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A nearly year-old Facebook event for a "simple maths competition" has been one of the most viral posts on the platform for six months. The "event" racked up about 51 million views on Facebook during the first quarter of 2025, according to the company's latest report on "widely viewed content" on the platform.That would be an impressive stat for any single post, but it's the second quarter in a row in which the "maths competition" has nabbed the number two spot on Meta's list of widely viewed content. It also appeared on last quarter's report, during which time it received about 64.3 million views, according to an archived version of the report.So why is a random Facebook event that's not really an event getting more than 100 million views? It would seem to be a repackaging of an old engagement bait tactic. The header image for the event is an image of a piece of paper with the words "only for genius" followed by a seemingly simple equation. When shared as a Facebook post, the image is prominently displayed in a way that may look like a normal image post. The image also has some striking similarities to other seemingly simple math equations that have been going viral on Facebook for nearly 15 years.A look at the event page itself shows that hundreds of thousands of people have engaged with the event. More than 800,000 people responded to the supposed July 8, 2024 event. Even now, nearly a year later, the event is seeing regular comments from Facebook users - most of whom are intent on earnestly explaining how the equation should be solved (or arguing with others' interpretation). As Slate noted back in 2013, there's something irresistible about arguing basic arithmetic with strangers on the internet.What is a bit of a mystery is why this post has gone so viral months after it was originally posted. I reached out to the account behind the post, a Nigerian-based creator named Ebuka Peter Ibeh and didn't immediately hear back. The post seems to be far more successful than any other recent posts from Ibeh, who has about 25,000 Facebook followers.In any case, the post offers an interesting window into the kinds of bizarre content and questionable tactics that still regularly goes mega-viral on Facebook. Meta recently said it would crack down on creators sharing spammy posts on Facebook, though it's unclear if this type of engagement bait would fall under the category of content it's explicitly trying to discourage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-fake-facebook-event-disguised-as-a-math-problem-has-been-one-of-its-top-posts-for-6-months-231852601.html?src=rss

YouTube Shorts is beta testing the addition of Google Lens. Integrating this tech into the short-form video platform will allow viewers to search for more information about what they can see in a clip. The functionality will begin rolling out to all Shorts users this week.Once it's enabled on your account, the feature can be accessed by pausing the video, selecting Lens from the top menu and then tapping or highlighting an element of the clip to search about. Visual matches and search results will be overlaid on top of the Short. More details are provided in Google's support pages.The post announcing the Lens beta notes that advertisements won't be shown in the results during the test phase. Additionally, it states that "the Lens experience isn't available for Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate links or with paid product promotions." While the beta test isn't going to be tied to commerce, this feels like an integration that could very likely become a Shopping-centric resource in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/google-lens-is-coming-to-youtube-shorts-221803755.html?src=rss

Tinder helped popularize a modern dating culture that puts looks first, and now the app is trying out a new way to capitalize on it. As part of a test, select Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum subscribers will be able to set a preferred height range for matches they receive in the app, according to TechCrunch. The feature was first spotted by a Reddit user who noticed the option in the app's "Discovery Settings."Deciding that you prefer matches who are 5'10" and up won't necessarily weed out the short kings in your area, but it will influence the recommendations the app offers as you swipe. Tinder has long included ways to spell out your preferences in your profile, and plenty of people go further in their bio, signaling that they only swipe right on people with specific features or interests. Making height preference part of the official settings just formalizes things.u/Extra_BarracudaaaaGiven how dating apps are already associated with superficiality, though, this feature seems intended to be a bit provocative. It could also reflect how Tinder is approaching its paid subscriptions going forward: not just as a way to increase the reach of your dating profile, but as the official method for exerting granular control over who you match with."This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritizing user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly," Tinder's VP of Comms Phil Price Fry tells Engadget."Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward."Whether being able to set a height preference becomes a real feature, it doesn't stop people from lying in their dating profile. Though, as TechCrunch notes, Tinder has joked about implementing height verification in the past.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tinder-is-testing-height-preferences-212414694.html?src=rss

Under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany could impose a new 10 percent tax on major online platforms such as Google and Facebook. Reuters reported that political factions in the country struck a deal earlier this year to pursue these fees for digital service companies."These corporations do billions in business in Germany with extremely high profit margins and benefit enormously from the country's media and cultural output as well as its infrastructure - but they pay hardly any taxes, invest too little, and give far too little back to society," Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said of the draft rule during an interview with the magazine Stern.Other nations around the world have also explored and enacted taxes on online revenue generated by the largest internet tech companies. Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria and Canada have similar legislation to the draft rule Germany's culture minister is proposing, according to Reuters.If the tax is passed, Germany could see retaliation from President Donald Trump's administration. Trump had said in February that he would seek tariffs on nations that impose a digital service tax on US tech businesses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/germany-is-considering-a-10-percent-digital-service-tax-on-us-tech-giants-195705330.html?src=rss

J Allard, a former Microsoft executive and one of the minds behind the Zune, is leading a new team at Amazon, CNBC reports. Allard is officially the vice president of Amazon's ZeroOne, which, based on at least one Amazon job listing, is "a special projects team dedicated to inventing breakthrough consumer product categories."What ZeroOne is actually working on remains a bit mysterious, but CNBC was able to find another listing for a "Senior Applied Scientist" role that suggests the team will be "conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product." Computer vision is the umbrella term for technologies that allow computer systems to "understand" images and video - for example, the ability for a Ring Video Doorbell to identify when a package is on your door step.Depending on your taste in MP3 players, Allard's role in the creation of the Microsoft Zune could justifiably give you pause. Microsoft's failed MP3 player looked distinct, but was no match for the popularity of the iPod. The Zune was one of several interesting, if unsuccessful projects Allard led at Microsoft, including the Microsoft Kin, and the Courier, a book-style tablet that was later reimagined as the Surface Neo. Allard also co-created the original Xbox, arguably his biggest claim to fame at the company.ZeroOne will exist inside Amazon's larger devices and services division, which is led by Panos Panay, another Microsoft expat. Panay joined Amazon to lead the division in 2023, after several years overseeing the development of Surface hardware and Windows 11 at Microsoft. Since Panay joined the company, Amazon has launched a new lineup of Kindles and introduced Alexa+, its integration of generative AI into the well-known voice assistant. Hiring both Allard and Panay suggests Amazon plans to lean even harder into product development going forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-zunes-creator-is-leading-a-secretive-team-at-amazon-194136949.html?src=rss

Meta is bidding to build high-tech wearables for the US Army, as reported by Wall Street Journal. The company is teaming up with Palmer Luckey's defense firm Anduril Industries on the project, which has been dubbed EagleEye. The contract is worth around $100 million, though it hasn't been awarded yet. It's part of a larger $22 billion Army wearables project of which Anduril is the lead vendor.As expected from Meta and Luckey, EagleEye will be a line of tech-forward helmets, glasses and other wearables that provide an augmented reality or virtual reality experience. Reporting indicates that these devices will include sensors that enhance the hearing and vision of soldiers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that this tech will protect our interests at home and abroad."

Meta has published the first of its quarterly integrity reports since Mark Zuckerberg walked back the company's hate speech policies and changed its approach to content moderation earlier this year. According to the reports, Facebook saw an uptick in violent content, bullying and harassment despite an overall decrease in the amount of content taken down by Meta.The reports are the first time Meta has shared data about how Zuckerberg's decision to upend Meta's policies have played out on the platform used by billions of people. Notably, the company is spinning the changes as a victory, saying that it reduced its mistakes by half while the overall prevalence of content breaking its rules "largely remained unchanged for most problem areas."There are two notable exceptions, however. Violent and graphic content increased from 0.06%-0.07% at the end of 2024 to .09% in the first quarter of 2025. Meta attributed the uptick to "an increase in sharing of violating content" as well as its own attempts to "reduce enforcement mistakes." Meta also saw a noted increase in the prevalence of bullying and harassment on Facebook, which increased from 0.06-0.07% at the end of 2024 to 0.07-0.08% at the start of 2025. Meta says this was due to an unspecified "spike" in violations in March. (Notably, this is a separate category from the company's hate speech policies, which were re-written to allow posts targeting immigrants and LGBTQ people.)Those may sound like relatively tiny percentages, but even small increases can be noticeable for a platform like Facebook that sees billions of posts every day. (Meta describes its prevalence metric as an estimate of how often rule-breaking content appears on its platform.)The report also underscores just how much less content Meta is taking down overall since it moved away from proactive enforcement of all but its most serious policies like child exploitation and terrorist content. Meta's report shows a significant decrease in the amount of Facebook posts removed for hateful content, for example, with just 3.4 million pieces of content "actioned" under the policy, the company's lowest figure since 2018. Spam removals also dropped precipitously from 730 million at the end of 2024 to just 366 million at the start of 2025. The number of fake accounts removed also declined notably on Facebook from 1.4 billion to 1 billion (Meta doesn't provide stats around fake account removals on Instagram.)At the same time, Meta claims it's making far fewer content moderation mistakes, which was one of Zuckerberg's main justifications for his decision to end proactive moderation."We saw a roughly 50% reduction in enforcement mistakes on our platforms in the United States from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025," the company wrote in an update to its January post announcing its policy changes. Meta didn't explain how it calculated that figure, but said future reports would "include metrics on our mistakes so that people can track our progress."Meta is acknowledging, however, that there is at least one group where some proactive moderation is still necessary: teens. "At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring teens on our platforms are having the safest experience possible," the company wrote. "That's why, for teens, we'll also continue to proactively hide other types of harmful content, like bullying." Meta has been rolling out "teen accounts" for the last several months, which should make it easier to filter content specifically for younger users.The company also offered an update on how it's using large language models to aid in its content moderation efforts. "Upon further testing, we are beginning to see LLMs operating beyond that of human performance for select policy areas," Meta writes. "We're also using LLMs to remove content from review queues in certain circumstances when we're highly confident it does not violate our policies."The other major component to Zuckerberg's policy changes was an end of Meta's fact-checking partnerships in the United States. The company began rolling out its own version of Community Notes to Facebook, Instagram and Threads earlier this year, and has since expanded the effort to Reels and Threads replies. Meta didn't offer any insight into how effective its new crowd-sourced approach to fact-checking might be or how often notes are appearing on its platform, though it promised updates in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-sees-rise-in-violent-content-and-harassment-after-policy-changes-182651544.html?src=rss

Sony is offering PS Plus subscription plans at a deep discount. An annual subscription to the Premium tier is available for just $107, which is a discount of 33 percent. This promotion is running until June 11, giving gamers a bit of time to think things over. For the uninitiated, PS Plus Premium provides full access to the Game Catalog. This library includes hundreds of PS4 and PS5 titles. Each month, users also get a handful of free games and some PlayStation Store discounts. Other exclusive benefits include game trials, online multiplayer, cloud streaming and access to the Classics Catalog. This is a collection of older games. That's a whole lot of perks, and the main reason a subscription to PS Plus topped our list of the best PS5 accessories. It's an easy and budget-friendly way to pad out that library, especially for those who just purchased a console. Recent additions to PS Plus include standout titles like Balatro and Battlefield V. An annual subscription to the PS Plus Extra tier is also on sale for $101, which is a discount of 25 percent. This is basically the same thing as Premium, but lacks game trials and cloud streaming. No matter which tier you choose, remember to cancel before the year runs out or you'll be locked into the original price. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ps-plus-annual-subscriptions-are-up-to-33-percent-off-165355268.html?src=rss

