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Paul Atreides faces the cost of his holy war in Dune: Part 3 teaser Warner Bros. just dropped a broody and haunting extended teaser for Denis Villeneuve's [*Dune: Part 3*][1], the highly anticipated third film in the director's acclaimed franchise—the last in his planned trilogy. **(Spoilers for first two films in the franchise below.)** In 2021's *Dune*, we first met Frank Herbert's iconic anti-hero, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). That film culminated in the brutal defeat of House Atreides by rival House Harkonnen, with Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), fleeing to the desert and taking refuge with the Fremen. Among them is Chani (Zendaya), whom Paul has been seeing in visions all along. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune:_Part_Three [2]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/03/paul-atreides-fac… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/03/paul-atreides-fac… https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/03/paul-atreides-fac…

Trump's plan to shut down weather and climate center triggers lawsuit On Monday, a consortium that oversees the US's premier atmospheric research center announced it was suing the Trump administration over plans to shut it down. The National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, provides a home for interdisciplinary and collaborative research focused on anything atmospheric. Many of the country's leading academic researchers in the field have spent time working there or have been involved in collaborations that involve NCAR. But all of that is dependent upon government support for the research done there and, back in December, the head of the Office of Management and Budget labeled it woke and “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,” calling for it to be broken up. Since then, [planning has continued][1] for the dismemberment of NCAR, with everything from its computing facilities to its headquarters building being up for grabs. But now, the group that runs NCAR is fighting back, [alleging in a lawsuit][2] that this is all happening simply because President Trump is mad at Colorado and its governor. ## The center at risk NCAR is situated in Boulder, Colorado, and provides a home for a huge range of science, from weather forecasting to climate change to the impact of space weather on the upper atmosphere. The work there is backed by two research aircraft and a supercomputing center to run the weather and climate models. All of that is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a nonprofit that represents over 130 individual educational institutions. UCAR helps manage and maintain the facilities and apply for and distribute grant money, and it provides work space for people to pursue collaborative projects at its facilities. Graduate students, post-docs, and faculty may all spend time working at NCAR facilities or using its supercomputing resources as part of specific research projects. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://www.science.org/content/article/white-house-plan-… [2]: https://d3opzdukpbxlns.cloudfront.net/34fc0287-fece-4eb6-… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/university-group-… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/university-group-… BOULDER, CO- DECEMBER 17: The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado on December 17, 2025. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/university-group-…

FDA links raw cheese to outbreak; Makers "100% disagree," refuse recall The Food and Drug Administration has linked cheddar cheese made from raw (unpasteurized) milk to [a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli*][1]. But the cheese's maker, Raw Farm, is rejecting the regulator's findings and refusing to voluntarily recall its cheese. In an outbreak investigation notice, the FDA said seven cases have been identified in three states: California (five cases), Florida (one case), and Texas (one case). Of the seven cases, two required hospitalization. Four of the seven cases were in children age 3 or younger who are at higher risk of severe illness. No deaths have been reported. The onset of the seven illnesses spanned September of last year to as recently as February 13. Genetic testing of the *E. coli *in each case found they were highly related and, thus, likely from a common source. Of the three cases that health officials have been able to fully interview about their potential exposures, all three said they had eaten Raw Farm-branded raw cheddar cheese. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outb… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/fda-links-raw-chee… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/fda-links-raw-chee… https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/fda-links-raw-chee…

Arizona indicts prediction market Kalshi for running illegal gambling operation Arizona’s attorney general filed criminal charges against prediction market Kalshi, accusing it of operating a gambling business without a license and offering illegal wagers on elections. “Kalshi may brand itself as a ‘prediction market,’ but what it’s actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation and taking bets on Arizona elections, both of which violate Arizona law,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement on Tuesday. While Arizona’s case is the first time criminal charges have been brought against the company, several other US states have alleged that Kalshi’s markets constitute illegal and unregulated sports betting. [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/arizona-indic… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/arizona-indic… A Kalshi billboard displaying New York City mayoral election odds in New York, US, on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/arizona-indic…

