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What You Need to Know About the Foreign-Made Router Ban in the US

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4 weeks ago

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The Federal Communications Commission has banned new consumer internet routers manufactured outside the US, citing national security concerns. The ban doesn’t affect any routers already in American homes or currently on sale in the US, but all new routers aimed at the consumer market will need to be approved.

While the headline is that foreign-made consumer routers are banned, manufacturers can apply for exemptions. There’s no need to throw out your router, and you’ll still find plenty of mesh systems on the store shelves. But what does this mean for you?

Why Are Foreign-Made Routers Banned?

“Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft,” the FCC wrote. “Foreign-made routers were also involved in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks targeting vital US infrastructure.”

Foreign-made consumer routers were added to the Covered List, which details equipment and services “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”

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Bogdan Botezatu, director of Threat Research at cybersecurity firm Bitdefender, says this ban is a step to harden the cybersecurity readiness of US households, given ongoing geopolitical tensions.

“Consumer routers sit at the edge of every home network, which makes them an attractive target and a strategic risk if compromised at scale,” he says. Asked whether he thinks the risk is real, Botezatu says the risk is real, though there’s no easy way to prove intent. “[Internet of Things] devices, including routers, are a weak point across the internet.”

Which Routers Are Banned?

The ban only affects the sale of new Wi-Fi routers aimed at consumer households. The ban does not apply to existing FCC-approved routers on sale in the US. Previously purchased routers already in use in homes across the country are also fine and are not part of the ban, according to the FCC’s FAQ. These routers can continue to be sold, used, and updated with new firmware.

Any new router manufactured outside the US now requires FCC approval before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the US. This includes routers from US companies that are manufactured overseas, which is the vast majority of the market right now.

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What Does Foreign-Made Mean?

This is decidedly murky. The ban is concerned with “consumer-grade” routers and could include any that are designed or manufactured outside the US or manufactured by companies that are not completely US-owned and operated. All the major players in the market, including Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, Amazon’s Eero, Google’s Nest, Synology, Linksys, and Ubiquiti, fall under the definition. As do most, if not all, of the routers supplied by internet service providers in the US.

Just like the recent federal drone ban, the router only applies only to new routers, but manufacturers can apply for Conditional Approval from the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Applications must include details about ownership, board membership, and country of origin for components, IP ownership, design, assembly, and firmware, among other things. The final section requests details of the applicant’s US manufacturing and onshoring plan, so there’s a clear push to persuade companies to commit to making their routers in the US.

“No routers or manufacturers have been granted a Conditional Approval so far, but as the process gets underway, we expect approvals to be granted in a timely manner,” an FCC spokesperson tells WIRED.

What About Foreign-Made Components?

Well, the FCC provides some clarification in its FAQ (“covered” here means banned):

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“Non-‘covered’ devices do not become ‘covered’ simply because they contain a ‘covered’ component part, unless the ‘covered’ component part is a modular transmitter under the FCC’s rules,” it says. “Therefore, a router produced in the United States is not considered ‘covered’ equipment solely because it contains one or more foreign-made components.”

Manufacturers importing components from China but assembling them in the US will presumably be OK, though it’s far from clear. “Applicants will need to be able to have sufficient evidence that the routers were not produced in a foreign country to make this certification, but there is no specific documentation or evidence required,” according to the FCC.

Let’s look at the big three US router brands and see how they’re affected.

Will TP-Link Be Banned?

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Since all of its routers are made overseas, TP-Link will have to apply for Conditional Approval or spin up manufacturing in the US to sell any new routers. Estimates vary, but TP-Link’s US consumer router market share is somewhere around 35 percent, with Netgear and Asus accounting for another 25 percent or so.

The US Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments have reportedly been investigating and considering a ban on TP-Link routers for more than a year over concerns about the company’s links to China. No ban has been enacted until now, but Texas attorney general Ken Paxton sued TP-Link in February, claiming the company allows the Chinese Communist Party to access American consumers’ devices. Detractors have also criticized perceived predatory pricing, claiming TP-Link flooded the US market with a wide range of affordable routers to establish dominance.

