When it comes to durability and reliability, rugged smartphones used to be the go-to solution in the mobile market. But with many phones today now boasting high resistance to accidents and the elements, the territory of these tank-like devices gets increasingly smaller every year. Sure, theyre still built like tanks and can survive a beating much longer than the most durable premium smartphone, but the trade-offs sometimes become too much for their cost.Thats why were now seeing these chunky smartphones bearing features that are not always related to their original purpose. Whether its a built-in projector or a detachable wireless earbud, rugged smartphones are starting to experiment with designs that, truth be told, sometimes look and sound bizarre. This latest addition to that roster, for example, sounds like a playground for a variety of disparate features, some of which have been tried before and ultimately faded into the background.Designer: UlefoneWhile the cameras on the back of our smartphones are evolving by leaps and bounds, the ones on the front continue to be shackled by a lack of space. Once upon a time, some designers had the bright idea to put a second but smaller screen on the back of the phone, allowing you to use any of the more powerful rear cameras for selfies, live streams, video calls, and more. That feature proved to be an unnecessary added expense that didnt gain much traction, and it quietly disappeared from the scene.The Ulefone Armor 30 Pro is trying to revive that with a 3.4-inch 960412 screen on its back, providing those same benefits but with an added layer of Gorilla Glass protection. It can mirror the main screen so that you can use it for those aforementioned purposes, though it seems you can only operate one screen at a time even if both screens are displaying the same thing. Still, its pretty unexpected for a rugged phone to put a potentially breakable component on what would normally be a safe side.Another odd feature is the 4W 118dB loudspeaker in the middle of the hexagonal camera bump, a feature that only makes sense if youre playing music or watching videos for a lot of people. Not exactly the primary use case of traditional rugged smartphones that were primarily targeted at industrial or field workers. Then again, these smartphones are also starting to break away from that image and aim for more normal applications.To that end, the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro is really a smorgasbord of features, making it feel more like a mosaic than a well-composed painting. It has a triple camera system with 50MP main and ultra-wide cameras joined by a 64MP Night Vision camera thats assisted by four IR LED blasters. The 12,800mAh battery easily excuses the bulkiness of the phone, especially when you consider that it can be used as a rather slow 10W power bank. Theres a dedicated camera shutter button, as well as pogo pin contacts for attaching Ulefone endoscopes and microscopes.Considering all these features, plus actually decent mid-range hardware, at least on paper, its rather shocking that the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro costs only $379.99. Then again, you are paying not only for features you might not use but also for a phone that will not comfortably fit in your pocket. It does seem that the rugged smartphone market has turned a bit into a Wild West of the mobile industry, throwing any and all features on a wall to see which ones stick.The post Rugged smartphone puts a second screen and a 4W loudspeaker on its back first appeared on Yanko Design.

Michael Michera showcases his handy process for creating a memorable, animal-inspired machine

The "nearly identical" name is also causing issues.

Donald Trumps March 20 executive order aims to eliminate data silos. It could undermine privacy in the process.

