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Fans will have to wait a bit longer to return to Vice City. Rockstar Games has announced that Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed once again to November 19, 2026. The open world game was previously delayed from its 2025 launch window to May 26, 2026 earlier this year.

One of the things that's long irked me about Meta's smart glasses is how often you have to say "hey Meta." Even though the company's AI assistant has gotten significantly more capable, there's something a little cringey about using its voice commands in public spaces.Now, the company has rolled out an update that makes you a little less dependent on voice commands for all its glasses. A new "quick connect" feature allows you to create a one-touch shortcut for "frequently used communication actions," like making a phone call or sending a text to a specific contact. The update is out now as part of the 19.2 software update.The idea of "quick connect" is similar to the functionality of the "action button" on the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses, though it's more limited in scope. The feature allows you to designate a specific contact that you can message, text or call just by holding down on the touchpad on the right side of the glasses. The Meta AI app will even let you choose your preferred method of reaching them, whether it's WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger or your phone's native calling or messaging app. The same one-touch press and hold shortcut can also be used to send photos and videos shot on the glasses right after you take them (also via your chosen app).You can designate a specific contact and on which app you want to be able to contact them.During its Connect event, Meta previewed some updates for third-party apps that appear to allow developers to set their own wake words for the glasses when using their services. So there is some hope that eventually the company will offer a bit more flexibility with its voice commands. Even so, it's unlikely you'll be able to get away with never having to say "hey Meta," but the quick connect update is a handy way to make messaging a bit more discreet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/metas-smart-glasses-have-a-new-shortcut-to-call-and-text-without-saying-hey-meta-213303178.html?src=rss

Square Enix is laying off developers in the UK and US as it reworks its game development structure to focus on its studios in Japan, Video Games Chronicle reports. The mass restructuring follows the publishers' 2024 announcement that it planned to "aggressively" apply AI to its development process.The total number of employees being laid off isn't yet public, but Video Games Chronicle writes that over 100 developers in the UK could be impacted, possibly up to 140. The number of US developers caught in the layoffs is still unknown. In a slide deck for investors spotted by IGN, Square Enix characterizes its "Overseas Structural Reform" as part of its goal of "consolidating development functions in Japan." The deck also notes that Square Enix is particularly interested in automating "70 percent of QA and debugging tasks in game development by the end of 2027" with artificial intelligence, which could be one reason it's trying to eliminate roles.Engadget has contacted Square Enix to confirm its restructuring plans. We'll update this article if we hear back.Square Enix has made an ongoing number of attempts to pull out of Western game development in the last decade. The publisher appeared to play some kind of role in project cancellations at developer People Can Fly earlier this year, and before that, it initiated mass layoffs in 2024. Even earlier in 2013, Square Enix made large cuts to its US and European divisions, including selling studios like Eidos-Montreal, Square Enix Montreal and Crystal Dynamics to Embracer Group.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/square-enix-is-laying-off-more-developers-in-the-uk-and-us-as-it-refocuses-on-japan-201907305.html?src=rss

The Games section is one of the highlights of reading The New York Times, and Wordle has been one of the crowning successes for the team since acquiring it in 2022. Now, fans of the popular word game can create their own custom puzzles. The publication announced today that its All Access and Games subscribers have the option to make World challenges of their own to send to friends and family.The custom puzzles must be four to seven letters long, and the creator can opt to include a clue. The puzzle will get a custom URL for sharing, and a subscription isn't required for people to play an original Wordle challenge. Wordle creation is available on the Times' mobile apps for both iOS and Android as well as in mobile web and desktop browsers. It's a fun idea and a cute way for follow word nerds to entertain (and possibly torment) each other.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-new-york-times-is-letting-you-create-your-own-wordle-puzzles-185429249.html?src=rss

Meta is making billions of dollars every year from ads marketing scams and illegal products on its platform, according to a new report from Reuters. The report details the staggering numbers behind scam ads on Meta's platform, and raises fresh questions about why the company has failed to get the problem in check.Last year, Meta estimated that scam ads could account for as much as 10 percent of its revenue, a total that would amount to about $16 billion, according to documents reported by Reuters. This includes ads for "fraudulent e-commerce and investment schemes, illegal online casinos, and the sale of banned medical products." In fact, scams on Meta's platform are so far-reaching that researchers at the company estimated that its apps "were involved in a third of all successful scams in the U.S."The report also outlines how Meta has at times made it harder for its own teams to fight such ads, and how its own processes allow for repeat offenders to continue buying ads. It says that a "small advertiser" caught "promoting financial fraud" wouldn't be blocked until they were flagged "at least eight times." Meta has been even more lenient with "bigger spenders," which have reportedly been permitted to "accrue more than 500 strikes" without being removed from the platform.That may sound shockingly permissive, particularly compared to Meta's standards for users on its platform, but the Reuters report highlights how high the stakes are for Meta. The report notes that just four ad campaigns removed by Meta this year accounted for $67 million in revenue for the company. The report says that internally, executives have grappled with how to bring scam ads under control without adversely affecting the company's bottom line. At one point, managers were reportedly told not to "take actions that could cost Meta more than 0.15% of the company's total revenue."In response to the report, Meta told Reuters that the estimated 10 percent of revenue from scam ads was "rough and overly-inclusive," but didn't share an alternative figure. "Over the past 18 months, we have reduced user reports of scam ads globally by 58 percent and, so far in 2025, we've removed more than 134 million pieces of scam ad content," spokesperson Andy Stone said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-making-billions-of-dollars-from-scam-ads-on-facebook-instagram-and-whatsapp-report-says-184128645.html?src=rss

NotebookLM, the one AI tool from Google everyone loves, is about to become more useful for studying. Google has begun rolling out an update that allows people to use the app to create flashcards and personalized quizzes. When you use NotebookLM in this way, you'll be able to set the difficulty of the material, as well as the number of questions or cards the app presents to you. It's also possible to select the sources you want the software to pull from by navigating to the Studio tab, meaning you can focus on what matters to you.With today's update, Google is also promising significant improvements to the app's ability to chat on mobile. Thanks to its latest Gemini models, the company says NotebookLM now has a four times larger context window than before and six times longer conversation memory. Overall, chat quality should be about 50 percent better too. If you want to give NotebookLM a try for yourself, download it from the App Store or Google Play.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/notebooklm-can-now-test-your-knowledge-with-flashcards-and-quizzes-183351007.html?src=rss

Amazon just introduced an AI tool that will automatically translate books into other languages. The appropriately-named Kindle Translate is being advertised as a resource for authors that self publish on the platform.The company says the tool can translate entire books between English and Spanish and German to English. Amazon promises that more languages are coming down the pike. It's available right now in a beta form to select authors enrolled in the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. There's a broader rollout planned for a later date.Books that use this service will have a clear Kindle Translate label, which might serve as a warning to consumers. Translating a book isn't a matter of just swapping out words. There's a whole lot of nuance and intent behind those words and it's unclear if the algorithm will be able to handle all of that. Major literary works often take years to get a decent translation out the door. Just ask Americans who often have to wait eons to gobble up the latest book by someone like Haruki Murakami.This is a modern AI tool, so it's worth considering potential hallucinations. Nothing ruins a read more than a nonsensical chapter that was completely made up by a bot. Amazon does say that "all translations are automatically evaluated for accuracy before publication." Authors can preview the content before publishing it, but they are unlikely to know the language it's being translated into. We'll have to see how this all shakes out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-is-testing-an-ai-tool-that-automatically-translates-books-into-other-languages-183056809.html?src=rss

A startup founded by former Anker employees plans to launch a hybrid RV next year. Evotrex "exists to transform how people experience the outdoors," according to CEO Alex Xiao. On Thursday, the California-based company announced that it had secured $16 million in Pre-A funding. Among its backers are Anker's founders (not Anker itself).The RV trailer is designed to last for days far off the grid. To achieve that, its battery is supplemented by a gas engine. "Live rangelessly and focus on the adventure ahead instead of where to find the next charger," its website reads. Another line: "Relax off-grid without ever needing to leave your base camp." You get the picture: The idea is that the gas motor lets you venture farther from civilization for longer.Evotrex's founders told TechCrunch that the battery will power the RV's cabin, electronics and electric motor. The gas motor is there to recharge the battery and extend its range. They claim that the gas engine is more eco-friendly than others. They say it's quieter and more efficient, and that the RV trailer can use the motor's excess heat to warm the cabin.Inside of the Evotrex RV cabin. Rendering.EvotrexEvotrex is hardly alone in keeping gas engines around. EV sales have slowed, and the industry has responded in turn. According to Pew Research, 45 percent of Americans are likely to consider a hybrid vehicle. Only 33 percent said the same for an EV. So, we see automakers responding by delaying EVs or cutting production. This week, Honda's CEO said the Trump administration has put US EV growth back by five years or so." (Meanwhile, the UN warned this week that the world is falling well short of crucial climate targets.)Evotrex will fully reveal the RV trailer at CES 2026. The company will open reservations on January 6, and it plans to ship the first models by the end of next year. Apart from Anker's founders, investors include Unity Ventures, Kylinhall Partners, Vision Plus Capital and Xstar Capital. You can learn more at the company's website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-anker-employees-launch-new-startup-to-build-a-hybrid-rv-trailer-175423273.html?src=rss

