Users online documented how a dictation tool input Trump in place of racist; other words such as rampant also trigger what Apple called a bug.

A riveting German series follows the doctors, paramedics and other staff of a hospitals emergency ward.

The Animal Collective member releases an adventurous yet accessible solo record, employing expansive arrangements and exhibiting his undiminished ear for melody.

old reliable Framework gives its 13-inch Laptop another boost with Ryzen AI 300 CPU update A revised keyboard and 90s-style translucent plastic round out the upgrades. Andrew Cunningham Feb 25, 2025 2:10 pm | 18 Framework's familiar Laptop 13 is getting another performance boost. Credit: Framework Framework's familiar Laptop 13 is getting another performance boost. Credit: Framework Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFramework announced two new systems to its lineup today: the convertible Framework 12 and a gaming-focused (but not-very-upgradeable) mini ITX Framework Desktop PC. But it's continuing to pay attention to the Framework Laptop 13, toothe company's first upgrade-friendly repairable laptop is getting another motherboard update, this time with AMD's latest Ryzen AI 300-series processors. It's Framework's second AMD Ryzen-based board, following late 2023's Ryzen 7040-based refresh.The new boards are available for preorder today and will begin shipping in April. Buyers new to the Framework ecosystem can buy a laptop, which starts at $1,099 as a pre-built system with an OS, storage, and RAM included, or $899 for a build-it-yourself kit where you add those components yourself. Owners of Framework Laptops going all the way back to the original 11th-generation Intel version can also buy a bare board to drop into their existing systems; these start at $449.Framework will ship six- and eight-core Ryzen AI 300 processors on lower-end configurations, most likely the Ryzen AI 5 340 and Ryzen AI 7 350 that AMD announced at CES in January. These chips include integrated Radeon 840M and 860M GPUs with four and eight graphics cores, respectively.People who want to use the Framework Laptop as a thin-and-light portable gaming system will want to go for the top-tier Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which includes 12 CPU cores and a Radeon 890M with 16 GPU cores. We've been impressed by this chip's performance when we've seen it in other systems, though Framework's may be a bit slower because it's using slower socketed DDR5 memory instead of soldered-down RAM. This is a trade-off that Framework's target customers are likely to be fine with. The Ryzen AI 300-series motherboard. Framework says an updated heatpipe design helps to keep things cool. Credit: Framework One of the issues with the original Ryzen Framework board was that the laptop's four USB-C ports didn't all support the same kinds of expansion cards, limiting the laptop's customizability somewhat. That hasn't totally gone away with the new versionthe two rear USB ports support full 40Gbps USB4 speeds, while the front two are limited to 10Gbps USB 3.2but all four ports do support display output instead of just three.This Framework board will be the first to meet Microsoft's requirements for the Copilot+ PC label, including still-in-preview features like Windows Recall. Copilot+ PCs support additional AI features that regular Windows 11 PC features don't, and to run those features locally on your PC, Microsoft requires a neural processing unit (NPU) with the performance of at least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). The Ryzen AI 300 board will be Framework's third with a built-in NPUthe AMD Ryzen 7040 and Intel Meteor Lake versions have them, toobut the first with an NPU that meets the Copilot+ requirements.Framework says it will continue to sell older Ryzen 7040-based motherboards, too, at a slightly reduced price of $749. These are older processors, but they're not that oldAMD still sells slightly warmed-over versions of the exact same silicon under its "Ryzen 200" branding.Other odds and ends Framework's USB-C expansion cards and bezels for the Framework Laptop 13 are getting a translucent plastic makeover. Credit: Framework Framework almost always uses a new board as an opportunity to release another batch of updated and revised accessories for current and future Framework Laptop 13 owners.This time around, the company is giving the laptop a "new second-generation keyboard," which retains "the same awesome-feeling 1.5mm key travel" but modifies wider keys like shift and the spacebar to "[reduce] buzzing when your speakers are cranked up." The revision of the keyboard shipped with pre-built Windows laptops also adds Microsoft's Copilot key, though a version with no Windows or Copilot branding (and a platform-agnostic Super key with the Framework gear logo in place of the Windows logo key) is still available for the DIY editions.The other accessory update is cosmetic: Framework is now selling translucent purple, green, and black bezels and USB-C expansion cards you can use to add a little flair to your laptop. These will join the non-translucent orange, green, purple, and red USB-C expansion cards in Framework's online store.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 18 Comments

