Retirement planning is changing in 2025, which means now is the perfect time to take a look at your retirement savings and make sure you're on track. These updates, part of the Secure Act 2.0 passed in 2022, aim to enhance retirement savings opportunities and make things easier for "max savers." One of the best ways to save for retirement is through a 401(k) plan, especially if your employer offers matching contributions. The IRS has increased the contribution limits for 401(k) plans in 2025 to $23,500, up from $23,000 in 2024. This gives you even more room to stash away money in this tax-advantaged account. So, with these new numbers, how much should you aim to contribute this year?Follow the 10% ruleFinancial experts recommend saving 10-15% of your gross income for retirement. For example, if you make $60,000 a year, you would want to save $6,000$9,000 annually. With the 2025 401(k) limit of $23,500, the 10% rule means you'd have to be a pretty high earner to start worrying about that contribution limit. For example, if you earn $80,000 per year, 10% of your income is $8,000. That amount is well under the $23,500 contribution limit, allowing you to follow the 10% rule while maxing out the tax benefits of your 401(k).Increased catch-up contributions for near-retireesThe other big change coming this year: Employees aged 6063 will be able to make larger catch-up contributions to their 401(k) plans, with new limits set at either $10,000 annually or 150% of the standard catch-up contribution limitwhichever amount is greater.This expansion of catch-up contribution limits provides a valuable opportunity for workers to boost their retirement savings during their peak earning years. More than half of 401(k) participants with income above $150,000 and nearly 40% with an account balance of more than $250,000 made catch-up contributions in 2023, according to Vanguards 2024 How America Saves report.Determine what you can affordLook at your monthly take-home pay and expenses. Figure out where you can trim costs and funnel more toward retirement. Even small cuts like bringing lunch to work or canceling unused subscriptions can make a difference.Ideally, aim to contribute at least enough to get any matching funds from your employer. That's free money you don't want to miss out on. If your employer matches up to 5% of income, then at minimum you should contribute that percentage.Aim to increase your contribution by at least 1%Can't commit to 10% yet? That's OK, and completely understandable. That number is common wisdom in the personal finance world, but everyone's financial situation is different. To start, wherever you are right now, consider boosting your contribution rate by just 1% this year. That minor change will help grow your nest egg over time without too big a lifestyle sacrifice. And you can repeat it each year until you reach your target savings rate.The key is to start saving as early as possible and be consistent. If youre not sure how much to aim for, meet with a financial advisor who can help you fine-tune your savings plan.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.TikTok is useful for many things, but for me, learning how other people clean and what they use to do it has been especially valuable. CleanTok is a sensation in its own right, and for the most part, you can find great tips and recommendations there. Some recommendations, though, are better than others. Here are some great products TikTok loves, and a few you can skip. Great cleaning products recommended on TikTokKeep in mind that influencers across all platforms may get commissions or other kickbacks for certain recommendations, which they're supposed to disclose, but don't always. The products below will be from a mix of Target and Amazon, but can be found in a variety of placesand even purchased directly from creators' videos on TikTok Shop.We'll start with an all-timer, a product that is universally adored across TikTok: The O-Cedar EasyWring mop. O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop and Bucket System $32.81 at Amazon $39.99 Save $7.18 Shop Now Shop Now $32.81 at Amazon $39.99 Save $7.18 This product is popular because you can pump the spinner with your feet, not your hands. It keeps clean and dirty water separate, plus the mop head is shaped like a triangle, making it easy to shove into tight spaces and corners. Next, another all-timer: An electric spin brush. CleanTokkers use these all the time, comparing brands and recommending them for everything from shower cleaning to floor scrubbing. All of the brands seem comparable in price and reviews, so feel free to pick one that's on sale, like this bad boy: LyriFine Electric Spin Scrubber $31.99 at Amazon $49.99 Save $18.00 Get Deal Get Deal $31.99 at Amazon $49.99 Save $18.00 Other than those, you have lots of options for TikTok-approved cleaning products:Car owners love cleaning gels, like the Colorcoral universal dust cleaner ($9.99 for two jars), which goes into small spaces easily and pulls dust right out.The Bissell Little Green Cleaner ($123.59) has