Monthly Archives: March 2026

New Cannondale CAAD14 returns to its racing roots with “stiffness, explosiveness, and razor sharp handling”

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Cannondale has announced the release of its new CAAD14 aluminium road bike, with a focus on a “return to [its] performance roots”.

Where the previous CAAD13 sought to straddle the gap between race bike and practical, cost-effective endurance bike, the CAAD14 has been “pared down”, according to Cannondale, to deliver a purer race-bike experience.

Accordingly, the bike lacks mudguard mounts, but features the mod cons of a modern race bike, including 32mm tyre clearance, fully integrated cable routing and a Universal Derailleur Hanger. 

The geometry is marginally more aggressive than even the SuperSix EVO’s, reflecting the bike’s focus on racy fit and handling.

There are three models, with prices starting from £2,995 / $2,499 / €2,499, rising to £7,500 / $7,499 / €7,499, plus a frameset, available from today.

A return to racy roots

Cannondale CAAD14
Cannondale has reverted the CAAD14 to a more race-oriented design, more reminiscent of the CAAD11 and prior models. Cannondale

The CAAD14 represents a significant shift in approach to Cannondale’s popular aluminium bike platform. 

Where the CAAD13 effectively sought to create a SuperSix Evo-imitating entry point to road-bike ownership, the new bike is positioned as a “celebration of aluminium”, with more than a nod to CAAD bikes of yesteryear.

Andreas Krajewski, Cannondale’s road category marketing manager, says: “CAAD13 lost sight of what makes CAAD, CAAD. [The CAAD13] looked like a SuperSix Evo, and it sold well, but it failed to put a spotlight on aluminium – it failed to stir the soul.”

Given the CAAD13 itself represented a revamp of the platform towards the SuperSix EVO, and the bike reviewed strongly, the CAAD14 represents a bold return to its roots that may surprise some.

Go hard or go home

Cannondale CAAD14
Gone are the dropped seatstays and aerodynamic tubes, with a return to classical round designs. Cannondale

The most striking change is to the frame’s tube shapes – gone are the truncated aerofoils, with a return to more rounded profiles. Cannondale suggests these shapes make the most of the inherent qualities of aluminium to deliver “stiffness, explosiveness, and razor sharp handling”.

The aesthetic is therefore traditional (albeit with a modern twist), but senior industrial designer Tanner Van De Veer says that while his team considered designs with more complex tube shapes, they quickly found that “[these] wouldn’t translate to aluminium”, instead choosing to “focus on maximising the properties of the frame material itself”.

Cannondale says it has doubled down on the CAAD14’s aggressive stance by raising the junction of seat tube and seatstays, while opting for an oversized head tube and enlarged junctions with the down tube and top tube.

Cannondale CAAD14
The geometry reveals an aggressive layout. Cannondale

Despite Cannondale saying it has moved away from the SuperSix EVO for source material, the geometry is remarkably close to the flagship carbon race bike’s – and even slightly more aggressive. 

A size-56cm frame, for example, sports an identical 73-degree head tube angle, a 1mm shorter reach (392mm) and 5mm shorter stack. The seat tube angle is 0.6 degrees slacker, which makes the effective reach a little longer.

Cannondale says a size-56cm frame weighs 1,280g in its ‘raw’ form, which comes with the CAAD14 1-spec bike (see below), and 1,410g when painted. The fork is claimed to weigh 397g.

Geometry 48 51 54 56 58 61
Stack (mm) 505 520 540 560 580 610
Reach (mm) 377 381 386 392 398 407
Head Tube Angle (°) 71.2° 71.2° 71.2° 73.0° 73.0° 73.0°
Seat Tube Angle (°) 74.1° 73.7° 73.3° 72.9° 72.5° 72.1°
Head Tube Length (mm) 98 117 138 151 172 203
Top Tube Horizontal (mm) 521 533 548 564 581 604
Seat Tube Length (mm) 490 525 555 580 600 620
Chainstay Length (mm) 415 415 415 415 415 415
Front Centre (mm) 587 596 608 593 605 623
Wheelbase (mm) 990 1001 1012 998 1011 1029
BB Drop (mm) 74 72 72 69 69 69
Fork Rake / Offset (mm) 55 55 55 45 45 45
Trail (mm) 58 58 58 58 58 58
Standover Height (mm) 732 761 785 809 828 851


Edit Table

Mod cons and simplicity, but no mudguard mounts

Cannondale CAAD14
The CAAD14 appears simple in design. Cannondale

Cannondale has dropped provision of mudguard mounts, in a move reflective of the CAAD14’s more focused race-oriented design.

Clip-on mudguards remain an option, of course, but this means those who might have thought of the CAAD14 as a permanent winter training bike may now reconsider.

That said, the bike is now bang up to date with modern trends, with clearance for 32mm tyres (up from 30mm), a Universal Derailleur Hanger and a move from the press-fit BB30A bottom bracket standard to a 68mm BSA threaded design. 

Cannondale CAAD14
The ‘raw’ finish of the CAAD14 1 reveals the tube joins to their fullest extent. Cannondale

The full-carbon fork continues to use Cannondale’s Delta steerer design, offering full internal routing inside the headset bearings, but has shoulders remodelled to fit with the oversized head tube, and a blind thru-axle dropout. 

Given the frame sports a standard 1-1/8in upper headset bearing, upgrading the cockpit should prove relatively easy. 

Cannondale CAAD14
An oversized head tube provides stiffness, but also the capacity for full internal brake-hose routing. Cannondale

On the top-spec CAAD14 1, Cannondale has specced the one-piece Momo-designed SystemBar R-One, which was replaced as the SuperSix EVO’s premium cockpit choice last month. The other two full-spec bikes feature two-piece cockpits. 

Reflective of the more traditional, rounded tube shapes, the seatpost is now a standard round 27.2mm-diameter model, secured in place by an external collar.

Cannondale CAAD14 pricing and availability

The Cannondale CAAD14 is available now in three complete builds, alongside a frameset costing £1,750 / $1,799 / €1,799. This includes a Cannondale Save Carbon seatpost.

