A VPN, or virtual private network, is an important tool for privacy and security. It works by hiding your IP address from public view, helping you access content that might be region-restricted or censored. Many VPNs, like Windscribe, also offer additional features, such as ad blocking. 

But it may never have occurred to you to give your AI agent VPN access, too. 

If you use OpenClaw, ChatGPT or one of the many other LLMs with access to the internet, your autonomous AI agent can now take advantage of the same privacy and security features. 

Gen Digital’s VPN for AI agents, from the company behind big names like Norton and Avast, will now let you route your autonomous AI agent through its VPN for Agents. It’s available through the Gen Agent Trust Hub and powered by Norton VPN. 

“Using a VPN with an LLM can provide several advantages, such as keeping your identity private. Your internet provider won’t be able to see your AI agent’s activity, or that you’re using an AI agent,” said Moe Long, CNET senior editor. 

“You can also unblock regional content in an LLM. Running your VPN through an AI agent may let you avoid traffic throttling or blocked access. Gen’s VPN for AI Agents works with multiple AI agents, doesn’t require any downloads or client setup, and has multiple tunnel tech that lets you run several agents simultaneously through a VPN.” 

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Long said more people are turning to AI agents, but those agents often access the internet without additional protection, meaning your IP address is associated with all their activities. That means not only does your ISP see your activities via the AI agent, but the agent also can’t access regional content or bypass throttling or restricted access.

Windscribe recently debuted OpenClaw agent support, and Gen Digital now has a VPN that supports multiple LLMs, including OpenClaw and ChatGPT. 

Atila Tomaschek, CNET senior writer, said that Windscribe expresses it in its blog post, where the company notes: “If your agent gets a little too enthusiastic and triggers a security challenge or lands on a blocklist, it’s your digital reputation on the line, and potentially your entire home network that takes the hit.”

“Perhaps most importantly, your ISP can’t distinguish between your own internet traffic and that of your autonomous AI agent,” said Tomaschek. “But with this integration, as well as with Windscribe’s, the VPN encrypts the agent’s traffic as well, so basically you’re protected from whatever your agent might autonomously get up to on the internet.” 

A representative for Gen Digital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

from the sheep’s-clothing dept

A quick reminder: America has not had a confirmed Surgeon General at the federal level since January of 2025. Yes, that’s over a year ago. How we got here is a microcosm of the Trump administration generally: chaos, misfires, and the wrong people at the very top. Janette Nesheiwat was Trump’s first nominee. MAGA gremlin Laura Loomer complained about her very loudly, leading Trump to obediently pull back the nomination.

In her place, he then nominated Casey Means in May of 2025. Means has been described as RFK Jr.’s “favorite wellness influencer”, which is a more subtle way of saying that she’s not a licensed doctor. That fact generated a lot of pushback in Congress, not only from Democrats, but Republicans too. Then, during her confirmation hearing in March of this year, Means dodged questions about vaccines as much as she possibly could, leading Senators like Bill Cassidy and others to question what her actual belief structure on vaccines is, and how much it aligns with RFK Jr.’s. Ultimately, few people thought her nomination was in a good place when it comes to confirmation.

Trump finally woke up to that fact, angrily of course, and has now pulled the Means nomination as well. In her place, he has now nominated radiologist Nicole Saphier, who also moonlights as a health commentator for Fox News. In many ways, Saphier is merely Casey Means wearing sunglasses and a false mustache.

In some ways she’s different. For instance, she’s an actual practicing doctor. On the other hand, she’s caked in the same wellness industry nonsense as Casey Means.

Saphier got her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados, according to her LinkedIn profile. She then completed a radiology residency through Creighton University School of Medicine. She joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2016 and has been a Fox News contributor since 2018. She is also the founder of Drop Rx, a herbal supplement business that develops “clean, thoughtfully crafted tinctures that support focus, calm, balance, and overall wellness.”

Her Instagram account is peppered with dubious wellness claims such as “rosemary and sage decrease Alzheimer’s risk.” In another, she gathered friends for a “turmeric and cinnamon infused anti-inflammatory tea (yes, @drop__rx) … Topped off with a glass of champagne.”

As for the topic of vaccines, her commentary rings as though she has a similar belief structure to Means, but knows how to hide it better.

On this front, she appears to walk a fine line—being skeptical of vaccines and critical of vaccination recommendations, while avoiding overt opposition to them. In 2022, she falsely claimed on social media that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was set to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren—something the CDC does not have the power to do; school vaccination requirements are set by the states. Despite being wrong, her claim sparked outrage among right-wing media.

