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California Advances AB 1043 (Digital Age Assurance Act) The California State Assembly passed AB 1043, the Digital Age Assurance Act, in a unanimous 58-0 vote. The bill would require operating system and app store providers to verify users' ages before allowing app downloads. It does not mandate photo ID; instead, platforms must provide tools during device setup for parents or users to indicate age brackets and then transmit a non-identifying age signal to app developers. Key provisions Age verification by OS and app stores (no photo ID required). Secure, non-identifying age-bracket signal sent to apps to guide content and features. Parental controls and consent mechanisms for users under certain ages. Developers must use age signals to provide age-appropriate content and screen-time options. Reactions Major tech companies such as Google and…

Roblox and Discord Face Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Teen’s Suicide Becca Dallas filed a wrongful death suit against Roblox and Discord after her son, Ethan Dallas, died by suicide. The complaint alleges Ethan was groomed and manipulated by a player known as “Nate,” who is reported to be 37-year-old Timothy O’Connor. According to reporting, the alleged groomer helped Ethan disable parental controls on Roblox and moved communications to Discord, where inappropriate messages were exchanged. Key points The lawsuit claims platform failures contributed to Ethan’s death and seeks to hold Roblox and Discord accountable for inadequate child-safety protections. The case may test legal protections enjoyed by online platforms, including arguments related to Section 230. Separate state-level actions are underway: Louisiana’s attorney general has filed a suit alleging Roblox fails to implement…

Kodak Charmera: Tiny Keyring Camera That Shoots Photo & Video Kodak (via Reto Pro) has shrunk a functioning camera down to keyring size: the Kodak Charmera. Weighing roughly 30 grams, the Charmera captures 1.6MP images at 1440×1080 and records video at 30fps. It’s sold in blind-box packaging and mixes nostalgia with collectible fun. Key specs Image: 1.6 megapixels (1440 × 1080) Video: 30 fps Weight: ~30 g Lens: 35mm-style, f/2.4 Storage: microSD support (up to 128GB reported) Connectivity: USB‑C for charging and data transfer Extras: Kodak frames, vintage filters, date stamp Blind-box details & pricing The Charmera is sold as a blind box: single units for $29.99 or a full set of six for $179.94. There are seven possible designs including one secret transparent edition (odds reported as 1/6 for…

Tesla removes the Long Range (RWD) Cybertruck from online sales Tesla has quietly removed the rear-wheel-drive (Long Range) Cybertruck from its online configurator roughly five months after introducing it. The Long Range had been the most affordable Cybertruck option, starting at $69,990, but Tesla’s configurator now shows only the all-wheel-drive model (from $79,990) and the high-performance Cyberbeast (from $114,990). What changed in the Long Range Launched in April at about $10,000 more than originally expected. Several features were removed compared with higher trims: power tonneau cover, adaptive suspension, rear-row touchscreen, rear lightbar and bed outlets. RWD Long Range had a single motor, lower towing and reduced payload capacity. Possible reasons Low Cybertruck sales overall — Cox Automotive reported 4,306 Cybertrucks sold in Q2, a drop of more than 50% vs.…

Anker power banks: 622 Magnetic Battery 42% off (now $28) One of our favorite magnetic power banks, the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (5,000mAh), is on sale for 42% off — currently around $28. It's MagSafe-compatible and includes a foldable stand that opens to a 30° angle so you can charge in portrait or landscape while propping your phone. Anker reports it can recharge an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro to ~80% and an iPhone 16 Pro Max to ~60% from empty. Quick specs Capacity: 5,000mAh MagSafe-compatible Foldable 30° stand (rotates portrait/landscape) Wireless output: up to 7.5W If you need faster wireless topping, Qi2 power banks (15W) are a better choice — they cost more but can refill phones faster. Examples mentioned in recent deals: Anker Ultra-Slim 10,000mAh — Qi2-certified 15W…

Snapchat adds Infinite Retention & Group Streaks Snapchat has rolled out two highly requested features: Infinite Retention and Group Streaks. Infinite Retention This setting lets you keep a chat history for a specific conversation instead of messages disappearing. You toggle it per conversation; if you turn it on the other person is notified and can choose to turn it off for themselves. It’s useful for saving chats with close friends while keeping other conversations ephemeral. Group Streaks Group Streaks allow multiple friends to contribute to a collective streak. Unlike one-on-one streaks (which require sending/receiving a photo or video Snap each day), group streaks are easier to maintain since several people can participate. If a group streak ends, the group can restore it within one week. Privacy & Notes Infinite Retention…

Paramount+ is offering a limited-time promotion: 50% off annual subscriptions through September 18, 2025. Discounted prices (annual, paid upfront): Essential (ad-supported): $30/yr (normally $60/yr) Premium (ad-free except live TV): $60/yr (normally $120/yr) Key details: The offer applies to new and returning subscribers. You must pay for the full year up front; month-to-month plans remain at the usual rate. Subscriptions will renew at the regular price after the discounted year unless canceled prior to renewal. The deal is available directly from Paramount+: paramountplus.com. Why it matters: For $30–$60 a year you get access to Paramount+ originals, sports, and (with Premium) Showtime titles. Highlights include RuPaul programming, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, plus Showtime series such as Yellowjackets and the rebooted Dexter. If you want additional confirmation…

Anker Soundcore Space A40 — Record-low $45 sale (44% off) The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are currently on sale for $45 — a roughly 44% discount — making them one of the best value budget earbuds available. Why they’re worth it Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Not flagship-level but effective at cutting constant background rumble (e.g., planes). Battery life: About 10 hours per charge, and roughly 50 hours total with the charging case. Comfort: Small, round earpieces that are comfortable for long listening sessions. Sound: Warm sound with strong upper-bass; some highs lack fine detail. EQ available via the Soundcore app. Trade-offs Microphone: Built-in mic is weak in noisy environments — expect average call quality. Not flagship-level audio: Don’t expect the clarity and detail of higher-end earbuds. Where to…

xAI reportedly lays off ~500 data annotators; shifts to 'Specialist AI tutors' Reports say xAI laid off at least 500 workers from its data annotation team — its largest group — with employees told by email on the evening of Sept. 12. Those affected were reportedly informed they would continue to be paid through the end of their contracts on Nov. 30, but that their access to xAI systems was cut off after the notice. The annotation team provided labels, context and other raw-data curation used to train Grok. xAI has said it will "immediately surge [its] Specialist AI tutor team by 10x" and is hiring across STEM fields. The company describes specialist tutors as providing higher-quality inputs, labels and annotations using specialized software, including text, audio and video data.…

Indie Game Roundup Here’s a recap of the most notable indie news this week (no RSS links included): Biggest headlines Hades 2 — Supergiant confirmed a full launch on Sept 25 for Switch, Switch 2, Steam and the Epic Games Store. More info: Supergiant Games announcement. Lynked: Banner of the Spark — Shadowdropped on Switch (also available on Switch 2 with mouse control and GameShare support). Popucom — Multiplayer platformer from Hypergryph; coming to Switch this holiday. New releases & out of early access Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game — A low-fi slice-of-life puzzle/detective game from Posh Cat Studio, out now on Steam. It normally costs about $10 and has a 10% discount until Sept 23. Steam search: find on Steam. Disc Golf City — Out of early access…