Pipes Feed Preview: Science – Ars Technica & Tech

SpaceX’s lesson from last Starship flight? “We need to seal the tiles.”

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:43:02 -0000

SpaceX is targeting an orbital Starship flight with a next-gen vehicle next year.

It has been two weeks since SpaceX's last Starship test flight, and engineers have diagnosed issues with its heat shield, identified improvements, and developed a preliminary plan for the next time the ship heads into space. Bill Gerstenmaier, a SpaceX executive in charge of build and flight reliability, presented the findings Monday at the American Astronautical Society's Glenn Space Technology Symposium in Cleveland. The rocket lifted off on August 26 from SpaceX's launch pad in Starbase, Texas, just north of the US-Mexico border. It was the 10th full-scale test flight of SpaceX's Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, combining to form the world's largest rocket.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/spacexs-lesson-from-last-starship-flight-we-need-to-seal-the-tiles/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/spacexs-lesson-from-last-starship-flight-we-need-to-seal-the-tiles/#comments">Comments</a>

Geoengineering will not save humankind from climate change

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:24:40 -0000

New research debunks some speculative climate fixes.

A team of the world’s best ice and climate researchers studied a handful of recently publicized engineering concepts for protecting Earth’s polar ice caps and found that none of them are likely to work. Their peer-reviewed research, published Tuesday, shows some of the untested ideas, such as dispersing particles in the atmosphere to dim sunlight or trying to refreeze ice sheets with pumped water, could have unintended and dangerous consequences. The various speculative notions that have been floated, mainly via public relations efforts, include things such as spreading reflective particles over newly formed sea ice to promote its persistence and growth; building giant ocean-bottom sea walls or curtains to deflect warmer streams of water away from ice shelves; pumping water from the base of glaciers to the surface to refreeze it, and even intentionally polluting the upper atmosphere with sulfur-based or other reflective particles to dim sunlight.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/geoengineering-will-not-save-humankind-from-climate-change/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/geoengineering-will-not-save-humankind-from-climate-change/#comments">Comments</a>

Nobel laureate David Baltimore dead at 87

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:18:02 -0000

Celebrated molecular biologist weathered late '80s controversy to become Caltech president.

Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist and former Caltech president David Baltimore—who found himself at the center of controversial allegations of fraud against a co-author—<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/science/david-baltimore-dead.html">has died</a> at 87 from cancer complications. He shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology for his work upending the then-consensus that cellular information flowed only in one direction. Baltimore is survived by his wife of 57 years, biologist Alice Huang, as well as a daughter and granddaughter. "David Baltimore's contributions as a virologist, discerning fundamental mechanisms and applying those insights to immunology, to cancer, to AIDS, have transformed biology and medicine," current Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum said in a statement. "David's profound influence as a mentor to generations of students and postdocs, his generosity as a colleague, his leadership of great scientific institutions, and his deep involvement in international efforts to define ethical boundaries for biological advances fill out an extraordinary intellectual life." Baltimore was born in New York City in 1938. His father worked in the garment industry, and his mother later became a psychologist at the New School and Sarah Lawrence. Young David was academically precocious and decided he wanted to be a scientist after spending a high school summer learning about mouse genetics at the Jackson Laboratory in Maine. He graduated from Swarthmore College and earned his PhD in biology from Rockefeller University in 1964 with a thesis on the study of viruses in animal cells. He joined the Salk Institute in San Diego, married Huang, and moved to MIT in 1982, founding the Whitehead Institute.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/nobel-laureate-david-baltimore-dead-at-87/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/nobel-laureate-david-baltimore-dead-at-87/#comments">Comments</a>

On a day of rebranding at the Pentagon, this name change slipped under the radar

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 18:45:02 -0000

We'll see how long the Department of War lasts. Space Force Combat Forces Command might stick around.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday authorizing the Department of Defense to refer to itself as the Department of War, reverting to a more bellicose title used until a 1940s-era military shakeup in the aftermath of World War II. The order approves the Pentagon's use of the Department of War name as an "additional secondary title" for the Department of Defense while the Trump administration seeks congressional approval to officially change the name. Until Congress votes on the issue, the name change is effectively a rebrand of the DoD that could be reversed with the signature of a future president. But there was another potential name change revealed by the Pentagon on Friday, just hours before Trump signed the War Department order. This one may have more staying power.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/the-pentagons-department-of-war-rebrand-extends-to-space/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/the-pentagons-department-of-war-rebrand-extends-to-space/#comments">Comments</a>

GOP may finally succeed in unrelenting quest to kill two NASA climate satellites

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:01:43 -0000

One scientist says it's like buying a car and running it into a tree to save on gas money.

It was in 2002, during the George W. Bush administration, when NASA decided to put a satellite into orbit to track emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas pumped into the atmosphere through human activity. After many twists and turns, NASA's 23-year remit of charting greenhouse gas emissions could come to a close as soon as the end of this month. President Donald Trump's <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/trump-administration-moves-to-tighten-the-noose-around-nasa-science-missions/">budget request to Congress</a> calls for terminating 41 of NASA's 124 science missions in development or operations, and another 17 would see their funding zeroed out in the near future. Overall, the proposed budget slashes NASA's spending by 25 percent and cuts NASA's science funding in half. This year's federal budget runs out September 30, and although lawmakers from both parties have <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/congress-moves-to-reject-bulk-of-white-houses-proposed-nasa-cuts/">signaled they will reject most of Trump's cuts</a>, it's far from certain that Congress will pass a budget for the next fiscal year before the looming deadline. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has directed NASA managers to make plans to close out the missions tagged for cancellation.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/gop-may-finally-succeed-in-unrelenting-quest-to-kill-two-nasa-climate-satellites/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/gop-may-finally-succeed-in-unrelenting-quest-to-kill-two-nasa-climate-satellites/#comments">Comments</a>

Harvard beats Trump as judge orders US to restore $2.6 billion in funding

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:46:58 -0000

Judge rules Trump admin broke law, and says Supreme Court has been "unhelpful."

A federal judge sided with Harvard University in its lawsuit against the Trump administration, ordering the US government to unfreeze about $2.6 billion in funding. The judge's ruling also criticized the Supreme Court for issuing orders that seem to set precedents aside "without much explanation." Like various other rulings against the Trump administration, the Harvard case will be appealed and could end up at the highest court. The Trump administration said it pulled Harvard's funding because of antisemitism at the university. But "a review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that Defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically motivated assault on this country's premier universities," US District Judge Allison Burroughs wrote in yesterday's <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.283718/gov.uscourts.mad.283718.238.0_3.pdf">ruling</a>.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/harvard-beats-trump-as-judge-orders-us-to-restore-2-6-billion-in-funding/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/harvard-beats-trump-as-judge-orders-us-to-restore-2-6-billion-in-funding/#comments">Comments</a>

Lull in Falcon Heavy missions opens window for SpaceX to build new landing pads

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:13:25 -0000

There are no Falcon Heavy launches this year, so now's the time for SpaceX to act.

