Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Technology News and More-Wednesday Edition...

Technology News and More...



Tesla used deceptive language to market Autopilot, California judge rules
Engadget / 4h
Tesla’s sales in California should be suspended for 30 days because its marketing around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving misled consumers, a California administrative law judge has ruled . Back in 2022, the California DMV accused the automaker of using deceptive language to advertise those products and making it seem like its vehicles are capable of level 5 autonomous driving. Tesla has since add




Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review: A top travel and dining card
3KThe Points Guy Articles / 12h
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees ) is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards . It’s an excellent choice for those who want more value from their travels but don’t need lounge access. This is one of our favorite cards to recommend to people who love travel. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ * Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s e





Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump for his response to the death of Rob Reiner
100+Mashable / 21h
The deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele led to an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood on Monday — and one long, unpleasant Truth Social post from Donald Trump , in which the president suggested Reiner died "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME." "Jus





Avatar: Fire and Ash is just a flame-filled version of The Way of Water — are we ready to admit that the franchise is getting boring?
Latest from TechRadar / 18h
I'm tired of pretending films like Avatar: Fire and Ash are interesting just because their visual craft is impeccable... and we've seen this particular film before.






Sabrina Carpenter rates Seth Meyers in Christmas-themed edition of Day Drinking
Mashable / now
Sabrina Carpenter has gone day drinking with Seth Meyers , joining the Late Night host for a Christmas-themed edition of his regular alcohol-fuelled segment . Eschewing espresso martinis for beer and Long Island iced tea, the duo began with a game of Truth or Drink, in which Meyers quickly hurt his own feelings by asking Carpenter to rate him. Apparently, seven was not the score he was hoping for





What is the release date for Taylor Swift: The End of an Era episodes 3 and 4 on Disney+?
Latest from TechRadar / 3min
This time next week, we'll be halfway through the new Taylor Swift docuseries. But when do The End of an Era episodes 3 and 4 arrive on Disney+?






I love the pocket-friendly Addlink P50 - a portable SSD with a USB flash drive style that delivered fast speeds


Latest from TechRadar / 18min
It might looks like a USB flash drive, but this neat, simplistic design hides a powerful SSD that offers the perfect option for backing up files on the go.





The ACCC's latest quarterly Broadband Report confirms what I already suspected: NBN Co's speedy new tiers are absolutely smashing it
Latest from TechRadar / 2h
If you've been holding off upgrading your NBN plan, there's now never been a better time, with official data confirming the upgraded speed tiers are well worth it.





Hurdle hints and answers for December 17, 2025
Mashable / 2h
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give





How to watch PSG vs. Flamengo online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Live stream PSG vs. Flamengo in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final for free on FIFA+ . Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . We know what you're thinking: How exactly is the FIFA Intercontinental Cup any different from the Club World Cup ? It's best to not ask too many questions, because we're honestly not sure. But forget all about that, because PSG





Weeks after raising $100M, investors pump another $180M into hot Indian startup MoEngage
TechCrunch / 2h
The deal valued MoEngage at "well over" $900 million post-money.





Proton Mail is what email should be, and you can experience it right now
How-To Geek / 3h
Most of you reading this are probably using one of the popular “free” email services, but they aren’t really free, are they? In exchange for letting these companies analyze the contents of your email and track you across the web, you have the “privilege” of looking at targeted advertising stuffed in between your legitimate emails.





I was stunned by the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra robovac's excellent cleaning performance – but it's slightly undermined by minor inefficiencies
Latest from TechRadar / 3h
With the best cleaning performance I’ve seen from any robot vacuum to date, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra robovac could do with a more streamlined app and better battery use.





