Technology - Kalakshar US

Cloudflare outage was not caused by a cyber attack

Cloudflare wrongly suspected that the widespread outage that took numerous websites offline on November 18 was caused by a DDoS attack, the company’s CEO has admitted. In his blog post that breaks down what happened, however, Matthew Prince explained that after realizing their mistake, his team was able to fix the issue. “The issue was not caused, directly or indirectly, by a cyber attack or malicious activity of any kind,” he wrote. It was instead caused by a change to its database systems’ permissions, which led to an issue with a file used by its Bot Management system.

The company’s Bot Management system uses a machine learning model to score bots for every request they make when they crawl Cloudflare’s network. Its clients rely on those bot scores to decide whether to allow or to block specific bots from accessing their websites. One the uses of having bot scores is being able to block AI companies’ bots so they can’t use a website’s content to train their LLMs. In July, Cloudflare launched an experiment called “pay per crawl,” which allows website owners to let an AI bot crawl their pages if they get paid for access.

Prince said the model relies on a “feature” configuration file to make a prediction on whether a bot request was automated or not. The feature file is refreshed every few minutes, and a change in the underlying mechanism generating that file caused a change in its size that triggered the error. “As a result, HTTP 5xx error codes were returned by the core proxy system that handles traffic processing for our customers, for any traffic that depended on the bots module,” Prince wrote.

This recent event has been Cloudflare’s worst outage in years. The company said it hasn’t had an outage that has “caused the majority of core traffic to stop flowing through [its] network” since 2019. Prince apologized for the issue on behalf of his team.

On November 18 Cloudflare experienced a service outage, triggered by an issue with a Bot Management feature, impacting multiple Cloudflare services. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happened. https://t.co/7WArlr5ghI

— Cloudflare (@Cloudflare) November 18, 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/cloudflare-outage-was-not-caused-by-a-cyber-attack-053000551.html?src=rss

The all-electric Jeep Recon gets official specs and launch price

Jeep says that the all-electric 2026 Jeep Recon will finally begin production “early next year.” This comes three years after the model’s original announcement amid multiple delayed starts.

Built on a dedicated EV architecture, the Recon will deliver 650 horsepower and 620 ft-lb of torque. Its 100kWh battery pack will have an estimated 250 miles of range on a full charge and accelerate from 0-60 mph in as little as 3.6 seconds.

The Recon is billed as the first and only fully electric Trail Rated SUV in the industry. This means it meets Jeep’s internal standards for the traction, water fording, maneuverability, articulation and ground clearance necessary to earn the Trail Rated badge. Bolstered by its 4X4 capability and 33-inch tires, the Recon can tackle a wide range of terrains.

The Jeep Recon was originally supposed to be available in 2024, though the closest we got to seeing it in action was spy photos of a possible prototype at the tail end of that year. Last month Jeep CEO Bob Broderdorf told MotorTrend that the Recon was coming to showrooms “next spring.” The Jeep website, which may need some updates, still says “coming late 2025.”

Jeep had previously introduced multiple hybrid models including a hybrid version of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. Both models were subject to substantial recalls this year due to fire risks in their batteries, encompassing over 375,000 vehicles. This came after a similar recall for Jeep hybrids the year before 194,000 vehicles, also due to fire risks.

The EV will have a starting MSRP of $65,000 and Jeep says production will take place at the Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-all-electric-jeep-recon-gets-official-specs-and-launch-price-000032015.html?src=rss

The Google Sans Flex typeface is now available to download

Typography nerds and Android fans, rejoice: You can now download an official version of “the next generation of Google’s brand typeface.” The company has released the Google Sans Flex font to the public for free.

The variable sans-serif font is part of Google’s Material 3 design language, which arrived in 2023. 9to5Google notes that it’s since been integrated into many of the company’s products, including in some corners of Pixel software.

A 2024 Google Design blog post about variable typography highlights the font’s flexibility, as seen in the image above. Casey Henry, a designer with the company, wrote that Google Sans Flex “allows the font’s letterforms to shape-shift at different scales.” OpenType Font Variations is the standard Google uses for variable fonts.