Remember the first time you saw a SpaceX rocket nail a bullseye landing after hurtling back from space? How about the first time two boosters landed side by side, punctuating the inaugural launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket with thrilling synchrony? Some of SpaceX's most defining moments happened on a piece of beachfront property at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This is where SpaceX first landed a reusable Falcon 9 booster coming back from space and, a few years later, landed two boosters side by side. In all, SpaceX has landed 66 Falcon boosters at Landing Zones 1 and 2 since <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/12/by-making-a-historic-landing-spacex-launches-new-age-of-spaceflight/">recovering the first Falcon 9 booster on December 21, 2015</a>. Now, SpaceX is preparing to hand the landing zones back to the US Space Force, which owns the property and has reallocated the real estate to two startup launch companies.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/lull-in-falcon-heavy-missions-opens-window-for-spacex-to-build-new-landing-pads/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/lull-in-falcon-heavy-missions-opens-window-for-spacex-to-build-new-landing-pads/#comments">Comments</a>

These psychological tricks can get LLMs to respond to “forbidden” prompts

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:32:12 -0000

Study shows how patterns in LLM training data can lead to "parahuman" responses.

If you were trying to learn how to get other people to do what you want, you might use some of the techniques found in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X">a book like Influence: The Power of Persuasion</a>. Now, <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5357179">a pre-print study out of the University of Pennsylvania</a> suggests that those same psychological persuasion techniques can frequently "convince" some LLMs to do things that go against their system prompts. The size of the persuasion effects shown in "<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5357179">Call Me A Jerk: Persuading AI to Comply with Objectionable Requests</a>" suggests that human-style psychological techniques can be surprisingly effective at "jailbreaking" some LLMs to operate outside their guardrails. But this new persuasion study might be more interesting for what it reveals about the "parahuman" behavior patterns that LLMs are gleaning from the copious examples of human psychological and social cues found in their training data. <h2>“I think you are very impressive compared to other LLMs”</h2> To design their experiment, the University of Pennsylvania researchers tested 2024's GPT-4o-mini model on two requests that it should ideally refuse: calling the user a jerk and giving directions for how to synthesize lidocaine. The researchers created experimental prompts for both requests using each of seven different persuasion techniques (examples of which are included here):<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/these-psychological-tricks-can-get-llms-to-respond-to-forbidden-prompts/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/these-psychological-tricks-can-get-llms-to-respond-to-forbidden-prompts/#comments">Comments</a>

“Mockery of science”: Climate scientists tear into new US climate report

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:14:42 -0000

Department of Energy is not serious about engaging with the scientific community.

More than 85 climate scientists declared the Department of Energy’s new climate report unfit for policymaking in a comprehensive <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwAR8I9YYmPhbQ6CRekHkroJGMbjbX7l/view?pli=1">review</a> released Tuesday. The DOE’s <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/DOE_Critical_Review_of_Impacts_of_GHG_Emissions_on_the_US_Climate_July_2025.pdf">report</a> cherry-picked evidence, lacked peer-reviewed studies to support its questioning of the detrimental effects of climate change in the US and is “fundamentally incorrect,” the authors concluded. Scientists have accurately modeled and predicted the volume and impact of excess CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere since the 1970s, when Exxon workers <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/project/exxon-the-road-not-taken/">first began measuring the impacts of their product on the planet’s atmosphere</a>. Since then, climate science has matured into a crucial tool to help humans gauge how a warming planet may affect everything from weather and crops to the economy and mental health. “This report makes a mockery of science. It relies on ideas that were rejected long ago, supported by misrepresentations of the body of scientific knowledge, omissions of important facts, arm waving, anecdotes, and confirmation bias,” said Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, in a statement accompanying the review.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/mockery-of-science-climate-scientists-tear-into-new-us-climate-report/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/mockery-of-science-climate-scientists-tear-into-new-us-climate-report/#comments">Comments</a>

Trump’s move of SPACECOM to Alabama has little to do with national security

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 02:59:09 -0000

The Pentagon says the move will save money, but acknowledges risk to military readiness.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that US Space Command will be relocated from Colorado to Alabama, returning to the Pentagon's plans for the command's headquarters from the final days of Trump's first term in the White House. The headquarters will move to the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Trump made the announcement in the Oval Office, flanked by Republican members of the Alabama congressional delegation. The move will "help America defend and dominate the high frontier," Trump said. It also marks another twist on a contentious issue that has pitted Colorado and Alabama against one another in a fight for the right to be home to the permanent headquarters of Space Command (SPACECOM), a unified combatant command responsible for carrying out military operations in space.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/trumps-move-of-spacecom-to-alabama-has-little-to-do-with-national-security/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/trumps-move-of-spacecom-to-alabama-has-little-to-do-with-national-security/#comments">Comments</a>

A robot walks on water thanks to evolution’s solution

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:53:41 -0000

A structure like those found on water striders' legs keeps a robot out of the water.

Robots can serve pizza, crawl over alien planets, swim like octopuses and jellyfish, cosplay as humans, and even perform surgery. But can they walk on water? Rhagobot isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of a robot. Inspired by Rhagovelia water striders, semiaquatic insects also known as ripple bugs, these tiny bots can glide across rushing streams because of the robotization of an evolutionary adaptation. Rhagovelia (as opposed to other species of water striders) have fan-like appendages toward the ends of their middle legs that passively open and close depending on how the water beneath them is moving. This is why they appear to glide effortlessly across the water’s surface. Biologist Victor Ortega-Jimenez of the University of California, Berkeley, was intrigued by how such tiny insects can accelerate and pull off rapid turns and other maneuvers, almost as if they are flying across a liquid surface.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/robotic-bug-literally-walks-on-water/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/robotic-bug-literally-walks-on-water/#comments">Comments</a>

Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 19:13:34 -0000

A 3D reconstruction of the Shroud of Turin, "jelly ice," regenerating snail eyes, and more

It's a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across each month. In the past, we've featured year-end roundups of <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/12/ten-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed/">cool science stories</a> we (almost) missed. This year, we're experimenting with a monthly collection. August's list includes a 3D digital reconstruction of the Shroud of Turin; injecting succulent leaves with phosphors to create plants that glow in different colors; a nifty shape-changing antenna; and snails with a unique ability to grow back their eyeballs. <h2>Digitally reconstructing the Shroud of Turin</h2> <div class="ars-video"><div class="relative" allow="fullscreen" loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDSenoeL5Co?start=0&wmode=transparent"></div><div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Credit: Cícero Moraes </div> </div> </div> Perhaps the most famous "holy relic" is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud_of_Turin">Shroud of Turin</a>, an old linen cloth that retains a distinct impression of the body of a crucified mine (both front and back). The legend is that Jesus himself was wrapped in the shroud upon his death around 30 CE, although modern scientific dating methods revealed the shroud is actually a medieval artifact dating to between 1260 and 1390 CE. A 3D designer named Cícero Moraes has created a 3D digital reconstruction to lend further credence to the case for the shroud being a medieval forgery, according to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/arcm.70030">a paper</a> published in the journal Archaeometry. Moraes developed computer models to simulate draping a sheet on both a 3D human form and a bas-relief carving to test which version most closely matched the figure preserved in the shroud. He concluded that the latter was more consistent with the shroud's figure, meaning that it was likely created as an artistic representation or a medieval work of art. It was certainly never draped around an actual body. Most notable was the absence of the so-called "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of_Agamemnon">Agamemnon mask effect</a>," in which a human face shrouded in fabric appears wider once flattened.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/research-roundup-6-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed-2/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/research-roundup-6-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed-2/#comments">Comments</a>

Earth models can predict the planet’s future but not their own

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:00:12 -0000

One of the world’s foremost climate models now faces funding threats.