As if early June wasn't already going to be a wild enough time in the gaming world with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, that's also when a whole host of showcases takes place as part of Summer Game Fest. Along with the two blockbuster events - Summer Game Fest Live and the Xbox Games Showcase - there are a bunch of other ones in store, including the always-delightful Day of the Devs.There could be even more on the docket. There's always a chance that Nintendo and Sony will run a Direct or State of Play, respectively, over the next few weeks. Ubisoft hasn't yet announced a Forward event for this year either - perhaps because it has delayed a bunch of big games and isn't ready to talk about them. We haven't yet heard about a Devolver Direct either (c'monnnn, we need Baby Steps and Skate Story release dates already!).As things stand, SGF is slated to run from June 6 until June 8. With E3 officially dead (organizer Entertainment Software Association is planning an industry-focused event for next April instead), SGF is now the de facto replacement and the biggest event for announcements and updates this side of Gamescom in August.We'll update this preview as more details about the showcases emerge, including additional events in the SGF nebula. We'll embed videos for each stream as they become available as well.Engadget will be on the ground in Los Angeles for the in-person side of SGF, which is for media and creators. We'll be bringing you hands-on impressions of many of the games that are featured during SGF Live.Most folks will be keeping up with everything from home, though. To that end, here's a breakdown of how to watch Summer Game Fest 2025 and what to expect from the extravaganza (we're bound to get a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date this time, right?!?!).Summer Game Fest 2024 schedule

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is from June 9 to 13 this year, and the company has a lot to answer for. Apple Intelligence hasn't exactly lived up to its original pitch, but Apple will have its WWDC keynote presentation at 1PM ET / 10AM PT on June 9 to make the case for why that might not matter. You can tune in right here once the livestream kicks off to see that and lots of announcements tied to macOS, iOS, iPadOS and all the other platforms the company manages.One way Apple could reportedly smooth over any ill feelings about AI is by completely redesigning its operating systems to make them more cohesive, easier to use and reminiscent of visionOS. The iPad could also receive some attention, with reports suggesting Apple will introduce yet another approach to multitasking and window management in an effort to make the tablet Mac-like. Add in new battery management feature and a "virtual health coach," and the company may have a raft of updates not immediately Apple Intelligence-related to get excited about.In perhaps less significant news, Apple might also be renaming its operating systems, unifying them under a number designating the upcoming year - so we could see iOS 26, not iOS 19. It'll be a nice bit of unity given that we currently have everything from visionOS 2 to iPadOS 18 and everything in between.To find out what Apple has planned for yourself, you can watch the WWDC 2025 keynote on its website, its YouTube channel and right here once the livestream is up. Apple will also host developer sessions online for more in-depth, technical overviews of the new software features it announces.And for even deeper analysis of everything that gets announced at WWDC 2025, Engadget will be on-the-ground liveblogging Apple's keynote and learning more about its operating systems updates before they roll out later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-watch-apples-wwdc-2025-event-184227177.html?src=rss

Apple's big 2025 software reveal is nearly upon us. On June 9, the Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) keynote will showcase the changes coming with its 2025 software. That includes - deep breath - iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS.Leaks suggest this year will be a biggie. In addition to the requisite Craig Federighi gags, expect a significant visual overhaul - one of Apple's biggest ever - and (shocker) new Apple Intelligence features.Visual redesignThe company is reportedly set to unveil a platform-wide visual overhaul. The revamp is said to be a dramatic change, drawing inspiration from Apple's mixed reality headset.AppleAccording to Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser, that may even include (nearly) round icons on the home screen and in Control Center. He also noted subtler changes, like a redesigned tab view within apps and the search box in Messages being moved to the bottom of the screen.One of Apple's core goals with the new software is to unify the design language of its operating systems. The idea is to make it less visually jarring to hop between devices. If executed well, jumping from iPhone to iPad to Mac (and so on) will feel like touring different flavors of the same OS.Apple's last big macOS makeover was with 2020's Big Sur. For the iPhone's software, you have to go all the wayback to 2013. That's when iOS 7 kicked skeuomorphic design to the curb, replacing it with a flat, minimalistic look. Minus some iterative changes, it's still the UI you see today.A new naming schemeAlong with the big visual refresh, Apple is also rumored to be changing how it names its operating systems. Instead of having random version numbers at the end, the company is apparently planning to unify the names by year -so iOS 19 would become iOS 26, as it'll be Apple's platform for the coming year. The same goes for all of Apple's other software, so we're looking at iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and so forth. Of course, it goes without saying that macOS should still get a California-themed name; hopefully Apple won't be throwing that tradition in the bin just yet.The iPad goes to workNathan Ingraham for EngadgetCould 2025 be the year the iPad Pro starts to feel... Pro? The high-end versions of Apple's tablet have been more than capable on a hardware level for generations. (Especially when they switched to M-series chips.) But the software has held it back. That's presumably because the company doesn't want to cannibalize Mac sales. After all, if the iPad Pro can truly replace a laptop, then fewer people would buy both.The bad news for those wanting a full-on Mac experience: The iPad won't switch to macOS. The good news: iPadOS may get much more Mac-like. This year's update will reportedly focus on productivity, featuring improved multitasking and app window management.It's not that Apple hasn't inched the iPad's software in that direction. It incrementally did so with Stage Manager in iPadOS 16. The year before, it added the multitasking menu at the top of app windows. But for many, those tweaks fell far short of the full-on productivity overhaul they craved. Will it be enough this time? Bloomberg's Mark Gurman thinks it will "likely go far enough" for most power users. (Is that a "Hallelujah!" I hear?)Apple IntelligenceAppleEven if leaks hadn't already suggested as much, this one would be a no-brainer. After all, AI has been every tech company's obsession since ChatGPT took the world by storm over two years ago. Expect a healthy portion of the keynote to be devoted to Apple's AI advances. These will reportedly include improvements to existing features and a few new ones.SiriRemember when Apple promised a more personalized Siri at last year's conference? The one that many wished would come ahead of the visual overhaul? Well, we're still waiting on that. The last official update we heard was in March, when the company told Daring Fireball, "It's going to take us longer than we thought." (Oops!) Apple expects the new Siri features to arrive "in the coming year," a clear-as-mud description if ever there was one.A report from The Information last month hinted that the upgraded Siri was nowhere near ready. The 2024 demo, where Siri condensed minutes of multi-app planning into mere seconds, reportedly came as a surprise to team members working on Siri. (Never an encouraging sign.)AppleSeparate reporting this month from Bloomberg sheds a bit more light, adding that we probably won't hear much about those Siri upgrades at WWDC 2025. The publication described those updates as being months away from shipping. The company is also reportedly separating its Apple Intelligence and Siri marketing. The logic behind this is that users are so fed up with Apple's assistant that it's hurting Apple's AI push.The company's 2024 presentation was undoubtedly impressive. It showed a more context-sensitive Siri that better understands what you're doing. It pulled info from various apps and spliced them together in a seamless flow. It recorded a specific type of video in a third-party app. It shared a meeting summary via email with a teammate. And it found missing information the user remembered reading... somewhere. It even controlled system settings and explained them when needed.The bottom line: If or when Apple pulls off what it promised last year, that's big news for Siri. But don't hold your breath for it to show up at WWDC 2025.According to Bloomberg, the Siri updates we do see will be much subtler. These would include adding the option to use Gemini instead of ChatGPT with the assistant.AI battery managementAppleAnother iOS 19 scoop points to an Apple Intelligence feature that's easy to get behind. A new AI-powered battery management mode will reportedly analyze how you use your phone. It can then use that to make power-saving adjustments on the fly. If it works well, that could be pretty nifty.It may also be a key ingredient to a new device: the "iPhone Air." Whatever Apple calls it, the rumored ultra-slim handset is expected to join Apple's lineup this year. Without this feature, the phone's smaller battery might struggle to make it through a typical day. (According to Gurman, it would last several hours less than Apple's other iPhones.) But with the AI battery feature activated, the svelte iPhone could become more practical.Will we see this slim-jim iPhone at WWDC? Well, let's say you have as good a chance of Valve randomly showing up to announce Half Life 3 at Apple's conference. First, the svelte handset is expected to be part of the iPhone 17 lineup, which typically arrives around September. Second, Apple hasn't unveiled a new iPhone at WWDC since Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone 4 in 2010. So, in short, nope.Virtual health coachAppleApple is reportedly working on a virtual health coach. Allegedly codenamed Project Mulberry, the AI feature would pair a refreshed Health app with an AI-powered coach. Bloomberg says the feature would, to some degree, give you advice you'd usually seek from a doctor.The virtual coach would collect data from your Apple devices and use AI to provide personalized health advice, chatbot-style. Apple is reportedly training the AI agent with data from company physicians. Meanwhile, outside experts would shoot educational videos.In March, Bloomberg's Gurman said the virtual coach could arrive as early as iOS 19.4, which wouldn't likely come until early to mid-2026. But a quick aside in a report this month from Gurman and Drake Bennett mentioned that it could be a point of focus at WWDC.A new gaming appBloomberg's Mark Gurman is predicting that Apple will introduce a centralized, pre-installed app for gaming on the Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. It'll include some of the features in the long-neglected Game Center service like leaderboards and matchmaking and pair them with a dedicated game launcher and editorial content including recommendations -including a push towards the Apple Arcade service.Hair Force OneAppleIt wouldn't be an Apple keynote without some wacky Craig Federighi hijinks. Last year, Apple's software lead strapped on a hair-shaped helmet and skydived into Apple Park. At previous events, he showed off his parkour skills, summoned an iPad like he's a Jedi and jammed out on a three-necked guitar.Say what you will about "Hair Force One." Federighi knows how to sell a sight gag. (With maybe just a teensy bit of help from Apple's visual effects artists.)Betas and release datesFollowing Apple's typical schedule, you can expect the first developer betas to arrive after the conference ends. (Likely the same day!) Public betas would follow early this summer. And you can expect the final versions of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16 and so on to arrive alongside new iPhones this fall.What not to expect at WWDCWhile Apple's developer conference will be jam-packed if they serve up even a fraction of the expectations above, there are a few things we can pretty confidently take off the board, too.With the possible exception of the Mac Pro, nearly all of Apple's hardware lines have either just finished an upgrade cycle (consumer Macs, most iPads) or are going to get updated in the fall as usual (iPhone, Apple Watch). As such, we're not expecting any major hardware announcements. Apple has talked about the Mac Pro at past WWDC events, but that computer is updated so infrequently that it's hard to say with any confidence that we'll see any changes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/wwdc-2025-what-we-expect-apple-to-reveal-including-new-ios-macos-apple-intelligence-and-more-210051103.html?src=rss

