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FHFA's announcement has investors increasingly concerned about the Bozeman, Montana-based FICO losing both pricing power and a competitive edge. View the full article

Lenders recognize the value of regular review of the tech stack, but their approach needs to involve year-round check-ins and conversations with vendors. View the full article

The US innovation model may be universally admired but its foundations are being underminedView the full article

Contract closings fell 0.2% last month to an annualized rate of 4 million, according to National Association of Realtors figures released Thursday. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. If you’re in the market for a speaker that doesn’t sacrifice sound quality for durability (and also doubles as a power bank), a new JBL Charge 6 is currently 30% off on Woot for a limited time, dropping the price from $200 to $140. Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in the U.S., and Amazon members get free shipping, while non-members pay an extra $6. If your speaker isn’t exactly what you expected, all products come with Woot’s 90-day warranty program. JBL Charge 6 $139.95 at Woot! $199.95 Save $60.00 Get Deal Get Deal $139.95 at Woot! $199.95 Save $60.00 The Charge 6, made more portable with a removable handle strap, is also waterproof and dust-resistant. It has an IP68 rating, meaning you can submerge it in up to 1.5 meters of water for around 30 minutes without risking damage. It also features enhanced drop protection and bumpers compared to earlier versions of the Charge, but new updates mean that it is slightly heavier (three lbs compared to 2.1 lbs). Amazon reviewers and professional testers alike were impressed by this compact speaker’s strong sound, with this PCMag review calling it “surprisingly punchy.” This performance is bolstered by customizable EQ and a new seven-band equalizer feature in the app that lets you further fine-tune output. Users can also pair multiple Charge 6 speakers to enable Auracast for more immersive sound. Like most JBL devices, the battery life is long-lasting, providing up to 24 hours with standard use. You can squeeze an extra four hours of juice out of it with the “Playtime Boost” mode, but as the PCMag review notes, it sacrifices some bass as a result. If you need to charge smartphones or tablets, the speaker’s 34-watt-hour battery also works as a convenient power bank, though it doesn’t come with an included USB cable or charging brick. If you’re looking for a small speaker that can last a full day, be used as a power bank, and deliver well-balanced sound with considerable volume, the JBL Charge 6 is a solid option. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Group details $865mn restructuring programme and outlook reflecting sluggish corporate demand for consulting projectsView the full article

The crash of a small plane in southwestern Brazil killed four people including Chinese landscape architect and urban planner Yu Kongjian, Brazilian authorities said Wednesday. The accident happened late Tuesday during a landing attempt at a large farm about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the municipality of Aquidauana in Mato Grosso do Sul state, firefighters said. Yu, who was known for promoting ecologically sound development, was traveling with two Brazilian documentary makers, Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Jr., who were making a film about the Pantanal wetlands. All three were killed along with pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros, authorities said. Yu was know for developing the concept of “sponge cities,” with infrastructure that can absorb rainwater to mitigate flood risks and improve the urban climate. “In times of climate change,” Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on social media, “Yu became a global reference with his sponge cities, which unite quality of life and environmental protection.” Yu argued that by creating large spaces to hold water in city centers, such as parks and ponds, extreme rainfall can be absorbed, helping prevent floods. The idea is widely cited in Chinese urban planning, and in recent years Yu worked on projects in other countries including Saudi Arabia and Thailand. He was known for his “notable contributions to sustainable urbanism, the preservation of biodiversity, and the protection of the planet,” Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said on X, adding that Yu’s legacy will continue to inspire those dedicated to ecological cause. Yu founded the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University, one of China’s most prestigious universities. The university did not respond a request for comment. The military fire department in Aquidauana was called at around 8:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday to respond to a plane crash, firefighters said. A search and rescue operation lasted approximately nine hours. Yu and the filmmakers were part of a team producing a documentary about the world’s largest tropical wetlands. The Pantanal, fed by tributaries of the Paraguay River and mostly located in Brazil, is a biodiversity hotspot and a popular destination for tourists to see jaguars, macaws, caimans, capybaras and migratory birds in the wild. In an interview with The Associated Press in 2022, Yu criticized much of Asia’s modern infrastructure for being built on ideas imported from Europe, which he said are ill-fitted to the monsoon climate that prevails over much of the continent. Fu Ting contributed to this report from Washington D.C. and Mauricio Savarese from Sao Paulo. —Eléonore Hughes, Associated Press View the full article

