Sony told investors that it is considering to "pass on" the cost of the US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration to hardware prices—including the PlayStation 5 and affiliated devices—which is currently projected to be a 100 billion yen ($680 million) impact.As noted during the company‛s investors call around the fiscal report for the 12 months ended March 31, 2025, Sony CFO Lin Tao said that tariffs include the hardware business, which includes games and semiconductors. This is in reference to the 145 percent tariff imposed on China, where Sony manufactures the majority of its hardware, which includes TVs, cameras, microphones, and of course the PlayStation product line. "We‛re not just simply calculating the tariff to come up with 100 billion yen, but thinking about the currently available information and also looking at the market trend, we might pass on to the price and also shipment allocation, so we‛re taking different measures in managing to come up with the 100 billion figure," Tao said via a translator.As pointed out by senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa, the 100 billion figure may not be reflecting this week‛s reduction between China and the US. This is referencing an announcement on May 12 that led to a temporary US tariff reduction of 145 to 30 percent on Chinese imports, which will be in effect for 90 days.Related:In addition, president and CEO Hiroki Totoki answered a question regarding the possibility of moving hardware manufacturing to the US, saying that "these hardwares [sic] of course can be produced locally," and that "it would be an efficient strategy.""But PS5 are [sic] being manufactured in many areas, whether it's going to be manufactured in the US or not it needs to be considered going forward. We‛re not in such a critical situation," he added.Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad recently noted to Game Developer in an interview that Sony has "some" PlayStation 5 console manufacturing in Japan, but that it's "limited." "That will take months to convert everything for US production," he added.He described Sony as being "one year behind" Switch 2 developer Nintendo in terms of diversifying its manufacturing capabilities, with the bulk of its production taking place in China. Nintendo—which is still grappling with the impact of the Trump administration-imposed tariffs—moved much of its US-focused manufacturing to Vietnam after 2019.Sony noted in its presentation that it is "diversifying" PlayStation 5 manufacturing hubs and stockpiling inventory in the US.Related:Throughout the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Sony shipped 18.5 million PS5 consoles, bringing the total to 77.7 million lifetime shipments since November 2020. This is down from last year‛s 20.8 million units. The company saw an increase in sales of non-first-party games, including add-on content, as well as sales from network services, resulting in a nine percent increase in the gaming sector. As noted in the previous quarterly fiscal report, first-party titles sales saw a decline.Despite a decline in sales, Sony has already increased the price of the PS5 in other marketsThe decline in PS5 sales traces back to Sony Q1 FY24's fiscal report back in August 2024, a period in which hardware sales totaled 2.4 million units compared to 3.3 million in Q1 FY23. In November 2024, a report stated that Sony is working on a standalone handheld device capable of running PS5 games on the move—as opposed to the PlayStation Portal, which relies on cloud streaming. The company didn't mention the reported console in its plans for the upcoming fiscal year.Meanwhile, the company raised the price of the PS5 in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, EMEA, and the UK in April of this year as a response to a "challenging economic environment," pointing out "high inflation" and "fluctuating exchange rates" in the announcement post. A few days later, Xbox announced an increase in consoles, accessories, and some upcoming first-party titles.Related:When Sony announced the decline in PS5 sales during Q1 FY24, it said that it was offset by first-party game sales. Now, it's third-party games that helped to tip the scale. After the company won't have a projected revenue from several cancelled live service games, it seems it will have to adapt.Upcoming first-party titles includes Bungie's Marathon and Sucker Punch Productions Ghost of Yōtei, in addition to a multiplayer game with live service elements from new first-party studio teamLFG, which was spun out of Bungie.

A report that crossed my desk today should be of interest to any enterprise seeking to get bigger benefits from their existing training budgets: it suggests that Apple’s soon-to-be growing family of visionOS devices really can boost training. Researchers evaluated a 12-week electrical contracting certification program delivered at a facility in New Jersey. During the course, instructors used both traditional classroom and hands-on teaching alongside three modules developed by BILT for Apple Vision Pro. The combination delivered impressive results, according to the report. Spatial reality is good for learning Apparently spatial computing can help with training with measurable results: Students using the Apple devices completed the course almost 24% faster than classes using traditional curriculum alone. 76% of the class tracked at least three weeks ahead of schedule, while 88% were 2.5 weeks ahead. 93% of students said they felt ready to apply their new skills in the field.  Student engagement increased by 50%; learners liked that immersive content allowed them to practice hands-on without risking damage, injury, or delay.  The retention of knowledge also increased. Preliminary analysis suggests that observed retention of course material directly supplemented with spatial learning improved from 30%, including vocabulary and terminology retention, to 90% compared to cohorts. In every measured metric, students completed learning tasks faster using visionOS than they did without, which gave instructors considerable additional class teaching time. These should all be seen as significant outcomes. They suggest that using Apple’s spatial reality devices can and do deliver big improvements in training. You can watch a short overview of the results here. Apple and the blending of reality It also looks as if this kind of XR training can help students eliminate some errors completely. The study suggests that reverse polarity and sheathing errors were eliminated entirely (from 18% and 20% respectively, to 0%), while some wiring errors were reduced by 90%. It clearly makes a huge difference to some learners to interact with things in the virtual world while learning — “visual learners” are a thing; we knew it, and the tech leans deep into serving that need effectively.  “BILT for Apple Vision Pro catapults students over the steep learning curve,” said BILT CEO Nate Henderson. “The study underscores how powerful immersive training can be for a new generation of workers.” Of course, it should be considered that BILT’s report would make claims of this kind, given that delivering learning experiences in extended reality is part of what the company is all about. But the data — gathered through a range of metrics — aligns with what we’ve heard before. We are seeing ever more illustrations of this kind of use, including Endo’s Spatial Computing Injection Simulator introduced last month, CAE’s Vision Pro-based pilot training solution, or the way the tools are used at Dassault Systèmes. Just as surgeons have already experimented with using VisionPro during surgery to collaborate with experts remotely to help handle challenging cases, BILT notes the potential for field service and other engineers to call in help with their own complex tasks.   We do need some education But when it comes to training, the big takeaway seems to be that use of visionOS helps make sure students get it right first time, which can boost confidence and make them more likely to get something right again.  “Project one has so many fundamentals,” said Electrical Instructor, Kristian Desjardin. “Students seeing BILT on the Apple Vision Pro set the fundamentals up correctly from the beginning. If they mount their boxes right the first time, they’re going to mount right the second time. If they put their sheathing in the first time, it’s not going to take them until the third time. And that’s what we saw in projects 1-10.” The instructors also claimed that they got their students through their learning grades far faster than they had before. Can this work for everyone? It’s wise to maintain a certain incredulity when you experience stories of this kind, but the indication is that there are some learning tasks that really benefit from visionOS devices — and that using them may help people learn faster and more effectively. The inference has to be that such tools might yet enable swift skills education on a local, national, or even international level, which could help resolve some strategic skill gaps. You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon.

Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin has said he wants the federal agency to accelerate scientific safety evaluations of various chemicals, including pesticides. The EPA reportedly has more than 500 pending reviews of proposed new pesticides and more than 12,000 overdue reevaluations of pesticides currently in use. The agency is under pressure from the chemical and agricultural industries to catch up, while health and environmental advocates demand it maintain high safety standards. The review process is careful for a reason – and perhaps the only real method of speeding it up is the one Zeldin has proposed: reassigning staff so there are more people to share the work. As a faculty member at a land-grant university who has studied the effectiveness of commercial and experimental pesticides in the southern U.S., I have seen how the federal pesticide regulatory process identifies risks to humans and the environment and mitigates them with specific use instructions. Here’s how the process works. First, what is a pesticide? The EPA, which regulates pesticides in the U.S., defines a pesticide as any substance or mixture of substances intended to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any pest, such as weeds, insects and organisms, that attack plants. Pesticides are often referred to as toxins when found in food, water bodies or other places where they are not intended. But just because something is detected doesn’t mean it’s harmful to humans or wildlife. Toxicity depends on how much of the substance a person or animal is exposed to, how they are exposed to it – such as breathing it, or getting it on their skin – and for how long. The Department of Agriculture began regulating pesticides in 1947 with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Most of the department’s interest was whether a particular pesticide was effective against the target pests. In 1970, the newly formed EPA took over responsibility for pesticides. It shifted its focus to the safety of consumers, farmworkers and the environment after the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act took effect in 1972. Risk-benefit analysis Federal law requires the EPA to evaluate both the risks and the benefits of each pesticide – and to revisit that analysis at least every 15 years for every pesticide used in the U.S. The EPA determines whether the risks to people, animals or the environment are too high for the benefits the pesticide provides and whether any of those risks can be reduced. Sometimes a chemical’s risk can be lessened by recommending mitigation strategies such as wearing protective clothing, reducing environmental spread by barring the use of pesticides near the edges of a property, or decreasing the amount of a pesticide that’s legal to use. In its analysis of any given pesticide, the EPA requires a massive amount of data from the manufacturer about what ingredients the pesticide contains and how they work. The agency also reviews scientific research on the pesticide and uses its own scientists and independent experts to evaluate any studies that were submitted by the manufacturer. The EPA uses all the available data on a pesticide to evaluate the dose that would be toxic to a range of organisms, as well as what residues the pesticide may leave on plants, in the soil and in water. The data is incorporated into computer models that estimate the potential amount of the chemical that may come in contact with humans, animals and the environment. Those models’ results are then combined with toxicity data to determine risk. The models used by EPA scientists are very conservative. They often use significant overestimates of exposure, which means that when the models determine the risk of a pesticide is below a particular level, they are evaluating the risk posed by far higher quantities of the chemical than will ever actually be used. The risk from the amount actually used, therefore, is even less likely to cause harm. The EPA also provides opportunities for public comment on a pesticide and uses that information in its evaluations as well. Additional scrutiny The Endangered Species Act also