Monthly Archives: October 2025

More people watched a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real thing

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It looks like a hundred thousand people fell for a fake NVIDIA livestream featuring an AI-generated version of CEO Jensen Huang, as reported by PC Gamer. Perhaps the scariest part is that the fake stream ran at the same time as an actual NVIDIA event and dwarfed the live viewership numbers.

The actual keynote speech of NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference (GTC) garnered around 20,000 live views, while the fake stream maxed out at 100,000 live views. Even weirder? The fake Huang was talking about some crazy stuff mostly involving bogus crypto investments.

The deepfake spoke of "a crypto mass adoption event that ties directly into NVIDIA's mission to accelerate human progress." The avatar urged viewers to scan a QR code to, uh, send in cryptocurrencies. It's unclear if any of the 100,000 viewers fell for this obvious scam that asked people to send the world's richest company money to "accelerate human progress."

The fake video has since been deleted. I haven't been able to check it out to see just how real it looked and, thereby, how it was able to lure in 100,000 viewers. Before we all start screaming into the night about how reality doesn't matter anymore, there are a few things worth considering.

First of all, we don't know anything about the 100,000 accounts that were watching the fake stream. We don't know where they're from or even if the accounts were tied to real people. It's also worth noting that the real stream has since garnered 200,000 views, despite just having 20,000 live viewers. We don't know what kind of promotional tools the fakers used to draw in people or how long people stayed once they clicked.

Finally, there's Huang himself. The man has hosted four GTC conferences just this year, and dozens upon dozens in previous years. There is an absolute abundance of footage of him standing on a stage and talking about stuff. That's a whole lot of video for bad actors to use as AI training data.

Also, the real stream wasn't exactly a barn burner. The most notable news we got was the announcement of a partnership with Uber to promote autonomous driving. This wasn't an event to hype up new graphics cards or anything like that. The company revealed some government contracts, if that's your bag.

So we might not be cooked just yet, but the water is certainly getting hotter. Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman donated his likeness to the growing Cthulhu that is the AI video generator Sora 2. Users quickly got to work making Altman do all kinds of unsavory things, like stealing GPUs from Target and eating a grilled Pikachu. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/more-people-watched-a-fake-nvidia-livestream-than-the-real-thing-170035672.html?src=rss

When Trays Become Magic: Bo Zhang’s Shadow-Dancing Lightware

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You know those moments when something so simple makes you stop and stare? That’s exactly what Bo Zhang is doing with his latest collection, and honestly, it’s kind of mind-blowing. Lightware is a series of transparent glass trays that don’t just sit there looking pretty (though they do that too). They actually play with light and shadow to create this ever-changing visual experience that transforms depending on where you stand, how the light hits them, and what surface they’re resting on.

If you caught wind of Zhang’s previous work, the Ripples collection, you already know he’s got a thing for messing with our perception. But where Ripples played with color-shifting optical illusions through hexagonal folded forms, Lightware takes a completely different approach. This time, it’s all about harnessing the science of polarizing film and glass to create what I can only describe as shadow choreography.

Designer: Bo Zhang

The genius here is in the subtlety. Zhang, who founded his studio Desz Office in New York back in 2019, has always been about creating pieces that interact with people on both visual and emotional levels. With Lightware, he’s tapping into something we usually take for granted: the way light moves through transparent objects. By layering polarizing film within the glass structure, these trays generate dynamic geometric patterns that shift and dance as you move around them or as the light source changes throughout the day.

Picture this: you set one of these trays on your coffee table in the morning. The sunlight streaming through your window casts one pattern. By afternoon, with the light coming from a different angle, it’s transformed into something completely new. Move it to another surface, and the shadows beneath it create yet another composition. It’s like having functional art that never gets boring because it literally never looks the same twice.

What’s really cool is that Zhang isn’t just making pretty objects for the sake of it. His design philosophy revolves around the idea that good artwork should have a soul, not be a cold entity. These trays are practical (you can actually use them to hold your keys, jewelry, or whatever), but they’re also conversation starters, meditation pieces, and honestly just really satisfying things to look at.