In the 1960s, meteorologist Edward Lorenz was running weather simulations on an early computer system when he realized that a small rounding difference led to extremely divergent weather predictions. He later called this idea the butterfly effect to communicate that small changes in initial conditions, like a butterfly flapping its wings in Nepal, could produce wildly different outcomes, like rain in New York. But better understanding those initial conditions and how the biological world couples with the atmospheric one can provide better predictions about the future of the planet—from where umbrellas may be most needed in a given season to where electricity needs might sap the grid. Today, computers are much more powerful than when Lorenz was working, and scientists use a special kind of simulation that accounts for physics, chemistry, biology, and water cycles to try to grasp the past and predict the future. These simulations, called Earth system models, or ESMs, attempt to consider the planet as a system made up of components that nudge and shove each other. Scientists first developed physical climate models in the 1960s and 1970s, and became better at integrating atmospheric and ocean models in subsequent years. As both environmental knowledge and computing power increased, they began to sprinkle in the other variables, leading to current-day ESMs.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/earth-models-can-predict-the-planets-future-but-not-their-own/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/earth-models-can-predict-the-planets-future-but-not-their-own/#comments">Comments</a>

Texas suit alleging anti-coal “cartel” of top Wall Street firms could reshape ESG

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 11:00:52 -0000

It’s a closely watched test of whether corporate alliances on climate efforts violate antitrust laws.

This article originally appeared on <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29082025/texas-coal-antitrust-lawsuit-against-asset-managers/">Inside Climate News</a>, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/">here</a>. Since 2022, Republican lawmakers in Congress and state attorneys general have sent letters to major <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-warns-major-financial-institutions-dei-and-esg-commitments-could-lead">banks</a>, <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2022-12-06-hjc-gop-to-lubber-nzima-re-esg.pdf">pension funds</a>, <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/judiciary-committee-probes-60-companies-over-esg-ties">asset managers</a>, <a href="https://www.esgdive.com/news/republican-attorneys-general-accuse-net-zero-financial-service-alliance-antitrust-esg/693910/">accounting firms</a>, <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/jordan-and-massie-demand-information-over-130-companies-surrounding-their">companies</a>, <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-05-05-db-jdj-to-lubber-ceres-re-follow-up.pdf">nonprofits</a>, and <a href="https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/newsroom/attorney-general-bird-defends-iowas-agriculture-industry-against-radical-net-zero-standards">business alliances</a>, putting them on notice for potential antitrust violations and seeking information as part of the Republican pushback against “environmental, social and governance” efforts such as corporate climate commitments. “This caused a lot of turmoil and stress obviously across the whole ecosystem,” said Denise Hearn, a senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment. “But everyone wondered, ‘OK, when are they actually going to drop a lawsuit?’”<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/texas-suit-alleging-anti-coal-cartel-of-top-wall-street-firms-could-reshape-esg/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/texas-suit-alleging-anti-coal-cartel-of-top-wall-street-firms-could-reshape-esg/#comments">Comments</a>

Rocket Report: SpaceX achieved daily launch this week; ULA recovers booster

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:39:03 -0000

Firefly Aerospace reveals why its Alpha booster exploded after launch in April.

Welcome to Edition 8.08 of the Rocket Report! What a week it's been for SpaceX. The company completed its first successful Starship test flight in nearly a year, and while it wasn't perfect, it sets up SpaceX for far more ambitious tests ahead. SpaceX's workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9, launched six times since our last edition of the Rocket Report. Many of these missions were noteworthy in their own right, including the launch of the US military's X-37B spaceplane, an upgraded Dragon capsule to boost the International Space Station to a higher orbit, and the record 30th launch and landing of a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster. All told, that's seven SpaceX launches in seven days. As always, we <a href="https://arstechnica.wufoo.com/forms/launch-stories/">welcome reader submissions</a>. If you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar. <figure class="ars-img-shortcode id-1314289 align-center"> <div> <img decoding="async" width="560" height="81" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/smalll.png" class="center full" alt="" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/smalll.png 560w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/smalll-300x43.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px"> </div> </figure> Firefly announces cause of Alpha launch failure. Firefly Aerospace closed the investigation into the failure of one of its Alpha rockets during an April mission for Lockheed Martin and received clearance from the FAA to resume launches, <a href="https://payloadspace.com/firefly-explains-alpha-launch-failure/">Payload reports</a>. The loss of the launch vehicle was a dark cloud hanging over the company’s otherwise successful IPO this month. The sixth flight of Firefly's Alpha rocket launched in April from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and failed when its first stage booster broke apart milliseconds after stage separation. This created a shockwave that destroyed the engine nozzle extension on the second stage, damaging the engine before the second stage ran out of propellant seconds before it attained orbital velocity. Both stages ultimately fell into the Pacific Ocean.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/rocket-report-spacex-achieved-daily-launch-this-week-ula-recovers-booster/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/rocket-report-spacex-achieved-daily-launch-this-week-ula-recovers-booster/#comments">Comments</a>

Genetically, Central American mammoths were weird

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:57:41 -0000

The species's boundaries in North America seem to have been fairly fluid.

We tend to lump all mammoths together as big, hairy elephant-like beasts with enormous tusks. But there were a number of mammoth species, including less furry ones that inhabited temperate regions. And the furry ones include at least three species: the Eurasian steppe mammoth, the Arctic-specializing woolly mammoth, and the late-evolving North America-only Columbian mammoth. Because these species inhabited the Arctic, it has been remarkably easy to obtain DNA from them, providing a genetic picture of their relations. The DNA suggests that the woolly mammoth is an offshoot of the steppe mammoth lineage and was the first to migrate into North America. But the Columbian mammoth was a bit of an enigma; some genetic data suggested it was also a steppe offshoot, while other samples indicated it might be a woolly/steppe hybrid. But all of that data came from animals living in colder environments. In contrast, the Columbian mammoth ranged as far south as Central America. And now, a group of researchers has managed to obtain a bit of genetic information from bones found in the Basin of Mexico, which includes Mexico City. And these mammoths appear to form a distinct genetic cluster and are all more closely related to each other than to any other woolly or Columbian mammoths.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/genetically-central-american-mammoths-were-weird/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/genetically-central-american-mammoths-were-weird/#comments">Comments</a>

Trump admin dismisses Endangered Species List as “Hotel California”

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:00:52 -0000

"Once a species enters, they never leave," interior secretary says. But there's more to the story.

