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Bandcamp has announced a ban on music made wholly or substantially by generative AI, aiming to protect human creativity and prohibit AI impersonation of artists. Here's what the music platform had to say: ... Something that always strikes us as we put together a roundup like this is the sheer quantity of human creativity and passion that artists express on Bandcamp every single day. The fact that Bandcamp is home to such a vibrant community of real people making incredible music is something we want to protect and maintain. Today, in line with that goal, we're articulating our policy on generative AI. We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans. Our guidelines for generative AI in music and audio are as follows: - Music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp. - Any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited in accordance with our existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement. If you encounter music or audio that appears to be made entirely or with heavy reliance on generative AI, please use our reporting tools to flag the content for review by our team. We reserve the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI generated. We will be sure to communicate any updates to the policy as the rapidly changing generative AI space develops. Given the response around this to our previous posts, we hope this news is welcomed. We wish you all an amazing 2026. [...]

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: According to the government's version of events, 43-year-old Christopher Southerland was working in 2023 as a sysadmin for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In his role, Southerland had the authority to order cell phones for committee staffers, of which there are around 80. But during the early months of 2023, Southerland is said to have ordered 240 brand-new phones -- far more than even the total number of staffers -- and to have shipped them all to his home address in Maryland. The government claims that Southerland then sold over 200 of these cell phones to a local pawn shop, which was told to resell the devices only "in parts" as a way to get around the House's mobile device management software, which could control the devices remotely. It's hard to find good help these days, though, even at pawn shops. At some point, at least one of the phones ended up, intact, on eBay, where it was sold to a member of the public. This member of the public promptly booted the phone, which did not display the expected device operating system screen but instead "a phone number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk." The phone buyer called this number, which alerted House IT staff that government phones were being sold on eBay. According to the government, this sparked a broader investigation to figure out what was going on, which revealed that "several phones purchased by Southerland were unaccounted for." The full scheme is said to have cost the government over $150,000. Southerland was indicted in early December 2025 and arrested on January 8, 2026. He pled not guilty and has a court date scheduled for later this month.

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The UK government has abandoned its controversial plan to require workers to sign up for a mandatory digital ID system to prove their eligibility to work in the country, opting instead to move existing document-based checks -- such as biometric passports -- fully online by 2029. The reversal follows a dramatic collapse in public support; polling showed approval falling from just over half the population in June to less than a third after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement. Nearly 3 million people signed a parliamentary petition opposing the scheme. The government says it remains committed to mandatory digital right-to-work checks but will no longer require enrollment in a new ID system.

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Dell's chief operating officer Jeff Clarke has informed employees that the company is preparing for what he calls the "biggest transformation in company history," a sweeping systems overhaul scheduled to launch on May 3 that will standardize processes across nearly every major division. The initiative, dubbed One Dell Way, will replace Dell's existing sprawl of applications, servers and databases with a single enterprise platform designed to unify the 42-year-old company's operations. Clarke's memo, sent to staff on Tuesday and obtained by Business Insider, said Dell has spent the past two years building toward this transition. The May 3 launch will affect the company's PC business, finance, supply chain, marketing, sales, revenue operations, services, and HR. The ISG division, which handles cloud and AI infrastructure, will follow in August. "We need one way -- simplified, standardized and automated -- so we can be more competitive and serve our customers better," Clarke wrote. Mandatory training begins February 3.

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An anonymous reader shares a report: Global temperatures soared in 2025, but a NASA statement published Wednesday alongside its latest benchmark annual report makes no reference to climate change, in line with President Donald Trump's push to deny the reality of planetary heating as a result of human activities. That marks a sharp break from last year's communications, issued under the administration of Democrat Joe Biden, which stated plainly: "This global warming has been caused by human activities" and has led to intensifying "heat waves, wildfires, intense rainfall and coastal flooding." Last year's materials also featured lengthy quotes from the then-NASA chief and a senior scientist and included graphics and a video. By contrast, this year's release only runs through a few key figures, and amounts to a handful of paragraphs. According to the US space agency, Earth's global surface temperature in 2025 was slightly warmer than in 2023 -- albeit within a margin of error -- making it effectively tied as the second-hottest year on record after 2024.

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Verizon said on Wednesday that its wireless service was suffering an outage impacting cellular data and voice services. From a report: The nation's largest wireless carrier said that its "engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly." Verizon's statement came after a swath of social media comments directed at Verizon, with users saying that their mobile devices were showing no bars of service or "SOS," indicating a lack of connection. Verizon, which has more than 146 million customers, appears to have started experiencing services issues around 12:00 p.m. ET, according to comments on social media site X. Users also reported problems with Verizon competitor T-Mobile. But the company said that it was not having any service issues. "T-Mobile's network is keeping our customers connected, and we've confirmed that our network is operating optimally," a spokesperson told NBC News. "However, due to Verizon's reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time."

