JLab’s comically oversized headphones are not an April Fool’s Prank

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JLab just released a gigantic pair of headphones that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. The Blue XL headphones are ridiculously oversized, making them headphones in name only. I don't even think Andre the Giant could've comfortably worn these suckers.

Unless you have a mythically large head, these are basically "headphone speakers." The idea is to drape them around your neck and stream tunes for all to hear. Though you could also pop them on a table or something. I prefer my Bluetooth speakers to be speaker-shaped, but maybe that's just me.

The headphones.
JLab

As for the internals, they feature 30W of power and two 2.5-inch drivers, along with two 2.5-inch radiators. This is obviously more power than what's demanded by headphones because, again, these are actually speakers. JLab says they'll get around 20 hours of use per charge, which is a decent metric.

There's another use case here. They could make a mighty fine accessory in a "person wearing comically oversized headphones" Halloween costume. The price is actually right for a gag gift. The Blue XL headphones cost $99. These were first announced at a recent college football game, but everyone assumed it was a joke because they were gold and the company said they cost $120,000. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/jlabs-comically-oversized-headphones-are-not-an-april-fools-prank-174338833.html?src=rss

NVIDIA reportedly won’t release new graphics cards this year

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With gaming becoming an ever-smaller part of NVIDIA's lucrative business, the company reportedly won't bother releasing new graphics cards this year. The Information reported on Thursday that NVIDIA has pushed back its plan to release an update to the RTX 50 line in 2026. This would be the first time in three decades that the company hasn't launched new gaming chips. The culprit? Why, AI, of course.

AI demand has driven the current memory chip shortage, throwing the consumer electronics industry out of kilter. Many product prices are expected to rise (as if tariffs hadn't already done enough damage there). And the scarcity of memory chips has made components that rely on them, including GPUs, nearly impossible to find. Even the auto industry isn't spared.

Facing those constraints, NVIDIA, which made its bones on graphics chips for PCs and gaming consoles, is essentially brushing off that demographic. The Information notes that in the first nine months of 2022, NVIDIA's gaming GPUs made up 35 percent of its total revenue. During that same period in 2025, only around 8 percent came from gaming components. In addition, NVIDIA's AI chips have much higher profit margins: 65 percent vs. 40 percent for graphics cards.

That means gamers, already hard-pressed to find last year's RTX 50 series, likely won't get the expected "Super" version in 2026. On top of that, The Information says the delay will also push back NVIDIA's next-gen graphics card (likely "RTX 60"). That component was initially expected to begin mass production at the end of 2027.

But hey, at least you can shop (and view ads!) in ChatGPT, have a talk with your Gmail inbox and record everything the people around you say. Who needs games anyway, right?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidia-reportedly-wont-release-new-graphics-cards-this-year-173002651.html?src=rss

IRIS 4.0 is a Fabric-Covered Smart Speaker Orb That Watches from Above

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Smart speakers usually sit on kitchen counters, bookshelves, or bedside tables, plastic cylinders and pucks buried behind plants and picture frames. Their microphones and speakers are often half-blocked, and they still feel like gadgets you add to a room rather than part of the room itself. Nobody seems to know where these devices actually belong, so they end up scattered across every flat surface, fighting for space and power outlets.

Formeta’s IRIS 4.0 is a fabric-covered sphere that hangs from the ceiling like a light fixture instead of sitting on a shelf. The AI assistant concept is designed for Industry 4.0, meant to integrate into modern living spaces by becoming infrastructure rather than décor. Its central, elevated position keeps it unobstructed while handling security monitoring, sound control, and lighting, turning the assistant into something closer to ambient architecture than a countertop gadget.

Designer: Formeta

The studio frames it as “a ceiling-mounted smart assistant that vanishes into the environment while expanding control, sound, and presence.” Removing devices from surfaces frees up space and makes tech feel less like an object and more like a part of the building. You could walk into a room where there is no visible speaker or hub, yet sound, light, and automation quietly respond when you speak.

The audio side relies on a 6×6+1 sound system that emits sample sound waves to read the room and optimize audio distribution. Being in the ceiling means it is not blocked by books or walls, and multiple drivers throw sound evenly in all directions. The result, at least in theory, is better room acoustics and more consistent voice pickup than a single forward-firing speaker sitting on a counter behind clutter.

IRIS 4.0 also lets you customize ambient lighting, serving as a mood light and smart assistant in one. That sounds nice until you see the design in its “active” state, when the band around the sphere parts and a glowing inner core appears, like a mechanical iris opening. It is a clear signal that the assistant is awake, but it also leans into the feeling of something above you watching and listening.

Of course, the fabric-covered surface and soft geometry are meant to counter that unease, making the device feel more like a textile object than a cold camera dome. The muted colors and lack of aggressive branding help it blend into ceilings and feel less gadget-y. In a category where people already worry about surveillance, tactility, and visual softness go beyond aesthetic choices. They are trust signals that may or may not work depending on who is looking up.

IRIS 4.0 treats AI assistants as something you wire into the ceiling plan, like lights or smoke detectors, rather than something you plug in and move around. That shift raises questions about privacy and control, but it also hints at a future where smart systems are less about scattered gadgets and more about calm, ambient layers in the architecture itself, even if that architecture occasionally looks back down at you with a glowing eye.

The post IRIS 4.0 is a Fabric-Covered Smart Speaker Orb That Watches from Above first appeared on Yanko Design.

Are VPNs legal?

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VPNs have a mixed reputation, primarily because you can use the technology to hide your location and identity on the internet. Even the best VPNs can be used to conceal crimes and make the perpetrators harder to track. Fortunately, most of the world's governments (at least for now) recognize that VPNs are just technology that can be used for good or ill.

That means VPNs are legal in almost every country in the world. The countries that do restrict VPNs tend to be those where internet freedoms are already curtailed, like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. There are distinct gradations between those nations, though. And the days of worry-free VPN access elsewhere in the world is starting to show cracks: Currently free jurisdictions — including the UK, France and even several US states — are now considering bans.

The answer is almost always yes. In every country except the ones listed in the next section, there are no legal penalties for visiting a VPN website, downloading a VPN or connecting to a VPN server.

In the last few years, however, some countries that were once beacons of online liberty have started considering bans. This is part of a chain reaction that started with age verification laws for websites deemed harmful to children, most prominently the UK's Online Safety Act. Once everyone realized that anyone could circumvent the OSA by using a VPN server in another country, UK politicians began trying to ban VPNs as well. The same thing is currently happening in France. In the US, Wisconsin and Michigan are both proposing age verification laws and VPN bans.

For now, though, none of these VPN bans have passed into law. Some have been defeated by the coordinated efforts of activists, including one Swiss proposal that would have forced Proton VPN to relocate.

In countries that do ban or restrict VPN usage, the laws can take several forms. Some countries have made all VPNs unlawful to use. Others only allow VPNs approved by the government — approval which usually comes from agreeing to share information with law enforcement. In some other countries, it's legal to use a VPN, but you'll face extra penalties if you use one to commit a crime. I'll go through all these categories in the next section.

This section is a complete list of countries where using a VPN is a legal risk. If a country isn't on this list, you can assume it's safe to use a VPN. Even nations with bad internet freedom scores, like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, often don't have anti-VPN laws to avoid scaring off international business.

One more important note is that anti-VPN laws are much more likely to be enforced against locals than foreigners. I'm not saying you should tempt fate, just noting that there are very few cases of a traveler being prosecuted in another country solely for using a VPN.

VPNs are completely outlawed in four countries. Three of them — Belarus, Turkmenistan and North Korea — are isolated authoritarian regimes that restrict internet freedoms as part of nationwide crackdowns on all civil and political liberties. Iraq, while slightly more liberal overall, banned VPNs in 2014 in an attempt to kick the Islamic State off the internet. Twelve years later, the ban remains in place.

Uganda is a special case. In 2018, the African nation enacted the world's first social media tax, which the government called necessary to raise funds but which was criticized as a backhanded assault on free speech. VPNs can get around the tax, so Ugandan internet service providers (ISPs) are required to block VPN traffic. However, there's no law on the books against using a VPN, so as long as you bring a service with obfuscation (like NordVPN) you're good to go.

More common than banning VPNs altogether is restricting VPN usage to those approved by the government. This lets the powers that be grant limited VPN access to businesses for economic reasons, while also being able to yank it away as a method of control. It also means VPNs with a license to operate are likely to report data or install surveillance backdoors.

The nations that handle VPNs this way are China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Bahrain, Myanmar, Pakistan, India, Turkey and Oman. These countries don't ban all VPNs, but target popular providers with intermittent crackdowns and threats.

China in particular uses the so-called Great Firewall, the world's most sophisticated suite of censorship technologies, to prevent its citizens from even visiting the homepages of VPN companies. If you plan to travel in China and want to maintain access to the outside world, download a VPN before you go — and remember that using it while there will technically put you in violation of the law.