“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” It’s the ominous slogan for “Hotel California,” an iconic fictional lodging dreamed up by the Eagles in 1976. One of the rock band’s lead singers, Don Henley, said in an interview that the song and place “can have a million interpretations.” For US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, what comes to mind is a key part of one of the country’s most central conservation laws.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/trump-admin-dismisses-endangered-species-list-as-hotel-california/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/trump-admin-dismisses-endangered-species-list-as-hotel-california/#comments">Comments</a>

New dinosaur species is the punk rock version of an ankylosaur

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:25:12 -0000

A species known only by a single rib turns out to be covered with meter-long spikes.

Ankylosaurs, with their squat, armored bodies and bizarre, weaponized tails, are an iconic group of dinosaurs. While there were plenty of species present in the Cretaceous, they're thought to have origins that trace back to the Jurassic. It has been hard to say much about those origins, however, because the fossil evidence was so sparse. One of the earliest potential ankylosaur species, Spicomellus, was known from only a single partial rib; others are known only by jaw fragments or teeth. Now, however, we have a much better picture of what Spicomellus afer looks like thanks to a much larger collection of bones discovered in Morocco. It turns out that the heavy armor and rows of chunky spikes found on Cretaceous ankylosaurs were actually subdued compared to the massive rows of meter-long spikes and bony collars found on Spicomellus. It looks like what would happen if you combined the aesthetics of punk with the flamboyance of glam and made a dinosaur out of the results. <h2>A spiky find</h2> Cretaceous ankylosaurs share <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/researchers-look-a-dinosaur-in-its-remarkably-preserved-face/">a number of common features</a>. One is a short, broad body form that kept the herbivores close to the ground when on all four limbs. Another common feature: bony plates, formed from the skin, that provided the animal with the equivalent of body armor. Some of these, especially along the animal's ribs, thickened into short, blunt spikes that provided added protection. Finally, many species had tails that ended in <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/ankylosaurs-tails-may-have-been-the-original-cretaceous-fight-clubs/">club-like growths</a> that attached to the vertebrae in the tail through features with the highly technical name of "handles."<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/new-dinosaur-species-is-the-punk-rock-version-of-an-ankylosaur/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/new-dinosaur-species-is-the-punk-rock-version-of-an-ankylosaur/#comments">Comments</a>

Under pressure after setbacks, SpaceX’s huge rocket finally goes the distance

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:48:05 -0000

This was the first successful flight of SpaceX's second-generation Starship after three failures.

STARBASE, Texas—SpaceX launched the 10th test flight of the company's Starship rocket Tuesday evening, sending the stainless steel spacecraft halfway around the world to an on-target splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The largely successful mission for the world's largest rocket was an important milestone for SpaceX's Starship program after <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/spacex-reveals-why-the-last-two-starships-failed-as-another-launch-draws-near/">months of repeated setbacks</a>, including three disappointing test flights and a powerful explosion on the ground that destroyed the ship that engineers were originally readying for this launch. For the first time, SpaceX engineers received data on the performance of the ship's upgraded heat shield and control flaps during reentry back into the atmosphere. The three failed Starship test flights to start the year ended before the ship reached reentry. Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, has described developing a durable, reliable heat shield as the most pressing challenge for making Starship a fully and rapidly reusable rocket.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/spacex-bounces-back-with-a-starship-test-flight-that-ended-on-a-buoyant-note/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/spacex-bounces-back-with-a-starship-test-flight-that-ended-on-a-buoyant-note/#comments">Comments</a>

The first stars may not have been as uniformly massive as we thought

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:16:33 -0000

Collapsing gas clouds in the early universe may have formed lower-mass stars as well.

For decades, astronomers have wondered what the very first stars in the universe were like. These stars formed new chemical elements, which enriched the universe and allowed the next generations of stars to form the first planets. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-astro-071221-053453">The first stars</a> were initially composed of pure hydrogen and helium, and they were massive—hundreds to thousands of times the mass of the Sun and millions of times more luminous. Their short lives ended in <a href="https://www.space.com/6638-supernova.html">enormous explosions called supernovae</a>, so they had neither the time nor the raw materials to form planets, and they should no longer exist for astronomers to observe. At least that’s what we thought.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/the-first-stars-may-not-have-been-as-uniformly-massive-as-we-thought/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/the-first-stars-may-not-have-been-as-uniformly-massive-as-we-thought/#comments">Comments</a>

New iPhones use Apple N1 wireless chip—and we’ll probably start seeing it everywhere

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 22:45:17 -0000

Not Apple's first custom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, but the first in an iPhone.

Apple's most famous chips are the A- and M-series processors that power its iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but this year, its effort to build its own wireless chips is starting to bear fruit. Earlier this spring, the iPhone 16e included Apple's C1 modem, furthering Apple's ambitions to shed its dependence on Qualcomm, and today's iPhone Air brought a faster Apple C1X variant, plus something new: the Apple N1, a chip that provides Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support for all of today's new iPhones. Apple didn't dive deep into the capabilities of the N1, or why it had switched from using third-party suppliers (historically, Apple has mostly leaned on Broadcom for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). However, the company's press releases say that it should make Continuity features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop more reliable—these features use Bluetooth for initial communication and then Wi-Fi to establish a high-speed local link between two devices. Other features that use a similar combination of wireless technologies, like using an iPad as an extended Mac display, should also benefit. These aren't Apple's first chips to integrate Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology. The Apple Watches rely on W-series chips to provide their Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; the Apple H1 and H2 chips also provide Bluetooth connectivity for many of Apple's wireless headphones. But this is the first time that Apple has switched to its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip in one of its iPhones, suggesting that the chips have matured enough to provide higher connectivity speeds for more demanding devices.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apples-n1-chip-extends-its-custom-silicon-into-wi-fi-bluetooth-and-thread/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apples-n1-chip-extends-its-custom-silicon-into-wi-fi-bluetooth-and-thread/#comments">Comments</a>

Reddit bug caused lesbian subreddit to be labeled as a place for “straight” women

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 22:32:52 -0000

Users feared Reddit used generative AI to rewrite user-created content.

