OpenAI a pris son temps. Trois semaines après le dépôt de plainte d'Apple à son encontre pour vol de secrets industriels, OpenAI a publié un communiqué dans lequel l'entreprise de Sam Altman contre-attaque de manière cinglante, se défendant de toute pratique illégale et accusant Apple de...
John Ternus aurait convaincu Laura Legros de revenir à Cupertino pour travailler sous sa direction à compter du 1er septembre, selon les informations de Mark Gurman sur Bloomberg. L'ancienne vice-présidente avait participé à deux Apple Events, présentant les nouveaux designs du MacBook Air en...
AppleCare One est désormais disponible en France ! Apple avait la semaine dernière annoncé l'arrivée de sa formule d'assurance groupée dans quatre nouveaux pays, un an après son lancement aux États-Unis. Cela concerne la France, l'Allemagne, l'Australie et le Royaume-Uni. En France, cette...
Apple prépare l'ouverture de sa fonctionnalité de Presse-papiers universel à Windows au sein de l'Union européenne, suite à une requête de Microsoft dans le cadre du règlement sur les marchés numériques (DMA). Il s'agit du copier-coller entre appareils, qui permet par exemple de copier un...
C'est une déclaration officielle d'Apple auprès de la Commission européenne, dans le cadre de ses obligations relatives au DMA, qui nous apprend aujourd'hui l'acquisition de PlasmaSolve. Cette entreprise tchèque est spécialisée dans la conception et l'optimisation de procédés de revêtement...
Apple utilise l'IA pour détecter des bugs et failles au sein de ses systèmes, tout comme les chercheurs en sécurité qui cherchent à obtenir les récompenses du programme Apple Security Bounty, avec des primes qui peuvent atteindre 5 millions de dollars pour les découvertes les plus sensibles....
Apple aurait initialement voulu apporter des fonctionnalités de santé et de sport à l'Apple Vision Pro. L'entreprise aurait notamment travaillé à une version d'Apple Fitness+ capable de fonctionner directement au sein du casque, rapporte Mark Gurman sur Bloomberg, avant d'abandonner « en...
It takes a lot to get your typical white-bread American riled up enough that they’re willing to go to jail. Getting arrested is a massive pain, bringing court dates, fines, and a record that can shadow your job and housing prospects for the rest of your life.
For most folks, just the threat of jail time is enough to keep them on their best behavior. Yet in 2026, data centers have become one of the rare issues pushing more and more of Americans to risk it anyway.
So far in the US, Futurism has counted at least 37 arrests stemming from protests related to data centers this year. There were an additional 12 cases where police intervened to prevent protestors or speakers from confronting civic leaders, though in reality that number is likely much higher, as these cases aren’t as likely to make the news.
Unlike in other moments of political unrest in recent memory, it’s hard to pigeonhole these anti-data center activists demographically. They range from landowning farmers to physics teachers, zoomers to boomers, rural townspeople to suburban parents.
Despite their differences, the arrestees all have one thing in common: they each felt the actions of democratically elected officials are failing to reflect the wishes of their constituents, instead deferring to massive tech corporations.
Take the case of 42-year old Pablo Payan, a maintenance manager from Indiana. During a public meeting in May held to discuss plans to erect a massive Amazon data center in the city of Hobart, Payan refused to identify himself for the record before speaking, resulting in an attempted removal by police.
As officers were escorting him out, Payan says he asked why he was being removed, which prompted officers to place him under arrest for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
“In my opinion, I was kicked out to prove a point that the law is on their side and if people continue to try and express themselves and speak, they will also be intimidated or arrested by law enforcement,” Payan told Fox32 after the fact. “So I think it was a flex of power.”
Far from the “anti-tech extremism” that law enforcement agencies and the Trump administration have warned about, these demonstrations are overwhelmingly peaceful, escalating into physical confrontations only when police lay hands on a person to remove them. Many of the charges come when anti-data center activists break petty clerical rules, like going slightly over the allotted time for a public comment.
Lux Claridge, a physics teacher from Emporia, Kansas, is an exemplar of the absurd ways civic leaders can weaponize police to stifle dissent. At a public meeting earlier this month, Claridge was arrested after clapping in support of another community member speaking out against a proposed 1,000 acre data center campus — running afoul of a commissioner’s rule against “snapping” and “clapping.”
“I am fully of the notion that clapping is a First Amendment right that I have,” Claridge said in an interview with 404 Media after the fact. “I can exercise that as long as I’m not disrupting, and I still argue that I was not disrupting at all.”