TP-Link has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claims it has divested from its Chinese roots and is now headquartered in the US with the bulk of manufacturing in Vietnam. TP-Link’s cofounder and CEO, Jeffrey Chao, recently applied for permanent US residency through President Trump’s Gold Card program, according to the Times of India.

“Virtually all routers are made outside the United States, including those produced by US-based companies like TP-Link, which manufactures its products in Vietnam,” a spokesperson from TP-Link tells WIRED. “It appears that the entire router industry will be impacted by the FCC’s announcement concerning new devices not previously authorized by the FCC.”

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TP-Link is a privately owned company and not publicly listed on any stock exchange. Chao and his wife, Hillary, are listed as the company’s sole owners.

Will Netgear Be Banned?

While it is a US-founded and headquartered company, Netgear’s routers are manufactured abroad, mostly in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan, so it will have to apply for Conditional Approval. The company has moved away from China in recent years. Netgear has been lobbying the government on “cybersecurity and strategic competition with China.”

“We commend the administration and the FCC for their action toward a safer digital future for Americans,” a Netgear spokesperson tells WIRED. “Home routers and mesh systems are critical to national security and consumer protection, and today’s decision is a step forward.”

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Netgear is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, mostly owned by institutional investors, including BlackRock and Vanguard. The company’s stock rose on news of the ban, suggesting that many investors believe it won’t be hit too hard.

Will Asus Be Banned?

Asus primarily makes its routers in Taiwan, though it has production facilities in China and works with several third-party manufacturers. Recent tariff pressures led the company to branch out to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, but the bulk of its routers still come from Taiwan or China. Asus will have to apply for Conditional Approval to sell new routers. The company did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

The company is listed on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange and is mostly owned by public shareholders. The ban doesn’t appear to have impacted its stock price.

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Are Any Routers Manufactured in the US?

The only routers I know of that are manufactured in the US are some Starlink Wi-Fi routers, which are primarily made in Texas. Starlink is part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, but many of the components in these routers come from East Asia.

Botezatu says what matters more than geography is the security model behind the product. Companies that invest in “long-term firmware support, vulnerabilitgy management, and built-in protection layers” offer stronger security.

How Will the Router Ban Impact Ordinary Folks?

It’s not entirely clear, but it probably won’t have a huge immediate impact. There is already a wide range of Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems on the market that will continue to be sold—they enable speeds well in excess of what most people need at home. Whether companies spin up manufacturing in the US or find other ways to satisfy government agencies that their wares are not a security risk, the result is likely to be higher prices for consumers.

“This ruling has the potential to significantly disrupt the US consumer router market,” Brandon Butler, a research manager of Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC tells WIRED. “In the near term, much will depend on how quickly conditional waivers are processed. Most vendors are likely to pursue them, but any delays could constrain supply and create upward pressure on pricing.”

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If you haven’t upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, now might be a good time to do it. But it’s worth keeping in mind what you’re buying. Botezatu says consumers should “stick with reputable manufacturers that have a track record of issuing updates and maintaining their devices. Check that your router is still supported and runing the latest firmware.”

Unanswered Questions

The ban does leave several unanswered questions. Why is it being applied only to consumer routers? Which routers or manufacturers will be granted a Conditional Approval? Why are the foreign-made routers currently on sale and in our homes deemed safe? The FCC did not address these questions.

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Anthropic’s Amodei meets Wiles and Bessent at the White House over Mythos access and Pentagon standoff

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4 minutes ago

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19 April 2026

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In short: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday in what the White House called “productive and constructive” talks over access to Mythos, the frontier AI model capable of finding thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities. The meeting signals a thaw in the standoff that began when the Pentagon blacklisted Anthropic for refusing to drop safety restrictions, though any deal would likely exclude the Defence Department and route Mythos access through civilian agencies.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei walked into the West Wing on Friday for a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The White House described the conversation as “introductory, productive, and constructive,” saying the three discussed “opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology.” President Trump later told reporters he had “no idea” the meeting had taken place.

The meeting is the most significant step toward resolving a standoff that has left one of the most important AI companies in the world blacklisted by its own government while that same government scrambles to gain access to its most powerful model. If the two sides reach a deal, it will likely exclude the Pentagon entirely, routing Mythos access through civilian agencies that are not party to the original dispute.

