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Volkswagen has recalled 2025 ID.Buzz electric vans, because their rear seats are only configured for two people but are wide enough to fit three. According to the NHTSA note (PDF) found by Electrek, Volkswagen is recalling 5,637 vehicles, which were manufactured between September 18, 2024 and February 11, 2025. The removable third-row of the 2025 ID.Buzz are only fitted with seatbelts for two people. However, its seating surface width exceeds the value specified for two occupants under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which sets the standards to reduce the number of deaths in the event of a crash.In other words, the third row of the 2025 ID.Buzz is wide enough to require three seatbelts. As it is, it'll be very easy to fit a third person in, and they will have no protection while the vehicle is on the road, increasing their likelihood of getting injured or dying if they get into an accident. Volkswagen intends to fix the issue by installing permanent "unpadded trim parts" to limit the surface width where passengers can sit on the rear bench. The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van was released in the US in November 2024 and has a starting price of $60,000. It has an EPA-estimated range of 234 miles on a full charge and comes in several possible color schemes.VolkswagenThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagen-recalls-5700-idbuzz-electric-vans-because-their-seats-are-too-spacious-120034140.html?src=rss

Google's annual I/O developer conference is coming on May 20, and for the first time, there's two major events you'll want to watch to stay on top of all the updates the company's making to its software platforms. I/O 2025 kicks off on May 20, and a week earlier on May 13, there's also The Android Show: I/O Edition, a dedicated showcase for the Android ecosystem.The Android Show: I/O Edition airs on May 13 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. Android is developed partially in the open, so there's already some indication of what could be coming with Android 16. So far, that's a visual redesign of some of the operating system's core features, like the notification shade, a take on Apple's Live Activities for tracking ongoing events and possibly a Samsung DeX-like "Desktop Mode" for Android phones.I/O 2025 starts on May 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with Google's keynote, typically a series of updates on Android, Search, Google Workspace and Gemini. It's worth noting: Google typically doesn't set aside separate time for Android announcements. The company said there will be some Android news at I/O, but the safe bet is that Gemini will be the star. We expect Google to share Gemini updates, along with Android XR news and maybe further demonstrations of experimental projects like Project Astra.Google's I/O keynote will be available to watch on Google's YouTube channel and right here once the livestream is up on May 20 at 1PM ET.The Android Show: I/O Edition will air on Google's Android YouTube channel on May 13 at 1PM ET, and since it appears to be pre-recorded, we've already embedded it above.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-watch-google-io-2025-and-the-android-show-213327054.html?src=rss

In a couple of weeks, Google's annual developer conference will kick off on May 20. The event is probably the most important on the company's calendar, offering a glimpse at everything it has been working on over the past year.Judging from rumors and information Google has trickled out, I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, this year Google has a dedicated Android showcase planned a whole week earlier. If you want to know what to expect from the company later this month, read on.Android 16In years past, some of my favorite I/O moments involved watching Dave Burke take to the Shoreline stage to talk about the latest updates for Android. But for the past couple of years, Android hasn't had much of a spotlight at Google's annual developer conference. That's about to change, with the company hosting a dedicated showcase that will air a week before I/O proper. Scheduled for May 13, Google says it has "so many things to share" during the Android Show: I/O Edition.

The Trump administration's preliminary 2026 budget proposes the biggest single-year cut to NASA funding in the agency's 67-year history. The cuts are part of the White House's broader government "skinny budget," which aligns with Elon Musk's DOGE wishlist. The NASA portion would gut the agency's science programs, cancel the Gateway space station project and phase out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after a measly three flights.Trump's proposal would cut NASA's funding by more than $6 billion from its 2025 budget, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. That's a 24 percent decrease and, according to The Planetary Society, the biggest single-year drop in NASA funding ever. Space.com says the most brutal cuts would be to space science (a $2.3 billion decrease), Earth science ($1.2 billion less) and legacy human exploration programs ($900 million less).Also on the chopping block would be Gateway, the planned lunar orbit space station that would act as a hub for missions to the Moon and (eventually) Mars. Ditto for a joint program with the European Space Station to return Mars soil samples to Earth. The White House proposes ending NASA's sustainable aviation efforts (who needs a healthy planet, amirite?) and "any funding toward misaligned DEIA [diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility] initiatives."NASA's SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft.NASAIn addition, the White House's budget would phase out Boeing's SLS and Lockheed Martin's Orion after only three flights - projects that cost $26.4 billion and $21.5 billion to produce. The Trump administration wants "more cost-effective commercial systems" to replace them. (I'm no NASA budget expert, but that sounds like quite the potential score for the president's billionaire backers, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.)The only area that would see an increase would be human space exploration, which would see a $650 million boost. Bloomberg says it calls for over a $7 billion increase in lunar exploration funding and a new $1 billion investment in Mars exploration.If there's a silver lining for those who care about science, Congress would have to approve the budget, so some or all of those bullet points could be slashed before the 2026 funding is approved. Trump's political capital is nowhere near where it was on Inauguration Day. Recent polling reveals plummeting support, including over half of Americans viewing the 47th president as a "dangerous dictator."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-white-houses-proposed-budget-would-cancel-nasas-gateway-space-station-project-201459838.html?src=rss

A hacking group called "DragonForce" has gained access to Co-op's membership data, the UK retailer and insurance provider shared in a press release. DragonForce actually contacted the BBC directly to confirm that it had the private data of 20 million people.Co-op's statement says the hackers accessed name and contact details, but don't have things like "members' passwords, bank or credit card details, transactions or information relating to any members' or customers' products or services ." The story is a little different for Co-op's employees. According to the BBC, DragonForce was able to produce a database that includes the usernames and passwords of all of Co-op's employees."We have implemented measures to ensure that we prevent unauthorized access to our systems whilst minimizing disruption for our members, customers, colleagues and partners," Co-op writes. The company also says it's working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate how the hackers accessed its data in the first place.Co-op's breach is the latest in a string of cyberattacks targeting UK retailers. Marks & Spencer experienced a similar attack in late April that led the company to stop accepting online orders, Reuters reports. The department store Harrods dealt with its own cyberattack a few days later.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-have-gained-access-to-the-membership-data-of-uk-retailer-co-op-195215251.html?src=rss

Microsoft just increased all Xbox prices: Grab one before the hikes go into effect Microsoft Gaming is about to get a lot more expensive - at least for Xbox fans. Effective May 1, Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox consoles and controllers, and not by an insignificant amount:

NotebookLM, the Google research tool that gained notoriety for its uncanny AI-generated podcasts, is getting an official app on May 20, 2025. You can pre-register for the Android or iOS version of the app right now and have it automatically downloaded to your device on May 20, the first day of Google I/O 2025.Based on the listings in the Play Store and App Store, Google seems intent on keeping all of the core functionality of the web version of NotebookLM intact for its mobile debut. You can upload a variety of different sources (PDFs, website URLs, YouTube videos and copied text) and have NotebookLM, powered by Gemini, do stuff with them. That could be answering specific questions, generating study guides or creating an Audio Overview, the previously-mentioned "podcasts."Google NotebookLM started life as Project Tailwind back at I/O 2023 and has gradually transitioned from research project to real product over time. The service officially launched as NotebookLM in December 2023 and gained Audio Overviews in September 2024. As of April 2025, NotebookLM is now offered in more than 50 languages. Getting an actual app release is the best sign yet the service is here to stay.Critical to its sucess, NotebookLM makes more sense as a tool you can trust than basically any other Gemini product. The service's output is grounded in documents and sources you choose. That means Google's AI is less likely to hallucinate because it's quoting a research study directly, and it's easier to double check its answers because you can view the source directly in NotebookLM.Google has already signaled that I/O 2025 will be Gemini-focused by breaking out Android announcements into their own stream, so there's a good chance NotebookLM won't be the only AI product getting some love on May 20. It remains to be seen whether Google has any ideas as cogent as "an AI that helps you digest long PDFs," though.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/notebooklm-the-acceptable-face-of-google-ai-is-getting-an-app-in-may-182041294.html?src=rss

A few weeks out from the arrival of Elden Ring: Nightreign, developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have released a lengthy overview trailer that offers an in-depth look at what's in store. The run-based Elden Ring spinoff gives players three in-game days to prepare for a final boss battle with the help of up to two human-controlled allies.The new trailer explains that you'll have a limited time to strengthen your character. You can level up by fighting dangerous grunts or scour the land for weapons and other gear. You can also collect useful information that's hidden in enemy bases. Alternatively, you can face off against more formidable enemies inside fortresses and receive "powerful rewards" if you can take them down. You don't have to stay with your teammates the entire time either, as you can take a divide-and-conquer approach to your runs.Limveld (a renamed version of the original game's first main area Limgrave) is procedurally generated, so things will be different every time you play. Yup, this is a roguelite, folks. Expect the unexpected, as obstacles can include things like meteor strikes and craters that are full of lava.As in the likes of Fortnite and other battle royale games, the playable area will shrink over time, nudging your squad into encounters with minor bosses when night falls. So you'd best make good use of your time to prepare for these tough fights. If you do fall in battle, one of your allies can revive you by, uh, attacking you. Look, this is Elden Ring, it doesn't have to make complete sense.In addition, the trailer reveals details about the eight character classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Each has their own weapons, passive abilities and skills. One has a grappling hook that can pull in enemies or be used to swiftly close a gap. Another can turn invisible to sneak around enemies or ambush them. I suspect quite a few people will opt for the sea-faring Raider, whose arsenal includes a powerful blow that can't be interrupted by an enemy attack. Let's see how those colossal bosses like the taste of their own medicine.After each run, whether you triumph or fail, you'll earn relics. These are part of a permanent progress system and can be used to improve your stats. You'll be able to unlock cosmetic costumes as well. Some of these take inspiration from previous FromSoftware games, such as one that references Solaire from Dark Souls.Elden Ring: Nightreign is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on May 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreign-trailer-details-all-eight-classes-and-some-fiery-hazards-151216173.html?src=rss

