In latest blow to Tesla, regulators recall nearly all Cybertrucks1 of 3|A Tesla Cybertruck is on display at the Tesla showroom in Buena Park, Calif., Dec. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2 of 3|Un miembro del departamento de bomberos de Seattle inspecciona un Tesla Cybertruck en un estacionamiento de Tesla en Seattle, el lunes 10 de marzo de 2025. (AP Foto/Lindsey Wasson, Archivo)3 of 3|ATF investigators take apart and document a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)In latest blow to Tesla, regulators recall nearly all Cybertrucks1 of 3|A Tesla Cybertruck is on display at the Tesla showroom in Buena Park, Calif., Dec. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)1 of 3A Tesla Cybertruck is on display at the Tesla showroom in Buena Park, Calif., Dec. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) Share 2 of 3|Un miembro del departamento de bomberos de Seattle inspecciona un Tesla Cybertruck en un estacionamiento de Tesla en Seattle, el lunes 10 de marzo de 2025. (AP Foto/Lindsey Wasson, Archivo)2 of 3Un miembro del departamento de bomberos de Seattle inspecciona un Tesla Cybertruck en un estacionamiento de Tesla en Seattle, el lunes 10 de marzo de 2025. (AP Foto/Lindsey Wasson, Archivo) Share 3 of 3|ATF investigators take apart and document a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)3 of 3ATF investigators take apart and document a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) Share By MATT OTTUpdated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Share U.S. safety regulators on Thursday recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road, the eighth recall of the Tesla-made vehicles since deliveries to customers began just over a year ago.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations recall, which covers more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.The stainless steel strip, called a cant rail assembly, between the windshield and the roof on both sides, is bound to the trucks assembly with a structural adhesive, the NHTSA report said. The remedy uses an adhesive thats not been found to be vulnerable to environmental embrittlement, the NHTSA said, and includes additional reinforcements.Tesla will replace the panel free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 19, 2025.The recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks covers all 2024 and 2025 model years, manufactured from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025. The NHTSA order says that Tesla became aware of the problem early this year. RELATED COVERAGE Videos posted on social media showing people ripping the panels off of Cybertrucks with their hands have gone viral in recent days.The Cybertruck, which Tesla began delivering to buyers in late 2023, has been recalled eight times in the past 15 months for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power. Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix acceleration pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim. Other recalls were related to windshield wipers and the display screen.Its the latest setback for the Elon Musk-owned electric automaker, which has come under attack since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency thats slashing government spending.ATF investigators take apart and document a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)ATF investigators take apart and document a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) Share While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.Prosecutors in Colorado charged a woman last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles and the words Nazi cars spray-painted on a building. And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.Even before the attacks ramped up in recent weeks, Tesla has been struggling, facing increased competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly out of China.Though largely unaffected by Thursdays recall announcement, Tesla shares have plummeted 42% in 2025, reflecting newfound pessimism as sales crater around the globe. Un miembro del departamento de bomberos de Seattle inspecciona un Tesla Cybertruck en un estacionamiento de Tesla en Seattle, el lunes 10 de marzo de 2025. (AP Foto/Lindsey Wasson, Archivo)Un miembro del departamento de bomberos de Seattle inspecciona un Tesla Cybertruck en un estacionamiento de Tesla en Seattle, el lunes 10 de marzo de 2025. (AP Foto/Lindsey Wasson, Archivo) Share With regard to Thursdays recall, Cybertruck owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to nhtsa.gov.