Thursday, 31 July 2025
Datacentre operators ‘faltering’ on collecting sustainability data, Uptime Institute data shows
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Meta prepares for gigawatt datacentres to power ‘superintelligence’
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Wednesday, 30 July 2025
TikTok gamifies mindfulness with 'well-being missions'
TikTok’s latest answer to its addictiveness is gamified mindfulness tools. The app’s new Well-being Missions let you earn badges for completing challenges related to balanced digital habits. To be clear, mindfulness and dopamine-seeking mini-games are a contradictory pair. But hey, at least it’s healthier than doomscrolling.
The first batch of TikTok’s "short, engaging missions" focuses on the platform’s existing digital well-being tools. (The company plans to test new features and expand the missions over time.) They include quizzes and flashcards, aspects the company says were well-received in early testing.
TikTok says Well-being Missions focus on positive reinforcement. The idea is to form new habits through encouragement, education and a sense of progress. The gamified challenges are based on research, advice from TikTok’s Youth Council and expert consultations.
It’s easy to draw a straight line between TikTok’s mindfulness features and accusations that it knowingly harmed users’ mental health. ByteDance’s own research reportedly found that compulsive use of the platform correlates with "a slew of negative mental health effects." It’s also associated with disruption to sleep, responsibilities, and connecting with loved ones.
Some might say the answer to that would be to, oh, make the platform less addictive. But come on, now: can’t interfere with profits! So, badge-earning mindfulness missions, it is. Go get 'em, champ.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/YGh0EN7from Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/YGh0EN7
GDPR’s 7th anniversary: in the AI age, privacy legislation is still relevant
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Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Google Search's AI Mode is rolling out in the UK
Earlier this year, Google rolled out AI Mode to Search users in the US. Now, the notoriously inaccurate "tool" is coming to the UK. While Google's AI overviews have been available in the UK since last summer, AI Mode provides more conversational responses and fewer links to other pages.
Google touts AI Mode as a more intuitive method for asking multi-part questions or follow-ups. It uses Google's Gemini 2.5 model to detail how-tos, compare products or plan a trip. Instead of searching for something under the "All" tab, users activate it by clicking "AI Mode" and issuing a prompt with text, voice or a photo.
AI Mode uses something called a "query fan-out" technique, meaning it does "multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and multiple data sources and then brings those results together." However, there's two issues: The possibility of hallucinations — which Google admits to — and a reduction in click through rates. Both have occurred with AI Overviews on Google Search.
A new Pew Research Center report found that users who receive an AI summary after their search click on a traditional result almost 50 percent less (8 percent of the time, compared to 15 percent). On top of that, only one percent of users clicked on the link provided within the AI summary. This pattern can cause problems both for website traffic and for ensuring that AI-generation information is accurate.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/epNMlc4from Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/epNMlc4
Building digital resilience in retail
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Monday, 28 July 2025
Trump temporarily drops export controls to smooth negotiations with China
After previously saying that the US would block exports of key AI chips to China, Donald Trump's administration may have backtracked. The US will now temporarily block restriction on exports of chips and other technology to China, the Financial Times reported. The aim is to help Trump book a meeting with China President Xi Jinping later this year in order to strike a trade deal, according to people familiar with the matter.
Export controls are dictated by the US Commerce Department, which was reportedly told to avoid tough moves on China, according to eight people including current and former US officials. Trump is said to have wanted to avoid angering Xi due to the risk of China retaliating further on the export of crucial rare earths and magnets.
Last week, NVIDIA said it would be able to resume selling key AI chips to China after being blocked earlier by the Department of Commerce. "The US government has assured NVIDIA that licenses will be granted and NVIDIA hopes to start deliveries soon," the company stated in a blog post. Today's news of frozen export controls effectively backs up that statement.
However, 20 people including security experts and former US officials, including from Trump's previous administration, wrote the Department of Commerce saying it was a bad idea to give China access to advanced AI chips. "This move represents a strategic mis-step that endangers the United States’ economic and military edge in artificial intelligence," they said in a letter. "By supplying China with these chips, we are fueling the very infrastructure that will be used to modernize and expand the Chinese military."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/YnMT1Fmfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/YnMT1Fm
Sunday, 27 July 2025
The video game adaptation of cult classic Toxic Crusaders cartoon finally gets a release date
The streets of Tromaville, New Jersey are calling once again as the video game adaptation of the off-the-wall cartoon series Toxic Crusaders gets a release date. Seen in an official trailer from Retroware that was shown off during San Diego Comic-Con and shared online by IGN, the Toxic Crusaders game is releasing on December 4 on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
As a true callback to the quirky cartoon from the '90s, the video game is designed as a side-scrolling beat 'em up, all packaged in a fitting pixel art style. In Toxic Crusaders, you can select up to seven characters from the series, each with their own unique movesets and abilities, and join together for up to four players in local co-op. For Toxic Crusaders fans wanting more after the original series ended without a second season, this adaptation picks up where things left off. You'll still run into some familiar faces, like the story's main villain, Dr. Killemoff and his two bumbling henchmen.