MacworldAt a GlanceExpert's RatingProsClean, friendly user interface with a good level of customizationGood performance on large-volume scansCaught and quarantined almost all the test files thrown at itConsEmail Guardian allows you to visit questionable websites without warning about phishing, scams, or malwareMore advanced network tools needed for complete control over connected devicesOur Verdict Avast has delivered a good product that can head a ton of malware and viral activity off at the pass, but still needs work in terms of what its Email Guardian feature lets through and allows you to visit with no warning whatsoever. Still, theres a trial period to be taken advantage of and once again, Avast Premium Security is worth looking into. Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayRetailerPriceAvast Software$50.28View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketBest Prices Today: Avast Premium SecurityRetailerPriceAvast Software$50.28View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketAvast Premium Security for Mac is an antiviral/anti-malware/security tool (and one of the better Mac Antivirus apps we have looked at). It protects against viral infections, offers safeguards for email accounts and network traffic monitoring. The current version provides some impressive high points as well as a few things for its developers and marketing team to look into. At the time of writing (spring 2025) Avast Premium Security has a spring offer of $34.68/29.19 for the first year for one Mac, Avast says the usual yearly price is $77.99/64.99, but its always discounted when we check for our best Antivirus deals round up. Users can also begin a 60-day free trial by entering a credit or debit card with Avast citing a 30-day money-back guarantee if not satisfied.Avast Premium Security is centered around several modules (Smart Scan, Virus Scans, Core Shields, Traffic Monitor, Network Inspector, Email Guardian, Ransomware Shield, and Quarantine) with quick access to its storefront, where you can purchase other Avast products should you desire.FoundryThe user interface is as simple as you could ask for and its handy to be able to quickly focus a scan on an external drive without having to dig through options and menus. The Smart Scan quickly looks over your virus definitions, viruses, and malware, and Advanced Issues, which checks your Ransomware Shield and the folders its protecting, Network Inspector settings, and Real Site settings, which scans for imposter/phishing-based websites.The Virus Scans module may be the most impressive element of Avast Premium Security, as the module dovetails beautifully with macOS GateKeeper function, caught almost all of the test viruses and malware I could throw at it, and quickly put suspect software into quarantine. Once suspect files are found, they can be readily quarantined and/or deleted. The software can also run tests on external volumes and perform a deep scan to check every file on your hard drive, which may take several hours but is worth it.Avast has taken an interesting approach to its Traffic Monitor and Network Monitor modules, with the Traffic Monitor showing how much data youre using and where your bandwidth is going and the Network Inspector quickly scanning the network youre on, gauging its safety, offering a list of which devices are on the same network, and alerting you as to when an unfamiliar device joins the network. Its interesting to see where your web traffic is going, which geographic locations its pinging to, and how much bandwidth its consuming. The Network Inspector offers a handy means of examining your larger network and can point out which devices are on it and if suspect devices might be lurking on your network.FoundryThe Core Shields feature impressed me when I ran it through a fake/smishing website that spawned from a random text message I received claiming a package I hadnt ordered had been lost, but that clicking on a fake USPS website link would resolve the issue. Avasts Real Site feature prevented the site from loading and questionable software from being accessed, as the questionable website was written to do. While the text and its links were suspicious, to begin with, this can help avoid future mistakes.The Email Guardian module is interesting and reveals which emails contain viruses, malware, or are part of larger phishing scams, and its easy to add an email account for Avast to look over, the suite allowing for whitelists and exemptions to be created and customized in its preferences.Still, there are some issues to sort out. As I mentioned the last time I reviewed Avast Premium Premium (in 2023), the Email Guardian feature was able to point out suspect emails but didnt do much to prevent you from visiting questionable websites. This really hasnt changed. Once again, the Email Guardian feature highlights questionable websites but still lets you readily visit every dubious link to be found in your spam folder without so much as a warning, which is still troubling. Yes, youre a mature, responsible adult, and the choice is yours, but this still waves you on through to every message that offers free power tools for completing a survey, reverse mortgages paid in cryptocurrency, online casinos that claim you cant possibly lose, and everything else under the sun without a hint of warning to be found.While Avast Premium Security is reasonably priced, theres a question of semi-dubious marketing to be addressed here, as the website mentions a low monthly rate in bold text with the overall annual payment in subtle, non-bold text. Enter your payment information, and Avast gladly snags the annual rate from your bank account, which is valid but still feels as if the marketing department is going after a customer base that might not have time to read the fine print.This, combined with the