Law enforcement shuts down VPN service used by two dozen ransomware gangs
First VPN promised hackers complete anonymity for their cyberattacks. But Europol said it was able to notify the service’s users that they have now been identified.
Tech
One of Meta’s big legal reckonings just ended in a settlement
After back-to-back losses in trials grappling with its impact on teens’ mental health, Meta just settled what was supposed to be its next legal battle with Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District. Google’s YouTube, Snap, and TikTok all recently settled similar claims brought by the school district, which was seeking payment from the companies to cover […]
Bungie gives up on Destiny
Bungie is moving on from Destiny 2. The studio announced Thursday that it’s releasing the last major update for the game on June 9th as its focus “turns towards a new beginning for Bungie.” After that final update, the game will remain playable, much like the first Destiny. “Many changes in this final update will […]
Convective Capital raises an $85 million fund to build disaster resilience
After launching to invest in fire tech, Convective is broadening its mandate to disaster resilience.
Trump delays AI security executive order: ‘I don’t want to get in the way of that leading’
President Trump delayed signing an executive order that would have required pre-release government security reviews of AI models, citing dissatisfaction with the order’s language.
Sonos’s pint-sized Roam 2 speaker is 25 percent off for Memorial Day
If your summer plans involve spending any time outdoors, whether on the trail or at a pool party, a good portable Bluetooth speaker can go a long way. The latest Sonos Roam is built precisely for those moments, and right now, it’s on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for $134 ($45 off) for […]
The Endless AI guitar pedal has potential
I’m not sure anyone was really asking for an AI guitar pedal. But it was inevitable that someone would build one. One of the first to take the plunge is Polyend, a well-respected music gear maker with a reputation for building niche, idiosyncratic devices. The company has built grooveboxes around old-school trackers and a multi-effect […]
Uber is deploying its own self-driving cars again, just not as robotaxis
Uber is putting its own autonomous vehicles back on the road as part of its new AV Lab project to collect data for its dozens of robotaxi partners. The cars will be fitted with all the sensors typical of self-driving cars, like cameras, lidar, and radar. But notably the vehicles will not be operating as […]
This mechanical bird drops dead when your home’s air quality worsens
The original Birdie debuted in 2022 with a morbid-but-fun design – an air-quality monitor with a literal canary in a coal mine. When the CO2 in your home hit a certain level, a mechanical bird mounted on your wall would appear to drop dead, then prompt you to open a window to air things out. […]