When is Amazon's Spring Sale 2025?The Amazon Big Spring Sale is happening from March 25 through March 31.Are robot vacuums really cheaper during Amazon sales?Yes, robot vacuums are actually cheaper during Amazon sales. Prices often reach all-time lows during Prime Day events and the Amazon Big Spring Sale. You can find robot vacuum discounts sporadically throughout the year, but these big sales events tend to feature the biggest discounts and are often the best time to buy.How did we choose these Spring Sale deals?As a robot vacuum reviewer, I've become familiar with unique features and tested various devices in every price range. This experience has made me realize that the robot vacuum market has a lot of competition and helps me discern which robot vacuums are worth their retail price and when a discount is a good deal.I check robot vacuum deals weekly, paying special attention during sales events. I always choose to feature the deals that deliver the most features and best performance for the least money. Using our expertise and different tools to track deals, we can determine when a deal is worth it and ensure we only cover those.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:Best anti-Amazon Spring Sale dealsLooking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites withZDNET Recommends.

Google is testing an important new search feature for Google Photos.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesGoogle is finally testing a long-awaited new search feature that will take much of the frustration out of managing a large Google Photos library.March 29 update below with details of more unreleased features found in the Google Photos Android app. This article was originally published on March 28According to a recent Android Authority report, following an investigation by AssembleDebug, the latest version of the Google Photos app contains experimental code that will enable a number of interface tweaks and, finally, the ability to search for a specific album from within the Albums view.This is a feature people have been requesting for a very long time.Google Photos Update A Long-Awaited Album Search FeatureThe feature is not yet functional in the app, but a future search option for albums would save a lot of time if you have dozens (or hundreds!) of albums. This is especially true if you dont know the full name of the album or when it was last modified.Currently, if you need to find a specific album in your collection, you can speed up the process by sorting your albums in one of three ways:Last modified sort by when the last change was made to the albumAlbum title sort alphabetically by the name of the albumMost recent photo sort in date order of the most recent photo in each albumAlternatively, you can perform a general search in your library, and albums with names matching your search term will appear in the results (along with everything else it finds).However, neither of these approaches will help you when you want to search for an album as part of the add to album process. Currently, when you select add to album, you must then scroll through a long list of all your albums to locate the album where you want to store the photo. Worse still, in this particular scenario, you can't even sort the list.Google Photos Album Search Why This MattersThe new search function would allow you to simply start typing the name of the album you want and then add your photo directly to it. This would address a core usability issue, making it easier to organize your photos with fewer taps.As its not yet functional, we dont know yet how powerful the search function will be. It could be a basic search for text in the album name or, preferably, a sophisticated AI-powered Ask Photos style option that lets you perform vague searches like Show me that album with all the cute cat pics. Google certainly has the ability to offer the latter, but any search function would be better than what we have now. I hope the search function will work during the add to album process, as users often request this specific detail.Note that this new search feature is currently being tested, so it may change before it rolls out to the public or Google may decide not to implement it at all, although that would be a great disappointment.March 29 Update: Google is also testing some quality-of-life updates to the photo viewer built into the Google Photos appGoogle Photos New Photo Viewer ControlsGoogle is also testing an update to the built-in photo viewer in the latest version of the Google Photos app that should help speed up organizing your pictures into albums.By swapping out the Google Lens icon at the bottom of the screen for a new Add to button. By tapping this button, you can quickly add the photo youre currently viewing to an album or move it to the Archive or your Locked folder.Google is testing changes to the Google Photos photo viewer that will make it easier to organize ... More pictures into albumsANDROID AUTHORITY/ASSEMBLE DEGBUGIn the current layout, you must access these Add to tools by swiping up on the picture youre viewing and then swiping horizontally through a carousel of options to find the function you want. Not only does this method require many more taps and swipes, but it also makes the functions harder to find.Google Photos Google Lens Harder To FindThe obvious negative impact of this change is that Google Lens becomes harder to access while viewing a photo.More recent innovations like Circle to Search and Geminis Ask About Screen option will make up for this to some extent, but Google will likely take user response into account before making a final decision on the changes.Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.

