Affirm shares have plunged nearly 30% in two days, headed for their second-worst week ever, a decline made worse with the delayed IPO of rival Klarna.

After Trump administrationjob cuts, nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates twice that of just a decade ago as severe weather chugs across the nations heartland, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staff including those in Arkansas and Kentucky where tornadoes and torrential rain hit this week according to statistics crowd-sourced by more than a dozen National Weather Service employees. Experts said vacancy rates of 20% or higher amount to critical understaffing, and 55 of the 122 sites reach that level.The weather offices issue routine daily forecasts, but also urgent up-to-the-minute warnings during dangerous storm outbreaks such as the tornadoes thatkilled seven peoplethis week and catastrophic flooding thats continuing through the weekend. The weather service this week has logged at least 75 tornado and 1,277 severe weatherpreliminary reports.Because of staffing shortages and continued severe weather, meteorologists at the Louisville office were unable to survey tornado damage Thursday, which is traditionally done immediately to help improve future forecasts and warnings, the local weather office told local media in Kentucky. Meteorologists there had to chose between gathering information that will help in the future and warning about immediate danger.Its a crisis situation, said Brad Coleman, a past president of the American Meteorological Society who used to be the meteorologist in charge of the weather services Seattle office and is now a private meteorologist. I am deeply concerned that we will inevitably lose lives as a result of the added risk due to this short-staffing.Former National Weather Service chief Louis Uccellini said if the numbers are right, its trouble.No one can predict when any office gets stretched so thin that it will break, but these numbers would indicate that several of them are there or getting close, especially when you factor that large segments of the country are facing oncoming threats of severe weather, flooding rains while others are facing ominous significant fire risks, Uccellini said in an email.The vacancy numbers were compiled in an informal but comprehensive effort by weather service workers after the cuts spearheaded by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. They checked on individual office staffing levels and looked at how they compared to the past. Staffing levels, including vacancies, are detailed and cross-referenced by offices, regions, positions and past trends, with special notes on whether efforts are being made to fill them.The AP, after obtaining the list from a source outside the weather service, sought to verify the numbers by calling individual weather offices, checking online staff lists and interviewing other employees not involved in the data-gathering effort. The workers data sometimes varied slightly from data shown on weather service websites, though employees said those could be out of date.Rep. Eric Sorensen, an Illinois Democrat and the only meteorologist in Congress, said his office independently obtained the data and he verified parts of it with weather professionals he knows in Midwestern weather service offices, which are called WFOs. The Davenport-Quad Cities office near his home has a 37.5% vacancy rate.Theyre doing heroic effort. Just with what happened the other day with the tornado outbreak, the killer tornado outbreak, I saw incredible work being done by the WFOs down around Memphis and up to Louisville. Incredible work that saved peoples lives, Sorensen told the AP on Friday. Going forward with these types of cuts, we cant guarantee that people are going to be as safe as they were.Im incredibly concerned because this affects everyone in every part of the country, Sorensen said, noting the potential for severe storms Friday in House Speaker Mike Johnsons home district near Shreveport, Louisiana, where the data shows a 13% vacancy rate, well below the average for the south and the rest of the country.The employees data, which goes back to 2015, showed that in March 2015 the overall vacancy rate was 9.3%. Ten years later, as of March 21, it was 19%.The weather service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Some northern and central stations such as Rapid City, South Dakota, with a 41.7% vacancy rate, Albany, New York, at 25%, Portland, Maine, at 26.1% and Omaha, Nebraska at 34.8% have been so short-staffed that theyvecurtailed weather balloon launchesthat said provide vital observations for accurate forecasts.The vacancies go beyond meteorologists who do forecasts. Twenty-three offices are without the meteorologist-in-charge who oversees the office. Sixteen have vacancies in the crucial warning coordination meteorologist job which makes sure emergency officials and the public prepare for oncoming weather disasters. The Houston office, with a 30% vacancy rate, is missing both those top positions, according to the data and the offices own website.Houston has so much damage from flooding, hurricanes and even a derecho that their (damage) numbers are through the roof, said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist for Climate Central and a former television meteorologist.The National Weather Service employees are still going to do everything they can to keep people safe and prepared. Its just that much harder and it puts lives at risk, Placky said. This time of the year and in this situation, this is when severe weather season peaks and were heading into the season of the biggest extremes with wildfires, with hurricanes, with extreme heat, which is our deadliest of all of extreme weathers.One weather service field office chief, who asked not to be identified because of fears of job loss, said the lack of technicians to fix radar and other needed equipment could be critically dangerous.People are bending over backwards to cope with the lack of staffing, the chief meteorologist said. The burden is going to kill us.Northern Illinois atmospheric sciences professor Victor Gensini and others compared being stretched thin to cracks in aviation safety.The question becomes, what falls through the cracks because theyre busy doing other things or theyre short-staffed, Gensini said. Maybe they cant answer the phone to take a critical weather report thats coming in. Maybe theres so many storms in the counties that theyre responsible for that they cant physically issue warnings for every single storm because they dont have enough people working on the radar.These are all theoretical concerns, but its sort of like when you read about aircraft disasters and how they occur, Gensini said. Its the cascading of risk, right? Its the compounding, like the pilot was tired. The pilot missed the cue.The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APsstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.Seth Borenstein, AP science writer

