Google’s new Pixel 10 ads made me go ‘wait, WHAT are they trying to sell?’
Ever watch a TV ad and wonder "How did this get approved?" Today, Google has not one but two new ad spots for its six-month-old Pixel 10 phones, and… let's just say they may not come across as intended.
First, there's "With 100x Zoom," an ad that appears to suggest that if a vacation rental company lies to you about the view from your hotel room, you should lie to all your friends and family, too!
Take a watch below:
The YouTube description makes Google's intent fairly clear: "So even if that breathtaking view you were promised turns out to be miles away, now you can zoom your way to a photo that makes it look like you were right there. …
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’
On a Monday episode of the Lex Fridman podcast, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a hot-button statement: "I think we've achieved AGI."
AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a vaguely defined term that has incited a lot of discussion by tech CEOs, tech workers, and the general public in recent years, as it typically denotes AI that's equal to or surpasses human intelligence. In recent months, tech leaders have tried to distance themselves from the term and create their own terminology that they view as less over-hyped, more useful, and more clearly defined (although the new phrases they've come up with essentially mean the same thing as AG …
Two of my favorite color e-book readers are the cheapest they’ve been in months
Color isn’t essential in an e-reader, but let’s be honest, it’s a nice perk that can bring digital books, magazines, comics, cookbooks, and other publications to life. The catch is that color ebook readers tend to be substantially pricier, which makes today’s deals stand out. Right now, the Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) and Kobo Libra Colour are matching their lowest prices to date, with the Amazon e-reader going for $169.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, and the Libra Colour going for $199.99 ($30 off) via Rakuten’s online storefront.
Kindle Colorsoft (16GB)
Where to Buy:
Kobo Libra Colour
Where to Buy:
At their core, both are excellent e-readers with 7-inch, 300ppi E Ink displays, which drop to 150ppi when viewing color. The Colorsoft’s display is slightly more vibrant in most instances, but the difference isn’t dramatic. Each also offers IPX8 water resistance, so you don’t need to worry about spills and can comfortably read in the bath or by the pool.
Which one makes more sense for you largely depends on where you buy your books, how much storage you need, and whether you like to take notes. The Colorsoft is great if you’re heavily embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem, as buying and accessing Kindle books is intuitive and doesn’t require any sideloading. As the more affordable option in Amazon’s lineup, the standard Colorsoft delivers a nearly identical reading experience to the Signature Edition, and it supports Amazon’s “Send to Alexa Plus” feature, which lets you send notes or documents to Amazon’s AI-powered assistant for summaries, to-do lists, reminders, and more. The downside is that it lacks wireless charging and an auto-adjusting front light — which are standard on the step-up model — and comes with 16GB of storage instead of 32GB.
That said, if I didn’t already own so many Kindle books, the Libra Colour would be my pick. It offers double the storage at 32GB and includes intuitive physical page-turn buttons. You can also write notes while reading, given that it offers stylus support, and it includes built-in notebook templates, as well as the ability to convert handwriting to typed text. It also supports EPUB and a wider range of file formats, and lets you save articles for offline reading with Instapaper. And it also offers adjustable warm lighting, which makes reading at night a little easier on the eyes.
Read our full Kobo Libra Colour review.
Apple could put ads in Maps as soon as this summer
Apple will soon bring advertisements to its Maps app on mobile and the web, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The ads, which Apple could reportedly announce this month before rolling them out in the summer, could allow businesses to pay for the highest spot in search results on Apple Maps.
That means if one restaurant secures the winning bid for the word "sushi" or "pizza," its location could receive priority in search results over other relevant businesses, as reported by Bloomberg. The setup is similar to how advertising works on Google Maps, which also allows businesses to pay for a higher rank in search results.
The m …
Donut Lab’s solid-state battery could barely hold a charge after getting damaged
Donut Lab is on a mission to prove to the world its solid-state battery is real, one independent test at a time. We've seen speed charging tests, extreme heat tests, and not-a-supercapacitor tests. Today's test is to see how the battery holds up under damage. The results: While it could barely sustain a charge, it didn't burst into flames, which Donut Lab sees as a victory.
If you'll recall, during the extreme heat tests, the pouch surrounding Donut's battery lost its vacuum seal. This led to researchers at Finland's state-owned VTT Technical Research Centre, which conducted all of the lab's previous tests, to explore whether the cell could …
Apple’s WWDC 2026 event starts June 8th
Apple has set a date for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), scheduling the keynote and Platforms State of the Union for June 8th through June 12th at Apple Park. As usual, we will be tuned in to find out what's new in the 2027-branded editions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. After last year's round of glassy visual tweaks, many are waiting for Apple Intelligence to deliver on delayed features, such as an AI upgrade for Siri.