For followers of the franchise, it's been a discouraging journey since Retroware first announced the adaptation for release in 2023. It's been delayed a couple of times, but the latest trailer finally offers a definitive date. If you can't wait until December, you can catch The Toxic Avenger film — which is a reboot of the original movie from 1984 that the Toxic Crusaders cartoon was adapted from — in theaters on August 29.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/xEs0r8ffrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/xEs0r8f
NASA may lose close to 4,000 employees after latest deferred resignation round
The second round of deferred resignations for NASA staff closed on Friday, and the agency says roughly 3,000 employees applied to leave, according to Bloomberg. The Trump administration first offered the deferred resignation program as a buyout to government workers in January as it gutted the federal workforce under the guidance of DOGE — then led by Elon Musk — asking employees to resign while still receiving benefits and pay for a period of time. In the earlier round, 870 NASA employees reportedly opted to leave. The space agency opened a second round in June, with a July 25 deadline.
The latest batch of applications brings the total to nearly 4,000 employees, or roughly 20 percent of NASA's workforce, according to a statement provided to Bloomberg. It comes after Politico reported earlier this month that over 2,000 senior NASA staff members have agreed to leave.
NASA is grappling with proposed budget cuts that could crush the agency's science programs and result in the loss of thousands of jobs. A group of current and former NASA employees called on Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy to reject the "harmful cuts" in a letter published on July 21, writing that recent policies "threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission."
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Steam is testing out a redesigned storefront that makes it easier to find games you'll like
As if we needed more ways to grow our Steam libraries with games we'll never finish or even play. Now, Steam is experimenting with a redesigned storefront menu as part of its latest beta update to help sell more games. Instead of being overwhelmed with text links and cluttered menu buttons in the current version, Steam's store page remodel combines everything into a more polished and organized menu at the top.
In its blog post, Steam said that the redesign is supposed to "provide easier access to the places Steam users most frequently visit." At the top, the new browse feature lets you get right into digging through games, based on options like top sellers, new releases or discounts. Next to browse, the recommendations button lets you explore what Steam thinks you'll like, based on other games in your library, your games' playtimes or even community recommendations. To get a more tailored feel, the categories menu button will give you a look at your top genres and offer some suggested tags to find similar games.
Steam also revamped the store's search function to show the most popular searches, your recently viewed games, and top genres. There's even a button for advanced search for users who want to sort through games with specific filters and tags. None of these features are new, but Steam's new look makes it easier to get to the most useful parts of the store page.
"With these changes, we’re aiming to make your experience smoother and more tailored to your needs," Steam wrote in its blog post. "We've been hearing from players, and experiencing ourselves, that some of the most commonly visited areas of Steam were hard to get to."
We may be getting improved search functionality with Steam's storefront, but it comes amid frustrations over Steam's recent policy change. Earlier this month, Steam delisted tons of titles with adult or NSFW content to appease its popular payment processors, like Visa and Mastercard, leading to criticism of setting a worrying precedent of censorship. For now, the store page redesign is still part of the Steam Client Beta, where you can submit feedback to help shape the final look.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/zFUIBChfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/zFUIBCh
How to transfer Ticketmaster tickets to your friends or family
That reunion tour concert you booked a few months ago is creeping up on your calendar, but you're going to be trapped at home because life gets in the way sometimes. If you booked your ticket through Ticketmaster, you can easily transfer your pass to someone else instead of letting it turn into an empty seat.
How to transfer tickets in the Ticketmaster app
If you have the Ticketmaster app, you can locate the ticket you want to transfer in the My Tickets section. Once there, hit the Transfer button, where you'll be prompted to enter a one-time code to verify your identity. After confirming, you can select the tickets in question and hit the Transfer To button. You'll have to enter the contact info for who you're sending the tickets to, which can either be a mobile number or an email address. Once your recipient has claimed the transferred ticket through a text message or email, you'll get a confirmation email that the process is completed and your own ticket is no longer valid.
How to transfer tickets on the Ticketmaster website or a team/venue-branded site
If you prefer to do things through a web browser, the process is very similar. Using the Ticketmaster website, you have to first sign in to your account before following the same steps as laid out in the app. If you have a specific team or venue that works with Ticketmaster, search for it on the Account Manager page and then sign in. Once logged in, you can transfer tickets in the same way as the app or the Ticketmaster website.
