After a ton of leaks, Google officially announced the $499 Pixel 9a, which has the potential to be the new king of mid-range phones. It has dual cameras and access to Google's AI features - in many ways, it's everything the iPhone 16e should have been (especially its price). In this episode, Senior Writer Sam Rutherford joins us to discuss what's great about the Pixel 9a, as well as its potential downsides compared to the Pixel 9.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Subscribe!
When most people think of gaming laptops, they imagine high-end gaming machines with the latest graphics card, processor and so on. And of course, gaming laptops of that caliber are going to come with a hefty price tag. However, it is possible to get a budget gaming laptop that still lets you play the latest AAA titles, without spending thousands of unnecessary dollars. If you're searching for the best budget gaming laptop, you've come to the right place. All of our recommendations come in at a palatable $1,250 or less, meaning you can still enjoy an immersive gaming experience, at a much more affordable price. They all boast speedy SSDs, dedicated graphics cards and generous screen sizes, which are must-haves when investing in a budget gaming laptop. Table of contents
Bloober Team is taking its horror game cred into a new direction with the launch of publisher Broken Mirror Games. This "co-development label" is collaborating with Rock Square Thunder, an indie outfit founded by ex-Bloober devs, for a new open-world survival horror game called I Hate This Place. It's scheduled for release in the final quarter of 2025 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch.The source material for this adaptation is a comic book series of the same title from Skybound Entertainment by writer Kyle Starks and artist Artyom Topilin. Fittingly, the game has kept a hand-drawn style for its tale of protagonist Elena, who has accidentally unleashed a nightmarish force and now has to fight for her life by using her wits and finding shelter before the sun sets.While its exact focus in the genre has shifted, Bloober Team has created several well-received horror games such as Layers of Fear, last year's Silent Hill 2 remake and the upcoming Cronos: The New Dawn.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bloober-team-launches-horror-publishing-label-with-debut-game-i-hate-this-place-220032691.html?src=rss
There's something really exciting about FBC: Firebreak, Remedy's take on cooperative, online first-person shooters. I've been trying to pinpoint a specific wow factor since attending the game's developer-led demonstration last week, but I've concluded it's a combination of multiple cool features blended perfectly together. FBC: Firebreak is set in the sterile headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control and it features Remedy's trademark dark surrealism, but it's also infused with a healthy dose of silliness and mechanical depth. The result feels like a modern Left 4 Dead in the best possible way, just with Hiss instead of zombies and three players instead of four.Left 3 Dead, anyone?FBC: Firebreak takes place six years after the end of Control. The Oldest House, which used to be the seat of power for the FBC, has been sealed with the Hiss inside, and it's now time to eradicate the invasion and lift the lockdown. The agency is sending in the Firebreak team, a unit composed of government volunteers with no extra combat training and little hope of making it out alive. As a member of Firebreak, you're handed some special equipment, patted on the back and locked inside the headquarters with the Hiss and every unfortunate employee it's infested. Good luck.The game is broken down by Jobs, which are essentially custom-built missions in specific regions of The Oldest House. All Jobs have three zones, but otherwise each one has a unique objective, crisis, and environment. After selecting a Job, you get to customize your run by setting the Threat Level and Clearance Level - Threat Level determines combat difficulty and the number of rewards up for grabs, while Clearance Level sets the number of zones you have to clear and the type of rewards.I will say we do have more than three clearance levels, and you get into some pretty interesting stuff later, such as corrupted items that appear during the job," game director Mike Kayatta said.Remedy EntertainmentBefore the match begins, each player gets to select one of three Crisis Kits, loadouts designed with specific playstyles in mind. Crisis Kits come with a tool and an item each. The Jump Kit is based around electricity and it has the Electro-Kinectic Charge Impactor, a portable jackhammer kind of device with a conductive metal plate on the end, capable of slamming into enemies or propelling yourself into the air. It also has the BOOMbox, which plays music to attract enemies before exploding. The Fix Kit gives you a big wrench that's able to repair machinery and stagger Hiss, and it also includes a turret that you have to smack with the wrench to assemble. The Splash Kit is for all the water signs out there - it features the Crank-Operated Fluidic Injector, an industrial water cannon that can extinguish fires and soak enemies so they're primed for extra damage, plus a Humidifier, which sprays healing water in a wide area.A good way to look at all of this is that you're going to kind of combine the threat level and the clearance level and the type of job you want to play to sort of create your own load, your own experience, exactly the session that you're looking for with whatever group you're playing with that night," Kayatta said.Members of the Firebreak squad have their own Research Perks, or upgrade slots. You purchase Perks with currency earned during Jobs, and stacking upgrades of the same type strengthens their effect. Equipping three Perks of the same type lends that ability to nearby teammates as well.Remedy EntertainmentFor example, one perk might give you the feature that each missed bullet has a chance to return to your clip, or the ability to extinguish yourself by jumping up and down, which is how that of course works," community manager Julius Fondem said. If you equip just one perk, you get its effect. Simple, straightforward. If you equip two of the same type, you get a stronger version of that perk. And if you equip three of the same perk type, you can actually share its effect with your nearby crewmates. As you increase your kit proficiency, you'll increase the slots you have to play with, giving you the opportunity to play with a lot of different builds and strategies."Killing Hiss is all fine and dandy, but collecting currency is a major goal of each run in FBC: Firebreak, too. Currency is used to purchase new gear and cosmetics as well as Perks. Regardless of whether you actually escape a Job alive, you're rewarded with XP and proficiencies for the gear you used. You can only earn currency by finding it in the environment and successfully escaping with it (and your life).Ultimately, Firebreak is about efficiency," Fondem said. You can't fail objectives, but the longer you spend doing them, the more and more Hiss will show up to stop you, increasing the chance that your crew dies on the job. That means the longer you spend exploring for currency, the more risk you're inviting and the harder it will eventually become to make it back to headquarters in one piece."Speaking of currency - Remedy promises it won't charge for critical content post-launch.We want to keep all of our players united, which means that all playable post-launch content, such as Jobs, will be free for everyone who has the game," Fondem said. We'll support the game by offering paid cosmetic content as well."The Job that Remedy showed off in the media briefing (and featured in today's Future Games Show Spring Showcase) was Paper Chase, a mission filled with flying yellow sticky notes, sticky-note monsters, and one hulking sticky-note titan as the final boss. It's set in a classic FBC office space, concrete walls and blood-orange carpet, and players have to eradicate the rogue, multiplying sticky notes as well as the rushing Hiss. Little squares of paper swirl through the air and cling to the player's face, covering the screen at times, amid explosions, flickering lights and showers of bullets. At one point, a player places a piggy bank in their melee weapon and smashes it on the Hiss, screaming, Stand back, piggy's coming out!" It activates an AOE wind effect on nearby enemies. There are environmental factors to mess with and a range of weapons to deploy - shotguns, machine guns, rifles, pistols, water cannons, turrets, grenades, electrified impact devices, boomboxes - and overall, Paper Chase seems like a damn good time.Remedy EntertainmentIt's taken plenty of iteration to get to this point. And as it turns out, FBC: Firebreak isn't limited to three players just to differentiate itself from a slightly similar 16-year-old game with a four in its title.The reason why we did three-player squads, really, it was like an organic quirk of the development," Kayatta said. We actually started testing with four players. I think it just didn't feel quite as good. It was a little harder to understand where people were. That's something that's, like, not required but definitely helpful in this game. And it just felt like, with all of the chaos and all of the fun systems going off, three just felt right over time. So that's it. And yeah, you can play solo or duo."FBC: Firebreak is due out this summer, and it's heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, plus it'll be available day-one on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus. It'll support cross-play. Remedy is aiming for a lower-minimum" PC spec requirement and optimizing the game for Steam Deck. Still, FBC: Firebreak will ship with full ray-tracing support, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex capabilities.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fbc-firebreak-first-look-left-4-dead-but-with-remedys-silly-surreal-touch-214657219.html?src=rss
Console makers and game developers like Microsoft, Nintendo and Electronic Arts have created a new initiative, managed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), that aims to make it easier to know what accessibility features games have.The new Accessible Games Initiative has defined a set of 24 accessibility tags that will appear in participating game storefronts and product pages so players can know what features a game has before they buy it. The tags have easy to understand definitions and cover a range of accessibility features games offer, like subtitles, input remapping for controls, text-to-speech and speech-to-text in chat and narrated menus. All of the tags and definitions are available to view on the Accessible Games Initiative's website. The ESA also says it will provide developers with criteria for the tags so they can develop accessibility features with them in mind.The new tags are designed to co-exist with existing accessibility information on product pages, but some companies may choose to focus exclusively on the new "cross-industry" standard. For example, Microsoft plans to "replace existing Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags with their equivalent Accessible Games Initiative tags" to avoid duplication, while keeping its own tags that aren't in the initiative's list.The idea for the Accessible Games Initiative "was first developed by Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Ubisoft," according to the ESA, and new companies have joined in time for launch, like "Amazon Games, Riot Games, Square Enix and Warner Bros. Games."Offering some kind of standardized way to know what accessibility features a game has is desperately needed. While developers have gotten better at offering accessibility features in their games by default, players interested in a specific feature have mostly had to rely on third-party resources like Can I Play That? to figure out how well they've been interpreted and implemented. These tags should start to fix that.The only open question is when they'll be adopted. The ESA told The Verge that "the timeline for implementation of the tags is company-dependent," meaning there could be a wait ahead for players hoping to take advantage of the Accessible Games Initiative's work.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/game-companies-will-standardize-accessibility-labels-on-storefronts-and-product-pages-211335539.html?src=rss
If you own a Honda Prologue or Acura ZDX, you'll soon have a lot more places you can charge your car. Honda and Acura EVs will be able to access the Tesla Supercharger network in June 2025, when Honda's official NACS-CCS adapter goes on sale.Adapters will be available to purchase from authorized dealerships, and EV owners will receive a notification from the HondaLink and Acura EV apps when they're available. The apps will also be able to locate Tesla Superchargers around the same time. Honda says the adapter is the safest way to charge on Tesla's more than 20,000 chargers in the US, but hasn't shared how much it'll actually cost once it's available. For a preview of the possible price range for Honda's adapter, car makers have charged anywhere from nothing (Rivian) to $230 (Ford) for an NACS adapter.Honda's plan to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) has been in the works since 2023. In finally offering its own adapter, Honda joins other EV makers like Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Polestar, Lucid and Ford in giving existing EV owners a way to take advantage of Tesla's expansive charging network.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/honda-and-acura-evs-will-be-able-to-use-the-tesla-supercharger-network-in-june-185608357.html?src=rss
