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If You’re Hit by a Hack or Identity Theft, Norton Lets You Know Clearly and Openly

Today’s world is more connected than ever but that has made it even more dangerous behind the scenes and the numbers are frankly worrying. In just the past year, global cybercrime damages soared past $10.5 trillion, and the U.S. alone has seen victim losses in the billions – over $2.1 billion lost by Californians and more than $1 billion for Texans, according to FBI data. That’s not some abstract corporate scandal: regular people, normal families, and students are the ones losing real money, the

Trading in your iPhone this launch weekend? Don’t make this rookie mistake

If you’re among the thousands planning to trade in a current phone for a new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 Pro, remembering to turn off this setting will save you an entire hour at the Apple Store. Turn off Stolen Device Protection, but be careful In late 2023, Apple announced the Stolen Device Protection feature, partly in response to a Wall Street Journal article in which Joanna Stern brought attention to an increasingly common iPhone theft strategy. The strategy involved attackers wh

A former Facebook lobbyist is now in charge of the EU's Facebook regulator

A former lobbyist for Meta is now in charge of the EU's chief regulator for big tech firms, according to reporting by The Irish Times . Niamh Sweeney has been named commissioner of the Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is one of the largest EU data protection authorities. Prior to this, she worked at Meta for six years. Sweeney was director of European public policy at WhatsApp and head of Irish public policy at Facebook for many of those years. She becomes the third active commissioner o

A Collision With Another Planet Could Have Allowed for Life on Earth

the Earth you walk on today might not be the same planet that was born 4.5 billion years ago. Many scientists believe that in its infancy, Earth collided with another world the size of Mars, and that instead of being destroyed, it was transformed, incorporating the mass of that foreign body to become the planet we know. Recent research adds another layer of relevance to that hypothesized cosmic event: Scientists believe that without that other body, the basic conditions for life to emerge on Ear

Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal

They banged drums. They played extremely loud music. They let off foul-smelling smoke from a can. Thousands of people gathered on Wednesday in central London to protest against Trump’s presence in the UK, accusing the UK government of kowtowing to him by hosting him for a state visit for the second time. Some of the placards read “Trump poisons democracy’s blood,” “Trump’s a wanker,” and “Tiny dicktator.” On one banner, surrounding a depiction of the US president as an infant wearing a diaper,

With Lumo, Proton thinks it can carve a place at the AI table

Proton released Lumo — its privacy-focused chatbot built on open-source models — in mid-July, and, following an update in August that addressed some early issues, I find myself using it more often than ChatGPT or Claude. In a world where internet companies have done so much damage to our society, I'm trying to find more ethical tools. But when the competition offers flashier features in exchange for the low price of user data, does Proton seriously think it can compete? If Eamonn Maguire, Proto

Google launches new protocol for agent-driven purchases

On Tuesday, Google announced a new open protocol for purchases initiated by AI agents — automated software programs that can shop and make decisions on behalf of users — with backing from more than 60 merchants and financial institutions. Called the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), the system is meant to be interoperable between AI platforms, payment systems and vendors, providing a traceable paper trail for each transaction. In a post announcing the protocol, Google executives emphasized their c

Microsoft says Windows September updates break SMBv1 shares

​Microsoft has confirmed that the September 2025 Windows security updates are causing connection issues to Server Message Block (SMB) v1 shares. The list of platforms affected by this known issue is quite extensive, as it includes both client (Windows 11 24H2/23H2/22H2 and Windows 10 22H2/21H2) and server (Windows Server 2025 and Windows Server 2022) platforms. In a service alert seen by BleepingComputer, Microsoft said this known issue affects those connecting to SMBv1 shares over the NetBIOS

11 Best Protein Powders, According to Years of Testing (2025)

Compare Top 11 Protein Powders Product Protein Source Protein Per Serving Flavors Price per Serving Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein) 24 grams 20 $1.55 Dymatize ISO100 Hydrolyzed whey protein 25 grams 14 $1.28-$2.25 Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate Grass-fed whey protein isolate 28 grams 16 $2 Orgain Organic Vegan Protein Powder Organic protein blend (organic pea protein, organic brown rice prot