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of built-in storage, eight times more than the original Switch and four times more than the Switch OLED. But the new console's improved performance means that some games will hog a ton of that space: Cyberpunk 2077is a 60GB download, for one, while Split Fictionchecks in at 73GB. Other titles aren't nearly as big, but chances are you'll eventually want to add more room to the device.When you do, you'll need a microSD Express card. These are not the same as the standard microSD cards you may have bought for the first Switch or other gaming handhelds - they're newer, faster and significantly more expensive. But if you want more space, they're your only choice. If you're looking to grab one today, we've laid out the best microSD cards for the Switch 2 and broken down what you should know before you buy.The best microSD cards for the Switch 2 (and why you might want to wait to buy)The SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro.Jeff Dunn for EngadgetThe Switch 2 is the first mainstream device to require microSD Express for storage expansion, so there aren't many options available to buy just yet. To make things easy, here's a list of every microSD Express card we've seen at retailers at the time of writing:128GB

The New York Times and Amazon have entered into a multi-year licensing agreement that will allow Amazon access to much of the publication's editorial content for AI-related uses. In a press release announcing the deal, The New York Times shared that this agreement will bring new features for customers like accessing summaries or excerpts of Times content using Alexa. It will also allow Amazon to train its AI models on The New York Times content.In announcing the deal, The New York Times shared, "The collaboration will make The New York Times' original content more accessible to customers across Amazon products and services including direct links to Times products and underscores the companies' shared commitment to serving customers with global news and perspectives within Amazon's AI products." Access to content from NYT Cooking and The Athletic is also included in the deal.AI models require training on vast amounts of data, and many of the companies building them are likely running afoul of copyright laws by training on protected materials. OpenAI and Google went so far as to ask for a government exemption to copyright laws for their models to train freely. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for training their models on the company's content without permission back in 2023, though the case is still ongoing.Licensing agreements can offer additional revenue streams for companies willing to hand over user data or allow AI models to train on content created by their employees. The Washington Post is one of several major publications that have signed deals with OpenAI earlier this year. The specific contents of today's deal, such as how much Amazon is paying, have not been disclosed. Amazon has been on a tear releasing AI-powered tools for shopping, book recaps and product explanations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-and-the-new-york-times-enter-ai-related-licensing-agreement-155019578.html?src=rss

Elon Musk has left his role as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk wrote on X. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."DOGE is a Trump administration initiative with the stated goals of cutting wasteful government spending, modernizing IT systems and maximizing efficiency in various departments - even though DOGE itself was initially set to have two leaders, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out to focus on a bid to become Ohio's governor. Musk's tenure there has been an eventful one, to put it mildly, as DOGE has taken a chainsaw to the government over the last four months.Musk's slash-and-burn approach (similar to the one he adopted in his early days at X) played a role in hundreds of thousands of federal workers being turfed out - reportedly including some working at an agency that regulates Tesla. DOGE officials were involved in firing workers who it turned out had essential roles and had to be quickly hired back. In some cases, federal judges ordered the reinstatement of fired federal employees.DOGE has inserted staffers into many government agencies. It demanded access to sensitive data including federal employee information and Treasury Department financial records, a request that a judge granted this week despite 19 attorneys general trying to prevent that over privacy and legal concerns.Elsewhere, DOGE has been using generative AI chatbots to try to automate some government tasks. (A custom version of ChatGPT used by the Department of Veterans Affairs is called, in all seriousness, VAGPT.) The initiative also reportedly monitored government communications for criticisms of Musk and President Donald Trump. It was also reported last month that the Social Security Administration was moving all its official communications with the public to X, the social network that Musk owns.Given his status as a Special Government Employee, Musk could only legally serve in his position for 130 days in a one-year period. The 130 days are up as of May 30, though DOGE is slated to remain operational until July 4, 2026.Musk's departure comes at a time of turmoil for some of his higher-profile companies. It emerged this week that, between April 2024 and last month, sales of new Tesla electric vehicles dropped by half in Europe. - despite EV sales in the region rising overall by 28 percent. In Quebec, said to be the most EV-friendly market in Canada, Tesla sales reportedly sank by 87 percent between the first three months of 2024 and the same period this year. Overall, Tesla deliveries dipped by 13 percent in that timeframe.Tesla's business is interlocked with Musk and the public persona of its CEO. Its reputation has been damaged in the eyes of many given Musk's political dealings, personal views, his association with DOGE, the agency's actions and his efforts to help Donald Trump win the presidency.Activists have called for boycotts of Musk's companies and staged protests at Tesla showrooms. Many Tesla owners have been trying to distance themselves from Musk by placing stickers on their cars. Others have sold their EVs, even though that meant taking a financial hit amid plummeting resale values. Protestors have targeted Cybertrucks and others have made fun of the vehicle and owners of it on social media. (In fairness, that's not entirely to do with Musk's association with DOGE and the president - the Cybertruck is an absolute eyesore).Meanwhile, SpaceX had mixed results with its latest Starship test flight this week. While the spacecraft reached space, the payload door got stuck and it was unable to deploy its payload of fake satellites. As for the Super Heavy booster, which had been reused after the successful seventh test flight, that was supposed to splash down into the ocean but, six minutes after launch, it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly."So Musk has plenty to concern himself with as he officially leaves DOGE, but he's been critical of a federal budget bill. As he prepared to depart his government role, he expressed "disappointment" with the Trump spending bill, suggesting in an interview that it "undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the House passed last week, will end most clean energy tax credits, including those on EV purchases. Tesla has claimed that "abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid."In any case, it's unclear whether DOGE has actually met its mandate of slashing government spending. A tracker on the DOGE website claims to have saved taxpayers some $170 billion by canceling contracts and laying off workers, but reports suggest that the "Wall of Receipts" is full of misleading or inaccurate claims. A fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank suggested to CBS News this month that the figure is more likely to be around $80 billion.Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that, since Trump took office in January, federal spending has actually increased by 8.7 percent compared with the same period in 2024. That's largely due to spending on Social Security, Medicare and other social insurance programs, as well as interest payments on the federal debt. However, the report notes that the full impact of the DOGE-led cutbacks may not yet been factored into the figures, given the up-front costs involved in ending programs and canning so many workers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-leaves-doge-amid-tanking-tesla-sales-153859407.html?src=rss

Sonos is selling a bunch of its speakers at a discount via Amazon. This includes the well-regarded Era 300 smart speaker, which is down to just $359. That's 20 percent off and notable because this particular speaker rarely goes on sale. It's a Sonos miracle! The deal applies to both the black and white colorways. The Era 300 is a highly capable device that we praised in our official review, saying that it "sounds excellent." We went on to say that it offers a premium experience that far surpasses other products in the company's lineup, like the Era 100. This is also true when compared to rival speakers like Apple's HomePod. It's simple to set up and offers the company's proprietary Trueplay tuning system. This feature optimizes the sound of the speaker to the unique acoustics of a room by leveraging an internal microphone. It measures how sound reflects off surfaces and adjusts the EQ to match. It's pretty nifty. As for connectivity, it can pair with another Era 300 speaker for a true stereo experience. It also includes a Bluetooth receiver and line-in options. Of course, the speaker integrates with just about every streaming music service. The built-in mic also allows for voice assistant control, but only with Siri and Alexa. Google Assistant is left out of the party. This speaker goes all-in on spatial audio, and the results are mixed. Sometimes it's sublime and sometimes it's kind of eh. This is more of a dig on the technology itself. It has serious potential but is still experiencing growing pains. The only real downside of this speaker is the exorbitant asking price, which has been slightly alleviated by this sale. As previously mentioned, other Sonos products are available at a discount. This includes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar, which is 26 percent off at $369. These deals are available via Sonos itself. There's also an ongoing sale on portable speakers. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonos-home-speakers-are-up-to-26-percent-off-right-now-150857008.html?src=rss

It seems that Apple is giving its operating systems a significant overhaul this year, and not just on the visual and usability fronts. It was expected that the next major versions of iOS and iPadOS (set to be announced at WWDC 2025 in a few weeks) would be followed by the number 19, Macs would move onto macOS 15 and so on. That would continue the numbering system Apple has used for many years.That could be about to change, according to Bloomberg. The next versions of the operating systems may be earmarked by the year, according to the publication's sources. That means we could soon see the debut of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.The numbers would align with the year after each major OS release, since Apple typically rolls out the first public versions of those each fall. So the versions of iOS, iPadOS and so on that arrive this September or October may be named after 2026.We'll know for sure whether this shift is happening on June 9, when the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place. It's widely expected that Apple will be giving its operating systems a major user interface overhaul to deliver a more unified experience across various devices.It seems like a wise move to align the branding of all of the various operating systems. The software powering Apple Watch devices is currently up to watchOS 11. Apple Vision Pro is running visionOS 2. It's a little messy as is. Applying the same numbering to all of the operating systems and aligning it with the release year should make things easier for everyone to keep up with.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-rumored-to-release-ios-26-not-ios-19-at-wwdc-2025-193424610.html?src=rss

Nintendo is gearing up for the launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, and to ensure you're ready to go when the console arrives at your door, you'll need to download the latest update for the newly renamed Nintendo Switch App. The app, which was previously called the Nintendo Switch Online app, had added a number of new features, including a more seamless screenshot interface, GameChat functionality and placeholder icons for game-specific services like Zelda Notes. The latter will become usable on launch day.Arguably the most useful addition is the revamped screenshots and video upload feature, which allows you to link your phone to your Switch 2 and wirelessly upload in-game media to the app, either manually or automatically. This was already possible on the original Switch (and is hardly a revolutionary feature), but doing so involved some needlessly clunky QR code scanning that didn't always work. Now, screenshots and gameplay clips should just appear in the app, where you can save them locally. Up to 100 files can be stored in the app for 30 days from the point of upload, and once you hit the limit the oldest files will disappear if not saved.Another big Switch 2 feature is GameChat, Nintendo's new multiplayer voice chat functionality. Via the Nintendo Switch App you'll be able to receive notifications for GameChat invites, friends coming online and friend requests. Your added friends will be displayed on the home screen of the app. Again, no one who's been playing games on a modern PlayStation or Xbox console for the last decade is going to be blown away by any of this stuff, but it looks like playing online with friends on Switch 2 is going to be mercifully less fiddly than on its predecessor.The Zelda Notes icon now appears when you open the Nintendo Switch App, but it won't be functional until June 5. The app, which is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, effectively functions like a sat nav for tracking down missing Koroks and shrines on your save file. You can also share your Autobuild creations in TotK with friends, edit in-game photos and check play records such as the number of enemies defeated and total game overs.Nintendo is making small tweaks to some of its other services ahead of the Switch 2's arrival. Over on Nintendo Switch Online (not to be confused with the mobile app), where you can play a selection of emulated classics from Nintendo's back catalogue, a new Switch 2-exclusive rewind feature will be added to the N64 library, as well as a new CRT filter option. These features were already available for NES and SNES games on the service, and it's not entirely clear why original Switch owners won't benefit from the additional N64 options as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-updated-mobile-app-will-make-sharing-switch-2-screenshots-a-lot-easier-143842317.html?src=rss

While we're still waiting for a true electric minivan to hit the US, VW's ID.Buzz microbus is close. It's a unique family hauler that'll definitely get your neighbors buzzing. No, seriously, during my week of testing I had over a dozen conversations with strangers who were fascinated by the ID.Buzz. One of my neighbors stopped their car dramatically when they saw it, backed up, and just had to give me a thumbs up and praise it as "cool as hell." My kids were similarly enamored, they loved its cute design and enormous interior space. In many ways, it's the family EV I've been dreaming of - something that could comfortably seat seven people and carry tons of cargo for road trips. Unfortunately, its high $60,000 starting price and relatively lackluster 234 mile range hold it back from true greatness. Really, though, those issues were obvious when VW announced its US launch details for the ID.Buzz last year. I was more intrigued to see if it was a complete flop for VW, or if there was something compelling about it despite those flaws. After testing the ID.Buzz for a week, I've noticed one surprising thing: It makes everyone smile. It may not look exactly like VW's classic '60s microbus, but it elicits a similar amount of joy. And that's refreshing compared to the response I've seen to other large EVs like the Cybertruck (my son calls it the "ugly truck") and the ridiculous Hummer EV. Sure, it's sort of coasting on vibes, but the VW ID.Buzz still has plenty of practical benefits if you don't mind the high price and charging a bit more often during road trips. And as I'll explain below, it'll likely be an enticing option once it hits the used market in a few years. What is the VW ID.Buzz? Most cynically, the ID.Buzz is an attempt to milk the brand nostalgia for VW's hippy-era Type 2 microbus. VW never quite gave up on those vehicles, but its later models dropped the cute rounded aesthetic and looked more like commercial vans. What makes the ID.Buzz truly interesting is that it transforms a beloved classic into a cutting-edge EV, with an enormous infotainment screen and modern features like adaptive cruise control. It also makes a great first impression, since it doesn't look like anything else on the road. There's a rounded front end that evokes the playfulness of the original model, and its two-tone color design (on some trims) simply pops among a sea of boring (and often white) cars in traffic. Sure, VW has done this before, but the Buzz is still a great reminder that EVs don't have to look like traditional vehicles. There's no front engine to worry about, just a big battery and electric motors. In the Buzz's case, you can choose from rear-wheel drive and "4Motion" all-wheel drive dual motors, delivering 282 and 335 horsepower, respectively. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The ID.Buzz offers the seating of a minivan - with room for six to seven people depending on your configuration, and convenient sliding second-row doors - plus the height and storage capacity more akin to cargo vans. With all of its seats up, the Buzz offers an acceptable 18.6 cubic feet of storage, which is enough for a typical grocery run or a stroller and a diaper bag. Fold the third row down, though, and you get a far more useful 75.5 cubic feet of space. You could also remove the second and third row of seats entirely to get a massive 145.5 cubic feet of space. Funny enough, you could technically fit three people into the Buzz's third row, but US regulators have taken issue since that row only has two seatbelts. VW has recalled existing vehicles and says it'll be adding "unpadded trim parts" to reduce the seating area. Yes, it's the rare recall where you'll actually lose a bit of functionality in the name of safety. (Nobody is actually forcing Buzz owners to do that, though...) As for other niceties, the ID.Buzz offers an enormous 12.9-inch infotainment screen (I've never seen Apple CarPlay look so big before), a smaller driving information screen behind the steering wheel and an optional heads-up display. There's also a panoramic sunroof option, which can't be opened but can be tinted to look opaque on demand. Our review unit didn't have that sunroof, unfortunately, and the interior certainly felt a bit gloomier because of that. If I were seriously considering the ID.Buzz, I'd argue the sunroof a is requirement. (Admittedly, it could be a problem if you're trying to get babies and toddlers to sleep, since the interior will never truly get dark. But kids outgrow napping fairly quickly, and it's easy to find canopies for car seats.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's good about the VW ID.Buzz? The best thing about the ID.Buzz is the vibe you get while driving it around town. People will stop and stare at it, kids will point at it excitedly and harried parents will approach it like the monolith from 2001. It's as if VW's designers took Marie Kondo's advice to heart: It simply sparks joy. As I dropped off my son at daycare one morning, one of the school's admins dragged me outside and demanded to see the interior. "I wish I could retire in this thing and travel the country," she said. The ID.Buzz is also very capable as an EV. Despite its large size, it's quick to accelerate and incredibly comfortable on the highway and bumpy roads. Parking was a bit annoying, but the Buzz was also easy to maneuver thanks to the large infotainment screen, which could display both single-camera and 360-degree overhead views at the same time. I had a much easier time backing into spots than I did with much smaller cars. The Buzz's large second row could easily fit three carseats side-by-side, assuming you get the models with the middle bench seat. I was able to hook up my son's carseat and my daughter's booster chair in a few minutes, without the finger-cramping I usually experience with my Volvo XC90 SUV. (One downside to the second row? You can't open its windows fully, instead only a smaller section of the windows open up.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget I also instantly appreciated the Buzz's enormous storage area, as it was able to fit a large pile of charity donations that were sitting in my garage. That included a bike trailer for kids as well as an old high chair. We were able to fully load up the trunk with the third-row seats down, and there was still room in the second row for additional gear. That trip likely would have been possible with my Volvo, but it would have involved cramming in large items more creatively. With the ID.Buzz, I didn't break a sweat. Now that I'm several years into being a suburban dad with two kids (sigh), I've learned to appreciate the benefits of less flashy and more practical transportation. And there's no doubt the ID.Buzz is useful. In addition to that donation drop-off, I was also able to comfortably pile my parents into the Buzz along with my kids for a day trip. My dad thought the third row was absolutely huge, and my mom had no trouble sitting in the second row alongside the child and booster seats. There's no other EV that's this flexible. The Rivian R1S is far more expensive, and the Kia EV9 is great but doesn't offer as much storage. And neither of those cars have minivan-like sliding doors, which are a life-saver in tight parking spots. There's no true EV minivan in the US at this point, the best you can get is the hybrid Toyota Sienna (which I loved) and the plug-in hybrid Pacifica (which I had to dump because of Chrysler's terrible build quality). Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's bad about the VW ID.Buzz? The hardest pill to swallow with the Buzz is its $60,000 starting price, which can escalate to over $70,000 if you want all the fixins. Basically, it's a luxury curiosity for those who can afford it, not something that's easily attainable for everyone. Its price could be excused if the Buzz also offered everything we see in comparable EVs, but its short 234-mile range is just inexcusable when the EV9 can reach 309 miles for around the same price. For such a large vehicle, you'd think VW would be able to stuff in more batteries. Realistically, the Buzz's range only becomes a problem during long road trips, where you'll have to charge more often compared to other EVs. But that can be an annoying process, since you'll typically have to spend at least half an hour at a charging station to get ready for the next leg of your trip. VW says the Buzz can go from 10 to 80 percent charge on a 200 kW DC fast charger in 30 minutes, but those aren't available everywhere. One hour of level 2 AC charging got me 12 percent of additional battery life, while level 1 trickle charging at home added 20 percent of juice over 14 hours. It's also worth noting that range estimates vary dramatically in cold weather, or if you're cranking the Buzz's heat or air conditioning. That's why it's always smart to aim for as much range as you can, even if you don't think you'll be driving that much. Volkswagen Beyond the obvious problems, I also hated the Buzz's capacitive touch controls, which are spread across its steering wheel buttons, infotainment center and window controls. While there are indentations and a bit of haptic feedback when you hit something, like pumping up the volume or choosing the next music track via the steering wheel, it's hard to differentiate those controls from nearby capacitive buttons. It's far too easy to tap the cruise control functions while you're just trying to change the volume, and vice versa. Since it's hard to actually feel where certain buttons are, I found myself looking down to make sure I was hitting the right option, which is something I absolutely hate doing while driving. Similarly, trying to adjust HVAC settings on the bottom portion of the infotainment screen can easily trigger the capacitive buttons below them, which was another reason I had to occasionally take my eyes off the road. Thankfully, VW appears to be focusing on physical buttons for future vehicles, but ID.Buzz owners are still left with a frustrating interface. The ID.Buzz's rearview mirror controls... how do they work? Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Here are just some of the ways the capacitive buttons infuriated me:

