Protecting children from the dangers of the online world was always difficult, but that challenge has intensified with the advent of AI chatbots. A new report offers a glimpse into the problems associated with the new market, including the misuse of AI companies’ large language models (LLMs).
In a blog post today, the US Public Interest Group Education Fund (PIRG) reported its findings after testing AI toys (PDF). It described AI toys as online devices with integrated microphones that let users talk to the toy, which uses a chatbot to respond.
AI toys are currently a niche market, but they could be set to grow. More consumer companies have been eager to shoehorn AI technology into their products so they can do more, cost more, and potentially give companies user tracking and advertising data. A partnership between OpenAI and Mattel announced this year could also create a wave of AI-based toys from the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels, as well as its competitors.
Welcome to Edition 8.22 of the Rocket Report! The big news this week concerns the decision by SpaceX founder Elon Musk to take the company public, via IPO, sometime within the next 12 to 18 months. Musk confirmed this after Ars published a story on Wednesday evening. This understandably raises questions about whether a future SpaceX will be committed more to AI data centers in space or Mars settlement. However, one of the company’s founding employees, Tom Mueller, said this could benefit the company’s Mars plans. Clearly this is something we’ll be following closely.
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
Avio will build solid rocket motors in Virginia. The governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, announced Wednesday that Avio USA has selected his state to produce solid rocket motors for defense and commercial space propulsion purposes. Avio USA’s investment, which will be up to $500 million, is supported by its Italian parent Avio. The company’s factory will encompass 860,000 sq. feet.
The KDE Project released today KDE Gear 25.12 as the latest stable version of this open-source collection of applications for the KDE Plasma desktop environment and GNU/Linux distributions.
Framework Computer had worked to keep their memory prices lower than other laptop vendors amid the ongoing memory shortages throughput the industry worldwide. But today they’ve finally had to cave in and increase their DDR5 memory modules for the Framework Laptop DIY Editions by 50%…
A new patch series from an NXP engineer optimizes the secure erase performance for certain Kingston eMMC devices. Currently with the Linux kernel performing a secure erase on 1GB of data can take around ten minutes. With these new patches that 1GB secure erase can be done in around two seconds…
Ubuntu Studio is the variant of Ubuntu Linux focused on content creation and audio recording needs, video editing, and other creative workloads. Ubuntu Studio’s desktop hasn’t seen too many changes since Ubuntu 12.04 LTS some 13+ years ago. But Ubuntu Studio developers are now considering desktop layout changes to help modernize its appearance…
All of the PCI subsystem updates were merged last week for the nearly-over Linux 6.19 merge window. Standing out this cycle are Resizable BAR improvements as well as introducing a few new PCIe controller drivers…
The SEC has granted the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., or DTCC, a no-action letter allowing it to custody and recognize tokenized stocks, ETFs, and Treasuries on approved blockchains for three years. “Although this program is a pilot subject to various operational limitations, it marks a significant incremental step in moving markets onchain,” SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said in a statement. Bloomberg reports: With the permission, DTCC will also extend their record-keeping to the blockchain, Michael Winnike, global head of strategy and market solutions at DTCC Clearing & Securities Services, said in an interview. “It’s the same legal entitlement, the same stock that you would hold in your account from the DTCC in traditional form,” Winnike said. […] The SEC’s authorization of tokenization services only applies to a specific set of securities that trade often. The approval includes the Russell 1000 index which represents the 1,000 largest publicly traded US companies, as well as exchange-traded funds that track major indices and US Treasury bills, bonds and notes, Winnike said. “This allows us both to create value for the markets, while staying in a pre-defined pool of highly-liquid securities to start,” said Winnike. The firm’s ultimate aspiration is to add its entire depository, which represents $100 trillion in securities, to the blockchain, a move that would require further expansion of the no-action relief from the SEC, he said.
Winnike said the tokenization service will help bridge the traditional and digital worlds in part because the new technology will have the same legal entitlements and controls as traditional markets, including freezing or forced transfers if assets are stolen. “This enables participants to adopt and integrate, because they know there is a trusted party that can recover their securities as needed” and can address potential errors, he said. The new blockchain service will also allow investors to move assets all the time, not just Monday through Friday when traditional markets are open. “That creates a lot of new utility,” Winnike said. “It brings the two ecosystems together.”
I love crisp winter weather, but cycling in it is only fun if I can layer up and keep warm.
