Category: 4. Technology

Positive Grid has announced the launch of Spark NEO, a wireless guitar rig that’s built directly into a pair of over-ear headphones. Designed to deliver a personal audio experience, Spark NEO includes Positive Grid’s award-winning guitar amp technology with a pair of true wireless Bluetooth headphones so you can practise in private.

Spark NEO headphones have all the usual audio capabilities as well as AI-powered guitar tone customization. The headphones provide a private and convenient way to stream audio over Bluetooth while playing guitar.

Using custom-designed 40mm drivers and an ultra-lightweight bio-fiber diaphragm, the Spark NEO delivers a balanced sound to suit most styles of music. For guitarists, it offers advanced tone-shaping tools, giving the freedom to play anywhere without disturbing others.

The included wireless transmitter instantly pairs any guitar with the Spark NEO headphones, while a built-in 1/4″ input can also support traditional guitar cables for those who don’t want to go wireless.

There are four onboard and customizable guitar presets. Spark NEO makes it possible to play anywhere and be free from space limitations or noise constraints. When connecting to the free Spark app, users can unlock additional presets, amplifiers, effects, as well as advanced tone controls.

To ensure the headphones are easy to wear, ultra-soft and durable ear cups, along with advanced damping materials, tuned venting and precise port adjustments, provide a high level of passive noise isolation. This makes it easier to hear the music without being disturbed by unwanted sounds. Users can jam along to backing tracks or a favorite song without disturbing others.

Spark NEO creates a bridge between a traditional guitar and modern wireless technology. Unlike using generic headphones with a guitar amp, Spark NEO has extras available via the Spark App. This app extends the capabilities of Spark NEO by providing access to 33 amplifiers and 43 effects. Users can also access more than 100,000 tones on Positive Grid’s online ToneCloud.

Auto Chords helps players learn and jam to any song by displaying the chords in real time as the song plays. Customizable presets provide more creative possibilities when playing along with backing tracks or favorite songs.

Pricing and Availability:

Positive Grid’s Spark NEO will be available soon from Positive Grid’s website, Amazon and select retailers. The price will be $199 / £189 / €239 and includes headphones, wireless transmitter and full access to the Spark app.

Here’s what you need to know about the software, as well as hidden tips and tricks.

Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer

Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.

Expertise Web hosting | Operating systems | Applications | Software Credentials

• Apple software beta tester, “Helps make our computers and phones work!” – Zach’s grandparents

A major Meta update has introduced a built-in copyright check feature within the Facebook Reels composer, aiming to help creators avoid violations before publishing. This Meta update is also part of a broader strategy that includes the launch of a new AI division, Meta Superintelligence Labs, to drive cutting-edge advancements.

The new Meta update directly integrates copyright scanning into the Reels creation process on Facebook. Previously available only through Meta’s Business Suite, the tool now alerts creators to potential copyright issues while they build their content. This helps prevent common problems like reduced reach, lost ad income, and removed audio that often follow copyright violations.

Creators can choose to turn this feature on or off, but if enabled, it will scan the video before it goes live. If copyrighted material is detected, the video’s publication could be delayed for up to an hour, giving the user time to make edits. Even with the feature switched off, Meta will still perform checks after the content is published, meaning early detection remains the smarter choice.

As this Meta update rolls out to more users, it adds an extra layer of security for creators who depend on their videos for engagement and revenue. Meta’s goal is to make content creation on its platforms safer and more reliable.

Alongside this, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reorganized the company’s AI initiatives under the new Meta Superintelligence Labs, appointing Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, as chief AI officer. This move comes after a lukewarm response to Meta’s Llama 4 AI model and aims to regain ground lost to competitors like Google, OpenAI, and China’s DeepSeek. The company plans to fast-track projects in artificial general intelligence and expand tools like Meta AI, image-to-video ad platforms, and smart glasses to boost future earnings.

With these steps, the latest Meta update underscores the company’s efforts to support content creators and reinforce its position in the AI space.

Fourth of July deals are still running this weekend and Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner, so there are plenty of discounts available to help you save money this weekend. But few items on offer will be quite as useful as this deal that gets you 12 reusable magnetic cable ties for just $10. These budget-friendly magnetic ties will make organizing your unruly desk cables a breeze.