There's an official Lego set that recreates the iconic Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation, after first being teased a few months back. It'll be available on November 28 at a cost of $400. That's Black Friday, for those at home keeping score.This is a fairly large set, with 3,600 pieces and all kinds of knick-knacks pulled from the show. It ships with nine minifigures, including Captain Picard, Guinan and Worf. Riker even comes with a trombone and Data accompanies his beloved cat, Spot. Every main character is here, even Wesley Crusher. Ensign Ro Laren makes an appearance, for those who want to recreate the crackling tension between her and Picard.The ship itself is represented in all of its glory. The saucer section is detachable and there's a shuttle bay door that opens. Inside, there are two cute little shuttlepods. All told, the model measures around 10.5 inches tall, 23.5 inches long and 18.5 inches wide. It comes with a stand so it'll look great on that Trek-themed mantle.The set will be available for preorder soon, but we don't have an actual date on that. It costs $400. Now that we finally have an official Lego Enterprise, where is the Lego Voyager and Lego Deep Space Nine? Get on that.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/legos-star-trek-uss-enterprise-set-arrives-on-black-friday-173414532.html?src=rss

The world is gearing up for the long-awaited (to put it lightly) arrival of Stranger Things' fifth and final season, but Netflix isn't ready to sunset one of its defining franchises just yet. Several years after it was first teased, a new animated spin-off series is officially coming in 2026.Announced to coincide with Stranger Things Day today (November 6, 1983, is the day Will Byers originally got kidnapped, in case you're scratching your head), Stranger Things: Tales from 85 takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the live-action show, during the winter of 1985. It stars what looks like the majority of the original characters - albeit not voiced by the actors who play them in the main show - as they face off against new monsters and a (yet another) "paranormal mystery terrorizing their town." Hope you didn't think that Hawkins was about to catch a break.Stranger Things: Tales from 85 stars Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha "EJ" Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will and Brett Gipson as Hopper. It's coming to Netflix next year, exact release date currently unspecified.As for Stranger Things proper, that's coming in just a few weeks time, with the first batch of episodes landing on November 26. More arrive on Christmas Day, with the finale hitting Netflix on December 31. We got a juicy trailer last week, in which poor old Will appears to be in the wars again.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-first-trailer-for-the-animated-stranger-things-spin-off-is-here-172128527.html?src=rss

SpaceX is acquiring more spectrum licenses from EchoStar in exchange for about $2.6 billion worth of shares in Elon Musk's aerospace company. The transaction is an expansion of the $17 billion deal struck between the companies in September. SpaceX had previously said it would use these licenses for its Starlink satellites as it works to build out the network's 5G connectivity.The AWS-3 spectrum licenses changing hands include frequencies used in the US for commercial wireless services such as mobile and satellite communications. The distribution and use of spectrum are overseen by the federal government, which also lays out requirements for the use and development of spectrum for the benefit of consumers.EchoStar had been facing pressure from the FCC to either use its substantial spectrum stockpile or seek divestment. This deal encompasses all of EchoStars' remaining unpaired AWS-3 spectrum holdings. Earlier this year, the company sold $23 billion worth of licenses to AT&T in addition to its deals with SpaceX. The FCC ended its investigation into EchoStar after these sales. Today's deal is pending regulatory approval and no precise closing date was shared.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/spacex-acquires-26-billion-more-in-spectrum-licenses-from-echostar-170233413.html?src=rss

The first paid DLC for Pokemon Legends: Z-A arrives on December 10, which is a mere seven weeks after the game originally hit store shelves. Mega Dimension costs $30, which might pour more gasoline on the "Nintendo charges too much" fire. However, there's plenty of neat stuff coming with this update for Switch and Switch 2.First of all, there's a sizable post-game story. The current title isn't completely devoid of post-game content, but doesn't have much by way of story. This will be a good way to get back in touch with the various denizens of Lumiose City. Speaking of, the trailer shows an iconic character or two returning from Pokemon X and Y who were missing from Z-A.The story looks to involve travel to an alternate dimension of some kind, thanks to the legendary Pokemon Hoopa. This means that players will traverse a different version of Lumiose City, complete with plenty of new Pokemon to catch. These include creatures that aren't actually native to the region, including standouts like Baxcalibur and Corviknight.Pokemon will also be able to beef up past level 100 in the DLC, giving players another reason to grind beyond shiny hunting. We don't know if the interdimensional Lumiose City will include new collectibles, like an updated batch of hidden Colorful Screws. I sure hope so. I love parkouring around the city.This isn't the only DLC available for the game. Game Freak actually just dropped a little free update with a new sidequest. Use the game's Mystery Gift function to unlock it.Pokemon Legends: Z-A is legitimately a fun game, despite what folks on the internet want you to think. They aren't completely in the wrong. It can be buggy. The graphics don't exactly scream "AAA title in 2025" and the tutorial section is pretty annoying. The city could use a bit more life and the map can be confusing. It's still super fun, even if Wild Zone 17 will likely haunt my dreams for years to come.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pokemon-legends-z-as-first-dlc-launches-on-december-10-162144665.html?src=rss

Amazon is gradually rolling out its next-generation Alexa assistant within its own product ecosystem, but the latest recipient of Alexa+ is BMW. Amazon has announced the latest version of Alexa Custom Assistant, the platform that allows companies (including BMW) to build their own AI assistants that leverage Alexa tech, which will be powered by Alexa+ going forward.With Alexa+ architecture working under the hood, drivers will benefit from a more natural, conversational style of in-vehicle interactions, while making use of the assistant's more comprehensive agentic capabilities and ability to deal with more complex instructions than it could previously. Alexa+ can access more than 70 large language models (LLM), and Amazon has promised that any conversation you've had with one of its home devices can be continued in the car.BMW was already using Alexa Custom Assistant as the foundation of its in-vehicle voice assistant tech, which it calls the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA), and it'll be the first car manufacturer to get access to Alexa+. At CES 2024, the two companies also debuted a new feature that effectively allows Alexa to absorb the driver's manual so it can answer any question about your car in real-time.BMW has gone all in on Amazon's ecosystem, with its connected features also powered by the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. The new Alexa Custom Assistant will come to select BMW models soon, but we don't currently have any specifics as to the exact date or which vehicles will get it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/alexa-is-coming-to-bmw-vehicles-161455252.html?src=rss

Blue Origin has announced a target date for New Glenn's second launch: November 9. This time, the mission will deploy real payloads, not just carry a technological demo for the company. Specifically, the spacecraft will be carrying the NASA Escapade mission's twin satellites, which are headed to Mars. New Glenn, Blue Origin's heavy-lift launch vehicle that was designed to be reused for a minimum of 25 flights, had its maiden flight in January. While the rocket made it to space, the company failed to land its first stage on its recovery ship in the Atlantic Ocean.In a tweet, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said it won't be a problem if it fails to stick the landing again. We've got several more New Glenn boosters already in production," he said. The mission's primary goal, he clarified, is to get the Escapade satellites safely into orbit.

Peloton is recalling 833,000 units of the original Bike+ over a safety issue related to the seat post. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said the company received three reports of the seat post breaking during use, including two reports of injuries sustained "due to a fall."The CPSC said owners of the original Bike+ should stop using the device immediately and contact Peloton for a free replacement seat post that they can install themselves. You can identify whether your Bike+ is part of the recall if you see a serial number that starts with "T" - for instance, TABCSSXXXXX - inside the front fork, behind the front fork or behind the flywheel.The recall affects all of the original Bike+ units that Peloton sold in the US. The company said it had not received reports of a seat post breaking on any of the 44,800 units it sold in Canada. Peloton made the original Bike+ between 2019 and 2022. CNBC notes that the company was still selling those bikes until April this year.Peloton also had to recall 2.2 million base Bike units in May 2023 over a seat post issue. At the time, the CSPC said there were 35 reports of the seat post breaking during use, with 13 reports of related injuries.The company refreshed its lineup last month, adding new features such as an AI-powered camera that's designed to check users' form. The new Cross Training versions of Peloton's exercise machines came with a price hike. The company increased subscription prices too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/peloton-recalls-833000-bike-units-after-reports-of-seat-posts-breaking-151324141.html?src=rss

Ring is today announcing Single Event Alert, the company's new approach to cutting down on unnecessary notifications. Rather than a ping every time the camera watches something unfold, the system uses generative AI to group recurring events together.Historically, whenever your Ring camera detected something happening in its field of vision, it'd let you know. Hell, in the earliest days of Ring's doorbells, you'd get a little tinkling motion alert even if a sufficiently big truck went past your door enough to change the light levels.The company uses the example of your kids playing in the back yard, which would previously trigger an alert every time it detected motion. Now, once it's identified that it's just your kids playing, it'll tell you once and then let you get back to whatever else you were doing.This is the latest in a series of turns toward AI Ring has enabled in the last year or so, including Smart Video Search and AI Video Descriptions. Like those features, Single Event Alert is rolling out to Ring Protect Home subscribers in the US (except IL) and Canada from today.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-uses-generative-ai-to-cut-down-on-unnecessary-alerts-150033561.html?src=rss