Cannondale CAAD14 1

Cannondale CAAD14 1
Cannondale
  • Price: £7,500 / $7,499 / €7,499
  • Frameset: Cannondale SmartForm C1 Premium, aluminium
  • Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS
  • Cockpit: Cannondale SystemBar R-One
  • Wheelset: Reserve 57|64, DT Swiss 370 LN hubs
  • Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR (29mm)
  • Power meter: Yes, SRAM/Quarq

Cannondale CAAD14 2

Cannondale CAAD14 2
Cannondale
  • Price: £4,250 / $3,999 / €3,999
  • Frameset: Cannondale SmartForm C1 Premium, aluminium
  • Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS
  • Cockpit: Vision Trimax Aero handlebar, Cannondale C1 Conceal stem
  • Wheelset: DT Swiss E1800 Spline, DT Swiss 370 LN hubs
  • Tyres: Vittoria Rubino Pro IV (28mm)
  • Power meter: No

Cannondale CAAD14 3

Cannondale CAAD14 3
Cannondale
  • Price: £2,995 / $2,499 / €2,499
  • Frameset: Cannondale SmartForm C1 Premium, aluminium
  • Groupset: Shimano 105 R7100
  • Cockpit: Vision Trimax Compact handlebar, Cannondale C1 Conceal stem
  • Wheelset: Cannondale RD 2.0 Disc, Shimano TC500 hubs
  • Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro (28mm)
  • Power meter: No

X says it suspended 800 million accounts in 2024 over spam and manipulation

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X has told UK’s MPs or Members of Parliament that it suspended 800 million accounts to combat state-backed campaigns on the website, according to The Guardian. Wifredo Fernández, X’s head of global government affairs, told the officials that the suspensions happened over a 12-month period in 2024 and that the accounts were suspended for violating X’s rules on platform manipulation and spam. Russia was allegedly behind most of the accounts that were flooding the website with spam, followed by state actors from China and Iran.

The Russian accounts were trying to “stoke division” and disseminate a “particular type of narrative” to manipulate the 2024 US Presidential Elections, he told MPs on the foreign affairs committee during a video call. Fernández also claimed that the attempts to manipulate discussions and spam on the service aren’t done yet. “There are efforts every single day to create inauthentic networks of accounts,” he said. Apparently, X suspended an additional “several hundred million accounts” last year as well, presumably also due to foreign state-backed manipulation campaigns.

To note, Statista estimates the number of users on X to be 429 million in early 2024. The Guardian also says the platform has approximately 300 million monthly users worldwide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/x-says-it-suspended-800-million-accounts-in-2024-over-spam-and-manipulation-123000201.html?src=rss

Shark’s ChillPill puts a mister, fan and cold-plate in one portable package

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Shark has been making some intriguing devices lately, and its newest offering is one I’m personally very excited about. The company has just announced the ChillPill — a gadget it’s describing as a “3-in-1 personal cooling system.” It’s a modular system that offers a fan, mister and cold plate in one portable accessory, and is available today (March 10) for $150. Just in time for the summer, I guess. I’ve had a ChillPill to test for a few days and while I think it’s a bit pricey, I’m impressed by the sophistication and versatility you get for the money.

The ChillPill looks kind of like a strange, modern pair of binoculars. It is made up of two tubes connected via an inch-long silver rotating hinge. Unlike a pair of binoculars, though, one of the halves of the ChillPill can swivel on its hinge to about 100 degrees in either direction, so you can twist it to your heart’s desire. The hinge clicks firmly into place, and feels solid, so it can hold steady in whatever position you’ve chosen.

The smaller of the two tubes is where the controls and the USB-C charging port sit. There is a switch near the bottom here that locks the controls so the ChillPill doesn’t accidentally turn on when it’s in your cluttered purse. This is important, since turning on the device and adjusting the intensity levels is a matter of pressing the other end of this tube and rotating the dial. There’s a screen that takes up the top surface and it’ll show your battery level and what speed or mode you’ve selected.

The matte, slightly larger tube is where the attachments go, and the other end of this is an air inlet. Shark calls the attachments “caps,” and like mentioned earlier, these are the “High-speed fan” cap, a “Dry Touch Mist” cap and the “InstaChill Cooling Plate.” The fan is basically an inch-thick disc, while the other two are a bit taller (or deeper), and the misting pod has a tank with a wick in it. You have to fill this with potable water (and the instruction manual repeatedly warns against using oils, fragrances or other additives) before turning the device on.

Swapping the caps out is a fairly easy affair thanks to the self-explanatory symbols on the edge. Twist the parts till the circle or lock icons are on top of the solid white dot on the other side, and you’re all set.

The Shark ChillPill in use in various scenarios.
The Shark ChillPill in use in various scenarios.
Shark

Of the three attachments, I was most excited for the cold plate, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the mister. I was initially skeptical when Shark’s reps told me it was a “dry mist,” and I assumed it was probably much wetter than they promised. But when I filled the container with cold tap water and turned the ChillPill on, I found the resulting cool air and mist very refreshing. And though my chin, which got the most of the water vapor, did get a bit wet, it all dried off very quickly. Plus, if I didn’t want to risk any moisture on my face at all, I could just hold the device a bit further away. I also think it would be thoroughly enjoyable when aimed at other areas, like my neck or back, for a quick cooldown.

Same goes for the cooling plate attachment. It uses basically the same technology as the under-eye plates on the Shark CryoGlow LED face mask and the Shark DePuffi device. The company’s InstaChill technology essentially gives you a super cold surface that you can press to your skin (or, in theory, any surface that needs to chill) to quickly cool things off. Not only can this be great after, say, a hot yoga session or running to the subway in the middle of summer, but it can also be quite calming. I set the plate to the lower of the two chill settings and rubbed it all over my face before a call with my boss. I can’t say I was completely relaxed during the chat, but I was certainly a lot less strung out than I might have been without the ChillPill.

Finally, though the fan is the least exciting, it does work as promised and gets so powerful at the top level of 10 that I was genuinely shocked. It was like a mini cyclone in my hand, and if all you want is for moving air (that doesn’t have to be cooled), the ChillPill offers plenty of oomph and a wide range of intensity options.