In August, she posted a video criticizing the American Academy of Pediatrics for continuing to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for children—after Kennedy had unilaterally dropped the recommendation in line with his anti-vaccine views.

Oh, and she was more than a little careless when it came to COVID.

This administration keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. The dual facts that we’ve been without a confirmed AG for over a year into this administration and that we can’t get a vanilla nominee that can pass through to confirmation without generating headlines is both crazy and a complete failure of this administration.

Trump has been on a tirade blaming Cassidy for all of this. But Cassidy isn’t the problem here. Trump and Kennedy keep stepping on rake after rake by nominating the wrong people for important jobs. I doubt that anyone that was skeptical of Means won’t have the same concerns about Saphier, so we may be back at this all over again months from now.

Filed Under: bill cassidy, casey means, donald trump, maha, nicole saphier, rfk jr., surgeon general, wellness influencers

Global data on math achievement is revealing a dismaying trend: Girls are doing worse than boys — and the margins are huge.

In 2023, fourth-grade boys outperformed their female peers in a vast majority of schools, growing the gender gap that existed prior to the pandemic, according to an international study released last week.

Among eighth-graders, the rate of boys scoring higher than girls increased exponentially since 2019, rolling back gains in math equity that had been shaping up for more than a decade. Matthias Eck, a program specialist for UNESCO’s Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality, tells EdSurge that prior data showed girls were catching up with boys in math achievement.

“But in the latest data, we see that the gap is widening again between girls and boys, and that’s at the detriment of girls, which is quite concerning,” he says.

This international trend echoes what U.S. analysts saw when data from the Nation’s Report Card was released last year.

The latest analysis is based on data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a global study published every four years that measures math and science achievement among fourth- and eighth-grade students. The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement performed the analysis in partnership with UNESCO.

Widening Achievement Gaps

The new data is part of the first set of TIMSS results that measure student performance following the onset of the pandemic. The analysis shows that among top performers in fourth grade, 85 percent of counties’ results skewed toward boys. Slightly over half of the countries and territories from which data was collected have an advanced math achievement gap that favors eighth-grade boys, while none are lopsided toward girls in either grade.

Eck, one of the report’s authors, argues the data shows a correlation between longer school closures and higher rates of learning loss in math, with some variation among countries and territories. “One of the hypotheses is really that those disruptions during the pandemic may have exacerbated existing disparities and have reduced learning opportunities for girls, and potentially those that were at risk of low achievement have been more affected,” Eck says. “The fact that girls were out of school and were not in the learning environment, it could have impacted their confidence, but that’s just the hypothesis.”

But the numbers contain other alarming signals.

For example, the share of regions with a gender gap among fourth-grade students who are failing to reach basic math proficiency is on the rise, and most of them have a higher proportion of struggling girls, according to the report. And while the gender gap in underperformance among eighth-graders is shrinking, the proportion of countries and territories where girls have a higher failure rate spiked.

Researchers are being cautious when it comes to drawing conclusions about the causes behind the results, but girls’ experience of gender stereotypes and confidence in their math abilities can play a role.

“Boys and girls are equally able in mathematics, but these learning outcomes can be shaped by a range of factors,” Eck explains, “and that can be persistent gender stereotypes, but also teacher expectations — and they’re based, of course, on those gender stereotypes.”

Targeted Solutions

UNESCO is pushing education systems across the globe to take a hard look at whether their gender equity strategies are working, especially efforts aimed at younger students.

Eck notes that the consequences of girls’ achievement in math can have far-reaching effects in their lives — and very real consequences in societies writ large. “We know that mathematics is quite foundational to learning across the school subjects, it’s also critical for pathways into science, technology, engineering, mathematics careers,” he says. “These sectors are at the center of innovation, technology advancement, inclusive growth and sustainable development, so that’s quite concerning in terms of those sectors.”

But there’s no widely accepted solution to this problem.

Increasing girls’ math performance will take work at the national policy level, local communities, within families and the culture of classrooms, Eck says. And changes have to include challenging gender stereotypes that limit how far girls think they can go in mathematics, he adds.

“I think what is really critical is that we see those large gaps emerging early, at the fourth grade level when students usually are around 9 or 10 years old,” he says. “That means that whatever we do, the action we take to address the issue must start quite early and must be very targeted.”

Apple has quietly discontinued the $599 Mac mini, making the 256GB model no longer available for purchase. Rather than raising its price to reflect rising memory and NAND costs, the company simply pulled it from the lineup, leaving buyers with a steeper entry point than before.

Did Apple just raise the Mac mini’s price without calling it a price hike?