The recognition is rolling in too. Lightware recently won the NYCxDesign Awards 2025 Honoree in the accessories category, adding to Zhang’s growing list of accolades that includes being named one of UNESCO’s “100 Future Artists” and getting featured in Design Miami’s DMBX project. The design world has definitely been paying attention to what he’s doing, with features in publications like Vogue, Interior Design magazine, and Design Milk.

What I love about this collection is how it bridges the gap between tech-savvy innovation and accessible design. You don’t need to understand the science of polarization to appreciate these trays (though if you’re curious, polarizing film works by filtering light waves in specific directions, creating those mesmerizing patterns). You just need to be someone who appreciates when everyday objects transcend their basic function and become something more.

Since we live now with a lot of digital stimulation, there’s something refreshing about analog magic. Lightware offers this quiet, contemplative kind of wonder. It reminds us that transformation doesn’t always have to be loud or flashy. Sometimes the most captivating changes happen slowly, subtly, right in front of us, as naturally as light moving across a room.

Zhang’s work with Lightware proves that innovation in design isn’t always about reinventing the wheel. Sometimes it’s about looking at something as fundamental as a tray and asking, “What if this could do more?” The answer, in this case, is a collection that turns functional objects into portals of perpetual surprise, where shadows become art and transparency reveals hidden complexity.

The post When Trays Become Magic: Bo Zhang’s Shadow-Dancing Lightware first appeared on Yanko Design.

Magic Leap reveals an Android XR smart glasses prototype

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Magic Leap is once again trying to make a name for itself in augmented reality. The company revealed an Android XR smart glasses prototype and it extended an existing partnership with Google. It said it built the glasses "as a reference design for the Android XR ecosystem."

They look similar to other modern smart glasses, with thick frames to house all of the electronics and what appears to be a camera lens on the left side. Magic Leap hasn't revealed too much more about the glasses, other than to say that, "by combining Magic Leap’s waveguides and optics with Google’s Raxium microLED light engine, the two companies are developing display technologies that make all-day, wearable AR more achievable."

The glasses, of course, use Google's Android XR operating system. Samsung's Galaxy XR headset, the first device that runs on the operating system, arrived last week.

Although it has been through the wringer over the last several years, Magic Leap is still kicking around. In 2022, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund became the majority owner of Magic Leap and it has since pumped over $1 billion into the company. 

Magic Leap failed to make headway in the consumer market with its AR headset after reportedly selling just 6,000 units in six months. Magic Leap pivoted to focus on the enterprise market with the Magic Leap 2, which it released in 2022. 

In July 2024, it was said to have laid off 75 employees — primarily from the sales and marketing teams — as part of another change in direction to license its tech. A couple of months before that, Magic Leap announced a deal with Google to "advance the potential of [extended reality] technologies," and that partnership is starting to bear fruit. It was reported late last year that Google brought in 100 Magic Leap staffers to work on Android XR projects.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/magic-leap-reveals-an-android-xr-smart-glasses-prototype-165200068.html?src=rss

Water Purifier Faucet Looks Like a Designer Lamp and Fits in 135mm

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Most water purifiers are hidden under the sink or banished to a corner of the kitchen, their bulky shapes and blinking indicator lights clashing with the clean lines of a modern, carefully designed space. For anyone who values both wellness and aesthetics in equal measure, finding a purifier that actually enhances the space rather than detracting from it is a rare treat worth celebrating when you finally discover one.

Lumos reimagines the water purifier as a sculptural centerpiece that deserves to be seen and appreciated. Designed by SAQ Design Consulting for Livingcare, this built-in faucet-style purifier features a lighting-inspired form, compact footprint at just 135mm wide, and touchless controls that bring both clean water and calming ambient light to any kitchen without requiring significant counter space or compromising visual appeal.

