The White House now wants to set minimum requirements for its planned national EV charging network, The Biden administration has proposed standards for chargers funded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to ensure they're "convenient, affordable, reliable and accessible" for a wide variety of drivers and vehicles. Ideally, you won't have to worry about completing a cross-country trip.

The standards would require that stations offer enough ports to fast-charge four EVs simultaneously at 150kW or higher, and use the CCS plug often found at universal chargers. The chargers would have to be functional at least 97 percent of the time, with a skilled workforce to keep them maintained. You also wouldn't have to worry about how you'll pay. There would be "similar" payment systems, and station operators couldn't require a membership. Common data standards would ensure real-time charge status regardless of your EV model.

President Biden is using NEVI to help states build 500,000 chargers by 2030, and hopes the program will spur EV adoption to the point where 50 percent of new vehicle sales are electric by 2030. The standards could play a key role in this — you might be more likely to buy an EV if you know you can charge quickly, without waiting in long queues.

There are limitations. The proposal wouldn't cover chargers outside of NEVI, of course, so you'd still have to watch out for slow or cumbersome stations. It's also unclear how well the charging specs would hold up over time. While a minimum of four 150kW ports may sound adequate now, that might not remain true by 2030 — Tesla already has 250kW Superchargers, and there's still the possibility that EV sales could outpace charger installations. If the standards take effect, though, you'll at least have a baseline you can use to plan your routes.

Amazon already uses augmented reality to help you try hair colors and makeup, and now it's extending that technology to your feet. The company has launched a Virtual Try-On for Shoes feature in its mobile app that helps you visualize footwear. Tap a button on the product page, point your phone camera toward your feet and you'll see how the shoes would look in a more realistic setting. You can switch colors for a given style without having to leave the AR mode, and share images with friends to see if they like your choices.

The feature is initially available only for iOS users (Android is coming "soon") in the US and Canada. The early selection is limited to runners and other casual shoes from several major brands, including Adidas, Asics, Lacoste, New Balance, Puma, Reebok, Saucony and Superga. Nike is conspicuously absent. And no, you can't yet use this for dress shoes — this won't help you find a perfect set of heels.

The new Virtual Try-On won't tell you whether or not shoes are comfortable, which might put you off. What's the point of finding a sweet style if it pinches your toes? With that said, the tool could still be useful for online shopping expeditions. If you know your shoe preferences, you might just find your ideal pair without visiting a host of local stores or putting all your trust in product photos.

Researchers have 3D-printed hearts using silicone and even a patient's own cells, but they haven't matched the full functionality of the real thing and aren't much good for repairing hearts. There's some progress on that front, however, as a team at Harvard's Wyss Institute has developed a technique for 3D-printing long cardiac macrofilaments that develop into muscle-like filaments which contract. The new method mimics the complex alignment of a heart's contracting elements (a difficult feat so far) while producing tissue thick enough to use in regenerative heart treatments.

The system is a refinement of Wyss' existing SWIFT (Sacrificial Writing in Functional Tissue) bioprinting technology. Their approach created a platform with 1,050 wells, each with two microscopic pillars. Scientists filled the wells with human-induced pluripotent stem cells (that is, young cells capable of developing into multiple forms) as well as a protein collagen and the cells used to form connective tissue. The combination forms a dense tissue that aligns along the axis linking the micropillars. The team then lifts the resulting organ building blocks off the pillars, uses that to create a bioprinting ink and uses the motion of the 3D printer head to further help with alignment.

This is just a small piece of the heart. While the technology produces a relatively high output, there's much more work to be done before a fully functional, 3D-printed organic heart is available.

The research group believes their work could still be useful long before reaching the whole-heart milestone. The 3D-printed filaments could be used to replace scars following heart attacks, or to create improved disease models. They might even patch holes in newborns with congenital heart defects, and would grow with those child patients. Simply put, a damaged heart might not be the permanent problem it tends to be today.

Microsoft inadvertently learned the risks of creating racist AI, but what happens if you deliberately point the intelligence at a toxic forum? One person found out. As Motherboard and The Verge note, YouTuber Yannic Kilcher trained an AI language model using three years of content from 4chan's Politically Incorrect (/pol/) board, a place infamous for its racism and other forms of bigotry. After implementing the model in ten bots, Kilcher set the AI loose on the board — and it unsurprisingly created a wave of hate. In the space of 24 hours, the bots wrote 15,000 posts that frequently included or interacted with racist content. They represented more than 10 percent of posts on /pol/ that day, Kilcher claimed.

