The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's armed forces, has threatened to target US tech companies' operations in the Middle East. It told employees of 18 companies — including Apple, Google, Meta and NVIDIA — “to leave their workplaces immediately to save their lives,” as CBS News reported. Those living close to the companies' facilities in the region were instructed to evacuate immediately as well. Microsoft, Oracle, Tesla, HP, Intel, Palantir, Boeing, Dell, Cisco and IBM are also among the companies that the IRGC named.

"Since the main element in designing and tracking terror targets are American [information and communications technology] and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions effective in terrorist operations will be our legitimate targets," the IRGC said in a statement. The military force warned it will start targeting the companies on Wednesday evening if more Iranian leaders are killed.

Iran previously pledged to attack companies and banks tied to the US and Israel, though the warning it issued on Tuesday had a specific deadline. Earlier this month, Iranian drones struck Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, disrupting Amazon Web Services operations in the region. 

The US reportedly used Anthropic's AI in its initial airstrikes against Iran at the onset of the war in late February. Israel has been using a new AI platform of its own to help it track the movements of Iranian officials. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/iran-threatens-imminent-attacks-on-us-tech-companies-in-the-middle-east-184841155.html?src=rss

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As of April 1, Gmail will have been around for 22 years. Many of us have a poorly chosen email address that's laced with regret, but we're now stuck with it. We've perhaps had it for longer than most college students have been alive and that's how others get in touch with us. Google is now giving us a chance to move on and change our Gmail address to something more appropriate.

All users in the US can now change their Google Account username — the bit before the @ in your Gmail address. Google said in December that it was gradually rolling out this option to all users.

To change your Google Account username, go to the email settings page. From there, click or tap on Personal info > Email > Google Account email. If the ability to alter your username has been enabled on your account, you'll see a Change Google Account email option. Click on this to start modifying your username.

You'll only be able to change your username once every 12 months. If you do change the address, Gmail will retain all of your previous emails. Handily, your former Gmail name will remain as an alternate email address. As such, people will be able to get in touch with you via either address. You can also sign into Google services using both email addresses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/all-google-users-in-the-us-can-now-change-their-gmail-address-141818676.html?src=rss

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Microsoft has confirmed exactly when this year’s Xbox Games Showcase will take place. It will air at the usual time, 1PM ET on the Sunday (June 7) of Summer Game Fest weekend. In recent years, the company has offered a deeper dive into one particular game straight after the showcase, and it’s sticking to that format this time with a closer look at Gears of War: E-Day.

The showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct will be available in more than 40 languages, including American Sign Language and British Sign Language. A stream with English audio descriptions will be available as well. You can watch it on several of Xbox’s various social channels, including YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.

This is typically Xbox’s biggest showcase of the year. It will be the first Xbox Games Showcase with Asha Sharma at the helm of Microsoft’s gaming division. Perhaps we’ll hear some more details on the next Xbox (aka Project Helix), which is confirmed to be a system that will run PC games — much like the upcoming Steam Machine.

Along with more details about a brand-new Gears of War game, it seems likely that we’ll learn the release date for Fable during the Xbox Games Showcase. That game is slated to arrive this fall.

We don’t yet have exact release dates for Minecraft Dungeons 2 or Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the first Halo game’s campaign. Those are scheduled to debut this year as well, so they seem like prime candidates for showcase appearances. Microsoft also has Clockwork Revolution, State of Decay 3, OD (from Kojima Productions) and something new from Toys for Bob in the hopper.

In addition, Microsoft is promising the return of Xbox FanFest, an in-person fan event, to help mark the brand’s 25th anniversary. Sharma confirmed this will take place in Los Angeles, where all of the Summer Game Fest events are going down. “This year’s experience will include a look back at the last 25 years, alongside a forward view of what’s next,” according to an Xbox Wire blog post.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/this-years-xbox-games-showcase-is-set-for-june-7-134942027.html?src=rss

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Monarch Money is one of our favorite budgeting apps and, fittingly enough, there's a way for newcomers to save money on a subscription right now. If you use the code WELCOME at checkout, you can get an annual plan for 30 percent off. It typically costs $100, but you can get 12 months of access for $70 with this code.

There are some key caveats here. The discount is only for new users, and it can't be combined with other offers. The code only works when you sign up through the web. You can't redeem it through the Monarch mobile app.

We feel that Monarch has a steeper learning curve than some other budget trackers and that certain aspects of the app are slightly more complex than they probably need to be. But it offers a great deal of customization and granularity, which outweighs our misgivings.

On the main dashboard, you'll see your net worth along with your latest transactions, spending versus the previous month, your income so far for the month and details about upcoming bills, your investments and goals you've set. There's also a link to a month-in-review page, which offers an in-depth overview of what's been happening with your money that month. You'll also be able to take a peek at how your net worth has changed over time.

Monarch can connect to your bank and track Apple Card, Apple Cash and Savings accounts. It can pull in your transactions and balance history automatically and detect your recurring expenses and income. The app can even keep your car valuation up to date. While it might take a little work to set up Monarch (and you might have to tweak things here and there), it's a detailed budgeting app that can help you keep better track of your income, expenditure and net worth.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-has-30-percent-off-annual-plans-right-now-174011690.html?src=rss

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