Designer: SAQ Design for Livingcare

Lumos’s upright, cylindrical body and translucent top look more like a designer lamp or modern art piece than a typical kitchen appliance. Available in metallic silver, matte gray, and bold orange finishes, it fits seamlessly into minimalist and contemporary kitchens alike, adapting to different design languages without looking out of place. The lighting fixture inspiration makes it a natural focal point rather than something to hide.

The built-in LED light activates gently as you approach the faucet, thanks to a RADAR sensor that detects your presence before you even reach for the controls. This provides a soft, welcoming glow for late-night water runs without the harsh glare of overhead fixtures that shock you awake when you’re trying to stay sleepy and relaxed during nighttime hydration breaks.

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At just 135mm wide, Lumos is the smallest built-in water purifier on the market according to the iF Design Award, making it perfect for apartments and small kitchens where counter space is at a premium and every centimeter counts. The purifier installs directly into the countertop, replacing a standard faucet and eliminating the clutter of separate dispensers or bulky filtration units sitting on valuable surfaces.

Clean lines, intuitive touch controls on the top panel, and integrated filter and lighting mean fewer gadgets competing for attention in your kitchen environment. Lumos uses thermoelectric cooling technology, which is significantly more energy-efficient than traditional compressor systems used in typical hot and cold water purifiers. This technology eliminates refrigerants and harmful chemicals entirely, reducing both electricity bills and environmental impact for households.

Multi-stage filtration removes bacteria, chlorine, heavy metals, and microplastics from tap water reliably, while the touchless RADAR sensor ensures hygienic operation without requiring you to touch surfaces with dirty hands during cooking or meal preparation. The ambient light creates a calming atmosphere for nighttime water breaks, and the purifier’s sculptural presence enhances the kitchen’s overall visual appeal beyond pure function.

For modern kitchens that prioritize both performance and presentation, Lumos offers a compelling vision where clean water, energy efficiency, and beautiful design work together seamlessly. The compact form and lighting-inspired aesthetic make it equally suitable for small apartments or spacious homes, bringing wellness and ambiance to the heart of daily life without sacrificing counter space or visual harmony.

The post Water Purifier Faucet Looks Like a Designer Lamp and Fits in 135mm first appeared on Yanko Design.

The V12 is UNLEASHED! NOVITEC Ferrari 12Cilindri

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The V12 is UNLEASHED! NOVITEC Ferrari 12Cilindri

The Ferrari 12Cilindri, a masterpiece of automotive engineering and design, has been further refined by NOVITEC, the world-renowned tuner specializing in enhancing Maranello’s finest creations. NOVITEC’s meticulous attention to detail and expertise in both aesthetic and performance upgrades have transformed the already impressive 12Cilindri into a genuinely bespoke supercar. From aerodynamic enhancements to state-of-the-art wheels […]

The post The V12 is UNLEASHED! NOVITEC Ferrari 12Cilindri appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

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The Nothing Phone 3a Lite has a big battery and triple-camera system

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The Nothing Phone universe continues to expand. On Wednesday, the company launched the fourth model in the Phone 3 lineup: the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. The cheapest model in the series, the Phone 3a Lite pairs the brand's distinct styling with solid all-around specs for an entry-level handset. However, with the company saying its non-flagship devices will soon include pre-installed apps and lock-screen ads, there may be a trade-off.

First, Nothing told Engadget that the phone won't come to the US. So, Americans only have the previous trio of third-gen handsets to choose from. That's the Nothing Phone 3, Nothing Phone 3a, and Nothing Phone 3a Pro.

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite uses a Panda Glass casing over an aluminum internal frame. As you can see, it retains some familiar design strokes, albeit pared down to match its €249 price. As the company describes it, the handset's "asymmetric, transparent look and nano-coating creates a beautiful balance of matte and gloss." (Poetry!) The phone ships in white and black variants. Whether Nothing's design language is your cup of tea or not, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more striking and bold design language in a budget model.

The handset includes the Essential Key, a multi-purpose physical button found on all Phone 3 series models. The phone is IP54-rated for dust and water resistance.

