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Yamaha YHT-4970U Home Theater in a Box System Offers a Budget Friendly Soundbar Alternative

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Yamaha’s new YHT-4970U Home Theater in a Box makes a pretty direct argument against spending $700 on another soundbar. The system bundles Yamaha’s new RX300A AV receiver with a matched 5.1-channel speaker package, speaker wire, and a subwoofer cable, giving first-time home theater buyers a real AVR-based surround system in one box.

No, it will not be as clean or idiot-proof as a soundbar. You will have to run wires. You will have to place speakers. Civilization may survive. The payoff is discrete surround channels, a real receiver at the center of the system, and an upgrade path that most soundbars simply do not offer at this price point.

The RX300A AVR

yamaha-rx300a-front-mic-remote

The RX300A AV receiver included with the YHT-4970U updates the look of Yamaha’s previous entry-level design, moving away from the older RX-V385, which originally arrived in 2018. The new front panel is cleaner and less crowded, with fewer visible buttons and simpler labeling, while still keeping the core controls easy to find. It is not a radical redesign, but it does make the receiver look more current and easier to understand for buyers who may be setting up an AVR-based system for the first time.

The RX300A includes an Anti‑Resonance Technology (A.R.T.) Wedge. This is a center-mounted “fifth foot” from Yamaha’s flagship AVENTAGE series that helps reduce vibration and improve stability, supporting cleaner, more accurate sound reproduction.

The incorporation of HDMI 2.1 supports high‑performance video sources, including 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz pass-through, along with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for improved contrast, color accuracy, and detail. Gaming‑focused features, such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), help ensure smooth, responsive gameplay when paired with modern consoles.

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Room Correction

The RX300A  provides a setup microphone that enables automatic room correction for the YHT-4970U system by measuring room acoustics and speaker behavior. This allows the receiver to optimize sound performance for the listening environment. An on-screen setup guide further simplifies installation by walking users through connections and configuration step by step.

yamaha-rx300a-rx500a-on-screen-display

Sound Setting Simplicity

The RX300A also includes Yamaha’s Scene buttons, which let users store and recall common settings with a single press. Each Scene can be assigned to an input, sound program, and related playback settings, making it easier to jump between TV, movies, music, and gaming without digging through menus every time. It is a practical feature for an entry-level home theater system because it reduces setup friction and keeps the receiver from feeling like homework with speaker terminals.

yamaha-rx300a-scene-buttons

The RX300A supports Dolby Atmos in two ways. If you run speaker wires to the rear of your room and place speakers there for 5.1 channels, the receiver can add virtual height effects to simulate sound coming from above you. If instead, you want real height channels or you don’t want to run wires to the back of the room, you can configure the receiver for height channels and mount those extra speakers on the ceiling or high on the front or side wall for discrete height effects. This would be a real 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos system, with the receiver creating virtual rear channel effects. Note that Yamaha calls this a “3.2.2-channel” configuration, because there is a second subwoofer output on the receiver that could can use if you have a second sub.

And while the RX300A does not natively decode DTS:X, it does support DTS Virtual:X, which is designed to create a more spacious height effect from DTS soundtracks without requiring physical height speakers. That distinction matters. Real height channel decoding and real height speakers will deliver the more convincing immersive sound experience, while virtual processing is the compromise for rooms where adding more speakers is not practical. Useful? Yes. Ideal? Nope. But keep in mind, people, this is an entry level receiver so it can’t do everything.

For wireless connectivity, Bluetooth Multipoint allows two devices (such as a smartphone and tablet) to remain paired simultaneously, making it easy to switch between sources without reconnecting. The RX300A can also be used with Bluetooth headphones or speakers. 

The Speakers and Subwoofer

yamaha-yht-4970-speakers

The RX300A is the control center of the YHT-4970U, but Yamaha also includes the rest of the basic 5.1-channel speaker package in the box. The system comes with two compact front speakers, two compact surround speakers, a compact center channel speaker, and an 8-inch, 50-watt powered subwoofer, with the speakers and subwoofer connecting to the receiver using standard speaker wire and audio cable connections.