been trending on the app for a few years because, despite its small size, it pulls big stains out of upholstery, carpet, and more.The Scrub Daddy ($13.99 for three) may seem like just a sponge, but with its slots for cleaning utensils, different levels of coarseness, and friendly little face, it's developed a major cult following.Soap-dispensing brushes, like this one from Scotch-Brite ($6.47), are also popular. They make doing the dishes easier, but can also be used to clean the shower or anything around the house with minimal effort. (The most popular one on the app is the OXO version, but it's $4 more than the Scotch-Brite; since they do the same thing, go for the cheaper one.)TikTokers are also really into pet hair removers, like this Lintplus rake (two for $16.99), because they work and are satisfying to use.I recommend these a lot, but only because they're so cool: Drill brush attachments, like this eight-piece set from Holikme ($11.99), which turn your power tools into power scrubbers for an intense clean.The Chomp wall cleaner ($39.97) has remained popular on CleanTok for a long time and the videos of the telescopic scrubber blasting through wall grime are very satisfying to watch.Speaking of satisfying, the mini desk vacuum from ODISTAR ($12.98) remains a crowd pleaser on TikTok because it takes up barely any space.TikTok cleaning products you should avoid There are a few hacks out there that recommend using certain products, but not only are they unnecessarily expensive in the name of being a "trend," they can be dangerous. For instance, the "overloading" trend asks you to mix a variety of products in your toilet bowl for the pleasing color effects, but overlooks how you may be creating noxious gases that could hurt you or just damage your pipes while you seek a TikTok-worthy swirl of hues. You also don't need to buy Fabuloso to stick in the back of your toilet tank. While the colored water swirls look nice in a video, they can damage the toilet overall. Finally, don't boil air freshener wicks to make your home smell clean, no matter what TikTok says. It's not clear if it's dangerous, but it is a waste. Just plug them in.

The 8Bitdo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox is on sale via Amazon for just $29. This is a record low price and represents a discount of 36 percent. Thats a pretty good deal, especially when considering that first-party Xbox controllers are around $60. This isnt a cheap knockoff. 8Bitdo makes fantastic controllers that regularly find a place in our best of lists. Its licensed by Xbox and compatible with the Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 and above. In other words, this can double as a PC and Xbox controller. There are two extra buttons on the back that arent included with the official controller, which could be useful for mapping (particularly with PC games.) To that end, the controller offers custom button mapping and stick/trigger sensitivity for control over vibration. The Hall effect joysticks and impulse triggers should increase both durability and sensitivity, while minimizing drift. Theres also a 3.5mm audio jack on the back to directly connect to headphones. Other features include a classic d-pad and an enhanced grip. So whats the catch? Its right there in the name. This is a wired controller, which is both a blessing and a curse. Wired controllers offer reduced latency, making them the preferred choice for pro-level gamers, but keep folks tethered to a cable. It ships with a fairly long cable, at nearly ten feet, but the wireless range of a standard Bluetooth controller comes in at around 20 feet. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/8bitdos-ultimate-wired-controller-for-xbox-drops-to-a-record-low-of-29-173842848.html?src=rss

You can now play Jeopardy! on your Fire TV Stick. Volley, the developer of the Alexa version of the game show, launched a new edition for Amazons streaming device on Thursday. Unlike the voice assistant edition, this one lets you see the clues onscreen, which I have to imagine makes it much more enjoyable. Of course, you also get a familiar view of the 60-year-old shows iconic game board. The game is only available through the developers new Volley Games app for Fire OS, which requires a $13 monthly subscription. Jeopardy! is exclusively voice-powered, apart from holding the voice button on the Alexa Voice Remote when you want to answer (in the form of a question, of course). Volley Although the photo above hints that the game might support local multiplayer, the developer says the feature wont be available at launch but will be coming soon. (However, its hard to imagine how that will work without buying extra remotes so everyone can buzz in.) For now, the only way to play with friends is to work as a team or take turns with the remote. Jeopardy! only works on the Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max. So, youre out of luck if you have a Fire TV Cube or television with Fire TV baked in. However, Volley says it has plans to expand compatibility. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-is-jeopardy-on-your-fire-tv-stick-170008005.html?src=rss

