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
Source

A Mouse, No Hands!There are some ideas which someone somewhere has to try. Take [Uri Tuchman]’s foot mouse. It’s a computer mouse for foot operation, but it’s not just a functional block. Instead it’s an ornate inlaid-wood-and-brass affair in the style of a very fancy piece of antique footwear.
The innards of an ordinary USB mouse are placed in something best described as a wooden platform heel, upon which is placed a brass sole with a couple of sections at the front to activate the buttons with the user’s toes. The standout feature is the decoration. With engraving on the brass and inlaid marquetry on the wood, it definitely doesn’t look like any computer peripheral we’ve seen.
The build video is below the break, and we’re treated to all the processes sped up. At the end he uses it in a basic art package and in a piloting game, with varying degrees of succes. We’re guessing it would take a lot of practice to gain a level of dexterity with this thing, but we salute him for being the one who tries it.
This has to be the fanciest peripheral we’ve ever seen, but surprisingly it’s not the first foot mouse we’ve brought you.

Claim FREE copy of MOK Miniraze synth with an eligible purchase at Plugin Boutique
Plugin Boutique has rolled out its April gift and, this month, you’ll get MOK Miniraze for free with any eligible purchase. It’s not exactly free in that regard, so let’s call it a 2-for-1. Long-time customers of Plugin Boutique already know the deal. You buy a plugin and get that month’s gift for free. The [...]
View post: Claim FREE copy of MOK Miniraze synth with an eligible purchase at Plugin Boutique

Sound Radix receive Academy Plaque for Auto-Align Post 2 Sound Radix have announced that they are to be honoured with a Scientific and Engineering Award (Academy Plaque) for their popular Auto-Align Post 2 plug-in.

Monster DAW Monster KeyzMonster Keyz is a multi voices keyboard sound which you can mix n match to obtain unique sound that match your mood and music needs. You can tweak individual Volume, Pan, and it has Master Reverb, Master Delay, Master Volume. Here are some features of Monster Keyz version 2.2022.12: Lightweight and doesn't consume much RAM like any other virtual instruments. There are 6 Voice categories: Keys, Choir, Pad, Brass, Pluck, and SFX and each has 5 Voice for total 30 Voice. No preset but you can mix n match 30 Voices to produce 1,073,741,823 different sound (Yes, that's possible). Each Voice has its own Volume, Pan, and Voice On/off. Master Reverb and Master Delay with its own parameters and Master Volume. Read More