“I have a right to clap,” Claridge continued, “and if you want me out, you’re going to have to drag me out.”
More on protests: Furious Protestor Tears AI-Generated Art Off Wall of Exhibit, Chews It Up Into Tiny Shreds Using His Teeth
The post The Number of Regular People Being Arrested for Protesting Data Centers Is Astounding appeared first on Futurism.
Bloomberg dropped the report on July 28, 2026, and MacRumors confirmed the details the same day: Apple is finally building a real smart home hub, one that pairs a HomePod-style speaker with a 7-inch display and puts Siri’s new AI backbone in charge of it. A refreshed HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV 4K box are reportedly launching alongside it, possibly as soon as October.
Great news for anyone who’s been waiting since the HomePod’s original 2018 debut for Apple to take the smart home category seriously. Less great news for your power strips.
Here’s the thing nobody’s talking about yet. A hub that lives in every room, always listening, always processing, is a different animal from a single speaker parked in the kitchen. MacRumors reports that Apple wants both tabletop and wall-mounted versions, which means most households are looking at three, four, maybe five of these things running continuously. That’s not a minor addition to your setup. That’s a rethink of every outlet in the house.
Most people plan their charging setup the way they plan a junk drawer: reactively. A cable here, a brick there, nothing coordinated. That works fine when you’re charging a phone overnight. It stops working when you’ve got always-on AI hardware drawing power in the living room, the bedroom, and the kitchen simultaneously, plus your existing phones, tablets, and laptops all still competing for the same three outlets behind the couch.
People already budget mental energy around downtime the way they budget money. You plan ahead for a big purchase. You plan ahead for a weekend trip. Someone driving through the middle of the country for a work trip might check https://www.newgamenetwork.com/casinos/oklahoma/ before they leave, not because they’re committing to anything, just because it’s smart to know what’s around before you’re already there. Same logic applies to your house. You don’t want to discover your power situation is inadequate after the hub is mounted on the wall.
A standard HomePod mini idles at roughly 1-2 watts and spikes briefly during audio playback. That’s negligible. Nobody’s outlet strip has ever struggled with a HomePod mini.
An AI-driven hub is different math entirely. AppleInsider’s coverage of the same report notes Apple has been working through chip upgrades specifically to support on-device Siri AI processing across these new products. On-device inference isn’t free. It’s not going to draw laptop-charger levels of power, but continuous listening plus periodic AI processing pushes these units well past what a dumb speaker ever needed.
Multiply that by the number of rooms you’re planning to put one in. Three hubs at a slightly elevated draw, running 24/7, is a meaningfully different load than one HomePod mini that mostly idles. Add the refreshed Apple TV box, which reportedly gets its own hardware bump, and you’ve got four or five always-on devices instead of one.
None of this trips a breaker. Let’s be clear about that. This isn’t a fire hazard conversation. It’s a convenience and cable-management conversation, and those get ignored until the day you’re staring at an outlet with three things already plugged in and nowhere to put the fourth.
Wattage is the boring part. Cabling is where people actually get burned.
A wall-mounted hub, if that’s the form factor Apple ships, needs power run to wherever you’re mounting it. Kitchens and hallways rarely have outlets at eye level or above the counter, which is exactly where a display-equipped hub makes the most sense. You’re either running an extension cord (ugly, and a tripping hazard if it crosses a walkway) or you’re calling an electrician to add an outlet where one doesn’t exist.
9to5Mac’s reporting suggests Apple is close to finished on all three devices, which means this isn’t a hypothetical two years out. If the October window holds, people are going to be unboxing these before the holidays and immediately hitting the same wall: where does this actually go, and how does it get power there.
Compare this to how home networking gear evolved. Ten years ago, a single router in the living room was fine. Mesh systems changed that, and suddenly people needed outlets in three or four rooms they’d never planned for. We’re about to repeat that exact cycle with AI hubs, except mesh nodes don’t have microphones and 7-inch screens people expect to glance at from across the room, which means placement is far less flexible.
Skip the extension cord instinct. It’s the path of least resistance and also the thing that looks terrible and degrades fastest under continuous load.
A few things worth doing before the hub actually ships:
Gizmodo’s take on the announcement, after years of false starts on Apple’s home hub ambitions, is that this time feels different because the AI angle gives Apple an actual reason to ship hardware it’s been sitting on. I’d agree with that read. The company doesn’t need a smart display for the sake of a smart display. It needs a physical surface for Siri’s new AI to live on, and that changes the calculus from “nice to have” to “core product line.”