Tesla has reported its first-ever decline in annual deliveries. The total number of deliveries for 2024 hovers at around 1.78 million, but the company delivered 1.81 million vehicles in 2023. Company shares fell by as much as seven percent at the news, but has since rallied a couple of points. This follows similar news from Q1 of 2024, but that was just for a single quarter.Q4 showed a slight uptick in deliveries, with 495,000 this year and 484,000 in 2023. However, analysts had predicted a more robust final quarter, according to reporting by CNBC. These analysts expected Q4 deliveries to be somewhere in the range of 506,000. Tesla doesnt publish actual sales numbers in the US, so these delivery metrics are the closest we get.Numbers are also down in Europe, with a 14 percent decline in 2024 when compared to last year. This is according to registration data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.We dont have a concrete reason as to why Tesla deliveries have started to falter, but there are a myriad of options. The company still hasnt made a budget-friendly EV, instead focusing its energies on the oft-maligned Cybertruck and dreams of robotic taxis. Patrick George, editor in chief of InsideEVs, told CNBC that Cybertrucks have begun piling up on used car lots.Sales of Teslas radical got off to a great start, but they seem to have slowed down.https://t.co/4BWTa21Mrd InsideEVs (@InsideEVs) December 20, 2024 The company is also no longer the only EV game in town. It faces steep competition from rival upstarts like Rivian, but also legacy manufacturers. Entities like BMW, GM, Hyundai and Volkswagen have all begun cranking out electric vehicles in large numbers. Finally, theres the Elon Musk of it all.Teslas stock still finished strong for the year, with a 60 percent increase from 2023. Shares actually hit a new high in December, dwarfing the previous all-time high from 2021.In other news, I do not understand stocks. Ford, which sold 1.72 million vehicles in the US by Q3, is worth under $10 per share. Tesla is currently trading at $380 per share, all while selling significantly fewer vehicles than Ford and, well, just about every other major automobile manufacturer. Maybe rival stocks would shoot up if the big US auto companies started putting more effort into humanoid robots that dont actually do anything.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-reports-its-first-ever-annual-drop-in-deliveries-163154201.html?src=rss

Microsoft claims 10 billion GenAI chats happened from within Edge, but browser still lags behind Chrome.

2025 is looking brighter already

RansomHub leaks reported company documents, but MetLife says it is unaware of any incident.

Welcome toAI Decoded,Fast Companys weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every weekhere.Earlier today, senior writer Mark Sullivan published a piece surveying 25 insiders and experts on how they expect AI to further change personal, business, or digital life in 2025. The predictions, which include the rise of AI agents and multimodal models and an uptick in AI-assisted scams, should serve as a blueprint for how we think about the technologys trajectory and its implications for society at large.As an exclusive for our AI Decoded readers, were going to share a few additional insights below:Chuck Herrin, Field CISO, F5: We are in a global AI race condition where everyone is adopting AI at breakneck speed due to the fear of falling behind competition. But this fear is creating a dangerous feedback loop where the pressure to deploy AI faster makes us increasingly dependent on it to manage the complexity were generating. Well see a pronounced AI Divide between those who leverage AI effectively and those who lag behind, both at the company and individual levels.Jeff Burger, Sr. Industrial Designer: Priority Designs: I think well be called on to help people feel more comfortable, safe, and trusting in collaborative robotic environments more deeply than we are today. Well leverage empathy in encouraging people to treat autonomous systems kindly to model kindness, and to receive it in return. The Golden Rule meets The Turing Test.Jamil Valliani, Head of Product, AI, Atlassian: 2025 will be the year of the AI agent. As agents grow richer in interactivity and start to reach across more than just text and into audio and visual elements, they will bring about a powerful cultural shift in how humans collaborate with AI. Im most excited to see agents becoming exponentially more sophisticated in how they can collaborate with teams to handle complex tasks.You can read Marks piece here.More AI coverage from Fast Company:Windsurf Cascade uses AI to help beginners code games and applicationsAI vaporware: 7 products that didnt materialize in 2024AI is helping students with disabilities. Schools worry about the risksLinkedIn is doubling down on AI features, but do they help job seekers?Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium.