Dramatic view of the Nothing Phone 3a Lite smartphone. Its notification LED is lit, as the black phone floats against a dark background.
Nothing

Nothing honors the brand's unique Glyph system (while keeping costs down) by using a notification LED. (Remember those on early Android phones?) This model's "Glyph Light" supports the lineup's Flip to Glyph feature, which switches to light-only alerts when the device is face down. The LED can stay on for "key contact and app notifications" and serve as a camera countdown timer. You can also customize its light sequences for calls and specific contacts.

The handset has a hearty 5,000 mAh battery. Nothing advertises 22 hours of YouTube playback or 9.5 hours of gaming. It supports 33W fast charging, reaching 50 percent in about 20 minutes.

The Phone 3a Lite has a triple-camera system. That includes a 50MP primary camera with a 1/1.57-inch Samsung sensor. Joining it are an 8MP ultra-wide and a macro lens. The rear camera system shoots 4K video at app to 30 FPS. On its front is a 16MP lens.

Product marketing image of the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. Standard view, with the back of the phone slightly obscuring the front of another one. Its display shows home screen icons and widgets.
Nothing

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite has more than respectable display specs for a budget phone. It uses a 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED panel with 1,080 x 2,392 resolution (387 PPI). It has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a 1,000Hz touch sampling rate. It can reach 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness and 1,300 nits outdoor brightness.

The handset's processor is the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G. The 8-core CPU can reach up to 2.5 GHz. Nothing says the chip performs better than the MediaTek 7200 silicon in last year's Phone 2a. The company claims its CPU is 15 percent faster, its GPU supports 20 percent higher FPS, and its NPU delivers 100 percent better AI performance.

The phone also uses a liquid-cooling system, which may help during intensive gaming sessions. It ships with 8GB of RAM and comes in 128GB and 256GB storage tiers.

Marketing phone for the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. A suave-looking person holds the phone while on a call, looking nonchalantly over their shoulder toward the camera.
Nothing

The phone runs the Nothing OS 3.5 UI on top of Android 15. The company says Nothing OS 4.0 will arrive in the first half of 2026.

And that brings us back to those trade-offs. Earlier this week, Nothing confirmed to 9to5Google that its strategy moving forward will include "Lock Glimpse." This rotating lock-screen wallpaper feature includes text with links to external content hosted by a Chinese advertising company. (That firm, Boyuan, says it offers a "rich mixture of content" to help its partners "commercialize the mobile traffic.") Think of it as a slightly less obnoxious version of lock-screen ads.

Fortunately, Lock Glimpse is off by default in the current Nothing OS 4.0 beta. Nothing pledges it will give users "full control over features like Lock Glimpse." However, that promise doesn't explicitly say the feature will remain off by default.

Another cost-subsidizing move is Nothing's (also confirmed) embrace of pre-installed apps. The company said its "carefully considered" third-party apps are those "most people install on day one, like Instagram." In fairness, that's a common practice among Android phone manufacturers. And Nothing says it will make third-party apps removable.

But again, the concessions here arguably run counter to one aspect of the brand's stated ethos: clean, bloat-free software. And if business considerations forced compromises in this area, it makes you question how long Lock Glimpse will stay off by default.

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite is available now in Europe on the company website. The 128GB model costs €249 (EU) / £249 (UK). Meanwhile, the 256GB model will set you back €279 (EU) / £279 (UK).

Update, October 29, 2025, 11:20 AM ET: This story has been updated to add information from Nothing about the lack of US availability and additional detail from Nothing's community post.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-nothing-phone-3a-lite-has-a-big-battery-and-triple-camera-system-130016149.html?src=rss

Nintendo is releasing a massive Breath of the Wild vinyl soundtrack collection on eight LPs

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Nintendo is teaming up with Laced Records on a couple of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild vinyl soundtrack releases, which is pretty darned cool. There's even a massive 8-LP box set that ships with some franchise-friendly bells and whistles.