requires the EPA to evaluate the effects of pesticides on threatened and endangered species. If a pesticide is found to potentially be dangerous to a protected species or its habitat, the EPA will discuss those findings with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, which enforce the Endangered Species Act, and determine what to do to ensure the species aren’t harmed. The law’s requirement to reevaluate each pesticide every 15 years is based on the fact that science evolves and information becomes more precise. New data can shed light on potential risks and benefits, and even lead to pesticides being banned or more closely restricted. Until recently, for instance, pesticide residues on plants, food and in the environment were measured in parts per million. Newer equipment can measure even smaller amounts, determining parts per billion, which is as precise as identifying one single second in 32 years. Some chemicals can even be measured in parts per trillion, equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. That means exposures can be more accurately measured. While some chemicals can be toxic in very small concentrations, most pesticides can be detected at levels that do not pose a biological risk. Allowing a pesticide to be used If the EPA determines that a pesticide’s risks outweigh its benefits, then its staff will conduct additional analyses to determine how to mitigate the risks enough to justify using it. If that’s not possible, the EPA will reject the application and not allow the pesticide to be used in the U.S. If the agency determines that the benefits outweigh the risks, the EPA approves the pesticide for sale and use in the U.S. The law requires the pesticide come with a label providing a strict set of guidelines for how, when and where to use the pesticide. The guidelines define amounts and timing for applying the pesticide safely, and specific restrictions or protection strategies to control the target pests while eliminating or minimizing harm to the environment, workers and the public. The EPA also makes information on pesticides available to the public, so anyone can find out how to use them safely. Using the pesticide without following those directions is a violation of federal law. Jeffrey Gore is a professor of agricultural science and plant protection at Mississippi State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

This self-generated project came about after the ad agency’s joint managing partner Hannah Penn was diagnosed with skin cancer, which she has since recovered from. Penn became determined to raise awareness of the dangers of UV, particularly in the construction industry. In the UK, construction workers comprise 8% of the workforce, but account for 44% of occupational melanoma skin cancer deaths, according to research published by the National Library of Medicine. However, unlike most cancers, skin cancer is preventable. “So with the right interventions and awareness, we can save hundreds if not thousands of lives,” says Penn. According to Statista, there are 2.14m people employed in the construction sector in the UK. Construction workers account for 44% of occupational melanoma skin cancer deaths in the UK The agency started to explore ways of communicating this. Posters weren’t going to work for workers up on a roof, says Dan Norris, who joined Pablo London along with Ray Shaughnessy as joint managing creative directors 18 months ago. Instead, the team developed the idea of making the mandatory safety vest responsive to UV (ultraviolet) radiation, so that it would warn the wearer when UV levels got dangerously high. Early ideas included applying UV stickers that change colour, but their quality deteriorates quickly. LEDs lights were also considered, but they are heavy and would need to be recharged. The change in colour alerts the wearer and fellow workers to apply sunscreen and take precautions Pablo London’s then hit upon the idea of a logo made of wearable tech. The jackets’ breast pocket have a silicon logo filled with a long-lasting UV-sensitive material. As the sun’s UV level intensifies, the logo changes from white to pink to red, alerting the wearer and fellow workers to apply sunscreen and take precautions. This tech needed a brand that would engage the target audience. Young builders are into grooming and looking after themselves, says Norris. “The big problem is awareness, if you talk about it, what are you asking them to do?” “We deliberately communicated everything towards the construction industry,” says Shaughnessy. “At the heart of it, is the idea that you are deserving of this level of protection.” Pablo London came up with UV-U-SEE, an initials-heavy name which informed the tone of the communications. Stylistically, the brand sits between the iconography of safety signage typically found on a building site, and a cool, design-conscious brand, says Norris. “The look also borrows from the world of 1960s trademarks.” “If it’s too much in a health space it feels like a real turn-off,” Shaughnessy says. The branding draws inspiration from the world of 1960s trademarks The logo design captures the simple idea of making the unseen, seen, Norris says. “Drawing on the graphic language of informative symbols, the design uses a triangle warning shape and a simple inverse masking effect to reveal something hidden in the sun’s rays,” he adds. Pablo London designer, Rodrigo Castellari, worked on the visuals. The idea of making the invisible visible is articulated on the website as the utilitarian symbols disappear to be replaced by letters and words. The symbols were designed in-house from a Helvetica base. The Higher-Vis vests can be bought with bespoke logos through the UV-U-SEE website. Also on sale is UV-U-SEE branded sunscreen dispensers and sunscreen made by LifeJacket, which produces high-performance non-greasy sunscreen for the army. The brand is supported by The National Federation of Builders and Considerate Constructors Scheme. But Penn’s vision is for it to have a life beyond the construction industry, suggesting it could even be applied to prams or children’s hats. While this is not intended as a money-making scheme for Pablo London, it has a value for the agency. “When we talk to our paying clients we can show them there’s more ways to solve a problem that to write an ad,” Norris says. The brand is supported by The National Federation of Builders and Considerate Constructors Scheme Branded sunscreen dispenser designed to be available on a construction site