Small businesses are no longer just adapting to technology; they are leveraging it to drive growth and innovation. In a compelling presentation during Zoomtopia, Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork, highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the small business landscape. “AI has had a net-positive impact on revenue for 93% of small businesses surveyed,” she reported, noting that 82% of respondents also saw cost reductions due to AI integration. This data points to a significant trend: small businesses are not just surviving; they are thriving by harnessing advanced technologies. The recent remarks from Brown set the stage for deeper discussions on AI’s role in business operations at Zoom’s annual event. As small business owners look for ways to maximize their resources and enhance productivity, these insights carry weight. AI is evolving from being merely a tool to becoming a pivotal partner that drives efficiency and improved outcomes. One major initiative announced at the event was the Zoom Solopreneur 50, introduced by Kim Storin, Zoom’s Chief Marketing Officer. This program aims to recognize and celebrate high-growth businesses run by solo founders who are capitalizing on AI and innovation to propel their businesses. Storin remarked on the potential of solopreneurs, indicating that “in the next few years, we’ll see the first solopreneur unicorn company.” This ambitious outlook highlights the growing acknowledgment of solo entrepreneurs as valuable contributors to the economy, particularly in an increasingly digital world. For small business owners, the implications of embracing AI are substantial. Whether it’s automating routine tasks, analyzing consumer behavior, or enhancing customer interactions, AI can serve as an extra set of hands that enhances operational efficiency. AI tools can streamline customer service processes, provide personalized marketing solutions, and even support decision-making by offering data insights that small business owners might not access otherwise. However, small business owners should also be aware of the potential challenges that come with this technological shift. One significant concern is the cost of implementing AI solutions. While 82% of businesses reported cost reductions post-AI adoption, the initial investment may be a barrier for some. It is crucial for owners to carefully evaluate the long-term ROI against immediate expenditures. Furthermore, as Brown’s statistics suggest, although a vast majority of small businesses have seen positive impacts from AI, the success of technology adoption often hinges on understanding how to integrate these tools effectively into existing workflows. Small businesses may require additional training or support to help staff adapt to these systems, which can create an additional line item in budgets. In addition, the rapid pace of technological advancement poses another challenge. It can be overwhelming for small business owners to stay updated on the latest AI tools and trends. Companies must strategically choose which technologies align most closely with their specific needs and capabilities. As this landscape continues to evolve, the recognition of solopreneurs and the focus on AI-driven business models signal a shift in how we view entrepreneurship. Those leading single-person enterprises are proving that innovation can flourish outside traditional business structures. Business owners who harness this momentum and emphasize a strategic adoption of AI will better position themselves to thrive in a competitive market. As AI becomes more integrated into the everyday functions of small businesses, owners should closely consider both the opportunities and challenges presented. The transition to a more AI-driven approach will require careful planning, investment, and ongoing education, but the potential rewards stand to benefit the future of small business significantly. For further insights on these topics, detailed findings from Zoomtopia can be accessed at Zoom’s official blog. Image via Envato This article, "AI Drives Revenue Growth for 93% of Small Businesses, Zoom Announces Initiative" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Small businesses are no longer just adapting to technology; they are leveraging it to drive growth and innovation. In a compelling presentation during Zoomtopia, Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork, highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the small business landscape. “AI has had a net-positive impact on revenue for 93% of small businesses surveyed,” she reported, noting that 82% of respondents also saw cost reductions due to AI integration. This data points to a significant trend: small businesses are not just surviving; they are thriving by harnessing advanced technologies. The recent remarks from Brown set the stage for deeper discussions on AI’s role in business operations at Zoom’s annual event. As small business owners look for ways to maximize their resources and enhance productivity, these insights carry weight. AI is evolving from being merely a tool to becoming a pivotal partner that drives efficiency and improved outcomes. One major initiative announced at the event was the Zoom Solopreneur 50, introduced by Kim Storin, Zoom’s Chief Marketing Officer. This program aims to recognize and celebrate high-growth businesses run by solo founders who are capitalizing on AI and innovation to propel their businesses. Storin remarked on the potential of solopreneurs, indicating that “in the next few years, we’ll see the first solopreneur unicorn company.” This ambitious outlook highlights the growing acknowledgment of solo entrepreneurs as valuable contributors to the economy, particularly in an increasingly digital world. For small business owners, the implications of embracing AI are substantial. Whether it’s automating routine tasks, analyzing consumer behavior, or enhancing customer interactions, AI can serve as an extra set of hands that enhances operational efficiency. AI tools can streamline customer service processes, provide personalized marketing solutions, and even support decision-making by offering data insights that small business owners might not access otherwise. However, small business owners should also be aware of the potential challenges that come with this technological shift. One significant concern is the cost of implementing AI solutions. While 82% of businesses reported cost reductions post-AI adoption, the initial investment may be a barrier for some. It is crucial for owners to carefully evaluate the long-term ROI against immediate expenditures. Furthermore, as Brown’s statistics suggest, although a vast majority of small businesses have seen positive impacts from AI, the success of technology adoption often hinges on understanding how to integrate these tools effectively into existing workflows. Small businesses may require additional training or support to help staff adapt to these systems, which can create an additional line item in budgets. In addition, the rapid pace of technological advancement poses another challenge. It can be overwhelming for small business owners to stay updated on the latest AI tools and trends. Companies must strategically choose which technologies align most closely with their specific needs and capabilities. As this landscape continues to evolve, the recognition of solopreneurs and the focus on AI-driven business models signal a shift in how we view entrepreneurship. Those leading single-person enterprises are proving that innovation can flourish outside traditional business structures. Business owners who harness this momentum and emphasize a strategic adoption of AI will better position themselves to thrive in a competitive market. As AI becomes more integrated into the everyday functions of small businesses, owners should closely consider both the opportunities and challenges presented. The transition to a more AI-driven approach will require careful planning, investment, and ongoing education, but the potential rewards stand to benefit the future of small business significantly. For further insights on these topics, detailed findings from Zoomtopia can be accessed at Zoom’s official blog. Image via Envato This article, "AI Drives Revenue Growth for 93% of Small Businesses, Zoom Announces Initiative" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Australian indie game studio Team Cherry released Hollow Knight: Silksong on Sept. 4, and within three weeks, the combat/platformer climbed up Steam's most played chart, made Xbox's most played list, and gained legions of fans on Switch and PlayStation consoles. So a lot of people are playing it. If you're one of them, and you've uncovered every secret in Pharloom (or you just need a break), here are 10 more games you might like. They're (roughly) all in the metroidvania family of games, so they feature 2D platforming, exploration of interconnected worlds, and unlockable upgrades that both open new-areas and add skills. But those seemingly narrow genre conventions can contain everything from the lighthearted comedy of Guacamelee! to the grim, dark world of Blasphemous 2. Hollow Knight (2017) If you went out of order and played the sequel first, you can still go back and check out the first game. Made by the same studio as Silksong, Hollow Knight offers a similar mix of platforming, combat, and exploration in the same universe as Silksong. If you're into story, the lore revealed in Hollow Knight will almost definitely give context to everything in Silksong. Added bonus: while Hollow Knight is not an easy game by any definition, it has a more gentle learning curve than its sequel. Hollow Knight is available on PC, Mac, Switch, Playstation, and Xbox systems. Super Metroid (1994) The metroidvania sub-genre is half-named for the Metroid series, so you gotta check out the blueprint. All of the Metroid games have their merit, but, in my opinion, the first entry in the series that totally gelled is 1994's Super Metroid, an all-time classic originally released for the Super Nintendo. The controls can take a little getting used to for modern gamers, but Metroid invented the "exploration+combat+platforming" genre vibe, and it's still a top-notch gaming experience, even for people who weren't born when the original came out. Super Metroid is playable on every Nintendo system, from the Super Nintendo to the Switch 2. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001) The "vania" part of the metroidvania genre refers to the Castlevania series, so video game archeologists who like Silksong would be doing themselves a huge favor by checking out some Castlevania. But be judicious in your choices: some games in the series are amazing and some are...less so. You could make a case for many other Castlevania games, but Circle of the Moon is my pick if you like Silksong. It's extremely challenging, features beautiful graphics (for 2001) and tons of secrets to uncover through open-world platforming, just like Hollow Knight: Silksong. Circle of the Moon was re-released as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection (that also includes Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and Castlevania: Dracula X) for Switch, PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox systems. Animal Well (2024) Enough moldy oldies! If your favorite parts of Silksong are the beautiful graphics, sweeping soundtrack, exploration, and deep lore, but you're not so hot on the combat and punishing platforming, check out Animal Well, a metroidvania game that's heavier on puzzles than fast reflexes. Animal Well is the kind of game you get deeply addicted to. It lures you in with beautiful visuals and a lighthearted vibe, but you'll soon find yourself awake at three in the morning, trying to uncover every last secret this work-of-video-game-art is hiding. Animal Well is available for Windows, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems. Cuphead (2017) Okay, Cuphead isn't really a metroidvania game, but I'm including it here for people who crave the difficult platforming and punishing boss battles of Silksong, but don't really care for the exploration. This universally beloved game features a vibe based on cartoons from the 1920s and 30s, and presents players with some of the hardest boss battles in video game history. Like Silksong, Cuphead looks so stylish you might not expect the difficulty, but downing bosses is crazy hard, though it rarely feels frustrating because it's so satisfying. Cuphead is playable on PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) Both Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, are excellent follow-ups to Hollow Knight: Silksong. They look beautiful and offer the joy of exploration, combat using a myriad of constantly unlocking new powers, deep and engaging lore, and an extremely smooth progression from powerless nooblet to God-tier combatant. You can play Ori and the Blind Forest on Switch, PC, and Xbox systems. Cave Story (2004) Back in 2004, Cave Story was envisioned as a throwback to the golden age of Nintendo platformers of the 1980s. The ensuing 20 years of gaming added an extra layer of nostalgia, but Cave Story totally works, no matter what era you play it in. Level design has rarely been done better, the story starts simple but moves in surprising directions, and the pixel art style still looks retro-fresh. The gameplay is more linear than the Hollow Knight games, but it still offers a world of hidden secrets to uncover, addictive platforming, and creative boss battles. You can play Cave Story on PC, Mac, and Switch. Islets (2022) If you've just finished Silksong, your cramped-up hands could probably use a break. A bit of an undiscovered gem, Islets is an indie metrovania game with a cozy vibe courtesy of graphics that look hand-drawn, smooth-as-butter gameplay, an intriguing story, and memorable, hilarious characters. Many of the elements are shared across games, but Islets differs from Silksong in terms of mood and difficulty. Where Silksong is heavy on dark mystery, Islets is more charming, funny, and hopeful. It's also a lot more forgiving if you have slower reflexes. You can play Islets on PC, Switch, and Xbox systems. Guacamelee! (2013) Speaking of giving yourself a break, Guacamelee! is 180-degree tonal change Hollow Knight: Silksong. Inspired by Mexican folklore, Guacamelee! casts the player as a luchador saving a colorful world through beating up tons of bad guys. It nearly totally lacks the broody energy of Hollow Knight: Silksong, but the 2D platforming, skill-based progression, and exploration of interconnected world will be familiar. You can play Guacamelee! on PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation, and Switch systems. Blasphemous 2 (2023) If you want a game that's darker than Hollow Knight: Silksong, Blasphemous 2 might be the download for you. Its Spanish Gothic visuals are a far cry from the colorful world of Hollow Knight, and its dark, religious tone and brutally visceral combat provides a nice contrast to Silksong's cute vibe. Looks and tone-wise, Blasphemous 2 sits squarely on the "Castlevania" side of metroidvanias, but maybe the darkest of its many secrets is that it's not as punishingly difficult as the Hollow Knight games. You can play Blasphemous 2 on PC, Switch, Playstation, and Xbox consoles. View the full article