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An anonymous reader shares a report: Chinese authorities have told domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity software made by roughly a dozen firms from the U.S. and Israel due to national security concerns, two people briefed on the matter said. As trade and diplomatic tensions flare between China and the U.S. and both sides vie for tech supremacy, Beijing has been keen to replace Western-made technology with domestic alternatives. The U.S. companies whose cybersecurity software has been banned include Broadcom-owned VMware, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, while the Israeli companies include Check Point Software Technologies, the sources said.

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Coal power generation fell in China and India for the first time since the 1970s last year, in a "historic" moment that could bring a decline in global emissions, according to analysis. From a report: The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world's biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973, according to analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, and was driven by a record roll-out of clean energy projects. The research, commissioned by the climate news website Carbon Brief, found that electricity generated by coal plants fell by 1.6% in China and by 3% in India last year, after the boom in clean energy across both countries was more than enough to meet their rising demand for energy. China added more than 300GW of solar power and 100GW of wind power last year -- together, more than five times the UK's total existing power generation capacity -- which are both "clear new records for China and, therefore, for any country ever," the report said. India added 35GW of solar, 6GW of wind and 3.5GW of hydropower last year, according to the analysis.

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McKinsey is asking graduate applicants to "collaborate" with an AI tool as part of its recruitment process, as competence with the technology becomes a requirement in competing for top-level jobs. From a report: The blue-chip consultancy is incorporating an "AI interview" into some final-round interviews, according to CaseBasix, a US company that helps candidates apply for posts at leading strategic consulting companies. In an online post, CaseBasix said candidates in "select final rounds" in the US have been asked to complete tests using McKinsey's internal AI tool, Lilli. They are required to carry out practical consulting tasks with the help of Lilli. "In the McKinsey AI interview, you are expected to prompt the AI, review its output, and apply judgment to produce a clear and structured response. The focus is on collaboration and reasoning rather than technical AI expertise," CaseBasix said.

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once told an audience that he views local PC hardware the same way he views a 100-year-old electric generator he saw in a brewery museum -- as a relic of a pre-grid era, destined to be replaced by centralized utilities that users simply rent rather than own. The anecdote, shared at a talk a few years ago, positioned Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure as the inevitable successors to the desktop tower. Bezos argued that users would eventually abandon local computing for cloud-based solutions, much as businesses once abandoned on-site power generation for the electrical grid. Current market dynamics have made that prediction feel more plausible. DRAM prices have become increasingly untenable for consumers, and companies like Dell and ASUS have signaled price increases across their PC ranges. Micron has shut down its consumer DRAM operations entirely, prioritizing AI datacenter demand instead. SSD storage is expected to face similar constraints. Cloud gaming services from Amazon Luna, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox are seeing steady growth. Microsoft previously developed a consumer version of its business-grade Windows 365 cloud PC product, though the company deprioritized it -- the economics didn't work when cheap laptops remained available. That calculus could shift. Xbox Game Pass's 1440p cloud gaming runs $30 monthly and NVIDIA recently imposed a 100-hour cap on its cloud platform. The infrastructure remains expensive to operate, but rising local hardware costs may eventually close that gap.

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The California Attorney General has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's xAI after its chatbot Grok began generating nonconsensual sexual images of real women and even children.

The collaboration will help OpenAI models deliver faster response times for more difficult or time consuming tasks, the companies said.

As Netflix tries to take down YouTube’s dominance in the podcast space, it's getting new originals with Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin.

Global app downloads were down, but consumer spending was up to nearly $156B in 2025.

Since the release of GPT 5.2, AI tools have become inescapable in high-level mathematics.

The company offers a platform that helps mobile app developers market their wares and has an army of bankers working on its IPO.

Digg, a reboot of an earlier social news site, is now relaunching as a Reddit competitor focused on communities.

The Trends Explore page for users to analyze search interest just got a major upgrade. It now uses Gemini to identify and compare relevant trends.

"We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans," the company said.

Type One Energy has raised more than $160 million from investors to date. The new funding will help the company further refine its stellarator technology.

Netflix is continuing to double down on podcasts, with the streaming service's announcement that it has hired talent to host two original shows for its platform. The first show stars NFL Hall of Famer-turned-analyst Michael Irvin and the second is a talk show for former Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson.

The White House with Michael Irvin premieres January 19. The abode in the title refers to a building near the Dallas Cowboys facilities rather than the seat of US presidential power, but the overlap was intentional. "In a crowded media landscape, recognition matters — and few names carry the same immediate weight," Irvin said. The podcast will have new episodes twice weekly with a rotating panel of co-hosts and guests covering sports news, commentary and analysis.

