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I used a $170 thermal camera to check my GCFI breaker - here's why this one's worth it

ZDNET's key takeaways HSFTools' HF96V thermal camera is available now for $180. It has a broad temperature range and a high level of accuracy with an eight-hour battery life. It has an IP54 rating for dust and water-resistance, but it's not waterproof. $189.99 at Amazon For a limited time, the HSFTools HF96V thermal camera is $40 off on Amazon, bringing it down to $180. Regular readers will know that I am a little obsessed with thermal imaging cameras. I regularly use them built into smartph

Senate removes ban on state AI regulations from Trump's tax bill

Jarmo Piironen/Getty Images Until now, the Trump administration's tax bill -- also called its "big, beautiful bill," which passed in the Senate on Tuesday -- included a rule that would prevent states from enforcing their own AI legislation for five years, and would withhold up to $500 million in funding for AI infrastructure if states don't comply. On Tuesday, a day into a "vote-o-rama" that began Monday in an effort to pass Trump's tax bill before the July 4 holiday, the Senate voted 99 to on

"Indie Rock Band" That's Clearly Using AI Claims That "We Never Use AI"

An "indie rock band" called The Velvet Sundown, which is marketing its music with AI-generated pictures of members that don't appear to exist, is now claiming that "we never use AI." After being publicly accused of being the fabrication of AI, an "official" X account for the band is now seemingly attempting to control the narrative, or at least to gin up a few more streams. "Absolutely crazy that so-called 'journalists' keep pushing the lazy, baseless theory that The Velvet Sundown is 'AI-gene

Poll: Do you like AI music?

Like a modern version of the tree-falling-in-the-woods conundrum, AI is giving us new philosophical questions. For example, if AI music sounds genuine, is it okay to enjoy it? This debate has gained momentum recently, as a new band called The Velvet Sundown just reached over 500,000 listens on Spotify. The problem is that they don’t actually exist. Everything about them — from their echoey, classic rock-inspired tracks to their Instagram pictures — appears to be AI-generated. I’ve been listeni

The FCC delays enforcement of prison call rate caps

Commissioner Anna M. Gomez called it an 'indefensible decision to ignore both the law and the will of Congress.' Chalk one up for prison telecoms — and against inmates' family members — courtesy of Trump's FCC. On Monday, the agency said (via The Verge) it would delay enforcement of a 2024 action aimed at capping prison phone call fees. The rules are now scheduled to take effect in April 2027. FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez criticized the agency's move in a statement. "Today, the FCC made the

Topics: fcc fees law rates state

One UI 8’s Now Brief will make sure you don’t miss a birthday again

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Now Brief in the latest One UI 8 beta displays birthday reminders and also lets you create an AI-generated birthday card. The birthday card is generated with a prompt and can be created in one of six art styles. This is the latest addition to Now Brief, and we’re expecting plenty more by the time stable One UI 8 is released. Samsung’s Now Brief feature gives users a summary of relevant information several times a day. We know Samsung is working on more ty

5 Best Food Dehydrators, Tested and Reviewed (2025)

I’ve been food dehydrator-curious for longer than I can remember. I knew some fellow mushroom foragers had these mysterious and bulky-looking appliances, but I never looked into owning one until I tried to dry sliced sweet potatoes in my gas oven. Not only did using my stove at its lowest setting for hours produce indoor air pollution, but I was unable to set my gas stove below 170 degrees Fahrenheit. My efforts produced burnt versions of the dried sweet potato slices sold as my dog’s overpriced

First-Class Models: The Missing Productivity Revolution

TL;DR: First-class models with branching and merging capabilities represent an almost entirely unused enormous productivity and expressiveness unlock in programming and computer systems. The Current State: Well-Designed Systems, Constrained Users Imagine you’re building an accounting system from scratch. You’d design it properly: a normalized database schema, algebraically defined operations for debits and credits, account reconciliation, and comparison functions. You’d implement data-only, in

Senate drops plan to ban state AI laws

is a senior reporter for The Verge, covering the Trump administration, Elon Musk’s takeover of the federal government, and the tech industry’s embrace of the MAGA movement. The US Senate has voted overwhelmingly to remove a moratorium on states regulating AI systems from the Republican “big, beautiful bill.” Legislators agreed by a margin of 99 to 1 to drop the controversial proposal during a protracted fight over the omnibus budget bill, which is still under debate. The vote followed failed a