World ID wants you to put a cryptographically unique human identity behind your AI agents Over the last few months, tools like [OpenClaw][1] have shown what tech-savvy AI users can do by setting a virtual cadre of automated agents on a task. But that individual convenience can be a DDOS-level pain for online service providers faced with a torrent of [Sybil attack-style][2] requests from thousands of such agents at once. Identity startup [World][3] thinks its "proof of human" [World ID][4] technology can provide a potential solution to this problem. Today, the company launched a beta of [Agent Kit,][5] a new way for humans to prove they are directing their AI agents and for websites to limit access to AI agents working on behalf of an actual human. If you recognize the name World, it's probably as the organization behind [WorldCoin][6], the Sam Altman-founded cryptocurrency outfit that [launched in 2023][7] alongside an offer to give free WorldCoin to anyone who [scanned their iris in a physical "orb"][8]. While WorldCoin still exists (at a current value [well below its early 2024 peaks][9]), World has now pivoted to focus on [World ID][10], which uses the same iris-scanning technology as the basis for a cryptographically secure, unique online identity token stored on your phone. [Read full article][11] [Comments][12] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/tag/openclaw/ [2]: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/sybil-… [3]: https://world.org/ [4]: https://world.org/world-id [5]: https://docs.world.org/agents/agent-kit/integrate [6]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/07/ready-for-you… [7]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/07/ready-for-you… [8]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/10/more-than-100… [9]: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/worldcoin [10]: https://world.org/world-id [11]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/world-id-wants-you-to-… [12]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/world-id-wants-you-to-… Yes, hi, I'd like to book a reservation on behalf of human #98D620FF10B4D53. What's available? https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/world-id-wants-you-to-…

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: Private and performant Samsung is nothing if not consistent. Just as it has for many years, the company is starting the year with a new generation of Galaxy S phones. Rumors about remixing the lineup did not pan out, so there are still three versions of the phone—the [Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra][1]. It's the Ultra, with its whopping $1,300 price tag, that makes up the largest chunk of Samsung flagship sales, even though you can get a perfectly serviceable smartphone for a third of the price. The S26 Ultra serves a different market than a budget phone, though. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is big, powerful, and overflowing with features. It can be a bit too much at times, particularly if you don't care for mobile AI. It's expensive, but you get long support and just about everything you could want from a smartphone in 2026. Still, with other smartphone makers scaling back amid [skyrocketing component prices][2], the S26 Ultra may end up looking like a good value in hindsight. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/02/samsung-reveals-g… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/12/for-just-a-couple… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/reviews/2026/03/samsung-galaxy-s2… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/reviews/2026/03/samsung-galaxy-s2… The S26 Ultra is a monolithic phone. https://arstechnica.com/reviews/2026/03/samsung-galaxy-s2…

Nintendo Switch 2 update adds one possible fix for blurry OG Switch games The Nintendo Switch 2's backward compatibility with Switch games is generally pretty good, and a few games have gotten [patches from their developers][1] to allow them to take advantage of the higher resolutions the console supports, among other features. For unpatched Switch games running on the Switch 2 while it's docked, there should generally be no loss of quality compared to playing the same game on the Switch—the game will run at 1080p on both consoles and should generally run about the same as long as there aren't other compatibility problems. But games running on the Switch 2 in handheld mode can actually look *worse* than they do on the original Switch, mainly because they'll still run at the original Switch's native 720p resolution, which then has to be stretched out to fit the Switch 2's 1080p display. A new Switch 2 system update released yesterday ([as reported by NintendoLife][2]) has introduced a partial solution for this specific problem. Version 22.0.0 of the Switch's software includes an optional feature called "Handheld Mode Boost," which can be enabled by opening the console's settings, then System settings, and scrolling down to "Nintendo Switch Software Handling." This setting will attempt to run original Switch games using the same settings they would use while docked, even while the console is in handheld mode—this usually means a step up to the Switch 2's native 1080p resolution, along with other graphical upgrades. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/some-original-swit… [2]: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/03/nintendo-switch… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/nintendo-switch-2… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/nintendo-switch-2… https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/nintendo-switch-2…

