Even though digital cameras have lowered the barrier of entry to photography dramatically, as well as made it much easier for professionals and amateurs alike to capture stunning images without the burden of developing film, the technology behind them is considerably more complex than their analog counterparts. In fact, an analog film camera (not counting the lens) can be as simple as a lightproof box and a way to activate a shutter. Knowing that, any kind of film camera could be built for any number of applications, like this 3D-printed panoramic camera from [Denis Aminev].
The custom-built camera works by taking a standard roll of 35mm film, which is standardized to take 36 pictures, and exposing a wider section of the film to create a panorama. This reduces the number of pictures on the roll to 19. This is the fifth version of this camera, called the Infidex 176 V, and has everything a standard film camera would have, from an exposure counter, pressure plate for the film, a winder, interchangable lenses, a viewfinder, and a tripod mounting point. It does take a bit of work to assemble, as shown in the video linked below, but the final result is impressive and delivers a custom finished product not easily found or reproducible in off-the-shelf cameras.
The path to creating this camera was interesting as well, as [Denis]’s first custom film camera was a pinhole camera. From there he moved on to disassembling an SLR camera and attempting to reproduce all of its parts with 3D printed ones. With that in hand, he was able to modify this design into this panoramic camera which he likes because it reproduces the feel of widescreen movies. Although this camera reproduces all of the bells and whistles of a high quality analog camera, not all of these features are strictly necessary for taking pictures on film. Have a look at this minimum viable camera as well.
Iranian drone strikes shut down a major helium facility in Qatar, removing about 30% of global helium supply and raising concerns for the semiconductor industry, which relies on the gas for chip fabrication. “QatarEnergy declared force majeure on existing contracts on March 4, freeing it from supply obligations to customers,” reports Tom’s Hardware. The industry outlet Gasworld reports that no imminent restart is planned. From the report: Helium consultant Phil Kornbluth, speaking at a Gasworld webinar on March 4, said that if the outage extends beyond roughly two weeks, industrial gas distributors could be forced to relocate cryogenic equipment and revalidate supplier relationships, a process that could stretch over months regardless of when Qatari output resumes.
South Korea is among the most exposed countries, which, according to the Korea International Trade Association, imported 64.7% of its helium from Qatar in 2025. The country relies heavily on helium imports to cool silicon wafers during fabrication and is understood to have no viable substitute.
The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources has reportedly launched an investigation into supply and demand for 14 semiconductor materials and equipment types with high dependence on Middle Eastern sources, Nikkei reported on Wednesday. Bromine, which is used in circuit formation, is another big concern, with South Korea sourcing 90% of its imports from Israel, also party to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
The World Baseball Classic is currently going on and I absolutely adore it. Essentially a World Cup for baseball, 20 nations are playing against one another in a banger of a tune-up for the Major League Baseball season. It’s a flamboyant delight, with cultural celebrations such as the Italian team doing a shot of espresso after they hit home runs in the dugout.
The American team is managed by former major leaguer Mark DeRosa. While I won’t bore you with too many gory details, DeRosa royally fucked up during the tail end of pool play. Through a complicated series of winning scenarios and tie-breaker rules, the American team headed into its game with Italy needing to win to secure its place in the playoffs. DeRosa, it appears, was under an entirely different impression. These were his comments before the game with Italy.
After the game, he mentioned that some of his players were “dragging” on the field and he essentially put in a lineup that didn’t include many of the normal starting players. If you don’t know professional baseball culture, there’s a reason for the dragging. With nothing at stake, it’s pretty clear DeRosa thought the playoffs were already secured… and told his players to go out and celebrate that night. They likely did, late into the night and with the help of plenty of alcohol. Then they lost to Italy, which meant they needed Italy to win or to get into tie-breaking scenarios against their next game with Mexico. They got lucky in that Italy did beat Mexico in the next game, but the fuck up took things out of the hands of Team USA, leaving it up to their rivals.
