No, not THAT Direct, THIS Direct!After some vague rumblings earlier in the week, Nintendo has only gone and announced another Direct presentation for this Thursday, 27th March 2025.While we await the big Switch 2 blowout next week, this one will focus on games for the original Switch, clocking in at roughly 30 minutes in length. Nintendo, as expected, hasn't given any indication as to what we can expect from the presentation beyond saying that Switch 2 won't feature. Given that it's neither a Partner Showcase nor an Indie World, though, it's safe to assume that some first-party games will be there.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

OpenAI is embracing rival Anthropics standard for connecting AI assistants to the systems where data resides.In a post on X on Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that OpenAI will add support for Anthropics Model Context Protocol, or MCP, across its products, including the desktop app for ChatGPT. MCP is an open-source standard that helps AI models produce better, more relevant responses to certain queries. People love MCP and we are excited to add support across our products, Altman said. [Its] available today in the Agents SDK and support for [the] ChatGPT desktop app [and] Responses API [is] coming soon!MCP lets models draw data from sources like business tools and software to complete tasks, as well as from content repositories and app development environments. The protocol enables developers to build two-way connections between data sources and AI-powered applications, such as chatbots.Developers can expose data through MCP servers and build MCP clients for instance, apps and workflows that connect to those servers on command. In the months since Anthropic open-sourced MCP, companies including Block, Apollo, Replit, Codeium, and Sourcegraph have added MCP support for their platforms.Excited to see the MCP love spread to OpenAI welcome! Anthropic chief product officer Mike Krieger said in an X post. MCP has [become a] thriving open standard with thousands of integrations and growing. LLMs are most useful when connecting to the data you already have and software you already use.OpenAI says it intends to share more about its MCP plans in the coming months.

Elon Musks rocket company SpaceX has allowed Chinese investors to buy stakes as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore hubs, according to reporting from ProPublica.SpaceX is a defense contractor for the Pentagon, one that handles sensitive work like building a classified spy satellite network. Investment from China raises national security concerns, as it could grant a foreign adversary access to sensitive military technology, intelligence, or supply chains.The insight into SpaceXs investment approach surfaces new questions around Musks own ties with China, particularly amid reports that the Pentagon briefed Musk on a potential war with China. The billionaire executive who is leading the charge to gut federal spending has regularly met with Communist Party officials in China to discuss his business interests. Teslas Shanghai gigafactory builds about half of Teslas cars, and the country makes up a significant (if shrinking) chunk of its sales.The details of how SpaceX allows Chinese investors to buy into the company came to light through the testimony of its CFO, Bret Johnsen, and major investor Iqbaljit Kahlon during a recent corporate dispute in Delaware.The dispute centered around an aborted 2021 deal with a Chinese firm that had planned to buy $50 million of the companys stock. When the news became public, SpaceX executives pulled out to avoid potential problems with national security regulators.Kahlon testified in December that SpaceX finds it acceptable for Chinese investors to buy into the company through offshore vehicles, which are often used to keep investors anonymous.Experts who spoke to ProPublica said this practice is troubling because its a potential sign that the company is taking active steps to conceal foreign ownership interests. Its unclear exactly why SpaceX does this; the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.While passive, non-controlling stakes from foreign investors are welcome, it is the Trump administrations position that adversaries like China use concealed investment strategies to obtain technologies, IP, and leverage in strategic industries. As a result, typically such investments would be vetted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).Theres no public record of SpaceX undergoing a formal CFIUS review. TechCrunch has reached out to CFIUS and SpaceX to learn more.ProPublicas reporting follows an investigation from The Financial Times that found that Chinese investors are using special-purpose vehicles to quietly funnel millions into Musk-controlled companies, including SpaceX, xAI, and Neuralink.

