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How to turn off ACR on your TV - and why you shouldn't wait to do it

Adam Breeden/ZDNET Did you know that whenever you turn on your smart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you? These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads. Also: Your TV's USB port is seriously underut

What's the strongest AI model you can train on a laptop in five minutes?

What’s the strongest model I can train on my MacBook Pro in five minutes? I’ll give the answer upfront: the best 5-minute model I could train was a ~1.8M-param GPT-style transformer trained on ~20M TinyStories tokens, reaching ~9.6 perplexity on a held-out split. Here’s an example of the output, with the prompt bolded: Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Tim. Tim had a small box that he liked to play with. He would push the box to open. One day, he found a big red ball in his yard.

I Flew Insta360’s First Drone With a 360-Degree Camera, and It’s DJI’s Worst Nightmare

Screw merely flying a drone; what if you were the drone? You’re a nimble robot buzzing over those rooted pedestrians far below. Above you is blue sky, below the dry ground, and all around you open expanse and a curving horizon. You can see it all, as if you were a head in a jar looking through an impossible dome. Insta360, a company that’s spearheaded 360-degree cameras as an alternative to today’s GoPros, got into drones the only way it knew how—by sticking twin, fish-eye lenses on an unmanned

I’m Watching Every Conjuring Movie Before 'The Conjuring: Last Rites.' Here’s Where to Stream Them All

When The Conjuring debuted in 2013, directed by James Wan, the movie felt like a throwback to atmospheric 1970s horror flicks such as The Changeling or The Manitou. From its simple opening title card -- yellow text on a black background -- to its relatively little gore and slow build of suspense, The Conjuring was a breath of fresh air. It arrived at a time when the horror genre was rampant with gruesome movies like Saw (which was also directed by Wan) and Hostel. The Conjuring kick-started not

I flew Insta360’s Antigravity — it could change how drones are made

is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget. I know my way around a pair of joysticks — but I’d prefer to soar. I don’t want to think about filming while I’m flying. I’d rather explore. Now, camera maker Insta360 is launching its first drone, under a new drone company, to serve that exact demand. It’s called Antigravity, and in January 2026, it’ll ship a flying 360-degree camera whic

The Download: affordable EV trucks, and Russia’s latest internet block

On Monday, Ford announced plans for an affordable electric truck with a 2027 delivery date and an expected price tag of about $30,000, thanks in part to a new manufacturing process that it says will help cut costs. This could be the shot in the arm that the slowing US EV market needs. If anything can get Americans excited, it’s a truck, especially an affordable one. However, there are some significant hurdles in the way. EV sales are slowing, and Ford in particular has struggled recently. Th

Topics: ev evs ford read slowing

Mbodi AI (YC X25) Is Hiring a Founding Research Engineer (Robotics)

Description: Join Mbodi AI (YC X25), an AI robotics startup founded by two former Googlers committed to pushing the boundaries of intelligent robots. Mbodi is an embodied AI platform that makes robots learn like humans, with natural language. So anyone can teach robots new skills by talking to them and execute the learned skills reliably in production, in minutes. We are pioneering the next wave of robotics, where advanced generative models meet real-world applications. Backed by top investors

Best Melatonin Supplements of 2025

Our team has spent years expertly selecting vitamins by studying the market, reading hundreds of customer reviews and understanding which essential vitamins our bodies need. Always consider your medical conditions and current medication when choosing a melatonin supplement. Speak with your doctor. Extra certifications help you feel confident that the supplement only contains what’s on the ingredient label. The most popular forms of melatonin are capsules, tablets, gummies and liquid. Decide w

Teenage Engineering’s new PC case is plastic and free

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Teenage Engineering – best known for its electronic instruments and slick audio gear – has announced a new computer case, a follow-up to its $149 Computer-1 released back in 2021, that it’s claiming is the “cheapest computer case in the world” because the com

The US could really use an affordable electric truck

But if anything can get Americans excited, it’s a truck, especially an affordable one. (There was a ton of buzz over the announcement of a bare-bones truck from Bezos-backed Slate Auto earlier this year, for example.) The big question is whether the company can deliver in this environment. One key thing to note here: This is not the first time that there’s been a big splashy truck announcement from Ford that was supposed to change everything. The F-150 Lightning was hailed as a turning point fo