Q: I'm a Gen X Windows user, I've been building my own systems for decades, and I work mainly in 3D design for the building and construction industry. I would like to know if you feel switching to Mac makes sense with all this unnecessary tariff turmoil? I've been trying to make the leap for years ... I feel like I need someone to just tell me to go for it and not look back. - Jim from Bainbridge Island, Washington A: It's undoubtedly a great time to make the jump from Windows to Macs. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are among the highest-rated laptops we've reviewed over the last few years, and the Mac mini and iMac are also fantastic solutions for desktop users. There's certainly a bit of a learning curve when jumping platforms, but it's mostly just a problem if you require specialized software that only runs on Windows. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What are the benefits of moving from Windows to Mac? There are three big advantages from switching from Windows to Mac. Speed At the moment, the biggest advantage is the sheer speed of Macs. That's entirely thanks to Apple Silicon, the company's custom chips that are built to be efficient and very fast. In our benchmarks, even the most basic M4 chip blows away most of the hardware from Intel and AMD. Apple's advantage only grows as you move up to its Pro, Max and Ultra chips. Apple Silicon's speed doesn't just show up in benchmarks. It's easy to see that modern Macs, even the entry-level MacBook Air, feel zippier than comparably-priced Windows PCs. That goes for everything including web browsing and office productivity apps, as well as more complex tasks like rendering video. Apple's chips also include some powerful graphics cores, giving you the ability to easily run many games from the App Store. While you certainly wouldn't mistake any Mac as a true gaming PC, I was still surprised that the MacBook Air was able to run a complex new game like Lies of P in 1080p at 60 fps. Battery life Since Apple Silicon is based on Arm's mobile chip architecture, it's also a lot more efficient than Intel and AMD's more demanding CPUs. That leads to killer battery life across the board for Mac laptops. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air lasted well over 18 hours in our video benchmark, while the MacBook Pros went beyond 30 hours. In real-world usage, you can expect most Macs to last two full work days without needing a charge. Macs also tend to hold their charge in standby mode far better than PCs, so you can have a bit more faith that they'll be ready to work the instant you turn them on. Durability After reviewing Macs for the last 15 years, and supporting them as an IT worker for a decade before that, I can also confidently say that Mac hardware lasts longer than PCs. Apple's aluminum cases withstand bumps and drops far better than the cheap plastic you'll find on some PCs. Now that's not to say they're immune to wear and tear, but from what I've seen Macs just tend to hold up well. If you do need to get something fixed, it's also relatively easy to get that done at an Apple Store, instead of shipping a Windows PC off to its maker. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget What are the downsides of switching from Windows to Macs? While I think it's worth making the jump to Macs overall, there are a few downsides: Windows to Mac learning curve Given how much of our computing lives revolve around cloud apps like Gmail and Google Docs these days, moving to Macs mainly involves learning the basics of Apple's platforms. Installing software outside of the App Store works a bit differently than Windows - you often have to drag an app to the Applications folder, instead of clicking through an installer. Apple's trackpads also don't support right-clicking by default. Instead, you either have to hold down the Control key and click, or enable a Secondary Click feature (System Preferences > Trackpad). There you can assign right-clicks to a two-finger tap, or a tap on the bottom corners of the trackpad. The macOS Dock can be confusing since it can't show all of your open apps like the Windows taskbar can. Subsequently, managing all of your open apps can be a pain. My suggestion? Set up Hot Corners (System Settings > Desktop and Dock > Hot Corners) so that your Mac will reveal your apps whenever you drag your pointer to a corner of your screen. Since that feature debuted (it was originally called Expose), I've set it up to reveal current app windows in one corner, all of my windows in another, and the desktop in a third. Apple's Stage Manager, which debuted in macOS Ventura, can also help you wrangle apps, but I typically only use that when I want to focus on one or two programs. Lackluster gaming library, limited upgrade options Apple has historically been terrible when it comes to supporting games on macOS, but it's getting better. Recent titles like the aforementioned Lies of P, as well as Resident Evil Village and Death Stranding, are readily available on the app store. There are also more titles on Steam shipping with dedicated Mac support, and cloud streaming opens up access to services like Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass library. But there's no way Apple will be able to catch up with Windows when it comes to overall gaming support anytime soon. So if you actually care about always getting the latest titles, you might want to stick with PCs. That's doubly true if you also have any interest in ever wanting to upgrade video cards, RAM or internal storage options, all of which aren't really accessible on Macs - including desktop models. No touchscreen support While Apple pioneered the use of touchscreens with the iPhone and iPad, it's stubbornly refused to bring that feature over to Macs. So if you're used to casually flicking a laptop's screen to scroll, you're just out of luck with Macs... for now. A 2023 report claimed that we may see a touchscreen MacBook Pro this year, but it's unclear if that will actually happen. Personally, I don't miss having a touchscreen when I use Macs, since Apple's glass touchpads feel just as fluid. Devindra Hardawar/Engadget A brief history of Mac vs. Windows The battle between Mac and Windows is nearly as old as the concept of personal computing itself, and it will likely never end. In 1983, Apple's Lisa broke new ground as the first consumer computer with a graphical user interface (GUI), and the company followed that up with the more affordable Macintosh in 1984. Microsoft countered with Windows 1.0 in 1985, but the platform didn't really take off until Windows 3.0 arrived in 1990. By that point, the philosophical differences between the two companies was clear: Apple was more focused on delivering friendly user experiences for its custom hardware, while Microsoft built up Windows as a platform that could run on a wide variety of computers. Consequently, the user culture around both platforms became fairly distinct: Macs became the go-to choice for anyone working in creative fields and academia, whereas Windows was more focused on office work and straightforward productivity. There's also always been a major price difference between the platforms, as Apple's custom hardware has typically cost far more than your basic Windows PC. Over the years, Apple has gone from using Motorola's PowerPC chips to Intel's - a move that brought Macs far closer to Windows PCs. And most recently, Apple completely changed things up again by moving entirely to its own Apple Silicon chips, which are built around the same mobile architecture used by iPhones and iPads. While Macs and Windows remain very distinct, the differences between them have flattened a bit now that we're relying on so many cloud services. Using Gmail or Google Docs on a Mac is no different than on a Windows system, after all. Which Mac is best for you? It may sound cliche to say this, but Apple's Mac family now has something for everyone (unless you're a hardcore gamer). We're four generations deep into Apple Silicon chips, and all of the company's hardware has seen some helpful impressive revisions. The real question is figuring out which Mac is best for you. A note on pricing: While Apple's entry-level prices are more reasonable than ever before, they do skyrocket as you add more RAM and storage. You also can't add more memory or storage to Apple Silicon systems down the line, so you'll have to think hard about what you need when you buy a new Mac. I'd recommend prioritizing more RAM when possible, as you could always use cloud services or external drives for storage beyond your SSD. I'd also suggest snagging a new Mac soon if you're interested, as there's a chance Apple could start increasing prices to keep up with tariffs. (Just recently, both Microsoft and DJI have increased prices for aging devices.) But if you're finally ready to pull the trigger on a new Mac, these are your best options right now. You can also find some excellent deals if you look for refurbished M3 and M2 versions of the systems below. The MacBook Air is the best ultraportable laptop available today. It's fast, incredibly light, has great battery life and is also completely silent, since it has no cooling fan. Now that it starts at $999 with 16GB of RAM, it's also a surprisingly good deal. Unless you need the additional ports and improved screen on the MacBook Pro, the Air will be all the computer you need for several years. Stepping up to the MacBook Pro gets you a high refresh rate screen, faster M4 Pro chips and a wide variety of ports (including more USB-C connections, a microSD card reader and HDMI). While it's heavier than the Air, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is still relatively light and is better-suited to sustained workloads, like video encoding or 3D rendering. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is pretty much the same machine with a larger screen. Starting at $599 (but often on sale for much less), the Mac mini is a powerful-yet-tiny box that can outmatch full-sized Windows desktops. It's the ideal gateway to the world of Macs if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse you like. The base model is powerful enough to handle any productivity task you throw at it, but if you need more performance you can also step up to the M4 Pro-equipped Mac mini. In addition to shrinking it down for this latest revision, Apple also seems to have heard my complaints and added two USB-C ports to the front of the Mac mini. Together with three more USB-C ports on the rear, HDMI and Ethernet, the Mac mini serves up a comprehensive array of ports and it's hard to think of a more capable $600 PC. While the iMac isn't the first all-in-one desktop computer, it's popularized the form factor to the point where most PC makers have their own copycat products. Now with an M4 chip, the iMac is more powerful than ever, while also sporting a thin profile that means it fits right at home on a kitchen table. Its 24-inch screen is just right for getting a bit of work done without dominating a table, and its speakers also sound surprisingly great. The iMac is the ideal family computer, one that can be set up just about anywhere and be useful for kids and parents alike. If you need more power than the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is a powerhouse of a desktop. While it's still far smaller than a typical Windows desktop, its M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips can easily take on the best hardware from Intel and AMD. At this point, the Mac Studio is more of a Mac for professionals than the actual Mac Pro, which is far more expensive and more meant for high-level corporate work. Have a tech question you'd like Engadget to answer? As tech reporters, the Engadget staff is always answering questions from readers, friends and family about electronics, software, gaming, big tech policies and more. So we decided to write down our answers. This question came from a listener of The Engadget Podcast, and has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. If you've got a tech-related question you'd like us to answer for you, please email ask@engadget.com.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/ask-engadget-is-it-a-good-time-to-move-to-macs-from-windows-145159396.html?src=rss

Since 2017, the Vespa-maker Piaggio's Fast Forward division has been exploring a unique way to cut down on car trips: Building robots that can follow you around and carry your stuff. We called its original Gita (pronounced "jee-tah," Italian for "trip") robot an attractive rolling porter, but its size and initial $3,250 price made it more of a robo-curio than something you'd actually want to buy. The company followed that up with the Gitamini, a smaller and slightly cheaper $1,850 model, but even that remains niche.Most people just don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a cute follow bot - but the calculation may be different for Star Wars fans. Squint a bit, and Piaggio's devices don't look that different from BB-8, R2-D2 and the multitude of other droids. So it's not a huge surprise to see Piaggio Fast Forward debut a special Star Wars edition robot: the G1T4-M1N1. It's basically just a $2,875 version of the Gitamini (which now sells for $2,475) with Star Wars decals and sound effects.Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetG1T4-M1N1 boasts all of the same specs as the Gitamini: It can carry up to 20 pounds in its top compartment; it lasts for 7 hours, or 24 miles; and its speed tops out at a jaunty 6 MPH. But like a true Star Wars droid, it's more talkative than its older sibling. Lucasfilm offered up some of its unique sound effects for the bot, so you might hear it sound extra flustered as it's rushing to catch up to you, or turning quickly around a corner. It's a big leap beyond the Sphero-powered BB8 toy from 2015.I had a chance to spend a weekend with G1T4-M1N1 at my home, but unfortunately I couldn't take it outside or use it in public, where it's really meant to shine. Instead, it was stuck puttering around my home and deck. While that delighted my kids - who both jumped in the air the moment G1T4-M1N1 awoke with a loud boot-up sound - they were still frustrated they could't pile their toys into its compartment and walk it to the neighborhood park.From my brief time with it, I can confirm G1T4-M1N1 followed me around like an eager droid, ready to carry whatever I needed. But it also had some trouble navigating around my cluttered floors - if it hit any major obstacle or corner, it would go to standby mode until I tapped the capacitive button on its noggin. Unlike my Roomba vacuums, it doesn't back up and try again. I also had to be extremely careful with the G1T4-M1N1 around my deck stairs, since it continually tried to fall to its death like a robotic lemming.According to Piaggio Fast Forward CEO and co-founder Greg Lynn, the company expects bot owners to watch out for major "cliff" drops like stairs. Gitamini and Gita have the ability to pause before jumping over large curb drops, he says, but I couldn't see that in action.Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetBetween its trouble with stairs and obstacle avoidance, I couldn't imagine ever using any Gita robot indoors without headaches. But I could see it being useful if I still lived in Brooklyn, where it could accompany my kids and I to the park while lugging their gear. (My aching back sure would appreciate that, anyway.) I could also see parking it outside a local grocery store and having it follow me home afterwards.Even in that dream scenario, though, I'd worry about someone trying to steal the G1T4-M1N1. While you can lock it down from an app, which closes the storage compartment and turns off any following capability, you still have to remember to do that manually. According to Lynn, he's seen curious strangers accidentally enable the Gita bots' following feature more than he's encountered stories of potential theft. Still, the worry is there, especially since the G1T4-M1N1 and Gitamini weigh 28 pounds. It's not hard to imagine some intrepid thief driving up to a parked G1T4-M1N1 and throwing it in their car. (Unfortunately, there's no way to physically chain it like a bike, either.)I'm not making any final judgements on the G1T4-M1N1, or its siblings, since I couldn't test it properly. But it's clearly not something meant for everyone - not at that price, and not with the navigation problems I encountered. But I could see a future where assistive robots like these could be helpful. We currently have robots delivering food on the streets of some cities, and I've seen them helping waiters move food around local restaurants. At some point, we'll see cheaper and more useful home bots beyond the Roomba and its ilk. And whatever comes next will likely owe a debt to the ground being tread by Gita's large wheels.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/piaggio-turned-its-cute-follow-robot-into-a-star-wars-droid-140019416.html?src=rss

If you're concerned about how new US tariffs might affect future electronics purchases, look no further than DJI. The company has raised the price of its popular Osmo Pocket 3 camera to $799, or $280 (54 percent) more than it cost at launch. The Pocket 3 Creator Combo that includes a wireless Mic 2 and other accessories also went up from $700 to $950. Recent tariffs levied by President Trump on Chinese products were "certainly among the key considerations" for the hefty price bumps, the company told The Verge. The Osmo Pocket 3 was a success from the get go, thanks to the built-in gimbal, motorized subject tracking and large 1-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, even in low light. It's widely beloved by content creators for those reasons and is a recommended option in several of Engadget's camera buying guides - in fact we bought some for our own reporters. It's fair to say that the new tariffs are 100 percent behind the price increase, despite DJI's diplomatic wording. The price is the same as at launch in Europe and in Canada, suggesting that there are no other technical reasons to raise it. DJI quietly boosted the US price from $520 to $620 a couple of months ago, around the time that Trump first announced potential tariffs on Chinese products. Other DJI products like drones have yet to rise in price, however. DJI said that the Osmo Pocket 3 is one of the best selling products in the history of the company and that it's popularity "continues to exceed expectations." However, much of that popular was likely due to the original $520 price (on top of the camera's strong feature set), that was a bargain next to standard compact cameras like Canon's new $899 PowerShot V1. At $799, the Pocket 3 loses some of its competitive advantage. It's difficult to find the Pocket 3 in the US (and elsewhere) at any price at the moment, though DJI says it's striving to keep up with demand. On top of all that, the company is facing a full ban of its drone products in the US in 2026 unless it obtains an exemption from regulators. That will affect the company as well as consumers, as its drones are widely used in production, emergency services and elsewhere - and it's far ahead of rivals in terms of technology. DJI sent a formal letter to five national security agencies (DHS, DoD, FBI, NSA, and ODNI) in March requesting that any or all of the agencies begin evaluating its products "right away." This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-pocket-3-camera-now-starts-at-799-following-trumps-tariffs-131536721.html?src=rss

In an earnings call for the quarter ending in March, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company expects to pay around $900 million for US tariffs for the months of April to June. Apple saw limited impacts from tariffs for the months January through March, which doesn't come as a surprise since most of the government's new import taxes didn't exist before April. The company was also able to optimize its supply chain and inventory before then. Cook admitted that Apple can't give a precise estimate of the impact tariffs will have on the company in the coming months because the Trump administration's rules could still change the future."For the June quarter, currently, we are not able to precisely estimate the impact of tariffs as we are uncertain of potential future actions prior to the end of the quarter," the CEO explained. The $900 million figure came from the company's estimates, assuming "current global tariff rates, policies and applications do not change for the balance of the quarter and no new tariffs are added." Investors seemed relieved that Apple is only slated to spend $900 million to pay the new taxes, which is a drop in the bucket for a company valued at over $3 trillion. When an inventor asked what tariffs would look like for Apple after June, though, Cook said: "I don't want to predict the future, because I'm not sure what will happen with the tariffs.""For our part, we will manage the company the way we always have, with thoughtful and deliberate decisions, with a focus on investing for the long term, and with dedication to innovation and the possibilities it creates," Cook assured investors. Apple posted a quarterly revenue of $95.4 billion, up 5 percent year over year, for January to March 2025. Apple told CNBC that it's manufacturing half the iPhones meant for the US in India instead of China, which would mean lower tariff rates for the company. It will also manufacture most of its other products for the US in Vietnam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-could-spend-900-million-on-tariffs-over-the-next-quarter-123037323.html?src=rss

Despelote is a living memory. Julian Cordero, the game's co-creator, invites players to spend a few hours in the city of Quito, Ecuador, in the early 2000s, and experience a nationwide soccer fever from the perspective of his own childhood. Wrapped in layers of static and shadow, Despelote follows an 8-year-old Cordero as he interacts with his family, attends school and kicks a ball around with friends. Pivotal national events, revealed in news reports and overheard conversations, color the game's runtime. But its focus remains squarely on Cordero's experience - a charmingly self-centered child viewing the world from hip height. In Despelote, it's the summer of 2001 and Ecuador is on the verge of qualifying for its first-ever World Cup, which has created a soccer frenzy across the country. Soccer is a storytelling mechanic in Despelote, as Cordero runs around Quito kicking a ball, playing a FIFA-style video game, watching World Cup matches on TV and generally annoying his neighbors. Using actual recordings from Quito, Despelote captures intimate conversations, inside jokes and everyday chatter among Cordero's friends and family members (in Spanish, obviously, with translations provided in speech bubbles). The game's environments are built out of photographs of Quito that have been stylized to mimic the way memories feel - single-color, fuzzy backgrounds with people and important objects outlined in crisp black and white. Actual footage of the Ecuador team making its World Cup run plays out on in-game TVs, and you're able to sit and watch an entire match on a small, staticky screen, if you wish. These true-to-life elements ground the game in reality, while visual flourishes make everything seem like a daydream, and the combination of styles is hypnotic. Transitions come in the form of nearly imperceptible camera zooms and slowly blurring environments, and at every turn, there's space to luxuriate in the simple activity of being a kid. The game's mechanics are intuitive - flick the right stick to kick the ball; hold any trigger to run; press any button to interact; look down to check your watch so you can get home on time - and this simplicity helps Quito come alive. Poignant moments of magical surrealism cut through the flow like memories inside of memories, providing glimpses into Cordero's future as a teenager and Ecuador's evolution as a country. These scenes appear just enough to provide a sense of tension and context without breaking the immersion of the childhood memories. Panic There isn't much in terms of a moment-to-moment storyline here, but Despelote effortlessly builds a sense of place and self with each new vignette. It's night and Cordero is sitting in the back of the family van, idly listening to his parents' conversation and drawing shapes in the window fog. His mom stands in front of the television and tries to pull his attention away from the video game he's playing, exasperated. His younger sister asks him to draw a frog. A grumpy neighbor steals the ball that Cordero and his friends are playing with, so they start kicking around an empty bottle instead. These are the building blocks of Cordero's childhood, and while they're deeply specific, they're also highly relatable. Despelote is a study in the beauty of mundanity. I haven't played many games like Despelote. I'm tempted to say I've never played anything like it, that this is the first true memoir in video game form, but of course that's not entirely accurate. Games like That Dragon, Cancer and Dys4ia offer similar glimpses into their creators' lives, and they're similarly vulnerable and grounded. They're also examinations of moments of acute pain - and while stories about trauma compose a substantial and valuable portion of the memoir market, there's room for Despelote's slower, lighter reflection in this genre. Despelote is a stellar addition in the category of memoir video games, proving that a thoughtful rumination on one person's childhood can translate into a powerful interactive experience. The key, as always, is authenticity. Panic Cordero breaks the fourth wall at the end of Despelote in a way that feels completely natural. The style of the game changes in an instant and Cordero narrates the scene, talking about how he and co-creator Sebastian Valbuena traveled to Quito to collect Despelote's audio and location data. He discusses the fickle nature of memory and clarifies some of the game's timelines. He says he really just wanted to get it right. He wanted players to understand the magic of this moment in Ecuador's history, when soccer was everything, and he was just a kid. I believe he succeeded. Despelote is available now on Steam, PlayStation 4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, published by Panic. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/despelote-review-a-poignant-memoir-masquerading-as-a-soccer-game-124526276.html?src=rss

Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to comply with the orders of a California court, which required the company to immediately stop collecting commissions on purchases that weren't paid through the App Store. As noticed by 9to5Mac, the most prominent change in the guidelines states that there are now no prohibitions on "buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase," as long as it's for an app on the US storefront. Further, developers don't have to request for an entitlement from Apple to be able to offer external link purchases on apps for the United States storefront anymore.In the section stating that certain applications, such as reader apps and apps that sell goods and services, cannot encourage users to opt for third-party purchasing methods in-app, Apple added that the prohibition doesn't apply to apps on the US store. "The App Review Guidelines have been updated for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps," Apple said in a statement.These changes come as a result of a recent ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who found that Apple violated her 2021 ruling for Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple. Back then, she ordered Apple to allow developers to direct users to other payment systems that would let them avoid paying the company a 30 percent cut.However, Apple still took a 27 percent cut from external purchases, prompting Epic Games to accuse the company of non-compliance in a new legal filing last year. Apple also showed users a "scare screen" when they try to make external purchases, discouraging them from using third-party payment systems. In addition to ordering Apple to stop collecting fees from purchases made outside the App Store, Gonzalez Rogers also prohibited Apple from creating rules that would prevent developers from presenting customers with buttons and links for external paymentsIn response, Epic chief Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will be coming back to iOS next week. He also said that the video game company will bring back Fortnite on iOS for everyone and will drop all litigation regarding the issue if Apple adopts the no-commission policy worldwide, but that doesn't seem to be the case for now. Other companies are now also looking to roll out updates that would allow them to bypass Apple's commission for external payments. One of them is Spotify, which announced that it had already submitted an update that would allow customers in the US to pay outside the App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-app-store-guidelines-to-allow-external-payment-options-123039994.html?src=rss

Microsoft has teased a new Surface Copilot+ PC set to be revealed on May 6th, the company announced on X. "Something new is coming... find out next week," the post states. The new model(s) will be revealed nearly two weeks before the company's Build 2025 developer conference. That appears to be a change from last year when the company kicked off its Build 2024 event by launching two new Surface Copilot+ PCs the day before.The rumor mill has it that Microsoft is working on a smaller 11- or 12-inch Surface Pro to directly compete with Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro. It may also be working on a Surface laptop with a Snapdragon X processor. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the new Intel-equipped Surface Pro (11th Edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition) for Business.It's not clear whether Microsoft will hold an event to announce the new machines or just issue a press release. It also begs the question as to what hardware (if any) the company will announce at Build 2025. That conference kicks off on May 19 and is expected to be heavily focused on AI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-surface-team-has-something-new-coming-next-week-121507230.html?src=rss

You can expect to see a lot of "We got xxx before GTA VI" memes in the coming days, because Rockstar Games has announced that it's pushing back the long-anticipated game's release. In a statement, the developer said that Grand Theft Auto VI is now set for release on May 26, 2026. Last year, the company said that the game will be available sometime this year, but it will now be fully missing the 2025 release window. Rockstar didn't explain why it was pushing back the game's availability. It just said that its goal for every game has "always been to try and exceed [its players'] expectations" and that Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. "We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve," it added.Rocktar's parent company Take-Two Interactive wrote in its fourth quarter 2024 earnings report that it narrowed down the game's previously announced 2025 window to fall of this year. Clearly, that's no longer going to happen. GTA VI follows the criminal duo Lucia and Jason in an open-world game set in Leonida, the fictional equivalent of Florida.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/grand-theft-auto-vi-is-delayed-to-may-2026-120405517.html?src=rss

In 2023, I tested my first OLED gaming monitor for Engadget, the LG 27GR95QE. Coming from an IPS LCD, the LG screen was transformational. Its WOLED (White OLED) panel produced inky blacks that made every game look incredible, and it allowed me to experience HDR gaming on a PC for the first time. But as amazing as that monitor was, it was a first generation product and it had a couple of problems. It produced text fringing that made it distracting to use for productivity tasks, and it would flicker whenever I enabled NVIDIA's G-Sync smoothing. I ended up recommending the LG 27GR95QE with a few caveats in my first gaming monitor guide, but anytime in the last two years that I've considered buying an OLED for myself I've held off. The panels have gotten better, but if I'm going to spend $800 or more on a new monitor, it better be perfect or at least close to it. I think I've finally found the OLED monitor I would recommend without reservation, and I'd even buy it for myself. As long as you own a GPU that can drive it, Alienware's new AW2725Q is an exceptional gaming display. With a 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, it's fast, sharp and delivers nearly flawless image quality across both SDR and HDR applications. Oh, and did I mention it's substantially cheaper than the competition? If you're in the market for a high-end gaming monitor, this is the one to buy. Design Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q marks the debut of Dell's new AW30 design language for Alienware products. It's been a while since I've seen one of the company's devices in person, and I was worried the monitor would look gaudy on my desk. Thankfully, the AW2725Q is not that; in fact, it has one of the more understated designs I've come across. Dell offers the AW2725Q in a single color: Interstellar Indigo. It's a subtle hue that's more interesting than the usual black you see on so many competitors. The monitor also has minimal Alienware branding. On the back of the display, there's the company's trademark alien logo, while on the front you'll find its badge. The logo lights up. You can change the color of the LED or turn it off from the on-screen display (OSD) menu. Like most Dell monitors, the AW2725Q offers plenty of ports. To start, it comes with two HDMI 2.1 connections. One of them supports eARC, so you can connect the monitor to a soundbar and a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. It also has three USB-A ports and a single USB-C connection capable of 15W power delivery. The AW2725Q has the same flat Samsung-made QD-OLED panel as the $1,200 ASUS PG27UCDM and the $1,100 MSI 272URX. Dell cut a few features to get its monitor to $900. First, it's missing a DisplayPort 2.1 output, meaning it's limited to the older 1.4 standard. As a result, the AW2725Q needs to rely on Display Stream Compression (DSC) to output a 4K signal at 240Hz. On paper and in practice, that's not much of a reason to skip over Alienware's monitor. As the name suggests, DSC is a compression algorithm. It's not technically lossless, but it is "visually lossless," and unless you pixel peep, it's difficult to notice a difference between a DSC signal and an uncompressed one over DisplayPort 2.1. Besides, you'll need one of NVIDIA or AMD's latest GPUs to take advantage of the new standard anyway. The AW2725Q's other compromises are more notable. The MSI and ASUS models offer faster 98W and 90W power delivery over their USB-C ports, making them better for charging a laptop quickly. The ASUS monitor also comes with a KVM switch, in case you want to use a single keyboard and mouse to control more than one computer. Those are all nice to have, but not features I would pay an extra $200 or $300 to get on a new monitor, especially one I plan to use primarily for gaming. Display Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Although I've seen more than a few OLED monitors in the past, the AW2725Q was immediately impressive. As I mentioned earlier, it features a QD-OLED panel made by Samsung, and this specific model marks the first time that company has offered a 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel. That might seem like overkill, and in a way it is. That said, there's one major benefit to the AW2725Q's 166ppi pixel density. This is the first OLED monitor I've used that doesn't sacrifice text clarity. With earlier generations of OLED panels from both Samsung and LG, I found the text fringing really distracting, making them impractical for most productivity tasks. With the AW2725Q, that problem is almost entirely solved, making it not just a great gaming monitor, but a great monitor period. The AW2725Q offers 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. Out of the box, my unit needed some calibration, as the green diodes were slightly overpowering everything else. Once I ran the monitor through DisplayCal, the AW2725Q looked nearly perfect. Colors were vibrant without being overbaked. If you want to use the AW2725Q for design work, Dell includes an option to clamp down the display to sRGB in the OSD. Speaking of the OSD, it's well laid out and easy to navigate thanks to a joystick that's just big enough not to feel fiddly. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q has a glossy coating that accentuates the panel's ability to produce deep blacks and vibrant colors. In a dimly lit room, the Alienware monitor outputs an image that's almost three-dimensional. When I went to revisit older games, even ones that were mastered in SDR, I felt like I was seeing artistic details I hadn't noticed before. Of course, the tradeoff with a glossy coating is that reflections are far more pronounced. Additionally, one of the quirks of QD-OLED panels is that their black pixels can look gray in rooms with bright ambient light. At first I found this frustrating, but once I got better about using my blinds to manage the light coming through the window, the tradeoff was more than worth it. In that way, the AW2725Q is like any OLED screen: it needs proper lighting to look its best. Once I had the screen dialed in, the AW2725Q was equally great for both immersive and competitive gaming, thanks in part to its 240Hz refresh rate. Coming from a 165Hz monitor, I didn't think the faster refresh rate would make games feel noticeably smoother, but I was wrong. Even when my NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU wasn't able to saturate the display fully, in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Space Marine 2 for example, I didn't see any blur or smearing. Much of that is thanks to the 0.03ms pixel response time. One of the nice things about OLED monitors, especially if you're running a less powerful GPU like I am, is that you don't need to worry about overdrive modes. I saw VRR flicker when I had G-SYNC enabled, but it seemed less pronounced than what I've seen on older OLED monitors like the LG 27GR95QE. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Everything I mentioned so far applies to SDR gaming, but the AW2725Q really comes into its own when you enable HDR. It's a VESA True Black 400-certified display. In dark, atmospheric games like Dead Space and Alan Wake, the AW2725Q's ability to produce true blacks and a near-infinite contrast ratio is transformational. The screen greatly enhances the ambience those games strive to achieve, thanks to dark scenes that aren't washed out by the glow you get on IPS displays. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment needed to measure peak brightness and panel uniformity. The reviewers at Rtingsand Monitors Unboxeddo rate the AW2725Q highly, though. They found the monitor can peak at 220 nits in its SDR mode, and sustain around 260 nits of peak brightness across a full screen during HDR operation. If you're coming from an LCD display, I imagine the AW2725Q won't disappoint, even if it doesn't get as bright as some other OLEDs on the market. Burn-in protection A few weeks is not long enough to stress the AW2725Q for burn-in, but from what I've seen so far, with decent care, the panel should last for years. First of all, the monitor comes with a suite of maintenance features. One of those will refresh all the pixels on the panel so they don't get stuck. You can start the process manually through the OSD. The AW2725Q will also initiate the process on its own after you turn off your computer or it goes to sleep. The entire procedure takes about five minutes. There are also self-diagnostic tools for the panel and fan at the back of the display. In the US, Dell offers a three-year warranty on the AW2725Q, with burn-in protection included in the coverage. Not every manufacturer does this with their OLED monitors, so the fact Dell does is nice and makes the AW2725Q a smarter long-term purchase. Wrap-up Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Normally, when I review a product, I can't wait to get back to the device I was using before. I try to be thoughtful about my buying habits, and only purchase things I know will serve me well for years to come. So the best thing I can say about the Alienware AW2725Q is that I'm not looking forward to sending it back. It is an amazing display that has made one of my favorite hobbies more enjoyable. The fact it costs $900 is icing on the cake. Yes, it's still more expensive than your average IPS gaming monitor, but it's cheaper than the competition without sacrificing visual quality. If you're in the market for a 4K OLED, I would only skip the AW2725Q if you have the desk space to accommodate a 32-inch screen and you prefer that size.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/alienware-aw2725q-review-an-exceptional-oled-gaming-display-120046049.html?src=rss

This week Meta held its first-ever AI dev conference, LlamaCon, focused on the development of its Llama generative AI model. But while there was plenty of hype, not much happened, besides the launch of the Meta AI app and a new Llama API. In this episode, Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell joins us to talk about her thoughts on LlamaCon after attending in person. After just announcing its latest Llama models a few weeks ago, it was as if Meta didn't have much else to say.Subscribe!

Microsoft is dramatically increasing the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S as well as new games and accessories. The Series S will start at $380, up from $300, while the Series X will begin at $550, a $100 increase on its previous price. The company is also increasing the prices of pretty much all its first-party products and peripherals. A basic controller will now cost $65. Microsoft is also increasing pricing in Europe, UK, Australia and many other countries.Microsoft, however, isn't pointing the finger at tariffs: We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," the company said. It's unusual for a mid-generation console to increase in price - typically, companies launch a slightly more expensive, better-specced iteration instead.Also this week, Samsung's chief financial officer Soon-cheol Park told reporters The ongoing uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies continues to pose a potential risk of demand slowdown." Park said US tariff policies and stronger export controls against artificial intelligence products are expected to have an impact on demand. In addition to a downward trend on sales, the company also expects tariffs to raise prices for the components it uses on its mobile phones - so expect more expensive smartphones down the line.The recent addition to upward pricing is DJI's popular Ozmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera. Up from a launch price of $520, it's gone way up to $799. (DJI had already bumped the price up last month to $620.) The base camera is now more expensive than the Creator Kit available at launch.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missed

If you love capturing your adventures, from mountain biking trails to underwater dives, an action camera is a must-have in your gear bag. The best action camera delivers crisp footage, rugged durability and the flexibility to shoot in just about any environment - including in the rain, snow or under water. These compact, often wearable devices are built to go where your phone or mirrorless camera simply can't, offering features like image stabilization, wide angle lenses and impressive video resolution for smooth, immersive footage.

If you're looking to get the most out of your Apple laptop, the right accessories can make a big difference. From expanding ports with USB-C hubs to improving your workflow with external monitors, the best MacBook accessories help you stay productive, protected and powered up wherever you go. Whether you're editing video, working on the go or setting up the perfect home office, there's a wide range of gear that can elevate your setup.

Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit's main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit," Huffman said. Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That'll be the primary search box, and you'll type your query in there, you'll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you're searching for."Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in beta," has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding Reddit" to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That's only a small fraction of Reddit's 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit's primary search box should give it a boost.Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial - Reddit users aren't exactly known for loving big changes to the service - though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we're even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers," Huffman said. But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss

Lyft is rolling out a new service called Lyft Silver that's specifically designed to give aging and elderly people a way to get around when driving isn't an option.The basic pitch is that while getting rides from friends and family is great, it can limit the sense of independence an elderly person has. According to Audrey Liu, Lyft's head of Rider and Community Safety, the goal "wasn't just to build a service, but to remove everything that makes getting around a challenge." Lyft Silver will ideally help people "stay connected with their communities."Public transportation is already doing that for plenty of elderly people, but not everyone has access and Lyft is promising an extra level of security and support. Besides featuring a simpler interface, the new service adds access to live human support whenever you need it. Lyft Silver will also prioritize matching riders with cars that are easier to get in and out of, and make it easier to share ride details with loved ones.Lyft has offered features in the past that acknowledge elderly riders, but hasn't addressed them directly. The company's Concierge service lets a doctor's office order a ride for an elderly patient, for example. Lyft has also partnered with healthcare providers to offer paid rides to appointments. Lyft Silver just simplifies things even further by repackaging the basic ride-hailing experience for an older audience.Lyft says Lyft Silver will launch in early access "nationwide" on May 5. You'll be able to use the service directly from the normal Lyft app, and the company says families will be able to pay for their loved ones rides with Lyft Cash, the company's in-app payment method.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-silver-wants-to-keep-your-aging-parents-off-the-road-192617078.html?src=rss

The question of whether a live TV streaming service beats cable was once easy to answer with a resounding yes - streaming was much cheaper, didn't involve contracts and required no special equipment, just a smart TV and an internet connection. While they're still contract-free and don't need a dish or cable box, the monetary savings you get with live TV streaming services have shrunk considerably. Currently, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV all start at more than $80 monthly.

Epic Games just announced some changes to its store that should please budding developers. The company will not charge a commission of any kind for the first $1,000,000 in revenue from an app per year. Once a piece of software goes past that threshold, Epic will begin taking its standard rate of 12 percent. The policy goes into effect in June.This sounds like a real boon for smaller devs, especially when you consider that Steam takes 30 percent of sales as commission. Apple isn't a direct competitor here, but the App Store takes 15 percent on the first million in revenue. This increases to 30 percent once that metric is met.

If you're struggling to come up with just the right gift for your mom, you're not alone. Mothers can be particularly difficult to shop for, especially if your mom is like many we know who insist that they don't want or need gifts. Short of giving them some time back in their day to do what they want to do instead of things they need to do, the gift ideas we collected below can help you show the mother figure in your life that you care and want to spoil them a bit even when they claim it's not necessary - because they deserve it. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-14-best-gifts-for-moms-130044717.html?src=rss

If you've been eyeing the Google Pixel 9a, now's a good time to pounce. That's because you can get a $100 gift card for free when you buy the flagship-quality midrange phone. In Engadget's review, Sam Rutherford deemed it "the best value of any Android phone." The $100 gift card bonus is live at Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store. Each has pros and cons, but it makes the most sense to order from the retailer where you shop the most. The Pixel 9a is Google's entry point into the Pixel ecosystem. Its sub-flagship pricing masks a handset that, in many ways, rivals phones that cost twice as much. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. We found it to be sharp, colorful and "one of the best displays in this price range." It uses the same Tensor G4 processor found in the more expensive Pixel 9 brethren. The only performance compromise you'll find is its 8GB of RAM vs. the 12GB in the standard Pixel 9. That will only reveal itself if you're heavy into multitasking or gaming. Given the $300 price discrepancy between it and the Pixel 9, it's hard to nitpick much about that. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Google's Pixel lineup is known for its camera prowess, and the 9a is no exception. It pairs a 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultra-wide lens. Although there's no telephoto, it compensates with AI-based Super Res Zoom that can achieve up to 8x digital zoom. The phone also has Google's Night Sight feature for sharp, balanced low-light photography. We found that the camera outperforms the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Ultra in color accuracy, detail and low-light performance. It's also competitive with the S25U in ultra-wide shots. The latter edges it out there (if only slightly) because of better color saturation. Still, we're talking about a $800 pricing discrepancy, so the fact that it's in the conversation is no small achievement. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The Pixel 9a's only drawbacks are its lower 8GB of RAM, slower charging speeds than flagships, its lack of optical zoom and its plastic backing (rather than glass). But for $499 - essentially $399 if you use that gift card forpurchases you'd make anyway - this is a nice deal for a nearly flagship Android handset that made our list of the best smartphones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-the-google-pixel-9a-with-100-store-credit-at-amazon-best-buy-and-the-google-store-164530159.html?src=rss

Pinterest is fighting back against the onslaught of AI slop that is increasingly clogging up its platform following complaints from users. From now on, you'll be able to see when image Pins that appear in your feed have been either generated or modified using AI. When users click on an image Pin in close-up they'll see an AI modified" label in the bottom left-hand corner.In a blog post published this week, Pinterest says it has been testing the new feature for several months, which involves analysing the metadata of an image to assess its source. It says it's also developing classifiers that can automatically detect the whiff of generative AI even when metadata markers are absent. How successful it is in doing so will become clear as the new features roll out globally, and creators who suspect their content has been mislabelled will be able to appeal.Such mislabelling has been an ongoing issue for Meta, which was forced to adjust the wording of the AI labels it applied to uploaded photos on Facebook and Instagram after photographers complained they were being added to images that hadn't been created using AI. Apparently, even minimal use of the generative fill tool in Photoshop was enough to trigger a label. That's something that Pinterest will likely want to look out for as it hones this new algorithm.In addition to the new labels, Pinterest says it's experimenting with a feature that would allow users to filter out categories where AI modification or generation is particularly prevalent, such as beauty and art. By letting its users have more control over what appears on their feed, Pinterest is clearly hoping it can win back the growing number of disgruntled members in its community.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/pinterest-will-now-tell-you-when-youre-looking-at-ai-generated-content-163008812.html?src=rss

Stanley Johnson is not a fan of needles. The 67-year-old Air Force veteran has endured his fair share of pokes over the years, but when it was decided that IV infusions would be the best course of action to treat his iron deficiency, going into that first session felt nerve-wracking. So he brought along what's become a staple in his personal anxiety toolkit: his Apple Vision Pro.Johnson has taken to using the immersive wellness app, Tripp, to ease his anxiety, and he says it was a big help in getting through his treatments, especially in the beginning. The app offers a number of relaxation and mindfulness experiences for AR/VR headsets and mobile, from guided meditation to calming soundscapes and breathwork. That first time, I was anxious," Johnson said. I'd do the breathing exercises to put my mind into what environment Tripp puts me in. Then I started watching movies."When it comes to infusion therapy, the treatments can be long, the chairs uncomfortable and passing the time without a distraction is difficult. Watching a movie in the headset instead of looking at this little screen that they had up on the wall," Johnson said, is phenomenal." It's transportive.I can see it better than I can in a theater," he said. That's one of the things that I realized when I started the IV infusions... You have this IV that's in you for an hour, two hours - might as well watch a movie, and pick the one that I want rather than one that's randomly up there, or the food channel or something like that."Since the inception of virtual and augmented reality devices, there's been interest in how the technology could be used in healthcare settings, both to improve patients' experiences and as a training and enhanced visualization tool for medical practitioners. Studies going back to 2000 have investigated VR's potential to aid in stress reduction, pain management, physical therapy and more.But only in the last decade has it become feasible enough to explore in earnest, thanks to the rise of consumer VR headsets, a wave ushered in by the original Oculus Rift. Today, at-home VR, AR and mixed reality systems (and what Apple calls spatial computing") aren't hard to come by. And with options like Meta's $300 Quest 3S, it's possible to get a decent VR setup for a relatively low cost. Not only can patients bring their own headsets, but some clinics and hospitals have already begun their own studies with this tech.In a trial conducted from late 2021 to 2023, the results of which were published recently in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, researchers recruited 90 patients who were receiving chemotherapy at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's infusion clinic in Nashville and provided half of them with headsets for a 12-minute VR session during their treatment, while the other half served as the control group. Patients in the VR group were shown narrated tours of places such as Venice, Agra and the Ecuadorian Amazon. All participants recorded their stress levels, pain and mood before and after the sessions.Across the board, there was improvement in the study group versus the control group," said Cody Stansel, one of the study's authors. We saw that it positively impacted the patient's side effects. It reduced their stress levels. Generally, we didn't see patients that were experiencing a whole lot of pain, but there was still a reduction in the amount of pain they're experiencing, so we saw results from that as well... It went really well, patients responded very favorably."In addition to the self-reported ratings the patients provided, the researchers measured their heart rates before and halfway through the 12-minute sessions, and found the measurements supported their feelings of reduced stress. The difference was significant between the control group and patients who'd used VR, with heart rates among the latter group decreasing by an average of 6.6 beats per minute at the midway check, according to the paper. Crucially, the patients also reported whether they'd experienced cybersickness, the condition similar to motion sickness that VR induces in some people.What we found is patients didn't really experience any measurable motion sickness," Stansel said. All of the responses across the board were really low with that, but we were intentional when we chose the programming to choose ones that had a low motion sickness rating to begin with. We had chosen these tourism videos where they're basically just standing there, because we wanted to avoid any of that - cancer patients, because of the chemotherapy and things, can be more prone to nausea, so we definitely didn't want to make anything worse if they're already experiencing that."According to the researchers, the findings suggest VR could be an effective and accessible distraction tool for patients undergoing treatments like chemotherapy. Even if patients don't bring their own devices, for a clinic, the cost of entry is low, a few hundred bucks to get started," Stansel notes. As long as you clean [the headsets] well and take care of them, they'll last quite a while." But the potential benefits - alleviating stress and pain - are great.Modern day virtual reality consumes so many of your senses that it's very easy to kind of temporarily forget about where you are and what you're going through, and so the patients are really just able to focus on the experience," Stansel said. It kind of takes their mind off all the other things they have going on."More research into the subject could shed light on VR's efficacy in providing relief for patients experiencing higher pain levels, or if other types of content would work better for certain situations. For patients already strapping into immersive virtual worlds to help them get through difficult days, though, it's proven invaluable.On Reddit, Johnson shared a selfie of him wearing his Apple Vision Pro during an infusion, and other users chimed in to share where they'd brought their own headsets to pass the time: four-hour dialysis sessions; chemo; a hospital stay in the isolation ward. Whether a person is playing games, watching a movie or using an app to calm down, people need a distraction, something that they enjoy," Johnson said. Ultimately, if you're in that type of environment, you want to distract yourself from the pain."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/vr-is-helping-to-make-daunting-medical-treatments-more-bearable-for-patients-161505375.html?src=rss

Composting was a big - and daily - part of my life for five years when I lived off-grid. Granted, we were composting more than just food, but I learned a lot about what goes into making a healthy compost pile. Mostly, it's a lot of work - and now that I live in a city, I don't do it myself. To be clear, I still believe in composting, especially when you consider that each person in the US throws away an estimated 200 pounds of food per year. Food waste in landfills does bad stuff, like releasing methane and contributing to climate change. In compost, old food does good stuff, like improving the soil and acting as a carbon sink.Now that more municipal curbside composting programs exist, millions of people have a dead simple way to deal with food scraps. But if you, like me, live where city-wide compost pickup isn't yet a thing, you have two options: compost at home, with or without a machine to help out, or do what I do and pay someone to compost for you..How to compost at homeIt's tempting to think of composting as building a holder, throwing in food and coming back a few weeks later to something you can toss in your garden, but the reality requires much more time, space and effort. For me, the toughest part of composting was the consistency it required. At least a few times per week, any active compost pile needs tending, including adding to it, turning it, watering it in dry climates or shielding it from excess rain. In addition to time, home composting requires the space and materials to build the bins. You'll also need a regular source of brown" or carbon-rich materials like dried leaves, untreated paper, cardboard, sawdust or wood chips.Plenty of people (with more knowledge than I) have put together how-tos on the subject. I followed The Mini Farming Guide to Composting, but these online guides will also serve you well:

When Google debuted AI Mode at the start of March, the company promised to work quickly on bringing the feature to more users, and now it's doing exactly. Following a smaller expansion last month, the company says AI Mode is now available to all Labs users, with no wait list in place to limit access. As a reminder, AI Mode is a new chatbot that Google has built directly into Search. Labs, meanwhile, is a program you can sign up for to try out new Search features before they're widely available.With today's expansion, Google is also updating AI Mode to add new visual cards that will appear when you ask the chatbot for information related to places and products. "For local spots, like restaurants, salons and stores, you can quickly see info like ratings, reviews, and opening hours, and if you're looking for a product, you'll see shoppable options with real-time prices (including the latest promotions), images, shipping details and local inventory," Google says of the new feature.GoogleOn desktop, Google is also adding a search history tool, allowing users to revisit and continue previous conversations they've had with AI Mode. The idea here is to allow people to pick up on research they might have left unfinished.If you're not enrolled in Labs and live in the US, there's a chance you might see AI Mode appear in Search sometime in the coming weeks. Google says it's doing this because the response to the feature has been "incredibly positive," and it wants to collect additional feedback before a broader rollout.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-prepares-to-start-testing-ai-mode-with-regular-search-users-160027861.html?src=rss

Apple has been ordered to pay a $502 million lump sum payment by UK courts for infringing on patents owned by Optis Cellular Technology LLC, based out of Texas. When you include interest and fees, Optis estimates the total sum to be in excess of $700 million. This particular company is not an aggrieved innovator, but instead what is referred to as a patent troll." That's a company that buys up niche patents with the specific intent to seek damages for infringement from lucrative defendants like Apple, and it's not their first time being awarded damages from the Cupertino giant.This lawsuit was originally filed through London courts in 2019 over patents governing cellular technology, including 4G, that Optis says was improperly used in iPads and iPhones. In 2023, London's High Court ruled in Optis' favor and ordered Apple to pay just over $56 million plus interest to settle the dispute, inclusive of past and future sales that featured the offending tech. Optis successfully argued that this was far too low a sum, leading to the half-a-billion-dollars in damages ordered today.The iPhone maker has found itself in court over patent infringements time and time again in the past - not only with patent trolls, but also fellow industry stalwarts. The ability for enormous tech companies to (allegedly) infringe on design or utility patents and pay pennies on the dollar for the damage done years later seems to be a feature, not a bug.Apple has unsurprisingly responded by promising to appeal the court's decision, to which Optis insisted it will fight to defend its intellectual property.Optis provided Engadget with the following statement:"We're pleased the UK Court of Appeals has recognized and corrected a clearly flawed prior ruling and has made meaningful progress toward affirming the true value of our patents to Apple devices. In addition to ordering payment that exceeds $700 million with interest and fees, the Court has judged that 'Apple's significant negotiating strength leads some parties to agree lower rates than would be agreed between a willing licensor/willing licensee' thereby gaining an unfair advantage. We will continue to ensure fair compensation for the Optis intellectual property that enables high-speed connectivity for millions of devices around the world."Update, May 1, 2025, 11:53AM ET: This story was updated with a statement from Optis and details about the total compensation inclusive of fees and interest.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-ordered-to-pay-502-million-to-optis-by-uk-courts-153053338.html?src=rss

The recently-released Apple iPad Air M3 is already on sale via Amazon. You can pick up the 11-inch model starting at $499 and the 13-inch version starting at $699. If Amazon isn't your bag, these deals are also available at Best Buy. This model topped our list of the best iPads, and we said it the perfect choice for most consumers. The M3 chip is extremely powerful, which increases performance and multitasking when compared to the base iPad. It offers support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which is nice, and the overall design is lovely. The battery can last up to 12 hours, which is a decent metric for a modern tablet. The two 12MP cameras won't be winning any awards, but they get the job done. These are also fairly lightweight, which makes sense given the name. The 11-inch version weighs around a pound and the 13-inch model shoots up to 1.36 pounds. That's light enough for long-term use without any real issues. While the screen is gorgeous, it's not an OLED. It also maxes out with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is on the lower end. It's worth noting that the $499 base price for the 11-inch model gets you 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Other variations are on sale, but the cost can add up. For instance, the 13-inch version with a 1TB drive will set you back $1,200. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-ipad-air-m3-is-100-off-151340723.html?src=rss

If you've been thinking about upgrading your old Apple Watch, or you're keen on picking one up for the first time, take note: The Apple Watch Series 10 is back down to $299 in a few colorways at Amazon and Best Buy. We've seen this deal a few times in recent months; nevertheless, it matches the wearable's lowest price to date. This price applies to the 42mm GPS version, but the GPS + cellular model is also on sale for $110 off, bringing it down to $389 in a handful of color options. If you want something larger, meanwhile, the 46mm GPS model is $100 off Apple's list price and down to a low of $329 as well. Considering the Apple Watch is usually only updated once a year alongside the iPhone in September, these are decent deals to snag now while the Series 10 will remain the flagship smartwatch in Apple's lineup for a few more months. The Apple Watch Series 10 is our pick for the best smartwatch overall, though note that you'll need a compatible iPhone to use it. We gave the wearable a score of 90 in our review. Admittedly, this is a relatively iterative upgrade. If you have an Apple Watch Series 8 or 9, the upgrade is probably not worth it. But if you're an Apple Watch newcomer or you're upgrading from an older model, this is generally the one to go for. The Series 10 has a larger screen than its predecessor, which makes it easier to see notifications and such. The thinner frame looks nicer too. However, while the Apple Watch Series 10 is great for fitness and wellness tracking, it's a bit disappointing that the device lacks the blood oxygen feature seen in earlier models (though Apple had little choice but to nix that here). Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-series-10-returns-to-a-record-low-of-299-at-amazon-and-best-buy-155611949.html?src=rss

Apple has been warning possible victims of spyware attacks, according to several alleged recipients of the messages. At the time of writing there appears to be at least two people who have confirmed they've been notified by Apple, and that the warning itself says that users in 100 countries have received similar alerts. The company does not offer any specifics as to how many people may have been targeted, or where the attacks are coming fromAs reported by TechCrunch, one recipient of the warning message is the Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino, who works for an online news outlet called Fanpage in his native country. The other (as far as we know right now) is Dutch right-wing commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek, who posted screenshots and a video of the alleged warning message on X.According to Vlaardingerbroek, Apple informed her that it had detected a targeted mercenary spyware attack against her iPhone. The message she says she received said: This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are and what you do. Although it's never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning - please take it seriously."

Anyone rocking a recent-gen high-end GPU like an RTX 4090 or 5090 knows that these behemoths of rendering power are heavy enough to knock out a would-be PC thief. As GPUs get larger and heavier, sagging has become a growing concern for PC builders and GPU manufacturers, and ASUS briefly let on just how aware of this issue the company is.ASUS quietly added a function called Equipment Installation Check" to its GPU Tweak III monitoring software back in January. Included in this toolset was a measurement named VGA Horizontal Status" that precisely measured the angle at which the installed GPU was tilting down. Users could set a custom warning if the GPU tilted down beyond a degree threshold set by the user.In mid-April, Taiwanese publication UNIKO's Hardware published a teardown of the latest ROG Astral 50-series cards, which highlights what they suspect to be a Bosch Sensortec chip. Bosch describes it as a general purpose, low-power IMU that combines precise acceleration and angular rate (gyroscopic) measurement with intelligent on-chip motion-triggered interrupt features." The technicians at UNIKO's Hardware believe this chip is what powers the tilting detection tool.Curiously, the most recent mentions of this feature on ASUS forums point out that as of the latest release of the Tweak III software, dated April 11, the Equipment Installation Check button is no longer there. Users had begun reporting what they believed to be false positives, confident that their GPUs were level despite the software saying they were sagging. Engadget reached out to ASUS to understand if this feature is being deprecated or if it wasn't reporting accurate readings but did not receive a response.Whether the feature is gone for good or angling for a comeback, the risk of sagging GPUs is all too real for many PC gamers today. PCIe slots were not exactly designed with today's six-plus GPUs in mind, which has led to gamers finding creative solutions to hold up their enormous graphics cards and prevent potential damage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/asus-adds-then-removes-the-ability-to-detect-sagging-in-its-latest-rog-astral-gpus-134508930.html?src=rss

Microsoft is dramatically increasing the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as new games and accessories. As of today, the Series S will start at $380, up from $300, while the Series X will begin at $550, a $100 increase from its previous price. As for the 1TB Series S, it now costs $430, up from $350. Meanwhile, if you want the Series X with disc drive, it will now set you back $600. Lastly, the 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition now costs an eye-watering $730.Additionally, Microsoft says beginning this holiday season "some" new first-party games will release at $80. As a small consolation, if you purchase one of those games through the Xbox Store, it will support Microsoft's Play Anywhere feature, allowing you to play it on PC at no additional cost.At the same time, the company is increasing the price of nearly all of its first-party and peripherals. Most notably, a core controller will now set you back $65. Microsoft is also increasing pricing in Europe, UK, Australia and many other countries."We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," the company said. "Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players."Historically, the price of consoles has gone down, not up, mid-generation. In 2002, for instance, Sony cut the price of the PlayStation 2 from $299 to $199. Alongside the system's extensive game library, Sony's aggressive pricing strategy was widely credited for the PS2's runaway success. Similarly, Sony revived the PlayStation 3's fortunes in 2009 with the console's 'Slim' redesign and price cut to $299. The fact Microsoft is now increasing the price of the Xbox Series X/S nearly five years after release is likely to kill whatever little momentum the two consoles had.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/microsoft-is-raising-prices-on-the-xbox-series-s-and-series-x-132004594.html?src=rss

Tools for Humanity, a startup co-founded by Sam Altman, has launched its its World eyeball-scanning identity verification system in the US. During an event in San Francisco, Altman reportedly said that World's technology provides "a way to make sure humans remained central and special in a world where the internet had a lot of AI-driven content." Altman is also one of the founders and is currently the CEO of OpenAI, which is perhaps the most prominent artificial intelligence company today.World was used to be known as Worldcoin until Tools of Humanity decided to focus on the digital ID aspect of the project rather than the cryptocurrency part, because the Biden administration didn't have a friendly stance towards crypto. The project uses basketball-sized spherical objects called the Orb to scan a user's irises, which it then turns into a unique IrisCode for them. It will then use that information to create a World ID for the user that they can use to log into integrated platforms, including Minecraft and Reddit. Users who get verified will get some of the project's cryptocurrency for free.Tools for Humanity said World keeps some access to user's data to ensure they aren't double-scanning their biometrics. But it also said that most of the personal data it collects remains decentralized, anonymized and supposedly impossible to reverse-engineer to identify someone. World is opening six locations in Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami and San Francisco where people can get their irises scanned.During the event, the project also revealed that it's working on a smaller, smartphone-shaped device called the Orb mini that can verify a person's identify. It eventually intends to turn it into a mobile point-of-sale device. The project has introduced new partnerships, as well: It will soon launch the World Visa card for people who've had their identities verified, and it will pilot its identity and age verification tools with Tinder in Japan.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/sam-altmans-eyeball-scanning-id-technology-debuts-in-the-us-130032856.html?src=rss

Earlier this week, 2K announced that it will release Borderlands 4 on September 12 - 11 days earlier than planned. Now, we're getting another look at the latest in Gearbox's series, including new features and a full-length gameplay trailer.One of the most interesting tidbits announced is that Borderlands 4 will offer individual difficulty settings in co-op multiplayer. So, one person could play on easy and another on hard while still maintaining fluid gameplay. It's a cool option if you want to play with great gamers but not face the same intense challenges.Along with the new trailer, you can also watch a 20-minute deep dive into the game, if you so please. The State of Play presentation from creative director Graeme Timmins and senior project producer Anthony Nicholson shows "the nitty-gritty details of how you'll wreak havoc across Kairos and take down the Timekeeper."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/borderlands-4-will-have-individual-difficulty-settings-for-co-op-players-121626097.html?src=rss

Making electric cars from scratch is hard. Out of all the homegrown EV startups, Tesla is the only company that has broken through to the mainstream. Nikola was a scam. Canoo recently filed for bankruptcy. And depending on how you're counting, Fisker failed not once but twice. Then there are companies like Aptera that feel like they have been nearing production for more than a decade. Among the ocean of EV companies hoping to outpace legacy automakers, Rivian and its second-gen models are making the transition to the electric era with both style and brawn. With its R1S SUV (starting at $75,900, or around $105,000 as tested), the company has created an adventurous car that impresses now, while also providing a blueprint for future success. Design The R1S is unapologetically boxy in a way that truck and SUV aficionados often prefer. That said, Rivian drives a neat balance between modern minimalism and retro ruggedness that allows it to blend in almost anywhere. Its oval (technically stadium-shaped) headlights might be some of the most striking in the industry, while Rivian includes rumble-ready touches like honest-to-goodness recovery hooks, beefy fenders and big 22-inch wheels with chunky tires. In a lot of ways, the R1S is what I imagine a Bronco EV might look like, except it's more luxurious, way bigger at 200 inches long and packs three rows of seats. Interior Sam Rutherford for Engadget On the inside, I'd argue the R1S looks even better, especially when clad in Rivian's Black Mountain and Brown Ash Wood trim. It's like a cozy cabin that's been properly renovated and brought up to contemporary standards. There's a huge 15.6-inch high-res screen that sits on the dash without looking too ungainly or out of place, while a 12.3-inch display serves as a digital instrument cluster. It's clear Rivian is trying to embrace a tech-forward approach but it does so without completely abandoning traditional design traits like the car's stalk-mounted gear shift and wipers. While some folks may not appreciate how the buttons for climate and music are entirely touch-based, nothing really felt buried or out of reach thanks to a static row of icons along the bottom. Overall build quality is solid too, with practically no rattles or massive panel gaps to speak of. The seats, while a touch on the stiff side, offer both heating and ventilation for front passengers, the latter of which I must admit is a real treat as we enter spring and summer. The cabin feels light and airy thanks in large part to its big panoramic roof. I love being able to switch the electrochromic glass (which is part of the optional Sound + Vision package) from transparent to opaque with a single touch. I also appreciate that there's a dedicated screen in the second row for climate and music (which thankfully can be child-locked if need be) and proper air vents for all three rows, so there isn't a single stuffy seat in the car. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Speaking of the third row, Rivian has really maximised the R1S' boxy dimensions. Even as a six-foot-tall guy, getting all the way in the back wasn't much of a struggle, though it's still a bit tight for someone my size. I need to slide the second row forward a touch in order to have adequate room for my feet. But make no mistake, there's plenty of space for kids or smaller adults back there, and if you need an EV that can properly transport seven people at a time, this thing has you covered. Alternatively, when cargo space is the primary concern, the third row folds flat to provide 46.7 cubic feet of space. You'll get a whopping 104.6 cubic feet with both rows stashed. Infotainment and tech While the R1S doesn't support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, Rivian's infotainment is a great example of why you don't need third-party add-ons when you have a solid homegrown interface. Almost everything you want or need is accounted for. Hitting the drivetrain icon gives you quick access to controls for ride settings (including height and regenerative braking adjustments). This option also displays super helpful stats enthusiasts will appreciate like elevation, motor temperature, steering angle and more. The other controls for climate, music, charging and navigation are self-explanatory, so even if you haven't driven a Rivian before, as long as you've used a smartphone or laptop (which covers pretty much everyone), there's not much of a learning curve. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Rivian also does a fantastic job with support features like Gear Guard, which uses the R1S' built-in cameras to monitor for accidents, bumps or people vandalising your car. I truly do not understand why every automaker doesn't utilize its vehicles' onboard sensors like this. And even though I didn't need it, it's one of those things you'll be incredibly grateful for when you do. Same goes for its onboard 120V AC outlets and plentiful USB-C ports, which are just plain useful. As for monitoring the car and day-to-day stuff like starting it and unlocking the doors, there's Rivian's mobile app (available on both iOS and Android). It's dead simple to use, and unlike the phone-as-a-key feature on my Ford Mach-E, it was bulletproof during my testing. Once I had it set up, the car never failed to automatically pop out the door handles upon approach or lock itself when I walked away. Sam Rutherford for Engadget I also want to give Rivian props for making its cars chirp when you lock them instead of beeping the horn like so many other vehicles. Not only is it less distracting, it just feels more respectful when you're out amongst the trees. Granted, this is a minor feature, but little details like this can have a big impact and it's another thing I'd like to see on more cars. Just imagine if you could identify specific makes and models by the species of bird song it tweets out instead of being bombarded by a cacophony of harsh beeps, honks and klaxons. Wouldn't that be sweet? The one big wrinkle to all this is that currently there's no way to mirror texts or notifications from your phone onto the car's main display. In a time when people are growing more concerned about distracted driving (and rightfully so), this is a major omission. Rivian says implementing this feature turned out to be trickier than it initially thought, though there's hope that an update to add the tool will be available later this year. In some respects, I found that completely ignoring my handset while driving was actually kind of refreshing, but if this is a dealbreaker for you, I get it. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Unfortunately, if you want a physical fob with buttons for unlocking doors or popping the frunk, you'll have to shell out an extra $250. The R1S comes with smartphone controls via the app and a simple NFC key card instead of something that resembles a traditional key or remote. Driving Putting your foot down in an R1S is an instant reminder of why EVs are so fun to drive. When equipped with three motors like my test vehicle, a three-row SUV that weighs 7,000 pounds has no business being this fast. Acceleration from a dead stop is brutal (the tri-motor version has a 0 to 6 time of just 2.9 seconds). Until you get above 80 mph when wind resistance starts to become a major factor, it feels like the R1S has an endless pit of power. Furthermore, for a car this size, its turning radius is surprisingly tight. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Earlier this year, Rivian released its hands-free Enhanced Highway Assist feature that lets you sit back and have the car take the wheel. It works on more than 135,000 miles of freeways across the US and Canada, and while it isn't quite as polished as Tesla's Full Self Driving or Ford's Blue Cruise tech, the R1S still felt smooth and predictable when piloting by itself. It stayed neatly centered without bouncing back and forth between the lines, allowing you to change lanes with a flick of the stalk. For times when I wanted to take a little extra stress out of driving, Rivian's hands-free tech gave me the confidence to do that. Some of R1S' other tech that improves its driving experience includes cameras built into its mirrors, which automatically pop up on the driver's display when you signal. Not only does this help eliminate blind spots, it's just a nice bit of redundancy. But my favorite feature might be Rivian's adaptive headlights. Due to quirks in US regulations, car companies can't really port over the matrix lighting used on vehicles in the EU and Asia. So in order to comply, Rivian engineered its headlights from the ground up to automatically adjust to driving conditions like angling its beams around corners, reducing bright spots for oncoming drivers and more. And after using them, it's hard to go back to basic lights that can only do high and low. The one small issue I found was that no matter how I tried to adjust it, the R1S' suspension felt far from supple. The lack of cushioning sometimes made larger bumps and potholes feel particularly jarring. Rivian updated the ride comfort (particularly at low speeds) after I returned my loaner vehicle and I've heard the difference is night and day. Regardless, driving feel is subjective, so if you're in the market for a new car and not conducting your own test drive, what are you even doing? As a city-dweller, I'm not much of an off-roader, so I can't really speak to the R1S' trail-running prowess. But between things like its adjustable ride height (with up to 15 inches of ground clearance), torque vectoring and other related features, Rivian's vehicles appear very well equipped. And that's before you consider handy add-ons like the built-in air pump, which might save your bacon if you pop a flat in the backcountry. Range, charging and configurations The R1S is available in four main configurations: Dual Standard, Dual, Tri and Quad motor variants (the Quad option is coming later this year). The difference between the first two is battery size, with the former getting the base pack while the latter has the option of either large or max packs. The Tri and Quad motor models come standard with Rivian's biggest battery. Range varies from 270 to 371 miles, depending on the specific configuration, and in my experience I found that Rivian's guess-o-meter was highly reliable. If the map said I was going to have a certain amount of battery left when I arrived at my destination, it was rarely off by more than a percent or two. Sam Rutherford for Engadget On the tri-motor model, you can also disconnect the rear motors by putting the car in casual driving mode, which greatly improves the R1S' overall efficiency. When all three motors were running, I only averaged around 2.6 mi/kWh hour. But when only sending power to the front wheels, I was able to push that figure above 3 mi/kWh. As for charging, peak rates top out at 300 kW, though you'll only see anything near that when the car's battery is under 20 percent. When I tried a more typical charging scenario by taking its power level from 20 to 80 percent using a 350 kW station, the R1S completed the session in 35 minutes with a peak rate of 168 kW. So while it's far from the fastest in the industry, the combination of big energy cells and efficiency means range anxiety isn't really a thing with the R1S. I just wish the latest models came with a native NACS port instead of an older CCS connector. Wrap-up Sam Rutherford for Engadget While things are certainly better than they were just a few years ago, it's still slim pickings when it comes to three-row EVs. If you can afford it, the Rivian R1S has put all the most important stuff together in a great-looking package - and then some. Its size may be imposing, but it certainly delivers on the look and feel of a car that's just as happy on asphalt as it is on unpaved trails. And it does so while providing plenty of range and room for the whole family. Rivan's craftsmanship is highlighted by the R1S' exquisite interior, while a variety of battery sizes, motor configurations and other options make it easy to kit out to fit your adventures. The only thing that might give me pause is that for people who aren't interested in off-roading, alternatives like the Kia EV9 offer similar passenger capacity for a much lower starting price. And other models like the Volvo EX90 and Lucid Gravity offer a bit more in the way of luxury. But for those with an adventurous lifestyle who love exploring the great outdoors, the second-gen R1S really feels like the total package.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-r1s-gen-2-review-the-rugged-foundation-of-rivians-electric-empire-120021072.html?src=rss

The BBC announced a new addition to its Maestro series of masterclasses, featuring its first posthumous teacher, Agatha Christie, presenting her writing tips in 4K video. The best-selling author of literature in human history teaches an 11-lesson course on writing mysteries, and the BBC seems very aware of the issues circling AI, which provokes a mix of intrigue and, honestly, wariness.Christie, who died in 1976, has had her likeness composited through a blend of licensed images, limited footage and past audio recordings. That data has been blended with actor Vivien Keene, who performs' the words of Christie on video. This is a more cautious approach. During a Q&A event at the course's launch in London, Keene stated outright that this was a performance. It seems a particularly risky choice, too: a lot of writers, editors, and authors are facing AI tools that reduce job opportunities or absorb their writing (and IP) without permission to train AI models.Image by Mat Smith for EngadgetThe BBC says all the writing advice comes directly from her writings, author's notes and archival interviews, curated by leading Christie experts and scholars, including Dr Mark Aldridge, Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown and Jamie Bernthal-Hooker. One of the stipulations from the Christie estate was that all the writing tips and guidance come directly from her. The makers claim that AI hasn't filled in the gaps or made guesses about her writing style, or what advice she might give.The BBC's Maestro series is part of the company's business arm, offering over 40 courses in the style of Masterclass but with, obviously a lot more Brits, priced at $10 per month. (Don't let the fact that the Diary of a CEO guyis there put you off - the Billy Connolly course is excellent.)However, for this course, the team ballooned to over 100 people, factoring AI rendering experts, sound engineers and more, to deliver a convincing portrayal of the author of Murder on the Orient Express, Mousetrap and, well, all the others.Image by Mat Smith for EngadgetDuring the Q&A (at the glamorous Claridges hotel, of course), Dr. Mark Aldridge explained that in A Murder's Announced, Christie had a different murderer in mind when she first began writing that book - something vital if you're trying to convey her writing process. This could then be folded into the course guidance and content.At the launch event - with almost enough champagne to fill the Nile - I got to delve into the lessons. I'm not ready to pen a 50,000-word page-turner, it's a convincing facsimile. There's still a glint of uncanny valley, of course, (I think it's something to do with the eyes?), but even BBC Maestro CEO Michael Levine noted that since the project's inception a few years ago, the technology had evolved so quickly that the team was able to do even more than what it first thought was possible.Levine joked that the only books that rivaled sales of Christie's body of work by sheer volume are the works of Shakespeare and The Bible. There are no plans yet to add further resurrected' experts to the Maestro lineup.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/agatha-christie-ai-bbc-maestro-masterclass-writing-course-hands-on-120010944.html?src=rss

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ruled that Apple violated her own ruling back in 2021 on the lawsuit Epic Games filed against Apple a year before. Now, it's ordering (PDF) Apple to stop collecting commissions on purchases that weren't paid through the App Store effective immediately. In 2021, Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple did not hold an App Store monopoly. However, she also said that the company must allow developers to direct users to other payment systems that would let them bypass the 30 percent commission fee it collects from App Store purchases.In a legal filing by Epic Games last year, it accused Apple of non-compliance, since it still took a 27 percent cut for purchases made outside the App Store and even showed users pop-up screens warning them that paying outside its own store may not be secure. For members of the iOS Small Business Program, it took a smaller 12 percent commission. But the judge explained in her new ruling that Apple wasn't supposed to collect any fee at all. "Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in direct defiance of this court's injunction," she said.In addition to prohibiting Apple from collecting fees for external purchases, she also barred the company from showing users "scare screens" discouraging them from using third-party payment systems. She prohibited Apple from creating rules that would prevent developers from presenting customers with buttons and links for external payments, as well. Apple said it will pursue an appeal, but that it will comply with the court's orders. "We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court's order and we will appeal," an Apple spokesperson told The New York Times.In her ruling, Rogers said that the documents Apple submitted last year showed that App Store lead Phil Schiller advocated for the company to stop collecting fees on web links during a 2023 meeting. But Apple's former Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri convinced Tim Cook otherwise. Cook also asked his people to revise the scare screen for web links "to reference the fact that Apple's privacy and security standards do not apply to purchases made on the web." Apple knew exactly what it was doing and "at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option," Gonzalez Rogers wrote. Further the company's Vice-President of Finance, Alex Roman, allegedly lied under oath to hide the truth. Thus, the judge has asked the US attorney for the Northern District of California to investigate Apple and Roman for criminal contempt.In a tweet, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that it will bring back Fortnite for iOS in the US next week. He also promised to return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide - and to drop any lawsuit covering the issue - if Apple applies a commission-free tax-free payment framework everywhere.

One day after Meta rolled out its standalone AI app, Mark Zuckerberg has shared more about how the company plans to eventually monetize its generative AI assistant. During the company's first quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg said Meta AI could one day show ads and product recommendations. He also hinted at plans for a subscription component for those who want a more premium" version of the assistant."I think that there will be a large opportunity to show product recommendations or ads, as well as a premium service for people who want to unlock more compute for additional functionality or intelligence," Zuckerberg said.He added that for now the company is more focused on growing Meta AI's usage. (He announced yesterday that Meta Ai had reached almost" 1 billion monthly users.) I expect that we're going to be largely focused on scaling and deepening engagement for at least the next year before we'll really be ready to start building out the business here," he said.Zuckerberg's comments - just one day after Meta introduced its standalone AI app - underscores how important the assistant is to the company. The Facebook founder has repeatedly said he wants Meta AI to be the most used AI assistant in the world, and he said on Wednesday's call that a standalone app would be particularly important for attracting US users.Meta's strategy for monetizing the assistant in many ways mirrors its approach to Threads, which only just began expanding its early experiments with ads this month long after it reached hundreds of millions of users. Speaking of Threads, Zuckerberg also shared some new milestones for Threads, saying that text-based app now has 350 million monthly active users and that time spent on the platform has increased 35 percent over the last six months thanks to improvements to the company's recommendations systems.Later in the call, Meta's CFO Susan Li shared that the company has also been testing its Llama model to power Threads' recommendations and that the addition of the large language model has led to a 4 percent increase in time spent. It remains early here, but a big focus this year will be on exploring how we can deploy this for other content types, including photos and videos," she said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-a-mulling-ads-and-a-premium-version-of-its-ai-assistant-mark-zuckerberg-says-225202560.html?src=rss

Google has announced that it's helping to financially support the electrical training ALLIANCe (etA), an organization formed by the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electricians. The goal is to train "100,000 electrical workers and 30,000 new apprentices in the United States" to meet the growing power demands of AI.Using AI will unlock unspecified, but positive economic opportunities, Google's new white paper, "Powering a New Era of American Innovation," claims. In order to take advantage of them, though, the US power grid needs to become more capable and efficient. That's largely because the data centers used to run and train AI models require vast amounts of energy. The white paper claims that new data centers could demand an additional "15-90 GW" of energy by 2030, something that more efficient chips and model training can't account for. For a sense of the scale, the US Department of Energy says 1 Gigawatt is the equivalent to 103 offshore wind turbines.Google's paper calls for investments in alternative energy sources like nuclear power, but also notes that expanding the electrical workforce is necessary. "McKinsey estimates that 130,000 additional electricians will be needed by 2030 to build out data centers and manufacturing facilities," the company writes. Currently, though, retiring electricians outnumber newly trained ones. "Nearly 10,000 American electricians either retire or change careers each year, while only about 7,000 new entrants join the field."Investing in electrical training is Google's attempt to help change that. It would be nice if it was paired with a clearer explanation around what that AI will be doing with all that extra power - Google notes that there's a "causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth" - but skilled job training isn't a bad thing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-funding-electrician-training-to-help-meet-the-power-demands-of-ai-221320678.html?src=rss

Mark Zuckerberg says he believes most of the Meta's code will be written by AI agents sometime within the next year-and-a-half. Zuckerberg made the prediction during an hour-long interview with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel."I would guess sometime in the next 12 to 18 months, we'll reach the point where most of the code that's going towards these efforts is written by AI," said Zuckerberg, referring to the company's efforts to build internal AI agents. "And I don't mean like autocomplete... I'm talking more like you give it a goal, it can run tests, it can improve things, it can find issues, it writes higher quality code than the average very good person on the team already."

YouTube is testing a new feature that will blur the thumbnails of videos that appear in search results that "frequently include sexual themes," the platform announced in the Community section of the YouTube Help Center. The experimental feature is currently being tested on a small percentage of users, Youtube says.The hope is that by blurring thumbnails, YouTube can provide search results that include videos that technically abide by its Community Guidelines, but protect users from seeing content that's possibly "sensitive in nature." YouTube's post doesn't get into specifics of what will trigger a blurred thumbnail, but does note that "the video title, channel name, and description will remain visible" even if a thumbnail is obscured. Users who have the feature will also be able to disable thumbnail blurring if they want.YouTube offers a Restricted Mode for screening out mature content, but a more apt comparison for this experimental feature might be the SafeSearch settings in Google Search. SafeSearch lets you completely filter out "explicit images, text, and links," show all relevant results or blur explicit images, while allowing explicit text and links through. Considering YouTube's position 20 years in as both a backbone of the internet and a de facto television replacement, this seems like a common sense feature to have.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/youtube-will-blur-the-thumbnails-of-mature-videos-as-part-of-a-new-test-202546425.html?src=rss