In late February, Anthropic released Claude 3.7 Sonnet. As the industry's first hybrid reasoning model, it was a major milestone for the company. Rather than forcing users to pick between a version of Claude that can answer a question nearly instantaneously or work through a problem step by step, the chatbot can do both, with a simple toggle allowing you to switch between Claude's different thinking modes." Today, Anthropic is enhancing 3.7 Sonnet by giving it the ability to search the web."With web search, Claude has access to the latest events and information, boosting its accuracy on tasks that benefit from the most recent data," Anthropic explains. Before today, Claude's knowledge cut-off was October 2024, meaning if you asked it about recent events, there was a good chance you wouldn't get the best answer. When Claude turns to the web for help, it will list citations you can tap or click on to fact-check its answers.If you live in the US and pay for Claude, you can enable web search through the profile settings menu. Anthropic says it will roll out the feature to free users and more countries soon. With today's announcement, Anthropic is playing catchup. OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT Search to paying subscribers last fall, and as of the start of this past February, all users, including those without a ChatGPT account, can use the feature for free.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-chatbot-can-now-search-the-web-too-183501166.html?src=rss
If you receive a lot of email, and most people do, then sometimes it can be a challenge to pull up a particular old missive in your inbox. Google has decided that the solution must be more artificial intelligence. Today, the company announced that it is rolling out an update that uses AI to assess inbox search queries to account for recency, frequent contacts and most-clicked emails. The "most relevant" search feature is rolling out globally to personal accounts, while business accounts will get it at an unspecified future date.If the idea of yet more AI in your software icks you out, at least you won't be required to use this feature. Google notes that once a personal account gets the "most relevant" search results option, there will be a toggle to swap back to the "most recent" view that will show hits in reverse chronological order as usual.If you're happily on board the AI train, you're in luck, because there are a lot more places that Google has been putting this technology. This month alone, AI has been popping up in more aspects of Google's search and shopping portals.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gmail-is-getting-ai-powered-search-results-181745405.html?src=rss
Because of sanctions that will prevent Huawei's latest foldable from going on sale in the US, many folks who are interested in the handset will never lay eyes on it in person. Still, you might want to get a load of this oddity.The Pura X should maybe have a wide load" warning that pops up on the back once it's opened up. Per CNBC, the 6.3-inch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio. That means it's wider and more tablet-like than most other phones. It's not quite as unusual as Huawei's (admittedly cool-looking) tri-fold Mate XT, but it's still funky. Close the hinge and the Pura X folds into a square that has a 3.5-inch display and brings the rear camera array to the front.The handset, which starts at 7,499 Chinese yuan (about $1,037), stands out for other reasons. The Pura X is the first Huawei phone that doesn't have a lick of Android. It runs on a version of HarmonyOS that the brand revealed back in November. It also features Xiaoyi, an in-house AI assistant that uses DeepSeek's tech to bolster Huawei's own Pangu model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/huawei-reveals-a-wide-ass-1610-foldable-with-a-deepseek-powered-ai-assistant-171548907.html?src=rss
Meta's Threads is finally allowing users to change their default feed in the app, in a move that addresses what has long been one of the most frustrating parts of the service. With the update, users will be able to make the following" feed or a custom feed the default view in the app rather than Threads' sometimes chaotic for you" feed.Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta would test the feature way back in November, but the company has said little about it since. Now that it's official, the change could help address criticism that Threads isn't as useful for following real-time events because it pushes users to the for you" algorithmic feed, which often surfaces older posts with many replies rather than newer posts from followed accounts.It could also help Meta as it tries to lure more users from X and Bluesky, which saw a surge of new users last year. Threads currently has 320 million monthly active users, according to a Meta spokesperson, while Bluesky has about 33 million.The long overdue change arrives alongside several other upgrades to the service. The app is also finally getting a setting that allows users to limit quotes and replies to followers only. That should address complaints about reply guys and unnecessary dunking (previously, the app's quote controls had options for profiles you follow" and mentioned accounts only).MetaThreads is also making changes that make it easier to surface topics in various parts of the app. As a refresher, topics on Threads are essentially the site's version of hashtags (with a few notable distinctions). Now, the app will surface topics in more places in an effort to steer users toward more relevant posts.While drafting a new post, Threads will allow users to browse topics, including ones that are currently trending in the app. The service will also more prominently highlight trending topics alongside relevant feed posts. Meta is also testing the ability to add topics to Threads profiles, much like how you can add hashtags to Instagram profiles. The company notes that taking advantage of topics could help users' expand their reach, noting that internal data" suggests that posts with a tagged topic generally receive more views than those that without one." That will likely be useful info for Threads creators trying to decipher the app's sometimes confusing algorithm.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-finally-let-everyone-change-their-default-feed-170001140.html?src=rss
TikTok is bringing Amber Alerts to the For You feed, the platform just announced via blog post. It has teamed up with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to bring these alerts to users and to leverage the power of the US TikTok community" to help reunite kids with their families.The social media platform started experimenting with this functionality last year, with a pilot program in Texas. The rollout was successful, with TikTok saying Amber Alerts in Texas were viewed more than 20 million times and contributed to 2.5 million visits to NCMEC's website. When an AMBER Alert is issued, users who live near the missing child will see it show up in the For You feed. The posts will feature two hyperlinks. One will lead to the relevant NCMEC data and the other will contact 911, just in case there's information to impart. The platform is also donating advertising credits from these posts to amplify NCMEC's messaging via their official TikTok account."This is just the latest social media platform to integrate Amber Alerts in some way. Instagram began pushing these alerts to users back in 2022. Facebook did the same in 2015. Here's hoping that TikTok's adoption of this idea leads to more kids returning safely to their loved ones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-adding-amber-alerts-to-the-for-you-feed-162909699.html?src=rss
Tesla is recalling more than 46,000 Cybertrucks due to a potential safety issue. According to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the armored vehicle's cant rail (a cosmetic exterior trim panel) could detach from the truck, potentially leading to injury or a collision.The recall covers all 46,096 Cybertrucks manufactured between November 13, 2023, and February 27, 2025. Given that the vehicle launched in late 2023, that should be, well, just about all of them. The NHTSA filing states that owners of the vehicles can visit a Tesla service department for a free cant rail replacement.The recall is the latest in a recent downward slide for Tesla. Last month, its US sales reportedly fell two percent year over year even as the country's EV market grew by 16 percent. The automaker's picture is even gloomier in other regions: Its China sales plummeted by 49 percent (compared to 85 percent EV growth in the country) and sales dropped by 76 percent in Germany (vs. 31 percent EV growth there).That has resulted in Tesla's stock falling by over 40 percent since January. Elon Musk's DOGE shenanigans are leading to snowballing consequences not only for the US government but also for his EV company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-recalls-over-46000-cybertrucks-over-a-faulty-exterior-panel-153844072.html?src=rss
Google has followed up an ocean's worth of leaks with the official announcement of its Pixel 9a smartphone, which will retail for $499. Possibly the biggest change to the new A-series model is in its appearance, with the removal of the camera bar on the back of the phone. In the 9a, the camera housing is "slightly domed," sitting nearly flush with the rest of the frame, giving this midrange model a sleeker appearance. There are also new colors for this series - a pale purple dubbed Iris and a vibrant pink named Peony - joining the usual Porcelain and Obsidian options. (The peony option is similar to that on the pricier Pixel 9.) Our senior reviewer Sam Rutherford has already been able to check out the new device in person, and you can read why he thinks the Pixel 9a might be "the new midrange smartphone king." But here's the details before you head over to his impressions. In addition to what's already been covered here, the Pixel 9a is also getting a chip upgrade, moving up to Google's Tensor G4 processor from the G3 that was in Google's excellent Pixel 8a. Performance in the 8a was already quite good, so expect even smoother control with the G4. As with the 8a, the 9a is equipped with 8GB of RAM and comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The new A-series also promises up to "30+ hour battery life." Cameras were a big reason why we liked the Pixel 8a, naming it our top pick for a midrange smartphone. The housing is different in the 9a, but it's also got slightly different specs inside. The rear dual cameras in the 9a offer 48MP wide and 13MP ultrawide lenses, while the front is equipped with a 13MP selfie camera; the 8a had 64MP wide in the rear camera. It'll support AI-powered features such as Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take and Photo Unblur. Google is bringing the Macro Focus option to the A-series for the first time for photos with lots of close-up details. There's also Night Sight to help improve your nocturnal photography. It is worth noting that since the announcement, Ars Technica has reported that because the Pixel 9a ships with 8GB of RAM, it's "forced to" rely on an "extra extra small" model of Gemini AI. The article also notes that this means "some of Google's coolest AI features don't work on the 9a." However, Ars also states that features like AI-generated transcripts via the Recorder app will work on the 9a. Once we get our hands on a review unit, we'll figure out exactly what works and what is missing from the more powerful (and more expensive) Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. The 9a will be available in the US and Canada in North America, as well as numerous other countries in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Google says the device will be available in April, with no further detail on specific timing. Update, March 20 2025, 11:25AM ET: This story was updated with more details about AI features that might not be available on the Pixel 9a. Update, March 19 2025, 12:16PM ET: This story has been updated to correct the last sentence, which said pre-orders would open in April. There will be no pre-orders. Update, March 19 2025, 3:27PM ET: This story has been updated to add a paragraph informing readers of our hands-on of the Pixel 9a, as well as another paragraph about an Ars Technica report on limited AI features. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-unveils-the-new-pixel-9a-for-499-140028552.html?src=rss
