Feed aggregator

Cardinal Robert Prevost made his first speech as Pope Leo XIV on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, shortly after being elected pontiff. This is a transcript of the speech, translated from its original Italian.

(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)

Israel's ongoing blockade of aid for Gaza forced the humanitarian group to shut its soup kitchens as it faced empty warehouses and no replenishment of supplies in the war-battered enclave.

(Image credit: Abdel Kareem Hana)

The next installment in the Mafia series won't take a huge time commitment or break the bank.

The company is reportedly pulling back on some privacy concerns to give its smart glasses lineup a bigger AI boost.

• Nearly 40% of IT workers admit to secretly using unauthorized generative AI tools
• Shadow AI is growing as training gaps and fear of layoffs fuel covert use
• AI tools used without oversight can leak sensitive data and bypass existing security protocols

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in the workplace, organizations are struggling to manage its adoption responsibly, new research has said.

A report by Ivanti has claimed the growing use of unauthorized AI tools in workplaces is raising concerns about deepening skill gaps and increasing security risks.

Among IT workers, over a third (38%) admit to using unauthorized generative AI tools, while nearly half of office workers (46%) say some or all of the AI tools they rely on were not provided by their employers.

Some companies allow the use of AI

Interestingly, 44% of companies have integrated AI across departments, yet a large portion of employees are secretly using unauthorized tools due to insufficient training.

One in three workers say they conceal their AI usage from management, often citing the “secret advantage” it provides.

Some employees avoid disclosing their use of AI because they don’t want to be perceived as incompetent.

With 27% reporting AI-fueled impostor syndrome and 30% worried their roles may be replaced, the disconnect is also contributing to anxiety and burnout.

These behaviors point to a lack of trust and transparency, emphasizing the need for organizations to establish clear and inclusive AI usage policies.

“Organizations should consider building a sustainable AI governance model, prioritizing transparency and tackling the complex challenge of AI-fueled imposter syndrome through reinvention,” said Ivanti’s Chief Legal Counsel, Brooke Johnson.

The covert use of AI also poses a serious risk. Without proper oversight, unauthorized tools can leak data, bypass security protocols, and expose systems to attack, especially when used by administrators with elevated access.

Organizations must respond not by cracking down, but by modernizing. This includes establishing inclusive AI policies and deploying secure infrastructure - starting with strong endpoint protection to detect rogue applications and ZTNA solutions to enforce strict access controls in distributed environments.

Ivanti notes AI isn’t the problem; the real issues are unclear policies, weak security, and a lack of trust. If left unchecked, shadow AI could widen the skills gap, strain mental health, and compromise critical systems.

You might also like

• Check out the best AI phones on the market
• Here is our list of the best AI website builders on the web
• After AI, Nvidia wants to own a slice of that sweet trillion-dollar cybersecurity pie

The transportation secretary announced a far-reaching plan to drastically overhaul the current technology used by thousands of controllers responsible for guiding planes in and out of airports.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

Hints and answers for Connections for May 9, No. 698.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,420 for May 9.

• Pinterest has debuted a set of new AI-powered visual search tools
• The AI tools enable users to explore fashion by vibe, mood, or aesthetic
• The results are aimed at helping produce personalized shopping ideas

Pinterest has always been about visuals over text. Now, with the help of AI, you can figure out how to describe those visual inspirations and even get a chance to buy your favorite items, starting with women’s fashion.

A growing number of Pins on Pinterest will have specific pieces of an outfit or aesthetic highlighted with a shimmering animated glow. Click on, say, the plaid skirt or the blue jacket, and Pinterest will show you some of the words to describe the item and help you find more like it without you needing a fashion dictionary.

Pinterest is using generative AI and Visual Language Models (VLMs) for the new features. The VLMs essentially translate images into searchable terms, decoding your taste from an image and helping you shop for it. It's like a more nuanced reverse image search tool, one that can converse with you about your interest in vivid tones and stereopunk plaid.