Breakdown & ShowreelsWicked: Visualising Wicked by FramestoreBy Vincent Frei - 26/03/2025 From concept to spectacle! Explore how previs, techvis, and postvis shaped the epic stunts and creatures of Wicked with Visualisation Supervisor Chris McDonald and CCO Lucy Killick in this in-depth Framestore webinar!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Framestore: Dedicated page about Wicked on Framestore website.Jonathan Fawkner: Heres my interview of VFX Supervisor Jonathan Fawkner at Framestore. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

When is Amazon's Spring Sale 2025?This year, Amazon's Big Spring Sale begins on March 25 and ends on March 31.Are headphones and earbuds really cheaper during Amazon sales?Yes, you can find many headphones and earbuds at cheaper prices during Amazon's sales. However, the spring sale typically offers smaller discounts than Amazon's fall and holiday sales later in the year. During Amazon's sales, headphone and earbud brands also slash prices on their sites to compete for your dollars. Sometimes, prices are lower at other retailers, so you should compare factors like prices, return policies, and free items included with your purchase before buying. If you want all-time low prices on the latest headphones and earbuds, wait until later in the year.How did we choose these Spring Sale deals?I spend most of my time testing the latest headphones and earbuds and revisiting headphones and earbuds released in past years to provide our readers with the most sound buying advice. I also notice products' retail prices and when the lowest prices were offered, typically later in the year.Additionally, by retesting products, I can determine if they're still worth hundreds of dollars a year or two later. If they are, I will still recommend them during significant sales. Another factor I consider is when newly-released products are on sale; if a product I recommended was released six months ago and is already on sale, I'll notify our readers to take advantage of the sale price.What are the best Amazon Spring Sale 2025 deals?ZDNET's experts are searching through Amazon's Spring Sale deals to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals so far:You can also find the best Amazon Spring Sale deals by price:And the best deals from other retailers this week:Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites withZDNET Recommends

The Roborock Q7 Max+ robot vacuum mop offers a hands-free experience with a self-emptying dustbin for only $360, thanks to the Amazon Big Spring Sale.

Pasadena Humane took in over 1,500 pets displaced by the Eaton fire that started the evening of ... More January 7, 2025. Now the shelter staff delights in happy reunions and adoptions.Courtesy of Pasadena HumaneAs flames from the Eaton fire engulfed a neighborhood in Altadena, California, earlier this year, a family frantically loaded their beloved cat and dog into their car. Suddenly, a neighbors propane tank exploded startling Canelo, a pit bull, who jumped out of the vehicle and ran off. His family couldnt find him and had to flee for their lives.A day or two later, someone found Canelo wandering around the burn zone and brought him to Pasadena Humane, a nonprofit animal shelter that serves Altadena, Pasadena and other parts of the San Gabriel Valley devasted by the wildfire.He was burned pretty badly, says Kevin McManus, public relations and communications manager at Pasadena Humane. Thankfully, he survived.Canelo wasnt wearing a collar or microchipped, but the shelter snapped a photo and shared it on the found pets section of their Eaton fire emergency page and got him veterinary care.We have an animal ICU here on site, and five full-time veterinarians who work here, he says.Canelo suffered burns during the Eaton Fire that destroyed his home in Altadena, California. Courtesy of Pasadena HumaneThanks to the photo, Canelos family learned he was at Pasadena Humane and came to see him. Theyd lost their home to the fire, so the shelter continued to care for Canelo and treat his burned paws and other injuries for nearly a month.When he was ready to leave, the shelter shared a touching reunion video on social media.I got to witness when his family came to pick him up to take him home, McManus says. It was just the sweetest. There was not a dry eye in the room. Canelos whole body was wagging and he was licking the guys face. The owner said, I can buy new things. I can rebuild my home, but I cant buy another Canelo. I cant find another dog like this. I still get choked up thinking about it.Coping With The CrisisCanelo is one of over 1,500 pets who landed at Pasadena Humane during the catastrophic Eaton fire, which killed at least 17 people and destroyed more than 9,400 buildings. Pasadena Humane always offers emergency boarding for pets free of charge so some animals were temporarily surrendered by evacuees without access to a pet-friendly place to stay. Many others were rescued by firefighters and animal control officers.When the fire erupted on the evening of January 7, shelters throughout the state helped Pasadena