After watching its fixed-lens X100 VI camera do stratospheric sales numbers, Fujifilm decided to build a bigger and badder version that could go up against Leica's full-frame Q3. The result is the $4,899 GFX100RF, the first-ever 100-megapixel medium format compact camera. The GFX100RF has some novel features, like a crop dial that lets you choose aspect ratios ranging from vertical 3:4 to a panoramic 65:24. It can digitally zoom via a dedicated toggle and offers all the social media-friendly benefits of the X100 VI, including film simulations. You can even shoot medium-format 4K video. However, the GFX100RF has some flaws. Where Leica's Q3 has a fast 28mm f/1.7 lens and optical stabilization, Fujifilm's 35mm lens (28mm equivalent) here is limited to f4 and lacks any shake reduction, hurting the camera in low light. I've used the camera for nearly two weeks now and enjoyed it, but given the high price and quirks, it's definitely not for everyone. Design and handling Though it's Fujifilm's smallest medium-format camera, the GFX100RF is still a hefty unit at 735 grams. That's more than many full-frame mirrorless cameras and around the same weight as the Q3. The control layout is similar to the X100 VI with control dials on the front and back, along with exposure compensation, shutter speed and ISO controls on top. What's new is the aspect ratio dial that offers modes for 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 17:6, 3:4, 1:1, 7:6, 5:4 and 65:24 (the latter pays tribute to Fujifilm's TX-1 panoramic camera). The GFX100RF also has a toggle up front to select 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 63mm (full-frame equivalent) zoom levels. Those gradually lose resolution due to cropping, from 100MP at 28mm down to 20MP at 63mm. Bokeh is also reduced as the sensor size shrinks. The rear 2.1-million-dot, 3.15-inch display only tilts up and down, but that's fine for the camera's primary street photo role. Though sharp and detailed, the 5.76-million-dot electronic viewfinder unfortunately lacks the X100 VI's signature hybrid display that lets you switch between optical and electronic views. However, it does offer three modes to support the aspect ratio dial and make composition easier. One only shows the selected crop, another shows the full scene with a box around the crop and the third displays everything outside the crop at 50 percent opacity. Fujifilm's GFX100RF includes an innovative aspect ratio dial at back Steve Dent for Engadget Battery life on the GFX100RF is outstanding with up to 820 shots on a charge or about 100 minutes of 4K 30 fps video shooting. For me, that amounted to nearly two days of use, which is better than nearly every other (non-DSLR) camera I've tested. The camera also includes dual UHS-II memory card slots plus mic, headphone, microHDMI and USB-C ports. The latter allows not only data transfers and charging, but also SSD video recording. Performance The GFX100RF is essentially a GFX100S II squeezed into a compact body, so performance is similar with up to 6 fps burst shooting speeds. However, each RAW file is up to 150MB in size and JPEGs are 70MB, so even at those slower speeds, you can fill your memory cards very quickly. That said, this camera definitely isn't designed for sports or wildlife, so I didn't use burst shooting often. The autofocus is reliable when shooting single photos, but it's a little laggy for bursts. Using the face and eye detect AI modes helps nail eye focus reliably, but it's not as fast as Sony and Canon's systems. It also supports animal, bird and vehicle tracking, which helped me capture sharp photos of ducks floating on the Seine river in Paris. Steve Dent for Engadget The GFX100RF has both mechanical and silent electronic shutter modes. Rolling shutter skew is a big issue with this sensor in silent mode with fast moving subjects, though. Luckily, the mechanical shutter eliminates that and is nearly inaudible. The built-in ND filter can reduce light up to four stops, letting you shoot on sunny days while retaining some bokeh. However, the main problem is when there's not enough light. The minimum f4 aperture is simply inadequate and the lack of stabilization exacerbates the issue as you risk blurry photos at slow shutter speeds. In dim light you may need to pack a tripod, which isn't ideal for a compact camera. Image quality The aspect ratio and zoom options on the GFX100RF are handy and fun. Some curmudgeons may prefer to shoot full sensor 100MP photos and then just crop later in post production. But the GFX100RF lets you have your cake and eat it, too. You can apply all the crops, zooms and film simulations you want and save them as JPEGs for easy sharing. Then, if you need to go back and change something, you also have the full 100MP RAW image as a backup (though obviously, shooting both will fill your memory card more quickly). As with the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF is a top performer when it comes to detail and sharpness. Colors are pleasing and RAW files retain high amounts of dynamic range, allowing for easy adjustment in Lightroom. And of course, Fujifilm's film simulations give you colorful, nostalgic options - like Reala Ace or the dramatic black and white look of Acros - straight out of the camera. The GFX100RF also delivers beautiful bokeh, with the f4 aperture equivalent to around f3 for a full-frame camera in terms of depth of field (but not light gathering). Like other GFX models, the large sensor produces more dramatic images than full frame for portraits, landscapes or street shots. Like I mentioned, things fall apart when the light dims, though. With no option below f4 and no stabilization, I relied on high ISOs to boost exposure. The GFX100RF isn't bad in this area, with controllable noise up to about ISO 8000, but that's not high enough considering the other factors. For these reasons, the GFX100RF is less versatile than it could be. Video Steve Dent for Engadget The GFX100RF can handle 4K and widescreen DCI 4K at up to 30 fps with fairly high bit rates, as long as you have a fast UHS-II SD card. It can even shoot ProRes with at much higher data speeds, but for those, you'll need to record directly to an SSD via the USB Type-C port. Autofocus for video is decent but not incredibly fast, so ideally your subjects don't move too much. The AI-powered face and eye detection helps nail focus when filming people, but again, can fail if subjects dart around. Video has a dreamy quality and bokeh that only a large sensor can offer. Like the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF captures video using the full width of the sensor in most modes, albeit with pixel binning that reduces quality. The sharpest video comes with a 1.32x crop, but that reduces the image quality benefits of a large sensor. Video on the GFX100RF has one thing going for it that the photo side lacks: digital stabilization. This smooths out shakiness for handheld shots, but the excessive rolling shutter limits your ability to move the camera quickly. Colors are pleasing and easy to adjust, particularly when using Fujifilim's F-Log or F-Log2 10-bit modes to boost dynamic range. And of course, Reala Ace, Acros and other film simulations are available in video modes to create great looks straight out of the camera. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget Fujifilm's $4,899 GFX100RF is a powerful camera with incredible image quality that's hampered by a lack of low-light performance. It's also a niche and expensive product that, unlike Fujifilm's popular X100 VI, only appeals to a small group of photographers. Its primary rival in this space is Leica's Q3, which has a smaller 60MP full-frame sensor and higher $6,735 price tag. However, the Q3 has a much faster 28mm f/1.7 lens, less rolling shutter, a single SD UHS-II card slot and up to 8K video. It also has the Leica brand cachet, which does mean something to people spending this kind of money. The GFX100RF is fun to use, though, and introduces several innovations like the aspect ratio dial. Though it may never have a huge market, I think products like this push the industry in new directions and create conversations that draw new people into photography. So even though I'd never buy one, I'm glad the GFX100RF exists for those reasons.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-gfx100rf-review-a-powerful-and-fun-camera-thats-far-from-perfect-133034384.html?src=rss

The Steam Deck just got even more useful. NVIDIA's native GeForce NOW app is now available for the portable console, after being teased back at CES. This allows Steam Deck owners to stream the entire library of over 2,200 games, with up to a 4K resolution at 60FPS.There are some benefits to using this service even when the game already runs natively on the Steam Deck. The integration provides HDR, DLSS 4 and Reflex on supported titles and the settings can be pushed much higher than usual. This is a streaming platform, so the Steam Deck is more or less just a display for cloud content.To that end, NVIDIA promises a massive increase in battery life when using GeForce NOW as compared to running a game natively on the console. The company says players could squeeze around 50 percent more use out of the Steam Deck before requiring a charge. This is a big deal, as the Deck is a noted battery hog.It also allows players to run games that aren't available on the handheld. GeForce NOW pulls its library from Steam, Epic Games Store, Game Pass for PC, Ubisoft, Blizzard's Battle.net and other places. NVIDIA says that it can be used to run games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Monster Hunter Wilds and Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 "at max settings without worrying about hardware limits." That's an enticing proposition.The Steam Deck is also easily docked to a TV, offering a way to play the aforementioned titles on the big screen. There's a free version of GeForce NOW to try it out, but it comes with serious caveats. The queues are generally much longer here than with paid subscriptions and users are limited to play sessions of one hour. The company's offering a six-month Performance membership right now for $30. This reverts back to $50 once the period expires.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nvidias-native-geforce-now-app-is-now-available-for-steam-deck-130016615.html?src=rss

A full year of Peacock Premium is on sale right now for $25 as part of a Memorial Day promotion. This is $55 off the typical price of $80. Just enter SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout. The promotion is live until May 30. This is the ad-supported version. Peacock is a decent platform and made our list of the best streaming services. It doesn't get the attention of Netflix or Disney+, but it's home to several nifty original shows. There's the AI-adjacent tomfoolery of Mrs. Davis and the Rian Johnson-made whodunnit Poker Face. It also airs several video game adaptations, like Knuckles and the surprisingly-decent Twisted Metal. The big draw here, however, is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, which is called The Paper. That one premieres in September and is a Peacock exclusive. The platform also signed an 11-year agreement with the NBA and that goes into effect this fall. The mobile app could be getting minigames and short-form vertical videos (like TikTok) in the near future. There's one caveat. This subscription will automatically renew for $80 after the year runs out. Stay on top of scheduling if you want to cancel before then.

Tesla's robotaxi service has started testing in Austin without drivers in advance of its promised June launch, according to the company. "For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no on in driver's seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents," CEO Elon Musk posted on X. "A month ahead of schedule."Earlier this year, Tesla promised to launch its robotaxi service sometime in June, using an internal fleet of 10 to 20 Model Ys operating in a limited, geo-fenced part of Austin with remote human assistance. The level of human assistance (teleoperation) isn't clear, but there are fears based on Tesla's recent history that human operators may be used to cover up any technical deficiencies in Tesla's self-driving vehicles.A recent Bloomberg report was more specific about the launch date with paid customers, putting it at June 12. However, reports earlier this month indicated that Tesla had yet to even start testing without drivers as of mid-May, so it would only have a few weeks of testing before a commercial launch.On top of that, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still in the dark about many details around the service. "The agency would like to gather additional information about Tesla's development of technologies for use in 'robotaxi' vehicles to understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads," the NHTSA wrote in a May 8 letter to Tesla.That information is key for public safety, because Tesla will only be using camera-based systems and not LiDAR and radar sensors like Waymo and other robotaxi operators. In a recent analyst call, Elon Musk said that the Model Y robotaxi vehicles would be the same as Model Y vehicles sold to the public. "There's no change to it," Musk said (before being contradicted by Tesla's Autopilot software director).No other details were released, but the upcoming service is certainly of critical importance to the automaker given flagging Tesla EV sales, particularly in Europe. CEO Elon Musk famously staked the future of Tesla on robotaxis, reportedly even canceling a budget EV to focus on that service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-it-has-been-testing-driverless-model-ys-in-austin-for-several-days-123037251.html?src=rss

Now's a great time to save on Sony gaming gear thanks to the most recent Days of Play sale. PlayStation 5 consoles, accessories, games and even PS Plus subscriptions have been discounted, and one of the standout deals is on the PS5 DualSense Edge controller. You can pick one up for $169, which is 15 percent off its usual price. The deal is available on Amazon and from Sony directly. The layout apes that of the regular DualSense controller, but there's a lot more going on with the Edge. For instance, there are function buttons below each thumbstick that allow you to swap between button configurations (which you can customize at any time in the PS5 settings). On the rear, there are switches that enable you to change the pull length of the shoulder triggers. There are also rear paddles, and you can choose between a set of levers or shorter half-domes. It's possible to swap out the thumbsticks as well and, because they attach to the controller magnetically, it's a cinch to do so. Other than the standard nubs, you can choose between short-stemmed convex and long-stemmed convex options. There's also a cable lock that prevents you from accidentally removing the USB-C charging cable by accident. You might want to keep that cable plugged in. One of the major downsides of the DualSense Edge is its battery life. In our testing, we got around five to six hours of use on a single charge, less than the six or seven we get with the standard DualSense. Last but not least, the DualSense Edge comes with a hardshell carrying case. There's even a passthrough flap through which you can thread a USB-C cable to charge the controller while it's cocooned in the case. There are, of course, lots of other intriguing discounts in the Days of Play sale, including one on the standard PS5 DualSense controller. That has dropped to $55, which is $20 off the list price. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/playstations-dualsense-edge-wireless-controller-is-cheaper-than-ever-143629820.html?src=rss

The big day is approaching and there's plenty of pressure for you to hand over a gift that says a lot all at once. It may be called Father's Day, but this is an event for you to say a loving thank you to whatever person held that special role in your life, irrespective of gender. Here's a list of the best gifts you can give to show your appreciation for all of the parenting they did, and may even still do. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-fathers-day-gift-ideas-123012557.html?src=rss

Mark Zuckerberg told the company's shareholders that Meta's artificial intelligence now has 1 billion monthly active users across all its apps, according to CNBC. He also said during the annual shareholders meeting that the company will be focusing on "deepening the experience and making Meta AI the leading personal AI with an emphasis on personalization, voice conversations and entertainment" this year. Meta will keep growing the product until opportunities to earn money from it appear, such as inserting paid recommendations and offering a subscription service for users who want more computing power.Shortly after Meta launched a standalone app for its generative artificial intelligence this April, Zuckerberg already talked about how it could one day show ads and product recommendations. He also hinted at introducing subscriptions for a more premium" version of the assistant.All of Meta's apps, namely Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, have the assistant baked in. It's also available on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses and the company's Quest headsets. It's very easy to accidentally interact with it if you're using any of the company's applications, and as NDTV has noted, Zuckerberg didn't say whether those monthly active users specifically sought out the AI for use and engaged with it in meaningful ways. But Susan Li, the company's chief financial officer, reportedly said that AI use has been growing fastest on WhatsApp, where users can chat with it, ask it questions and use it to generate images.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-ai-already-has-1-billion-active-users-120023875.html?src=rss