Disclosure Day trailer offers first look at Steven Spielbergs sci-fi alien film
Mashable / 4h
The teaser trailer for Disclosure Day has been released, offering a glimpse at Steven Spielberg 's upcoming sci-fi film. Ironically, Disclosure Day 's teaser doesn't actually disclose all that much. What we do know is that aliens appear to be involved. Offering more vibes than plot details, the trailer features Emily Blunt as a Kansas City weather presenter who begins making strange sounds while







NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 17, 2025
Mashable / 4h
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a devout Christian. Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up so





NYT Strands hints, answers for December 17, 2025
Mashable / 4h
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you don't seek perfection. Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answ





Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 17, 2025
Mashable / 4h
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love the outdoors. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connection





The Pitt Season 2 trailer teases chaotic July 4 emergency room shift
Mashable / 4h
HBO Max has released the official trailer for The Pitt 's second season , bringing back Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) for a fresh shift at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Unfortunately for him, it looks no less gruelling than the first one we saw. Picking up 10 months on from the last season, The Pitt Season 2 takes place during a busy July 4 weekend in the emergency room. It'd be unsurprising to see s





Monzo board reportedly pushed out CEO Anil over IPO timing
TechCrunch / 5h
A key issue, reportedly, was IPO timing.





Fallout 2 is full of game details. Heres a handy guide.
Mashable / 5h
Reactivate those Pip-Boys and set your Spotify listening age to 87 , as Prime Video's adaptation of post-apocalyptic game franchise Fallout is back with a second season . And of course, we're in for more details from Bethesda's games that you might recognise from your travels through the Wasteland. For Season 1 , showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner recruited production designer





Fallout Season 2, did you just pay homage to David Lynch?
Mashable / 5h
There's moment in Fallout Season 2 that isn't directly an ode to the late, great David Lynch but it absolutely, 100 percent is. In the very first episode of the second chapter, there's a fleeting scene that Twin Peaks fans might find unexpectedly heartwarming in the middle of this forsaken Wasteland. And it involves a damn fine cup of coffee. SEE ALSO: David Lynch's 'Dune' almost cast Val Kilmer,





Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, judge rules
26TechCrunch / 6h
The judge ruled Tesla should have to suspend manufacturing and sales in California for 30 days, but the DMV stayed those rulings for 90 days to allow Tesla to comply.





Investing in this one simple skill in The Witcher 3 has made my 10-year anniversary playthrough so much better — and it needs to be in The Witcher 4
Latest from TechRadar / 7h
Ensuring I invested in one particular skill in The Witcher 3 has made my playthrough for its tenth anniversary so much better. Here's how.





Ending Soon: Buy World Of Hyatt Points For 20% Off (2.08 Cents Per Point)
1KOne Mile at a Time / 7h
World of Hyatt is currently offering a promotion on purchased points , which is ending soon, and is the program’s last promotion of the year on buying points. World of Hyatt is a valuable points currency, and if you’re not yet at your annual limit for buying points, this offer could be worth considering, especially if you don’t have access to World of Hyatt points via transferable points currenci





TikTok isnt banned yet: Why you have until 2026
Mashable / 8h
If you're a U.S.-based TikTok user who was anxiously counting down the days until the social media app was banned on Dec. 16, 2025, then there's good news. Christmas came early — you can start counting down the days until Jan. 23 instead. Dec. 16 was, in theory, the latest deadline for TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, to wrap up a sale of its U.S. business. That was supposed





ChatGPT Images just got a major upgrade — and it could change how we all create
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
OpenAI’s new GPT Image 1.5 model transforms ChatGPT into a powerful, user-friendly image editing and creation tool





Fossilized Bee Nests Inside Skeletons Are Unlike Anything We’ve Seen Before
Gizmodo / 8h
In a first, burrowing bees have been discovered nesting inside the fossil remains of other mammals.





Jaguar Type 00 EV First Ride: It Still Looks Odd, but It’s Seriously Quick
Wired / 8h
We took a hair-raising trip around a track in the final four-door GT version of Jaguar’s polarizing relaunch concept car. It just might be good enough to end the British brand’s abysmal run of luck.





