Maybe this was an inevitable step from the camera brand that hangs its hat on film simulations that look wonderful straight out of camera.

According to FujiRumors, the upcoming mid-range X-T50 will have a physical dial for switching between different film sims. A bit unconventional? Definitely. But at least it’ll encourage people to try more of them.

CNBC reports a tie-in with Lucra Sports will eventually enable customers to bet against each other on games like Skee-Ball.

But even if you’re a degenerate with money on the line trying to convince a kid to Jontay Porter their next game, why use some app instead of cash? Also, in some places, D&B already has real gambling.

Crossovers between Fortnite and Star Wars are nothing new, but the latest is the most expansive so far. And that’s because it covers not just battle royale, but also Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. Importantly, that means you can now rock out as Lando — who we already knew was a great dancer.

Fifty-seven-year-old James Smelko of Pittsburgh was sentenced to 14 years and seven months in prison for possessing deepfake child sexual abuse material of child stars. The sentencing comes as legislatures are racing to deal with the issue of deepfake CSAM and how AI companies are trying to ensure CSAM isn’t used to train their models.

Instagram rolled out sprawling changes to how it ranks content this week — and some of those updates could be applied to Threads, says Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

The updates are around how content gets recommended, and Meta says small creators will have a better shot at breaking through.

NBC News reports that a former Block employee is talking to the feds about apparent sanctions violations.

Prosecutors are allegedly finding that Square and Cash App failed to report certain Bitcoin, credit card transactions, and dollar transfers — some originating from terror groups. Block leadership apparently knew, according to internal documents.

Though Apple TV Plus has been crushing it on the sci-fi front lately, the streamer is gearing up for a crime thriller turn with a new series adaptation of author Scott Turow’s novel Presumed Innocent from David E. Kelley starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga. The series debuts on June 12th.

If you’re juggling numerous 1Password accounts, it’s not hard to understand how you could potentially mix up your personal and business “private vaults” and put something sensitive in the wrong place. That could get very risky — both for you and your company.

To make things clearer, 1Password has renamed “private vaults” to “employee vaults” for teams / business accounts.

Chevy dealers are already catching flack from customers for GM’s decision to remove popular phone-mirroring services Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from their lineup of EVs. Maybe it would have gone down better if their native infotainment software didn’t immediately shit the bed, resulting in a stop-sale order for the Chevy Blazer EV? Just sayin.

The Treasury Department is set to announce later this week the final set of rules around critical minerals in EV batteries, that will likely target “foreign entities of concerns” — which is government jargon for China. The rules won’t kick in until 2025, at which point the list of EVs eligible for the $7,500 credit is likely to shrink even more.

The move is supposed to save the average household at least $100 a year in lower utility bills. As new water heaters are shipped out over 30 years, energy savings from the tougher standards are also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 332 million metric tons. That’s like erasing the annual planet-heating pollution of nearly 43 million homes, the Department of Energy says. 

The partnership follows a similar one with Hilton announced in 2022. “Select” luxury and lifestyle hotels in the US are getting the Peloton Row, while there are also rewards for World of Hyatt members, and equipment-less workouts via hotel TVs.

This news comes ahead of Peloton’s next earnings report on Thursday, and rumors of “financial distress” that could lead to bankruptcy.

By simplifying the permitting process, the Biden administration hopes to speed the deployment of solar and wind farms and other energy projects crucial to meeting US climate goals. At the same time, the new rules are designed to make potential impacts on local communities (environmental justice) a bigger consideration when permitting new projects.

James Hoffman, who I trust completely on all things coffee, just published a really good rundown of coffee apps. Which are a thing! Apps for making coffee, apps for finding great coffee, apps for making sure you’re not drinking too much coffee. I fully intend to drink too much coffee testing all of these out. For journalism.

It’s a small change, but you’ll soon be able to use any background with the game art feature on Xbox consoles. Microsoft is testing this change with Alpha and Skip-Ahead Alpha Xbox testers, so expect to see it on all consoles in the coming months.

The mobile apps are available in over 150 countries but European territories are notably absent. That’s about 500 million people who still don’t have access thanks to pesky EU laws that combat disinformation and protect user privacy and data.

Google says it will gradually expand Gemini to additional regions “that are consistent with local regulations and our AI principles.”

While pleading with US lawmakers to protect artists like herself from the threat of generative AI, Twigs revealed that she created an AI version of her likeness.

“In the past year I have developed my own deepfake version of myself, that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages.”

She plans to use the AI FKA Twigs to help promote her work globally.

“Even with my upcoming album I can explain in depth what it is about creatively. It also allows me to spend more time making art.”

The hearing was related to the bipartisan No Fakes Act bill currently being considered.

looks like a beaut. JB Spielwaren is listing it at a suggested retail price of €220, and Lego’s likely to charge the same in US dollars. (via Jay’s Brick Blog). There’s also a handful of new Lego Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Marvel sets coming, including a fantastic Milano ship from Guardians of the Galaxy with room for every Guardian in the cockpit.

WABetaInfo reports the feature is live in beta version 24.9.10.71 of Meta’s encrypted messaging app. Recently online contacts will only show up for those who haven’t “disabled their last seen and online status,” according to the outlet.