Russia is a textbook case of a selective VPN ban, with businesses allowed to use approved VPNs and everyone else left to scramble against periodic mass blocks. Turkey's autocratic government has also tried to crack down on VPN usage by blocking VPN sites, but clumsy implementation has left a lot of holes, allowing Instagram and other social media to remain a free speech lifeline for Turks.

In a few countries, it's legal to use any VPN, but against the law to use them for illegal activities. You might say, "Duh, I'm aware that breaking the law is illegal," but there is a meaningful difference — some crimes are crimier than others. Just like you'll get a much harsher sentence if you rob someone with a weapon, you'll face steeper penalties for using a VPN to view content the government is trying to block. Countries that operate like this include Vietnam, Egypt and the UAE. 

Today, a number of countries once considered free and tolerant are proposing wide-ranging age verification laws, usually for reasons that boil down to "think of the children!" If enacted — as the UK’s Online Safety Act has shown — they effectively offer a choice between two equally unacceptable alternatives: Live with a censored version of the internet, or get broader access only once you sacrifice your online anonymity.

VPNs are the easiest and most direct workaround to this rising tide of censorship, which is why those same governments have them in their legislative crosshairs. The threat of enforcement chills free activity in a connected world where enforcers can't be everywhere at once.

For now, laws against VPN usage are still largely vague, inconsistent and unevenly applied. As citizens, we can work to make our voices heard and fight against these initiatives before they become law. In the meantime, you may well want to get install your VPN of choice on as many devices as possible — and get your other cybersecurity ducks in a row while you’re at it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/are-vpns-legal-170000878.html?src=rss

How to use your Apple Watch to precisely find your new AirTag

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Our review of the new AirTag went up yesterday, and that involved testing the new Precision Finding feature on Apple Watches. In the process, I found the setup to be confusing and counterintuitive, and was relieved to discover it wasn’t just me. If, like me, you’ve been trying to set up Precision Finding on your Apple Watch for the AirTag you’ve just unboxed and attached to a precious belonging, here are the exact steps to take. 

First, make sure your Apple Watch is compatible with the feature. That means verifying you’re using the Series 9 or later (you would have bought it in or after 2023) or the Ultra 2 and newer. Then, go to the Watch app on your phone and do the following to make sure you’ve received the latest software update that adds the functionality.

  1. Tap General.

  2. Press Software update. 

  3. Make sure the page says you are running watchOS 26.2.1. If not, tap Install Now. 

If you need to download the software, make sure your watch is on its charging cradle. Even though my Apple Watch Series 11 was fully charged, I was still told to make sure it’s connected to power and had at least 50 percent of juice left for the software to install. After a few minutes, my watch restarted and the app said it was updated to the newest version of watchOS. 

Now that you have the right hardware and software, you can set up Precision Finding. I assume you’ve already connected the new AirTag to the iPhone that’s linked to your watch (and if you haven’t, make sure to do that). 

This was the part of the process that confused me. Instead of opening the Find Items app on the watch, Precision Finding for the new AirTag actually exists as a shortcut in the Control Center. Here are the steps to add it there:

  1. Open the Control Center by pushing the button below the dial on the side of the watch. 

  2. Scroll all the way to the bottom and press “Edit.”

  3. Push the + button at the top left of the screen.

  4. Scroll down and tap Find Items.

  5. Press Find AirTag, then tap Choose. You should see the new AirTag you’ve linked to your account here.

  6. Select the AirTag you want to precisely find. 

  7. Drag the icon to whichever position you prefer within the Control Center. 

  8. Hit Done.

Now, whenever you want to locate your item, you can pull up the Control Center, press this button and the Precision Finding interface will appear, showing how far away it is. You can also push the button on the bottom right of this screen to get the AirTag to ring, guiding you to where your item is.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/how-to-use-your-apple-watch-to-precisely-find-your-new-airtag-164922731.html?src=rss

Valheim is coming to Switch 2 this year

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After celebrating its fifth anniversary earlier this month, the tough-as-nails survival Viking game Valheim is coming to Switch 2 this year. Initially launched as a Steam Early Access game in 2021, Valheim lets you team up with up to nine other players online as you explore a procedurally generated open world inspired by Norse mythology.

Whether playing alone or with your Viking pals, survival depends on crafting the right gear, building shelters and prevailing in punishing combat encounters. The ultimate aim of the game is to kill various gods dotted around the game's different biomes to be deemed worthy of entering Valhalla. But you can ignore the bosses if you’d rather focus on collecting recipes and cooking up banquets for your fellow bearded adventurers.