Do not use your passwordVCG via Getty ImagesUpdate: Republished on March 29 with FIDOs response to Microsofts password deletion update and a major change to the companys sign-in requirements.All change for Microsoft. The company has suddenly confirmed a major update for over 1 billion end users, as the deletion of passwords for all users becomes real. Your Microsoft password, it warns, could be easily forgotten or guessed by an attacker, and its now time to completely remove the password from your account.The password era is ending, Microsoft warned in December. Bad actors know it, which is why theyre desperately accelerating password-related attacks while they still can. With 7,000 attacks on passwords [blocked] per second almost double from a year ago, the company is on a mission to convince a billion users to love passkeys.A passkey replaces password and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes with account authentication linked to your hardware devices or devices and secured by the same security that unlocks that device, most likely your fingerprint or your face. Unlike passwords, this means a passkey cannot leak or be stolen as it requires that physical hardware device. And unlike 2FA, it cannot be intercepted or bypassed.This latest update is the next stage of that shift from passwords to passkeys. By the end of April, most Microsoft account users will see updated sign in and sign-up user experience for web and mobile apps. This has enabled the company to rethink the default experiences for sign in, putting even greater emphasis on usability and security our new UX is optimized for a passwordless and passkey-first experience.Microsoft explains that when signing up for a new account, just entering your email address will be enough. You dont have to create a new Microsoft password All you need to do is verify the email with a one-time code, and this becomes the default credential for your new account, so you start off passwordless.Once signed in, users will then create their passkeys. Were also updating the Microsoft account sign in logic, so your passkey is the default sign in choice whenever possible, because passkeys are more secure and three times faster than passwords.Microsoft has been very clear as to why adding passkeys is not good enough if passwords remain on the account. Even if we get our more than one billion users to enroll and use passkeys, if a user has both a passkey and a password, and both grant access to an account, the account is still at risk for phishing.Thats why password deletion is the goal, and its becoming more critical with new AI-fueled attacks and successful 2FA compromises making weekly headlines. Our ultimate goal is to remove passwords completely and have accounts that only support phishing-resistant credentials, Microsoft says. Millions of users have deleted their passwords.Goodbye passwordMicrosoftThe FIDO Alliance has been laser focused on eliminating the worlds dependence on passwords for over a decade, its CEO Andrew Shikiar told me. This is an exciting and seminal milestone as Microsoft is taking passwords out of play for over a billion user accounts, who can now instead leverage user-friendly, phishing-resistant passkeys.Kudos to Microsoft for the clarity and simplicity of its messaging here. The adoption of passkeys is accelerating, with HYPR confirming this week that phishing-resistant authentication, led by FIDO passkeys, is projected to become the most widely deployed authentication method within two years. But theres much more still to be done.What we need now is the same password deletion clarity from all other major platform providers to ensure this shift is wholesale. Google, in contrast to Microsoft, talks about passwords remaining as a backup credential for account access. But per Microsofts warning, this leaves a vulnerability in place. This should be the year we see consistent advice on passkeys and the eradication of password and simple 2FA usage.I think its fair to say that most companies that deploy passkeys do so with the ultimate intent of password deletion. Shikiar suggests. Microsofts leadership in doing so today will help encourage more service providers to do the same, which moves us collectively closer to the day when passwords are fully in our rear-view mirror.FIDOs data suggests that passkey familiarity [is] growing and growing quickly. In the two years since passkeys were announced and made available for consumer use, passkey awareness has risen by 50% from the 39% who said they were familiar in 2022 to 57% in 2024. And critically given password deletion plans now coming to the fore, the majority of those familiar with passkeys are enabling the technology to sign in. Meanwhile, despite passwords remaining the most common way for account sign-in, usage overall has declined as alternatives rise in availability.Its not all good news from Microsoft on the account front, though. As reported by Windows Central, the Windows-maker has also confirmed that its removing a popular command line that allowed users to bypass connecting to the internet and signing into a Microsoft Account when setting up a new Windows 11 PC.This refers to bypassnro, that has allowed users to enter a command prompt during Windows Setup to skip connecting to the internet, therefore bypassing the Microsoft Account requirement. But not any longer which wont land well with affected users.Were removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11, Microsoft has just confirmed in a dev blog. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.