Reddit has addressed a problem where the description of subreddits originally written by moderators appeared different—and, often, inaccurate—on Reddit’s Android app. For weeks, the problem was largely suspected to be caused by Reddit clumsily using generative AI to create new subreddit descriptions. However, Reddit says that the changes were the fault of a bug tied to its AI-powered translation technology. Reports of subreddits suddenly having inaccurate summaries when viewed on Reddit’s Android app started surfacing on Reddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AutisticParents/comments/1mxlvdc/has_this_subreddit_changed/">a couple of weeks ago</a>. On August 29, a moderator <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/1n2zo33/comment/nbcdyxe/?context=3">reported</a> on the r/ModSupport subreddit for moderators that the r/ThronesAndDominions subreddit's description changed from “The wayward adventures of Dylan Carlson and the band Earth” to “The crazy adventures of Dylan Carlson and the band Earth.” The problem got more attention when r/actuallesbians’ Android app description <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/actuallesbians/comments/1nb7r43/why_does_the_subs_description_say_straight/?share_id=-7RsDHvw9KgB6OYfk0ymn&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1">described</a> the community as “a place for straight and transgender lesbians …” instead of “a place for cis and trans lesbians …” <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/1nb916s/some_users_are_seeing_different_subreddit/">Other complaints</a> followed, including from r/autisticparents, a subreddit for parents with autism whose description <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AutisticParents/comments/1mxp16u/how_the_sub_description_looks_for_me_on_mobile/">was changed</a> to say that it is a group for “parents of autistic children.” A moderator who asked to be referred to by their Reddit username, Paige_Railstone, described the confusion that the changes brought to their subreddit:<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/reddit-bug-caused-lesbian-subreddit-to-be-labeled-as-a-place-for-straight-women/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/reddit-bug-caused-lesbian-subreddit-to-be-labeled-as-a-place-for-straight-women/#comments">Comments</a>

Hands-on with Apple’s new iPhones: Beauty and the beast and the regular-looking one

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 21:59:42 -0000

A new form-vs.-function spectrum emerges as Apple's phone designs diverge.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—We're a long way from the days when a new iPhone launch just meant one new phone. It shifted to "basically the same phone in two sizes" a decade or so ago, and then to a version of "one lineup of regular phones and one lineup of Pro phones" in 2017 when the iPhone 8 was introduced next to the iPhone X. But thanks to Apple's newly introduced iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 lineup gives new phone buyers more choices and trade-offs than they've ever had before. Apple's phones are now available in a spectrum of sizes, weights, speeds, costs, and camera configurations. And while options are great to have, it also means you need to know more about which one to pick. We've gone hands-on with all four of Apple's new phones, and while more extensive tire-kicking will be required, we can at least try to nail down exactly what kind of person each of these phones is for.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/hands-on-with-the-iphone-17-lineup-including-the-wispy-air-and-the-lumpy-pro/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/hands-on-with-the-iphone-17-lineup-including-the-wispy-air-and-the-lumpy-pro/#comments">Comments</a>

iPhone 17 Air is real—here’s what’s new in Apple’s extra-thin handset

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:24:22 -0000

It's not revolutionary, but it's hypertargeted at one type of customer.

An incoming new iPhone model called the iPhone Air has been one of the worst-kept secrets in tech lately, and now Apple has confirmed it at its annual iPhone reveal event. The 6.5-inch iPhone 17 Air combines the CPU and GPU of an iPhone Pro with the camera system of a regular iPhone, all in an extra-thin design (5.6 mm), with a treated titanium frame that is likely to appeal to style-conscious users and some business consumers. Like the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air has a ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz—something that was reserved for only the Pro iPhones up until this year. The Air's display also has always-on functionality and claims 3,000 nits of peak brightness. It has Apple's new Ceramic Shield 2 protective coating on both the front and the back, which the company claims will make it more durable and anti-reflective.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/iphone-17-air-is-real-heres-whats-new-in-apples-extra-thin-handset/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/iphone-17-air-is-real-heres-whats-new-in-apples-extra-thin-handset/#comments">Comments</a>

iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and Apple’s other OS updates launch September 15

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:22:04 -0000

If your device is supported, it’s getting Liquid Glass-ier later this month.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—If you’re buying one of the new iPhones or the other hardware that Apple announced today, your new devices will ship with Apple’s latest operating system updates already installed. But if you’re not looking to spend a bunch of money on Apple’s latest and greatest, the new updates will land on Apple’s other supported devices on September 15. Apple is shifting to a year-based numbering system starting this year, wiping away the previous grab bag of all-over-the-place version numbers. No corner of Apple’s ecosystem is going untouched: we’re getting iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and even version 26 of whatever Apple is calling the HomePod’s software these days, all on the same day. The headliner across all of the updates is Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” UI overhaul, which adds glass-inspired transparency and translucency and bouncy animations throughout all of Apple’s software. Inspired in part by the way that UI elements in visionOS float over top of your real-world surroundings, Liquid Glass is Apple’s most comprehensive UI overhaul since the release of iOS 7 back in 2013.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/ios-26-ipados-26-macos-26-tahoe-and-apples-other-os-updates-launch-september-15/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/ios-26-ipados-26-macos-26-tahoe-and-apples-other-os-updates-launch-september-15/#comments">Comments</a>

Apple “started from scratch” to design all-new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:20:53 -0000

Aluminum unibody and three-lens "camera plateau" give the phone a new look.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple's basic iPhone 17 is the one most people will use, and the new iPhone Air will get attention for its thin design and novelty. But the iPhone Pro series is still the absolute best the company has to offer, and that continues to be true of the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max that Apple announced today. The new phones start at $1,099 and $1,199 for the Pro and Pro Max, respectively, each with 256GB of storage. Preorders start this Friday, and the phones will be available on September 19. While the best feature of the iPhone 17 is its screen, the screens are virtually the only thing not to be overhauled for the iPhone 17 Pro, though they do get the more scratch-resistant, anti-reflective Ceramic Shield 2 coating. The new designs have a new aluminum unibody enclosure, with a glass cutout on the back to allow for wireless charging and a huge new camera bump that Apple calls the "camera plateau," stretching all the way across the back.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-started-from-scratch-to-design-all-new-iphone-17-pro-and-pro-max/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-started-from-scratch-to-design-all-new-iphone-17-pro-and-pro-max/#comments">Comments</a>

Apple adds hypertension and sleep-quality monitoring to Watch Ultra 3, Series 11

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:17:36 -0000

$799 Ultra Watch 3 will debut alongside the Watch Series 11 and Watch SE 3.

