Feed aggregator

Improve your mood with these easy mental health habits.

• Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro has officially completed Pokémon Blue
• The game ran as a livestream experiment by an independent engineer
• Gemini played the game with some light developer intervention, but mostly on its own

Google's Gemini AI may not have passed the Turing test yet, but it would be very popular in the schoolyard three decades ago after winning a game of Pokémon Blue. The Gemini 2.5 Pro is now both Google's most advanced AI model and a Pokémon Master, as demonstrated in a Twitch livestream called “Gemini Plays Pokémon” run by an engineer unaffiliated with Google named Joel Z. Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined the celebration, sharing a clip of the victory on X.

What a finish! Gemini 2.5 Pro just completed Pokémon Blue!  Special thanks to @TheCodeOfJoel for creating and running the livestream, and to everyone who cheered Gem on along the way. pic.twitter.com/E2pn3tpfEbMay 3, 2025

You might wonder why an AI model beating a thirty-year-old game drew so much attention. It's partly because of the spectacle, but also because of AI model rivalry. Back in February, Anthropic showcased the progress its Claude model was making in beating Pokémon Red. They used the game to show off Claude’s “extended thinking and agent training” and launched a “Claude Plays Pokémon” Twitch stream, inspiring Joel Z.

Before crowning Gemini as the one true AI Ash Ketchum, it’s worth noting a few caveats. For one, Claude hasn’t technically beaten Pokémon Red yet, but that doesn’t automatically make Gemini better, as they employed different tools, known as “agent harnesses.” The models don’t play the game directly like a human with a controller would. Instead, they’re fed screenshots of the game environment along with overlays of key information, then asked to generate the next best action. That decision is then translated into an actual button press in the game.

And Gemini hasn’t been going it entirely alone. Joel admitted he occasionally stepped in to make improvements, though he has made a point of doing so only to improve some of Gemini's reasoning. He also plans to continue working on the Gemini Plays Pokémon project to make further improvements.

Pokémon AI

(Image credit: Sundar Pichai/X)

What makes this more than a quirky internet stunt is what it implies about where AI is headed. Playing a game like Pokémon Blue isn’t about fast reflexes or memorizing controller inputs. It’s about long-term strategy, adapting to surprises, and navigating ambiguous challenges. These are all areas where AI usually needs improvement. That Gemini could not only hold its own but finish the game (with minimal nudging) suggests that models like it are getting better at extended strategy.

It's also the kind of milestone the average person can understand. You can intuitively understand what the AI is doing when bumbling through Lavender Town or misreading a battle tactic, and compare it to the choices you'd make in that context. Of course, you shouldn't overstate what this means. AI can now finish a game you probably beat in middle school, but it also highlights how much human effort still goes into making AI seem autonomous.

Whether or not Claude or Gemini become true Pokémasters doesn't matter so much as what they're playing means for AI's development. Showing that AI won't just crunch numbers or generate spam emails could change how people think of what AI can do, even with help. And if this is how AI models start learning how to operate in unpredictable, open-ended environments, well, beating Mewtwo might just be a stepping stone to something a lot more profound. Or at least, a bit more productive.

You might also like

• AI video tool recreates Super Mario Bros. but it's so glitchy
• Google Gemini could soon get a super-useful 'Power up' button – here's what it does
• Virtual versions of 11,000 real college football players are taking the field for EA's 'College Football 25'

The $49 Pride Edition Sports Band (and matching watch face) brings a unique element to the Apple Watch in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Two people can share a subscription -- but this plan is only being tested outside the US for now.

• Nvidia’s RTX PRO 6000 offers 96GB of memory, enough for giant AI models and datasets
• With 24,064 CUDA cores, this GPU dominates deep learning, rendering, and scientific simulations
• At $8,200, this card is not for gamers; it’s built strictly for serious professionals

In the evolving world of professional computing, PNY Technologies has launched what might be the most powerful workstation GPU to date: the Nvidia RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition.

Directdial reports the card is priced at a staggering $8,200, making it firmly aimed at professionals working in AI development, simulation, or high-end content creation rather than casual users.

At the heart of the GPU is Nvidia’s latest Blackwell architecture, delivering 24,064 CUDA cores to accelerate demanding workloads such as deep learning, real-time rendering, and scientific computing.

Blackwell architecture delivers massive power and memory

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell supports a record-breaking 96GB of GDDR7 memory, operating over a 512-bit bus with a bandwidth of up to 1.75TB/s.