Deal  When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Buy Windows 11 Pro for 2 devices with a copy of Office 2021 Pro for only $55 Neowin Deals · May 14, 2025 13:00 EDT Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where you can save 86% on Windows 11 Pro (for 2 devices) + Microsoft Office Pro 2021. Upgrade your computing experience with Windows 11 Pro. This cutting-edge operating system boasts a sleek new design and advanced tools to help you work faster and smarter. From creative projects to gaming and beyond, Windows 11 delivers the power and flexibility you need to achieve your goals. With a focus on productivity, the new features are easy to learn and use, enhancing your workflow and efficiency. Whether you're a student, professional, gamer, or creative, Windows 11 Home has everything you need to take your productivity to the next level. New interface. easier on the eyes & easier to use Biometrics login*.Encrypted authentication & advanced antivirus defenses DirectX 12 Ultimate. Play the latest games with graphics that rival reality. DirectX 12 Ultimate comes ready to maximize your hardware* Screen space. Snap layouts, desktops & seamless redocking Widgets. Stay up-to-date with the content you love & the new you care about Microsoft Teams. Stay in touch with friends and family with Microsoft Teams, which can be seamlessly integrated into your taskbar** Wake & lock. Automatically wake up when you approach and lock when you leave Smart App Control. Provides a layer of security by only permitting apps with good reputations to be installed Windows Studio Effects. Designed with Background Blur, Eye Contact, Voice Focus, & Automatic Framing Touchscreen. For a true mouse-less or keyboard-less experience TPM 2.0. Helps prevent unwanted tampering Windows 11 Pro also includes a number of productivity-focused features, such as the ability to snap multiple windows together and create custom layouts, improved voice typing, and a new, more powerful search experience. Personal and professional users will enjoy a modern and secure computing experience, with improved performance and productivity features to help users get more done. Only on Windows 11 Pro If you require enterprise-oriented features for your daily professional tasks, then Windows 11 Pro is a better option. Set up with a local account (only when set up for work or school) Join Active Directory/Azure AD Hyper-V Windows Sandbox Microsoft Remote Desktop BitLocker device encryption Windows Information Protection Mobile device management (MDM) Group Policy Enterprise State Roaming with Azure Assigned Access Dynamic Provisioning Windows Update for Business Kiosk mode Maximum RAM: 2TB Maximum no. of CPUs: 2 Maximum no. of CPU cores: 128 Good to know: Length of access: lifetime Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: desktop Max number of device(s): 2 (Use one activation key for up to 2 devices) Version: Windows 11 Pro Updates included Click here to verify Microsoft partnership For Windows 10 or Newer! Get All Essential Microsoft Apps for Your PC with This One-Time PurchaseThis is intended for families and small businesses who want classic Office apps and email. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. A one-time purchase installed on 1 Windows PC for use at home or work. Lifetime license for MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, & OneNote One-time purchase installed on 1 Windows PC for use at home or work Instant Delivery & Download – access your software license keys and download links instantly Free customer service – only the best support! Microsoft Office Professional 2021 (for Windows) includes: Microsoft Office Word Microsoft Office Excel Microsoft Office PowerPoint Microsoft Office Outlook Microsoft Office Teams Microsoft Office OneNote Microsoft Office Publisher Microsoft Office Access Good to know: ONE-TIME PURCHASE INSTALLED ON 1 DEVICE Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: desktop Full versions No subscriptions – no monthly/annual fees Version: 2021 Updates included Here's the deal: This Microsoft Office Pro 2021 + Windows 11 Pro normally costs $438, but this deal can be yours from just $54.97, that's a saving of $383. For full terms, specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this deal for just $54.97 (86% off), or learn more See all discounted Neowin Deals on offer. This is a time-limited deal.Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

Figma announced 'Sites' at Config 2025, which lets users create simple static websites from designs. Imagine a website generator like Framer or Webflow, but embedded inside Figma.The buzz is serious. Sites could become the de facto tool for quick marketing campaigns or small personal websites. But what if you need Sites to integrate with your existing design systems, custom components, and production code?Figma SitesFigma Sites is a visual developer tool similar to Webflow or Framer. It's focused on letting designers build websites without coding or leaving Figma.Its greatest strength is its integration with the Figma ecosystem. For designers already comfortable with the platform, Sites offers a path to deploy a design as a live website quickly.Easy interactivity and AI-enhanced codeFigma Sites includes numerous presets for everyday website interactions and effects. For instance, you can add a hover effect to a button or a typewriter effect to a text block.A future version of Sites will also include an AI tool for generating code.Responsive design and hands-off infrastructureFigma Sites can also display your design in desktop, tablet, and mobile layouts side by side. The preview version (press shift + space) and the published version are both fully responsive websites.Press the Publish button in the top-left corner once you’re ready to deploy the design into a working website. After some quick validations (it can even help with auto layout), Figma Sites will deploy your project to a generated URL. For a fee, you can wire up a custom domain.Coming soon: CMS and Code LayersRight now, Figma Sites translates your design into HTML and CSS. The team's future improvement, "Code Layers,” will take a user prompt and transform it into React and Tailwind CSS.Another future improvement is a CMS feature inside Figma Sites. This would allow users to manage their website content more efficiently. The idea of a fully integrated design-to-publish tool with an internal CMS is very appealing.Going from Figma to website to complete applicationSimple site builders are great for getting something online, but aren’t great at creating fully integrated applications that mesh with an existing codebase. This is a familiar problem.The challenge lies in moving beyond a static page built with HTML and CSS. What happens if you