How we got here

The conflict began in late February when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded that Anthropic grant the Pentagon unfettered access to its AI models for “all lawful purposes,” including autonomous weapons systems and domestic surveillance. Amodei refused. He has said publicly that Anthropic wants to work with the military, but that AI models are not yet reliable enough for autonomous weapons and that US law has not caught up to protect Americans around AI’s use in mass surveillance. Hegseth’s response was to designate Anthropic a national security supply-chain risk, a classification previously reserved for companies associated with foreign adversaries, effectively blacklisting it from all government contracts.

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Anthropic sued the Trump administration in early March, filing two federal lawsuits alleging illegal retaliation. A federal judge initially blocked the blacklisting, but an appeals court reversed that decision on 8 April. Anthropic is now excluded from Department of Defense contracts but can still work with other government agencies. After the court ruling went against it, Anthropic hired Trumpworld consultants to facilitate a political resolution, and Axios reported that Friday’s meeting was designed to pave the way toward a deal.

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The paradox that brought Amodei to the White House is that Anthropic announced Mythos on 7 April, ten days after losing its appeal, and the model turned out to be something the government could not ignore.

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What Mythos can do

Mythos is a general-purpose AI model that, during testing, proved capable of identifying and exploiting thousands of previously unknown zero-day vulnerabilities across every major operating system and web browser. It found flaws that had survived decades of human security review. When directed to develop working exploits, it succeeded on the first attempt in more than 83% of cases. It is the first AI model to complete a 32-step corporate network attack simulation from start to finish. The UK’s AI Security Institute evaluated it as “substantially more capable at cyber offence than any model previously assessed.” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said publicly that it “reveals a lot more vulnerabilities” for cyberattacks. The Council on Foreign Relations called it “an inflection point for AI and global security.”

Anthropic chose not to release Mythos publicly. Instead, it created Project Glasswing, a controlled access programme providing the model to roughly 40 vetted organisations, including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and JPMorgan Chase, to find and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The company committed up to $100 million in Mythos usage credits and $4 million to open-source security organisations. The decision to restrict rather than release is a direct application of the safety principles that put Anthropic in conflict with the Pentagon in the first place.

What each side wants

The Treasury Department is seeking Mythos to hunt for vulnerabilities in its own systems. Parts of the intelligence community and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are already testing it. The White House Office of Management and Budget is setting up protections to allow federal agencies to use a controlled version. Bessent’s presence at Friday’s meeting signals that the economic and financial security arguments for Mythos access have reached the most senior levels of the administration.

Anthropic needs the blacklisting resolved. Not because it needs Pentagon revenue; the company’s annualised revenue has reached $30 billion, it has attracted investor offers at an $800 billion valuation, and it is exploring an IPO. But the supply-chain risk designation damages its enterprise credibility and creates uncertainty for every government-adjacent customer. What Amodei wants is a resolution that restores his company’s standing without surrendering the safety commitments that provoked the dispute.

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The outlines of a compromise are visible. Anthropic would provide Mythos access for defensive cybersecurity purposes through civilian agencies. The administration would withdraw or narrow the supply-chain risk designation. The Pentagon would remain excluded unless a separate process for reviewing specific military use cases can be agreed. Both sides have incentives: Anthropic because the blacklisting is commercially damaging, and the White House because the technology is too valuable to forgo.

The pressure from abroad

The diplomatic dimension adds urgency. Anthropic is planning to provide Mythos to select British banks within days and is quadrupling its London office to 800 staff. The Bank of England’s Governor Andrew Bailey named Mythos as a cybersecurity risk in a speech at Columbia University on 15 April, and the Bank’s Cross Market Operational Resilience Group is convening an emergency briefing with the CEOs of the UK’s eight largest banks and representatives from the Treasury, the FCA, and the National Cyber Security Centre. Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne described Mythos as an “unknown unknown” at IMF meetings.

The result is a situation in which America’s closest allies may have access to a critical national security tool before the US government does. That geopolitical reality gives the White House an incentive to resolve the dispute that transcends the original disagreement over safety guardrails. Bessent, whose Treasury Department is one of the agencies most eager for Mythos access, presumably made this point in Friday’s meeting.