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube799kIf you're anything like us, you probably spent a fair amount of time soaking up the 3D vibes of Pokmon Stadium in the early 2000s. This was the franchise's first foray into the third dimension and, at the time, it was mind-blowing. Charizard? With depth? Is this the future? But no matter how long we played, some features remained hidden to us. That is, until today.You see, today we stumbled across this informative YouTube Short from D0UBLESLAP, which promised to show us "secret animations" from our beloved Pokmon Stadium and that it did.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube799kWatch on YouTube As it turns out, there is a handful of actions in the game that your chosen 'mon will only pull off when using Mimic (the move that lets your fighter recreate an attack not usually at their disposal). Some of these animations are little more than a subtle tweak to their originator Nidoking using Stomp is just an extra section on its Double Kick animation, for example but some are rather more drastic.The above video showcases two unique animations that are reserved only for select Mimic moves: Pikachu using a Psychic attack, and Venusaur using Earthquake. We won't give away exactly what the hidden animations hold here, but rest assured, they're well worth watching if you fancy a giggle.Pokmon Stadium has hardly been the most lucrative spin-off for the series in the years since its launch, spawning just the one sequel in 2001, though the recently-announced Pokmon Champions looks like it might fill the gap with its battle-focused gameplay. That one was announced during the Pokmon Presents showcase last month, but we're still without a release date for the time being. Your stadium tour awaitsStay tuned for more info!Did you know about these hidden animations? Let us know in the comments.[source youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:02 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Museum Launches Keychains That Play Your Favourite Console JinglePortable nostalgiaSwitch 2 Predicted To Cost "$400 Or More"It could also be the "biggest console launch ever"

Image: Bushiroad GamesFamitsu has published the latest boxed charts for Japan, and as expected, Monster Hunter Wilds retains its position at the top of the pile.In fact, the only newcomer this week is Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Fullland of Water and Light, a game that is almost certainly an early contender for the longest title of 2025. Still, it looks pretty fun if you want to check out some gameplay videos over on YouTube.Suikoden I & II Remaster falls down to number three this week, which allows Super Mario Party Jamboree to once again climb the ranks to land at number two. Meanwhile, the rest of the top ten is made up of evergreen titles that, at this point, we're not surprised to see.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube799kWatch on YouTube Except maybe Donkey Kong Country Returns HD; we thought that one would fall off a cliff after just a few weeks. Fair play, Nintendo.For the full breakdown, here's a look at the latest top ten:PositionGamePlatformUnit Sales (10th - 16th Mar)Total Unit Sales1Monster Hunter WildsPS540,632742,8692Super Mario Party JamboreeSwitch8,7721,228,5483Suikoden I & II HD RemasterSwitch7,33046,2144Donkey Kong Country Returns HDSwitch6,938232,0505MinecraftSwitch5,8513,832,9636Mario Kart 8 DeluxeSwitch5,5906,283,0037Pokmon Scarlet & VioletSwitch4,3515,538,0308Animal Crossing: New HorizonsSwitch3,7948,089,2169Super Smash Bros. UltimateSwitch3,0485,732,74910Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Fullland of Water and LightSwitch2,524NEWThe PS5 has once again topped the hardware charts this week with a further 19,262 unit sales. However, if we combine the sales across all three SKUs, the Switch actually managed to outsell the PS5 by just 35 units. PS5 managed a total of 27,863, while Switch managed 27,898. What a heated battle!We know the tide will turn in Nintendo's favour even more when the Switch 2 launches. But goodness, if we keep getting these kinds of figures in the coming weeks, it's going to be a thrilling race until the big launch.Here's your look at this week's Japanese hardware chart in full:PositionConsoleUnit Sales (10th - 16th Mar)Total Unit Sales1PlayStation 519,2625,606,7502Switch OLED Model17,4398,870,2463Switch Lite6,7416,489,3484PlayStation 5 Digital Edition4,352957,8725PlayStation 5 Pro4,249182,2186Switch3,71820,074,7287Xbox Series S236333,3338Xbox Series X Digital Edition5819,9929Xbox Series X39319,60110PlayStation 4197,929,336< Previous charts Read the rune, KonamiWhat do you make of this week's charts? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.[source famitsu.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:304 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPokmon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes ListAll the current Pokmon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codesSakurai Says Japanese Developers Should Avoid Trying To Appeal To Western Tastes"I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games"Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Land New Update As Series Passes 200 Million SalesHere are the full patch notes

As conventional AI benchmarking techniques prove inadequate, AI builders are turning to more creative ways to assess the capabilities of generative AI models. For one group of developers, thats Minecraft, the Microsoft-owned sandbox-building game.The website Minecraft Benchmark (or MC-Bench) was developed collaboratively to pit AI models against each other in head-to-head challenges to respond to prompts with Minecraft creations. Users can vote on which model did a better job, and only after voting can they see which AI made each Minecraft build.Image Credits:Minecraft Benchmark (opens in a new window)For Adi Singh, the 12th grader who started MC-Bench, the value of Minecraft isnt so much the game itself, but the familiarity that people have with it after all, it is the best-selling video game of all time. Even for people who havent played the game, its still possible to evaluate which blocky representation of a pineapple is better realized.Minecraft allows people to see the progress [of AI development] much more easily, Singh told TechCrunch. People are used to Minecraft, used to the look and the vibe.MC-Bench currently lists eight people as volunteer contributors. Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Alibaba have subsidized the projects use of their products to run benchmark prompts, per MC-Benchs website, but the companies are not otherwise affiliated. Currently we are just doing simple builds to reflect on how far weve come from the GPT-3 era, but [we] could see ourselves scaling to these longer-form plans and goal-oriented tasks, Singh said. Games might just be a medium to test agentic reasoning that is safer than in real life and more controllable for testing purposes, making it more ideal in my eyes.Other games like Pokmon Red,Street Fighter, and Pictionary have been used as experimental benchmarks for AI, in part because the art of benchmarking AI is notoriously tricky.Researchers often test AI models on standardized evaluations, but many of these tests give AI a home-field advantage. Because of the way theyre trained, models are naturally gifted at certain, narrow kinds of problem-solving, particularly problem-solving that requires rote memorization or basic extrapolation.Put simply, its hard to glean what it means that OpenAIs GPT-4 can score in the 88th percentile on the LSAT, but cannot discern how many Rs are in the word strawberry. Anthropics Claude 3.7 Sonnet achieved 62.3% accuracy on a standardized software engineering benchmark, but it is worse at playing Pokmon than most five-year-olds. MC-Bench is technically a programming benchmark, since the models are asked to write code to create the prompted build, like Frosty the Snowman or a charming tropical beach hut on a pristine sandy shore.But its easier for most MC-Bench users to evaluate whether a snowman looks better than to dig into code, which gives the project wider appeal and thus the potential to collect more data about which models consistently score better.Whether those scores amount to much in the way of AI usefulness is up for debate, of course. Singh asserts that theyre a strong signal, though.The current leaderboard reflects quite closely to my own experience of using these models, which is unlike a lot of pure text benchmarks, Singh said. Maybe [MC-Bench] could be useful to companies to know if theyre heading in the right direction.