7 things every Linux beginner should know before downloading their first distro

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET I can still remember the moment I switched from Windows to Linux. Back then, I didn't have anyone there to tell me what to expect. It would have been nice to get even a bit of advice from someone with Linux experience in the know to say, "Hey, you'll want to know about this before you start down that path." It would have made things easier. Instead, I took just dove right in, hoping I could figure it all out as I went. The good news: Linux today is n

Senator Blackburn Pulls Support for AI Moratorium in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Amid Backlash

As Congress races to pass President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” it’s also sprinting to placate the many haters of the bill’s “AI moratorium” provision which originally required a 10-year pause on state AI regulations. The provision, which was championed by White House AI czar and venture capitalist David Sacks, has proved remarkably unpopular with a diverse contingent of government officials, ranging from 40 state attorneys general to the ultra-MAGA representative Marjorie Taylor Green

Oura Ring 5 wishlist: All the features I want to see

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority The smart ring arena is evolving quickly, but Oura still sets the pace. Its current-generation ring is polished, feature-packed, and impressively reliable. Yet, no device line is immune to the itch for something more. With new rivals entering the scene and wearables advancing rapidly, now feels like the right time to think about what’s next. The Oura Ring 5 is likely a ways out, but I’m already daydreaming about what the next model might include. A refined de

11 Bit Studios clarifies its AI use in The Alters after player outcry

11 Bit Studios has drawn the ire of players for the undisclosed use of artificial intelligence in its recent release, The Alters. The new project from the team behind Frostpunk and This War of Mine is a narratively and thematically interesting take on a science fiction survival game. The project contains a lot of dialogue and written text, and some players discovered in-game copy that appeared to be generated by a large language model. The Steam storefront requires that games disclose when they

Ask HN: 80s electronics book club; anyone remember this illustrator?

In the early 80's in the US, a popular DIY electronics magazine had a book of the month club that I loved. Most were small and leather bound hardback with topics like: make your own hydrophone; augmented reality (required a full room and a boom arm, sadly); an LCD model rocket launcher ignition; computer vision; lots and lots of robots. One book I remember (large, softcover, yellow cover) featured black and white, pen and ink illustrations of fantastically complex robots and machines. One that

New to Linux? Seven things every beginner should know

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET I can still remember the moment I switched from Windows to Linux. Back then, I didn't have anyone there to tell me what to expect. It would have been nice to get even a bit of advice from someone with Linux experience in the know to say, "Hey, you'll want to know about this before you start down that path." It would have made things easier. Instead, I took just dove right in, hoping I could figure it all out as I went. The good news: Linux today is n

Mortgage Rate Predictions: How Tariffs, War and the Fed Are Impacting Rates

Buyers should keep an eye on the possibility of rate cuts in the next few months. Tharon Green/CNET Mortgage market predictions have been clouded by economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration's trade measures, deficit spending and geopolitical maneuvering. The big question hanging over the housing market is whether rates will rise due to tariff-induced inflation or fall due to a recession. Since early spring, average mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans have been swinging betwee

Congress might block state AI laws for five years — here’s what it means

A federal proposal that would ban states and local governments from regulating AI for five years could soon be signed into law, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other lawmakers work to secure its inclusion into a GOP megabill — which the Senate is voting on Monday — ahead of a key July 4 deadline. Those in favor — including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, and a16z’s Marc Andreessen — argue that a “patchwork” of AI regulation among states would stifle American innovation at a time when

Congress might block state AI laws for five years. Here’s what it means.