Proton Mail suspended journalist accounts at request of cybersecurity agency

The company behind the Proton Mail email service, Proton, describes itself as a “neutral and safe haven for your personal data, committed to defending your freedom.” But last month, Proton disabled email accounts belonging to journalists reporting on security breaches of various South Korean government computer systems following a complaint by an unspecified cybersecurity agency. After a public outcry, and multiple weeks, the journalists’ accounts were eventually reinstated — but the reporters

Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency

The company behind the Proton Mail email service, Proton, describes itself as a “neutral and safe haven for your personal data, committed to defending your freedom.” But last month, Proton disabled email accounts belonging to journalists reporting on security breaches of various South Korean government computer systems following a complaint by an unspecified cybersecurity agency. After a public outcry, and multiple weeks, the journalists’ accounts were eventually reinstated — but the reporters

Scientists Finally ‘See’ a Proton Move Through Water, and It Only Took 200 Years

For over two centuries, scientists have known that water transports a positive charge through protons. But they had never actually seen it happen—until now. In a Science paper published September 11, Yale researchers reported that they devised a method to track, measure, and effectively “see” a proton’s journey through water. For the experiment, the team used a 30-foot-long mass spectrometer—an instrument that separates different elements by mass—that took years to customize and refine. The dev

Over 80% of sunscreen performed below their labelled efficacy (2020)

The use of effective sunscreen can reduce the harm caused to the skin by ultraviolet rays (UV) and slow down skin aging. The Consumer Council tested 30 models of sunscreen for daily use and over 80% of them were found to perform below their respective labelled efficacy. The measured sunscreen efficacy of 4 models were below SPF15, of which 2 were sunscreen products with very high protection i.e. labelled with SPF50+. Among the 23 models using the “PA System” which is commonly adopted by Asian co

The Best Pixel 10 Cases and Accessories (2025)

Enter the MagSafe Accessory World I have been testing MagSafe accessories for years, and you should totally take advantage of the vast ecosystem with your new Pixel. Whether you want a magnetic wallet or phone tripod, we have plenty of WIRED-tested recommendations in our guides. Most of them should work without fail on the Pixel 10 series. Here they are: Other Cases and Accessories We Like Mous Clarity Pixelsnap Case for $70: This is my second favorite clear case after Dbrand's Ghost 2.0. The

Protobuffers Are Wrong (2018)

I’ve spent a good deal of my professional life arguing against using protobuffers. They’re clearly written by amateurs, unbelievably ad-hoc, mired in gotchas, tricky to compile, and solve a problem that nobody but Google really has. If these problems of protobuffers remained quarantined in serialization abstractions, my complaints would end there. But unfortunately, the bad design of protobuffers is so persuasive that these problems manage to leak their way into your code as well. Ad-Hoc and Bu

I tried Jsaux’s new anti-glare Switch 2 screen protector, and it revealed a glaring bug

is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware that he thinks you’ll like. He joined in 2018, and after a stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. I have a dead cockroach in my ceiling, and I only noticed it thanks to a Switch 2 screen protector that, ironically, is supposed to tame reflections. The protector in question is a pre-production sample of the Jsaux Obsidian AR screen protector, whic

3 Android calendar apps that beat Google's default hands down - and they're all free

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Google Calendar isn't the only game in town. There are a handful of options that blow Google's away. These calendars offer more features and better UIs. My calendar is an important tool to help keep me organized, and the busier I get, the more I depend on it. For as long as I can remember, Google Calendar has been my go-to for this function, but over the past year, I've been looking for

The Sudden Surges That Forge Evolutionary Trees

Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes. The many-armed diversity of cephalopods is the result of the evolutionary rubber hitting the road right after lineages split into new species, and precious little of their evolution has been the slow accumulation of gradual change. They aren’t alone. Sudden accelerations spring from the crooks of branches in evo