Some restrictions apply
Before you go through with your transfer, it's important to note that whoever you're sending the ticket to needs to have a Ticketmaster account. And, some venues or artists will opt out of the ability to transfer tickets, so it may not always be an option. Some users also reported that Ticketmaster's transfer option isn't available until a few days before the event, so you may have to plan accordingly.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/XjvcsAKfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/XjvcsAK
Saturday, 26 July 2025
If you have 90 minutes to spare, play the cyberpunk horror game s.p.l.i.t
s.p.l.i.t is the most badass typing game I’ve ever played. It’s actually more of a hacking simulator, cyberpunk thriller and puzzle experience than a typing game, but its core loop is bookended by sequences of high-intensity letter pecking with gruesome consequences — think Mavis Beacon as designed by Ted Kaczynski — and the final scenes have a way of searing themselves into your psyche. Not to mention, the whole thing takes place on a keyboard, no mouse or gamepad. So I guess it’s technically only a typing game, but it’s also not a traditional typing game at all. Trust me, it makes perfect sense in practice.
s.p.l.i.t comes from Unsorted Horror and Buckshot Roulette developer Mike Klubnika, and it features his signature layers of grit, retro hardware and purely concentrated nightmares. In s.p.l.i.t, you’re seated at a ’90s-style computer terminal in a cramped, gray-washed shack. The world appears in PS2-era 3D graphics, and you’re surrounded by distended black screens crawling with orange monospaced text. To your left, a window looks onto a dense forest. To your right, there’s an electronic device in a lockbox. By pressing Alt and A or D, you’re able to twist your torso to interact with two separate screens: One displays an active IRC channel with your co-conspirators, and the other is where the hacking takes place.
The narrative unfurls in strings of data logs, file directories, command prompts and instant messages, while a bed of ambient industrial music pulses in hypnotic waves. You’re attempting to gain root access to a facility where mysterious but clearly unethical things are taking place, and you’re working with two colleagues, Sarah and Viktor, to infiltrate the systems. Sarah and Vikor’s messages automatically appear in the chat box, each one accompanied by a satisfying bloop sound, and when it’s your time to respond the SEND button flashes once, prompting you to type. It doesn’t matter which keys you press while chatting, as lines of pre-written dialogue will appear to push the narrative along smoothly. Sarah, Viktor and the player character, Axel, have distinct personalities and they clash in believable ways. The game does a fantastic job of building robust characters in such a short time, through dialogue alone.
On the hacking side, it very much matters which keys you press. You are in full control of the typing while digging through the facility’s files, so spacing, capitalization, punctuation and spelling are all taken into account, alongside use of the proper commands. This portion of the game is a maze of directories and data, operating as one big logic puzzle. Your colleagues outline the goals but once you’re in the system, you’re on your own, relying on context clues to figure out what information you need and how to gain access. The hacking riddles in s.p.l.i.t are perfectly complex, requiring failure and tenacity to work out, and this balance makes each victory feel like a real accomplishment.
Typing “help” at any time pulls up a list of all possible commands, and I found this screen useful whenever I hit a dead end in my investigations — it’s a natural way to mentally reset and visualize any unexplored paths. The “print” command functions as a notepad, allowing you to save relevant numbers and other information on a strip of paper attached to the PC screen, and it’s a useful tool especially in the game’s later stages.
I’m no coder, but I got used to the keyboard style of navigation really quickly. There’s a strong sense of internal logic in s.p.l.i.t and it’s satisfying to play in this sandbox, learning the game’s language and steadily building skills as the narrative tension grows. The first-person interface, rhythmic electronic soundtrack and consistent characters combine to make s.p.l.i.t an incredibly immersive experience. It all pays off in a massive way by the end, when the typing game returns and things really get gruesome.
s.p.l.i.t tests critical-thinking skills and keyboard proficiency in a dystopian near-future setting, and it’s a uniquely unnerving, heart-pounding slice of interactive psychological horror. It’s no more than a few hours long, but it’s something you’ll think about for days after the credits roll, guaranteed. s.p.l.i.t is available now on Steam for just $2.50 through July 31, and $3 after that.
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Extreme sports, an FPS from former Blizzard devs and other new indie games worth checking out
Welcome to our weekly roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There have been quite a few high-profile arrivals this week, as well as others that have left early access and or arrived on more platforms.
I have a long flight this weekend and I'm a little torn over what to play while I'm in the air. I have my Switch 2, Steam Deck and Playdate with me (excessive, I know). As such, there are many ways I can go here. I haven't yet burrowed my way into Donkey Kong Bananza, so that's a strong option. But then there are all the Playdate Season Two games I've yet to check out — Taria & Como is one I definitely want to play — while my Steam Deck is bursting with games and is running out of storage space.