For the money, I wish that Shark included some ChillPill accessories like the wrist strap, clamp, belt clip, crossbody strap or travel case. I also would love for the company to find a way to keep all the attachments on the device so I don’t have to carry loose caps with my ChillPill or buy a carrying case. I also found the half of the device with the power button on it to be a bit prone to becoming slick or greasy, making it a bit slippery at times.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed using the ChillPill to keep me cool. I can see this being a popular device in a hot, humid country like Singapore (where I’m from), and you best believe I’ll be ordering a few as gifts for my family members. Well, maybe just one or two. I’m not rich, after all, and these aren’t that affordable.

Update, March 10 2026, 3:42 PM ET: This story has been updated to edit the degree at which the two tubes can rotate on the hinge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/sharks-chillpill-puts-a-mister-fan-and-cold-plate-in-one-portable-package-123000848.html?src=rss

Shimano 13-speed leaked in app update – are big changes coming to road and gravel groupsets?

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An update to Shimano’s E-Tube Project app strongly suggests that next-generation Shimano groupsets will go 13-speed – and the brand will potentially add 13-speed compatibility to its existing groupsets.

First spotted by a BikeRadar reader and confirmed by us, the app now shows a new 13th cog on the ‘Gear usage rate’ view. 

This all but confirms Shimano’s next-generation groupsets will get an additional cog.

The addition of a 13th cog would not only bring Shimano in line with its competitors but, alongside a trickle of patents and leaks over the last two years, this latest development gives the strongest hints yet at the potential trajectory of future road and gravel groupsets.

We have contacted Shimano for comment.

Dura-Ace 1x for the road?

Shimano 13-speed app leak
The app now shows a 13th cog in the Gear usage rate pane of the E-Tube app. This is used to analyse which gears have been used on your bike. Shimano

Going 13-speed would mean Shimano isn’t left trailing behind its contemporaries in the drivetrain arms race.

Where Campagnolo has gone 13-speed across the board with Super Record 13 and SRAM offers the option of 13-speed on its 1x XPLR AXS groupsets, Shimano’s latest road bike groupsets top out at 12-speed. The same is true of its gravel and mountain bike groupsets. 

60 tooth chainring fitted to Ben Turner's bike at the 2024 Paris-Roubaix
This is not a setup Shimano would endorse. Matt Grayson / Our Media

This alone may be reason enough to add a 13th cog, but we suspect the glaring absence of a native 1x drivetrain option in Shimano’s road bike line-up is the more likely reason to add another cog.

Shimano has long resisted the move to 1x on the road, maintaining that 2x offers the best balance of range, cadence control and efficiency for road riding.

However, 1x has seen widespread uptake in the pro peloton for certain races, and is the near de-facto option for time trial racing. 

This has led to many instances where Shimano-sponsored teams use third-party components or setups the brand would not officially endorse.

Although 12-speed is already sufficient for many 1x riders, moving to 13-speed would offer greater range or closer steps between gears, and align Shimano with its rivals. 

That said, a patent filed in 2023 showed a 13-speed 2x groupset, so we wouldn’t rule out a Campagnolo-style shift to 13-speed across the board from the Japanese giant.

13-speed gravel patent confirmed?

Shimano fully-wireless 13-speed electronic MTB / gravel rear derailleur
Patents show Shimano is likely working on a 13-speed gravel groupset. Shimano

If not for the road, earlier reporting suggests 13-speed could be coming to Shimano’s gravel groupsets.

The same patent as above showed a fully wireless 13-speed drivetrain concept with a clutch-equipped rear derailleur for off-road use.

Again, where SRAM now offers 13-speed 1x setups for its XPLR range, Shimano will not want to be left trailing in its wake.

Shimano hanger patent drawing showing hanger attached to frame.
Could Shimano introduce a direct-mount derailleur at the same time as 13-speed? There’s a precedent with SRAM.

More speculatively, an earlier patent filing reported on BikeRadar in 2023 suggests Shimano may adopt a UDH direct-mount style standard. 

This patent shows a direct-mount derailleur design that – like SRAM’s full-mount derailleurs – attaches coaxially to the rear axle rather than a conventional hanger.

Like SRAM, Shimano may adopt this to make space for a 13th cog without needing to resort to a new, narrower chain. 

Outside of patents, as noted by Warren Rossiter in his analysis of Shimano’s latest gravel tech, the slow uptake of new GRX groupsets also hints that a more substantial change could be coming.

OEMs will be aware of Shimano’s plans long before the public and media, and where the latest generation of GRX may be viewed as a “placeholder”, a new groupset gives brands something more substantial to talk about. It’s possible the industry is holding out for a new, 13-speed option.

Backwards compatibility?

Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 and SRAM Force AXS groupsets go head to head
We spotted the reference to 13-speed when E-Tube was paired with an Ultegra R8100 groupset. Russell Burton / Our Media

Although the reference to 13-speed has appeared before any confirmation Shimano is working on a new range, it’s notable this was spotted on a configuration page for a current generation 12-speed groupset (we tested it on a bike equipped with Ultegra R8100 Di2). 

It’s theoretically possible to add 13-speed compatibility to any Di2 groupset because there are no hard mechanical stops on an electronic groupset. 

And, as seen with the likes of Wheeltop’s groupsets, it could be programmed to shift across additional sprockets – provided the throw of the derailleur is sufficiently wide.

However, we’re less convinced by this possibility. Shimano hasn’t previously made new Di2 groupset generations backwards-compatible with older ones, so there isn’t a precedent to suggest it would do so this time round.

Still, it’s a tantalising possibility, and one we’re sure would be welcomed warmly by the market if Shimano were to offer riders a simple upgrade path rather than requiring a full groupset replacement.

What about mountain bikes?

XTR cassette weight
Shimano has only just updated its mountain bike groupsets. Max Wilman / OurMedia

At the time of publishing, we were unable to confirm whether there’s any mention of a 13th cog in E-Tube for Shimano’s mountain bike groupsets.

However, given Shimano’s latest Di2 mountain bike groupsets were released only last year, we think it’s unlikely a switch to 13-speed is imminent. 

SRAM has also not adopted 13-speed for its mountain bike groupsets. And where cadence control is less vital on mountain bikes, and range already sufficient for most riders, there’s a less compelling case overall to add a cog off-road.