The innovative director David Lynch, who left indelible marks on film and television, passed away in January of this year. Now, Julien's Auctions is hosting the sale of The David Lynch Collection. More than 450 of the late director's possessions will be auctioned off online and at the company's auction house in Gardena, CA. For devotees of Lynch's work and worldview, just the experience of browsing the collection is pretty fascinating.The auction showcases plenty of items closely related to his career in film, such as a personalized director's chair, multiple cameras, lighting kits and memorabilia from his many iconic works. Other pieces more broadly reflect his passion for creativity, like audio equipment, musical instruments, painting supplies and a whole lot of literature and vinyl records. The collection also has furniture, like the couch from his 1997 classic Lost Highway, kitchen wares and many personal items from his life. You can even bid on his LaserDisc player and disc collection.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/david-lynch-auction-offers-a-glimpse-of-his-personal-and-creative-life-223501136.html?src=rss

X users can no longer send encrypted messages on the platform. The company said in an update that it's "pausing" the feature "while we work on making some improvements." Users will still be able to view previously-sent encrypted chats, but won't be able to send any new ones.Up to now, encrypted DMs have been available only on messages between verified users who are mutual or who have previously accepted DMs from each other. Screenshots of the feature from X's help center labeled it as "early access." (Notably, there were a number of other important caveats to X's encryption, even when it was working, including the fact that encryption was never available for group chats, multimedia messages or metadata .)It's unclear when the feature will be available again or if the "pause" has anything to do with "XChat," the company's yet-to-be-launched chat platform. X employees have been dropping hints about XChat, which will reportedly feature encrypted direct messages, for some time. Screenshots from leakers suggest XChat could have additional security features like PIN-protected chats.Officially, though, X hasn't revealed much about XChat or what's going on with the current version of encrypted DMs. X's in-app inbox was one of the features that experienced numerous issues last week after a site-wide outage - possibly due to a fire at an Oregon facility used by the company - caused days of technical problems for the service. Updates on the company's developer platform page indicate some of those issues have yet to be resolved.X didn't respond to a request for comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-pausing-encrypted-dms-215750222.html?src=rss

EA is cancelling its Black Panther game and closing the studio creating it, Cliffhanger Games, as part of a larger round of layoffs at the company, IGN reports. The third-person action-adventure game was originally announced in July 2023 as one of several Marvel projects being developed at EA studios.IGN writes that a smaller number of people are being laid off than the previous round of cuts that impacted Titanfall developer Respawn, but EA is still eliminating roles outside of Cliffhanger, including people on the publisher's "mobile and central teams." EA is reportedly telling staff that the layoffs are a way to "sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities."As of right now, those "opportunities" include an Iron Man game in development at EA Motive, the next Star Wars Jedi game from Respawn, and new entries in a few key franchises, like The Sims, Battlefield, Skate and Apex Legends. Beyond that, the company has EA Sports and the next Mass Effect game, though Bioware has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs since 2023, so there's uncertainty there, too. In a similar way to how it approached Bioware's restructuring, IGN reports that EA is trying to find roles for at least some Cliffhanger Games staff in other parts of the company.Engadget has contacted EA for comment and will update this article if we hear back.EA growing disinterest in licensed games as been public since at least February 2024, when CEO Andrew Wilson announced that the company was "moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry." The company recently announced a new strategy game using the Star Wars license - Star Wars Zero Company - but that seems more like an outlier than the norm.EA's Black Panther game wasn't the only project featuring the character - Amy Hennig's Marvel 19943: Rise of Hydra hasn't been cancelled yet - but it does seems strange the company gave up so easily. Black Panther made over $1.3 billion during its original run in theaters. It seems entirely possible the same audience that enjoyed the movie would show up for a new game featuring their favorite Marvel character.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-cancels-black-panther-game-and-closes-studio-developing-it-213258110.html?src=rss

Life360, a family locator app, said today that it has fully integrated the object-tracking features of Tile into its own platform. The Life360 app can now set up and manage Tile trackers, deliver notifications when an item gets left behind and provide real-time location updates for the trackers in addition to its usual features for managing family members' safety.Life360 announced its acquisition of Tile for $205 million way back in 2021. At the time of the purchase, Life360 said Tile would continue to operate independently, but it has still been a long time coming for the two businesses to fully integrate with each other's offerings. In that time, Tile has faced challenges from competitors that have more resources at their back, such as Apple and AirTags. It was also subject to a cyberattack last year where hackers obtained customers' names, addresses, email addresses and other personal information.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/years-after-acquiring-tile-life360-has-integrated-the-trackers-into-its-app-205111206.html?src=rss

Their creators might be gone, but OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome are finally back on Steam, based on listings spotted by Eurogamer. Both games were delisted from storefronts like Steam and the Xbox Games Store following publisher Take-Two's decision to shutdown developer Roll7, Intercept Games and publishing label Private Division a little over a year ago.OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome represent diverging, but equally great examples of what made Roll7 special. They're thoughtful, visually stylish games about skateboarding and rollerblading that capture the zen-like state you can enter pulling off multiple tricks in a row (plus or minus a mascot costume and a shotgun).Eurogamer notes that Take-Two always planned to put both games back on sale when it originally delisted them, it just took a lot longer to bring them back than expected. 2K, another Take-Two subsidiary, is now serving as the publisher.When the company closed Private Division, not every game stayed at Take-Two. The publisher continues to back games like No Rest for the Wickedfrom the developer of Ori and the Blind Forest, but a collection of other in-development projects were sold to Haveli Investments, Bloomberg reports. The investment firm brought on former Annapurna Interactive staff to manage the slate following the implosion of that indie-focused publisher and developer in September 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/roll7s-olliolli-world-and-rollerdrome-are-back-on-steam-193536731.html?src=rss

Capcom just announced that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is getting a new mode to coincide with its launch-day release for the Switch 2, which is June 5. It's called Otherworldly Ventures and introduces some roguelike mechanics to the action/strategy game.In other words, it's essentially an endless mode. You start off with limited abilities and choose from various upgrades when defeating waves of enemies. Lots of games do something like this, including titles like Vampire Survivors and Downwell. It will also introduce a scoring element, for those who want to ascend a leaderboard.To make the roguelike-inspired mechanics work, the developers have simplified other aspects of the gameplay. Protagonist Soh won't have to rescue villagers and crystals will accumulate more quickly than in the standard game. Also, Yoshiro will make her own way to the gate, instead of having to be guided. The whole thing looks pretty fun.Despite launching alongside the Switch 2, Otherworldly Ventures will be available for every version of the game on June 5. This includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows and Steam. It's also free, which is always nice.For the uninitiated, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a fun hybrid of third-person combat and tower-defense. We heaped praise on the game in our official review, calling it "perfectly balanced, lovingly crafted and metal as hell."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/kunitsu-gami-path-of-the-goddess-is-getting-a-new-mode-to-coincide-with-the-switch-2-launch-190406167.html?src=rss

Google Photos is 10 years old. To honor the anniversary, the company revamped the app's editor. Naturally, AI plays a leading role.The redesigned Photos adds AI-powered editors previously exclusive to the Pixel 9's Magic Editor. That includes Auto Frame, which suggests crops for your pics. If that requires new parts, it will use AI to generate them.Also moving over from the Pixel is Reimagine. That's where you can add elements like fall leaves or green grass that weren't there. It can be equal parts neat and unsettling. We described it as "blurring the line between which of your memories are real and which are not." The results are convincing enough that Google recently began watermarking them as AI-generated.GoogleThe Google Photos update also adds a new AI Enhance feature. As The Verge notes, selecting it produces three edits. (It generates them with existing tweaks like sharpening and object removal.) Then, you pick the result you like best. The new AI Enhance feature sits in the Edit menu, alongside the app's existing Enhance and Dynamic buttons.Google also made it easier to share albums. You can now generate a QR code linking to your album. Let a friend scan it directly, or print it out in a group setting.The redesigned editor arrives on Android devices in June. Google says the iOS version will follow "later this year."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-gets-new-ai-features-for-its-10-year-anniversary-185523431.html?src=rss

Microsoft will begin testing its Copilot for Gaming app in a beta version that launches on mobile devices today. The intelligent gaming assistant was announced earlier this year and promised to help make players faster and sharpen their skills. The app that was launched today allows players to ask the gaming assistant questions about in-game strategy and controls using voice or text. Users can also ask for game recommendations and specific questions about their Xbox accounts and subscriptions.AI-assisted gaming has been a hot topic as companies like Microsoft and Razer have entered the space. These tools could replace strategy guides as they help walk you through a particularly tough spot in a campaign or advise you on tactics during a raid in an MMORPG.The app's launch on mobile is designed to serve as a second screen while playing your game on Xbox. Taylor O'Malley, principal program manager at Xbox, said, The companion knows what game you're playing and understands your Xbox activity, so it can answer any questions about the games you're interested in, provide links to more information when its response includes web sources or answer questions based on your account, play history and achievements."The early preview version of Copilot for Gaming will be initially available through the beta version of the Xbox app in over 50 regions. Android and iOS users who already have Xbox beta downloaded will be able to give feedback on Copilot for Gaming by grading responses and marking incorrect ones.Android users who don't already have the Xbox beta app downloaded can do so through the Google Play Store. iOS users can no longer download the Xbox beta app if they don't already have it. Microsoft says that the Copilot for Gaming beta will also be coming soon to Game Bar on Windows PCs, with wider availability planned for the full Xbox app in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-copilot-for-gaming-in-mobile-beta-183344187.html?src=rss

Once Cyberpunk 2077 worked out its oh-so-many kinks, it was a damn good game. And more is on the way. CD Projekt Red said on Wednesday that its sequel has moved into pre-production.It wasn't a secret that a sequel was in the works. In 2022, CDPR shared a roadmap describing "Project Orion." It would "further develop the potential embodied by [the Cyberpunk 2077] universe." That's as clear as you can get without using the word "sequel."Now, CDPR is shedding the codename as development forges ahead. "Several weeks ago, the CD Projekt Red team responsible for the next big game set in the Cyberpunk universe completed the project's conceptual phase," the publisher wrote. "As a result, Cyberpunk 2 - previously known under the codename Project Orion - has progressed to pre-production."CD Projekt RedOf course, entering pre-production is still a long way from something you can play. Following the fiasco last time, expect CDPR to play it safe and take more time with the final stages.On a related note, CDPR said Phantom Liberty has sold 10 million copies. The massive expansion launched on PC and consoles in late 2023. It's part of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and all the DLC. That version arrived on PC and consoles in 2023. It will be heading to Switch 2 and macOS soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-cyberpunk-2077-sequel-finally-makes-it-to-preproduction-174141991.html?src=rss