it's certainly different Frameworks first desktop is a strangebut uniquemini ITX gaming PC Ryzen AI Max and its gigantic integrated GPU power this Xbox Series S-sized PC. Andrew Cunningham Feb 25, 2025 2:10 pm | 32 The Framework Desktop is built around a mini ITX board that will fit in any PC case, but it's less upgradeable than most desktops. Credit: Framework The Framework Desktop is built around a mini ITX board that will fit in any PC case, but it's less upgradeable than most desktops. Credit: Framework Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe original Framework Laptops sales pitch was that it wanted to bring some of the modularity and repairability of the desktop PC ecosystem to a functional, thin-and-light laptop. For nearly half a decade, the company has made good on that promise with multiple motherboard upgrades and other tweaks for the original 13-inch Framework Laptop; with the Framework Laptop 16 and Laptop 12, the company has tried to bring the same ethos to gaming/workstation laptops and budget PCs for students.One of Framework's announcements today was for the company's first desktop PC. Unsurprisingly dubbed the Framework Desktop, it's aimed less at the general-purpose PC crowd and more at people who want the smallest, most powerful desktop they can build and will pay extra money to get it. Pre-orders for this system start today, and Framework says it should ship in Q3 of 2025.Here was my first question: What does a company trying to build a more desktop-like laptop have to bring to the desktop ecosystem, where things are already standardized, upgradeable, and repairable?The answer, at least for the Framework Desktop announced today: a gaming PC that takes advantage of many PC standards and offers a unique combination of small size and high performance but which is otherwise substantially lessmodular and upgradeable than a mini PC you can already buy or build for yourself.Tiny but fast This mini ITX board is based on existing PC standardsnote the M.2 slot, the regular USB-C front headers, and the four-lane PCIe slotbut also comes with a soldered-down CPU and GPU and soldered-down, non-upgradeable RAM. Credit: Framework The Framework Desktop is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI Max processor, a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU, and between 32GB and 128GB of soldered-in RAM. We just reviewed a more thermally constrained version of these chips in the Asus ROG Flow Z13 tabletdespite technically being an "integrated" GPU built into the same silicon as the CPU, the number of compute units (up to 40, based on AMD's RDNA 3.5 architecture) plus the high-speed bank of soldered-in RAM gives it performance similar to a midrange dedicated laptop GPU.In Framework's first-party case, the PC starts at $1,099, which gets you a Ryzen AI Max 385 (that's an 8-core CPU and 32 GPU cores) and 32GB of RAM. A fully loaded 128GB with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration (16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores) will run you $1,999. There's also an in-between build with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and 64GB of RAM for $1,599.If you just want the mini ITX board to put in a case of your choosing, that starts at $799.None of these are impulse buys, exactly, but they're priced a bit better than a gaming-focused mini PC like the Asus ROG NUC, which starts at nearly $1,300 as of this writing and comes with half as much RAM. It's also priced well compared to what you can get out of a DIY mini ITX PC based on integrated graphicsthe Ryzen 7 8700G, an AM5 ITX motherboard, and 32GB of DDR5 can all be had for around $500 collectively before you add a case, power supply, or SSD, but for considerably slower performance.The volume of the Framework Desktop's first-party case is just 4.5 litersfor reference, the SSUPD Meshroom S is 14.9 liters, a fairly middle-of-the-road volume for an ITX case that can fit a full-size GPU. An Xbox Series X is about 6.9 liters, and the Xbox Series S is 4.4 liters. Apple's Mac Studio is about 3.7 liters. The Framework Desktop isn't breaking records, but it's definitely tiny. Despite the non-upgradeability of the main components, Framework has tried to stick to existing standards where it can by using a flex ATX power supply, ATX headers on the motherboard, regular 120 mm fans that can be changed