You'll want to act quickly if you've been looking for a frill-free tablet. Amazon is selling Apple's latest 10.2-inch iPad (that is, the 2021 model) at an all-time low price of $290 after an instant checkout coupon. This only applies to the 64GB WiFi model in silver, and you'll have to wait until early May for delivery. If those aren't obstacles, however, this is an exceptional deal that beats some of the bargains we've seen for past models.

The 10.2-inch iPad remains alluring thanks to its sheer value for money. It's fast for the price, offers a solid screen and lasts a long time on battery. On this newest model, the wide-angle camera with Center Stage is particularly useful — it's easier to fit more of your household into the frame during a video call, even if they're in the background. Toss in the upgraded base storage, a robust app ecosystem and iPadOS 15's better multitasking and you might not need more than this.

The same issues still apply, of course. This iPad design now feels old compared to newer models like the iPad Air and iPad mini. You won't get those tablets' thinner bezels, faster processors and improved cameras. There's no support for the Magic Keyboard or second-generation Pencil, for that matter. However, there's a real chance you don't need those extras — the 10.2-inch iPad is still a very capable device for gaming, reading, video viewing and many other everyday tasks.

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DuckDuckGo's crackdown on dodgy content now extends to digital bootleggers. TorrentFreak has discovered that the search engine no longer lists results for some major pirate websites, including The Pirate Bay, 1337x and Fmovies — look for anything from their domains and you'll come up empty-handed. Streaming and stream-ripping sites like Flixtor and 2conv also produce no results, while other pirate outlets (such as RarBG) may only turn up one result instead of the hundreds of thousands you see elsewhere.

The site for the video download tool YouTube-dl also produces no results despite recent defenses of its legality. While the RIAA has portrayed YouTube-dl as a piracy tool, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, GitHub and others found that it doesn't rip DRM-protected material.

We've asked DuckDuckGo for comment. As TorrentFreak says, though, liability for copyright violations might be an issue. The company removed pirate "bangs" (shortcuts for pirate sites) as far back as 2018, and competitors like Google and Microsoft are already downranking piracy-related results. A move like this could protect DuckDuckGo against costly copyright battles.

You might not be thrilled with in-game advertising, but you might soon see more of it. Insidersources (sub. required) claim Microsoft is developing a program to help marketers place ads in free-to-play Xbox games. Companies could buy from an ad inventory to secure space on virtual billboards. It's not clear if this would extend to character skins or video rolls, but Microsoft is apparently crafting a "private marketplace" to limit ads to brands that won't disrupt gameplay.

Microsoft is reportedly still pinpointing ad technology firms that would build the catalog and cooperate on placement. The debut might not take long, though, as the program could launch by the third quarter (that is, summer).

The company declined to confirm or deny the plans. In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson said Microsoft was constantly striving to "improve the experience" for developers and players but didn't have "anything further to share."

The program could rankle gamers worried about ads for real-world products finding their way into fictional universes. However, the focus on free-to-play titles might prove crucial. This could help developers make money from free games without leaning too heavily on paid content like skins and season passes. That, in turn, might persuade creators to make Xbox-centric games rather than building for the PlayStation or Switch.

Comets aren't known for being gargantuan, but there are clearly exceptions to that rule. Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted the largest known comet to date, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein). With a nucleus 80 miles across, it easily overshadows the 60-mile girth of previous record holder C/2002 VQ94 — it's about 50 times bigger than the typical comet. 

The comet was first discovered in 2010 by its namesake astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein. However, scientists only recently verified the size by comparing Hubble imagery against a computer model of the coma (the 'atmosphere' of the comet as it releases gas) and data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. At roughly 2 billion miles away from Earth, C/2014 UN271 is too far away for Hubble to visualize the nucleus.

And before you ask: no, there's no danger of an Earth-shattering collision. C/2014 UN271 is on a 3-million-year-long elliptical orbit that will take it no closer than 1 billion miles from the Sun, or slightly beyond Saturn's distance, in 2031. It appears to have originated from the Oort Cloud (the still-theoretical nest of comets at least 2,000AU from the Sun) and may travel up to half a light-year away. Its -348F temperature may seem frigid, but it's warm enough to produce a carbon monoxide coma.

The size confirmation isn't just about bragging rights. This finding widens humanity's understanding of comet sizes, and adds to the still-small catalog of very distant comets. It might also provide more evidence of the Oort Cloud's existence and, by extension, help explain the cloud's role in Solar System development.

Meta's Horizon Worlds might not require that you don a headset to get a taste of Horizon Worlds. In response to criticisms of Meta's 47.5 percent cut of sales in the virtual world, CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth teased that a future "web version" would demand a more reasonable 25 percent. That's "much lower" than rivals like Roblox, the exec claimed.

Bosworth didn't say more about how the web edition would work or when it would launch. It's not clear if this is a VR environment or a scaled-back experience, for instance.

The CTO justified the 47.5 percent rate for Quest headset users by maintaining that it was needed to "help build a different ecosystem." Meta reaches that value by taking a 30 percent slice of revenue through the Quest Store and then 25 percent from the remaining amount in Horizon Worlds. This math would apply if the Quest Store was replaced with another platform "underneath," Bosworth added, such as Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store.