How much Death Stranding are you willing to fire into your eyes? The game's sequel arrives in just a few weeks, A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski is leading up a live-action film adaptation, and now Hideo Kojima has confirmed that an anime is in production.Kojima teased the adaptation while discussing the more concrete live-action project in an interview with Vogue Japan. As picked up by VGC, the Metal Gearcreator was talking about his cross-media ambitions for the Death Stranding, and comparing the planned film to other successful video game adaptations from recent years."When it comes to adapting games into visual media, there are works like The Last of Us, which stays true to the original storyline, and films like The Super Mario Bros Movie which are more of a service to fans of the game," Kojima said, according to VGC's translation."While these works have their own merits, as a film enthusiast, I want to pursue the expressive potential of cinema. I aim to create a Death Stranding that can only be realised through film, one that could win awards at festivals like the Cannes Film Festival or the Venice Film Festival. In fact, we are also currently working on an anime adaptation."Kojima didn't offer any more information, so we don't know how far along the anime project is, who is making it, when we can actually expect it to come out, or whether it will tie in with the upcoming live-action movie.In the meantime, Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges will return in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which is coming to PS5 on June 22. Kojima Productions dropped its second trailer for the game in March, which clocked in at 10 minutes and gave us a closer look at what we'll be getting up to in the sequel. (Spoiler alert: lots more walking.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/a-death-stranding-anime-is-in-the-works-165927348.html?src=rss

Going on a quest to gather orbs sounds like a magical journey. Images of old-school Sierra adventure games come to mind. Well, bad news. In this case, it's a virtual currency earned by being a captive audience for advertisers on Discord. Welcome to 2025, baby!Currently in beta, Orbs are Discord's latest addition to its Quests. That's the company's system that lets advertisers launch interactive challenges. These can be things like watching promotional videos or playing games. You aren't watching an ad, silly. You're venturing out on a Video Quest!! Godspeed.DiscordIf you choose to be a Quest test subject, you can spend your Orbs in several ways. Discord Nitro credits could be a popular redemption option. You can also trade Orbs for profile cosmetics and first-party shop items. Unfortunately, you can't exchange them for real money. Nor can you spend them anywhere outside of Discord.Before today, Quest advertisers were limited to offering their own rewards. However, they can still do that. The new virtual currency is merely another option.Orbs are launching in a limited beta, so you may not have access yet. They're also desktop-only (app and browser), at least for now. You can find Quests by heading to Discover > Quests on Discord. Once you have access to Orbs, you can claim them in the Direct Messages > Shop section.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/discord-launches-a-virtual-currency-162136575.html?src=rss

After levying a 500 million fine against Apple in April, the European Commission (EC) says that Apple is still out of compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and has less than 30 days remaining to comply. The DMA requires that Apple allow developers to inform their customers about sales or other offers outside the App Store.In the 68-page document released today from the EC's April decision, the commission found that Apple's policies were plainly anti-competitive and said the company added unnecessary hurdles - referred to as "anti-steering" rules - to completing external transactions.One such anti-steering strategy the EC took umbrage with was Apple's "scare sheets." When users clicked to navigate to an external payment link, a message would appear, reading you're about to go to an external website. Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of purchases made on the web." Apple could face hefty periodic penalty payments as high as five percent of daily global revenue if the company doesn't bring its policies into compliance within the EU.In a statement to 9to5Mac, Apple expressed its disappointment with the newly released details, saying there is nothing in the 70-page decision released today that justifies the European Commission's targeted actions against Apple, which threaten the privacy and security of our users in Europe and force us to give away our technology for free." Later in the statement, the company called the decision "bad for innovation, bad for competition, bad for our products, and bad for users."Apple will appeal the decision before the June 22 deadline laid out in the EC's decision.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apples-app-store-rules-are-still-in-violation-of-eu-policy-161117662.html?src=rss

Simple devices can be a blessing or a curse. Sometimes companies streamline entry-level products to offer the best core features at a lower price. Other times they pair down the experience so much that it becomes a hindrance. With the Smoque (pronounced "smoke"), Weber wants to give prospective pellet grillers access to reliable performance and basic smart features for less money than its more versatile Searwood series. In the end, the company offers enough capabilities to appeal to beginners and expert backyard pitmasters alike, although the Smoque isn't as much of a value as it was a few months ago. Basic, functional design The Smoque may look like a smaller Searwood on the outside, but there are a few noteworthy differences. First, this model has a simplified controller that, like its predecessor, is only operated with a single knob. The smaller LCD panel is easily read from a distance, and it can show grill temperature, food probe temperature and timer info. The catch is the limited real estate can only display one of those stats at a time. This isn't a problem if you've got the Weber Connect app handy, but you'll want to be mindful of which item you leave on the screen if you're planning to glance at the progress from across the deck. The company is actually hoping the limited onboard controls will encourage grillers to use the app on their phone more during the process. This isn't a far-fetched scenario since the Smoque is more for smoking and roasting than high-heat cooking, but I'll get to that in a bit. The other main difference between the Smoque and the Searwood is underneath the cooking grates inside. Weber replaced its trademark Flavorizer bars with a grease sheet that's typical in most pellet grills. The Searwood has one large bar stretching from side to side, while Weber's gas grills and the SmokeFire have several of them going front to back. The company opted for vents instead of a solid sheet of metal, and their covers are basically mini Flavorizer bars. This means you still get the effect of infusing flavor back into foods when grease and juices hit the hot metal and sizzle, albeit on a smaller scale. And those vents facilitate better airflow around the cook chamber, which means efficient smoke circulation. Smart grilling features Billy Steele for Engadget Weber Connect, a trademark feature of Weber's smart pellet grills, is available on the Smoque via Wi-Fi. Once your grill syncs with your home network, the mobile software can be used to monitor ambient and food temperatures from anywhere. This is handy if you run out of pellets before your brisket is done or when it's time to hit the school carpool line. You can set timers, activate SmokeBoost mode, add a temperature alert and initiate the shutdown process from the app, too. For beginners, or for cooks just looking for inspiration, the Weber Connect app also provides a wealth of recipes. Those come with step-by-step instructions, and the software offers readiness alerts so you don't overcook those pricey cuts of meat. All of these software features have been a staple of Weber's smart grilling lineup since the debut of the platform in 2020. The company has greatly refined them in the years since, and Weber Connect is now just as handy and reliable as Traeger's WiFire tech, which I previously considered the gold standard. Cooking with Smoque Speaking of reliability, the Smoque is a barbeque workhorse in the backyard. Weber promises preheat times of under 15 minutes on the grill, and that holds true. In fact, most of the time the Smoque will arrive at the desired temperature well before that. Every time I use it, I'm shocked by how quickly it preheats, recovers from the lid being open and adjusts to a higher temperature. This is all thanks to the Rapid React tech in the controller, an upgrade that first appeared on the Searwood. During cooking sessions, the Smoque held its temperature reliability, too. The Weber Connect app has graphs for the various temperatures, and the ambient grill temperature trajectory is almost always a straight line. Sure, you'll see the dips any time you open the lid, but you'll also see the sharp incline that indicates how quickly the grill returned to the set temperature. Like the Searwood, the SmokeBoost feature that's designed to add more smoky flavor to your food only works at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This is lower than you'd want to cook things like brisket or pork shoulders, so you have to plan additional cook time for the 1-2 hours at the lower setting. However, you don't really need to use it all. The Smoque imparts plenty of wood-fired flavor from the pellets at the appropriate cooking temperatures. Ribs, pork butts, wings and chicken kabobs all had ample smokiness during my tests - even though the latter two items cooked at higher temperatures without using SmokeBoost first. A useful feature you'll need to decide if you can live without on the Smoque is manual mode. Weber introduced this on the Searwood and the tool allows you to cook with the lid open for things like direct-flame searing and flat-top griddling. It makes that pellet grill more versatile, undoubtedly, but we're talking about a more affordable, more streamlined model with the Smoque. As a result, that's not available here. The competition Both Weber and Trager have taken an interesting approach to their new smart grills in 2025. The companies have built options that are more affordable than previous devices, and the cheapest models from both of them start at $800. The Smoque was initially announced at $699, and Traeger now lists the Woodridge for $900 when it's not on sale (it currently is). Given the current global economic predicament, it's no surprise both companies have raised their prices since their January announcements. Traeger's Woodridge also excels at the basics and will help you churn out some deliciously smoked meats. However, the temperature fluctuates during cooking on that grill, so I give a slight edge to Weber in a head-to-head matchup for its rock-solid consistency. And given the fact that the Smoque is now $100 cheaper at full price, those savings could go towards additional accessories. Wrap-up With the Smoque, Weber proves that a basic grill doesn't have to offer a subpar experience. This model offers reliable smoking and roasting performance with smart features in the company's app for less than its more robust Searwood model. The Smoque is even available in two sizes, so there's an option if you need more than the 594 square inches of cooking space on the unit I tested. Weber really hit its stride with pellet grills last year with the Searwood, and Smoque is proof the company has more compelling ideas in the hopper. Thankfully, this one saves you some money without sacrificing any of the culinary results. Weber says the 22-inch Smoque is headed to retailers now and will be available on its website in early June for $799. The larger, 36-inch model is coming mid-summer for $999. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/weber-smoque-review-a-simplified-smart-grill-thats-still-a-workhorse-160023349.html?src=rss

Elon Musk's xAI is paying the messaging platform Telegram a cool $300 million to introduce the chatbot Grok to its users. The terms of the deal are extremely favorable to Telegram, as the $300 million only covers a single year and xAI will evenly split any subscription sales to Grok Premium and Premium+ with the messaging platform. Telegram will be paid in both cash and equity.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the follow-up to 2022's Pokemon Legends: Arceus, now has a release date of October 16.Along with the release date announcement, The Pokemon Company also confirmed that a new Pokemon Presents presentation will broadcast on July 22. Presumably we'll see more of the monsters we're going to be catching and battling with in Lumiose City, including the Mega-Evolved Pokemon featured on the newly revealed box art. The last Pokemon Presents took place back in February and showcased the three starter pokemon in Z-A, as well as the new real-time combat system.Pokemon Legends: Z-A will launch on both the outgoing Nintendo Switch and its successor, with Pokemon Legends: Z-A - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition featuring "improved graphics and frame rates". You'll be able to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition by purchasing a $10 upgrade pack on the Nintendo eShop or My Nintendo Store.An October release date for Pokemon Legends: Z-A means it's unlikely that we'll see Metroid Prime 4 in the same month, as Nintendo traditionally likes to spread out its first-party releases. Donkey Kong Bananza arrives on July 17, but beyond that we don't know a whole lot about what else Nintendo has planned for the remainder of the year. As reported by VGC, a new Nintendo Direct presentation could happen in June, where the company would likely fill in the blanks regarding its plans for what's left of 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pokemon-legends-z-a-arrives-october-16-150835791.html?src=rss