Zwift Racing League 2025/26 Round 4 Details: Routes, Rules, Registration + More

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Now in its 19th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Registration is now open for the fourth round of the 2025/26 season, which begins on April 7.

This page contains everything you need to know about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.

Intro to ZRL

Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is team-based racing for all abilities. It’s also the world’s largest virtual cycling competition, with over 30,000 riders of all abilities participating in each of the past two seasons!

Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spanning multiple weeks, with teams divided into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races take place every Tuesday, and the season is divided into distinct rounds with brief breaks in between.

ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.

Key Changes this Round

Zwift + WTRL continously collaborate to modify ZRL’s structure and rules with the aim of engaging as many racers as possible. Heading into this final round of 2025/26, no rules have changed according to WTRL. But it is worth noting that this final round has only 4 races!

For details on ZRL rules, see the ZRL Rules page >

Routes and Dates

Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.

Race #1: Hell of the North
April 7, 2026 (TTT)

The round begins with a team time trial on a route we’ve never TTT’d before. Despite starting on Les Intestins, Hell of the North is quite flat… until the final 2.7km climb up the Petit KOM! New this round, WTRL says we’ll get a Draft Boost powerup in the pens and at all arches, for a total of 5 Draft Boosts.

  • 1 Lap of France’s Hell of the North (20.1km, 241m elevation)
  • PowerUps: Draft Boost in start pen, and at all arches �

Race #2: The Classic
April 14, 2026 (Points Race)

The first points race of Round 4 finds us racing CCW loops of Jarvis Island, which is basically uphill for the first half, and downhill for the second! Points will be contested on the KOM and sprint segment each lap, with a flat finish.

  • A/B: 6 Laps of Watopia’s The Classic (32.3km, 310m elevation)
  • C/D: 4 Laps of Watopia’s The Classic (22.9km, 212m elevation)
  • Intermediate Segments (FAL+FTS):
  • PowerUps �
    • Aero Boost at Jarvis KOM arch
    • Feather at Jarvis Sprint arch
    • Draft Boosts at any other arches

Race #3: Croissant
April 21, 2026 (Scratch Race)

The only scratch race of round 4 is on a flat French circuit with a slightly uphill long sprint finish. Who will sit in the pack and trust their sprint, and who will try to go long?

  • A/B: 4 Laps of France’s Croissant (40.4km, 219m elevation)
  • C/D: 3 Laps of France’s Croissant (31.1km, 170m elevation)
  • PowerUps �
    • Feather (33%)
    • Draft Boost (33%)
    • Aero Boost (34%)

Race #4: Double Span Spin
April 28, 2026 (Points Race)

The final race of the round takes us onto repeated CCW loops of New York’s Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, where both the sprint and KOM sections are draftable uphill efforts.

  • A/B: 5 Laps of New York’s Double Span Spin (40.6km, 531m elevation)
  • C/D: 3 Laps of New York’s Double Span Spin (26.6km, 371m elevation)
  • PowerUps �
    • Feather at Manhattan Sprint arch
    • Aero Boost at Brooklyn Bridge KOM arch

Race Timeslots

Some divisions and start times are adjusted between rounds. Use the table below to find a time slot that works for your team. Please note that time slots may shift a bit – we will update the table below once WTRL publishes it for round 4.

Teams/Registration

Team registration is already open (go to wtrl.racing/zwift-racing-league/participants/ and click “Register a Team”). Registration closes April 4, 2026 at 05:00 UTC.

ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can roster up to 12 racers, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can join as many teams as they’d like, but only a maximum of two teams per league category.

Want to race, but don’t have a team? Here are seven ways to find a team:

  1. Recruit friends onto a new ZRL team, then sign up your team at wtrl.racing/zwift-racing-league/participants/.
  2. If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
  3. Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride (see below) where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day, starting two weeks before the first race.
  4. Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
  5. Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
  6. Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.
  7. Use the new “WTRL Team Finder” tool once it becomes available at wtrl.racing/zwift-racing-league/teamhunt/.

First-Timer Tips

If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:

  1. You must create a WTRL profile linked to your Zwift account – do so at wtrl.racing/registration
  2. The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
  3. Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
  4. Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
  5. Cadence monitors are required.
  6. You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team and are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round!

Race Recon Events

If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.

Find a list of upcoming ZRL recon rides at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon >

2025/26 ZRL Dates

  • Round 1: September 16-October 7, 2025
  • Round 2: November 4-December 9, 2025
  • Round 3: January 6-February 10, 2026
  • Round 4: April 7-28, 2026

Questions or Comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page for rules, team registration, results, and more. They also have a Help Center with lots of useful info, and their Facebook page is the place to go for discussion of all things ZRL.

You may also share questions or comments below!

You can now use ChatGPT to open Shazam instead of… just opening Shazam

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Shazam is now available within ChatGPT, if you don’t want to launch the music discovery app on your phone for, well, reasons. You will have to link the Shazam app with the chatbot first from its Apps page, after which you can summon it in-chat to identify whatever song is playing. To summon Shazam in-chat, you can use prompts like “Shazam, what’s playing?” or “Shazam, what is this song?”

A box will pop up that you can tap on to launch the music discovery service, which will then listen to the tune playing. ChatGPT will display the song’s name, artist and artwork, along with the option to save the song to Shazam. Take note that the feature will work within ChatGPT even if you don’t have the music discovery app downloaded on your device, which does make it useful if you’re using a phone with full memory. The Shazam integration has started rolling out globally within ChatGPT on iOS, Android and the web.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-use-chatgpt-to-open-shazam-instead-of-just-opening-shazam-114000363.html?src=rss

Meta Faces Lawsuit Claiming Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Sent Private Footage to Overseas Reviewers

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Meta is facing a class action lawsuit in the US over privacy concerns tied to its Ray-Ban smart glasses. The company is accused of sending private camera footage to a Kenya-based subcontractor for manual review to train its AI models.

Allegations stem from an investigative report from Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, which is said to have uncovered a subcontractor in Kenya tasked with reviewing and labeling images and videos uploaded from the glasses.

Sources within the subcontractor report seeing videos of everything, from sexual activity, handling of financial information, to a host of other private activities inside homes.