You may not care about any of the above, but baseball fans do. DeRosa, in his day job, is also an employee of MLB, serving as a commentator on the MLB channel. MLB itself took down the original video of DeRosa’s comments and put up a version in which you don’t hear DeRosa’s mistake nor his admitting later that he screwed up.
“The league appears to have taken down video that included DeRosa’s mistaken comments from MLB.com, with attempts by The Athletic to access it yielding error messages early Wednesday morning. A version of the interview that remained on MLB Network’s Facebook page appeared to be condensed and did not include the now-scrutinized remarks.”
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I really don’t know what MLB was thinking here. American baseball fans would somehow forget what they heard DeRosa say? A screw up that could have bounced the American team from the WBC entirely would somehow fly under the radar?
Regardless, the Streisand Effect took over and now then the reporting on all of this went into wide circulation. In discussing MLB’s attempt at the hidden ball trick, reporting on DeRosa’s fuck up went through another, and larger, round of reporting. By trying to hide what DeRosa did, MLB made it public all the more.
This is classic Streisand Effect stuff at work and I can barely believe that Major League Baseball thought this isn’t exactly what would occur.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: A top Senate administrator on Monday gave aides the green light to use three artificial intelligence chatbots for official work, a reflection of how widespread the use of the products has become in workplaces around the globe. The chief information officer for the Senate sergeant-at-arms, who oversees the chamber’s computers as well as security, said in a one-page memo reviewed by The New York Times that aides could use Google’s Gemini chat, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, which is already integrated into Senate platforms.
Copilot “can help with routine Senate work, including drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points and briefing material, and conducting research and analysis,” the memo said. The document later added that “data shared with Copilot Chat stays within the secure Microsoft 365 Government environment and is protected by the same controls that safeguard other Senate data.” It’s unclear how widely AI is used in the Senate or how widespread it might become, as individual offices and committees set their own rules. The chamber has also not publicly released comprehensive guidance on chatbots, the report notes.
In contrast, the House has clearer policies allowing the general use of AI for limited internal tasks but restricting it from sensitive data or for being used for deepfakes and certain decision-making activities.
The update centres on the Android kernel, the core part of the operating system. The kernel is responsible for managing communication between apps, the processor and the phone’s hardware. According to Google, the kernel accounts for roughly 40% of total CPU activity on Android devices. This means even small improvements here can have a meaningful impact on day-to-day performance.
The new approach uses something called Automatic Feedback-Directed Optimisation (AutoFDO). In simple terms, it allows the software compiler, the tool that converts code into instructions your phone’s processor understands, to learn from how people actually use their devices. This is instead of relying purely on general assumptions.
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To gather this data, Google ran controlled tests using Pixel phones that simulated real-world behaviour. The process involved launching and interacting with the top 100 most popular Android apps. Profiling tools tracked which parts of the kernel were used most frequently. The system then identifies these “hot” sections of code and prioritises them when rebuilding the kernel.
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By reorganising the code around the parts that matter most, the compiler can make smarter optimisation decisions. The result, Google says, is faster app launches, smoother multitasking and potentially better battery life.
The company has already begun rolling the optimisation out to its android16-6.12 and android15-6.6 kernel branches, which underpin recent Android versions. It also plans to expand the technique to future releases.
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Longer term, Google also intends to apply similar optimisations to other parts of the system. This includes additional kernel components and hardware drivers used by phone makers for features like cameras and modems.
It’s the kind of change most users will never see — but if it works as intended, it could make everyday Android performance feel just a little bit snappier.
When is a quiet week in tech not a quiet week in tech? How about right now. Because while this week lacked the huge launches of the previous one, it was still packed with big stories and impressive new tech.
For starters, we delivered our expert verdicts on the Apple devices that were revealed last week, and the MacBook Neo in particular blew us away. We also sat down for a long chat with Sonos‘ CEO as the audio giant launched two new speakers, and delivered our Google Pixel 10a review.
DJI‘s first 360-degree drone has long been rumored, and this week it finally broke cover. And though we don’t know everything about it yet, we do know its name, launch date, and one core spec.