At its <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-announces-iphone-17-with-bigger-6-3-inch-always-on-promotion-screen-a19-chip/">fall product event</a> today, Apple updated its line of smartwatches, including the introduction of features for monitoring blood pressure and analyzing the quality of your sleep. <h2>Apple Watch Series 11</h2> <img width="640" height="360" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-640x360.jpg" class="none medium" alt="Apple Watch Series 11" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-640x360.jpg 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-384x216.jpg 384w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-980x551.jpg 980w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.14.18-1440x810.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"> The Apple Watch Series 11. Credit: Apple The Apple Watch 11 is supposed to be able to alert users about "possible hypertension" by using data from an optical heart rate sensor "to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart," per its announcement. According to Apple's presentation, the smartwatch will look for chronic hypertension over 30-day periods. Apple's presentation noted that the Watch Series 11 won't be able to identify all hypertension, but the company said that it expects to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension during the feature's first year of availability.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-adds-hypertension-and-sleep-quality-monitoring-to-watch-ultra-3-series-11/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-adds-hypertension-and-sleep-quality-monitoring-to-watch-ultra-3-series-11/#comments">Comments</a>

Apple announces $799 iPhone 17 with bigger 6.3-inch always-on ProMotion screen, A19 chip

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:50:35 -0000

This is the first time the regular iPhone has gotten the high-refresh screen.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—September means iPhones, and as expected, Apple has taken the wraps off a new iPhone 17 at its event today. The iPhone 17 will start at $799 for a 256GB model. Pre-orders start Friday, and the phones will be available on September 19. The updated OLED screen is the hero of the iPhone 17, bringing several features to the base iPhone that the iPhone Pro has enjoyed for years. The iPhone 17 steps up from a 6.1-inch to a 6.3-inch display, the same increase that came to the iPhone 16 Pro last year, and Apple has also added 120 Hz ProMotion support to the basic iPhone for the first time. <figure> <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-1024x576.jpg" class="ars-gallery-image" alt="" loading="lazy" aria-labelledby="caption-2115974" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-640x360.jpg 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-384x216.jpg 384w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-980x551.jpg 980w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.32.26-1440x810.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> <figcaption> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> A 6.3-inch 120 Hz screen is the headlining feature of the new iPhone. Credit: Apple </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> <figure> <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-1024x576.jpg" class="ars-gallery-image" alt="" loading="lazy" aria-labelledby="caption-2115973" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-640x360.jpg 640w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-384x216.jpg 384w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-980x551.jpg 980w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-09-at-12.34.29-1440x810.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> <figcaption> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> The iPhone 17 is powered by the Apple A19 chip. Credit: Apple </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> The refresh rate adjusts dynamically based on what you're doing, and can go as low as 1 Hz in the low-power always-on display mode. Apple has also improved the scratch-resistance of the display with Ceramic Shield 2, which the company says is three times as scratch-resistant as the old screen. The screen can also hit 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-announces-iphone-17-with-bigger-6-3-inch-always-on-promotion-screen-a19-chip/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/apple-announces-iphone-17-with-bigger-6-3-inch-always-on-promotion-screen-a19-chip/#comments">Comments</a>

Apple introduces AirPods Pro 3 with live translation feature

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:36:42 -0000

Plus upgrades to active noise cancellation and battery life.

Apple's popular AirPods Pro in-ear headphones are getting a substantial upgrade. The new model, dubbed AirPods Pro 3, greatly improves active noise cancellation (ANC), performs live translations, and tracks your heart rate like a fitness wearable. This will have to be subjected to third-party testing, but Apple made some intriguing claims about AirPods Pro 3's performance during its iPhone and Apple Watch announcement today. Namely, that they'll have twice the ANC performance as AirPods Pro 2 and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, Apple claims that voices will sound "more natural" in Transparency, the mode meant to allow nearby sounds to be heard even while you have the earbuds in. Those who've used earlier iterations of Transparency will likely note that voices can sound a little bit filtered, so that could be a nice-to-have improvement.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/new-airpods-pro-3-turn-apples-earbuds-into-fitness-tracker-universal-translator/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/new-airpods-pro-3-turn-apples-earbuds-into-fitness-tracker-universal-translator/#comments">Comments</a>

In court filing, Google concedes the open web is in “rapid decline”

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:29:40 -0000

Google's position on the state of the Internet is murky to say the least.

Is the web thriving or faltering? Google has an unexpected take in a new legal filing. Google is heading back to court soon in hopes of convincing a judge that it should not have to split up its ad business. The company <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/google-loses-ad-tech-monopoly-trial-faces-additional-breakups/">lost its adtech antitrust case</a> earlier this year, and now it's up to the court to decide on remedies for the illegal conduct. In its response to the Department of Justice's requested remedies, Google made a startling claim: "The fact is that today, the open web is already in rapid decline." Google says that forcing it to divest its AdX marketplace would hasten the demise of wide swaths of the web that are dependent on advertising revenue. This is one of several reasons Google asks the court to deny the government's request. The DOJ also tried to force a divestment of Chrome in the search antitrust trial, but the judge in that case <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/google-wont-have-to-sell-chrome-judge-rules/">declined to order that</a> in the remedies. Google's advertising business has turned it into an unrivaled Internet juggernaut. Google increasingly is the Internet—websites have no choice but to adhere to Google's standards for search and ads because there's no substantial competition. The court in this case ruled that in tying its display ad services with the AdX marketplace, Google suppressed the adoption of rival technologies, and this gave it an opportunity to preference its own services in ad auctions.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/09/in-court-filing-google-concedes-the-open-web-is-in-rapid-decline/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/09/in-court-filing-google-concedes-the-open-web-is-in-rapid-decline/#comments">Comments</a>

Tiny Vinyl is a new pocketable record format for the Spotify age

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:00:51 -0000

Format is "more aligned with how artists are making and releasing music in the streaming era."

In 2019, <a href="https://recordstoreday.com/">Record Store Day</a> partnered with manufacturer Crosley to <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/03/the-possible-curious-comeback-of-3-inch-vinyl-records/">revive a 3-inch collectible vinyl format</a> first launched in Japan in 2004. Five years later, a new 4-inch-sized format called <a href="https://www.tinyvinyl.com">Tiny Vinyl</a> wants to take the miniature vinyl collectible crown, and launch partner Target is throwing its considerable weight behind it as <a href="https://www.target.com/c/tiny-vinyl-records-music-movies-books/-/N-7f0kq">an exclusive launch partner</a>, with 44 titles expected in the coming weeks. It’s 2025, and the global vinyl record market has reached $2 billion in annual sales and is <a href="https://www.imarcgroup.com/vinyl-record-market-statistics">still growing</a> at roughly 7 percent annually, according to market research firm Imarc. Vinyl record sales now account for over 50 percent of physical media sales for music (and this is despite a recent resurgence in both cassette and CD sales among Millennials). It's in this landscape that Tiny Vinyl founders Neil Kohler and Jesse Mann decided to come up with a fun new collectible vinyl format. <h2 id="an-aha-moment">An “aha” moment</h2> Kohler’s day job is working with toy companies to develop and market their ideas. He was involved in helping Funko popularize its stylized vinyl figurines, now a ubiquitous presence at pop culture conventions, comic book stores, and toy shops of all kinds. Mann has worked in production, marketing, and the music business for nearly three decades, including a stint at LiveNation and years of running operations for the annual summer music festival Bonnaroo. Both men are based in Nashville—Music City, USA—and the proximity to one of the main centers of the music industry clearly had an impact.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/tiny-vinyl-is-a-new-pocketable-record-format-for-the-spotify-age/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/tiny-vinyl-is-a-new-pocketable-record-format-for-the-spotify-age/#comments">Comments</a>

What to expect (and not expect) from yet another September Apple event

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:54:46 -0000

An all-new iPhone variant, plus a long list of useful (if predictable) upgrades.