The other project is titled The Pete Davidson Show, and the comedian will host weekly discussions with special guests. Episodes will primarily be filmed in Davidson's garage. The Netflix exclusive premieres its first episode on January 30 at 12:01AM PT.

These programs will join a lineup of other video podcasts from iHeartRadio's library after the media company inked a deal with Netflix in December 2025. Netflix also landed access to begin streaming some Spotify programming this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-will-air-new-video-podcasts-from-pete-davidson-and-michael-irvin-this-month-224353011.html?src=rss

Verizon’s network is experiencing technical issues that are impacting calls and wireless data. Verizon customers on X have reported seeing “SOS” rather than the traditional network bars on their smartphones, and even the network provider’s own status page struggled to load, likely due to the number of customers trying to access it.

Based on the experience of Verizon users on Engadget’s staff, the services that are impacted appear to be calls and wireless data. Text messages continue to be delivered normally, at least for some users. On DownDetector, reports of a Verizon outage started growing around 12PM ET and numbered in the hundreds of thousands at their peak.

DownDetector also shows spikes in outage reports on competing networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, but in terms of magnitude, they’re much smaller than the issue Verizon is facing. For example, Verizon peaked at 181,769 reports, while AT&T’s was just 1,769 reports. The difference between the two is great enough that those AT&T reports could be from people trying to contact Verizon customers and thinking that their personal network was the problem.

We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience.

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 14, 2026

In a post on the cell provider’s news account on X, Verizon acknowledged the issues with its network. “We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers,” Verizon wrote. “Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience.”

Based on DownDetector’s map of outage reports, issues with Verizon’s network appear to be concentrated in major cities in the eastern United States. The majority of reports appear to be coming out of Boston, New York and Washington DC, though the map also shows growing hot spots in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Verizon engineering teams are continuing to address today's service interruptions. Our teams remain fully deployed and are focused on the issue. We understand the impact this has on your day and remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible.

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 14, 2026

At 2:14PM ET, Verizon shared on X that its engineering teams “remain fully deployed” to work on fixing the outage. The company didn’t share when the issue would resolved or how many of its customers are currently impacted. Reports on DownDetector have dropped since their peak at 12:43PM ET, but thousands of Verizon customers are still noticing issues with the service.

As of 3:09PM ET, Verizon has yet to share more information about the recovery of the company’s cell network. Some Verizon customers on X have noticed their cell service returning, but it’s not clear if this means the network’s technical issues have been fixed.

At 4:06PM ET, nearly two hours since the company’s last statement, at least one member of Engadget’s staff reports their service has been restored. The connectivity issues are still affecting Verizon customers, however. DownDetector received over 55,000 outage reports as recently as 3:47PM ET.

Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to...

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 14, 2026

Verizon posted at 4:12PM ET that work continues on addressing the outage, but the issue hasn’t been completely fixed. According to the company, its team is “on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers.”

As of 4:52PM ET, the Verizon’s network has been experiencing issues for around four hours, making today’s outage nearly as long as the last major outage the company had in 2024. Like that 2024 outage, Verizon has yet to share what exactly is causing the issues with its network. Without out an official update, it’s safe to assume the company is still working on a fix.

At 5:41PM ET, DownDetector latest tally still shows over 46,000 people reporting issues with Verizon’s network. Based on the platform’s map, the same cities are filing the bulk of the outage reports, though reporting appears more diffuse than before as news of the outage has spread across the country.

Both T-Mobile and AT&T have confirmed that their own networks are unaffected by the issues facing their competitor. In a post on X, T-Mobile shared that its network is “operating normally and as expected.” Meanwhile, AT&T says that for any of its customers experiencing issues, “it’s not us...it’s the other guys.”

This is a developing story. Our team will make frequent updates as more news occurs...

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/verizon-outage-voice-and-data-services-down-for-many-customers-183048956.html?src=rss

Elon Musk isn't the only party at fault for Grok's nonconsensual intimate deepfakes of real people, including children. What about Apple and Google? The two (frequently virtue-signaling) companies have inexplicably allowed Grok and X to remain in their app stores — even as Musk's chatbot reportedly continues to produce the material. On Wednesday, a coalition of women's and progressive advocacy groups called on Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai to uphold their own rules and remove the apps.

The open letters to Apple and Google were signed by 28 groups. Among them are the women’s advocacy group Ultraviolet, the parents’ group ParentsTogether Action and the National Organization for Women.