You’re not expected to describe your dream outfit with perfect vocabulary. You’re not expected to know what kind of tailoring makes a jacket “structured casual.” You just have to know that you liked that one look for its vibe. Pinterest takes it from there.

“Our visual search technology represents a shift in how users interact with and discover inspiration,” Pinterest vice president of design Dana Cho said in a statement. “We're not simply delivering search results – we're curating a personalized journey of discovery that empowers individuals to find their unique style, and shop it too."

Pin AI

There are other new AI features as well, including a new refinement bar that lets you tweak results on the fly. For instance, if you like a look but want to change its color or styling, you can use the refinement bar to filter for them or other elements like fabric.

And if you spot something you want to use to start a visual search from within the app, you just need to long-press on it. Pinterest says it plans to expand the AI tools beyond women’s fashion eventually, but it makes sense that it would start there when it's such a major facet of the platform.

Pinterest's new tools don't mean it's entirely trusting of AI. The company has also begun adding new labels for AI-modified or AI-generated images and giving users the option to see fewer of them via topic filters. It’s a small but smart nod to the fact that inspiration is great, but that reality still matters when you're shopping for actual clothing.

Still, it's an interesting approach to online shopping, and one that fits the way people shop in person by looking at clothes, not just describing them. The AI is like a personal shopper who understands most people rely on visual impressions and gut feelings to decide what to buy, rather than knowing stitch patterns and trend terms.

You might also like

• Google’s AI Mode can explain what you’re seeing even if you can’t
• Amazon's new AI guides know what you want to buy before you do
• Perplexity AI's Comet browser will streak across the web this month

It's the final tour event before next week's PGA Championship.

• SZBOX S9 tablet handles 4K video and runs Windows 11 like a pro
• It looks small but packs some serious heat for work and multitasking
• With eight ports, this rugged tablet might outconnect your office desktop setup

A device with a tiny screen, small battery, and eight ports isn’t what you’d typically expect from a Windows 11 Pro machine, but here is the SZBOX S9, a rugged tablet that doubles as a fully functional mini PC.

With its 7-inch touchscreen and modest 1280x800 resolution, the SZBOX S9 clearly isn’t aiming to be a media powerhouse.

Instead, this business tablet finds its niche in utility, industrial, and mobile computing scenarios where space is limited but versatility is essential.

SZBOX offers both tablet and mini PC features

The internal specs are as surprising as the layout. It runs on an Intel N200 processor, built on a 10nm process, with four cores and a 3.7GHz boost clock.

It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage via M.2 2242 SATA or NVMe, impressive for such a small footprint.

Integrated Intel UHD Graphics allow 4K video playback at up to 60fps, making it capable of media streaming and light editing tasks, and a rear kickstand makes tabletop use convenient.

The 3400mAh battery doesn’t promise all-day life, rather the Windows tablet is designed for short bursts of productivity or continuous operation while plugged in.

For connectivity, the SZBOX S9 offers a surprisingly rich selection: three USB-A 3.2 ports, one USB-A 2.0, two USB-C (one for charging and one full-function), HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

This puts it in a unique category, rivaling some of the best AIO PC units in terms of I/O, despite being handheld. With Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6, it also meets modern wireless expectations.

Although it ships with Windows 11 Pro out of the box, users are free to switch to Linux if needed.

This peculiar but intriguing device is now available for $341 on Amazon.

You might also like

• These are the best business laptops available to buy right now
• And you should take a look at the best office chairs we've tried
• Major US PC vendor hints at unannounced AMD EPYC 4005 mini PC being used in huge 35-units 42U racks

Some of Nintendo's best games pushed the Switch to its limits. Switch 2 editions will buff them out with better graphics and improved frame rates.

13 states got the greenlight to add work requirements during the first Trump Administration, but courts halted those plans. Now that Trump is back in the White House, some states are trying again.