Did you buy a new pink dress to watch the Barbie movie, only to never wear it again? An Oura ring because your favorite TikTok influencer had it? A new pair of baggy jeans because ’90s fashion is making a comeback? Niche trends fueled by social media can influence your shopping decisions. Participating often brings some happiness and a sense of community, but the problem comes when you do it so often that you’re not using your money to achieve your financial goals, or worse, you get into debt, said Erika Rasure, chief financial wellness advisor for Beyond Finance, a financial services company. Whether it’s coastal grandma or clean girl aesthetic, microtrends can take a significant toll on already-strained budgets as prices rise and Gen Z struggles to pay off debt. If you find yourself overspending to participate in microtrends, here are some expert recommendations: Pause before purchasing Before you click “buy” on TikTok Shop, it’s best if you take some time to reflect, said Jennifer Seitz, head of education for Greenlight, a financial literacy app for families. Pausing before a purchase can help you discern if the item is something you really want or a fleeting craving. “Think if you want to put it in a schedule pause, whether it’s 24 hours or even a couple of days if it’s a larger expense,” Seitz said. Participating in personal challenges can be a good way to get in the habit of making purchases more deliberate. Back in 2022, Alyssa Barber participated in the no-buy year challenge, where she pledged to stop buying non-essential items for a year. Barber shares sustainable practices with over 370,000 followers on TikTok, where one of her recurrent themes is how to stop impulse buying. Barber said the challenge gave her perspective on how much she was spending on things she didn’t need. Since then, she has changed her spending habits, focusing mainly on experiences. Know your spending values Taking a value-based spending approach can help you decide if you should participate in a trend you see online, Rasure said. If, for example, you want to build an emergency fund, having this goal in mind while shopping can help avoid unnecessary spending. Quynh Van, a 27-year-old UX designer from Minneapolis, was surprised by the number of ads on TikTok when she created an account after a four-year break from social media. And while being influenced by the ads is inevitable, she believes overspending comes in part from users not having defined goals. “When you don’t know who you are or what you like, you’re so driven by over-consumerism and lifestyle creep because you don’t have your values in order,” Van said. Rasure recommends using your financial values as a guiding principle for your spending decisions. If you’re not sure of your values, allocate some time to map them out according to your life goals. Create barriers to spending If a purchase is one click away, it can make it easier to spend large amounts of money. If you consciously make it a little harder to pay for an item, you can spend more mindfully, Seitz said. “Just that action of needing to input your payment information rather than just that simple click can help you give to really stop and think about purchases before moving ahead with them,” she added. To add barriers, you can remove your credit card details from your computer browser or social media and disable Apple Pay on your phone. Think of it as an act of self-care Finances are closely tied to emotions, and often, they evoke negative feelings such as shame or guilt. However, reframing them as an act of self-care can help you spend mindfully, Rasure said. “It can help you create boundaries around what you value spending money on, helps you choose intentionally and it feels more like freedom instead of restriction,” she said. Your spending habits in the present can help your future financial situation. This mindset can inspire you when you’re tempted to overspend on the newest trending electronic or fashion item. Engage with trends with moderation It can be OK to engage with trends if they bring you positive feelings, Rasure said. Van decided to participate in the matcha trend, but with moderation. For Barber, physical media, such as old records, DVDs, and cassettes, is on her list of non-negotiable expenses, as she loves collecting these items. “Trends and engaging them, engaging in them really should spark that happiness or contentment, not the debt that can go with them,” Rasure said. The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism. —Adriana Morga, Associated Press View the full article

