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These Amazon Fire TV apps are being blocked for promoting piracy

TL;DR Amazon has begun blocking certain apps from its Fire TV platform for promoting piracy. The list of freshly blocked apps includes Blink Streamz, Flix Vision, Live NetTV, and Ocean Streamz. The disabled apps can no longer be used, and can only be uninstalled. Following sharp criticism for failing to stop piracy on its Fire TV platform, Amazon has started blocking several streaming services that pirate otherwise DRM-protected content. The list includes at least four video streaming apps, i

Show HN: Zenta – Mindfulness for Terminal Users

🧘 zenta Mindfulness that fits your coding flow When your mind wanders while coding, simply return to breath. No tracking, no metrics, no disruption—just pure awareness in your terminal. The noticing itself is the practice. ✨ ⚡ Quick Start # Install git clone https://github.com/e6a5/zenta.git && cd zenta && make install-system # Set up zen aliases echo " alias breath='zenta now --quick' " >> ~ /.zshrc echo " alias breathe='zenta now' " >> ~ /.zshrc echo " alias reflect='zenta reflect' " >> ~

Redwood Materials launches energy storage business and its first target is AI data centers

Tucked between two massive buildings in the hills of the Nevada desert, 805 retired EV batteries lie in neat formation, each one wrapped in nondescript white tarps — and hiding in plain sight. A passerby might not realize this unassuming array is the largest microgrid in North America, that it’s powering a 2,000 GPU modular data center for AI infrastructure company Crusoe, or that it represents the next big act of JB Straubel, the co-founder and CEO of Redwood Materials. Redwood Materials anno

There Has Never Been a Better Time to Revisit the Original ‘Gundam’

Gundam has spent nearly 50 years reinventing itself across myriad side stories, new universes, and reimaginings of the story that started it all in the events of the “Universal Century” that kicked off in the original 1979 series Mobile Suit Gundam. There are so many ways to get into the franchise, newer starting points, perhaps less intimidating starting points than a 43-episode TV series. But there’s a reason the original Gundam still endures as one of the best, if not the best, entry points a

Analysis: During a town hall NASA officials on stage looked like hostages

The four people at the helm of America's space agency held a town hall meeting with employees Wednesday, fielding questions about downsizing, layoffs, and proposed budget cuts that threaten to undermine NASA's mission and prestige. Janet Petro, NASA's acting administrator, addressed questions from an auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. She was joined by Brian Hughes, the agency's chief of staff, a political appointee who was formerly a Florida-based consultant active in city poli

DOGE’d Federal Employees Are Getting Hit With Bills for Phantom Health Coverage

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has spent the last six months in turmoil, with the Trump administration drastically reducing the agency’s nationwide workforce. To make matters worse, the federal government is now demanding money from some former employees. Three ex-NOAA staffers who were fired, rehired, then fired again this spring received notices from the federal government stating they owed a debt for healthcare coverage. The letters, shared exclusively with NBC Ne

Homeland Security warns of Iran-backed cyberattacks targeting US networks

In Brief A bulletin issued Sunday by U.S. Homeland Security said it expects to see Iranian government-backed hackers conduct attacks against U.S. networks, amid the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Israel, and Iran. The National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin said low-level cyberattacks by hacktivists are “likely,” adding that hacktivists and government-linked hackers “routinely target” poorly secured U.S. networks and internet-connected devices to cause disruption. The bulletin was

During a town hall Wednesday, NASA officials on stage looked like hostages

The four people at the helm of America's space agency held a town hall meeting with employees Wednesday, fielding questions about downsizing, layoffs, and proposed budget cuts that threaten to undermine NASA's mission and prestige. Janet Petro, NASA's acting administrator, addressed questions from an auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington. She was joined by Brian Hughes, the agency's chief of staff, a political appointee who was formerly a Florida-based consultant active in city politics

California's Corporate Cover-Up Act Is a Privacy Nightmare

California lawmakers are pushing one of the most dangerous privacy rollbacks we’ve seen in years. S.B. 690, what we’re calling the Corporate Cover-Up Act, is a brazen attempt to let corporations spy on us in secret, gutting long-standing protections without a shred of accountability. The Corporate Cover-Up Act is a massive carve-out that would gut California’s Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) and give Big Tech and data brokers a green light to spy on us without consent for just about any reason.

