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Want to get yourself verified on Bluesky? The company just made a verification form available to the public, and you can use it to submit a request to get yourself a shiny blue check mark. This comes about a month after Bluesky first launched its verification program, which focused primarily on verification from third-parties and Bluesky itself. This latest change, however, allows you to apply for verification directly with Bluesky. The different types of Bluesky verificationUnlike X and Instagram, Bluesky doesn't charge you for verification. However, there are three different kinds of verification on the service and it can get a bit confusing. The first and easiest type of verification is self-verification on Bluesky. This is open to anyone who owns a domain name. You can easily link your Bluesky account to the domain, which changes your handle to the domain name. Self-verification doesn't come with a blue check, however. Credit: Pranay Parab There are two types of blue checks: a scalloped blue check and a simple circular one. The scalloped blue check is for organizations designated as trusted verifiers. These include Bluesky itself, and a select few third-party organizations. When these trusted verifiers assign blue checks to an account, that account gets a circular blue check. Bluesky says it reviews all accounts verified by third-party organizations. Who can get verified on BlueskyAccording to a post by the Bluesky Safety account, you need to have an account that's "active and secure, authentic, and notable," if you want to get verified. The company defines these things quite clearly in the verification form. You need to have a complete bio, show regular activity on the platform, and have a profile photo. Bluesky recommends enabling two-factor authentication as well. To meet the "authentic" criterion for verification you need to be a "real person, registered business, organization, or legitimate entity." Your handle and display name should align with who you really are (or your business), as your account "must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents." You also want to add a link to your Bluesky account on your official website, since this is also checked for verification. Finally, to qualify as a "notable" account, your account should be important in your field or geographic region, the company says. To determine notability, Bluesky says it looks at things like "professional recognition, media coverage in established publications, presence on credible reference platforms, or other evidence of public interest." How to get verified on BlueskyIf you haven't been verified yet on Bluesky, then you can go right ahead and fill out this form to request it. Once you do that, sit tight until you hear from Bluesky. If you receive no response at all, it probably means that your request wasn't approved. You'll hear back from the company if your account is selected for verification, and Bluesky may request an ID to verify your identity. Once you get your account verified, the blue check may be revoked if you violate community guidelines. You can also hide your verification badge by going to Bluesky Settings > Moderation > Verification Settings > Hide verification badges. View the full article

Want to watch history being preserved in real-time? The Internet Archive, the digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts, has started live streaming on YouTube from its scanning center in California for anyone to watch. Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. ET to 6:30 p.m. ET, viewers can tune in and watch live as fragile film cards are turned into searchable public documents, soundtracked to relaxing lo-fi beats. This work is part of Democracy’s Library, a global initiative to digitize and make publicly available millions of government records. “This livestream shines a light on the unsung work of preserving the public record, and the critical infrastructure that makes democracy searchable,” said Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive. “Transparency can’t be passive—it must be built, maintained, and seen. That’s what this live stream is all about.” If you’re confused about what exactly you’re watching on the livestream, scanning operators are specifically working with documents on microfiche, a flat piece of film containing microphotographs of the pages of documents. This format dates all the way back to the 20th century, and has been used to archive newspapers, court documents, government records, and more. “The livestream features five active microfiche digitization stations, with a close-up view of one in action,” Chris Freeland, the Internet Archive’s director of library services, explains in a blog post on the site. “Operators feed microfiche cards beneath a high-resolution camera, which captures multiple detailed images of each sheet. Software stitches these images together, after which other team members use automated tools to identify and crop up to 100 individual pages per card.” “Each page is then processed, made fully text-searchable, and added to the Internet Archive’s public collections—completed with metadata—so that researchers, journalists, and the general public can explore and download them freely,” the blog post adds. This livestream was brought to life by Sophia Tung, a software engineer and app developer. She is also behind the 24/7 livestream of a Waymo parking lot that went viral last year. In off hours, the Internet Archive livestream turns into a stream of silent films and historical images from NASA to keep viewers entertained. There is also a live chat. “This is such a good vibe to work on research,” one viewer commented. “I hope your work is as mysterious and important as this,” Tung replied. View the full article

In recent years, TikTok has become a prime target for scammers and cyber attackers spreading various forms of malware, and the latest shady campaign promotes instructional videos that trick users into downloading infostealers to their devices via ClickFix attacks. The scheme, identified by Trend Micro and reported by Bleeping Computer, instructs users to execute commands to activate Windows and Microsoft Office or premium features in CapCut and Spotify. One video is captioned "Boost Your Spotify Experience Instantly — Here's How!" and has nearly half a million views. These videos seem to be AI generated and, while the software they discuss is legitimate, the activation steps they outline are not, and will ultimately lead users to infect their devices with Vidar and StealC malware. TikTok's engagement algorithm makes it easy for such malicious videos to spread. In the past, cybercriminals have used TikTok's trending "Invisible Challenge" to spread WASP Stealer malware, which can steal Discord accounts, passwords, credit cards, and crypto wallets. Fake cryptocurrency giveaways posted on TikTok used deepfakes of Elon Musk (and themes around SpaceX and Tesla) to scam users into paying "activation" deposits using Bitcoin. How TikTok ClickFix attacks workClickFix is a social engineering tactic that uses fake error messages or CAPTCHA prompts to trick users into executing a command with malicious code. Users will see a pop-up notification about a technical problem with instructions to copy and run a command (commonly a PowerShell script) to "fix" the issue. The attack most often targets Windows users, but it has been employed on macOS and Linux too. In the current TikTok campaign, the instructional videos prompt users to run a PowerShell command that installs Vidar or StealC information-stealing malware. The former can take desktop screenshots and harvest data ranging from login credentials and cookies to credit cards and crypto wallets. The latter targets web browsers and crypto wallets. Once run, the script will download a second PowerShell script allowing it to launch automatically upon device startup. It also saves in a hidden directory and deletes temporary folders so it can evade detection. How to spot malicious TikTok videosBe wary of following instructional videos you're served on TikTok (as well as unsolicited technical content in general). Check the source, and only engage with those that are legitimate, like from the developer itself. You should also look for signs of AI-generated content, which may be used to spread malware widely and rapidly. There's no malicious code actually embedded in or delivered by these instructional videos—the scheme is dependent on social engineering via verbal directions—making the threat technically harder to detect. View the full article