Remember when former Try Guy Ned Fulmer was caught in a public cheating scandal that broke the internet? He’s back, this time with a new podcast called Rock Bottom with Ned Fulmer. Or as one commenter called it: “One of the most painful watches in YouTube history.” The podcast is meant to explore, “people’s lowest, most embarrassing, and challenging moments.” Fulmer’s first guest: his wife, Ariel. The first question many have asked is why would they do this? “Was this a humiliation ritual for him?” one TikTok user asked. According to Ariel, it was mostly for their children, aged 7 and 5, who they are currently coparenting, and as a way to move on and put the past in the past by bringing it all up again. In case you were living under a rock in 2022 and have no idea what a “Try Guy” is or what happened, let us catch you up to speed. The Try Guys were four former BuzzFeed employees, Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang, who made content based around the simple premise of trying various things. In late 2022, their YouTube channel had close to 8 million subscribers, with their empire extending to TV shows, books, and podcasts. In 2022, it all came crashing down after internet sleuths uncovered Fulmer’s extramarital affair with a Try Guys producer. The scandal broke the internet and Fulmer was fired from the group after an internal investigation. Fast forward three years and on the debut episode of his new podcast (because there aren’t enough men with podcasts), Ned and Ariel reconstructed the timeline of the scandal and shared that they are no longer together romantically, much to the internet’s delight and relief. Ariel also revealed, for the first time, that she found out about her husband’s affair from a fan’s message. When asked if she’s forgiven Ned, Ariel responded, “Absolutely not. How can you forgive somebody for lying to you, for cheating on you? No.” Neither has the internet, it seems. “Him calling it ‘the scandal’ and her calling it ‘your affair’ is all we needed to know,” one person commented beneath the YouTube video, which currently has more than 100,000 dislikes compared to just over 7,000 likes. “I can’t believe he’s really interviewing her about him traumatizing her,” another wrote. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ariel revealed the podcast episode was, in fact, her idea. Some have speculated Ariel predicted exactly how badly Ned would come across and that was part of her motivation to do the episode in the first place. “I love that she lets silence hang in the air after he says something horrible or stupid and just fully lets him feel uncomfortable,” one commented. Another added: “Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Try Guys office today.” View the full article

We need the mobilisation of resources on a scale that will secure Kyiv’s military resilienceView the full article