This is achieved using 3GB modules configured as 16×2×3GB, enabling the vast memory pool necessary for handling massive AI models and ultra-high-resolution assets. ECC memory is also onboard to improve stability in mission-critical tasks.

Despite its performance, the card maintains a relatively modest 300W TDP and is considered energy-efficient for its class.

The GPU supports a wide range of APIs, including Vulkan 1.3, DirectX 12, and OpenCL 3.0.

Early PCB images suggest the absence of a 12V-6x2 connector, possibly pointing to a rear-mounted power input design more commonly found in servers or Max-Q setups.

However, a single 16-pin connector supports the current desktop version, which uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and fits into a standard dual-slot, full-length layout.

Though technically a workstation GPU, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell opens new possibilities across a range of specialist fields. It can support up to four 8K displays and is engineered to meet the demands of professionals in VFX, CAD, and AI training environments.

You might also like

• Check out the best 3D modeling software for 3D printing and more
• We've rounded up the best portable monitors available now
• TSMC committed to Arizona chip plant ahead of potential tariff impact

It is a dark time for smartphone fans. The news seems glum. Apple is sinking deeper and deeper into trouble over its failure to deliver a satisfying Apple Intelligence package. Phone makers like Motorola launch brand new phones with an hour explaining the AI features, then forget to mention the phone itself.

Samsung finds itself holding hands with Google as it drops AI feature after AI feature – first it was just Circle to Search, but now Samsung has given Google Gemini the Bixby button?! Dark times indeed.

The worst part is that nobody asked for these features. I don’t want these AI features on my phone. I could already drop a screenshot image into Google Search, I didn’t need to draw a circle to search. I never looked at my iPhone 14 and thought, ‘Gee, I wish this phone could inaccurately summarize my notifications for me.’

For every great AI feature, like Google’s awesome call screening features, there are twice as many terrible AI features, like the image generators that are problematic on so many levels, or the news headline summaries that simply make up imaginary news.

Bad AI is distracting us from great phones

That’s sad, because if you took away this AI bloat, today’s phones are… really great?! Today’s Android phones have matured beyond most of the complaints I’ve held about Android: that it was too complex and lacked a coherent interface design.

To Apple’s defense, there are so many incredible features in iOS 18, especially the features that work between iPhones and bring iPhone people together, that it seems a shame Apple wasted so much of its billboard space on features that don’t even exist, yet, like the super-intelligent Siri that unfortunately failed to graduate in time.

The new Pixel 9 Pro is the most polished Pixel phone ever (Image credit: Philip Berne/ Future)

Take the Google Pixel 9 series, for example. Google has a great new design, and the phone is more durable than ever before. That means it’s less likely to break, and you’ll be able to keep it longer than phones in the past. To back that up, Google also gives you seven years of Android updates. The phone shipped with Android 14, and it should last through Android 21!

That’s just incredible. A few years ago, we were lucky to get any software update promised from an Android phone maker. Today, Google and Samsung both promise seven years of Android updates for their top phones, and even Qualcomm promises its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset will be supported for the next eight years by the chipmaker.

If you haven’t considered Android, or if you left the platform years ago, it’s worth a new look. Google has removed most of the confusing customization options that cluttered the home screen and app drawer. The whole interface is clean and tidy, and easier to use than ever. If you want to get complicated, you can still download a third-party homescreen launcher app, but the basic Pixel version of Android is refreshing and simplified.

Apple is just as distracted as Android

If you haven’t tried Apple’s iOS in a while, there are amazing new features that let you share between iPhones. You can share your contact information, photos, or even music playlists to let friends add songs to the party mix. You do this just by bringing two iPhones close together, and the phones do the rest using a feature called AirDrop. It works like magic, and it even has a cool magical effect on the screen to show it’s working.

Apple has also added great safety features to the iPhone that let you check in with friends and family so they can know you’re safe. If you think that iOS is too simple, think again. Apple has made it easy to completely customize and rearrange your Control Panel, and the iPhone homescreen now has the same sort of widgets, folders, and layout options you’d expect from an Android phone.

(Image credit: Apple)

Best of all, Apple’s latest titanium build means the new iPhone is also more durable than ever before. Apple doesn’t promise seven years of iOS updates, but it has consistently delivered at least five years of iOS to every single iPhone, and recently, Apple has offered the latest software to iPhones that are even older.

While AI seems unavoidable, you can still ignore most of the latest AI features and just enjoy a great smartphone. Apple and Google are making top-notch phones in spite of their best AI efforts, so don’t let the AI marketing and buzzwords scare you away. The Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are the best phones these companies have made. Hopefully, the quest for smarter AI doesn’t keep the hardware from improving as well.

