Author: News Room
Meta has a new way of catching kids who lie about their age online, and it goes well beyond checking what they type. The company announced it is now using AI visual analysis to scan photos and videos on Instagram and Facebook for physical indicators of age, including height and bone structure. Meta’s goal is to find and remove accounts belonging to users under 13 who may have signed up with a false birthday. How does the visual analysis actually work? Meta has been careful to clarify that this is not facial recognition. The AI doesn’t identify who someone is.…
Amazon has officially expanded its AI assistant, Alexa+, beyond the company’s own hardware. Along with the announcement of its Lifestyle Ultra speakers, Bost has also announced that Alexa+ is coming to its lineup of speakers and soundbars across the United States. This is a first for any non-Amazon audio brand. What’s even more interesting for me is that the rollout covers both new and existing Bose devices. What can Alexa+ actually do on a Bose speaker? Quite a lot, actually. It can do everything it has been doing on Amazon’s first-party lineup of smart speakers. That includes understanding natural language…
EA Sports has fully lifted the curtain on its sixth entry in its long-running UFC franchise, UFC 6. Arriving on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this June, UFC 6 advertises an increased emphasis on fighters’ movement and striking authenticity. In addition we also learned that the standard edition will feature former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira on the cover, while the Ultimate Edition features former featherweight and BMF champion Max Holloway.Holloway, who is a huge gamer himself, views appearing on the cover as a huge honor. “It’s huge, man, it’s huge,” Holloway tells Game Informer. “I’ve been played…
Google’s next flagship lineup is still months away, but leaks are already flowing. Between credible tips, CAD renders, and info unearthed while digging through Android 17 beta code, we now have a surprisingly detailed picture of what the Pixel 11 series could look like. That includes details about the upgraded Tensor G6 chip and its new MediaTek modem, the “Pixel Glow” RGB LED replacing the thermometer, and new camera sensors across the lineup. This is your one-stop hub for everything leaked, rumored, and reported about the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.…
E-readers don’t have to be big, expensive, or locked into one ecosystem. Xteink, a Chinese brand quietly challenging the likes of Amazon and Kobo with compact devices, just announced its latest model. The Xteink S4 is a small, lightweight e-reader that runs Android and magnetically attaches to the back of your smartphone. It’s currently available for pre-order in China for around $50, with an international release expected in the coming months (via NotebookCheck) What makes the Xteink S4 worth paying attention to? The biggest change with the S4 is the operating system. Earlier Xteink models like the X3 and X4…
Two weeks ago, WB Games flew me out to LA to play two hours of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. As a long-time fan of the series (and a diehard Lego fan in general), I’ve been nothing short of ravenous to get my hands on it. Now that I have, I’m eagerly looking forward to the final release, especially since I gained a much clearer view of what this game actually is.First, a disclaimer: I played Legacy of the Dark Knight in a beautifully designed event space decorated with actual props from Batman films, and WB Games paid…
Secondary schools in the London borough of Sutton are using VR headsets to help students manage exam stress, ADHD, and difficult home lives. The headsets are made by tech firm Phase Space, and the schools are running the pilot alongside the local NHS mental health trust. As reported by the Guardian, the seven-minute VR program gives students a quick mental reset, either during a scheduled slot or when they need to step away from class because anxiety has taken over. According to Zillah Watson, the program’s co-creator and visiting professor at University College London, nine out of 10 participants have…
Apple is adding encrypted RCS to messages exchanged between iPhone and Android users with iOS 26.5, but the useful detail is what you’ll see when protection is actually active. The support is in the iOS 26.5 release candidate for developers and public testers, where Apple lists it as a beta. That matters because access depends on supported carriers and a gradual rollout, so installing the update won’t automatically mean every cross-platform chat is protected. For mixed iPhone and Android conversations, the lock indicator becomes the thing to watch. Without that signal, users shouldn’t assume the privacy upgrade has reached their…
Sony hasn’t said a word yet, but the internet already has pictures of it’s upcoming headphones. Actor Damson Idris was spotted wearing an unreleased pair of Sony over-ear headphones in New York City ahead of the Met Gala, giving the world its first real look at what’s reportedly called the WH-1000XX or ‘The ColleXion’. Sony is expected to officially unveil them on May 19, but the leak has already set expectations sky-high (via NotebookCheck). If the specs hold up, this could be the pair that finally gives Apple’s AirPods Max 2 a serious competition. What makes the Sony WH-1000XX different…
The commercial adoption of DDR5 started in 2021 as it slowly became the new standard, and now the industry is already working on what comes next. According to TheElec, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron have quietly kicked off early development of DDR6, the next generation of memory protocol. The three companies have shared their designs with substrate manufacturers, who are now building initial prototypes and running verification tests. “Memory companies and substrate manufacturers typically proceed with joint development more than two years before product launch,” an industry official told TheElec. “Initial development of DDR6 has recently begun.” It is…