Chancellor calls on Europe to unlock €140bn loan and ‘massively raise the costs’ of Kremlin aggressionView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. A good outdoor floodlight camera is supposed to do two things: light your property and capture footage you can actually use. The Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera covers both at a fair price. It’s currently marked down to $99.99 on Amazon (regularly $149.99), and price trackers confirm this is the lowest it’s ever been. Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera $99.99 at Amazon $149.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $99.99 at Amazon $149.99 Save $50.00 What you get is a sturdy, weather-resistant housing with two dimmable LED lamps that pump out 2,000 lumens of brightness. The light alone makes it useful for backyards, driveways, or any dark spots around your home. Below the lamps, the built-in camera records sharp 2K video with a wide 160-degree field of view, so you’re not stuck with grainy or narrow footage. Once you start using it, the camera’s mix of features becomes more obvious. The floodlights double as a trigger for color night vision, though there’s also infrared for black-and-white capture. Reviews note that daytime video looks crisp, with strong color detail, and night recordings, especially in black and white, maintain good contrast. The setup also packs features like two-way audio, an 80dB siren, and support for Alexa, Google, and IFTTT integrations, so it can slot into most smart home setups. That said, the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera does not support Apple HomeKit, which could be a limitation if you’re deep into that ecosystem. The bigger drawback is that while motion triggers recording, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription to actually save and review those clips. Without it, you’re limited to live viewing. With it, you unlock a 60-day video history, smart alerts that can tell whether a person, car, or package is detected, and activity zones to cut down on false alarms. The plan starts at $7.99 per month for one camera, but goes up from there if you want more coverage or monitoring. Installation is another thing to keep in mind. This isn’t a battery-powered unit you can slap onto a wall with adhesive: It’s a wired floodlight that requires hooking into your home’s electrical system. Arlo’s app does include a QR code with step-by-step instructions, and some reviewers say it took them fewer than 10 minutes with the right mount. Still, if you’re not confident about cutting power and connecting wires, it’s safer to hire someone. If you’re comfortable with that and fine with paying for a subscription, this deal is pretty compelling for an outdoor home security camera with a floodlight. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium JetBlack) — $699.99 (List Price $1,099.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Roku Streaming Stick Plus — $29.00 (List Price $39.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Starbucks will end the year with fewer stores and fewer employees. But the brand maintains that it’s all part of a greater turnaround still in the mix. Today, the company announced that its North American store locations will be reduced by 1% for fiscal 2025—landing the coffee chain at 18,300 stores total. And it will be eliminating 900 jobs outside of its coffee houses (in other words, corporate and other functions). The company claims it will attempt to place affected baristas into new stores, but Starbucks says, “For those we can’t immediately place, we’re focused on partner care including comprehensive severance packages. We also hope to welcome many of these partners back to Starbucks in the future as new coffeehouses open and the number of partners in each location grows.” CEO Brian Niccol has been at the helm for a year now, where he’s been unable to break a six-quarter streak of same-store sales declines. He’s promised a Back to Starbucks turnaround centered on better store design, operations, and customer experience. But as he faces the scrutiny of an impatient Wall Street, the former Chipotle chief appears to be reallocating spending to drive the company’s growth while offsetting overhead. Closures today; growth tomorrow A closer examination of the details around this restructuring spot a somewhat finer narrative than sheer cost-cutting—and Starbucks insists that Niccol’s aggressive growth plan, in which he’ll add to store count in 2026 and imagines reaching 100,000 stores globally one day, is still intact. Speaking just last week at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, he promised to add “hundreds of thousands” of seats back to Starbucks stores. The company will have actually closed hundreds of stores over the course of 2025, but it’s been opening enough new stores to offset the figure significantly for this final announced tally. In a public letter published to the Starbucks website on Thursday, Niccol argues that it’s the sort of fine tuning required to improve the brand. “Our goal is for every coffeehouse to deliver a warm and welcoming space with a great atmosphere and a seat for every occasion,” he wrote. “During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed.” When asked if store closures were disproportionately focused on union locations, Starbucks told Fast Company that union represented status was not a factor in the decision. In any case, the larger restructuring does support Niccol’s greater thesis—that in offering higher touchpoint service, it will continue to raise the bar of expectations from its stores and employees. As Niccol mentioned during Q3 earnings, “We plan to complete an evaluation of our North American portfolio by the end of this fiscal year to ensure we have the right coffeehouses in the right locations to drive profitability and deliver the Starbucks experience.” So now that this is done . . . can we finally get back to Starbucks? View the full article

Unclear if Israel will accept permanent ceasefire proposal that includes limited role for Palestinian AuthorityView the full article

The H&M group is entering the fall season with style. On Wednesday, September 24, the retailer released its third-quarter earnings and reported an operating profit of 4.9 billion Swedish krona ($521 million). The H&M group owns brands including H&M, COS, Monki, and Arket. Its operating profit marked a 40% increase year-over-year (YOY) and beat analysts’ predicted 3.7 billion Swedish krona ($393 million), according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC. The figures also marked consecutive quarterly successes for the H&M group, which also beat estimated operating profits in quarter-two. However, the H&M group now predicts that 2025’s quarter-four will yield less positive results due to the “increased impact” of tariffs. Stock price rises despite tariff warning Despite the concerning forecast, investors responded positively to H&M group’s current earnings. Trading on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, the company’s share price (STO:HM-B) jumped 10% through after-hours and into premarket trading Thursday morning. Other factors could have contributed to the boost in share prices. The H&M group reported that sales in local currencies had increased by 2% during the quarter. However, the company notably reduced its store count over the previous nine months. As of August 31, the H&M group had 4,118 stores, compared to 4,298 at the same point last year. The company closed 135, or 4%, of its store locations over the first nine months of the fiscal year, 48 in quarter-three alone. A majority of the closures were H&M and Monki stores in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Only five stores shut down throughout North and South America. These closures don’t necessarily point to a planned consolidation. The company pointed to a newly opened store, its first in Brazil, as being “well received.” View the full article

Fund managers say fresh borrowing spree would drive up gilt yields and dent the poundView the full article