Deja vu as Spirit and Frontier are reportedly once again discussing a merger
The Points Guy Articles / 8h
Will the third try be the charm? Spirit Airlines is discussing a possible merger with rival ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier, Bloomberg first reported on Tuesday. The discussions would mark the third time in as many years that the two airlines have discussed merging. The first fell through after Spirit accepted a separate proposal from JetBlue, one that was ultimately blocked by a federal judge on





Bankrupt Spirit And Frontier Reopen Merger Talks — A Deal Could Drop This Month
View from the Wing / 8h
Spirit and Frontier are back in merger talks, and people close to the discussions say an announcement could come as soon as this month — though it could still collapse. Continue reading ...





Th3 ‘M3GAN’ Cin3matic Univ3rs3 Might B3 D3ad
22Gizmodo / 8h
Sexbot spinoff movie 'Soulm8te' has been removed from Universal's release calendar, though it may find new life elsewhere.





Documentary fans can get MagellanTV for just $140
Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Get a lifetime of MagellanTV subscription access for $139.97, its lowest price to date, and explore thousands of ad-free documentaries across history, science, crime, nature, and more. Opens in a new window Credit: MagellanTV MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service: Lifetime Subscription $139.97 $999 Save $859.03 If you’ve run out of documentaries on mainstream platforms, consider this pr





Waymo Versus Tesla Robotaxi Collision and Incident Data
Next Big Future / 8h
Law offices of Robert D Perry reports 398 NHTSA reported Waymo involved accidents in the first half of 2025. Waymo was only allowing employees to drive or ride with Waymo on highways until a few weeks ago. Waymo has had 50 million miles up to end of 2024 and about 100 million miles in 2025. ... Read more





Three billion WhatsApp users are at risk - an expert has developed a tool that could spy on everyone, and you would never know about it
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
A proof-of-concept tool exploits messaging app receipts to silently track behavior, drain batteries, and increase mobile data usage.





X was spooked enough by new Twitter to change its terms of service
Engadget / 8h
Despite changing its name and using decidedly bird-free branding, X is trying to hold on to its original Twitter trademarks, TechCrunch reports . The xAI-owned social media platform has updated its terms of service to include references to Twitter after previously only mentioning X, and seemingly attempted to counter a startup's petition to cancel the company's Twitter trademarks with a petition





OpenAI launches new ChatGPT Images tool to rival Nano Banana: How to try it
Mashable / 9h
ChatGPT Images doesn’t roll off the tongue like Nano Banana, but OpenAI finally has an answer for Google's uber-popular AI image editor. The company's "new flagship image generation model" is available now in ChatGPT Images and in the API under the model name GPT Image 1.5. OpenAI has been on a tear recently, in fact. The company, which was rumored to be in a “ code red ” state following the laun





Samsung's enormous micro-RGB TV is coming to smaller screen sizes, and it borrows one great feature from Samsung OLED TVs
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
Samsung's Micro RGB tech will be coming to TVs as small as 55 inches in 2026, and will feature the same Glare Free screen found in the company's top OLED model.





United Airlines updates app to include real-time boarding updates, other features
The Points Guy Articles / 9h
United Airlines on Tuesday updated its mobile app with several new features that it hopes will make holiday travel easier for flyers. Passengers who are sick of crowding at the gate and lining up early are sure to welcome the new "virtual gate" feature. This feature will display real-time updates about which groups are boarding, and it will show a progress bar indicating how many people have boar





AI Image Falsely Suggests Bondi Beach Terror Attack Was Staged
78Gizmodo / 9h
Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude all insist the image is real.





All signs point to big laptop and smartphone price increases due to escalating memory shortage
Mashable / 9h
The artificial intelligence boom has become truly unavoidable, even for those who don't use AI in their daily lives at all. Case in point: The world of personal computers, especially laptops and smartphones. We're in the midst of a worldwide memory shortage, due in large part to the sudden explosion of AI data centers around the world and their enormous demand for these computer components. That'





Scammers target Leonardo DiCaprio fans with malware-ridden "One Battle After Another" torrent
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
A fake Leonardo DiCaprio torrent hides PowerShell malware in subtitles, delivering AgentTesla to steal credentials and evade security measures.