What Friday means

The word “introductory” in the White House readout is carefully chosen. It signals that Wiles and Bessent are opening a channel, not closing a deal. The litigation is still active. The appeals court ruling still stands. Hegseth has not withdrawn his position. But the fact that the White House Chief of Staff and the Treasury Secretary sat down with the CEO of a company the Pentagon has blacklisted, and described the conversation as productive, represents a shift in the administration’s posture that would have been difficult to imagine six weeks ago.

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Amodei built the most capable cybersecurity tool in existence as a byproduct of building a general-purpose AI model, then restricted its release on safety grounds, then was punished by the government for maintaining those same safety principles, and is now being courted by that government because the tool cannot be replicated or replaced. That sequence is playing out not in a congressional hearing or a regulatory proceeding but in a room in the West Wing where the most powerful chief of staff in a generation, the Treasury Secretary, and the CEO of an AI company are trying to find a formula that satisfies national security, commercial reality, and the safety principles that started the whole fight. Friday did not produce that formula. But it established that everyone in the room wants one.

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This slick ‘downtime’ app finally helped me track the movies, TV shows, podcasts, games, and books I’m obsessed with

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15 minutes ago

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19 April 2026

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We live in an age where an almost infinite amount of entertainment is available to us at the push of a button (or the tap of a screen): Whether it’s movies or video games or podcasts, there’s already an abundance of diverting content at our fingertips, with more being added with each passing day.

So how can we possibly keep track of it all? Everything we’ve seen, listened to, played, and read — and want to see, hear, play, or read as well?. That’s where Sofa comes in, an app for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro that promises to help you “enjoy your downtime” by managing whatever it is that you might want to do with that downtime.

Homescreen heroes

This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn’t live without. Read them all here.

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Podcast: Sleuthing RSD 2026 with Zev Feldman, “The Jazz Detective”

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41 minutes ago

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19 April 2026

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If you’re lining up for Record Store Day 2026, this episode focuses on the one name that matters most: Zev Feldman, known as The Jazz Detective. Best known for his first-release live recordings of Bill Evans on Resonance and Elemental, Feldman has already delivered 14 Evans RSD titles, with a 15th arriving April 18.

For Record Store Day 2026, he goes further than ever with 11 new jazz releases (including the Evans) across Resonance, Elemental, and Time Traveler Recordings, the label he co founded to bring back rare and hard to find 1970s jazz albums from the Muse catalog. This is not filler for collectors. It is a serious expansion of what Record Store Day can deliver.

Join Eric Pye and Mitch Anderson as they break down the full slate, the continued demand for the Bill Evans RSD series, and the reality of tracking down and restoring lost recordings. At the center is Feldman’s latest discovery, a deep archive from legendary Chicago club owner Joe Segal, now driving an ongoing series of never before heard live albums, with five debuting for RSD 2026. If you care about jazz, vinyl, and making smart choices before the lines form, this conversation gives you a real advantage.

Sponsor: Thank you SVS for sponsoring this episode.

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Resonance Records

Joe Henderson  – Consonance: Live at the Jazz Showcase  
3-LP set featuring saxophone titan Joe Henderson and his quartet with pianist Joanne Brackeen, bassist Steve Rodby and drummer Danny Spencer captured in February of 1978. Liners by John Koenig, reflections by Brackeen, Rodby and Spencer, but Joe Segal’s son Wayne.

Ahmad Jamal – At The Jazz Showcase: Live in Chicago 
2-LP set featuring the iconic pianist with bassist John Heard and drummer Frank Gant on March 20-21, 1976. Newly curated liner notes by Jamal scholar Eugene Holley, Jr. with memories from Jamal’s daughter Sumayah and appreciations from pianists Joe Alterman and Fred Hersch.

Yusef Lateef – Alight Upon The Lake: Live at the Jazz Showcase 
3-LP set featuring Lateef with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Bob Cunningham and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath captured live in June of 1975. Liner notes by Lateef biographer Herb Boyd, plus interviews with Bennie Maupin, Wayne Segal and more.