You can get your new cable ties in any color you like, just so long as that happens to be black. But really, who looks at their cable ties anyway?

This pack of 12 cable ties includes strong magnets that can be attached to the side of your desk or just about anywhere else. That could be a real quality of life improvement if you’re forever dropping cables down the back of your desk.

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Each cable tie is made from a high-quality, soft silicone that is stretchy and designed not to damage any of your cables during use. They also sport a total of 11 different button holes, so you can make the cable ties just the right size for your needs.

Why this deal matters

Messy cables are a real eyesore, and nobody wants to deal with them. Thankfully, tidying them up is easier than ever and you won’t have to spend big to do it. This pack of 12 cable ties works out to be less than $1 each, so why haven’t you ordered yours yet?

Whether you’re surfing at the beach, biking on a trail or visiting a new city, getting your summer adventures on video can be a great way to capture the memories for later. But if you’re using an old camera or your smartphone, it can be tough to get good quality footage when you’re moving quickly (or even going underwater). Insta360 action cameras can solve that problem though. These cameras are made for fast-paced adventures and record video in stunning 4K or 8K resolution. 

Staying home and focusing on work this summer? The brand has cameras to upgrade your remote workout set-up too. Most built-in laptop webcams and smartphone cameras don’t do much for your image quality, which makes it essential to have a dedicated camera that offers better clarity, smooth video, ease of use, and a few extra handy features. Insta360 offers several great options, and you can get them on sale now as part of a special Fourth of July weekend sale.

The brand is currently slashing prices on its AI-powered 4K webcams and other popular models like the Go series and X series cameras, with some options discounted by up to 47%. Snag these deals while you can and say goodbye to those 720p grains.

Some of our top picks from the sale include the Insta360 X4 camera. This portable option allows you to capture 360-degree video in up to 8K quality. You can use the Active HDR mode to maintain exceptional color accuracy, even for fast-paced action shots. Its FlowState Stabilization and 360-degree Horizon Lock features deliver smooth stabilization while you’re out exploring.

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If you are looking to improve the quality of your video calls, consider Insta360 Link 2C, which is available at a $49 discount with an on-page coupon. It offers detailed 4K visuals, an impressive low-light performance, a built-in auto-framing feature, and even AI noise cancelling. The standard Insta360 Link 2 is also on sale for 25% off right now and includes a 2-axis gimbal for added stabilization.

Or for some summer adventures, take a look at the X2 360 waterproof camera that can handle all those splashes and drops. It is waterproof up to 10 meters (33ft), and can be yours at a whopping 47% discount.

There is more to explore, but be sure to get your orders in before the deals expire or the stock runs out. We’ll also be covering all of the best Amazon Prime Day deals over the next week, so be sure to keep checking back for more deals.

Why this deal matters

Good quality cameras and webcams can transform your video conferencing, shooting, and streaming experience. Insta360 makes some of the best options on the market, and this summer sale lets you pick one for less.

Some of the best models are seeing significant discounts, and we don’t know if the promotions will change during next week’s Prime Day sale. 

Vincent Kompany has had far from an entirely fit squad for Bayern Munich at the FIFA Club World Cup due to the amount of injuries there currently are. In the defensive area of the pitch in particular, depth is rather thin as far as senior players are concerned. Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Ito, and Kim Min-jae are all currently out injured for the German Rekordmeister and Dayot Upamecano only just returned from a relatively lengthy injury layover that saw him miss a handful of matches toward the end of last season.

Going into the FIFA Club World Cup, before it was understood that Upamecano would be available on the bench against Auckland City and then likely start against Boca Juniors, there was the idea that Kompany would start with Leon Goretzka and Josip Stanišić at center back. However, that was also before Max Eberl agreed on a fee with Bayer Leverkusen to have new signing Jonathan Tah from the start of the tournament as opposed to from July 1st onward.

As a result and out of necessity, Stanišić has been deputized out of his natural position at left-back for most of the tournament; a task with which he has done quite well on the way to helping Bayern advance to the quarterfinals at the very least. Much like playing at right-back, the Croatian international recently explained that he actually does prefer left-back to center back in a way due to the more attacking freedom that he has there.