fact that Avast still has yet to reply to media emails to questions sent along, points to a corporate element not firing on all cylinders, and you may have to reach out more than once if you have technical support questions.Should you buy Avast Premium Security for Mac?Theres a good product here, and I was impressed with how much questionable software Avast Premium Security was able to head off at the pass, even though it allowed CrossRat to install fake Java libraries and a fake Adobe Flash Player to be installed, even though it later caught up to them and removed them via a deep scan. Would I run the company the exact way its being run now? No. Would I sit the developers down, ask them to look over the Email Guardian feature, and strongly suggest that the software at least offer some warning before you link over to a spam link rife with grammatical errors that says youre about to lose your drivers license unless you pay off an unknown creditor in a foreign country? Yes. But even with these shortcomings, Avast remains a best-of-breed utility and may just be worth your consideration.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Trumps tariffs will deliver a big blow to climate techUS president Donald Trumps massive, sweeping tariffs sent global stock markets tumbling yesterday, setting the stage for a worldwide trade war and ratcheting up the dangers of a punishing recession.Experts fear that the US cleantech sector is especially vulnerable to a deep downturn, which would undermine progress on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Read the full story.James TempleCyberattacks by AI agents are comingAgents are the talk of the AI industrytheyre capable of planning, reasoning, and executing complex tasks like scheduling meetings, ordering groceries, or even taking over your computer to change settings on your behalf.But the same sophisticated abilities that make agents helpful assistants could also make them powerful tools for conducting cyberattacks. They could readily be used to identify vulnerable targets, hijack their systems, and steal valuable data from unsuspecting victims.At present, cybercriminals are not deploying AI agents to hack at scale. But researchers have demonstrated that agents are capable of executing complex attacks, and cybersecurity experts warn that we should expect to start seeing these types of attacks spilling over into the real worldand soon. Read the full story.Rhiannon WilliamsThe must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Did the Trump administration use AI to calculate its new tariffs?It appears to use an oversimplified calculation several major chatbots recommend. (The Verge)+ The economically-flawed formula has shocked analysts. (FT $)+ The severe tariffs may harm Americas data center ambitions. (Reuters)2 The EU is preparing to slap X with major financial penaltiesEven if it risks provoking Elon Musks ire. (NYT $)3 Googles tech will be used to surveil the US-Mexico borderAs part of plans to upgrade the virtual wall between the countries. (The Intercept)+ The number of illegal border crossings hit a record low last month. (Semafor)4 Hurricane season is set to be busier than usualForecasters are predicting at least 17 tropical storms and four major hurricanes. (WP $)+ They arent as confident about this early forecast as they were last year. (CNN)+ Heres what we know about hurricanes and climate change. (MIT Technology Review)5 Myanmars internet shutdown is thwarting aid effortsAid and rescue workers are struggling to help people caught up in its recent devastating earthquake. (Rest of World)6 Google is yet to publish safety reports for its latest AI modelsIt appears to be launching models faster than it can publicly verify their safety. (TechCrunch)7 Online influencing has a major gender pay gapAlthough the majority of content creators are female, they earn less per collaboration than their male counterparts. (Fast Company $)+ Why cant tech fix its gender problem? (MIT Technology Review)8 How to make solar panels on the moonMoon dust could help to power future lunar bases. (New Scientist $)+ Nokia is putting the first cellular network on the moon. (MIT Technology Review)9 The economy may be collapsing, but at least the memes are goodSocial media is bringing the lols in uncertain times. (NY Mag $)10 Bonobos communicate in similar ways to humansThe great apes combine basic sound into larger structuresjust like us. (Ars Technica)+ How machine learning is helping us probe the secret names of animals. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the dayThere will be blood.Bruce Kasman, JPMorgans chief global economist, is not optimistic about Donald Trumps aggressive tariff policy, Insider reports.The big storyThe weeds are winningOctober 2024Since the 1980s, more and more plants have evolved to become immune to the biochemical mechanisms that herbicides leverage to kill them. This herbicidal resistance threatens to decrease yieldsout-of-control weeds can reduce them by 50% or more, and extreme cases can wipe out whole fields.At worst, it can even drive farmers out of business. Its the agricultural equivalent of antibiotic resistance, and it keeps getting worse. Weeds have evolved resistance to 168 different herbicides and 21 of the 31 known modes of action, which means the specific biochemical target or pathway a chemical is designed to disrupt.Agriculture needs to embrace a diversity of weed control practices. But thats much easier said than done. Read the full story.Douglas MainWe 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.)+ Sweet Moroccan flatbreads sound like a fantastic way to start the day.+ Val Kilmer was more than just a heartthrobhe was a really great actor too.+ Drop everything: theres an uncut version of the White Lotus series three theme.+ All aboard the giant almond car!