If I’m being brutally honest, the Switch 2 version of Valheim doesn’t appear to be much of a looker in the announcement trailer, but it’s technically still an early access game at the time of writing, and you do get support for mouse controls and HD Rumble 2 on Nintendo's console.

After debuting on PC, Valheim later made the jump to Xbox and will also launch on PS5 later this year. There’s currently no release date for that or the newly announced Switch 2 port, but they could arrive at the same time to coincide with the game hitting 1.0.

Valheim was announced during today's third-party-focused Nintendo Direct, in which a bunch of Bethesda games were also confirmed for Switch 2 in 2026. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/valheim-is-coming-to-switch-2-this-year-164159284.html?src=rss

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth comes to Switch 2 on June 3

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is heading to the Switch 2 on June 3. The news was dropped at this morning's Nintendo Direct livestream. This is the second part of the FF7 remake-a-palooza. The first installment, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, was released for Nintendo's console on January 22. Only a six month wait between chapters? Sony fans had to wait four years.

For the uninitiated, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remakes the middle portion of the PS1 classic Final Fantasy 7. The graphics are, obviously, quite different, but so is the gameplay. This isn't exactly the JRPG you remember, with a real time action system instead of turn-based mechanics.

This is a full port of the PS5 game, further proving that the Switch 2 is a capable little machine. It's certainly pretty to look at, as proven by the trailer. As an aside, the port is also coming to Xbox Series X/S on the very same day.

Now that all of the major consoles will soon be home to both current FF7 remakes, we can join in solidarity as we wait for the third and final installment. Yeah, that's right. A JRPG from 1997 requires three gigantic remakes. We don't even know when the third one is coming out, but rumors suggest 2027.

Today's Nintendo Direct also revealed that a bunch of Bethesda games are heading to the Switch 2, including Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition on February 24, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on May 12 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered sometime later in the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-comes-to-switch-2-on-june-3-163009481.html?src=rss

Guerrilla reveals Horizon Hunters Gathering, a co-op action spin-off for PS5 and PC

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Horizon is one of PlayStation's biggest franchises at this point. Alongside Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, there are a bunch of spin-off games. Joining them is Horizon Hunters Gathering, a co-op action game that original Horizon developer Guerrilla is making for PlayStation 5 and PC. We've known since 2022 that the studio was working on a Horizon multiplayer game.

Here, you'll be able to team up with a couple of friends to hunt killer machines, Monster Hunter style. Guerrilla says it's designing the hunts to be challenging and replayable. "Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play," game director Arjan Bak wrote on the PlayStation Blog. The game also has a more stylized look compared with the more grounded visuals of the mainline games.

Horizon Hunters Gathering has multiple game modes. In Machine Incursion, you'll battle waves of machines plus a tough boss. Guerrilla is pitching Cauldron Descent as a longer, multi-stage mode with a series of chambers to work through. These will contain things like battles with machines and "hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them."

There's a roster of characters to choose from that will expand over time. Each hunter has their own melee or ranged weapons and playstyles. The game has a roguelite perk system too, through which you'll be able to shape your hunter's build on each run, and you can select a class that alters their abilities. There's a social hub where you can customize your characters, visit shops, upgrade your gear and assemble a team for a mission.

Guerrilla says Hunters Gathering is canonical to the Horizon universe. It has a narrative campaign with "new mysteries, characters and threats." You’ll be able to play through the story with bots or with friends in co-op. The studio says it will add more adventures over time.

There'll be support for cross-play and cross-progression between PS5 and PC. Guerrilla says it'll have more to share about the game in the coming months, but you won't necessarily need to wait a long time to try it out. The first closed playtest will take place later this month. You can sign up through the PlayStation Beta Program.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/guerrilla-reveals-horizon-hunters-gathering-a-co-op-action-spin-off-for-ps5-and-pc-162058264.html?src=rss

Off-beat JLab Blue XL headphone speakers can be worn around the neck

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Move over Boomboxes, TWS earbuds, and Clip-On headphones, as JLab has just revealed a bizarre audio accessory fit for the giants of planet earth. These are the Blue XL headphone speakers that overshadow any chunky pair of headphones with their large presence. So how would you put these huge pair of cans on your head, at least they would not even stick to my face even for a second?

Well, they are not meant to be sported as a normal pair of headphones, rather you wear them around the neck to function as a pair of Bluetooth speakers. However bizarre or cool they might look, implementing such an offbeat idea is a bold step. Having made their debut at the Birmingham Bowl, the oversized speakers are touted as the MVP of victory moments. JLab thinks these will have many takers for $99, but we believe only a few will fancy them wearing comfortably out in public.