Two former Meta employees are launching a new AI-powered smart ring. Stream Ring is the debut product from Sandbar, and it's available to pre-order right now. Sandbar describes Stream as "your extended self," which is to say that it's a deliberately minimalist smart ring that you can use to take voice notes and interact with a chatbot directly using the built-in touch-activated microphone.When you create a voice note, the Stream Ring uses haptic feedback to confirm that it's been recorded. You hold the sensor to speak and tap it if you want to interrupt and start over. It can automatically transcribe your voice interactions, whether you're simply compiling a grocery list on the go, asking it to fetch some information from the web, or having a more back-and-forth conversation with the device. These notes will appear in the Stream app via Bluetooth, which will be iOS-only at launch.Sandbar thinks a ring is the best form for its wearable to take as it's always available and accessible, whatever you're doing, so you easily can log a thought as soon as it pops into your head. It wants people to think of the Stream Ring as a "mouse for voice," and says the mic will always be able to pick up your voice clearly in a noisy room. Crucially, it isn't always listening either, only activating when you hold the touchpad.As for the chatbot, it's designed by default to somewhat mimic your own voice using AI, a feature Sandbar calls Inner Voice. You can update it if you think it sounds off, or if the whole concept creeps you out you can also switch to a non-personalized voice. Away from the core voice note functionality, the Stream Ring can also be used to control media playback using gestures, and Sandbar says it's compatible with any headphones.Sandbar will offer a free plan that includes unlimited notes but limits AI interactions. For $10 per month you can upgrade to a Stream Pro subscription (you get three months for free with a new purchase), which enables unlimited chats and immediate access to any new features. Sandbar says your data is encrypted at rest and in transit and it will not sell your information to other companies. You can also delete data stored in the app at any time.Other smart rings have promised a seamless interactive experience built around AI, and the Stream Ring isn't going down the health tracking route that many other products in this increasingly crowded space market themselves on. But if the transcription feature works as reliably as advertised and Sandbar's AI proves to be a genuinely useful assistant, the Stream Ring could be a useful accessory that doesn't get in the way when it isn't needed.The Stream Ring is available in sizes 5-13 and is designed to be worn on your index finger. Sandbar promises "all-day battery life" but doesn't go into specifics. It's expected to start shipping next summer in the US and costs $249.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-ai-powered-stream-ring-is-designed-for-on-the-fly-voice-notes-143530840.html?src=rss

Google released Gemini's Deep Research feature in March, a few months after unveiling the tool, giving you the capability to ask the AI chatbot to create comprehensive reports on complex topics. Deep Research uses sources from the web to write reports for you, but now a new update also allows it to pull information from your Gmail, Docs, Drive and Chat. Google says it's one of the tool's most requested features, and you'll be able to take advantage of it in Gemini, even if you're not paying for a subscription.With Google's latest update, Deep Research is now able to use your emails, all the Slides, Docs, Sheets and PDFs in your Drive, as well your chat history as references. That translates to a more personalized report, since Gemini wouldn't just be using sources from the web. If you ask it to write a marketing analysis for you, for instance, it will take into account your notes, any document your team has written or any back-and-forth between you and your colleagues on email. It can cross-reference information from your account with public data to make, say, comparison spreadsheets for competitor analysis.Take note that you will be able to control which Google service to link to, if you're uneasy about giving Gemini access to all your information. When you click on the Deep Research tool in Gemini, you'll see a drop-down menu where you can tick on Search, Gmail, Drive and Chat individually. At the moment, the feature is only available on desktop, but it will make its way to mobile devices in the coming days."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-gemini-can-now-do-deep-research-on-your-gmail-and-drive-data-143000300.html?src=rss

The Switch 2 edition of Overcooked 2 drops today, which is something we've known was coming since September. Now it's here and ready to ruin relationships and friendships.The developer promises "enhanced graphics in-line with PC" and 4K 60 fps gameplay when docked. This should be a night-and-day graphical upgrade when compared to the original Switch version.Perhaps the biggest news here is Camera Play integration. This is a feature exclusive to Nintendo's new console and it leverages a connected camera to throw up the faces of players under their avatars. Overcooked 2 is already a frantic experience, but now you'll be able to see the look on the faces of your friends as you royally screw up a burger order.It's worth noting that the Switch 2 doesn't come with a camera, but the company offers one as a standalone accessory. It also integrates with many USB-C cameras, including this Mario-themed work of art.The Switch 2 version also works with Game Share, which lets people hop onto a multiplayer match without actually owning the game. Basically, the person who owns the game "shares" it with someone who doesn't.It's also cross-platform with the original Switch, which is neat given the massive user base. Upgrading seems like a simple affair, as DLC, save files and star ratings all carry over. This upgrade costs $10 and buying the game outright costs $30. However, there's a 20 percent discount for the first week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/overcooked-2-drops-for-switch-2-today-and-it-makes-full-use-of-camera-play-140021993.html?src=rss

Spotify delivers a lot of personalized, data-driven music recommendations, and now the streaming service is adding new weekly snapshots of your listening activities. Listening stats will highlight the artists and songs that a user has heard the most over the previous four weeks and creates a playlist inspired by those selections. And according to the blog post: "Each week, it also includes a special highlight that captures what makes your listening unique, whether it's a milestone, a new discovery, or a fan moment." That's a pretty vague introduction, and how engaging the highlights are in practice will likely depend on how much they actually surprise and delight listeners.It sounds like a midway point between the company's year-end Wrapped data package and its daily mix playlists. More ways to view listening data are always fun, and several competing services like Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music have already upped how often they share reports with their users. This seems to be Spotify's move to catch up on that trend.The listening stats will live under your profile and can be shared internally on Spotify or as an external link. The new features will be available for both free and paying listeners across 60 international markets.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-introduces-weekly-listening-stats-140000577.html?src=rss

This story about Paul McCartney begins with one of his old bandmates. "I'm not really Beatle George," the ever-philosophical George Harrison once said. "For me, Beatle George was a suit or a shirt that I once wore. And the only problem is, for the rest of my life, people are going to look at that shirt and mistake it for me." On one hand, that's, well, George being George. But his quote does speak to our need to mythologize the Beatles. It's hard not to! The music is so exquisite, influential and timeless that we look for grand stories to tell about it. We want a stronger connection to it, so we pore over biographies, interviews and documentaries. We seek meaning and purpose in their story. Still, it must be surreal to be one of the four protagonists of that story. At some point, the narrative takes on a life of its own that may not reflect your experience. McCartney alluded to that in the 2013 song "Early Days." "Now everybody seems to have their own opinion on who did this and who did that," he sang. "But as for me, I don't see how they can remember when they weren't where it was at." So, I'll try not to mythologize the Beatles too much as I describe my experience photographing Sir Paul McCartney last month. I will, of course, fail spectacularly at that mission. The crowd ranged from seniors to teens in Sgt. Pepper costumes. Will Shanklin for Engadget Months before I watched him play for nearly three hours in front of 15,000 fans (at age 83!) at Albuquerque's Isleta Amphitheater, I sent a press request to his team. A few days before the concert, I learned that my photography pass had been approved. Once it sank in, I screamed and giggled, not unlike the teenagers in Ed Sullivan's audience. (Don't judge those gals until you've been near a Beatle!) But there wasn't much time to soak up the excitement. Without any real cameras on hand - my iPhone 17 Pro certainly wasn't going to cut it - and only a few days to prepare, some quick decisions were in order. After enough internal debate to make my head spin off its axis, I settled on an oddball combination. For the body, I went with the Canon EOS R50, an ultra-compact mirrorless with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor. Was it the best one available? Not at all. But instead of renting a $3,000 camera, I decided to buy something in my budget that I'll enjoy using for years. I'd already eyed it after handling a display model and reading Steve Dent's review. Plus, it created a fun challenge: How can a sub-$800 consumer-facing camera stand up to the unique demands of concert photography? The lens, on the other hand, is no place to mess around. So I rented the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM, a gargantuan, professional-grade telephoto one. (It's the precursor to this $2,399 one.) This choice was simple: It was by far the most concert-appropriate lens available to rent. It maintains sharpness and contrast across its long zoom range, its autofocus is fast and its f/2.8 aperture is crucial for the unique demands of stage lighting. Put the tiny camera and ginormous lens together (with this $38 adapter), and you get the odd couple you see below. To say this sucker was front-weighted would be an understatement. "She's so heavy..." Will Shanklin for Engadget Camera in hand (and Beatles hoodie equipped), I took my position in the tight press pen. The photography area was about 150 yards from the stage and didn't allow for lateral movement, so ideas for creative compositions were set aside. My only option was to push that glass out to 200mm (or close to it) and fire away. Save those composition ideas for when it's time to crop. When photographing someone like Sir Paul, you ideally want an image that captures not only the man and the musician, but also that larger-than-life myth. It should be something grand that you'd want to hang on your wall. No pressure! Sir Paul's first number was the John Lennon-penned classic "Help!" Until this year's leg of the Got Back tour, McCartney hadn't played the song in full since 1990. We can only speculate about his reasons for pulling it out of his bag now. But I feel like the song's desperate pleas gain new poignancy in 2025. I can't count the times I've wanted to cry out to someone - anyone! - to "Please, please help me" after reading the news. We were huddled close enough together that I was glad I wore these $16 kneepads under my jeans. When the crowd in front of us settled down a bit, I kneeled to give my photographer cohorts more elbow room. My right knee bounced pleasantly onto the cozy leg pillow. Will Shanklin for Engadget With one song already down, the R50's burst mode was getting a workout. The stock Canon battery was still going strong, but I had these two third-party spares stashed in this camera bag to swap out if necessary. (I didn't end up needing them, despite snapping over 600 photos.) McCartney transitioned into his second number, "Coming Up," the first track from 1980's McCartney II. That LP was ahead of its time, embracing synths, drum machines and other studio tricks before they became commonplace. Contemporary critics didn't care much for it, but it later became a cult classic. That combination illustrates something about his solo career: always experimenting, sometimes misunderstood, but ultimately vindicated. Two songs were over in a flash. Macca addressed the crowd, and picture time was over. Off to leave my camera with security, and claim the faraway lawn seat I bought long before I knew I'd have press access. The rest of McCartney's set included a perfect balance of Beatles, Wings and solo numbers. (There was even an old Quarrymen song, "In Spite of All the Danger.") As you can see in the photos, he started on his trademark Hofner bass. But he moved on to piano, acoustic and electric guitars and ukulele. The latter was for his beautiful rendition of Harrison's "Something." That number wasn't the only point that moved me. The most notable was where he teamed with Lennon on "I've Got a Feeling." Present-day McCartney singing with 1969 Lennon, who appeared on the giant screen above (via the restored rooftop concert footage in Get Back), was profound. "I love that one because I get to sing with John again," he said. Will Shanklin for Engadget Sir Paul strikes me as someone who's always looking forward. But the Got Back tour is a chance to look back. It lets us, the romanticizing fans, join him on the long and winding road from the Quarrymen to today. The entire production made me feel like a passenger on his journey. I could go on. But you don't need me to elevate Paul McCartney's musical legacy any more than you need me to explain Michael Jordan's basketball skills or Meryl Streep's acting chops. Listen to the music - and catch his tour if you can - and you'll feel it. As for the photos, my favorite is the one at the top of this article. (I also included a color version in the gallery below.) It's the only one that (to me) captures the man, musician and myth as he plays his Hofner bass. Out of more than 600 rapidly-fired photos, one that feels just right is good enough for me. But even if they all sucked, who cares! Decades from now, I'll tell everyone at the old folks' home that, when I was young (and my heart was an open book), I snapped some pictures of Sir Paul McCartney. The story may grow more inflated by then, and maybe I'll invent new details. But perhaps I can be forgiven for a bit of mythologizing. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/the-gear-i-used-to-photograph-paul-mccartney-133033591.html?src=rss

The last time I used a set of Noble Audio earbuds, the company managed to pack five drivers into the tiny housings. Now it's back with a new model, the FoKus Prestige Encore, and despite only having four drivers this time, the company still took plenty of cues from its line of pro-grade in-ear monitors (IEMs). The biggest downside is that this new set is still plenty pricey, hitting your wallet for $699.Inside, the FoKus Prestige Encore has one 8mm dynamic driver, two balanced armature drivers and one 6mm planar magnetic driver. According to Noble, each of these components have different duties. The dynamic drivers handle bass while the midrange goes to the Knowles balanced armature drivers. Lastly, the planar magnetic driver is tasked with the treble to reveal microdetail." The company says it also designed new triple-vented" nozzles to make airflow efficient and the seal consistent. Noble Audio FoKus Prestige Encore Noble Audio Rather than using plastic or some other affordable material, Noble opted for solid wood for both the earbud housings and the charging case. Since this is the real thing and not a printed plate, each set of the FoKus Prestige Encore will have its own unique grain pattern - no two sets will look the same. What's more, Noble reduced the overall size of the buds, which it says offers a secure, fatigue-free fit."The FoKus Prestige Encore is equipped with hybrid active noice cancellation (ANC) and a transparency mode. The earbuds also support aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LDAC for higher quality listening. For calls, dual noise suppression mics won't overly process your voice for the sake of reducing background distractions, which Noble says will keep you sounding clear and natural in all settings.Noble promises up to seven hours of use on a charge with ANC enabled or up to 10 hours with noise canceling turned off. When you factor in the case, you're looking at up to 35 hours of total listening time. A quick-charge features will give you up to two hours of playback. The FoKus Prestige Encore also supports Audiodo for personalized calibration for each user's hearing, and those profiles are stored on the earbuds for use on any device.The Fokus Prestige Encore is available starting today for $699 (649/799).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/noble-audios-latest-earbuds-have-a-four-driver-setup-and-a-solid-wood-design-090000651.html?src=rss

Canon just barged into the mid-range full-frame hybrid camera arena with a new entry. The 32.5MP EOS R6 III is a dramatic improvement over the EOS R6 II thanks to the higher resolution, faster shooting speeds and better video specs. However, it comes at a relatively high price and lacks a stacked or partially stacked sensor, unlike other cameras in this category. The new 32.5MP sensor provides a big boost in resolution compared to the R6 II's 24MP chip. At the same time, the R6 III offers higher shooting speeds of 40 fps in burst mode with the electronic shutter, or 12 fps with the mechanical or first-curtain shutter. It also supports 20 frames (a half second) of pre-shooting so you won't miss key moments for wildlife or sports shooting. Canon The R6 III uses Canon's fast and dependable Dual Pixel AF system and comes with the company's latest AI tracking algorithms. It can operate in fairly dim conditions down to -6 EV and should be more responsive with Canon's latest Digic X processor, pending our review. It offers subject tracking for people, animals and vehicles, along with an Auto mode that will pick one of those automatically. It also borrowed the "Register People Priority" feature from the R5 II, which lets you keep focus locked on specific subjects that you've previously memorized. The biggest update for the R6 III, though, is with video. Thanks to the higher resolution sensor, it can now capture up to 7K 60 fps RAW light video, 7K 30 fps "open gate" video and 4K at up to 120 fps, all with Canon's C-Log2 and C-Log3 on tap. There's a dizzying array of other video formats available (12 pages worth in the specs), with HEVC S, AVC-S, RAW, RAW Light and others, at resolutions up to 7K. All the AF subject detection features are available (vehicles, animals and people), and Canon is typically among the best for video AF in terms of speed and accuracy. Canon Nobody expects any radical design changes in a Canon camera (the company tried that with the EOS R and it really didn't work), so the R6 III kept the last model's tried and true form factor. That includes two adjustment dials on the top and one on the rear, along with a joystick, photo/video selector, mode dial and a good assortment of programmable buttons. The rear display flips out as you'd expect for vlogging, but it doesn't tilt like Panasonic's S1 II - so it may obstruct the mic or headphone jacks, and isn't as useful for low-angle photo shooting. The viewfinder has 3.69 million dots of resolution as before, the same as Sony's A7 IV but less than Panasonic's slightly more expensive Lumix S1 II. One big change is the addition of a CFexpress card slot that allows RAW video capture and faster burst speeds, along with an SD UHS II slot. The battery is the same as the one for EOS R5 II and allows up to 390 shots (CIPA rating) with the viewfinder enabled. Canon Other features include waveform monitoring that will be much appreciated by pros, plus new focus speed algorithms borrowed from Canon's cinema cameras that offer "natural, professional" behavior, the company wrote. Inputs include 3.5mm mic and headphone jacks, along with high-speed USB-C and a full-sized HDMI port. In-body stabilization has been boosted slight from 8 to 8.5 stops, matching the latest Panasonic models. Along with the EOS R6 III, Canon introduced some interesting new glass. The RF45mm F1.2 STM lens brings very high speeds and shallow depth of field to a much smaller and lighter .76 pound (346 gram) form factor - less than half the weight of Canon's RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. It's also shockingly cheap for an f/1.2 lens at $470. The Canon EOS R6 III arrives later this month for $2,799 (body only) or $4,049 with the RF24-105 F4 L IS USM lens. That's a bit more than the Nikon's $2,500 Z6 III, which has a partially stacked but lower-resolution 24MP sensor. Panasonic's S1 II also has a partially stacked 24MP but can shoot at up to 70 fps and costs $3,200. Finally, Sony's A7 IV has a similar 33MP sensor but lacks the RAW video features of the R6 III. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canons-eos-r6-iii-arrives-with-7k-raw-video-and-40-fps-burst-speeds-060035923.html?src=rss

Snap and Perplexity AI have struck a $400 million deal that will bring the AI search engine directly to Snapchat sometime in "early 2026," the two companies announced. With the partnership, Perplexity's AI search engine will be a prominent part of Snapchat's "chat" interface so users can "ask questions and get clear, conversational answers drawn from verifiable sources, all within Snapchat."The news was announced alongside the company's third-quarter earnings. The company said that revenue from the deal - Perplexity is paying Snap $400 million for the integration - is "expected to begin contributing" to the company's bottom line in 2026. In a letter to shareholders, CEO Evan Spiegel also hinted that Snap could pursue similar partnerships with other AI companies. "This collaboration makes AI-powered discovery native to Snapchat, enhances personalization, and positions Snap as a leading distribution channel for intelligent agents, laying the groundwork for a broader ecosystem of AI partners to reach our global community," he wrote.Snap, like its peers, has been leaning into generative AI in recent years. The company has its own LLM-powered chatbot, called MyAI, which uses models from OpenAI, Google and, soon, Perplexity AI. Snap has also introduced AI-powered lenses and creation tools, which have helped boost its Snapchat+ subscription service.Spiegel also teased other AI-powered updates coming to Snapchat. He said the company is working on a new AI video generation feature called "AI Clips" that "will allow creators to generate short, shareable videos from simple prompts." He didn't say when the feature might launch.Outside of Snapchat, Snap is also planning on launching a new version of its AR glasses, called Specs, sometime next year. Spiegel didn't offer any new details about the device, which he has previously promised will be lighter-weight than the current version. He did, however, suggest the company was considering working with potential hardware partners. He said Snap would be putting Specs into their own standalone, 100% owned subsidiary" to give the company more flexibility to pursue such arrangements.Update, November 5, 2025, 3:08PM PT: Added more details from Snap's earnings call.