In BriefPosted:1:07 PM PDT March 20, 2025Image Credits:Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty ImagesNorth Korea launches new unit with a focus on AI hacking, per reportThe North Korean government is reportedly establishing a new hacking group within the intelligence agency Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB).Daily NK, a news outlet that focuses on North Korea, reported last week that the new hacking unit, called Research Center 227, will focus on research to develop offensive hacking technologies and programs, citing a source inside the regime.The source said, per the report, Research Center 227 will research Western cybersecurity systems and computer networks, strengthening the regimes capabilities to steal digital assets, develop AI-based techniques for information theft, and will work to respond to information from North Korean overseas hacking units.In recent years, North Korean hackers have been known to target crypto exchanges and companies around the world, leading to spectacular thefts like the recent 1.4 billion-worth hack of Bybit.The U.S. National Security Agency and the FBI have previously accused the North Korean RGB unit of hacking and espionage activities.Topics

The FMX 2025program isnow online. Lists of participating speakers and companies have also been published. The event runs May 6-9 in Stuttgart, May 10 June 10 on-demand.Production supervisor Kevin Baillie and Metaphysic VFX supervisor Jo Plaete will host an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how artist-empowering AI transformed Robert Zemeckis film Here. This session explores how AI-enabled de-aging technology preserved the performances of Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, and Kelly Reilly, seamlessly spanning decades.Baillie and Plaete will break down the real-time face-swapping system that allowed actors and directors to see de-aged performances instantly on set, as well as the AI-driven post-production techniques that allowed Zemeckis to leap over the uncanny valley. They will also discuss AIs broader impact on digital environments, body reconstruction, and enhancing prosthetics for aged characters. This session is part of the VFX for Features track. A devastating deluge hits the world in the Oscar-winning animated feature, Flow. Since the animals don't talk, non-verbal communication plays a decisive role: body language and the animals' natural sounds. In his FMX presentation, animation supervisor Thibaut Delahaye will explain how he approached his part of the feat, focusing on animating quadrupeds. The session is part of the Feature Animation track.Sound designer Gurwal Loc Dallas will elaborate on how sound can convey emotions to help immerse viewers in a film without dialogue. The session is part of the Sound Design track, curated by Nami Strack.Florian Gellinger, co-founder and executive producer, RISE | Visual Effects Studios, looks at the history of our vocabulary and compares it to other industries. How are these industries perceived in the public compared to what we do? How are the companies in our industry marketing themselves? This session is part of the Managing Change track, curated by Imke Fehrmann. Platige Image Producer Marina Borokhova and Lead Previs Artist Dominik Wawrzyniak will take an in-depth look at the pre-production process of the "Crossfire" episode of Prime Videos Secret Level animated anthology series. They will cover everythingfrom storyboarding to motion capture, editing and previs. This session is part of the Animated Seriestrack.How does it feel to have a body? How do we want it to feel? Raman Djafari's presentation will provide insight into his process and thoughts as a director of animated music videos and short films, as well as his practice as an illustrator. This session is part of the News track, curated by Shelley Page.Source: FMX 2025 Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologistL'Wrenbrings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

Fasad is a new rug collection from Kasthall and its first to use recycled wool, which is woven into tight linear bands. AN chatted with Dirk Gschwind, managing director of DC Design, the studio from David Chipperfield Architects that partnered with Kasthall on the product. The rugs use recycled wool. (Magnus Mrding)AN: What was the design inspiration for Fasad?Dirk Gschwind (DG): The inspiration for Fasad came from the desire to transfer the design aspects of our first rug series with Kasthall, a tufted rug series called Tegel, to a woven rug series. This sounds simpler than it is as the processes for creating tufted or woven rugs are very different. With a tufted rug, you can achieve a design intention relatively directly, like a picture, through the sum of individual points (in this case threads). With woven rugs, however, you have to think much more about their construction, structure, and the materialwhich creates different challenges in itself. The results could be unpredictable at times, so this was a learning experience.In the end I think we managed to reflect the three-dimensionality of the tufted Tegel rugs (the layering through threads of different lengths), the haptic and surface structure, the color range into the Fasad woven rug to create something elegant and strong. Layering was key to creating a balanced woven structure, which we achieved in the end by using a boucl yarn. We reached this approach after many experiments with different material compositions and thread tensions of both boucl and plain yarns. It took a few attempts to produce the desired colors, the designers also experimented with not dying the wool. (Magnus Mrding)AN: What is exciting about the incorporation of recycled wool? How did that change the design?DG: By using recycled wool, it was possible to add a whole new layer to this project both technically and aesthetically. There was little prior experience with recycled wool, posing a challenge in terms of the stability of the yarn which now had to be guaranteed with much shorter fibers. To produce the desired colors also took a few attempts as the recycled fibers reacted very differently to the dyes. In the end, this experimentation prompted us to use the yarn also undyed. In addition, there was an impact on the surface structure, with the shorter recycled fibers creating a much woollier appearance. It was exciting to us to see how responding to the technical challenges opened up new design and aesthetic possibilities. The rug comes in two patterns Uno and Duo. (Magnus Mrding)AN: Can you describe how Fasad looks up close?DG: When you look at Fasad up close, you dive deeper into its materiality. You can see the warm, slightly woolly surface of the recycled yarn very clearly, but also the liveliness of the boucl yarn with the individual shimmering areas of the mixed-in linen. The close-up view reveals a variety of textures and surfaces which are quietly inviting in their tactility.AN: How do you envision Fasad being used in interiors projects?DG: We think that Fasad should generate a wide range of possible uses. The color scheme and the two patterns (Uno and Duo) give the family a strong identity without being a distraction or statement. They serve as a stage, a foundation for other things. The materiality and structure have a simplicity that feels both familiar and modern, and which should adapt well to many different environments.

Published March 20, 2025 10:00am EDT | Updated March 20, 2025 3:44pm EDT close Americans to see taxes go up if Trump tax cuts arent extended: GOPAC chair "America Reports" panelists Meghan Hays and David Avella discuss Democrats' ongoing criticism of DOGE cuts. Scammers try to impersonate everything and everyone. They email you pretending to be your boss and ask for money, call you claiming your Microsoft account has been hacked or send phishing links for fake package deliveries.However, the most common type of impersonation scam occurs when bad actors pose as government agencies, especially the IRS.The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is aware of this and has issued a new warning for 2025 about text messages impersonating the Internal Revenue Service. I will discuss everything you need to know to avoid this new tax scam and protect your personal information.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW A person working on their taxes (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The new IRS scam alertTo understand the new IRS scam, lets first examine what its based on. The IRS has been sending out COVID-19 stimulus payments worth up to $1,400 to around 1 million tax filers who missed them. Initially, these payments were self-claimed, but now the IRS is automatically issuing them to ensure eligible taxpayers get what theyre owed.This provision, known as theRecovery Rebate Credit, allows people to claim missed stimulus payments from 2021. If you were eligible but didnt receive the funds, you can still claim them by filing a tax return by April 15, 2025. Payments will be deposited directly using the banking information listed on the taxpayer's 2023 return or sent as a paper check.However, TIGTA is warning that scammers are targeting taxpayers with fraudulent text messages, as reported byTaxAct. These fake texts claim that recipients will receive an Economic Impact Payment from the IRS and often ask for sensitive personal information, like bank account details or your Social Security number. Scammers use this information to steal your identity or financial data.The IRS has made it clear that eligible taxpayers who didnt claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax return will receive their payments automatically; no action is required. A woman working on her taxes (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Spotting phishing scams is more important than everMost phones and PCs today have enough protections to keep bad actors at bay, so in almost every case, the only way anyone can access your device and data is if you give it to them. Hackers often sendphishing links thatimpersonate a government agency, someone you know or a trusted brand, tricking you into clicking. Once you do, malware is installed on your device to quietly collect useful data and send it to the hackers. Thats why the most important part of staying safe online is knowing how to distinguish between legitimate and scam messages emails or calls. For example, you can easily tell if a communication is from the IRS or a scam by focusing on the following key factors.Type of communication: The IRS will never contact you via text for things like economic impact payments or financial information requests; they will send a letter or notice through mail or fax.Suspicious links: Government websites always end in ".gov," while scam texts may contain links ending in ".com" or ".net."Demands or threats: Be cautious of messages that create urgency or threats and look for any oddities or misspellings in the link as well.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Illustration of items used to prepare taxes (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)10 ways to stay safe from scammers impersonating government agencies1. Install strong antivirus software: As scammers increasingly impersonate government agencies like the IRS through phishing links and fake messages, installing strong antivirus software is crucial to protect yourself from these threats. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Antivirus software can detect and block suspicious links, warn you about potentially harmful websites and prevent malware from being installed on your device.Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.2. Always verify the authenticity of unsolicited communications:If you receive an unexpected email, text or phone call claiming to be from a government agency, it's essential to confirm its authenticity. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to trick you into taking immediate action. To verify, always use official contact details from government websites. Avoid clicking any links in the message and reach out to the agency directly to confirm whether the communication is legitimate.3. Reach out directly if you're unsure:When youre unsure about the legitimacy of a message or request, contact the government agency directly using verified contact details. Never respond to the message or click on any links within it. By calling or visiting the agencys official website, you can ensure youre communicating with authorized representatives and avoid scammers impersonating government officials.4. Use strong, unique passwords to protect your accounts:One of the best ways to protect your sensitive information from scammers is by using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using easily guessable passwords like "password123" or "qwerty." Instead, create complex passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.Also, consider using a password manager to keep track of your credentials and ensure youre using different passwords for each account. Get more details about mybest expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE5. Monitor your tax account: Regularly check your IRS account atwww.irs.gov to confirm the status of your tax return, verify that no unauthorized tax filings have occurred and update personal and contact information as needed.6. Report suspicious tax-related activities immediately: If you suspect a scam or fraudulent activity, its crucial to report it to the relevant authorities right away. Whether youve received a suspicious message or believe your information has been compromised, reporting it helps prevent further harm. The IRS and other agencies have dedicated channels for reporting fraud, so take action as soon as you can to protect yourself and others from these schemes.7. Invest in personal data removal services: Use a personal data removal service to remove your personal information from data broker and people-finder sites, which scammers often use to find phone numbers and email addresses. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.Check out my top picks for data removal services here.8. Use direct deposit for refunds: This is the safest way to receive your tax refund, reducing the risk of mail theft, forgery or fraudulent check cashing.9. Be wary of spoofed websites: Type the address of your actual tax prep site rather than clicking on a link from an email or advertisement. Investigate the domain before entering any confidential information.10. Use an identity theft protection service:An identity theft protection service provides personal and financial monitoring and will try to help you if your identity is ever compromised. Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account.They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.Kurts key takeawayTax season is here, and with it comes an increase in scams impersonating the IRS and targeting taxpayers. The good news is these scams are often easy to spot. If you receive a text message from the IRS asking you to provide personal information, its a red flag; its not from them. Be especially cautious of any links included in the message. A legitimate URL will always end in ".gov." However, scammers may try to trick you by altering the link slightly, so look closely for any misspellings or strange characters. If in doubt, always verify through official channels.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPDo you think AI is making it easier for scammers to impersonate legitimate organizations like the IRS? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/Newsletter.Alert:Malware steals bank cards and passwords from millions of devices.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

When is Amazon's Big Spring Sale 2025?The e-commerce giant's latest sales event will run from Tuesday, March 25, to Monday, March 31. However, several deals will go live before and after that time frame.Are deals really better during Amazon sales?While there are no guarantees that the prices you see are the lowest ever, Amazon -- and the various retailers and sellers it works with -- tends to keep promotions as competitive as possible. That's why you can expect discounts that match all-time-lows -- or at least somewhere near them.How did we choose these Spring Sale deals?While it's always helpful when products are discounted significantly (we usually cover ones that are at least 20% off), ZDNET experts also prioritize promotions on products we've personally tested and can vouch for. Since the products you purchase are considerable investments, we ensure that our recommendations are grounded by thorough research, testing, and value.We also source reviews from actual customers, whether through Best Buy and Amazon testimonials (with hands-on images) or online forums like Reddit.Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites withZDNET Recommends.What are the best early Amazon Spring Sale 2025 deals?ZDNET's experts are searching through early Amazon Spring Sale deals to find the best discounts by category. These are the best early deals so far:You can also find the best early Amazon Spring Sale deals by price:And the best deals from other retailers this week:Best early anti-Amazon Spring Sale deals

Here's why the battle over who leads in AI could make or break your organization.