Your Android phone will soon backup and restore some very important settings

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Your Android device will soon automatically back up and restore Theft Protection settings. Android’s Theft Protection settings include Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, Remote Lock, and more. The backup and restore feature for Theft Protection will roll out with the September Play Services update. Google has quietly introduced an update that automatically backs up and restores the Theft Protection setting on Android devices. Android’s Theft

Scientists Say They May Have Just Figured Out the Origin of Life

How did the building blocks of life come together to spawn the first organisms? It's one of the most longstanding questions in biology — and scientists just got a major clue. In a new study published in the journal Nature, a team of biologists say they've demonstrated how RNA molecules and amino acids could combine, by purely random interactions, to form proteins — the tireless molecules that are essential for carrying out nearly all of a cell's functions. Proteins don't replicate themselves b

Proton offers a new lifeline for when the unexpected happens

TL;DR Proton has rolled out a new feature called Emergency Access. This feature allows paid users to pick five trusted contacts who can gain access to their account in case anything happens. Users can allow their trusted contacts to access their account immediately or after a custom set period of time. We all have crucial information stored in the various apps we use. For instance, you could have an important message sitting in your inbox, logins in your password manager, or financial informa

Sending Nude Photos? Why Your Android Might Blur Them Automatically

Some Android users are starting to see a new privacy safeguard pop up in Google Messages. Images flagged as nudity are being blurred before you open them. It's part of Google's Sensitive Content Warning system, a feature designed to protect people from receiving unwanted or explicit photos. When enabled, as Google's Help Center post describes, the phone automatically scans images for nudity, blurs anything that looks explicit, and shows a warning before you view, send or forward it. The detecti

Bring Your Own Agent to Zed – Featuring Gemini CLI

You can now interact with third-party agents directly within Zed. To make this possible, we created the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), and we've partnered with Google to integrate Gemini CLI as the initial reference implementation. Because software developers rely on diverse tools in a variety of different tech stacks, we see room for multiple agents competing to solve problems in different domains. Just as the Language Server Protocol unbundled language intelligence from monolithic IDEs, our goa

Pixel 10 reminds you not to cheap out on a quality screen protector

TL;DR Google is adding a new step to the Pixel 10 setup to ensure you use a certified screen protector. You can scan the QR code printed on the screen protector’s packaging to verify that it is supported. This ensures the screen protector works flawlessly and does not interfere with the Pixel 10’s fingerprint scanner. Screen protectors, especially those made of glass, are known for not playing well with in-display fingerprint scanners. The added thickness of the glass can interfere with the s

Microsoft’s employee protests have reached a boiling point

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Some Microsoft employees are willing to risk everything to protest their employer. No Azure for Apartheid, a group led by current and former Microsoft employees, started last year as a petition to Microsoft executives. It demanded that Microsoft end all Azure contracts and partnerships with the Israeli military and government, disclose all ties, call for a ceasefire in Gaza, an

Android 16 will soon let you know which apps use Advanced Protection features (APK teardown)

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Android 16’s Advanced Protection is getting new useful features. We’ve discovered an under-development interface that will list all the apps that are aware of Advanced Protection being turned on. Besides Google apps, the feature will also include third-party apps that can access the state of Advanced Protection. With the rollout of Android 16 earlier this year, Google introduced an “Advanced Protection” mode that enables high-security features on Andr

Microsoft headquarters go into lockdown after activists take over Brad Smith’s office

Protesters stormed Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters on Monday and made it into president Brad Smith’s office in Building 34, forcing a temporary lockdown. The “No Azure for Apartheid” group reportedly live-streamed their sit-in on Twitch, hoisting banners, chanting ‘Brad Smith, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide!’ and posting a mock legal summons charging Smith with “crimes against humanity.” TechCrunch has reached out to Microsoft for more information. According to The Verge, the prot

One universal antiviral to rule them all?

For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower—the ability to fight off all viruses. Columbia immunologist Dusan Bogunovic discovered the individuals’ antiviral powers about 15 years ago, soon after he identified the genetic mutation that causes the condition. At first, the condition only seemed to increase vulnerability to some bacterial infections. But as more patients were identified, its unexpected antiviral benef