“In some videos you can see someone going to the toilet, or getting undressed. I don’t think they know, because if they knew they wouldn’t be recording,” a facility worker told Svenska Dagbladet.

Array of Meta smart glasses | Image courtesy Brad Lynch

These so-called ‘data annotators’ are said to manually process and tag images: “draw boxes around flower pots and traffic signs, follow contours, register pixels and name objects: cars, lamps, people. Every image must be described, labelled and quality assured,” the report maintains.

Following these revelations, a class-action lawsuit (via TechCrunch) was filed in a US federal court accusing Meta of misleading consumers about the product’s privacy protections.

“Meta chose to make privacy the centerpiece of its pervasive marketing campaign while concealing the facts that reveal those promises to be false,” the lawsuit states, further noting that Meta’s own “face anonymization” layer does not work to obscure the private nature of the transmitted videos.

Meta did not offer a comment to TechCrunch on the litigation itself, however, spokesperson Christopher Sgro provided the following statement:

“Ray-Ban Meta glasses help you use AI, hands-free, to answer questions about the world around you. Unless users choose to share media they’ve captured with Meta or others, that media stays on the user’s device. When people share content with Meta AI, we sometimes use contractors to review this data for the purpose of improving people’s experience, as many other companies do. We take steps to filter this data to protect people’s privacy and to help prevent identifying information from being reviewed.”

While many use Meta’s smart glasses as Ai-assisted sunglasses, its Ray-Ban smart glasses line can be specifically fit with a variety of prescription lens types, which allows users to wear them all-day as corrective glasses.

The post Meta Faces Lawsuit Claiming Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Sent Private Footage to Overseas Reviewers appeared first on Road to VR.

FAA opens up real world testing for air taxi startups

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US regulators have approved eight pilot programs across 26 states that will allow Archer, Joby and other eVTOL companies to finally start testing aircraft this summer, according to a US Department of Transportation (DoT) press release. That will allow those manufacturers to run trials for use cases like urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo, emergency medical operations and autonomous flight technology. 

The new projects were made possible by the White House’s Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP) approved last year to allow certification for such aircraft to progress after being stuck in the mud for years. “By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move,” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time. 

Other FAA aircraft partners include Beta, Electra, Elroy Air, Wisk, Ampaire and Reliable Robotics. Key pilot programs were approved for the Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and North Carolina Departments of Transportation, along with New York and New Jersey Port Authority and the City of Albuquerque. We’ve already glimpsed some of the ideas, like Archer’s plan to use air taxis between New York’s major airports and city heliports.

A number of eVTOL startups have launched in recent years, but so far none of the aircraft have received “type certificates” for carrying passengers or other commercial purposes. Archer and Joby are the farthest along in that process, having been granted the FAA’s final airworthiness criteria — the final step before full approval. 

The delays are mostly about safety and working eVTOL planes into existing aviation flows. “The gap isn’t technical capability anymore. It’s regulatory synchronization,” the FAA’s Kalea Texeira said last year on LinkedIn. “[That includes factors like] vertiports. Energy supply chains. Part 135 [commercial] integration. Pilot training frameworks that match the aircraft timeline.” In the same post, Texeira added that Joby wouldn’t certify until mid-2027 at the earliest, with Archer following in 2028.

The new program could help accelerate plane-makers’ plans. In a YouTube video, Beta CEO Kyle Clark said selection for the program will help his company start operations a year earlier than it previously expected. Archer, meanwhile, compared the program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build trust with the public for its Midnight aircraft. “This is the clearest sign yet… that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority,” said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/faa-opens-up-real-world-testing-for-air-taxi-startups-112219316.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The new iPad Air M4 is Apple’s best overall tablet

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Now that Apple is designing and engineering its own silicon, the updates come fast. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air and we’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro in 2024.

That’s one way of expressing how powerful 2025’s iPad Air now is – and it remains a step above the base iPad in most ways. However, there’s room for improvement. Apple has stuck with the same display for another year. The 11-inch iPad Air that Nathan Ingraham reviewed seems to have has the same screen in 2026 as it did when the first no-Home button iPad Air was released in late 2020. (And that’s the one I’m still using!) Also, why still no FaceID?

– Mat Smith

The other big stories (and deals) this morning

Qualcomm’s new Arduino Ventuno Q goes all-in on AI and robotics

It’s a more sophisticated board.

Qualcomm, which bought microcontroller board manufacturer Arduino last year, just announced a new single-board computer that marries AI with robotics. The Ventuno Q is more sophisticated (and expensive) than Arduino’s usual AIO boards, thanks to the Dragonwing IQ8 processor that includes an 8-core ARM Cortex CPU, Adreno Arm Cortex A623 GPU and Hexagon Tensor NPU that can reach up ot 40 TOPs. It also pacs in Arduino App Lab, with pre-trained AI models including LLMs, VLMs, gesture recognition and object tracking, all running offline.

Continue reading.

Apple may delay its smart display launch until fall

Siri’s ongoing AI overhaul could be to blame for the wait.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is back with the latest rumors on new Apple hardware and the company’s continued Siri woes. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone its smart home display until later in 2026, possibly September, when it often introduces another barrage of new gadgets. The hardware has reportedly been finished for months, but the AI-centric overhaul of Siri is still not done.

Continue reading.

Dell XPS 14 (2026) laptop review

That one flaw…

TMA
Engadget

Dell’s revamped XPS 14 is more powerful than ever. The XPS series has long been a favorite at Engadget, and this one’s lightweight and features a gorgeous OLED screen. However, Dell’s keyboard this year has a baffling flaw: its keyboard. It somehow forces you to type more slowly to log each key press. And this isn’t a capacitive touchscreen or anything complicated. According to Dell, “a small batch of early XPS units” have these quick typing issues. They also say the issue is currently resolved and doesn’t affect XPS units shipping now. We’ll be checking once a firmware update, meant to fix the issue, lands.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111539860.html?src=rss

Gorilla Tag Toys Are Coming To US Retail Stores Next Year

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A new global licensing deal will bring toys based on the world’s most popular multiplayer VR game to stores soon.