Does your generative AI protect your privacy? New study ranks them best to worst

TU IS/Getty Most generative AI companies rely on user data to train their chatbots. For that, they may turn to public or private data. Some services are less invasive and more flexible at scooping up data from their users. Others, not so much. A new report from data removal service Incogni looks at the best and the worst of AI when it comes to respecting your personal data and privacy. For its report "Gen AI and LLM Data Privacy Ranking 2025," Incogni examined nine popular generative AI servic

This carrier will soon let you send photos and videos to 911 - here's how

Ajax9 / Getty Images If you're an AT&T Wireless customer, you're about to receive a potentially life-saving feature on your phone. The company announced several upgrades to its Next Generation 9-1-1 ESInet emergency communications platform this week, with the most important one coming to your phone. Later this year, AT&T customers will be able to send picture and video messages to 9-1-1. Also: You should use these 10 personal safety features on your Pixel phone (before it's too late) Many ju

A Dictionary of the Language of Myst's D'ni

A Dictionary of the Language of D�ni Compiled by Kh�reestrefah This page is published with the permission of Cyan, Inc. Introduction The purpose of this webpage is to provide a list of all of the words of the Language of D�ni that have been published by Cyan, together with citation of the actual source of each item and some indication of the context. As a glance at the list of �Sources Cited� so far will show, information about the language has been revealed in diverse ways, ranging fr

Topics: cyan dlg ehn kehn rawa

AT&T users are about to get a potentially life-saving feature on their phones. Here's what it is

SOPA Images / Contributor / Getty If you're an AT&T Wireless customer, you're about to receive a potentially life-saving feature on your phone. The company announced several upgrades to its Next Generation 9-1-1 ESInet emergency communications platform this week, with the most important one coming to your phone. Later this year, AT&T customers will be able to send picture and video messages to 9-1-1. Also: You should use these 10 personal safety features on your Pixel phone (before it's too l

Generative AI and privacy are best frenemies - a new study ranks the best and worst offenders

TU IS/Getty Most generative AI companies rely on user data to train their chatbots. For that, they may turn to public or private data. Some services are less invasive and more flexible at scooping up data from their users. Others, not so much. A new report from data removal service Incogni looks at the best and the worst of AI when it comes to respecting your personal data and privacy. For its report "Gen AI and LLM Data Privacy Ranking 2025," Incogni examined nine popular generative AI servic

New Firefox Add-On Policies

We’ve updated Add-on policies for addons.mozilla.org (AMO). Here’s a summary of the changes and their impact on AMO’s publishing process. Our main objective was to simplify and clarify Add-on policies for the developer community. The following policy updates will take effect on 4 August, 2025. “Closed group” prohibition lifted Closed group extensions are typically intended for internal or private use among a relatively small group of users. In the past AMO did not allow closed group extensions

You’ll soon be able to send photos and video to 911 as easily as to friends

When a serious emergency occurs, a picture can be worth a thousand words. It can be incredibly helpful to first responders to see ahead of time what they will be faced with when they arrive. It is technically possible to send photos and video to 911 operators, but it’s a convoluted process. That’s set to change later this year … If this all sounds familiar, that’s because there had been limited trials of the feature before Apple last year announced Emergency SOS Live Video in iOS 18. The aim w

Mom-Approved Best Pregnancy Pillows to Help You Sleep Better While Pregnant

Sleeping well during pregnancy is tough, and expectant mothers may experience sleep issues. I was pregnant during the summer and the only thing that seemed to help me, as my bump grew, was using pregnancy pillows. I tried many during my second and third trimesters, and they made a big difference. Cooling options and extra support helped ease the pressure on my back and hips, and I finally started sleeping better. While testing, I kept in mind that everyone’s needs vary when they're pregnant. Fr

US warns of Iranian cyberattacks and propaganda in wake of airstrikes

TL;DR: The Iranian government has been behind several cyberattacks on US organizations over the years. Now, the Department of Homeland Security has warned of an increased threat of both cyberattacks and physical attacks from the nation following US strikes on its nuclear facilities over the weekend. Homeland Security has warned that low-level cyberattacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government are likely. The advisory adds that th

AT&T is making it easier to send pictures to 911 dispatchers

AT&T is updating its next-gen 911 network to give users more efficient ways to share important information with emergency services. Starting in October, AT&T’s ESInet emergency communications platform will make it easier for AT&T customers to share pictures and video messages with supported dispatch centers, helping to quickly explain the situation and better prepare first responders who will arrive on the scene. The ESInet platform helps 911 dispatch centers process callouts faster and more re

Ditch That Old TV or Computer Monitor: Here's Where You Can Go

Are there old, unused electronic devices sitting around your house, just taking up space? It can be tough to get rid of that old laptop, desktop or printer you've got sitting around -- even when it's been over a decade since you last switched it on. Recycling old tech can free up a lot of space in your home. A recent CNET survey found that 31% of US adults are still holding onto unused old devices, including laptops, because they're unsure of what to do with them. The survey also found that 19%