There’s no clearer sign of anime’s cultural ascendance than the box office haul of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle. The film, which hit U.S. theaters two weeks ago, has pulled in more than $555 million globally, including more than $104 million in North America, making it a bonafide hit for Sony Pictures, which distributed it outside of Japan through its anime streaming arm, Crunchyroll. The movie’s success reflects audiences’ growing interest in anime. A survey from market research firm Dentsu found that, 31% of people worldwide said they consumed anime at least weekly, with a full 50% of Gen Z reporting they watch it. That’s translated into a boom in Crunchyroll subscriptions. The anime streaming service, which is home to more than 2,000 titles (including Demon Slayer), counted 17 million paid subscribers worldwide in May 2025—more than triple the number it had in 2021. Crunchyroll will soon offer those subscribers a way to go even deeper on the source material of some of their favorite shows, with the debut a manga reader app. The company shared a first look exclusively with Fast Company. Set to launch October 9 on mobile and October 15 on web in the United States and Canada, Crunchyroll Manga will debut with hundreds of titles, including the manga behind some of Crunchyroll’s top series, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Kaiju No. 8, and Apothecary Diaries. For subscribers to Crunchyroll’s $15.99-per-month Ultimate tier, access to Crunchyroll Manga will be free. It will be available as a $3.50 add-on for the $11.99 Mega Fan tier, and a $4 add-on to the $7.99 Fan tier. It’s a feature that users have been asking for, says chief content officer Asa Suehira. “Crunchyroll has been doing a lot of surveys over the past few years and digital manga has always been the most desired feature on our platform,” he says. “This is compared to shorter content, video games, music, or even discounts or credits toward merchandise.” Building a bridge between anime and manga From a user perspective, Crunchyroll Manga is designed to function much like the company’s flagship streaming app, with important connections between the two. If a title in the manga app has a corresponding anime series on Crunchyroll, users can choose to start watching the show straight from the manga app. Their device will simply switch to the streaming app if it’s installed. Similarly, if a Crunchyroll anime series has a corresponding manga, viewers will have the option of clicking over to start reading it. “There’s data saying that 40% of manga readers discover manga through anime,” Suehira says. “We want to create a new habit of discovery through manga, and being able to watch the anime as well. Crunchyroll has been clever about how it entices anime fans who might discover the genre through other streaming services. Notably, it will license shows like Jujutsu Kaisen to Netflix, but exclusively stream the latest season on its platform. Crunchyroll Manga offers an opportunity for it to replicate that approach in reverse. The service will include manga volumes for series that exclusively stream elsewhere, including Delicious in Dungeon and The Summer Hikaru Died—two anime adaptations that Netflix exclusively distributes. Fans of those series will have sign up for Crunchyroll if they they want to read the manga. The manga and anime apps will also be linked by user profiles. Any updates made to a profile’s content restrictions in one will be be mirrored in the other. The main appeal, though, is the amount of manga fans will be able to access. Suehira says that by partnering with Link-u, which has developed digital manga infrastructure in Japan, “we were able to work more closely with different publishers.” Making publishers happy Crunchyroll Manga is actually the second time the company has offered manga. A previous offering shut down in 2023. Suehira says part of that platform’s downfall was because Crunchyroll’s licensing agreement with manga publishers limited how much users could read. It also “limited the opportunities for us to work with the publishers,” Suehira says. Crunchyroll Manga will launch with a library of titles from publishers like Viz Media, AlphaPolis, and Square Enix. Crunchyroll says additional publishers will be added in the coming months, including Shueisha, which publishes the Demon Slayer manga. Part of what has gotten these companies on board, Suehira says, is Crunchyroll Manga’s use of a revenue-sharing model that compensates publishers based on user engagement, similar to how the anime platform pays studios. Crunchyroll Manga also offers a legitimate way for burgeoning anime fans to read source material. Suehira says 15 of the top 20 internet piracy sites include anime and manga, and that manga represents 70% of global publishing piracy. “We want [Crunchyroll Manga] to be a solution to the privacy market and really contribute to the ecosystem in Japan,” Suehira says, adding that the app includes features the prevent screenshots and screen recording. Part of working with publishers means tracking a titles popularity, which can inform payments, but also potentially predict a future hit adaptation. “[Publishers] want to understand how the crowd is reacting to certain manga or an IP,” he says. “Data on consumption and fan reactions are things we could work together with our partners in Japan to expand the opportunity—whether that’s turning into an anime or selling merchandise.’ View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. YouTube's end screens are useful for creators, but often annoying for viewers. They allow creators to insert links to other content during the last moments of the video. The issue, however, is those links appear as large on-screen elements that cover the video you're watching. While many videos are basically over by this point, some are still going, and you might miss out on the final five to 20 seconds because of the end screen. Now, YouTube is giving you a way to hide these screen—albeit, with a major caveat. The company announced the change on Wednesday, saying users will now see a "Hide" button on videos that contain and end screen. The Hide button will be in the top-right corner of the player, which you can click to dismiss the end screen and get back to watching your content. If you want to, you can bring back the end screen by clicking a "show" button. While it sounds like a step in the right direction, this is not a setting that applies to all videos you watch on YouTube. Instead, it only applies to the individual video in question. As such, you'll need to dismiss the end screen every time you watch a video that has one. This is an odd decision: You need to wait to hide the end screen when you see it, which means you only have five to 20 seconds left in your video anyway. You might even want to rewind the video if you didn't click the Hide button in time. I'd appreciate having the option at the start of the video at least, but, more so, I'd like the option to dismiss end screens across the board. You only need to take a quick look at The Verge's comment section on this topic to see I'm not alone. YouTube says it made this decision based on user feedback, as they've heard viewers want to "minimize distractions on videos," and to "focus on the content they're watching." The company is also removing the Subscribe button that appears when you hover over the video's watermark, as there is already a subscribe option below the player. View the full article