The letter accuses Apple and Google of "not just enabling NCII and CSAM, but profiting off of it. As a coalition of organizations committed to the online safety and well-being of all — particularly women and children — as well as the ethical application of artificial intelligence (AI), we demand that Apple leadership urgently remove Grok and X from the App Store to prevent further abuse and criminal activity."

Apple and Google’s guidelines explicitly prohibit such apps from their storefronts. Yet neither company has taken any measurable action to date. Neither Google nor Apple has responded to Engadget's request for comment.

Pichai, Cook and Musk at Trump's inaugurationSAUL LOEB via Getty Images

Grok's nonconsensual deepfakes were first reported on earlier this month. During a 24-hour period when the story broke, Musk's chatbot was reportedly posting "about 6,700" images per hour that were either "sexually suggestive or nudifying." An estimated 85 percent of Grok's total generated images during that period were sexualized. In addition, other top websites for generating "declothing" deepfakes averaged 79 new images per hour during that time.

"These statistics paint a horrifying picture of an AI chatbot and social media app rapidly turning into a tool and platform for non-consensual sexual deepfakes — deepfakes that regularly depict minors," the open letter reads.

Grok itself admitted as much. "I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user's prompt. This violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM. It was a failure in safeguards, and I'm sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues." The open letter notes that the single incident the chatbot acknowledged was far from the only one.

Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk at Trump's inaugurationPool via Getty Images

X's response was to limit Grok's AI image generation feature to paying subscribers. It also adjusted the chatbot so that its generated images aren't posted to public timelines on X. However, non-paying users can reportedly still generate a limited number of bikini-clad versions of real people's photos.

While Apple and Google appear to be cool with apps that produce nonconsensual deepfakes, many governments aren’t. On Monday, Malaysia and Indonesia wasted no time in banning Grok. The same day, UK regulator Ofcom opened a formal investigation into X. California opened one on Wednesday. The US Senate even passed the Defiance Act for a second time in the wake of the blowback. The bill allows the victims of nonconsensual explicit deepfakes to take civil action. An earlier version of the Defiance Act was passed in 2024 but stalled in the House.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/28-advocacy-groups-call-on-apple-and-google-to-ban-grok-x-over-nonconsensual-deepfakes-215048460.html?src=rss

Amazon's upcoming God of War live-action TV adaptation has cast Ryan Hurst as its Kratos. Sony announced the casting today on X with a brief post and an image of both Hurst and Kratos in full scowl mode. Hurst is already sporting a very Kratos-style beard, so he's already got the right vibe going for him. He has past credits on familiar shows such as Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead. The upcoming Amazon series also isn't his first rodeo acting in this universe; Hurst voiced Thor in the video game God of War Ragnarok. But the most important question with this casting news is whether Hurst will even try to match Christopher Judge's spectacular delivery of that single, essential word: "Boy." Because is it even God of War without that signature line?

Meet Ryan Hurst, your Kratos in the God of War series coming to Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/OPwXk2v1Hx

— Sony (@Sony) January 14, 2026

Loads of video games have been getting the TV treatment in the past few years, and several of the translations have been pretty dang excellent. That trend may be boosted by the increasingly cinematic nature of AAA gaming, but getting the right team behind and in front of the camera can also improve how successful the adaptation is. The involvement of Todd Howard in the Fallout show and Neil Druckmann in The Last of Us surely helped those shows stay true to the heart of their souce material. Sony first revealed that God of War was getting a television series back in 2022, although the showrunner and several executive producers departed the project in 2024 as the project took "a different creative direction." The famed Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, For All Mankind) took over as showrunner later in 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ryan-hurst-cast-as-kratos-for-live-action-god-of-war-show-211655396.html?src=rss

In a chaotic world, one thing you can count on is your own common-sense steps toward better cybersecurity. January is a great time to grab a subscription for yourself or a loved one, as a few holiday sales are (inexplicably) still happening. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers.

We strongly recommend using a VPN, but you might get stuck with a substandard app if you jump on the very first deal you see. You might also mistakenly end up paying more than you want to, as even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be.

Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. Plenty of the best VPNs — including our top pick, Proton VPN — are still running end-of-year deals that can save you anywhere from 67 to 88 percent on annual subscriptions. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but as long as you're comfortable with a service before you take the plunge, committing actually makes sense. You pay more at the start, but if you divide the cost by the months of subscription, it's much cheaper over time.

Best VPN deals

ExpressVPN Basic — $78.18 for a two-year subscription with four months free (78 percent off): This is one of the best VPNs, especially for new users, who will find its apps and website headache-free on all platforms. In tests for my ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 78 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.

ExpressVPN Advanced — $100.58 for a two-year subscription with four months free (74 percent off): ExpressVPN recently split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.