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The Avata 360, as it will be known, will be equipped with 8K video recording and will launch on March 26. Further specs, and the price, are yet to be revealed, but we’re already getting pretty excited about it.
It will compete against the excellent Antigravity A1, which debuted last year as the world’s first true 360-degree flying camera, but the Avata 360 will have an advantage over that rival in that it will settle into an already formidable DJI drone ecosystem. Watch this space for more info ahead of that launch date.
6. HBO started its global password crackdown
(Image credit: rafapress / Shutterstock.com)
HBO Max’s password crackdown is going global according to the company’s CEO and president of global streaming, JB Perrette.
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That means you may no longer be able to share an account with another HBO max user, unless you pay an extra member fee — though that option is currently only available in the US.
However, how much longer will HBO Max even be around? HBO Max’s future currently depends on whether regulators approve the acquisition of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance. According to at least one prominent media analyst, if that goes ahead then HBO Max could be shut down by the end of 2027.
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5. Apple prepared its 50th anniversary celebrations
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple will turn 50 in a couple of weeks, and Tim Cook has been teasing what the tech giant has planned to celebrate the occasion.
“In the coming weeks, Apple and its global community will celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, recognizing the creativity, innovation, and impact that people around the world have made possible with Apple technology,” said Cook, before ending with a note to fans that “If you’ve taught us anything, it’s that the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
So, does that mean we should prepare for a crazy launch? The new MacBook Neo was impressive (see more on that below), but perhaps the company has something folded up its sleeve for April 1?
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4. We tested Google’s budget Pixel
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
Even amongst the flashiest, most expensive tech there’s a place for a budget champion, and in the Android world the Google Pixel 10a is a strong contender for that title.
Our Managing Editor Jacob Krol put it through its paces over the past week or so, and as his review states, “it proves you don’t need big upgrades to make a great phone.”
So, while it doesn’t get a new processor or upgraded camera hardware this year — instead sticking with the Tensor G4 and the same dual-camera system as the Pixel 9a — it nails the basics: a comfortable design, strong battery life, bright display, and a dependable camera, all for a low price of $499 / £499 / AU$849.
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3. And we tested Apple’s iPhone 17e too
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Sticking in the world of budget smartphones, we also reviewed Apple’s iPhone 17e, and it too proved its worth as an affordable winner.
No, it doesn’t reinvent Apple’s budget iPhone approach, but it does bring some meaningful refinements to the iPhone 16e thanks to its A19 chip, double the starting storage at 256GB, and the long-awaited addition of MagSafe — all for the same starting price as the previous model.
The single rear camera will be a let down if you love taking snaps, and the display isn’t as crisp as the iPhone 17’s, but if you’re after an affordable iPhone there isn’t a better option based on our tests.
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2. The MacBook Neo blew us away
(Image credit: Apple)
The Apple MacBook Neo doesn’t sound like it should work. It runs on an iPhone chip, boasts just 8GB of unified memory, and includes ancient USB 2.0 technology. Yet the Neo manages to deliver an excellent MacBook experience — there’s zero macOS compromises, and it’s a far more capable machine than its budget counterparts running Windows 11 and ChromeOS.
Why? Well for a start the performance is solid. Yes, you’ll want to stick to Apple’s own apps over third-party alternatives and keep multi-tasking to a low level, but you can get a good level of utility out of this machine.
Then there’s the design, which is simply beautiful, with the Neo’s color being showcased across its aluminum shell, Magic keyboard, and even in macOS elements — plus the display is stunning.
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And then there’s the price. At $599 / £599 / AU$899 it stretches the definition of budget a little, but compared to other MacBooks — or the Windows competition — it’s a steal.
1. Sonos gave us two new speakers — and some explanations
(Image credit: Sonos / Future Publishing Ltd)
Sonos has not had a great time of it of late, with its disastrous and well-documented app relaunch leading to much criticism and, eventually, the replacement of its CEO in January 2025.
That was then and this is now, though, and this week Sonos released not one but two new speakers in the form of the Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL. And, its current CEO Tom Conrad was eager to sit down with us and explain what went wrong in 2024, what its strategy is for the future, and why we should be excited about the new devices.
