Robotics

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETWhen I attended my first Linux convention, a company named Loki Games had a booth that was rather popular. Linux users flocked to the booth to see if a company could bring to the operating system one thing it was sorely missing: Games.Also: The best VPN for gaming: Expert tested and reviewedLoki Games had already delivered several titles by porting them from Windows to Linux. I played several of those games (I still have a few, I believe) and found them to be very well done. The problem wasn’t the company’s ability but the users’ willingness to pay for their products. In the end, Linux users didn’t want to buy software. They had become so accustomed to getting all of their software for free that the idea of shelling out hard-earned cash was shocking. Loki Games failed. After that, gaming on Linux stumbled and stuttered. Sure, there was Wine, and with some effort, you could get games to play. I remember the first time I was able to play Diablo on Linux — what a thrill and, back then, an accomplishment.Also: How to install Steam on Linux to start playing thousands of gamesToday, there’s Steam, which makes gaming on Linux exponentially easier. Steam also makes a large number of games available for Linux. Some Linux distributions have also taken it upon themselves to make gaming as easy as possible for users, such as Bazzite. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Amazon Basics’ 15-in-1 stainless steel multitool is available at Amazon for $13. It’s a well-made 15-in-1 with a myriad of useful tools, and the price can’t be beat. Not every tool will be useful for everyone – I’ve never used a fish scaler or hook remover. –> I’ve been covering lots […] More

DrPixel/Getty Images Have you ever wanted to build your own custom application but didn’t want to take the time to do any of the pesky learning that software development requires? If so, a new experimental project from GitHub might just make your dreams come true. GitHub Spark lets you build what the company calls “micro […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETOn Thursday, the Financial Times reported that OpenAI has dramatically minimized its safety testing timeline.Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the No. 1 thing to remember when you use themEight people who are either staff at the company or third-party testers told FT that they had “just days” to complete evaluations on new models — a process they say they would normally be given “several months” for. Competitive edgeEvaluations are what can surface model risks and other harms, such as whether a user could jailbreak a model to provide instructions for creating a bioweapon. For comparison, sources told FT that OpenAI gave them six months to review GPT-4 before it was released — and that they only found concerning capabilities after two months. Also: Is OpenAI doomed? Open-source models may crush it, warns expertSources added that OpenAI’s tests are not as thorough as they used to be and lack the necessary time and resources to properly catch and mitigate risks. “We had more thorough safety testing when [the technology] was less important,” one person, who is currently testing o3, the full version of o3-mini, told FT. They also described the shift as “reckless” and “a recipe for disaster.” Also: This new AI benchmark measures how much models lieThe sources attributed the rush to OpenAI’s desire to maintain a competitive edge, especially as open-weight models from competitors, like Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, gain more ground. OpenAI is rumored to be releasing o3 next week, which FT’s sources say rushed the timeline to under a week. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Small, durable, water-resistant, and loud User-replaceable battery lasts a year Like all third-party tags, they do not support Apple precision finding. –> For me, finder tags like the Apple AirTags<!–> have been a game changer. And that’s not a word of hyperbole. They have literally saved me countless hours of hassle, […] More

Galaxy XCover7 Pro Samsung/ZDNETRugged smartphones are a niche category of mobile devices capable of withstanding environments your average model would struggle against. Samsung is a pioneer in this field, and recently, the company announced its latest tough phone – the Galaxy XCover7 Pro.It is a 6.6-inch device “designed to meet the demands of… high-intensity work environments.” The XCover7 Pro boasts a MIL-STD-810H certified form factor, allowing it to survive “drops, extreme temperatures, and vibrations”. It even has a resistance rating of IP68, meaning the smartphone can handle brief submersion underwater and blasts of dust.Also: The best Samsung phones you can buy (including foldables and cheap options)These features are present in the previous generation, the Galaxy XCover6 Pro. What makes this upcoming model better comes down to several factors. Much like the older phone, the XCover7 Pro will have a FullHD+ display with Touch Sensitivity to increase input responsiveness even if a user is wearing leather gloves (so long as those gloves are 2mm or less thick). But it’ll have a refresh rate of up to 120Hz (not 60Hz) as well as Vision Booster. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Govee Star Light Projector is available for $80. This smart light projects an aurora-like display with coverage of up to 650 square feet It has over 16 million color options and over 50 preset scenes, including music and white noise. Though a great projector, the Govee app is not intuitive […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung has announced the release of its 2025 lineup of OLED TVs, boasting an impressive array of upgrades, including advanced picture processing, improved glare-free technology, and a significant boost in brightness.Also: Change these 5 settings on your TV for a quick and easy way to improve its picture qualityThe main differences between the S95F and its lower-priced siblings in the series (S90F and S85F) are that the S95F has quantum dot tech, plus a glare-free matte finish, a 165Hz refresh rate (compared to 144Hz or less), and it’s the only new release compatible with the Samsung One Connect Box. Another difference is screen size, which ranges from 55 to 83 inches, except that the S90F comes in two smaller sizes (42″ and 48″).  More