You might also like

• Apple officially delays the AI-infused Siri and admits, ‘It’s going to take us longer than we thought’
• The Bella Ramsey Apple Intelligence ad that disappeared, and why Apple is now facing a false advertising lawsuit
• AI took a huge leap in IQ, and now a quarter of Gen Z thinks AI is conscious

Waymo plans to add 2,000 more autonomous vehicles to its fleet by 2026.

You don't need to call an electrician. Gradient's 120-volt All-Weather Heat Pump is easy to install on your own and plugs into a standard outlet.

As the pioneering video-calling service shuts down, Microsoft urges users to switch to Teams for similar features.

Apple is getting ahead of 2025 Pride Month celebrations with an early reveal of a wild new watch band and some vibrant wallpapers.

Pride Month, which happens every June and celebrates LGBTQ+ communities, is always a month that embraces an array of colors, but this month's Apple Pride Month Collection adds a twist and nod to the "individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community," says Apple in a release.

Apple explained that the rainbow colors within each Sport Edition band start as individual color stripes. The bands are assembled by hand and compressed into their final shapes. Apple claims that this means, just like people, no two bands will be alike.

(Image credit: Apple)

Those colors can also be found on the Pride Month Dynamic Apple Watch face and with special wallpapers for the iPhone and iPad. Colors and bands will move on the screen as the users and wearers move.

The watch face and wallpapers are free, but the band, available in small-to-medium lengths, medium-to-large lengths, and in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm watch face widths, will cost $49.

The band goes on sale next week, and the wallpapers and watch face will arrive soon with platform updates in iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, and watchOS 11.5.

This latest Pride Band and face arrive as Apple is celebrating 10 years of the Apple Watch, a wearable that has become more than just a timepiece but also an important platform for supporting health, wellness, and fitness (along with personal style and maybe some social consciousness).

Apple's decision to move forward with a Pride Month collection in the US is notable as some major tech companies (looking at you, Google and Amazon) have scaled back Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts with moves that impact the LGBTQ+ population.

Apple has not done so and seems to be signaling that it will continue its support of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The release includes a line noting that "Apple is proud to financially support organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities."

You might also like

• I've been wearing an Apple Watch for 10 years, and it ...
• Here's why the Apple Watch Series 10 is now my favorite ...
• I've been an Apple Watch user for 10 years

• Google claims its Ironwood TPU is 24x faster than the El Capitan supercomputer
• An analyst says Google's performance comparison is “perfectly silly”
• Comparing AI systems and HPC machines is fine, but they serve different purposes

At the recent Google Cloud Next 2025 event, the tech giant claimed that its new Ironwood TPU v7p pod is 24 times faster than El Capitan, the exascale-class supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

But Timothy Prickett Morgan of TheNextPlatform has dismissed the claim.

"Google is comparing the sustained performance of El Capitan with 44,544 AMD ‘Antares-A’ Instinct MI300A hybrid CPU-GPU compute engines running the High Performance LINPACK (HPL) benchmark at 64-bit floating point precision against the theoretical peak performance of an Ironwood pod with 9,216 of the TPU v7p compute engines," he wrote. "This is a perfectly silly comparison, and Google’s top brass not only should know better, but does."

24X the performance of El Capitan? Nope!

Prickett Morgan argues that while such comparisons are valid between AI systems and HPC machines, the two systems serve different purposes - El Capitan is optimized for high-precision simulations; the Ironwood pod is tailored to low-precision AI inference and training.

What matters, he adds, is not just peak performance but cost. "High performance has to have the lowest cost possible, and no one gets better deals on HPC gear than the US government’s Department of Energy."

Estimates from TheNextPlatform claim the Ironwood pod delivers 21.26 exaflops of FP16 and 42.52 exaflops of FP8 performance, costs $445 million to build and $1.1 billion to rent over three years. That results in a cost per teraflops of $21 (build) or $52 (rental).

Meanwhile, El Capitan delivers 43.68 FP16 exaflops and 87.36 FP8 exaflops at a build cost of $600 million, or $14 per teraflops.

"El Capitan has 2.05X more performance at FP16 and FP8 resolution than an Ironwood pod at peak theoretical performance," Prickett Morgan notes. "The Ironwood pod does not have 24X the performance of El Capitan."

He adds: "HPL-MxP uses a bunch of mixed precision calculations to converge to the same result as all-FP64 math on the HPL test, and these days delivers around an order of magnitude effective performance boost."

