatGPT subscriptions. OpenAI initially decided to use Agentic Commerce Protocol for e-commerce, but Fradin said the company thinks it could be used to facilitate other types of purchases or payments as well. OpenAI is open-sourcing the framework to help merchants build integrations more quickly, and so that developers can explore different use cases, she said.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.