(Image credit: Evan Vucci)

The Basilisk Mobile and Joro are an ergonomic mouse and keyboard, and the Clio is a gaming chair head cushion with wireless sound.

When Amanda Hess learned her unborn child had a genetic condition, she turned to the internet — but didn't find reassurance. "My relationship with technology became so much more intense," she says.

President Trump will replace his controversial pick, Ed Martin, for the role of top prosecutor in Washington, D.C. following bipartisan Senate opposition

(Image credit: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

The autopsy notes two bullet wounds even though there were three shooters, and a forensic expert says the misfires likely caused "excruciating conscious pain and suffering."

(Image credit: David Weiss)

• Amazon's latest warehouse robot can feel items that it handles
• Vulcan has already processed 500,000 orders in pilots
• It'll work alongside workers to boot efficiency and safety

Amazon has unveiled a brand-new warehouse robot that it's calling Vulcan, and it's a step closer to being human than many humans might feel comfortable with, but for good reason.

Vulcan has the ability to 'feel' the objects it interacts with using force sensors and tactile feedback, which means Amazon can improve precision and reduce errors in its warehouses.

The (thankfully not humanoid) robot uses two separate arms, one for rearranging items in compartments and another, equipped with a camera and suction cup, to be used for item retrieval.

Amazon Vulcan robot can "feel" objects

The company noted Vulcan was trained using physical data, including force and touch feedback, and it's already capable of picking about three-quarters of the ecommerce giant's inventory, having already processed over 500,000 orders in pilot deployments across Spokane, Washington and Hamburg, Germany.

Vulcan is also capable of self-improvement, learning from experiences much like a human child would do.

Because of this ability to learn combined with touch sensors and tactility, Amazon says Vulcan mimics human dexterity, allowing it to manipulate tightly packed compartments without damaging items.

It's also able to identify when it cannot currently handle an item, calling on a human for assistance.

Notably, in highly-stacked shelves and taller warehouses, Vulcan is able to access items more quickly than humans because it doesn't need to use a ladder, improving safety and efficiency. It's also said to work at speeds comparable to humans.

"Vulcan works alongside our employees, and the combination is better than either on their own," Amazon Robotics Director of Applied Science Aaron Parness explained.

Amazon now has more than 750,000 robots already in use across its warehouses, which it stresses are there to support and collaborate with human workers rather than replace them. Other projects include Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal and Proteus – the company's first autonomous robot.

"Our vision is to scale this technology across our network, enhancing operational efficiency, improving workplace safety, and supporting our employees by reducing physically demanding tasks," Parness concluded.

You might also like

• We've listed the best free website builders
• Take payments online with the best payment gateways
• Amazon is spending billions to expand its delivery network across rural America

• New details about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach have been revealed ahead of the game's release next month
• The story, which is set 11 months after the first game, finds Sam in Mexico and Australia and "unfolds at a faster pace"
• New features like a day and night cycle, an aerial view camera, and environmental hazards that affect gameplay have also been added

New details about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach have been revealed ahead of the game's release next month.

The latest comes from PlayStation Blog's hands-on impressions, which offers fresh insight into Death Stranding 2, including information about the game's story, gameplay, and newly added features.

In terms of narrative, the sequel is set 11 months after Death Stranding and finds Sam Bridges living in Mexico in a quiet life with his BB Lou, until he gets caught up in an incident that brings him to Australia where he is once again tasked with traveling across the map to "re-connect a fractured society".

Compared to the first game, Death Stranding 2's story "unfolds at a faster pace" and will give players access to new equipment and structures earlier on.

The story will start in Mexico, but new footage of the Australia map showcases the expansive terrain. During travel, players will be able to switch to an "aerial camera" that will show Sam from a bird's-eye view, allowing a further look at the environment surrounding them.

It's also said that the game will offer "more choice and freedom in terms of strategy and decision-making", which applies to the new equipment, as well as transportation, infrastructure, weapons, smoke grenades to avoid combat altogether, and more.

