Canor Audio might not be a household name in the U.S., but the Slovakia-based high-end manufacturer has built a serious reputation in Europe with its tube and hybrid amplifiers, preamplifiers, phono stages, DACs, CD players, and accessories. That matters, because Canor is part of a much larger story: the continued rise of Central and Eastern European high-end audio brands that are no longer asking politely for a seat at the table.
At High End Vienna 2026, Canor Audio is expanding its Performance Line with two new tube-based components: the Canor Verto D3 tube DAC and the Canor Asterion V3 tube phono preamplifier. Both models join the Virtus A3 hybrid tube integrated amplifier and continue Canor’s focus on combining modern engineering with the texture, dimensionality, and musical warmth that still keeps vacuum tubes alive in a world determined to make everything smaller, colder, and app-controlled.
Canor Verto D3: Tube DAC, Slovak Bite
The Canor Verto D3 is a high-end tube DAC built around a fully balanced, dual-mono discrete architecture. Its analog output stage uses four carefully matched E88CC tubes operating in pure Class A, with Canor aiming to bring more body, scale, and natural texture to digital playback.
The Verto D3 uses galvanically isolated digital inputs to reduce noise transfer between connected sources. Signal processing is handled by a multi-core XMOS controller, and format support extends to PCM up to 768kHz and native DSD512.
Connectivity includes USB, AES/EBU, coaxial digital, optical, and HDMI inputs, along with RCA and XLR analog outputs. Canor also specifies fixed and variable output options, allowing the Verto D3 to operate either as a traditional DAC or directly into a power amplifier.
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The chassis combines machined aluminum and steel, while the front panel integrates a touchscreen into the precision-bearing control knob. Firmware updates are supported via USB.
1 x USB-B (PCM up to 24-bit / 768 kHz & DoP DSD up to DSD256 & Native DSD up to DSD512)
1 x AES/ABU (PCM up to 24-bit / 192kHz, DoP DSD 64)
1 x Coax (PCM up to 24-bit / 192kHz, DoP DSD 64)
2 x Opto (PCM up to 24-bit / 192kHz, DoP DSD 64)
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1 x HDMI Input (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
Analog Outputs
1 pair RCA 1 pair XLR
Output Impedance
RCA: 100 Ω XLR: 200 Ω
Frequency Range
+- 0.1 dB at 20 – 20 000 Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion (XLR)
< 0.009 %
Output Voltage
RCA: 2 VRMS XLR: 4 VRMS
Signal-to-noise ratio (XLR)
> 110 dB (A-wt)
Crosstalk (XLR)
> 124 dB
Tube Complement
4 x E88CC
Trigger Connectors (12 V)
1 x IN (3.5 mm jack) 1 x OUT (3.5 mm jack)
Power
230 V / 50-60 Hz / 40 VA
Dimensions (WHD)
435 x 122 x 370 mm 17.13 x 4.8 x 14.6 inches
Dimensions (WHD with knob & connectors)
435 x 122 x 415 mm 17.13 x 4.8 x 16.34 inches
Weight (Net)
12 kg / 26.5 lbs
Canor Asterion V3 Tube Phono Preamplifier
The Canor Asterion V3 is a tube-based phono preamplifier designed for both MM and MC cartridges. It includes balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA MC inputs, along with adjustable resistance and capacitance loading, giving users the flexibility to match the phono stage to a wide range of cartridges.
For moving-coil cartridges, the Asterion V3 uses a Lundahl step-up transformer to provide low-noise signal gain before the tube amplification stage. RIAA equalization is handled by a fully passive correction network using polystyrene and polypropylene capacitors.
The Asterion V3 also allows two cartridges to remain connected at the same time — one MM and one MC — with input switching from the front panel. Control is handled through a touchscreen integrated into the front-panel control knob, with remote operation also supported from the listening position.
The chassis is constructed from aluminum and steel, matching the industrial design language of Canor’s Performance Line components.
