Credit: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images If you don't want AI to scrape your music to learn, then it might be time to leave Soundcloud. The music streaming platform quietly updated its terms of service sometime last year to allow AI to train on audio uploaded to Soundcloud, TechCrunch reported this week. “You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services,” the terms read, via TechCrunch. Not long after the TechCrunch report was published, Soundcloud clarified that it does not currently use audio uploaded by users to train AI. However, the company did not rule out doing so in the future. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! "SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes," Marni Greenberg, SVP and head of communications at SoundCloud, told The Verge. "In fact, we implemented technical safeguards, including a 'no AI tag' on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use."Greenberg further noted that music from major labels would be exempt from any AI training and confirmed that other users would have the opportunity to opt out of any such usage. Related Stories Greenberg told The Verge: "The [terms of service] explicitly prohibits the use of licensed content, such as music from major labels, for training any AI models, including generative AI. For other types of content uploaded to SoundCloud, the TOS allows for the possibility of AI-related use.Importantly, no such use has taken place to date, and SoundCloud will introduce robust internal permissioning controls to govern any potential future use. Should we ever consider using user content to train generative AI models, we would introduce clear opt-out mechanisms in advance—at a minimum—and remain committed to transparency with our creator community."So as of right now, if you're uploading music, podcasts, or other audio to Soundcloud, it is not using it to train AI. But it seems Soundcloud is preparing for the day it will. Tim Marcin Associate Editor, Culture Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).

Walmart recently reinstated a so-called "basket fee" for customers on government assistance, but denies the move is linked to President Trump's tariffs.Walmart charges a $6.99 fee for grocery delivery and pickup orders under $35. During the pandemic, it waived that fee for those who participate in the Walmart+ Assist program, which offers discounts if you get SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and other benefits. But it returned in late April.The Daily Mail claims that "Walmart says the rollback is part of broader cost-cutting efforts, citing financial uncertainty caused by new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump." But Walmart told Mashable that the basket fee revival has nothing to do with Trump's tariffs, noting that these types of fees are standard practices for comparable retailers like Target.During an April 9 investment community meeting, Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said the company was "still working through what [the new tariff environment] means for us." He noted that "more than two-thirds of what we sell in the US is made, grown or assembled in the US," but acknowledged that "China and Mexico are the most significant" import partners. Recommended by Our EditorsWalmart dealt with Trump tariffs during his first term, McMillon said. "It's a management opportunity, and that's the way that I think about it, [and] we're going to focus on what we can control. We're going to do our best to keep prices as low as we can. Inventory management is always important, but it becomes even more important in this environment."The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) recently estimated 20% to 30% price increases for various electronics if Trump ramps up his tariffs on China and other Asian countries. Desktop prices could jump by an average of $287, followed by monitors at $111, while consoles could increase by a whopping $428, assuming vendors fully pass on the tariff cost to consumers. Smaller companies are already getting hit hard. Adafruit, a New York-based DIY computer parts reseller, posted a $36,126 import bill for a shipment of components earlier this week. “Tariffs just got real," it said in a post on Bluesky.Walmart has also been making some fairly big cuts recently, including axing hundreds of jobs in one of its offices in North Carolina in February.