Upmarket looks, mass-market price: The 2027 Kia Telluride, driven Way back in 2019 when Kia introduced [the first-generation Telluride][1], both the media and the car-buying public went nuts for it. Dealers struggled to keep the Telluride on their lots, and that’s before the insanity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic a year later. Now, fast-forward six years, and there’s a new Telluride for the 2027 model year, and once again, Kia seems to have knocked it out of the park. The 2027 Kia Telluride follows the same formula as the old one, but it has grown in every direction except engine cylinder count, and it looks a whole lot like the folks at Kia’s US design studio had “Greatest Hits of Range Rover” on repeat, which is a very good thing. Oh, and there's finally a hybrid version. ## Under the hood The second-generation Telluride has fully ditched its old 3.8 L six-cylinder engine. In its place, it is now offering either a turbocharged 2.5 L four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 274 hp (204 kW) and 311 lb-ft (422 Nm) of torque, or that same engine with a dual-motor hybrid system. The hybrid version produces a combined 329 hp (245 kW) and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) while returning a claimed 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) combined. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/06/review-the-kia-tellu… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/upmarket-looks-mass-… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/upmarket-looks-mass-… Kia has given the 2027 Telluride a distinctive face. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/upmarket-looks-mass-…

Firefighting drones head to Aspen—can they suppress a blaze before humans arrive? A Bay Area startup that manufactures drones to tackle wildfires has just signed its first customer, the [Aspen Fire Protection District][1]. The company, Seneca, recently [announced][2] that its fleet of five drones (dubbed a “strike team”) would be coming to the famed Colorado ski town this summer, making Aspen the first wildfire agency in America to add these types of aircraft to its arsenal. Each drone is designed to carry enough water “to create over 50 gallons of finished foam suppressant,” which can reduce the speed at which a wildfire consumes fuel. The drones are designed to be able to reach and extinguish a small fire before humans can. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://www.aspenfire.com/ [2]: https://seneca.com/news/seneca-aspen-fire/ [3]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/firefighting-dron… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/firefighting-dron… One of Aspen's new fire-fighting drones. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/firefighting-dron…

Elon Musk's xAI sued for turning three girls' real photos into AI CSAM A tip from an anonymous Discord user led cops to find what may be the first confirmed Grok-generated child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) that Elon Musk's xAI can't easily dismiss as nonexistent. As recently as January, Musk denied that Grok generated any CSAM during a scandal in which xAI refused to update filters to [block the chatbot from nudifying images][1] of real people. At the height of the controversy, researchers from the Center for Countering Digital Hate [estimated][2] that Grok generated approximately three million sexualized images, of which about 23,000 images depicted apparent children. Rather than fix Grok, xAI limited access to the system to paying subscribers. That kept the most shocking outputs from circulating on X, but the worst of it was not posted there, Wired [reported][3]. [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/01/x-blames-user… [2]: https://counterhate.com/research/grok-floods-x-with-sexua… [3]: https://www.wired.com/story/grok-is-generating-sexual-con… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/elon-musks-xa… [5]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/elon-musks-xa… A poster featuring an image of US billionaire and businessman Elon Musk, calling for users of his X social media platform to delete their accounts due to the AI chatbot Grok's CSAM scandal. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/elon-musks-xa…