Mal Waldron – Stardust & Starlight: At The Jazz Showcase
2-LP set featuring Waldron with bassist Steve Rodby, drummer Wilbur “the Chief” Campbell, and saxophonist Sonny Stitt captured in August 1979. Newly curated liner notes by Howard Mandel, interviews with pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, bassist Steve Rodby, Wayne Segal and more.

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Time Traveler Recordings

Terry Callier – At The Earl of Old Town
2-LP set featuring the influential singer/songwriter at just 22-years-old.  A compelling never-before-released 1967 solo performance, recorded by NEA Jazz Master Joe Segal. The package includes comprehensive liner notes by Callier’s longtime friend, Real Jazz Sirius/XM program director Mark Ruffin and comments by daughter Sunny Callier. 

Roy Hargrove – BERN
Recorded at the International Jazzfestival Bern, Switzerland in May 2000, the album captures a vital, previously unissued Roy Hargrove date showcasing the then 30-year-old trumpeter/bandleader at the height of his powers. The package features extensive liner notes by noted jazz journalist/author Nate Chinen.

Buster Williams – Pinnacle
Williams’ celebrated 1975 debut album will be reissued for the first time by Time Traveler Recordings’ Muse Master Edition Series. Package includes original 1975 notes by Elliot Meadow, new liners by noted journalist Mike Flynn and a rare period photo by Raymond Ross.

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Elemental Records

Michel Petrucciani – Kuumbwa (Europe only)
2-LP set capturing a fiery 1987 performance at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, California. The first Petrucciani release among the label’s many jazz treasures, the recording features the legendary pianist with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Eliot Zigmund. The thoughtfully annotated set includes reflections by pianist’s son Alexandre Petrucciani, drummer Eliot Zigmund, Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi, journalist Thierry Pérémarti, and Kuumbwa Co-Founder Tim Jackson.

Bill Evans at the BBC
2-LP set featuring spellbinding, intimate music from a 1965 performance showcasing the legendary pianist’s trio with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker which aired on the British TV program Jazz 625, hosted by English trumpet player Humphrey Lyttelton. The comprehensive package includes notes by Evans scholar Marc Myers, appreciations by Jamie Cullum and James Pearson, and an interview with Israels who told Marc Myers, “Yes, we were damn near perfect at the BBC.”

Cecil Taylor Unit – Fragments, The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts
3-LP set featuring two explosive never-before released Cecil Taylor Unit performances featuring the avant-jazz pianist’s 1969 Unit with saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, saxophonist/flutist Sam Rivers and drummer Andrew Cyrille at their creative peak. The expansive package includes notes by Taylor biographer Philip Freeman, memories from drummer Andrew Cyrille and appreciations from Karen Borca, Matthew Shipp, Jack DeJohnette and more.

Freddie King – Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts
3-LP set featuring the blues legend Freddie King live before more than 50,000 fans in October 1975, the final full year of his life. Joining King are organist Alvin Hemphill, guitarist Ed Lively, pianist Lewis Stephens, bassist Benny Turner and drummer Calep Emphrey. The deluxe package features appreciations from his daughter, Wanda King, as well as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, plus liner notes by author Cary Baker. The set documents an essential blues artist whose ferocious guitar tone, commanding singing, and genre-bridging vision helped reshape modern blues and rock.

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This episode was recorded on March 30, 2026.

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Irish space AI start-up Ubotica on board for NASA’s FAME

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19 April 2026

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The multiyear flight demonstration of FAME is expected to begin with an initial set of six spacecraft this summer.

Irish space-tech start-up Ubotica will offer its onboard AI systems in partnering with NASA on a mission to demonstrate autonomous intelligent satellite networks.

The ‘flight demonstration of federated autonomous measurement’ (FAME) mission is being run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and will also see participation from UK satellite provision company Open Cosmos.

FAME aims to observe Earth by linking “more than 50 spacecraft from a wide range of operators in the largest autonomous satellite operations test ever attempted”, according to the three collaborators.

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The mission will use satellites equipped with Ubotica’s onboard AI to monitor, identify and ‘understand’ Earth events such as wildfires, rogue ships or volcanic activity in real time and “act immediately in orbit, capturing additional data and triggering follow-on observations without waiting for ground analysis”.