out, and of course the mini ITX form factor itself. Credit: Framework So the pitch for the system is easy: You get a reasonably powerful 1440p-capable gaming and workstation PC inside a case the size of a small game console. "If the Series S could run Windows, I'd buy it in a second" is a thought that has occurred to me, so I can see the appeal, even though it costs at least three times as much.But it does feel like a strange fit for Framework, given that it's so muchless upgradeable than most PCs. The CPU and GPU are one piece of silicon, and they're soldered to the motherboard. The RAM is also soldered down and not upgradeable once you've bought it, setting it apart from nearly every other board Framework sells."To enable the massive 256GB/s memory bandwidth that Ryzen AI Max delivers, the LPDDR5x is soldered," writes Framework CEO Nirav Patel in a post about today's announcements. "We spent months working with AMD to explore ways around this but ultimately determined that it wasnt technically feasible to land modular memory at high throughput with the 256-bit memory bus. Because the memory is non-upgradeable, were being deliberate in making memory pricing more reasonable than you might find with other brands."Patel notes that Framework "leveraged all of the key PC standards everywhere we could." That starts with a mini ITX board that uses standard ATX headers so it can fit into any PC case. The system's 400 W power supply is based on the established Flex ATX standard, and its 120 mm fans (made in cooperation with Cooler Master and Noctua) can be swapped out for any other fan of the same size. A front panel with customizable, 3D-printable square swatches adds a touch of personality and customization. Framework A front panel with customizable, 3D-printable square swatches adds a touch of personality and customization. Framework You can go with boring and businesslike black-and-gray (note the two bays for Framework's expansion cards at the bottom)... Framework You can go with boring and businesslike black-and-gray (note the two bays for Framework's expansion cards at the bottom)... Framework A front panel with customizable, 3D-printable square swatches adds a touch of personality and customization. Framework You can go with boring and businesslike black-and-gray (note the two bays for Framework's expansion cards at the bottom)... Framework ...or you can go for something more colorful. Framework ...or you can go for something more colorful. Framework The 3x7 grid of squares can look like whatever you want it to, as long as whatever you want fits into a 3x7 grid of squares. Framework The 3x7 grid of squares can look like whatever you want it to, as long as whatever you want fits into a 3x7 grid of squares. Framework ...or you can go for something more colorful. Framework The 3x7 grid of squares can look like whatever you want it to, as long as whatever you want fits into a 3x7 grid of squares. Framework The system also retains some modularity, with swappable black or translucent side panels, an optional carrying handle, 21 customizable tiles on the front (which can be either bought or 3D-printed), and two slots on the front for the same expansion cards used for Framework Laptops. The system also includes a PCI Express slot with four lanes of bandwidth and two M.2 2280 slots for SSDs. Rear I/O includes two USB4 ports, two DisplayPorts, an HDMI port, and a 5-gigabit Ethernet port.Framework says the Desktop will work with not just Windows 11 and the typical Ubuntu and Fedora Linux distributions but also with more gaming-focused Linux distributions like Playtron OS and the SteamOS-based Bazzite. (We don't know whether the Framework Desktop will be supported by actual SteamOS when Valve starts distributing it on third-party PCs, but the desktop seems like a near-ideal way to resurrect the dead Steam Machine idea).So while the non-upgradeable nature of the key system components make this machine seem distinctively un-Framework-like, it is Framework-like in that it attempts to identify and address an underserved market niche with something as standards-based as possible. To those looking to put together a more fully modular system with a user-replaceable CPU, GPU, and memory, I'm sure the Framework team would be the first to point you toward the wider PC ecosystem.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 32 Comments

