Google said a year ago that Assistant would offer to change compromised passwords, and now the company is delivering on that promise in earnest. Android Policenotes that Assistant warnings are now rolling out more broadly to Chrome users, including those on Android. Sign in to a site with a compromised password and you'll both get the familiar "change your password" alert and, on some sites, an option to have Assistant automatically make that change. You can take control at any point, but this will be helpful if you'd rather not spend time devising a secure replacement sign-in.

The helper uses the AI from Google's web version of Duplex to navigate websites and apply password changes. It knows how to click, scroll and fill in forms that would typically require human intervention. 

The feature doesn't work on every website at this moment. However, the Assistant password tool has only been available to a relatively small group of users since it was introduced at Google I/O last May. The expanded access still represents a significant improvement, and could be extremely useful if you're ever the victim of a data breach that exposes your login details.

Passwordless sign-ins are already a practical reality, but they're sometimes clunky — and three of the biggest tech companies believe they can reduce the friction. Apple, Google and Microsoft are teaming up to expand support for a password-free sign-in standard from the FIDO Alliance and World Wide Web Consortium. You'll get to use FIDO authentication on a phone or tablet to sign into an app or website on a nearby device, regardless of platform. Likewise, you'll often have automatic access to your FIDO credentials without having to add every account on a given device, even on brand new hardware.

The aim is to allow "end-to-end" passwordless sign-ins for apps and websites, not just at certain stages. You'd only need to use biometric scans (such as your face or finger) or a device PIN to sign in at every step. The effort will hopefully prevent successful phishing attacks that trick you into sharing passwords with hackers and scammers.

Apple, Google and Microsoft all plan to make the enhanced zero-password features available on their platforms throughout the "coming year." You may have to wait for a significant operating system update to see the upgrade. The wait might be endurable, though, if passwords are far less necessary than they are today.

TikTok creators might soon have an easier way to profit from their posts. As part of a TikTok Pulse ad solution, the social media giant will start "exploring" a program that shares ad revenue with influencers, publishers and well-known public personas. Those with at least 100,000 followers will be eligible in the first stage, TikTok said.

The company told TechCrunch it will launch Pulse in the US this June, with other countries due in the fall. TikTok will split revenue equally between itself and producers. That's slightly worse than Instagram (where creators get 55 percent), but still significant.

The appeal is clear: if you're popular enough, you could make money with every post. That could encourage more posts on TikTok, not to mention spare some video makers from relying heavily on sponsorships or donations.

This also helps TikTok, of course. It could prevent stars from jumping to Instagram or other, potentially more lucrative rivals. However, it might also encourage more creators to produce ad-friendly clips — you might see cleaner, less polarizing material. That won't be thrilling if you like TikTok's more political or risqué content, but it might help TikTok withstand increasingly fierce competition.

Amazon leaders might face an uncomfortable moment at the company's next shareholder gathering. Daniel Olayiwola will become the first Amazon warehouse worker to present a resolution at the firm's annual general meeting on May 25th. The San Antonio-based employee's proposal calls for Amazon to end both its staff surveillance and productivity quotas. The practices force workers to "prioritize speed over safety," Olayiwola said, and there have reportedly been few meaningful changes.

The staffer pointed to OSHA data showing that Amazon's injury rates were "well above" national averages, particularly at automated facilities and during peak periods. He blamed this in no small part on policies like Time Off Task, which monitors the amount of time workers spend away from their station tools. The combination of surveillance and quotas reportedly gives employees little room for breaks or a safe, sustainable work pace.

We've asked Amazon for comment. The online retailer has softened its approach in some respects, such as averaging Time Off Task over a longer period to reduce the strain on warehouse personnel. Founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos pushed for Amazon to become the "safest place to work."

Amazon still keeps a close eye on productivity, however, and has recently been accused of pushing workers past the breaking point. Employees and contractors at the Illinois warehouse that collapsed during a deadly tornado last year were reportedly pressured to keep working despite the extreme danger, for instance.

We wouldn't count on the resolution passing. Shareholder resolutions at many companies frequently fail if they challenge the status quo, and Olayiwola's would demand a major change to Amazon's policies. Even if the proposal doesn't survive, though, it highlights the mounting tensions between Amazon and a rank-and-file demanding better working conditions.

Bose might not be the unassailable audio giant it once was. Boston Globesources say the company has been implementing "rolling layoffs" in recent years, with public data indicating that its headcount dropped from 9,000 in 2019 to 7,000 in 2021. Recently departed employees told the newspaper that Bose had fallen short of sales targets as new products struggled in the market, including the Frames audio glasses and SoundControl hearing aids. Competition from rivals like Apple and Sony is also believed to have hurt Bose's bottom line.

The latest layoffs, in March, cut 245 jobs and reportedly wiped out the health division responsible for the hearing aids. The decision came despite scrapping a planned sleep headphone product, according to the insiders. CEO Lila Snyder supposedly axed the group after an outside review suggested Bose needed to drop its hearing aid work.

Spokesperson Joanne Berthiaume confirmed the most recent batch of layoffs to the Globe. She declined comment on staff counts or strategy, but characterized the latest layoffs as a question of focus. They would help Bose concentrate on the products that "matter most" to customers, she said. Berthiaume added that Bose was still hiring in other areas, with 200 available roles.