According to Ubotica, traditional Earth observation optical, radar and infrared satellites capture and send data to their operators for “delayed processing”, whereas its AI platform “enables satellites to think, see and act autonomously, processing imagery in orbit in real time, extracting insights using advanced AI models and immediately transmitting critical intelligence to Earth”.

FAME intends to demonstrate replication of that capability “across an entire constellation”, so that observations, interpretations through AI and subsequent related behaviours by one satellite are interpreted by others in the network, which can then adjust their next behaviours accordingly in coordination as “an intelligent system”.

FAME’s foundation lies in a previous collaboration between the trio, who said that in July 2025, they successfully demonstrated ‘dynamic targeting’, enabling spacecraft to reorient in moments when required – without ground personnel involvement – to capture event confirmation imagery.

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Ubotica CEO Fintan Buckley said: “Dynamic targeting showed what a single satellite with onboard AI can achieve. FAME shows what happens when that capability is coordinated across a network.

“Our contribution is the intelligence inside the Ubotica nodes: detecting what matters, processing it in orbit and passing the signal to whatever asset can act on it fastest. That is how you close the loop at a speed that is actually useful.”

The multiyear flight demonstration of FAME is expected to begin with an initial set of six spacecraft this summer. The collaborative work on dynamic targeting was recognised in December with the SpaceNews Icon Award for Space AI Partnership.

The trio said the first year of the mission will focus on maturing flight capabilities and executing AI and notification tests across the core constellation, while years two and three will see scaling to a network of more than 50 spacecraft “processing thousands of automated alerts and executing hundreds of autonomous on-orbit tasking commands across assets from multiple operators and agencies”.

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Dublin-based Ubotica was founded in 2016 by Buckley, John Bourke and Aubrey Dunne. In February, the company was among the first chosen for involvement in Ireland’s European Space Agency Phi-Lab at Irish Manufacturing Research in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

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App Store is buzzing with new apps in 2026 and it seems AI has a hand behind it

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19 April 2026

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Contrary to earlier predictions that artificial intelligence would reduce reliance on mobile apps, new data suggests the opposite is happening. The app ecosystem is seeing a sharp rise in activity, with AI playing a key role in driving a new wave of app development.

According to a Tom’s Guide report quoting market intelligence firm Appfigures, global app releases grew by 60 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026 across both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The growth is even more pronounced on iOS, where app launches increased by 80 percent during the same period. Early data for April shows an even steeper rise, with total app releases up 104 percent across both platforms and 89 percent on iOS alone.

AI Is Powering A New App Gold Rush

The surge in app creation comes amid earlier concerns that AI chatbots and agents would replace traditional apps altogether. Industry leaders had speculated that users might shift toward conversational interfaces, reducing the need for standalone applications.

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However, a different trend is emerging. AI tools are making it easier for individuals to build apps, even without formal coding skills. Platforms such as AI-assisted development tools are lowering the barrier to entry, enabling creators to quickly turn ideas into functional software.

This shift is reflected in the types of apps being launched. While mobile games continue to dominate in terms of volume, categories like productivity, utilities, and lifestyle apps are seeing increased activity. Health and fitness apps are also among the top segments experiencing growth.

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Why This Matters For The App Ecosystem

The resurgence of app development signals a broader transformation in how software is created. Instead of replacing apps, AI appears to be accelerating their production, potentially ushering in a new “app gold rush.”

For companies like Apple and Google, this translates into renewed platform relevance and increased opportunities for revenue through app distribution and in-app purchases. For developers and creators, it opens the door to experimentation and innovation at a scale that was previously difficult to achieve.

However, this growth also introduces challenges. A rapid influx of new apps increases the risk of low-quality, misleading, or malicious software entering the marketplace.

What It Means For Users

For users, the growing number of apps means more choices and potentially more innovative tools. AI-powered applications are expanding capabilities across productivity, communication, and entertainment.

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At the same time, the surge makes it harder to distinguish between reliable apps and those that may be spammy or harmful. Recent incidents involving fraudulent or malicious apps slipping through review processes highlight the need for stronger oversight.

What Comes Next

As AI-driven development continues to gain traction, the volume of app releases is expected to grow further. This could push platforms like Apple to enhance their review systems and introduce stricter monitoring mechanisms.

The next phase of the app economy will likely depend on balancing rapid innovation with quality control. While AI is clearly enabling a new wave of creation, ensuring trust and safety will be critical as the ecosystem expands.

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The Only Shelby Built From The Ground-Up Ditched Ford For An Oldsmobile V8

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Front 3/4 view of Shelby Series 1 Roadster at an auto show
Zoran Karapancev/Shutterstock

There was a car created by Carroll Shelby that didn’t have a Ford engine under its hood. In fact, it wasn’t even based on a Ford. We are talking about the Shelby Series 1 Roadster, the only car ever built by Shelby from a clean-sheet design. Instead of a big engine from the Blue Oval providing the motive power for this Shelby, there was an Oldsmobile V8 under the hood generating the necessary horsepower. Overall, it was an underappreciated Shelby car.

The Shelby Series 1 Roadster was Carroll Shelby’s final attempt to create a modern version of the automotive icon that was the Shelby Cobra. Just 249 examples of the Series 1 were produced, all 1999 models, conforming to that year’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The Shelby’s chassis was state-of-the-art, featuring 6061 T4 aluminum elements that were formed and extruded before being welded together and heat treated. Honeycomb aluminum panels formed the floor and rocker panels for extra rigidity, producing a chassis that weighed only 265 pounds. The body that was draped over this chassis was made of fiberglass composite and carbon fiber, keeping the curb weight down to just 2,650 pounds. This was much less than that of the car seen as the Shelby’s main competitor at the time, the Chevrolet Corvette C5.

The Shelby Series 1 Roadster’s suspension used a double wishbone setup connected to cantilevered coil-overs in the center of the vehicle. The brakes were discs all around, with forged aluminum 18-inch Speedline wheels measuring 10 inches wide in the front and 12 inches wide in the rear, mounted with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

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The Shelby Series 1 Roadster had its share of problems


Front 3/4 view of Shelby Series 1 Roadster on white background in studio setting
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The Shelby Series 1 Roadster experienced a large number of problems during its gestation, primarily due to both production-related issues and roadblocks stemming from corporate politics. Production problems included chassis jigs that permitted warping during cooling, plus delays due to an overworked team at Shelby that pushed production out to 1999. This further led to cost overruns when a new set of safety standards had to then be met. Then there were handling issues, the lack of ABS (which led to braking problems), whining gears from the ZF manual transmission, and repeatedly cracking aluminum castings in the rear suspension. Moreover, the side windows and convertible tops did not fit correctly and some of the transaxles needed replacement, all issues that increased costs further. Also, the car’s carbon fiber body panels turned out to be not properly sealed, requiring body filler that added hundreds of pounds of weight to the Series 1 Roadster.

Political problems were largely the result of the forced 1996 departure of John Rock, the Oldsmobile general manager who had championed GM’s hookup with Shelby to produce the Series 1 Roadster. Once Rock was gone, Oldsmobile would not supply the computer tuning codes for the L47 engine Shelby was using, ultimately reducing the stock engine’s output from 350 horses to 320. Making things worse, GM refused to share any current Corvette parts with the Shelby Series 1 Roadster, so Shelby was unable to use the ‘Vette’s transaxle or any C5 suspension pieces. The price also increased, starting at a sub-$100k target when it was first announced up to $181,824 in 2000.

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How well did the Shelby Series 1 Roadster perform?


Front view of Shelby Series 1 Roadster on black background
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For motive power, the Shelby Series 1 Roadster was supposed to use an Oldsmobile racing engine, but emissions-compliance issues resulted in the car using the civilian version, the 4.0-liter DOHC V8 from the Oldsmobile Aurora, mounted behind the front axle in a front mid-engine position. The engine was mated to a six-speed manual ZF transmission driving the rear wheels. Weight distribution was an ideal 51:49. The engine made 250 horsepower in the Aurora, but the Shelby ended up with 320, while an optional supercharger, which works differently than a turbocharger, would literally boost that to 450 horsepower. 

According to the Museum of American Speed, the stock Shelby Series 1 Roadster can do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 12.8 seconds at 112 mph and a top speed of 170 mph. Car and Driver managed, after many difficulties related to the car’s reliability, to get a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds at 112 mph. The publication famously called the Series 1 “a work in progress.”