Ever since Apple made it easy to change certain default apps on your iPhone, it's become quite convenient to switch away from the company's apps whenever there's a third-party option you prefer. With iOS 18.4, Apple made it possible to change your default translation app as well. First spotted by MacRumors, you can officially set Google Translate as the default app for translation, in case you prefer it over Apple Translate. Make Google Translate the default translation app on your iPhoneThere are a couple of ways to go about this, but I recommend the easiest method. If you never use it, just delete Apple's Translate app from your iPhone, and the device will automatically select Google Translate as the default translation app—assuming you're running the latest version of Google's app. This isn't ideal for people who occasionally rely on Apple Translate, but if you know you don't need it, you might as well save the time and storage space. You can also do make the switch without deleting any apps. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Translation and select Google Translate from the list. If you use any other translation apps that support Apple's default apps feature, they should also show up on this page, and you can use your preferred app as the default option. Credit: Pranay Parab You can use this feature in any iPhone app that lets you select text. Tap the Translate button in the popover menu above selected text, and you'll see Google Translate's translation in the lower half of your iPhone's screen. It does a good job at detecting the language of selected text and offering a translation in your preferred language (which is picked up from your iPhone's language settings), but there's an option to change languages easily, without leaving whichever app you're using. Until this feature showed up, you could still use Google Translate on your iPhone, but it required a few extra taps. This is a small but helpful way to streamline the process. View the full article

Prime minister’s move to appease Labour MPs could create a £3bn conundrum for Rachel Reeves in the Autumn BudgetView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. As the weather warms up, it's a great time to get out for a run or a bike ride—but if you need some music to keep you motivated, it's crucial to have headphones that won't entirely shut out the outside world. A good bop is a wonderful thing; not being able to hear traffic and nearby cyclists is not. Earphones like the Anker Soundcore C40i, on sale for $89.99 (originally $119.99), are a good option because they clip onto the ear and don't entirely fill the ear canal. Anker Soundcore C40i Open Earbuds $89.99 at Amazon $119.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $89.99 at Amazon $119.99 Save $30.00 Unlike higher-priced models with touch controls, these earbuds feature only button controls. This is ideal for individuals who prefer a more tactile and precise approach and want to avoid the accidental inputs that touch controls can cause. Additionally, the Soundcore app allows users to personalize button functions and EQ settings, although going ad-free is only available with a paid subscription. Despite these features, battery life and sound quality receive mixed reviews on Amazon. One reviewer describes the sound output as “tinny” and notes the lack of rich, bass-driven sound. While you won’t get the same quality as Bose headphones, if you’re in the market for budget-friendly wireless earbuds with an open style that cost less than $100, the Anker Soundcore C40i open earbuds might be a good option. View the full article

Three years after suing to block Microsoft from buying one of the biggest names in video games, the U.S. government is finally giving up. The FTC announced plans Thursday to drop a Biden-era case against Microsoft over its $69 billion acquisition of game maker Activision Blizzard, a decision the regulator said now best serves the public interest. In 2022, the FTC first announced that it would try to kill Microsoft’s planned acquisition of the gaming giant, which makes hit games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. The following year, after the FTC failed to secure a preliminary injunction to stop it, Microsoft actually finalized the massive deal, but the regulator vowed to continue appealing that decision. Earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s order denying the injunction, ruling that the FTC’s claims that the deal would limit competition in the gaming industry were weak. The acquisition was destined for intense scrutiny from day one, both for its size and its potential to totally reshape the landscape for one of tech’s hottest sectors. Microsoft swooped in to save Activision Blizzard from itself When Microsoft announced its plan to buy Activision Blizzard in January 2022, the smaller company had been rocked by emerging allegations of systemic sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Those ongoing scandals eventually forced longtime CEO Bobby Kotick out of the company as Microsoft cleaned house leading into the merger. Microsoft also had to clear major regulatory hurdles in the U.K., resolving antitrust concerns there over its cloud gaming services before getting the green light to close the deal. That bit of regulatory maneuvering resulted in an unusual arrangement to offload cloud streaming rights for its games to competitor Ubisoft in order to appease the Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.’s powerful trust buster. (This portion of the deal isn’t great news for anyone who’s wrestled with Ubisoft’s awkward online gaming service over the years.) A boost to Microsoft’s online gaming roadmap By bringing Activision Blizzard under its wing, Microsoft can also bring the company’s many hit titles into the popular Xbox Game Pass service, which gives players unlimited access to games for a monthly subscription fee. Gaming companies have increasingly turned to monthly subscriptions and live service games over the last decade and many of Activision Blizzard’s hit franchises revolve around online multiplayer, including Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo and World of Warcraft. Activision Blizzard also owns Candy Crush, a colorful tile-matching game that’s still synonymous with mobile gaming almost a decade after Activision Blizzard bought its developer King for a then whopping $5.9 billion. Microsoft President Brad Smith described his company as “grateful” to the FTC for its decision to allow the acquisition to settle. “Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington, D.C.,” Smith said. View the full article

Discord has started testing unskippable, reward-based video ads — marking its most aggressive move yet into monetization outside of its Nitro subscriptions. The ads pause if users tab away, guaranteeing full impressions for brands. Details. Discord has begun rolling out In-Game Rewards — branded video ads tied to game-related perks. While these ads appear for everyone, users can opt into more personalized promotions via their privacy settings. Discord originally gained traction as a “safe space” for gamers and niche communities. With over 200 million monthly active users, it has quietly become one of the largest social platforms. Until now, monetization was limited to its Nitro subscription model — offering perks like better streaming quality and cosmetic features. How it works: Unskippable, immersive video ads. These ads pause if users look away, ensuring full engagement. Opt-in personalization. Users can enable “In-Game Rewards” to receive promotions tailored to their gaming activity. Privacy-friendly targeting. Discord doesn’t rely on real names or invasive personal data, giving brands interest-based targeting with fewer privacy concerns. Why we care. Discord, once a haven for ad-free, community-first experiences, is rolling out video ads — a major shift with big implications for users and brands alike. They are guaranteeing full user attention through unskippable, opt-in video ads tied to rewards and access to highly engaged, interest-based communities with minimal privacy concerns and low competition. As Discord expands beyond gaming, brands have a unique opportunity to reach passionate audiences in a high-impact, low-noise environment. The big picture. This move nudges Discord closer to mainstream social media — and away from its indie roots. “It used to be a digital clubhouse. Now it’s another ad surface,” said Navah Hopkins, Brand Evangelist at Optmyzr and Discord user. Still, Discord offers functionality that platforms like Slack can’t match, especially in its free tier, which retains message history and robust integrations. What Discord is saying. The company describes In-Game Rewards as “experiences based on you interacting with the games you love.” Users can browse available rewards in the Quests tab — or opt out entirely via settings. “If you’re not interested in personalized Discord Quest promotions, you can opt out… You may still see Quest promotions, but they won’t be personalized,” according to Discord’s official policy. For brands. Marketers, however, should pay close attention. Discord’s ad model guarantees full engagement: ads only play when users actively opt in, and they stop if users look away. “This is not YouTube pre-roll,” Hopkins noted. “You get 100% of the viewer’s attention — and in niche, engaged communities.” Targeting is interest-based rather than identity-based, reducing privacy concerns and increasing contextual relevance. What we’re watching. If Discord’s community can tolerate — or even embrace — this new ad experience, it could open a highly lucrative, high-engagement channel for brands. Adoption by broader, more mainstream audiences in 2025 and 2026 could accelerate the trend. The key: whether this format drives ROI without alienating the core user base. The bottom line. Discord’s move into ads marks a crossroads for the platform — straddling the line between community-driven tech and mainstream social media. Whether it can maintain trust while pursuing ad dollars may define its next chapter. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Having your car stolen is a traumatic experience—and a depressingly common one. Although car thefts nationwide are trending downward, there were still more than 850,000 vehicles stolen in 2024. If you’ve ever woken up to find your car missing from its spot (and I have!) you know it’s not fun. But thieves don’t always target the entire car. It’s often easier and less risky to steal a specific part from your car or truck. Many of these parts are relatively easy to access, remove, and sell, and the profit margin can be very lucrative for a busy and organized criminal. If your car is ever parked out in the open (especially overnight), it could be targeted for a surprisingly long list of specific parts. The good news is that you can protect every bit of your vehicle with a little foresight and a few security gadgets. Catalytic convertersEver since catalytic converters entered widespread use in the 1970s, thieves have targeted them. They’re a perfect storm for thieves: Accessible, relatively easy to remove, and valuable due to the mix of precious metals inside them (including palladium, platinum, and rhodium). Thieves know they can get between $250 and $800 for a catalytic converter, depending on the vehicle it was taken from. That’s why about 64,000 catalytic converter were stolen in 2022 alone. How to stop thieves: The best thing you can do is to install an anti-theft device like a Catstrap. This is a band of strip steel that is adhered to the length of your exhaust system, making it almost impossible for thieves to cut through the pipes to steal the converter. You can also consider etching identifying information on the converter to make it difficult to sell on the black market. The downside of this approach is that thieves may not notice the etching until after they’ve removed the converter. WheelsYour car's wheels and tires are prime targets for theft. Tires can be stripped off your car in a very short period of time, and they can be sold very easily, especially since tires—especially high-end tires—can run as much as $1,000 each. How to stop thieves: Your best bet is to install model-appropriate locking lugnuts like these. These will make it very difficult for thieves to use standard tools to remove your wheels. With a lot of effort and some specialized tools, they can be defeated, but chances are your thief will just move on to a different car with wheels that are easier to steal. BatteriesA standard car battery in a gas-powered vehicle isn’t worth much—typically less than 20 cents per pound. But batteries are also incredibly easy to steal, so thieves will sometimes make a sweep of an area to steal as many batteries as possible in order to make the payout worth their time. The batteries in a hybrid vehicle can be worth more, and the batteries in an electric vehicle can be very, very valuable—but also a lot harder to steal. How to stop thieves: Adding a battery lock bracket is easy, cheap, and pretty effective. Since battery thieves don’t make much per battery, any additional barrier will probably deter them pretty effectively. TailgatesYes, believe it or not, thieves are after your truck’s entire tailgate. This is especially true if you own a Toyota Tacoma, because the tailgates on that model are incredibly easy to detach—they’re literally engineered to be removed easily. But any truck tailgate is a target because they’re all relatively easy to remove, and these days your tailgate contains a bunch of high-tech gear (cameras, sensors, etc.) that can be stripped out for resale. How to stop thieves: You can install a tailgate lock for your make and model (like this one for suffering Tacoma owners). AirbagsIt’s estimated that about 50,000 airbags are stolen annually in the U.S. They’re valuable, fetching up to $200 on the black market, which makes them attractive to thieves. Thieves usually target dealerships or other places where cars are left unattended in accessible lots, but cars parked on the street are also hit. How to stop thieves: The best ways to stop airbag theft is to lock your car when you park it and park it inside a secured area, like a garage. If that’s not possible, using a steering wheel lock using the “club” design can be effective, as it physically makes it difficult to access the driver’s-side airbag. This won’t stop thieves from grabbing the passenger-side airbag, of course, but cutting their profit in half might inspire them to move on. License platesThieves steal license plates because it’s an easy way to cloak a vehicle. Sometimes they’re put on stolen vehicles, sometimes they’re used to evade tolls—but the fact that they’re generally easy to steal and very difficult to track makes them popular targets. In fact, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) notes that license plate theft has been rising rapidly—by 45% between 2019 and 2022 alone. How to stop thieves: Swapping out the rusty, standard screws holding your plates on for some tamper-proof screws will do the job. These screws require a special fastener to attach or detach, and the kits come with screw covers to make it even more difficult to access. Side mirrorsYou might think your side mirrors are just mirrors, and who would bother stealing those? Ah, but modern-day side mirrors have a lot of technology inside them, especially on luxury vehicles, including blind spot sensors, defrosting systems, and cameras. Believe it or not, some mirrors can command upwards of $2,000 each! How to stop thieves: If your side mirrors are motorized, turning them in when you park can make it more difficult for thieves to access them. You can also look for anti-theft mirror guards (like this one) for your make and model, which add a layer of security to the mirror to deter thieves. Third row seatsIf you have a truck or SUV with a removable third-row seat, you should know that it’s increasingly popular to steal them. The reason third-row seats are targeted is the universal reason anything gets stolen: These seats cost thousands of dollars to replace. How to stop thieves: The best way to prevent theft of your truck’s third-row seat is to secure it with a bike lock. The specific lock that will work depends on how your third-row seat attaches and detaches, but all you need to do is secure it in place. It removes some of the convenience, but it’s a lot better than having your kids roll around in the cab while you drive. BadgesPeople have been stealing car badges and hood ornaments for decades, often just to collect them or as petty acts of vandalism. But these days those emblems can actually contain a lot of expensive technology. Modern Volkswagens, for example, often tuck cruise control sensors into the hood emblem. That makes those badges a lot more valuable than you might think, and thieves are definitely aware of their added value. How to stop thieves: It’s very difficult to stop someone from removing an emblem, badge, or ornament from your car. If you can access the back where it’s attached, you can try using wire or zipties to secure it more firmly—but if you can access it, so can thieves. Your best defense is to park the vehicle in a secure area whenever possible. View the full article