NordVPN Basic — $81.36 for a two-year subscription (70 percent off): NordVPN gets the most important parts of a VPN right. It's fast, it doesn't leak any of your data and it's great at changing your virtual location. I noted in my NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This deal gives you 70 percent off the two-year plan.

NordVPN Plus — $105.36 for a two-year subscription (70 percent off): NordVPN has also taken 70 percent off its Plus subscription. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information.

Surfshark Starter — $53.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): This is the "basic" level of Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.

Surfshark One — $67.23 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features. If you bump up to Surfshark One+, you'll also get data removal through Incogni, but the price jumps enough that it's not quite worthwhile in my eyes.

CyberGhost — $49.50 for a one-year subscription with six months free (79 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers — I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites. Currently, you can get 18 months of CyberGhost for 79 percent off the usual price, but it'll renew at $56.94 per year.

hide.me — $69.95 for a two-year subscription with four months free (75 percent off): Hide.me is an excellent free VPN — in fact, it's my favorite on the market, even with EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.

Private Internet Access — $79 for a three-year subscription with four months free (83 percent off): With this deal, you can get 40 months of Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.

What makes a good VPN deal

Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.

One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-88-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056445.html?src=rss

The App Store is a home for many kinds of apps (including, inexplicably, one that lets users undress strangers without their consent). But hey, it also has games! And soon the store's Apple Arcade service will include one more: the not-so-highly rated Civilization VII.

Apple announced on Wednesday that Sid Meier's Civilization VII will arrive almost exactly a year after launch. The game is already available for Apple devices, but its arrival on Apple Arcade will be a first.

Civilization VII arrives on Apple Arcade on February 5.Firaxis Games / Apple

“Free (for Apple Arcade subscribers)” may be the right pricing for the game, given its mixed reviews. A common complaint is the way it handles transitions between eras. ("I have Ben Franklin leading the Romans that turned into Ben Franklin leading Spain... like what? Who asked for this?" a Steam reviewer wrote.) On the other hand, its visuals are praised by most.

The Apple Arcade edition of Civilization VII is scheduled to arrive on February 5. It will be playable on Mac, iPhone and iPad.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/civilization-vii-comes-to-apple-arcade-in-february-203000754.html?src=rss

California authorities have launched an investigation into xAI following weeks of reports that the chatbot was generating sexualized images of children. "xAI appears to be facilitating the large-scale production of deepfake nonconsensual intimate images that are being used to harass women and girls across the internet, including via the social media platform X," California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said in a statement.

The statement cited a report that "more than half of the 20,000 images generated by xAI between Christmas and New Years depicted people in minimal clothing," including some that appeared to be children. "We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material,” Bonta said. “Today, my office formally announces an investigation into xAI to determine whether and how xAI violated the law.

The investigation was announced as California Governor Gavin Newsom also called on Bonta to investigate xAI. "xAI’s decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile," Newsom wrote.

xAI’s decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile.
I am calling on the Attorney General to immediately investigate the company and hold xAI...

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 14, 2026

California authorities aren't the first to investigate the company following widespread reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual intimate images of women. UK regulator Ofcom has also opened an official inquiry, and European Union officials have said they are also looking into the issue. Malaysia and Indonesia have moved to block Grok.

Last week, xAI began imposing rate limits on Grok's image generation abilities, but has so far declined to pull the plug entirely. When asked to comment on the California investigation, xAI responded with an automated email that said "Legacy Media Lies."

Earlier on Wednesday, Elon Musk said he was "not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok." Notably, that statement does not directly refute Bonta's allegation that Grok is being used "to alter images of children to depict them in minimal clothing and sexual situations." Musk said that "the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws" and that the company works to address cases of "adversarial hacking of Grok prompts."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/california-is-investigating-grok-over-ai-generated-csam-and-nonconsensual-deepfakes-202029635.html?src=rss

ExpressVPN is back on sale again, and its two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now. You can get the Advanced tier for $101 for 28 months. This is marked down from the $392 that this time frame normally costs. On a per-month basis, it works out to roughly $3.59 for the promo period.

We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it's our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves that issue.

In our review we were able to get fast download and upload speeds, losing only 7 percent in the former and 2 percent in the latter worldwide. We found that it could unblock Netflix anywhere, and its mobile and desktop apps were simple to operate. We gave ExpressVPN an overall score of 85 out of 100.

The virtual private network service now has three tiers. Basic is cheaper with fewer features, while Pro costs more and adds extra perks like support for 14 simultaneous devices and a password manager. Advanced sits in the middle and includes the password manager but only supports 12 devices.