Save $250 on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Ryan Haines / Android Authority Smaller phones are dying, but many of us still look for more manageable phones that don’t add too much bulk in the pocket. Your next best bet might be to go for something like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, known for being especially thin. Right now, you can take one home at a $250 discount, bringing the price down to $849.99 Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for $849.99 ($250 off) This offer is available from Amazon. The discount applies to all color versions avail

Google Photos wants to help you spot deepfakes and AI edits (APK teardown)

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Google is working on adding a new section called “How was this made” to the details view. This section will tell a user if certain photos or videos were edited with AI or not. The feature uses Content Credentials to maintain a history of edits, both with and without AI tools. An error message will appear if the media history has been modified or is missing. As AI continues to blur the lines between what’s real and what’s fake, it’s becoming increasingly

Google Messages now ensures you don’t get flashed without your consent

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google Messages will now automatically blur NSFW photos that you receive or send. It will show warnings before opening any explicit media shared with you to ensure you approve of it. It will also warn you of the risks of sending such photos before you do. All processing takes place locally on your device, so none of the private media is sent to Google. The outpouring of multimedia junk, thanks to RCS, in Android’s default Messages app has inspired G

I’ve always been more of a Flip fan, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has won me over

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be headed the wrong way on price, but it's going in the right direction for everything else. It's both slimmer and more powerful than any Fold before it, fitting the same battery and a new chipset into a body that's barely over four millimeters when open. I'd love to see one or two S Ultra-tier improvements, but there's no denying this is the foldable Samsung has wanted to make for years. I’ve been on board with foldable phones since the s

Funky new wallpaper to welcome the latest Apple Store

Apple has today previewed its latest retail store ahead of its opening on Saturday. As usual, the company has created a funky new wallpaper to celebrate the opening, and made it available for download. The store design mirrors what we have seen in other recent mall openings: a curved frontage with lots of glass, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior … Qianhai Yifang City Apple store The latest store is in Shenzhen, which is coincidentally home to a lot of Apple suppliers. Apple

My favorite lens and screen-cleaning kit keeps my tech smudge-free, and it costs $8

The Koala cleaning kit with a pair of glasses. Kayla Solino/ZDNET I've been wearing prescription glasses since I was 18 months old, so trust me when I tell you I know a lot about keeping lenses clean and protected -- I've had over 20 years of practice. While it may seem like you can clean your sunglasses or glasses with any old "glass cleaner," or something as simple as soap and water, I am here to tell you that it can be a huge (and costly) mistake. Most glass cleaning products (even dish soa

What I look for in typeface licenses

Typeface licenses Process Journal I can’t remember the last time I undertook a design project where we didn’t use a commercial typeface. I often recommend these to clients because: The world of commercial typefaces is broad and it opens up a range of high-quality options for a project Using a commercial typeface is an easy way to level-up a design (though it won’t fix a bad design) Supporting independent foundries is important There’s no judgement on open source typefaces – I’m often pairi

Brilliant illustrations bring this 1976 Soviet edition of 'The Hobbit' to life

The Soviet Hobbit Bilbo and Gollum behind the Iron Curtain Alex Q. Arbuckle 1976 Credit: Via English Russia First published in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, has been translated into more than 40 languages. In addition to different translations, dozens of uniquely illustrated versions of the children’s story have been released over the years. This 1976 Soviet edition features illustrations by M. Belomlinskij, depicting Bilbo, Ga

Show HN: XR2000: A science fiction programming challenge

Challenge: XR2000 August 10, 2025 Today I’m releasing the XR2000: A programming challenge with extensive science fiction backstory. This is a project I’ve long wanted to make, and it has slowly come to life in the last few years. I love a good puzzle or game that involves programming. Over the years I found a couple of these games that were particularly fun. These really inspired me to start the XR2000. Before explaining more about my new challenge, I want to mention (and recommend) these game

Here are five great iPhone deals if you’re shopping on a budget

If you’re trying to buy a new iPhone, it can often be hard to find something on a tighter budget. Sure, Apple offers the iPhone 16e at $599 – but not everyone finds that to be a compelling phone. Luckily, there’s plenty of great options if you want to buy used, and I’ll be delving into five great picks for varying needs. #1 – iPhone 15 Pro If you’re after higher end features like a ProMotion display, Apple Intelligence, and a telephoto lens – the iPhone 15 Pro is hands down the best overall pi

Topics: 128gb 15 iphone ll making

What Medieval People Got Right About Learning (2019)