Windows users who have an Apple Music subscription can now enjoy immersive, three-dimensional audio thanks to newly added support for Dolby Atmos on the Apple Music app.Dolby Atmos support rolls out for Apple Music on WindowsApple Music first came to Windows 11 in January 2023, and then showed up on the nearly ubiquitous Windows 10 just over a year later.However, it didn't include support for Dolby Atmos even though Apple users had it since June 2021. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

American philosopher Donna Haraway and Italian architect Italo Rota have been honored with Golden Lion Awards for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Haraway has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement while Rota, who died in 2024, was awarded the Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Memorium.Donna Harawayis one of the most influential voices in contemporary thought, straddling the social sciences, anthropology, feminist criticism, and the philosophy of technology, curator Carlo Ratti said announcing the awards. Over the past four decades, she has explored, in a multidisciplinary manner and with a constant capacity for linguistic invention, issues such as the impact of technological evolution on our biological nature and the ways in which the environmental context of theChthuluceneredefines the boundaries between human and nonhuman.Meanwhile, Ratti described Rota as a forerunner with a vision of a world in which the relevance of living entities ...

While Nintendo had confirmed that the Switch 2 allow players to play Switch games through backwards compatibility, the company has now revealed more details on how this works. In an Ask the Developer Q&A, Switch 2 director Takuhiro Dohta revealed that backwards compatibility on the upcoming console isnt the result of it featuring hardware from the original Switch.For context, the Nintendo 3DS was able to play games made for the DS due to it including some of the older handhelds hardware. The PS2 similarly was able to make use of embedded PSOne hardware to play older titles. According to Dohta, technical considerations made it difficult for Nintendo to approach backwards compatibility in the same way on the Switch 2.When we first started Switch 2 development, the focus was on enhancing its performance as hardware, namely, expanding its capacity, said Dohta. So, compatibility was a lower priority. For example, Nintendo DS games were playable on Nintendo 3DS, and Wii games were playable on Wii U, but it was difficult to achieve the same level of compatibility with Switch 2, because the hardware design approach was different from those systems.Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto added on to the statement, explaining how backwards compatibility worked in Nintendos previous consoles. The Switch 2, on the other hand, doesnt include any of the hardware from the original Switch.Simply put, those systems were compatible because Nintendo 3DS contained Nintendo DS hardware and Wii U contained Wii hardware, said Kawamoto. However, Switch 2 doesnt contain any Switch hardware.Dohta describes the approach to backwards compatibility on the Switch 2 as being something thats somewhere in between a software emulator and hardware compatibility. Through this, the new console is able to convince a game into thinking that it is running on the original Switch. For its part, the Switch 2 converts the games Switch data in real-time as the game is running.Currently, Nintendo has revealed that around 122 of its own games, along with more than 15,000 third-party games will be playable on the Switch 2 through backwards compatibility. There are also some Switch games that would face compatibility issues with the Switch 2 owing to the required dedicated hardware. This includes titles like 1-2-Switch, Ring Fit Adventure, and Game Builder Garage, among others, due to quirks of the Joy-Con and Joy-Con 2 controllers.Dohta had previously mentioned that running Switch games on the Switch 2 would also lead to better performance and stability for the games owing to the upcoming consoles stronger hardware. He noted that, even if a player doesnt buy the Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs, they will still enjoy a better experience with the games on the new console thanks to features like GameChat.Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs, on the other hand, will offer improved experiences for several Switch games, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Party Jamboree. The upgrade packs will also bring in new content for some games, while others will only get performance and resolution boosts.The Nintendo Switch 2 is slated for launch on June 5. Check out our coverage of the recent Direct for more details.