Trump’s Chief of Staff Reportedly Spouted Off About Elon Musk and Drugs to Vanity Fair
41Gizmodo / 9h
She calls him "an odd, odd duck" in a newly published article.





This Oddly Specific Monopoly Set Will Curb Your SDCC Travel Nightmares
Gizmodo / 9h
Of course 'Monopoly: San Diego Edition' includes multiple Comic-Con-related locations.





Ford Effectively Kills the Biden-Era Dream of All-Electric Trucks
Gizmodo / 9h
The Ford F-150 Lightning was a symbol of the electric future in pickup truck form. It’s now dead.





Passenger Films Flight Attendant Leaving The Lavatory — Then A Pilot Walks Out Looking Caught
View from the Wing / 9h
A widely shared video shows a flight attendant stepping out of an airplane lavatory looking awkward and adjusting her uniform. Moments later, a pilot exits the same lavatory with a similarly “caught” expression — and the passenger filming just happens to have the camera perfectly framed on the door the whole time, which is why this looks more staged to me than an accidental leak. Continue reading





Texas sues biggest TV makers, alleging smart TVs spy on users without consent
44Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued five large TV manufacturers yesterday, alleging that their smart TVs spy on viewers without consent. Paxton sued Samsung, the longtime TV market share leader, along with LG, Sony, Hisense, and TCL. “These companies have been unlawfully collecting personal data through Automated Content Recognition (‘ACR’) technology,” Paxton’s office alleged in a press relea





The $4.3 billion space telescope Trump tried to cancel is now complete
46Ars Technica - All content / 9h
A few weeks ago, technicians inside a cavernous clean room in Maryland made the final connection to complete assembly of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Parts of this new observatory, named for NASA’s first chief astronomer, recently completed a spate of tests to ensure it can survive the shaking and intense sound of a rocket launch. Engineers placed the core of the telescope inside a t





The first online chess game happened in December 1844 — Yes, 181 years ago, two teams played Chess 60km away using the electrical telegraph
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
The 1844 Washington–Baltimore telegraph chess match started remote play, inspiring later international competitions, teletype games, and massive online platforms today.





WikiFlix shows us what Netflix would have been like 100 years ago
TechCrunch / 9h
On WikiFlix, a Netflix-inspired archive of public domain films, you can watch movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Nosferatu" for free.





CoreWeave Has Lost a Staggering Amount of Stock Value Over the Past Six Months
Futurism / 10h
AI cloud computing company CoreWave exploded onto the scene in March with the biggest tech IPO since 2021. The company’s stock soared by more than 40 percent in the following days, riding on the coattails of immense hype surrounding generative AI. The hype was driven by insatiable AI companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta leasing hundreds of megawatts of compute as outfits like CoreWeave cons





How to watch NBA Cup Final 2025: live stream Spurs vs Knicks online from anywhere, preview
Latest from TechRadar / 10h
How to watch 2025 NBA Cup Final live streams online, with Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson set to light up the Spurs vs Knicks clash in Las Vegas.





Fallout is back, celebrate by 3D printing these iconic objects
How-To Geek / 10h
The successful Fallout TV series, based on the game of the same name, is back for season two as of December 16, 2025. Amazon did well to stick the landing last time around, so we’re looking forward to sinking our teeth into the next batch of episodes.





My top 4 picks for the best cobranded hotel credit card
The Points Guy Articles / 10h
I have eight hotel credit cards , and I believe each card provides enough perks to justify paying its annual fee for the foreseeable future. However, readers and friends often ask me which hotel card is best. My answer typically depends on the person’s preferred hotel loyalty program, budget and travel style. After all, the best hotel credit card for me may not be the best for you. Even so, here





What tech would the Fallout cast steal from the show?
Mashable / 10h
From radroaches to deathclaws, there are a lot of things in Fallout that I'm happy don't exist in real life. But there are several elements of its sci-fi technology that I wouldn't mind having around for day-to-day use. Who wouldn't want a handy-dandy Pip-Boy on their wrist? However, the cast and showrunner of Fallout have their own ideas about what technology they'd steal from the series. SEE AL





This 16-inch battery-powered portable monitor has a higher resolution than the Liquid Retina XDR display on the Apple MacBook Pro — and it will last at least 6 hours
Latest from TechRadar / 10h
VChance DU16 is a 16-inch 4K portable monitor with HDR, aluminum build, battery operation, USB-C connectivity, and professional usability.