We tend to assume that if people today and people five hundred years ago do things differently, it’s because we’ve figured out a better way to do it. After all, we have microscopes, democracy and penicillin. People in the middle ages lit cats on fire for fun. Yet despite overwhelming progress, it’s ironically in the area of education that we may be the ones who have it backward. Apprenticeships were, for a long time, the dominant way of learning professional skills. A master agrees to show you

Open Banking and Payments Competition

Much of the operation of the financial industry is legible to people outside of it. Your credit card works basically like you understand it to (excepting the occasional mythmaking about second order consequences). Debates about what terms banks are allowed to offer on credit cards are fairly straightforward and can be easily followed by non-specialists. But some issues are under the hood, and a societal debate about them doesn’t exactly wear its consequences on its sleeves. Consider the controv

‘New Panty & Stocking’ Just Tackled the Gen Z-Millennial Divide in the Most Absurd Style

Although Prime Video hasn’t adequately promoted Studio Trigger’s sequel series to the raunchy cult classic New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, the show remains one of the funniest anime airing this season. Its latest episode prominently highlights the contentious generational divide between Millennials and Gen Z. In its sixth episode, titled “The Brothers from Heaven,” the anime slows down its compilation of short stories to present a unified narrative filled with pop culture references throu

Elon Musk's DOGE Was Far More of a Dismal Failure Than We Thought

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency originally promised to save the government $2 trillion in waste. That target quickly dropped to $1 trillion. Then in April, Musk started intimating that the savings would only be in the region of $150 billion, making it clear to all but his most diehard supporters that DOGE was failing on its own terms — even going by its own dubious estimates of its progress. Now, it's looking like those purported "savings" are somehow even more pitiful than onc

Tesla’s graphics are about to get Unreal

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Tesla’s in-car visualizations for features like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving might be getting an upgrade with a switch to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. As reported by Not a Tesla App, Tesla hacker greentheonly says they found evidence of the change in Tesla’s 2025.20 firmware for Tesla Mod

Rerank-2.5 and rerank-2.5-lite: instruction-following rerankers

TL;DR – We are excited to introduce the rerank-2.5 series, which significantly improves upon rerank-2 ’s performance while also introducing instruction-following capabilities for the first time. On our standard suite of 93 retrieval datasets spanning multiple domains, rerank-2.5 and rerank-2.5-lite improve retrieval accuracy by 7.94% and 7.16% over Cohere Rerank v3.5. Furthermore, the new instruction-following feature allows users to steer the model’s output relevance scores using natural langua

I bought the 2025 version of Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra - here's the model I'd recommend instead

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ZDNET's key takeaways The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale for $650 in four color options. Its display is vibrant and large, the battery lasts through a couple of days, and LTE is provided at no extra cost. It comes in a single 47mm size, gesture support is limited, and external sensor connections are not supported. $649.99 at Amazon Last year's Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra was my favorite Google WearOS smartwatch, so when I saw the 2025 Watch Ultra with its new

Waymo finally has a music experience worthy of its robotaxi

I’m riding in the back of a Waymo that’s autonomously navigating the busy streets of San Francisco with relative ease thanks to 29 external cameras, six radar, and five lidar sensors all feeding into an AI model. For just 15 bucks, I get to experience what feels like a miracle of modern technology, and yet, there’s a nagging thought I can’t shake. The music sucks in here. Waymo’s music-streaming feature has felt like an aged barnacle attached to a futuristic shell. Until this week, passengers

New downgrade attack can bypass FIDO auth in Microsoft Entra ID

Security researchers have created a new FIDO downgrade attack against Microsoft Entra ID that tricks users into authenticating with weaker login methods, making them susceptible to phishing and session hijacking. These weaker login channels are vulnerable to adversary-in-the-middle phishing attacks that employ tools like Evilginx, enabling attackers to snatch valid session cookies and hijack the accounts. Although the attack doesn't prove a vulnerability in FIDO itself, it shows that the syste

New downgrade attack can bypass FIDO auth in Microsoft Entra ID

Security researchers have created a new FIDO downgrade attack against Microsoft Entra ID that tricks users into authenticating with weaker login methods, making them susceptible to phishing and session hijacking. These weaker login channels are vulnerable to adversary-in-the-middle phishing attacks that employ tools like Evilginx, enabling attackers to snatch valid session cookies and hijack the accounts. Although the attack doesn't prove a vulnerability in FIDO itself, it shows that the syste