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The Shelby Series 1 Roadster should have been a modern reincarnation of the Shelby Cobra, with all the performance and charisma of the original version. Instead, it is seen as a project that came up against all of the typical obstacles that befall low-volume vehicle producers. From the eternal struggle to make money on a few hundred cars and corporate infighting with formerly helpful partners to the realities of making a vehicle that conforms to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the Series 1  had the deck stacked against it; regardless, it remains Carrol Shelby’s flawed but striking swansong.



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Why DeWalt’s New Power Tool Batteries Look Different Than What You Remember

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In the power tool game, having your branding down is everything, and DeWalt has remained pretty consistent with its products over the past few decades — when customers see black and yellow in a tool context, their mind automatically goes to DeWalt. With that said, the company isn’t afraid to make minor, yet noticeable tweaks here in there. One of the most recent is a change to one of DeWalt’s many battery types, specifically the 20V XR battery offerings. Looking closely at the labels on the sides of these batteries and at their online descriptions, there is a noticeable change to how these batteries are categorized and advertised.

For example, the 20V Max XR compact battery has only recently taken on this naming. Not long ago, it was known as the 20V Max XR PowerStack compact battery, with the PowerStack branding removed from the online DeWalt listing, and this change is reflected on the battery itself. This change is observed through the 20V Max XR compact battery kit listing on the DeWalt website, which features images of previous designs with the large and small PowerStack logos. On top of this, PowerStack and PowerPack logos have been removed from many other 20V DeWalt batteries.

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All in all, this isn’t too massive of a change, especially for those who aren’t all that picky about their DeWalt batteries so long as they get the job done. The question is, though, does this slight rebrand mean anything for the batteries’ performance level? Thankfully, based on the image changes, DeWalt’s battery system hasn’t changed outside of these missing PowerStack and PowerPack logos.

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Has DeWalt made functional changes to its batteries?

At the end of the day, a missing logo and some description changes doesn’t make too much of a difference. However, if DeWalt altered how its batteries work, that would be cause for customers to be disgruntled. As mentioned before, they’re still the same shape and size across the board, and for those worried they’ll have to delve into the pros and cons of power tool battery adapters, the manner in which they connect to DeWalt power tools hasn’t changed.

With that said, there is the question of the fate of the PowerStack and PowerPack lines. PowerStack batteries were introduced as a more powerful and efficient series of batteries, notable for their flat pouch cells over standard cylindrical ones. PowerPack batteries offer similar benefits utilizing multi-tab battery cells as opposed to traditional single-tab cells. Nothing has come to light that confirms the demise of these sublines or the technology behind them, so we’ll just have to wait and see if DeWalt sheds any light on the disappearance of these labels down the line.

While the fate of the PowerPack and PowerStack labels remains something of a mystery for the time being, there don’t seem to be many significant battery changes in DeWalt’s lineup. Based on the revised images, the impacted battery models are likely to connect and get the job done as they always have, just with a little less paint and branding on their sides.

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Today’s NYT Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 19 #1765

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle has fairly common letters, so you might solve it right away. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

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Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with S.

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Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with D.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to maintaining an upright position on one’s feet. It’s also the main title word in a huge Stephen King novel.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is STAND.

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Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 18, No. 1764, was TOADY.

Recent Wordle answers

April 14, No. 1760: CYCLE

April 15, No. 1761: BEGUN

April 16, No. 1762: CUBIT

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April 17, No. 1763: BELLE

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q. 

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

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TRAIN

CLOSE

STARE

NOISE

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Blue Origin prepares to reuse New Glenn booster in bid to challenge SpaceX

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The New Glenn mission, scheduled for Sunday morning, will reuse the same first-stage booster that flew and landed during its second mission last November. That reuse milestone is the focus of the flight, not just the payload. Reusability now sits at the center of launch economics, enabling SpaceX to fly…
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Ctrl-Alt-Speech: The Silence Of The LLMs

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Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed.

In this week’s round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover:

We’re still yet to find a Ctrl-Alt-Speech 2026 Bingo Card winner — could this week be your lucky day? Play along!

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