Nicknamed GPT-4chan (after OpenAI's GPT-3), the model learned to not only pick up the words used in /pol/ posts, but an overall tone that Kilcher said blended "offensiveness, nihilism, trolling and deep distrust." The video creator took care to dodge 4chan's defenses against proxies and VPNs, and even used a VPN to make it look like the bot posts originated from the Seychelles.

The AI made a few mistakes, such as blank posts, but was convincing enough that it took roughly two days for many users to realize something was amiss. Many forum members only noticed one of the bots, according to Kilcher, and the model created enough wariness that people accused each other of being bots days after Kilcher deactivated them.

The YouTuber characterized the experiment as a "prank," not research, in conversation with The Verge. It's a reminder that trained AI is only as good as its source material. The concern instead stems from how Kilcher shared his work. While he avoided providing the bot code, he shared a partly neutered version of the model with the AI repository Hugging Face. Visitors could have recreated the AI for sinister purposes, and Hugging Face decided to restrict access as a precaution. There were clear ethical concerns with the project, and Kilcher himself said he should focus on "much more positive" work in the future.

Politicians are quickly seizing on US government efforts to study and regulate crypto. Reutersreports Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have introduced a bill, the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, that would forge a "complete regulatory framework" for cryptocurrency and other digital assets. The measure is meant to protect consumers and fold crypto into existing laws without restricting technical progress.

RIFA would set clearer definitions, such as establishing which assets are commodities or securities. It would also create requirements for stablecoins (cryptocurrencies pegged to another asset, such as conventional money) to minimize risks and enable speeder payments. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would have the power to regulate digital spot markets, while providers would be subject to disclosure requirements. There would be a "workable" tax structure that would let you buy products with cryptocurrency without having to account for and report income.

The act would also prompt the government to further research digital assets. It would create a "sandbox" where federal and state regulators could work together on experimental launches of financial technology. The CFTC and Securities Exchange Commission would have to develop both security guidance and a self-regulatory organization. Other government agencies and offices would be tasked with studying energy consumption, the benefits (and dangers) of investing retirement savings in crypto and the security concerns around China's official digital currency.

The bipartisan nature of the bill could increase its chances of surviving a Senate vote. Reuters also points out that the CFTC is considered friendlier to crypto assets than the SEC, That's potentially useful for winning over regulation-averse politicians worried the SEC might limit crypto's growth.

A House equivalent has yet to exist, and it's unlikely that RIFA would reach President Biden's desk before the current session of Congress ends. It's likewise unclear just which digital assets are covered, and whether or not NFTs might be affected. We've asked for more details. The bill nonetheless represents the strongest effort yet to regulate crypto, and might just serve as a blueprint for future efforts to control and legitimize the blockchain in the US.

Microsoft previously halted sales in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and now it's shrinking its presence in the country. The company told Bloomberg in a statement that it will "significantly scale down" its Russian operations in response to a bleaker economic forecast stemming from the war. Microsoft will still honor its contracts in the country, but the reduced footprint will affect over 400 employees.

The Windows creator said it was "working closely" with affected staff to provide support. There was no mention of which segments would be impacted. It was also unclear how many people the company employed in Russia before the announcement. We've asked Microsoft for comment.

This isn't the first major tech company to withdraw at least some of its business in Russia in response to the war. IBM is now winding down its operations after suspending them in March, while software giant SAP said in April that it would exit the country entirely. Other firms, such as Amazon and Apple, have limited some or all of their sales.

This isn't a huge sacrifice for Microsoft. The developer said in March that Russia accounted for less than one percent of its revenue, and its local business had been in a steady decline over the past few years. Even so, it wouldn't be surprising if the cutback prompted similar moves from tech peers either showing support for Ukraine or concerned about their Russian sales prospects.

MacOS Ventura could prove reassuring if you're worried about compromised peripherals ruining your computer. As The Vergenotes, Apple has revealed that Ventura will require user permission before USB-C and Thunderbolt accessories can transfer data on M1- and M2-based Macs. You won't have to fear that someone could deliver malware simply by plugging in a thumb drive, or that a poorly-designed product might wreck your machine by sending bad info.

The policy is enabled by default, but won't affect accessories plugged into your Mac during the OS upgrade process. It also won't block external monitors, power adapters or products attached to already-approved hubs. Devices will also continue to charge even if they're blocked, so you can still use your computer to top up a friend's phone.