need this new site to use the Next.js framework and the App Router patterns that your team has adopted? Can you leverage your company's custom components? Is there a way to add complex user interactions? These limitations become significant hurdles for any product beyond a basic landing page or marketing campaign.Visual Editor: stepping beyond simple sitesBuilder.io's Visual Editor satisfies this larger need. Figma Sites gets you something fast without ever leaving the Figma ecosystem. Visual Editor gets you something nearly as fast, but it connects designs directly to your production codebase on one canvas.The core idea is different. Visual Editor is for feature-rich applications where your existing production codebase and design systems are first-class citizens.Figma Sites was engineered to transform a Figma design into a static site using no third-party tools and the most minimal toolchain possible. Visual Editor was engineered to transform designs into production applications at the enterprise scale:Figma-like precisionVisual Editor gives you a familiar, precise visual editing experience, but you're building interactive applications, not just static mockups. Use prompts to generate UI, then fine-tune it visually. The output isn't just a picture; it's code that works.Solving handoffsImport Figma designs with a click, and Builder translates them into interactive code using your component library. The CLI deeply integrates with your specific framework and codebase patterns, generating clean, maintainable code that developers want to work with. It respects your tech stack.On-brand generation, every timeStop worrying about brand drift. Because Builder understands your codebase, it uses your actual design system context—your colors, typography, spacing, and components—automatically ensuring everything generated is consistent and on-brand. No more manual checking.Dual workflows (develop & publish)Builder offers flexibility. Developers can use it to build new UIs that integrate directly with application code. Marketers or designers can use the 'Publish' workflow to create and update content visually using pre-built components, without needing a developer or a new deployment. This addresses the content bottleneck, too.Smashing workflow silosVisual Editor provides a unified canvas for design, development, and content updates. It fits into existing developer workflows (like Git) rather than trying to replace them, enabling better collaboration across the entire digital team.Getting started with Visual EditorReady to see the difference? You can try Visual Editor and experience how it connects to a real codebase.Open the Visual Copilot Figma plugin. Install it from the Figma Community if you haven't already.Select a layer or design in your Figma file that you want to bring into Builder.io.Click the "Export Design" button within the plugin.Click the "View Code in Builder" button. This will open your design directly in the Builder.io Visual Editor.(Optional) Enhance in the Visual Editor: Use AI prompts or manual controls to add interactivity, connect data, or refine the design within Builder.Generate code with the CLI: Copy the provided CLI command from Builder.io and run it in your local project's terminal. The CLI will analyze your codebase and generate the integrated, production-ready code components.The best way to understand the power of Visual Editor is to experience how it generates code that uses your components and fits your workflow.ConclusionFigma Sites is a big step forward for Figma. If you already work with the platform, you get all your favorite Figma features and a near-frictionless path to simple, real websites.Sites fills an essential market need. But you might find the tool underpowered if your team faces the challenges of integrating designs with a complex codebase, maintaining brand consistency across an extensive application, or enabling collaboration between large, diverse teams. In those cases, Builder's Visual Editor is the enterprise-grade solution. It provides a robust, integrated visual development environment that respects your code and scales with your product.Further reading Introducing Visual Copilot: convert Figma designs to high quality code in a single click.Try Visual CopilotGet a demo

Proton Mail4.5 ExcellentBottom LineProton Mail is an easy-to-use webmail service that brings zero-access encryption to your local message store and end-to-end encryption for message transmission, along with an impressive posse of related programs.US Street Price$47.88Learn MoreProton Mail ReviewVSPreVeil4.5 ExcellentBottom LineWith PreVeil, you get free end-to-end encrypted secure cloud storage along with secure email that’s tough enough for business but extremely easy to use, all while keeping your existing email address.Learn MorePreVeil Review Table of ContentsPricing and Pricing TiersDo I Need a New Email Address?Authentication and Security OptionsCloud Storage and File SharingEmail Client IntegrationTemporary Email AddressesAdvanced Security FeaturesFeatures Beyond Email Encryption Pricing and Pricing TiersPreVeil’s pricing system is as simple as can be—it’s free. Period.You can use ProtonMail for free, too, but a free Proton Mail account lacks some features and limits others. For example, you can only send 150 messages per day and only manage a single email account. When you pay $47.88 per year for a Proton Mail Plus account, the limit on messages per day vanishes, but there’s still a cap on the number of email addresses you can use.There’s one more option, Proton Mail Ultimate, which costs $119.88 per year and includes the full pantheon of Proton’s products. This one makes sense if you want your email encryption served up along with fully functional instances of Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN, and the Proton Pass password manager. Ultimately, everything’s better when it’s free, so PreVeil wins.Winner: PreVeilDo I Need a New Email Address?I’ve had the same personal email address for more than 20 years, and I’ve grown fond of it. I could sign up for PreVeil and keep that address. But if I wanted to rely on Proton Mail to safeguard my email secrets, I would have to pick a new address and share it with all my contacts.On the flip side, my 20-year-old email address has accumulated quite a collection of spam. It’s been revealed in dozens of data breaches and captured by who knows how many data brokers. If you want to level up your security game by using email encryption, you might prefer switching to a pristine new address, too.Here’s the thing. You can do the same thing with PreVeil. Just set up a new, clean email address before you start using PreVeil. But you simply can’t use Proton Mail with your existing address, except in one rare case. If you own your own domain, and if you host your email on that domain, and if you're up for such domain-management tasks as changing MX records and reconfiguring settings for DNS, DKIM, DMARC, and SPF, then you can use your own email. PreVeil wins on flexibility.Winner: PreVeilAuthentication and Security OptionsIt doesn’t matter how thoroughly your email is encrypted if an evildoer gains access to your encrypted inbox. Proton Mail offers multiple levels of protection, starting with using a strong password and an optional account recovery email. On top of that basic password protection, you can optionally configure it for multi-factor authentication (MFA) using Google Authenticator or a compatible authenticator app. You can advance to expert-tier authentication by configuring Proton Mail to require a hardware security key.