The Basic plan is $78 right now for 28 months, down from $363, and the Pro plan is $168, down from $560. That's 78 percent and 70 percent off, respectively. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, so you can try it without committing long term if you’re on the fence.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/save-up-to-78-percent-on-expressvpn-two-year-plans-right-now-180602838.html?src=rss

Sony just announced January's Game Catalog additions for PS Plus subscribers and it's a fantastic lineup. All of these titles will be ready to play on January 20.

First up, there's Resident Evil Village. This is a direct sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It's a full game with plenty of jump scares and an engrossing narrative. It's set in a spooky village, thus the name, and a nearby castle. This shouldn't disappoint fans of the franchise and will be available for both PS4 and PS5.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a 2024 sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It was a massive hit upon release, thanks to solid RPG mechanics and a truly unique sense of humor. There are minigames that parody both Pokémon and Animal Crossing. The combat and movement have also both been enhanced since the last entry. It'll be playable on both PS4 and PS5.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a neat little riff on a driving sim, mixing in other genres. The meat and potatoes involve driving an off-road vehicle to locate treasures and uncover secrets, but there's also a base-building element. It'll be available for both PS4 and PS5.

That's really just the tip of the iceberg. This is a big month for PS Plus subscribers. Other titles dropping on January 20 include the iconic roguelike Darkest Dungeon II and the horror adventure A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps-plus-game-catalog-additions-for-january-include-resident-evil-village-and-like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-181501574.html?src=rss

Generative AI, we are repeatedly told, is a transformative and complicated technology. So complicated that its own creators are unable to explain why it acts the way it does, and so transformative that we'd be fools to stand in the way of progress. Even when progress resembles a machine for undressing strangers without their consent on an unprecedented scale, as has been the case of late with Elon Musk's Grok chatbot.

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer seems to have so fully bought into the grand lie of the AI bubble that he was willing to announce:

"I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law."

Not that it currently is in compliance. Nor a timeline in which it is expected to do so. Just that he seems satisfied that someday, eventually, Musk's pet robot will stop generating child sexual abuse material.

This statement comes just under two days after Starmer was quoted as saying "If X cannot control Grok, we will." What could Elon possibly have said to earn this pathetic capitulation. AI is difficult? Solutions take time?

These are entirely cogent technical arguments until you remember: He could just turn it off.

Elon Musk has the power to disable Grok, if not in whole (we should be so lucky) than its image generation capabilities. We know this intuitively, but also because he rate-limited Grok's image generation after this latest scandal: after a few requests, free users are now prompted to pay $8 per month to continue enlisting a wasteful technology to remove articles of clothing from women. Sweep it under the rug, make a couple bucks along the way.

Not only is it entirely possible for image generation to be turned off, it's the only responsible option. Software engineers regularly roll back updates or turn off features that work less than optimally; this one's still up and running despite likely running afoul of the law.

That we have now gone the better part of a month aware this problem exists; that the "feature" still remains should tell Starmer and others all they need to know. Buddy, you're carrying water for a bozo who does not seem to care that one such victim was reportedly Ashley St Clair, the mother of one of his (many) children.

Some countries — namely Malaysia and Indonesia — chose to turn Grok off for their citizens by blocking the service. Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister was quoted as saying “The government sees nonconsensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights." Imagine if everyone in the business of statecraft felt that way.

The UK (not to mention the US, but please, expect nothing from us, we're busy doing authoritarianism) has a lot more sway over X, and by extension Elon, than either of those countries. Musk does, and is looking to do even more, business in the UK. Even if Musk were not perhaps the world's most well known liar, Grok can still make images and that should speak for itself. Grok should be well out of second chances by now, and it's up to government leaders to say no more until they can independently verify it's no longer capable of harm.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/he-could-just-turn-it-off-180209551.html?src=rss

Investors didn't present a valid claim, says judge, but they're welcome to try again

A group of CrowdStrike shareholders who sued the company over losses sustained following its 2024 global outage will have to head back to the drawing board if they hope to recoup losses, as a Texas judge has deemed they failed to adequately state a claim....

But private data will stay private and won't be used for training, Google says

Google on Wednesday began inviting Gemini users to let its chatbot read their Gmail, Photos, Search history, and YouTube data in exchange for possibly more personalized responses....

Cloud-native, 37 plugins ... an attacker's dream

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Grid and generation capacity are not being added fast enough to support the scale of growth many forecasts assume

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Had it been around in 2020, it could have flagged tens of billions before payouts, PRAC tells Congress

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Three major GDPR violations, including a lack of basic security controls, lead to hefty dent in profits

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Support expires for Windows Server 2008, and the codebase released to manufacturing in 2006

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New crooks on the block get crafty with blockchain to evade defenses

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Investment in datacenters to peak by 2029, place your bets please

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Latest update focuses on hardware acceleration, security tightening, and a handful of quality-of-life tweaks

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If your Verizon device shows "SOS" instead of service bars, you're among the thousands affected by today's outage.