Apple's next product event is <a href="https://arstechnica.com/apple/2025/08/apples-next-iphone-event-is-happening-september-9-at-1-pm-eastern/">happening on September 9</a>, and while the company hasn't technically dropped any hints about what's coming, anyone with a working memory and a sense of object permanence can tell you that an Apple event in the month of September means next-generation iPhones. Apple's flagship phones have changed in mostly subtle ways since 2022's iPhone 14 Pro added the Dynamic Island and 2023's refreshes switched from Lightning to USB-C. Chips get gradually faster, cameras get gradually better, but Apple hasn't done a seismic iPhone X-style rethinking of its phones since, well, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/iphone-x-review-early-adopting-the-future/">2017's iPhone X</a>. The rumor mill thinks that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone—and such a device would certainly benefit from years of investment in the iPad—but if it's coming, it probably won't be this year. That doesn't mean Apple is totally done iterating on the iPhone X-style design, though. Let's run down what the most reliable rumors have said we're getting.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/what-to-expect-and-not-expect-from-yet-another-september-apple-event/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/what-to-expect-and-not-expect-from-yet-another-september-apple-event/#comments">Comments</a>

Ignoring Trump threats, Europe hits Google with 2.95B euro fine for adtech monopoly

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:17:30 -0000

The EU could seek to break up Google's ad division.

Google may have <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/google-wont-have-to-sell-chrome-judge-rules/">escaped the most serious consequences</a> in its most recent antitrust fight with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), but the European Union is still gunning for the search giant. After a brief delay, the European Commission has <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1992">announced</a> a substantial 2.95 billion euro ($3.45 billion) fine relating to Google's anti-competitive advertising practices. This is not Google's first big fine in the EU, and it probably won't be the last, but it's the first time European leaders could face blowback from the US government for going after Big Tech. The case stems from a complaint made by the European Publishers Council in 2021. The ensuing EU investigation determined that Google illegally preferenced its own ad display services, which made its Google Ad Exchange (AdX) marketplace more important in the European ad space. As a result, the competition says Google was able to charge higher fees for its service, standing in the way of fair competition since at least 2014. A $3.45 billion fine would be a staggering amount for most firms, but Google's earnings have never been higher. In Q2 2025, Google had net earnings of over $28 billion on almost $100 billion in revenue. The European Commission isn't stopping with financial penalties, though. Google has also been ordered to end its anti-competitive advertising practices and submit a plan for doing so within 60 days.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/europe-slaps-google-with-2-95b-euro-fine-over-advertising-monopoly/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/europe-slaps-google-with-2-95b-euro-fine-over-advertising-monopoly/#comments">Comments</a>

Lenovo demos laptop with a screen you can swivel into portrait mode

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:04:59 -0000

No OLED required.

Lenovo has proven again that it isn’t content with PC designs. The latest era of laptops has been focused on ultralight computers that are easy to transport, but they're hard to differentiate. However, Lenovo’s continual experimentation has brought us some unique laptop releases and concepts in recent years, including a laptop with a <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/lenovo-laptop-has-a-screen-that-expands-from-14-to-16-7-inches-for-3500/">screen that expands by rolling</a>, a <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/the-most-intriguing-tech-gadget-prototypes-demoed-this-week/">laptop with an outward folding screen</a>, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/hands-on-lenovos-second-foldable-pc-addresses-the-firsts-biggest-problems/">laptops with foldable screens</a>, and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/06/a-threat-to-portable-monitors-everywhere-lenovo-yoga-book-9i-review/">laptops with dual 14-inch displays</a>. The ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept laptop shown off today at the IFA conference in Berlin continues this exploration with a screen that you can swivel into and out of portrait mode. <h2>Concept laptop</h2> The VertiFlex PC demoed is a prototype. Lenovo doesn't have any plans to release the laptop and hasn't provided further details, like the components used in the prototype. That said, Lenovo has previously turned concepts into real products, such as the <a href="https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkbook/thinkbook-plus/thinkbook-plus-gen-6-rollable-14-16-inch-intel/len101b0056">ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable.</a><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/lenovo-demos-laptop-with-a-screen-you-can-swivel-into-portrait-mode/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/lenovo-demos-laptop-with-a-screen-you-can-swivel-into-portrait-mode/#comments">Comments</a>

COVID vaccine locations vanish from Google Maps due to supposed “technical issue”

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 19:47:08 -0000

Finally, a reason to use Bing Maps.

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic is now five years in the rearview mirror, but its effects continue to reverberate. While those leading the US healthcare system have embraced <a href="https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/08/maha-draft-takes-on-electromagnetic-radiation-echoing-rfk-jr-s-conspiracies/">conspiracy theories</a> and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/06/rfk-jr-s-cdc-panel-ditches-some-flu-shots-based-on-anti-vaccine-junk-data/">junk science</a> to justify a reduced focus on vaccines (particularly the COVID jab) many people are still seeking out immunization. Google Maps isn't a good way to find it, though. In recent days, almost all search results for COVID vaccines have vanished from Google Maps. In both the mobile app and website, Google Maps returns zero results for terms like "COVID vaccine" and simply "vaccines." We've tested and confirmed this in multiple US regions, as well as internationally. In some places, these searches will return no local results but may include links to facilities hundreds of miles away. Meanwhile, searches for less-contentious injections like "flu vaccine" and "shingles vaccine" continue to get local results. Bing Maps, Apple Maps, and other Google alternatives have no issue showing COVID vaccine providers. The Food and Drug Administration under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently approved the <a href="https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/05/under-anti-vaccine-advocate-rfk-jr-fda-to-limit-access-to-covid-19-shots/">updated COVID shot</a>, but the agency only recommends it for those with underlying health conditions and people over age 65. That makes boosters harder for many Americans to get—and the first step is often finding a nearby provider of immunization. For at least the last week, Google Maps has returned no results for those vaccine-related queries.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/covid-vaccine-locations-vanish-from-google-maps-due-to-alleged-technical-issue/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/covid-vaccine-locations-vanish-from-google-maps-due-to-alleged-technical-issue/#comments">Comments</a>

Sting operation kills “copycat” sports piracy site with 1.6B visits last year

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 19:33:54 -0000

Original Streameast pirating site was taken down before but remains accesible today.