There’s no clearer sign of anime’s cultural ascendance than the box office haul of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle. The film, which hit U.S. theaters two weeks ago, has pulled in more than $555 million globally, including more than $104 million in North America, making it a bonafide hit for Sony Pictures, which distributed it outside of Japan through its anime streaming arm, Crunchyroll. The movie’s success reflects audiences’ growing interest in anime. A survey from market research firm Dentsu found that, 31% of people worldwide said they consumed anime at least weekly, with a full 50% of Gen Z reporting they watch it. That’s translated into a boom in Crunchyroll subscriptions. The anime streaming service, which is home to more than 2,000 titles (including Demon Slayer), counted 17 million paid subscribers worldwide in May 2025—more than triple the number it had in 2021. Crunchyroll will soon offer those subscribers a way to go even deeper on the source material of some of their favorite shows, with the debut a manga reader app. The company shared a first look exclusively with Fast Company. Set to launch October 9 on mobile and October 15 on web in the United States and Canada, Crunchyroll Manga will debut with hundreds of titles, including the manga behind some of Crunchyroll’s top series, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Kaiju No. 8, and Apothecary Diaries. For subscribers to Crunchyroll’s $15.99-per-month Ultimate tier, access to Crunchyroll Manga will be free. It will be available as a $3.50 add-on for the $11.99 Mega Fan tier, and a $4 add-on to the $7.99 Fan tier. It’s a feature that users have been asking for, says chief content officer Asa Suehira. “Crunchyroll has been doing a lot of surveys over the past few years and digital manga has always been the most desired feature on our platform,” he says. “This is compared to shorter content, video games, music, or even discounts or credits toward merchandise.” Building a bridge between anime and manga From a user perspective, Crunchyroll Manga is designed to function much like the company’s flagship streaming app, with important connections between the two. If a title in the manga app has a corresponding anime series on Crunchyroll, users can choose to start watching the show straight from the manga app. Their device will simply switch to the streaming app if it’s installed. Similarly, if a Crunchyroll anime series has a corresponding manga, viewers will have the option of clicking over to start reading it. “There’s data saying that 40% of manga readers discover manga through anime,” Suehira says. “We want to create a new habit of discovery through manga, and being able to watch the anime as well. Crunchyroll has been clever about how it entices anime fans who might discover the genre through other streaming services. Notably, it will license shows like Jujutsu Kaisen to Netflix, but exclusively stream the latest season on its platform. Crunchyroll Manga offers an opportunity for it to replicate that approach in reverse. The service will include manga volumes for series that exclusively stream elsewhere, including Delicious in Dungeon and The Summer Hikaru Died—two anime adaptations that Netflix exclusively distributes. Fans of those series will have sign up for Crunchyroll if they they want to read the manga. The manga and anime apps will also be linked by user profiles. Any updates made to a profile’s content restrictions in one will be be mirrored in the other. The main appeal, though, is the amount of manga fans will be able to access. Suehira says that by partnering with Link-u, which has developed digital manga infrastructure in Japan, “we were able to work more closely with different publishers.” Making publishers happy Crunchyroll Manga is actually the second time the company has offered manga. A previous offering shut down in 2023. Suehira says part of that platform’s downfall was because Crunchyroll’s licensing agreement with manga publishers limited how much users could read. It also “limited the opportunities for us to work with the publishers,” Suehira says. Crunchyroll Manga will launch with a library of titles from publishers like Viz Media, AlphaPolis, and Square Enix. Crunchyroll says additional publishers will be added in the coming months, including Shueisha, which publishes the Demon Slayer manga. Part of what has gotten these companies on board, Suehira says, is Crunchyroll Manga’s use of a revenue-sharing model that compensates publishers based on user engagement, similar to how the anime platform pays studios. Crunchyroll Manga also offers a legitimate way for burgeoning anime fans to read source material. Suehira says 15 of the top 20 internet piracy sites include anime and manga, and that manga represents 70% of global publishing piracy. “We want [Crunchyroll Manga] to be a solution to the privacy market and really contribute to the ecosystem in Japan,” Suehira says, adding that the app includes features the prevent screenshots and screen recording. Part of working with publishers means tracking a titles popularity, which can inform payments, but also potentially predict a future hit adaptation. “[Publishers] want to understand how the crowd is reacting to certain manga or an IP,” he says. “Data on consumption and fan reactions are things we could work together with our partners in Japan to expand the opportunity—whether that’s turning into an anime or selling merchandise.’ View the full article

The risk of a partial U.S. government shutdown beginning next week is rising as congressional Democrats and Republicans hit an impasse over how to continue to fund the federal government. A shutdown could affect financial markets by limiting the operations of financial regulators and delaying the publication of key economic data. How might markets react? Historically, markets have tended to shrug off shutdowns. However, this time could be different. A prolonged shutdown risks delaying or canceling key economic data releases investors use to assess macroeconomic trends, such as the monthly employment and inflation reports, analysts at Nomura said in a note this week. That would mean the Federal Reserve is “flying blind”, making it more likely to stick with its own economic projections of two 25-basis-point rate cuts for the rest of 2025, the analysts said. With investors unable to assess the extent of a U.S. economic slowdown, the Treasury yield curve could steepen further as rate cuts get priced in with more conviction, leading to a wider gap between short- and long-dated Treasury yields, TD Securities said in a note. A lengthy government shutdown could also affect some market participants’ ability to conduct complex trades for which they may require regulatory guidance. What happens to financial regulators? While U.S. President Donald The President’s administration had not widely shared its contingency plans as of Tuesday, a shutdown would likely reduce the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to a skeletal staff, according to its October 2024 plan for a lapse in government funding. This would severely limit the agency’s ability to review corporate filings, investigate misconduct, and oversee markets. Likewise, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission would furlough almost all of its employees and cease most market oversight activity, according to its 2023 contingency plan. Previous government shutdowns have caused delays in the CFTC publishing reports on traders’ positions in futures and options markets. The banking regulators and consumer watchdog, which are not funded by congressional appropriations, will remain functional. In 2019, a protracted government shutdown slowed down some of The President’s de-regulatory efforts in part because of staff furloughs at the Office of the Federal Register, which must formally publish all steps in the rule-writing process, Reuters reported at the time. Will IPOs be affected? Yes. A shutdown would likely freeze the IPO pipeline. Companies planning to go public would be unable to proceed without the SEC’s approval, potentially dampening momentum in the equity capital markets, which have enjoyed an IPO boom in recent months. —Michelle Price, Reuters View the full article

