Access to future AI models in OpenAI’s API may require a verified IDOpenAI may soon require organizations to complete an ID verification process in order to access certain future AI models, according to a support page published to the company’s website last week. The verification process, called Verified Organization, is “a new way for developers to unlock access to the most advanced models and capabilities on the […]

3D Printed Milling Machine is Solid as a RockThere are no shortage of CNC machines in the DIY space these days, but sometimes you just need to do things your own way. That’s what [Chris Borges] decided when he put together this rock-solid, concrete-filled CNC milling machine.
The concrete body of this machine is housed inside a 3D printed shell, which makes for an attractive skin as well as a handy mold. Within the concrete is a steel skeleton, with the ‘rebar’ being made of threaded rods and a length of square tubing to hold the main column. You can see the concrete being poured in around the rebar in the image, or watch it happen in the build video embedded below.
In goes the concrete, up goes the rigidity.All three axes slide on linear rails, and are attached to lead screws driven by the omnipresent NEMA 17 steppers. The air-cooled spindle, apparently the weak-point of the design, is attached to a pivoting counterweight, but make no mistake: it is on rails. All-in-all, it looks like a very rigid, and very capable design — [Chris] shows it cutting through aluminum quite nicely.
Given that [Chris] has apparently never used a true mill before, this design came out remarkably well. Between the Bill of Materials and 45 page step-by-step assembly instructions, he’s also done a fantastic job documenting the build for anyone who wants to put one together for themselves.
This isn’t the first concrete-filled project we’ve highlighted from [Chris], you may remember seeing his lathe on these pages. It certainly isn’t the first CNC mill we’ve covered, either.

GIK: The Basics of Room Acoustics If you’re struggling to get your head around acoustic treatment, it’s well worth taking a look at The Basics of Room Acoustics, an informative video produced by the experts at GIK Acoustics. 

Senator Tim Scott is confident market structure bill passed by AugustSenator Tim Scott, the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, recently said that he expects a crypto market bill to be passed into law by August 2025.The chairman also noted the Senate Banking Committee's advancement of the GENIUS Act, a comprehensive stablecoin regulatory bill, in March 2025, as evidence that the committee prioritizes crypto policy. In a statement to Fox News, Scott said:"We must innovate before we regulate — allowing innovation in the digital asset space to happen here at home is critical to American economic dominance across the globe."Scott's timeline for a crypto market structure bill lines up with expectations from Kristin Smith, CEO of the crypto industry advocacy group Blockchain Association, of market structure and stablecoin legislation being passed into law by August.The Trump administration has emphasized that comprehensive crypto regulations are central to its plans for protecting the value of the US dollar and establishing the country as a global leader in digital assets by attracting investment into US-based crypto firms.Senator Tim Scott highlights the Senate Banking Committee’s goals and accomplishments in 2025. Source: Fox NewsRelated: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industrySupport for comprehensive crypto regulations is bipartisanUS lawmakers and officials expect clear crypto policies to be established and signed into law sometime in 2025 with bipartisan support from Congress.Speaking at the Digital Assets Summit in New York City, on March 18, Democrat Representative Ro Khanna said he expects both the market structure and stablecoin bills to pass this year.The Democrat lawmaker added that there are about 70-80 other representatives in the party who understand the importance of passing clear digital asset regulations in the United States.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, pictured left, President Donald Trump in the center, and crypto czar David Sacks, pictured right, at the White House Crypto Summit. Source: The White HouseKhanna emphasized that fellow Democrats support dollar-pegged stablecoins due to the role of dollar tokens in expanding demand for the US dollar worldwide through the internet.Bo Hines, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, also spoke at the conference and predicted that stablecoin legislation would be passed into law within 60 days.Hines highlighted that establishing US dominance in the digital asset space is a goal with widespread bipartisan support in Washington DC.Magazine: How crypto laws are changing across the world in 2025

Apple’s ‘Mythic Quest’ is ending with an updated Season 4 finale“Mythic Quest,” the Apple TV+ workplace comedy about the making of a popular online roleplaying game, is ending after four seasons. A new version of the show’s fourth season finale — first aired on March 26, and now the de facto series finale — will premiere on Apple TV+ next week, with a new ending. […]