“When it comes to crossing, it’s easier with the right foot than with the left, but otherwise it’s not a big change. I also like playing left-back because I can be a bit more active there because as a center-back, you have more responsibility defensively and not as much to do going forward,” Stanišić told kicker ahead of the quarter final clash against Paris Saint-Germain in Atlanta, Georgia (via @iMiaSanMia).

As far as the upcoming season is concerned, Kompany might need to continue playing Stanišić at left-back with both Davies and Ito still out injured. It remains to be seen what more business could be done in the summer transfer window, though, but Bayern’s main focus remains on securing a deal for VfB Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade and getting a winger to make up for not being able to get Florian Wirtz. They could still, however, do business in the defensive area of the pitch.

Having access to a power station can be a game-changer if you enjoy the great outdoors. These practical device are also great to have around in case your electricity every decides to act up. Though these devices aren’t the cheapest, ongoing Fourth of July deals are here to help. We’ve spotted this Ugreen portable power station for just $108 right now. This price puts it down to a record low that beats its previous low by $10, and though it’s only showing as $12 off its list price, this device more regularly sells for $170.

This Ugreen portable power station was made to provide your electronics and important devices with power for up to 10 days. It’s got two USB-A and three USB-C inputs and a total capacity of up to 300 watts. This power station includes an LED light with three different settings: SOS, high light and low light. You can charge it in as little as 1.5 hours, which is relatively fast for a power station this size.

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If you’re in a rush, you can safely charge your devices at the Ugreen power station while it’s being charged. That’s a rare feature among power stations of all kinds, though you’ll need a powerful charger like this $80 Ugreen model to do so.

We’ve also reviewed other portable power stations if you want to keep looking around. Plus, we’re keeping track of the best deals on portable power stations, so you can buy exactly what you need for less. Plus, we’re keeping track of early and Amazon Prime Day deals so you can save on upcoming purchases, gifts and treats.

Why this deal matters 

A backup power source is essential in your home or car if you’re on the go. Whether you’re camping in the wilderness or dealing with a power outage at home, being able to charge your phone or laptop can be big help. Like all great things, most power sources don’t come cheap. That’s why we’re spotlighting this Ugreen device. Not only is it steeply discounted, but it’s now reached a new record low.

• Biometrics: Fingerprint or facial recognition. Examples include Face ID, Touch ID, Android Fingerprint/Face Unlock, and Windows Hello.
• PIN/Pattern: This would use the same method you use to unlock your phone with a PIN code or a pattern.

                                               -Okta

Okta Threat Intelligence watched in real time as threat actors used the Vercel platform to host multiple phishing sites that pretended to be legitimate websites for well-known brands such as Microsoft 365 and some cryptocurrency firms. Using AI to create these bogus websites means that the old red flags, such as spelling and grammatical mistakes, can no longer be used to warn you of a phishing attack.

Content creator Wiktor Ivanovko stitches a shocking video of a burning car driving down the street. Ivanovko claims the flaming car overheated due to the Northstar V-8’s head gasket failing. 

The Facebook post went viral, generating 370,200 views as of this writing.

What Cars Had the Northstar V-8 Engine?

In the post, Ivanovko speculates that the cause of the engine fire was due to the head gasket failure in a vehicle with a Northstar V-8 engine.

“This is what happens when a Northstar V-8 engine head gasket fails. It overheats slightly,” Ivanovko says. “Slightly” is a sarcastic understatement, as the car was blazing down the road on fire. The question is, are these engines still in production, and which cars had the Northstar V-8?

The Northstar V-8 engine’s production began in 1993. It remained in production until 2011, according to CarBuzz. The Northstar V-8 engine was considered General Motors’ most complex engine at the time, featuring double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, an aluminum engine block, and aluminum cylinder heads. During production, this V-8 engine was used for Cadillac, Pontiac, and Buick models, but mostly for Cadillac. 

The Cadillac models that featured the V-8 in the debut were the Seville, Eldorado, and Allante. The Northstar V-8 immediately exhibited world-class luxury car performance refinement that American automakers had lacked, Autoweb reports. 