Decision paralysis is an all-too-common affliction these days, particularly when it comes to games or picking something to watch. I feel like the smartest choice here is to play whatever is taking up the most space on my Steam Deck that I've yet to play, so I can just scrub it if I'm not interested. I'll probably do that unless I do my usual thing while flying: try to catch up on sleep.
New releases
If there were a hall of fame just for mobile games, the first two Monument Valley games would surely be first-ballot inductees. While the third entry in the series perhaps didn't quite hit those heady heights, it still has its fans and was well-received when it debuted on iOS and Android via Netflix late last year. Just over seven months later, Monument Valley 3 has sailed onto more platforms. Ustwo Games' thoughtful and stylish M.C. Escher-inspired puzzler is now available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
RageSquid and publisher No More Robots had a surprise in store this week when they suddenly released Descenders Next during a showcase of that game and its downhill biking-focused predecessor. This is a multiplayer action sports game that, at the outset, features snowboarding and mountainboarding. The developers plan to add more extreme sports over time (the game is currently in early access and there's a two-year roadmap to the 1.0 release). Descenders Next is available on Steam, Xbox and Game Pass for Xbox and PC.
Wheel World seems much more relaxing than Descenders Next, even though your mission is to save the world from complete collapse. The launch trailer for this open-world cycling game from Messhof (Nidhogg) has impeccable vibes. Between races, you'll be able to search for parts to upgrade your bike. Given its stellar track record, any game that Annapurna Interactive publishes is worth checking out, and I'll certainly be giving Wheel World a spin. It's out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Wildgate is a multiplayer shooter from publisher Dreamhaven's Moonshot Games division. Dreamhaven CEO Mike Morhaime is a co-founder and former president of Blizzard. Almost all of the company's first wave of employees used to work at Blizzard too. So it's maybe not too much of a surprise that Wildgate has a polished, colorful look. The team extraction shooter — which is now available on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S — has spaceship-based combat and a procedurally-generated map to help switch things up from game-to-game.
Dreamhaven has had quite a busy 2025 so far. It has released the full version of the enjoyable action RPG Lynked: Banner of the Spark (by FuzzyBot Games), forged a publishing partnership with Game River for its tactical wargame Mechabellum and unleashed two games of its own in the shape of tabletop RPG party game Sunderfolk and now Wildgate.
Supervive (previously known as Project Loki) is a game we've had an eye on for a while and it's now out of early access on Steam. Theorycraft has overhauled this free-to-play MOBA/battle royale hybrid with the 1.0 update by introducing a larger map that has more traversal options, a two-seater aerial vehicle, more playable characters, faster revives, an upgraded user interface and much more.
Upcoming
Agefield High: Rock the School is a narrative adventure game that follows a high school senior after his parents move with him to a new town. Sam Tatum wants to make his last few months of school unforgettable, and if he feels the need to skip class or mow lawns for a few bucks to make that happen, so be it.
This project from Refugium Games, which is in development for PC and consoles and slated to debut in early 2026, already feels like it's dripping with nostalgia, and that's just based on the trailer and press release. It's set in 2002 and is said to have a soundtrack filled with pop-punk tunes. Agefield High: Rock the School has a branching narrative too, with several endings to experience. The developers took some inspiration from Rockstar's Bully and since we might not ever get a proper sequel to that game, Agefield High: Rock the School may just fill a certain void in my millennial heart.
I quite like the aesthetic of Oceaneers, a survival-crafting sim from Barrel Smash Studios. It seems to draw from the same well as Don't Starve, but that's hardly a bad thing. You'll hop between islands in search of resources and ways to expand your colony. You'll also battle sharks and crabs, and maybe even discover hidden bunkers — perhaps there's someone inside who has to punch a sequence into a terminal every 108 minutes? Oceaneers is expected to hit Steam early access in 2026 with a demo dropping soon. Maybe I'll start a long-overdue Lost rewatch in the meantime.
Getting lost in a fictional world for dozens upon dozens of hours can be quite appealing, and I do enjoy larger games in that vein. But so many games are too bloated these days and I do love shorter, more focused experiences. Catto's Post Office is said to take around an hour to complete.
In this open-world title from In Shambles Studio and publisher Cult Games, you'll play as a Postcat who delivers packages to the residents of a small town. You can do cat things like hide in boxes, knock stuff over and meow whenever you like with a dedicated button. It looks too dang adorable. Catto's Post Office will cost $5 when it hits Steam on August 4, and there will be a 20 percent launch discount.
You know how, in Final Fantasy VII, Cloud has a massive sword? Well, what if you could have a weapon like that in a puzzle-focused action platformer? Enter the wonderfully titled Gigasword from solo developer Studio Hybrid and publisher Akupara Games. Along with using your weapon to take out unfortunate baddies and beastly bosses, you'll employ it to solve puzzles and help with platforming. Gigasword is coming to Steam on October 2, and there's a demo available now.