(Credit: Proton/PCMag)PreVeil doesn’t use passwords at all, presuming that the security of your email account is sufficient. Yes, an attacker would need access to both your email account and a trusted device, which fits the definition of MFA, barely. But you can only use an authenticator app or hardware key to authenticate your email account, not PreVeil itself. When it comes to actively protecting access to your encrypted email system, Proton Mail takes the prize.Winner: Proton MailCloud Storage and File SharingIf you want to share a file or picture securely with someone, you can add it as an attachment to an encrypted email message. That’s a workable solution, but it’s not always the most convenient. Proton Mail and PreVeil both go beyond simple attachments by allowing you to store files in the cloud and share them securely.Your PreVeil account comes with 5GB of encrypted cloud storage that’s easily accessible from Windows Explorer. You also get the option to securely share folders (but not individual files) and to set each recipient’s permission level, from full Edit & Share permission down to View Only, which merely lets the recipient peek at the file’s content in a browser window.(Credit: PreVeil/PCMag)Proton Mail users at all pricing tiers get access to the separate Proton Drive app for cloud backup. Non-paying customers get a tenth of what PreVeil offers, just 500MB. However, at the commercial Plus level that storage rises to 15GB, and if you go all out with Proton Mail Ultimate, you can store 500GB of files. If you’re keeping score, those storage figures are three times and 100 times what PreVeil gives you.Proton Drive lets you share files directly with other Proton users and control their level of access in much the same way you do with PreVeil. You can also create a public link, optionally setting a password and an expiry date. PreVeil’s similar links only work for someone with whom you’ve already shared the folder.It’s true that PreVeil offers more storage than Proton Mail’s free tier, but there’s no easy path if you want more from PreVeil. And Proton Mail’s full backup app has more flexibility. This one goes to Proton Mail.Recommended by Our EditorsWinner: Proton MailEmail Client IntegrationEven if you’ve grudgingly switched to a new email address, you can at least keep the email client that you’ve used for years, right? Well, not necessarily. To get your Proton Mail messages into Apple Mail, Outlook, or Thunderbird, you must install a separate “bridge” app and go through a configuration routine that can get complicated. It doesn’t work with the latest Outlook because it requires access to IMAP and SMTP. And you don’t get full access to encryption features in your old familiar email app.(Credit: PreVeil/PCMag)With PreVeil, integration can be as simple as installing a plug-in for Gmail or Outlook. The plug-in adds a few handy controls, like an encryption on/off switch for the messages you compose, and clearly separates encrypted messages from those you’ve sent without encryption.Winner: PreVeilTemporary Email AddressesI mentioned earlier that being forced to spin up a new email address can be a blessing in disguise, as doing so frees you from any spam and baggage associated with the old address. But if you use a temporary email address service, you can avoid accumulating those problems in the first place. Using such a service lets you communicate with online merchants and other possibly shady connections without ever revealing your actual email address. You see and respond to the messages in your normal inbox, but they see only an email alias. And if one of your connections sells you out to a spam cartel, you just delete the corresponding alias.Sounds convenient, right? The Proton team agrees. At the Unlimited subscription level, you get full access to SimpleLogin, a four-star temporary email service. Yes, that’s the most expensive level, but PreVeil doesn’t offer email aliases at any level. (Don’t feel too left out if you’re using PreVeil or haven’t opted for the expensive Proton Mail Unlimited. You can supplement your email encryption for free with email aliases from ManyMe or Bulc Club.)Winner: Proton MailAdvanced Security FeaturesAfter going to the trouble of switching to encrypted email, you’d feel pretty dumb if you lost your login and couldn’t get access to your important messages. Proton Mail encourages you to save a recovery key in the form of a lengthy code and a QR code, but that recovery key itself now becomes a weakness. Someone who acquires your code owns your account.PreVeil offers a similar recovery code system, but encourages you to use its Recovery Group system instead. This is a high-tech solution more commonly seen in Enterprise-level security. With PreVeil, your recovery key resides with multiple friends, and the recovery process requires participation by several of them. For example, you might enlist six friends to hold your secret and require any three of them to activate recovery.PreVeil’s wrapped keys encryption system is proprietary, but Proton Mail relies on the venerable and widely used PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption system. Proton Mail users can set up encrypted communication with users of other encryption tools that rely on PGP, such as Private-Mail and StartMail. For those with the tech chops, using PGP opens up immense possibilities.