Author: alex

Amazon Courts Law Enforcement for AI & Surveillance — InvestigationForbes and other outlets report Amazon has been actively pitching Amazon Web Services to police departments and partnering with vendors that sell surveillance and AI tools. The outreach includes partnerships or integrations with companies such as Flock Safety (car tracking/license-plate readers), ZeroEyes (gun-detection), C3 AI and Revir Technologies (real-time crime apps), and Abel Police and Mark43 (AI-assisted police reporting).Key pointsAmazon is positioning AWS as an option for law enforcement tech and working with partners to deploy surveillance and AI products.Privacy advocates, including the ACLU, warn these tools can be inaccurate and easily misused, raising civil-liberty concerns.The police tech market is estimated at around $11 billion, and Amazon appears eager to capture part of that business.Concerns raisedCritics say aggressive sales to police…

Ubisoft launches Vantage Studios — Tencent-backed creative house to lead Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry & Rainbow Six Ubisoft has officially launched Vantage Studios, its first "creative house" created under a broader company reorganization and backed by a €1.16 billion investment from Tencent. Tencent holds a minority stake and will act in an advisory role, while Vantage is led by co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot. What Vantage will do Vantage Studios will oversee some of Ubisoft’s tentpole franchises, specifically Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. The studio is intended to give development teams more autonomy, faster decision-making and a shorter path between gathering player feedback and implementing changes. Structure & locations The Vantage team will be spread across Ubisoft offices in Montréal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona…

Best early October Prime Day kitchen deals — tested picks on sale Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale (early offers) is already featuring discounts on a number of kitchen gadgets we've tested and recommend. We'll keep updating this list as more deals go live and once the sale officially starts on Tuesday. Ninja CREAMi — Ice cream maker bundle with extra pints. Great for homemade ice cream and sorbets. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ninja+CREAMi&tag=f1rede-20 Instant Pot Vortex Plus — Larger Vortex air fryer model with Clear Cook window. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Instant+Pot+Vortex+Plus&tag=f1rede-20 Instant Pot Vortex 2-Qt Mini — Compact 2-quart air fryer, ideal for small kitchens. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Instant+Pot+Vortex+2-Qt+Mini&tag=f1rede-20 Breville InFizz Fusion — Upscale beverage/fizz maker with Fusion Cap. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Breville+InFizz+Fusion&tag=f1rede-20 Cosori Air Fryer Pro Compact — Space-saving 5-quart air fryer. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Cosori+Air+Fryer+Pro+Compact&tag=f1rede-20 Instant Pot 4QT…

Best VPN Deals Right Now (Summary) If you’re shopping for a VPN, long-term plans usually offer the deepest discounts. Below are current highlights and tips to help you choose: NordVPN — ~ $83 for a two-year plan (about 77% off). Fast, reliable, and strong privacy features. ExpressVPN (Basic) — ~ $98 for two years (73% off). Easy-to-use, excellent speeds; Express also sells the AirCove router for improved whole-home VPN coverage: ExpressVPN AirCove on Amazon. Surfshark (Starter) — ~ $54 for two years (87% off). Lots of advanced features and double-hop options. CyberGhost — Good automation and streaming-optimized servers; two-year deals common. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Often the best price-per-month on long multi-year deals. hide.me — Solid free tier; paid plans on sale regularly. What to watch for These deals…

Best Wireless Headphones (Overview) Wireless headphones have evolved from bulky gear to lightweight, feature-packed options for travel, work and leisure. Many modern over-ear models offer strong active noise cancelation (ANC), quick pairing and reliable battery life — making them a worthwhile upgrade if you want more freedom from wires. How to choose Wear style: over-ear vs on-ear — over-ear generally performs better for ANC. Noise cancellation: choose adaptive ANC for noisy environments; skip ANC to save money if you mainly use them in quiet spaces. Features: look for automatic pausing, multipoint Bluetooth, companion app quality, low latency for video/gaming, and support for Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos if important to you. Battery: check real-world battery tests (manufacturers sometimes overstate hours). Try before you buy when possible — comfort and sound are subjective.…

