Author: alex

Lyft & May Mobility Launch Autonomous Pilot in Midtown Atlanta Lyft and May Mobility have launched a pilot program offering autonomous rides in Midtown Atlanta. The fleet features hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles equipped with May Mobility’s self-driving technology. While rides are fully autonomous, each vehicle includes a trained human safety operator who can take control if needed. Key details Service area: Midtown Atlanta (available to Lyft riders in the app). Vehicles: Hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS with May Mobility autonomy tech. Safety: Human standby operators onboard during the pilot; no timeline announced for removing them. Rider features: Temperature controls and standard Lyft app booking; availability varies by demand and service hours will expand "in the months ahead." Previous May Mobility deployment: May Mobility already operates driverless vehicles in Peachtree Corners,…

No Tax on Tips: What Streamers & Creators Need to Know Recent guidance tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill (signed July 4, 2024) indicates that "Digital Content Creators" are included among occupations eligible for a new federal tax deduction on tips. That means tips such as Twitch "Bits" or YouTube "Super Thanks" could be excluded from taxable income — with important limits and caveats. Key points Deduction: Up to $25,000 per year of tips may be deductible from federal taxable income. Phase-out: The deduction phases out for single filers with higher incomes (starts > $150,000 and phases out fully at higher thresholds). Exclusions: Treasury guidance notes tips won’t qualify "if received in the course of certain specified trades or businesses," including fields such as health, performing arts, and athletics.…

pCloud gives new users 20 GB free — lifetime To mark its 12th anniversary, pCloud is offering 20 GB of free lifetime cloud storage to new users who register. The offer appears to be a limited-time anniversary promotion, so signing up soon is recommended. Key points Free for life: 20 GB at no cost for new accounts. Privacy-focused: pCloud emphasizes data protection and hosts servers in Switzerland. Optional add-ons: Paid features like pCloud Crypto (zero-knowledge encryption) are available but not required to claim the free 20 GB. Claim the offer and register here: https://landing.pcloud.com/Birthday2025 Questions? What would you use 20 GB of free cloud storage for — backups, photos, documents? Share your plans in the comments below. Note: This post does not include links to third-party news RSS sources. It…

RSL: Publishers Push New Licensing Standard to Charge AI Scrapers Publishers are launching the Really Simple Licensing (RSL) standard to give web publishers machine-readable ways to set licensing terms for AI scrapers. RSL adds licensing options to the robots.txt protocol with choices such as free, attribution, subscription, pay-per-crawl and pay-per-inference (pay when content is used in AI responses). Who's involved Reddit Yahoo (Engadget's parent) Medium People Inc. O'Reilly Media, Ziff Davis, The Daily Beast, wikiHow and others RSL Collective & enforcement The RSL Collective, a new nonprofit led by former Ask.com CEO Doug Leeds and RSS co-creator Eckart Walther, will manage licensing and royalty collection—similar to music-rights organizations like ASCAP. Fastly is partnering with RSL to act as a technical gatekeeper to help enforce terms at the edge. Debates &…

Grammarly adds beta support for French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish Since its launch, Grammarly mainly focused on English. In a recent beta rollout, Grammarly expanded its language support to include French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The update brings spelling and grammar checks, paragraph-level rewrite suggestions for tone and clarity, and inline translation. What’s new Language checks: Grammar, spelling and style suggestions for French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (beta). Rewrite suggestions: Paragraph-level options to refine tone, style and flow in the new languages. Inline translation: Convert text into 19 languages without leaving the app. Availability The features are available to all Grammarly customers (free and paid) where the apps or extensions run — including Windows, Mac, Chrome extension, web apps and supported plugins. No manual settings change is…

Bose SoundLink Micro (Gen 2) — Hands-on Bose has released the SoundLink Micro (2nd Generation), updating its ultra-compact Bluetooth speaker with several useful improvements under the hood and in daily use. We tested the new version and summarize the key points below. Key features Compact size (approx. 4.3 × 10.4 × 10.4 cm) — pocket- and bag-friendly Improved audio: single driver + dual passive radiators and Active EQ for fuller bass and clearer mids Battery life: up to 12 hours playback USB-C charging (replaces micro-USB) Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint pairing and support for SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive IP67 water and dust resistance and a rugged silicone exterior with powder-coated steel grille Removable fabric strap for easier carrying Bose Music app support for EQ, firmware updates and shortcut customization Improvements…

Perseverance Finds Potential Biosignatures in Jezero Crater NASA's Perseverance rover has identified minerals—such as vivianite and greigite—in sedimentary rocks from Jezero Crater that may be potential biosignatures indicating ancient microbial activity on Mars. The samples, formed over 3.5 billion years ago, were collected by Perseverance and analyzed by researchers, who published their findings in Nature. Key points: Minerals like vivianite and greigite can form when organic matter reacts with mud; on Earth, that process is often driven by microbes. Researchers caution these minerals are potential biosignatures, not definitive proof—nonbiological processes can produce similar minerals. The samples were collected by Perseverance during its surface mission (launched 2021) and analyzed by the team led by Joel Hurowitz. Quote from the study lead: "On Earth, reactions like these, which combine organic matter and…

Bluesky rolls out age verification in South Dakota & Wyoming Bluesky is expanding its age verification measures in the U.S.: users in South Dakota and Wyoming will be required to verify their age to access direct messages (DMs) and adult content. The company says other features remain available to unverified users, but age-restricted features will be blocked until verification is completed. How verification works Bluesky will use Epic Games' Kids Web Services (KWS) to perform checks. Offered verification methods include anonymous facial-age estimation, ID/document scans, or payment-card checks. Why this matters The move follows new state laws in South Dakota and Wyoming requiring platforms to verify ages for access to potentially harmful or adult content. Bluesky previously chose to block its service in Mississippi rather than comply with a broader…

Bending Spoons Agrees to Acquire Vimeo for $1.38B (Deal Pending Approvals) Italian app developer Bending Spoons has agreed to buy Vimeo in an all‑cash deal valued at about $1.38 billion. The transaction is not yet closed — it remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and shareholder consent. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2025. Key details Purchase price: approximately $1.38 billion (all‑cash) Per‑share offer: about $7.85, representing a significant premium Status: Agreement signed; closing contingent on regulatory and shareholder approvals Expected timeline: close in Q4 2025 (subject to the above conditions) What this could mean Bending Spoons has signaled plans to invest in Vimeo’s product and add new capabilities — reports mention potential AI enhancements and further product development. After closing, Vimeo would likely be taken private and…

Rode Wireless Go III — Now $199 on Amazon (Record Low) The Rode Wireless Go III is currently available on Amazon for a record-low price of $199 (about 30% off typical pricing). If you've been looking for a compact, versatile wireless mic for vlogging, interviews, or content creation, this is a strong value right now. Key Features 32-bit float onboard recording with up to 40 hours of storage 2.4 GHz wireless connection (no Bluetooth) Universal compatibility: iPhone, Android, cameras, and PCs Includes charging hub, cables, windshield, and carry pouch Available in 13 colorways to match branding or channels Why it’s worth considering The Wireless Go III balances professional features and portability: excellent sound quality, onboard backup recording, and wide device compatibility. It’s earned spots on “best mobile microphones” lists and…