Bonkers Toys has announced a licensing agreement with Another Axiom, the makers of Gorilla Tag. Under the new agreement, Bonkers Toys will release Gorilla Tag-themed plushies, figures, collectibles and other toys to major retailers across the United States in 2027.

Gorilla Tag launched in 2021, and has since become a viral VR sensation amongst younger players. In 2025, the game topped over 1 million daily users and over 3.7 million monthly users on its way to a total of over 15 million unique players. The made-for-VR experience allows players to customize and embody virtual “Monke” avatars and to play games with friends and strangers in a social VR environment.

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Gorilla Tag’s wacky physics-based gameplay prioritizes social interaction and maximum silliness, and it’s undeniably a good game that provides an inherently fun experience. But parents should be aware of what their kids are doing in VR. Despite being ostensibly made for kids, there is no shortage of terrible behavior happening in Gorilla Tag and in similar social games aimed at kids.

Gorilla Tag is free-to-play on Quest and on PlayStation VR2, alongside a paid version on Steam.

Fixer Undercover Update Brings Quest 2 Support & More

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The terrific escape-room puzzler Fixer Undercover is now even better, and playable on Quest 2.

Creativity AR has announced a major update for their VR escape-room game, Fixer Undercover, which notably brings the game to Meta Quest 2. Previously Fixer Undercover had only been available on Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Quest Pro.

The patch also incorporates several bug fixes, visual enhancements, caching fixes to limit how much storage is required by the game, and performance increases across the board.

In addition to these significant updates, Creativity AR has gone through the game chapter by chapter, fixing bugs and generally improving things. The full details on these adjustments can be seen in a recent social media post.

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We reviewed Fixer Undercover just last month, noting that, “VR has always had a penchant for great puzzle games and Fixer Undercover is no exception. The heavy emphasis on VR interactions and encouragement to think outside the box on solutions makes for a highly entertaining spy caper.”

Fixer Undercover is available now on Quest 2, 3, 3S, and Pro for $14.99. PC VR and PlayStation VR2 releases are planned for “a later date,” and the game can be wishlisted on Steam now.

MotoX Is The Latest Multiplayer Title To Go Free-To-Play

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The multiplayer VR motocross racing game MotoX is now free-to-play on Quest

Enver Studio has announced that its popular multiplayer VR motocross racing game MotoX is now free-to-play on Quest. Since launching in 2023, MotoX has built a strong reputation and collected over 23,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating on Meta’s platform.

The decision to move to a free-to-play model comes alongside a wider industry trend: multiplayer-focused VR titles that prioritize social interaction are increasingly outperforming traditional paid releases.

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Free-to-play games often incorporate in-game purchases, and MotoX is no different. Additional tracks, content packs, and cosmetic items are offered as optional purchases.

According to Enver Studio, players who previously paid to play MotoX will receive “in-game recognition,” plus an “OG” rider tag, a limited-edition golden bike, and 6,000 in-game coins (which holds an equivalent value to the game’s original purchase price).

MotoX is free-to-play exclusively on Meta Quest now.

Wreckin’ Raccoon Impressions: Mindless, Childish Fun

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Wreckin’ Raccoon is the latest entry in the VR genre of chaotic sims that put you in the feral paws of a mammal.

It is fitting that nDreams studio Compass chose a raccoon as the animal to respond to the enduring popularity of Gorilla Tag. Chaotic trash lovers, these distant bear relatives are well known to anyone who scrolls through social media. Videos of these mischievous mammals breaking into houses, leaving a mess, or simply getting caught in the act are a dime a dozen. Not too far from the truth, Wreckin’ Raccoon has players swinging their arms around in hopes of finding their next meal, even if it means annoying the humans in their vicinity to no end. While the current offering can be made short work of, it surprises with a few more activities than meet the eye.

The Facts

What is it?: A sim where you wreak havoc in a diner as a raccoon.
Platforms: Meta Quest
Release Date: Out now
Developer: Compass
Publisher: nDreams
Price: $ 11.99

Out of Early Access earlier this year, the premise of Wreckin’ Raccoon shoots straight: eat every snack in sight in a pitstop diner. Billed as “Be The Chaos,” embodying the titular raccoon means an uncompromising type of gameplay that is committed to childish fun. Only able to move with a primal arm-swinging locomotion, you can also climb and jump by holding the grip button and doing a vigorous forward gesture. On your left shoulder you can grab a smartphone with your options and tasks, and on the right one store all sorts of wacky tools.

The pest operator and cook are out for revenge against the raccoon.

There is one level at the time of writing, and that is the aforementioned restaurant. The only thing standing in your way is an unfortunate cook, who, if you annoy too much, will call pest control. Your real enemy, if he catches you, it is game over. If your primary goal is to cause unfettered destruction, this unwanted exterminator can be turned off from the game’s options. In the background, an oblivious beach blonde can be interacted with as well.

To clarify, said interactions consist of finding increasingly over-the-top ways to knock out or irritate the NPCs. As cartoony graphics go, Wreckin’ Raccoon looks pretty. It, too, allows for unhinged situations such as using a chainsaw, a flamethrower, and kitchen utensils to use against your would-be captors. Thankfully, no blood depiction to speak of exists in-game.

Although it seems basic at first, new mechanics other than antagonizing the public in tow are revealed the more you play. For example, you can actually cook in the kitchen. Deep-frying french fries and onion rings and turning on the stove to roast eggs, meat patties, and sausages to stack the ultimate burger can be done. Shaking soda cans to screw with electronics like the cash register is another way to cause a nightmare for the staff. These activities turn out to have a bigger purpose.

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A gameplay video showcasing Wreckin’ Raccoon’s unhinged chaos.

The ultimate goal is to complete tasks like tasering the pest control operator with his own weapon or placing bananas so the unlucky employee falls to customize the color of your paws and tail. Moreover, hidden gold-plated food around the eatery can be found to unlock a golden skin. Codes from triangle, square, and circle shapes can be inputted into a jukebox to change the tune of your wreck. So, a concerted effort to do things beyond toying with the employees and customers entices players to explore other possibilities than causing a mess.