Speaking of games with fantastic names, The Player Who Can't Level Up sure has one of those. This is an action roguelite that is based on a webtoon that debuted last year. It has a slick, gorgeous trailer and — as the title suggests — you won't be able to level up your character. You can, however, select perks to help you hunt monsters. Tripearl Games is the studio behind the project, for which it's targeting a 2026 debut on PC and consoles.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/2TI8wRPfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/2TI8wRP
Friday, 25 July 2025
Why the Middle East is winning the quantum race
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Fujitsu to cut at least 100 more UK staff
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Thursday, 24 July 2025
The rise (or not) of AI ethics officers
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AI’s uneven distribution widening diversity divide
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The best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2
If you're lucky enough to have a new Nintendo Switch 2 in hand right now, you're probably filling it up with old and new games alike. The console comes with 256GB of storage built in; that's eight times more than the original Switch and four times more than the Switch OLED. But the new console’s improved performance means that some games will hog a ton of that space. Take, for instance, Cyberpunk 2077, which is a 59GB download, while Split Fiction checks in at 69GB. While not all titles hog so much storage, there's a good chance you'll want to add more space to your Switch 2 as time goes on.
You'll need a microSD Express card to do that. These are not the same as the standard microSD cards you may have for the first Switch or other gaming handhelds. They're newer, faster and (as to be expected) more expensive. But if you want more space, they’re your only choice. If you’re looking to grab one today, we’ve laid out the best microSD cards for the Switch 2 and broken down what you should know before you buy.
The best microSD cards for the Switch 2 (and why you might want to wait to buy)
The Switch 2 is the first mainstream device to require microSD Express for storage expansion, so there aren’t many options available to buy just yet. To make things easy, here’s a list of every microSD Express card we’ve seen at retailers at the time of writing.
128GB
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SanDisk microSD Express Card ($54 MSRP)
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PNY microSD Express Card ($45 MSRP)
256GB
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Samsung microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60 MSRP)
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SanDisk microSD Express Card ($73 MSRP)
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Lexar Play Pro ($50 MSRP)
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PNY microSD Express Card ($59 MSRP)
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GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60 MSRP)
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Onn microSD Express Card ($36 MSRP)
512GB
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Lexar Play Pro ($100 MSRP)
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GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2 ($100 MSRP)
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Onn microSD Express Card ($66 MSRP)
1TB
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Lexar Play Pro ($200 MSRP)
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GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2 ($190 MSRP)
Nintendo says the Switch 2 technically supports cards with a capacity up to 2TB, but we haven’t seen any microSD Express model go beyond 1TB just yet. It’s also worth noting that GameStop and Onn (Walmart’s in-house electronics brand) aren’t manufacturers, so it’s unclear who exactly is making their cards.
Stock for these cards remains somewhat patchy, particularly for the higher-capacity options. But many of the 128GB and 256GB models appear to be steadily available as of the Switch 2's launch week. Just be warned that you may have to deal with extended ship times in some cases. SanDisk’s microSD Express Card has also increased in price since it first went up for sale in February; originally, it cost $45 for 128GB and $60 for 256GB.
Either way, all of these cards are far pricier than traditional microSD options. The Samsung Pro Plus, for example, costs $17 for 128GB, $25 for 256GB, $43 for 512GB and $90 for 1TB as of this writing.
Remember: You’re looking for microSD Express, not “Extreme,” like the branding SanDisk uses for some of its conventional microSD cards. A microSD Express card will have a big “EX” logo printed on it — if you see that, you should be good to go.
We’ve already tested SanDisk’s Express card and the Lexar Play Pro for our broader guide to the best microSD cards. Between the two, SanDisk’s card has much faster sequential read speeds — up to 899 MB/s vs. 712 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark, to name one benchmark — which theoretically makes it better equipped to reduce load times.
The Play Pro is quicker for sequential writes (up to 720 MB/s vs. 650 MB/s), available in more sizes and should be cheaper at 256GB whenever it’s in stock. (SanDisk says the 128GB version of its card has slower sequential writes than the 256GB model, too.) Random performance is about equal, so the two should be similarly adept at keeping large games like Mario Kart World running smoothly.
We mainly tested those cards on a Windows PC and Mac, though. How they perform on the actual Switch 2 remains to be seen. Nintendo didn’t send out early review units to press, and we've only just received our own retail model. So we’ll need a few more days to finish testing.
For now, though, we can’t say for sure if the console renders all microSD Express cards to similar speeds. That was largely the case with the first Switch: Once a (regular) microSD card hit a certain threshold of performance, there wasn’t that much practical difference between it and other alternatives. The Switch 2 is working with a different standard, but if something similar were to happen again, the “best” microSD Express card would simply be the most affordable one from a reputable brand in the capacity you want.