The Sonos Era 100 SL is a new, more affordable version of the existing Era 100, but without microphones; so, it lacks the smart home functions of the original, but comes at a much cheaper price.
More interesting still, though, is the Sonos Play. This new portable speaker sits between the Roam and Move models in terms of price and characteristics, and Conrad thinks it might be the “Goldilocks” speaker. And we think he might just be right.
Meta is killing end-to-end encryption in Instagram DMs. The feature will “no longer be supported after May 8, 2026,” the company wrote in an update on its support page. Unlike WhatsApp, Meta never made encryption available to all Instagram users and it was never a default setting. Instead, users in “some areas” had the ability to opt-in to encryption on a per-chat basis.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the feature was being retired due to low adoption. “Very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we’re removing this option from Instagram in the coming months,” the spokesperson said. “Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”
Interestingly, Meta’s statement doesn’t mention the status of encryption on Messenger. The company began turning on end-to-end encryption as a default setting in 2023 after years of work on the feature. A support page for Messenger currently states that the company “is in the process of securing personal messages with end-to-end encryption by default.”
Meta’s approach to encrypted messaging has changed several times over the years. It started encrypting WhatsApp chats in 2016. In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg outlined a “privacy-focused” revamp of the company’s apps, saying at the time that “implementing end-to-end encryption for all private communications is the right thing to do.” In 2021, the company’s head of safety said that Meta was delaying its encryption work until 2023 in order to create stronger safety features.
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Meta’s use of encryption has been repeatedly criticized by law enforcement and some child safety organizations that say the feature makes it harder to catch predators who target children on social media. Recently, the topic has been raised numerous times during a trial in New Mexico over child safety. Internal documents that have surfaced as part of the trial show Meta executives and researchers debating the trade-offs between safety and privacy as it relates to encryption.
In testimony that was broadcast during the trial, Zuckerberg said that safety issues were “a large part of the reason why it took so long” to bring encryption to Messenger. “There’s been debate about this, but I think the majority of folks, from people who use our products to people who are involved in security overall, believe that strong encryption is positive,” he said.
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 the extra-long Saturday version, and a few of the clues are tricky. 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.
I used to be of the opinion that MacBooks are relatively safer than other laptops, but I have been proven wrong. Embarrassingly and demonstrably wrong. A new report from Sophos X-Ops has spared no effort in rubbing my nose in it.
Researchers at the firm tracked three separate attack campaigns between November 2025 and February 2026, all of which targeted macOS users with something called the MacSync infostealer. For those catching up — it’s a type of malware that quietly rifles through your passwords and saved credentials, acting like a digital pickpocket.
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
So, how does it actually work?
The malware used a delivery method called ClickFix, which requires minimal technical effort. It just needs the victims to copy and paste a command into their Mac’s Terminal (designed to run and execute text-based commands) and press enter on the keyboard.
First, bad actors used fake OpenAI download pages, which were circulated via sponsored ads on Google (sitting right above the legitimate link). Then, they got even more creative: attackers started sharing rear ChatGPT shared conversations disguised as “helpful Mac guides.”
These guides routed users into fake GitHub pages, which contained carefully created software installation instructions, but in reality, they asked users to copy a terminal command, allowing the ManSync infostealer to work in the background. That’s it; that’s the whole attack.
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Apple
How bad did it get?
Sophos has found out that by December 2025 alone, bad actors had routed more than 50,000 clicks on such malicious domains. A “click” means that someone copied the malicious terminal command, but not necessarily that the malware successfully installed; the actual infection count could be lower.
The developers put another spin on their attacking method in February 2026, allowing it to run silently in the background, bypassing the competent macOS security tools such as Gatekeeper and XProtect. It can, in a very real way, patch your ledger crypto wallet’s 24-word master key.
The firm reports that infection clusters were active in key markets, including parts of North and South America and India, as recently as weeks before they published the article (by the end of the beginning of March, possibly).