Humane make space for an influx of displaced pets by taking around 150 dogs, 50 cats and other pets, like rabbits. The shelter created an emergency hotline for people to report lost, found and left-behind pets, and essentially became a command post to care for displaced pets, with help from other shelters and organizations, including American Humane, K9 Youth Alliance, Marin Humane, ASPCA, Santa Barbara Humane, San Diego Humane Society, Banfield Foundation and VCA Animal Hospitals.Hundreds of volunteers too many to count helped sort donations for people affected by the wildfires, clean laundry, direct traffic and do anything that needed to be done to allow shelter staff to focus on caring for the animals coming in, according to McManus.Weve never taken in that number of animals, he says. All day long, we were just taking in animals, taking in animals, taking in animals. And it was emotionally difficult, but also logistically difficult. We had cats in offices and dogs in crates in our training room, and we were using all the kennels we have in our spay/neuter clinic for housing. We had to be really creative and put animals basically anywhere we could.So when pets started being reunited with their families, Pasadena Humane would share the good news with the team, which helped boost morale.Every time that happened, it was like, OK, were getting closer to getting to some kind of normalcy getting through this crisis, he says. It was pretty special.Oreo and Mr. Butter head home with their family after evacuation from the Eaton fire.Courtesy of Pasadena HumaneNursing Skinny Minnie Back To Health And Her FamilyLike Canelo, many displaced pets suffered burns from the blaze. One cat, Skinny Minnie, was a community cat being fed by a couple hoping to integrate her into their family, which includes two indoor cats. When they had to evacuate, they couldnt find her and had to leave without her.When someone brought Skinny Minnie to Pasadena Humane, she was in such bad shape that she was unrecognizable, according to McManus.We had her in an oxygen chamber for a couple of days because she had such bad smoke inhalation, he recalls. She couldnt open her eyes. She had burns on her paws.Over the course of the next month, whenever Skinny Minnie would get a little better, the shelter would post a new photo of her on its found page. Oscar winner Adrien Brody cuddled the bitty kitty while volunteering, which reportedly helped her relax during her ordeal.Oscar-winner Adrien Brody holds Skinny Minnie at Pasadena Humane earlier this year.Courtesy of Pasadena HumaneEventually, shed healed enough that her family could recognize her.They had pictures, and she really responded to them, McManus says.Skinny Minnie is still at the shelter because shes going to need multiple surgeries.Were just going to keep doing that until shes as healthy as we can get her, he says. Theyre such a sweet couple. They come and visit her at least three or four or five times a week and just hang out with her. Im excited for them to finally be able to take her home.Skinny Minnie is reunited with her family at Pasadena Humane. Courtesy of Pasadena HumanePasadena Humane is still caring for around 150 animals like Skinny Minnie whose families lost their homes.Obviously we are not charging people for this, McManus says. This is just something that we do for our community.So Pasadena Humane welcomes financial donations to help offset costs, as well as volunteers, fosters and adopters.Adopting a shelter dog frees up kennel space for other pets in need. Courtesy of Pasadena HumaneHes incredibly grateful to all the people who have stepped up to help both pets and people affected by the Eaton Fire. It means the world to McManus and the Pasadena Humane team every time theres a happy pet reunion at the shelter.It was such a terrible situation and something that we never thought we would have to face on such a scale, so its a reminder of why we all come to work every day and why were here for our community, he says. We cant do much about the fire or rebuild peoples homes, but we can at least assure people that their animals are in good hands while theyre with us, and were just as excited to see them go home as the people are to get them.

RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 04: In an aerial view, brand new Subaru cars sit in a storage lot at ... More Auto Warehouse Co. on March 04, 2025 in Richmond, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWith the clock quickly running out on a one-month reprieve on tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. the auto industry is on pins and needles according to one economist, since Pres. Donald Trump has hinted he may exclude autos and parts from the levies.But should Trump go ahead with the threatened tariffs, the cost to consumers, suppliers and automakers would be extensive, according to experts at Cox Automotive. It looks like we are headed for the highest effective tariff rate since World War II for the auto market, predicted Cox Automotive chief economist Jonathan Smoke during a webcast on market conditions, Wednesday. That is especially problematic as such, tariffs would be highly disruptive to North American vehicle production, resulting in tighter supply, higher prices and lower production and sales.For one, the tariffs on would cause a $3,000 price hike on U.S.