Let's start with that box set. It's available in limited-edition colored vinyl or standard black vinyl. At eight vinyl records, it probably includes just about every piano twinkle and wind rustle found throughout the game. All told, there are 130 newly remastered tracks.

The records here are split into themes, mirroring a player's progression through Hyrule. These themes "revolve around exploring the Kingdom of Hyrule, freeing the Divine Beasts from Calamity Ganon's hold and discovering the mysteries of the Shrines."

It ships with a nifty-looking collector's case and comes with 16 art prints depicting various scenes from the game. The 8-LP collection costs $195, which is high but not the worst deal in the world. That breaks down to around $24 per record.

Two vinyl collections.
Nintendo/Laced Records

The double-LP collection is a more standard affair, with 34 tracks pulled from throughout the game. These include musical cues from visiting the Great Fairy Fountain, Hyrule Castle and other locations. This one costs $50 and is also available in both black and colored vinyl.

Both collections are available to pre-order right now via Laced Records and My Nintendo Store. They won't be shipped until June 19, 2026.

This is one of the first major Nintendo game soundtracks available in a physical format outside of Japan. Breath of the Wild is an interesting choice here for an initial vinyl release, given that the game's soundtrack is known for mood-setting vibes but not really known for bops.

Composers Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, Hajime Wakai and Soshi Abe filled the game with gentle piano riffs, nature sounds and rhythmic pieces to accompany battles. However, it does have a few absolute bangers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-releasing-a-massive-breath-of-the-wild-vinyl-soundtrack-collection-on-eight-lps-151531479.html?src=rss

Grammarly has rebranded to Superhuman

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Grammarly is no more, at least with regards to its name. The AI-powered writing assistance tool founded in 2009 has been absorbed into a new software platform called Superhuman. It follows Grammarly’s acquisition of Superhuman Mail earlier this year, with the former taking the somewhat unusual step of adopting its newly obtained company’s name, rather than the other way around.

Superhuman unites Grammarly, Superhuman Mail and the AI work assistant Coda (also acquired by Grammarly in 2025) in one productivity suite, allowing users to access all three tools as part of a single plan. The company has also launched a new AI assistant called Superhuman Go that is included in every Superhuman plan tier and is baked into the Grammarly browser extension for Chrome and Edge.

Superhuman Go’s capabilities include assisting with professional-sounding email responses, fetching information and scheduling meetings. At launch it can connect to your Google Workspace apps and Microsoft Outlook, with the idea being that the AI is always there making suggestions in the background, rather than you needing to ask it for assistance.

Superhuman plans to add additional functionality to Coda and Superhuman Mail, such as turning ideas from meetings into drafts and more effectively organizing your inbox according to your schedule. Its vision for the rebrand is that instead of thinking of Grammarly as a writing agent alone, you utilize all of its different agents and platforms to work more productively.

Anyone previously using Grammarly can now use Superhuman Go, and the Superhuman suite is being bundled into a number of different plans. The $12 per month (billed annually) Pro plan offers unlimited paragraph rewrites and translations in 19 languages — a feature Grammarly added earlier this year — while the Business plan costs $33 per month (billed annually) and includes Superhuman’s mail client.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grammarly-has-rebranded-to-superhuman-151001417.html?src=rss

Amazon is winding down its still-popular New World MMO amid mass layoffs

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Amazon Games is winding down support for New World: Aeternum amid layoffs in the division and even deeper job cuts across its parent company. The game debuted on PC in 2021 and it landed on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S just over a year ago.

"After four years of steady content updates and a major new console release, we've reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to continue supporting the game with new content updates," Amazon Games wrote in a blog post. "The recently launched Season 10 and Nighthaven update will serve as the final content release for New World on PC and consoles. It is only after much consideration that we've reached this decision."

Players will still be able to buy New World for now, and it will remain available to PlayStation Plus subscribers on the Extra and Premium tiers "until further notice." Amazon is making this month’s Nighthaven expansion available to everyone for free too.