If you’re the kind of household that already has a HomePod mini in three rooms, you’re closer to ready than most. If you’ve got one speaker total and you’re thinking about expanding once the new hub drops, now’s the window to get ahead of the outlet problem instead of solving it in a panic in November.
Apple rarely ships hardware refreshes without a reason, and the timing here (alongside a new Apple TV box) suggests this is a genuine platform push, not a minor spec bump. For anyone who bought into the smart home ecosystem early and got burned by half-finished HomeKit support, this is the moment to actually plan a setup instead of bolting devices on as they arrive.
The households that get the most out of this rollout won’t be the ones who buy every device the day it ships. They’ll be the ones who spent twenty minutes this month figuring out where power actually needs to go, and made sure the outlets could handle it before the boxes showed up.
For more on how gaming and entertainment tech is evolving on Apple hardware, see our piece on browser-based gaming becoming more popular on Apple devices, and our breakdown of the rise of online gaming as a new era in entertainment.
No one will argue that macOS has an excellent reputation. Apple’s operating system is known for its tight restrictions and reliability. However, add-ons are in a gray area, potentially vulnerable to attack. Therefore, all Apple users should pay attention to browser extension security.
Add-ons run inside Safari, Firefox, or Chrome. They often access information you type, click, or copy. Mac devices are certainly well-protected. However, this means little if a new malicious program is surreptitiously reading the contents of your clipboard.
Our guide will show you what can actually impact browser extension security. You’ll learn which tools to trust and how to avoid mistakes in the future.
These are small programs. They get installed with a single click and rarely get a second look afterward. That’s also the problem. A calendar widget or coupon finder can request permission to read and change data on every website you visit. So, most users just hit accept without reading the fine print.
On Mac, Apple applies a strict Safari extension review process before those reach the App Store. However, Chrome and Firefox add-ons, by contrast, are far more open. Anyone can publish one, and the Chrome Web Store has had repeated waves of malicious listings slip through. Chrome extension permissions are easy to check, but few users actually check them. Firefox add-on privacy policies vary a lot from developer to developer. So it pays to read them rather than assume.
Good browser extension security starts with understanding these differences between Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
A few habits go a long way here.
Safari keeps things simpler than Chrome, through System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Extensions. Also, match the permission to the function. A screenshot tool doesn’t need to read your browsing history.
Remember, this kind of check is the foundation of solid browser extension security on any Mac.
You don’t have to panic or forget about programs you really need. Remember, not every addition to your Google Chrome or Mozilla is a threat. Many of them are useful and improve privacy and workflow. Also, a few categories stand out for Mac users who care about their setup.
Firstly, discover password manager extensions. There are cool tools like 1Password and Bitwarden. They integrate seamlessly with Safari and Chrome. Such add-ons reduce password reuse. Passwords are still a huge risk factor for account takeovers.
Secondly, tracking blocker efficacy varies more than most people assume. Some programs block obvious ad trackers but miss fingerprint scripts entirely. However, uBlock Origin has a solid reputation. It remains relatively lightweight compared to the privacy software packages included with existing systems.
Browser sandboxing basics also matter more than people realize. Modern browsers isolate each tab and add-on process to some degree. However, that sandbox isn’t bulletproof. Programs with broad permissions can still cross that isolation. Therefore, it is better to use well-tested, actively supported tools that significantly reduce this risk.
Thirdly, for anyone auditing a longer list, browser extension audit tools can help. Built-in browser reports can also flag tools with unusually broad access. So you should develop the habit of conducting such an audit every few months.
It’s a small habit, but it strengthens browser extension security that is good in general.
Even though malicious extension detection becomes better, it still needs improvement. Stores typically pull bad products after users report problems, not before. So, there’s a window, sometimes weeks long, where a compromised product stays live.
The most common risks include:
Self-hosted extension alternatives gain traction for users who want more control. If you create or host your own script through something like Tampermonkey, this avoids third-party servers entirely. However, it does require more technical comfort than the average user has.
Please, weigh these risks as part of your browser extension security.
Usually, browser extension security covers what happens on your device. However, network-level protection matters just as much. This is where a proxy browser extension can add a useful layer. It masks your real IP address and makes cross-site tracking harder for advertisers.
Many users pair add-ons with a proxy for network protection to ensure they have more consistent coverage. A dedicated IP proxy service works alongside your existing add-ons rather than replacing them. It handles IP address protection at the network level. That complements whatever privacy tools you’re already running inside Mozilla or Google Chrome itself.
Combine both layers and give your browser extension security setup real depth.
A short checklist is often more useful than a long lecture. These cybersecurity tips for home users apply whether you’re on a MacBook, an iMac, or switching between both.
