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Memorial Day Tech Deals: Sony, Apple, Anker, and More
Lots of our most-recommended headphones, power banks, and other gadgets are on sale for Memorial Day. When you think of Memorial Day sales, you probably think of mattresses and other home goods. And while those items are definitely discounted, now is also a good time to purchase tech. Personally, I'm not buying anything right now unless it's discounted--and fortunately many of our top picks are. Whether you're shopping for a power bank, a new pair of headphones, or some other gadget, I've rounded up the best Memorial Day deals for your perusal.
Finally, a Great Free Radio App for Windows
Tune into live broadcasts from your Windows desktop with Trdo, a free and open-source application. I may be old-fashioned, but I prefer actual radio stations to Spotify's algorithms. The best human DJs find music I'd never seek out, and that even the best recommendation system would never point out to me. Even better: If you're good at finding community and public radio stations that appeal to your tastes, there are no commercials. I've found several of my favorite bands in the past few years listening to radio stations like KEXP, Indie XFM, and the various stations offered by SomaFM . It's simple to listen to such stations in your browser, but leaving a tab open just for the radio annoys me.
iOS 27 will reportedly come with new AI-powered photo editing tools
You can currently use the Photos app across Apple's operating systems to adjust things like saturation and contrast, apply filters, crop photos or use AI to remove objects with the Clean Up tool . Clean Up will apparently be one of several Apple Intelligence Tools after these new updates roll out, writes. Along with Clean Up, users will be able to use Extend to expand the background of the photo with generative AI, Enhance to automatically improve things like lighting and image quality and Reframe to shift the perspective of a photo after it's taken, primarily for Apple's spatial photos. The new features, if released, will bring Apple's photo-editing tools more in line with competitors like Google and Samsung, though both companies still lap Apple in their willingness to create entirely generated images. Google's Magic Editor feature, which debuted in 2023, still takes the cake in terms of giving users leeway to radically add to and change their photos.
Google and the Pentagon sign classified deal to give the Department of Defense unfettered access to its AI models
A source says the contract doesn't give the company any veto power over how the tech is used by the government. Google has signed a deal that allows the US Department of Defense to use its AI models for any lawful government purpose. This is according to a report by, which also notes that the full details of the contract are classified. An anonymous source within the company has suggested that the two entities have agreed that the search giant's AI tech shouldn't be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons without appropriate human oversight and control. However, the contract also reportedly doesn't give Google any right to control or veto anything the government decides to do.
Magic: The Gathering Arena developers intend to form a union with the CWA
Wizards of the Coast are seeking'a say in layoffs, accountability and a living wage.' The CWA says it has secured a supermajority among workers in favor of unionization for the chapter, called United Wizards of the Coast (UWOTC-CWA). The CWA has filed for a formal election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), but that will be withdrawn if Hasbro voluntarily recognizes the union by May 1st. At Wizards, we're organizing for a say in layoffs, accountability that runs up and down the chain, and a living wage that actually lets people build a life, said UWOTC-CWA member and senior software engineer Damien Wilson. I'm hopeful about what we can build here and being clear-eyed about why it's necessary. Workers have outlined several areas of concern including protections over layoffs and remote work, generative AI guardrails and mandatory crunch time, along with increased transparency and equity in the workplace.
Images of Samsung's rumored smart glasses have leaked
Images of Samsung's rumored smart glasses have leaked They are codenamed Jinju and could retail for somewhere between $380 and $500. Images and details about Samsung's upcoming smart glasses have leaked, . We knew these were, but we now have what could be actual photos and they look pretty nifty. The glasses are reportedly being developed under the codename Jinju and could cost anywhere from $380 to $500. These are the first smart glasses from Samsung and look to offer a similar feature set to stuff like and the forthcoming . Samsung's specs will run on the and will likely feature heavy integration with the Google Gemini chatbot.
OpenAI breaks out of exclusivity agreements in its partnership with Microsoft
The two companies announced an amended partnership that lets OpenAI use other cloud platforms and offer its models to other companies. OpenAI is opening up its partnership with Microsoft in the latest amendment to the major multi-year collaboration between the tech giants. The latest changes allow OpenAI to offer its latest AI models to other companies and through other cloud providers, stripping Microsoft of its exclusivity rights. In a joint announcement posted on OpenAI and Microsoft's websites, Microsoft will still be OpenAI's primary cloud partner with the latest products shipping first on Azure, but OpenAI is now allowed to use any cloud provider. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, posted on X that the company is now able to make our products and services available across all clouds.
Canadian premier wants to ban social media and AI chatbots for kids in Manitoba
The province's premier, Wab Kinew, proposed the ban during a fundraiser, but didn't elaborate on key details. Manitoba could be the first province in Canada to establish a social media ban for kids, but the proposal's details aren't very clear yet. The province's premier, Wab Kinew, announced during a fundraiser event on Saturday and on X that Manitoba would put in place a ban for social media and AI chatbots for its youth. They're doing these very awful things to kids all in the name of a few likes, all in the name of more engagement, and all in the name of money, Kinew said at the event. Our kids will never be for sale and their attention and their childhoods should never be profited from.
OpenAI's Sam Altman apologizes for not reporting ChatGPT account of Tumbler Ridge suspect to police
OpenAI's Sam Altman apologizes for not reporting ChatGPT account of Tumbler Ridge suspect to police Altman penned a letter addressed to the community of Tumbler Ridge, two months following the mass shooting incident. Two months following the deadly shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, OpenAI's Sam Altman has formally apologized for not informing police of the alarming ChatGPT conversations seen with the suspect's account. Before the incident, OpenAI banned the account belonging to the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, for violating its usage policy due to potential for real-world violence. I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June, Altman wrote in the letter. While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.