New "vibe coded" AI translation tool splits the video game preservation community Since Andrej Karpathy [coined the term "vibe coding" just over a year ago][1], we've seen a rapid increase in both the [capabilities][2] and [popularity][3] of using AI models to throw together quick programming projects with less human time and effort than ever before. One such vibe-coded project, [Gaming Alexandria Researcher][4], launched over the weekend as what coder Dustin Hubbard called an effort to help organize the [hundreds of scanned Japanese gaming magazines][5] he's helped maintain at clearinghouse Gaming Alexandria over the years, alongside machine translations of their OCR text. A day after that project went public, though, Hubbard was [issuing an apology][6] to many members of the Gaming Alexandria community who loudly objected to the use of Patreon funds for an error-prone AI-powered translation effort. The hubbub highlights just how controversial AI tools remain for many online communities, even as many see them as ways to maximize limited funds and man-hours. "I sincerely apologize," Hubbard wrote in his apology post. "My entire preservation philosophy has been to get people access to things we've never had access to before. I felt this project was a good step towards that, but I should have taken more into consideration the issues with AI." [Read full article][7] [Comments][8] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/03/is-vibe-coding-with-ai… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/sixteen-claude-ai-agen… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/01/10… [4]: https://github.com/gaming-alexandria/Gaming-Alexandria-Re… [5]: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/magazines/ [6]: https://www.patreon.com/posts/apology-153042274 [7]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/new-vibe-coded-ai-tran… [8]: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/new-vibe-coded-ai-tran… Translating the letter "A" is just one of many things new AI models can do! https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/new-vibe-coded-ai-tran…

National Academies of Sciences says no to demands it remove climate info Judges are frequently confronted with cases that hinge upon scientific information that their educational backgrounds may leave them ill-equipped to manage. Because of this challenge, the Federal Judicial Center, a group within the judicial branch of the government, has collaborated with the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) to produce a reference manual that provides background on a range of scientific and medical issues that frequently confront the court system. The Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence is currently on [its fourth edition][1], and it has turned out to be an unexpectedly controversial one. For the first time, this edition of the Reference Manual has included a chapter on climate change, meant to prepare judges to manage and potentially decide cases focused on everything from federal environmental rules to charges that fossil fuel producers engaged in fraud by ignoring the many warnings of harms caused by their products. That didn't sit well with Republican politicians; a collection of red-state attorneys general sent a letter demanding that the Federal Judicial Center pull the chapter. Back in February, [it complied][2], posting a modified version of the Reference Manual with the climate chapter deleted. But, as noted above, the NAS arranges for the production of the Reference Manual, and it [hosts a copy][3] in its extensive library of publications. So, fresh off their success with the government, the same collection of attorneys general turned their sights on the Academies. In [a letter][4] dated February 19, they "urge" the NAS to follow the judiciary's example and delete the chapter. Citing sources such as a Wall Street Journal editorial and their own threatening letter, the attorneys general accuse the NAS of engaging in “one-sided advocacy” and “judicial indoctrination,” and say it "is building a reputation as a partisan actor." [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]: https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/26919 [2]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/02/us-court-agency-p… [3]: https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/26919 [4]: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MTAG/2026/02/… [5]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/national-academie… [6]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/national-academie… https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/national-academie…

RFK Jr's changes to CDC vaccine guidance, advisory board blocked by judge US District Judge Brian Murphy on Monday temporarily blocked most of the damage that anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has done to federal vaccine guidance. In [a 45-page ruling][1] that opens with a quote from Carl Sagan, Judge Murphy issued a temporary injunction that blocks: * The federal vaccine advisors Kennedy appointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after firing all 17 expert members. Almost all of Kennedy's new advisors hold anti-vaccine views, have questionable qualifications for being on the committee, and did not appear to go through standard vetting. * Every vote those ACIP members have made to change federal vaccine guidance. * Kennedy's dramatic overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood vaccine schedule in January, which dropped the number of recommended immunizations from 17 to 11, in line with Denmark. The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with several other medical groups, against Kennedy. The groups challenged the legality of the unprecedented moves, which disregarded standard procedures and lacked the backing of scientific evidence. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/judge-temporarily-… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/judge-temporarily-… US Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025. https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/judge-temporarily-…