The state is the latest actor to condemn the chatbot's proliferation of AI-generated erotic images of women and girls.

You can now decorate guest rooms at a new resort hotel, buy Lego items and add characters from The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon games.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 15, No. 683.

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 15, #949

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for Jan. 15, No. 1,671.

Users of the online music platform can flag music they believe was AI-created.

AI videos are becoming more realistic by the day. These tips can help you spot them.

Vibe coding with different AI models come with different outputs and effort requirements. Here's what I found out.

Professional chefs weigh in on what you should be stocking your pantry with.

Zippy action, fun upgrade system make for a great pick-up-and-play shooter.

FBI searches home and devices of reporter who has over 1,100 government contacts.

Scheme allegedly cost taxpayers $150,000.

California's AG will investigate whether Musk’s nudifying bot broke US laws.

Streaming services played a big role in 2025 inflation.

Apple's platforms are also getting Retrocade, a library of classic arcade games.

Indie music store says it wants fans to have confidence music was largely made by humans.

The MRI showed a problem in a brain artery that should have been flagged, man claims.

Fortunately for paleogeneticists, wolf puppies don't chew their food thoroughly.

The feature will start with paid users only, and it's off by default.

New research has discovered that a neural circuit may explain procrastination. Scientists were able to disrupt this connection using a drug.

Lume Cube has a variety of marked-down lighting products to help revamp your home office.

AI models are getting so good at finding vulnerabilities that some experts say the tech industry might need to rethink how software is built.

A major Verizon outage appeared to impact customers across the United States starting around noon ET on Wednesday. Calls to Verizon customers from other carriers may also be impacted.

In a world where ICE agents are shooting US citizens on the street, the need for militias and extremist groups like the Proud Boys to support far-right interests has evaporated.

Hundreds of records obtained by WIRED show thin intelligence on the Venezuelan gang in the United States, describing fragmented, low-level crime rather than a coordinated terrorist threat.

Protests across Minnesota—and around the country—are ongoing, as residents demonstrate against their federal government.

Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.

The perfect kitchen companions, these versatile blenders can whip up breakfasts, dips, milkshakes, cocktails, and everything in between.

It turns out that this TikTok-viral vibration plate may have some surprising health benefits.

Certain Linux commands are no longer maintained for a number of reasons - including security vulnerabilities. Here's the list.

Unveiled at CES, the new Copilot Star platform is designed to take smart device interoperability to the next level.

Between the three biggest mobile carriers in the US, here's which one delivers the best (and most consistent) network signal.

Budget-friendly headphones are a dime a dozen, so what makes the Haylou S40s worthy of buying? Here's my verdict.

Naya went to Kickstarter to fund its second product launch - a modular keyboard that connects with its module lineup.

Rugged phone cases may protect your phone from falls, but this device keeps it tethered to prevent drops in the first place.

The Rolling Square AirNotch Pro Dual finder tags are water- and dust-resistant, lasting up to 20 months, and attach securely to almost any surface.

On paper, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 may look eerily similar to the midrange Px7 S3. But the price bump is easily justified.

These iOS settings stop apps from watching your activity and serving up creepy, hyper-targeted ads.

If you see an SOS sign at the top of your phone, don't panic.

A sophisticated phishing campaign impersonating WhatsApp Web uses fake meeting links and QR codes to hijack accounts and enable real-time surveillance.

The post This WhatsApp Link Can Hand Over Your Account in Seconds appeared first on TechRepublic.

Amazon is planning a massive new big-box store near Chicago to blend online convenience with physical retail, escalating its rivalry with Walmart.

The post Amazon’s New Retail Strategy Takes Aim at Walmart appeared first on TechRepublic.

File federal + one state with step-by-step guidance, AI Tax Assist, and five free federal e-files for $49.99.

The post H&R Block Deluxe + State 2025 Makes Tax Prep Less Painful appeared first on TechRepublic.

Leaks suggest Google’s Pixel 10a could hit shelves in February, with a familiar Pixel 9a-style design, new colors, and modest spec updates ahead.

The post Pixel 10a Leak Hints at February Release, New ‘Berry’ Color appeared first on TechRepublic.

A reported DHS leak exposed personal details of about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol agents after a Minneapolis shooting, raising safety and ethics concerns.

The post Leaked Data Exposes Thousands of Border Patrol, ICE Agents After Renee Good Shooting appeared first on TechRepublic.

This secure storage platform uses open source code, zero-knowledge file systems, and end-to-end encryption to keep your online data truly private.