Designer: JLab

These speaker headphones come with dual 2.5-inch drivers and passive radiators to beam 30 Watts of audio. According to JLab, the speakers can play immersive sound for almost 20 hours on a stretch. The 10W fast charging refills the battery in three hours flat, while a quick charge of 15 minutes will make them good to go for another couple of hours. Given the size of this audio accessory, it’s not surprising that it can play for such a long time, almost a day nonstop at full blast. Though listening to your playlist on the local commute on the Blue XL is going to raise some eyebrows.

If you’re not that bold enough to sport them around the neck, you can use them as normal desk speakers, as one earcup rests on the surface, and the other one sits on top of it vertically. Blue XL speaker headphones support SBC and ACC audio codecs, which should play seamlessly with most of the audio streaming services and offline media players. With the JLab Signature EQ settings, you can adjust the sound to your preference. The speaker headphones are going to be available in a limited number, and that’s not surprising.

The post Off-beat JLab Blue XL headphone speakers can be worn around the neck first appeared on Yanko Design.

These Chairs Are Made From the Steel That Holds Up Buildings

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There’s something beautifully rebellious about taking the skeleton of a building and turning it into something you’d actually want in your home. That’s exactly what designer Marquel Williams has done with his Beams collection, a furniture series that proves industrial components can have serious aesthetic game.

Williams built this entire collection around one specific element: the I-beam. You know, those steel supports that hold up skyscrapers and warehouses. The same component that was patented back in 1849 by Alphonse Halbou and has been refined over nearly two centuries to become the gold standard for structural efficiency. But instead of leaving these beams to do their usual heavy lifting in the background, Williams pulled them into the spotlight and transformed them into chairs, lamps, desks, and lounge seating.

Designer: Marquel Williams

The collection includes five distinct pieces, each one using the I-beam as its structural foundation alongside metal sheets and black leather upholstery. What makes this approach so compelling is how Williams managed to create such diverse pieces from a single standardized part. Each item has its own personality despite sharing the same DNA.

Take the Beam Chair, for instance. It’s monochromatic metal at its finest, with precisely angled I-beams and laser-cut aluminum sheets. The whole thing is treated with a waxed finish that balances rigid industrialism with actual functionality. Looking at it, you might think it would be uncomfortable with all that sharp geometry and metal, but there’s an intentional restraint in its design that makes it striking.

Then there’s the Chaise Longue, which takes an entirely different approach. While the chair feels rigid and precise, the chaise has this relaxed, almost delicate equilibrium going on. The leather upholstery softens the whole vibe, making it feel more approachable while still maintaining that industrial edge.

But the real showstopper might be the Floor Lamp. This piece gets technical in the best way possible, featuring adjustable height shades with a cantilever system. Here’s the kicker: the electrical cord isn’t hidden away like usual. Instead, it’s framed right inside the beam as a visible design detail. It’s that kind of thoughtful touch that shows Williams isn’t just using industrial materials for aesthetic novelty; he’s actually thinking about how to integrate every functional element into the design language.

Williams’s philosophy here is all about standardization and what you can do when you commit to a single industrial component as your foundation. The I-beam represents nearly 200 years of industrial production refinement, the absolute peak of standardized structural efficiency. By using it in unexpected ways, Williams subverts its typical purpose and transforms it into a vehicle for creativity and self-expression.

This approach isn’t entirely new in the design world. Italian designer Enzo Mari explored similar territory with his own I-beam experiments (called “putrella” in Italian), creating bowls and trays for dining tables by simply bending the extremities upward. Mari’s research into semi-finished products aimed to highlight the formal worth of industrial components and transform them into contemporary design icons. Williams is working in that same tradition but pushing it further by creating an entire cohesive furniture system.

The collection is handcrafted by Caliper in Spain and produced in very limited quantities, which makes sense given the level of craftsmanship required. These aren’t mass-produced pieces; each one requires careful fabrication and finishing to achieve that balance between industrial rawness and refined design.

What Williams has ultimately created is a collection that makes you rethink the materials around you. Those structural supports holding up buildings? They have untapped aesthetic potential. That standardized industrial component? It can be the basis for something truly unique. The Beams collection proves that creativity isn’t about reinventing the wheel; sometimes it’s about looking at the wheel differently and imagining what else it could become.

The post These Chairs Are Made From the Steel That Holds Up Buildings first appeared on Yanko Design.