Sachin Dev Duggal has recently approached multiple investors View the full article

Share of voice in SEO tells you how much search engine visibility you have. Measure it with Semrush. View the full article

For the first time in a generation, its monopoly is under threat. After two years of false starts, the company is trying to regain the initiative View the full article

Starbucks in South Korea has barred customers from using the names of South Korea’s six presidential candidates in their orders ahead of next month’s presidential election. A Starbucks Korea spokesperson told NBC News the policy was introduced “in order to prevent inappropriate and abusive use of the names.” The decision comes as South Koreans have increasingly used their Starbucks’ orders to make a political statement—ordering via app under presidential candidates’ names, and using phrases in support of or to oppose them, forcing baristas to call them out for pickup, per NBC. Some examples of those orders include: “arrest Yoon Suk Yeol” and “[opposition leader] Lee Jae-myung is a spy,” per the BBC. According to Starbucks, the company needs to “maintain political neutrality during election season,” and will lift the ban on June 3 after the election, the BBC reported. Like many South Korean businesses, Starbucks is seeking neutrality amid the charged political atmosphere around the election, stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment trial, which has deeply divided the East Asian democracy. Similarly, Naver, South Korea’s biggest search engine, has disabled autocomplete on search for the candidates, a common practice for the tech giant during an election cycle, according to the BBC. The six presidential candidates’ names that Starbucks has banned are: Lee Jae-myung, from the country’s liberal Democratic Party (DP); Kim Moon-soo, from former president Yoon Suk Yeol’ conservative People Power Party (PPP); and Lee Jun-seok, Kwon Young-kook, Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Song Jin-ho. As Fast Company previously reported, Starbucks recently posted “disappointing” earnings results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, ending on March 30. Unlike in the previous quarter, Starbucks did not beat analyst revenue expectations, of $8.83 billion and an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 49 cents, according to Yahoo Finance, instead posting a revenue of $8.76 billion and an adjusted EPS of 41 cents. One key metric, U.S. comparable store sales, declined 2% in Q2. Shares in Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) were trading up about 1% on Friday. View the full article

Potential loosening of Black ownership rules came after billionaire said his satellite internet group would not complyView the full article