While the buzz was real and exciting during the 90s, there was a slight issue that turned into a major one involving the head bolts. 

What Caused the Head Gasket Failures?

The Truth About Cars reports that the head gasket failures were primarily due to issues with the head bolts and their ability to maintain clamping force under heat. The head bolts were threaded too finely, leading to stretching and loss of tension over time under heat cycling and stress. 

This so-called “stretching” of the head bolts would cause them to strip the metal off the block as the threads pulled away. This resulted in a loss of cylinder pressure. When this happened, the coolant entered the cylinders, exhaust, and eventually engine oil, which led to overheating and cooking the head gasket. 

While issues within the cylinders or exhaust were not always visible, a ruined head gasket led to milkshake-like brownish oil under the engine’s oil filler cap.

The issues were then known generally as a head gasket failure, or the “Northstar Condition.”

So, when coolant is on the loose and ends up in the oil, it’s best to avoid driving entirely.  

What Are Signs of the Northstar Head Gasket Failure?

Northstar Performance reports these are the most common signs of head gasket failure on a Northstar engine:

• Overheating.
• High pressure build-up in the coolant surge (fill) tank that remains when the engine cools off.
• White smoke from the exhaust.
• Coolant smell from the exhaust.
• Engine temperature spikes during acceleration or climbing steep grades.
• Coolant in the oil, which makes oil milky white or light brown.
• Sudden severe oil leak coming from rear main seal area.

A few tests can be done to determine how things are looking. First, a combustion leak test kit can be picked up from your local auto shop. This will check for exhaust gasses being present in the cooling system. 

Another test that can be done is a quick acceleration run on the highway. Before doing this, be sure there is enough coolant. This test entails driving the car up to 70 miles per hour and dropping the speed to monitor coolant temperature. When doing this, the coolant should never go past the ⅝ mark or go over 240 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature keeps climbing up, pull over immediately to let the car cool down.

The last thing you want to do is let the engine overheat and catch fire like the Ghost Rider in the viral post. 

Many commenters couldn’t believe their eyes and chimed in with some humor. 

“He’s on his way to O’reilly’s Auto,” one Facebook commenter wrote.

“There’s a few things that would make a man keep driving in that condition. I’ll leave the list to your imagination,” another said.

“I thought it was Ghost Rider,” a third joked. 

Motor1 has contacted Wiktor Ivanovko via Facebook direct message. This story will be updated should he respond.

So after a quick break trawling Eurobike’s halls filled with 32in wheels and DJI’s clear e-MTB domination, we’re back with another five cool things. This week, we’re going to take a closer look at Garmin’s MTB-specific cycling computer, PNW’s shiny new (literally) dropper post, and Renthal’s refreshed handlebars. On top of that, we’ve got Time’s latest pedals and Sendhit’s third crack at handguards. But first, let’s take a look at what happened over the past couple of weeks.

As Eurobike has come and gone for another year, tonnes of brands brought new products to show off, including Hope and its revamped EVO brake range, as well as Fox’s inverted Podium fork and Commencal’s prototype DJI-equipped Meta SX. Shimano also brought Di2 to gravel with its GRX Di2 release, and Mondraker claims to have made ‘the most enduro’ bike of them all.

These bars are bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

As for gravel, Canyon has proven that it’s not quite finished with mental handlebars as the new Grizl features the brand’s Full Mounty bar. Tailfin also announced its latest event, but interestingly, it has opened up a limited number of cheaper tickets in a bid to make bikepacking accessible for all.

Moving on and we caught up with Tracy Moseley to discuss what happened to eMTB racing and whether or not it can be fixed. We also highlighted how proper training and nutrition prove that the best bike upgrade isn’t the bike, it’s the rider, and Steve discusses why he rides bikes and what motivates him to do it more.

Wrapping up with reviews, and we deliver our verdicts on Pivot’s Trailcat LT, NS Bikes’ Synonym, and Boardman’s budget-friendly TRVL 8.9 DB. Matt puts Hope’s Carbon Crankset through the wringer while Fox’s DHX2 coil shock gets the very same treatment.