"Water is one of our most precious resources," writes ID firm Bould, "and yet many people around the world do not have access to a reliable supply of clean, drinkable water."The firm designed an incredible device called Spout--an atmospheric water generator. "Spout offers relief. Like magic, it literally pulls water out of thin air, filters and mineralizes it and delivers it to a pitcher where it can be used for everyday purposes such as drinking and cooking." "The Spout device packs some complicated technology into a wondrous design that is breathtakingly simple and easy to use. " "The pitcher, with an ergonomically correct handle, sits in a portal that illuminates the water as it fills the pitcher. The interplay between reflection and refraction is arresting and ethereal. Serving a dual purpose, the light also indicates device status and whether filter replacements are necessary." "The spout is designed to be a welcome, hardworking addition to any family's kitchen."I thought that this was just a wild concept, but the product is real. You can see more of Bould's work here.

Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially unveiled a couple of days back, and the handheld console is making all the news for the right reasons. The predecessor didnt make it easy for players to connect with fellow gamers that, however, changes with the new handheld that will come with the option to buy the official stand-up camera. The accessory useful for GameChat feature will be launched with the Switch 2 on June 5 for a price of $50. With time, the web camera will come with even more features as developers take center stage.Nintendo has confirmed USB-C support for third-party cameras, which is great for social beings. Of course, Nintendo will put in place checks to ensure data security and privacy shield, so youll have to check compatibility before buying the gaming handheld. If you are already planning to get one, but something more interesting, Hori has got you covered with this Switch 2 camera. We dont fully know whether the webcam will be able to capture moving objects or faces with the same prowess as some of the other webcams on the market, but this sure is different.Designer: HoriDubbed Piranha Plant Camera, this webcam for Switch 2 comes with a couple of features that the official accessory doesnt have. It doubles as a USB extension for the handheld, apart from being a stand, and also detaches from the pot to dock it on top of the handheld console. The JoyCons attach to the leaf-shaped magnetic docks on the sides, making the whole gadget setup look unified. That means its ultra portable, a feature that casual gamers like in their gadgets.So, you could be seen going all crazy with buddies on the transit. Another important feature of the Piranha Plant Camera is its privacy shutter that opens and closes like a Piranha plant from the Super Mario franchise. This makes the accessory a way better option than the official camera (unless the camera picture quality is inferior), considering they both are going to be priced at 20 Euros this one being 40 Euros, and the official Switch 2 costing 60 Euros.The cool webcam appeared on Media Markt, a German retailer, and it is an officially licensed product. On the packaging, the accessory has the official Switch 2 and Super Mario branding. Being made by Hori, a renowned peripheral manufacturer, you can buy it right away when it is available without any second thoughts. Placing it right beside your gaming setup will be an instant conversation starter, especially when the plants mouth opens and closes to reveal the camera lens.The post Absolutely Genius Switch 2 Camera Looks Like The Piranha Plant And It Even Closes For Privacy first appeared on Yanko Design.

This might be the most adorable Switch 2 accessory I've seen yet.

A DOGE operative at the Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be trying to use an AI tool to write code for the agencys systems, among other proposals.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, would not seem to be in the line of fire from tariffs. But President Trumps trade actions are hitting even social networking businesses.

MacworldApples newest AirPods 4 are already an affordable way to get active noise cancellation without springing for AirPods Pro but this deal makes them a downright steal: The AirPods 4 with ANC are down to $149 at Amazon, a savings of $30 off its $179 MSRP and the lowest price weve ever seen.These are some earbuds we absolutely love, as the 4.5-star rating we gave them during our review stands testament. We found they deliver killer audio quality, are actually efficient at canceling noise, and come with a wirelessly charging case with a built-in speaker that can make a sound if you lose track of it. They sound great, the active noise cancelation is extremely useful and works surprisingly well, they fit better than previous AirPods, and the wireless charging and Find My speaker on the case are much-welcomed conveniences. In short, the AirPods 4 are a great, all-around set of earphones, we wrote.If you dont need ANC, the AirPods 4 also come in a regular model thats a bit cheaper. You can get a pair for $117 right now, a small savings off its $129 MSRP. But whichever one you decide to buy, grab your very own AirPods 4 on sale today while theyre still on sale at Amazon.Get the ANC AirPods 4 for $30 offBuy now at Amazon