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Pro Tip #1: The package includes one powered subwoofer, but the RX300A provides two subwoofer outputs, so a second subwoofer can be added later if the room or your bass addiction demands backup.

Pro Tip #2: Because the RX300A uses standard passive speaker connections and powered subwoofer outputs, the included speakers are not a dead end. Owners can upgrade the front, center, surround speakers, or subwoofer later without replacing the entire system. That is one of the biggest advantages over most soundbar packages: the YHT-4970U starts as a complete system, but it does not have to stay frozen that way forever.

Comparison

Yamaha Model YHT-4970U (2026) YHT-4950U (2019)
Product Type Home Theater-in-a-Box Home Theater-in-a-Box
Price $699.99 $559.99
Included AVR RX300A RX-V385
Channels 5.2  5.1
Decodable Channels  5.1  5.1
Amplified Channels 5
Output Power  70 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz, 0.09% THD, 2-ch driven)
145 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 10% THD, 1-ch driven) 
70 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz, 0.09% THD, 2-ch driven)
145 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 10% THD, 1-ch driven) (JEITA)
Bi-amp Capable  Yes Yes
Surround Sound Decoding Formats  Dolby Atmos
Dolby True HD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Digital
DTS 
Dolby True HD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Digital
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS- HD High Resolution
DTS
DTS 96/24
DTS Neo:6
Surround Sound Post Decoding Formats  Dolby Surround 
DTS Virtual:X
Not Indicated
Network Decoding Formats  No No 
USB Decoding Formats  MP3
MPEG4-AAC
WM
WAV 
MP3
MPEG4-AAC
WMA
WAV 
HDMI Decoding Formats  PCM (8ch max) PCM (8ch max)
Sound Modes  Pure Direct
Straight
Movie
All Channel Stereo
2 Channel Stereo
Music
Night 
Direct 
Straight
Enhancer 
Bass program
BD/DVD
TV 
CD
Radio
Zone B  Yes  Not Indicated
Room Calibration  Room Correction  YPAO
Other Features  Dialogue Level
Subwoofer Trim
Extra Bass
Lip Sync 
Dialogue Level
Subwoofer Trim
Extra Bass
Lip Sync
HDMI Connections 4 Inputs / 1 Output  4 Inputs / 1 Output 
HDMI Features  HDMI 2.1 
8K60Hz/4K120Hz
eARC, ARC
VRR
ALLM
QMS
HDCP 2.3
CEC
Auto Lip Sync
Deep Color
x.v. Color
HD audio playback
HDMI Version 2.0b
Video Upscaling To 4K
eARC, ARC
HDCP 2.2
CEC
Auto Lip Sync
Deep Color
x.v. Color
HD audio playback
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Support  HDR10+
HDR10
Dolby Vision
Hybrid Log-Gamma 
HDR10
Dolby Vision
Hybrid Log-Gamma
Headphone Output  1
Subwoofer Pre-outs  1
HDMI  4 Inputs / 1 Output  4 Inputs / 1 Output 
Analog RCA Inputs  2
Analog Aux Input No 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Aux (Front)
Optical Input 
Coaxial Input  2
USB  1 (Audio File Playback from a Mass Storage Device, Firmware Updates) 
FM/AM Tuner  Yes / No  Yes/Yes
Bluetooth  Yes (Ver. 5.3, Multipoint)  Yes (Version 2.)1
Streaming  No (Streaming through Bluetooth only) No (Streaming through Bluetooth only)
Wi-Fi / Ethernet Por No No
Speaker Output  5 (binding post terminals)  5 (binding post terminals) 
Speaker Design 2 x Front, Bass Reflex
2 x Surround: Bass Reflex
1 x Center: Acoustic Suspension
2 x Front, Bass Reflex
2 x Surround: Bass Reflex
1 x Center: Acoustic Suspension
Speaker System Frequency Response Not Indicated 28 Hz to 25 kHz
Speaker System Power Handling Nominal Input Power 30 W per Channel