As the rise of artificial intelligence continues, companies operating in this space or relying on the technology are finding that they have two inextricable needs: data centers that can run and process the AI, and access to ample energy to power those vast data centers. One new company, Fermi America, aims to offer solutions for both these needs. And this week, Fermi announced its plans for an upcoming initial public offering and dual stock listings. Here’s what you need to know about Fermi America and its planned IPO. What is Fermi America? Fermi America is a very young company. It was only founded this year, just nine months ago in January 2025. The company is so new that its website is still a relatively barebones affair. Given the youth of the company, it’s no surprise that the majority of Americans have most likely never heard of it. But they have heard of its cofounder, Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who ran as a GOP contender for president in 2012 and 2016. After unsuccessful presidential bids, Perry was appointed as the 14th United States Secretary of Energy, during President Donald The President’s first term in office. In addition to Perry, Fermi America was also cofounded by Toby Neugebauer, a former comanaging partner of Quantum Energy. Fermi America intends to be a provider of data and power centers that other companies can use to host their AI needs. But I say “intends to,” because Fermi America doesn’t actually provide any services yet. Heck, it doesn’t even have any infrastructure yet to provide its services. What Fermi America does have is a lease for 5,236 acres of land owned by Texas Tech University, which is where Fermi plans to build a “HyperGrid” in an undertaking dubbed Project Matador. What is Project Matador? Project Matador is the name given to Fermi America’s HyperGrid project. This HyperGrid will be a combined data and power center that other companies will pay to lease space on to run their AI needs. In its Form S-11 Registration Statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Fermi says Project Matador is “a multi-gigawatt energy and data center development campus” that will ultimately be called the Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus at Texas Tech University. Fermi says the mission of this campus “is to deliver up to 11 gigawatts (GW) of low-carbon, HyperRedundant, and on-demand power directly to the world’s most compute-intensive businesses.” It says it will achieve this mission by using nuclear, solar, and natural gas energy to power the facility. By 2038, the company says it aims for the campus to deliver up to 11 gigawatts of power to AI data centers. It also says it expects the first 1.1 gigawatts of power to be online by the end of 2026. However, all this is hypothetical for now. To date, Fermi America has not actually started constructing Project Matador. The company still needs to secure funding for the campus’s construction. It aims to raise some of that money through investments, including funds raised from its IPO. Yet the fact that Project Matador is little more than an idea at this point is something potential investors should consider. As Fermi America warns in its Form S-11, “our business model is highly dependent on the successful construction, development, leasing, and continued maintenance of Project Matador.” When is Fermi America’s IPO? Fermi America has not announced a date for its planned IPO yet. This week’s announcement is for Fermi’s IPO “roadshow,” which is when executives of a company planning to go public meet with potential investors. Roadshows are designed to generate hype and interest in a company’s initial public offering. What is Fermi America’s stock ticker? Fermi America’s shares will trade under the stock ticker “FRMI.” What exchange will Fermi America’s shares trade on? Fermi America shares will trade on not one, but two stock markets. The company says it intends to list its shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in the U.S. and on the London Stock Exchange in the UK. What is the IPO share price of FRMI? An exact IPO price for Fermi’s shares has not been determined yet. But the company says it is targeting a price range of between $18 and $22 per share for its public offering. How many FRMI shares will be available in its IPO? Fermi says it plans to make 25 million shares of its common stock available in its IPO. The company says it will also grant its underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3.75 million shares. How much will Fermi America raise in its IPO? With an expected IPO price of between $18 and $22 per share, Fermi is expected to raise between $450 million and $550 million in its IPO. How much is Fermi America worth? Reuters notes that under the company’s current IPO price estimates, Firmi America is targeting a valuation of up to $13 billion. What will Firmi America use its IPO proceeds for? According to its roadshow announcement, Fermi America says it intends to use the net proceeds from its IPO “to support the continued growth and development of Fermi America’s business, to secure personnel, to increase its financial flexibility, and for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, procurement, construction, and installation of long lead-time items.” View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Your brain is complex, but once you figure out its little intricacies—that it can only store about seven units of information in short-term memory, for example—you can exploit them to help you remember more things. It’s not just the amount of information present that affects your memory, though. Even the order in which you learn it plays a role. That's where the primacy effect comes into play. What is the primacy effect?The American Psychological Association defines the primacy effect as “the tendency for facts, impressions, or items that are presented first to be better learned or remembered than material presented later in the sequence.” This can happen when you’re learning for school or for pleasure (like when you meet someone at a party and they tell you about themselves). It can lead to a “first-impression bias,” which happens when the first piece of information you learn about someone colors how you see them to an inordinate degree. On the other side of that spectrum is the recency effect, which happens when you remember the last thing you went over better than anything else. Those may seem like contradictory ideas, but they're both part of something broader called the serial position effect, which describes the natural tendency to recall material not just at the beginning, but also the end of a list, better than whatever is in the middle. How to use this effect to studyWith the primacy effect on one end and the recency effect on the other, it’s clear that whatever you learn in the middle of a study session is unlikely to make the cut in your memory. So if you have to study something, like a list of words or concepts, don’t study them in the same order every time. Make flashcards and study them at different times and in different orders. Shuffle them between every use. If there’s a concept you’re struggling with, though, try to focus on that at the beginning and end of every study session, maximizing the likelihood it’ll stick in your brain. Flashcards are going to be important here. In general, I recommend studying flashcards using the Leitner method, which forces you to study your most difficult concepts more frequently than the easier ones. That approach is quite effective for memory formation, but you can't forget to shuffle the cards every time you review. Every flashcard app I've tested and reviewed offers them up to you in random order, whether you're following the Leitner approach or not— therefore, it might be better to rely on technology over old-school, hand-written notes. The analog approach allows you to be a little more intentional about battling the primacy and recency effects head-on. View the full article