Google is really paying attention to its photo and video sharing service - these 3 new features are its recent standouts.

As China imposes rare earths export controls, the U.S. is unable to make up the shortfall, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Despite a court order, a reporter and photographer from the Associated Press were barred from an Oval Office news conference on Monday with President Donald Trump and his counterpart from El Salvador, Nayib Bukele.Last week’s federal court decision forbidding the Trump administration from punishing the AP for refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico was to take effect Monday. The administration is appealing the decision and arguing with the news outlet over whether it needs to change anything until those appeals are exhausted.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit set a Thursday hearing on Trump’s request that any changes be delayed while case is reviewed. The AP is fighting for more access as soon as possible.Later Monday, two AP photographers were admitted to an event honoring Ohio State’s championship football team on the more spacious South Lawn. A text reporter was turned away.Since mid-February, AP reporters and photographers have been blocked from attending events in the Oval Office, where President Donald Trump frequently addresses journalists, and on Air Force One. The AP has seen sporadic access elsewhere, and regularly covers White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s briefings. Leavitt is one of three administration officials named in the AP’s lawsuit.The dispute stems from AP’s decision not to follow the president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico, although AP style does cite Trump’s wish that it be called the Gulf of America. The AP argued — and U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden agreed last week — that the government cannot punish the news organization for exercising its right to free speech.McFadden on Friday had rejected Trump’s request for more delay in implementing the ruling; now the president is asking an appeals court for the same thing.“We expect the White House to restore AP’s participation in the (White House press) pool as of today, as provided in the injunction order,” AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said Monday.The extent of AP’s future access remains uncertain, even with the court decision.Until being blocked by Trump, AP has traditionally always had a reporter and photographer among the small group of journalists invited into the Oval Office. McFadden did not order that to be restored, only that no news organization should be shut out because the president objects to its news decisions — under a principle called “viewpoint discrimination.”“No other news organization in the United States receives the level of guaranteed access previously bestowed upon the AP,” the administration argued in court papers over the weekend. “The AP may have grown accustomed to its favored status, but the Constitution does not require that such status endure in perpetuity.” David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social —David Bauder, AP Media Writer

It must have been tremendous fun (and a lot of work) for Australian production designer Colin Gibson, the man tasked with designing the bikes for 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. Gibson, known for designing and building fully functional props and vehicles, worked with motocross champ Stephen Gall, stunt coordinator Guy Norris and mechanic Matt Bromley to ensure his fantastic creations could actually tear up terrain. The team produced some 47 motorcycles with eclectic designs. Bolted to the frames was everything from upholstery, mannequin parts, leather scraps, Persian rug off-cuts, chain-link fence segments, horse saddles, bird feathers, boat sails and household knick-knacks. In some cases tires were replaced with steel paddles, the better to climb sand dunes. Paint was removed, and all bikes were given a desert patina. Those bikes are technically called props. I might refer to them as art. So too might Italian artist Mattia Biagi, who often blends industrial materials with natural elements in his sculptural works. Biagi, who is also a motorcycle enthusiast, recently collaborated with Flying Flea (Royal Enfield's electric sub-brand) to re-interpret their FF-C6, an off-road electric motorcycle. Biagi didn't hold back. His resultant Motototem, unveiled at Milan Design Week, employs a tank sculpted from travertine stone. The handlebars and pegs are made of bronze (literally imprinted with Biagi's fingerprints, a bit much, some might say). The fenders are resin with dried leaves embedded during the casting process. The seat is made of sculpted Walnut. The lighting is housed in hand-blown glass forms. To be clear, Biagi hasn't cited Mad Max nor Gibson & co. as influences; it's me drawing that connecting line. And as beautiful as Biagi's creation is, I still think Gibson and his team's feats take the cake. All 47 of their bikes ran. The non-functional Motototem is purely an art piece.