With 1.2.2 update, Civilization VII tries to win back traditionalists

It has been just over 130 days since Civilization VII launched to mostly positive reviews—but quite a bit of disappointment for series traditionalists. At first, developer Firaxis was releasing primarily bug, balance, and UI fixes, but today saw the release of version 1.2.2—possibly the biggest yet in terms of adding features to the game. Available for all platforms except Switch and Switch 2—which will get it later—the update adds several tweaks that allow the game's players to customize games

ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark: Two of CNET’s Favorite VPNs Compared

ExpressVPN and Surfshark are two heavyweights and sit comfortably among CNET’s top VPN picks thanks to their exceptional all-around performance and privacy protections. I use both ExpressVPN and Surfshark regularly and can tell you that each is excellent at what it does -- but also that each one does things very differently. That’s good, because there are distinctions between ExpressVPN and Surfshark that can make it easier to decide between the two based on your specific needs. In a perfect wor

This Linux distro routes all your traffic through the Tor network - and it's my new favorite for privacy

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Privacy has become a keystone for keeping your information safe and preventing third parties from creating consumer profiles that could then be used for targeted marketing... or worse. To that end, there are countless products and services that promise to keep you and your information private. Some work, and some are nothing but snake oil. For me, the best route to privacy goes through Linux and one of the many privacy-focused distributions. Recently

The Download: the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s first pictures, and reframing privacy

The first spectacular images taken by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have been released for the world to peruse: a panoply of iridescent galaxies and shimmering nebulas. Much has been written about the observatory’s grand promise: to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos by revealing a once-hidden population of far-flung galaxies, erupting stars, interstellar objects, and elusive planets. And thanks to its unparalleled technical prowess, few doubted its ability to make good on that. Bu

Bandwidth vs. Latency: We Chatted With an Internet Connectivity Expert to Understand the Difference

Having fast, reliable home internet is essential these days for work, school, streaming and browsing. But understanding how much speed you need, or even what "internet speed" even means, can be a daunting task. Bandwidth and latency are two key factors that affect how we perceive the speed of our internet connection. But while you may hear them used together quite often, these two terms have distinct meanings. Understanding what they are and the difference between them can help you troubleshoot

The Void IDE, Open-Source Alternative to Cursor, Released in Beta

A new open-source AI-powered code editor, Void IDE, was recently released in beta, positioning itself as a privacy-focused and free alternative to popular closed-source AI editors like Cursor and GitHub Copilot. Backed by Y Combinator, Void IDE is a fork of Visual Studio Code. While Microsoft recently announced plans to open Source its GitHub Copilot Chat Extension possibly in a few months, the beta release is available now for the community to fiddle with. The primary motivation behind Void ID

Topics: ai code ide privacy void

Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over a little-known but deeply intrusive bloatware application—AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones. Without users’ knowledge or consent, this bloatware collects sensitive personal data, cannot be removed without compromising device security, and offers no clear information about its privacy practices. AppCloud, developed by the controversial Israeli

Feeling Off? These 7 Warning Signs Could Mean You're Iron Deficient

Feeling unusually tired, foggy or just off lately? It might not just be stress or poor sleep. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional issues in the U.S. and many people don't even realize they have it. According to national health data, absolute and functional iron deficiencies affect more than one in 10 adults and the symptoms can sneak up on you. An absolute deficiency happens when your body doesn't have enough iron at all, while a functional deficiency means the iron is there b

Etsy Is Clamping Down on 3D Printed Products. Here's How It Could Affect You

It feels like everyone needs a side hustle these days. If your hobby can help make you some extra income, it seems like a no-brainer to at least try and do it. 3D printing, laser engraving and using vinyl cutters like the famous Cricut machine all give you a chance to make something beautiful, unique and sellable. Etsy has been the storefront of choice for almost 20 years, and despite other options being available, it still boasts 8.13 million active sellers in 2025, according to a recent Contim

Samsung Embeds IronSource Spyware App on Phones Across WANA

In recent months, we have received numerous reports from users across West Asia and North Africa (WANA) expressing alarm over a little-known but deeply intrusive bloatware application—AppCloud—pre-installed on Samsung’s A and M series smartphones. Without users’ knowledge or consent, this bloatware collects sensitive personal data, cannot be removed without compromising device security, and offers no clear information about its privacy practices. AppCloud, developed by the controversial Israeli