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Canor Model
Asterion V3
Product Type
Tube Phono Preamplifier
Price
£4199 (Contact dealer for US pricing)
Gain
MM 46 dB MC 70 dB
Input impedance MC
10, 20, 40, 80, 150, 300, 600, 1200 Ω
Input capacitance MM
50, 150, 270, 370, 520, 620, 740, 840 pF
Output impedance
< 500 Ω
Inputs
2 RCA pairs, 1 XLR pair
Output
1 RCA pair
Total harmonic distortion (MM, MC)
< 0.2 % / 1 Vrms
Subsonic filter
18 dB / Octave
RIAA accuracy (MM, MC)
+- 0.3 dB / 20 – 20 000 Hz
Signal-to-noise ratio MM
> 71 dBV (86 dBV – IEC – A)
Signal-to-noise ratio MC
> 68 dBV (82 dBV – IEC – A)
Tube Complement
2 x ECC83S, 2 x ECC81
Power
230 V / 50 – 60 Hz / 40 VA
Dimensions (WHD)
435 x 122 x 370 mm 17.13 x 4.8 x 14.6 inches
Dimensions (WHD with knob & connectors)
435 x 122 x 415 mm 17.13 x 4.8 x 16.34 inches
Weight (Net)
12 kg / 26.5 lbs
The Bottom Line
The Verto D3 stands out because it combines a fully balanced, dual-mono DAC architecture with a Class A tube output stage using four E88CC tubes, galvanically isolated digital inputs, high-resolution PCM and native DSD support, and variable output for direct connection to a power amplifier. That makes it more than a “warm-sounding DAC.” It is aimed at listeners who want digital playback with body, scale, and a less sterile presentation without abandoning modern format support.
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The Asterion V3 is the more analog-obsessive piece, and possibly the more interesting one. Support for MM and MC cartridges, balanced and unbalanced MC inputs, adjustable loading, a Lundahl step-up transformer, passive RIAA correction, and the ability to keep one MM and one MC cartridge connected at the same time make it a serious phono stage for vinyl listeners who actually change cartridges instead of just talking about it on forums.
Competitors for the Verto D3 include tube and analog-leaning DACs from LampizatOr, Aqua Acoustic Quality, SW1X, BorderPatrol, and higher-end hybrid or R2R designs from brands such as HoloAudio and Denafrips. It will also face more conventional DAC competition from Chord, Benchmark, Mytek, dCS at the higher end, and MOON/Simaudio depending on system context.
The Asterion V3 competes more directly with phono stages from Manley, Zesto Audio, Allnic, E.A.T., Sutherland, Musical Surroundings, Gold Note, and Vertere. The Canor’s strongest argument is not just that it uses tubes, but that it combines tube gain, serious MC flexibility, balanced connectivity, and cartridge-loading adjustability in one chassis.
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These are for listeners who want a high-end system with texture, dimensionality, and adjustability; not those chasing the cheapest way to add a glowing bottle behind a front panel. The Verto D3 and Asterion V3 also reinforce a bigger trend: Central and Eastern European high-end audio is no longer some charming regional side story. Brands like Canor are building serious components, and the usual Western European and American suspects should probably stop pretending nobody noticed.
Price & Availability
Canor Audio products can be purchased from Authorized Dealers (Contact Dealer for US Pricing).
Got yourself a new Kindle Paperwhite or Colorsoft? Great! Let’s get a cover on that ASAP. A good cover will guard against scratches, scrapes and potential breakages, as well as adding a general protective layer. (These models are all IPX8 waterproof, but you can’t be too careful.)
I’ve rounded up a selection of my favorite Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft cases below — these e-readers have the same proportions, so all the cases will work for either. I’ve included Amazon‘s own-brand options and covers from third-party retailers; patterned and plain options in a range of materials; covers that just snap over the front, and cases that envelope the entire Kindle. Most of these have auto-Sleep/Wake functions — so your Kindle will automatically sleep when you close the cover — as well as useful things like handles for a more secure grip. If you like to read and eat at the same time, look out for a case with a built-in stand, so you can keep both hands free.
Our Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review and Kindle Colorsoft review will provide more info about the models these cases are designed for, or if you haven’t yet purchased your Kindle, my Kindle range guide can help you make sense of your options. If you’re not in a rush, it might be a good idea to wait for Amazon Prime Day before you buy, because I’m expecting a number of Kindles to drop in price for that event. You can also hop to the bottom of this page for a more in-depth guide to which models these cases will fit.
The Paperwhite and Colorsoft Kindle models have a 7-inch screen. These cases should fit the regular and Signature versions. Note that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is larger and won’t fit these cases.
The cases in this roundup will fit any Kindle with a 7-inch screen (occasionally referred to, more accurately, as a 6.8-inch screen), which is the Paperwhite and Colorsoft models (excluding the Colorsoft Scribe, which has a larger screen). They’ll definitely all work with the current generation of each model, which for the avoidance of doubt is:
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Kindle Paperwhite: 12th gen (2024)
Kindle Paperwhite Signature: 12th gen (2024)
Kindle Colorsoft: 1st gen (2024)
KindleColorsoft Signature: 1st gen (2024)
They might also fit older Paperwhite models, but double-check the proportions to make sure before purchasing. The cases in this roundup won’t fit the Classic Kindle (6-inch screen), Kindle Scribe (11-inch screen), or Scribe Colorsoft (11-inch screen).
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A California man was sentenced to more than 26 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine through Nemesis Market, one of the world’s largest dark web marketplaces.
39-year-old Darren Hughes of San Jose was convicted on drug trafficking charges in November 2025 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John F. Kness on May 26.
According to court documents, Hughes operated a store that offered potential clients free samples of methamphetamine on Nemesis Market.
After sending one of the free meth samples to an undercover law enforcement agent who reached out, Hughes also sold the agent methamphetamine and fentanyl pills on five separate occasions in 2023, in exchange for cryptocurrency as payment.
On June 28, 2023, the Redwood City Police Department arrested Hughes in California after arranging another sale with undercover agents.
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Detectives from the Street Crime Suppression Team also found approximately 672 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” bearing no serial number when searching his vehicle.
Evidence seized during Hughes’ arrest (Redwood City PD)
”Criminals selling poison on the dark web often act with impunity and brazenness because they mistakenly believe that they are beyond the reach of federal law enforcement. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will identify, investigate, and prosecute drug traffickers regardless of where they operate—and, even if they operate on the dark net,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros.
“Drug dealers once relied on street corners; today, they use the internet to reach customers worldwide. Dark web marketplaces may seem anonymous, but no platform is beyond law enforcement’s reach. Darren Hughes used the internet to profit from addiction and distribute dangerous drugs,” added IRS-CI SAC Adam Jobes.
The Nemesis Market launched in 2021 and quickly grew into one of the world’s largest illegal online markets before being taken down by German and American authorities in March 2024.
At its peak, the dark web cybercrime marketplace hosted more than 150,000 user accounts and 1,100 seller accounts, and processed over 400,000 orders (including roughly 17,000 for opioids like fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone, and more than 55,000 for meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine).
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Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office and Frankfurt’s cybercrime unit led the Nemesis Market shutdown on March 20, 2024, seizing infrastructure in Germany and Lithuania and confiscating roughly $100,000 in cash.
Investigations had begun in October 2022, involving German, Lithuanian, and American agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.
The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.
A new national AI strategy puts sovereignty front and centre as Canada moves to reduce its dependence on foreign cloud and AI providers.
On Wednesday, the European Commission launched its Technological Sovereignty Package, introducing new legislation to loosen the grip of US Big Tech on European cloud and AI infrastructure. Now Canada has followed suit with its own ‘AI for All’ strategy, built around six pillars and with the explicit goal of ensuring Canadians can “adopt, build and govern AI on their own terms”.
“We will strengthen Canadian sovereignty at a time when it is being deeply challenged,” the strategy states, in a clear reference to tense relations with its neighbours under the Trump administration.
“Too much Canadian innovation is captured and scaled elsewhere,” the strategy reads. “In an era where prosperity, resilience and sovereignty increasingly depend on the ability to build and govern AI on national terms, these are vulnerabilities Canada cannot leave unaddressed.”
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The strategy, published yesterday (4 June), points to some of those “vulnerabilities” that Canada needs to address. Sovereign compute capacity is described as “nascent”, with Canadian organisations remaining heavily reliant on foreign providers for the infrastructure underpinning economic, scientific and public-sector activity.
GPU chip fabrication sits “almost entirely offshore”, and only 12pc of Canadian businesses currently use AI – well behind Nordic counterparts, the strategy claims, where adoption runs between 29 and 42pc. The strategy’s six pillars cover:
safety and democracy protections
AI skills and literacy for all Canadians
accelerated adoption across the economy
building sovereign compute infrastructure
scaling Canadian AI champions
forging trusted international alliances
On infrastructure, the Canadian government is committing to building a world-leading supercomputer by 2031 and growing sovereign cloud capacity to reduce dependence on foreign providers, echoing the EU’s CADA (Cloud and AI Development Act) proposals published on Wednesday.
Canada aims to increase business AI adoption from 12pc today to 60pc by 2034, create up to 250,000 new jobs through AI adoption by 2031, and create nearly $200bn in GDP gains from labour productivity improvements.
Priority sectors for investment will be: health and life sciences; energy and natural resources; transportation; agriculture; and manufacturing and robotics.
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The strategy flags that Canada has already signed 20 new economic and defence international partnerships in the past year, 11 of which advance AI cooperation. The Canadian government said it will build a strategic multilateral alliance to move “from reliance to resilience” in key AI and technology capabilities.
For children and its citizens in general, the Canadian strategy commits to modernising privacy legislation, introducing online safety laws and providing free AI literacy training to 1m entry-level, post-secondary students.
Canada’s strategy and the EU’s sovereignty package this week are clear signs that the race to reduce dependence on a small number of US technology giants is now a mainstream policy priority on both sides of the Atlantic.
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OpenAI announced a new feature that it says will provide additional protection from prompt injection attacks, where malicious chatbot instructions are hidden in webpages and other content sources.
Among other things, Lockdown Mode will disable live web browsing (so you can only access cached content), the retrieval and display of images from the web (you can still generate images), deep research, and agent mode.
The company says that even with Lockdown Mode turned on, ChatGPT could still be vulnerable to prompt injections — which could, for example, “appear in cached web content or in an uploaded file, and could still affect the behavior or accuracy of a response.”
But the goal is to reduce the likelihood that sensitive data gets shared in the process.
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“Lockdown Mode is not intended for everyone,” OpenAI says. “It is designed for people and organizations that handle sensitive data and want stricter protection from data exfiltration risks related to prompt injection.”
The company says it’s currently rolling Lockdown Mode out to self-serve ChatGPT Business accounts, as well as eligible personal accounts.
Nearly two centuries have passed since a mechanical grass cutting device was first patented, and here’s what the first lawn mower looked like. The lawn care market in the U.S. hit 57.77 billion in 2024 with estimates showing a sizable increase into the next decade. Meaning, the familiar hum of small engines across American suburbs every weekend will continue to rise.
While homeowners across the country take pride in their well-manicured lawns, it’s important to remember to exercise caution around these machines. Unfortunately, one misstep around a lawn mower could land you or someone else in the hospital. In fact, per a Lawn Starter study from 2024, 90 people die annually in riding mower related incidents, far outpacing fatalities from bears, sharks and snake bites combined.
Some hazards include using the wrong type of mower for your property, being careless around the spinning blades, failing to collect loose items from your lawn prior to mowing, and blowing clippings onto the road. While some of these blunders seem obvious, there may be some you haven’t considered.
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It’s important to get the correct mower for your property’s terrain
If you’re not familiar with landscaping equipment such as the difference between a zero turn vs. riding mower, you might conclude one option is just as good as the next. Unfortunately, the wrong type of machine could put you in danger, depending on the topography of your yard.
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For instance, a zero-turn mower doesn’t perform as well on slopes. The maximum uphill angle you should navigate on a zero turn is 10 – 15 degrees. Anything greater and the front wheels can pop up, you can begin losing traction and sliding, or even tip over. Residential zero-turns can easily weigh well over 600 pounds, making a rollover accident potentially deadly.
If your lawn is hilly, you’d be much better off opting for a lawn tractor. These units can be more stable on inclines as the engine sits directly over the front wheels and the deck is mounted in the middle under the seat. A lawn tractor can typically handle slopes up to 20 degrees, making it a much safer choice for some. Although, you should always maintain a mowing path that takes you straight up and down a slope. Both zero-turns and lawn tractors alike can tip if navigating a hill at an angle.
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Lawn mower blades spin at high RPM and can cause devastating injuries
Natasha Zakharova/Getty Images
Blades are the most obvious hazard posed by a lawn mower. These hunks of metal rotate up to 3,600 RPM underneath the deck and can certainly lead to serious injury if an operator or bystander get too close. Putting things into perspective, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the force imparted from a spinning mower blade can be compared to a .357 Magnum pistol firing a round into your hand, to say nothing about its ability to sever fingers or toes.
Often this happens due to careless actions. There are modern safety features which automatically turn off the machine when lifting off the operator seat of a zero-turn mower or lawn tractor. Push-behind mowers usually have a similar kill switch when you let go of the handle. That’s being said, these kill switches aren’t foolproof. It’s vital to always turn off the blades before getting anywhere near the ground around the cutting deck of your mower.
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Walk through your yard looking for obstacles prior to mowing
Kiara Bloom/Getty Images
One of the ways to mitigate risk while mowing, is to briefly walk around your property looking for anything that might interfere with the mower’s job. This can include toys, fallen branches, rocks or any other debris that might get in the way. This serves multiple safety-related purposes.
First, things like rocks can damage your mower blades, creating chips, bends and curls. While a dull blade isn’t good for your grass, the consequences go deeper. Following contact, a blade can become weaker structurally, leading to parts of it potentially flying off at the time of impact or after. Metal shards becoming projectiles are clearly a hazard to both the operator and those in the immediate area. Even if a piece lands harmlessly on the ground, you’re still dealing with metal pieces strewn about your yard. Also, a bent or broken blade can easily be off balance which increases stress throughout the machine.
Even if the blade doesn’t suffer damage as a result of hitting debris, the debris itself becoming a projectile is still a significant concern. According to Mississippi State University, a mower can propel loose items in your grass at speeds as high as 200 mph. Most mowers are equipped with a cover over the discharge to help prevent projectiles from traveling farther. Regardless, it’s recommended to keep other people away from the immediate area while the mower is in operation.
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Be careful not to discharge grass clippings onto your street
Ligora/Getty Images
It might seem harmless, but if you’re not bagging your grass, you should never coat your neighborhood road in clippings. Loose pieces of grass create a traction nightmare for two-wheeled vehicles like motorcycles or bicycles, especially on a corner. It’s even more dire if the clipping’s become wet, as it can be equivalent to an ice patch. It’s not only a perilous situation for motor bikes, but it’s also illegal in some areas of the country. For example, in the state of Virginia it’s considered a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Fortunately, there are some easy solutions to this issue, even if your lawn grows directly adjacent to the road. You can equip your mower with a bag to collect the clippings or install a mulch kit. Often, a mulch setup blocks the side chute, keeping the clippings under the deck to be cut multiple times and reduced in size. Regular deck cleaning is essential, otherwise wet build-up can cause a frustrating situation for your lawn mower.
Even without a bag or mulch kit, you can mow in a pattern that points the chute away from the road. This distributes the clippings back onto your lawn instead, making it safer for everyone.
No no no, we are not sad. *slumps in the corner crying*
Microsoft is officially shutting down Collections, one of the more unique productivity features inside the Edge browser, and many users believe the move reflects the company’s growing obsession with AI-first experiences.
According to Microsoft’s support documentation, Collections in Edge is being discontinued beginning June 2026. The feature allowed users to save groups of webpages, images, notes, shopping links, and research material into organized visual boards directly inside the browser. For students, researchers, online shoppers, and multitaskers, Collections became one of Edge’s most practical hidden tools – and one of the few browser features that genuinely stood apart from Chrome and Safari.
Collections first launched as a productivity-focused tool that blended bookmarking, note-taking, and visual organization into a single interface. Unlike traditional bookmarks, users could drag webpages, screenshots, text snippets, and images into categorized boards that synced across devices. It became especially popular for planning trips, organizing research projects, comparing products, and saving inspiration from across the web.
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Now, Microsoft appears ready to move on.
Edge is increasingly becoming an AI-first browser
The removal of Collections arrives as Microsoft aggressively transforms Edge into a platform centered around Copilot and generative AI features. Over the past two years, the company has integrated AI-powered assistants into nearly every part of Edge, from sidebar chat tools and webpage summarization to writing assistance and contextual search.
Critics argue that Collections represented a genuinely useful feature focused on human productivity rather than AI automation. Unlike some newer AI additions that users may ignore entirely, Collections solved a simple but common problem: organizing information gathered across the web without relying on third-party apps like Notion, Pinterest, or Pocket.
Digital Trends
We at Digital Trends previously described the feature as one of the browser’s best hidden tools, particularly because it offered a more visual and intuitive alternative to cluttered bookmark folders. Users could quickly collect shopping comparisons, project research, recipes, or reading material into organized workspaces without leaving the browser.
Microsoft has not directly stated that AI features are replacing Collections, but the timing has fueled criticism that practical browser tools are increasingly being sacrificed to make room for AI-centric experiences and interface redesigns.
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The broader concern extends beyond Edge itself. Across the tech industry, companies are rapidly reshaping products around generative AI, sometimes at the expense of smaller features users genuinely rely on every day.
Edge users may lose one of the browser’s most practical tools
For longtime Edge users, the shutdown represents the loss of one of the browser’s clearest identity features. While Chrome dominates browser market share, Edge often differentiates itself through smaller quality-of-life tools like vertical tabs, sleeping tabs, and Collections.
The removal could particularly frustrate users who built workflows around the feature for productivity, shopping research, or creative organization. Microsoft has not yet introduced a direct replacement that replicates the same visual organizational experience.
Zulfugar Karimov / Unsplash
At the same time, the decision signals how seriously Microsoft is prioritizing AI integration across Windows and Edge. The company increasingly sees Copilot as the centerpiece of its software ecosystem, and browser development now appears heavily focused on AI-assisted experiences rather than traditional productivity utilities.
For some users, that future may sound exciting. For others, it may feel like another example of useful software features quietly disappearing in favor of AI tools they never asked for.
Depthfirst’s AI agent found 21 FFmpeg zero-days for $1,000. Chrome 149 patched a record 429 bugs. AI is flooding defenders with more bugs than they can handle.
A security startup’s autonomous AI agent found 21 previously unknown vulnerabilities in FFmpeg, the open-source media library embedded in almost everything that touches video. The startup, depthfirst, says the run cost roughly $1,000 in compute. Some of the bugs had been hiding in the codebase for more than 20 years.
Days later, Google shipped Chrome 149 with patches for 429 security bugs, the most ever in a single browser release. Over 100 are critical or high severity. The two events arrived independently, but they point in the same direction: AI is finding vulnerabilities faster than humans can fix them.
Depthfirst’s agent scanned FFmpeg’s roughly 1.5 million lines of C and produced a reproducible proof-of-concept for each of the 21 zero-days. Most are heap or stack overflows in parsers and demuxers, spanning components from the TS demuxer to the VP9 decoder. One stack overflow in the service-description-table code dates to 2003.
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Nine already carry CVE identifiers (CVE-2026-39210 through CVE-2026-39218). The rest have been fixed upstream but not yet numbered. Depthfirst has published proof-of-concept code.
FFmpeg is not new to AI-driven bug hunting. Google’s Big Sleep agent reported a run of FFmpeg bugs last year. Anthropic’s Mythos model pulled a 16-year-old H.264 flaw and others out of FFmpeg for about $10,000. Depthfirst claims to have done comparable work at a tenth of the cost.
Chrome 149’s record haul is a different story. Google has not attributed the 429 vulnerabilities to AI. But the company overhauled its bug bounty programme in April after a flood of AI-generated submissions, now asking researchers for concise reproducers instead of the long writeups AI tends to produce.
The worst bug, CVE-2026-10881, scores 9.6 on the CVSS scale. It is an out-of-bounds read and write in the ANGLE graphics engine that lets a crafted page escape Chrome’s sandbox and run code on the host. Google paid $97,000 for the report. Of the 22 critical bugs, 19 were found internally.
The pattern keeps repeating. An autonomous tool recently found an authenticated remote code execution flaw in Redis that had gone unnoticed for over two years. A February study showed an AI agent could reproduce working exploits for more than half of 100 real Linux kernel bugs, beating traditional fuzzing.
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The hard problem is shifting. Finding these bugs has become cheap. Triaging the reports, shipping the fixes, and getting them installed has not. Much of that work still falls on volunteers and a thin layer of human triagers now expected to keep pace with machines. Mozilla patched 271 Firefox vulnerabilities found by Mythos in a single pass. The question is no longer whether AI can find the bugs. It is whether anyone can fix them fast enough.
The University of California at Berkeley discovered the percentage of failing grades in multiple CS classes this spring “is significantly higher than past semesters,” reports the campus’s student newspaper.
“Instructors point to students’ increased reliance on AI, lack of mathematical preparedness and understaffing as potential contributing factors.”
According to [coursework platform] Berkeleytime, 35.3% of CS 10 students and 10.6% of CS 61A students received F’s in spring 2026. In spring 2025 and spring 2024, the percentage of F’s did not exceed 10% for either class. The electrical engineering and computer sciences department’s grading guidelines state that 7% of students in lower division courses, including CS 10 and CS 61A, should receive D’s and F’s…
[UC Berkeley teaching professor Dan Garcia, who taught both classes] believes the “primary driver” of these abnormally high failing rates is due to a “vast increase in academic dishonesty” due to students’ usage of large language models, such as Claude, ChatGPT and Google Gemini. “Some of the numbers that you saw from the number of students who receive failing grades were because we caught them (cheating) and prosecuted them and are sending their cases to the Center for Student Conduct,” Garcia said. “But in other cases, it’s students who are leaning a little too hard on LLMs to do their work for them, and then at exam time just really aren’t ready.” According to Garcia, nearly 30 students in CS 10 were “caught cheating on take-home exams” in spring 2026…
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In addition to overreliance on AI, Garcia also pointed out that many students are underprepared mathematically, a concern echoed by campus associate teaching professor Gireeja Ranade. Ranade noticed a similar lack of prerequisite mathematical skills in her spring 2026 EECS 127 class, “Optimization Models in Engineering,” which she described as “differently challenging” to teach this semester. The class saw a 16.8% F rate, far higher than the 5% of D’s and F’s that the EECS department describes as “typical” for an upper division course…
Both Garcia and Ranade have joined more than 1,300 UC faculty in signing a petition calling for the reinstatement of ACT and SAT standardized testing scores for STEM admissions in the UC system.
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader theodp for sharing the article.
Apple will stream WWDC 2026 through the Apple TV app, its websites, and YouTube, giving viewers several ways to watch the company’s biggest software event of the year. Besides reading here on AppleInsider, here’s how to stay tuned in.
WWDC 2026
WWDC is Apple’s annual developer conference, where the company previews updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro. Developers are the primary audience, but the keynote also gives consumers an early look at many of the features Apple plans to release later in the year. Both presentations are free to watch through Apple’s streaming platforms. Apple also offers calendar links on its WWDC and Apple Events pages so viewers can add the sessions to their schedules before they begin. Apple kicks off WWDC 2026 with its keynote on Monday, June 8, at 1 p.m. Eastern. The presentation is expected to introduce the next major versions of Apple’s operating systems, along with new platform features and developer technologies. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Majority Audio is trying to make modern streaming audio more accessible with its new Link Series, which was previewed at High End in Vienna.
This is a range of compact devices that bring services like Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 to older hi-fi setups. Pricing starts from just £59.
At the entry point is the Link Mini, a small streamer designed to plug into existing speakers, radios, or hi-fi systems., instantly adding wireless streaming.
The step up from the Mini is the Link View, which has a more visual approach. It introduces a 2.1-inch circular touchscreen paired with a rotary control dial, allowing users to browse playback, view album artwork and switch sources directly on the device.
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Above the Link View is the Link Pro, which pushes further into all-in-one territory. Alongside streaming support, it adds DAB/DAB+ radio, internet radio and HDMI ARC. This gives it more flexibility for both music and TV audio setups. A larger 4-inch colour display helps manage playback and navigation. So, it makes the device feel closer to a compact hub than a basic streamer.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
At the top of the range is the Link Pro Amp, a £299.95 streaming amplifier designed to drive passive speakers directly. It delivers up to 300W of output via a Texas Instruments Class-D amplifier, combining streaming, amplification and radio features in a single unit.
In addition, connectivity is extensive. It includes HDMI ARC, optical input, USB playback, Ethernet, analogue input and a dedicated subwoofer output.
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Overall, the Link Series feels aimed at users who want to modernise their audio setup without moving into high-end pricing. Instead of pushing a full system replacement, Majority is focusing on incremental upgrades to existing kit
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