Author: alex

UK fines AVS Group £1M for weak age verification — 72‑hour deadline to fix checks Ofcom has fined adult content operator AVS Group £1 million for failing to implement sufficiently strong age checks, and slapped an additional £50,000 fine for not responding to information requests. The company now has 72 hours to introduce effective verification or face a further penalty of £1,000 per day. The enforcement follows the UK government’s push under the Online Safety Act to require "highly effective" age verification on sites that publish or display pornographic material. Ofcom lists approved methods such as credit‑card checks, photo ID matching and age estimation from a selfie. Why regulators acted Protecting minors: Regulators say robust checks are needed to prevent children from accessing explicit material. Compliance gaps: Ofcom found AVS…

Ugreen launches compact 10,000mAh powerbank with display Accessory maker Ugreen has introduced a new compact 10,000 mAh powerbank in its light‑blue accessory lineup. The device packs a built‑in display and a peak output rating of up to 55W, though that highest output appears to be limited to certain Xiaomi models. The new unit aims to combine portability with stronger fast‑charging support for modern phones and small laptops. The powerbank’s compact format makes it a practical travel companion while the display shows charge status and output information at a glance. Because peak wattage compatibility varies by device, many phones (including iPhones) will charge at their own supported rates rather than the full 55W figure. Key features Capacity: 10,000 mAh — balances portability and usable charge for phones and small devices. Peak output:…

Oneisall refreshes iPhone app for its Wi‑Fi pet feeder (3L model) Oneisall has released a redesigned iPhone app for its Wi‑Fi pet feeders, including the popular 3‑liter model. The updated app aims to streamline setup, pairing and day‑to‑day control of feeding schedules — a welcome upgrade for owners who prefer a simple, no‑frills feeder over more feature‑heavy alternatives. The company positions the Oneisall feeders as straightforward, reliable Wi‑Fi devices that connect with Zigbee? (Note: original article focuses on app update) — the new app improves the interaction between user and device, making it easier to adjust portions, set timers and manage feeding remotely from your iPhone. What’s new Overhauled interface for clearer controls and faster access to common actions. Simplified pairing and setup flow to get the feeder online more…

Alan Dye leaves Apple for Meta to lead hardware, software and AI design studio Alan Dye, Apple’s longtime head of Human Interface Design, is joining Meta to head a new studio responsible for the design of hardware, software and AI products. Meta says the team will bring together interface, industrial and metaverse design talent to imagine future devices and experiences that treat intelligence as a design material. Apple has named Stephen Lemay, a senior interface designer with decades at the company, as Dye’s replacement. Dye contributed to major Apple initiatives including visionOS and the Liquid Glass design language, making his departure notable for the industry. Key details Alan Dye will lead Meta’s new cross‑disciplinary studio focused on hardware, software and AI. Meta’s team includes other senior designers and industrial leads…

Alan Dye leaves Apple for Meta to lead design studio for hardware, software and AI Alan Dye, Apple’s long‑time head of interface design, is joining Meta to run a new studio responsible for hardware, software and AI experiences. The hire brings together senior designers and industrial teams as Meta presses to expand its consumer hardware and AI ambitions. Apple reportedly named Stephen Lemay, a veteran interface designer, as Dye’s replacement. Dye had been a central figure shaping recent Apple UI work, including contributions to visionOS and Apple’s Liquid Glass design language. Key details Alan Dye will lead a Meta studio tasked with product design across hardware, software and AI. Meta’s new team includes other senior designers and industrial leads aimed at accelerating device and AI product development. Apple will promote…

iOS 26.2 & macOS 26.2 release candidates seeded — Reminders gets alarms Apple has seeded release candidates (RCs) for iOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2, signaling that the final public releases are imminent. These updates focus on a collection of small but practical improvements and bug fixes aimed at smoothing everyday tasks across iPhone, iPad and Mac. A standout addition is a new alarm feature in the Reminders app: due tasks can now trigger audible alerts to help users notice and act on time‑sensitive items. The RCs also include numerous quality‑of‑life tweaks, accessibility refinements and under‑the‑hood stability fixes. Notable changes Reminders: new alarm/notification option for due tasks (can be audible or read aloud). Usability: several interface and accessibility tweaks to streamline everyday interactions. Stability: multiple bug fixes and performance improvements across…

iOS 26.2 & macOS 26.2 release candidates arrive — Reminders gains alarms Apple has seeded release candidates for iOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2, signaling that final releases are imminent. These updates focus on a collection of small but useful improvements and bug fixes aimed at smoothing everyday tasks across iPhone, iPad and Mac. One of the headline additions is a new alarm feature in the Reminders app: due tasks can now produce audible alerts, helping users notice and act on time‑sensitive items. Beyond that, the RC builds contain several quality‑of‑life tweaks that refine system behavior and app interactions. Notable changes (high level) Reminders: new alarm/notification option for due tasks (can be read aloud or signaled audibly). General: multiple bug fixes and under‑the‑hood stability improvements across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Usability:…

Raspberry Pi responds to global memory shortage with new 1GB Raspberry Pi 5 for $45 Raspberry Pi has adjusted prices across its product lineup in response to sharply higher memory (RAM) costs and introduced a new lower‑memory variant: a Raspberry Pi 5 with 1GB of RAM priced at $45. The company says the move is designed to help makers and hobbyists cope with rising component costs while keeping an entry point to its platform affordable. The new 1GB Pi 5 reportedly uses a quad‑core Arm Cortex‑A76‑class processor and supports dual‑band Wi‑Fi, making it a capable option for lightweight projects and networked applications. Raspberry Pi’s broader price changes reflect market pressure on memory suppliers that has pushed up component costs industry‑wide. What changed New model: Raspberry Pi 5 with 1GB RAM,…

Bungie and Sony resolve plagiarism dispute over Marathon assets Artist Fern Hook (known online as Antireal) says her concerns about Bungie using uncredited artwork in Marathon's alpha have been settled to her "satisfaction." The announcement follows Bungie’s earlier confirmation that some assets in the game's alpha were taken from Hook's work and its pledge to investigate. Bungie delayed Marathon in June 2025 after the controversy and later ran updated closed playtests in October. Sony now lists a target launch by March 2026. While the settlement appears to remove a major legal and reputational hurdle, details of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed. What happened Alpha assets: Portions of textures and assets in Marathon’s early alpha were claimed by Hook to be taken from her work without credit. Investigation and…

Threads tests “Dear Algo” — a new way to tell the algorithm what you want Meta is experimenting with a feature inspired by user posts that start with "Dear Algo." When users write "Dear Algo" at the start of a post, Threads will treat that as an AI‑powered signal to show more or less of the requested content in the user's feed for up to three days, according to posts from Mark Zuckerberg and Threads head Connor Hayes. The test is limited and technical details are scarce: Meta hasn’t said how broadly it will roll out the feature or how it will parse and weight requests. Connor Hayes noted that public profiles’ requests can be seen by others, who may connect or repost the request — which makes this both…