DOS games are like fossilized time capsules of a gaming generation — I think about them far too often, but rarely ever play them. We're talking boot disks, weird config files, and endlessly tweaking autoexec.bat just to play something like Blood or Quake. So far, DOSBox is inarguably the best way to play older DOS games, but it's never felt quite seamless.

Social media is filled with an endless supply of people selling things, from Shein try-on hauls to health supplement and gadget product placements. Influencer marketing disrupted traditional advertising, creating an army of living room salespeople pumping out content meant to entice strangers at scale — and tech companies’ vision for the future includes more automation.TikTok announced today it was adding new capabilities to Symphony, the company’s AI ads platform it launched in 2024. The features go beyond generating basic videos and images — instead, the system’s new output mimics what audiences are used to seeing from human influencers. The company says advertisers will be able to upload images, provide a text prompt, and generate videos with virtual avatars holding products, trying on and modeling clothing, and displaying a brand’s app on a phone screen. Some features already available to TikTok users — like creating a video out of a photo — will also now be available to advertisers.AI creep in the influencer industry has been a steady development: advertisers already have the option of using synthetic characters (sometimes resembling real people) to do things like read scripts to promote brands and products. This new set of features brings an interactivity, with virtual avatars essentially acting like human influencers by using and modeling products. or advertisers, the appeal is a mix of automating processes and cutting costs — an AI avatar can’t demand specific rates or terms in a contract, and a brand can generate an endless amount of content without recording each video separately. AI tools are also being used to target specific audience members, generate ideas for content, and dub audio into different languages. Some advertisers are moving slowly with AI-generated content or are even outright resistant to it. But the expansion of AI ads tools on TikTok signals that the platform, at least, is taking it seriously: why share TikTok Shop affiliate earnings with a thousand random creators when you could instead farm it out to a few virtual faces and bodies?For human influencers, the potential threat of AI is two-fold: synthetic content could be used in place of human work, and the influx of AI-generated videos could drive rates down for everyone. But so far, AI tools in the influencer space are largely behind the scenes: content creators say they are using AI tools to edit and plan content or find brand deals, even as tech companies continue to push AI-generated profiles and characters. AI-generated sponsored videos — especially of something like trying on clothes or using an app — significantly expand the bounds of influencer content. Is it really a product recommendation if the entity trying to sell you on it doesn’t exist? And if all brands need to promote something is a body, what does it mean for the human influencers that the cheapest, fastest path with the least resistance is being pushed by the platforms they rely on for their income?TikTok says all content generated using the ads tool will have a label indicating it as AI-generated, and that it will go through “multiple rounds of safety review.”

Battery life is reduced, but Anker’s sleep buds could now be even better at blocking disturbing sounds at night. | Image: AnkerAnker has announced a new version of its wireless sleep buds that could be even more effective at delivering a peaceful slumber by blocking out disturbing noises using active noise cancellation. Previous versions of the Soundcore Sleep earbuds blocked external sounds passively using just a snug fit inside the ear, but the new Sleep A30 finally add ANC while still offering enough battery life to last the night.As with previous versions, Anker is making its new Soundcore Sleep A30 available for preorder through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that’s launching today, while full availability of the earbuds is expected sometime in August 2025 through Amazon and Soundcore’s online store. At $229.99, the Sleep A30 are quite a bit more expensive than last year’s $149.99 Sleep A20, but the earliest Kickstarter backers can get the A30 discounted to $139.The Sleep A30 earbuds are now 7 percent slimmer and feature a smaller design that ensures they don’t protrude from your ears so there’s reduced pressure while wearing them and laying on a pillow if you’re a side sleeper. To help you find a snug fit, Anker includes four sizes of silicone ear tips, three sizes of memory foam tips, and three sizes of ear wings.Anker claims the new Sleep A30 block up to 30dB of external noise, but the added ANC, which uses two mics positioned inside and outside your ears, does result in reduced battery life. The A20 could run for up to 14 hours on a single charge, but the A30 max out at up to nine hours on their own, or up to 45 hours with their charging case. However, that’s only when listening to white noise or other sounds designed to help you fall asleep that are stored on the buds themselves. When streaming music or podcasts from a phone, battery life is further reduced to up to 6.5 hours or 35 hours with the case.The Sleep A30’s charging case has been upgraded with what Anker is calling “Adaptive Snore Masking technology.” If it detects the sounds of snoring from another person nearby, it analyzes the volume and frequency of the sounds and generates “noise masking audio” that’s sent to the buds to help block it out.The new earbuds also feature sleep monitoring and sleep position tracking, allowing you to see how restful or eventful your night was through the Soundcore mobile app; a private repeatable alarm with snooze functionality; and a Find My Earbud feature should they fall out in the night and get lost in the sheets.

Trello offers simplicity, but often at the cost of powerful features. Asana, while robust, can quickly become overwhelming and expensive, especially as your team grows. For years, I have searched for a solution that strikes the perfect balance – a tool that’s comprehensive enough to handle complex projects, feels intuitive, and puts me in control of my data.