Apple iPad Air (2025) review: Pro power at Air priceMSRP$599.00 Score Details The new iPad Air brings pro-level power at a more affordable price. With the M3 chip, a sharp display, and solid accessories support, it remains the go-to device for creativity and productivity.ProsClean designSharp screen for creativity and productivityM3 power boost at no added costMore affordable new Magic KeyboardGood battery lifeConsExpensive storage and connectivity upgradesDisplay needs better smudge-resistanceiPadOS has its quirksAccessories are quite priceyTable of ContentsTable of ContentsApple iPad Air (2025) designiPad Air (2025) displayiPad Air (2025) performance and batteryiPad Air (2025) softwareiPad Air (2025) priceCan I use the 13-inch iPad Air (M3, 2025) as a laptop replacement?iPad Air (2025) review: verdictI swear by the iPad Mini and find it the perfect size for a tablet. Thats why I was skeptical and not keen on shifting to another iPad. But the 13-inch iPad Air changed my mind. After using it for more than a week, I see its appeal now and am glad Apple expanded the Airs screen size to 13 inches last year.Recommended VideosDespite the diminishing lines between different iPadsgiven the multiple storage and size configurations throughout the lineupthe 13-inch iPad Air stands its ground. It is less of an Air (not the thinnest anymore) and more of an affordable Pro Apple tablet, at least in terms of performance. Sure, theres no OLED display or M4 chip or Face ID, but its plenty powerful, supports the Apple Pencil Pro, and costs $400 less.RelatedCompared to last years model, the iPad Air (2025) isnt a whole lot different. It is not trying to reinvent the wheel. You get the same design, same screen, and the same set of speakers, but with an upgraded Apple M3 chipsetat the same price. Its not an exciting year-on-year upgrade, but theres plenty to cover.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsApple is continuing with its tried-and-tested design for the 13-inch iPad Air (2025). The only difference is its lack of iPad Air branding on the back. I like the cleaner aesthetic. Apples logo is all the branding it needs.Unlike previous years, Apple didnt take away any color options, but it didnt add any either. The new iPad Air is available in Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Grey.At 618 grams (Wi-Fi + Cellular), the 13-inch iPad Air (2025) isnt the lightest tablet from Apple. Its almost a millimeter thicker and 34 grams heavier than the iPad Pro (2024). Its not hefty, and being a big slate, I almost always find myself using it docked on the Magic Keyboardso the weight doesnt bother me.On the front, you get a 13-inch screen. By comparison, bezels on the 11-inch variant look dated and are due for a refresh. Youll find the ever-reliable 12MP front camera on the top in landscape orientation. It supports Center Stage to keep you in the frame despite minor movements on video calls. The stereo speakers are loud and clear enough to not require an audio accessory.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsTheres still no space for Face ID. The new iPad Air relies on Touch ID for authentication, which was recently phased out from iPhones with the launch of the iPhone 16E. It works 10 out of 10 times and is easy to reach when docked into the keyboard (because it lies within my reach on the left side).However, its not as convenient to reach when you hold the iPad in your hand, especially for the 13-inch model. A lighter form factor and Face ID could make it easier to use for artists who primarily want a slate to use with the Apple Pencil Pro.Apple also refreshed its Magic Keyboard alongside the iPad Air (2025). Its more affordable ($269 for the 11-inch and $319 for the 13-inch model) and features a 14-key function row to let you adjust quick settings like screen brightness, volume, Do Not Disturb, and more.Im typing this review on the last-gen Magic Keyboard, and I miss not having a function key. When typing, Id rather reach for the keyboard to adjust brightness than swipe on the touchscreen. Im pleased that the new version lets me do that. It also has a larger trackpad than before, but is slightly heavier. You still get the same satisfying typing experience.When compared, the 11-inch iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard feels denser than the 13-inch iPad Air. Itll be lighter in your backpack, but the overall weight distribution feels better on the 13-inch model.