Enter Santini’s Pure Women’s Jersey (£89; also available in a men’s version), which I tested for Cycling Plus magazine a few months ago.
I’m a huge Merino-clothing fan (on or off the bike), partly because of its chill-busting feel against the skin. However, garments made from the pure, straight-up wool can be very pricey and don’t wear or stretch as well as many synthetic fibres can. Those with sensitive skin can find it a little scratchy, too.
The nicely stretchy Pure jersey uses a sensible combo of Merino wool blend in the sleeves, cuffs and collar, and Italian thermal fabric for the main body.
Both men’s and women’s versions come in a wide range of sizes. Our Media
When the package containing the Pure Jersey dropped through my letterbox, it gave me a warm feeling inside to see the ‘designed for women’ sticker on the bag and label, signalling that the company is thinking about its female riders and making me feel more confident that the top should fit my petite frame well.
On that note, the impressively large range of sizes, in both the men’s and women’s versions, should help most people to find a good fit.
Hastily donning the top, which has a full-length zip, I found it beautifully close-fitting, without being restrictive, thanks to the material’s integrated stretch. As I put it on over my thermal vest (a Merino version is on my Christmas list), there was none of that initially cold-against-the-skin feel that some synthetic materials can have, and I appreciated the close fit on my arms.
Since then, after taking it on many jaunts, I’ve found its warmth-to-weight ratio is impressive – I can easily get even a close-fitting waterproof jacket over the slender Pure.
The thermal fabric has a subtle fleck to it, which gives the top an interesting two-tone look, while the body-hugging fit and nicely high neck help keep out those pesky ride-ruining chills.
There are three open back pockets and a reflective strip. Our Media
You get three open back pockets (no zipped ones) and a strip of reflective material at the bottom of the back – the boasts of it being a ‘highly reflective’ top are exaggerated a little, I’d say. The sophisticated colour options are all dark, too, so it’s not hugely visible at night, but I suppose I’d often wear a higher-vis windproof/waterproof layer over the top at this time of year.
This top was my favourite out of the six I tested and, price-wise, it sat in the middle, which suggests it’s decent value for money, too.
On those wintry days when you might waver about going for a spin, decent kit, including a trusty layer such as this, is a must for encouraging you to head out – and that’s why Santini’s Pure is my current favourite winter jersey.
Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), a hard-to-manufacture semiconductor produced by only a handful of companies, is enabling a quiet revolution in medical imaging, science, and security by delivering faster scans, lower radiation doses, and far more precise X-ray and gamma-ray detection. “You get beautiful pictures from this scanner,” says Dr Kshama Wechalekar, head of nuclear medicine and PET. “It’s an amazing feat of engineering and physics.” The BBC reports: Kromek is one of just a few firms in the world that can make CZT. You may never have heard of the stuff but, in Dr Wechalekar’s words, it is enabling a “revolution” in medical imaging. This wonder material has many other uses, such as in X-ray telescopes, radiation detectors and airport security scanners. And it is increasingly sought-after. Investigations of patients’ lungs performed by Dr Wechalekar and her colleagues involve looking for the presence of many tiny blood clots in people with long Covid, or a larger clot known as a pulmonary embolism, for example.
The 1-million-pound scanner works by detecting gamma rays emitted by a radioactive substance that is injected into patients’ bodies. But the scanner’s sensitivity means less of this substance is needed than before: “We can reduce doses about 30%,” says Dr Wechalekar. While CZT-based scanners are not new in general, large, whole-body scanners such as this one are a relatively recent innovation. CZT itself has been around for decades but it is notoriously difficult to manufacture. “It has taken a long time for it to develop into an industrial-scale production process,” says Arnab Basu, founding chief executive of Kromek.
[…] The newly formed CZT, a semiconductor, can detect tiny photon particles in X-rays and gamma rays with incredible precision — like a highly specialized version of the light-sensing, silicon-based image sensor in your smartphone camera. Whenever a high energy photon strikes the CZT, it mobilizes an electron and this electrical signal can be used to make an image. Earlier scanner technology used a two-step process, which was not as precise. “It’s digital,” says Dr Basu. “It’s a single conversion step. It retains all the important information such as timing, the energy of the X-ray that is hitting the CZT detector — you can create color, or spectroscopic images.”
The Dynamic Clean Machine might be the most revolutionary cleaning product I’ve used in recent years.