Alongside new enemy types, like a new BT called "the Watcher" that detects and attacks through sight, gameplay appears to be much more reactive this time around, with the addition of a new day and night cycle.

For instance, terrain and enemies are more visible during the day, but threats can locate the player more easily. Meanwhile, night-time offers more opportunities for stealth at the cost of visibility.

Environmental hazards, like earthquakes, flash floods, and heavy rain, will also impact the world around Sam, meaning players will need to find alternate routes from time to time.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to launch on June 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5. Sony has also revealed a new limited edition DualSense Wireless Controller inspired by Death Stranding 2, which will release alongside the game.

You might also like...

• Ghost of Yotei pre-orders live: Collector's Edition up in the US, Standard Edition retailers, and where to buy in the UK
• Grand Theft Auto 6 looks mind-blowingly beautiful in latest screenshots
• Rockstar confirms the latest Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer was all 'gameplay and cutscenes' captured 'entirely in-game' on the PS5

• Meta is apparently working on glasses with always-on AI
• It can recognize people's faces and remind you of things you forget
• Existing glasses apparently have all the same sensors, but too small a battery for the feature to be worthwhile

Meta’s next smart glasses might always be watching with a new AI that can track everything you do.

That’s according to a leak from The Information (behind a paywall), which details two pairs of specs the company is working on, according to insiders.

Internally codenamed Aperol and Bellini, the two pairs of specs would feature a new live AI. You start it with a command phrase, like “Hey Meta, start live AI,” and the glasses would start recording your every move.

This includes being able to recognize people with facial recognition, and to remind you of things like your house keys if the glasses saw you forgot them.

(Image credit: Meta)

The current Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses models are apparently already packed with the sensors they’d need to pull off this same feat of AI.

Unfortunately, those familiar with Meta’s tests with the existing glasses have said the feature cuts their battery life to only 30 minutes, which isn’t ideal.

Meta’s current focus is reportedly to have its in-development glasses – and a pair of Meta earbuds that will supposedly also boast cameras and super sensing software – run for hours on a single charge with this feature switched on.

(Image credit: Ray-Ban / Meta) Always watching

In many ways, I can see the advantage of this always-live AI assistant. Anyone who has locked themselves out wishes they’d had a little software assistant reminding them to pick up their keys before they leave home.

At the same time, it sounds like a privacy nightmare.

People who point somewhat nervously at my Meta Ray-Ban glasses and ask, “Are those recording us right now?” always seem to relax when I show them they’re switched off or explain they only record when instructed, like if I say, “Hey Meta, take a picture.”

Now, imagine I instead say, “Yeah, they’ve been recording you the whole time.” I imagine I’d lose a few teeth.

The Information's report also suggests Meta has reworked its privacy and safety policy to speed up innovation, which, in conjunction with the huge amounts of data this live AI will collect, isn’t something that fills me with joy. Personally, this seems like the time to tighten your privacy policies to ensure sensitive data isn’t shared in a way it shouldn’t be.

I love my Ray-Ban smart glasses, but I'm not keen on an always-on AI (Image credit: Future)

I expect this AI would come with some of Meta’s existing safety features, such as the light on the glasses being on while you’re recording, and it is at least a feature you have to manually activate, but (call me old fashioned) I can’t imagine ever wanting a camera to record my every move.

Others will probably feel similarly about these potential new always-on AI glasses. Just look at the backlash against Microsoft’s always-on AI feature, Recall – and that was an app that just took computer screenshots.

As with all rumors, we’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces officially, but I’m hoping the final product isn’t anything as scary as it sounds right now.

You might also like

• Meta announces a big change to its Quest 3 game subscription – but it remains as great a deal as ever
• I took my Meta Quest 3 on a 3,000-mile flight so you don’t have to – here's what I learned
• Mark Zuckerberg confirms new Ray-Ban smart glasses are coming ‘later this year’ – here are the 3 pairs I think we’ll see