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsThe iPad Air (2025) comes in two display sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch. Both feature an LCD with 264 ppi and a 60Hz refresh rate. Its a sharp screen for most scenarios. It looks vibrant and offers a good content consumption experience. That is, unless you compare it to an OLED screen. I was hoping for a mini LED upgrade (at least on the bigger model), since the Pro models have moved to more expensive Tandem OLED displays. A higher refresh rate and better vibrancy of mini LED would appeal to a wider audience.The 13-inch model offers a brighter 600-nit screen compared to the 500 nits brightness found on the 11-inch model. I had no issues with the screen when using it indoors. However, it attracts smudges, and I had to clean it every time I wanted to use it under bright conditions (like in a cab when commuting in daylight). Apples oleophobic coating doesnt help much in this regard.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsThe 13-inch iPad Air (2025) has a 4:3 aspect ratio display, and Ive loved working on it. Typing on docs while researching, taking notes, sketching with the Apple Pencil Pro, or using it as a secondary display with a Macits perfect for creative and productive tasks. However, the 13-inch model adds significant letterboxing to videos.If you want an iPad Air for consuming content, I strongly recommend opting for the 11-inch model. It offers a slightly wider 16:11 screen, so you get less letterboxing and more video on the screen.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsApples new iPad Air is powered by the in-house M3 chipset. It has the same 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU architecture as before but is now built on a 3nm process instead of a 5nm process. In theory, this makes it faster, more efficient, and more capable. Apple claims it is twice as fast as the M1 iPad Air (2022).A few standout features include ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching. Game developers can leverage ray tracing and mesh shading to create a more immersive gameplay experience. The former enhances shadows and reflections with greater detail, while the latter helps make gameplay smoother.Dynamic caching, on the other hand, is responsible for efficiency. It allows the GPU to allocate a specific amount of memory to complex tasks, preventing them from consuming more resources than necessary. Since it is dynamic, it adjusts the memory allocation depending on how youre using the tablet.Does all of this sound impressive? Yes. Will you notice it in your day-to-day tasks? Probably not. Youre unlikely to see a difference between the M2 and M3or even the M1 and M3when using the iPad Air for basic tasks like writing or video consumption. The real jump in performance will be noticeable to creatives working on graphic-intensive tasks like video editing or design. It will be faster at exporting clips and processing design changes.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsDuring my workday, the iPad Air felt snappy, with only iPadOS quirks holding it back (more on this in the software section). For context, I had at least 12 Chrome tabs open simultaneously, with Google Docs in split-screen and apps like Teams, Asana, Slack, Gmail, and Lightroom running in the background.It comes with 8GB of RAM and starts at 128GB of storage, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options available for both sizes. Apple doesnt disclose the battery capacity of its products but claims the new iPad Air can deliver up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi. In my usage, I could get through a full day without any issues, often ending with over 30% battery left for the next day. Ive used it on long-haul flights for video consumption, and battery anxiety was never a concern.You get a USB-C to USB-C cable and an adapter (depending on your location) in the box. However, it doesnt support fast charging like some other high-end tablets, taking nearly two hours to charge from 10% to 100%.