Trump and his FCC chair demand more positive news coverage of Iran war President Trump and the Federal Communications Commission chairman are demanding more positive media coverage of the Iran war. On Saturday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued yet another threat to revoke licenses from news broadcasters, claiming without evidence that they are running "hoaxes and news distortions" related to the war in Iran. In an [X post][1], Carr shared a complaint about an Iran war headline that Trump had made on Truth Social and added his own commentary. "Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions—also known as the fake news—have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up," Carr wrote. "The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not." Carr making vague threats about enforcing rules against hoaxes and news distortion is [nothing new][2]. Given how [difficult it is to actually revoke a broadcast license][3], and the fact that no TV station licenses are up for renewal [until 2028][4], the threats so far have been attempts to intimidate news organizations without any concrete punishment. [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]: https://x.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/2032855414233047172 [2]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/trumps-fcc-ch… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/12/trumps-fcc-ch… [4]: https://www.fcc.gov/media/television/broadcast-television… [5]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/trump-and-his… [6]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/trump-and-his… FCC Chairman Brendan Carr arrives for an FCC meeting on February 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/trump-and-his…

Driving the $375,000 Porsche race car that debuted as a $12 DLC in iRacing Porsche provided flights from Albany, New York, to Los Angeles and accommodation so Ars could drive the 911 Cup. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. Video game launches for new cars are increasingly common these days—Gran Turismo alone has hosted dozens of ["Vision" concepts][1]—but Porsche decided to go a little more serious for the digital debut of its latest model. *[iRacing][2]*, the online driving sim that has been punishing people's digital driving indiscretions since 2008, was not only the first place anyone could drive the new 911 Cup, but also serves as a sort of digital feeder series to Porsche's one-make Porsche Carrera Cup. That sim makes a great venue because the 911 Cup is as hardcore a racer as *iRacing* is a hardcore racing game. When I was invited to drive that new car for real, I knew exactly where to start. ## Making the Cup While there are [faster and more expensive][3] versions of Porsche's 911, the GT3 has long been the ultimate "racer for the road" spec, riddled with track-focused upgrades [yet offering just enough creature comforts for daily driving][4]. [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/09/mclaren-builds-a-vir… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/05/drama-in-iracing-as-… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/porsches-2026-911-tu… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/features/2025/01/weight-saving-an… [5]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/from-pixels-to-pavem… [6]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/from-pixels-to-pavem… Usually, race cars show up as DLC in racing games, if they're any good. This one went the other way, appearing in *iRacing* first. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/from-pixels-to-pavem…

OpenAI’s own mental health experts unanimously opposed “naughty” ChatGPT launch OpenAI cannot escape the doom cloud swirling around its rollout of a text-based "adult mode" in ChatGPT. Late Sunday, The Wall Street Journal [reported][1] that insiders confirmed that OpenAI’s "handpicked council of advisers on well-being and AI" were "freaking out" over the company's plans to move ahead with "adult mode," despite their urgent warnings. Back in January, council members unanimously warned OpenAI that "AI-powered erotica could foster unhealthy emotional dependence on ChatGPT for users and that minors could find ways to access sex chats," sources told the WSJ. One expert suggested that without major updates to ChatGPT, OpenAI risked creating a "sexy suicide coach" for vulnerable users [prone to form intense bonds with their companion bots][2]. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-adult-mode-chatgpt-f9e… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/wi… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/chatgpt-may-s… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/chatgpt-may-s… https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/chatgpt-may-s…