FTC Sues Zillow and Redfin Over Alleged $100M Deal to Suppress Rental-Listing Competition The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed suit alleging that Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to eliminate competition in the online rental-listing market by making Redfin an "exclusive syndicator" of Zillow listings. The FTC says the agreement led Redfin to copy Zillow listings instead of creating its own, ended certain advertising contracts, and reduced competition to the detriment of renters and advertisers. Key allegations Zillow allegedly paid Redfin $100M to limit Redfin's competition in multifamily rental advertising. Redfin allegedly agreed to syndicate Zillow listings and end advertising contracts, reducing rival advertising options. The FTC says the deal could raise prices and worsen terms for renters and advertisers, and has asked the court to end the agreement and consider…

Best Prime Day tech deals under $50 — Early picksPrime Day is almost here, but many great discounts are already live. Here’s a curated list of budget-friendly tech under $50 from our roundup — tested and recommended models, now at steep discounts.Amazon Echo Pop Kids — $33 — Search on AmazonAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $40 — Search on AmazonBlink Video Doorbell — $35 — Search on AmazonInstant Pot Vortex 2-QT Mini — $38 — Search on AmazonBelkin 4-Port Charger Block — $47 — Search on AmazonRing Battery Doorbell — $50 — Search on AmazonBlink Mini 2 (two-pack) — $35 — Search on AmazonAnker 622 5K magnetic power bank — $34 — Search on AmazonAmazon Smart Plug — $13 — Search on AmazonLevoit Mini Core-P — $40 —…

Fresh Complex Organics Detected in Enceladus Plumes — Implications for Habitability New analyses of data from Cassini plume flybys reveal increasingly complex organic molecules in freshly ejected ice grains from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, strengthen the case that Enceladus’ subsurface ocean is chemically rich and potentially habitable. Key points: Researchers detected complex organic signatures directly in plume ice grains captured minutes after ejection, which reduces the likelihood that the organics are the result of space weathering. The plume material is believed to originate from a global subsurface saltwater ocean roughly 30 miles deep beneath Enceladus’ icy crust, with jets erupting from the South Pole. Fresh, unaltered grains imply compounds survived transit from the ocean to the plume, suggesting active chemical processes and increased habitability potential.…

Best October Prime Day Vacuum Deals Vacuums have come a long way — from dusty bags to sleek robots and powerful cordless models. For October Prime Day, several top vacuums are heavily discounted. Below are our top picks and short notes to help you decide. (Source: Engadget — summarized.) Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum — Self-emptying base lasts up to 60 days; LiDAR mapping; ~2 hours runtime. View on Amazon iRobot Roomba 104 — Entry-level Roomba with multi-surface brush and LiDAR navigation; app controls. View on Amazon Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 — Robot that mops and vacuums; self-cleaning and self-emptying for hands-off wet cleaning. View on Amazon Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe — Excellent for deep carpet cleaning; lift-away canister for easy emptying. View on Amazon Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum —…

Xbox Game Pass: 50% price hike and 45+ games addedMicrosoft announced a surprise price increase: Game Pass Ultimate now costs $30/month (up from $20). The service has been reorganized into three tiers — Essential, Premium and Ultimate — and Microsoft added more than 45 titles to the Ultimate library, including Hogwarts Legacy and a large selection of Assassin’s Creed games via the new Ubisoft Classics+ catalogue.Key pointsPrice: Ultimate increased to $30/mo (50% hike).Tiers: Essential, Premium, Ultimate (some confusion over naming overlap with Sony).New additions: 45+ games to Ultimate; many of these trickle to Premium/Essential.Notable titles: Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin’s Creed II/III/Black Flag/Syndicate/Unity, Far Cry 3/Primal, Rayman Legends, Skull & Bones, many more.Want the full list and official details?Official announcement / coverage: Xbox (see Game Pass news). Full game list and release…