The article also includes a comprehensive table (below) comparing top-end AI and HPC systems on performance, memory, storage, and cost-efficiency. While Google’s TPU pods remain competitive, Prickett Morgan maintains that, from a cost/performance standpoint, El Capitan still holds a clear advantage.

"This comparison is not perfect, we realize," he admits. "All estimates are shown in bold red italics, and we have question marks where we are not able to make an estimate at this time."

(Image credit: TheNextPlatform) You might also like

• AMD-powered El Capitan becomes officially the world’s fastest supercomputer
• Tech editor takes close snaps of world's fastest supercomputer
• Google Cloud unveils Ironwood, its 7th Gen TPU to help boost AI performance and inference

Here are some highly rated series to watch on Max, plus a look at what's coming out in May.

Danny McBride's religious comedy went out in a blaze of glory.

The more budget-friendly iPhones would get one spotlight, with a separate one for the Pro and other premium models.

• Sansec found 21 Magento extensions with malicious code
• The extensions belong to three companies, who claim everything's in order
• Users are advised to take immediate action

Hundreds of ecommerce websites, including at least one major player, behemoth, have been compromised after poisoned Magento extensions woke up from a six-year slumber.

Cybersecurity researchers Sansec discovered the supply chain attack after one of its clients was targeted, ultimately finding 21 backdoored Magento extensions, belonging to three companies: Tigren, Meetanshi, and MSG. Here are their names:

Tigren Ajaxsuite
Tigren Ajaxcart
Tigren Ajaxlogin
Tigren Ajaxcompare
Tigren Ajaxwishlist
Tigren MultiCOD
Meetanshi ImageClean
Meetanshi CookieNotice
Meetanshi Flatshipping
Meetanshi FacebookChat
Meetanshi CurrencySwitcher
Meetanshi DeferJS
MGS Lookbook
MGS StoreLocator
MGS Brand
MGS GDPR
MGS Portfolio
MGS Popup
MGS DeliveryTime
MGS ProductTabs
MGS Blog

Get Keeper Personal for just $1.67/month, Keeper Family for just $3.54/month, and Keeper Business for just $7/month

​Keeper is a cybersecurity platform primarily known for its password manager and digital vault, designed to help individuals, families, and businesses securely store and manage passwords, sensitive files, and other private data.

It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

The long con

The company says some of the extensions were backdoored back in 2019. According to CyberInsider, the extensions were distributed via the vendors' official download servers, which were “breached at some point”.

However, the attackers only activated the malicious code in April 2025. In the meantime, hundreds of ecommerce websites installed them, which resulted in the compromise of roughly 500 - 1,000 websites, including one owned by a $40 billion multinational corporation.

Sansec says that the attackers added a PHP backdoor to the license check file of all of the extensions, which allowed the threat actors to execute arbitrary PHP code remotely.

This granted them control over affected stores, compromising sensitive customer data and financial transactions in the process.

The researchers said they reached out to the three vendors with their findings, but got mixed responses.

Tigren denied having been breached and is allegedly still serving backdoored extensions, while Meetanshi confirmed having been breached but denied experiencing an extension compromise.

Finally, MGS did not even respond to Sansec’s inquiries, even though BleepingComputer confirmed the backdoor in at least one extension that’s currently on offer, for free, on the company website.

If you’re running a Magento store with any of the above-mentioned extensions, you should act immediately and secure your assets.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Ecommerce sites targeted by Magento payment system hack
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Emmitsburg is home to the National Fire Academy, effectively the war college for U.S. firefighters. The Trump administration's decision to halt classes has some townspeople pondering their votes.

(Image credit: Justin T. Gellerson for NPR)

Andor season 2 is halfway through its 12-episode run, so one of the best, if not the best, Star Wars TV shows doesn't have much road left to run.

Nonetheless, there are six more episodes to enjoy this week and next. You'll want to know when you can watch them.

Below, I'll reveal the launch date and time for episodes 7, 8, and 9 of Andor's second and final season. There's also a full release schedule before the end of this piece, too, which will show you when the final three installments will arrive.

What time are episodes 7 to 9 of Andor season 2 released in the US?

Star Wars fans are ready to witness one of Mon Mothma's most iconic moments in season 2 act 3 (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

US fans of Lucasfilm's iconic galaxy far, far away can tune into Disney+ for three new episodes on Tuesday, May 6 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. That's the same time the previous six entries dropped on one of the world's best streaming services.