None of this requires deep technical knowledge. It just requires a bit of routine maintenance. So, think of it like checking your car’s oil or clearing out old files.
Mac buyers often think their platform takes care of security on its own. However, this is the most common mistake Apple device owners make.
Yes, the system does handle most tasks. However, add-ons still pose a risk. To avoid being ensnared by unscrupulous developers, it’s worth doing a little research before you install anything. Also, regularly clean out apps and make smart privacy choices online.
The main thing is not to rely on anyone else. Security should be considered part of everyday life.
Weirdly, time seems to become more valuable as we age. Especially when you consider that each second, minute, hour, week, month, and year has the same duration and cadence. As a youth, it seemed that this currency was limitless. I could play what I wanted, when I wanted, and do nearly anything I wanted. Now, as a married father of four kids, each with their own sports, work/study, hobbies, interests, and a full-time job, I have to be more selective about my activities. Since my free time is worth more than when I was a child, I have to ration it and divert my energy between only a few activities.
I have enjoyed playing video games since approximately 1988 when my parents bought a Nintendo NES. With time I progressed through the NES, Super Nintendo, N64, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, the GameBoy family (Game Boy, Color, Advance, DS, 3DS/XL), Sega Genesis, Sega CD, GameGear, PlayStation 2/3, PSP, XBOX 360, XBOX One and XBOX Series X. I played a variety of game types to include platformers, first person shooters, RPG, JRPG, racing games, quest/puzzle style games, etc. In my later years of high school and into college, my father and I played the online role-playing game (MMORPG) Dark Age of Camelot. Now, I am left with a Nintendo Switch 2, an Xbox Series X, and one to two hours per week of playtime. One hour is used to play Diablo 4 with my Dad, and one hour is used for Switch 2 time.
I read about the Nickelodeon Splat Pack, a $14.99 Nintendo Switch eShop game, and immediately fell in love with the nostalgia of morning cartoons and the art style of Rocko’s Modern Life, Real Monsters, and the gameshow Nickelodeon GUTS. I had the privilege of reviewing the title thanks to the publisher. With a quick trip to the eShop and a download time of ~7 minutes (1032-1039 am), the game found its way onto my E-storage. I fired up the game and noticed a virtual card insertion animation, photosensitivity warning, and then the fun, slimy, Nickelodeon image. Many adults will remember the orange/yellow slime splat, purple lettering, and crayon-like purple feel of Nickelodeon. I think that feeling is part of why Splatoon felt so fun to play and why Slime remains one of my kids’ favorite pastimes. We had Gak; now they have every iteration of texture and smell you can imagine in slime form.
The game compilation had several modes/games within the main collection: Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day, Nickelodeon Guts, and AAAHH!!! Real Monsters (Sega/NES versions). The main Nickelodeon splat screen will transition into the second screen with Real Monsters 16-bit Mega at the top left, Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day along the left, Museum, and Credits. Along the right side of the screen, you will find Real Monsters 16-bit Super, GUTS, and a music player. Along the bottom, you have change selection with the L drumstick, Y for languages (French, English, Italian, German, Spanish), B for back, and A to confirm.
I remembered the kids’ TV game shows like Double Dare, GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and wanted to start with the GUTS game. Unlike the cartoony feel of the other games, the GUTS game lacked color and pizazz and felt more pixelated and outdated than retro. The game’s opening sequence provided several black-and-white photographs of the GUTS game show. You can adjust the screen size between full, 4:3 ratio, and stretch. You can change the filter from CRT to off and adjust the borders: 1. Off, which is all black. 2. Colored Backgrounds: A yellow, orange-shaped background, purple, yellow, green background, and a green slime background. You can open up the game manual and walk through the different games and try to navigate/memorize the manual for each game subtype.
