UK Startup Ignites Plasma Inside Nuclear Fusion Rocket

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UK startup Pulsar Fusion says it has achieved the first plasma ignition inside a nuclear fusion rocket engine prototype — a huge step for space travel that could cut missions to Mars “from months-long journeys to just a few weeks,” reports Euronews. From the report: Pulsar Fusion revealed the milestone during a live stream at Amazon’s MARS Conference, hosted by Jeff Bezos in California this week, with CEO Richard Dinan calling it an “exceptional moment” for the company. The team successfully created plasma – an intensely hot, electrically charged state of matter, often described as the fourth state of matter – using electric and magnetic fields inside its experimental and early prototype “Sunbird fusion exhaust system.” […] The company now plans further testing of its Sunbird system to improve performance. Upcoming upgrades include more powerful superconducting magnets designed to better contain and control plasma.


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DRBD Driver Working To Land ~15 Years Worth Of Changes Into The Linux Kernel

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Developers behind the Distributed Replicated Block Device “DRBD” for mirroring block devices between multiple host systems are working to resync the upstream Linux kernel DRBD support with the out-of-tree DRBD code they have been maintaining for the past ~15 years out-of-sync. It’s a big undertaking but they have begun staging patches for review and testing to get this massive set of changes up to par for mainline…

The Best Deals on Headphones and Earbuds I Found in Amazon’s Spring Sale

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Headphones! Earbuds! Bone-conducting headsets! There’s a bargain for every pair of ears in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. I’ve combed through Amazon’s listings to bring you the best deals, no matter what kind of headphones or earbuds you’re looking for.

Best overall headphones deal in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 are Lifehacker’s top overall pick for best headphones. Daniel Oropeza knows audio gear, and he calls these the “best over-ear headphones I tested [in 2025] and ever, really.” They feature S-tier noise cancellation, 12 microphones for crystal-clear calls, and the ability to listen and charge via USB-C simultaneously. They’re on sale for $398 (originally $459.99), their lowest price ever.

The best Apple earbuds deal in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: AirPods Pro 3

If you’re an iPhone user, AirPods Pro 3s are for you. They’re currently on sale for $199, down from $249. The best-sounding Apple earbuds to date, these include the new heart rate sensor and “Conversation Awareness” features, and handle the switch between Apple devices flawlessly.

The best Beats headphones deal in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: Beats Studio Pro

If you want the flagship experience without the flagship price tag, the Beats Studio Pro are the move. Currently sitting at $199.95—$150 off the $350 retail price—these headphones offer a “best of both worlds” approach to over-ear headphones. Since Apple owns Beats, you get one-touch pairing and “Find My” integration of AirPods, but unlike AirPods, these are fully compatible with Android. Bonus: If you don’t mind rocking gray headphones, you can get these for a rock-bottom $159.99.

The most stylish headphones deal in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: Skullcandy Aviator 900

The Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC wireless headphones are down to $199.99, a $100 drop from their usual $299.99 and their lowest price so far. These bass-heavy over-ear headphones have a retro-inspired look that will turn heads, but they aren’t just a fashion statement: With THX Spatial Audio and a massive 60-hour battery life, they hold their own against the big names.

The best headphones deal for travelers in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale: JBL Tour One M3

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear headphones changed my relationship with sound. They are great for traveling, where you can get lots of use from the Smart Tx Audio Transmitter—it lets you plug into a standard airplane headphone jack (AUX) and it will stream that audio wirelessly to your headphones in high-quality 24-bit.

The best headphones deal for working out in Amazon’s Big Sptring Sale: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

If you hate the feeling of earbuds jammed in your ear while running, these bone-conduction headphones are the staff favorite. Shokz OpenRun Pro 2s leave your ears open so you can hear traffic or people around you, but the sound quality and secure fit are across-the-board winners. So is the price: $139.95 (originally $179.95).

The best headphones under $100 in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale deal: Sony WH-CH720N

For those who want Sony’s noise-canceling tech without the $400 price tag, the WH-CH720N uses the same “Integrated Processor V1” found in more expensive Sony models. They’re also lightweight and comfortable so you can wear ’em all day. They’re on sale for $98 (originally $179.99).

Google Moves Post-Quantum Encryption Timeline Up To 2029

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Google has moved up its post-quantum encryption migration target to 2029. “This new timeline reflects migration needs for the PQC era in light of progress on quantum computing hardware development, quantum error correction, and quantum factoring resource estimates,” said vice president of security engineering Heather Adkins and senior staff cryptology engineer Sophie Schmieg in a blog post. CyberScoop reports: Google is replacing outdated encryption across their devices, systems and data with new algorithms vetted by the National Institute for Standards and Technology. Those algorithms, developed over a decade by NIST and independent cryptologists, are designed to protect against future attacks from quantum computers. While Google has said it is on track to migrate its own systems ahead of the 2035 timeline provided in NIST guidelines, last month leaders at the company teased an updated timeline for migration and called on private businesses and other entities to act more urgently to prepare.

Unlike the federal government, there is no mandate for private businesses to migrate to quantum-resistant encryption, or even that they do so at all. Adkins and Schmieg said the hope is that other businesses will view Google’s aggressive timeframe as a signal to follow suit. “As a pioneer in both quantum and PQC, it’s our responsibility to lead by example and share an ambitious timeline,” they wrote. “By doing this, we hope to provide the clarity and urgency needed to accelerate digital transitions not only for Google, but also across the industry.”