- made vehicle and $6,000 or more on a typical vehicle assembled in Canada or Mexico, said Smoke.If the tariffs go through this time, by mid-April, we expect disruption to virtually all North American vehicle production, amounting to 20,000 fewer vehicles produced per day, which is about a 30% hit to production over the longer term, estimated Smoke. We expect sales to fall, new and used prices to increase, and some models to be eliminated if those tariffs persist.Indeed, Smoke said hes fairly confident Trump will impose the tariffs come April 2.The prospect of tariffs is already affecting the market, according to a report released Wednesday by J.D. Power, predicting nervous shoppers swarmed to dealer lots this month to avoid higher prices, resulting in an expected 13% increase in sales over March, 2024.In addition to the boost in March sales, anticipated increases in manufacturer and dealer discounts have not materialized, even as inventory on dealer lots rises, said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Although the magnitude of these effects is currently modest, they do present a preview of potential disruption as manufacturers, dealers and consumers prepare for uncertainty in the coming weeks and months.Uncertainty over whether or not the 25% tariffs on vehicles that do not meet the standards under the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA, will be imposed is basically killing momentum in what has so far shaped up to be a strong start to 2025.If the market were left alone with no massive tariff impact on automotive, we'd expect sales to see a one to 2% gain over last year, and finish near 16.3 million. That was our view just a few weeks ago, said Cox Automotive senior economist Charlie Chesbrough, during Wednesdays presentation. However, what seems most likely now is some tariffs for some countries for some period of time. So we've revised our baseline forecast of 15.6 million down one to 2% from last year.Further eroding prospects is Smokes conjecture compliance with USMC wont immunize imports if the tariffs are triggered on April 2.It would appear about 8% of vehicles are not compliant, because 92% are duty free, and that would imply that most of them meeting the rules, Smoke pointed out. So we think what is really changing next Wednesday will be, effectively, even vehicles that are in compliance are now subject to the 25% tariff.As alluded to by Thomas King at J.D. Power, automakers are reining in incentives as consumers rush to beat any price increases before the tariffs would take hold.Its all adding up to what Cox Automotives Chesbrough termed a perfect storm for a return to inflation created by higher values for existing inventories, incentives in decline and potential supply disruptions, noting it may already be happening.Chevrolet Equinox EV on dealer lot in suburban Detroit. Ed GarstenFor electric vehicles, the outlook is becoming murkier given the segment is not only threatened by tariffs, but by Trumps stated intentions to kill tax credits for EV purchases and funding for a national charging network.Cox is estimating EV sales for the first quarter will increase 12% over the first three months of 2024, despite an expected 18% falloff from the torrid sales at the end of last year fueled by discounts and incentives, but the twin uncertainties are creating a more complicated scenario, according to Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox.CORTE MADERA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 31: Tesla's market lead in EV sales is steadily shrinking according ... More to Cox Automotive. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWhile EV sales in general are increasing, market leader Tesla has been steadily losing ground.The rapid pace of technological advancements and the emergence of new competitors are outpacing Tesla's ability to maintain its early lead, said Streaty.The company's share of the EV market peaked in 2020 at 79% and has been declining since then to about 55% last year, according to Streaty. She also cited opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk politically and personally as an additional factor for the brands sales ebb.Thats reflected in a sharp decline in customer consideration of the brand. Citing Kelly Blue Book data, Streaty noted consideration of Tesla among luxury EV buyers fell from 16% in 2021 to 9% in 2024.Its all a lot to think about as the countdown clock ticks towards next Wednesday as the auto industry, its suppliers, dealers and consumers await the word from the White House.Cox Automotives Smoke is not optimistic.We're not there yet, but we're a week away from moves that make the dark side more likely, he mused. In the meantime, we've seen uncertainty grow dramatically over the last two months, and uncertainty can be like a deep fog that simply ruins the warning commute.