Black squirrels have advantages and disadvantages, depending on where they areDoug Wechsler / naturepl.comRoad accidents seem to be behind the natural selection of black squirrels in US cities, as they may be easier than grey ones for motorists to spot and swerve to avoid.Grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), known as eastern gray squirrels in the US, have been introduced in countries throughout the world, but their native range is eastern North America. Despite their name, theyhave actually evolved a variety of colours. The grey version is the most common, but there are also black forms and

Vardas first capsule, W-1, after landing in Utah in February 2024John Kraus/VardaSometime this week, a 1-metre-wide capsule will fall from the sky and land in the South Australian desert carrying a cargo of drugs.Since launching on a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 14 January, a reactor on board the capsule has been manufacturing an undisclosed, proprietary pharmaceutical compound.Varda, the US-based company that built the capsule, is aiming to show that producing drugs in low Earth orbit

A federal judge indefinitely blocked the Trump administration's attempt to freeze federal funding.The Trump administration's actions were "irrational" and "precipitated a nationwide crisis," a judge said.The funding freeze prompted lawsuits from nonprofits and state attorneys general.A Washington, DC, federal judge on Tuesday sided with a band of nonprofit groups and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's attempt to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans.In her written opinion indefinitely blocking the administration's move to freeze federal funding, US District Judge Loren AliKhan wrote that the freeze "was ill-conceived from the beginning.""Defendants either wanted to pause up to $3 trillion in federal spending practically overnight, or they expected each federal agency to review every single one of its grants, loans, and funds for compliance in less than twenty-four hours. The breadth of that command is almost unfathomable," the judge wrote.She said the Trump administration's actions were "irrational, imprudent, and precipitated a nationwide crisis."The judge said that the groups that brought the lawsuit "have marshaled significant evidence indicating that the funding freeze would be economically catastrophic and in some circumstances, fatal to their members.""The pause placed critical programs for children, the elderly, and everyone in between in serious jeopardy," AliKhan wrote. "Because the public's interest in not having trillions of dollars arbitrarily frozen cannot be overstated, Plaintiffs have more than met their burden here."The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.AliKhan and another federal judge in Rhode Island previously issued a temporary restraining order against the administration's federal funds freeze after a group of nonprofits and Democratic state attorneys general filed separate lawsuits last month, arguing that the freeze was unlawful.US District Judge John McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island, who is overseeing the lawsuit brought by 22 states and the District of Columbia, found earlier this month that the Trump administration was violating his court order by continuing to freeze funding for federal programs.McConnell had ordered the administration to immediately restore and resume the funding. The White House appealed that order to the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals but was denied.The case in DC was brought by the advocacy groups the National Council of Nonprofits, American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance, and SAGE.At a court hearing last week, Kevin Friedl, an attorney with Democracy Forward who is representing the nonprofits, said that AliKhan's temporary restraining order has "shown value" even though the administration's unfreezing of funds "in response to that order has not always been smooth."Friedl said the temporary restraining order has had "a real effect" and helped his clients, but added that continued relief remained "necessary."Department of Justice attorney Daniel Schwei argued that the plaintiffs' claims were moot since President Donald Trump's budget office had already rescinded the memo ordering the freeze on federal spending."Plaintiffs now agree that the funding that they would receive under their grant awards is available to them, and they say that there's still a need for continued preliminary relief from this court," Schwei said. "That is an inherently speculative proposition."Schwei said that it was "speculative" to assume that the Office of Management and Budget "might reimplement some pause in the future.""Certainly we don't think there's a need for emergency preliminary relief from this court to enjoin such hypothetical future pauses," Schwei said.The Trump administration set off a wave of mass confusion after the Office of Management and Budget dropped a memo on January 27 ordering the temporary freezing of "all federal financial assistance" beginning 5 p.m. the following day, so that the spending could be reviewed."The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve," the acting OMB director, Matthew Vaeth, wrote in the memo.OMB rescinded the memo on January 29.

A Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a collision with a private jet in Chicago on Tuesday.The private jet entered the runway "without authorization," the FAA said. The incident adds to the string of recent safety concerns in aviation.The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a near-miss incident between a Southwest Airlines jet and a private jet at Chicago's Midway Airport on Tuesday. The moment was captured on video, appearing to show the Southwest plane just feet from above the runway before aborting the landing as the smaller jet crosses ahead of it. A Southwest spokesperson told Business Insider that the passenger airliner performed a "go-around" to avoid a collision, circling to attempt another landing. Flightradar24 map showing the Southwest go-around. Flightradar24 "The crew followed safety procedures, and the flight landed without incident," the airline said. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees."Data from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24 shows the flight originated in Omaha, Nebraska, and safely landed in Chicago about 15 minutes after the go-around at 9:02 a.m. local time."Tower, Southwest 2504, how'd that happen?" the Southwest pilot asked air traffic controllers after the go-around, according to radio recordings reviewed by BI.The FAA told BI that the private Bombardier plane "entered the runway without authorization" and is investigating the incident.Another safety incident in the USThe near-miss is the latest in a string of recent safety-related events across North America. On Monday, a Delta plane had to return to Atlanta after takeoff due to a reported smoke in the cabin.Before that, a Delta flight crash-landed in Toronto a week earlier and flipped upside down. In January, an American Airlines plane collided midair with an Army helicopter over Washington, DC, killing 67.None of the accidents or incidents appear related at this time, though an uptick in near-misses is among the risks worrying aviation industry insiders especially after the American midair collision.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has vowed to improve the national ATC systems.

Shadow Of Modor and Wonder Woman dev Monolith shut down by Warner Bros.GameCentralPublished February 25, 2025 8:22pmUpdated February 25, 2025 8:22pm The success of Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor didnt save Monolith (WB Games)American studio Monolith Productions has been closed after 30 years, and the Wonder Woman game it was working on cancelled.If there was any hope that 2025 might see an end to the widespread industry layoffs, that have seen over 25,000 developers lose their job since 2023, it was dashed pretty early on, especially with the ongoing situation at NetEase.Now theres more bad news, with confirmation that Monolith Productions (not to be confused with Xenoblade maker Monolith Soft) is to be closed by owner Warner Bros., alongside Player First Games, and mobile developer Warner Bros. Games San Diego.Theres not yet any direct word on the fate of the staff but Warner has stated that the Wonder Woman game that Monolith were working on has been cancelled, so its likely everyone, at all three studios, has been laid off.The news was broken by Bloombergs Jason Schreier, who earlier in the month suggested that the Wonder Woman game had endured a trouble development and was rebooted early last year, under a new director.The game has never been shown in public but has reportedly already cost Warner Bros. $100 million, with Schreier previously describing it as, still years away from release, if it ever makes it to market.Monolith Productions has been around for over 30 years and employs over 100 people. It started out with first person shooters such as Blood, No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R., and Condemned, before creating 2024s highly successful Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor and its sequel Shadow Of War.Those games introduced the nemesis system, that saw enemies remember and bear a grudge against your player character a clever idea that may now never see the light of day again, since Warner patented it.Player First Games is the developer of MultiVersus and given its closure its not surprising to find that they have also been shuttered.Warner describes the move as an attempt to boost profitability, which seems an unlikely outcome if theyre gutting the studios that actually make their games.The confirmation of the news echoes comments Warner made previously about concentrating on the Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC Comics, and Game Of Thrones franchises. They call this a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them.In confirming the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game, they said that, Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible the iconic character, and unfortunately this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities.The obvious problem with this change in direction is that the only video game Warner is known for certain to have in development at the moment is Hogwarts Legacy 2, which has not been underway for long and has not been officially unveiled yet.Rocksteadys rumoured new Batman game is even further behind and no new Mortal Kombat games have been announced since the underperforming Mortal Kombat 1. Although a report earlier today suggests that the next project from developer NetherRealm may in fact be Injustice 3 or some other DC project.More TrendingThere has never been a big budget Game Of Thrones on consoles or PC only mobile apps so its unclear why Warner keeps bringing that up.That means that Warner will be lucky to release a major new game this decade, which is not exactly going to help with their profitability concerns.Although many fans are already blaming controversial Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav for the closures, Schreier notes that president David Haddad has been primarily responsible for the games division over the last decade.As he points out, Monolith had already gone five years without releasing a new game by the time Zaslav took over in 2022, having lost almost its entire leadership team under Haddads stewardship. Monolith Productions have been around for a long time (WB Games)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy