It’s not every day you find a decent pair of wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, a transparency mode, and app support for less than $20, which is why the current lighting deal on the CMF Buds 2A stands out. Now through 11:15PM ET today, April 7th, Nothing’s budget earbuds are available on Amazon in all three colors for just $19.99 ($29 off), which matches their lowest price to date.

For the price, the Buds 2A cover the basics and then some. They deliver decent (albeit a little tinny) sound and 42 decibels of noise cancellation, along with an IP54 rating and a useful transparency mode for staying aware of your surroundings. They also provide a commendable eight hours of battery life per charge with ANC disabled — or up to 35.5 with the included charging case — and feature four onboard mics that leverage Nothing’s noise reduction tech, which helps boost voice call quality. I wouldn’t say voice clarity is their strong suit, though, again, they’re a $20 pair of earbuds.

Like the rest of Nothing’s entry-level earbuds, the 2A also work with the Nothing X app, adding a level of flexibility that’s hard to find at this price. With the app, you can tweak EQ settings, adjust the bass response, switch between ANC modes, or quickly enable multi-device pairing. There’s even a “find my earbuds” feature if you lose them, and you can assign a gesture to trigger your phone’s virtual assistant on the fly, whether that’s Siri or Google Assistant. On top of that, if you’re using a Nothing or CMF phone, you can use your voice to access ChatGPT directly through the earbuds.

Google says it has updated Gemini to better direct users to get mental health resources during moments of crisis. The change comes as the tech giant faces a wrongful death lawsuit alleging its chatbot “coached” a man to die by suicide, the latest in a string of lawsuits alleging tangible harm from AI products.

When a conversation indicates a user is in a potential crisis related to suicide or self-harm, Gemini already launches a “Help is available” module that directs users to mental health crisis resources, like a suicide hotline or crisis text line. Google says the update — really more of a redesign — will streamline this into a “one-touch” interface that will make it easier for users to get help quickly.

The help module also contains more empathetic responses designed “to encourage people to seek help,” Google says. Once activated, “the option to reach out for professional help will remain clearly available” for the remainder of the conversation.

Google says it engaged with clinical experts for the redesign and is committed to supporting users in crisis. It also announced $30 million in funding globally over the next three years “to help global hotlines.”

Like other leading chatbot providers, Google stressed that Gemini “is not a substitute for professional clinical care, therapy, or crisis support,” but acknowledged many people are using it for health information, including during moments of crisis.

The update comes amid broader scrutiny over how adequate the industry’s safeguards actually are. Reports and investigations, including our probe into the provision of crisis resources, frequently flag cases where chatbots fail vulnerable users, by helping them hide eating disorders or plan shootings. Google often fares better than many rivals in these tests, but is not perfect. Other AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have also taken steps to improve their detection and support of vulnerable users.

If your office cranks up the AC on a hot afternoon, you are part of a much bigger story. Energy demand is climbing fast. Data centers and AI systems are using more electricity than ever. At the same time, extreme weather is putting added stress on the grid. That pressure has utilities looking for relief in an unexpected place. Not a new plant. Not a massive battery installation. Instead, they are turning to buildings that already exist. A Seattle startup called Edo is betting your office can help keep the lights on.

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What is a virtual power plant?

A virtual power plant, often called a VPP, connects many buildings and devices so they can act like one coordinated energy resource. Instead of generating new electricity, these systems adjust when and how energy gets used.

Here is the idea in plain terms. When demand spikes, a building can temporarily reduce non-essential power use. That might mean cooling a space earlier in the day or delaying equipment that does not need to run right away. Across thousands of buildings, those small shifts add up quickly.

How Edo turns buildings into grid assets

Edo focuses on commercial buildings, which make up a large share of U.S. electricity use. The company installs technology that connects to existing building systems like HVAC, batteries, solar and EV charging. It links these systems through standard communication protocols and manages them from a central platform. That allows everything to work together instead of operating in silos. Edo then maps out where energy is being used and when. From there, building operators get a clearer picture of what can be adjusted without disrupting daily operations.

For example:

• Pre-cooling or pre-heating before peak pricing kicks in
• Charging electric vehicles when electricity is cheaper
• Shifting flexible tasks to off-peak hours
• Sending stored solar energy back to the grid

These changes happen with coordination, not guesswork. Utilities can then tap into that flexibility when demand spikes.

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Why utilities are paying attention now

This approach solves a real problem. When demand surges, utilities usually face tough choices. They can build new power plants, install large-scale batteries or reduce power through blackouts. All of those options come with high costs or major disruptions. Virtual power plants offer another path. They reduce strain on the grid without building new infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, VPPs could provide up to 160 gigawatts of flexible capacity by 2030 if adoption ramps up.

The shift from niche idea to mainstream solution

Virtual power plants have been around for years, mostly in residential settings. Companies like Tesla, Sunrun and EnergyHub already connect home batteries and smart devices.

At the same time, firms like Voltus and CPower Energy focus on large industrial users. Commercial buildings, however, have been largely overlooked. That is where Edo sees opportunity.

Why this matters as AI demand grows

AI is not just a software story. It is an energy story. Massive data centers require huge amounts of electricity. As more companies adopt AI tools, demand will continue to rise.

That makes flexible energy strategies more important than ever. Instead of racing to build new plants, utilities are rethinking how existing power gets used. Virtual power plants are becoming part of that solution.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Office buildings are already being used to support the grid. Companies like Edo are working with thousands of properties to adjust energy use in real time when demand spikes. What makes this shift important is how quickly it can scale. Instead of waiting years for new infrastructure, utilities can tap into systems that already exist. As AI demand grows and energy pressure builds, that flexibility could become one of the most practical tools available.

As AI drives up electricity demand, who should take the lead in keeping the grid stable: utilities or the companies using the most power? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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