Instead of using the A button to start the game, the GUTS game required you to press the “+” button to start a game. You can choose between single player vs. two player, change between beginner and advanced, and turn the music on and off. You can choose GUTS Show or single event. Select your desired color (blue, red, and purple), and then pick your character. There are eight options to select from, and each one has a different weight, height, and favorite sport. I am not certain that these differences mattered much in the actual game. From Lacrosse V Attack to track to elastic ball slam dunk, and then to the Aggro Crag, the game was very difficult to play. The controls were not easy to remember; each mode had its own sequence of button combinations and timing patterns. Timing the basketball slam, trying to get back onto the ledge, rope grabbing, ball throwing/aiming all created more frustration than enjoyment. At times, it felt like the athletic character would fall or jump before I even pushed a button. Again, quite frustrating. Even though it was one of the first games I played, I did not return to the game and have since not played it again.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day did a great job at capturing the artistic, visual feel of the 16-bit era. In this game, you will assume the role of the Wallaby Rocko, and you must guide your dog Spunky through various maps, hazards, and transitions. The gameplay felt clunky, and the Spunky Mechanic was incredibly frustrating. I have played many games that required specific timing (Aladdin carpet level, Turbo Tunnel level on Battletoads, Solomon’s Key, Mike Tyson, numerous platform jumps). Still, the escort mechanic, combined with the mapped controls and inability to adjust the controls, made the game quite frustrating. Despite the frustration, I think it was the best of the collection. The platformer feel combined with some puzzle-like activities required you to move things/open up pathways for the dog. If you did not open them in time, the dog would turn 180 degrees and go backward. Thus, you had to open/close levels/shells/gates to keep the dog from trying to die. Curiosity, in this case, killed the dog!.
The AAAAH!!! Real Monsters games had a fun character swap mechanic. You will need to change your leader by pressing the L/R buttons based on the situation, as Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm each possess their own special ability. Control your characters with the D pad or Thumbstick, press down to squat, press up to ascend a ladder, Y to throw a monster, B to jump, A to scare, and X for triple monster moves with the other two. There are a total of three options depending on your leader. Ickis, the pink-eared monster, has a frightening fling long jump. Krumm has an EERE Eye ejector to search for hidden rooms. Finally, Oblina the taller monster, can reach higher places with a high jump. All three will stack up. You can throw monsters, and will need to use their individual powers to search for trash. Navigate through schools, sewers, streets, look for character upgrades, and try to get to the end. Several of the stages reminded me of Metroid, where you could not access certain areas. At times, I wanted to move the jump button to A, and I would have liked to move the monster-throw button to a trigger button. Alas, the game did not allow for button mapping or modification. The button combinations for the Switch controller felt weird and made several of the levels feel more difficult than they needed to be. The rewind function was a great update for the game. However, it did not provide enough of a victory to pull the review up from ~6/10.
Despite the difficult-to-navigate/learn button combinations, the Splat Pack did provide a few modern quality-of-life upgrades. No, you cannot button map. If that were possible, this review would be at least an 7.5/10. However, like with many modern ports, you gain the ability to save progress, and you can rewind/reverse time to try again. Let me be clear, these games will not walk you through and give you a trophy at the end. Games from the 80’s and 90’s did not do this; Elden Ring does not do this, and games like Call of Duty won’t do this either. You will have to practice the controls, remember the sequence, and die/restart a lot. The 90’s versions were frustrating! Guess what, the current ports are frustrating! Some may find this alluring and a challenge worthy of a quest, while others may want to throw the controller and move on to other games. With valuable time as a resource, we must choose what games to play.
I liked the Museum and Music Player feature within the main menu. One of my favorite memories about gaming was the box art, included instruction manual, and sometimes map (thank you Zelda Overworld Map). The included Museum and Music Player features will let you listen to soundtracks, while the museum feature will show you the box art and scans of the manual. I would love for other Switch games to include the original box art and scans.
You will need to determine if you want to scratch your nostalgia itch and reignite your love/hate feeling for retro games. Think Battletoads Turbo Tunnel bike level, Ninja Turtles water level, Ghosts N’ Goblins, Ninja Gaiden, Eco the Dolphin, and so many more without a Game Genie. I have grown fond of Limited Run games but feel that this title would benefit from some additional love. Despite the nostalgia of the Nickelodeon era and memories of Skip-bo, Gak, Pizza Hut family time, and morning cartoons, the constellation of games did not hold up well to time. Despite the minor upgrades to the graphics and color schemes, they still held their original appeal. The games felt dusted and cleaned up, with some very superficial upgrades in the ability to rewind, pause, and save (single-game save). The 16-bit retro sound and music library provided the best upgrade/“nostalgia” feel. I liked the original tracks, and the fun cartoony backgrounds. As far as replayability, I would give the game pack a mid-range of ~6/10. With so many other games available, I would rather have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, or pick up a used copy of Disney Classic Games from Game X-Change to remember how mad I got at The Lion King and Aladdin.
I would have liked a bit more polish and better button mapping/upgrades, so I could enjoy and complete the games. The price is not unfair for what you get but I missed a few other titles like Ren and Stimpy Games, or possibly Rugrats. Will I play them again? Probably. Will I play them frequently? Likely not.
Learn more about the Nintendo Switch Nickelodeon Splat Pack.
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