This won't thwart devices that could fry ports through electrical surges. However, this could add a meaningful layer of security on top of USB-C's requirement for encrypted authentication certificates. You'll have the final say on data access, and might just stop a malicious device before it has a chance to do any damage.

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The Winklevoss twins might soon head to court. The Vergenotes retirement savings firm IRA Financial Trust has sued the twins' crypto exchange Gemini over allegations the business didn't adequately protect customers against a February 8th breach where intruders stole $36 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum assets. The company didn't have "proper safeguards" to prevent the theft, according to IRA, and didn't freeze accounts quickly enough to block the thieves from transferring money.

The trust firm specifically rejected claims that Gemini's protections prevented a "single point of failure." Gemini made IRA the parent account for its customers (who use sub-accounts), and gave it a "master key" that was reportedly exchanged in numerous insecure emails. Combine that with security flaws in Gemini's system and you probably know what happened next — hackers got control of IRA's key, moved the crypto into a single user's retirement account, and withdrew the digital cash. The perpetrators also appear to have swatted Gemini during the February incident, making a fake kidnapping call to police. 

Gemini's other security measures didn't hold up, the IRA added. It supposedly shouldn't have been possible to transfer money between accounts if the exchange had either properly implemented two-factor authentication or prohibited transfers between retirement funds. The trust noted that it didn't have the power to freeze accounts itself, and that it took six emails to lock down all affected users. We've asked Gemini for comment.

This adds to mounting problems for the Winkelvoss' outfit. It recently laid off 10 percent of staff to deal with a plunge in the cryptocurrency market, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Gemini for purportedly misleading customers in parts of its exchange and futures contract. While none of these problems may necessarily be fatal, they suggest the Winklevii could face financial trouble for a while to come.

After a months-long delay, DICE and EA are finally ready to premiere the first season of Battlefield 2042. The two have announced that Season 1: Zero Hour premieres on June 9th with a large batch of fresh content. There's a new map set in the Canadian Rockies (Exposure) for the All-Out Warfare and Portal modes. A new character, Ewalina Lis, is well-suited to anti-vehicle combat. You'll need her, too, as there are new stealth helicopters (the Huron and Hannibal) that could provide an unwelcome surprise.

The new season includes a wider range of gear, including a crossbow with multiple round options (including explosive), a mid-range rifle and a smoke grenade launcher. To no one's surprise, EA is also promising more skins and melee takedown animations for Premium Battle Pass buyers.

Zero Hour also builds on the many bug fixes and needed feature additions since launch. You can expect greater stability, better balancing and improved handling for guns and vehicles, among other tweaks. Custom game mode creators can expect a more powerful editor and a new preset, while Portal brings back some vehicles and "experiences."

Season 1 is free for all BF2042 players, and you'll only really want the Premium pass if you insist on having the latest cosmetics. The question is whether or not the update will bring gamers back. While active player counts have levelled out, according to Steam Charts, there's no doubt that interest in the shooter tumbled soon after its November 2021 debut. A rough launch and other frustrations prompted much of the target audience to drift toward other titles. The major content update might encourage users to give the game a second chance, but it's not certain that they'll stick around.

Many students have returned to in-person classes, but that isn't stopping Google from making online education more viable. The company has updated Classroom and Workspace for Education with a host of features that improve life for teachers and students alike. In Workspace, for instance, you can now auto-transcribe Meet calls directly into Google Docs — helpful if you want to quickly produce lesson material or help students catch up when they miss lectures. You can also host polls and Q&A sessions in Meet sessions, livestream public events (think school assemblies) to YouTube and use picture-in-picture to manage class presentations without losing sight of your pupils.

Teachers using Classroom, meanwhile, now have access to previously beta-only add-on support that extends functionality beyond what Google can offer. You can get an EdPuzzle add-on to automatically integrate and grade assignments, while a Pear Deck extension can create assignments using lessons from the Pear Deck library. The Classroom updates also make it easier to add YouTube videos to lessons, export grades and get updates through email notifications. An update later in 2022 will let teachers reply directly to students from Gmail notifications.

Google is expanding access to its Read Along app, too. It's rolling out a beta for a new web version over the next month, so students might not need to lean on their phones as they improve their literacy skills.

The announcements come alongside Chrome OS updates that include improved casting and optimizing educational apps like Figma. Although these updates might not matter much as the pandemic (hopefully) winds down, they could still be useful as schools increasingly rely on internet-based lessons and coursework.