After Tim Cook announced that Apple is donating to help those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, the company has just confirmed that Apple Card users living in the impacted regions will also get some relief. These people can temporarily postpone their Apple Card payments without interest.
Grok, the AI assistant that's for some reason baked into X, is now available as a standalone app. Like the version that exists as a tab on the social media platform, the Grok app can be used to generate images, summarize text and answer questions, with a conversational tone xAI, the AI assistant's creator, calls "humorous and engaging."
The app was first tested with a limited set of users in December 2024, right around the same time X debuted a free tier of Grok that's available to anyone. Prior to that, you needed to pay at least $8 a month for X Premium to have the privilege of using the AI.
The limitations of that free access β 10 requests every two hours, three image analysis request per day β may also apply to the Grok app. You can use the app without signing in, or sign-in with an Apple account, X account, Google account, or a plain old email. It's not clear whether an X Premium subscription gets you added benefits in the Grok app in the same way it does X.
Grok has struggled with similar issues around accuracy and bizarre image generation choices as other AI assistants like Gemini and ChatGPT. The chatbot mainly stands out from its competitors because xAI pitched it as being able to answer "spicy questions" other AI assistants avoid, and a version of the Grok AI model is open source. You'll have to see for yourself how "spicy" the Grok app ultimately is, but at least you don't have to go to X to use it now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/xs-grok-ai-assistant-is-now-a-standalone-app-225151579.html?src=rss
Cartilage cells that contain fat explain why some skeletal tissues are less rigid than others, and could one day be grown in labs to produce better materials for performing reconstructive surgeries and rhinoplasties.
At the end of 2024, a US court authorized the Department of Justice to sell 69,370 bitcoins from "the largest cryptocurrency seizure in history."
At bitcoin's current price, just under $92,000, these bitcoins are worth nearly $6.4 billion, and crypto outlets are reporting that DOJ officials have said they're planning to proceed with selling off the assets consistent with the court's order. The DOJ had reportedly argued that bitcoin's price volatility was a pressing reason to push for permission for the sale.
Ars has reached out to the DOJ for comment and will update the story with any new information regarding next steps.
Deel, a human resources and payroll startup founded by MIT alumni Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang, has been accused of a money laundering lawsuit alleging its involvement in a Florida-based Ponzi scheme. The suit claims Deel facilitated fund transfers tied [β¦]
Google TV is preparing for some big updates in 2025, with Gemini in the pipeline as well as new presence sensing in certain TVs which really opens the door to a whole new way to use your TV.
In a conversation with AfD leader Alice Weidel on X, Musk concurred with her assertion that Adolf Hitler was a communist and pushed disinformation about migrants coming into the US.
More than 130,000 residents in Southern California face the catastrophic loss of property, and possibly life, as a series of wildfires have brought devastation to the region this week.
The most notable fire developed late Monday or early Tuesday in the Santa Monica Mountains, to the north of Los Angeles, and quickly spread to threaten the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. This fire has already become the most destructive fire in the history of the Los Angeles region, and by some estimates, it may become the costliest wildfire of all time, anywhere in the world.
Several additional wildfires have broken out in the vicinity of Los Angeles, and firefighters there have struggled to contain the multiple outbreaks, including the ongoing Palisades fire. To date, more than 2,000 structures have been burned and that total will assuredly increase. Ongoing, on-the-ground coverage is available from the Los Angeles Times, which has removed its paywall around fire-related news for now.
Networks protected by Ivanti VPNs are under active attack by well-resourced hackers who are exploiting a critical vulnerability that gives them complete control over the network-connected devices.
Hardware maker Ivanti disclosed the vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-0283, on Wednesday and warned that it was under active exploitation against some customers. The vulnerability, which is being exploited to allow hackers to execute malicious code with no authentication required, is present in the companyβs Connect Secure VPN, and Policy Secure & ZTA Gateways. Ivanti released a security patch at the same time. It upgrades Connect Secure devices to version 22.7R2.5.
Well-written, multifaceted
According to Google-owned security provider Mandiant, the vulnerability has been actively exploited against βmultiple compromised Ivanti Connect Secure appliancesβ since December, a month before the then zero-day came to light. After exploiting the vulnerability, the attackers go on to install two never-before-seen malware packages, tracked under the names DRYHOOK and PHASEJAM on some of the compromised devices.
Wildfires are currently devastating the greater Los Angeles area, burning over 45 square miles, torching over 1,300 structures, and putting nearly 180,000 people under evacuation orders as of Thursday. And yet, TikTokβs LA-based employees are being told to either continue their work from home or use their personal/sick days if thatβs not possible, while the [β¦]
Iβm not saying I want to buy one. Iβm just very curious to see where this is going.
Honda released one of the more interesting concepts at last yearβs CES with two Honda Zero prototypes: the Saloon and the Space-Hub. It promised to come back in a year with something a little closer to production. But rather than temper those space-age design elements, Honda leaned into them. Way in.
The Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV retain a lot of what made the concepts so weird and different β and not necessarily in an off-putting way. But itβs definitely not the electric CR-V that customers have been begging the company to make for years. In fact, Honda seems to be saying to all those people who want normie-looking EVs, βWe see you. We hear you. We donβt care.β
My theory is that Honda is reaching for these design inspirations as a way to offset the future shock of an ultra-minimalist interior and all the marketing speak about βsoftware-defined vehicles.β After all, Hondaβs real announcement this year was the operating system it developed in-house, named after its iconic Asimo robot.
The Zero EVs mostly feel like a lot of window dressing for the actual product, which is software. What better way to draw people into listening to a TED talk about βhigh-performance system-on-a-chipβ than to stand in front of a car that looks like it should be floating in low orbit?
Honda 0 Saloon
One of the things I noticed about the Saloon was the lack of a rear window β that rounded rectangle in the back isnβt transparent. The depth effect is very impressive, but itβs not obscuring an incognito window. Itβs just the taillight.
Something else that caught my attention was the lack of sideview mirrors. Honda is using cameras instead. Drivers who want to check their blind spots will need to use two screens embedded at either end of the long piece of glass that spans the length of the dashboard. Of course, US safety regulations require regular old sideview mirrors, so this seems mostly aspirational.
Honda 0 SUV
The SUV is less βout thereβ than the Saloon, and that probably means weβre likely to see some version of it on US roads before the sedan. Thereβs definitely a rear window, and the airiness of the greenhouse seems to allude to Honda Zeroβs design principles of βthin, light, and wise.β
We donβt have any specs for either vehicle, though Honda has said that its Zero EVs will draw from the automakerβs Formula 1 racing experience. The automaker is also aiming for optimum battery efficiency through its e-Axle system consisting of a motor, inverter, and gearbox that convert electric power into energy for driving. Each EV is expected to have around 300 miles of range, which translates to an 80β90kWh battery.
Other important details include an effort to consolidate electronic control units, similar to Rivianβs recently relaunched R1 vehicles. By reducing the number of components and wiring, Honda is clearly trying to limit its costs in an environment where the price of production seems to be on the rise.
Interior
The absence of anything remotely resembling a physical knob or dial inside either vehicle is a pretty good sign that automakers continue to ignore the pleas of customers to stop porting every last bit of functionality through its digital interfaces. Yes, Iβm an old man yelling at clouds, but for the love of god, give me something to twist or push. Trying to adjust the heat by tapping blindly at a smooth pane of glass while careening down a highway at 75mph isnβt exactly my idea of a good time.
The yoke is... a yoke. Automakers love their steering yokes! But when it comes time to actually put something into production, they mostly retreat back to wheel shapes. The moonroof is another one of those features that suggest βthinβ principles. And obviously, Hondaβs promise that its Zero vehicles will come with Level 3 autonomy, also known as βhands-off, eyes-offβ driving, needs a lot more explanation. Whatβs the handoff between autonomous system and driver look like? And how will it account for our very human tendency to zone out when weβre not actively engaged in driving?
There are a lot of questions swirling around these vehicles! Will they ever go into production? Thereβs a nonzero chance.
Following the last update in December, Android 15 QPR2 Beta 2.1 is rolling out to Pixel devices. It addresses some of the bugs that testers have encountered.
AirTag 2 is launching this year, about four years after AirTag first debuted. There are some nice upgrades coming to AirTag 2, but what I really want is for the company to expand the lineup: itβs time for an AirTag Max.
Amazon shared the latest list of video game titles that Prime members can snag for free this month. Members can pick up a code for BioShock 2 Remastered right now, and if you're patient, you can also grab a free copy of Deus Ex GOTY Edition or Super Meat Boy Forever later in January.
The cloud-based Amazon Luna gaming service has also shared its current lineup of titles that Prime members can play. Airhead, Guacamelee! 2 Complete, The Magical Mixture Mill, Metro Exodus and Super Meat Boy are in the rotation for that service this month alongside Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition, Fortnight, LEGO Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, Fortnite Battle Royale, Rocket Racing and Trackmania.
Some of Prime Gaming's freebies last for longer than 30 days, so you've also got some time left to pick up a copy of some of the December titles if you haven't already loaded up on those deals. But if you're looking ahead, here's the full lineup of upcoming free Prime Gaming titles this month and when they'll be available.
Now
BioShock 2 Remastered (GOG)
The Bridge (Epic Games Store)
Eastern Exorcist (Epic Games Store)
SkyDrift Infinity (Epic Games Store)
Spirit Mancer (Amazon Games App)
January 16
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (Epic Games Store)
GRIP (GOG)
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech (GOG)
January 23
Deus Ex GOTY Edition (GOG)
Spitlings (Amazon Games App)
Star Stuff (Epic Games Store)
To the Rescue! (Epic Games Store)
Zombie Army 4: Dead War (Epic Games Store)
January 30
Blood West (GOG)
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights (Epic Games Store)
Super Meat Boy Forever (Epic Games Store)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/pick-up-bioshock-2-remastered-and-deus-ex-in-prime-gamings-january-freebies-215515330.html?src=rss