Fire-tracking app Watch Duty has become a crucial source of information for Los Angeles residents threatened by the ongoing wildfires.Β As TechCrunchβs Maxwell Zeff explained, the app relies on a network of active and retired firefighters, first responders, official government reports, and volunteer reporters who monitor radio scanners to offer real-time updates on active wildfires. [β¦]
Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin is set for the inaugural launch of its new space rocket on Monday in a development that could add more fuel to the billionaire space race.
Success rates for couples trying to have a child via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) could be improved courtesy of a growing number of clinics using artificial intelligence (AI).
Even before CES 2025 kicked off a few trends began to emerge β or more accurately, some gaps appeared.Β All U.S. and some European automakers that have helped turn CES into an auto show were absent. Several Chinese automakers filled that void, notably Zeekr, the EV brand owned by Chinaβs Geely Holdings. Wey, a premium [β¦]
The weeklong speedrunning marathon Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 wrapped up in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and organizers say it managed to pull in a total of $2,556,305 for Prevent Cancer Foundation.Β
As could be expected, the event in Pittsburgh brought a good mix of skill and silliness: there was a Crazy Taxi speedrun featuring a live band; FunkopotamusWes played the piano during his run of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, using his head and feet to control the game via motion controls; and Dr. Doot did an Elden Ring bosses speedrun using an electric saxophone. Yes, the saxophone did make little doot doot sounds the entire time.
The marathon ran continuously from January 5-12, so there are many, many more great moments besides these to catch up on if you missed it. Everything can be found on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel.
AGDQ is one of several charity-focused events held by Games Done Quick every year, and the next one, Back to Black is coming up in February. Highlighting Black hosts and speedrunners, that event (Feb 6-9) will raise money for the racial justice nonprofit, Race Forward. Over the years, Games Done Quick has raised more than $54 million for various charities including Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. AGDQ raised about $2.5 million during its marathon last year, too.Β
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/awesome-games-done-quick-raises-another-25-million-for-a-cancer-nonprofit-202228938.html?src=rss
A screen grab from the livestream of Awesome Games Done Good 2025 showing the live view (top left) of Dr Doot using an electric saxophone as a controller to defeat Elden Ring's Malena (right), shown during the cut scene as she enters phase 2 of the fight
At this point, itβs pretty clear what Donald Trump wants from Mark Zuckerberg. But what does Zuckerberg, who has now gone to Mar-a-Lagotwice since the November election, want from the President-elect?
Thatβs the question Iβve been asking sources in and around Meta over the last several days. They all described Metaβs relationship with the outgoing Biden administration as incredibly hostile. Itβs safe to assume that Zuckerberg wants a reset for the MAGA regime, especially since Trump threatened not that long ago to imprison him for life.
In Trumpβs America, removing tampons from the mensβ restrooms on Metaβs campuses, β a real thing that just happened β is as much a business decision as a political one. Destroying βwokeβ ideology is a key pillar of Trumpβs stated mandate. Others who know they need to play the game, like Amazon, are also starting to fall in line. Even still, Zuckerberg is transforming Meta for this new political reality at a speed thatβs unusual for a company of its size and influence. Founder mode.
Itβs looking more and more like the rumored ultra-thin iPhone weβve been hearing about for the last few months will get Appleβs βAirβ branding. In the Power On newsletter, Bloombergβs Mark Gurman says the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a new model that could be called the iPhone 17 Air, and itβll be roughly 2 millimeters thinner than any other model weβve seen yet. βIt will have a base-level A19 chip and a single-lens camera system,β Gurman notes, and will serve βas a testing ground for future technologies, including ones that could allow for foldable devices.β That and the upcoming new iPhone SE will use Appleβs first in-house modem, according to Gurman.
Weβre also likely to see upgrades to the entry-level iPad that will make it compatible with Apple Intelligence. Gurman reports that the next generation of iPad will get the A17 Pro chip and 8 GB of memory. That news should come in the spring along with the iPhone SE and new iPad Air models, according to Gurman.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/this-year-could-bring-the-iphone-air-and-an-entry-level-ipad-with-apple-intelligence-175059162.html?src=rss
When Qi2 was announced two years ago, the big focus was on bringing magnets for alignment and additional accessories to more devices. But, now, the latest changes to the standard are giving up on that promise.
After more than two years β and nearly 100 episodes β as a host of TechCrunchβs recently ended Found podcast, I have learned a lot about how founders approach building their startups. Iβve heard stories about how founders know when it is the right time to expand from their core product, to how startups approach [β¦]
Appleβs next major iPhone upgrade will include a new model called the iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloombergβs Mark Gurman. This seems like an obvious way to expand the lineup, given Appleβs success with the Air moniker for thinner MacBooks and iPads (Iβm currently typing these words on my MacBook Air), and could be more [β¦]
Roborockβs Saros Z70 looks set to be the first robot vacuum with an articulating arm to come to market. Itβs designed to pick up light items like socks and tissues. (Not actual size) | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
CES saw wild innovations from Roborock and Dreame and helpful upgrades from the rest of the pack, all of which are set to make 2025 a banner year for those whoβd rather leave the cleaning to the robots.
With iOS 18, Apple rolled out Apple Intelligence, which includes an AI-powered feature for summarizing notifications. When you get a bunch of notifications from one app, the feature summarizes the content of all notifications in one card that appears on the lock screen. You can dismiss the stack after you have read the summary, or [β¦]
According to Bloombergβs Mark Gurman, the next generation entry-level iPad will sport the A17 Pro chip. We always expected the 11 to support the Apple Intelligence feature set, though it was unclear which chip Apple would end up putting in the lower-end device.