Moreover, the notion that “Macs are safe,” is at least, for the time being, not true. As AI platforms grow in popularity, and, more importantly, gain the trust of millions of users, bad actors are coming up with new ways to use the LLMs-driven tools to their advantage. For now, I’d advise you to not paste any text-based command into your Mac’s Terminal.
We’ve all heard the saying: “screens before bed are bad,.” Yet somehow, I’ve been watching screens to go to sleep after a day of working with the screens for around eight to 10 hours. Well, I might consider switching to Samsung’s micro RGB TVs for both my work and leisure requirements, as they’ve recently got an eye- and sleep-friendly certification.
In a press release, the Korean tech giant has announced that its Micro RGB TV (the R95H model) has received two certifications from VDE (which is a German testing body).
Samsung
What certifications has the Samsung TV received?
The Samsung TV has received the Safety for Eyes certification and the Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) certification. Without making things too technical for you, the R95H model has been officially tested to not wreck your eyes or sleep, especially during the hours after sunset, when too much blue light consumption can disturb your sleep cycle.
Here’s how it works. The first certification, Safety for Eyes, takes care of the blue light emissions — the wavelength which is associated the most with eye strain and disturbed sleep — confirming that the television meets the safe thresholds for prolonged viewing sessions.
The second one, Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) verification goes a step further by confirming that the TV actually mimics the pattern of natural light. The television leans toward producing cooler tones during the day, warmer tones in the evening, and, most importantly, dials down blue light at night.
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Samsung
How do the compatible TVs pull this off?
Basically, it doesn’t force your brain into thinking that it’s noon by producing cool light, when it’s midnight, so that viewing the television doesn’t disrupt your sleep cycle. But how does the TV manage all this?
Well, it’s Samsung’s micro RGB LED architecture that allows the display to make the fine-grained adjustments in the overall brightness and color profile of the screen, with an enhanced level of precision that isn’t present on other models.
While the Safety for Eyes certification is available across the company’s 2026 TV lineup, Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) is currently available on the premium models.
Keeping a workshop organized can feel like a never-ending task, and so any item that helps make organization easier can make a big difference. Fans of Harbor Freight will already be well aware that the retailer is a great place to look for cheap garage and workshop essentials, and one product in particular might come in useful for anyone trying to keep their workshop clutter within manageable levels. The Bauer storage system modular organizer features 12 individual bins that can be arranged in a custom configuration, making it a great place to store those small items that can get lost around the workshop.
All of the bins are removable, so there’s no need to haul around the entire organizer for smaller jobs. However, anyone who prefers to take everything with them on the go should still find the organizer useful, since it’s IP65 rated against dust and water ingress and can be connected to other Bauer storage system products. The brand offers a range of crates, tool boxes, and cases, alongside the modular storage organizer, in a similar manner to Milwaukee’s popular Packout storage system.
The Bauer organizer retails for $39.99 at Harbor Freight, and at the time of writing, it’s only available as an in-store exclusive and not online. However, if its reviews are anything to go by, it might be worth the trip to your local retailer.
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The Bauer organizer gets consistently good reviews
Bauer makes plenty of top-rated power tools, and its modular storage organizer gets similarly glowing reviews from buyers. It has amassed just under 400 reviews from Harbor Freight buyers to date, with a near-perfect average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Several reviewers note how easy the organizer makes it to store a wide range of items, from screws and drill bits to pens and snacks. Others say that the organizer’s clear lid is a particularly useful feature, since it allows them to see exactly what’s in each bin at a glance.
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Complaints about the organizer are few and far between. One reviewer who left a two-star review claimed that the material quality of the organizer wasn’t up to the task, while a few reviewers who left three-star reviews said rival systems were tougher overall. Aside from that, buyers remain consistently impressed with the organizer’s construction and its capabilities.
While plenty of reviewers like the Bauer organizer, it’s far from the only Harbor Freight product that might come in useful if you’re looking to cut down on clutter. The retailer also offers individual $3 stacking tilt bins that can help organize garages and workshops, and they get similarly good reviews from buyers.