New ‘CRASH Clock’ Warns of 2.8-Day Window Before Likely Orbital Collision
Gizmodo / 10h
The CRASH Clock is a new metric for measuring the risks of satellite congestion in low-Earth orbit. Its calculations are disturbing.





Steam Replay 2025 is now live with your yearly gaming stats
How-To Geek / 10h
Steam Replay 2025 has released, giving players a detailed look back at their massive gaming hours from the past year. This annual wrap-up, which Valve first introduced in late 2022, has become a key moment for gamers. It's a good way to see where your free time went, at least.





The 10 Essential Apps for Any DIY Home Remodel
Lifehacker / 10h
Remodeling your house can be an exciting experience. It can also be an expensive one , which is why a lot of homeowners opt to go the DIY route. But any DIY remodel can also be daunting, even if you’re relatively comfortable with home maintenance and repair tasks. Whether you’re contemplating a DIY remodel for the cost savings or because it’s a fun challenge , there are a lot of online tools that





OpenAI Defaults Free Users to Cheapest Model to Cut Back on Costs
Gizmodo / 10h
They're betting people won't notice.





X updates its terms, files countersuit to lay claim to the ‘Twitter’ trademark after newcomer’s challenge
TechCrunch / 10h
X's new terms of service say that no one can use the Twitter name, trademarks, logos, and more without written consent.





Washington Post Says It Will Continue AI-Generating Error Filled Podcasts as Its Own Editors Groan in Embarrassment
Futurism / 11h
The outcry sparked by the Washington Post’s launch of AI-generated podcasts has gone in one ear of the newspaper’s leadership and out the other, which isn’t too dissimilar to what might happen to anyone listening to the slop it’s trying to peddle. On Monday, the Jeff Bezos-owned publication doubled down on its personalized podcasts push, brushing aside the criticism from readers and its own repor





How to watch Australia vs England: live stream 3rd Ashes Test for *FREE* from anywhere in the world
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
All the ways to watch the 3rd Ashes Test at Adelaide from anywhere in the world as Australia and England battle in cricket’s most famous Test series.





Study shows Instacart may be charging some shoppers 20% more for the same product
TechCrunch / 11h
The delivery app has claimed that price testing is part of a longstanding practice in retail sales.





Ben Kingsley Also Can’t Believe He’s Starring in ‘Wonder Man’
Gizmodo / 11h
From 'Iron Man 3' to 'Shang-Chi' and now Disney+, the Oscar winner marvels at his Marvel longevity.





I tested FSR Redstone: It's a huge upgrade, but you probably can't use it
How-To Geek / 11h
AMD has just launched FSR Redstone, a collection of features made of machine-learning-based upscaling and frame generation, along with two other components—Ray Regeneration and Radiance Caching—that aim to improve ray tracing quality and performance. FSR Redstone looks promising, but not all's rosy.





JetBlue cuts JFK-Amsterdam route, likely done with European growth 'for a while'
The Points Guy Articles / 11h
Last month, JetBlue made headlines when it named Milan and Barcelona as its newest European destinations beginning next spring. But the new year will also see the carrier cut back on one of its other transatlantic routes. JetBlue this week confirmed it will not bring back seasonal service between New York and Amsterdam in March, as planned. That will end a nonstop flight the carrier first launche