All three episodes will be released at the same time, too, so you can stream them back-to-back-to-back if you so desire.

When can I watch Andor season 2 episodes 7 to 9 in the UK?

Dedra will personally oversee events that transpire in this batch of episodes (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Andor season 2's next act will be available on Disney+ UK on Wednesday, May 7 at 2am BST.

If you don't plan to stay up until then or set an alarm to wake up and stream as soon as they're released, you'll want to mute certain hashtags or phrases on social media.

As I noted in my spoiler-free review of Andor season 2, I've seen all 12 episodes. So, believe me when I say this: you don't want someone ruining the next three episodes' most significant moments on X, Instagram, and more before viewing them.

What date will the next three episodes of Andor season 2 be available in Australia?

Ghorman takes center stage in episodes 7, 8, and 9 (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Andor season 2's penultimate batch of episodes will be released Down Under on Wednesday, May 7 at 11am AEST.

Like your British counterparts, you'll want to stay off social media, or mute any words or hashtags relating to Star Wars and Andor if you won't be watching them as soon as they air. That way, you'll preserve the biggest surprises for one of the best Disney+ shows' next three chapters.

When will new episodes of Andor season 2 come out on Disney+?

As I've mentioned a couple of times in this article, there are only three more entries of one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows. So, read on to find out when chapters 10, 11, and 12 will launch on Disney+ wherever you live.

• Andor season 2 episode 1 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 2 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 3 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 4 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 5 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 6 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 7 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 8 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 9 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 10 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 11 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 12 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)

You might also like

• Find out how to watch the Star Wars movies in order
• 'You see the sparkle in her eye again': Andor star Adria Arjona on Bix's cathartic tale of revenge in season 2 episode 6 of the Star Wars show
• 'Nothing else to live for': Andor season 2 star Faye Marsay breaks down episode 6's soul-crushing moment for Vel in the hit Star Wars show

The site is where SpaceX conducts the launches of its Starship rockets, which are at the center of its ambitions to launch missions to the moon and Mars.

• Apple files an appeal to App Store ruling
• This comes just days after it was ordered to change some core App Store rules
• Apple disagreed and now it's taking action

Apple filed an appeal on Monday to the US District Court Judge's ruling that forced it to stop charging developers some commission fees.

Just days after Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers accused Apple of lying and not complying with an earlier injunction, the tech giant has filed an appeal that may forestall the application of this new ruling, one that demanded, among other things, the company stop charging a 27% commission on in-app purchases made outside of Apple's App Store transaction system. The fee applied to apps that were downloaded through the Apple App Store, but which then pointed users to in-app purchases that could be completed through third-party transactions.

Also at issue was Apple's insistence that its own transaction system be offered alongside these third-party options.

The ruling that Apple is appealing painted a not-too-flattering picture of how Apple answered the original injunction, claiming, "To hide the truth, Vice-President of Finance, Alex Roman, outright lied under oath. Internally, Phillip Schiller had advocated that Apple comply with the Injunction, but Tim Cook ignored Schiller and instead allowed Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri and his finance team to convince him otherwise."

What's next

Apple's appeal, which was brought to our attention by The Verge, doesn't offer any more details on how Apple plans to fight this latest ruling. At the time, Apple was said to "strongly disagree" with the ruling, but Apple representatives also said, "We will comply with the court's order and we will appeal."

The original case was launched in 2020 by Fortnite maker Epic in its quest to open up iOS to third-party app stores, and to open the Apple App Store to outside transaction systems.

With last week's ruling, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced Epic would be returning to the app store, and other app developers claimed that they might be lowering prices because of reduced commission fees.

As of this writing, it's unclear whether Epic still plans to return and if consumers are about to see cheaper apps and in-app purchases. What is clear, though, is that Apple not done fighting this ruling.

You may also like

• This rotten Apple ruling cracks the reality distortion field – and I don't know if that's what consumers want
• Apple ‘strongly disagrees’ with ruling that could change the App Store – as Fortnite says it could now return to iPhones
• Apple officially delays the AI-infused Siri and admits, ‘It’s going to take us longer than we thought’
• The Bella Ramsey Apple Intelligence ad that disappeared, and why Apple is now facing a false advertising lawsuit
• AI took a huge leap in IQ, and now a quarter of Gen Z thinks AI is conscious

The prison on a forbidding island off San Francisco was operated at a prohibitive cost. Now, President Trump says it's time to substantially enlarge and rebuild Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary.

(Image credit: Helene Labriet-Gross)