The 2024 Apple iMac with an M4 chip is currently available at Amazon for its lowest price to date—the blue edition is listed at $1,058 instead of the usual $1,299.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Microsoft updates Windows 11 context menus, but you are probably not going to like it Taras Buria Neowin @TarasBuria · May 10, 2025 13:58 EDT Windows 11 context menus are probably one of the most controversial design changes in Windows 11. While Microsoft has already addressed some of the pain points, like adding labels for common file actions, the menus remain slow, cluttered, and confusing (I am looking at you, "Show more options"). And the latest update is not making things any better. Quite the opposite, to be precise. Microsoft released an update for the Copilot app, and it introduces a new entry in the ever-growing context menus, joining stuff like edit in Notepad/Clipchamp/Photos/Paint, etc. Now, when you right-click a file, you can select the new "Ask Copilot" command. It will launch the Copilot app, copy the file, and let you ask something about it, like summarize a document, draft an email based on the file, explain something, and more. Of course, some might see this addition as actually useful. At the same time, it is not difficult to imagine that quite a lot of users will be discontent about yet another feature cluttering the already slow context menus, which were supposed to be less overcrowded like those in Windows 10. The new "Ask Copilot" option is part of app version 1.25044.93.0, which was released today. Going back to the previous version removes the context menu button, just like uninstalling Copilot for good. However, a simple tweak in the system registry can remove "Ask Copilot" from the context menu. All you need to do is open Notepad and paste the following text (via ElevenForum): Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked] "{CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C}"="Ask Copilot" After that, save the file, change its extension from txt to reg, and double-click it. Confirm changes in the registry and restart your computer. However, there is more to come. This week, Microsoft announced that you will be able to trigger AI-powered actions by right-clicking a file in Windows 11's File Explorer. As for more positive changes, Windows 11 is also getting a big Start menu revamp, and you can check out this article to read about how it was made and what designs Microsoft considered. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

Long-time Slashdot reader smooth wombat writes: Over the past year there have been stories about North Korean spies unknowingly or knowingly being hired to work in western companies. During an interview by Kraken, a crypto exchange, the interviewers became suspicious about the candidate. Instead of cutting off the interview, Kraken decided to continue the candidate through the hiring process to gain more information. One simple question confirmed the user wasn't who they said they were and even worse, was a North Korean spy. Would-be IT worker "Steven Smith" already had an email address on a "do-not-hire" list from law enforcement agencies, according to CBS News. And an article in Fortune magazine says Kraken asked him to speak to a recruiter and take a technical-pretest, and "I don't think he actually answered any questions that we asked him," according to its chief security officer Nick Percoco — even though the application was claiming 11 years of experience as a software engineer at U.S.-based companies: The interview was scheduled for Halloween, a classic American holiday—especially for college students in New York—that Smith seemed to know nothing about. "Watch out tonight because some people might be ringing your doorbell, kids with chain saws," Percoco said, referring to the tradition of trick or treating. "What do you do when those people show up?" Smith shrugged and shook his head. "Nothing special," he said. Smith was also unable to answer simple questions about Houston, the town he had supposedly been living in for two years. Despite having listed "food" as an interest on his résumé, Smith was unable to come up with a straight answer when asked about his favorite restaurant in the Houston area. He looked around for a few seconds before mumbling, "Nothing special here...." The United Nations estimates that North Korea has generated between $250 million to $600 million per year by tricking overseas firms to hire its spies. A network of North Koreans, known as Famous Chollima, was behind 304 individual incidents last year, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike reported, predicting that the campaigns will continue to grow in 2025. During a report CBS News actually aired footage of the job interview with the "suspected member of Kim Jong Un's cyberarmy." "Some people might call it trolling as well," one company official told the news outlet. "We call it security research." (And they raise the disturbing possibility that another IT company might very well have hired "Steven Smith"...) CBS also spoke to CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch, who says the problem increased with remote work, as is now fueling a state-run weapons program. "It's a huge problem because these people are not just North Koreans — they're North Koreans working for their munitions industry department, they're working for the Korean People's Army." (He says later the results of their work are "going directly" to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.) And when CBS notes that the FBI issued a wanted poster of alleged North Korean agents and arrested Americans hosting laptop farms in Arizona and Tennesse ("computer hubs inside the U.S. that conceal the cybercriminals real identities"), Alperovitch says "They cannot do this fraud without support here in America from witting or unwitting actors. So they have hired probably hundreds of people..." CBS adds that FBI officials say "the IT worker scene is expanding worldwide." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We discuss the pros and cons of tweaking vs overhauling a brand identity.