The first Mission: Impossible film came out in 1996 when star Tom Cruise was 34 years old. Fast-forward to Memorial Day weekend 2025: Cruise is 62 and there’s speculation that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could be the last movie in the franchise. Is this just a marketing ploy to get fans in theaters to kick off the summer blockbuster season? Who knows. Let’s take a look at the history of these films, their box-office earning power, and what Cruise himself has said about the movies over the years. A brief history of the Mission: Impossible franchise The Mission: Impossible films are based on the 1966 TV series of the same name, which was created by Bruce Geller. Peter Graves, who played Jim Phelps on the series, didn’t appear in the first film and was in fact very disappointed with it because his character was made to be the villain in the story, as CNN reported. Actor Jon Voight took the role. Even though this move upset other actors from the series and some fans, the box office numbers proved that fans soon got over this reversal of the source material. The franchise’s first four installments had different directors, while the last four were helmed by Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise has been among the producers of the films from the beginning. How does it stack up against other action franchises? The Mission: Impossible films continue to jockey for the title of highest-grossing Tom Cruise movie, according to Screen Rant. Each new installment tends to beat the previous contender. According to Box Office Mojo, the seven films in the franchise have earned a domestic lifetime gross of $1.3 billion, making Mission: Impossible the 23rd most-valuable movie franchise by that measure. To put that in perspective, the Marvel super hero franchise—No. 1 on the list—has earned $12.8 billion, followed by Star Wars ($5.1 billion), Disney live-action reimaginings ($3.5 billion), and Spider-Man ($3.3 billion). Compared to pure action-movie franchises, Mission: Impossible falls below James Bond ($2.3 billion) and the cars and costars of The Fast and the Furious ($2 billion), but it beats out Indiana Jones ($1.1 billion) and Tom Cruise’s own Top Gun franchise ($899 million). Why do fans think this might be the last Mission: Impossible movie? Originally, the latest two Mission: Impossible films were supposed to be a two-part story shot back-to-back. The second film was initially called Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, with the name change being announced in October 2023. Part One was loved by critics but had a disappointing box office return. Further complicating the matter, Final’s budget kept growing because of delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the actors’ and writers’ strikes. These setbacks caused tension in the production process and may have even accelerated conversations of the film becoming a more definitive conclusion to the franchise. While the creative team has not publicly spoken out about the stress of the delays, the title change signals to fans this might be the last time Ethan Hunt saves the world. “It is, I hope, the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc,” director McQuarrie said in an interview with Empire in February. “I’m pretty confident that people are going to feel that the title was appropriate.” Cruise also seemed to confirm the end of an era on the red carpet at the New York premiere. “It’s the final! It’s not called ‘final’ for nothing,” he commented to the Hollywood Reporter. Two years ago he told the same publication he would make Mission: Impossible movies into his 80s. When asked about this, he clarified: “I actually said I’m going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I’m going to make them into my 100s.” Since everything eventually seems to get a reboot these days, it is not far-fetched to believe audiences might see Ethan Hunt again, especially if the box office numbers are impressive. No spoilers but several reviewers, including Clint Gage for IGN, point out that the plot of the film leaves room for future storytelling opportunities. Cruise has several film projects in development over the next several years so it does appear that it is goodbye—at least for now—to the beloved franchise. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters in the United States on Friday, May 23. View the full article

The 1.2 gigawatts infrastructure project will be one of the largest in the worldView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Garmin has launched a new feature in its Connect app (the companion app you use when you sync your watch to your phone). It’s called Garmin Trails, and it purports to help you find hiking trails near you. With a Connect+ subscription, you can even sync courses for those trails to your map-enabled watch. It sounds pretty great. Unfortunately, its selection of trails is pretty disappointing at launch—it doesn't even suggest I try out my own favorite trails. How to access Garmin TrailsYou don’t need a Connect+ subscription to search for trails, filter for features, and look at the routes and reviews of trail—all of that comes free with the regular Connect app, whether on your phone or through the Connect Web interface. If you have a Garmin device, you already have a login for these services. To find it Garmin Trails from within Connect, tap the More menu in the app, find and tap Training and Planning, and then scroll to Garmin Trails. You'll be given a map of suggested trails. Zoom the map and tap on the little hiker icons to see each individual trail, or search by name in the search bar above. Unfortunately, the search results aren’t sorted in any logical way, such as by distance. If I search for the name of a trail near me in Pennsylvania, I see results from Maine and Maryland before the Pennsylvania ones. There’s also a filter icon, which you can use to limit your results by distance from your current location, the amount of ascent in the trail, as well as rating, difficulty, trail type, and features. The features you can filter for include: Dog friendly No dogs Waterfalls Lakes Rivers Oceans Mountaineering Steep sections Forest Flowers Kid friendly Permit required Water sources Reaches peaks Rough road Only the U.S. and a few European countries are supported right nowAt launch, trails are only available in the U.S. and in four European countries: Austria, Germany, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland. “New trails in different regions will be added periodically,” says a Garmin support page. Garmin’s original announcement didn’t mention this restriction, so much of the chatter I'm seeing about this online involves disappointment from users outside this handful of countries. This writer in the U.K., for example, calls the feature “NoTrails” (referencing competitor AllTrails, get it?) In the U.S., I’m definitely seeing some trails, but not enough to make the feature particularly useful. I’m just not seeing a lot of trailsI like to run and hike on trails, and I live near a county park that is absolutely riddled with hikeable, runnable, and mountain bike-able trails. There’s a local trail running group that meets six times a week, seemingly always at a different spot (I’m sure they repeat their favorites, but there is plenty of variety on offer). So what does Garmin Trails have in its database for my area? Here’s Garmin on the left, and the county trails website on the right: Garmin, left; Allegheny County website, right. Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Garmin/Allegheny County Kudos to Garmin for knowing about the Rachel Carson trail, that long one that appears as a black line. It’s 46 miles long and quite well-known in the area. Garmin has it listed as a series of short segments. They are correctly labeled as “hard” difficulty. But the entire North Park area has two trails? I’m not even sure how a person would find out about the Orange and Green trails without learning about all the others in the park. Where is the Red trail, with its red-and-blue branch with all the switchbacks? Where is the flat half-mile trail by the nature center that I always took my kids on when they were little? Where is the White trail that circles the baseball fields? As for those Orange and Green trails, both are labeled with their correct distance, but they’re also both marked as “easy,” which they are definitely not. I did a trail run last week that included the whole Orange trail and part of the Green. It was about five miles and had 800 feet of elevation gain. That’s not an easy trail at all. I asked a Garmin rep where the trail data comes from, and was told Garmin used, “a variety of sources and our in-house cartography team.” As far as I can tell, they aren’t copied from AllTrails or any other source, or at least not directly. (Might be better if they were; AllTrails has the Green trail more reasonably labeled as moderate rather than easy.) Browsing through other areas I’m familiar with, it seems that the most iconic trails in any spot are in the database, so this tool isn’t useless, just incomplete (hopefully temporarily). A few of the gorge trails I remember most fondly from Ithaca, NY are in there. Yellowstone National Park has plenty of labeled trails. I asked fellow Lifehacker writer Daniel Oropeza to look for trails in areas he was familiar with, and he compared the Three Sisters Waterfall area in Garmin and AllTrails. Garmin has one trail to the waterfall, while there are actually four; the wider area has 19 trails in the Garmin database, but 143 in AllTrails. Garmin, left; AllTrails, right. Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Garmin, Daniel Oropeza/AllTrails It’s free to browse trails, but you must pay to send them to your watchGarmin Trails seems to be a pot-sweetener for the new Connect+ subscription tier. The Trails feature itself is free, but only subscribers to Connect+ (or Maps+, another Garmin offering) can send trail courses from this database to their devices. Compatible devices include anything that supports courses, like most recent Fenix, Forerunner, and Instinct watches (and Edge cycling computers). A watch that supports maps, like the new Forerunner 970, would be a natural pairing with this new feature. Trails also seems to be a slightly different version of the Courses feature that Garmin has had for a while. (You can find Courses at this link, if you have a Garmin login). Courses can be private or user-created; there’s currently no way for users to create a trail. That means there can be multiple versions of the same trail, and courses that don’t correspond to a specific trail—somebody who ran part of the Orange and part of the Green, let’s say, because that happened to be convenient for them on the day they created that course. If more trails get added to Garmin Trails, it could eventually be a useful feature. The trail ratings, comments, and filters are handy to have. But AllTrails already has those features, and you can load AllTrails routes to your Garmin watch if you subscribe to AllTrails Plus, which is $35.99/year—cheaper than Garmin Connect+, which will cost you $6.99/month or $69.99/year. View the full article