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Verizon waives late fees for federal workers affected by partial DHS shutdown

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Verizon will waive late fees and offer flexible payment arrangements for workers affected by the partial government shutdown. The carrier has made similar offers in the past, like during the COVID-19 pandemic when it gave customers extra mobile data at no additional cost. 

The Department of Homeland Security has been hit the hardest by the partial shutdown, but Verizon’s offer covers any federal worker who’s able to offer employment verification. Verizon says employees can call 1-800-Verizon (1-800-922-0204) to get their late fees waived and set up a payment plan.

The partial government shutdown started in February after Congress failed to pass a new DHS funding bill. The lack of funding has not affected all of DHS’ sprawling organizations equally, however. While the Transportation Security Administration is no longer able to pay its employees — leading to significant delays in airport security lines over the last week — both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection have been spared thanks to a separate funding pool established by a previous bill.

Lawmakers continued inability to fund DHS also happens to hinge on both agencies. Democratic senators and congresspeople are demanding ICE agents wear body cams and remove masks before making arrests, among other restrictions, and refusing to fund DHS until those restrictions are worked into the bill. Both Republicans and Democrats have also separately proposed funding the entire department except for ICE and CBP, but while that bill passed in the Senate, it hasn’t been taken up in the House.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/verizon-waives-late-fees-for-federal-workers-affected-by-partial-dhs-shutdown-221814382.html?src=rss

Playing Wolfenstein 3D with one hand in 2026

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Like practically everyone who owned a PC in the early ’90s, I tore through the shareware episode of Wolfenstein 3D shortly after it came out. At the time, the game’s mere existence seemed like a magic trick, offering a smooth-scrolling first-person perspective that was unlike pretty much anything I had ever seen. Strictly speaking, the game might have been ironically two-dimensional (lacking even the simulated gameplay “height” of follow-up Doom), but the sense of depth conveyed by the viewpoint was simply mind-blowing.

Coming back to Wolfenstein 3D in 2026 feels quite a bit different. The initial magic trick of the game’s perspective has worn off after nearly 35 years of playing the countless first-person shooters it inspired. And the advancements in shooter design since 1992 make some of the decisions id Software made for its first experiment in the genre feel a bit archaic from a modern perspective.

Still, it’s fascinating to look back at Wolfenstein 3D today and see the seeds that would sprout into one of gaming’s most popular genres. Playing it today feels like going to a car museum and taking a Model T for a spin, with all the confusion and danger that entails.

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European Commission Investigating Breach After Amazon Cloud Account Hack

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The European Commission is investigating a breach after a threat actor allegedly accessed at least one of its AWS cloud accounts and claimed to have stolen more than 350 GB of data, including databases and employee-related information. AWS says its own services were not breached. BleepingComputer reports: Sources familiar with the incident have told BleepingComputer that the attack was quickly detected and that the Commission’s cybersecurity incident response team is now investigating. While the Commission has yet to share any details about this breach, the threat actor who claimed responsibility for the attack reached out to BleepingComputer earlier this week, stating that they had stolen over 350 GB of data (including multiple databases).

They didn’t disclose how they breached the affected accounts, but they provided BleepingComputer with several screenshots as proof that they had access to information belonging to European Commission employees and to an email server used by Commission employees. The threat actor also told BleepingComputer that they will not attempt to extort the Commission using the allegedly stolen data as leverage, but intend to leak the data online at a later date.


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With new plugins feature, OpenAI officially takes Codex beyond coding

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OpenAI has added plugin support to its agentic coding app Codex in an apparent attempt to match similar features offered by competitors Anthropic (in Claude Code) and Google (in Gemini’s command line interface).

What OpenAI calls “plugins” are actually bundles that may include skills (“prompts that describe workflows to Codex”—a standard feature in tools like this these days), app integrations, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers.

The idea is that they make it possible to configure Codex in certain ways for specific tasks to be easier for the user and replicable across multiple users in an organization.

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From Linux to Blockchain: The Infrastructure Behind Modern Financial Systems

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The modern internet is built on open systems. From the Linux kernel powering servers worldwide to the protocols that govern data exchange, much of today’s digital infrastructure is rooted in transparency, collaboration, and decentralization. These same principles are now influencing a new frontier: financial systems built on blockchain technology.

Outbreak linked to raw cheese grows; 9 cases total, one with kidney failure

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Two more illnesses have been identified in an E. coli outbreak linked to unpasteurized cheese and milk, the Food and Drug Administration reported Thursday. The maker of the products, California-based Raw Farm, continues to deny the link and has refused to issue a recall.

According to the FDA, at least nine people have been sickened in three states, an increase of two cases since the outbreak was announced earlier this month. Three of the nine cases required hospitalization, and one person developed a life-threatening complication called Hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which causes a type of kidney failure.

Outbreak investigators have interviewed eight of the nine people sickened. All eight reported consuming unpasteurized dairy. One person couldn’t recall a brand, but the remaining seven all singled out products from Raw Farm. Five people ate Raw Farm’s raw cheddar, and two drank Raw Farm’s raw milk. Whole genome sequencing of the E. coli isolates from the patients shows high similarity, suggesting they came from a common source.

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