Hilarious co-op video game Overcooked is making the move to the real world. A24 has acquired the rights to the popular indie hit and Deadline reports that the company is working with Netflix to develop the concept into an unscripted competition reality TV series. I adore this idea, and with the right people behind it, I think it could be a masterwork of reality TV. According to the reports, this is the first time independent film and TV studio A24 will make a reality show, but Netflix has already had some success with food and cooking programs, such as with the absolute gem that is Nailed It!The often ridiculous antics of Overcooked are a wonderful match for that type of lighthearted competition show. In the game, one to four players work together to cook customers' food orders as quickly as possible while the environment creates silly, unexpected obstacles. Unfortunately, there's no way the Netflix legal team will green light challenges where contestants might fall into actual lava, and recreating the space travel levels would probably blow the budget. But I can see all sorts of Overcooked-style mayhem from sliding on icy floors or suddenly moving countertops. I'm also imagining a lot of dashing between inconveniently placed kitchen appliances and occasionally plunging the contestants into total darkness. There's no timeline given in Deadline's report, but I cannot wait for this to exist.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/co-op-game-overcooked-may-become-a-competition-reality-tv-show-on-netflix-222406920.html?src=rss

A familiar face will be helping Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani set up his new administration before he takes office in 2026. Lina Khan, former Federal Trade Commission Chair under President Joe Biden, has been officially announced as one of Mamdani's transition co-chairs, alongside Grace Bonilla, Maria Torres-Springer and Melanie Hartzog.Mamdani's platform is focused on affordability, with fighting corporate corruption a key way he hopes to lower prices for New Yorkers. Mamdani's proposed policies include working to ban hidden fees and non-compete clauses, while funding challenges to utility company rate hikes. It's not surprising that Khan and Mamdani would be aligned. As Chair, Khan is best known for trying to rebuild the FTC's anti-monopolist backbone, but she was similarly interested in banning non-compete clauses and hidden junk fees. Khan has also publicly expressed her appreciation for the Mamdani campaign's focus on small businesses in The New York Times Opinion section."I think what we saw last night was New Yorkers not just electing a new mayor, but clearly rejecting a politics where outsized corporate power and money too often end up dictating our politics," Khan said at a press conference announcing her new role. "And a clear mandate for change, where New Yorkers can get ahead and where all workers and small businesses can thrive, not just get by."While Mamdani has served as a New York state assemblyman, his relative lack of experience has been used as a consistent criticism of his candidacy for mayor. Clearly, that didn't matter to voters, but Mamdani's chosen transition team members suggest he plans to surround himself with people who are experienced. In the case of Khan, that includes a transition co-chair who's willing to be openly critical of corporate power. The Trump administration has effectively remade the FTC in its image, but there's more than one place the influence of big businesses can be checked.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/former-ftc-chair-lina-khan-will-help-zohran-mamdani-build-his-new-administration-220304723.html?src=rss

When Apple introduces its more capable version of Siri in 2026, it increasingly sounds like it'll have Google to thank. Bloomberg reports that Apple is finalizing plans to use a custom version of Gemini to power the new Siri and plans to pay Google handsomely for the privilege.The new Siri will still use some of Apple's homegrown models, but will also rely on a version of Gemini running on the company's Private Cloud Compute servers to "handle Siri's summarizer and planner functions," Bloomberg writes. Those functions "help the voice assistant synthesize information and decide how to execute complex tasks." Since using apps on people's behalf is core to Apple's pitch for its updated assistant, Gemini appears to be playing a critical role.Apple will reportedly pay $1 billion annually to use Google's technology, a fraction of what Google has reportedly paid the company to make Google Search the default search option on Apple's devices. The partnership will likely not be advertised, though, and Apple plans to eventually replace Google's model with its own. Specifically, with "a one trillion parameter cloud-based model that it hopes to have ready for consumer applications as early as next year," according to Bloomberg.Siri can use ChatGPT for specific requests as part of Apple Intelligence, and Gemini was rumored to be added as another AI option in March 2024. After Apple delayed Siri a year later in 2025, though, the need for more substantial help reportedly became necessary. The possibility of Siri being backed by Gemini was first reported in August, when Google was asked to create a version of its model that could run securely on Apple's servers. The iPhone maker was previously rumored to have explored deals with both Anthropic and OpenAI before that.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-will-reportedly-use-a-custom-version-of-gemini-to-power-the-new-siri-203046995.html?src=rss

Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley has unveiled his latest venture and yes, it's another location-based social app. But, rather than the check-ins Crowley first popularized more than 15 years ago, "BeeBot" has a very 2025 take on the concept. Instead, the app is an AI-powered "DJ" that can deliver contextual audio updates to your ears as you move through your day.Crowley describes BeeBot as an "app for AirPods," though it will work with any type of headphones, as well as smart glasses with audio capabilities like Meta's. "Whenever you put your AirPods in, it turns on," Crowley explains in a post on Medium. "Whenever you take your AirPods out it turns off. And when it's 'on' it'll push you snippets of audio about the people, places, and events that are nearby.'To do this, you'll need to give the app access to your location and share a handful of "keywords" about your interests. You can also share your contacts to get updates from friends who are using the app. The BeeBot "DJ," which of course has an AI voice, will then be able to talk to you as you throughout the dat and alert you to interesting events, landmarks or updates from friends who happen to be nearby.In some ways, it sounds like Crowley is trying to re-create some of the serendipitous IRL social interactions enabled by the original version of Foursquare. BeeBot doesn't have "mayorships," badges or any of the gamification features that helped popularize FourSquare, but it's meant to have some of the "same playful spirit," of OG Foursquare, according to Crowley. (Foursquare shut down its city guide app of the same name earlier this year, though its check-in app, Swarm, lives on.)And, because it's 2025, there's also a whole bunch of AI thrown in, including "a mix of different LLMs" and "synthetic voices." The app is "powered by a TikTok-style algorithm," Crowley says, "but one that's focused on what's happening nearby and IRL."There also seems to be a bit of DNA from Marsbot, the short-lived (and IMO very underrated) chat-based app Foursquare launched in 2016 that could proactively provide personalized restaurant recommendations. While BeeBot isn't as heavily focused on neighborhood recommendations as Foursquare, it is meant to proactively let you know about nearby happenings you might be interested in or even a bit of gossip from friends. In addition to friends' status updates, the app will draw on local Substacks and newsletters for relevant info about a given area.Crowley says the DJ's audio cues may "occasionally" interrupt your music or podcast to give an update, though users should expect to hear these only a couple times throughout the day. BeeBot won't interrupt voice or video calls.BeeBot, which is the inaugural project of Crowley's new company Hopscotch Labs, is out now in the App Store, though it's still "very much a work in progress," according to Crowley. "I feel like the version of the product we're sharing with folks today is kind of where Foursquare was when it launched at SXSW in 2009 - an interesting vision, a good-enough execution, but something that still needs to be shaped by the people using it to fully blossom."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-foursquare-founders-new-app-is-an-ai-powered-dj-for-neighborhood-updates-202326296.html?src=rss

DAZN, a sports streaming service that covers everything from MMA to golf, is now available as an add-on subscription through Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK. The streaming service was previously available in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Canada.Subscribing to DAZN requires an additional $30 a month subscription on top of what users already pay for Prime Video ($9 a month for a standalone plan or the cost of an Amazon Prime subscription). The service includes access to a mixture of live sports coverage including "more than 185 fight nights per year" and "over 300 live soccer games from Italy's Lega Series A," according to Amazon.While it costs extra, the service makes for a nice complement to the sports content that's already available through Prime Video for no additional fee, like Thursday Night Football, select NBA games, the NASCAR Cup Series and the Masters golf tournament in 2026.Access to live games is increasingly the defining feature of most video streaming platforms. Amazon has its carveouts, YouTube TV has NFL Sunday Ticket and Apple continues to hold down MLS and now, F1 racing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/dazn-is-available-through-amazon-prime-video-in-the-us-and-uk-195348836.html?src=rss

Apple just launched a redesign of the popular song-identifying app Shazam, which was spotted by 9to5Mac. This update takes full advantage of the company's recently-launched Liquid Glass visual language.The company promises a "sleek" new look, but that's not the only change. This visual redesign should make it much easier to quickly glance at recent songs you've identified via the Home tab. They now appear directly on the home screen.

Google and Epic Games have reached a settlement that would bring their years-long court battle to a close. The companies have filed a proposal in the federal court of San Francisco, asking US District Judge James Donato to approve a modified version of the order he originally imposed on Google when it lost the case. "Together with Epic Games we have filed a proposed set of changes to Android and Google Play that focus on expanding developer choice and flexibility, lowering fees, and encouraging more competition all while keeping users safe," said Sameer Samat, the President of Android Ecosystem at Google, on X.Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the proposal for "genuinely [doubling] down on Android's original vision as an open platform to streamline competing store installs globally, reduce service fees for developers on Google Play and enable third-party in-app and web payments." Epic Games sued Google in 2020, accusing it of an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices.The court sided with Epic Games in late 2023, and Google lost its appeal in July this year. Google tried to ask the Supreme Court to block the injunction Donato handed down, which required the company to make major changes to the Play Store, while it appealed the case again. But the Supreme Court denied its request. That means Google will be prohibited from paying manufacturers and app developers to exclusively install and distribute on the Play Store, respectively. It will also be prohibited from forcing developers to only use its payment system, and it will have to allow third-party app stores to be installed on Android devices.Google will still have to follow most of Donato's orders under the proposal, but the companies made some modifications. To start with, they've worked out how to "allow developers and users to seamlessly use alternative payment mechanisms," both in-app and via external links, while adhering to Google's security and safety standards. They've also specified the maximum fees Google can charge for both in-app and linked transactions, which are 9 percent or 20 percent, depending on the type of transaction. This fee cap also depends on when the app in question was installed. Specifically, the commission caps on third party in-app payment systems would only apply to new app installs.The companies have identified "reasonable, neutral criteria" that third-party stores would be required to meet, as well. Users will easily be able to download stores that meet those criteria so they can compete against the Play Store and each other around the world.Samat said that the companies are meeting with Judge Donato on Thursday, and if he approves of the proposal, it "would resolve [the] litigations."Update, November 5, 2025, 2:22PM ET: This story has been updated with more details on how the fee caps for in-app purchases and linked transactions work.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-and-epic-games-reach-settlement-for-antitrust-lawsuit-120019374.html?src=rss

Sony AI released a dataset that tests the fairness and bias of AI models. It's called the Fair Human-Centric Image Benchmark (FHIBE, pronounced like "Phoebe"). The company describes it as the "first publicly available, globally diverse, consent-based human image dataset for evaluating bias across a wide variety of computer vision tasks." In other words, it tests the degree to which today's AI models treat people fairly. Spoiler: Sony didn't find a single dataset from any company that fully met its benchmarks.Sony says FHIBE can address the AI industry's ethical and bias challenges. The dataset includes images of nearly 2,000 paid participants from over 80 countries. All of their likenesses were shared with consent - something that can't be said for the common practice of scraping large volumes of web data. Participants in FHIBE can remove their images at any time. Their photos include annotations noting demographic and physical characteristics, environmental factors and even camera settings.The tool "affirmed previously documented biases" in today's AI models. But Sony says FHIBE can also provide granular diagnoses of factors that led to those biases. One example: Some models had lower accuracy for people using "she/her/hers" pronouns, and FHIBE highlighted greater hairstyle variability as a previously overlooked factor.FHIBE also determined that today's AI models reinforced stereotypes when prompted with neutral questions about a subject's occupation. The tested models were particularly skewed "against specific pronoun and ancestry groups," describing subjects as sex workers, drug dealers or thieves. And when prompted about what crimes an individual committed, models sometimes produced "toxic responses at higher rates for individuals of African or Asian ancestry, those with darker skin tones and those identifying as 'he/him/his.'"Sony AI says FHIBE proves that ethical, diverse and fair data collection is possible. The tool is now available to the public, and it will be updated over time. A paper outlining the research was published in Nature on Wednesday.Update, November 5, 2025, 2:01 PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that the participants were paid, not volunteers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/sony-has-a-new-benchmark-for-ethical-ai-160045574.html?src=rss

Fitbit is holding an early Black Friday and there are plenty of noteworthy deals. The Charge 6 fitness tracker is on sale for $100, which is a nice discount of $60 and 38 percent off. The deal applies to multiple colorways. The Charge 6 topped our list of the best fitness trackers, and for good reason. It features built-in GPS, which means it doesn't have to be tethered to a phone when doing some cardio. The heart rate monitor is much more accurate when compared to the Charge 5 and the battery lasts a full week before requiring a trip to the outlet. All told, it tracks 20 exercise types, in addition to sleep. The Charge 6 features a full-color AMOLED display that's easy on the eyes and a relatively thin design. This makes it feel fairly premium, especially when compared to rival devices. On the downside, there's no real integration with Apple Health. This could be a dealbreaker for some. Also, some health data is hidden behind a Fitbit Premium paywall. That service costs $10 each month. This isn't the only Fitbit product on sale right now. The Inspire 3 fitness tracker is available for $70, which is a discount of 30 percent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/fitbit-black-friday-deals-are-here-early-and-one-of-our-favorite-fitness-trackers-is-on-sale-for-100-185704387.html?src=rss

Direct File, the free, government-provided alternative to services like TurboTax, won't be available for the 2026 tax season, Bloomberg Tax reports. That's based on a letter sent from the Internal Revenue Service to participating states that says that "no launch date has been set for the future."A Biden administration project, Direct File was designed to be an easy way for eligible taxpayers to file taxes online, without having to pay for a service like TurboTax or H&R Block to do it on their behalf. The IRS began piloting Direct File for the 2024 tax season, and opted to make it a permanent option later that year. Direct File was available for the most recent 2025 tax season in 25 states in the US.Despite the service's success, the Trump administration appears to opposed to offering Direct File in its current form. The "Big Beautiful Bill" passed in July 2025 includes funding for the IRS to research "the cost to replace any direct e-file programs run by the Internal Revenue Service" and "the cost of developing and running a free direct e-file tax return system." Whatever the results of that research, later in July, former IRS Commissioner Billy Long seemed to suggest the e-filing option had been eliminated. "You've heard of Direct File, that's gone," Long said at a tax professional summit. "Big beautiful Billy wiped that out."Engadget has contacted the IRS to confirm that Direct File won't be offered in 2026. We'll update this article if we hear back.While the IRS has yet to formally announce that Direct File is going away outside of Long's comments, the tool is currently unavailable through the IRS website. Additionally, the position to lead the Direct File project inside the IRS is currently vacant under acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-irs-free-tax-filing-tool-reportedly-wont-be-offered-in-2026-185430716.html?src=rss

The outlook for future generations isn't looking so great. The UN released its annual Emissions Gap Report on Tuesday, and the news is mostly bad. The world's projected climate path falls far short of the Paris Agreement targets. Although the 2025 projections are slightly better than last year's, some of that improvement is due to the report's methodological changes. The UN also notes that the upcoming US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will basically cancel that out.The UN measures progress based on projections of rising temperatures (relative to pre-industrial levels) by 2030. The Paris Agreement's goals are to limit that to 2 degrees Celsius (while pursuing a path to 1.5 degrees C). The current projections are well above both numbers: 2.3 to 2.5 degrees C.Those numbers compare to 2.5 to 2.8 degrees C in last year's report, but the improvement is partially chalked up to methodological changes. The report states that the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in January 2026 will wipe out around 0.1 degrees C of progress.WildfiresMatt Palmer / UnsplashGetting the temperature rise down to 1.5 degrees C by 2100 is still possible, but it appears increasingly unlikely. To get there, the world would need to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2035. Meanwhile, to achieve 2 degrees C of warming by 2030, those cuts would need to reach 35 percent. As the report bleakly puts it, national pledges and the current geopolitical situation "do not provide promising signs that this will happen.""Given the size of the cuts needed, the short time available to deliver them and a challenging political climate, a higher exceedance of 1.5 degrees C will happen, very likely within the next decade," the UN says. The best hope for reaching the long-term goals now lies in reversing that change after the fact. However, that carries the risk of crossing "irreversible climate tipping points," such as the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet.Of course, rising temperatures alone aren't the only things to worry about. Cascading effects would include crop losses (and food insecurity), water scarcity, wildfires, coastal flooding and coral reef collapse. You also can't ignore the geopolitical implications, as desperate migrants flee uninhabitable regions, crowding the more livable ones.A small silver lining is that solar and wind energy development has exceeded expectations, making their expansion easier and cheaper. The UN notes that CO2 removal tech could eventually help supplement policy changes, but that approach is "uncertain, risky and costly."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/un-emissions-report-the-planet-is-falling-well-short-of-its-climate-targets-184255639.html?src=rss

Reddit won't escape Australia's child social media ban. The Guardian reports that Communications Minister Anika Wells announced Reddit's addition on Wednesday. The nation's law, which blocks children under 16 from major social media sites, is scheduled to go into effect on December 10.Alongside Reddit, Wells said Australian streaming site Kick would also be included. They join the previously announced Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Australia considers the list to be a starting point for the ban and won't rule out adding more.YouTube was initially excluded because it was considered an educational tool. But after protests from other companies on the list, Australia ultimately added it.The ban passed in late 2024. The legislation puts the onus on the platforms, rather than parents, to police underage use. Companies that don't take reasonable steps to prevent under-16 users from accessing their platforms can face penalties of up to AU$49.5 million (around $32 million)."There's a time and place for social media in Australia, but there's not a place for predatory algorithms, harmful content and toxic popularity [meters] manipulating Australian children," Wells said. "Online platforms can target children with chilling control. We are mandating they use that sophisticated technology to protect them."Update, November 5 2025, 1:09PM ET: A previous version of this story indicated that Australia was considering banning under 16s from using Discord, GitHub and Roblox. This is not the case, as Australian officials do not plan to treat those as age-restricted social media platforms. We regret the error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-will-be-included-in-australias-looming-under-16-social-media-ban-213052856.html?src=rss

Discord has been trying to strike a balance between affording teen users their privacy and allowing for parental oversight. Over the next week, the platform is rolling out some updates for its Family Center with the aim of helping parents gain more understanding of what their teens are doing on Discord, while giving them the ability to manage certain settings.Parents and guardians were already able to see an overview of some of their teens' Discord activity. Now, they'll be able to view all purchases for the previous seven days; exactly how long teens have spent in voice and video calls across direct messages, servers and group DMs; and the five users and servers that a teen has called and messaged most often over the last week.Teens will have the option to notify a guardian when they report another user or a piece of content to Discord. The guardian will receive an email telling them that their teen filed a report but not the details. The idea behind that is to have a conversation about the report and for the guardian to lend their support.In addition, Discord is adding guardian-managed settings to Family Center. These include the ability to determine who can DM a teen and if sensitive content filters are enabled. Guardians will have access to some data privacy controls too.Discord said it designed the updates with teens in mind and to make sure they can maintain their independence while having the parental support they might need. Guardians can't see the content of messages that their teens send. Teens can also view the same information as their guardians in Family Center.To use Family Center, guardians and teens need to link their accounts. They can do so by going to User Settings > Family Center in the Discord app.As with other social platforms, Discord is under the spotlight when it comes to the safety of young users. Earlier this year, New Jersey's attorney general sued Discord, claiming that it "misled parents about the efficacy of its safety controls and obscured the risks children faced when using the application."Update, November 5, 2025, 1:01PM ET: A previous version of this story indicated that Australia was considering banning under 16s from using Discord. This is not the case, as Discord will not be considered an age-restricted social media platform by Australian officials. We regret the error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/discord-gives-parents-more-insight-into-their-teens-activity-through-family-center-170000419.html?src=rss

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a fascinating journey through the history of Atari, but that timeline couldn't be truly rounded without the inclusion of some Namco classics like Pac-Man and Galaga. To remedy that, Atari and developer Digital Eclipse are releasing another paid expansion for the retro collection. It's called The Namco Legendary Pack and it will be available on November 13 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Steam for $8.The DLC adds a new interactive timeline that will take you through the history of Namco games on Atari systems, with the help of video interviews with developers and archival materials including photos and other documents. The expansion features versions of Pac-Man for Atari 2600, Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit. Pac-Man was the best-selling game on Atari 2600, but it's safe to say that version doesn't exactly hold up.The Namco Legendary Pack also includes the US arcade versions of Dig Dug and Xevius. In addition, you'll get home console versions of those two games, Galaga and Galaxian.The DLC will make Atari 50 even more of a comprehensive overview of the company's history. An expansion that arrived last November charted the rivalry between Atari and Intellivision, aka the first console war. Atari finally brought that to a decisive end when it bought the Intellivision brand last year.

The Motion Picture Association doesn't share Meta's view that the content people under the age of 18 might encounter on an Instagram Teen Account is comparable to what you might find in a PG-13 movie. The MPA has reportedly hit Mark Zuckerberg's company with a cease-and-desist letter that objects to Meta's use of the term "PG-13."To rewind, Meta revamped its teen-specific accounts - which were first introduced last year - last month, claiming that going forward the account content would be guided by PG-13 movie ratings. In a blog post explaining the change, it said: "Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram - but we're going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible."As Engadget's Karissa Bell pointed out at the time, while Meta openly acknowledged that no system is without its flaws, the analogy is a bit vague and confusing, especially as the company has tightened up some of its rules so that teens are no longer supposed to see any "sexually suggestive" content on the app. This is despite content of that nature often being present in a PG-13 movie.In the cease-and-desist letter that The Wall Street Journal claims to have seen, the MPA has called Meta's use of its ratings system in describing how the new teen account restrictions work "literally false and highly misleading." It said that the established movie-ratings system is not comparable to Meta's system, which it added appears to "rely heavily on artificial intelligence." It also warned that potential issues with Meta's classification metrics would "inevitably cause the public to question the integrity of the MPA's rating system."Meta did also directly reference the PG-13 ratings system in its blog post when discussing its AI experiences, where it said that teens interacting with chatbots would not receive "age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie." Meta told the WSJ that the changes were intended to make it easier for parents to understand its content policies by measuring them against something familiar, and that it was aware that "social media isn't the same as movies." Responding to the cease-and-desist letter, it said that it never tried to claim or imply any official PG-13 certification from the MPA.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-mpa-tells-meta-to-stop-using-pg-13-to-describe-teen-accounts-174251843.html?src=rss

Teenage Engineering just revealed the EP-40 Riddim sampler. This reggae-inspired groovebox is another redesign of the pre-existing EP-133 KO II sampler. It has the same square body and button-based workflow, but there are several changes here.First of all, the entire exterior has been redesigned to make that reggae theme really pop. It's green and off-white, with fun fonts aplenty. The thing just screams "play me," much like the original KO II.Perhaps the biggest internal feature is the addition of an actual synth engine called Supertone. The previous models in this series were just samplers. The company promises that this engine can deliver thick bass sounds and classic leads. It also offers access to a dub-inspired siren mode that's pressure sensitive. It oscillates faster the harder you press it.The machine also boasts double the storage and an additional main effect. All told, there are seven main effects and 12 punch-in effects. These have all been inspired by reggae tunes. It comes pre-loaded with hundreds of samples which have also primarily been pulled from the genre.This isn't just for reggae, as sounds are sounds and people can do whatever they want with them. Also, it's really easy to load your own samples into this machine via a web tool. I've used the tool often with the original KO II and it truly is drag-and-drop.Teenage Engineering There's one final fascinating element here. The sampler ships with something called the EP-2350 Ting microphone. This handheld mic resembles something out of a CB radio and is "lo-fi by design." It features four voice-changing effects, including one that combines echo and spring reverb. This is an essential effect for dub reggae vocals. In theory, this microphone could be used with other devices, but it's only available as a combo pack with the Riddim.Everything else is in line with the KO II. It has a speaker that'll likely be pretty crappy, but also plenty of inputs and outputs. It operates via AA batteries and there are 12 buttons to trigger samples.The Riddim is slightly more expensive than its counterparts, at $329. However, this does include the aforementioned Ting microphone. It's available right now for purchase.This is the second off-kilter rebrand of the KO II. Teenage Engineering already released the EP-1320 Medieval, which is filled with samples of screaming peasants, flutes and Gregorian chants. The menus were also completely in Latin which, dear readers, made it very hard to use for this dumb American.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/teenage-engineering-made-a-reggae-inspired-sampler-complete-with-a-weird-microphone-for-vocals-173812774.html?src=rss

The Bose QuietComfort headphones (the non-Ultra variety) are on sale. Best Buy's early Black Friday sale has the comfy cans for 45 percent off, knocking their price down to $199. That matches their record low from Prime Day. Bose's headphones have top-notch comfort and active noise cancellation (ANC). For the latter, you can choose between "Quiet" (full ANC) and "Aware" (hear your surroundings) modes. There's also a wind-blocking feature. The headphones' audio, while not quite on par with the $449 Ultra variant (and missing spatial tricks), far surpasses what you'll typically find for $199. The company estimates 24 hours of battery life. It also supports quick charging: Plug in its USB-C cable and get up to 2.5 hours of charge in only 15 minutes. This model doesn't include an option to turn off ANC altogether, which some people may have appreciated. (That would have led to even more battery life, desirable for frequent travelers.) But if you're like me and always listen in ANC or aware modes, this is as solid a pick as you'll find for the sale price. Best Buy has a bunch of other headphones on sale for Black Friday. Of note are the Bose Ultra open-ear buds for $100 off, and the Beats Studio Pro for $150 off.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-bose-quietcomfort-headphones-drop-to-199-in-best-buys-black-friday-sale-124501906.html?src=rss

Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time, but Google is making AI Mode harder to avoid. In the US, the company has begun rolling out an update for Chrome on Android and iOS that adds an AI Mode shortcut to the browser's new tab page. It's predominantly featured, appearing right below the browser's signature search bar."This will let you ask more complex, multi-part questions, and then dive even deeper into a topic with follow-up questions and relevant links," the company said of the update. In the near future, Google plans to bring the shortcut to 160 additional countries, with support for other languages - including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese - on the way as well.Google introduced AI Mode at the start of March when it previewed the feature through its Labs program. Since then, it has been aggressively rolling out AI Mode in nearly every market it operates, beginning this past May at I/O 2025 May when the company made the chatbot available to all US users.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-adds-an-ai-mode-shortcut-to-chrome-on-mobile-170042622.html?src=rss

Google has been replacing Assistant with Gemini across all its apps, and Maps is the latest one getting an upgrade. The AI assistant will let you interact with the app using natural conversation while you navigate the roads hands-free. You can, for instance, ask it: "Is there a budget-friendly Japanese restaurant along my route within a couple of miles?" And after it has responded, you can keep on asking it follow-up questions, such as if a specific restaurant has a parking space and what dishes are popular there. Once you've decided on a place, you can simply tell Gemini: "Okay, let's go there," to start navigating to it.You'll also be able to ask Gemini to do random tasks while it's navigating and without leaving the Maps app, such as adding events to your Calendar if you allow it to connect to the app. In addition, Gemini will let you report traffic disruptions, simply by saying "there's flooding ahead" or "I see an accident." Gemini in Google Maps is rolling out over the next few weeks to Android and iOS in all regions where Gemini is available. It's also coming to Android Auto in the future.In the US, Maps is getting more capabilities powered by the AI assistant. You can now get directions that mention landmarks that are easy to spot. Instead of saying "turn left in 500 feet," for example, Gemini will say "turn left after the Thai Siam Restaurant." The landmark will also be highlighted in Maps as a visual cue. This feature is now rolling out to both Android and iOS devices. Maps will now proactively notify you of road disruptions on Android, as well, even if you're not actively navigating. Finally, you'll be able to use Lens with Gemini within the Maps app when it starts rolling out later this month to Android and iOS. You simply have to tap on the camera in the Maps search bar, point to an establishment and ask it questions about the location, such as "What is this place and why is it popular?"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-maps-gemini-integration-will-make-hands-free-navigation-more-conversational-140009629.html?src=rss

Slowly but surely, Sony has been transforming the initially limited PlayStation Portal into a viable handheld for PS5 gamers, albeit only those with a solid internet connection. What launched as a strictly remote play device eventually got unlocked for cloud streaming, with PS Plus Premium members able to play select Game Catalog games without needing to connect to a PS5. And from today, you can also stream select digital PS5 games that you own.Again, you'll need to have a PS Plus Premium membership to take advantage of the new features, but once signed up to the most expensive tier of Sony's subscription service you'll be able to stream the likes of Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirthand Ghost of Yotei, which are among the the thousands of games supported at launch.You could, of course, already play all of these games on the Portal over remote play from your PS5. But now that the device has been untethered from the main console, it gets a bit closer to the dedicated go-anywhere PlayStation handheld everyone wants. That's provided you have a decent enough Wi-Fi connection to get a good quality stream.Alongside the new cloud streaming functionality, the Portal has a new home screen that adds a search tab for quickly finding games that are available to stream. The latest update also adds 3D audio support for supported games on both remote play and cloud streams when using wired headphones or one of Sony's proprietary PlayStation Link headsets. You can also now add a passcode lock to the device, while a new network status screen is available in the Quick menu.Sony now allows you to make in-game purchases while streaming games over the cloud without leaving a session, and if you have a friend playing the same game you're streaming, you can receive invites and join their game from the Quick menu.Sony seems intent on the PlayStation Portal plugging the gap between now and and the arrival of the PS6, which could reportedly arrive in the next two years alongside a powerful complementary handheld device that might beat out the ROG Xbox Ally X in the specs department.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-now-stream-ps5-games-you-own-over-the-cloud-on-the-playstation-portal-135025829.html?src=rss

2026 is seemingly going to be the year that Netflix gets aggressive with podcasting. We already knew that the streamer will start licensing video podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer in the new year, and according to a new report, agents at leading talent agencies are being sounded out ahead of a Q1 push.Sources have told The Hollywood Reporterthat Netflix has sent dozens of requests" to agents at WME, UTA and CAA as it looks to add more video podcasts to the platform. The plan is that the company launches its video podcast offering in early 2026, by which time it wants to have a library of shows with existing audiences.This comes after Bloombergreported this week that Netflix is also in licensing talks with iHeartMedia, which is one of the largest podcasts publishers in the world and makes shows like Stuff You Should Know and The Breakfast Club. According to Bloomberg's sources, Netflix wants an exclusivity deal that would mean featured shows would no longer be uploaded to YouTube. The latter is Spotify's biggest rival in the space, and passed one billion monthly active podcast viewers at the start of 2025.The Spotify deal Netflix penned last month includes nine sports podcasts at launch, among them The Bill Simmons Podcast and The Zach Lowe Show. Other video podcasts coming to the streaming service include Serial Killers and The Ringer's The Rewatchables.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-is-reportedly-going-big-on-video-podcasts-for-2026-133025499.html?src=rss

Putting AI in space may sound like a sci-fi nightmare, but Google is thinking about the idea with a research endeavor called Project Suncatcher. The idea is to put power-hungry data centers into orbit on solar-powered satellites, so they can be powered by unlimited, clean energy available 24 hours a day. That would mitigate the nastiest aspects of AI cloud computing, like the use of power plants that spew huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.Project Suncatcher is a literal moonshot of the type that Google used to do more often. The search giant wants to put its AI chips, called Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), into orbit aboard solar panel-equipped satellites. In the future, space may be the best place to scale AI compute," wrote Google senior director Travis Beals. "In the right orbit, a solar panel can be up to 8 times more productive than on Earth, and produce power nearly continuously, reducing the need for batteries."Suffice to say, the idea poses numerous challenges. That proximity to the sun would expose the TPUs to high levels of radiation that can rapidly degrade electronic components. However, Google has tested its current chips for radiation tolerance and said they'd be able to survive a five year mission without suffering permanent failures.Google's Tensor Processing UnitGoogleAnother challenge is the high-speed data links of "tens of terabits per second" and low latency required between satellites. Those speeds would be hard to achieve in space, as transmitting data at long distances requires exponentially more power than on Earth. To achieve that, Google said it may need to maneuver TPU-equipped satellites into tight formations, possibly within "kilometers or less" of each other. That would have the added benefit of reducing "station keeping" thrust maneuvers needed to keep the satellites in the right position.The determining factor, though, is money. Launching TPUs into space may not seem cost-efficient, but Google's analysis shows that doing so could be "roughly comparable" to data centers on Earth (in terms of power efficiency) by around the mid-2030s.While it's currently only a preliminary research paper, Google is planning to put Project Suncatcher through some initial trials. It has teamed with a company called Planet on a "learning mission" to launch a pair of prototype satellites into orbit by 2027. "This experiment will test how our models and TPU hardware operate in space and validate the use of optical inter-satellite links for distributed ML [machine learning] tasks," Google wrote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-contemplates-putting-giant-ai-installations-in-low-earth-orbit-123025256.html?src=rss

After launching it in China earlier, DJI has unveiled its flagship smartphone gimbal, the Osmo Mobile 8. The new model looks much like the Osmo Mobile 7P and has the same Multifunctional tracking module with a built-in light. However, it adds a bunch of useful new functionality including Apple DockKit support, 360-degree panning and pet tracking.The lack of Apple DockKit support was an issue with the Osmo Mobile 7P, as it made tracking yourself trickier with some apps. It also put DJI behind Insta360's Flow 2 Pro, which does support DockKit. That's no longer an issue with the Osmo Mobile 8, though. You can now do subject tracking within the native iPhone camera app or any of the 200-plus iOS applications compatible with DockKit.At the same time, full tracking is available via the Multifunctional Module. That attaches to the side of its updated, more secure magnetic phone mount, letting you track yourself or other subjects automatically with any camera app. It includes a surprisingly powerful LED fill light and works as a receiver for DJI's wireless microphones, including the Mic Mini, Mic 2 and Mic 3. On top of humans, the module now supports dog and cat tracking as well. As before, it also supports gesture control.DJIAnother key feature is a pan axis that supports 360 degree horizontal rotation that no longer hits a stop as before. That means when you lock onto moving subjects with intelligent tracking, it'll keep following them even if they go all the way around the camera. The updated, more comfortable grip (and 0.8 pound weight) also makes it easier to take low angle shots, something that that will be handy when trying to follow your cat around.When using DJI's Mimo app, you also get access to DJI's advanced ActiveTrack 7.0.1 tracking tech. It comes with a feature called Dual Lens Boost 2 that uses your phones wide-angle and telephoto lenses to make sure a subject isn't lost, even if they move quickly or within a crowded scene. Another feature, Smart Capture, makes it easy to switch between subjects, even in complex environments, according to DJI.The OM8 uses DJI's latest three-axis stabilization tech to smooth even jarring movements without hurting quality like a smartphone can do. Other features include an integrated tripod, easy switching between front and rear cameras (along with the ability to flip the camera 180 degrees for rear camera selfies), an integrated tripod and a built-in extension rod. DJI's Osmo Mobile 8 gimbal is now available in Europe for 159 euros, with US pricing and availability to be announced shortly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-mobile-8-gimbal-adds-pet-tracking-and-apple-dockkit-support-120032512.html?src=rss