On TikTok, soup is getting a rebrand. It’s now water-based cooking, to you. “Pov you started water based cooking and now your skin is clear, your stomach is thriving and you recover from illness overnight,” one TikTok post reads. Others claim the method is making them age backwards. But a quick scroll through the comments has many pointing out the obvious: “bro invented soup,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “As an asian, what’s new.” The post made its way to Bluesky, where one user joked, “I need to start jumping on these phony trends. Get a water based cookbook self-published by tomorrow. Hit tiktok running.” They added, “Send me soup recipes. Let’s all get rich,” to which one user replied, “I have one that involves chicken and noodles,” or as they called it: “chicken noodle water-based meal.” While this cooking method predates TikTok by at least 50,000 years, it has been recently popularized on TikTok and Instagram by scientist and registered dietician Dr. Michelle Davenport, whose work focuses on slowing the deleterious effects of aging. She argues that cooking mostly with broth and water can help slow aging by reducing the amount of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the compounds that attach to our DNA and cells. These are formed when food is cooked at high dry temperatures and contribute to various health issues. On her Instagram page, which has over 250,000 followers, you’ll find recipes for dishes like water eggs and breakfast soup. (“Dr michelle davenport the woman you are,” the caption of the original TikTok post reads.) “Water-based cooking—like steaming or simmering—is a simple way to get more out of your food,” dietitian Kouka Webb, MS, RD, CDN, told Fast Company. “It helps preserve delicate nutrients that are often lost with high-heat methods, and it cuts back on the need for heavy oils. As a dietitian, I’ve seen how small shifts like this can support things like blood sugar balance, better digestion, and even lower inflammation over time.” But while the health benefits of water-based cooking are plenty, clearly not everyone is here for the TikTokification of recipes and cooking methods that have existed for generations. And on TikTok, food trends come and go quicker than you can say, “lemony miso gochujang brown butter gnocchi.” Last year, there was the “dense bean salad” trend—which is exactly what it sounds like: a bean salad. There was also the “tadpole water” trend (just add chia seeds to a glass of water), and of course, who could forget the classic “girl dinner.” May I interest you in a delicious bowl of alphabet soup? View the full article