If you’ve been having flashbacks to 2007 while using your PC over the past few days, you’re not alone. Microsoft has mistakenly replaced Windows 11’s boot sound — in test versions of the OS — with the startup chime from Windows Vista.Windows testers started noticing the issue shortly after Microsoft released its latest Dev Channel build of Windows 11 on Friday afternoon. The .WAV file for the bootup sound, which is stored inside imageres.dll, had been randomly replaced with the Windows Vista startup sound in preview build 26200.5651.Microsoft quickly acknowledged the mistake, and added a line to its release notes for the latest Dev Channel build. “This week’s flight comes with a delightful blast from the past and will play the Windows Vista boot sound instead of the Windows 11 boot sound,” says the Windows Insider team. “We’re working on a fix.”View LinkIt’s not clear how such a mistake even happened, but Brandon LeBlanc from the Windows Insider team joked on X that he “went in and had some fun with the sound files in Windows and thought folks needed a blast from the past,” before confirming that it was actually just a bug.Perhaps one of Microsoft’s Windows engineers was reminiscing too much about Windows Vista, in a week when Microsoft made it clear it thinks Apple’s new Liquid Glass design bears some resemblance to its Aero Glass look in Windows Vista.

You can't go wrong with a mini PC if you're looking to downsize your current desktop setup. Not only that, but if you manage to choose the right one, you could also save yourself some money in the process. That's where this BOSGAME mini PC comes in, delivering tons of power, and featuring a steep discount that knocks $100 off. Of course, you'll want to be quick since this sale won't last long.

There's been a lot of renewed talk about Windows Vista after Apple revealed its strangely familiar "Liquid Glass" UI design, something that Microsoft itself wouldn't let slide without comment. Well, it seems that all that talk has stirred the Ghost of Systems Past, as the new Windows 11 beta builds seem to have a strange issue with Vista haunting the system. For some reason, the latest build swaps out the Windows 11 startup sound with Vista's, and while it may sound like a funny in-joke regarding Apple's announcement, it turns out that it is a bug after all.

I know what a keyboard obsession looks like. I have around a dozen mechanical keyboards in my house that I don't use on a regular basis. I usually switch between two or three models that I really like, but the rest are safely tucked away in their boxes, stored in one of two designated locations. This made me think about whether I should finally let go of some of them, and put them to better use — giving them to someone, using them when traveling, or raiding them for keycaps and switches.

OnePlus has announced five new products, including a new phone from its popular Nord lineup, which will launch in Europe and India next month. The company will release two phones, a tablet, a smartwatch, and a pair of earbuds, and has already shared a handful of details for each device, though full specs and prices will have to wait until the launch event on July 8th.The Nord 5 is the latest in the company’s mid-range smartphone line, and is the first Nord to feature a flagship Qualcomm chip — in this case the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3, which was designed for cheaper flagship phones — along with an upgraded cooling system and support for LPDDR5X RAM. That’s all we know about the phone’s specs, but from the picture we can glean that it’ll come in a pale blue finish (officially dubbed “Dry Ice”) and features a dual rear camera. The Nord 5 will be joined by the Nord CE5, which should run a little cheaper, but all we know about that is its “Marble Mist” finish. In an interview with Techradar, Celina Shi, OnePlus’ European head of marketing, also confirmed that both phones will feature the new customizable Plus Key, rather than the company’s signature Alert Slider, and the AI Plus Mind feature it enables.The OnePlus Pad Lite sounds like another affordable option, described as “entry level” by the company. It has the same central, circular camera as OnePlus’ older tablets, rather than the new design found on this month’s Pad 3. The company didn’t confirm any other details, but over the weekend a full spec sheet for the Pad Lite leaked, claiming it will have an 11-inch LCD display, run on the MediaTek Helio G100 chipset, and launch with an optional cellular version.Finally, the company has teased a smaller 43mm size for the OnePlus Watch 3, to join the existing 47mm model, along with a new pair of earbuds. The OnePlus Buds 4 will include dual drivers, support Hi-Res audio, and come in green or dark gray.

Working or studying when you have an endless source of entertainment sitting right next to you can be a nightmare. I've seen countless times where people come together as a study or work group to get stuff done, only to spend the time showing each other videos and discussing new media and getting even less done than before. Worst of all, sometimes you don't even realise you're spending a lot of time on your phone until it's 2 am. Oops.

Donald Trump might be planning to launch a mobile network and a Trump-branded phone. DTTM Operations LLC, the company Trump uses to manage his trademarks, has applied to use both “Trump” and “T1” for telecoms, mobile accessories, and even phones themselves.The applications, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office last Thursday, cover wireless phone services, mobile phones, cases, and chargers, plus retail stores to sell them all.A trademark application doesn’t guarantee that a Trump mobile network is about to launch, but it does signal intent. “The specificity of the applications points to serious consideration,” patent attorney Josh Gerben wrote in a blog post on Friday, noting that as part of the filing a lawyer for Trump will have “signed a sworn declaration affirming the company’s genuine plans to bring these goods and services to market.”Trump launching a mobile network could have complications. For one, Gerben points out that T-Mobile might have a thing or two to say about the application, since “T1” could infringe on its own trademarks. That’s before we get to the question of how FCC chairman Brendan Carr will handle regulating a network owned by his boss.Trump isn’t the only public figure with his sights set on telecoms. While Ryan Reynolds has gotten out after selling his stake in Mint Mobile to T-Mobile in 2023, just last week saw the launch of SmartLess Mobile, brought to you by the podcast of the same name hosted by Hollywood stars Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes.

When I first got into 3D printing, I couldn't really make anything more advanced than a 3D Benchy. However, for some, their introduction to the hobby is a lot grander than printing off some little boats. Take, for instance, this amazing VTOL project designed and created by someone with barely any experience in making things, which shows you that you don't need to have years of 3D printing experience to make the really big and cool things (although it does help).