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsApples iPadOS 18 is feature-rich and better than ever but still rigid and buggy. You get customization optionsfrom personalizing your Home Screen to the Control Center, you can make it your own.However, customizing it isnt the best experience. On iPadOS 18.3.2, arranging icons and widgets is a chore. Move one icon, and everything else shifts to a random location on your Home Screen. I have folders and icons placed in two rows at the bottom, but if I try to replace an app, I have to rearrange everything manually. I experienced a bug that rearranged my icons after restarting my iPad Air (2025). I was greeted by a completely rearranged layout, with icons moved to the top two rows instead of the designated layout.For multitasking, you get features like Split Screen and Stage Manager. Ive resorted to using the former because Stage Manager doesnt fully utilize the screen space. Its useful for faster app-switchingsay, when youre on a Zoom call but need to take notes, or when youre working on something while keeping track of Slack and Teams messages. It excels at single-app-focused tasks while keeping other apps accessible, but its not ideal for true multitasking. OnePlus Open Canvas and Samsungs DeX mode handle that better.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsThat said, iPadOS remains the better tablet operating system compared to Android, thanks to its app stability, better scalability, and superior support for powerful creative apps. Pair it with the Apple Pencil Pro, and you have the go-to slate for creativity.Apple Intelligence is still a work in progress. It doesnt transform the user experience, but some AI features are nice to have. For instance, I use Clean Up in Photos to remove distractions in the background, and Im always looking forward to the goofiness of Message Summaries in iMessage and Gmail. Like other AI tools, it isnt always factually accurate, so you have to double-check the full message or email.You also get Writing Tools to adjust the tone of your sentences and proofread your emails, along with Image Playground to generate imagesthough I havent found a real use for it. A smarter Siri is still in the pipeline, but for now, it can leverage ChatGPT to answer queries. Again, if youre looking for accurate information, its always best to verify it.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsApple gave the iPad Air (2025) a performance boost without increasing its asking price. The 11-inch model still starts at $599 for 128 GB. However, memory upgrades are expensivethe 256GB variant costs $699, the 512GB model jumps to $899, and if you want 1TB of storage, prepare to pay above $1,000.Meanwhile, the 13-inch iPad Air (2025) starts at $799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-only model. Each storage upgrade adds another $200 over its 11-inch counterpart, while the Cellular variant adds an extra $150. Throw in the Magic Keyboard ($319) and Apple Pencil Pro ($129), and youre looking at a device that costs more than a MacBook Air.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsThe age-old question: Is an iPad a laptop replacement? No, its not. And its not trying to be. If you need macOS or Windows-level productivity, youre better off with a laptop its built for productivity and offers better support for web apps.By contrast, the iPad Air (2025) is a creative-first device. You can still get work done on it, but theres a learning curvejust as there would be if you tried to draw on a laptop. Its for those who want a big screen for photo and video editing that fits seamlessly into their Mac and iPhone workflow, without compromising on performance.Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsThe 13-inch iPad Air (2025) is for those who want a big-screen iPad for creative workflows and productivity without spending over $1,000. The $799 model with 128GB storage should be enough for most, but if youre sure about your storage needs, the $899 model with 256GB is a safer bet. I dont recommend the top-end 1TB variant ($1,299)at that price, youre better off getting an iPad Pro for creativity or a MacBook Air for productivity.Its a reliable, portable device for creativesexpensive, yes, but still $400 cheaper than the equivalent-sized Pro model. It delivers a near-Pro performance without the Pro price. Starting at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch variant, the iPad Air offers a sharp screen, best performance in the segment, reliable battery life, tailor-made apps for the operating system, and solid optional accessories. If you want power and portability for creative workflows without breaking the $1,000 mark, this is the best iPad for you.Editors Recommendations

Agentic is the biggest buzzword in Silicon Valley, but tech companies and enterprises lack a common understanding of its meaning, and its causing problems.