Garmin Edge MTB

£340

Although mountain bikers have been using cycling computers regardless of what kind of riding they’re actually built for, Garmin reckons that there’s space and a desire for a mountain bike-specific unit. With that, the brand has leaned right into what it reckons mountain bikers want from their computers, so the Edge MTB is built to be super rugged with a Corning Gorilla Glass screen. 

It’s then loaded with loads of features that should appeal to MTBers, including specific downhill and enduro ride modes with the former only tracking descents and the latter allowing users to flick between ascend and descend modes at the press of a button. The computer is also hooked up to Trailforks, which should help users find new trails. That’s with a hand from 5Hz HPS recording in these profiles, for greater accuracy.

A feature we’re looking forward to playing with is the virtual timing gate feature, where riders can plot timing gates and automatically record split times on a chosen descent.  Garmin then says that the Edge MTB’s battery can last up to 14 hours or up to 26 hours in battery saver mode.

PNW Components Loam Dropper Gen 2

£229

PNW’s Gen 1 Loam Dropper made a name for itself in the market for being affordable but super reliable, but that wasn’t enough for the brand. Having brought its Loam Dropper back to the drawing board, the Gen 2 version brings a host of revisions that have resulted in a lower stack, more travel, and, according to PNW, even greater durability. But importantly, it now comes in silver, which is promised to be just as resilient as the black anodised version (which is still available).

Now available in up to 225mm of travel, the post is still adjustable, offering 25mm of adjustment in 5mm increments. Offering the rider to pack more drop into their bikes, PNW has shaved the chamfer off of the post’s collar, allowing it to be inserted deeper into the frame, and similarly to what we’ve seen on the OneUp Components V3 dropper, its saddle clamp is dropped slightly. There’s a whole bunch of stuff going on internally too, with the aim of upping durability, but we’ll dive right into that in the upcoming review.

Renthal Fatbar35

£85

Over the past year or so, the Renthal Fatbar has been going through a bit of change to keep up with current trends, so notably, it’s now available in a wider range of rises, with the Fatbar35 going up to a whopping 70mm. However, a notable change for the bar is that Renthal has updated its graphics. Now, the classic logos are simply black. They’re more subdued and far less flashy, which will certainly appeal to those who prefer a subtle look, myself included.

As for the bar itself, apart from the range of rises, it’s still the Fatbar we all know and love. It’s built from 7 Series aluminium with a shot-peened finish, which claims to increase the bar’s fatigue life. Then, the AluGold or Black colourways are anodised for abrasion resistance.

The geometry is the same, too, with its seven-degree backsweep, five-degree upsweep, and 800mm width.

Sendhit Nock V3 hand guards

£70

After seeing quite the rise in popularity amongst enduro riders, and notably seen on the bar of Sam Hill, the whole handguard subject has simmered down a little. That is, until recently, when Crankbrothers jumped onto the bandwagon and now, Sendhit has brought revisions to its Nock hand guards, which were a real favourite of ours to start with.

Now in their third iteration, the Nock V3 hand guards get a complete redesign, and they introduce a fresh clamp feature that allows the mounts to integrate with a grip’s locking collar for a more seamless look. Additionally, they’re cut with a new shape, but they still carry one feature that sets the Nock guards apart from any other – the foam pad placed inside the guard for a bit of protection for when the inevitable happens.

If you’re up for a bit of matchy-matchy bike bling, these can be picked up with either black or silver mounting brackets, which’ll make a perfect combination with PNW’s shiny dropper.

Time Xysto clipless pedals

£195

Time ATAC mechanism has been around for yonks now, and it’s loved by many and while the brand does have a platform pedal, the Speciale 12, the brand has brought a larger platform to the mix with the Xysto (pronounced ‘She-stoh’). Although the platform is certainly bigger and is designed for downhill and enduro riding, it carries all of the hallmarks expected of a Time pedal.

Those include the ATAC mechanism that provides five degrees of ‘angular freedom’ but also an array of adjustable pins. That mechanism is adjustable, and it sits within a 6106-T6 aluminium platform. As always, these pedals can provide a 10-degree release angle with the brand’s Easy cleats as well as a 13 or 17-degree release angle with the regular ATAC cleats.

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