The company said it will keep the game's servers up and running through 2026, "allowing our community time to continue their adventures in Aeternum." In terms of how long fans will be able to keep playing the game, Amazon said it will provide more details about "what to expect in the coming months.” It pledged to "provide a minimum of six months’ notice before making any changes that impact your ability to play New World: Aeternum."

According to Bloomberg, Amazon told staff in a memo this week that, as part of widespread layoffs, it would dial back work on big-budget games, especially MMOs — a category that New World falls under. Updates for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark — MMOS that Amazon publishes but are developed externally — will continue, the company confirmed to MassivelyOP.

Amazon did not comment on the status of a Lord of the Rings MMO that’s been in the works for a while. However, according to Eurogamer, a former Amazon senior gameplay engineer wrote in a since-deleted LinkedIn post that they were laid off “alongside my incredibly talented peers on New World and our fledgling Lord of the Rings game (y'all would have loved it).”

Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann told me last year that Amazon started its big push into games with MMOs because it saw an opportunity. At the time, there weren't too many titles in that genre popping up. However, he noted that "we're evolving out of the MMOs" into other genres, hinting then that the division was changing focus. (Amazon's first AAA game, the free-to-play shooter Crucible, didn't last long after its debut in 2020.)

New World is still a popular game. It got off to a blistering start, with a peak concurrent player count of 914,000 on Steam. This past weekend, it at one point had nearly 50,000 concurrent players on that platform. It was also one of the highest grossing games on Steam in 2021.

And yet it seems that Amazon's games division will now focus more on Luna, the cloud service for which it rolled out an overhaul just last week. It reportedly plans to keep releasing “casual and AI-focused games" for Luna, such as Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg, which puts an AI-generated version of the rapper in a Judge Judy-type role for court case-style debates between players. Amazon's most recent game for PC and consoles is King of Meat, a co-op dungeon-building platformer that has so far reached a peak Steam concurrent player count of just 253.

Update, October 30 11:02AM ET: Updated with details about the Lord of the Rings game’s possible cancellation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-winding-down-its-still-popular-new-world-mmo-amid-mass-layoffs-150500426.html?src=rss

Get 50 percent off one of our favorite budgeting apps ahead of Black Friday

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Those looking for a better way to keep track of their finances should consider a budgeting app. There are dozens of them on the market now, and one of our favorites is running a discount for new subscribers. Monarch Money is offering 50 percent off annual plans right now when you use the code MONARCHVIP at checkout. With the typical yearly price being $100, this will save you $50.

As mentioned before, the discount is only for new users and it can't be combined with other offers. The code only works when you sign up through the web as well. You can't redeem it through the Monarch mobile app.

We feel that Monarch has a steeper learning curve than some other budget trackers and that certain aspects of the app are slightly more complex than they probably need to be. But it offers a great deal of customization and granularity, which outweighs our misgivings.

On the main dashboard, you'll see your net worth along with your latest transactions, spending versus the previous month, your income so far for the month and details about upcoming bills, your investments and goals you've set. There's also a link to a month-in-review page, which offers an in-depth overview of what's been happening with your money that month. You'll also be able to take a peek at how your net worth has changed over time.

Monarch can connect to your bank and track Apple Card, Apple Cash and Savings accounts. It can pull in your transactions and balance history automatically and detect your recurring expenses and income. The app can even keep your car valuation up to date. While it might take a little work to set up Monarch (and you might have to tweak things here and there), it's a detailed budgeting app that can help you keep better track of your income, expenditure and net worth.

If you're a former Mint user (RIP), Monarch Money is a great alternative if you haven't yet found a Mint replacement. But it's worth mentioning that our favorite Mint replacement service, Quicken Simplifi, also has a sale going on right now. It's offering 50 percent off when you sign up for an annual subscription, billed at $3 per month with the discount. That comes out to $36 for the first year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-50-percent-off-one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-ahead-of-black-friday-174011477.html?src=rss