a strong musky smell What could possibly go wrong? DOGE to rapidly rebuild Social Security codebase. A safe and proper rewrite should take years not months. Makena Kelly, wired.com Mar 29, 2025 10:08 am | 32 Credit: Tigermad Credit: Tigermad Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is starting to put together a team to migrate the Social Security Administrations (SSA) computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the systemand the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans relyat risk.The project is being organized by Elon Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, multiple sources who were not given permission to talk to the media tell WIRED, and aims to migrate all SSA systems off COBOL, one of the first common business-oriented programming languages, and onto a more modern replacement like Java within a scheduled tight timeframe of a few months.Under any circumstances, a migration of this size and scale would be a massive undertaking, experts tell WIRED, but the expedited deadline runs the risk of obstructing payments to the more than 65 million people in the US currently receiving Social Security benefits.Of course one of the big risks is not underpayment or overpayment per se but [its also] not paying someone at all and not knowing about it. The invisible errors and omissions, an SSA technologist tells WIRED.The Social Security Administration did not immediately reply to WIREDs request for comment.SSA has been under increasing scrutiny from President Donald Trumps administration. In February, Musk took aim at SSA, falsely claiming that the agency was rife with fraud. Specifically, Musk pointed to data he allegedly pulled from the system that showed 150-year-olds in the US were receiving benefits, something that isnt actually happening. Over the last few weeks, following significant cuts to the agency by DOGE, SSA has suffered frequent website crashes and long wait times over the phone, The Washington Post reported this week.This proposed migration isnt the first time SSA has tried to move away from COBOL: In 2017, SSA announced a plan to receive hundreds of millions in funding to replace its core systems. The agency predicted that it would take around five years to modernize these systems. Because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the agency pivoted away from this work to focus on more public-facing projects.Like many legacy government IT systems, SSA systems contain code written in COBOL, a programming language created in part in the 1950s by computing pioneer Grace Hopper. The Defense Department essentially pressured private industry to use COBOL soon after its creation, spurring widespread adoption and making it one of the most widely used languages for mainframes, or computer systems that process and store large amounts of data quickly, by the 1970s. (At least one DOD-related website praising Hopper's accomplishments is no longer active, likely following the Trump administrations DEI purge of military acknowledgements.)As recently as 2016, SSAs infrastructure contained more than 60 million lines of code written in COBOL, with millions more written in other legacy coding languages, the agencys Office of the Inspector General found. In fact, SSAs core programmatic systems and architecture havent been substantially updated since the 1980s when the agency developed its own database system called MADAM, or the Master Data Access Method, which was written in COBOL and Assembler, according to SSAs 2017 modernization plan.SSAs core logic is also written largely in COBOL. This is the code that issues social security numbers, manages payments, and even calculates the total amount beneficiaries should receive for different services, a former senior SSA technologist who worked in the office of the chief information officer says. Even minor changes could result in cascading failures across programs.If you weren't worried about a whole bunch of people not getting benefits or getting the wrong benefits, or getting the wrong entitlements, or having to wait ages, then sure go ahead, says Dan Hon, principal of Very Little Gravitas, a technology strategy consultancy that helps government modernize services, about completing such a migration in a short timeframe.Its unclear when exactly the code migration would start. A recent document circulated amongst SSA staff laying out the agencys priorities through May does not mention it, instead naming other priorities like terminating non-essential contracts and adopting artificial intelligence to augment administrative and technical writing.Earlier this month, WIRED reported that at least 10 DOGE operatives were currently working within SSA, including a number of young and inexperienced engineers like Luke Farritor and Ethan Shaotran. At the time, sources told WIRED that the DOGE operatives would focus on how people identify themselves to access their benefits online.Sources within SSA expect the project to begin in earnest once DOGE identifies and marks remaining beneficiaries as deceased and connecting disparate agency databases. In a Thursday morning court filing, an affidavit from SSA acting administrator Leland Dudek said that at least two DOGE operatives are currently working on a project formally called the Are You Alive Project targeting what these operatives believe to be improper payments and fraud within the agencys system by calling individual beneficiaries. The agency is currently battling for sweeping access to SSAs systems in court to finish out this work. (Again, 150-year-olds are not collecting social security benefits. That specific age was likely