Not revolutionary in and of itself – because portable pressure washers have been a thing for donkey’s years. But revolutionary to me, in that I no longer need to pack a muddy bike in the back of my car after a long winter ride away from home.
It’ll also be a boon for cyclocross racers and mountain bikers who want to get the essential grime off their bike before loading into (or onto) their vehicle of choice, and make mincemeat of muck back home if your hosepipe just won’t cut it.
Plus, it’s had the seal of approval from pro teams FDJ-Suez, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe and Alpecin-Deceuninck.
The Dynamic Bike Care Clean Machine has a 20l capacity. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media
The Clean Machine is the first pressure washer I’ve used to clean my bikes, and it delivers practically all the flexibility I need to shift the stubborn stuff.
It uses a 400W brushless motor to turbo charge the water from the spray gun, powered by an onboard 4000 mAh lithium-ion battery.
You won’t be cleaning any patios with it, but it’s more than powerful enough to shift the worst dirt and grime from a bike frame.
The parts fasten together via quality connections. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media
The battery is removable and fits in a dedicated compartment at the rear of the unit, but uses the same slot-in fitting standard as home power tool brand Makita’s products – this means you can use Makita’s own batteries to replace the Dynamic-branded one, or use Makita chargers to charge it up faster, should you own one.
I have (a limited selection of) Bosch power tools, so that’s little use to me personally, but it’s nice to know the brand has partnered with a reputable manufacturer of power tool equipment for its electronics.
The supplied battery is claimed to last for 17-25 minutes, depending on the water pressure mode you use. This is adjustable via the + button on the back of the machine, cycling through 30, 45 or 65 BAR output.
The battery unit fits into a dedicated compartment, with a sprung door to keep it shut. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media
The connecting water hose is 5m long, and the adaptor for the spray gun offers six pattern settings – useful if you don’t want to use the water too quickly, or fire the most powerful jet setting at your bearings or electronics accidentally.
The main compartment features a 20l reservoir for the water, which Dynamic says will cover three to five bikes. Having used it a couple of times, I think this is a fair prediction – I can wash down two freshly mucky bikes without troubling the capacities of the reservoir or battery, albeit bikes with dried-on muck will need more attention.
Most handily, the washer (which measures 44.5x31x41.5cm) doesn’t take up much space in the boot of my car next to two bikes, and can easily fit in the footwells behind the front seats.
Extras to make light work
The adaptable spray head has six settings. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media
The Clean Machine comes with a foam pod, which screws into the bottom of the spray gun, enabling you to lather up your bike with your wash product of choice.
Naturally, Dynamic Bike Care recommends the use of its own, which are largely a similar density of water solutions – don’t be tempted to fill it with washing up liquid!
It can also be bought in two bundles: the Clean Machine Set (£272.96), including its Badass Bubbles cleaning solution, microfibre cleaning glove and drying cloth, or the Clean Machine Super Set (£337.91), which includes a brake cleaner, wax protection and a drivetrain cleaner, plus an extra cleaning cloth and all-in-one brush tool.
This year at The Game Awards, if your game wasn’t melodramatic, mechanically innovative, beautifully presented and aggressively French, it didn’t stand a chance. The Game Awards 2025 wrapped up on the evening of Thursday, December 11 with a record-breaking showing by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive. The game received the most nominations and wins in the show’s 12-year history.
But, we know that’s not really why you’re here. Between the award presentations and musical numbers, there were heaps of new game trailers, announcements and updates, and we’ve collected them all for you right here. The award winners are also there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/everything-announced-and-all-the-winners-at-the-game-awards-2025-044101761.html?src=rss
PlayStation had said on X that it would have news about Saros at The Game Awards, and unfortunately, fans excited for the new Housemarque project will need to wait a little longer to get their hands on it. The game has been delayed from its planned March release. But there’s only a short time until the new date of April 30, and pre-orders are open now. Star Rahul Kohli appeared at The Game Awards to introduce the newest trailer for the game.
I’m glad we won’t be waiting too much longer, because Saros looks very cool. Housemarque made its name on titles like Resogun and Returnal, and Saros seems like a great addition to their library. The latest trailer shows off all the golden and solar vibes in Carcosa. It also has more glimpses of the characters and story as well as the dangerous and deadly beings that will be trying very hard to kill you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/housemarques-saros-is-delayed-to-april-30-041813989.html?src=rss
LibreOffice 26.2 Beta 1 is now available for testing in working toward the stable release in February for this cross-platform, open-source office suite solution…