Let’s not beat around the bush: this is a game intended for kids. With the press of the A button, your raccoon can release flatulence, and loud burps can be heard every time it eats something. The toilet humor is abundant. This nasty critter’s movement feels imprecise, but considering the mindless chaos it wants you to cause, it seems by design. It helps that the NPCs would sometimes stumble into each other while pursuing me and glitch out in place. What is on offer is fun, but it runs out quickly, and several more levels and multiplayer could at least entertain for a longer period.

Comfort

Wreckin’ Raccoon offers the bare minimum in comfort: a snap and smooth turn. There is no option to teleport, with the Gorilla Tag-inspired locomotion the only choice to move across the level. Even though no seated or standing modes can be toggled, adjusting the height with a click of the joystick fixes that issue.

You can also create food abominations outside the destruction.

You have to meet games in the middle. Wreckin’ Raccoon is clearly a response to the ongoing trends going on in virtual reality. Or at least, in the Meta Quest’s ecosystem. Looking at it from that lens, there is certainly fun to be had. Explore a roadside diner while completing silly tasks and finding shiny objects; cause endless chaos with caricature depictions of people, Saturday morning cartoon-style; be the rowdy trash panda you have always wanted to be; just do not think about it too much.

Wreckin’ Raccoon is out now on Meta Quest.

The Oversight Board says Meta needs new rules for AI-generated content

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The Oversight Board is once again urging Meta to overhaul its rules around AI-generated content. This time, the board says Meta should create a separate rule for AI content that’s independent of its misinformation policy, invest in more reliable detection tools and make better use of digital watermarks among other changes. 

The group’s recommendations stem from an AI-generated video shared last year that claimed to show damaged buildings in the Israeli city of Haifa during the Israel-Iran conflict in 2025. The clip, which racked up more than 700,000 views, was posted by an account that claimed to be a news outlet but was actually run by someone in the Philippines.

After the video was reported to Meta, the company declined to remove it or add a “high risk” AI label that would have clearly indicated the content had been created or manipulated with AI. The board overturned Meta’s decision not to add the “high risk” label and says the case shines a light on several areas where the company’s current AI rules are falling short.

“Meta must do more to address the proliferation of deceptive AI- generated content on its platforms, including by inauthentic or abusive networks of accounts and pages, particularly on matters of public interest, so that users can distinguish between what is real and fake,” the board wrote in its decision. Meta eventually disabled three accounts linked to the page after the board flagged “obvious signals of deception.”

One of the board’s top recommendations is that Meta create a dedicated rule for AI-generated content that’s separate from its misinformation policy. The rule, according to the board, should include specifics about how and when users are required to label AI content as well as information about how Meta penalizes those who break the rule. 

The board was also highly critical of how Meta uses its current “AI Info” labels, noting that the way they are applied is “neither robust nor comprehensive enough to contend with the scale and velocity of AI-generated content,” especially in times of conflict or crisis. “A system overly dependent on self-disclosure of AI usage and escalated review (which occurs infrequently) to properly label this output cannot meet the challenges posed in the current environment.”

Meta, the board said, also needs to invest in more sophisticated detection technology that can reliably label AI media, including audio and video. The group added that it was “concerned” about reports that the company is “inconsistently implementing” digital watermarks on AI content created by its own AI tools. 

In a statement, Meta said it “welcomed” the decision and that it would also take action “on content that is identical and in the same context” when “it is technically and operationally possible to do so.” The company has 60 days to formally respond to its recommendations. 

The decision isn’t the first time the board has been critical of Meta’s handling of AI content. The group has described the company’s manipulated media rules as “incoherent” on two other occasions, and has criticized it for relying on third-parties, including fact checking organizations, to flag problematic content. Meta’s reliance on fact checkers and other “trusted partners” was again raised in this case, with the board saying that it had heard from these groups that Meta “is less responsive to outreach and concerns, in part due to a significant reduction in capacities for Meta’s internal teams.” Meta, the board writes, “should be capable of conducting such assessments of harm itself, rather than rely solely on partners reaching out to them during an armed conflict.”

While the Oversight Board’s decision relates to a post from last year, the issue of AI-generated content during armed conflicts has taken on a new urgency during the latest conflict in the Middle East. Since the start of the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran earlier this month, there has been a sharp rise in viral AI-generated misinformation across social media. The board, which has previously hinted that it would like to work with generative AI companies, included a suggestion that would seem to apply to not just Meta. 

“The industry needs coherence in helping users distinguish deceptive AI-generated content and platforms should address abusive accounts and pages sharing such output,” it wrote.

Update, March 10, 10:53AM ET: This story was updated to reflect Meta’s response to the Oversight Board.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-oversight-board-says-meta-needs-new-rules-for-ai-generated-content-100000268.html?src=rss

FBI Investigates Breach That May Have Hit Its Wiretapping Tools

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The FBI is investigating a breach affecting systems tied to wiretapping and surveillance warrant data, after abnormal logs revealed possible unauthorized access to law-enforcement-sensitive information. “The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks, and we have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond,” a spokesperson for the bureau said. “We have nothing additional to provide.” The Register reports: [W]hile the FBI declined to provide any additional information, it’s worth noting that China’s Salt Typhoon previously compromised wiretapping systems used by law enforcement. Salt Typhoon is the PRC-backed crew that famously hacked major US telecommunications firms and stole information belonging to nearly every American.

According to the Associated Press, the FBI notified Congress that it began investigating the breach on February 17 after spotting abnormal log information related to a system on its network. “The affected system is unclassified and contains law enforcement sensitive information, including returns from legal process, such as pen register and trap and trace surveillance returns, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of FBI investigations,” the notification said.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

TikTok can continue its operations in Canada after agreeing to enhanced security measures

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TikTok doesn’t have to close its offices in Canada after all. The country will allow TikTok to keep its business operational after a national security review, Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly has announced. This is a complete 180 of the country’s decision back in 2024 to order TikTok to shut down its operations, citing unspecified “national security risks” posed by the company and its China-based parent ByteDance. Canadian authorities said back then that their decision was based on evidence collected by the country’s security and intelligence community.

As Bloomberg notes, the order was paused shortly after Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister in early 2025. Carney was the first Canadian PM to visit China in years and had a discussion with President Xi Jinping about tariffs. Joly said TikTok will be allowed to operate in Canada with new enhancements in data security and regulatory oversight. To start with, it will have to implement privacy-enhancing technologies to reduce the risk of unauthorized access that compromise Canadians’ personal information. It will also have to add enhanced protections for minors and ensure transparency by letting an independent third party “audit and continuously verify data access controls.”