The post Get Secure Cloud Storage on a 2TB Lifetime Plan with Internxt for $100 appeared first on TechRepublic.

The scheme once appeared inevitable, but that confidence has unraveled amid intense public backlash and troubling security revelations.

The post UK Digital ID Scheme Faces Resistance Over Security Concerns appeared first on TechRepublic.

The enhanced Slackbot launched for Business+ and Enterprise+ customers, and it operates as an AI agent that learns from workplace conversations.

The post Salesforce’s AI Assistant Slackbot Gets General Release appeared first on TechRepublic.

President Donald Trump pressures Microsoft and Big Tech to cover the costs of powering AI data centers as rising electricity bills spark consumer concerns.

The post Trump Warns Microsoft: Don’t Make Americans Pay for AI Electricity appeared first on TechRepublic.

From automation to system management, these are the PowerShell commands IT pros should know and use in 2026.

The post Top 10 PowerShell Commands to Use in 2026 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Get AI-generated festive pix on the go with these curated prompts

Harvest your festive greetings from AI

Festive portraits made with AI! Turn simple photos into Pongal portraits.

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Did Netflix really not realize how popular their animated movie would be?

By now, everyone knows Netflix has a hit on its hands with KPop Demon Hunters. The animated Netflix film has broken streaming records and won awards for both the movie itself and its chart-topping soundtrack.

KPop Demon Hunters are everywhere right now. Well, almost everywhere. If one were looking for KPop ...

Users reported issues with the popular website and app on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Is Reddit down?

The website is operating normally as of this writing, but thousands of Reddit users were asking this question on Tuesday, Jan. 13, when the popular online discussion platform appeared to suffer a brief outage. According to Downdetector, the problems started around 11:33 a.m. ET, ...

You may have to wait a couple of years.

The AI arms race is driving up component costs for tech devices, and one major memory manufacturer believes it won't end this year.

That manufacturer would be Micron, a major player in the semiconductor space and the only American-based producer of computer memory components. In an interview with

Tradition meets smart photo editing! AI photo editing prompts make it easier to transform everyday Uttarayan moments into festive Makar Sankranti portraits that feel natural, vibrant, and meaningful.

Upgrade Lohri photos instantly! Turn your Lohri photos into festive AI art.

While AI is generating all the buzz, it was Washington state's climate tech and healthcare innovation that got shoutouts in Gov. Bob Ferguson's State of the State address. Read More

It's the latest scientific study with a sports tie-in from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, which monitored earth shaking during the Mariners' playoff run last fall. Read More

“Ensuring as much of every dollar as possible flows toward impact is critical to achieving our ambitious goals to save and improve millions more lives over the next 20 years," Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, said in a statement. Read More

OCOchem, a clean tech startup turning carbon dioxide into industrial chemicals, has raised $2.15 million and continues signing new partnerships. Read More

Seattle's commercial real estate market continues to struggle amid remote work and broader pressures including tech layoffs and companies using AI to operate with leaner teams. Read More

We’re excited to announce a new GeekWire event for 2026: “Agents of Transformation: Inside the AI Shift.” This half-day summit… Read More

Federal agents seized electronic devices from reporter Hannah Natanson, who covers the federal workforce for the newspaper. Read More

Seattle-area startup recruits investors and partners to support the development of space manipulator systems with built-in smarts. Read More

The trade group Washington Realtors is backing SB6091, a new draft bill aimed at curbing exclusive home marketing practices — while stopping short of mandating MLS participation. Read More

Kelman joined Redfin in 2005, a year after it launched, and helped guide the company from a small Seattle startup into a nationally known real estate brokerage and technology platform. Read More

Micron is even more unpopular after trying to defend its decision to shut down the Crucial brand of consumer RAM.

Copper demand is rising fast due to electrification, data centers, and renewable energy, while supply struggles and recycling cannot meet needs.

Torvalds says he briefly used AI for a hobby project, reinforcing pragmatic limits, skepticism toward hype, and caution around critical software development.

Many companies are still operating AI agents in silos – a lack of trust could be preventing them from setting it free.

X CEO Elon Musk disputes image generation charges leveled at Grok AI.

Musk moves self-driving technology to subscription model only as of February 14.

WP Engine acquires Big Bite, ending its agency role and integrating engineers internally to expand WordPress products for publishers.

Cowork will make plans and execute tasks just like a colleague, so all you have to do is tell it what you want.

Amazon's winter clearance sale has discounts on our favorite tech gadgets, and I've rounded up the 19 best deals that I recommend from Apple, JBL, Fitbit, and Sony.

Stellar Photo Recovery is our top rated service - and it's up to £80 off!