Since Apple pulled the 256GB model from its website, the cheapest Mac mini you can buy now comes with a $799 price tag, featuring an M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Apple has not made an official statement on why, but the reason is not hard to guess. Profitability. Rising RAM and NAND costs have made consumer electronics more expensive to produce, and in most cases, those costs have been passed directly on to customers. Apple appears to have taken a different approach, choosing to quietly drop the less profitable model rather than raise its price. For context, the 512GB Mac mini launched at $799 back in late 2024.

Why does the Mac mini matter so much?

The M4 Mac mini has become one of Apple’s easiest computers to recommend because it gives users solid performance in a tiny form factor. It appeals to students, home users, coders, creators, office workers, and anyone who already owns a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. For many buyers, it was the cheapest way to enter the Mac ecosystem without buying a MacBook or iMac.

Its popularity now transcends basic desktop use as Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said the Mac mini and Mac Studio are “amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools,” and demand has grown faster than Apple expected. He also confirmed that both machines could take several months to reach supply-demand balance.

The bigger question now is what happens next. Rising RAM and storage prices could eventually force Apple to rethink whether the $799 512GB Mac mini can hold its ground. Samsung recently warned that the memory shortage shortage could worsen in 2027, with demand outpacing supply.As that gap widens, the missing $599 Mac mini may turn out to be an early sign of how the crunch reshapes Apple’s desktop and other product lineups.

Apple delivered a strong March quarter on April 30 driven by iPhone demand, a rebound in China, and resilient margins, but analysts say the results still don’t answer what will drive the company’s next phase of growth.

The company’s fiscal second-quarter results, reported April 30, beat Wall Street expectations on revenue, profit, and guidance, with strong iPhone demand driving the upside. The quarter confirms solid execution but doesn’t change Apple’s long-term growth story.

Revenue reached about $111.2 billion with earnings per share of $2.01, beating estimates and continuing a pattern of outperformance. Upside came from iPhone demand, stronger performance in China, and resilient margins supported by Services.

Execution remains strong while investors still want a clearer path for growth tied to artificial intelligence and new products. The quarter answers near-term questions on demand and profitability and leaves the company’s long-term growth story unresolved.

Bank of America: Installed base supports future upgrade demand

Bank of America pointed to Apple’s installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices as a key driver of future growth. Record upgrade activity in the quarter shows strong engagement, but only a portion of that base refreshes devices each year, reinforcing the cyclical nature of demand.

The firm said that scale creates a clear path for future growth if new features tied to Apple Intelligence and Siri drive upgrades. Apple’s ability to convert that large installed base into new device sales will remain central to sustaining growth beyond the current cycle.

Deepwater: iPhone cycle peaks as focus shifts to AI-driven demand

Deepwater’s Gene Munster said the quarter reflects an iPhone-driven upgrade cycle that has pushed growth sharply higher in recent quarters. iPhone revenue growth rose from low single digits to the mid-teens, with recent quarters nearing 20% growth.

The jump points to a surge in upgrades that defines a supercycle. Strong performance is now raising questions about how long the pace can last.

Scale creates a clear path for future growth if new features tied to Apple Intelligence and Siri drive upgrades

Wall Street estimates point to iPhone growth slowing to around 5% in 2027, a sharp drop from recent levels that suggests the current cycle may be nearing a peak. Attention is now shifting to whether new features tied to Apple Intelligence and Siri can sustain demand and drive the next round of upgrades.

Munster said a large portion of the installed base has yet to upgrade in this cycle, leaving room for further growth if new AI-driven capabilities prove compelling enough to accelerate replacement demand.

Evercore ISI: Broad-based growth drives upside

Evercore described the quarter as a solid beat driven by growth across both products and regions, with iPhone leading the way. Revenue rose 17% year over year, with iPhone sales around $57 billion, reflecting continued strength in premium devices and stronger performance in China.

China drove a major share of the quarter with about 28% growth, turning a recent headwind into a clear source of momentum. Gains across other international markets reinforce a broad-based performance rather than reliance on a single product.

Margins beat expectations, with gross margin reaching about 49.3% on a favorable product mix and stronger product profitability. Supply constraints tied to advanced components likely limited additional upside, and rising memory costs remain a factor heading into the June quarter.

Goldman Sachs: Supply constraints masked stronger demand

Goldman Sachs said Apple’s results likely understate underlying demand, with supply constraints limiting growth in key products such as iPhone. The firm estimates revenue could have been roughly 200 to 300 basis points higher without those limits, pointing to demand that exceeded available supply.

Limited component availability, rather than weak demand, capped how much of that growth showed up in reported results. The dynamic suggests Apple’s current momentum remains stronger than headline numbers indicate, even as supply continues to act as a near-term constraint.

Supply constraints have emerged as a key variable shaping near-term results, even as demand remains strong. How quickly Apple can secure additional component supply will determine how much of that underlying demand converts into reported growth in the coming quarters.

Investing.com took a more measured view, calling the results strong but not transformative. The quarter confirms that the current product cycle remains healthy, especially in iPhone and China, without signaling a change in the overall growth trajectory.

Services reached a record high and supported margins while strong hardware revenue kept the overall mix largely unchanged. Apple remains driven by hardware cycles, with Services acting as a stabilizing force rather than a standalone growth engine.

The firm also pointed to Apple’s capital allocation, including a new $100 billion share buyback, as evidence of continued financial strength. Questions remain about whether increased spending on AI and research will translate into a larger revenue opportunity over the next several years.

JPMorgan: Margin strength and supply discipline stand out

JPMorgan highlighted Apple’s ability to outperform on margins despite ongoing concerns about memory costs and component pricing. Gross margin again exceeded expectations, reflecting a combination of pricing power, premium product mix, and expansion in higher-margin Services revenue.

The firm also emphasized share gains across key product categories, driven by strong demand and effective supply chain management. Supply constraints limited some iPhone upside in the March quarter, but those pressures are expected to ease, pointing to potential demand recovery in the June period.

JPMorgan expects revenue to keep growing on strong product demand and Services. Increased spending on AI and operating expenses could weigh on earnings growth in the near term.

Needham: AI demand tightens supply and raises execution risk

Needham highlighted rising risks in Apple’s supply chain as AI-driven spending by Amazon, Google, and Meta tightens availability of key components. Competition for advanced nodes and memory is increasing as hyperscalers pay more to secure supply, putting pressure on Apple’s access and costs.

Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup has been popular

The firm said those dynamics could lead to higher component prices, delays, or slower growth if constraints persist. Supply limitations were already a key topic in the quarter, making Apple’s ability to manage availability and pricing a critical factor in sustaining current momentum.

Oppenheimer: AI investment is ahead of revenue impact

Oppenheimer said Apple’s push into artificial intelligence remains early, with investment ramping ahead of clear revenue contribution. Apple Intelligence and improvements to Siri have yet to drive a measurable change in upgrade behavior, leaving the current cycle primarily supported by hardware demand.

The firm pointed to upcoming software updates, including features expected at WWDC and through future OS releases, as a key test for whether AI can drive the next phase of growth. Apple’s ability to turn those features into must-have capabilities tied to newer devices will determine how quickly that investment translates into upgrade demand and revenue.

Wedbush: iPhone supercycle and guidance drive bullish outlook

Wedbush took the most bullish stance, pointing to what it described as an iPhone “supercycle” driving the quarter’s outperformance. Strong demand across geographies, particularly in China, supported double-digit growth in both iPhone and Services revenue.

Competition for advanced nodes and memory is increasing as hyperscalers pay more to secure supply

Guidance for the June quarter was a key positive, with Apple forecasting revenue growth of 14% to 17%, well above consensus expectations. The outlook, combined with continued iPhone momentum, supports a strong setup heading into the next product cycle.

The firm also pointed to upcoming catalysts, including Apple’s WWDC developer conference and its evolving AI strategy, as potential drivers of further upside.

Apple’s quarter reinforces a pattern of strong product demand, improving international performance, and steady margins. Near-term momentum is intact, but the results stop short of a turning point, leaving the next phase of growth tied to how well AI and future products drive new revenue.

Rising memory costs are emerging as a near-term pressure point, driven by increased demand tied to AI workloads. Those costs could weigh on margins in the coming quarters even as revenue growth remains strong.

Leadership will shift from Tim Cook to John Ternus later in 2026, with Cook known for operational discipline and Services expansion and Ternus tied to hardware execution. The transition points to continuity in a product-led strategy rather than a sharp pivot.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a long one. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Person who likes things totally authentic, or not at all
Answer: PURIST

7A clue: ChatGPT’s company
Answer: OPENAI

8A clue: Chance for one’s kids to watch shows, perhaps
Answer: TVTIME

9A clue: Not in the closet
Answer: OUT

10A clue: Video game with falling pieces
Answer: TETRIS

13A clue: Dance fad of the mid-2010s that was paired with the “Whip”
Answer: NAENAE

14A clue: Wrestle
Answer: TUSSLE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Collection of poker bets
Answer: POT

2D clue: Likes : Facebook :: ___ : Reddit
Answer: UPVOTES

3D clue: Tax filings
Answer: RETURNS

4D clue: The “A,” “O” or “C” of A.O.C.
Answer: INITIAL

5D clue: ___ Altman, C.E.O. of 7-Across
Answer: SAM

6D clue: Item of attire that might have a Windsor knot
Answer: TIE

10D clue: Explosive compound, for short
Answer: TNT

11D clue: Water, in French
Answer: EAU

12D clue: Notice
Answer: SEE

Mathieu Stern spotted an oddity one afternoon at a French flea market. Inside a simple blue canister sat a compact Foth 50 millimeter f 2.5 lens from the late 1920s. Three euros later it was his. The optic had come from a Foth Derby folding camera built for 127 roll film, a model once positioned as a rival to early Leica designs. It even showed up in a few motion pictures from that period, including work tied to Alfred Hitchcock.

Mathieu considered rehousing this lens in his Sony FX3 movie camera, which has a quite thorough 4K full frame sensor. The problem was that the lens itself lacked both aperture control and a proper focusing system, which had been missing for years and had long ago vanished. Early experimentation involved using a bizarre elcoid adapter with an added bit of aperture stuck just behind the elements, and while this should have given Mathieu plenty of light control in theory, it ended up introducing heavy vignetting in practice, simply because the lens barrel was a little too narrow to accommodate the setup comfortably.

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He then tried another approach, using a Fotodiox macro adapter developed for use with Sony E-mount cameras. This useful piece of equipment contains a built-in helicoid for focus adjustments, as well as a clever drop-in slot for accepting neutral density filters when necessary. This combination resolved both the exposure and focusing difficulties in one step. On bright days, the filters helped keep objects from blowing out, and the helicoid allowed him to dial in sharp focus down to 30 cms or even 20 cms when he ventured into macro photography.

Once he had the lens fitted and balanced, he could truly put the camera through its paces. He began framing everyday scenes and letting the vintage lens do its thing. Sharpness was rather amazing in the center of the frame and across the sensor, but as you approached the edges, the image softened in a gradual, fluid manner that naturally leads the attention to the topic. Out-of-focus highlights become a gentle swirl rather than the overly convoluted jumble that is so common with current optics. Uncoated glass parts disperse incoming light somewhat, giving bright regions a subtle, warm glow that feels alive rather than cold and sterile.

The low light clips were really impressive. The fast f2.5 aperture, along with the FX3 sensor, handled low-light circumstances with ease, without injecting any unwanted high ISO noise into the image. The color reproduction was beautiful and deep, similar to what you’d expect when discussing archival footage. Mathieu equated the experience to having a window into the past while continuously filming the present. He processed the clip in Adobe Premiere Pro and added a few of his bespoke LUT packs to adjust the tones somewhat. The final clips have a distinct flavor that makes modern zoom lenses appear drab in contrast. People watching the results frequently pause and repeat key sections to have a better look at how the light falls and how backgrounds fade away.
[Source]

Apple retailers are embroiled in a MacBook Pro price war this weekend, offering a $200 discount on the 1TB M5 14-inch model with an upgrade to 24GB of memory.

You can pick up the 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM for $1,699 at Amazon and B&H Photo. This reflects a $200 discount off MSRP.

Buy M5/24GB/1TB MacBook Pro for $1,699

Apple recently made an update to make 1TB of storage standard in the MacBook Pro range, eliminating the 512GB SSD option. This model has a bump up to 24GB of memory, which is 8GB more than the standard 16GB found in the entry model.

According to our M5 MacBook Pro Price Guide, Amazon and B&H’s $200 discount delivers the lowest price for the upgraded spec (model number MDE34LL/A).

You can also save on the 2026 MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, which was released in March, with both 14-inch and 16-inch configs marked down. A highlight of the best MacBook Pro deals available today can be found below, with a full rundown of offers in our MacBook Pro Price Guide.

14-inch MacBook Pro M5 deals

14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max sale

• M5 Pro, 15C CPU, 16C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display: $1,986.50 ($213 off)
• M5 Pro, 15C CPU, 16C GPU, 24GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $2,397 ($203 off)
• M5 Pro, 18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $2,639.99 ($160 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $3,359 ($240 off)

16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max discounts

• M5 Pro, 18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display: $2,549 ($150 off)
• M5 Pro, 18C CPU, 20C GPU, 48GB, 1TB, Standard Display: $2,899 ($200 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $3,699 ($200 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 40C GPU, 48GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $4,199 ($200 off)