05/10 — 2025 by abduzeedo Prepare to elevate your mobile experience with a truly captivating wallpaper, born from the innovative capabilities of Figma's groundbreaking Progressive Blur feature.  This creation isn't just a static image; it's an exploration of what I believe will be emerging design aesthetic that we believe holds the potential to set a new trend in the creative community. The image itself presents a simple set of shapes and blurs but translates to a compelling effect of color and light. It features a gradient transitioning from a deep, rich indigo-purple at its base, gracefully moving through vibrant fuchsia and soft rose tones, before dissolving into an ethereal, lighter pink at the top. Central to its visual interest is a dramatic, curved form at the bottom – a luminous, almost glowing semi-circle of soft white light that appears to emanate from within. This element works to create a sense of depth and a serene, ambient glow that is both striking and visually harmonious. What truly distinguishes this piece, however, is its genesis: it was crafted utilizing Figma's new Progressive Blur. Unlike traditional uniform blur effects, this transformative feature allows for a more nuanced and controlled application of blur, enabling designers to create more organic depth and dynamic focal points. Crucially, what once required intricate multi-step processes in tools like Photoshop or reliance on specific plugins to achieve such sophisticated gradients and blurs, is now remarkably streamlined and intuitive within Figma. In this wallpaper, the feature helps enhance the radiant light source, drawing the eye while allowing for a beautifully fluid transition of colors. We see this as a compelling example of how this level of precise control over blur, coupled with its newfound ease of access, could inspire new digital aesthetics and open doors to novel design expressions. Tailored for your phone's display, this wallpaper offers a sophisticated and minimalist backdrop, perfect for those who appreciate thoughtful and contemporary digital art. It’s an invitation to experience a fresh visual language. Download this Progressive Blur creation and integrate a piece of this exciting new design direction onto your device. We eagerly anticipate the incredible wave of creativity this feature will unleash within the design world! Wallpaper sample Download the wallpaper Tags wallpaper

Mario Kart World does not include AI-generated images, according to a new statement from Nintendo.Some fans speculated the Switch 2 launch title might include AI images based on footage shown during a recent Nintendo Treehouse livestream, where certain odd billboards set off a few AI alarm bells. In a statement to Eurogamer, Nintendo looked to put the speculation to rest."AI-generated images were not used in the development of Mario Kart World," a Nintendo spokesperson said.Continue Reading at GameSpot

"The next evolution" of Xbox game backward compatibility is currently in the works, according to a newly surfaced job listing. This revelation lines up with what Microsoft has recently been saying about its big-picture plans for future Xbox backward compatibility.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the breakout hit of 2025; the turn-based RPG has fantastic combat design and great writing for its ensemble cast. But one member of that ensemble cast has stood out for a specific reason: Lune, the dark-haired sorceress of the group, is barefoot for the entire game. Now, there are some collectible outfits you can find that will put Lune in a pair of shoes. So it’s not like you have to put up with this if you don’t like it. But by default, Lune is barefoot. Let’s get one thing out of the way: Perhaps the most well-known fetish of all is the foot fetish, so naturally this means Lune has been subject to quite a few jokes and posts about that online. That’s fine; it’s not related to my argument personally, but if that’s a perk for you, great. In this post I would instead like to address the idea that Lune’s bare feet are unsanitary or gross. People, she can fly! Lune spends much of the game floating around with her magic powers. Her run animation looks extremely cool because of this. She does also just stand around on the ground sometimes; she isn’t always floating. But she has the ability to magically heal herself (and her friends), so it’s not like we need to worry about whether she’s received a tetanus shot. The fact that Lune is barefoot also helps underscore her magic abilities and their importance to every part of her life and how she lives it. She has tattoos all over her body, too, including her feet; the tattoos seem to be connected to her magic powers as well, although this is Clair Obscur so no one’s ever going to explain that directly. This artistic choice also makes her seem a little bit like a weirdo, but that’s cool, too. It tracks with the way she sees herself and how others see her. For example, at one point roughly halfway through the game, Lune and Sciel have a conversation about how, back in the day, Sciel had tried to become Lune’s friend and Lune just kinda ghosted her. This is one of the few things we learn about Lune’s life before the events of Clair Obscur, and her entire visual aesthetic fits with that sense of being a little separated from other people. Her tattooed feet are another piece of that picture, adding up to someone who’s otherworldly and mystical — but who ultimately, like the rest of the cast, turns out to be only human and just as vulnerable and clueless about how to proceed as everybody else. It’s a cool choice, and if you ask me, it works.