Meanwhile, a Reddit thread about the download dove deeper into typography nerdery. “Interesting behaviour when you condense the width,” u/hbpencil102 wrote. “Instead of circles becoming ovals, they become more rectangular with rounded tops and bottoms, reminding me of DIN 1451.” Amen to that.

You can download Google Sans Flex from Google Fonts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-google-sans-flex-typeface-is-now-available-to-download-214535934.html?src=rss

Polestar EVs can power your home in California

EV maker Polestar has announced that it’s bringing bi-directional charging — the ability for an electric car to be tapped as a battery for your home or the grid — to Polestar 3 owners who live in California. The feature is one of several ways EV owners can save money with their electric car, by either using less energy overall, or receiving credits for providing their excess power to the grid.

Polestar’s bi-directional charging feature uses direct current, according to the company, and enables “V2H functionality for Polestar 3 customers on the 400 Volt electrical architecture.” Polestar is offering the feature in partnership with home energy company dcbel, who helps administer a California Energy Commission program for installing “home energy stations” that can manage multiple clean energy sources in residential homes, including EVs with bi-directional charging. Polestar claims that using dcbel’s Ara system, customers can “reduce charging costs by up to $1,300 per year and use their car as an energy backup during blackouts for up to 10 days.”

The ability to send excess charge from an EV battery back into your home was originally a major selling point of Ford’s F-150 Lighting. Bi-directional charging has also shown up on GM’s EV lineup and the third-generation Nissan Leaf. Polestar says it’ll continue the development of the bi-directional charging capabilities of its cars and “plans to introduce a wider offer in the future.” While this partnership is the first time the EV maker is offering the charging feature in the US, Polestar already offers bi-directional charging to customers in Germany via a home charger it developed with Zaptec.

If you live in California and own a Polestar 3, you can apply for rebates on a home energy station at dcbel’s website so you can try the feature for yourself.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/polestar-evs-can-power-your-home-in-california-220215757.html?src=rss

Megabonk has withdrawn from The Game Awards

Nominees for The Game Awards were released yesterday, and there’s a whole lot of indie excellence on display. However, one notable contender among them has decided to withdraw from contention.

The fabulously titled Megabonk received a nod for the Best Debut Indie Game category. However, the project creator, who currently goes by vedinad, announced on X today that they were withdrawing. “I’ve made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game,” the solo dev said.

I’m withdrawing from The Game Awards.

It’s an honor and a dream for Megabonk to be nominated for TGA, but unfortunately i don’t think it qualifies for the category “Debut Indie Game”

I’ve made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game 🥸

— Megabonk (@MegabonkGame) November 18, 2025

The category is kind of a weird one, since indie creators may have worked at other big or small studios. Even fully self-taught devs will have made and maybe even released several projects before having any kind of breakthrough success or popularity. But if vedinad feels the game doesn’t fit the category, then it’s still a gracious move to bow out.

Megabonk follows in the recent lineage of Vampire Survivors, a popular bullet-hell roguelike that just arrived in virtual reality. The Megabonk riff takes the 2D concept into a low-poly 3D and adds some pretty wacky characters into the mix. Venidad said the title sold 1 million copies in just two weeks, making it one of the latest Steam indie sensations to have a big moment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/megabonk-has-withdrawn-from-the-game-awards-212822746.html?src=rss

Hypixel Studios buys its IP from Riot, so Hytale is back in development

Hypixel Studios has officially purchased the license to Hytale from Riot Games, according to a report by Game Developer. This means that development will continue just months after Riot shut everything down and cancelled the project.

The developer is also rehiring 30 staffers that were laid off as part of the cancellation. We write so often about layoffs in the industry, so it’s always a distinct treat to cover the opposite.

We did it. Hytale is saved. We have acquired Hytale from Riot Games.

— Simon (@Simon_Hypixel) November 17, 2025

Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme calls this a “new and exciting chapter” for the game, which has been in development for nearly ten years. He says he is “grateful to Riot Games for making this possible.”

