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Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased a big week ahead" for Apple, starting on the morning of Monday, March 2. The company had already announced an in-person event for media and creators on March 4, while rumors had pointed toward Apple revealing at least five products over three days next week, so it looks like the stars are aligning for that to actually be the case.Cook all but confirmed that Apple is about to reveal its newest MacBooks in the coming days. His tweet features a short video of someone shaping an Apple logo on a surface that appears to have the company's classic space gray colorway.

Robotics company Intrinsic has announced it will be folding into Google as the company bets on the future of physical AI in manufacturing. The company focuses on software tools to make robots more affordable and easier to use, as well as using adaptive intelligence to help the robots perform real-world tasks.Intrinsic was started in 2021 as an Alphabet "Other Bets" project, part of a portfolio of high-risk and potentially high-payoff startups, Waymo among them. The project will now run as a "distinct group" within Google where it will leverage Gemini and Google Cloud while working closely with the Google DeepMind team.The company describes its platform as "the Android of robotics," offering a universal canvas where developers can build apps for different robots, cameras, sensors and more. Meta has expressed interest in pursuing a similar business model.Also at the intersection of software and physical AI, the company aims to integrate adaptive intelligence into robots, helping them to perform real-world tasks. The goal is robots that can "perceive, reason and react to changes in processes and their environment."The acquisition will complement Google's past work in robotics like Boston Dynamics, which it sold off in 2017. The Google DeepMind team has also developed Gemini-based models for robotics in the past.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-robotics-company-started-by-alphabet-is-joining-google-proper-144421411.html?src=rss

NVIDIA is a very busy company, and between all the graphics cards and AI-chasing, it wouldn't be wholly surprising to see the company forget about its more niche offerings, such as the Android-powered NVIDIA Shield TV. Happily for all those who own one of these powerful set-top boxes, that doesn't appear to be the case.Not only is NVIDIA continuing to support its Shield devices, but it's just rolled out its first proper update in nearly a year. The Shield Experience Upgrade 9.2.4, to give it its proper name, applies to both the Shield and Shield Pro boxes. It's admittedly light on new features, instead being focused on updating security and fixing various issues, but is nice to see all the same. Here's the full list of changes.Enhancements:

Netflix has unveiled a trailer for its upcoming documentary Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere set to arrive on March 11th. It will be the first full-length Netflix documentary for Theroux, and see him interview "manosphere" influencers like Sneako, Justin Waller and HS Tikky Tokky, aka Harrison Sullivan. "I've made documentaries for over 30 years now, and in a way, this subject feels like the final boss," the filmmaker told GQ."From Miami to Marbella, meet the men that are reshaping and radicalising young men's ideas about masculinity and manhood," Netflix's description reads. In the trailer, we see Theroux interview the influencers and get the tables turned on himself. "I know that they would be streaming or filming me and would put that content out," Theroux told Deadline. "And I hoped we'd get this feedback loop where there was a meta narrative that was then affecting my approach to the story."On top of making documentaries (and being famous for Jiggle Jiggle), Theroux is known for his Louis Theroux Interviews... podcast in which he interviews stars like Sean Penn and Florence Pugh. Prior to that, he did stories on conspiracy theories, UFOS and the porn industry, topics that he said were once niche but are now driving the internet and culture."I wouldn't be the first to point out that a lot of this is down to the influence of social media and the way in which it has given vent to the darkest parts of the human soul. Not just given vent to them, but actively amplified them and pushed them into our feeds. So yeah, this is not a niche subject."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-trailer-for-louis-therouxs-new-documentary-inside-the-manosphere-131726113.html?src=rss

Like other electronics products, cameras have shot up in price in the US of late due to tariffs and other reasons. Fortunately, there are still many models available for less than the price of a budget smartphone ($750 or less) that offer great features for creators and photographers alike.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused Valve of promoting illegal gambling through its video games in a lawsuit filed by her office. According to the AG's announcement, her office conducted an investigation and had concluded that Valve enabled gambling by enticing users to pay for a chance at rare items from loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2. In the lawsuit, the New York AG stressed that Valve's loot boxes are particularly pernicious," because the games are popular among children and teenagers.The lawsuit described the loot box model, which requires a player to open a mystery chest for the possibility of winning rare items, as quintessential gambling." It argued that people introduced to gambling at an early age are at a significantly higher risk of developing gambling addictions later on, based on research. In addition, it explained that gambling is mostly illegal in New York.Players have to pay for chests or boxes and the keys to be able to open them in Valve's games, and the company has reportedly sold billions of dollars' worth of keys for Counter-Strike alone. The lawsuit said that Valve has made tens of millions of dollars in fees from the sale of virtual items on the Steam Community Market, as well. In addition to being able to sell items on Steam for funds directly credited to their Steam Wallet, players can also sell on third-party marketplaces for cash.According to James' office, Valve facilitates and even assists third-party marketplaces in their operations, based on its investigation. Engadget has asked Valve for a statement about the lawsuit, but we have yet to hear back. However, the company previously denied being involved with third-party marketplaces that allow the sales of its game items for real-world money. In a response to an inquiry by the Danish Gambling Authority, Valve explained that those third-party websites create sock puppet accounts to sell and receive items on Steam in exchange for cash. [T]his behavior is in violation of our terms of service," Valve said.The lawsuit also pointed out that there's a huge market for Counter-Strike skins and referenced a Bloomberg article from 2025, which reported that the market for those skins had already surpassed $4.3 billion. As an example of in-game items sold for real money, it cited the sale of a Counter-Strike 2 AK-47 skin in 2024 for $1 million. The Attorney General's Office wants the court to stop Valve from violating New York laws, to give up money it allegedly earned from illegal activities and to pay a fine three times what it allegedly earned from illegal business practices.

Instagram is adding a new alert for the parents of teen users of its social media platform. The network will alert the adult if their child repeatedly searches for terms about suicide or self-harm in a short time frame. From that notification, the parent will optionally be able to access resources for having conversations with their teen about these topics. These alerts will begin rolling out for parental supervision users in the US, UK, Australia and Canada next week, with later regions to be added in the future."We chose a threshold that requires a few searches within a short period of time, while still erring on the side of caution," Instagram's blog post explains. "While that means we may sometimes notify parents when there may not be real cause for concern, we feel - and experts agree - that this is the right starting point, and we'll continue to monitor and listen to feedback to make sure we're in the right place."The platform reiterated that search results for terms connected to suicide and self-harm are blocked for teen younger users, and content about those topics is not shown to them under its current policies. Instagram also noted that a similar parental alert feature is in the works for its AI tools, but news on that isn't expected until later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-will-alert-parents-if-teens-repeatedly-search-for-suicide-or-self-harm-content-120000156.html?src=rss

French AA gaming developer and accessory manufacturer Nacon has filed for insolvency after its majority shareholder Bigben failed to make a loan repayment, the company said in a press release. "To date, the company reports available assets do not allow it to meet its liabilities," Nacon wrote. The objective with insolvency, it said, was to allow "continued operation, protect employees and maintain jobs while renegotiating with its creditors."Nacon is behind the games Styx: Blades of Greed and was set to publish Terminator: Survivors before that title was delayed. It published Hell is Us last year to some praise, but Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown was buggy on release and failed to find much of an audience. The company will stream its next Nacon Connect presentation on March 4, and will supposedly show off some new games and footage for previously revealed games like Endurance Motorsport Series and Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss.The company also makes hardware like controllers and headsets and racing sim accessories via its Revosim brand. Those products never really caught on with mainstream gamers but did have some success with the pro gaming crowd.With Nacon's insolvency, the future of those games and accessories is now in question. A court will decide on the company's insolvency request at a hearing in early March, but in the meantime, trading of its shares is suspended.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/gaming-accessory-maker-and-publisher-nacon-files-for-insolvency-104832702.html?src=rss

If you experience discomfort after long hours behind a desk, simply slapping an ergonomic mouse and keyboard on your desk won't solve the problem. First, you have to address the root issue of sitting still for too long by standing up and walking around each hour or so. But after that, it's worth considering your workstation ergonomics. An ergonomic keyboard can prevent the hunching, twisting and contorting that leads to discomfort. With split, tilt and angled keys, these boards help keep your shoulders and chest more open and your forearms and wrists more aligned. One ergonomic board won't work for everyone, so I tested out 15 different models. I found my personal favorite and hope this guide will help you find the best ergonomic keyboard for you, too. Best ergonomic keyboards for 2026 What to look for in an ergonomic keyboard You might be looking into ergonomic accessories to help with a specific problem, such as carpal tunnel or tendonitis. Or maybe you're simply looking for a way to make long hours at your desk more comfortable. It can help to know some of the terminology and reasons behind various features, which we explain below. Just keep in mind that new equipment alone won't solve the problem. Changing positions, doing regular stretches and taking walk breaks will all go a long way towards making you feel better while you work. Alice vs split Most ergonomic keyboard layouts fall into two categories: unibody (or Alice) and split. The former is a single board with the two halves of the keys rotated about 30 degrees apart at the bottom. The separation forms an A-shaped space between the keys - which has nothing to do with why it's called an Alice layout, it's just a happy coincidence. This subtle tweak pushes your elbows away from your ribs while keeping a straight line from your forearm to your middle knuckle. Using one, I pretty instantly felt more open along the front side of my body. This layout more closely resembles a traditional keyboard, so it should be easier for most folks to get used to than a fully split option. Speaking of, split boards break the keys into two separate parts you can position individually. You can put them shoulder distance apart, bring them closer together or angle them as much as feels comfortable. You can also put your mouse between the halves, which may feel like an easier trip for your cursor hand and could potentially help with conditions like repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Personally, I like being able to put my current snack between the two parts. I've also found that pairing a split keyboard with a good ergonomic mouse has helped me even more, particularly a vertical mouse. Tenkeyless You can find ergonomic keyboards with and without number pads. Not having those number keys on the right hand side lets you keep your mouse closer in, minimizing overall reach. But if you work with numbers a lot, you'll likely want that pad included. Some programmable boards allow for the use of layers, which temporarily repurpose keys and can provide you with a ten-key option through clever remapping of letter keys. Tenting and negative tilt Tenting raises the middle of the keyboard up, so your hands move closer to a handshake" position. Alice keyboards usually angle up towards the middle and always to a fixed degree, since the two sides are connected. Split boards often let you adjust the degree of tenting, going from flat to subtle to extreme lift. You may have encountered keyboards with an optional lift at the back of the board, raising the top keys higher than the space bar. Every set of hands is different, but for most people, pulling the backs of the hands towards the forearms increases strain. Negative tilt has the opposite effect by sloping in the other direction, lowering the top number keys while raising the edge with the spacebar. Many Alice and some split keyboards offer an optional negative tilt. I found it was more comfortable to enable that feature when I'm standing, and I preferred to have the keys flat when sat at my desk. Staggered vs columnar This decision seems to be one of the more hotly-contested among ergo enthusiasts. A conventional keyboard has staggered keys, with each row slightly offset to the rows above and below it - so the A key is about halfway between the Q and W above it. This is a holdover from vintage mechanical typewriters, in which each press activated a hammer that smashed ink onto paper in the shape of a letter. To fit the hammers as close together as possible, while still allowing for finger pads, the keys were staggered. Columnar or ortholinear keyboards stack the keys in orderly columns, often with rows that are not linear. Proponents claim this makes the keys easier to reach. Whether that's true will be up to your fingers to decide, but I can say for certain that if you learned to type on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar layout is tough. It will take days, possibly weeks before you instinctively hit the C key. The N, M and B keys don't fare much better. Programmable keys With a few exceptions, most ergonomic keyboards will work with PCs or Macs as a standard typing input, but the use of function and hot keys may require some remapping. It can be as easy as an onboard switch to toggle between Mac and PC layouts, or as involved as downloading software to change up the keys. Some boards even include (or let you buy) extra keycaps to change, say, the Mac's Command and Option keys to PC's Start and Alt buttons. Those are what's called hot-swappable keys, meaning you just pull the old key off (usually with a provided key puller) and stick the new one on, no soldering required. For some boards, remapping or programming keys using software is a crucial feature. Gaming peripherals have extra keys that you can set to execute a series of keystrokes with the push of a single button, and we cover the best gaming keyboards in a separate guide. Keyboards that work with layers, in which a single button can perform several functions, typically allow you to change what those are. Some ergo keyboards have non-standard layouts, like thumb clusters with multiple keys near the space bar that you operate with your thumb. You'll also be able to program those. Other considerations Ergonomic keyboards come in mechanical, membrane, and scissor switch versions. Which works best for you is, again, up to your preference. I won't get too deep into the particulars here, as we have an entire guide devoted to the best mechanical boards, but the short of it is that membrane and scissor switches are less customizable than mechanical and typically cheaper. Typing on them tends to be quieter and softer. Mechanical switches are more customizable, offer a more responsive typing experience and are usually pricier. You'll also have the option of wired or wireless ergonomic boards. All other things being equal, wired models are less expensive. Competitive gamers who rely on split-second responses may prefer the zero-lag of wired keyboards. Wired models also never run out of battery life and have fewer connectivity issues. But wireless keyboards keep your desk less cluttered. Some ergonomic keyboards come with permanent or removable wrist or palm rests, which can be cushioned or hard. This is another area where opinions diverge: proponents claim they help you maintain a neutral hand position, while detractors say they put pressure on the tendons and can cause wrist pain or even exacerbate conditions like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms should be resting, not your wrists, and you might find you like having that support or you may find the pressure uncomfortable. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget How we tested ergonomic keyboards All our guides begin with extensive research to figure out what's out there and what's worth testing. We consider brands with good reputations that we've heard good things about from colleagues and look at keyboard reviews in forums and other trusted publications. For this guide, I looked for keyboards with ergonomic features like tenting, split keys, palm support and so on. I also zeroed in on boards that didn't require a deep amount of familiarity with the vast and exhaustive world of custom keyboards. Once I settled on ten boards, I acquired them and used each one for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. I tried out the remapping and macros software and considered the comfort, design, price and durability of each model before arriving at picks I think will work best for the most people out there. For subsequent updates to this guide, I have continued to acquire and test out new keyboards as they come on the market, adding and replacing the top picks as warranted. If and when Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, like the Sculpt, come back on the market, as a collaboration with Incase has promised, I'll try those models, too. Other ergonomic keyboards we tested Naya Create I first tried out the Naya Create during CES 2025 and was immediately smitten with the design. It's a deliriously well-made fully-split keyboard with built-in modules at each thumb. You can swap in a trackball, dial, trackpad and the Float module - a dial/joystick combo for manipulating 3D imagery. Each half of the board hinges in two places for minutely customizable center tenting. It has low profile keys with responsive yet quiet mechanical switches. It works wirelessly or corded, has thumb cluster keys and, of course, it's all fully programmable. It's lovely to type on and the thumb clusters and modules make it easy to keep your fingers in the home position to minimize repetitive travel. I'm still in the process of testing the board, and working with Naya's co-founder to get the modules customized to my liking. At $500 to $700, it's not cheap. It's also a still very new device from a small company, so I'm waiting to give it a proper assessment until the board is fully set up properly. In the meantime, batches of the Naya Create keep selling out, so it's apparent I'm not the only one who sees this board's potential. Kinesis Advantage 360 If you want something fully split with thumb clusters and a columnar layout but that's a little less minimal than the Zsa Voyager- and wireless to boot - the Advantage 360 from Kinesis, makers of the popular Advantage 2 is a good one to check out. It looks like it comes from an 80s-era IBM office, but is somehow also from the future. The tenting goes from low to intense and the key well curves concavely to meet your fingers where they naturally land. The 360 is per-key programmable, works with layers and has four macros keys. Periboard 835 For a mechanical Alice keyboard with both wireless and wired capabilities, the Periboard 835 is a good pick. The Mac and Windows-compatible board has a solid build, low profile switches, RGB lighting, comfortable tenting and a few extra programmable keys. Goldtouch Elite Adjustable I remember wondering if something like the Goldtouch Elite Adjustable existed when I first started testing ergonomic keyboards. It didn't at the time, as far as I could tell, but now a connected yet adjustable split board is indeed a product you can buy. It's a solidly-built board and the ball joint connecting the two halves feels like it will put up with a lot of use. A squeeze of the lever at the top of the keys lets you set the board just how you like, adjusting both the vertical tenting and the angle between the two halves. There's no programming to speak of, just the ability to swap a few function keys like print screen and home. Unfortunately, the tenting doesn't work for me. Because of the extra keys at the outer edges, raising the middle edges upwards lifts the center keys considerably, which brings my wrists and forearms off the desk instead of letting them rest. Holding them like that created extra neck and shoulder strain on my part, which is sort of the opposite of the goal. But if you're not into tenting anyway and want a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works quite well. Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard The idea behind the Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard is pretty ergonomic: put the trackpad between the two halves and minimize travel for your mouse hand. The distance between the two puts your elbows at a comfortable distance and keeps your wrist nearly in-line with your forearms. The build is excellent, with low profile mechanical switches that feel smooth and just the right amount of clacky. The trackpad is responsive, but gestures only work with Windows computers. Even dragging and dropping doesn't work on a Mac here, so I don't see Apple users getting much use out of the board. I also found myself wishing for the slightest rotation of the keys - though they're a good distance apart, a slight angle would keep my wrists fully unbent. There's no tenting or negative tilt either, both of which could help a bit more, ergonomically speaking. Logitech Wave Keys While it's a perfectly fine and affordable Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech Wave has minimal ergonomics. The keys rise up slightly in the middle and there's a comfortable wrist rest attached, but the layout is the same as any other keyboard, with no splitting of the keys to open up your arms or keep your wrists straight. Ergonomic keyboard FAQs What kinds of ergonomic keyboard styles are there? Most ergonomic keyboards fall into two categories: fully split which separates the board into two pieces, and unibody split, also known as an Alice design, which angles the keys outward at the bottom. When the keys are rotated outward or split into two halves, it allows for a wider spread between your elbows for a more relaxed typing position. Other ergonomic features, such as thumb clusters, center tenting and negative tilting are sometimes added to either type of board. Which keyboard layout is the most ergonomic? Since every person is different, there's no one best ergonomic keyboard layout. The standard QWERTY layout is what most people are used to. The Dvorak, Colemak and Workman layouts rearrange the board to put the more commonly used letters closer to the home-key position. All three are intended to minimize your finger movements. That may indeed feel more comfortable and less fatiguing, but people used to the QWERTY layout will likely need to relearn how to type. When do I need a split keyboard? You might feel some relief with a fully split keyboard if you find yourself tensing up at the shoulders as you type on a standard board. Putting some distance between your hands may allow your chest to stay more open, which for some is an easier position to maintain. You may also appreciate being able to place your mouse or trackpad between the two halves of the board to minimize the distance your cursor hand needs to travel. How long does it take to adjust to an ergonomic keyboard? That depends on the type of keyboard. Since the Alice-split design simply rotates the keys apart, typing on it feels fairly similar to the regular keyboards you're already used to. A fully split board will take a little more adjustment, particularly if it uses thumb clusters. The enter, shift and control buttons may now be operated by your thumbs instead of your other fingers and that can be tough to get used to. It took me a full month to get completely comfortable with a fully split keyboard with thumb clusters. But now, I prefer it to typing on regular boards.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-ergonomic-keyboard-130047982.html?src=rss

It's always a fun day for the space nerds when a NASA team has new images to share from the James Webb Space Telescope. Today's pair has brains on the brain, with a look at the fittingly named Exposed Cranium Nebula. More officially, this cloud of space dust and debris is known as Nebula PMR 1. The images shared today may capture a moment in the final stages of a star, as well as giving hints as to how the nebula got its brain-like shape."The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution - an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases," NASA's blog post reads. The dark line that runs vertically through the nebula, giving it the cranial appearance, could be the result of "an outburst or outflow from the central star, which typically occurs as twin jets burst out in opposite directions." Both Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) were used to document the nebula.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/new-webb-telescope-photos-show-off-the-exposed-cranium-nebula-235609619.html?src=rss

It seems like any and every industry can have its own awards show these days. And why not? Most of us appreciate a chance to bust out the sequins and satin from time to time. If you can celebrate excellent work or make some extra biz dev bucks at the same time, all the better. Snap is the latest social media company to launch its own take on the glitz and glam. The Snappy Awards Show will be held at the company's headquarters on March 31. Comedian and content creator Matt Friend will host the event.Snapchat has been adding more tools for influencers to build audiences, most recently launching individual creator subscriptions. An awards show seems to be part of that same agenda, spotlighting popular personalities from many different fields. There will be Snappys handed out for categories such as Spotlight MVP, Best Storyteller and Breakout Creator of the Year, plus awards for collaboration, cultural impact and success in single subjects.Snapchat isn't the first social media platform to honor the personalities using it. TikTok hosted its inaugural awards show in the US last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snap-is-hosting-its-own-creator-awards-show-221859681.html?src=rss

Full Circle, the developer behind the new Skate game, has announced that it is restructuring and laying off staff. It's not yet clear how many roles will be impacted by the changes, but the restructuring is happening less than six months after skate. launched in early access on September 15, 2025."We're reshaping Full Circle to better support skate.'s long-term future," Full Circle says. "These shifts mean making changes to our team structure, and some roles will be impacted. The teammates affected are talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of skate. Their creativity and dedication are deeply ingrained in what players experience today. This decision is not a reflection of their impact and we're committed to supporting them through this transition."Engadget has contacted Full Circle's owner EA for more information about the layoffs. We'll update this article if we hear back.EA originally formed Full Circle in 2021 with a staff of development talent from the original Skate team. Skate was often positioned as a more realistic competitor to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, but the new studio has ultimately taken the franchise in a slightly different direction than fans may have expected. Previous Skate games were paid experiences with single-player and multiplayer modes, while skate. is a free-to-play live-service game supported with microtransactions.Recent history, both the failure of Concord and the ongoing struggles of Highguard, serves as a testament to how hard it is to launch a live service game in the 2020s. Full Circle's announcement notes the "tens of millions" of players that have tried the new game, but it's possible a struggle to keep players interested and spending on microtransactions could be why it's restructuring.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/skates-developer-is-laying-off-staff-before-the-game-leaves-early-access-220916797.html?src=rss

Mobile World Congress is right around the corner, but Samsung got out ahead of many rivals that will be showing off new handsets at that event by running the latest edition of Unpacked on Wednesday. At its event in San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, the company revealed the Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the base S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra. We've got some hands-on time with all three handsets as well, and you can read about our in-person experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as well as our S26 and S26+ impressions in those articles.In addition to those, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 4 along with (you guessed it) some AI updates. All the devices unveiled today are already available for pre-order, should you already be dying to get your hands on them. Here's a look at everything Samsung announced at the latest Unpacked:Galaxy S26 and S26+Sam Rutherford for EngadgetNew-ish year, new Samsung phones. Let's deal with the out-and-out bad news first. The S26 and S26+ are each $100 more expensive than their predecessors (the RAM shortage isn't exactly helping to keep prices down). They start at $900 and $1,100, respectively, for variants with 256GB of storage.Samsung has tweaked the design a bit this time by rounding the corners to align them more with the S26 Ultra's look. The base model has a slightly larger display than the S25 at 6.3 inches, though the S26+ still has a 6.7-inch screen (albeit with a higher resolution than the S26 can handle). The S26 has a larger battery capacity than the S25 too at 4,300mAh.In North America, China and Japan, Samsung is sticking with Qualcomm chips rather than using its own Exynos 2600. If you pick up an S26 or S26+ in those markets, it will run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.The camera modules are the same as last year, but Samsung is aiming to supercharge them with upgrades elsewhere, such as ProScaler image upscaling and an MDNIe chip that's said to greatly improve color precision. There's also a video stabilization feature that tries to keep the horizon level while you're following a moving person or pet, which sounds useful for action shots. The new Object Aware Engine is said to better render skin tones and hair textures to make your selfies look better. Samsung has reworked some AI features too, such as making Now Brief and Auto Eraser compatible with more apps.Pre-orders for the S26 and S26+ are open today, and they'll be available on March 11. The phones will be available in purple, blue, black, white, silver and rose gold, though the latter two are online exclusives.Galaxy S26 UltraThe Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in the same colorways and on the same date as its smaller siblings. It starts at $1,300, so there's no price increase from the S25 Ultra. Preorders open today.The S26 Ultra has a 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution of 3120 x 1440 and a 120Hz refresh rate. That's all well and good, but the display is hiding (that being the key word) what's perhaps the Galaxy S26 Ultra's most interesting feature.The device has a Privacy Display that's said to be the first of its kind on a smartphone. The idea here is to prevent people around from seeing what's on the screen from acute angles. There's a small decrease in brightness when Privacy Display is active, and there are lots of customization options.You can set up Privacy Display to activate when you're asked for a password or PIN, or when you get a notification or open certain apps. So if (for instance) you tend to look at your banking apps when you're on public transit and don't want other passengers to see how much moolah you have, Privacy Display seems like a very handy feature.Elsewhere, the S26 Ultra runs on the same chipset as its smaller siblings. It comes with 12 or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The battery is larger than the ones in the other S26 models, as the Ultra has a 5,000 mAh capacity. There's support for Super Fast Charging 3.0 as well. Alas, Samsung still hasn't seen fit to offer built-in Qi2 charging magnets in the S26 lineup, which seems like a wild oversight in the year 2026.The selfie camera is the same as on the S26 and S26+. The S26 Ultra has 50MP ultrawide and 200MP wide lenses, along with dual 10MP 3x and 50MP 5x telephoto sensors. The resolutions of those cameras are the same as on the S25 Ultra, but the main 200M and 5x telephoto sensors now have wider apertures to let in more light. The S26 Ultra of course has the camera software features (and other AI features) found in the S26 and S26+.We'll have a review of the devices soon. In the meantime, head on through to our hands-on story for our initial impressions of the S26 Ultra.Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 ProSam Rutherford for EngadgetWhile the S26 phones are more iterative updates this year, Samsung has given its Galaxy Buds a proper refresh. It revamped the design and shape of the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to do away with the angular look of the stems and remove the lights from them.The earbuds have a "more refined, computationally designed fit" too, according to Samsung. The company claims the latest earbuds have smaller earbud heads that allow for a better, more secure fit and a more "comfortable experience during all-day wear." The Galaxy Buds 4 remain in an open-fit format while the Buds Pro 4 have a canal-fit design.The latest earbuds are said to offer improved audio quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), with an ambient sound mode, adaptive EQ and adaptive ANC. On Buds 4 Pro, there's a siren detection feature that enables ambient sound to let you hear things like alarms or emergency vehicle warnings.The Buds 4 Pro have a wide woofer that increases the effective speaker area by nearly 20 percent compared with the previous gen earbuds, Samsung said. They support 24-bit/96kHz audio.If you're using Galaxy Buds 4 or Buds 4 Pro with a Galaxy device, you'll be able to use Bixby, Google Gemini and Perplexity with hands-free voice controls (though the "hey, Plex" command for the latter might be a tad confusing for folks who use a certain media server app). The Buds 4 Pro support head gesture controls for managing calls and Bixby interactions as well.As with the S26 phones, pre-orders for the earbuds open today and they'll hit shelves on March 11. The Galaxy Buds 4 cost $180 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will run you $250. Both models are available in white and black with a matte finish. There's an online-exclusive pink option for Buds 4 Pro as well.Android AI featuresAhead of Unpacked, Samsung confirmed that it would offer Perplexity as an AI agent option in Galaxy AI on the S26 lineup. As part of that update, it shared that the S26 series would respond to the Hey Plex" wake phrase, and that Perplexity's features would also be embedded in the Samsung Browser app. The company also recently updated Bixby to make its own virtual assistant more conversational.On top of that news, Google had announcements of its own to make at Unpacked regarding new Android AI features, which will of course be available on S26 devices. On those handsets and the Pixel 10 lineup, the Gemini app will soon have a feature (in beta) that enables you to offload multi-step tasks, such as booking a ride or putting a grocery order together, to AI. It sure sounds like an attempt to build out agentic AI features on mobile devices.

Ubisoft's shakeups continue unabated. The creative director of the next Assassin's Creed game, codenamed Hexe, has left the company. The departure of Clint Hocking, a 20-year veteran of the company over two stints, was reportedly announced in a staff meeting this week.Hocking's resume at Ubisoft included serving as creative director on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion. The details of why he's leaving the company haven't been reported.Ubisoft told VGC, which first reported on Hocking's exit, that development on Hexe will continue. Jean Guedson, one of three new leaders of the Assassin's Creed franchise, will take over as the upcoming title's new creative director. Guedson had the same role for Assassin's Creed Origins and Black Flag, two of the franchise's most well-received entries.To say sailing hasn't been smooth of late at Ubisoft would be an understatement. Last year, the company reorganized its corporate structure under a system of "creative houses." The first, Vantage Studios, is partly owned by Tencent and now oversees Assassin's Creed. Then in October, franchise head Marc-Alexis Cote left the company. He later claimed he was "asked to step aside" and is suing his former employer.All of these changes came in the wake of layoffs, big-name flops, more layoffs, studio closures, even more layoffs, strikes and (yep) layoffs again. Earlier this month, Ubisoft even fired an employee who criticized the company's return-to-office mandate.But have no fear; some aspects of the company are doing quite well. Take, for example, nepotism. The future is looking bright indeed for a rising company star who is now co-CEO of Vantage Studios. That title belongs to Charlie Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-next-assassins-creed-game-loses-its-creative-director-210119005.html?src=rss

Canadian officials summoned leaders from OpenAI to Ottawa this week to address safety concerns about ChatGPT. The crux of the government concerns was that OpenAI did not notify authorities when it banned the account of a user who allegedly committed a mass shooting in British Columbia earlier this month."The message that we delivered, in no uncertain terms, was that we have an expectation that there are going to be changes implemented, and if they're not forthcoming very quickly, the government is going to be making changes," Justice Minister Sean Fraser said of the company and its AI chatbot. It's unclear what those government-led changes or rules might be. There have been two previous, unsuccessful attempts to pass an online harms act in Canada.A recent report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that in 2025, some OpenAI employees flagged the account of the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, as containing potential warnings of committing real-world violence and called for leadership to notify law enforcement. Although Van Rootselaar's account was banned for policy violations, a company rep said that the account activity did not meet OpenAI's criteria for engaging the local police.Those reports were deeply disturbing, reports saying that OpenAI did not contact law enforcement in a timely manner," said Canadian Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon ahead of the discussion with company leaders. "We will have a sit-down meeting to have an explanation of their safety protocols and when they escalate and their thresholds of escalation to police, so we have a better understanding of what's happening and what they do."OpenAI has been implicated in mulitple wrongful death suits. The company's ChatGPT was accused of encouraging "paranoid beliefs" before a man killed his mother and himself in a December 2025 lawsuit. It is also at the center of one of several wrongful death lawsuits against the makers of AI chatbots for helping teenagers plan and commit suicides.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/canadian-government-demands-safety-changes-from-openai-204924604.html?src=rss

Microsoft has announced that its rolling out support for streaming games at 1440p on Xbox consoles. Game streaming is a key benefit of paying for a Game Pass subscription, and as of 2025, now also includes games players own that aren't part of the larger Game Pass library.The higher bitrate streaming option will let subscribers with an Xbox Series X or S, Xbox One X or Xbox One play their games at a higher resolution, provided the game and their display supports it. Microsoft previously only offered 1440p streams on select Fire TVs, LG TVs, Samsung TVs, web browsers and the Xbox PC app. At least for now, 1440p is only available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.Beyond the new streaming option, Microsoft is also making improvements to the Xbox PC app and the Xbox experience on ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. On PC, the Xbox PC app now includes "navigation sounds" that play when you use the app's interface with a controller. These new sounds are supposed to make controller input feel more responsive and intuitive. On the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, meanwhile, Microsoft is making it even easier to format removable storage like microSD cards, and updating drivers to improve compatibility on select games.The last week has been particularly tumultuous for Microsoft's gaming division. Former Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced his retirement on Friday, alongside the appointment of Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft's CoreAI division, as his replacement. Opinions differ as to whether Sharma's new position will be good or bad for Xbox, but more changes are likely on the way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-consoles-now-support-1440p-streaming-204115304.html?src=rss

Tecno just unveiled a rather intriguing modular smartphone concept design at MWC 2026. The standout feature here is likely the size. Most modular smartphone concepts start bulky and only get bulkier once attaching accessories. Tecno's base smartphone is just 4.9mm thin, which is significantly thinner than a pencil and the iPhone Air.Of course, the size increases with each attached module. However, snapping on the power bank module makes the thickness comparable to a standard modern smartphone. Another key feature here is how these various modular components stick together. Tecno has developed new interconnection technology that uses both magnets and pin connectors. This should make it easy to both attach and remove components.The company says this phone has been designed to grow with the user through hardware expansion. To that end, Tecno has developed 10 modules. There are various camera lenses and something that looks like a dedicated gaming controller.TecnoWhile the magnets are for attaching, the pin connectors assist with power delivery. Data transmission between the phone and the modules is handled wirelessly, with the ability to switch between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mmWave depending on where the user is located.There are two colorways for both the phone and the ecosystem of accessories. There's a silver-aluminum edition and a nifty-looking grey version. This doesn't matter to actual consumers because, well, it's just a concept design. It does look like the company's magnetic attachment technology could make it to some actual products down the line.Tecno has always been a company that marched to the beat of its own drummer. It has developed a surprisingly affordable foldable phone, a model with a pop-out portrait lens and a foldable with a novel circular display on the exterior.The industry hasn't quite embraced modular smartphones just yet, even though there have been some nifty concept designs. Google's Project Ara prototype goes back more than a decade, and the same can be said of other concept designs that never saw the light of day.There have been some modular phones released to the real world, but they weren't nearly as ambitious as Tecno's concept. LG launched a semi-modular phone called the G5 back in 2016, but it didn't move too many units. Moto has also released a couple of semi-modular smartphones, but they didn't set the world on fire.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/tecno-just-unveiled-a-ridiculously-thin-modular-smartphone-concept-design-194741776.html?src=rss

The cost of PC components has been skyrocketing as AI infrastructure buildout creates extraordinary demand amid limited supply. HP says that squeeze is now hitting PC memory especially hard, with RAM now accounting for 35 percent of a system's overall cost."We did share last quarter that memory and storage costs made up roughly 15 percent to 18 percent of our PC bill of materials, and we now currently estimate this to be roughly 35 percent for the year," said CFO Karen Parkhill on the company's latest earnings call. She also confirmed that part of the company's response will be price increases. Samsung similarly warned of potential price increases due to AI-induced memory shortages.Higher prices have unfortunately become the norm for PC shoppers, especially in 2026, and the RAM crisis is playing a major role. HP interim CEO Bruce Broussard said that while he "believe the market will rationalize over time" the company is doing its best to add new suppliers as well as expand lower cost-sourcing for memory.HP executives also said they are seeing stronger AI PC demand, saying 35 percent of HP's PC sales are coming from AI PCs. This comes as the industry is seeing mixed signals, like Dell saying that consumers don't really care about AI PCs.AI has been eating up the world's supply of memory and companies like Micron have even abandoned their consumer brands to focus entirely on B2B supply. Other components like GPUs have also been feeling the pressure.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hp-says-ram-now-accounts-for-more-than-a-third-of-its-pc-costs-192914150.html?src=rss

Kalshi, one of several online prediction markets that have exploded in popularity in the last few years, has suspended one of YouTube MrBeast's video editors for insider trading, NPR reports. Besides being suspended from the platform for two years, Kalshi says the editor will also be required to pay a financial penalty that's five times his initial trade size.The editor, Artem Kaptur, traded in markets related to YouTube and specifically, MrBeast. Kalshi says his transactions were initially flagged because of his "near-perfect trading success on markets with low odds, which were statistically anomalous." Because trades are public on Kalshi, multiple users also flagged the trades as suspicious. Kalshi learned Kaptur was an employee of MrBeast during its investigation and determined he "likely had access to material non-public information connected to his trading." Perhaps unsurprisingly, trading with insider information violates Kalshi's rules.Kalshi says that it reported the insider trading to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and plans to donate the over $20,000 Kaptur has been fined to "a non-profit that provides consumer education on derivatives markets." In a statement provided to NPR, Beast Industries, MrBeast's production company, said it has a zero-tolerance policy for insider trading. "We have a longstanding policy in place against employees using proprietary company information in order to safeguard the highest standards and ethics throughout our organization," Beast Industries said.Separately, Kalshi has also suspended and fined a politician who was running to be Governor of California. "In May, our Surveillance Department saw an online video by a candidate for Governor of California that appeared to show him trading on his own candidacy," Kalshi says. "We immediately froze his account and opened an investigation. The candidate was initially cooperative and acknowledged that this violated the exchange rules. As a candidate in a race, you can (and probably should) follow and use Kalshi's market forecast, but you should not trade on it."Like other prediction markets, Kalshi lets users make trades based on a variety of different subjects and events. For example, you could participate in a market focused on the results of a basketball game, or something more unusual, like who'll win the current season of Survivor. Despite resembling gambling, online predictive markets aren't currently regulated by state gambling laws, and instead classify bets as a type of futures contract, placing them under the purview of the CFTC. That hasn't stopped states from trying to regulate prediction markets anyway. For example, Nevada sued Kalshi for operating a sports gambling market without a permit earlier in February.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/kalshi-fined-a-mrbeast-editor-for-insider-trading-191027814.html?src=rss

Two stories about the Claude maker Anthropic broke on Tuesday that, when combined, arguably paint a chilling picture. First, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly pressuring Anthropic to yield its AI safeguards and give the military unrestrained access to its Claude AI chatbot. The company then chose the same day that the Hegseth news broke to drop its centerpiece safety pledge.On Tuesday, Anthropic said it was modifying its Responsible Scaling Policy (RSP) to lower safety guardrails. Up until now, the company's core pledge has been to stop training new AI models unless specific safety guidelines can be guaranteed in advance. This policy, which set hard tripwires to halt development, was a big part of Anthropic's pitch to businesses and consumers.Two and a half years later, our honest assessment is that some parts of this theory of change have played out as we hoped, but others have not," Anthropic wrote. Now, its updated policy approaches safety relatively, rather than with strict red lines.Anthropic's quotes in an interview with Time sound reasonable enough in a vacuum. "We felt that it wouldn't actually help anyone for us to stop training AI models," Jared Kaplan, Anthropic's chief science officer, told Time. "We didn't really feel, with the rapid advance of AI, that it made sense for us to make unilateral commitments... if competitors are blazing ahead."Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times)David Dee Delgado via Getty ImagesBut you could also read those quotes as the latest example of a hot startup's ethics becoming grayer as its valuation rises. (Remember Google's old Don't be evil" mantra that it later removed from its code of conduct?) The latest versions of Claude have drawn widespread praise, especially in coding. In February, Anthropic raised $30 billion in new investments. It now has a valuation of $380 billion. (Speaking of the competition Kaplan referred to, rival OpenAI is currently valued at over $850 billion.)In place of Anthropic's previous tripwires, it will implement new "Risk Reports" and "Frontier Safety Roadmaps." These disclosure models are designed to provide transparency to the public in place of those hard lines in the sand.Anthropic says the change was motivated by a "collective action problem" stemming from the competitive AI landscape and the US's anti-regulatory approach. "If one AI developer paused development to implement safety measures while others moved forward training and deploying AI systems without strong mitigations, that could result in a world that is less safe," the new RSP reads. "The developers with the weakest protections would set the pace, and responsible developers would lose their ability to do safety research and advance the public benet."Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)AAron Ontiveroz via Getty ImagesNeither Anthropic's announcement nor the Time exclusive mentions the elephant in the room: the Pentagon's pressure campaign. On Tuesday, Axios reported that Hegseth told Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei that the company has until Friday to give the military unfettered access to its AI model or face penalties. The company has reportedly offered to adopt its usage policies for the Pentagon. However, it wouldn't allow its model to be used for the mass surveillance of Americans or weapons that fire without human involvement.If Anthropic doesn't relent, experts say its best bet would be legal action. But will the Pentagon's proposed penalties be enough to scare a profit-driven startup into compliance? Hegseths' threats reportedly include invoking the Defense Production Act, which gives the president authority to direct private companies prioritize certain contracts in the name of national defense. The military could also sever its contract with Anthropic and designate it as a supply chain risk. That would force other companies working with the Pentagon to certify that Claude isn't included in their workflows.Claude is the only AI model currently used for the military's most sensitive work. "The only reason we're still talking to these people is we need them and we need them now," a defense official told Axios. The problem for these guys is they are that good." Claude was reportedly used in the Maduro raid in Venezuela, a topic Amodei is said to have raised with its partner Palantir.Time's story about the new RSP included reactions from a nonprofit director focused on AI risks. Chris Painter, director of METR, described the changes as both understandable and perhaps an ill omen. "I like the emphasis on transparent risk reporting and publicly verifiable safety roadmaps," he said. However, he also raised concerns that the more flexible RSP could lead to a "frog-boiling" effect. In other words, when safety becomes a gray area, a seemingly never-ending series of rationalizations could take the company down the very dark path it once condemned.Painter said the new RSP shows that Anthropic "believes it needs to shift into triage mode with its safety plans, because methods to assess and mitigate risk are not keeping up with the pace of capabilities. This is more evidence that society is not prepared for the potential catastrophic risks posed by AI."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-weakens-its-safety-pledge-in-the-wake-of-the-pentagons-pressure-campaign-183436413.html?src=rss

Sony just divulged the list of PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March, and there's a little something for everybody. These will all be playable on March 3 for subscribers on any tier. After downloading, the games will stay in a player's library as long as the subscription remains active.First up, there's Monster Hunter Rise. This was initially a Nintendo Switch exclusive before making the jump to other platforms. This is a decent Monster Hunter game with a focus on verticality. There are tools to quickly scale large cliffs and engage in aerial combat. It can be played solo or via a four-person squad. The gameplay loop is as addictive here as ever. Fight monsters. Gather materials. Upgrade weapons and armor. Rinse and repeat.Slime Rancher 2 just hit consoles last year, after some time in early access. This sequel improves upon everything that made the first game great, which included capturing and farming various slimes. There's a fresh location to explore and an absolute boatload of new slimes to capture. Sucking up dozens of slimes at once is a simple pleasure akin to completing a level in PowerWash Simulator.The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road is the definitive version of the game, offering access to all zones, biomes and quest arcs. This online game can be played cooperatively, but there's also a lot of PvP content. It's set 1,000 years before Skyrim, but there are many iconic locations from that game to explore.Finally, PGA Tour 2K25 is the latest entry in 2K's long-running golf sim. This one has an expanded solo mode, in addition to a course designer tool. It's also cross-platform.As new games enter the catalog, old titles vanish. Subscribers have until March 2 to download Undisputed, Subnautica: Below Zero, Ultros and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/marchs-ps-plus-monthly-games-include-monster-hunter-rise-and-slime-rancher-2-182644562.html?src=rss

Following Samsung's Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is available for pre-order, and it looks very familiar. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Like recent updates in the Galaxy S line, Samsung is refining its flagship rather than dramatically reinventing it.Both phones share a lot of core DNA, including compact designs, high-refresh AMOLED displays and similar camera hardware. The S26 does introduce a handful of meaningful updates, however, including a slightly larger battery and newer software out of the box. Those changes also come with a higher starting price: the Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 compared to the S25's $799.99 launch price. The entry model now includes 256GB of storage instead of the S25's base 128GB. Here's how the Galaxy S26 compares with last year's Galaxy S25 on paper and whether the newer model is worth your attention.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Design, display and performancePhysically, the Galaxy S26 stays very close to the design Samsung established with the S25. You still get a compact handset with flat edges, an aluminum frame and IP68 water and dust resistance. The overall look and feel should be immediately familiar to anyone who used last year's phone.The display story is similarly steady. Both phones use Samsung's Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and the S25 is rated for peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits. In everyday use, whether you are scrolling, gaming or watching video, the viewing experience should feel broadly similar between the two devices.Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 is powered globally by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset paired with 12GB of RAM. The Galaxy S26 continues to target flagship-class performance. While Samsung has made internal refinements, overall speed should remain firmly in high-end territory for routine tasks, multitasking and mobile gaming.On the software front, the S25 launched with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the Galaxy S26 ships with a newer version of Samsung's software out of the box. As usual, the older model is expected to receive updates over time, which may narrow the long-term software gap.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: CamerasSamsung has not dramatically reshuffled the base Galaxy camera hardware. The Galaxy S25 features a triple-camera setup built around a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, along with a 12MP front camera.The Galaxy S26 largely sticks with the same proven approach, which suggests image quality should remain broadly consistent in good lighting. As is often the case with Samsung's year-to-year updates, any meaningful gains are likely to come from image processing improvements rather than brand-new sensors.For most people, that means the S26 should deliver the punchy, reliable photos Samsung flagships are known for, but Galaxy S25 owners should not expect a dramatic leap in camera hardware.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Battery life and chargingBattery capacity is one area where the Galaxy S26 makes a measurable change. The Galaxy S25 uses a 4,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S26 increases that to 4,300mAh. That modest bump should translate into slightly longer endurance in day-to-day use, though real-world gains will depend on efficiency improvements and individual usage patterns.Charging speeds remain largely unchanged. The Galaxy S25 supports up to 25W wired charging, up to 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, and the Galaxy S26 stays in the same general range.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Software and AIThis year, Samsung is putting more emphasis on Galaxy AI, even on the base Galaxy S26. While many of the headline features are aimed at the Ultra and Plus models, the standard S26 still picks up several practical upgrades.One of the more useful additions is Document Scan, which uses AI to clean up scans by automatically removing distortions, fingers and creases. It can also bundle multiple images into a single PDF, making it easier to digitize receipts, notes or forms without extra editing.Samsung is also expanding its proactive assistant features. Now Brief becomes more personalized on the S26, surfacing reminders and updates based on your activity throughout the day, while the new Now Nudge system can suggest relevant content at the right moment. For example, if someone asks for photos from a recent trip, the phone can proactively surface matching images from your gallery instead of making you search manually.Search is getting smarter as well. Circle to Search with Google now supports enhanced multi-object recognition, allowing you to identify several items in an image at once. Samsung is also upgrading Bixby into a more conversational assistant, and the S26 supports third-party agents such as Gemini and Perplexity for handling more complex, multi-step tasks through voice commands.Security and privacy features are expanding in the background too. The Galaxy S26 introduces AI-powered Call Screening to summarize unknown callers, along with new Privacy Alerts that warn when apps request sensitive permissions. Samsung is also extending its post-quantum cryptography protections deeper into the system, backed by the company's Knox security platform and seven years of promised security updates.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: How to chooseIf you already own a Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S26 looks like a fairly iterative update. The core experience, including performance, display quality and camera hardware, remains very similar.The main tangible upgrade is the slightly larger battery, along with newer software out of the box. For most S25 owners, that alone probably is not a compelling reason to upgrade. However, if you are coming from an older Galaxy phone or buying fresh, the Galaxy S26 is the more future-proof pick simply because it starts one generation ahead in Samsung's update cycle and packs the larger battery.As usual with Samsung's yearly refreshes, the real decision may come down to pricing and discounts. If the Galaxy S25 sees significant price cuts, it could remain the better value. But at similar prices, the Galaxy S26 is the safer long-term buy.Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Specs at a glanceSpecsSamsung Galaxy S26Samsung Galaxy S25Price (MSRP)$899.99$799.99 (128GB), $859.99 (256GB)Dimensions5.88 x 2.82 x 0.28 inches5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 inchesWeight5.9 ounces5.7 ouncesScreen size6.3 inches (FHD+)6.2 inches (FHD+)Screen resolution2,340 x 1,0802,340 x 1,080Screen typeDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1-120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 3Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1-120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2SoCSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxySnapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyRAM12GB12GBBattery4,300mAh4,000mAhChargingUp to 25W (wired), 15W (wireless)Up to 25W (wired), 15W (wireless)Storage256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GBRear camera50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephotoFront camera12MP12MPVideo captureUp to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fpsUp to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fpsWater and dust resistance ratingIP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7BluetoothBluetooth 6.0Bluetooth 5.4OSAndroid 16 with One UI 8.5Android 15 with One UI 7Colors and finishCobalt Violet, White, Black, Sky Blue, Pink Gold*, Silver Shadow* (*Samsung.com exclusive)Navy, Icyblue, Mint, Silver Shadow, Blueblack*, Coralred*, Pinkgold* (*Samsung.com exclusive)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-vs-galaxy-s25-whats-changed-and-which-one-should-you-buy-181515367.html?src=rss

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the company is once again leaning heavily on AI, camera upgrades and refined hardware to move the lineup forward. While the overall design remains familiar, there are some meaningful differences between the three models, particularly when it comes to display tech, charging speeds and camera hardware.Across the board, the S26 family is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5. Samsung is also doubling down on Galaxy AI features like Now Brief, Now Nudge and upgraded Circle to Search, positioning the new phones as more proactive assistants than before.As usual, though, the Ultra model is where Samsung is pushing the envelope the furthest. It gains the most advanced camera system, faster wired and wireless charging and the company's new built-in Privacy Display tech. Pre-orders are available now, with official sales starting on March 11. If you're trying to decide which model makes the most sense for your needs (and budget), here's how the three devices stack up on paper.Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26+ vs. S26 Ultra: Specs comparedSpecsSamsung Galaxy S26Samsung Galaxy S26+Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraPrice (MSRP)$899.99$1,099.99$1,299.99Dimensions71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 mmWeight167g190g214gScreen size6.3 inches (FHD+)6.7 inches (QHD+)6.9 inches (QHD+)Screen resolution2340 x 10803120 x 14403120 x 1440Screen typeDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1-120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightnessDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1-120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightnessDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1-120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightnessSoCSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxySnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxySnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxyRAM12GB12GB12GB or 16GBBattery4,300 mAh4,300 mAh5,000 mAhCharging25W (wired), 15W (wireless)45W (wired), 20W (wireless)60W (wired), 25W (wireless)Storage256/512GB256/512GB256/512GB, 1TBRear camera50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x periscope telephotoFront camera12MP12MP12MPVideo captureUp to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fpsUp to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fpsUp to 4K 120fps, 8K 30fpsWater and dust resistance ratingIP68IP68IP68Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7BluetoothBluetooth 6.0Bluetooth 6.0Bluetooth 6.0OSAndroid 16 with One UI 8.5Android 16 with One UI 8.5Android 16 with One UI 8.5Colors and finishCobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-vs-s26-vs-s26-ultra-comparing-the-three-new-phones-181047172.html?src=rss

During its Unpacked event today, Samsung announced three new Galaxy S-series phones as well as the latest generation of its earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Pre-orders are now open and the new devices are set to ship March 11. As expected, this year's models aren't drastically different from last year's, but all the phones are equipped to better handle the Galaxy AI experiences such as Now Nudge that offers suggestions based on your activities and a more conversational assitant in Bixby (or Gemini or Perplexity depending on your preferance).

Google unveiled a new batch of Android updates, including more Gemini-powered tools and improved scam detection features at Samsung's Galaxy S26 launch on Wednesday.A new feature in the Gemini app will let users hand off multi-step tasks, like ordering a rideshare or building a grocery cart. The feature, which will first arrive in beta, runs in the background while users perform other tasks. Gemini's progress can be monitored live via notifications, so users can see what it's doing and jump in at any time.GoogleGoogle says this feature will initially be limited to certain food, grocery or rideshare apps. It will be available first on select devices, including the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10, in the US and Korea.Android is also getting an upgrade for Circle to Search, enabling it to search for multiple objects seen on screen at once. One implementation of this is full-outfit searches using "find the look." Once the app has found all the individual pieces of the circled outfit, users can try them on virtually. This will be available on Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 devices. The beefed-up feature can also be used to gain insights into multiple objects in an image.GoogleThe company is also using Gemini to bring on-device Scam Detection for calls to Samsung's Phone app. The tool alerts users if someone on their call is using speech patterns commonly heard from scammers. Google says the feature is never used while on a call with someone in your contacts and is off by default.GoogleThe same technology and approach will also be used to detect scams in Google Messages. For now, scam detection on phone calls is only available on the Galaxy S26 in English in the US, while detection in messages is supported across various markets.All of these new features are available now on the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26 lineups, with availability in select markets varying by feature.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-announces-new-android-ai-features-coming-to-the-galaxy-s26-and-pixel-10-series-180039674.html?src=rss

As we prepare to leave the winter months, Samsung announced another family of Galaxy S flagships for those looking to upgrade. As usual, the company put its best components and features into the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it also added more to the base S26 and S26+. The company has hit its groove with its smaller (and cheaper) flagships, delivering solid devices with increasingly better cameras, occasionally even offering feature parity with its most expensive smartphone.In 2026, that's what we're getting, with the 6.3-inch S26 ($899) and 6.7-inch S26+ ($1,099). Both phones are more expensive than last year, and it's often a game of spot-the-difference when it comes to showing what's new.Fortunately, the best parts have been retained, too. Samsung has unified the design style across the entire S26 series, with the same corner ratios, curved edges and other design touches. While I tested both phones, I'll focus on the S26. Barring screen differences and battery size, they're identically specced.This year's S26 color selection has a premium Samsung mood' to it that I can't quite explain. Does purple mean Samsung to my brain? Maybe. Cobalt Violet is the particular shade I'm talking about, but there are also blue, black and white colors. Additional silver and pink-gold options will be available as online exclusives. There's not much else to say about the design: it's another Galaxy S flagship, and if it ain't broke...Mat Smith for EngadgetSamsung has increased the battery capacity to 4,300 mAh on the S26, while somehow maintaining the same thickness as last year's S25. However, the S26+ has the same 4,900mAH battery as its predecessor. All S26 devices will launch with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, with bigger storage options available. With the S26, Samsung has slightly increased the screen size to 6.3 inches, up from last year's 6.2-inch S25.The S26 comes with a familiar camera trio: a 50-megapixel main sensor, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with up to 3x optical zoom. On paper, that's identical to last year's base S25. However, Samsung has improved performance with its ProScaler technology for upscaling images and an MDNIe chip, which the company says provides four times the color precision compared to previous devices.There are software improvements too, with video features being the most tangible upgrade, among more AI-assisted photo editing tools. Super Steady video has been upgraded to a 360-degree horizontal lock. This camera mode uses the S26's gyroscopes to maintain a consistent horizon even as you rush to chase a pet or family member while recording, or to capture snowboarding buddies. (There's always a snowboarding example when a company mentions horizontal lock.) It's nice to see a feature we're used to finding on gimbals and action cams built into an unashamedly mainstream phone like the S26.Auto Framing is another new feature coming to both 4K and 8K video capture. It uses AI to lock onto subjects and automatically tighten framing to what you want to capture. Even during brief testing, I was intrigued and liked the dramatic punch-in effect as I recorded nearby people. It creates a faux-panning effect as it tracks moving subjects, something you might have experienced with Center Stage on Apple devices.Samsung has also upgraded image processing on its front-facing cameras with a new Object Aware Engine for improved portrait mode shots, hair textures and more accurate skin tones. Based on my early testing, images seemed sharper than on my older Samsung devices, even though this is (again) largely the same 12MP camera as last year.With processors, it's getting a little more complicated. In the US, Samsung's entire S26 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, but in Europe, both the S26 and S26+ will be powered by the company's own Exynos 2600, apparently the world's first 2nm chipset. Comparing it to Snapdragon's top mobile processor, however, will have to wait until review time.With more power for AI functions, Samsung has continued to evolve and expand its AI software, although it seems less of a priority this year. Only one AI feature stood out during my briefing: Audio Eraser. While this launched on the S25, it only worked on audio and video you captured yourself. Now, Samsung expanded it to most major video platforms, including Netflix, Instagram and YouTube, adding the ability to strip out noise and distractions and amplify the volume of voices. It was especially effective with a rowdy replay of an Arsenal football soccer match, and sounded like I was listening to a dedicated commentary channel. Interestingly, unlike many sound editing apps and features, it will work on downloaded videos on those platforms without an internet connection.Elsewhere, Now Nudge will attempt to suggest actions based on what's happening onscreen, such as sharing contact numbers with someone or suggesting calendar times while dealing with work emails. Samsung's Now Brief can pull information and notifications from a wider array of apps and sources to deliver in its daily briefings. However, again, that's hard to assess at this early stage.There are several more quality-of-life software updates, too, like the ability to sift through all those screenshots after they've been automatically categorized into sections like barcodes, events and more. If you can't get enough AI image generation, you can now use Photo Assist to edit your photos using descriptive prompts. Elsewhere, Circle-to-Search now supports multiple, well, circles, if you're looking to tag and search for multiple objects at once.Mat Smith for EngadgetIt's not the most exciting year for Samsung's smaller flagship phones. While the S26 Ultra can boast a new Privacy Display that's the first of its kind, the rest of the S26 family have a little too much in common with their predecessors. The new video features seem useful and intuitive, so there's more to explore there. We'll have more to say in our full reviews soon.Both the Galaxy S26 and S26+ launch on March 11th and are available to preorder now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-hands-on-launch-date-price-180005654.html?src=rss

Samsung has announced the latest version of its flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and as in previous years, the high-end phone is where the company is making the most changes. The S26 Ultra includes a new processor, an improved camera system and like Samsung's other phones, a new crop of AI-powered software features.On first blush, the Galaxy S26 Ultra isn't all that different from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung is still using a 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen, with an 120Hz refresh rate and support for an S Pen stylus. The S26 Ultra also features the same flat sides, pronounced camera bump and utter lack of Qi2-compatible magnets. Despite those similarities, the new flagship does feature some differences: for one, it's ever so slightly thinner at0.31-inches than the S25 Ultra is at 0.32-inches. The phone also comes in new colors, including a purple-ish "Cobalt Violet," light blue "Sky Blue," black, white and exclusively through Samsung's online store, "Silver Shadow" and "Pink Gold." For stylus fans, the Ultra's new S Pen now comes with a curved top so it can fit that better fits the phone's corners.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetInside, the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, a modified version of the flagship mobile chip it debuted last year, and either 12 or 16GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can come with either 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of memory. Regardless of which version you pick, you'll get a 5,000mAh battery with support for Samsung's wired and wireless fast charging, and Wireless PowerShare for topping up accessories like wireless earbuds.The Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 200MP f/1.4 wide, 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto, 50MP f/2.9 periscope telephoto and 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera. If you were to just compare the megapixel counts of the S26 and S25 Ultras, they're identical, but Samsung has made subtle changes to the newer model. The aperture of both the wide and periscope cameras is wider on the S26 Ultra, which means they should be able to capture more light and better footage in a larger number of settings.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetOf course, plenty of the flashiest parts of Samsung's new smartphone are software features. The improved photo and video performances of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's cameras is partially driven by software tweaks. Samsung is also adopting Perplexity as a second, system-level AI assistant. The AI can be called with a button press or "Hey Plex," powers improvements to Bixby and can act inside Samsung apps. That doesn't mean Gemini isn't still available, though. Google's AI will gain the ability to handle things like booking a rideshare or filling an online grocery cart in the background on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,300 and is available to pre-order today. The phone will become generally available on March 11.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-galaxy-s26-ultra-offers-a-subtle-set-of-hardware-improvements-180000725.html?src=rss

Samsung isn't waiting a full year to reveal its latest Galaxy Buds. The company debuted the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event where the hot topic was three new phones. When it comes to Samsung's earbuds, the company has overhauled the shape and design while improving sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and adding new features. As always, the best of what the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup has to offer will be reserved for people with a recent Samsung phone.While the company is keeping it's AirPods-esque blade" design, it retooled that element to ditch the angular shape and the gimmicky lights. It's now a flat, metal panel and the area that allows for pinch controls has been engraved so that your fingers find it easily. In terms of shape, Samsung says it analyzed data from hundreds of millions of ear data points and ran over 10,000 simulations to improve overall fit with smaller earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 remain an open-fit design while the Pro version has a tip that seals off your ears. Like before, the company kept the transparent lids for the charging cases, although this time the earbuds lay flat in those rather than standing up.Inside of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Samsung is using a wider woofer as part of its two-way driver setup for cleaner bass. That configuration's dedicated tweeter should also deliver natural, rich treble, according to the company. Both Galaxy Buds 4 models support high quality audio up to 24bit/96kHz (from a recent Samsung device) and direct multi-channel 360 audio is available as well.Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 ProBilly Steele for EngadgetAlthough the Galaxy Buds Pro 4 got the bulk of the ANC upgrades, Samsung says it improved noise-canceling performance for both models. The company promises effective noise blocking for transit sounds - engine noise from buses, trains or planes - in addition to everyday background noise." What's more, both of the Galaxy Buds 4 devices feature ambient sound mode, adaptive EQ and adaptive ANC, with the latter two applying adjustments automatically as needed.The Pro model can also detect the user's voice and increase ambient sound for conversations - a feature that's held over from the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. When you stop talking, the earbuds will automatically resume ANC. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also has a Siren Detect feature that activates ambient sound so that you can hear safety alerts like alarms or emergency vehicles.The new item that pushes the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro closer to the AirPods Pro 3 is head gestures. Samsung will now let users manage calls and interact with Bixby by nodding or shaking their head side to side. As before, the Galaxy Buds remain a conduit to Bixby, but they're also a gateway to Gemini and Perplexity - all of which can be accessed hands-free via voice controls.The Galaxy Buds 4 ($180) and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ($250) are available for pre-order today before hitting shelves on March 11. Both models will be available in black, white and pink gold, although that third color is a Samsung online exclusive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/samsungs-redesigned-galaxy-buds-4-lineup-has-retooled-sound-improved-anc-and-new-features-180000718.html?src=rss

The wait is over. At its Unpacked event today, Samsung took the wraps off its new S26 family of phones. Unlike the S26 Ultra, the S26 and S26+ represent mostly iterative updates. Samsung has tweaked the design of the two devices, making it so they share the same rounded corners of their more expensive sibling. Additionally, the S26 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch AMOLED display and a higher capacity 4,300mAh battery inside. As for the S26+, it still has a 6.7-inch screen and 4,900mAh battery.Like in years past, Samsung is depending on new and expanded software capabilities rather than updated hardware to give the S26 and S26+'s cameras an edge over the competition. As before, both phones feature a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. For selfies, they're equipped a 12MP front-facing camera.The company says its new Object Aware Engine will allow the front-facing cameras to deliver more pleasing portrait mode shots, with better rendering of skin tones and hair textures. For videos, Samsung has updated its Super Steady tech, making it capable of maintaining a 360-degree horizontal lock. The upgraded feature should make it easier to maintain a consistent level horizon while trying to record a video of a moving child or pet. A new feature named Auto Framing uses a machine learning algorithm to automatically tighten the frame while filming 4K and 8K clips.The S26 will be available in six different colorways, with the four pictured here available in store. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetAnd if you're a Snapdragon fan, you can rest easy. While some pre-release reports suggested Samsung was planning to use its new flagship Exynos chipset across the entire S26 line, North American and Japanese variants of the S26 and S26+ will once again ship with Qualcomm silicon instead. Specifically, the two phones come specced with the speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which debuted alongside the OnePlus 15 in November 2025. It will be interesting to see how the new Exynos 2600 compares with its Snapdragon counterpart; the former is the world's first 2nm chipset.Over on the software front, Samsung has upgraded its suite of AI features. For instance, the company has made Now Brief capable of pulling from a wider variety of apps to generate more comprehensive daily summaries. Similarly, the company's handy Auto Eraser feature now works across streaming services like Netflix, allowing you to make it easier to hear dialogue in a greater variety of videos.The two phones will retail for $899 and $1,099, making them both $100 more expensive than their predecessors. They come standard with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Samsung will also offer 512GB variants, alongside six different colorways of each phone. In-store, you'll find the S26 and S26+ in purple, blue, black and white, with silver and rose gold being online exclusives.Pre-orders open today, with general availability to follow on March 11.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-s26-and-s26-offer-familiar-designs-snapdragon-8-gen-5-chips-and-new-software-features-180000224.html?src=rss

Last year, it felt like Samsung relied a bit too much on AI when trying to convince people to upgrade to itsflagship phone. And while there's no shortage of features that utilize machine learning on the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, it feels like Samsung has done a much better job of filling out the rest of the phone's kit with fresh hardware, faster charging and a more cohesive design. It's still rather expensive, but its price has stayed flat year-over-year at $1,300, which when combined with everything else makes it a much more attractive package than its predecessor.Design and displaySamsung's Ultra phones are always going to be somewhat boxy and that's OK. However, for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the company's top-of-the-line handset is getting a slightly curvier appearance thanks to rounder corners. There's also a very (and I do mean very) small reduction in size that technically makes this version the thinnest and lightest Ultra to date (214 grams and 7.9mm thick). That said, considering the previous model weighed 218 grams and measured 8.2mm, it's incredibly hard to feel a difference even when you know what you're looking for.The two biggest changes to the S26 Ultra's exterior design are more rounded corners and an aluminum chassis instead of titanium like we got on the S25U. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetIn reality, the biggest exterior change is that Samsung has ditched the titanium frame from last year's phone in favor of an Armor Aluminum chassis with Corning Gorilla Armor 2 panels in front and back. Samsung says this new design is meant to make the Ultra fit in better with its less expensive siblings while also making it easier to do things like color match the phone's body to the rest of the device. Also, for anyone who keeps track of Samsung's palette, the hero color for the S26 Ultra is a rather fetching shade of purple called cobalt violet, with sky blue, white and black available as well (plus silver shadow and pink gold being Samsung's online exclusive hues).If you look closely at the top of the phone, you can see where a notification has been blacked out by the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetHowever, my favorite new thing on the S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display. When activated, it functions a lot like HP's Sure View tech, which prevents people from peeking at your screen from acute angles. It works both when viewed from the side or up and down and has a surprising amount of customization. Not only can you set it to turn on automatically when the phone asks you for a password or PIN, it can also be triggered by specific apps or whenever you receive a notification. But perhaps the most impressive thing is that there's almost no impact on image quality. When Privacy Display is active, there is a minor reduction in overall brightness, but aside from that, it's really hard to tell when it's on (at least from the front). Furthermore, the S26 Ultra's 6.9-inch AMOLED screen has the same underlying specs as last year, including its 120Hz variable refresh rate and 2,600 nit peak brightness, so there are pretty much no trade-offs for the added functionality.Performance and chargingThe S26 Ultra still comes with an included S-Pen and a built-in storage slot, but it still doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity like on some of Samsung's older models. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetInside, the S26 Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip along with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Compared to its predecessor, Samsung claims the NPU's performance has made the biggest leap with it being 39 percent more powerful year-over-year with respectable increases for its CPU (19 percent faster) and GPU (24 percent faster) as well.As for charging, both wired and wireless speeds have gotten a big boost with the former now rated at up to 60 watts (up from 45 watts) or 25 watts (up from 15) for the latter when using compatible Qi2 pads. Samsung says buyers will even get a three amp cable in the box, so all you need to do to get those peak wired speeds is to hook it up to the right adapter.A small quirk with the S26 Ultra's S-Pen is that because the end of the stylus is curved to match the corner of the phone, if you put it in "wrong," it'll stick out a bit. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetUnfortunately, we're still not getting a magnetic ring inside the phone, which means if you want to use the S26 Ultra with magnetic accessories, you'll need to pair the phone with a case that supports that functionality. This is super frustrating because Samsung says this decision was made in part to keep the handset as thin as possible, but when you consider the difference between the S26 Ultra and the S25 Ultra is 0.3mm, that choice feels rather misguided.CamerasOne of my biggest complaints about last year's S25 Ultra is that the only new hardware was an updated 50MP sensor for its ultra-wide lens, which is the camera I (and probably most people) use the least. Thankfully, it seems Samsung took note of that because while the resolution of its 200MP main cam, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5X telephoto are the same as before, the S26 Ultra's main and 5x zoom lenses now have significantly wider apertures (from f/1.7 to f/1.4 and f/3.4 to f/2.9, respectively). This results in as much as 47 percent more light reaching the phone's primary sensor (or 37 percent for the 5x telephoto), which should result in some major gains in photo quality and low light sensitivity. That said, I wasn't able to properly test this during my hands-on session, so I'm going to reserve final judgement for a proper review.The S26 Ultra's 200MP main and 50MP 5x zoon lenses feature significantly larger apertures, which should deliver much improved image quality in low light conditions. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetMeanwhile, for video capture, Samsung is adding support for the APV codec at up to 8K/30 fps to the S26 Ultra along with a new horizon lock feature that will keep your footage level no matter how much you rotate the phone. Now I will admit that the latter didn't impress me much when I first heard about it, but after testing it out and spinning the phone a full 360-degrees while recording a clip, I was shocked when the resulting video showed no hint of being whirled around. Samsung also says the handset's improved Nightography processing uses AI to recognize noise patterns in low light to improve image quality. But similar to the wider apertures bringing in more light, I'll believe it when I see it.Finally, there's a new AI-powered Photo Assist tool that lets you edit or adjust images using natural language prompts. From what I experienced, it's effective and works as you'd expect. However, with the proliferation of services and devices offering similar functionality over the past year, this feature feels more like Samsung's attempt to keep up with the Joneses.AI featuresWhen it comes to AI, the S26 Ultra is getting the same batch of new and improved features as the rest of the S26 family. So if you're big into machine learning, there's no need to pay extra for this model. Furthermore, many of the updates for 2026 are tweaks or refinements of existing things like the Gallery app, which now uses AI to automatically sort screenshots into eight different categories so they're easier to find later. There's also what Samsung is calling Now Nudge, which functions a lot like Google's Magic Cue. It's built into the Samsung keyboard and it can do things like suggest relevant photos based on your conversations.One of the S26's most powerful new AI features is Automated App Actions, which allows the phone to do things like book a car ride via Uber while you continue to use other apps in the foreground. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetTo me, the most impressive of the bunch is the S26's Automated App Actions, which allow you to ask the phone to do slightly more complicated tasks like ordering an Uber to a specific location. After your initial prompt, Gemini can even complete the task in the background while you go back to doomscrolling or watching videos. When it's done, you'll get a notification so you can manually review and confirm the command. Unfortunately, Uber will be the only supported app at launch, though Samsung says it's working on expanding the feature to others like Instacart.Early thoughtsThe Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in four main colors: sky blue, black, cobalt violet and white, along with two more online exclusive hues in silver shadow and pink gold. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetLook, there's no getting around it: $1,300 is a lot to spend on a phone. That said, considering the RAM shortage that's going on right now, keeping the S26 Ultra's price the same as last year's phone feels like a small blessing. And when you get that on a handset with a more refined design, a beefier chip, a fancy Privacy Display, faster charging and an updated generation of AI-powered tools, Samsung's latest flagship feels like a much better deal than its predecessor. Really, the only thing that hasn't been improved is the Ultra's S-Pen, which as time goes on, is starting to feel more and more like a consolation prize for people who are still nostalgic about the Note line than a true tentpole feature.Now this doesn't mean that people with an S25 Ultra or even an S24 Ultra should run out and upgrade. But for anyone with something older than that who's in the market for a true do-everything phone, the S26 Ultra has quite a bit to offer.Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 Ultra are live now, with official sales slated for March 11.

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that's meant to make transitions in between tracks even smoother. If you'll recall, the streaming service released the ability to create customized transitions within playlists in August last year. It gave people a way to create uninterrupted progressions and eliminate awkward silences between songs. Now, Premium users will be able to make sure the songs in their playlists flow seamlessly even further by reordering tracks based on their keys and BPM or beats per minute.The new feature can rearrange playlists with one tap. All paying users have to do is tap Mix on one of their playlists and then tap the Edit button. From there, they can scroll down to find the Smart Reorder option. Tapping Smart Reorder will automatically rearrange songs according to their keys and BPM without users having to do anything else. They just have to click Save so that the change to their playlist takes effect.Spotify says users have streamed over 220 hours of their mixed playlists since it introduced custom transitions last year. It also listed some of the most popular ones on the platform, including The Weeknd's Wake Me Up transitioning into After Hours and Flo Rida's Low into Rihann's S&M.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-can-reorder-your-playlists-by-bpm-and-key-140000101.html?src=rss

Uber is one step closer to going airborne. On Wednesday, the company previewed its air taxi booking service ahead of an expected launch in Dubai later this year. The inaugural Uber Air program will let travelers book Joby Aviation's electric air taxis through a familiar process in the Uber app.The experience of booking an air taxi will be much like reserving a four-wheeled Uber. In the app, after entering your destination, Uber Air will appear as an option for eligible routes. The Uber app will book a flight and an Uber Black to pick you up and drop you off at a Joby "vertiport."The process of booking a flying taxi will be instantly familiar.UberJoby's air taxis, built exclusively for city travel, can accommodate up to four passengers and luggage. (Uber says size and weight guidelines will be announced closer to launch.) The interior is about the size of an SUV and has "comfortable seating" with panoramic windows. They can travel up to 200 mph and have a range of up to 100 miles. Four battery packs and a triple-redundant flight computer are onboard for safety purposes.The air taxis aren't (yet) autonomous and will each have a human pilot onboard. That would at least suggest high prices. After all, pilots aren't nearly as cheap as Uber's legion of independent-contractor drivers. But the company insists its air taxi rides will somehow be around as expensive as an Uber Black trip.Joby's air taxis have "panoramic" windows with a view of the city below.JobyDubai is only the beginning of the companies' plans. The US-based Joby says it's in the final stage of FAA type certification and hopes to launch service in New York and Los Angeles. Globally, it's targeting the UK and Japan as well.As for how realistic a US launch is anytime soon, well, that's up for debate. On one hand, President Trump signed executive orders last year that would create a pilot program to test such aircraft. But safety and cost considerations may require a grounding of expectations.The aircraft requires a human pilot, at least in these early stages.JobyIn November, Robert Ditchey, a Los Angeles-based aviation expert and test pilot, told NBC News that he didn't think air taxi service "was ever going to happen" in American cities. "They're dangerous," he warned. "We have had helicopters fail and crash on top of buildings in Los Angeles. We've had helicopters fail at takeoff and landing in airports. They're dangerous not from a fire point of view but in terms of landing on top of people and buildings." In addition, he warned that air taxis can't be developed in sufficient numbers to make them economically viable "unless they are subsidized by a government."Uber and Joby have partnered since 2019. In 2021, Joby bought the Uber Elevate ride-hailing division, which essentially integrated the companies' services. Last year, Joby acquired Blade Air Mobility's passenger business, which could open the door to eventually electrifying Blade's routes.The video below shows one of Joby's air taxis taking a test flight in Dubai.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-previews-its-dubai-air-taxi-service-130000603.html?src=rss

Ahead of a full release at Mobile World Conference (MWC), Honor has teased the MagicPad 4 that it calls the world's thinnest Android tablet. The new model is just 4.8mm thick (not counting that camera bump), a full millimeter thinner than the MagicPad 3 and slightly less than the 5.1mm iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the company revealed.On top of being thinner, the MagicPad 4 has a new 12.3-inch 165Hz OLED display. While slightly smaller than before, it should be considerably better than the LCD display on the previous model. The new model weighs 145 grams less than before at 450g thanks to that screen and the slightly smaller 10,100 mAh battery (with a 66W fast charger in the box).The new tablet is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's equipped with 13MP rear and 9MP front cameras, along with eight speakers for spatial audio. The MagicPad 4 will run MagicOS 10, Honor's flavor of Android 16. There's no word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll likely learn more at the company's press conference on Sunday - along with the company's weird robot revealed yesterday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/honor-says-its-48mm-thick-magicpad-4-is-the-worlds-slimmest-android-tablet-114346615.html?src=rss

OpenAI has successfully convinced the court to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's xAI, accusing the company of stealing its trade secrets. In her decision, US District Judge Rita F. Lin wrote that xAI's complaint does not point to any misconduct by OpenAI" and instead attributes all listed misconducts to its eight former employees who left for OpenAI at around the same time."Lin said that xAI accused two of its former employees of stealing its source code before leaving at a time when they were already speaking to an OpenAI recruiter. However, the company didn't say if the recruiter told those former employees to do so. xAI's lawsuit also accuses two other former employees of keeping their work chats on their devices even after leaving, another of refusing to provide certifications related to confidential information after his departure, and another of unsuccessfully trying to access xAI hiring and datacenter optimization information when he was already working for OpenAI.Notably absent are allegations about the conduct of OpenAI itself," the judge noted. xAI didn't include any information that directly accuses OpenAI of making those employees steal its trade secrets. It also didn't include allegations that those former employees used any stolen trade secrets after they were already working for OpenAI. To be precise, OpenAI's motion for dismissal was granted with leave to amend, so the lawsuit may not be completely over just yet. That means xAI can still file an amended complaint addressing what the judge wrote in her decision until March 17, 2026.OpenAI and xAI have a longstanding feud, and this is just one of the several lawsuits between the two companies. In fact, Musk has an ongoing complaint against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the former of violating its nonprofit status. Musk, who was an early funder of OpenAI, is now asking the company for $79 billion to $134 billion in damages from wrongful gains."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/xais-trade-secret-lawsuit-against-openai-has-been-dismissed-101912599.html?src=rss

Now that Apple has started blocking users under 18 in certain regions from downloading apps, the company has introduced new age verification tools. Those will help developers "meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming US and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah and Louisiana," the company said in a news release on its Developer site.As of February 24, 2026, users in Australia, Brazil and Singapore won't be able to download apps rated 18+ unless their age is confirmed through "reasonable methods." Apple noted that any apps distributed in Brazil that are declared to contain loot boxes will be updated to 18+. While the App Store can perform those checks automatically, "developers may have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults," Apple wrote. For that, developers can employ the company's Declared Age Range API (on iOS, iPadOS and macOS) to get "helpful signals" about a user's age.In Utah as of May 6, 2026 and Louisiana on July 1, 2026, "age categories will be shared with the developer's app when requested through the Declared Age Range API." That API will also provide "new signals," like whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user must share their age range. "The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian's permission for significant app updates for a child," Apple says.Under Utah's new law, users must be over 18 to make a new account with an app store, while underage uses will need to link their account to a parent's in order to get permission to use certain apps. Louisiana and Texas also passed similar laws and California plans to enact age-based rules for app stores in 2027.Those rules are designed to protect children from predators, financial harm and other problems. However, critics have described the laws as blunt tools that harm privacy and internet anonymity. "A poorly designed system might store this personal data, and even correlate it to the online content that we look at," the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes. "In the hands of an adversary, and cross-referenced to other readily available information, this information can expose intimate details about us."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-introduces-age-verification-for-apps-in-utah-louisiana-and-australia-080855449.html?src=rss

LG kicked off the year by unveiling a new lineup of gaming monitors, and today the company has priced out the biggest of the bunch. The UltraGear evo G9 (52G930B) is now available for pre-order, and the massive screen will cost just $2,000.Yes, you can buy a perfectly excellent gaming monitor for much less, but $2,000 is a surprisingly low price tag for this 52-inch ultrawide monitor with a 1000R curve, which LG is billing as "the world's largest 5K2K gaming monitor." In addition to its huge size, the G9 can run at a 240Hz refresh rate and offers a 1 millisecond gray-to-gray response rate. Visuals are supported by VESA DisplayHDR 600 and up to 95% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.LG has long done solid work on gaming monitors, and the G9 seems like a good choice for anyone who wants to be seriously immersed in their gameplay. Whether that's for a high-fidelity experience like Microsoft Flight Simulator or for having the maximum coziness in Stardew Valley is up to you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/lgs-massive-52-inch-ultra-wide-gaming-monitor-costs-2000-232937759.html?src=rss

Apple's plan to add touchscreens to its premium MacBook Pros is coming into focus. Bloomberg reports that when the new laptops launch this fall, they'll feature a Dynamic Island, not unlike Apple's iPhones, and an interface that changes depending on where you touch your Macbook's screen.This "dynamic interface" is reportedly designed to make the transition between mouse input and touch input smoother on Apple's new laptops. Bloomberg says that if users touch an onscreen button, the version of macOS running on these new MacBook Pros will be able to pull up a contextual menu "that provides more relevant options for touch commands." Parts of the interface, like macOS' menu bar, will also be able to enlarge to make menu items easier to select with a finger. Those tweaks are on top of the expected features from touchscreen Apple products, like smooth scrolling and the ability to pinch and zoom into and out of images, files and web pages. The only thing missing from these increasingly iPad-like laptops, per Bloomberg, will be a touchscreen keyboard, because they'll already have a more comfortable physical keyboard attached.To make these new laptops extra enticing, both the 14-inch and 16-inch touchscreen MacBook Pros will feature OLED screens for the first time, likely the reason Apple will be able to include a Dynamic Island-style webcam in the first place. Up until now, the company has offered OLED screens on its iPhones, Apple Watches and more recently the iPad Pro, but it hasn't brought the display technology to laptops. That could reportedly change with these new MacBook Pros.Plenty of Windows laptops include touchscreens, and Microsoft and its partners have incorporated dynamic interface elements in the past to make these touchscreens more natural to use with Windows. Apple is late to the party in this respect, but it's also potentially set up to succeed. Much of modern macOS already looks touch-friendly, and Apple's has expended significant effort making it possible to port touch-based iPad apps to macOS and develop applications across platforms. That, paired with the right interface, could make the experience of using a touchscreen MacBook nicer out of the box, even if it doesn't get rid of the awkwardness of reaching over your keyboard to touch a screen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apples-touchscreen-macbook-will-reportedly-have-a-dynamic-interface-231929456.html?src=rss