(Credit: Proton/PCMag)Proton Mail also actively protects your privacy against tracking that relies on images. When your email client displays an image, it necessarily requests that image from a server. From that request, the sender can learn your IP address, among other things. Proton Mail wipes out web beacons, which are images that have no purpose beyond penetrating your privacy. And it acts as an intermediary for normal images, so the sender gets the IP address of a Proton Mail server, not your personal address.Both services have clever, high-tech features. And in both cases, most users won’t use or pay attention to these features. I call this a draw.Winner: TieFeatures Beyond Email EncryptionI’ve already mentioned that both services offer encrypted file storage and secure sharing. For PreVeil, that’s about it.Proton Mail, on the other hand, offers several other significant security features. These include the already-mentioned Proton Drive, Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, and the Proton Pass password manager.(Credit: Proton/PCMag)Like Proton Drive, Proton Calendar and Proton Pass are available to free users, but with limitations. Free users of Proton VPN can use it to protect one device at a time and can’t choose which country the VPN connects through. Paying for Proton Mail lifts some of these limitations. And if you choose Proton Unlimited, you get the maximum from all the Proton apps.Winner: Proton Mail

Credit: Hisense Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Learn more about how we select deals. SAVE $300: The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon as of May 14, which is a 15% discount and drops it down to its best price ever. Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector $1,699.99 at Amazon $1,999.99 Save $300 Projectors have come a long way in recent years — to the point where some rival big screen 4K TVs. The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser series, released last fall, is one of those rivals. Of course, that groundbreaking cinematic experience doesn't come cheap. The C2 TriChroma Laser series includes three models, with the most affordable of the trio costing $1,999.99. As of May 14, however, the standard Hisense C2 portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99. That's 15% off and its lowest price on record. Sure, that's still pretty steep, but it's $300 less than you'd spend at full retail price.All three models — including the standard C2 projector — are equipped with Hisense's Tri-Chroma triple color laser, which ensures color accuracy with a massive color spectrum. They also support 3D viewing, adding another dimension to your viewing experience. Projection size ranges from 65 to 300 inches and thanks to 360-degree horizontal rotation and 135-degree vertical adjustment, you'll have unparalleled viewing flexibility. You can watch movies on the ceiling, set up a massive outdoor screen, or stream workout videos on the wall of your home gym. Each model also offers auto keystone correction and auto focus, smart wall color adaptation, and obstacle avoidance, ensuring a top-notch viewing experience instantly.The standard C2 model, as a relatively budget-friendly option, only boasts 2,000 lumens of brightness (versus the 3,000 lumens of the C2 Ultra). That's still plenty bright, though, unless you're in an extremely sunny atmosphere. Just dim the lights and close the curtains and you should be fine. It also lacks some of the higher-end features, like a built-in subwoofer and IMAX Enhanced certification. However, it still offers key technologies like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as well as JBL 2.0 channel audio. Related Stories Mashable Deals Want more hand-picked deals from our shopping experts? Sign up for the Mashable Deals 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! If you prefer a portable and flexible TV experience, it's hard to beat the cinematic capabilities of the Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser projector — particularly when it's on sale. Topics Amazon Gadgets Christina Buff Christina Buff is a Nashville-based freelance writer for who covers shopping with a splash of entertainment. If you’re ever wondering what streaming service you need to watch something (and the cheapest way to sign up for it), she’s your girl.Christina received a B.S. in Business Communication (concentration in writing) from Stevenson University and began her professional journey writing and editing press releases. Since then, she’s written content for a marketing agency, blogged for celebrities, and covered local news, politics, women’s lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and just about everything in between for various publications.When she’s not writing, she’s probably enjoying live music, studying human design, or embroidering and upcycling clothes. You can follow her on Instagram at @touchinfinity.

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Google DeepMind today pulled the curtain back on AlphaEvolve, an artificial-intelligence agent that can invent brand-new computer algorithms — then put them straight to work inside the company’s vast computing empire. AlphaEvolve pairs Google’s Gemini large language models with an evolutionary approach that tests, refines, and improves algorithms automatically. The system has already been deployed across Google’s data centers, chip designs, and AI training systems — boosting efficiency and solving mathematical problems that have stumped researchers for decades. “AlphaEvolve is a Gemini-powered AI coding agent that is able to make new discoveries in computing and mathematics,” explained Matej Balog, a researcher at Google DeepMind, in an interview with VentureBeat. “It can discover algorithms of remarkable complexity — spanning hundreds of lines of code with sophisticated logical structures that go far beyond simple functions.” The system dramatically expands upon Google’s previous work with FunSearch by evolving entire codebases rather than single functions. It represents a major leap in AI’s ability to develop sophisticated algorithms for both scientific challenges and everyday computing problems. Inside Google’s 0.7% efficiency boost: How AI-crafted algorithms run the company’s data centers AlphaEvolve has been quietly at work inside Google for over a year. The results are already significant. One algorithm it discovered has been powering Borg, Google’s massive cluster management system. This scheduling heuristic recovers an average of 0.7% of Google’s worldwide computing resources continuously — a staggering efficiency gain at Google’s scale. The discovery directly targets “stranded resources” — machines that have run out of one resource type (like memory) while still having others (like CPU) available. AlphaEvolve’s solution is especially valuable because it produces simple, human-readable code that engineers can easily interpret, debug, and deploy. The AI agent hasn’t stopped