A shrinking workforce wouldn't be surprising. While Bose is virtually synonymous with (if not always liked for) headphones and speakers, it's competing in markets increasingly dominated by true wireless earbuds like AirPods, not to mention smart speakers like those from Amazon and Sonos. Add in the niche nature of experiments like Frames and it's clear the company doesn't have as many opportunities to thrive as it once did.

The New York Times' purchase of Wordle appears to have paid off, at least in the near term. The newspaper has revealed that it added "tens of millions" of new users in the first quarter of 2022 thanks to Josh Wardle's hit word game. That led to the company's best quarter yet for subscriber additions to games, and "many" of those incoming players have remained to try other games.

The surge came alongside an otherwise strong quarter that included 387,000 new digital subscribers (including those from The Athletic). The Times reported a jump to 9.1 million subscribers, with digital revenue climbing by 26 percent. The buyouts helped slash the company's net profit to $4.7 million versus $41.1 million a year earlier.

The surge in users isn't exactly shocking. The paper bought a hugely popular game at the height of its success, and that demand continued throughout the quarter. The question, of course, is whether or not the deal will be worthwhile in the long run. It's not certain if Wordle will remain the sensation it has been, and it's no secret that the Times is still better-known for its crossword puzzle than the other games in its repertoire. With that said, the original Wordle has survived an onslaught of clones — it stands a better chance at enduring success than some viral games.

More details appear to have emerged for Sonos' rumored budget soundbar. A briefly posted listing at Colombian store KTronix suggests it will be called the Sonos Ray, and will be smaller than the already compact Beam Gen 2 at just 22 inches long (versus 25.6in), if slightly taller and thinner. Provided the accompanying images are accurate, it's also clearer as to how Sonos will keep costs down. Pictures of the rear indicate it will only accept optical audio input, drop the built-in voice control microphones and rely on one pair each of tweeters and woofers — there's no HDMI or Dolby Atmos support here.

The product page still promises a few mainstay Sonos features, such as Trueplay calibration that uses your phone or tablet to adjust the sound tuning to fit your room. You could also expect "crystal-clear dialogue" in your movies and TV shows. You can still connect to your home network through Ethernet if WiFi isn't an option, and Sonos' built-in voice assistant support should still let you use another smart speaker to control the Ray.

Sources speaking to The Verge initially obtained the Ray name and provided 3D renders based on photos. The soundbar can reportedly be used for surround sound when linked to other Sonos speakers, and you can use two Rays as rear speakers for an Atmos-capable Arc or Beam setup if you mount them vertically.

There are no new clues as to the release date, but the RAYG1US1BLK model name mentioned at KTronix has been circulating in import data for months. A previous leak hinted Sonos might release it as soon as early June. And while the Colombian price (about $323) likely won't reflect the exact pricing for the US, it does imply that the rumored $250 sticker is at least close to the mark.

Longevity reigns supreme when you're shopping for a dashcam memory card, and Samsung thinks it might have some of the longest-lasting cards yet. The brand has introduced next-generation Pro Endurance microSD cards with up to 16 years of continuous recording for the 256GB version — there's a good chance you'll get a new car before the flash memory dies. Lower-capacity cards won't last as long (the 128GB model lasts 'just' eight years), but this should still help you avoid frequent replacements.

For context, Samsung's previous lineup typically peaked at five years. That's considered better than average in a field where two to four years of non-stop recording is commonplace.

All cards can read at speeds up to 100MB/s and write at 30MB/s or better, so you shouldn't have trouble capturing 1080p or 4K footage. Samsung also bills the cards as resistant to drops, magnets, water, extreme temperatures and X-rays.

The Pro Endurance line is available now, starting at $11 for a 32GB memory card and climbing to $55 for the range-topping 256GB model. The relatively low maximum storage might be disappointing if you want to preserve a large amount of video. However, it should be plenty for dashcams, bodycams and other cameras where reliability is absolutely vital.

GM is the latest automaker hoping its car data will help governments improve road safety. The company partnering with Inrix on a Safety View cloud initiative that gives crash, vehicle and "vulnerable road user" (think pedestrians and construction workers) data to US transportation officials. If all goes well, local governments can both prioritize new road safety projects and gauge the effectiveness of their current efforts.

The data is tailored for the Transportation Department's Safe Streets and Roads for All program, not to mention various agencies' Vision Zero (zero road fatalities or serious injuries) plans.

It's no secret why GM and Inrix might want to share car info with the government. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $5 billion for the DOT's Safe Streets program. That's a lot of potential business from government clients that could be eager to modernize their roadways as much as possible. Whatever the motivation, it might be worthwhile if road safety improves based on real-world data that was previously difficult to obtain.

You might not have to tweet to all your followers (or the public) in the future. Twitter is testing a "Circle" feature that lets you limit tweets to a group of as many as 150 people. It's a not-so-subtle parallel to Instagram's Close Friends — you can ask for advice or share a personal event without unwelcome commentary.

The company told Engadget Circle is already available to a "small group" of Android, iOS and web users worldwide. It's not yet clear if or when Twitter might expand the test to a wider audience, although that will likely hinge on feedback.

Circle joins a number of features meant to control the reach of Twitter posts, including an option to restrict who can reply. It could help Twitter compete with Instagram and other services that let you be more selective about content sharing, and might help you protect your privacy without resorting to direct messages or a small follower list.

At the same time, there is a concern Circle might exacerbate echo chambers. If you frequently limit discussions to a small clique, you might be less inclined to tweet to a larger crowd or see what your more distant connections are saying. Even so, more granularity might be appreciated at a time when it's all too easy to be overwhelmed.