100 years later, where is Robert Goddard's first liquid-fuel rocket? It flew for only two seconds, but its impact is still felt a century later. Robert Goddard's first liquid-fueled rocket, which lifted off from a snowy field on March 16, 1926, has been written about extensively. Earlier solid-fueled rockets existed, but liquid-fueled rockets promised the sustainability and control needed to send spacecraft and humans into Earth orbit and beyond. "The rocket's reach was short, but it marked the moment that humanity entered a new era," said Kevin Schindler, author of "Robert Goddard's Massachusetts," speaking at the site of that first launch as part of a centennial commemoration held Saturday in Auburn (March 14). "It proved that liquid fuel could lift a craft skyward—the essential breakthrough that would one day carry humans to the moon." [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/100-years-later-whe… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/100-years-later-whe… A full-scale replica of Robert Goddard's first liquid fuel rocket on display at the site where the original launched on March 16, 1926. The static model was on exhibit as part of the centennial celebration in Auburn, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 14, 2026. https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/100-years-later-whe…

Apple’s AirPods Max 2 bring H2 chip, boosted ANC in April for $549 Apple announced the AirPods Max 2 today, following up [the original AirPods Max][1], which were announced in December 2020. The new model brings improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and other new features via an updated H2 chip. [The five AirPods Max 2 colorways.] The AirPods Max 2 are available in the same five colorways as their predecessor. Credit: Apple Apple introduced the H2 with the [AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)][2], which came out in September 2022. The original AirPods Max released in 2021 with an H1, meaning the new over-ear headphones should be more in line with Apple’s AirPods series in terms of features. Apple claims that the new chip, combined with new computational audio algorithms, makes ANC up to 1.5 times “more effective” on the AirPods Max 2 compared to the original AirPods Max. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/apples-new-airpod… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/second-generation… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/apples-airpods-ma… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/apples-airpods-ma… https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/apples-airpods-ma…

F1 in China: I've never seen so many people in those grandstands Formula 1 raced in China this past weekend, just a week after the sport [kicked off its 2026 season][1] in Australia. Most of the teams had a better handle on the sport's complicated new cars in China, and the more traditional racetrack environment played better to the strengths of their hybrid power units, with enough hard braking zones to recharge batteries without having to sap engine power instead. We have a better idea of the grid's current pecking order, at least for now. There's some daylight between each of the top three teams and a close battle for midfield honors. Meanwhile, the specter of unreliability is well and truly with us; four cars failed to even take the start, and seven (of 22) were not classified as finishing. For fans of those teams and drivers, it wasn't a great weekend, especially if you woke up at 3 am to watch the race. But F1 put generally on an entertaining show in Shanghai. ## That's a lot of fans The sport has been visiting the city since 2004. The setting is a classic turn-of-the-century facility designed and built by Herman Tilke. It's a captivating-looking place, with a pond-filled paddock, a vast grandstand that spans the start-finish straight, and a layout that resembles the character for "shang," which creates some rather tricky corners, like the spiraling decreasing radii of turns 1 and 2. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/2026-australian-gran… [2]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/f1-in-china-ive-neve… [3]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/f1-in-china-ive-neve… A multi-lap duel between the two Ferraris was thrilling to watch. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/f1-in-china-ive-neve…

No accountability: Bills would ban liability lawsuits for climate change Republican lawmakers in multiple states and Congress are advancing proposals to shield polluters from climate accountability and prevent any type of liability for climate change harms—even as these harms and their associated costs continue to mount. It’s the latest in a counter-offensive that has [unfolded on multiple fronts][1], from the [halls of Congress and the White House][2] to courts and [state attorneys general offices][3] across the country. Dozens of local communities, states, and individuals are suing major oil and gas companies and their trade associations over rising climate costs and for allegedly lying to consumers about climate change risks and solutions. At the same time, some states are enacting or considering laws modeled after the federal Superfund program that would impose retroactive liability on large fossil fuel producers and levy a one-time charge on them to help fund climate adaptation and resiliency measures. [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26102025/trump-republi… [2]: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-companies-see… [3]: https://www.exxonknews.org/p/the-top-cops-working-to-shie… [4]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/emerging-legi… [5]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/emerging-legi… To reach our climate goals, we'll need to stop building these. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/emerging-legi…