The Trump administration is facing heavy blowback for using Signal, a messaging app, to discuss sensitive military plans. On March 24, officials usage of the app was revealed after The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg published a story titled "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans," in which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, among others, discussed upcoming military strikes on Yemen. The U.S. government previously discouraged federal employees from using the app for official business. Some experts have speculated that sharing sensitive national security details over Signal could be illegal, and Democratic lawmakers have demanded an investigation. If our nation's military secrets are being peddled around over unsecure text chains, we need to know that at once, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.Signal is one of the most secure and private messaging platforms that exists for general public use. But cybersecurity experts argue that the app should not have been used for this level of sensitive communication. Signal is a very robust app: a lot of cybersecurity professionals use it for our communications that we want to protect, says Michael Daniel, president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance and a cybersecurity coordinator under President Obama. But its not as secure as government communications channels. And the use of these kinds of channels increases the risk that something is going to go wrong.Signals StrengthsSignal was launched in 2014, with the goal of creating a privacy-preserving messaging platform in an age of increasing mass surveillance. Signal conversations are protected by end-to-end encryption, a technique that makes it extremely hard for a third party to intercept or decipher private messages. While other messaging tools may collect sensitive personal data, Signal prides itself on securely protecting information such as messaging contacts, frequency, and duration.The app has other privacy features, such as automatically disappearing messages after a set period and preventing screenshots of conversations. Signal data is stored locally on user's devices, not the companys servers. Our goal is that everyone in the world can pick up their device, and without thinking twice about it, or even having an ideological commitment to privacy, use Signal to communicate with anyone they want, Signal President Meredith Whittaker told TIME in 2022.Read More: Signals President Meredith Whittaker Shares Whats Next for the Private Messaging AppOver the last few years, Signal has been used by dissidents and protestors around the world who want to keep their conversations safe from political enemies or law enforcement. In Ukraine, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv described Signal as critical to their work in its ability to ensure secure, rapid, and easily accessible communications. The app now has 70 million users worldwide, according to the tracking site Business of Apps.Government UseThe usage of Signal for government purposes is more contentious. In 2021, the Pentagon scolded a former official for using Signal, saying that it did not comply with the Freedom of Information Act, which decrees the government has legal obligations to maintain federal records. Goldberg, however, reported this week that the Trump officials Signal chat was set to automatically delete messages after a period of time.Sam Vinograd, who served in former President Barack Obama's Homeland Security Department, told CBS that sharing sensitive security details over Signal could violate the Espionage Act as well. Top intelligence officials testified this week that no classified information was shared over the group chat. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that Signal was a permissible work-use application for the CIA.Last week, a Pentagon advisory cautioned military personnel against using Signal due to Russian hackers targeting the app.The Cyber Threat Alliances Daniel says that he was surprised that top officials were using Signal, given that they have access to government-specific channels that are more secure. When discussing sensitive information, officials are typically required to do so in designated, secure areas called Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs), or to use SIPRNet, a secure network used by the Defense and State Departments.These are very senior officials who have a lot of options. They have people whose entire jobs are is to make sure that they're able to communicate at all times, Daniel says. We've had that for decades now, and those procedures are really well honed.Daniel contends that government tools could have prevented what went wrong in this instance: the human error of an outside party mistakenly being added to a message chain. He says that government channels have a much higher level of authentication to ensure that members of communication channels are supposed to have access.Dave Chronister, the CEO of the cybersecurity company Parameter Security, says that the governments bespoke communications channels prevent other kinds of interlopers or hackers attempting to use phishing or malware techniques to learn information. If youre on a cell phone, I dont know who could be looking over my shoulder to see what Im typing, not to mention I dont know what else is on that mobile device, he says.Chronister adds that officials use of Signal, as opposed to internal channels, also makes it harder for the government to identify and contain breaches once theyve happened. We could have data out there we didnt know was compromised, he says. If top cabinet officials are using Signal, Im wondering how much is being done on a daily basisand I think theres going to be a lot more fallout from this.A representative for Signal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In brief: A team of physicists believe it may be possible to harvest electricity using Earth's rotation through its own magnetic field, and they've published a paper involving a test that appears to validate the concept. The study, published in the journal Physical Review Research, builds on work the team conducted back in 2016 and an idea dating back to at least 1832. Using a cylindrical shell made of manganese-zinc ferrite measuring 29.9 cm in length and positioned at a specific angle (57.5 degrees), a voltage of 18 microvolts was measured. Normally, any voltage created would be canceled out by electrons rearranging themselves but this wasn't the case with the hollow cylindrical shell.When the cylinder was rotated 90 degrees, current went to zero. Rotated another 90 degrees, it returned but of opposite sign. Testing with a solid shell produced zero voltage at all orientations.Experimental configurationThe physicists took every precaution to ensure no local stimuli influenced the test. The experiment took place in an underground, windowless laboratory with low 60 Hz and RF backgrounds, and under a limited temperature range. They were even able to reproduce the results at a second location, a residential building roughly 3.5 miles away from the lab. Also of note is the fact that the predicted effect disappeared when experiments were conducted in a Faraday cage.The results are intriguing to say the least, but further study is needed. // Related StoriesChristopher F. Chyba, one of three authors of the study, admitted that the amount of electricity generated by the experiments was "miniscule" and that it might not even be possible to scale things up to a useful level. The tests were also conducted with a very specific set of requirements and materials.The first thing that needs to happen, Chyba added, is that independent groups will need to reproduce or rebut their results. For example, testing in different environments could help determine if there was a hidden source of electricity that the researchers didn't account for.Image credit: Unsplash Community