Max Input Power 100 W per Channel

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Nominal Input Power 30 W per Channel

Max Input Power 100 W per Channel

Speakers Impedance 6 Ohms 6 Ohms
Speakers Sensitivity Front, Surround: 83 dB, 2.83 V/m

Center: 84 dB, 2.83V/m

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Front, Surround: 83 dB, 2.83 V/m

Center: 84 dB, 2.83V/m

Speaker Drivers 1x 2.75″ / 69.85 mm Full-Range Cone per Speaker 1x 2.75″ / 69.85 mm Full-Range Cone per Speaker
Subwoofer Powered, Bass Reflex (twisted flare port)

Power Output RMS: 50 W (5 Ohms, 100 Hz, 10% THD)

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Dynamic: 100 W (5 Ohms)

Frequency Response: 28 to 200 Hz

Driver: 1x 8″ / 203.2 mm Cone

Powered, Bass Reflex
Power Output RMS: 50 W (5 Ohms, 100 Hz, 10% THD)
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Dynamic: 100 W (5 Ohms)

Frequency Response: 28 to 200 Hz

Driver: 1x 8″ / 203.2 mm Cone

Power Consumption  260W  AVR: 400W
Subwoofer: 40W
Standby Power Consumption  ≤0.3W  ≤ 0.2 W 
Auto Power Standby  Yes  Yes 
App  Not Indicated Not Indicated
Dimensions (AVR) 434W x 157H x 319D mm
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17-1/8”W x 6-1/8”H x 12-1/2”D 

17.13″W x 6.31″H x 12.56″D
Dimensions (Speakers) Not Indicated Front and Surrounds: 4.38 x 6.88 x 4.63″ / 111.13 x 174.63 x 117.48 mm

Center: 10.88 x 4.38 x 4.63″ / 276.23 x 111.13 x 117.48 mm

Dimensions (Woofer) 11” W x 11” H x 13” D 
Included Accessories  Remote Control
Batteries
FM Antenna
Setup Mic
Microphone Stand
Quick Guide
Safety Guide 
Remote Control
Batteries
AM/FM Antenna
Setup Mic
Microphone Stand
Quick Guide
Safety Guide 

The Bottom Line 

The Yamaha YHT-4970U makes sense for buyers who want a real 5.1-channel AVR-based home theater system without buying every piece separately. It also offers a flexible configuration option to use front height speakers instead of surround speakers for Dolby Atmos, in case running wires to the back of your room is problematic. For $700, it delivers discrete speakers, a powered subwoofer, Bluetooth, HDMI connectivity, and a genuine upgrade path.

The limitations are clear. There is no discrete 5.1.2-channel option for Dolby Atmos. That would take 7 amplifier channels, where this only has 5. And the RX-300A receiver doesn’t support DTS:X decoding. But in today’s Dolby Atmos-heavy streaming and physical media ecosystems, this may not be that big a deal to most buyers. Also, the included speakers are likely the starting point, not the finish line. The good news is that the RX300A uses standard speaker and subwoofer connections, so owners can upgrade the speakers or add a second subwoofer later as budget and available space allow.

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Who is it for? First-time home theater buyers, secondary rooms, and anyone who wants actual surround sound instead of another soundbar trying to do architectural drawings with DSP.

Pricing & Availability

  • Yamaha YHT-4970U 5.1-Channel Home Theater in a Box – $699.95 (July 2026)
  • Yamaha RX300A 5.2-Channel AVR – $399.95 (June 2026)

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Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept Captures The Spirit Of Carefree Summer Days With An Electric Twist

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Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept
The JP4x4 is a new take on two of the original Renault 4s: the Plein Air version, built in 1969 for open-air fun, and the JP4 from 1981, which seemed to channel carefree days by the sea. The name JP4 is derived from Journée à la Plage, which translates to “a day at the beach.” The new name JP4x4 incorporates the four-wheel drive feature, which is self-explanatory.



On May 18, visitors to the 2026 Roland-Garros French Open will get their first look at the vehicle, which joins three previous concepts built on the same electric Renault 4 E-Tech platform, each of which explored new ways to use the compact hatchback. The most recent version focuses squarely on leisure and light adventure. The vehicle joins three previous prototypes based on the same electric Renault 4 E-Tech chassis, each exploring new ways to use the compact hatchback. This most recent edition focuses solely on leisure and minor adventure. Emerald green paint covers the bodywork in a somewhat iridescent tint that resembles the colors offered on the classic 4L in the 1970s. Bright orange fills the interior, creating a sharp, cheerful contrast that draws the eye from all sides. Half-doors replace the traditional five-door layout, stopping just short of the B-pillar enabling simple entry and departure. There are no side windows or a canvas roof, so the hut is always open to the breeze.

The openwork roof is made up of a cross-shaped structure that provides enough stiffness while allowing plenty of sky to be visible. The same frame supports a surfboard strapped securely on top. At the back, the tailgate folds flat like the side of a pickup truck, transforming the cargo area into a simple loading platform. Skateboards fit nicely into the free area behind the seats, ready for whatever happens next.

Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept Interior
Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept Interior
Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept Interior
Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept Interior
The dashboard and digital screens are carried over from the production car, but Renault added a passenger grab handle for rougher terrain and a floating center console to keep the space airy. Inside, the seats replicate the distinctive bucket style of 1970s Renault models, complete with integrated headrests that resemble wrapped Egyptian mummies. The seats are covered in mixed fabrics, combining a crepe base with diagonal mesh sections for a sporty yet comfortable feel. Orange accents appear. They are covered in a mix of fabrics, including a crepe base and diagonal mesh parts for a sporty yet comfortable feel. The dashboard and digital panels are carried over from the production car, but Renault has added a passenger grasp hold for rougher terrain and a floating center console to keep the area open. Orange accents emerge on the door panels and surrounding the console, bringing everything together.

Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept
The JP4x4 is mechanically similar to last year’s Savane 4×4 concept, with a second electric motor driving the rear wheels, giving the vehicle permanent all-wheel drive instead of the front-wheel-drive setup found on the standard Renault 4 E-Tech. The ground clearance rises by 15 millimeters, and each track widens by 10 millimeters for better stability. The 18-inch wheels wear a fresh design inspired by the original JP4, wrapped in Goodyear UltraGrip Performan A second electric motor powers the back wheels, providing the vehicle permanent all-wheel drive rather than the front-wheel-drive system seen on the ordinary Renault 4 E-Tech. The ground clearance increases by 15 millimeters, and each track expands by 10 millimeters to improve stability. The 18-inch wheels feature a new design inspired by the original JP4, as well as Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ tires in the 225/55 size. The wheelbase remains at 2,624 millimeters, as it was on the production vehicle.

Renault 4 JP4X4 Concept
Renault built the entire package for sandy beaches, stony pathways, and unpaved treks where extra traction is critical. The combination of raised height, wider stance, and all-wheel drive gives the car a capable feel without making it a serious off-road vehicle. Nobody expects this particular vehicle to hit showrooms. Instead, it serves as a showcase for the electric Renault 4 platform’s versatility.

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Amazon says it isn’t making another phone, after burning itself with the Fire Phone

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Amazon’s devices chief says the company is not chasing a conventional smartphone, even as reports point to a mobile AI device inspired by Alexa.

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Two Figure F.03 Humanoid Robots Just Reset an Entire Bedroom in Under Two Minutes

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Figure F.03 Humanoid Robot Helix Making Bed
A recent Figure AI tech showcase depicts two F.03 humanoid robots walking into a clean but lived-in environment. One robot goes straight to a coat thrown on a bed and hangs it neatly on a wall hook. At the same time, the second robot closes a laptop on the desk and places a pair of headphones back onto their stand. They keep progressing without pausing, each catching up on what the other has previously accomplished. When they approach the unmade bed, they naturally split off, one on each side, and begin manipulating the sheets and comforter together until everything is level and smooth.



People have seen robots doing laundry and stacking boxes before, but this time, not one, but TWO machines went through a whole sequence of everyday jobs in the same room at the same time, not bad for a minute and a half of work. The list of tasks included opening doors, pushing a chair under the desk, closing a book, emptying a small trash can, and generally tidying up the joint so it looked ready for the next day. But this time, not one, but TWO computers performed a whole sequence of daily tasks in the same room at the same time, which is not bad for a minute and a half of effort. The list of activities included opening doors, moving a chair beneath the desk, closing a book, emptying a little trash can, and generally cleaning up the space so it looked ready for the next day.


Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot(No Secondary Development)
  • Sleek & Durable Design: Standing at 132cm tall and weighing only approx. 35kg, the G1 is constructed with aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and carbon…
  • High Flexibility & Safe Movement: Boasting 23 joint degrees of freedom (6 per leg, 5 per arm), it offers an extensive range of motion. For safety, it…
  • Smart Interaction & Connectivity: Powered by an 8-core high-performance CPU and equipped with a depth camera and 3D LiDAR. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and…

Figure F.03 Humanoid Robot Helix Making Bed
Each F.03 stands about five feet eight inches tall, walks around on two legs with arms that have hands made up of five individual fingers, and their heads have stereo cameras that feed live video straight into their central brain, with no need for any external sensors or additional computers to help them out. The trick is in a special bit of software called Helix-02, which Figure built in as a single rule that takes images from the cameras and then The trick is in a special piece of software called Helix-02, which Figure included as a single rule that takes images from the cameras and a simple aim and translates them into an infinite succession of joint movements, with no further planners or coding required.

Figure F.03 Humanoid Robot Helix Making Bed
Engineers basically gave the system thousands of hours of practice time through simulated runs, then threw in some real-world examples from their earlier tests of the robots doing grocery shopping and kitchen cleaning, and then they simply added some new data showing the robots working together in a room, and the model just learned the new pattern, no need for new code.

Figure F.03 Humanoid Robot Helix Making Bed
When the comforter becomes all bunched up and begins to slide out from under the robots, the one on the left will tilt its head slightly, and the one on the right will notice and adjust its grip just in time to catch it; because they don’t send any messages to each other, everything happens on the fly, with each watching the other’s body language and adjusting their own plan as it goes.

Figure F.03 Humanoid Robot Helix Making Bed
Engineers will tell you that the problem is that objects that can change shape, such as a blanket, provide a significant challenge. The policy predicts when the shape will change and adjusts accordingly, all in a fraction of a second! It also makes the robots steady when they reach, stride, and turn, as it was interesting to see one of them stand on one leg to press the pedal while the other just kept walking.
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Japanese banks to get Anthropic’s vulnerability-hunting AI

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MUFG, Mizuho, and SMFG would be the first Japanese institutions added to Anthropic’s restricted Project Glasswing rollout, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters

Japan’s three megabanks are set to gain access to Claude Mythos, Anthropic’s vulnerability-hunting AI model, within roughly two weeks, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

It would be the first time a Japanese company has been granted entry to the restricted preview, which has so far been confined to Anthropic’s American and a handful of European partners.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group were informed of the move during meetings in Tokyo this week with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The three lenders are expected to be onboarded by the end of May.

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Mythos has been treated by regulators and chief executives as a category-shifting event since Anthropic disclosed its existence earlier this month.

The model has discovered thousands of previously unknown zero-day vulnerabilities across every major operating system and every major web browser, and in internal testing it wrote working exploits, including chains that escape both renderer and operating-system sandboxes in a browser.

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Mozilla last week shipped Firefox 150 with fixes for 271 vulnerabilities found by Mythos in a single evaluation pass.

Anthropic has not released the model publicly. Instead, it has run a controlled rollout under what it calls Project Glasswing, with 12 named launch partners, including AWS, Apple, Cisco, Google, JPMorganChase, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palo Alto Networks, and around 40 further institutions granted access on a case-by-case basis.

Japan’s inclusion comes weeks after the Fed and US Treasury convened American bank chief executives on the same cyber-risk briefing, and after UK regulators committed to briefing major British banks within days.