Steam Replay 2025 is here to recap your PC gaming habits
Engadget / 11h
‘Tis the season for gift-giving, family feasts and companies turning their harvested user data into lighthearted recaps. Valve's take on the year-end rewind, Steam Replay , is now available. It follows similar offerings from Spotify , Apple Music , PlayStation and, increasingly, just about every service you use. Hell, even Uber and The New York Times somehow justified getting in on the action thi





The last Xbox update of 2025 includes a handy Wireless Headset upgrade
Engadget / 11h
As part of its last Xbox-focused software update of the year, Microsoft is improving the Bluetooth performance of the Xbox Wireless Headset to make it work even better with Windows 11. Microsoft released the latest Wireless Headset as an accessory for Xbox Series X/S and PC, but as of this update, Xbox Wireless Headset owners on Windows will now have a leg up on their console counterparts thanks





AI Rising in 2026. INSANE Changes
Next Big Future / 11h
Is Elon Musk insane? Will a bet of over $200 billion go up in flames ? There are people who are saying that his plans will never work. Who is right ?





Senators count the shady ways data centers pass energy costs on to Americans
98Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Senators launched a probe Tuesday demanding that tech companies explain exactly how they plan to prevent data center projects from increasing electricity bills in communities where prices are already skyrocketing. In letters to seven AI firms, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) cited a study estimating that “electricity prices have incr





Groundbreaking "5D memory crystal" storage could last until the end of the universe - but will it be able to hold all of your pet photos?
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
SPhotonix’s 5D memory crystal stores 360 TB per disc and lasts billions of years, designed for cold data in data centers.





NYT Games has a year-in-review thing now too
Engadget / 11h
The New York Times is getting in on the year-end roundup bandwagon. The publication's new Year in Games wraps up stats about which of its daily puzzles and brain-teasers readers played over the course of 2025. People can get their own personalized reports, or just look over the community stats for the Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and Strands games. The Year in Games reviews are available on





The Best Streaming Bundles and Streaming Deals of December 2025
Wired / 11h
The best streaming deals right now are ad-free. Maybe the best streaming deals are always ad-free.





Stuck at the airport? How to build an offline streaming toolkit for long delays
How-To Geek / 11h
Whether you’re heading home for the holidays or heading overseas for an epic ski vacation, when getting prepped for travel, you’re usually more concerned with having enough underwear and socks than with what’s on your phone if there’s a delay or cancellation at the airport.





Texas sues five TV manufacturers over predatory ad-targeting spyware
Engadget / 11h
Behold: Ken Paxton will now demonstrate that broken clocks are indeed right twice a day. The Texas Attorney General is notorious for, well, a very long list of reasons . But in this case, he at least appears to be doing consumers a solid: He sued five television companies for using ad-targeting spyware on their TVs. Texas sued Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL for allegedly recording what viewer





Slate crosses 150,000 reservations despite waning EV truck enthusiasm
TechCrunch / 12h
It took Slate Auto about seven months to grow its customer list by 50%, but new reservations appear to be outpacing any cancelations.





This Highly Rated Samsung Soundbar Is More Than 50% Off Right Now
Lifehacker / 12h
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Whether you’re looking for a more immersive sound experience (and clearer dialogue) to elevate movie nights and TV shows, or to upgrade your music listening experience, Samsung is widely known for its highly rated soundbars that combine a sleek aesthetic with a space-saving





U.S. Threatens Penalties Against European Tech Firms Amid Regulatory Fight
NYT > Technology / 12h
The Trump administration singled out European tech firms by name and promised economic consequences Tuesday unless the E.U. rolls back tech regulation and lawsuits.





We’re Bracing for an Accident Now That Tesla Is Taking the Safety Drivers Out of Its Robotaxis
Futurism / 12h
Tesla is preparing for its Robotaxis to go fully driverless and ditch its human safety monitors, according to CEO Elon Musk, while the rest of us prepare for an accident. Over the weekend, footage circulated on social media showing at least two different Tesla Robotaxis roaming the streets of Austin, Texas, without anyone in the driver’s seat. Musk soon stepped in to confirm what his fans were se





Your TV is a ‘mass surveillance system’ says Texas, and the state is suing LG, Samsung, Hisense, TCL, and more to stop it
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Texas's AG is suing Samsung, LG, TCL, Hisense, and Sony over their apparent use of ACR to deliver custom content and advertising.