at data centers. It rewrote part of Google’s hardware design, finding a way to eliminate unnecessary bits in a crucial arithmetic circuit for Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). TPU designers validated the change for correctness, and it’s now headed into an upcoming chip design. Perhaps most impressively, AlphaEvolve improved the very systems that power itself. It optimized a matrix multiplication kernel used to train Gemini models, achieving a 23% speedup for that operation and cutting overall training time by 1%. For AI systems that train on massive computational grids, this efficiency gain translates to substantial energy and resource savings. “We try to identify critical pieces that can be accelerated and have as much impact as possible,” said Alexander Novikov, another DeepMind researcher, in an interview with VentureBeat. “We were able to optimize the practical running time of [a vital kernel] by 23%, which translated into 1% end-to-end savings on the entire Gemini training card.” Breaking Strassen’s 56-year-old matrix multiplication record: AI solves what humans couldn’t AlphaEvolve solves mathematical problems that stumped human experts for decades while advancing existing systems. The system designed a novel gradient-based optimization procedure that discovered multiple new matrix multiplication algorithms. One discovery toppled a mathematical record that had stood for 56 years. “What we found, to our surprise, to be honest, is that AlphaEvolve, despite being a more general technology, obtained even better results than AlphaTensor,” said Balog, referring to DeepMind’s previous specialized matrix multiplication system. “For these four by four matrices, AlphaEvolve found an algorithm that surpasses Strassen’s algorithm from 1969 for the first time in that setting.” The breakthrough allows two 4×4 complex-valued matrices to be multiplied using 48 scalar multiplications instead of 49 — a discovery that had eluded mathematicians since Volker Strassen’s landmark work. According to the research paper, AlphaEvolve “improves the state of the art for 14 matrix multiplication algorithms.” The system’s mathematical reach extends far beyond matrix multiplication. When tested against over 50 open problems in mathematical analysis, geometry, combinatorics, and number theory, AlphaEvolve matched state-of-the-art solutions in about 75% of cases. In approximately 20% of cases, it improved upon the best known solutions. One victory came in the “kissing number problem” — a centuries-old geometric challenge to determine how many non-overlapping unit spheres can simultaneously touch a central sphere. In 11 dimensions, AlphaEvolve found a configuration with 593 spheres, breaking the previous record of 592. How it works: Gemini language models plus evolution create a digital algorithm factory What makes AlphaEvolve different from other AI coding systems is its evolutionary approach. The system deploys both Gemini Flash (for speed) and Gemini Pro (for depth) to propose changes to existing code. These changes get tested by automated evaluators that score each variation. The most successful algorithms then guide the next round of evolution. AlphaEvolve doesn’t just generate code from its training data. It actively explores the solution space, discovers novel approaches, and refines them through an automated evaluation process — creating solutions humans might never have conceived. “One critical idea in our approach is that we focus on problems with clear evaluators. For any proposed solution or piece of code, we can automatically verify its validity and measure its quality,” Novikov explained. “This allows us to establish fast and reliable feedback loops to improve the system.” This approach is particularly valuable because the system can work on any problem with a clear evaluation metric — whether it’s energy efficiency in a data center or the elegance of a mathematical proof. From cloud computing to drug discovery: Where Google’s algorithm-inventing AI goes next While currently deployed within Google’s infrastructure and mathematical research, AlphaEvolve’s potential reaches much further. Google DeepMind envisions applications in material sciences, drug discovery, and other fields requiring complex algorithmic solutions. “The best human-AI collaboration can help solve open scientific challenges and also apply them at Google scale,” said Novikov, highlighting the system’s collaborative potential. Google DeepMind is now developing a user interface with its People + AI Research team and plans to launch an Early Access Program for selected academic researchers. The company is also exploring broader availability. The system’s flexibility marks a significant advantage. Balog noted that “at least previously, when I worked in machine learning research, it wasn’t my experience that you could build a scientific tool and immediately see real-world impact at this scale. This is quite unusual.” As large language models advance, AlphaEvolve’s capabilities will grow alongside them. The system demonstrates an intriguing evolution in AI itself — starting within the digital confines of Google’s servers, optimizing the very hardware and software that gives it life, and now reaching outward to solve problems that have challenged human intellect for decades or centuries. Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured.

In Brief Posted: 10:22 AM PDT · May 14, 2025 Image Credits:Thomas Trutschel/Photothek / Getty Images (Image has been modified) SoundCloud backtracks on AI-related terms of use updates SoundCloud says it’s revising its terms after widespread backlash over a clause related to AI model training. Earlier this year, SoundCloud quietly updated its usage policies, adding wording that many users interpreted as legal cover to allow the company to train AI on audio uploaded to its platform. SoundCloud was quick to assert that it wasn’t developing AI by using its users’ content, but the company’s PR statement didn’t allay fears that SoundCloud might do so in the future. On Wednesday, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton published an open letter admitting that the wording of the changes to the company’s terms “was too broad and wasn’t clear enough.” The updates were intended to focus on other uses of AI internally at the company, Seton said — including recommendations and tools to help prevent fraud — but missed the mark. SoundCloud has now revised its terms “to make it absolutely clear [that] SoundCloud will not use [user] content to train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize [a] voice, music, or likeness,” said Seton. Topics