It was only earlier this year Norway's Opera released a new browser, and now it's adding yet another offering to an already crowded field. Opera is billing Neon as a "fully agentic browser." It comes with an integrated AI that can chat with users and surf the web on their behalf. Compared to competing agents, the company says Neon is faster and more efficient at navigating the internet on its own due to the fact it parses webpages by analyzing their layout data.Building on Opera's recent preview of Browser Operator, Neon can also complete tasks for you, like filling out a form or doing some online shopping. The more you use Neon to write, the more it will learn your personal style and adapt to it. All of this happens locally, in order to ensure user data remains private.Additionally, Neon can make things for you, including websites, animations and even game prototypes, according to Opera. If you ask Neon to build something particularly complicated or time-consuming, it can continue the task even when you're offline. This part of the browser's feature set depends on a connection to Opera's servers in Europe where privacy laws are more robust than in North America."Opera Neon is the first step towards fundamentally re-imagining what a browser can be in the age of intelligent agents," the company says.If all of this sounds familiar, it's because other companies, including Google and OpenAI, have been working on similar products. In the case of Google, the search giant began previewing Project Mariner, an extension that adds a web-surfing agent to Chrome, last December. OpenAI, similarly, has been working on its own "Operator" mode since the start of the year.Neon, therefore, sees Opera attempting to position itself as an innovator in hopes of claiming market share, but the company has a difficult task ahead. According to data from StatCounter, only about 2.09 percent of internet users use Opera to access the web. Chrome, by contrast, commands a dominant 66.45 percent of the market. That's a hard hill to climb when your competitors are working on similar features.It's also worth asking if an agentic browser is something people really want. Opera suggests Neon is smart enough to book a trip for you. That sounds great in theory, but what if the agent makes an error and books the wrong connecting flight. A certain amount of friction ensures users pay attention and check things on their own.If you want to try Neon for yourself, you can join the wait list.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/operas-new-fully-agentic-browser-can-surf-the-web-for-you-145035874.html?src=rss

Apple's increasingly comprehensive Self Service Repair program now includes iPad too. Starting tomorrow, owners of various models of Apple's slate can easily acquire official parts, repair manuals, and tools that allow them to attempt their own repairs, should they feel confident enough.Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions are also available. This web-based tool, launched in the US back in 2023, is able to directly test for a number of common issues that affect displays, software, audio, camera tech and Face ID, and offer a step-by-step repair process for the diagnosed problem. Previously, these diagnostic tests could only be carried out by Apple authorized service providers.For now, the supported iPad models are the iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro) and the entry-level iPad (A16). Apple says it will offer components including displays, batteries, cameras and external charging ports to be used in repairs for out-of-warranty products.The Self Service Repair Program debuted in 2022 and Apple has been gradually bolstering the range of included product lines ever since. Parts for a number of iPhone and Mac models are already offered through the service, so iPad was the logical next step.As well as the Apple-endorsed Self Service Repair Store, Apple also recently launched its Genuine Parts Distributor Program, which essentially allows repair businesses and professionals without an existing service relationship with Apple to order parts and components through third-party distributors such as MobileSentrix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apples-self-service-repair-program-now-extends-to-ipad-134940418.html?src=rss

Spotify is adding a trio of new features to its app that should make listening to and interacting with podcasts a little easier. First, the streaming service is putting a Following feed in the main Podcasts area on the Home screen. With this toggle, you can quickly see what's new from the shows you subscribe to. The company says the goal here is to eliminate the need to search for fresh content from podcasts you follow, and it pledges it will "continue to explore new ways to make this space even better." And just below shortcuts on the Home screen, Spotify will start displaying podcast recommendations, complete with a note as to why the algorithm picked it for you.Next, Spotify plans to roll out an "In this episode" section for podcast pages. Here, you'll find links to other shows, songs, audiobooks, playlists and more than hosts mention or recommend. Creators will have the ability to link those items as they see fit, so you won't have to go looking for them later.Lastly, the company is giving podcast comments a slight refresh. Based on user feedback, Spotify is introducing threaded replies and emoji reactions for creators. This will all still be controlled via Spotify for Creators where they can also control if comments are available for their show or specific episodes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/spotify-adds-a-following-feed-and-in-this-episode-section-for-podcasts-130051850.html?src=rss

Mozilla's Firefox has joined Chrome, Edge and other browsers in offering AI-powered overviews, but this time with a twist. The latest version lets you use a keyboard shortcut to open a pop-up that previews a link's contents when you hover over it from any web page. It's a new way that AI is being integrated into browsers that may help users but hurt publishers.To try the new feature you need the latest Firefox release channel version 139.0. Within the settings under "Firefox Labs," simply turn on Link Previews. "After enabling, use the Alt+Shift keyboard shortcut when hovering over a link to see the previews in action," Mozilla writes.Once turned on, you can hover your mouse over a link on any webpage and a vertical window will pop up showing an image on top, the publisher's link and a quick summary. Below that are AI-generated "key points" that provide further information. Mozilla previously said that it uses the SmolLM2-360M language model from Hugging Face, on-device with Reader's View content to ensure privacy.Link Previews first came along last month in beta but is now widely available in some regions. Like Google's AI previews, it could risk harming publishers by reducing traffic (which is likely why neither of those features are available in France where I live). It's also not clear if Firefox is paying publishers to use their information in AI-powered summaries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-war-on-links-escalates-with-firefoxs-experimental-ai-previews-123059735.html?src=rss

On June 5, which is also the Switch 2's launch day, Nintendo is rolling out new features for N64 games on Switch Online. If you just want to play to relax and not worry about in-game lives, the ability to rewind will perhaps sound like the most useful among the upcoming features. It will let you, well, rewind the game if you make a mistake so you can try again from that point. Failed to a get a birdie on Mario Golf? No problem. Just access the feature and choose from the panels at the bottom that show up to choose which point you'd like to start from again. That said, the function will only be accessible on the Switch 2.Another new feature coming to N64 games is the CRT filter. Yes, it will give your game that old CRT TV look by putting a pixelated texture on top of it. If you've originally played N64 titles on old TVs, it could be a fantastic throwback to your youth. Like the rewind function, though, the option will be exclusively available on the Switch 2. It's not quite clear why it won't be rolling out on Switch consoles, as well. If you're not getting the new console, the only update you're getting on June 5 is the ability to check what each controller button does on the game you're playing. You can then change what each button does to make the controls easier for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-2-will-add-a-rewind-function-to-its-online-n64-games-121506171.html?src=rss

Dads can be just as hard to shop for as moms - really, finding the perfect gift for any parent can be a struggle. But if you're shopping for a father who's into consumer tech, though, we can help. Below, we've consulted our many hours of gadget testing and put together a list of standout gift ideas, from VR headsets to pizza ovens to smartwatches to meat thermometers. And don't worry, there are budget-friendly options in here too that can help the dad who's always traveling, those who like to tinker with their own tech and others. Best gifts for dads in 2025 Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-dads-170014057.html?src=rss

The Starship super heavy-lift launch vehicle blasted off from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas for its ninth test flight on Tuesday, 7:37 PM Eastern time. It was the first Starship flight that reused a Super Heavy booster, which was also used for the vehicle's seventh test flight. During the vehicle's seventh and eighth flights, its second stage, or the Starship spacecraft itself, exploded during ascent. This time, the stage (also known as the "Ship") completed its ascent burn and even reached space, but it was one victory in a test flight with mixed results.SpaceX's Starbase launch tower caught the Super Heavy booster after it flew back with its "chopstick" arms during the two previous flights. For this one, the company conducted tests with the booster it didn't do before, such as making it fly at a higher angle during its descent. Doing so increases the atmospheric drag on the booster, slowing it down as it descends so that it requires less propellant. As such, the company had decided to let the booster splash down into the ocean, as the testing would make it more difficult for the Starbase chopstick arms to catch it. SpaceX lost contact with the Super Heavy shortly after it started its landing burn, however, and it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" six minutes after launch.Meanwhile, the Ship stage was able to take on a suborbital trajectory and was supposed to deploy eight Starlink simulator satellites while it was in space. It was ultimately unable to deploy the simulator satellites, because its payload bay door got stuck and wouldn't open. The Ship also encountered an attitude control error that prevented it from getting into the position it needed to take for reentry. It started to tumble due to a leak that caused loss of main tank pressure, before SpaceX lost contact with it 46 minutes into the flight. While a controlled splashdown was impossible to achieve, the company still expects Ship's debris to fall within the planned hazard area in the Indian Ocean.SpaceX will not be getting all the data it was hoping to get from this flight, but Elon Musk said there's still a "lot of good data to review." He also said that the company will be flying the Starship over the next three flights once every three to four weeks.

This year's Amazon Prime Day is coming soon, so it's a good time to start thinking about the things you'll want to look for once the deal wave hits. Everything from gadgets to clothes to household necessities will be on sale during the event as part of the Prime Day deals, and if you're a Prime member, you'll have access to all of the discounts. Engadget will be surfacing all of the best tech deals we can find, but there are some important things to know ahead of time so you can get exactly what you want out of this year's Prime Day. When is Prime Day 2025? Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be back this year sometime in July, but the official dates have not been released yet. What is Prime Day? Prime Day is Amazon's members-only shopping event, which means you'll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event. How often is Prime Day? Amazon Prime Day typically comes around annually in July. In the last few years, Amazon has also had its "Big Deal Days" in October, which is effectively a second Prime Day and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. How does Prime Day work? Prime subscribers can go to Amazon's site on Prime Day to see all of the exclusive deals they have access to. Prime subscribers do not have to do anything additional to get Prime Day sales: the discounts you see on product pages will show up in your cart automatically. If you're not a Prime subscriber and you go to Amazon to shop on Prime Day, you'll likely see tons of items on sale but only "with Prime;" those discounts will not be available to those who are not active Prime subscribers. If you don't pay for Prime and have no intention of doing so, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day for sales that are available to all shoppers - there are always a few of them. Plus, it's very likely that other retailers like Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too. How to prep for Prime Day First, make a list. It's best to go into Amazon Prime Day as prepared as possible; that means knowing exactly what you want so you stay focused and avoid distractions. Make note of the most important items you want to pick up on Prime Day ahead of time. You can either do this the old-fashioned way on a sticky note, or you can use Amazon's wish list feature. For the latter, add the items you want to buy on Prime Day to your wish list (or, even better, make a dedicated wishlist with only your Prime Day desirables) and return to that list during the shopping event. Not only will you have everything you want all in one place, but you'll also be able to see which of those items are cheaper on Prime Day than they were when you originally added them to your list. Second, use a price tracker. Sites like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa let you monitor the price of specific items on Amazon. You can check out price history charts and you can make your own price-drop alerts, receiving emails when something you want gets a discount. Both CamelCamelCamel and Keepa also have some browser extensions you can download so you don't have to navigate away from an Amazon product page to check its price history. Amazon Prime Day deals Amazon Prime Day typically lasts a couple of days, but for the past few years, the company has started pushing out deals well before the event actually kicks off. We anticipate the same happening this year, with early Prime Day deals kicking off possibly as soon as Amazon officially announces the dates of Prime Day 2025. While we wouldn't call the following sales "early Prime Day deals" just yet, they do represent some of the best deals you can get on Amazon right now as we wait for the full details of Prime Day to be revealed. We'll update this list as prices change and as we find even more of the best Amazon deals you can get. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2025-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-annual-july-sales-event-120028400.html?src=rss