This might offer some consolation to creators worried they'd lose nearly half of all sales revenue to Meta's share. You could buy a digital item in Horizon Worlds' web version knowing the designer would get a much larger portion than if you made the same purchase in VR.

It might not soften all the criticism, however. Bosworth rebutted Apple's accusations of hypocrisy by claiming the iPhone maker favors its business "at great expense" to developers. However, it's still true that Meta will frequently collect revenue from two services where Apple, Google and others will only scoop up payments from one. That won't please creatives who hope to live off their digital item sales and may have to raise prices to compensate for Meta's approach.

You'll be waiting a while if you want an extra dose of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red has revealed that an upcoming expansion for the gritty sci-fi game is due sometime in 2023. You can expect more news about the add-on "later this year," CDPR said. The company didn't share much about what the new content would entail, but Quest Director Pawel Sasko said the wait would ensure the expansion was "properly crafted."

The plans make sense in light of Cyberpunk 2077's success. While the RPG was notoriously buggy on launch and was even the subject of an investor lawsuit, it has remained a strong seller — CDPR has sold 18 million copies as of this month. An expansion could help maintain that momentum and deliver sales closer to The Witcher games, which have netted 65 million sales so far.

Tinder is bringing its Festival Mode out of mothballs as in-person music events return in earnest. As of today, you can use the mode in Tinder Explore to match with people up to a month before festivals start. The initial mix of festivals includes well-known American gatherings like Bonnaroo, EDC and The Governors Ball, but also includes international events like the electronic-focused Sónar (in Barcelona) and Lollapalooza's outings in Berlin, Paris and Stockholm. This weekend's Coachella is conspicuously absent, however. 

If your event of choice isn't listed, you can still visit a "Festival Goers" area to hook up with users either going to other festivals or simply interested in the scene. Festival Mode is available to people worldwide.

The relaunch was virtually expected. Tinder unsurprisingly took a sharp hit when the pandemic made in-person dating risky or impossible, and scrambled to introduce video dates and other features that helped remote love blossom. Festival Mode could help Tinder revive interest in its core business. And there's evidence to suggest that might work. Tinder noted in 2019 that app usage surges during large events, and that might be particularly true given two years of pent-up demand.

The US is still on high alert for more cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. TechCrunchnotes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Energy Department, FBI and NSA have issued a warning that hackers have developed custom malware to hijack industrial control systems. Nicknamed Incontroller by Mandiant researchers, the "very likely" state-backed code breaches controllers from Omron and Schneider Electric that are frequently used for industrial automation.

Neither the government nor Mandiant attributed Incontroller to a particular country or hacking group. However, Mandiant said the malware's capabilities were "consistent" with Russia's past efforts and its "historical interest" in compromising industrial control systems. The software is complex enough to have required ample expertise to develop, researchers said, and it's not very useful for "financially motivated" hacks. One component, Tagrun, is a "reconnaissance" tool that provides a detailed look at control processes and production systems.

The alert's timing is difficult to ignore. It comes as Ukraine grapples with Russia's invasion, and recently foiled a cyberattack against an energy provider that was allegedly the work of Russian military operatives. The US Justice Department also indicted Russian government staff over years of energy sector attacks. The response also follows a year after a string of attacks against American infrastructure companies like Colonial Pipeline and JBS, although those were ransomware incidents more likely perpetrated by criminal groups.

Regardless of who's responsible, there's no direct protection against Incontroller at the moment. In their warning, US officials recommended common security measures such as multi-factor authentication and frequent password changes to minimize the chances of an intrusion. While it wouldn't be surprising to see companies deliver security fixes in the near future, there's still a practical risk that intruders could disrupt power grids, manufacturers and others that depend on the affected equipment.

WhatsApp is introducing some arguably overdue messaging and calling features, including one that could reduce the spread of misinformation. To begin with, WhatsApp is adding reaction emoji to help people share thoughts without cluttering chats. You'll also find support for larger 32-person voice calls, and you'll get to share files up to 2GB to help collaborate on projects.

More importantly, group administrators will have the power to delete messages. While this could help with simple tasks like cleaning up accidental messages or the occasional insult, it could be particularly useful for limiting misinformation in regions where bogus claims are sometimes propagated through group chats. This will depend on attentive and willing admins, of course.

The promised features are due in the "coming weeks" and arrive alongside Communities upgrades that include announcement messages. These are catch-up features in some respects, but they could easily be appreciated if you thrive on WhatsApp and are reluctant to switch for some must-have functionality.

Don't count on playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's next-gen update in the near future. CD Projekt Red has delayed the free upgrade's release "until further notice" after deciding to finish the project with an internal development team instead of Saber Interactive. The company wants to evaluate the necessary "scope of work," according to a statement.

The Wild Hunt update was originally slated to arrive in the second quarter (that is, before the end of June). It would refresh the 2015-era game for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC with ray-traced lighting, faster load times and possibly other features taking advantage of modern hardware. This would be a "Complete Edition" with expansions and other content, including material inspired by Netflix's Witcher series.

It's not certain what prompted the decision to drop the outside studio. This isn't necessarily an attempt to avoid a repeat of Cyberpunk 2077's buggy launch. However, it wouldn't be surprising if CDPR exercises caution. This will be the last Witcher release until the new title based on Unreal Engine 5 — a polished experience will make sure gamers have a favorable opinion of the series by the time the follow-up arrives.