The so-called AI boom has been going on for more than two years now, and 2024 saw a real acceleration in both the development and the application of the technology. Expectations are high that AI will move beyond just generating text and images and morph into agents that can complete complex tasks on behalf of users. But thats just one of many directions in which AI might move in 2025. We asked a variety of AI experts and other stakeholders a simple question: In what ways do you think AI will have changed personal, business, or digital life by this time next year? Heres what 25 of them said. (The quotes have been edited for clarity and length.)Charles Lamanna, Corporate Vice President, Business and Industry Copilot at Microsoft: By this time next year, youll have a team of agents working for you. This could look like anything from an IT agent fixing tech glitches before you even notice them, a supply chain agent preventing disruptions while you sleep, sales agents breaking down silos between business systems to chase leads, and finance agents closing the books faster.Andi Gutmans, VP/GM of Databases, Google Cloud: 2025 is the year where dark data lights up. The majority of todays data sits in unstructured formats such as documents, images, videos, audio, and more. AI and improved data systems will enable businesses to easily process and analyze all of this unstructured data in ways that will completely transform their ability to reason about and leverage their enterprise-wide data.Megh Gautam, Chief Product Officer, Crunchbase: In 2025, AI investments will shift decisively from experimentation to execution. Companies will abandon generic AI applications in favor of targeted solutions that solve specific, high-value business problems. Well see this manifest in two key areas. First, the rise of AI agentsAgentic AIhandling routine but complex operational tasks. Secondly, the widespread adoption of AI tools that drive measurable improvements in core business metrics, particularly in sales optimization and customer support automation.Brendan Burke, Senior Analyst, Emerging Technology, Pitchbook: A private AI company will surpass a $100 billion valuation, becoming a centicorn along with OpenAI, Burke writes in Pitchbooks 2025 Enterprise Software Outlook. Leading AI companies are growing to the point where this premium revenue multiple can push their valuations over $100 billion, contributing a $17 billion market for generative AI software in 2024. (Burke lists Anthropic, CoreWeave, and Databricks as candidates for centicorn status in 2025.)Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President & CEO, Quantinuum: Looking ahead, quantum computing will begin to play a critical role in AIs evolution, with early evidence of its impact likely emerging by 2025. One clear advancement will be the ability of quantum-AI systems to generate and analyze massive high-fidelity data sets, unlocking breakthroughs in fields like material design, climate modeling, and personalized medicine, where current data limitations constrain progress. This milestone will demonstrate the transformative potential of AI and quantum working together.Ritu Jyoti, VP/GM of AI, Automation, Data and Analytics Research, IDC: High-quality data sets, cost, and talent have been critical inhibitors to scaling AI initiatives. In 2025, enterprises will double down their efforts to build curated data vaults by domain versus focusing on holistic data modernization efforts. Essentially, they will move from waterfall projects approach to use-case approach, build a minimum viable product, realize ROI, learn fast, and then expand.Grace Yee, Senior Director, Ethical Innovation at Adobe: 2025 will mark a pivotal shift as consumers and businesses . . . gravitate towards tools that embed ethics into their generative AI product DNA from the outset. Companies that embrace ethical innovation will gain a competitive edge, setting themselves apart in a market driven by trust and responsible AI practices.Dr. Alan Cowen, CEO and Chief Scientist, Hume AI: By the end of next year, we wont be able to tell whether were talking to a voice AI or a human (AI will pass the speech Turing test). A few implications of this are that: (a) everyone will want their own voice AI; (b) people will form relationships with them; (c) many people will be manipulated by voice AI doing the bidding of bad actors.Stefan Mesken, VP of Research, DeepL: AIs will not only understand users better, but will proactively offer suggestions, collaborate meaningfully, and adapt to individual needs. Many of these advanced, personalized capabilities already exist but are limited to researchers or developers. Working with an AI will increasingly feel like working with a smart coworker.Amy Wu, Partner, Menlo Ventures: Video AI will finally cross the uncanny valley, with a major Hollywood studio integrating AI-generated video into a feature film. Additionally, voice will solidify its place as the default interface for interacting with AI applications, redefining how users engage with technology.Shawn Carolan, Partner, Menlo Ventures: Well see native-AI apps emerge in nearly all the large consumer categories . . . Voice interactions will replace traditional menu navigation in most apps, while AI-powered systems delivering instant, personalized customer service responses will become the norm. AI will get a face in addition to voice. Facial expressions and more simulated empathy will take Human-AI interactions to the next level.Scott Beechuk, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners: By the end of 2025, roughly 20% of business software buyers initial interactions with vendors will happen through AI. Many AI sales development representative (SDR) products launched in 2024, and the bulk of those purchases will go live in 2025. Their success will pave the way for the next generation of sales automation in the form of AI account executives, which will