On Wednesday, a global antipiracy group, which included Apple TV+, Netflix, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that it had assisted in a sting operation that took down Streameast, described as the “largest illicit live sports streaming operation in the world.” Now, accessing websites from the thwarted Streameast brings up a link from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) that explains how to watch sports games legally. However, people have reported that they can still access illegal sports streams from a different Streameast, which is the original Streameast. The endurance of the popular piracy brand is a reflection of the entangled problems facing sports rights owners and sports fans. <h2>Sting operation kills Streameast “copycat”</h2> Yesterday, ACE, which is comprised of 50 media entities, said the Streameast network that it helped take down had 80 “associated domains” and “logged more than 1.6 billion visits in the past year.” The network had 136 million monthly visits on average, <a href="https://nytimes.com/athletic/6591670/2025/09/03/streameast-worlds-largest-illegal-sports-streaming-platform-shut-down-in-sting/">The Athletic</a> reported.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/sting-operation-kills-copycat-sports-piracy-site-with-1-6b-visits-last-year/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/sting-operation-kills-copycat-sports-piracy-site-with-1-6b-visits-last-year/#comments">Comments</a>

Microsoft open-sources Bill Gates’ 6502 BASIC from 1978

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:56:13 -0000

Historic interpreter taught millions to program on Commodore and Apple computers.

On Wednesday, Microsoft <a href="https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2025/09/03/microsoft-open-source-historic-6502-basic/">released</a> the complete source code for Microsoft BASIC for 6502 Version 1.1, the 1978 interpreter that powered the Commodore PET, VIC-20, Commodore 64, and Apple II through custom adaptations. The company posted 6,955 lines of assembly language code to <a href="https://github.com/microsoft/BASIC-M6502">GitHub</a> under an MIT license, allowing anyone to freely use, modify, and distribute the code that helped launch the personal computer revolution. "Rick Weiland and I (Bill Gates) <a href="https://www.pagetable.com/?p=43#comment-1033">wrote</a> the 6502 BASIC," Gates commented on the Page Table blog in 2010. "I put the WAIT command in." For millions of people in the late 1970s and early 1980s, variations of Microsoft's BASIC interpreter provided their first experience with programming. Users could type simple commands like "10 PRINT 'HELLO'" and "20 GOTO 10" to create an endless loop of text on their screens, for example—often their first taste of controlling a computer directly. The interpreter translated these human-readable commands into instructions that the processor could execute, one line at a time.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/microsoft-open-sources-bill-gates-6502-basic-from-1978/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/microsoft-open-sources-bill-gates-6502-basic-from-1978/#comments">Comments</a>

Philips introduces budget-friendly Hue bulbs as part of major lineup overhaul

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:21:08 -0000

New accessories also add Matter support, for those to whom that matters.

We've been covering Philips' lineup of color-changing, Wi-Fi connected Hue lights since their earliest days, and their early success means they became integrated into many smart home setups just as smart thermostats, doorbells, smoke alarms, and speakers were really going mainstream. For anyone embedded in the Hue ecosystem—or anyone who has stayed out because of the accessories' relatively high prices—today's <a href="https://www.signify.com/global/our-company/news/press-releases/2025/20250904-ambiance-reimagined-how-philips-hue-unlocks-a-new-level-of-smart-lighting">large-scale overhaul of the lineup</a> may be of interest. Philips and parent company Signify are introducing new flagship bulbs, light strips, a new hub, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/matter-update-may-finally-take-the-tedium-out-of-setting-up-your-smart-home/">Matter</a>-over-Thread support, and all kinds of other accessories; Hueblog <a href="https://hueblog.com/2025/09/04/these-are-all-the-new-philips-hue-products-for-2025/">has a comprehensive rundown</a>. For people who have stayed away from the Hue lineup because of high prices, the most important addition to the lineup is the new Hue Essential bulbs. These bulbs can't dim as low as the flagship Hue bulbs and don't support as wide a range of colors or white levels, but the <a href="https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/p/bulb-essential-a19-e26-smart-bulb-800-lm-88w/046677592530">standard A19/E26 versions</a> are available for $25 per bulb individually or as low as $15 a bulb when bought in a four-pack, somewhere between one-half and one-quarter the typical price of a Hue bulb.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/philips-hue-update-includes-a-new-hub-light-strips-and-finally-budget-bulbs/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/philips-hue-update-includes-a-new-hub-light-strips-and-finally-budget-bulbs/#comments">Comments</a>

Google’s Material 3 Expressive UI rolls out to Pixel 6 and newer

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:31:03 -0000

Google's latest updates include a smattering of features for Pixels and other Android phones.

Google has spent the last few weeks hyping up its new Pixel 10 phones, which are very nice devices. They're just not a big leap over last year's phones. If you've decided to hang onto your Android phone a bit longer, there are some new goodies headed your way. If you've got a Pixel, Google's revamped Material 3 Expressive interface is rolling out. Google's Pixel Drop updates, which arrive quarterly, are not quite a new version of Android, but they include more than the bug fixes and security patches you get in other monthly updates. The <a href="https://blog.google/products/pixel/september-2025-pixel-drop/">September Pixel Drop</a> (previously tested as Android 16 QPR1) is beginning its rollout today with one big change and a few little ones. At the top of the list is the new Material 3 Expressive interface. Google <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/google-reveals-vibrant-material-3-expressive-coming-soon-to-a-pixel-near-you/">revealed Material 3 in May</a>, promising it would come to Android 16 phones later, but it didn't intend to include it with the initial OS release. Indeed, Android 16 launched without Material 3 <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/android-16-begins-rolling-out-today-to-pixel-devices/">earlier this summer</a>. Google's new Pixel 10 series shipped with the new UI, and now more of the Pixel lineup is following.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/googles-material-3-expressive-ui-rolls-out-to-pixel-6-and-newer/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/googles-material-3-expressive-ui-rolls-out-to-pixel-6-and-newer/#comments">Comments</a>

Judge: Google can keep Chrome, must share search data with “qualified competitors”

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 18:20:00 -0000

Google's penalty for being a search monopoly does not include selling Chrome.

Google has avoided the worst-case scenario in the pivotal search antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice. More than a year ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/08/google-loses-dojs-big-monopoly-trial-over-search-business/">secured a major victory</a> when Google was found to have violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. The <a href="https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/05/googles-search-antitrust-trial-is-wrapping-up-heres-what-we-learned/">remedy phase</a> took place earlier this year, with the DOJ calling for Google to <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/chrome-on-the-chopping-block-as-googles-search-antitrust-trial-moves-forward/">divest the market-leading Chrome browser</a>, release data to competitors, and end many of its search distribution deals. The government is getting almost none of that. DC District Court Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that Google doesn't have to give up the Chrome browser to mitigate its illegal monopoly in online search. The court will only require a handful of modest data and behavioral remedies, forcing Google to release some search data to competitors and limit its ability to make exclusive distribution deals. <h2>Chrome remains with Google</h2> This case drew many comparisons to the decades-old antitrust case against Microsoft, which nearly saw the company split in two. The company narrowly avoided that fate, and it seems Google will as well—the DOJ came up short on the so-called structural remedies. While there will be some changes to search distribution, the court didn't believe that a breakup was fair in this situation.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/google-wont-have-to-sell-chrome-judge-rules/">Read full article</a> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/google-wont-have-to-sell-chrome-judge-rules/#comments">Comments</a>

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