That brings us to our main piece of advice: If you can hold off on buying one of these things early on, that’s probably a good idea. It’s not just about the lack of testing — truthfully, we’d be surprised if any of these cards are truly “bad.”
It's more about value: Barring more tariff shenanigans, all of these cards are as expensive today as they’re ever likely to get. The Switch 2 is already popular and will continue to be, thus more microSD Express cards will need to be made and prices will (eventually) come down. Try to use all 256 of the gigabytes baked into the Switch 2 first, even if it means having to delete a game or two. But if you’re absolutely sure you want more space right away, the cards above should be good enough.
What are microSD Express cards?
Most microSD cards are based on a standard called Ultra High Speed (UHS), of which there are three versions: UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III. The vast majority of cards you may have bought in the past utilize UHS-I. These have one row of pins in the back and a theoretical maximum data transfer speed of 104 megabytes per second (MB/s). (Though many cards are able to surpass that limit with proprietary tech and card readers.) The original Switch has a UHS-I microSD slot, as do most other gaming handhelds like Valve’s Steam Deck.
UHS-II cards add a second row of pins and can reach up to 312 MB/s. These are pricier and much less common than cards based on UHS-I, but they’re supported by some cameras and higher-power handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally X. UHS-III, meanwhile, is twice as fast as UHS-II in theory (624 MB/s), but no microSD cards have actually used it.
UHS-I cards have held on over the years because they’re cheap, widely supported and fast enough for the things most people need them to do: record 4K video, stash photos and so on. But with the Switch 2, Nintendo needs more. The new console is dramatically more powerful, which allows it to run demanding games that may have originally been built for stronger hardware like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or gaming PCs. The device also uses UFS 3.1 storage internally, which is much speedier than the eMMC storage used by the original Switch. (A custom file decompression engine helps improve load times as well.) So if the Switch 2 is going to accept microSD cards, it needs ones that won’t bring a serious drop-off in performance and can hold up with modern games.
Hence, SD Express. This standard has technically been around since 2018 but mostly went nowhere until the Switch 2 came along. It also uses a second row of pins, but it lets microSD cards take advantage of the PCI Express (PCIe)/NVMe interface, which is the same underlying tech used by modern SSDs. As a result, it can produce considerably faster read and write speeds, with a current theoretical maximum of 985 MB/s.
As noted above, real-world performance won’t be quite that fast. Even if it was, the best microSD Express cards would still be much slower than the NVMe SSDs used by the PS5 and Xbox. (Sony recommends SSDs with sequential read speeds of at least 5,500 MB/s.) And they’ll fall well below their peak speeds under sustained loads: SanDisk, for instance, says sustained write speeds for its 128GB Express card can drop as low as 100 MB/s.
But they’re still a marked improvement over old UHS-I cards, and in theory, they should be quicker than some older SATA-based SSDs when it comes loading game levels, asset streaming, retrieving saves or copying games to external storage. Whereas SanDisk’s microSD Express card can produce sequential read speeds around 900 MB/s, Lexar’s Professional Silver Plus — the top UHS-I pick in our general microSD card guide — topped out just over 200 MB/s, and that’s with a proprietary reader. (On the first Switch, it’d be closer to 100 MB/s.) Sequential writes and random speeds were three to four times better as well, and sometimes even more depending on the benchmark we used.
It remains to be seen how well these Express cards will hold up with extended use, and there’s no way to know exactly when their sky-high prices will drop. Non-Switch 2 devices that support microSD Express are still exceedingly rare, and the standard itself isn’t backwards compatible with UHS-II, so you’ll be limited to UHS-I speeds if you want to use your card with another device (unless you buy a pricey external reader). Still, while the increased costs and limited selection are annoying, the tech itself seems worthy of a next-gen Switch.
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Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Interview: Is there an easier way to refactor applications?
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US nuclear weapons agency breached using Microsoft SharePoint hack
The US government agency in charge of designing and maintaining nuclear weapons was among those breached by a hack of Microsoft's SharePoint server software, Bloomberg reported. However, attackers weren't able to obtain any sensitive or classified information, according to an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter.
The breach occurred at the National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the Energy Department responsible for producing and dismantling nuclear arms. "On Friday, July 18th, the exploitation of a Microsoft SharePoint zero-day vulnerability began affecting the Department of Energy," a spokesperson told Bloomberg. "A very small number of systems were impacted. All impacted systems are being restored."
The exploit only affects SharePoint for on-premises servers. The Department of energy said it was minimally impacted because it widely uses Microsoft M365 cloud "and very capable cybersecurity systems," the spokesperson added.