Vibe Check: False Packages a New LLM Security Risk?Lots of people swear by large-language model (LLM) AIs for writing code. Lots of people swear at them. Still others may be planning to exploit their peculiarities, according to [Joe Spracklen] and other researchers at USTA. At least, the researchers have found a potential exploit in ‘vibe coding’.
Everyone who has used an LLM knows they have a propensity to “hallucinate”– that is, to go off the rails and create plausible-sounding gibberish. When you’re vibe coding, that gibberish is likely to make it into your program. Normally, that just means errors. If you are working in an environment that uses a package manager, however (like npm in Node.js, or PiPy in Python, CRAN in R-studio) that plausible-sounding nonsense code may end up calling for a fake package.
A clever attacker might be able to determine what sort of false packages the LLM is hallucinating, and inject them as a vector for malicious code. It’s more likely than you think– while CodeLlama was the worst offender, the most accurate model tested (ChatGPT4) still generated these false packages at a rate of over 5%. The researchers were able to come up with a number of mitigation strategies in their full paper, but this is a sobering reminder that an AI cannot take responsibility. Ultimately it is up to us, the programmers, to ensure the integrity and security of our code, and of the libraries we include in it.
We just had a rollicking discussion of vibe coding, which some of you seemed quite taken with. Others agreed that ChatGPT is the worst summer intern ever.  Love it or hate it, it’s likely this won’t be the last time we hear of security concerns brought up by this new method of programming.
Special thanks to [Wolfgang Friedrich] for sending this into our tip line.

SlapAsSound VoXoV vol.02 – Human Vocal VSTIntroducing VoXoV vol.02 – Human Vocal VST. I'm excited to present VoXoV vol.02, the second release in my new series of vocal-based instruments. This VST is crafted to bring an entirely fresh layer of human vocal textures into your music, giving your productions a new depth and vibe. Whether you're creating cinematic scores, electronic beats, or anything in between, VoXoV vol.02 will introduce a distinctive vocal element that enriches your sound design. Unique Vocal Sounds. High-Quality Samples. Easy to Use. Works with Any DAW. Sparks Creativity Collaborative Effort with FOX. To make this project a reality, I teamed up with FOX, whose extensive experience and exceptional skills have elevated the sound quality of this VST. Thanks to his input, every sample has been meticulously engineered to bring depth and soul to your tracks. Limited-Time Release - so grab it while you can! Get it here: https://www.slapassound.com/voxov-plus Enjoy exploring this new vocal universe, and stay tuned for more releases coming soon. Read More

Audeze’s LCD-S20 headphones are the most affordable in its LCD series – and pack in its ground-breaking SLAM technologyAudeze has unveiled the most affordable instalment in its LCD series of headphones to date. The LCD-S20 Closed-Back headphones channel the company’s high-end audio quality and SLAM spatial imaging into a much more affordable package, costing just $499.
First introduced for the company’s CRBN2 headphones, Audeze’s SLAM technology – Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator – improves the way air pressure is distributed across each diaphragm using precisely-tuned acoustic channels to boost certain frequencies. CRBN2s cost $5,995 – and the LCD-S20 loads in the same technology for much less.

READ MORE: Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori tour will live on forever through Depeche Mode: M

The LCD-S20s also boast magnetic ear pads, allowing users to swap out and replace them with ease. As well as offering rich acoustics, the ear cups have reliable noise-cancellation, meaning your listening wont be disturbed by external noise or microphone bleed.
There’s also a detachable single-sided cable, meaning you can switch your wire to either earcup and avoid getting tangled up in the studio.
The headphones also boast the same design as Audeze’s Maxwell line, with a spring-steel headband, forged aluminium and glass-infused nylon components. There’s also the same 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which includes Audeze’s Fluxor magnets, Fazor waveguides, and Uniforce voice coils.
 
Credit: Audeze
“With the LCD-S20, we’re bringing Audeze’s renowned studio-quality sound to a broader audience without compromising on innovation or performance,” Audeze CEO, Sankar Thiagasamudram, explains. “The integration of our SLAM technology is a leap forward in both audio fidelity and user experience.”
“LCD-S20 is not just an entry point into the Audeze family; it’s a testament to our commitment to making world-class audio accessible to everyone, from budding musicians to seasoned audiophiles,” he adds.
The headphones have also already received praise from audio engineer Marc Urselli. The three time Grammy-Winner has insisted that the LCD-S20s “a game-changer for tracking headphones in the studio”.
LCD-S20 headphones are available now for $499.

The post Audeze’s LCD-S20 headphones are the most affordable in its LCD series – and pack in its ground-breaking SLAM technology appeared first on MusicTech.

Top Music Business News Last WeekA busy week by any definition and music business news was no exception, with an update on The Ticket Act, MLC investments, songs getting shorter, and more… Top Music Business. Continue reading
The post Top Music Business News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

DIY and Independent Musician News Last WeekLast week, our tips, advice and independent musician news covered the struggles of earning a living as a musician, how to upgrade your TikTok profile, promote music on Threads, and more... Continue reading
The post DIY and Independent Musician News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

Native Instruments introduce Electric Keys - Reeds Duo The latest instalment in NI's popular virtual electric piano series includes Jade and Ivory, a new pair of libraries that capture the sound of two reed-based instruments. 