President Donald The President is threatening Apple with a 25% tariff if the tech giant doesn’t start producing iPhones in the U.S. In a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, The President said he had “long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else.” “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.” he added. An Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to Fast Company‘s request for comment. It’s the latest company to be caught up in the administration’s aggressive tariff policies. Walmart, for example, drew the president’s ire after it warned consumers last week that it may have to raise prices due to cost pressures. For its part, Apple has been working to diversify its production for the more than 60 million iPhones it sells in the U.S. annually. The vast majority of Apple products are made in China, though the company is reportedly working to move production for most of its U.S.-bound iPhones to India. Still, The President’s threat spooked investors. Shares of Apple fell more than 2% on the news, as iPhones could become incredibly pricey. Wedbush Securities managing director Dan Ives said in a note to clients that it would take five to 10 years to shift production to the U.S. and phones could end up costing $3,500. New iPhones, without all the bells and whistles, currently go for around $800. “We believe the concept of Apple producing iPhones in the US is a fairy tale that is not feasible,” Ives wrote. 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. When it comes to speakers, Sonos has the best reputation and the best companion app on the market. If you're interested in seeing what the hype is all about, it's a great time to test the waters, as Sono's entry-level speaker, the Sonos Roam 2, has reached a record low price, according to price tracking tools. The portable, waterproof device is on sale for $134 (originally $179) at Amazon, part of a small Sonos sale that also includes the a discount on the larger Sonos Move 2 (also currently at its lowest price ever). Sonos Roam 2 Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Audio Output Mode: Mono $134.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $179.00 Save $45.00 Get Deal Get Deal $134.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $179.00 Save $45.00 The Roam 2 is Sonos' addition to the portable outdoor speaker market, and like most Sonos speakers, it integrates seamlessly into the Sonos ecosystem so you can use it to play multi-room media. If you get more than one speaker, you can pair them to create true stereo sound as well. This speaker can also double as a speakerphone. There's an in-app EQ for you to fiddle around with, it has wireless charging, is waterproof with an an IP67 rating, and offers support for both Alexa and the Sonos voice assistant. (You can learn more in PCMag's "good" review.) The defining characteristic of this speaker is its great audio quality despite its small size (2.4 by 6.6 by 2.4 inches) and light weight (0.95 pounds). The Trueplay feature, which uses microphones to gauge your surroundings and adjust the audio accordingly, gives it an edge over the competition. Note that while Sonos has traditionally been praised for its speakers' companion app, people have recently complained about the app dropping some features. However, the company appears to be trying to rectify their issues, and it's still the best app for speakers I have used. At this price, it's a great opportunity to try your first Sonos speaker, or add a portable one to your existing Sonos ecosystem. View the full article

Two Florida men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for their roles in a years-long off-the-books payroll scheme that resulted in nearly $10 million in tax losses and enabled the illegal employment of undocumented workers in the construction industry. Michael Mayorga and Francisco Alvarez entered guilty pleas before Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman Price of the Middle District of Florida. The pleas must still be accepted by a U.S. district court judge. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Mayorga and Alvarez, along with unnamed co-conspirators, created a network of shell companies through which they operated an unlicensed check-cashing and cash courier business. These shell entities cashed approximately $89 million in checks from construction subcontractors, who in turn used the cash to pay workers off the books—many of whom were undocumented immigrants working illegally in the United States. Mayorga provided bookkeeping and tax preparation services to some of the shell companies, while Alvarez and others handled the physical distribution of the cash to subcontractors. In addition to the unreported cash payments, both men were involved in preparing and submitting false tax returns and documents, concealing the scheme from both the IRS and insurance companies. Mayorga’s actions caused a tax loss of $8,647,824 to the IRS. Alvarez’s role resulted in an additional $2,331,731 in lost tax revenue. Beyond the tax fraud, Alvarez filed a false worker’s compensation insurance application, securing artificially low insurance premiums for the shell companies. He then “rented” this insurance coverage to subcontractors, enabling them to falsely claim valid insurance when bidding on construction jobs. Mayorga also supplied fraudulent documents to insurance companies during audits to cover up the scheme. The charges against the two men carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with supervised release, restitution, and monetary fines. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty, Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Daniels for the Middle District of Florida. The charges and guilty pleas reflect the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat employment tax evasion and insurance fraud within the construction industry, particularly schemes that involve the use of shell companies and the exploitation of undocumented labor. This article, "Two Florida Men Plead Guilty in $89M Off-the-Books Payroll and Tax Fraud Scheme" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Two Florida men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for their roles in a years-long off-the-books payroll scheme that resulted in nearly $10 million in tax losses and enabled the illegal employment of undocumented workers in the construction industry. Michael Mayorga and Francisco Alvarez entered guilty pleas before Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman Price of the Middle District of Florida. The pleas must still be accepted by a U.S. district court judge. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Mayorga and Alvarez, along with unnamed co-conspirators, created a network of shell companies through which they operated an unlicensed check-cashing and cash courier business. These shell entities cashed approximately $89 million in checks from construction subcontractors, who in turn used the cash to pay workers off the books—many of whom were undocumented immigrants working illegally in the United States. Mayorga provided bookkeeping and tax preparation services to some of the shell companies, while Alvarez and others handled the physical distribution of the cash to subcontractors. In addition to the unreported cash payments, both men were involved in preparing and submitting false tax returns and documents, concealing the scheme from both the IRS and insurance companies. Mayorga’s actions caused a tax loss of $8,647,824 to the IRS. Alvarez’s role resulted in an additional $2,331,731 in lost tax revenue. Beyond the tax fraud, Alvarez filed a false worker’s compensation insurance application, securing artificially low insurance premiums for the shell companies. He then “rented” this insurance coverage to subcontractors, enabling them to falsely claim valid insurance when bidding on construction jobs. Mayorga also supplied fraudulent documents to insurance companies during audits to cover up the scheme. The charges against the two men carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with supervised release, restitution, and monetary fines. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty, Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Daniels for the Middle District of Florida. The charges and guilty pleas reflect the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat employment tax evasion and insurance fraud within the construction industry, particularly schemes that involve the use of shell companies and the exploitation of undocumented labor. This article, "Two Florida Men Plead Guilty in $89M Off-the-Books Payroll and Tax Fraud Scheme" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Tuesday, at Google I/O, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai keynote led with how AI is transforming Google Search, Liz Reid, Google’s head of Search, called AI Mode the future of search (see video). With all this change to Google Search quickly approaching, SEOs are wondering where this leaves them. Will SEO die again? Are we all out of jobs? What changes do we need to make to adapt to the future of Google Search, AI search engines and new AI experiences? The video. A number of search marketers asked my thoughts, so I thought I’d put together a video with my thoughts on all of this and them summarize it below: After attending Google I/O, watching the keynote, speaking with Google executives at I/O and also chatting with the search industry both in person at I/O and on social media, I felt it would be a good thing to put my thoughts together on all these changes happening in our industry. Of course, this is all super early, especially the agentic experiences, but it is important we all start thinking about how search is changing and what we need to be doing about it. Future of Google Search. There is no doubt that Google Search is changing in a big way. This is likely the biggest change Google Search ever made in its history, it is bigger than the universal search change in 2007, bigger than featured snippets and even bigger than AI Overviews. AI Mode, which is fully live in the U.S. and coming to more countries and regions soon, is the biggest change to Google Search ever. And Liz Reid, Google’s head of Search, said, “This is the future of Google Search, a search that goes beyond information to intelligence,” when talking about AI Mode (see video 54 seconds in). Plus, Google is showing the AI Mode tab before the “All” tab and it will always be in the same position, unlike other tabs, like News, Videos, Images and others. These are the changes that Google set out to make when younger searchers were going to TikTok over Google a couple of years ago. AI Mode is the answer to OpenAI and its ChatGPT Search. It is the more snackable and consumable searcher experience, Google has been talking about. The problem. The problem is, AI Mode and AI Overviews, according to several third-party studies, do not send traffic organically to websites. At least, they all show huge drops in click-through rates and drops in traffic to websites. AI Mode is currently untrackable, and we are told AI Mode and AI Overviews won’t be individually trackable within Google Search Console (or Google Ads) from the main search results. So we all see less traffic from Google with AI Overviews and now AI Mode, we aren’t able to properly track them to validate that and see what changes we can make, it is a very troubling time for search marketers. Google must change. Google isn’t going to keep its search engine the way it was for the past two decades. Google knows it has to change, despite them making an absolute fortune from search ads. Google is worried about TikTok, worried about, ChatGPT, worried about searchers going to something new and better. So AI Mode is the future of Google Search because Google wants to give searchers what they want. It doesn’t hurt that AI Overviews led to 10% growth in search queries on Google. Wall Street loves that and advertising is baseline with AI Overviews on the page, than without them. So the ad and revenue problem seems resolved. Searchers, according to Google, are happier. It just sends us less traffic and less conversions. And, to be real, you know Google cares primarily about making the searcher happy, because without happy searchers, they don’t have people clicking on search ads. Future of SEO. So where does that leave SEOs? We know AI Mode is the future and we know traffic to our sites and client sites are down. What do we do? Brand mentions: Imagine you do a search and AI Mode gives you this long answer. In the answer, the same two brands are mentioned over and over again. Do you think you might reach out to that brand to buy something they have to offer for your query? You want to be the brand mentioned in the AI Mode or AI Overview answer. Sure, you will get less traffic and probably fewer conversions but this is the space we are in now. Agentic integrations: Eventually, Google will recommend where you buy your products or services from directly from your queries. It has been called “Agentic” integrations or AI Agents. Google technically can have AI Mode automatically integrate with your site and buy directly from your site based on the query and a confirmation from the searcher. Do you build integrations of these AI agents into your site? Will Google pick you over a much larger brand; like a mom and pop shoe store versus a Footlocker or a small travel agent over Expedia or Travelocity or direct integration with United, Delta or American Airlines? I even asked Hema Budaraju, the Senior Director of Product at Google about this and she responded that it is all very early in the journey and it is yet to be seen, in short, we don’t know yet. Adapt or die. There are a lot of concerned people in the search marketing industry right now. The bottom line is while many of us like to complain and we honestly have good reason to be upset, complaining won’t help. We need to adapt and change and experiment. Experiment with these new experiences, keep on top of these changes happening in Google and at other AI and search companies. Then try new things and keep testing. If you do not adapt, you will die. SEO won’t die, but you will become irrelevant. The good news, SEOs are some of the best at adapting, embracing change and testing new strategies out. So you are all ready and equipped for the future of search. View the full article

Netanyahu’s war isn’t about protecting Israelis. It’s about protecting himselfView the full article

The number of domestic travelers in the U.S. is expected to break a record for Memorial Day weekend that was set in 2005. AAA anticipates that 45.1 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the weekend, an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year. Those traveling by car see the biggest difference, with more than a million extra travelers expected on the roads compared to last year. While 87% of travelers choose to take road trips during Memorial Day weekend, this year, they’re also aided by the lower crude oil prices making gasoline cheaper nationwide. (Typically, gas prices will peak in the summer as the busy travel season commences. You can avoid price hikes by staying away from the gas stations closest to the interstate, and optimizing your fuel economy.) As for traffic, AAA expects peak congestion in the afternoons all weekend, with the best travel times in the mornings. Get out early if you can, and on Monday, try to get back home before 2 p.m. Airports will also see a more crowded weekend than last year, with AAA projecting 3.61 million air travelers. In 2024, 3.55 million passengers chose flight as their preferred mode of travel, a difference of nearly 2% compared to the projection for this year. However, flights are more expensive than last year, with the average roundtrip ticket price costing $850. Popular destinations include Chicago, New York, Orlando, Denver, and Seattle. (If you’re planning to travel by air, follow the recommended airport arrival time of at least two hours before your domestic flight.) Other modes of transportation travelers are utilizing this weekend include trains, buses, and cruises. Those have increased 8.5% compared to last year’s numbers, with cruises seeing a high demand for Alaskan destinations for Memorial Day weekend, including Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. View the full article