Riot Games, which is owned by the conglomerate Tencent, purchased Hypixel Studios back in 2020 for an undisclosed sum. However, Hytale was riding high at that point. The game had attracted over 2.5 million signees for an upcoming beta and was supposed to be officially released in 2021.

Years passed, and still no Hytale. This eventually led to Riot canning the project entirely. “After years of pushing forward, adapting, and exploring every possible path, it became clear we couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise,” an official post on the Hypixel website once read.

The studio hasn’t disclosed how it got funding for this move, but Collins-Laflamme said that the founders are “personally committed to funding for the next 10 years.” Here’s to hoping the game is actually playable by that point. To that end, the company does plan on announcing an early access release date in the near future.

“Hytale has had a long and challenging journey. It’s taken longer than anyone hoped, and it’s changed a lot along the way,” the company wrote. “This is not going to be easy. This is not going to be fast. This is not going to be perfect. But it’s going to be ours. Built together: one feature at a time, one bug fix at a time, one mod at a time.”

For the uninitiated, Hytale is a nifty-looking adventure game that can be described as an open world riff on Minecraft. It certainly looks like Minecraft, but it has a much bigger emphasis on action and RPG mechanics.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hypixel-studios-buys-its-ip-from-riot-so-hytale-is-back-in-development-185040959.html?src=rss

Waymo is coming to five more cities

Waymo is launching in five new cities across Texas and Florida. Autonomous vehicles in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando will begin accepting rides next year.

The Alphabet-owned company said operations (sans passengers) will begin on Tuesday in Miami. The other cities will follow “over the coming weeks.” This phase is where the vehicles drive around town without anyone inside. That gives the company a chance to spot local quirks and adjust the driving algorithm accordingly.

Waymo said this local adjustment phase requires fewer changes with each added city. “This data feeds into a flywheel of continuous improvement, bolstered by rigorous validation through real-world driving and advanced simulation, then implemented through regular software releases,” it wrote. The company claims its robotaxis are involved in 11 times fewer serious injury accidents than human drivers.

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles currently accept passengers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin. The list of “up next” cities is much longer, including a recently announced expansion into San Diego, Detroit and Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-is-coming-to-five-more-cities-190000992.html?src=rss

Epic Games Store will finally let you gift games

There’s finally a way to gift games purchased on the Epic Games Store. Epic has announced that it’s now possible to gift digital games through the Epic Games Store, provided the person you’re sending them to has an Epic Games account.

On a game’s store page, you’ll now see a Gift button under the normal Buy Now button. Clicking it will prompt you to log in to your Epic account if you haven’t done so already, and then ask you to enter the Epic account of whoever you’re sending the game to, pick one message from a selection of pre-written messages and then select the date you want the gift to “arrive.”

The menu that appears when you purchase a game as a gift.

Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

Epic says that if the person you’re sending the game to already owns it, you’ll be automatically refunded. If the other person chooses to reject the gift, you’ll also receive your money back. Not every purchase on the Epic Games Store can be gifted, though. Free games, subscriptions, “pre-purchase offers” and in-game currency are excluded.

Gifting is a basic feature of online stores, so on some level it’s more surprising that the Epic Games Store didn’t have the feature than it is that gifting is being added now. One reason why, could be that most of Epic’s focus for its digital store has been on undercutting the fees of both Steam and the Apple App Store.

For example, in May, the company announced that it wouldn’t take a cut of the first $1,000,000 in revenue that an app makes, after which it would only take 12 percent. That undercuts both Apple and Valve’s financial arrangements with developers. Epic also regularly offered free games through its game store to lure new users, something it plans to continue to do with its mobile app store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/epic-games-store-will-finally-let-you-gift-games-191000946.html?src=rss

Meta has won the antitrust case that could have forced it to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp

Meta has successfully avoided what was once the biggest existential threats to its company. A federal judge has sided with the social media company in a landmark antitrust case, ruling on Tuesday that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had not proven that Meta is a monopoly.

The FTC filed antitrust charges against Meta, then known as Facebook, in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term. The government had argued that by acquiring its one-time rivals, Instagram and WhatsApp, the company had hurt US consumers by stifling competition in the social media industry. Meta had argued that those services were only able to grow to the 1 billion-user apps because of its investment and had cited the rise of TikTok as proof that it continues to face strong competition.

