Aqara’s seven-inch touchscreen Panel Hub S1 Plus has gotten a major update that adds built-in Siri support, so you can tap Apple’s virtual assistant, even when your phone or HomePod aren’t nearby. While built-in Siri isn’t new, it hasn’t enjoyed the same level of support as Alexa. For now, unfortunately, the S1 Plus isn’t available in the US, however.
It’s only four questions long, but NPR’s test of your ability to spot AI slop can help you test your skills. Of course, after you pass the test (I have faith in you), there are tips for what to look out for and words of caution about just assuming everything is fake. Your skepticism can be weaponized in what’s called the “liar’s dividend.”
In a sign that consumers may be focused heavily on scoring deals and discounts this holiday season, spending was up significantly from 2024. Depending on the metric you use, spending was up between 9 and 11 percent. It might not be an indicator of what to expect for the rest of the holiday season, however, according to the New York Times:
Economists are looking at this year’s holiday sales as an indicator of how the economy is doing amid economic challenges: the longest government shutdown, changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and a weakening job market. Despites the strong Black Friday sales this year, analysts say that may not reflect how retailers will perform overall this holiday season.
Just a couple of months after entering beta, Ableton Live 12.3 is officially available as a free update for all Live 12 owners. There are also some updated devices, including a revamped Auto Pan-Tremolo. Push is gaining a new layout, too, that turns the top 32 pads into an X/Y expression controller.
One of the busiest travel weekends of the year doesn’t seem like an ideal time to update more than half of the world’s over 11,000 A320s. Still, a potential issue involving solar flares was serious enough that the company pushed the software update Friday. American Airlines said that 340 of its planes required the update, which it expected to take about two hours each. According to Reuters:
... that comes at a time when airline repair shops are already overrun by maintenance work, as hundreds of Airbus jets have been grounded due to long waiting times for separate engine repairs or inspections. The industry also has labour shortages. “The timing is definitely not ideal for an issue like this to arise on one of the most ubiquitous aircraft around the (U.S.) holidays,” Mike Stengel of AeroDynamic Advisory said.
The Supreme Court decided that Shira Perlmutter can keep her job while it considers two other cases involving FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, both of whom Trump also tried to fire. It’s important that the Copyright Office falls under the Library of Congress, which is historically run by, well, Congress, not the White House. Presumably, the line is drawn somewhere about who the president has the power to fire.
AI-generated images of food attached to nonsense recipes and Google AI Overview remixes of actual recipes are taking a huge toll on traffic for recipe bloggers. But home cooks are also wasting time and money following recipes that claim to be for cookies but only yield melted pools of cloyingly sweet dough. According to Bloomberg:
An AI-assembled version of [Eb] Gargano’s Christmas cake, for instance, would have people cooking a 6-inch cake for 3 to 4 hours at 320°F (160°C). “You’d end up with charcoal!” she said. Meanwhile, traffic to her turkey recipe is already down 40% year over year.