1Password is increasing prices for its individual and family plans. The individual rate is increasing from nearly $36 a year to $48, while the family option will cost $72 instead of $60. In emails sent to users, the business announced that the new rates will take effect for users at their next subscription renewal after March 27.It's a sizable price hike, but 1Password hasn't been incrementally inching its fees higher every couple years like we see so often for streaming subscriptions. This is the biggest bump we've seen to its rates in several years, even though the company has been adding ever-more tools for cybersecurity, such as new phishing protections that rolled out last month. Even at the higher cost, it's still one of the best options out there for password management.Fortunately for those on a budget, we have seen 1Password offer pretty substantial discounts on its plans at times, often cutting the rates by as much as half. The company usually participates in the big deal sprees like Black Friday, but keep an eye out for standalone sales that might pop up year-round.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/1password-plans-are-getting-more-expensive-soon-213236400.html?src=rss

Earlier this month, Discord said it would be enacting an age verification policy. The platform faced some initial concerns from users about turning over their IDs and personal information, particularly given how poorly similar policies have been going elsewhere. Discord announced today it will delay and make some changes to its plans in response to the ongoing backlash.The first change is that Discord is postponing the global rollout of its age verification plans until the second half of 2026. The company noted that it would meet its legal obligations in places where they exist, likely in those countries that have national laws requiring protections for younger users. But it will not begin the global rollout until it makes some amendments to the offerings.Discord will offer more alternatives to how users can confirm their ages, including verification by credit card. That should allow people to access age-gated content without sharing an ID or performing a face scan. "If you're among the less than 10 percent of users who do need to verify, we'll give you options, designed to tell us only your age and never your identity," according to a blog post credited to co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy.The company is also promising more transparency about its vendors for these verification services and their practices. Discord said that it will not work with any partners for face scans unless the tests are performed completely on-device. The blog post noted that Persona, one of the common vendors for facial age estimation services, does not meet that standard and Discord has opted not to work with the brand.Finally, Discord is also building a new spoiler channel option so that servers with select age-restricted channels won't have to require all members to verify their ages. It will also publish a technical explainer on its own automatic age determination systems.We at Engadget have own worries about the wave of age verification laws happening both within the US and globally, but it's somewhat encouraging to see a digital platform at least trying to continue to deliver anonymity while still creating effective protections for teens.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/discord-delays-age-verification-to-address-user-concerns-205500482.html?src=rss

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will reportedly give Anthropic until Friday to drop certain guardrails for military use, as reported by Axios. The outlet also reported that CEO Dario Amodei met with Hegseth yesterday as the Pentagon ratcheted up pressure on the AI company to give in to its demands.The makers of Claude have reportedly been offered an ultimatum: Either yield to the government's demands to remove limits for certain military applications, or potentially be forced to tailor its AI model to the government's needs under the Defense Production Act.Anthropic, for its part, has said that while it was willing to adopt certain policies for the Pentagon, it would not allow its model to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for the development of autonomous weapons.Claude is currently the only AI model employed in some of the government's most sensitive work. "The only reason we're still talking to these people is we need them and we need them now. The problem for these guys is they are that good," a defense official told Axios.The Pentagon is reportedly ramping up conversations with OpenAI and Google about using their models for classified work. ChatGPT and Gemini are already approved for unclassified government use. Elon Musk's xAI also recently signed with the DoD to use Grok in classified systems.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-pentagon-has-reportedly-given-anthropic-until-friday-to-let-it-use-claude-as-it-sees-fit-203549467.html?src=rss

Google sent out an AI-generated news alert that included the N-word, according to reporting by Deadline. The push notification featured a link to a story by The Hollywood Reporter regarding an incident at the recent BAFTA Film Awards. The word appeared in the notification under the link.This was first spotted by Instagram user Danny Price, who accompanied a screengrab with a caption reading "what an interesting Black History Month this has turned out to be." Google has since apologized and said that it has "removed the offensive notification" and is "working to prevent this from happening again."This story follows the aforementioned BAFTA incident, in which an audience member with Tourette syndrome shouted the N-word when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present an award. Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson, who made the comment, said he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intention or to carry any meaning." The incident has sparked outrage and a renewed discussion on the realities of living with vocal tics.

Three years after announcing plans to produce a film based on the viral YouTube short, The Backrooms (Found Footage) in 2023, A24 has released the first teaser for its adaptation. Backrooms, as the film is now called, is directed by the short's original creator, Kane Parsons, and will be released on May 29, 2026.The teaser offers little to go on for anyone who hasn't watched the original short or the series of videos Parsons made after it, but it is replete with The Backrooms' hallmark: ominous liminal spaces. Layered over footage of stranger and stranger rooms (or perhaps one room becoming the platonic empty retail spaces popularized by short), the voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor tells the film's other star, Renate Reinsve, about a "place" he discovered that's full of rooms.Parsons' original video is inspired by a creepypasta called "The Backrooms" that originated on the forum 4chan in 2019. The YouTube series expanded on the basic concept of a liminal space that exists outside reality with monsters and a mysterious company researching The Backrooms. It's unclear how much of that larger lore will be incorporated into the feature film adaptation, but since the teaser is missing the digital video filter that gave the YouTube short its distinct look, it seems possible Parsons could be going for something a bit different. Well that, and the fact the film stars two Oscar-nominated actors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-the-first-teaser-for-a24s-adaptation-of-the-backrooms-194300513.html?src=rss

Waymo had set out some big plans for expanding its autonomous vehicle taxi program across the US in 2025 and it appears to be continuing that pace into 2026. Today, the company announced that the first public riders can begin using its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando.To start, these robotaxi rides will only be available for a small number of people with the Waymo app in those cities. "We will be inviting new riders on a rolling basis to ensure a seamless experience across our initial service areas, as we meaningfully scale our operations ahead of opening our service to everyone later this year," the company said in the blog post announcing the expansion.Google-owned Waymo is now operating in ten commercial metro areas. It announced its plans to start testing its vehicles in these four US cities in November. The company also began a test phase in Miami at that time, and Waymo's robotaxi service began accepting riders in that locale in January.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-will-start-offering-robotaxi-rides-in-four-more-cities-192841871.html?src=rss

We're less than a month from the availability of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on PC, and today Sony released the required specs. Despite designer Hideo Kojima being known for spectacle in his projects, the minimum specs are quite reasonable.The low graphics preset runs on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB, and that will give players average performance of 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is rough but at least makes the game available for players who haven't upgraded in awhile. Intel Core i3-10100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 are the recommended GPUs for that graphics tier. As is typical for PC gaming, though, the higher end performance options will require beefier internals.This port of Death Stranding 2 will also boast a few firsts. The title will mark the debut of Pico as an upscaling option on PC. This upscaler was made by Guerilla Games and was also used for the Death Stranding sequel on the PlayStation 5. The game will also be adding support for ultrawide views. The cutscenes can be viewed in a 21:9 aspect ration and gameplay can be displayed at 32:9. This option will be available for both PC and the PS5 versions of the game, and an ultrawide monitor won't be required to enable this view option.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sony-reveals-the-death-stranding-2-required-pc-specs-184411856.html?src=rss

A new app will notify users if smart glasses are likely nearby. The aptly named Nearby Glasses was developed in response to media coverage outlining how glasses like Meta's Ray-Bans have been used to film people without their consent.As first reported by 404 Media, the app detects the unique Bluetooth signature emitted by smart glasses and sends a push alert that someone wearing the device may potentially be nearby. I consider it to be a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech," the app's developer Yves Jeanrenaud told 404 Media.Smart glasses have sparked increased privacy concerns, especially as Meta is reportedly working to add facial recognition technology to its Meta Ray-Bans. OpenAI is also reported to have a pair of smart glasses in the works. It bears mentioning that false positives may occur, including from VR headsets.Nearby Glasses is currently available on the Google Play Store and GitHub.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/someone-made-an-app-to-warn-you-if-smart-glasses-are-nearby-183359723.html?src=rss

Apple still hasn't revealed a foldable iPhone, but the steady drip of leaks suggests the project is moving closer to reality. Over the past few months, analysts and supply-chain watchers have continued to fill in key details, with most reports still pointing to a launch sometime in the second half of 2026. While Apple hasn't confirmed anything publicly, the overall picture is starting to look more consistent.As always, plans for unreleased Apple hardware can change at any time. Features may shift, timelines can slip and some prototypes may never ship. Even so, recent reporting gives us the clearest sense yet of how Apple's first foldable could take shape and where it might fit in the broader iPhone lineup.Below, we've rounded up the most credible rumors so far, and we'll keep this guide updated as new details emerge.When could the iPhone Fold launch?Rumors of a foldable iPhone date back as far as 2017, but more recent reporting suggests Apple has finally locked onto a realistic window. Most sources now point to fall 2026, likely alongside the iPhone 18 lineup, with some supply-chain hints suggesting mass production could begin in mid-2026 if development stays on track.Mark Gurman has gone back and forth on timing, initially suggesting Apple could launch as early as 2026," before later writing that the device would ship at the end of 2026 and sell primarily in 2027. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also repeatedly cited the second half of 2026 as Apple's target.Some reports still claim the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display. Given Apple's history of delaying products that it feels aren't ready, that remains a real possibility.What will the iPhone Fold look like?Current consensus suggests Apple has settled on a book-style foldable design, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series, rather than a clamshell flip phone.When unfolded, the iPhone Fold is expected to resemble a small tablet like the iPad mini (8.3 inches). Based on the rumor mill, though, the iPhone Fold may be a touch smaller, with an internal display measuring around 7.7 to 7.8 inches. When closed, it should function like a conventional smartphone, with an outer display in the 5.5-inch range.CAD leaks and alleged case-maker molds suggest the device may be shorter and wider than a standard iPhone when folded, creating a squarer footprint that better matches the aspect ratio of the inner display. Several reports have also pointed to the iPhone Air as a potential preview of Apple's foldable design work, with its unusually thin chassis widely interpreted as a look at what one half of a future foldable iPhone could resemble.If that theory holds, it could help explain the Fold's rumored dimensions. Thickness is expected to land around 4.5 to 4.8mm when unfolded, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, putting it in a similar range to the iPhone Air, and roughly 9 to 9.5mm when folded, depending on the final hinge design and internal layering.iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone AirEngadgetDisplay and the crease questionThe display is arguably the biggest challenge for any foldable phone, and it's an area where Apple appears to have invested years of development.Multiple reports say Apple will rely on Samsung Display as its primary supplier. At CES 2026, Samsung showcased a new crease-less foldable OLED panel, which several sources - including Bloomberg - suggested could be the same technology Apple plans to use.According to these reports, the panel combines a flexible OLED with a laser-drilled metal support plate that disperses stress when folding. The goal is a display with a nearly invisible crease, something Apple reportedly considers essential before entering the foldable market.If Apple does use this panel, it would mark a notable improvement over current foldables, which still show visible creasing under certain lighting conditions.Cameras and biometricsCamera rumors suggest Apple is planning a four-camera setup. That may include:

As spicy as the PlayStation State of Play that took place a couple of weeks ago was overall, there was one major first-party game that was notably absent from the showcase: Marvel's Wolverine. Insomniac Games' latest superhero blockbuster was already slated for a fall release and now the studio has revealed exactly when you'll be able to get your claws on it. Marvel's Wolverine is coming to PS5 on September 15.That's it. That's the announcement. There's no new trailer to accompany the news, other than a six-second release date reveal video that popped up on YouTube. Insomniac previously said it would reveal more details about Marvel's Wolverine this spring.Technically, this release date means that Marvel's Wolverine will debut in the last week of summer rather than in the fall. Still, it's one of the relatively few blockbuster games you can expect in the tail end of this year because many major developers and publishers will be staying well clear of GTA VI.Insomniac's game will have a couple of months of breathing room before GTA VI soaks up all of the air in the gaming world when it arrives on November 19 - assuming Rockstar doesn't announce another delay. However, parent company Take-Two plans to rev up its marketing machine for the game this summer, so it's looking like GTA VI's release date will hold this time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/marvels-wolverine-will-hit-ps5-on-september-15-175500927.html?src=rss