On Tuesday, US District judge James Boasberg ruled in favor of Meta. “Whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past, though, the agency must show that it continues to hold such power now,” he wrote. “The Court’s verdict today determines that the FTC has not done so.”

If the FTC had succeeded, it could have called for Meta to unwind its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The FTC could still appeal the ruling, though it’s not clear if it has plans to do so. We’ve reached out to the agency for comment.

“The Court’s decision today recognizes that Meta faces fierce competition,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. “Our products are beneficial for people and businesses and exemplify American innovation and economic growth. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Administration and to invest in America.”

A number of current and former high-profile executives, including Adam Mosseri, Sheryl Sandberg, Kevin Systrom and Mark Zuckerberg testified during the weeks-long trial earlier this year. In his testimony, Zuckerberg spoke about the immense pressure Meta felt from TikTok, saying that Meta’s growth had “slowed down dramatically” as TikTok became more popular.

It turns out that Meta’s defense that TikTok and YouTube are major competitors to it helped sway Judge Boasberg. While the FTC’s lawyers had tried to claim that Meta had a monopoly on “personal social networking” apps — a narrow group it said included Snapchat and the decentralized app MeWe — Boasberg was unable to ignore the dominance of TikTok and YouTube.

“PSN [personal social networking] apps may have been a market unto themselves when the FTC filed this case in 2020 or when it approved Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp in 2012 and 2014,” he wrote. “That is no longer the case. The Court ultimately finds that YouTube and TikTok belong in the product market, and they prevent Meta from holding a monopoly. Even if YouTube is out, including TikTok alone defeats the FTC’s case.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-has-won-the-antitrust-case-that-could-have-forced-it-to-spin-off-instagram-and-whatsapp-184320742.html?src=rss

You can turn a cluster of Macs into an AI supercomputer in macOS Tahoe 26.2

Who needs a revamped Mac Pro when you can just turn several Mac Studios into a unified computing system? With the upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.2 release, Apple is introducing a new low-latency feature that lets you connect several Macs together using Thunderbolt 5. For developers and researchers, it’s a potentially useful way to create powerful AI supercomputers that can run massive local models. That allows four Mac Studios, which can each run up to 512GB of unified memory, to run the 1 trillion parameter Kimi-K2-Thinking model far more efficiently than PCs with power-hungry GPUs.

While we’ve seen Thunderbolt Mac clusters before, they were limited by slower Thunderbolt speeds, especially if they required a hub (which could reduce speeds to 10 Gb/s). Apple’s new feature allows for the full Thunderbolt 5 connectivity of up to 80Gb/s. The clustering capability also isn’t just limited to the pricey Mac Studio, it will also work with the M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro. Developers won’t need any special hardware to build clusters, just standard Thunderbolt 5 cables and compatible Macs.

In a demo, I watched as a cluster of four Mac Studios loaded and ran that massive Kimi-K2-Thinking model in an early version of ExoLabs’s EXO 1.0. Notably, the cluster used less than 500 watts of power, which is around 10 times lower than a typical GPU cluster (NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 is rated for 575W, but its demands can also jump higher).

macOS Tahoe 26.2 will also give Apple’s open source MLX project full access to the neural accelerators on the M5 chip, which should dramatically speed up AI inferencing. Ironically, though, the only M5 Mac available today — the 14-inch MacBook Pro — only supports Thunderbolt 4. That means it won’t be able to take advantage of the new Mac clustering capability.

The unified memory and low power design of Apple Silicon already made Macs a useful choice for demanding AI work, but the ability to cluster multiple systems together over Thunderbolt 5 is potentially even more tempting to anyone working with large models. Of course, a Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM isn’t cheap — it starts at $9,499 with the M3 Ultra chip — but that’s only the highest-end option. Labs and companies that already have Mac Studios, Mac minis and MacBook Pros could potentially cluster systems they’ve already purchased.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-turn-a-cluster-of-macs-into-an-ai-supercomputer-in-macos-tahoe-262-191500778.html?src=rss