Lead Hacker

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aiming to spend up to $20 million on equipping officers and agents with specialized gloves that deliver painful electric shocks. These plans were outlined in a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, with an unspecified quantity of the devices set to be delivered by March 2027. The electrified handwear outlined in the contract is the CTG 5 GLOVE (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), which manufacturer Compliant Technologies refers to as a CD3 (Conductive Distraction and De-escalation) device. Compliant Technologies describes it as "a great, humane, low-optics, de-esc … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/policy/979010/ice-agents-electric-shock-gloves

Maybe don’t let the AI shred next time. | Image: D’Addario After weeks of controversy and speculation, music company D'Addario has admitted that AI, specifically Suno, was used as part of a recent promotional video. For nearly two weeks, the company has denied the allegations , even as evidence piled up against it. It offered various explanations, from low-quality exports, to combinations of plugins like Autotune introducing digital noise, and the use of AI-assisted mastering tools from LANDR and Logic. But now the company has edited its original Instagram post denying the use of generative AI to say it was wrong. In a lengthy update to its post from July 29th (embedded at the bottom), it said: W … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/978982/daddario-guitar-ai-music-suno

Google is gearing up to reveal a bunch of new Pixel devices on August 12th. A series of leaks leading up to the event suggest that the Pixel 11 lineup will come in an array of colors , with signs pointing to a built-in light coming to Pro models . Teasers from Google also indicate that it will show off a next-gen Pixel Fold alongside a Pixel Watch 5 in four different finishes. There might be a new Pixel Tag tracker as well. Google may take the wraps off the new devices well ahead of its Made by Google livestream. On Google’s website , the countdown for preorders ends on August 12th at 10AM ET — eight hours before its event at 6PM ET. Comedian Trevor Noah will host this year’s show, featuring notable guests like NBA star Stephen Curry, podcaster Alex Cooper, Indian cricketer Shubman Gill, and Japanese actress Ayami Nakajo. We’ll be live blogging the event, so stay tuned! Follow along for all the latest news about Google’s Pixel devices. ...

Apple is seemingly developing an iOS feature that can verify when a photograph was taken using an iPhone camera. 9to5Mac reports that the iOS 27 beta 5 includes code references for an "Apple Reference Image" system that can embed provenance metadata into iPhone photographs at the point of capture - enabling users to prove where the photo originated, and that it isn't AI fakery. Apple Reference Image isn't currently live, but a privacy disclosure in the iOS beta notes that the feature will be off by default. When (or if) it does roll out, 9to5Mac says it can be enabled via Settings > Camera > Reference Image > Reference Mode, and that only p … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/977921/apple-reference-image-iphone-metadata

Games look gorgeous on its 7.9-inch screen. | Photo: Brandt Ranj / The Verge The cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 is going up by $50 on September 1st, 2026 , resulting in a $499.99 price tag for just the console. We’re just weeks away, but Costco is offering a fantastic $499.99 bundle for its members that includes a Nintendo Switch 2 , a 256GB microSD Express card ( usually $59 ), and a one year subscription to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack tier, which normally costs $49.99 per year . That’s over $100 in value, and a great way to kickstart your Switch 2 experience. Nintendo Switch 2 Where to Buy: $558.98 $499.99 at Costco (with NSO and 256GB memory card) The Switch 2 has 256GB of internal storage, so a microSD card is likely something you’ll need eventually for storing more games without having to constantly manage your library. With first-party Nintendo games typically running between 10 and 25GB, and larger third-party games reaching 50GB...

Starting February 1st, 2027, creators who want to monetize their channel through YouTube's Partner Program (YPP) will need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 qualified watch hours over the past year, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. That's a sizeable jump from YouTube's current requirement of 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. Creators will also need to maintain 10 million Shorts views over 90 days to earn money from the Shorts Creators Pool, though falling below this threshold won't result in removal from YPP. Ad … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/streaming/977474/youtube-partner-program-new-requirements