BMI Responds to U.S. Copyright Office Notice of Inquiry on PROsOn Friday, BMI released a statement to report that it had filed its, "response to the U.S. Copyright Office’s (USCO) February Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding performing rights organizations (PROs) and how they work. The inquiry was sparked when a coalition of music licensees and their lobbyists raised concerns with Congress about the number of PROs and how royalties are distributed. BMI believes raising these issues is nothing more than the latest attempt by music users to create unnecessary confusion in the marketplace in order to reduce the licensing fees they pay to our songwriters and composers. BMI’s formal response to the USCO outlines our position, the many reasons why the PRO system is effective, and how the music creators’ perspective is completely absent from this conversation.""BMI engaged its creative community to make their voices heard at the Copyright Office- and nearly seven thousand BMI affiliates signed a letter in support of the PROs, amplifying the need to safeguard the rights and royalties of songwriters, composers and publishers," they contnued.Mike O’Neill, BMI’s President & CEO, said, “It’s no surprise that, once again, music users are attempting to underpay songwriters and composers for their creative work. As always, BMI will continue to fight to ensure that does not happen. As our filing today makes clear, we work tirelessly to protect the livelihoods and professions of music creators and copyright owners through the public performance royalties we collect and distribute. Creating confusion in the marketplace in order to further regulate this industry only serves the purposes of the businesses that ultimately want to pay music creators less. We look forward to continuing our discussions with the Copyright Office about the work we do and the ways in which we do it.”Access BMI’s filing and BMI’s filing on behalf of our affiliates.  The post BMI Responds to U.S. Copyright Office Notice of Inquiry on PROs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

US Senate bill threatens crypto, AI data centers with fees — ReportDraft legislation in the US Senate threatens to hit data centers serving blockchain networks and artificial intelligence models with fees if they exceed federal emissions targets, according to an April 11 Bloomberg report. Led by Senate Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman, the draft bill purportedly aims to address environmental impacts from rising energy demand and protect households from higher energy bills, Bloomberg said.Dubbed the Clean Cloud Act, the legislation mandates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set an emissions performance standard for data centers and crypto mining facilities with over 100 KW of installed IT nameplate power. The standard would be based on regional grid emissions intensities, with an 11% annual reduction target. The legislation also includes penalties for emissions exceeding the set standard, starting at $20 per ton of CO2e, with the penalty increasing annually by inflation plus an additional $10.“Surging power demand from cryptominers and data centers is outpacing the growth of carbon-free electricity,” notes a minority blog post on the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website, adding that data centers’ electricity usage is projected to account for up to 12% of the US total power demand by 2028. According to research from Morgan Stanley, the rapid growth of data centers is projected to generate approximately 2.5 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions globally by the end of the decade. For Matthew Sigel, VanEck’s head of research, the proposed legislation effectively seeks to single out Bitcoin (BTC) miners and similar operations for energy consumption in a “Losing ‘Blame the Server Racks’ Strategy,” he said in an April 11 X post. In addition, the law could clash with the US’s policy under President Donald Trump, who repealed a 2023 executive order by former President Joe Biden setting AI safety standards. Trump has previously declared his intention to make the US the “world capital” of AI and cryptocurrency.New US draft bill would penalize AI, crypto data centers for power consumption. Source: Matthew SigelRelated: Trade tensions to speed institutional crypto adoption — ExecsBitcoin and AI convergeThe draft law, which has yet to pass in the Senate, comes as Bitcoin miners — including Galaxy, CoreScientific, and Terawulf — increasingly pivot toward supplying high-performance computing (HPC) power for AI models, VanEck said.Bitcoin miners have struggled in 2025 as declining cryptocurrency prices weigh on business models already impacted by the Bitcoin network’s most recent halving.Miners are “diversifying into AI data-center hosting as a way to expand revenue and repurpose existing infrastructure for high-performance computing,” Coin Metrics said.Comparison of miners’ AI-related contracts. Source: VanEckAccording to Coin Metrics, miners’ incomes began to stabilize in the first quarter of 2025. However, the recovery could be cut short if ongoing trade wars disrupt miners’ business models, several cryptocurrency executives told Cointelegraph. “Aggressive tariffs and retaliatory trade policies could create obstacles for node operators, validators, and other core participants in blockchain networks,” Nicholas Roberts-Huntley, CEO of Concrete & Glow Finance, said. “In moments of global uncertainty, the infrastructure supporting crypto, not just the assets themselves, can become collateral damage.”Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

The most interesting startups showcased at Google Cloud Next Google Cloud announced a long list of impressive AI startups as customers during its Cloud Next conference this week

Tae-Ho Kim, HYBE COO and BELIFT LAB President, talks ENHYPEN, ILLIT, Coachella, and superfansMBW’s World Leaders series meets Tae-Ho Kim, Chief Operating Officer of HYBE and President of BELIFT LAB
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