Microsoft blamed the attack on state-sponsored Chinese hackers. They reportedly exploited flaws in SharePoint document management software and were able to access and control systems and steal security credentials and tokens. "It's a dream for ransomware operators," Google's Threat Intelligence Group said, adding that the flaw allows "persistent, unauthenticated access that can bypass future patching."
Attackers also accessed the US Education Department and Florida's Department of Revenue, along with government systems in other nations including the Middle East and Europe. Microsoft announced on Monday that it had released a new security patch "to mitigate active attacks targeting on-premises [and not online] servers."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/zFIZgXvfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/zFIZgXv
Meta is adding new safety features to kid-focused IG accounts run by adults
Meta is adding some of its teen safety features to Instagram accounts featuring children, even if they're ran by adults. While children under 13 years of age aren't allowed to sign up on the social media app, Meta allows adults like parents and managers to run accounts for children and post videos and photos of them. The company says that these accounts are "overwhelmingly used in benign ways," but they're also targeted by predators who leave sexual comments and ask for sexual images in DMs.
In the coming months, the company is giving these adult-ran kid accounts its strictest message settings to prevent unsavory DMs. It will also automatically turn on Hidden Words for them so that account owners can filter out unwanted comments on their posts. In addition, Meta will avoid recommending them to accounts blocked by teen users to lessen the chances predators finding them. The company will also make it harder for suspicious users to find them through search and will hide comments from potentially suspicious adults on their posts. Meta says will continue "to take aggressive action" on accounts breaking its rules: It has already removed 135,000 Instagram accounts for leaving sexual comments on and requesting sexual images from adult-managed accounts featuring children earlier this year. It also deleted an additional, 500,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to those original ones.
Meta introduced teen accounts on Instagram last year to automatically opt users 13 to 18 years of age into stricter privacy features. The company then launched teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger in April and is even testing AI age-detection tech to determine whether a supposed adult user has lied about their birthday so they could be moved to a teen account if needed.
Since then, Meta has rolled out more and more safety features meant for younger teens. It released Location Notice in June to let younger teens know that they're chatting with someone from another country, since sextortion scammers typically lie about their location. (To note, authorities have observed a huge increase in "sextortion" cases involving kids being threatened online to send explicit images.) Meta also introduced a nudity protection feature, which blurs images in DM detected as containing nudity, since sextortion scammers may send nude pictures first in an effort to convince a victim to send reciprocate.
Today, Meta is also launching new ways for teens to view safety tips. When they chat with someone in DMs, they can now tap on the "Safety Tips" icon at the top of the conversation to bring up a screen where they can restrict, block or report the other user. Meta has also launched a combined block and report option in DMs, so that users can take both actions together in one tap.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/3Qr5F0Yfrom Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics https://ift.tt/3Qr5F0Y
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
App refactoring recipe: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
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The Morning After: This is the Pixel 10 (or maybe the Pixel 10 Pro)
While I wasn’t expecting a major design shakeup, Google revealed the design of its new Pixel phone, almost a month before the official launch event.
You can take a look for yourself on the front page of the Google Store. A short video teaser reveals one of the upcoming Pixel 10 smartphones. The device bears a similar appearance to the Pixel 9, with a back design that makes the camera unit protrude from the frame, similar to the Pixel 9 Pro. Oh, and an additional camera — if this is the base Pixel 10. Leaks suggest Google will equip all of its phones with telephoto cameras in 2025, but it’s still possible the phone in the video is a Pixel 10 Pro.
Under a month until we find out.
— Mat Smith
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The news you might have missed
The next iPad Pro might have double front-facing cameras
A new portrait-side camera could exist separately.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will add a second front-facing camera to the portrait edge of the upcoming iPad Pro, expected to launch later this year. In the past, iPad models only had one front-facing camera on the upper border in portrait, but Apple shifted this to the landscape side in 2024 with the iPad Pro M4. However, some users have found it trickier to use Face ID when holding the tablet vertically.
Beyond the additional camera, the new iPad Pro is expected to feature performance upgrades and improved power efficiency, thanks to an enhanced M5 chip. Previous reports suggest the tablet will launch in the second half of the year, but don’t expect them to feature Apple’s homemade modems — that’s an M6 project, reportedly.
Meta says it won’t sign the EU’s AI code of practice
Its global affairs officer called the guidelines an ‘over-reach.’
Meta won’t sign the European Union’s new AI code of practice. The guidelines provide a framework for the EU’s AI Act, which regulates companies operating in the European Union. There aren’t any business repercussions, and the code of practice is voluntary, so Meta was under no obligation to sign it.
“Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI,” Kaplan posted in a statement. “We have carefully reviewed the European Commission’s Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, and Meta won’t be signing it.”
The first few days with the new Galaxy Watch 8
The hardware looks… good?