At a special 50th anniversary event on Friday, Microsoft executives reflected on the companys storied past and on how its now reinventing itself for an AI-focused future.With previous CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer in attendance, current CEO Satya Nadella boasted that the company is leading this new wave of AI innovation, and more importantly, democratizing just like we did it with the PC.Details about the companys plans were laid out by Microsoft Executive Vice President Mustafa Suleyman, who noted that the ability to customize Windows to every persons specific needs is coming. Years ago, Bill laid out a bold ambition, which at the time probably felt like a pretty crazy dream to put a PC on every desk and in every home.Today, were creating a Copilot for everyone, Suleyman said at the event,which was webcast.Suleyman talked about how the company is transforming its generative AI (genAI)-based Copilot into a personal assistant. Microsoft is replicating key sensory features from humans into the software.Today, were taking the very first steps towards rich memory and personalization, the very foundations of an AI companion, Suleyman said.Copilot is gradually adding a Memory feature that can personalize the tool to remember human preferences, dates, events and more.Suleyman pointed out how the AI agent over time will be able to remember birthdays, and provide reminders on tasks. It will also provide advice on how users go through each step in training sessions on specific topics and even memorize individual traits, such as whether a person greets others formally or informally.The memory feature works with others such as Actions, which can complete tasks in the background.Microsoft is also developing avatars for Copilot that make interacting with it more fun. Suleyman showed off avatars as animated characters, and in jest showcased the dreaded Clippy of old Microsoft Office fame as an avatar.The companys main announcements included Copilot Vision, a mobile app that can help users interact with the real-world. The app uses the phones camera to capture images and in real-time provide context of the surroundings.With our new mobile app, Copilot can actually see what you see and talk to you about it in real time, Suleyman said.The second piece to Copilot Vision is a Windows app, which can take a snapshot of a users PC screen and help explain what is being displayed. The app works across applications, browser tabs or files.It will read the screen and interact with the content. Youll be able to use Copilot to search, change settings, organize files and collaborate on projects without switching between files or apps,the company said in a blog post.With my permission it can see my screen like a second set of eyes, Suleyman said at the event said. Its my sounding board. And most importantly, it can respond in the context of what Im seeing on my screen.Suleyman made no reference to Windows Recall, the controversial Copilot feature that uses snapshots to log the history of activity on a PC. Recall was unveiled last year and quickly ran into astorm of controversy related to privacy concerns.Microsoft has also started rolling out Copilot Search, with AI integrated into a conventional Bing search to provide better search results. The search results will be personalized and dynamically generated on the screen.With Copilots new search capabilities, you can get many magazine style cards made just for you, on any topic that you care about, with text, images, videos, and maps built right in, Suleyman said.Microsoft also unveiled Podcasts, an AI feature that can instantly generate podcasts with video and audio, and newAI technologies for Azure AI Foundry.For enterprise users, Microsoftrecently rolled out Research and Analyst agentsto boost enterprise search and employee productivity.AI will be the biggest change to the PC since the graphical user interface (GUI), and it may be as important as the first databases for enterprise users, said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.But harnessing its potential is a challenge, with numerous usability, privacy and security challenges. The ability to make AI most useful and efficient for enterprise needs still needs a lot of work. Were in the first innings, Gold said.Microsofts challenge with AI is not just in the OS, but also in apps that support enterprise users, where Microsoft has a large installed base.While Copilot may make the way we interact with our devices through agents that implement and execute tasks for us more personal, its what AI may do to enhance our insights from our increasingly complex enterprise informational environment that could be a game changer, Gold said.Its likely to be a decade-long maturing process before enterprises see the same level of maturity and creativity users have grown to expect in day-to-day go-to apps.Enterprises need to start down the path now, but dont expect to achieve the end state in the short term, Gold said.

Apple's iconic iPhone may soon cost you about double what it costs now, as analysts predict a 43% price increase in response to U.S. tariffs on imports from China and elsewhere in the world.The iPhone 16 Pro Max could reach a price point of around $2300.On April 2, or "Liberation Day" as President Trump called it, a new assortment of "reciprocal" tariffs was applied against every foreign country in the Apple supply chain. While there's a minimum 10% tariff on all goods coming into the United States, imports from China were hit with a 54% tariff.Subscribe to AppleInsider on YouTube Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums