Workhuman’s Ciara Walsh discusses career development and her advice to others looking to take a similar professional route.

“Growing up, I was always interested in science and engineering, so I knew I would end up in some kind of STEM-related field, but I had quite a difficult time figuring out which direction to go in when approaching my career initially,” said senior software engineer at Workhuman, Ciara Walsh. 

Encouraged to build computing skills from a young age, she joined a local CoderDojo, which is a community-based coding club, where she helped the younger children with basic computer skills and later taught her own classes. From there, she realised that she could have a future in software.

“The connection that this could be my career eventually came through my late grandmother, who suggested it one afternoon while I was struggling with my CAO application. That conversation was a lightbulb moment for me and my whole career journey has followed from it.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy problem solving and having to really think about how to approach solutions. Software engineering is essentially problem solving as a career in many ways, whether that’s figuring out how to build a new feature for users or triaging why a test is failing. At the core of what I do every day involves figuring out a way forward on some combination of puzzle or problem. For me, that’s really satisfying, and I love getting to the ‘aha’ moment at the end where it all works. 

What’s the most exciting development you’ve witnessed in your sector?

I remember a meeting very early in my career which was centred on the ‘internet of things’ and how connected devices were going to change everything about daily life within the next 10 to 15 years. The conversation at that time was around how ambitious of an idea it was, and how many technologies and tools would need to be invented to even achieve a quarter of the concepts being laid out at that stage. It’s been fascinating to be part of the industry since then and see many of the ideas that were being discussed in that meeting come to life within the real world.

The sheer number of technologies that we use daily now which simply didn’t exist when I started my career is amazing. It’s exciting to be part of a sector that moves this quickly, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next 10 to 15 years brings us.

What’s been the hardest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how was it overcome?

The hardest thing I’ve had to face so far was the decision to step away from my career for a year, without knowing what came next.

In 2024, I decided to return to college and study for a master’s degree in electronic engineering. At that stage, the industry had slowed down quite a lot in terms of companies hiring, so stepping away from a job where I had a reasonable level of security was a big risk. However, I also felt that I needed to take that step back and spend time growing my knowledge and skills to be successful moving forward, especially given the direction that the industry has moved in, with AI and machine learning, so I took the risk.

During the course, I tried to ensure that I kept a balance between new topics I wanted to learn and those that I had some knowledge of but in which I could develop further depth, and this was of huge benefit to me because I managed to avoid losing my existing skills in the process of gaining new ones.

Having said that, the imposter syndrome and stress associated with that journey – particularly during the later stages, when my course had finished and I was trying to restart my career – wasn’t something I anticipated. I found it significantly more challenging than I expected and even after joining my current role it took some time to have full confidence in myself again. Looking back on it now though, I think the risk paid off, as I have a more solid understanding of some key concepts and – maybe more importantly – a stronger set of research skills, which will be useful going forward in my career.

If you had the power to change anything within the STEM sector, what would that be?

STEM is a very broad sector, so it’s hard to outline any specific things that I’d change across it all, but I think something I’d like to see celebrated and emphasised more is how creative many of the fields under the STEM umbrella are.

We tend to focus a lot on being data-driven and efficient, but the reality is that the majority of the work we do in STEM involves some kind of inventing and/or creative thinking. I think sometimes we lose sight of that amongst the deadlines and client requests, and we don’t leave ourselves enough space to be innovative and to really explore the crafts hidden in behind the science and technology of it all. If I could change anything, it would be that we gave ourselves more space and time to be purely creative, rather than always doing the most efficient thing.

Hackathons are a great example of this, where time is given to just experiment and explore with the tools of the trade. I’ve been involved with multiple hackathon projects that ended up being deployed as full products after some polishing. Those only exist because the team members were given the space to think and explore outside the structure of the usual day-to-day.

How do you make connections with others in the STEM community? 

I have been incredibly fortunate in my career so far when it comes to mentors and mentoring in general. I was a recipient of a women in technology scholarship during my undergraduate degree, which provided me with some amazing mentors from the very beginning. Their advice and guidance have stood the test of time at this stage, and I genuinely think I’m a better engineer because of all the people who’ve worked with me along my career path so far.

I’ve continued to benefit from mentoring of many different forms throughout my career, and had the opportunity to mentor some people myself, which I think was equally beneficial to me. Mentoring others gives you so many opportunities to really explore your own growth, and for me it has also often resulted in development of my own in parallel to my mentees.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a career in your area?

I think the best advice I could give someone looking to go into software engineering as a career is to just start coding and experimenting with building simple programs. Start with something like Scratch so you get to learn the basic logic patterns, and then experiment with other languages and tools as you get comfortable. There are lots of free resources and tutorials online, and you can actually learn all the technical skills you need to know to do this job using them. I still use some of them when I need to learn something new for my role.

The other advice I would give someone considering this career is that software is always changing, and there are always new frameworks and tools to learn. To be a successful software engineer, you need to be willing to learn new things across your whole career. This can be challenging at times, but once you learn the general basics, it’s a lot easier than you might expect to transfer skills.

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Looking for a Bluetooth speaker that’s portable, affordable, and waterproof? You can pick up the Tribit Stormbox Mini+ for just $33 from Amazon, a $7 discount from its usual price. It’s super portable, totally waterproof, and has big, bold sound that’s great for traveling, backyard parties, or bike rides, making it an easy pick for our favorite portable Bluetooth speaker.

While there are plenty of Bluetooth speakers that are table-worthy, there are far fewer competent speakers at this more pocketable footprint. At 4.69 inches tall and 3.58 inches and diameter, it’s just about the same size as the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, but at less than half the price. It sports similar features too, with 360-degree speakers for complete sound no matter where you’re standing, albeit without quite as much clarity. You can also pair up multiple speakers for a proper stereo setup that will cover your whole backyard, a trick not a lot of speakers at this price point have up their sleeve.

Despite its compact size and affordable pricing, the Stormbox Mini+ is surprisingly sturdy. It has an IPX7 rating, which means you can submerge it fully underwater for up to 30 minutes, although it doesn’t float the right way, so it’s probably better for surviving a quick rainstorm than powering a pool party. You can crank the volume without any distortion, although it will affect your battery life, which is typically just under 10 hours with the lights on and volume up. It also has a speakerphone mode, in case you want to give that one friend running late to the party some FOMO.

While all the Stormbox Mini+ is marked down by $7 in all three colors, the black version has a lower starting price of $40, while the blue and green models started at $42, and are now marked down to $35. There was also a coupon on the page for an extra 10% off applied at checkout, but your mileage may vary. Make sure you check out our full roundup if you’re curious which other Bluetooth speakers we like, or you’re willing to spend a bit more.

A judge has ruled that publisher Krafton must reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, . The company fired Gill and two other co-founders last year as part of a shakeup .

The Delaware judge said Krafton had violated the terms of its contract with Unknown Worlds when it fired the executives. “To remedy these breaches, Gill is reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds with full operational authority over the studio,” wrote judge Lori W. Will.

A Krafton spokesperson said in a statement that “we respectfully disagree with today’s ruling” and that “we are evaluating our options as we determine our path forward.” Further litigation over potential damages is still pending.

This legal battle has been brewing for a while. Krafton bought Unknown Worlds back in 2021 and the contract stipulated that executives and staff would get to share in a $250 million bonus if they hit certain revenue targets by 2025. Those targets were not reached, and could not be reached, because .

According to the pre-trial brief, Krafton CEO Changham Kim allegedly nixed the payout because it would be a “professional embarrassment” and make him look like a “pushover.” He reportedly to ask about ways to avoid paying the bonus and, oddly, seemed to consider a hostile takeover by a newly-formed entity.

Judge Will dinged the CEO on both counts, saying that Kim regretted committing to the payout and “consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate ‘takeover’ strategy.” Engadget reached out to Krafton and the company re-emphasized it was displeased with the ruling but said that it doesn’t resolve the ongoing litigation.

As for the game, Krafton says Subnautica 2 is coming sooner rather than later. We’ve heard that one before.

Five years have passed since Apple initially began selling its over-ear headphones, and many people were left wondering if a true update would ever happen. The wait is over for AirPods Max 2, and most of the changes trace back to one quiet upgrade.

Powering the whole thing is the new H2 chip, a single component responsible for some meaningful improvements across the board. Noise cancellation has taken a significant step forward, blocking out twice as much background noise as the previous generation. Jet engines and train rumble are dealt with far more convincingly now, which should make long haul travel considerably more bearable. Transparency mode has also been sharpened up considerably, with voices and ambient sound coming through with noticeably less distortion and a much greater sense of clarity and precision than before.

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Sound quality has taken a step forward across the board, helped along by a new amplifier that keeps the output clean and consistent even at higher volumes. Instruments sit exactly where they should in the mix, the bass is tight and controlled, and the mids and highs carry a natural warmth without any harshness creeping in. Plugging in via USB-C unlocks lossless audio at full 24 bit, 48 kilohertz resolution, and wireless gaming gets a notable boost as well, with the gap between on screen action and audio response cut down significantly.

The H2 chip also unlocks a handful of genuinely useful listening modes. Adaptive audio uses the built-in microphones to read the environment around you and adjust noise control levels on the fly without any input needed. Conversation awareness picks up when someone nearby starts talking and eases the volume down while softening background noise so you can engage naturally without pulling the headphones off. Calls benefit from voice isolation, which keeps your voice front and center while pushing room noise well into the background. Personalized volume learns your preferences over time and adjusts levels automatically, and in particularly loud environments the AirPods Max 2 will gently dial things back while keeping the character of the music intact.

Live translation is one of the more exciting additions for anyone who travels frequently or works across language barriers. It handles real time translation during face to face conversations, letting you speak in one language and hear the response in another without any awkward pauses or reaching for your phone. An up to date iPhone or iPad running the latest software is required, and it is worth noting that the feature is still in its early stages, currently supporting a limited number of languages with a gradual regional rollout underway.

Creators get some useful tools to work with as well. The microphones are capable of capturing studio quality audio, making them a solid option for podcasts or voiceover work without needing dedicated recording gear. A single press of the digital crown triggers the camera shutter or starts and stops video recording in both the native camera app and supported third party options. Siri integration has also picked up a neat trick, letting you nod to confirm or shake your head to decline without having to say a word out loud, which turns out to be more useful than it sounds.

Battery life stays at twenty hours with noise cancellation running, matching the original model. The over-ear design and headband carry over unchanged as well, and the color lineup keeps things consistent with the rest of Apple’s range, spanning midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue. Recycled materials feature heavily throughout, with the magnets, ear cushions, and circuit boards all made entirely from reclaimed components. The smart case keeps its familiar folding design, compact and easy to slip into a bag without taking up much room.

The price has stayed the same at $549 and pre-orders are opening on March 25 with delivery starting early April in the US and more than thirty other countries. If you buy some new Max 2s you can also add in optional AppleCare+ protection, but they do come with a three month trial of Apple Music.

Apple’s latest acquisition could be a hint towards improvements for Final Cut Pro. The tech giant acquired MotionVFX, as seen on the company’s website and first reported by MacRumors, which is known for providing plugins, templates, visual effects and more to video editors. MotionVFX currently offers its software for a handful of video-editing apps, like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere, but is also listed as a trusted Apple partner and found in the Final Cut Pro ecosystem of third-party products.

Apple hasn’t revealed an acquisition price nor details of the deal. On its website announcement, MotionVFX wrote that it’s “thrilled to embrace” similar values seen with Apple products and that it’s the “beginning of something wonderful.”

Considering a lot of MotionVFX’s tools are designed for Final Cut Pro and Apple’s Motion app, we could see native integration of popular visual effects and templates into Apple’s app interfaces. It’s worth noting that MotionVFX already offers an extension that creates a panel directly in Final Cut Pro for users to browse, download and apply visual effects from its repository. The acquisition could also hint at Apple trying to make its Creator Studio more enticing in the future, since it includes both Final Cut Pro and Motion. However, there hasn’t been any clarity on what will happen to MotionVFX’s monthly or annual subscription plans, nor its support for competing products.

JBL makes a lot of headphones, but its Tour One M3 sit at the top of the stack. To borrow a phrase from Bill Hader’s indelible character, Stefon, these headphones have everything: quality sound and noise canceling, incredible comfort, immaculate calling performance, and this weird little transmitter device that lets you control them wirelessly and even transmit audio from wired sources like a turntable. Even if you never use the transmitter, the M3 are great, and for some reason, the Mocha colorway is on super sale at Walmart for $170 below retail price.

The Tour One M3’s blitz of features might be intimidating to some, but these noise cancelers also stand on their own for basic use. The sound performance isn’t the best I’ve heard at their price point, but it’s still quite good, with brilliant instrumental separation and enough detail to surface new moments in songs you’ve heard dozens of times. The noise canceling is even more impressive, able to suppress low-end sounds like airplane drones and midrange noises like vocal chatter as well or better than some of the best noise cancelers out there.

Features include everything from a volume limiter to keep your hearing safe to Smart Talk that pauses sound when you speak, and a Sound Level optimizer that evens out voices on calls. Speaking of calling, the Tour One M3’s excellent microphones and software combine for impressively clear calls that reduce noises around you as well as any pair in their class.

As for the transmitter device, it can feel a little gimmicky when it comes to controlling the headphones, since you can just as easily control settings in the app, but connecting it to wired sources offers real value. That’s especially true if you want to listen wirelessly to legacy audio sources like an older amplifier or turntable. What’s more, the system uses a new Bluetooth protocol called Auracast, which lets you share audio lag-free with an unlimited number of supported devices, including other JBL headphones and Bluetooth speakers like the Flip 7.

Getting back to basics, JBL’s Tour One M3 are convenient to use, and their thick foam pads offer a fit as comfortable as any headphones I’ve tested in recent memory. The Mocha version may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s been holding at its low price for some time now, so it’s worth hopping on the deal now if you’ve been considering a new pair. If you’re looking for the best deal around on a pair of great noise-canceling headphones, this one will be very hard to beat.

OpenAI has been hit with another lawsuit. This time, Encyclopedia Britannica took legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of copyright and trademark infringements, as first reported by Reuters. More specifically, Britannica alleged that OpenAI illegally used its “copyrighted content at a massive scale” when training its AI models. Not just with training, the encyclopedia company claimed that ChatGPT’s responses to user queries sometimes contain “full or partial verbatim reproductions of [Britannica’s] copyright articles.”

Along with claims of copyright violations, Britannica argued that OpenAI was also responsible for trademark infringement. According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT generates “made-up content or ‘hallucinations‘ and falsely attributes them” to Encyclopedia Britannica. The lawsuit doesn’t specify an amount for monetary damages, but Britannica is also seeking an injunction to prevent OpenAI from repeating these accusations.

When reached out for comment, a spokesperson for OpenAI told Engadget that, “ChatGPT helps enhance human creativity, advance scientific discovery and medical research, and enable hundreds of millions of people to improve their daily lives. Our models empower innovation, and are trained on publicly available data and grounded in fair use.”

It’s not the first time that Britannica has filed a lawsuit against an AI company. In September, the company, which owns Merriam-Webster, also sued Perplexity for similar reasons. On the other side, OpenAI is still embroiled in a legal battle with The New York Times, which also sued the AI giant for copyright infringement.

Microsoft is working to address an ongoing Exchange Online outage that is preventing customers from accessing their mailboxes and calendars.

“We’re investigating reports of some users experiencing issues when accessing their Exchange Online mailbox via one or more connection methods,” Microsoft said when it acknowledged the issue at 06:42 AM UTC.

As Microsoft explained in a Microsoft 365 admin center update under EX1253275, Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, Exchange ActiveSync, and other Exchange Online connection protocols are all affected by this outage.

While the company said that “telemetry continues to show the issue is no longer occurring for affected users” and that its engineers are “continuing to monitor service health to assess whether any additional actions are required to ensure sustained recovery,” customers are still reporting issues accessing their email.

Right before publishing, the Office.com web portal was down and displayed the message “We are sorry, something went wrong. Please try refreshing the page in a few minutes.”

​Microsoft is also investigating a separate outage affecting the Microsoft 365 Copilot web sign‑in page and Copilot web clients at office.com/chat and m365.cloud.microsoft, m365.cloud.microsoft/chat, and copilot.cloud.microsoft.

Customers who need to use Microsoft Copilot are advised to use one of the application-based Microsoft Copilot services, including the Microsoft Copilot desktop app, Copilot in Microsoft Teams, or Copilot in Office apps.

“We’ve identified that a section of service infrastructure is not processing traffic efficiently. We’re making configuration changes to remediate impact,” the company said in an admin center service alert (MO1253428).

In January, Microsoft mitigated another Exchange Online service outage that intermittently blocked users from accessing their mailboxes via the Internet Mailbox Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4).

Microsoft addressed a similar outage in November that blocked customers’ access to Exchange Online emails via the classic Outlook desktop client.

This is a developing story…

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• Global PC shipments set for sharp decline as component shortages intensify
• Memory and storage prices surge, forcing vendors to rethink PC strategies
• Budget computers face the steepest shipment losses amid tightening component supply

Anyone planning to purchase a new work PC in the coming months may encounter shrinking availability as supply pressures deepen across the industry, experts have warned.

Research from Omdia indicates global shipments of desktops, notebooks, workstations, and even some mini PC designs could drop sharply in 2026.