Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: en Clear Filter

It's Wise to Wash All Produce, but These 12 Fruits and Veggies Are the Dirtiest

Cleaning your fridge and freezer is important to do every so often, but what about the food sitting inside it? Specifically, that bottom drawer, where fruits and veggies go to retire. Even the healthiest-looking produce can carry unwelcome hitchhikers like dirt, bacteria and trace pesticides. Now, don't freak out. According to the USDA's Pesticide Data Program, over 99% of tested foods were well within the EPA's safety limits -- and more than a quarter didn't have a speck of pesticide residue.

A Surprise Pokémon Game Just Dropped for Switch and Mobile

The Pokémon Company is releasing a new, unexpected game today: Pokémon Friends, a daily puzzle game you can download now for mobile devices, Switch, and Switch 2. The company revealed the game as part of a Pokémon Direct presentation that included new details on Pokémon Legends: Z-A and a Switch 2 bundle, Pokémon Champions, and more. In Pokémon Friends, players untangle yarn—essentially solving different puzzles, like freeing pokémon from a box or fixing tracks—to make and collect plush toys. O

After Fight With Musk, Trump Reportedly Ordered Review of Government SpaceX Contracts

Now that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and president Donald Trump are no longer seeing eye to eye, it sounds like the White House is working to undercut the richest man in the world's revenue from Washington. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Trump aides initiated a review of SpaceX contracts with the federal government to identify potential waste — pointed scrutiny not unlike the so-called Department of Government Efficiency helmed by Musk himself prior to his ousting from the Trump administration.

There's a Switch 2 bundle with Pokémon Legends: Z-A dropping on October 16

Now that AAA video games cost a full $70, console bundles are the way to go to save a few coins. Nintendo is dropping another Switch 2 bundle just in time for the holiday season, and it's a real treat for Pokémon fanatics. The Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Bundle drops on October 16 and costs $500 . As the name suggests, this bundle includes a shiny new Switch 2 console and a digital copy of the enhanced version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The game itself wil

This Ai-driven robotic cleaner revitalized my pool after a messy storm

Beatbot Aquasense Pro Cordless Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner ZDNET's key takeaways The Beatbot Aquasense Pro is a robotic pool cleaner designed for comprehensive maintenance and heavy-duty cleanups. It features a 5-in-1 cleaning system that uses AI to optimize cleaning paths with up to 9.5 hours of operation. However, it weighs 24 pounds, has limited 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, and is pricey. View now at Amazon Living in Florida means that hurricane season is part of life. With our latest run-in

How the Trump administration changed AI: A timeline

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or

Many Lung Cancers Are Now in Nonsmokers. Scientists Want to Know Why

Annie Chen first noticed she was unusually short of breath in 2017, while running to catch the bus home to New Jersey from her job in Manhattan. She told her primary care doctor, thinking of her father, who died of lung cancer at 71. But her doctor told her not to worry — her father was a heavy smoker, and Ms. Chen had never smoked. She continued to have difficulty breathing, but it wasn’t until two years later that a doctor ordered an X-ray, and Ms. Chen was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

This Deadly Design Flaw in 5 Million Pools Just Triggered a Massive Recall

Millions of homes in the U.S. are harboring a hidden drowning danger for kids in their backyards. This week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a massive recall of certain backyard pools that have already caused the deaths of several children. The CPSC issued the recall on Monday in conjunction with multiple backyard pool manufacturers. The recalled pools—five million in total—all carry compression straps that make it possible for small kids to enter the structure without the

OpenAI and Softbank’s $500 Billion Data Center Project Is Already Stumbling

Stargate, the ambitious joint venture announced at the White House back in January between OpenAI, Oracle, the Japanese holding company Softbank, and others, appears to be struggling to deliver on its bold promises just six months later. The Wall Street Journal reported today, citing unnamed sources, that the Stargate Project has yet to finalize any deals for new data centers. The report also says the group is scaling back its near-term goals. When it was announced on Jan. 21, Stargate was pit