“…this decision will protect Canadian jobs, ensuring that TikTok Canada maintains a physical presence in Canada, with commitments to invest in its cultural sector,” Joly said in a statement. “TikTok Canada will support the growth of Canadian creators, artists and cultural organizations, while strengthening the production and accessibility of Canadian cultural content in both official and Indigenous languages across the country.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-can-continue-its-operations-in-canada-after-agreeing-to-enhanced-security-measures-095239399.html?src=rss

Startup Wants To Launch a Space Mirror

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A startup called Reflect Orbital wants to launch thousands of mirror-bearing satellites to reflect sunlight onto Earth at night and “power solar farms after sunset, provide lighting for rescue workers and illuminate city streets, among other things,” reports the New York Times. From the report: It is an idea seemingly out of a sci-fi movie, but the company, Reflect Orbital of Hawthorne, Calif., could soon receive permission to launch its first prototype satellite with a 60-foot-wide mirror. The company has applied to the Federal Communications Commission, which issues the licenses needed to deploy satellites. If the F.C.C. approves, the test satellite could get a ride into orbit as soon as this summer. The F.C.C.’s public comment period on the application closes on Monday. “We’re trying to build something that could replace fossil fuels and really power everything,” Ben Nowack, Reflect Orbital’s chief executive, said in an interview. The company has raised more than $28 million from investors.

[…] Reflect Orbital’s first prototype, which will be roughly the size of a dorm fridge, is almost complete. Once in space, about 400 miles up, the test satellite would unfurl a square mirror nearly 60 feet wide. That would bounce sunlight to illuminate a circular patch about three miles wide on the Earth’s surface. Someone looking up would see a dot in the sky about as bright as a full moon. Two more prototypes could follow within a year. By the end of 2028, Reflect Orbital hopes to launch 1,000 larger satellites, and 5,000 of them by 2030. The largest mirrors are planned to be nearly 180 feet wide, reflecting as much light as 100 full moons. The company said its goal was to deploy the full constellation of 50,000 satellites by 2035.

How much does it cost to order sunlight at night? Mr. Nowack said the company would charge about $5,000 an hour for the light of one mirror if a customer signed an annual contract for 1,000 hours or more. Lighting for one-time events and emergencies, which might require numerous satellites and more effort to coordinate, would be more expensive. For solar farms, he envisions splitting revenue from the electricity generated by the additional hours of light.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

European Consortium Wants Open-Source Alternative To Google Play Integrity

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from Heise: Pay securely with an Android smartphone, completely without Google services: This is the plan being developed by the newly founded industry consortium led by the German Volla Systeme GmbH. It is an open-source alternative to Google Play Integrity. This proprietary interface decides on Android smartphones with Google Play services whether banking, government, or wallet apps are allowed to run on a smartphone.

Obstacles and tips for paying with an Android smartphone without official Google services have been highlighted by c’t in a comprehensive article. The European industry consortium now wants to address some problems mentioned. To this end, the group, which includes Murena, which develops the hardened custom ROM /e/OS, Iode from France, and Apostrophy (Dot) from Switzerland, in addition to Volla, is developing a so-called “UnifiedAttestation” for Google-free mobile operating systems, primarily based on the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP).

According to Volla, a European manufacturer and a leading manufacturer from Asia, as well as European foundations such as the German UBports Foundation, have also expressed interest in supporting it. Furthermore, developers and publishers of government apps from Scandinavia are examining the use of the new procedure as “first movers.” In its announcement, Volla explains that Google provides app developers with an interface called Play Integrity, which checks whether an app is running on a device with specific security requirements. This primarily affects applications from “sensitive areas such as identity verification, banking, or digital wallets — including apps from governments and public administrations”.

The company criticizes that the certification is exclusively offered for Google’s own proprietary “Stock Android” but not for Android versions without Google services, such as /e/OS or similar custom ROMs. “Since this is closely intertwined with Google services and Google data centers, a structural dependency arises — and for alternative operating systems, a de facto exclusion criterion,” the company states. From the consortium’s perspective, this also leads to a “security paradox,” because “the check of trustworthiness is carried out by precisely that entity whose ecosystem is to be avoided at the same time”. The UnifiedAttestation system is built around three main components: an “operating system service” that apps can call to check whether the device’s OS meets required security standards, a decentralized validation service that verifies the OS certificate on a device without relying on a single central authority, and an open test suite used to evaluate and certify that a particular operating system works securely on a specific device model.

“We don’t want to centralize trust, but organize it transparently and publicly verifiable. When companies check competitors’ products, we can strengthen that trust,” says Dr. Jorg Wurzer, CEO of Volla Systeme GmbH and initiator of the consortium. The goal is to increase digital sovereignty and break free from the control of any one, single U.S. company, he says.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Samsung Wants To Let You Vibe Code Your Galaxy Phone Experience

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Samsung says it’s thinking about bringing “vibe coding” to future Galaxy phones, allowing users to describe apps or interface changes in plain language and have AI generate the code. TechRadar interviewed Won-Joon Choi, Samsung’s head of mobile experience, to learn more about the plans. Here’s an excerpt from their report: As noted by Won-Joon Choi, the usefulness of vibe coding on smartphones is that it opens up the “possibility of customizing your smartphone experience in new ways, not just your apps but your UX.” He added, “Right now we’re limited to premade tools, but with vibe coding, users could adjust their favorite apps or make something customized to their needs. So vibe coding is very interesting, and something we’re looking into.” […]

Samsung recently debuted the Galaxy S26 series of phones and made a point to not call them smartphones — they’re “AI phones” now. This certainly rang true with the majority of upgrades to the devices being AI software-focused, like the new Now Nudge and expanded Audio Eraser tools, with the biggest hardware bump for the base models coming via the 39% improved NPU processing (the processor in charge of on-device AI tasks). It also teased the debut of Perplexity on its phones, joining as an alternative to the Gemini assistant, and teased the possibility of other AI models getting the same treatment in the future.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.