begin to debut by the end of 2025 and roll out in 2026.Paul Drews, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures: Were in the midst of a technological shift: the transition from generative AI to agentic AI. While 2024 was all about building and testing AI models, agents are the next step in putting AI to work in the real world. Consumers should expect almost every major business they interact with to create an agent. Well see agents supporting customers in banking, insurance, healthcare and retail. By this time next year, agents will be a reality of our collective digital lives.China Widener, Vice Chair and US Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Leader, Deloitte: Now, we are talking about agentic AIintelligent assistants that can autonomously handle tasks like resolving customer issues, coding software, and detecting cyberattacks. Its like those chatbots youve been chatting with are finally ready to graduate and join the workforce. By 2025, 25% of enterprises using GenAI will have started using these intelligent assistants, marking a fundamental shift in who we work with and how we work.Jon Clay, VP of Threat Intelligence, Trend Micro: AI is going to make digital and online scams far more believable and harder to detect. Next year, were going to see cybercriminals using hyper-personalized deepfake scams and disinformation campaigns, exploiting public data to mimic video, voices, writing styles, and behaviors that feel all too familiar. Deepfakes wont just target individualsbusinesses will face AI-driven attacks that impersonate employees, manipulate supply chains, and exploit weaknesses faster than ever before.Masha Bucher, founder and general partner of Day One Ventures: AI wearable devices, including form factors like earrings and headbands, will monitor focus, productivity, mental health, and overall mental performance in real-time. Brain tracking will no longer be niche; it will become as commonplace and essential as tracking steps or heart rate, empowering individuals to optimize their mental fitness with the same precision as physical health.Yash Sheth, COO/cofounder of evaluation and observability company, Galileo: Multimodal AI will become a reality. Voice will become more widely used as a user interface, especially in consumer-facing applications. AI will become further embedded in our day-to-day lives. The applications we love as consumers (e.g., Instagram, Spotify, Doordash) and as professionals (e.g., Google Workspace, Salesforce, email) will continue to integrate more and more AI functionality into their products.Timothy Young, CEO of Jasper: As AI becomes deeply embedded into systems and data, our relationship with it will evolve: Instead of prompting AI, well be prompted by it, receiving insights, suggestions, and solutions that reshape decision-making in business and personal life. Leaders will need to manage not just the technological transformation but also the cultural shift, fostering trust, adaptability, and a shared vision for collaboration between humans and AI.Raghu Madabushi, Director, National Grid Partners: Energy-aware AI scaling: As LLMs grow in size and complexity, energy consumption becomes the critical bottleneck to their scalability. The narrative for 2025 will shift from simply building bigger models to optimizing training and inference processes for energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.Dr. Hans Eriksson, Chief Medical Officer, HMNC Brain Health: AI is poised to revolutionize mental health care by moving beyond the outdated one-size-fits-all treatment model. By combining machine learning and genetic analyses, AI can predict mental health issues before they escalate and help match patients to the right treatment faster.Brandon Roberts, GVP, People Analytics and AI, ServiceNow: AI has the potential to create 10-20% additional capacity for most organizations in the next three to five years.As organizations prioritize driving tangible value from their AI investments, well see more of them doubling down on . . . building a workforce plan based on AIs impact on roles and skills.German Lancioni, Chief Data Scientist for the CTO Office, McAfee: AI is giving scammers the ability to create emails and text messages that look like theyre coming from someone you knowwhether its a friend, family member, or even your bank. These messages are becoming more personalized, convincing, and frequent. Falling for one of these scams could lead to stolen identities, financial losses, or even someone gaining access to your personal accounts.Rashmi Misra, Chief AI Officer, Analog Devices: By this time next year I predict that well be using even more specialized edge-AI chips to enable tasks with much more power efficiency, speed, and overall better performance. Well likely see resource-constrained devices at the edge running more sophisticated AI algorithms thanks to advancements in techniques like TinyML and model quantization, which will help enable tasks like real-time speech recognition, computer vision, and predictive maintenance on small edge devices.Andy Sack, Cofounder of Forum3: Over the next year, well see a fundamental shift in consumer behavior as AI-powered platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Googles SGE (Search Generative Experience) redefine search. Consumers are moving away from lists of links and toward answers and actions. Search engines are rapidly evolving to deliver clear, conversational, and actionable results powered by generative AI.Molly Alter, partner, Northzone: AI will usher in far greater transparency across the healthcare value chain. Healthcare consumers will finally get insights into the actual cost of procedures, due to AI tools that predict costs relative to individual insurance plans and utilization. And there will be greater visibility into patients disease progressions, thanks to the massive unlock of data that AI transcription software unlocks.