a quirk of COBOL. It doesnt include a date type, so dates are often coded to a specific reference pointMay 20, 1875, the date of an international standards-setting conference held in Paris, known as the Convention du Mtre.)In order to migrate all COBOL code into a more modern language within a few months, DOGE would likely need to employ some form of generative artificial intelligence to help translate the millions of lines of code, sources tell WIRED. DOGE thinks if they can say they got rid of all the COBOL in months then their way is the right way and we all just suck for not breaking shit, says the SSA technologist.DOGE would also need to develop tests to ensure the new systems outputs match the previous one. It would be difficult to resolve all of the possible edge cases over the course of several years, let alone months, adds the SSA technologist.This is an environment that is held together with bail wire and duct tape, the former senior SSA technologist working in the office of the chief information officer tells WIRED. The leaders need to understand that theyre dealing with a house of cards or Jenga. If they start pulling pieces out, which theyve already stated theyre doing, things can break.This story originally appeared on wired.com.Makena Kelly, wired.com Wired.com is your essential daily guide to what's next, delivering the most original and complete take you'll find anywhere on innovation's impact on technology, science, business and culture. 32 Comments

It's still rare for the outside world to get a glimpse of daily life in North Korea. The country only recently allowed Western tourists back in following the COVID-19 pandemic, and sometimes photographers have difficulty getting to certain locations.Last year, an AFP photographer captured rare images showing daily life in North Korea.Pedro Pardo took photos of a remote part of North Korea's border from China's Jilin province. The images offer a bleak yet fascinating look at life in a country shrouded in secrecy.Recent images that other photographers took in Pyongyang, the country's capital, almost seem like they could be from any city. They show people strolling the streets or celebrating the New Year, yet there are often large signs displaying propaganda as a backdrop.North Korea was founded in 1948 under Kim Il Sung as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspired by strict Marxist-Leninist principles.Its population of roughly 26 million people lives largely in isolation from the rest of the world in the austere communist state, barred from going abroad without permission from the government and subjected to state-run media that blare propaganda praising the nation and its supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.North Korea's self-imposed isolation is largely because of its guiding principle of "Juche," or self-reliance, the idea that it should be able to function completely independently and remain separate from the rest of the world.In practice, this has achieved little other than stifling the country's economy and trade, and many of its citizens face high poverty levels and severe food shortages. The CIA says the country "remains one of the World's most isolated and one of Asia's poorest."The Guardian reported last year that since the 1950s, an estimated 31,000 North Koreans had sought to escape and defected to South Korea. The number surged in 2023 amid what the unification ministry in Seoul called "worsening conditions in North Korea."Photos present a unique look into those conditions and life in one of the world's last communist states.A sign reads "Great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il will always be with us" in Pyongyang, the country's capital.People walk outside the Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 near a celebrative poster marking Kim Jong Il's birthday in 2025. KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty Images A loudspeaker for broadcasts is seen in Kaepoong, which South Korea considers a propaganda village.A loudspeaker in Kaepoong near the demilitarized zone in 2024. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters Buildings appear in need of repair in Kaesong.A person walking in a field outside Kaesong across the Demilitarized Zone in 2024. ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images An art exhibit for Kim Jong Il's birthday is full of paintings of the family.People visit an art exhibition in celebration of Kim Jong Il in 2025. Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images People walk along a street in Pyongyang.People walk along a street in the area near the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang in 2025. Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images North Korean soldiers work on the border near China.North Korean soldiers, seen from Tumen, China, in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images The North Korean city of Hyesan is seen from China.Hyesan, North Korea, seen from China in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images A train carriage pulls a wagon in the North Korean city of Namyang.Namyang, North Korea, seen from the city of Tumen in Northeastern China in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images A sign on a hillside in the town of Chunggang reads, "My country is the best."The North Korean town of Chunggang, seen from Linjiang in China in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images A watchtower is manned on the border in Hyesan.North Korean village of Hyesan, seen from Changba, China, in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images Portraits of the former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are seen in Chunggang.Homes in Chunggang, North Korea, seen from the town of Linjiang in China in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images Large portraits of the former leaders are displayed on a government building in Namyang.A building in Namyang, North Korea, seen from the Chinese city of Tumen in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images North Korean people work in a field.A view of North Korea from Tumen in China's northeast Jilin province in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images A sign in Chunggang reads, "Let's unify the party and all society with the revolutionary ideas of comrade Kim Jong Un!"Chunggang, North Korean, seen from the Chinese border town of Linjiang in 2024. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images Trucks cross a border bridge connecting Changbai, China, and Hyesan, North Korea.The border bridge that connects the Chinese town of Changbai with Hyesan, North Korean in 2024. Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech, DOD 2025-03-29T13:21:05Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Friday to reduce the DOD's workforce.The DOD will "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure," the memo said.The department said in February that it planned to cut its civilian headcount by 5 to 8%.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday that aims to shrink the Defense Department's civilian headcount, saying on X that it would help make the DOD "more efficient and incentivize top performers."In a press release, the DOD said the memo dubbed the "Initiating the Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative" stated that the department would "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure it to supercharge our American warfighters.""The net effect will be a reduction in the number of civilian full-time equivalent positions and increased resources in the areas where we need them most," the memo said, per the DOD.As part of the initiative, the department will embrace automation and seek to cut down on "duplicative efforts" and "excessive" bureaucracy, it added.In the memo, Hegseth also called for the reopening of the deferred resignation program, which previously offered some full-time employees the chance to resign with full pay and benefits, and to offer voluntary early retirement to eligible civilian employees."Exemptions should be rare," Hegseth said in the memo. "My intent is to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives."The memo did not give a target percentage for layoffs. The DOD, which employs more than 950,000 civilians serving in 94 different countries, said in February that it planned to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 to 8%.It comes as part of a wider push to cut federal government spending spearheaded by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.Hegseth announced earlier this month that following a DOGE review, the DOD would be terminating more than $580 million in programs, contracts and grants.Recommended video

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The Apple Watch Series 10 is the 15th iteration of the paradigm-changing smartwatch, and according to reviewers and users alike, it may well be the best one of all. One thing is for certain right now at Amazon its at its best price ever, with a 23% off sale creating a $329 deal (down from $429) thats way too good to pass up.See at AmazonWith an always-on display thats up to 30% larger than previous models of the Apple Watch, a revamped design emphasizing comfort and a light feel on your wrist, faster charging, and even more health and fitness features than before, the Apple Watch Series 10 has been selling like crazy over 10,000 in the past month on Amazon alone. This 23% off deal is just going to drive those numbers higher still, and its the best time for you to jump on the bandwagon.Your Workout PartnerThe Apple Watch has leaned heavily into its fitness and health tracking abilities since debuting 10 years ago, and the Series 10 is no exception. It has all of the trackers of the previous Apple Watches, and adds tracking modes for kayakers, canoers, and rowers, and the new Tides app which monitors coastal conditions. If youre ready to give the Apple Watch Series 10s aquatic features a try, youll be covered by the improved 50-meter water resistance and water temperature sensors.See at AmazonThe rest of Apples superior health tracking is present and accounted for in the Series 10, including on-demand ECG readings, heart and respiration measurements while you sleep, and also detection for signs of sleep apnea. If youre looking to check your heart rate while running or working out, you no longer have to fumble to touch the screen the display of the Series 10 is always on, and its up to 30% larger and 40% brighter than previous models.Slim PickingsWhen you first feel the Apple Watch Series 10 on your wrist, youll wonder if the smartwatch has been the one hitting the gym. The Series 10 is 10% thinner than the Series 9, which is hardly a bulky watch. Other upgrades include IP6X dust resistance, vastly improved sound for when youre taking a call, and the best charging time of any Apple Watch yet only 30 minutes to get up to 80%.There will, of course, be more Apple Watches to come. The Series 10 debuted only a year after the Series 9, and invariably a Series 11 will come along. But the Series 10 isso good that grabbing one now while its at its lowest-ever price at Amazon, just $329, will likely meet your smartwatch needs for years to come.See at Amazon