In its press release, Apple says, "WWDC26 will spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools."
According to the lat …
PDP’s wireless guitar controller has returned to its best price to date
The early 2020s were kind of a dark time if you were a fan of Rock Band. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X owners didn’t get an improved, more feature-packed guitar controller until early 2024 when PDP launched the Riffmaster. While it launched for $129.99 and later rose to $149.99, you can now grab it for $99.99 at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy in the run-up to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. The current deal price (which has only happened once before) applies to both the Xbox and PlayStation versions, as well as the newer Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 versions.
PDP Riffmaster
PDP’s Riffmaster is a wireless guitar accessory compatible with Rock Band 4 and Fortnite Festival. It has two sets of color-coded buttons you can press to hit notes as they appear on the screen, a built-in 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphones, and an analog stick to help you easily navigate through each game’s menus.
Where to Buy:
While Rock Band 4 was delisted last October, making the game (and its many downloadable songs) impossible to buy on consoles, the Riffmaster is compatible with Fortnite Festival, which, like the rest of Epic’s online multiplayer game, is a free-to-play experience. Additionally, the Xbox version of the Riffmaster boasts Windows PC compatibility, making it the one to get if you want to play community-built games like Clone Hero.
As far as components go, the Riffmaster makes it easier to navigate system and game menus with its built-in analog stick, which is located behind the fret buttons at the top of the collapsible neck. The wireless controller features a rechargeable battery that charges via USB-C, too, and PDP claims it can last for up to 36 hours per charge. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack in case you’d prefer to listen to your game audio privately.
Some writing advice from Project Hail Mary’s Andy Weir
Andy Weir has done pretty well when it comes to adaptations. His first novel, The Martian, was turned into a movie in 2015, and the Ridley Scott-directed picture earned more than $600 million at the box office. And Project Hail Mary just had a huge opening weekend that puts it on track to be one of the year's biggest movies. However, despite that success, Weir tells me that he does his best to keep the idea of an adaptation out of his mind when he starts a new novel. "I try not to think about it at all," he explains.
The reason, according to Weir, is that the two mediums are just so different. That's something he's learned over the last dec …
Apple’s four-pack of first-gen AirTags is down $60 for the first time
Despite the fact that Apple released a new AirTag in January, the first-gen AirTag is still a top-notch tracker if you’re embedded in Apple’s ecosystem. And right now, it’s on sale for $59.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, which marks a new low price.
Apple AirTag
Where to Buy:
If you’re an iPhone owner, the original AirTag still delivers a level of precision few trackers can match, thanks to its ultra wideband (UWB) chip and access to Apple’s expansive Find My network. Whereas most Bluetooth trackers just tell you the general whereabouts of a misplaced item, the AirTag actually guides you directly to it with on-screen arrows and distance estimates. Apple also continuously adds new software perks, often making it easier to recover lost or stolen items.
For example, you can now share an AirTag’s location with up to five people, which is helpful if you’re traveling with family, and even temporarily share an AirTag’s location with a selection of US airlines — a boon if you’re looking for lost luggage. And, as a nice bonus, when the battery dies after about a year, you can simply swap in a new one rather than upgrading.
The second-gen model builds on what is already a terrific tracker. It features an upgraded UWB chip, allowing it to track items from up to 50 percent farther away, and its speaker is noticeably louder. If you own an Apple Watch Series 9 or newer, you can also use Precision Finding from your watch to locate items instead of opening the Find My app on your phone. They’re all welcome improvements, but if you just need a tracker to keep tabs on your stuff while going out of town this spring break, the original AirTag will still do the job very well.
Read our full AirTag (first-gen) review.
Update, March 23: Updated to reflect that a four-pack of first-gen AirTags is now available for $59.99.
In-hub motors make this humble Hyundai a monster on ice
In-wheel motors have been around since the very beginning of electric motoring. Ferdinand Porsche developed one way back in 1900, and the US sent them to the moon in our Lunar Roving Vehicles in the early '70s. But, outside of e-bikes, they've never really gone mainstream. It looked like Lordstown Motors would be their time to shine, but that never came to pass.
Lordstown's truck, the Endurance, is now dead, doomed to haunt the ever-growing graveyard of failed EV startups. But the source of its motors, a Slovenian company called Elaphe, is still very much alive, refining its technology and installing it into all sorts of interesting project …