A federal proposal that would ban states and local governments from regulating AI for five years could soon be signed into law, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other lawmakers work to secure its inclusion into a GOP megabill — which the Senate is voting on Monday — ahead of a key July 4 deadline. Those in favor — including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, and a16z’s Marc Andreessen — argue that a “patchwork” of AI regulation among states would stifle American innovation at a time when

BLUETTI Portable Power Station With Solar Panel Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday and Last Prime Day

Summer holidays are coming up, and while there will be some people who want to hop on a plane and go abroad, a lot of us prefer the great outdoors. If you do, and you want your camping trips or long days at the beach to be better than ever, then a solar generator can be an incredible investment to help you stay calm, cool, and powered up. See at Amazon There are a few great solar generators on the market, but there’s only one that’s 50% off right now and an incredible steal for those who know

I Took Photoshop's Generative AI for a Spin. These Are the Tools That Stuck Out

Photoshop is all in on generative AI, and it wants you to give it a whirl, too. Adobe has added a number of AI features to its premiere photo editor over the past few years; if you use Photoshop regularly, you've probably seen these pop up on your task bars. I spend a lot of time reviewing AI image generators and other AI creative software, so I had to put the original photo editor's AI to the test. AI might not be right for every project, especially for professional creators who regularly use

Robinhood expands its global push, minutes from crypto chief's old cramped apartment in Cannes

CANNES — Fifteen years after flipping burgers at a McDonald 's and teaching himself to code at night in a cramped apartment near the French Riviera, Robinhood crypto chief Johann Kerbrat is back. The last time he lived around Cannes, he was 21 — with no connections, no funding, and no formal business training. But he had a knack for programming and a drive to solve real-world problems. Kerbrat, who is now senior vice president and crypto GM at Robinhood, quit his job just before starting unive

Will Mortgage Rates Drop in a Recession? This Realtor Has a Hot Take

Mortgage rates have typically fallen during recessionary periods. Douglas Rissing/Getty Images In today's news cycle, recession headlines come and go. Amid trade war anxieties, stock market roller-coaster rides and global conflict, no one is hoping for a major economic setback -- except recessions have often created more favorable conditions for mortgage rates. Since the beginning of 2025, average 30-year fixed mortgage rates have been stuck in the high 6.5% to 7% range. Most housing experts,

Google rolls out Veo 3 video generator, try it for free using credits

Google is rolling out Veo 3 to everyone using Vertex AI, which is an ML-testing platform provided by Google Cloud. Unlike Sora and other generative video AI models, Veo 3 is a state-of-the-art video generator trained on millions of YouTube videos, and it can generate realistic videos, but great quality comes at a high cost. Veo 3 isn't free, but since it's part of Google Cloud, you can use it for free by subscribing to the $300 trial offered by Google. To get started, you can sign up for a Go

LetsEncrypt – Expiration Notification Service Has Ended

Since its inception, Let’s Encrypt has been sending expiration notification emails to subscribers that have provided an email address to us via the ACME API. This service ended on June 4, 2025. The decision to end the service is the result of the following factors: Over the past 10 years more and more of our subscribers have been able to put reliable automation into place for certificate renewal. Providing expiration notification emails means that we have to retain millions of email addresses c

Error handling in Rust

On Error Handling in Rust The current standard for error handling, when writing a crate, is to define one error enum per module, or one for the whole crate that covers all error cases that the module or crate can possibly produce, and each public function that returns a Result will use said error enum. This means, that a function will return an error enum, containing error variants that the function cannot even produce. If you match on this error enum, you will have to manually distinguish whi

Hollywood’s pivot to AI video has a prompting problem

is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years. It has become almost impossible to browse the internet without having an AI-generated video thrust upon you. Open basically any social media platform, and it won’t be long until an uncanny-looking clip of a fake natural disaster or animals doing impossible things slides across your screen. Most of the videos look absolutely terrible.

I Let AI Agents Plan My Vacation—and It Wasn't Terrible

The worst part of travel is the planning: the faff of finding and booking transport, accommodation, restaurant reservations—the list can feel endless. To help, the latest wave of AI agents, such as OpenAI’s Operator and Anthropic’s Computer Use claim they can take these dreary, cumbersome tasks from befuddled travelers and do it all for you. But exactly how good are they are digging out the good stuff? What better way to find out than deciding on a last-minute weekend away. I tasked Operator, w

The Great Illusion: When We Believed BeOS Would Save the World

A nostalgic dive into the Hacker News thread that in 2015 reminded us how beautiful we were when we dreamed in multithreading Once upon a time, in a galaxy not so far away called “the ’90s,” we still believed that the future of computing would be decided based on pure technical merit. What naivety! It was an era when an operating system could make you fall in love at first boot, when opening four videos simultaneously without hiccups seemed more magical than pulling a rabbit from a hat. BeOS wa