LA’s Museum of Jurassic Technology damaged by fire

One of the quirkier cultural gems in Los Angeles is the Museum of Jurassic Technology (MJT), featuring an eclectic collection of exhibits (of varying authenticity) inspired by historical Renaissance "cabinets of curiosities" (wunderkammers). It hasn't been broadly reported, but earlier this month, a fire broke out late at night, gutting the museum's gift shop and inflicting smoke damage on several exhibits, with lost revenues estimated to be around $75,000 until the doors reopen sometime next mo

National security meets next-gen tech at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025’s AI Defense panel

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is where breakthrough ideas meet the real-world challenges that define the future — and with over 10,000 startup and VC leaders converging, there’s no better place to have the hard conversations. One of the most urgent? How artificial intelligence is reshaping national defense, security, and critical infrastructure in real time. Enter AI Defense, a can’t-miss panel discussion taking place on one of the two AI Stages, where leaders from government, venture, and the armed

US Fairphone OS devs hit back against GrapheneOS security claims

What’s next for Murena, though? Well, the company confirmed that it will be making some improvements: Murena is taking security issues seriously, and our policy about integration of security patches in /e/OS is very comparable to or even better in some cases than many of mobile OS vendors in the smartphone industry. However, as part of our ongoing efforts to continuously improve we have decided to reduce the integration time of monthly security updates in /e/OS. Therefore we’ll progressively u

Pokémon Friends is a cute new daily puzzle game for iPhone

Daily puzzle games are on the rise, including in Apple News+. And another new game just arrived on the App Store that pairs daily puzzles with cuteness and chill vibes: Pokémon Friends is here. Complete puzzles, earn yarn, and make plushies in Pokémon Friends Puzzle games like crosswords, Wordle, and more seek to stimulate the mind while also offering users a fun reason to come back every day. Pokémon Friends is the latest such offering. If you’re at all a fan of Pokémon, the new title is a

OpenAI partners with Oracle to built out 4.5 gigawatts in data center capacity

OpenAI has struck a deal with Oracle to add an astounding 4.5 gigawatts of US data center capacity to power the massive workload required by its large language models. The companies haven't specified where these new centers will be built, but Bloomberg is reporting that Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming are all under consideration. The ChatGPT maker says this new capacity is a part of the Stargate Project , and that together with its one GW campus in Abilene, Texas, the company is projecti

Topics: ai centers data new power

This smart luggage lock is more secure than my AirTags (and it's 20% off)

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or

Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a detailed new trailer and Switch 2 bundle

is a reporter who covers the business, culture, and communities of video games, with a focus on marginalized gamers and the quirky, horny culture of video game communities. Today’s Pokémon Presents livestream was short but definitely not light on announcements. There’s a new Pokémon puzzle game out right now. Pokémon Concierge season 2 has a release date. And on top of a new story trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, there’s a new Switch 2 bundle featuring the game coming, too. The – and you’re g

Fairphone software devs hit back against GrapheneOS security claims

What’s next for Murena, though? Well, the company confirmed that it will be making some improvements: Murena is taking security issues seriously, and our policy about integration of security patches in /e/OS is very comparable to or even better in some cases than many of mobile OS vendors in the smartphone industry. However, as part of our ongoing efforts to continuously improve we have decided to reduce the integration time of monthly security updates in /e/OS. Therefore we’ll progressively u

Apple almost open-sourced its AI models, here’s why it didn’t: report

There have been several major reported departures of late from Apple’s AI team. Today, a new report from The Information delves into the internal drama, including the story of Apple almost open-sourcing its AI models and why that didn’t happen. Behind the scenes of Apple’s recent AI exodus Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma write at The Information: Earlier this year, the Apple team working on the company’s artificial intelligence models wanted to release several of them as open-source software. Doing

Headspace annual subscriptions are 40 percent off right now

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Like any habit, maintaining a meditation practice can be challenging. Having the right tools can make it a bit easier, which is why we're excited to see a subscription to Headspace is back on sale. Right now, you can get one year of Headspace for $42, down from $70. The 40 percent disc

UK to ban public sector orgs from paying ransomware gangs

The United Kingdom's government is planning to ban public sector and critical infrastructure organizations from paying ransoms after ransomware attacks. The list of entities that would have to follow the new proposed legislation includes local councils, schools, and the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS). "Ransomware is estimated to cost the UK economy millions of pounds each year, with recent high-profile ransomware attacks highlighting the severe operational, financial, and even l

Grab the Samsung Galaxy S25 for up to $553 off - here's how

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or

I finally gave NotebookLM my full attention - and it really is a total game changer

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET One of the best parts of my job is that I get to chat with industry folks who, like me, eat and breathe AI tools. After meeting with yet another (non-Google-affiliated) media person last week who told me how much they loved NotebookLM, I decided to give it a real try. Also: OpenAI wins gold at prestigious math competition - why that matters more than you think Although I've tried several NotebookLM features for the site before and have been impressed, finding a wa

The Great Unracking: Saying goodbye to the servers at our physical datacenter

Since October 2010, all Stack Exchange sites have run on physical hardware in a datacenter in New York City (well, New Jersey). These have had a warm spot in our history and our hearts. When I first joined the company and worked out of the NYC office, I saw the original server mounted on a wall with a laudatory plaque like a beloved pet. Over the years, we’ve shared glamor shots of our server racks and info about updating them. For almost our entire 16-year existence, the SRE team has managed a

DC Has Found a Familiar Face to Write the ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie

We may know how the new Resident Evil movie fits in with the games. Matt Shakman talks about working with the Russo Brothers to prep the Fantastic Four for Avengers: Doomsday. Plus, Ross Duffer debunks those wild Stranger Things season 5 runtime rumors. Spoilers, away! Wonder Woman The Wrap reports that Supergirl screenwriter Ana Nogueira has been tapped to pen DC Studio’s fast-tracked Wonder Woman movie. Resident Evil A synopsis for the new Resident Evil movie (via DanielRPK and Comic Book)

This Is the Best Sleeping Bag

Every year, my family kicks off summer—aka camping season—with a weekend in the high desert, where it’s a blisteringly hot 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and drops to the 40s at night. Every year, my despairing husband tries to accommodate his dog, wife, and children by filling up our entire truck with every single variety of sleeping material we own, from lightweight liners to camping quilts to my 0-degree mummy bag. How do you arrange sleeping materials when everyone in your family has

A daily Pokémon puzzle game is out now as part of a busy lineup

There’s a lot going on in the world of Pokémon — and you can play at least one of them right now. During its latest Pokémon Presents presentation, the Pokémon Company surprise launched Pokémon Friends, a puzzle game with daily challenges, an increasingly common style of game. In a cute Pokémon twist, solving puzzles earns you adorable (virtual) plushies you can use to decorate a room. It’s out today on iOS, Android, and the Nintendo Switch. Elsewhere, we also got looks at a pair of animated ada

The Hater's Guide to the AI Bubble

Hey! Before we go any further — if you want to support my work, please sign up for the premium version of Where’s Your Ed At, it’s a $7-a-month (or $70-a-year) paid product where every week you get a premium newsletter, all while supporting my free work too. Also, subscribe to my podcast Better Offline , which is free. Go and subscribe then download every single episode. One last thing: This newsletter is nearly 14,500 words. It’s long. Perhaps consider making a pot of coffee before you start

Elon Musk’s X Says ‘Nope’ to French Authorities Trying to Access Its Algorithm

Onlookers have long suspected that Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has a right-wing bias embedded in its digital DNA, and, in January of this year, cybercrime authorities in France took it upon themselves to uncover whether this was true or not. The investigation has sought to determine whether the site is guilty of algorithmically manipulating the visibility of content on its website. NBC reports that, earlier this month, the probe was transferred to a “key unit of France’s national police.” N