Tokyo is moving in parallel. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama announced the formation of a 36-entity public-private working group on Mythos-class risks, comprising the country’s major banks, the Bank of Japan, and the Japanese units of Anthropic and OpenAI.

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The group is chaired by Mizuho’s chief information security officer and is charged with identifying exposures, implementing defensive measures, and drafting contingency plans for what would amount to a co-ordinated patching push across the Japanese financial system.

For the three banks involved, the immediate question is operational. Mythos under Glasswing terms is delivered with restrictions on output disclosure, with the model used to find vulnerabilities in a partner’s own systems and to draft remediation, not to publish exploits.

The Mozilla case offers a template: 271 vulnerabilities patched in a single Firefox release after a Mythos sweep, with the model’s findings handed back to Mozilla engineers under non-disclosure rather than published.

The geopolitical layer is unusually visible. Bessent’s role in conveying the access decision in Tokyo aligns Mythos rollout with US Treasury statecraft rather than with Anthropic’s commercial channel, an arrangement that has drawn complaints from European capitals.

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Eurozone finance ministers raised the issue at an Ecofin meeting last week, where no EU government had access to the model while the White House was reported to be blocking further expansion of the partner list.

Industry views on Mythos remain split. Some cybersecurity researchers have argued that the vulnerabilities Mythos surfaced are reachable through clever orchestration of public models, and that the bigger story is the rate of improvement of frontier AI in offensive cyber, not Mythos itself.

Others, including Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, have described the moment as a “cyber moment of danger” that justifies the access controls.

Anthropic and the three Japanese banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Reuters source’s account.

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How to watch Lady Gaga concert on May 14 on Apple Music

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Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem Requiem” filmed live performance will stream on Thursday, May 14, via Apple Music Live and at select AMC theaters across the United States.

At 11:00 p.m. Eastern / 8:00 p.m. Pacific, Lady Gaga fans can head to the Apple Music app on their iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or in-browser at music.apple.com to tune into an exclusive stream of the Mayhem Requiem filmed live performance. In addition to streaming on the app, 15 select AMC theaters across the U.S. will show the performance at the same time.

The premiere is free for anyone to watch; no Apple Music subscription is required. However, Apple Music subscribers will be able to watch the performance on demand after the event is over.

Apple Music describes the event:

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“The opera house from Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM Ball has been reduced to rubble— and now it’s time for MAYHEM Requiem, a celebration and musical reimagining of her sixth album.”

It’s worth noting that the filmed live performance isn’t actually live, either. It was recorded on January 14 at Los Angeles’ Walter Theater.

A live album of all songs mastered in spatial audio will be available on Apple Music. Fans can unlock bonus content, like wallpapers and Apple Watch faces, through the Shazam app by identifying any Lady Gaga song.

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iPhone & Android interoperability enhancements highlighted at Google I/O preshow

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A week ahead of the Google I/O event, during the Android Show stream, there were some iPhone-friendly Android features teased. We already knew about them.

Two smartphones side by side: a Google Pixel-style phone with weather and Gemini widgets on a dark home screen, and an iPhone-style phone displaying colorful app icons and widgets.
An Android smartphone and an iPhone

Google I/O 2026 is taking place on May 19 and 20, and the search giant is warming up for its biggest presentation of the year. To prepare its users for that event, it held a smaller presentation on Tuesday about Android.
The Android Show I/O Edition 2026 was a 40-minute prerecorded stream, introducing a number of changes to Google’s ecosystem. There was obviously a lot of Google, Chromebook, and Android-specific content, but also some that was Apple-related in nature.
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Alphabet’s Isomorphic Labs raises $2.1bn in Series B funding

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The organisation plans to use the investment as a means of accelerating the application of its AI model, at scale.

AI-powered drug design and development company Isomorphic Labs has announced the raising of $2.1bn in Series B funding. The round was led by Thrive Capital and includes participation from existing backers Alphabet and GV alongside new investors MGX, Temasek, CapitalG and the UK Sovereign AI Fund.

Founded in 2021 and led by CEO Demis Hassabis and its president Max Jaderberg, Isomorphic Labs is headquartered in London and has additional premises in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lausanne, Switzerland. The company, which is a spin-off from Google DeepMind, an AI research lab acquired by Alphabet in 2014, aims to address the challenges of drug discovery using AI technology. 

Isomorphic labs intends to put the recently raised funds towards the continued development and deployment of its AI drug design engine (IsoDDE) and the acceleration and expansion of its pipeline of therapeutic programmes. Additionally, the funding will support current hiring targets.

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Commenting on the announcement Ruth Porat, the president and chief investment officer at Alphabet and Google said, “The application of AI in healthcare offers a profound opportunity. 

“Isomorphic Labs has already made extraordinary progress in harnessing AI to accelerate drug discovery, and we are excited by this momentum and the early promise of the technology platform.This trajectory is encouraging, and this funding will be used to accelerate the work and bring important interventions to market with greater speed.”

Jaderberg added, “This milestone is built on the strength of our AI drug design engine, which has already proven its worth across our internal programmes by hitting key milestones and identifying viable candidates with unprecedented speed.

“Our drug design engine works, and it’s giving us a repeatable way to design new medicines for a wide range of diseases, building a future of medicine that was previously out of reach.”

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Reportedly, Isomorphic expects to run its first clinical trials by the end of 2026, a delay from the CEO’s earlier target of having AI-designed drugs in trials by the end of 2025.

In late April, Alphabet was among some of the large scale organisations posting positive quarterly reports. Alphabet beat revenue expectations for the past quarter, led by its growing cloud business, which rose 63pc to hit $20bn. Consolidated revenue grew 22pc to nearly $110bn.

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Build The CPU, Then Build The Calculator

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It’s possible that among Hackaday readers are the largest community of people who have designed their own CPU in the world. We have featured many here, but it’s possible that not so many of them have gone on to power an everyday project. Step forward [Baltazar Studios] then, with a scientific calculator sporting a self-designed CPU on an FPGA.

The calculator itself is nice enough, with a smart 3D printed case, an OLED display which almost evokes a VFD, and very well made buttons. But it’s the CPU which is of most interest, because while it follows a conventional Harvard architecture with a 12-bit instruction set, it works with 4-bit nibbles. This choice follows one used by HP in their calculator designs, seemingly because it can be optimised for the binary coded decimal which the calculator uses.

With calculators being yet another app on our spartphones or comnputers, there seems to be less use of calculators outside of education in 2026. But if you are a calculator user there’s nothing like a calculator you made yourself, and with a CPU of your own design it has few equals. We like this project almost as much as we like the Flapulator!

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AI security is broken at runtime: Most enterprises don’t realize it yet

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Artificial intelligence didn’t roll out slowly. In fact, at times it feels like it landed all at once.

In just a few years, systems that began as internal experiments are now embedded in customer support, fraud detection, software development, and even IT infrastructure operations.

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Amazon Employees Are ‘Tokenmaxxing’ Due To Pressure To Use AI Tools

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Times (via Ars Technica): Amazon employees are using an internal AI tool to automate non-essential tasks in a bid to show managers they are using the technology more frequently. The Seattle-based group has started to widely deploy its in-house “MeshClaw” product in recent weeks, allowing employees to create AI agents that can connect to workplace software and carry out tasks on a user’s behalf, according to three people familiar with the matter. Some employees said colleagues were using the software to automate additional, unnecessary AI activity to increase their consumption of tokens — units of data processed by models. They said the move reflected pressure to adopt the technology after Amazon introduced targets for more than 80 percent of developers to use AI each week, and earlier this year began tracking AI token consumption on internal leader boards.

“There is just so much pressure to use these tools,” one Amazon employee told the FT. “Some people are just using MeshClaw to maximize their token usage.” Amazon has told employees that the AI token statistics would not be used in performance evaluations. But several staff members said they believed managers were monitoring the data. “Managers are looking at it,” said another current employee. “When they track usage it creates perverse incentives and some people are very competitive about it.”

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