The Sonos Arc Ultra is back down to its Black Friday price — don't miss out on this excellent Dolby Atmos soundbar deal
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Fancy upgrading your holiday movie soundtracks? There's a great deal on Sonos' superb Dolby Atmos soundbar





7 Burning Questions We Have After the ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Finale
Gizmodo / 12h
HBO’s Stephen King adaptation delivered plenty of Pennywise, but we have some lingering thoughts about what happened and what’s next.





YouTube is letting creators make playable games with a Gemini 3 tool
Engadget / 12h
Google's at it again, once more insisting that AI is something people need or want more of in their lives. The latest move comes from YouTube Gaming, which announced an open beta for a project called Playables Builder. This allows select YouTube Creators to use a "prototype web app built using Gemini 3" to make bite-sized games, no coding required. YouTube is launching a closed Beta test for Play





Crunchyroll annual subscriptions are on sale for the holidays
Engadget / 12h
If you're looking for something to watch during a holiday break from work or school, you can't go wrong with anime, and right now you can sign-up for a year of Crunchyroll for as low as $65. Holiday discounts running through December 29 bring the anime streaming service's year-long Fan subscription from $80 down to $67 and its Mega Fan subscription from $120 down to $100. That's either $13 or $20





Passengers Are Using A Deceptive Trick To Beat Airport Bag Scales — And Avoid Overweight Fees
View from the Wing / 12h
Airlines enforce the 50-pound limit with baggage scales that aren’t always perfectly calibrated—so some passengers have started “helping” the reading by quietly supporting one side of the suitcase with a foot while it’s being weighed. The number drops because part of the bag’s weight transfers off the scale, and influencers even promote it as a tip. It’s also fraud, and agents say they see (and c





Grindr Goes ‘AI-First’ as It Strives to Be an ‘Everything App for the Gay Guy’
Wired / 12h
After controlling shareholders failed to take Grindr private and controversies over data and the banning of the phrase “No Zionists,” Grindr’s CEO opens up about AI, privacy, and big expansion plans.





Pornhub cyberattack sees some Premium members data stolen - here's what we know so far
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
ShinyHunters claims responsibility for the attack, saying they stole almost 100GB of sensitive Pornhub Premium user data.





The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold's best feature won't be its hardware – here's why I'm more excited for DeX
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is due to merge the mobile and tablet experience like never before – and if Samsung plays its cards right, it could revolutionize on-the-go productivity.





Netflix will soon start airing video podcasts like The Breakfast Club
Engadget / 12h
Netflix has inked a deal with iHeartMedia to begin showing video podcasts , so the content will never, ever run out . The partnership covers new episodes from more than 15 popular podcasts, including The Breakfast Club , Dear Chelsea , My Favorite Murder and others. Customers will have access to video podcast episodes in early 2026. In addition to new footage, the partnership includes a select li





Please stop buying external SSDs—get a NAS instead
How-To Geek / 12h
Be honest now: how many random thumb drives do you have lying around the house? What about external SSDs?





Meta is rolling out Conversation Focus and AI-powered Spotify features to its smart glasses
Engadget / 12h
Back in September during Meta Connect, the company previewed a new ability for its smart glasses lineup called Conversation Focus. The feature, which is able to amplify the voices of people around you, is now starting to roll out in the company's latest batch of software updates. When enabled, the feature is meant to make it easier to hear the people you're speaking with in a crowded or otherwise





Instagram Bringing Vertical Video to TVs
Gizmodo / 12h
You don't even have to turn your TV sideways.





Replica Statue of Liberty Topples in Urban Hellscape
Futurism / 12h
In what can only be described as a too-on-the-nose metaphor for the United States’ weakening influence on the world , a video making the rounds on social media shows a giant replica of the Statue of