Why blend into the masses with your boring white Apple Pencil when you could opt for something vastly cooler? Meet the Apple Crayon Pro, a custom version of the Pencil Pro built by the folks at ColorWare. Designed to look exactly like a Crayola crayon (while functioning seamlessly as Apple’s cutting-edge iPad Pro stylus), the Crayon Pro comes in 7 color options, and looks perfectly gorgeous when docked to the side of your iPad. ColorWare’s built its reputation on building unique colored alternatives to regular tech products, from colorful mice to earbuds to even speakers – although the Apple Crayon Pro might just be their cutest little invention yet, paying tribute to the first ever creative tool most of us grew up using. Designer: ColorWare As its name suggests, the Crayon Pro is a customized version of the Pencil Pro, which debuted in 2024 along with the latest iPad Pro model running the M4 chip. On the inside, it’s every bit the Apple peripheral, but it gets a customized exterior, available in as many as 7 different colors – ranging from white and black, to more eye-catching options like mint green, red, and my favorite yellow. No, Space Grey and Rose Gold aren’t available yet! The Crayon Pro is undoubtedly creative, but the price of this creativity is a whopping $215, or $86 more than the original $129 Pencil Pro. For that surcharge, you do get a unique stylus like no other, and the bragging rights of being a true creative. Just don’t accidentally give your Crayon Pro to your toddler, lest they brake it while scribbling on paper, or worse, try to sharpen it! The Crayon Pro ships 2 weeks from now (so sometime in May 2025), and is compatible with the M4 iPad Pro models, the M2/M3 iPad Air models, as well as the A17 Pro iPad Mini. The post Limited Edition Crayon-themed Apple Pencil Pro is a Must-Have For Creatives first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Wabi Apartment in Riyadh, designed by Nshan Manougian, is where the Japandi design comes to life. We see soft neutrals, honest materials, and a deep sense of calm. Together, these elements blend together Scandinavian and Japanese charm—and intentionally. Let’s walk through the Wabi Apartment and see how every detail celebrates stillness. The living area invites you in with its low-profile sectional, upholstered in soft, natural fabric and perched on a minimal wooden base. This is paired with a sculptural lounge chair and a sleek, square coffee table. Simultaneously, the space is bathed in light from sheer floor-to-ceiling curtains. A cluster of pendant lights hangs above like paper lanterns, creating a soft rhythm. Moving into the kitchen, the warmth continues through flat-panel cabinetry in walnut tones. This is then accented by smooth white marble counters and backsplash. The island is both functional and sculptural—anchored by a unique, lantern-like pendant that adds softness. Subtle black fixtures provide contrast. The dining area is beautifully integrated, sitting beneath a pair of tiered pendant lights. A solid wood table is flanked by minimalist chairs and a bench with soft bolsters. Behind it, delicate Japanese-style wall panels with hand-painted plum blossoms offer a poetic backdrop. This bedroom features a low-slung bed, framed by integrated nightstands and softly glowing amber lamps that cast a gentle, golden hue. A feature wall of woven-style panels adds both texture and depth. To the side, a built-in desk and open shelving create a seamless flow between rest and quiet productivity. Finally, Shoji-style wardrobe doors bring a distinct Japanese influence to the room. The second bedroom in the Wabi Apartment is a quiet celebration of contrast. A low platform bed anchors the room with a sense of purpose and stillness, while the vertical stone panel behind it introduces an organic texture. To one side, a sculptural vanity setup with an undulating mirror offers personality. The light fixture above—woven and glowing—adds a subtle nod to traditional Japanese craft. Opposite the bed, a beautifully crafted storage wall brings in rhythm and order. Perforated cane panels slide open to reveal shelving. In true Japandi fashion, the kids’ room in The Wabi Apartment is a space that honors childhood curiosity without compromising on calm and cohesive design. The room features a built-in climbing gym with ropes, rings, and a mini climbing wall—encouraging movement and imagination. Just beside it, a custom bunk bed setup encourages a restful sleep. Storage is cleverly concealed behind cane-paneled cabinetry, while a cozy reading bench by the window offers the perfect pause for quiet moments. Finally, a compact, sculptural desk invites creativity without clutter. The bathroom in The Wabi Apartment is clad in warm stone-toned tiles with subtle texture. A floating concrete vanity, paired with matte black fixtures and an illuminated mirror, adds sculptural depth. The walk-in shower, framed by minimalist black grid glass, continues the Japandi language of clean lines and timeless materials.

Fans were quick to spot this cheeky design tweak.

PowerA’s premium Xbox controller has excellent party tricks.

