We logged the big miles in the latest running shorts so you can conquer your goals in comfort.

This smartly designed, inclusive rowing machine features a broad array of programming to get you interested in exercising.

Paleontologists hope that an amber-like material, made with living tree resin, will shed light on the prehistoric fossilization of the real stuff.

A specious theory on pardons had help from the conservative Heritage Foundation before President Trump and right-wing influencers amplified it.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Why handing over total control to AI agents would be a huge mistakeMargaret Mitchell, Avijit Ghosh, Sasha Luccioni, Giada Pistilli all work for Hugging Face, an open source AI company.AI agents have set the tech industry abuzz. Unlike chatbots, these groundbreaking new systems can navigate multiple applications to execute complex tasks, like scheduling meetings or shopping online, in response to simple user commands. As agents become more capable, a crucial question emerges: How much control are we willing to surrender, and at what cost?The promise is compelling. Who doesnt want assistance with cumbersome work or tasks theres no time for? But this vision for AI agents brings significant risks that might be overlooked in the rush toward greater autonomy. In fact, our research suggests that agent development could be on the cusp of a very serious misstep. Read the full story.OpenAI has released its first research into how using ChatGPT affects peoples emotional wellbeingOpenAI says over 400 million people use ChatGPT every week. But how does interacting with it affect us? Does it make us more or less lonely?These are some of the questions OpenAI set out to investigate, in partnership with the MIT Media Lab, in a pair of new studies. They found that while only a small subset of users engage emotionally with ChatGPT, there are some intriguing differences between how men and women respond to using the chatbot. They also found that participants who trusted and bonded with ChatGPT more were likelier than others to be lonely, and to rely on it more.Chatbots powered by large language models are still a nascent technology, and difficult to study. Thats why this kind of research is an important first step toward greater insight into ChatGPTs impact on us, which could help AI platforms enable safer and healthier interactions. Read the full story.Rhiannon WilliamsThe must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Genetic testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protectionFollowing months of uncertainty over its future. (CNN)+ Tens of millions of peoples genetic data could soon belong to a new owner. (WSJ $)+ How to delete your 23andMe data. (MIT Technology Review)2 Europe wants to lessen its reliance of US cloud giantsBut thats easier said than done. (Wired $)3 Anduril is considering opening a drone factory in the UKEurope is poised to invest heavily in defenseand Anduril wants in. (Bloomberg $)+ The company recently signed a major drone contract with the UK government. (Insider $)+ We saw a demo of the new AI system powering Andurils vision for war. (MIT Technology Review)4 Bird flu has been detected in a sheep in the UKIts the first known instance of the virus infecting a sheep. (FT $)+ But the UK is yet to report any transmission to humans. (Reuters)+ How the US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic. (MIT Technology Review)5 A tiny town in the Alps has emerged as an ALS hotspotSuggesting that its causes may be more environmental than genetic. (The Atlantic $)+ Motor neuron diseases took their voices. AI is bringing them back. (MIT Technology Review)6 Firefly Aerospaces Blue Ghost lunar lander has completed its missionAnd captured some pretty incredible footage along the way. (NYT $)+ Europe is finally getting serious about commercial rockets. (MIT Technology Review)7 How the US could save billions of dollars in wasted energy Ultra tough, multi-pane windows could be the answer. (WSJ $)8 We need new ways to measure painResearchers are searching for objective biological indicators to get rid of the guesswork. (WP $)+ Brain waves can tell us how much pain someone is in. (MIT Technology Review)9 What falling in love with an AI could look likeIts unclear whether loving machines could be training grounds for future relationships, or the future of relationships themselves. (New Yorker $)+ The AI relationship revolution is already here. (MIT Technology Review)10 Could you walk in a straight line for hundreds of miles?YouTubes favorite new challenge isnt so much arduous as it is inconvenient. (The Guardian)Quote of the dayBlockbuster has collapsed. Its time for Netflix to rise.Kian Sadeghi pitches the company they founded, DNA testing firm Nucleus Genomics, as a replacement for 23andMe in a post on X.The big storyThis towns mining battle reveals the contentious path to a cleaner futureJanuary 2024In June last year, Talon, an exploratory mining company, submitted a proposal to Minnesota state regulators to begin digging up as much as 725,000 metric tons of raw ore per year, mainly to unlock the rich and lucrative reserves of high-grade nickel in the bedrock.Talon is striving to distance itself from the mining industrys dirty past, portraying its plan as a clean, friendly model of modern mineral extraction. It proclaims the site will help to power a greener future for the US by producing the nickel needed to manufacture batteries for electric cars and trucks, but with low emissions and light environmental impacts.But as the company has quickly discovered, a lot of locals arent eager for major mining operations near their towns. Read the full story.James TempleWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Who are fandoms for, and who gets to escape into them?+ A long-lost Klimt painting of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona has gone on display in the Netherlands.+ Feeling down? These feel-good movies will pick you right up.+ Why Gen Z are dedicated followers of Old Money fashion.

Apple is bringing lossless audio with ultra-low latency to AirPods Max, delivering the ultimate listening experience and even greater performance.

Owners of the AirPods Max will soon be able to enjoy lossless audio and low-latency audio with their headphones, enhancing the premium headphones' capabilities.AirPods Max with an iPodApple's audio hardware offers various features to enhance the musical and theatrical experience, but there are feature blindspots. In an inbound software update for the AirPods Max, the premium headphones will gain two missing functions.Confirmed by Apple in Monday, an update for USB-C AirPods Max in April will add support for both lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has launched a second phase of its investment fund aimed at expanding clean energy production in China.Apple aims to promote clean energy usage in China image credit: AppleThe China Clean Energy Fund was first announced by Apple in 2018. It committed, along with 12 of its suppliers, $300 million in investment aimed at connecting Chinese manufacturers with renewable energy sources."Our suppliers in China are promoting world-class progress in the fields of intelligent manufacturing and green manufacturing," said Jeff Williams, Apple Chief Operating Officer in a statement on the company's Chinese site (in translation). "With the launch of the second phase of the China Clean Energy Fund, we are honored to deepen our connection with suppliers across China." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

While any details regarding Hollow Knight: Silksong has been shrouded in mystery thanks to developer Team Cherry being incredibly quiet on the matter, fans of Hollow Knight have been keeping an eye on just about anything that might indicate an upcoming announcement or release date. Most recently, users on Reddit have spotted a number of changes having been made to the Steam listing for Hollow Knight: Silksong, some of which indicate that a release date will be forthcoming.These changes can be spotted through the Update history section of the titles SteamDB page. Among these changes are new assets being added to the Hollow Knight: Silksong Steam store listing, as well as indicators that imply that the game will be playable through a variety of Cloud Gaming services like Nvidias GeForce Now, and even support for Steams Family Sharing feature. One of the changes is just a simple change to the Hollow Knight copyright line, which updates the date from 2019 to 2025.The new assets are especially interesting, since they now match up with the assets that were previously added back in August 2024, bringing the colour scheme and visuals of the graphics in line.While far from any real confirmation on the game, these small details tend to be the only form of communication players tend to get about Hollow Knight: Silksong aside from a developer occasionally mentioning that development is ongoing. One such post came about back in January with Team Cherrys head of Marketing and Publishing Matthew Griffin that Yes, the game is real, progressing and will release.The post came shortly after the fanbase for Hollow Knight: Silksong got whipped on into a frenzy around what the community believed was an intricate ARG (alternate reality game) being run by Team Cherry. This event was sparked when Hollow Knight co-creator William Pellen changed his social media profile picture, prompting fans of the game to dig deeper into the possible meaning behind it. The fanbase ultimately came to the conclusion that a release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong would be announced on April 2.Griffin had halted these theories by confirming privately to YouTuber fireb0rn that there was no ARG.While details about Hollow Knight: Silksong have been scarce, lead playtester Graig had stated back in June 2024 that the game was still under development, and that it was not stuck in development hell. While it may not be much in the way of assurance for fans of the franchise, hints that the title might be nearing its release came along in the form of various store listings going live, as well as the game getting rated by various ratings boards from around the world.Hollow Knight: Silksong is going to be a follow-up to critically-acclaimed sidescrolling metroidvania title Hollow Knight. The game was praised for its gameplay and level design, while players also appreciated its minimalistic approach to storytelling. Of key importance to Hollow Knights success were its excellent boss fights. Check out our review for more details.

Developer Netmarble Neo has announced that Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will be released as an Early Access title on PC (via Steam) on March 26. The announcement comes shortly after a demo for the title was released during the previous Steam Next Fest.The Early Access version of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will only be available for those that buy one of the three Founders Packs available through the games Steam page. The Founders Packs are available in three flavours: Standard Pack, Deluxe Pack, and Ultimate Pack.The Standard Pack just gets you access to the game, along with 350 Iron Banks Marks, the Northern Outfit, and the Jon Snow Emoji Pack.The Deluxe Pack comes with a host of in-game goodies, including the premium battle pass, the Northern Outfit, the Wandering Crow Outfit, the Darkcloud mount, 50,000 Copper, 750 Iron Bank Marks, the Jon Snow Emoji Pack, the Ghost Nameplate Background, and the Harbginer Nameplate Frame.The Ultimate Pack comes with the same things as the Deluxe Pack, along with more goodies. This includes the White Fang mount, the Premium+ version of the battle pass, the Brotherhood Without Banners saddle for a Direwolf, the Brotherhood Without Banners reins and saddle for a horse, the Iron Throne Nameplate Background, the Conqueror Nameplate Frame, 20,000 Copper, and 2,000 Iron Bank Marks.The wait is nearly over Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is launching into Early Access on Steam, wrote the studio in its announcement. Steel yourselves for the journey ahead, and prepare to carve your path through the Seven Kingdoms.The Early Access release of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will include major cities like Kings Landing, Highgarden and Winterfell, along with 50 chapters of the main story, and several side-missions and co-op dungeons. The game will also feature endgame PvE challenges. After its Early Access launch, the game will eventually get more zones added to it, including Storms End and Felwood.The PC hardware requirements for Game of Thrones: Kingsroad were revealed alongside the titles demo being released back in February. At minimum, players will need either an Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8350 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of VRAM. The studio recommends players to have PCs running on either an Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 5 5500 CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 with 8 GB of VRAM or an AMD Radeon RTX 5700 XT.While taking place in the same setting as HBOs TV series (based on book series A Song of Ice and Fire), Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will feature an original story that revolves around the player taking on the role of an illegitimate child from a small noble Northern house, House Tyre. As part of the main storyline, players will travel all over the seven kingdoms while also helping out the Nights Watch and solidifying their own political positions.The title features a real-time combat system with full manual control over defensive options like blocking, dodging, and parrying. The games combat is described by the developers as emphasizing impactful and exhilarating swordfights. Players will also be able to further customise their playing style by picking the right class for their character.Game of Thrones: Kingsroad also features co-op content, where players can team up to take on extraordinary challenges together for greater rewards. For more details about the game, check out the original announcement.