Any music fan will know how time-consuming it can be to keep tabs on which artists are playing nearby soon. To make that a bit easier - and help make sure you don't miss shows by musicians you like - Spotify is debuting its latest personalized playlist.Concerts Near You will update every Wednesday with 30 songs from artists that align with your interests and are playing close to you. Tapping on a track will reveal details about the relevant show as well as links to buy tickets. You'll be able to share this personalized playlist and any event info with friends to see if any shows catch their interest.SpotifyThe playlist is something that makes sense for all involved. You may be able to stay better in the loop about upcoming concerts, and it should help artists sell more tickets. Perhaps Spotify will get a cut of any sales it facilitates too.For Concerts Near You to work properly, Spotify says you should make sure the location that's set in the Live Events section of the app is correct. All it takes to find the playlist is to search for "concerts." You can also follow artists to get updates about their shows and switch on notifications to get reminders about them coming to town.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotifys-latest-custom-playlist-highlights-artists-with-upcoming-shows-in-your-area-150817219.html?src=rss
Apple announced a bunch of news recently, as the company refreshed its Mac and iPad lineups for 2025. As a result, there are deals aplenty on older models - and now they're overlapping with the Amazon Spring Sale. Take, for instance, the 10th-gen iPad. It's $80 off at $269, bringing the tablet back down close to its record-low price. The 10th-gen iPad arrived in late 2022. At least until we put the new model through its paces, this is our current pick for the best budget iPad - a recommendation that automatically becomes a little stronger whenever it gets this kind of discount. We gave this model a score of 85 in our review. We felt that the screen was somewhat lacking compared with those found in the likes of the iPad Air. However, we appreciated several updates such as the switch to a USB-C charging port and improved performance compared with the previous base iPad. Apple also moved the front-facing camera to the landscape edge, making video calls much more palatable when you're using the tablet in that orientation. If you just want an iPad to help you catch up on reading and email, control your smart home devices, watch videos and stream music, this is probably the one to go for. More resource-intensive tasks will require a more powerful tablet, but this one will handle the basics. Meanwhile, if you're interested in picking up the latest base iPad, you can order one now. Amazon even has a small discount on the latest iPad, dropping it from $349 to $329. Apple has upgraded the chipset to an A16 and doubled the base storage to 128GB, but there's no support for Apple Intelligence in the 11th-gen iPad. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-apple-deals-the-10th-gen-ipad-gets-an-80-discount-171121322.html?src=rss
With the Amazon Spring Sale getting underway in a few days, a great deal on Audible is already available. You can snag three months of Audible Premium Plus for only $3, or just $1 per month. That's one of the best deals we've seen on the audiobook streaming service. We last saw this discount in January, but Amazon's now bringing it back in the lead up to its latest major shopping event, though you'll have until April 30 to take up the deal. You can cancel the subscription at any time. That's worth bearing in mind, as after the three months are up, the price will rise to the usual Premium Plus cost of $15 per month. The Premium Plus plan grants you one credit per month. You can use a credit to claim any audiobook you like and you'll retain access to it even after your subscription expires. In other words, you can permanently add three audiobooks to your collection for $3. The Premium Plus plan also includes access to thousands of other audiobooks. You'll also be able to listen to Audible Originals as well as podcasts through the service. All of that for a dollar a month is not a bad deal at all.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-deals-include-three-months-of-audible-for-only-3-145456901.html?src=rss
If you're looking to boost the Wi-Fi coverage in your home without spending too much, the Amazon Spring Sale has you covered. The TP-Link Deco mesh Wi-Fi system is $120 off as part of the Big Spring Sale. While not a record-low, it's close to it and a great deal considering how expensive mesh Wi-Fi systems can be. The Deco XE75 Pro comes with three nodes (or satellites) offering coverage up to 7,200 square feet, which is especially beneficial for large family homes or home office setups. Each node has one 2.5 Gbps and two Gigabit ports which offer a stable and reliable wired connection for devices such as your PC, laptop and game consoles. Thanks to AI-driven mesh technology, your mesh Wi-Fi system uses the same user name and password, meaning you can move from room to room switching nodes in the background and on the fly for an uninterrupted wireless connection. If you've never used a mesh Wi-Fi system (or have limited experience with them), setup is fairly simple using the Deco app. You'll have access to three wireless network bands as well: 6 GHz (2402 Mbps), 5 GHz (2402 Mbps) and 2.4 GHz (574 Mbps). We ranked the Deco XE75 Pro best mesh Wi-Fi system for most" in our best mesh Wi-Fi system buying guide because of its excellent performance, comprehensive coverage and user-friendliness. This three-pack gives you everything you need (and arguably more than you need) to enjoy fast and reliable whole-home coverage. You can set up a separate guest Wi-Fi network, meaning your friends and family can easily join your Wi-Fi without having to grant them access to your devices or data. Although the app could do with a bit of polish in places, it does support voice commands via Alexa, so you can conveniently turn your guest Wi-Fi on or off with voice commands. TP-Link's HomeShield is built into the Deco XE75 Pro, which gives you access to a suite of customizable security features. You can set parental controls to block specific websites, strengthen your network security, or program no internet" bedtimes for your kids. With this deal, you get a lot of bang for your buck, future-proofing your home Wi-Fi at a fraction of the usual cost.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-120-off-our-favorite-mesh-wi-fi-system-with-this-amazon-spring-sale-deal-133030064.html?src=rss
Discord is officially launching Quest ads on mobile and will start showing users videos in exchange for rewards starting in June 2025. The messaging service has been testing its advertising experience called "Quests" on mobile for a while now after they were officially launched on desktop a year ago. But next month, video Quests will become widely available on its mobile application. Discord frames the experience as as "a way for players to discover games and new content while earning rewards for playing, streaming, or watching videos."For advertisers, though, it's a way to get people to watch their trailers for new games, as well as video announcements for things like DLC drops. Some Quests even ask users to stream games to unlock rewards, potentially gaining advertisers new players for their titles. Discord says companies have used the format for advertising campaigns for some of the most recognizable video game franchises out there, including Diablo, Street Fighter, World of Warcraft and Genshin Impact. Other non-video game companies have also used the format, so you can expect movie trailers and other kinds of video announcements, as well. Max, for instance, made users watch a trailer of Dune: Prophecy before it premiered. Like on desktop, users will get a notification when a Quest is available, and they can choose to accept it to perform the task that it requires.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-discord-app-is-getting-video-ads-in-june-130054000.html?src=rss
Make light work of meal times and enjoy a saving of $30 to boot with this 9-in-1 Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer. It's currently on sale for $90 in the Amazon Spring Sale, reduced from its usual price of $120. We've seen similar price drops for this product in the past, but this is still a great deal that's well worth a look. The Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer is one of the top picks in our best air fryers guide. We loved its spacious basket and easy-to-use touchscreen controls, and were impressed with its built-in safety features, like the handy basket-release button. Plus, for anybody who's stuck for a bit of inspiration in the kitchen, it comes with a Cosori recipe book with more than 100 tasty recipes to try. The Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer boasts nine preset cooking modes, making it a versatile kitchen companion for air frying, roasting, baking, broiling and more. With a roomy six-quart capacity, there's ample space to easily feed the whole family or whip up an appetizer for social gatherings. It sports an efficient five-speed fan, has a top temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit and can deliver crisp, juicy chicken wings up to 40 percent faster than conventional ovens. This compact air fryer is ideal for busy families or anyone who values the program-and-go convenience that it provides. It's small enough to be stowed away when not in use, and thanks to its dishwasher-safe design, clean up is a breeze, too. The non-stick basket is built for daily use, whether you're batch cooking or whipping up a last-minute meal, making it a reliable go-to option for people with hectic lives. The Amazon Spring Sale ends on March 31st, so if you don't want to miss out on this discounted rate, you should grab hold of this deal now while you can.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-air-fryers-is-30-off-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-123016888.html?src=rss
It has been over two years since ChatGPT exploded onto the world stage and, while OpenAI has advanced it in many ways, there's still quite a few hurdles. One of the biggest issues: hallucinations, or stating false information as factual. Now, Austrian advocacy group Noyb has filed its second complaint against OpenAI for such hallucinations, naming a specific instance in which ChatGPT reportedly - and wrongly - stated that a Norwegian man was a murderer.To make matters, somehow, even worse, when this man asked ChatGPT what it knew about him, it reportedly stated that he was sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing two of his children and attempting to murder his third. The hallucination was also sprinkled with real information, including the number of children he had, their genders and the name of his home town.Noyb claims that this response put OpenAI in violation of GDPR. "The GDPR is clear. Personal data has to be accurate. And if it's not, users have the right to have it changed to reflect the truth," Noyb data protection lawyer Joakim Soderberg stated. "Showing ChatGPT users a tiny disclaimer that the chatbot can make mistakes clearly isn't enough. You can't just spread false information and in the end add a small disclaimer saying that everything you said may just not be true.."Other notable instances of ChatGPT's hallucinations include accusing one man of fraud and embezzlement, a court reporter of child abuse and a law professor of sexual harassment, as reported by multiple publications.Noyb first complaint to OpenAI about hallucinations, in April 2024, focused on a public figure's inaccurate birthdate (so not murder, but still inaccurate). OpenAI had rebuffed the complainant's request to erase or update their birthdate, claiming it couldn't change information already in the system, just block its use on certain prompts. ChatGPT replies on a disclaimer that it "can make mistakes."Yes, there is an adage something like, everyone makes mistakes, that's why they put erasers on pencils. But, when it comes to an incredibly popular AI-powered chatbot, does that logic really apply? We'll see if and how OpenAI responds to Noyb's latest complaint.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-reportedly-accused-innocent-man-of-murdering-his-children-120057654.html?src=rss
Meta is rolling out its AI assistant across 41 European countries, including to members of the European Union, starting this week. It will also extend its access to 21 overseas European territories. In its announcement, Meta said that it has taken the company longer to bring its AI technology to European users as it continues to "navigate its complex regulatory system."The company was planning to make its AI technology available in the region last year, but it had to put its plans on pause after the Irish Data Protection Commission asked it to delay training its Large Language Models on content posted by adult European users on Facebook and Instagram. A month after the Irish regulator's request, Meta said that it wasn't going to release its new multimodal Llama models in the region "due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment."Meta will start its AI rollout in Europe by incorporating the technology into its messaging apps across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which will soon show a blue circle on their interface. It will be available in six languages from the region and will have limited capabilities that revolve around text queries for now, but the company says it hopes to expand its AI's offering over time until its finds "parity with the US."European users will be able to call Meta AI in group chats by typing @MetaAI followed by their prompt or question. Users will also be able to use the chatbot to surface relevant posts and Reels by typing in queries, such as "show me Vancouver Island content." They will be able to look up information from all over the web within the chatbot, as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-ai-is-coming-to-europe-this-week-113019014.html?src=rss
Fujifilm has unveiled one of the wilder cameras I've seen in awhile, the 102MP medium-format GFX100RF compact camera. Yes, you read that right - this is a carrying-around street camera with a massive sensor and fixed 35mm f4 lens (28mm full-frame equivalent) that can shoot 11,648 x 8,736 photos. If that wasn't enough, it has features we've rarely seen on compact cameras, like a built-in ND filter and dedicated aspect ratio dial.The GFX100RF uses the same 102MP CMOS II HS medium format sensor found on the GFX100 II mirrorless camera. As Fujifilm teased last week, it can be thought of as a higher-resolution version of its popular X100 VI APS-C compact. Though smaller than any other GFX camera, it's heavier than many full-frame mirrorless cameras at 1.62 pounds (735 grams). For a premium feel, the camera is "machined from a single block of aluminum and the lens ring, dials, bottom plate, and other details are all precision-machined from aluminum as well," Fujifilm wrote in a press release.FujifilmLike the X100 VI, it's designed as a street camera with the shutter speed, exposure compensation and aperture settings quickly visible and adjustable. However, the GFX100RF has a new dial on the back that lets you choose from nine aspect ratios including 7:6, 1:1, 3:4, 16:9, 17:6 and the 65:24 "XPan" widescreen ratio found on other GFX models.It also has a tele-converter selector/lever on the front of the camera to digitally change the focal length from the native 35mm to 45mm, 63mm and 80mm (35mm, 50mm and 65mm full-frame equivalent), with a corresponding loss of resolution. When using those modes, a new "Surround View" function can be selected that displays the area outside the image range as a semi-transparent frame.Fujifilm says the all-important fixed lens can suppress spherical aberration and field curvature thanks to a 10-element, eight-group configuration that includes two aspherical lenses. It uses a newly developed "nano-GI" coating optimized to suppress internal reflections, even at the edges. Despite the large sensor size, it can focus as close as 7.9 inches, allowing for some interesting high-res macro possibilities.Fujilfilm X100VI (top) and GFX100RFFujifilmThe shutter itself is a leaf instead of focal plane type to reduce size, and the GFX100RF is Fujifilm's first GFX model with a built-in four-stop ND filter. That's a handy feature on a medium format camera for bright light shooting, as it allows for slower shutter speeds to add motion blur or wider apertures for shallower depth of field.The GFX100RF has a similar autofocus system to the GFX100 II including an AF prediction function and face/eye AF that can recognize subjects like animals, vehicles, birds, and airplanes. Burst speeds are a fairly decent 6 fps with the mechanical shutter at full resolution, a bit slower than the GFX100S II. It has a 5.76-million-dot offset electronic viewfinder like the one on the X100VI and a 3.1-inch 2-axis tilting 2.1-million-dot rear display.FujifilmIt can even shoot 4K 30fps 4:2:2 10-bit video (likely with some pixel binning), and Fujifilm says it'll deliver up to 13+ stops of dynamic range when using the FLog-2 setting. Other features include an SDXC UHS-II card slot, 20 built-in film simulations, SSD recording, mic and headphone ports and a microHDMI connector. One feature noticeably lacking compared to the X100VI is in-body stabilization.The GFX100RF is likely to appeal highly to street and travel photographers considering its capabilities. It's not cheap at $4,900, but that price is less than its main competition, the $6,660 Leica Q3, while offering a larger sensor and 40 extra megapixels. It'll be available in black or silver when it arrives in late April 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilms-gfx100rf-is-a-102mp-medium-format-compact-camera-110044609.html?src=rss
It looks like Meta's campaign to bury a dishy, tell-all memoir from a former employee isn't exactly working. In fact, it seems that the company's legal maneuvers to block the book have had the exact opposite intended effect.Careless People has debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. It's also spent much of the week in the number three position on Amazon's bestseller list. That's despite the fact that Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former policy director at Facebook, has been barred from promoting or publicly discussing the book following legal action by Meta.The memoir details much of the inner workings of Facebook during the nearly seven years Wynn-Williams worked there. It reveals new details about the company's relentless ambition to bring the social network to China, as well as numerous shocking stories about how Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and other executives behaved behind closed doors. (In addition to her revelations in Careless People, Wynn-Williams has also filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Committee. That complaint has not been made public, but according to NBC News, she alleges that Facebook misled" investors.)Meta has come out forcefully against Wynn-Williams and the book, describing it in a statement as a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives." The company says Wynn-Williams was fired in 2017 for poor performance and toxic behavior."Meta initiated arbitration proceedings against Wynn-Williams last week, resulting in a decision that for now prevents her from publicly discussing or promoting the work. But, as the bestseller lists show, the move has done little to kill interest in the work.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/careless-people-hits-the-top-of-the-new-york-times-bestseller-list-235008451.html?src=rss
Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast has laid off 30 people who built Sigil, its recently released virtual tabletop experience, Polygon reports. The app allows Dungeons & Dragons players to build virtual, 3D game boards, complete with miniatures and dice, so they can play the classic tabletop roleplaying game remotely.News of the layoffs were first shared on March 18 in a LinkedIn post from Andy Collins, the design lead on Sigil. "Today, approximately 30 talented developers (90 percent of the team) were laid off from the Sigil (virtual tabletop) team at Wizards of the Coast, including yours truly," Collins wrote. "I wish my former colleagues success in their future endeavors. I'll also be pulling for the crew left behind who'll do their best to keep improving and iterating the experience we shipped last month."The layoffs leave Sigil with a skeleton crew of three people to support the app, Rascal reports. Sigil launched in early access on February 28, 2025 as a perk for subscribers to D&D Beyond, and early reviews found it to be both limited and a little broken.The problems may have started even earlier, though, according to at least one Wizards of the Coast employee Rascal spoke to. Management at Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast, were reportedly uninterested and "constantly moving goalposts." There may have also been a fundamental misunderstanding over what Sigil was: Hasbro didn't know the difference between a video game and the VTT (virtual tabletop) app it ultimately got.Sigil remains live and will continue to be a perk of paying for a D&D Beyond subscription, Wizards of the Coast's tool for playing Dungeons & Dragons virtually.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hasbro-laid-off-the-team-behind-its-virtual-tabletop-app-only-weeks-after-it-was-released-214024876.html?src=rss
Boston Dynamics has treated us to a lot of impressive videos over the years and the company is back today with the latest example of its robotics mastery. In the clip above, its Atlas robot demonstrates several types of full-body movement, starting with a walk and advancing to a cartwheel and even a spot of break dancing. The different actions were developed using reinforcement learning that used motion capture and animation as source materials. At this rate, our future robot overlords will be able to out-dance and out-tumble us humans as well as out-think us one day.The video is part of Boston Dynamics' research with the Robotics and AI Institute, but it has multiple partners aiding its work. For instance, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang touched on the company's GR00T model for robotics during the GTC 2025 keynote earlier this week. Yesterday, Boston Dynamics announced that it is deepening its collaboration with the company focused on AI in robotics. It is using NVIDIA's Jetson Thor computing platform to run "complex, multimodal AI models that work seamlessly with Boston Dynamics' whole-body and manipulation controllers."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/watch-the-atlas-robot-bust-a-move-in-boston-dynamics-latest-video-211329951.html?src=rss
Spry Fox announced its next game, which is "a cooperative village life sim designed to foster friendship, kindness, and community" titled Spirit Crossing. It has an art style that makes me think of a pastel-hued Spirited Away, especially given the presence of moody spectres hanging out in the quaint town setting. The teaser trailer also shows players engaged in classic cozy game activities such as giving gifts, fishing, coasting on hang gliders and riding very floofy critters. In other words: I'll be playing a lot of Spirit Crossing when it launches. There's no definite timeline yet, but Netflix said at GDC that the game is part of its 2025 mobile release slate.Spry Fox dabbled in several different genres, including several mobile puzzle games with a signature style such as Alphabear and Triple Town, before settling into a groove creating cozy games. Spirit Crossing will be the studio's second project since joining the Netflix Games roster; Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit came out last summer. Players who want in on the ground floor of the devs' latest game can sign up now for closed alpha testing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/spry-foxs-next-netflix-games-title-is-spirit-crossing-200643116.html?src=rss
Verizon has announced that it will now support sending text messages via satellite on phones from the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 lineup. Both Google and Samsung's current phones support satellite connectivity, but neither has really leveraged the skill outside of the Satellite SOS feature that was added to Android 15.Sending texts via satellite will be available when Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 phones are "outside the reach of terrestrial cellular networks," Verizon says, and should come with same limitations as other satellite tools, like the need to position yourself so that there's no large structures or tree cover getting between your phone and the sky. It's also worth noting: the necessary changes "enabling this service start today and will continue over the next two weeks," so you might want to wait a bit longer before you start your next off-grid adventure.Apple introduced Messages via Satellite alongside iOS 18, which doesn't rely on carriers for support, but should offer a good illustration of how Verizon's satellite messaging will work when it's fully available on the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25.The carrier is partnered with satellite provider AST SpaceMobile for its expanding list of satellite-connected services, and the companies have experimented with even more demanding communication options, like video calls. Competitors like T-Mobile already offer satellite messaging through a partnership with SpaceX's Starlink.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/verizon-now-supports-texting-via-satellite-on-the-pixel-9-and-galaxy-s25-193348606.html?src=rss
It's unlikely that the fate of a company as large as Ubisoft will hinge on the success of one tentpole single-player game. But the company cannot afford another major error anytime soon after the likes of Star Wars: Outlaws and XDefiantfailed to set the world alight. Ubisoft desperately needs a big hit (and for the Rainbow Six Siege X overhaul to go well). The good news for the company is that Assassin's Creed Shadows is poised to deliver on that.On the surface, it's exactly what you'd expect: a massive Assassin's Creed game that takes dozens of hours to beat. There's so much to do beyond the core story, given all the missions and sidequests that the game constantly points you towards. I was rarely bored during my time with the game - not even during the lengthy flashbacks - which says a lot about the care and consideration Ubisoft's developers have put into this giant world and the story that ties it together.Ubisoft could not risk having the game run poorly from the jump and then spend months fixing it a la Cyberpunk 2077. Thankfully, for the most part, Assassin's Creed Shadows runs well across my consoles (base PS5 and Xbox Series X) and PC.It looks sumptuous on my high-end gaming rig, which has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, 14th-gen i9 Intel CPU and 32GB of RAM. I had zero issues while running everything at very high settings. The action hovered in the 55-59 fps range with no considerable framerate drops - save for the slightly jarring switch to cutscenes, which play out at 30 fps. It's worth noting that Assassin's Creed Shadows is verified for Steam Deck, but I wasn't able to test it out there.There were no noticeable slowdowns even in the heat of chaotic combat on the three platforms I played on. However, I did spot some small visual aberrations on PS5. Early on, while strolling through puddles in performance mode, water pooling on a dirt track shimmered in an unnatural way. It distracted me from the conversation I was having with an ally.UbisoftOnce I was in winter, textures on the grass that poked through the snow faded out and in while I tore through the countryside on horseback. For the record, that happened in balanced mode, which attempts to split the difference between the quality and performance modes in terms of visual fidelity versus framerate. These are minor complaints, in fairness, but they momentarily broke the immersion for me.The main other weird quirk is that my horse often got stuck when I whistled for it. If, say, I was on a narrow bridge when I called the steed, it might spawn into the river below. A slight annoyance that's more to do with how the horse is programmed to catch up to you by your side, but one that's forgivable considering some of the many narrow paths you'll venture along.Two heroes with their own storiesThe big hook this time around is that you can swap between two characters almost whenever you like. Naoe, a shinobi, is a more traditional Assassin's Creed protagonist, while the warrior Yasuke is a hulking samurai who can bust through doors and carry bodies to hiding spots more easily than his counterpart. There are missions and character interactions that require you to specifically play as one character, but for the most part, you can play as either in the open world.I stuck to Naoe as much as I could. She's far more nimble and capable at clambering around strongholds - her grappling hook is such a handy tool - and carrying out stealthy assassinations. After all, she's the only one of the two who has the fabled hidden blade. Her movement is extremely fluid, an aspect of the game that's said to have benefited from the extra time developers had amid its delays.Unlike Yasuke, Naoe can use the classic eagle vision ability to reveal enemies, hiding spots and goodies through walls. She's plenty capable in hand-to-hand combat as well, more so as you unlock abilities like the very useful double assassination. Her kusarigama, which consists of a sickle-like implement and heavy weight linked by a chain, is a great part of her arsenal.That's not to say Yasuke isn't a fun character as well. Silently thinning out enemy numbers with his bow or loudly with a tepp firearm before charging in to eliminate the remainder with a long katana, crushing club and special moves like booting a grunt into a wall never got old.Both protagonists are well-written and performed, at least while playing with English audio. However, the lip syncing didn't always neatly match up with what the characters were saying, a distraction in cutscenes. While I didn't get around to playing the game in immersive mode, with characters speaking in their native tongues of Japanese and Portuguese, I'd be interested to see if the lip sync issue is as prominent there.Personal stakes with a broader goalNevertheless, the story was strong enough to hold my attention during the cutscenes and the rest of the game. It's a tale that starts with very personal stakes for both heroes but expands to involve safeguarding the future of Japan. The writers have crafted a narrative with plenty of intrigue and intricacy, and I enjoyed how they weaved the broader Assassin's Creed lore into Shadows.I would say the story and structure are rich and intricate enough to justify the 40-60 hours it'll take many people to finish this game. (The new scouting system - which you'll use to narrow down the location of an objective after learning that, for instance, a target is in a specific area - works well.) Still, I preferred the tighter 20-hour approach Ubisoft took with Assassin's Creed Mirage.UbisoftI enjoyed playing in canon mode, which removed dialogue choices and let narrative beats play out as the designers intended. It's too much of a spoiler to reveal how Naoe and Yasuke come to be allies, but the interactions between them and other characters, particularly the flirty relationship Naoe has with one firearm-wielding figure, are for the most part captivating enough.The performers (and, my goodness, are there a lot of speaking parts here) by and large do a great job with the material. But it's a bit jarring to hear a character speak in a plain North American accent when most of the cast bring Japanese and Portuguese inflections to their delivery.As solid as the tale being told is overall, the structure is a little odd in places. The main story includes flashback sequences, including one with a combat tutorial that takes place right after the action-packed prologue, that disrupt the flow even if they add some color to the protagonists' backstories.Skill tree frustrationsI'm not a big fan of the way Ubisoft has structured the progression systems. Naoe and Yasuke each have six skill trees, all of which are broken down into levels. To unlock the next level, the player has to accumulate enough experience points by completing various side activities, including horse archery and finding hidden items dotted around temples. In a vacuum, these can be fun, but it gets a little frustrating when you have a lot of spare mastery points to spend on skills and you have to run around to honor some shrines or find meditation spots before you're able to acquire some of Naoe's and Yasuke's cooler moves.There are some other antiquated systems in the game. Defeating a rnin - a samurai who has been hired to take out the heroes - in a fun fight earned me decent loot, including some legendary light armor. But I couldn't equip it, because my character hadn't quite reached a high enough level to simply put on some new rags. This doesn't make any logical sense.Scaling enemy difficulty from region to region, a trope that Ubisoft eschewed in Mirage, feels very tired here too. It's an artificial way of ramping up the difficulty and progression when other approaches like more creative level design, new enemy types and the player manually making the game harder in their settings can do the trick. Given the historical nature of the series, it does follow to a degree that some of Ubisoft's gameplay ideas are stuck in the past.In general, I don't really care to spend my time scouring for gear upgrades just so I can stand a chance in a new area. That said, perks on certain equipment can come in handy. Skulking around castles to take out a few key enemies to unlock a chest with some valuable equipment felt rewarding - even just as a little something extra to do while I tried to make my way to a viewpoint on enemy turf. Castles are valuable strongholds and offer a defensive advantage against attackers, so it's only logical that the bad guys would be stationed around viewpoints, which reveal new points of interest visible to our heroes after they scale up to a specific perch.UbisoftEven without that gameplay aspect, scaling up to a viewpoint is always worth it, as has long been the case in the Assassin's Creed series. The minimum reward is a sweeping shot of the surrounding area, and since Shadows is such a stunner, I made it a point to claim every viewpoint along my path.The aforementioned puddle and grass anomalies aside, it's a joy to roam around this gorgeous game, with its abundant foliage, carefully assembled settlements and dynamic weather system combining to form a rich, lived-in world that I won't soon forget. The lighting systems allowing for Naoe and Yaskue to snuff out candles and lanterns to help them hide in the shadows at night were a smart addition here too.There are plenty of other fun aspects to Assassin's Creed Shadows. In one moment that reminded me of a beat in The Last of Us Part II, I was just starting a peaceful side activity when an assassin tried to take me out. That was an enjoyably unexpected twist. Meanwhile, an optional fight against a high-level enemy at the foot of a blazing tower in the middle of the night felt deeply cinematic.There are often moments of serenity, such as those meditations and drinking in the scenery from the viewpoints, as well as Naoe's preparations for a tea ceremony that plays an important part in the plot. Simply wandering through a forest and encountering harmless animals as the wind stirs up golden brown leaves in the fall can be calming too.That contrasts with the game's abundant, brutal violence. Beyond the many quick murders you'll commit with a flash of Naoe's hidden blade, several of Yasuke's kill animations end with him lopping off heads and limbs. The game's truly peaceful moments deftly balance that out.There's a lot riding on Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft will absolutely be hoping that it's a success out of the gates and that not too many players wait for the price to drop. There's plenty of competition to be concerned about too, particularly as Sucker Punch Productions' sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Ytei, is slated to arrive at some point this year.It does feel like there's enough here to draw in both Assassin's Creed diehards and newcomers who may be entranced by the 16th-century Japan setting but don't know their Animus from their elbow. Assassin's Creed Shadows has impressive technical work, great performances and an expansive, well-drawn story but it's unfortunately weighed down by some frustrating decisions and antiquated gameplay systems. Still, I'm eager to keep exploring.Assassin's Creed Shadows will hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, Mac, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft+ on March 20. It will be available for iPad in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/assassins-creed-shadows-review-an-ambitious-and-captivating-world-thats-stuck-in-the-past-170008367.html?src=rss
Streaming service Plex is raising its prices for the first time in ten years. The company just announced an increase for its premium subscription service Plex Pass, which offers a number of additional features like offline access and themes. The standard service is still free, if you're looking to set up a simple media server to stream some movies or shows.Plex Pass will soon cost $7 per month, which is an increase of $2 per month. A yearly subscription will come in at $70, a fairly substantial lift from $40. Finally, the coveted lifetime pass is shooting up to $250 from $120. These are some serious upticks, but I guess that's what happens when you don't raise prices for a decade.The changes go into effect on April 29, so the Plex-curious still have more than a month to pick up a lifetime pass at the original $120 asking price. The monthly and yearly price impacts both new and pre-existing customers. The company says it's doing this to keep up with rising industry costs. Remote streaming is also set to fall under a subscription, albeit a cheaper one at $2 per month."These changes weren't made lightly, and we've spent a lot of time weighing the best path forward to ensure we can continue to balance value with a best-in-class personal media experience for years to come," a blog post from the company says.However, there are some new tools coming to accompany these price increases. It's integrating with Common Sense Media to bring ratings and reviews aimed at parents to Plex Pass holders. It's also working on a new server management app that will launch in the near(ish) future. The primary playback is also getting a much-needed refresh.The platform is eliminating the mobile unlock fee, which is a one-time activation fee that was required to remove the one-minute playback limitation when streaming content from a media server to a mobile device. Recently, Plex added public reviews and profiles.The Plex Pass price increase comes as the entire streaming industry begins tightening its belt. Just about every platform has gotten more expensive in the last couple of years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/plex-raises-subscription-prices-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-182622032.html?src=rss
The EU is moving forward with competition-based regulatory actions against Google and Apple. The European Commission (EC) announced two preliminary charges against Google for failing to comply with Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations related to Google Search and the Play Store, which could lead to fines of $35 billion. The regulatory body also ordered Apple to make iOS more open to third-party devices like smartwatches, headphones and TVs. The decisions come in the face of US President Donald Trump threatening additional tariffs on nations that regulate US Big Tech companies.As part of an investigation that began last March, the EC charged Google on Tuesday with violating the DMA by favoring its own services (such as shopping, hotel booking, transportation and financial and sports results) in search results over third-party competitors. The regulators said the company gives its services "more prominent treatment compared to others" by displaying them with enhanced visual formats and filtering mechanisms.The EC also charged the company with preventing Google Play app developers from informing customers of alternative channels for cheaper offers. Although the commission said Alphabet has a right to charge a developer fee for steering a customer to another channel, it claimed that what the company demands in return goes beyond what is justified - "a high fee over an unduly long period of time for every purchase of digital goods and services.""The two preliminary findings we adopt today aim to ensure that Alphabet abides by EU rules when it comes to two services widely used by businesses and consumers across the EU, Google Search and Android phones," EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement.The European CommissionEuropean UnionThe DMA, which was passed in 2022, allows European regulators to fine companies up to 10 percent of their global revenue. The commission can double the penalty to 20 percent for repeat offenders. Alphabet brought in over $350 billion last year.The commission stresses that the charges aren't final, and Alphabet can still defend its decisions in writing before they are finalized.The EU's moves follow through on a recent promise to enforce its regulatory laws despite tariff threats from Trump as part of his escalating trade war with other nations. He wrote a memo in late February, saying he would consider tariffs in response to "digital services taxes, fines, practices and policies" on American companies. In turn, the EC said it would "respond swiftly and decisively to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures."Kara Durrette via Getty ImagesAlthough the EC's decision for Apple doesn't (yet) involve charges, it offered measures the company must comply with to avoid them in the future. First, the company must provide greater compatibility with third-party devices that connect to iPhones. Unless Apple wants to face fines of over $39 billion, it will have to improve areas like notifications for third-party smartwatches, data transfer speeds (like peer-to-peer Wi-Fi and NFC) and the pairing process on connected accessories from competing companies.The EC also ordered Apple to improve access to technical documentation for developers to make their products interact with iPhones and iPads."Effective interoperability for third-party connected devices is an important step towards opening Apple's ecosystem," Ribera said in a statement. "This will lead to a better choice for consumers in the fast-growing market for innovative connected devices."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-eus-new-charges-against-google-could-lead-to-at-least-35-billion-in-fines-165850585.html?src=rss
Apple just introduced its first proprietary cellular modem, the C1, as part of the recently-launched iPhone 16e. Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, just ran the C1 modem through a series of benchmark tests and it did surprisingly well, even when compared to the Qualcomm chips that accompany the pricier iPhone 16 handsets.The C1 misses out on mmWave 5G support, but can still hold its own in the speed department. The company found that the iPhone 16e offered average download speeds of 560Mbps for the top 90th percentile of users on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The standard iPhone 16, with the Qualcomm chip, is faster in this scenario, with average download speed of 756Mbps. The difference, however, isn't stark.OoklaThings change when you move from the top 90th percentile to the bottom 10th percentile. In this case, the iPhone 16e actually outperforms the standard model. The average data speed for the 16e here reached nearly 218Mbps, whereas the Qualcomm-based model averaged 210Mbps. Interestingly, the newest iPhone model was fastest when using AT&T and Verizon's networks. It was slower on T-Mobile.As for upload speeds, the 16e outperformed the traditional iPhone 16 in nearly every test. Apple has touted the C1 as the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone," and that doesn't seem to be hyperbole.Ookla's tests match our experience, as detailed in the official iPhone 16e review. We found that the C1 modem outperformed even the iPhone 16 Pro in certain use cases. However, it's always worth noting that this chip doesn't support ultrawideband 5G.So Apple's investment to build an in-house modem looks to have been a worthy endeavor, just like those speedy M-series chips. The company reportedly has big plans for future iterations. Not only is the C2 likely on the way, but Apple is planning on creating an all-purpose processor that contains an integrated modem. This could allow for some serious energy and cost benefits.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-first-custom-designed-modem-did-surprisingly-well-in-benchmarks-164422205.html?src=rss
Skate Story has been one of my most anticipated games ever since I first clapped eyes on it all the way back in 2020, so it was great to get an update on it as part of Sony's annual PS Indie Day. It's been confirmed that the striking skateboarding adventure is coming to PS5, as well as PC. Publisher Devolver Digital plans to release it later this year.Solo developer Sam Eng describes Skate Story as "a game about a demon made of glass who needs to skate the Underworld and consume The Moon to fulfill the devil's contract." To achieve that, you'll need to work your way through nine layers of hell. The only way to beat bosses is by skating fast and pulling off an array of dope tricks, which deal damage. There's a time limit on the boss battle against the Moon that's shown in the latest trailer - you only have until a song ends to defeat the celestial body.There are more than 70 tricks for you to learn and improve, and you'll level up by completing skate trials. Other characters you'll encounter include a "pillowy demon who owns a laundromat" and a "jittery subway train" you can become pals with and then "experience poetry about the multilight of the Moon."As odd as that all sounds, absolutely everything I've seen and heard about Skate Story has hit the right spot for me. I especially can't get enough of those visuals.Eng promises to reveal more details about Skate Story this summer. Given that Devolver typically runs a showcase alongside Summer Game Fest, we'll probably hear more about the game in early June. In the meantime, you can get a taste of what's in store by checking out our Skate Story hands-on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/skate-story-is-coming-to-ps5-as-well-as-pc-this-year-163303910.html?src=rss
There is something so incredibly frustrating about typing on a digital keyboard with a controller. Whether for streaming or gaming, the slowness with which you often have to find each letter is just painful. Well, thankfully, there's an improvement on the way for Xbox controllers, with Microsoft announcing a new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11's touch keyboard.MicrosoftThe updated keyboard should make it easier to use the on-screen one with an Xbox controller. It brings greater navigation to the controller and helpful shortcuts. For example, the X button can function as backspace, the Y button as the spacebar and the menu button as enter. Microsoft also states that it has vertically aligned the keyboard keys for smoother use.Microsoft first shared that it was beta testing this technology back in September. Now, it's available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11, so you should be able to try it out for yourself within the next few weeks. Hopefully it saves you a lot of time and frustration (and that streamers will come up with their own solutions soon).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-a-new-gamepad-keyboard-layout-for-windows-11-154011591.html?src=rss
Although the Amazon Spring Sale doesn't start in earnest until next week, there are a bunch of early deals to be had. Among them is an offer that sees Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 drop to a record low price. The earbuds are currently $179, which is $50 (or 22 percent) off. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are our pick for the best wireless earbuds for Google phones. For one thing, they fit more comfortably and securely after a redesign made them smaller than the Pixel Buds Pro. Improvements to audio quality helped the Pixel Buds Pro 2 obtain a score of 88 in our review. Revisions to the acoustics and drivers - as well as the inclusion of a Tensor chip to take care of active noise cancellation (ANC) and audio signal processing - help the earbuds deliver ample, punchy bass, as well as full mids and crisp highs. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer up to eight hours of use on a single charge with ANC enabled. When you factor in the charging case, you'll get up to 30 hours of total listening time when ANC is on. The earbuds have an IP54 rating, indicating that they're protected from dust and water splashes. In terms of features, the earbuds include hands-free access to the Gemini voice assistant. Spatial audio is available, albeit only for certain video streaming apps for now. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer automatic switching between devices that are linked to your Google account. Other features include conversation detection, a hearing wellness tool and Find My Device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-drop-to-a-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-152844540.html?src=rss
Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is on sale for $240 right now, as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. That's close to a record low price for the 4th-gen device that was released just last year. This deal is available for multiple colorways, including silver, gold and black. This is a modern thermostat, so that means AI. The device offers suggestions on how to lower energy usage and can automatically adjust settings in the home based on factors like ambient temperature and daily schedules. It ships with a wireless temperature sensor for accurate measurements. This sensor can run for three years before needing a new battery. This model can accommodate six of these sensors, for large properties, but that requires some additional purchases. A three-pack of the sensors typically costs $100. The Nest Learning Thermostat is more customizable than its predecessors, with the ability to select from several smartwatch-style faces. It's also much larger than previous models and includes Soli radar sensors to determine how close a person is. The display will adjust accordingly, with an increased font size when standing far away and vice versa. The installation is fairly simple, but will still require some light wiring. The only real bad thing to say about this thermostat is that $280 is a whole lot of money. That concern is mostly alleviated by today's sale.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-nest-learning-thermostat-is-back-on-sale-for-240-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-150539398.html?src=rss
Despite streaming services continuing to dominate the business of recorded music, there's still very much a place for physical media in that sector. The Recording Industry of America said in an annual report [PDF] that sales of vinyl records rose for the 18th straight year in the US to $1.4 billion - the highest revenue for that format since 1984, when CDs started to emerge.Vinyl accounted for nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue in 2024. It was the third consecutive year that there were more shipments of vinyl records than CDs - 44 million vs. 33 million. It perhaps helps vinyl's case that the RIAA has factored in sales figures directly from indie labels for the first time this year. And that Taylor Swift released thirty-six variants of her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, including eight vinyl editions.Many fans prefer to own physical copies of music for many reasons, such as their belief that vinyl offers better audio quality and an all-round superior listening experience to streaming services, as well as a way to perhaps better support artists. Scouring the racks at a record store is a fun pastime as well. Vinyl records and CDs are also a hedge against the possibility of music vanishing from streaming services if rights agreements expire or an artist decides to yank their music from a platform.Still, streaming services hit a new milestone last year. The RIAA reports that the average number of paid subscriptions for the year hit 100 million in the US for the first time. That's a three percent increase from 2023.Revenue from paid subscriptions rose by five percent to $11.7 billion, with the total revenue from streaming (factoring everything from ad-supported services to fitness apps) growing four percent to $14.9 billion. Streaming accounted for 84 percent of recorded music revenue for the third year running.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/vinyl-record-sales-continue-to-rise-amid-music-streamings-dominance-142131328.html?src=rss
After a mountain of leaks, Google has finally announced the Pixel 9a. There's a good chance you clicked on this article to find out how the 9a compares to its predecessor. The good news is you came to the right place. Even better, it's a favorable comparison.Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8aFor starters, the Pixel 9a features a new design. Instead of borrowing the design language of Google's more expensive devices, the new phone has its own identity. Gone is the divisive camera bar that has defined recent Pixel phones. Instead, the main camera module is nearly flush with the rear of the phone. Additionally, the new handset offers slightly better ingress protection. It's IP68-certified against water and dust, up from IP67 on the 8a. The Pixel 9a will also be available two lovely new colors: Iris and Peony. Sadly, Google won't offer an Aloe colorway this time around, at least not at release.Outside of those changes, the 9a sports a larger 6.3 display. Like with the 8a, Google has gone with a FHD panel, meaning the 9a's screen is slightly less dense due to it being a bit larger overall. However, it's the better display. The 9a's pOLED panel is capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the 8a. It's also HDR10+ certified, with a 120Hz refresh rate. That additional brightness will make it easier to see the 9a's screen in bright sunlight.Internally, the 9a features Google's latest Tensor G4 SoC, paired once again with 8GB of RAM. Google has also outfitted the 9a with a larger 5,100mAh battery, up from 4,492mAh on the 8a. Just as importantly, the 9a is capable of charging at a faster 23W. That's still slow compared to a device like the Nothing 3a Pro, which is compatible with 50W power adapters, but an improvement over the 8a's glacial 18W. Oh, and if you were hoping for Qi2 support, I'm sorry to say the 9a is limited to charging at 7.5W wirelessly.As for cameras, Google hasn't changed its winning formula. The 9a features a 48MP main camera with f/1.7 lens and optical image stabilization (OIS). On paper, that might seem like a downgrade from the 8a's 64MP main sensor, but they both feature a 0.8m pixel pitch, meaning they're capable of capturing the same amount of light, and it appears Google sourced a newer sensor for the 9a. Otherwise, the Pixel 9a appears to feature the same ultrawide and selfie cameras as its predecessor. As always, when you buy a Pixel phone, you're buying it for Google's computational photography features, and you get all the usual standouts like Night Sight, Best Take and more.Pixel 9a vs iPhone 16e and Nothing 3a ProThe iPhone 16e continues to confound since its announcement in February. At $599, it's a full $100 more expensive than the Pixel 9a, and comparing the two based on hardware alone, Google's new midrange phone is the better deal. You get a significantly bigger battery, a 120Hz display and an entire extra camera. Of course, whether you should buy the 9a over the 16e will entirely depend on your preference for Android over iOS. If you like prefer Apple's software, the Pixel 9a won't do it for you.The more interesting comparison is between the 9a and Nothing's new Phone 3a Pro. For $40 less, you get an even bigger screen, a more original design and, most notably, a periscope camera that offers 3x optical zoom. A great telephoto is really hard to find at this price range, so the 3a Pro might be worth considering for that reason alone. The tradeoff is Google's software support is unmatched, and 3a Pro comes with a limited warranty in the US.Pixel 9aPixel 8aiPhone 16eNothing 3a ProPrice$499/$559$499/$559$599 / $699 / $899$459Dimensions154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm (6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 inches)152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm (6 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches)146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches)163.52 x 77.5 x 8.9 mm (6.44 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches)Weight186g (6.56 ounces)188g (6.7 ounces)167g (5.88 ounces)211g (7.44 ounces)Screen size6.3 inches6.1 inches6.1 inches6.77 inchesScreen resolution1080 x 2,424 pixels (421ppi)1,080 x 2,400 pixels (430ppi)1,170 x 2,532 pixels (460 ppi)1,080 x 2,392 pixels (387ppi)Screen typepOLEDpOLEDOLEDAMOLEDSoCTensor G4Tensor G3Apple A18Snapdragon 7s Gen 3RAM8GB8GB8GB12GBBattery5,100mAh4,492mAh4,005mAh5,000mAhStorage128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 / 256 / 512 GB256 GBRear camerasWide: 48MP, f/1.7Ultrawide: 13MP, f/2.2Wide: 64MP, f/1.89
Gone are the days of kids asking their parent to borrow cash or their card when going out with friends. Instead, parents can now give their kids access to Google Wallet for making in-store payments with their Android device. Google first announced that this feature was coming back in October.Kids can also use Google Wallet to store passes to things, including a library card, ticket for an event or a gift card. But, parents have a lot of oversight, such as receiving an email every time their child makes a purchase. They can also monitor everything within Family Link, along with remove a payment card or shut off access to all passes.GoogleRight now, Google is just rolling out the new feature for families in the US, UK, Australia, Spain and Poland. Parents in any of these locations should see the option pop up within the next few weeks.Apple users can already access a similar feature with Apple Cash Family. Parents can set up anyone in their Family Sharing group and let them make purchases, or send and receive money through their wallet or messages. Just like on Android, parents can see their kids' purchases and get notifications each time they buy something. Plus, parents can view the remaining balance or send an allowance through Apple Cash by creating a recurring payment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-now-available-for-kids-140039676.html?src=rss
Say goodbye to ground-in dirt and stains and save money while you do it with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine cordless vacuum cleaner. This cordless cleaner is currently on sale for $798 for the Amazon Spring Sale, which is $152 off its usual price tag of $950. This is one of the best deals we've seen on this machine in the last year. Combining powerful suction with advanced wet-cleaning capabilities, the V15s Detect Submarine is a versatile cleaning machine for both carpets and hard floors. Armed with eight Dyson accessories, including the Submarine wet roller head, fluffy optic cleaner and Digital Motorbar head, it provides edge-to-edge cleaning and is ideal for those seeking vacuuming and mopping functionality in a single device. Boasting whole-machine HEPA filtration, intelligent adaptive suction based on floor type, LCD screen and a 60 minute run-time, the V15s Detect Submarine is capable of comprehensive cleaning throughout the home. With the Submarine cleaner head attached, it can cover an area of 1,000 square feet using the built-in 300ml water tank, picking up liquids and debris while washing surfaces with clean water. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide, where we praised its versatility and convenience. While the popularity of robot vacuums continues to grow, busy households with kids and pets in the mix can benefit from a versatile yet manual solution. Thanks to its lightweight and cordless design, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine makes it easy to clean up messes and spillages on the spot, and is great for tackling tight corners, staircases and underneath furniture. Amazon's Big Spring Sale ends on March 31; there's no telling if this deal will stick around after that, so now's the time to grab it if you've had your eye on it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-dyson-cordless-vacuum-and-mop-is-more-than-150-off-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-140036864.html?src=rss
If you're looking for a great deal on a premium pair of wireless headphones, you can take advantage of a massive $100 saving on the Bose QuietComfort headphones in the Amazon Spring Sale. For a limited time, these can be yours for $249, reduced from their usual price of $349, and this deal applies to all seven colorways. Although we have seen the price drop to $199 previously, this is still an excellent deal. This feature-rich headset combines active noise cancellation (ANC) with high-fidelity audio, and multipoint connectivity for seamlessly switching between connected devices. A fully customizable EQ puts you in control of your music, with layers of additional customization available via the Bose app. Enjoy up to 24 hours of battery life when fully charged, or grab up to 2.5 hours from just a 15 minute charge if you're in a hurry. Designed to provide all-day comfort, the Bose QuietComfort headphones feature plush, padded earcups and an adjustable padded band for long-play sessions. Experience immersive audio wherever you are - whether that's at the gym, on your daily commute, or simply unwinding at home at the end of a long day. If your pockets run a little deeper, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra has also received a sizable price drop. Currently down from $429 to $349 in the Amazon Spring Sale, this premium headset won the best noise-canceling category in our recent best wireless headphones guide. Boasting three different ANC modes, spatial audio and intuitive touch controls, we scored the QuietComfort Ultra a whopping 86 out of 100 in our review. The Amazon Big Spring Sale ends on March 31; so if you want to grab the Bose QuietComfort or QuietComfort Ultra at this discounted rate, now's the time to do it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-100-off-the-bose-quietcomfort-headphones-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-140002812.html?src=rss
There's now an industry-wide union for video game workers in the US and Canada. The United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA) has a mission to bring together "artists, writers, designers, QA testers, programmers, freelancers and beyond to build worker power irrespective of studio and current job status."The union makes its official debut at the "Video Game Labor at a Crossroads: New Pathways to Industry-Wide Organizing" panel at GDC. Workers will be sharing a petition at the event to gain support for the union and to shine a light on the recent glut of industry layoffs. As a matter of fact, the first major issue the union seeks to address is layoffs, given that one in ten developers were shown the door in 2024.UVW-CWAWorkers will also be passing around a zine that includes the organization's mission statement, FAQs and an op-ed. This is a direct-join union, meaning that workers can sign up on their own. This allows folks to bypass traditional unionization processes like elections and employer consent.We aren't sure if this will catch on throughout the industry or if major publishers will recognize the union. However, it's just the latest salvo in the ongoing battle between industry workers and corporate bigwigs. Over 600 QA workers at Activision, which is owned by Microsoft, recently joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA.) ZeniMax Online Studios workers formed their own union at the tail-end of last year and Sega of America workers did something similar.These unions have also been busy. The CWA has been embroiled in a fight with Microsoft and Activision over unfair labor practices on behalf of workers at Raven Software. Members of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA also went on a one-day strike last year to limit Microsoft's use of outsourcing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/video-game-workers-in-north-america-now-have-an-industry-wide-union-130024730.html?src=rss
If you've been eyeing a pair of Beats Fit Pro earbuds, now's a great time to snag them at a discount. The fitness-focused wireless earbuds have dropped to $169 ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale, down from their usual $200 price tag, which is the lowest price we've seen them since January. This $30 discount makes them an even better buy for those looking for good sound quality with a snug and secure fit. The Beats Fit Pro earned the top spot as the best wireless earbuds for working out in our best wireless earbuds roundup thanks to their IPX4 water resistance rating, comfortable design and balanced audio. They feature active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and Apple's H1 chip for seamless pairing with iOS devices. While they're most convenient for Apple users, they also work well with Android devices thanks to Google Fast Pair support. They're available at the discounted price in black, white, sage gray and stone purple, so this Big Spring Sale deal isn't limited to just one color. Designed with fitness enthusiasts in mind, the Fit Pro earbuds include flexible wingtips that help keep them securely in place, whether you're out for a run or powering through an intense gym session. Battery life is also solid, offering six hours of listening time per charge with an additional 18 hours from the charging case. If you need a quick boost, a Fast Fuel charge delivers up to one hour of playback in just five minutes. If you're looking for something more affordable, the Beats Studio Buds+ have also received a major price drop. They're currently on sale for $130 on Amazon, a decent markdown from their usual $170 price. These earbuds offer solid ANC, an improved transparency mode and a comfortable, lightweight design. We were impressed with them and gave them a respectable 84 out of 100 in our Beats Studio Buds+ review. Whether you're after a workout companion like the Fit Pro or an everyday pair like the Studio Buds+, both deals make for great savings on quality wireless earbuds. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-deals-include-the-beats-fit-pro-earbuds-for-169-130015298.html?src=rss
While Tesla is a popular car for ride-hailing drivers employed by the likes of Uber and more, the company could soon cut out the middleman. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved the company's bid for a transportation charter-party carrier permit, Bloomberg reports.The permit opens the way for Tesla to operate a ride-hailing service to compete with Uber, Lyft and other established companies. Tesla employees would drive the cars, initially transporting fellow employees, before becoming available to the public. Last year, Elon Musk told investors that the company was already testing app-based transportation for Bay Area employees using safety drivers.Notably, Tesla is still not approved to use autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing, though Musk has claimed they will be available in Austin, Texas by June and in California by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Uber and Waymo launched their robotaxi service in Austin earlier this month. Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service is also available in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-gets-approval-for-ride-hailing-business-in-california-125100455.html?src=rss
Carl Erik Rinsch, the director of 47 Ronin, has been charged for defrauding a streaming service out of $11 million, according to the Southern District of New York's US Attorney's Office. While the court documents didn't name the service, an old report from The New York Times made it obvious that it was none other than Netflix. In 2018, Rinsch pitched a sci-fi series called White Horse, referencing the first horseman of the apocalypse, to several services, namely Amazon, Apple, HBO, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. The Times' report said that Amazon had already won the bidding war, but Netflix's former VP of Original Content, Cindy Holland, called Rinsch on a weekend and offered millions more, along with the privilege of making a director's cut.In its announcement of the indictment, the US Attorney's Office explained that Netflix had paid $44 million for the development of White Horse, which had been renamed to Conquest, between 2018 and 2019. Some of that money went to paying off the project's earliest investors. (Keanu Reeves, the star of 47 Ronin, sank his own money into the project after Rinsch got in trouble with 30West, one of the project's first investors, for not reaching a deadline.) Between late 2019 and early 2020, Rinsch asked Netflix for more funding, and the company gave him $11 million more to complete the series. But Rinsch never finished the show, and Netflix accused him of using those funds to make "personal and speculative purchases of securities."The director allegedly lost most of the $11 million to trading, but he made it back and earned more from investing the rest on cryptocurrency. Rinsch allegedly went on a shopping spree after that, spending almost $4 million on furniture and antiques, $2.4 million on five Rolls-Royces and one Ferrari, as well as $652,000 on luxury watches and clothing. The indictment also said that Rinsch spent over $1 million to sue Netflix for more money. According to The Times' report, Rinsch claimed in his lawsuit that Netflix broke its contract and owed him several more payments worth $14 million. In the midst of all of these, Rinsch reportedly displayed erratic behavior: He allegedly claimed to have discovered Covid-19's secret transmission mechanism, treated the show's staff horribly and accused his wife of plotting his assassination.Conquest was supposed to be about a genius who invented a human-like species called Organic Intelligent. These OIs are deployed to solve problems and provide humanitarian aid around the world, but they are, of course, not what they seem and are hiding a darker nature. Rinsch has been charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He was also charged with five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, each count carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/47-ronin-director-charged-with-11-million-fraud-over-doomed-netflix-sci-fi-series-123040218.html?src=rss
Playdate, the little yellow gaming machine with a crank, is getting a price increase in a few days. In a newsletter that Panic has sent out, the developer said that Playdates will cost $229 starting on March 25 but that you can still get the device for $199 until then. Apparently, Panic moved to a new factory, and it would "cost quite a bit more" to manufacture the devices there than at the company's old facility. Panic cited manufacturing costs, as well, when it raised the handheld's price from $179 to $199 last year.On the day the Playdate is getting a price hike, Panic is also dropping "an (extremely) limited stock" of systems that are either fully refurbished at its factory or have "very minor cosmetic issues." The refurbished units will sell for $179, and Panic says that they "work great," can "play games perfectly" and come with a six-month warranty. "If price has kept you from buying a Playdate, we're hopeful these great systems might help," the company has written in its announcement.The handheld gaming console came out in 2022. It has a black-and-white screen with over 150 games that you can download from its Catalog. While the device has the traditional arrow and gaming buttons, it also has a crank that developers incorporate into their games - in Chopter Copter, for instance, you'll have to turn the Playdate on its side to use the crank as a helicopter-style rotor. If you already have a Playdate, the company is having a Catalog Anniversary Sale right now until March 20, where you can stock up on more titles for the handheld. Panic also reconfirmed that it's working with developers to put together a Season 2 bundle, which will deliver a set number of games in a curated collection to buyers' devices over a certain period.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-diminutive-playdate-console-is-getting-a-price-increase-to-229-on-march-25-120004199.html?src=rss
There's no better time than right now to kickstart those health and fitness goals. Whether you're looking to shed a few pounds, track your muscle gains or stay on top of your wellness routine, a smart scale can be the perfect sidekick. These scales don't just show you your weight; they provide insights into body composition, muscle mass and even your metabolic rate, all the while synching with your favorite health apps.
If you've upgraded your phone recently, there's a good chance it supports wireless charging. Battery life can be one of the first things to deteriorate as your phone ages, so you'll need quick and easy ways to power up wherever you are. You may not always be able to have a cable on your person, but investing in a wireless phone charger (or a few) can make it more convenient to plop your phone down and know it'll have more juice when you pick it back up again.
President Donald Trump's efforts to remake the US government continued today with the firing of the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission. This agency has historically had five members: three from the same party as the president and two from the opposing party. The New York Times reported that the president terminated the roles for FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya.Both Slaughter and Bedoya said today that firing them is illegal. Commissioners' terms can only be ended early for good cause, such as "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office." Also, no more than three commissioners can come from the same political party, meaning the pair also cannot be replaced by additional Republicans. It seems likely that Trump will face a legal challenge over the attempt to eliminate these positions."The law protects the independence of the Commission because the law serves the American people, not corporate power," Slaughter said in a statement. "The reason that the FTC can be so effective for the American people is because of its independence and because its commissioners serve across political parties and ideologies. Removing opposition voices may not change what the Trump majority can do, but it does change whether they will have accountability when they do it."Bedoya also posted about the action on X, seconding Slaughter's statement that removing their posts is illegal. "Tomorrow I will testify before the Colorado Joint House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and will have more to say then," he wrote.Trump signed an executive order in February attempting to exert more control over several agencies that were formed to intentionally remain outside the White House's purview. The order targeted agencies such as the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The FTC recently deleted all the posts on its business blog from President Biden's administration, leaving a four-year gap with no published compliance advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/president-trump-has-fired-the-ftcs-two-democrat-commissioners-225952614.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission has removed all posts from President Joe Biden's term in office from its business blog. This online publication has historically provided advice about how companies could best comply with consumer-protection regulations, covering topics such as artificial intelligence and how big tech companies have collected and used customer data. Currently, it has no content published between December 21, 2020 and March 7, 2025.Wired highlighted some of the notable content from the more than 300 blog posts that have been deleted. Several current and former FTC officials spoke to the publication about the change anonymously out of fear of retaliation.In terms of the message to industry on what our compliance expectations were, which is in some ways the most important part of enforcement action, they are trying to just erase those from history," one source said.The FTC is being led by President Donald Trump's nominee, Andrew Ferguson. At the time of his appointment, Ferguson said he would use the department to "end Big Tech's vendetta against competition and free speech." He and other Republicans have claimed that many platforms are censoring right-wing content, adding a heavy layer of irony to the FTC's latest actions."They are talking a big game on censorship," another source told Wired. "But at the end of the day, the thing that really hits these companies' bottom line is what data they can collect, how they can use that data, whether they can train their AI models on that data, and if this administration is planning to take the foot off the gas there while stepping up its work on censorship."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-ftc-has-removed-all-business-blog-posts-from-the-biden-administration-214734633.html?src=rss
Starting Tuesday, Disney+ has a 24/7 streaming channel for The Simpsons that broadcasts seasons one through 35 (all but the currently airing one) chronologically. To be clear, this announcement isn't about any new content, as you can already watch each of those 767 episodes on-demand on Disney+. All that's different here is a single stream that runs through each of them in order around the clock. If episodes average 22 minutes long, that would have the stream taking nearly 12 days to refresh. The advantage for those who like this format (I can only guess) is you don't have to think about where to pick up; just turn on the stream and imagine you're popping in on The Cartoon Network's longest marathon ever. "The Simpsons Stream will deliver a Simpsons marathon all day, every day - no matter when you tune in, this ultimate Simpsons binge will be there," current show-runner Matt Selman wrote in a press release. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-adds-a-247-stream-of-the-simpsons-203929882.html?src=rss
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