Senior Reporter Amy Skorheim’s four-day experience with the Galaxy Watch 8 has been promising. With a more comfortable design and a raised screen for improved scrolling, hardware improvements complement significant software additions, such as Google’s Gemini AI, which you can control directly from the watch. She loves the core functions, such as accurate workout tracking and a user-friendly Health app. However, the new antioxidant level detection feature didn’t show immediate results for her — it's worth noting you have to take the watch off to use the feature.
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Hitachi Vantara claims Hitachi iQ the most complete AI stack
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Monday, 21 July 2025
Interview: Alexandra Willis, director of digital media and audience development, The Premier League
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Netherlands calls for European shift to post-tracking internet as privacy laws fail
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The role of customer data platforms
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Sunday, 20 July 2025
Apple's next iPad Pro will reportedly get two front-facing cameras
The iPad Pro with the M5 chip is expected to be just as easy to use for selfies in a landscape or portrait orientation. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will add a second front-facing camera on the portrait edge of the upcoming iPad Pro that's expected to launch later this year. It may seem like a small quality-of-life upgrade, but it means the iPad Pro can use either camera to center the subject for selfies or FaceTime calls.
Compared to the previous iPad models, the upcoming iPad Pro with Apple's latest silicon removes the guessing game of where the front-facing camera is. In the past, iPad models only had one front-facing camera alongside the portrait edge, but Apple decided to shift this to the landscape side in 2024 with the iPad Pro M4. iPad Pro owners who mostly use their devices in landscape mode welcomed this change, but those who preferred holding it vertically found it was trickier to unlock through Face ID.
Beyond the new front-facing camera, the new iPad Pro should have slight performance upgrades and better power efficiency thanks to the improved M5 chip. Besides the iPad Pro, Apple is reportedly looking at upgrading its Vision Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac with its next-gen chips.
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Saturday, 19 July 2025
OpenAI's experimental model achieved gold at the International Math Olympiad
OpenAI has achieved "gold medal-level performance" at the International Math Olympiad, notching another important milestone for AI's fast-paced growth. Alexander Wei, a research scientist at OpenAI working on LLMs and reasoning, posted on X that an experimental research model delivered on this "longstanding grand challenge in AI."
According to Wei, an unreleased model from OpenAI was able to solve five out of six problems at one of the world's longest-standing and prestigious math competitions, earning 35 out of 42 points total. The International Math Olympiad (IMO) sees countries send up to six students to solve extremely difficult algebra and pre-calculus problems. These exercises are seemingly simple but usually require some creativity to score the highest marks on each problem. For this year's competition, only 67 of the 630 total contestants received gold medals, or roughly 10 percent.
AI is often tasked with tackling complex datasets and repetitive actions, but it usually falls short when it comes to solving problems that require more creativity or complex decision-making. However, with the latest IMO competition, OpenAI says its model was able to handle complicated math problems with human-like reasoning.
"By doing so, we've obtained a model that can craft intricate, watertight arguments at the level of human mathematicians," Wei wrote on X. Wei and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, both added that the company doesn't expect to release anything with this level of math capability for several months. That means the upcoming GPT-5 will likely be an improvement from its predecessor, but it won't feature that same impressive capability to compete in the IMO.
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Corning avoids EU antitrust fine by ending exclusive deals with phone manufacturers
Corning, the US-based glass manufacturer behind Gorilla Glass, has vowed to end its exclusive deals and other practices that the European Commission deemed to be anti-competitive in order to avoid getting fined. If you'll recall, the commission announced that it was investigating Corning last year, accusing it of squashing competition with its exclusive supply agreements, thereby driving up prices and stifling innovation. Now, the commission has accepted the commitments Corning offered and made them legally binding under the EU's rules.
When the commission announced its investigation, it said Corning required mobile phone manufacturers to source all or nearly all of their Alkali-AS glass (marketed as Gorilla Glass) needs from the company, even ganting them rebates. Under its agreement with the commission, Corning has to "waive all exclusive dealing clauses in all its current agreements" with phone manufacturers and companies that process raw glass. Corning also won't be allowed to enter exclusive deals in the future.
In addition, Corning can't require manufacturers or any of their suppliers to purchase any quantity of Alkali-AS Glass from it in the European Economic Area. Worldwide, Corning can't require manufacturers and their suppliers to purchase more than 50 percent of their needs from the company. Corning's commitment will remain in force for nine years, and a trustee will monitor the company's movements to ensure its compliance.
As Reuters has noted, EU fines could cost companies as much as 10 percent of their revenue, but Corning didn't have to pay anything. "The European Commission’s investigation has been settled with no fine, no finding of wrongdoing by Corning, and no material impact to the company’s Gorilla Glass business or the company at large," the Gorilla Glass-maker told Bloomberg in a statement.
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