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How the federal government is tracking changes in the supply of street drugs In 2021, the Maryland Department of Health and the state police were confronting a crisis: Fatal drug overdoses in the state were at an all-time high, and authorities didn’t know why.Seeking answers, Maryland officials turned to scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the national metrology institute for the United States, which defines and maintains standards of measurement essential to a wide range of industrial sectors and health and security applications.There, a research chemist named Ed Sisco and his team had developed methods for detecting trace amounts of drugs, explosives, and other dangerous materials—techniques that could protect law enforcement officials and others who had to collect these samples. And a pilot uncovered new, critical information almost immediately. Read the full story. —Adam Bluestein This story is from the next edition of our print magazine. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands! Phase two of military AI has arrived —James O’Donnell Last week, I spoke with two US Marines who spent much of last year deployed in the Pacific, conducting training exercises from South Korea to the Philippines. Both were responsible for analyzing surveillance to warn their superiors about possible threats to the unit. But this deployment was unique: For the first time, they were using generative AI to scour intelligence, through a chatbot interface similar to ChatGPT.  As I wrote in my new story, this experiment is the latest evidence of the Pentagon’s push to use generative AI—tools that can engage in humanlike conversation—throughout its ranks, for tasks including surveillance. This push raises alarms from some AI safety experts about whether large language models are fit to analyze subtle pieces of intelligence in situations with high geopolitical stakes. Here are three open questions to keep your eye on as the US military, and others around the world, bring generative AI to more parts of the so-called “kill chain.” Read the full story. This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The FCC wants Europe to choose between US and Chinese technologyTrump official Brendan Carr has urged Western allies to pick Elon Musk’s Starlink over rival Chinese satellite firms. (FT $)+ China may look like a less erratic choice right now. (NY Mag $) 2 Nvidia wants to build its AI supercomputers entirely in the USIt’s a decision the Trump administration has claimed credit for. (WP $)+ That said, Nvidia hasn’t said how much gear it plans to make in America. (WSJ $)+ Production of its latest chip has already begun in Arizona. (Bloomberg $) 3 Mark Zuckerberg defended Meta in the first day of its antitrust trialHe downplayed the company’s decision to purchase Instagram and WhatsApp. (Politico)+ The government claims he bought the firms to stifle competition. (The Verge)+ Zuckerberg has previously denied that his purchases had hurt competition. (NYT $) 4 OpenAI’s new models are designed to excel at codingThe three models have been optimized to follow complex instructions. (Wired $)+ We’re still waiting for confirmation of GPT-5. (The Verge)+ The second wave of AI coding is here. (MIT Technology Review) 5 Apple has increased its iPhone shipments by 10%It’s part of a pre-emptive plan to mitigate tariff disruptions. (Bloomberg $)+ The tariff chaos has played havoc with Apple stocks. (Insider $) 6 We’re learning more about the link between long covid and cognitive impairmentStudies suggest that a patient’s age when they contracted covid may be a key factor. (WSJ $) 7 Can’t be bothered to call your elderly parents? Get AI to do it How thoroughly depressing. (404 Media) 8 This video app hopes to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain futureBut unlike TikTok, Neptune allows creators to hide their likes. (TechCrunch) 9 Meet the tech bros who want to live underwaterColonizing the sea is one of the final frontiers. (NYT $)+ Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can go. (MIT Technology Review) 10 Google’s new AI model can decipher dolphin soundsIf they’re squawking, back away. (Ars Technica)+ The way whales communicate is closer to human language than we realized. (MIT Technology Review) Quote of the day “If you don’t like an ad, you scroll past it. It takes about a second.” —Mark Hansen, Meta’s lead lawyer, makes light of the Federal Trade Commission’s assertion that users of its platforms are inundated with ads during the first day of Meta’s monopoly trial, Ars Technica reports. The big story Recapturing early internet whimsy with HTML Websites weren’t always slick digital experiences.There was a time when surfing the web involved opening tabs that played music against your will and sifting through walls of text on a colored background. In the 2000s, before Squarespace and social media, websites were manifestations of individuality—built from scratch using HTML, by users who had some knowledge of code. Scattered across the web are communities of programmers working to revive this seemingly outdated approach. And the movement is anything but a superficial appeal to retro aesthetics—it’s about celebrating the human touch in digital experiences. Read the full story.  —Tiffany Ng We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + Who doesn’t love a good stroll?+ All hail Shenmue, the recently-crowned most influential game of all time.+ This Wikipedia-powered museum is really quite something (thanks Amy!)+ This spring’s hottest accessory is a conical princess crown. No, really.

Beats Cables have launched, with the premium cables from the Apple subsidiary including braided sleeves and a choice of colors wider than Apple's standard options.Beats Cables - Image Credit: Beats/AppleApple and Beats often include cables with their products, with Apple also offering extra cables in its online store. Now, consumers can pick up a Beats version for a bit of variety.Introduced on Tuesday, Beats Cables are a selection of reinforced charging cables. They use a tangle-free woven design for durability and minimal fraying, as well as giving it a more premium appearance than a typical plastic-coated cable. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums