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Cash App has debuted a new group payment feature that allows folks who don't even use the app to contribute to a kitty. Pools enables Cash App users to invite folks to chip in for a large purchase (such as a group vacation) via Apple Pay and Google Pay. A small number of users have access to Pools at the jump, though Cash App owner Block expects to offer it to all of the service's customers in the coming months. Block told CNBC this is the first time that Cash App is opening up to external payments from Apple Pay and Google Pay.Through Pools, users can collect and track contributions from others via $Cashtags (for other Cash App users), or shareable links for Apple Pay and Google Pay. Users can start a pool through the Cash App, and set up a name and target amount. The organizer can close the pool whenever they like, move the money to their Cash balance and then use that to pay for whatever the group is planning to buy.Pools is a seemingly handy feature that could assist Cash App in competing with Venmo by helping Block expand the app's user base. It might help iOS and Android users who haven't tried it out learn more about the app and decide to check it out. However, it's perhaps worth bearing in mind that Cash App was subject to data breaches within the last few years. Block has also been fined over its handling of fraud on the platform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/cash-app-opens-up-to-apple-pay-and-google-pay-with-a-group-payment-option-154019254.html?src=rss

If you're in the market for a new mouse that won't totally break the bank then today is your lucky day. Right now, our favorite mouse for productivity is down to a record-low price. You can pick up the Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse for $80, down from $120 - 33 percent discount. Logitech released the MX Master 3S in 2022, but it's still a great option. This model comes with a USB receiver, quiet clicks and lots of customization options. It also has an 8K DPI optical sensor that performs well on all surfaces. The MX Master 3S wireless mouse further benefits from its ergonomic design. It has a platform for your thumb and places controls within easy reach. Plus, Logitech claims it has 70 days worth of battery life. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-logitech-mouse-is-40-off-right-now-151158249.html?src=rss

I've been wondering for a while what the killer app for Joy-Con mouse controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 might be. Sure,Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is fine as a tech demo (one that should have been a pack-in rather than costing $10) and Drag x Drive looks pretty interesting. Civilization VII has its fans as well. But the best use case for the feature yet could be a 33-year-old game that just hit Nintendo Switch Online.That's right, the all-time SNES classic Mario Paint just joined the service. The game only works with mouse controls, but original Switch users won't be left out here, as they have the option to plug a compatible USB mouse into the console's dock and create some art that way.Mario Paint allows you to color in existing designs (of, say, Mario and Yoshi) or fill the segments with patterns. You'll be able to create original art and animations too. There's also a mini-game in which you can test your mouse-pointing accuracy by swatting bugs. Perhaps most importantly for many Mario Paint fans, the music creator is present. A few Mario Paint tracks have joined the library in the Nintendo Music app as well.But that's not all. The Nintendo Switch Online SNES app now offers control remapping, which is a welcome accessibility update.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-paint-comes-to-nintendo-switch-online-and-yes-it-has-mouse-controls-140724048.html?src=rss

Adobe is rolling out a series of new Photoshop tools in beta that it claims will eliminate "tedious steps, reduce friction, and make precision editing faster and more intuitive."The new features include Generative Upscale for desktop and web, allowing you to enhance images by up to 8 megapixels before losing quality. This tool can be used for things such as improving photos you want to print or updating older files. According to Adobe, this feature has been one of the most requested among its users.Then there's the updated Remove tool, courtesy of the new Adobe Firefly Image Model. It does all the tidying and erasing you would expect, but also should provide a more realistic image. As Adobe puts it, there should be "fewer artifacts" left of the thumb, background people or whatever else you removed from the photo. It's also available in beta on desktop and web.Adobe is also rolling out the Harmonize feature, first discussed as Project Perfect Blend during the company's October 2024 Max conference. Powered by the Adobe firefly Image Model, Harmonize "intelligently analyzes the surrounding context, automatically adjusting color, lighting, shadows, and visual tone to create seamless, cohesive composites." Adobe claims this will reduce the time needed for manual adjustments. On top of trying out the beta on desktop or web, it's also available in Early Access for mobile iOS users.You can now use the Gen AI Model Picker to move between the different Firefly Image Models, as they each offer something a bit different when using the tools. Plus, Photoshop is rolling out something else in beta called Projects which, well, manages your projects. It should keep all your files in one place and let you send out entire collections, rather than one version at a time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/photoshops-newest-ai-tool-makes-it-easy-to-upscale-old-photos-135942810.html?src=rss

Rugged and regal, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale for a recordlow price of $650 right now. Built for endurance athletes and outdoor adventurers, the Ultra 2 pairs a rugged 49millimeter titanium case with 100meter water resistance and dive support to 40meters. If you're a fitness enthusiast and haven't yet taken the plunge on an Apple Watch, this sale might be the perfect opportunity to pick one up for $150 off. Its Retina display peaks at 3,000 nits, which is 50 percent brighter than the Apple Watch Series 10, and its battery lasts twice as long at up to 36 hours. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features all the same health technology as the Series 10, like the ECG app, sleep tracking, the Vitals app and more. We named the Apple Watch Ultra 2 our best Apple Watch for adventurers thanks to its precision dualfrequency GPS, aerospacegrade titanium case and water resistance to 100 meters. Apple even says the Ultra 2 is rated for highspeed water sports. The sale includes only the naturalcolored case in three band styles: Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean Band. Each band is available in a variety of colors to match your taste or wardrobe. It's rumored that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be announced this fall, so aggressive sales like this may crop up again between now and then. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-ultra-2-is-150-off-right-now-134631017.html?src=rss

Apparently it's the season for great deals on Apple's MacBooks with M4 chips. First, the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 dropped to an all-time low of $799 (it's still on sale here). Now, the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 has followed in its footsteps, going on sale for its own record-low price of $1,299. The 19 percent discount means $300 in savings, compared to the model's usual $1,599 price tag. That deal will get you 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD. Though, if you're willing to spend another $200, you can get 1TB of SSD. We gave the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 a 92 in our review thanks, in large part, to the M4 chip's speed. We also named it our best MacBook for creatives due to factors like speed, brighter screens and an upgraded webcam (12MP instead of 1080p). It also has a very long battery life, lasting for over 34 hours while playing HD video. Are you looking for something a bit bigger and faster? The 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro model is also on sale, albeit less significantly. You can get 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $2,235, down from $2,499 - an 11 percent discount. It's only available with Apple's M4 Pro chip and 24GB of RAM. The M4 Pro chip can support Thunderbolt 5, allowing you to transfer files at 120GB per second, compared to 40GB per second in the fourth generation. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-14-inch-macbook-pro-with-m4-drops-to-a-record-low-price-130007054.html?src=rss

Prime Day has come and gone, but power bank stalwart Anker still has some compelling deals to keep your devices charged while on the go. Among these is the Anker Laptop Power Bank, which carries 25,000mAh of portable power. It features three 100W USBC ports, two of which have retractable USBC cables built in so you don't have to remember your own in order to charge your compatible devices. This particular model was our top pick for best premium power bank, but it's on sale for 30 percent off. At $95 during the sale, it's still a premium product, but this is near the lowest price we've ever seen. Anker carries a vast catalog of products, and several others are on sale right now. Among them is this highpowered 140W Anker Laptop Charger, which currently has a $20 clippable coupon on Amazon. It sports four different USB ports all with their own power outputs for different device classes, and all four can be used at once. A handy touch display shows total power output, output per port and features temperature monitoring to ensure ideal charging conditions. There's also this MagGo 3-in-1 charging station for $77, or 30 percent off its regular price. It'll be particularly handy for folks who travel often, or someone who wants a svelte place to charge their phone, watch and pair of earbuds all at once. It folds down to roughly the size of a deck of cards, and it comes with a power adapter to boot. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-this-anker-power-bank-that-can-charge-a-laptop-while-its-30-percent-off-142805754.html?src=rss

If you're at all familiar with Meta's Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses, there won't be many surprises when it comes to its latest Oakley frames. The Oakley Meta glasses rely heavily on what's already been a successful playbook for the company: the style of a popular eyewear brand mixed with juuust enough tech to let you keep your phone in your pocket a little longer. But the Oakley Meta glasses are also the social media company's first collaboration with a non-Ray-Ban brand (though both share a parent company in EssilorLuxottica). And while Meta stays pretty close to the strategy it's used for the last four years, its latest frames offer some hints about its longterm ambitions in the space. Meta has described its Oakley-branded frames as "performance glasses," which isn't entirely surprising given Oakley's longtime association with athletes. But there are only a few actual upgrades compared to the Ray-Ban lineup. The Oakley Meta glasses have a notably longer battery life, both for the glasses themselves and the charging case. They are also able to capture higher quality video than previous versions. With a starting price of nearly $400, though, I'm not sure those upgrades are worth an extra $100 - $200. Why do they look like that? Meta's debut pair of Oakley-branded glasses are based on the brand's HSTN (pronounced how-stuhn) frames and there's really nothing subtle about the design. The first of these is a limited edition version with shiny gold lenses and bright white frames (which Meta inexplicably calls "warm grey"). Like previous Ray-Ban models, they don't look overtly techy, but I still wasn't a big fan of the design. The glasses felt just a little oversized for my face and something about the bright white paired with gold lenses reminded me a little too much of a bug. The color combo also accentuates just how thick the frames are, particularly around the awkwardly wide nosepiece. Karissa Bell for Engadget I posted a selfie on my Instagram Story and polled my friends on what they thought. And while a few politely said they thought I was "pulling them off," the majority said they looked too big for my face. A few told me they looked straight-up weird, and one summed up my feelings pretty well with "something looks off about them." Style is subjective, of course. And depending on your face shape and tolerance for contrasting colors, I could see others enjoying the design. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the HSTN collection, which is coming later this summer, and will hopefully have some more flattering color variations. Looks aside, the glasses function almost identically to the Ray-Ban glasses Meta introduced in 2023. There's a 12-megapixel POV camera over the left eye, and an indicator light over the right that lights up when you snap a photo or start recording a video via the capture button. There are open-ear speakers in the arms so you can listen to music and hear notifications. Much like the Ray-Ban glasses, the speakers here are pretty good at containing the sound so others can't hear when you're listening at lower volumes, but it's definitely noticeable at higher levels. You can control music playback and volume pretty easily, though, with a touchpad on the right side of the glasses. "Performance" upgrades The most important upgrade that comes with the Oakley glasses is the battery. Meta claims the glasses can last up to eight hours with "typical" (non-constant) use and up to 19 on standby. I was able to squeeze a little over five hours of continuous music playback out of the battery in one sitting, which is about an hour better than the Ray-Ban frames. The charging case can provide up to 48 hours of additional runtime, according to Meta. It's been well over a week and I haven't yet had to plug in the case. The charging case is, however, noticeably bigger and heavier than the Ray-Ban case. It's not a dealbreaker, but the case is too big for any of my pockets and just barely fits into my small sling bag. My other gripe with the charging case is the same complaint I had about the Ray-Ban case: there's no way to see the charge level of the case itself. There's a small LED in the front that will change from green to yellow to red based on the battery level, but it's hardly a precise indicator. Karissa Bell for Engadget The other major upgrade is the 12MP camera, which can now shoot in 3K compared to 1080p on previous models. The higher resolution video is, notably, not the default setting, but I appreciated having the option. I could see it being especially useful for creators looking to shoot POV footage, but I mostly use the glasses for still shots rather than video. San Francisco is currently having a record-breaking cold summer so most of my testing has been in fairly overcast conditions. It might be a product of the gray weather, but I found the photos I've shot with the glasses a bit overly saturated for my taste. They looked fine on an Instagram Story, though. The camera has a bit of a wide angle with a 100-degree field of view, so there's still a bit of a learning curve in terms of figuring out how best to frame the shots. Another issue is that it's very easy for a hat or a piece of hair to make it into your photos without realizing. My previous experience with the Ray-Ban Meta glasses meant I was careful to pull my hair back before snapping a picture, but I was bummed to realize after a long bike ride that the visor on my helmet was visible in the frame of every photo and video. It seems like Meta may have a plan to address this: I noticed a setting called "media quality" that's meant to alert you when something is partially obstructing the camera. The feature is apparently still testing, though, and it wasn't functional. A Meta spokesperson did confirm it would be added in a future update, though. "Media Quality Check is a feature we're working to bring to our AI glasses collection in the future that will alert users when photos are blurry or if something like your hair or a hat blocks what you capture," Meta said. The Meta AI app (formerly known as Meta View) can help fix other issues, though. It has a "smart crop" feature that can automatically straighten your pics to correct for any head tilt. It also has built in AI-powered edits for photos and video so you can restyle your clips directly in the app. And while the functionality isn't limited to clips shot with the glasses, the possibility of adding AI edits after the fact makes shooting otherwise mundane clips a bit more appealing. The ability to restyle video, however, is only "free for a limited time," according to the Meta AI app. Meta AI While the core features of Meta's smart glasses have largely stayed the same since it first introduced the Ray-Ban Stories in 2021, one of the more interesting changes is how Mark Zuckerberg and other execs have shifted from calling them "smart glasses" to "AI glasses." As the company has shifted away from the metaverse and made AI a central focus, it's not surprising those themes would play out in its wearables too. And while none of the Meta AI features are unique to the Oakley frames, Meta has added a couple of abilities since my last review that are worth mentioning. The first is live translation. The feature, which you have to enable in the Meta AI app, allows the onboard assistant to translate speech as you hear it. If both sides of a conversation have a pair of Meta glasses, then you can carry on a full conversation even if you don't speak the same language. The feature currently supports Spanish, French, Italian and English. Karissa Bell for Engadget I tried it out with my husband - a native Spanish speaker who was also wearing a pair of Meta glasses - and we were both fairly impressed. I would say something in English and Meta AI on his glasses would relay it to him in Spanish. He would then respond in Spanish and Meta AI would translate the words into English. It's not the most natural way to speak because you have to pause and wait for a translation, but it was mostly effective. There were a few bugs, though. Because we were sitting close to each other, sometimes Meta AI would overhear the translated audio from the other person's glasses and translate it back, which made the whole thing feel like a bizarre game of telephone. And over the course of a several-minute conversation, there were a handful of times when Meta AI wouldn't pick up on what was said at all, or would only begin translating halfway through a statement. We also encountered some issues with Meta AI's translations when it came to slang or regional variations of certain words. While it wasn't perfect, I could see it being useful while traveling since it's much smoother than using Google Translate. There was also something endlessly amusing about hearing my husband's words relayed back to me by the voice of AI Judi Dench (Meta tapped a bunch of celebrities last year to help voice its AI). Stills from a video of a walk through a parking lot (left), and the same image after using the "desert rave" effect in Meta AI app. Screenshots (Meta AI) The other major AI addition is something called "Live AI," which is essentially a real-time version of the glasses' multimodal powers. Once you start a Live AI session, Meta's assistant is able to "see" everything you're looking at and you can ask it questions without having to repeatedly say "hey Meta." For example, you can look at plants and ask it to identify them, or ask about landmarks or your surroundings. The feature can feel a bit gimmicky and it doesn't always work the way you want it to. For example, Meta AI can identify landmarks but it can't help you find them. While on a bike ride, I asked if it could help me navigate somewhere based on the intersection I was at and Meta AI responded that it was unable to help with navigation. It also didn't correctly identify some (admittedly exotic) plants during a walk through San Francisco's botanical gardens. But it did helpfully let me know that I may want to keep my distance from a pack of geese on the path. I'm still not entirely sure what problems these types of multimodal features are meant to solve, but I think it offers an interesting window into how Meta is positioning its smart glasses as an AI-first product. It also opens up some intriguing possibilities whenever we get a version of Meta glasses with an actual display, which the rumor mill suggests could come as soon as this year. Wrap-up While I don't love the style of the Oakley Meta HSTN frames, Meta has shown that it's been consistently able to improve its glasses. The upgrades that come with the new Oakley frames aren't major leaps, but they deliver improvements to core features. Whether those upgrades justify the price, though, depends a lot on how you plan to use the glasses. The special edition HSTN frames I tested are $499 and the other versions coming later this year will start at $399. Considering you can get several models of Meta's Ray-Ban glasses for just $299, I'm not sure the upgrades justify the added cost for most people. That's probably why Meta has positioned these as a "performance" model better suited to athletes and Oakley loyalists. But the glasses do offer a clearer picture of where Meta is going with its smart glasses. We know the company is planning to add displays and, eventually, full augmented reality capabilities - both of which will benefit from better battery life and cameras. Both are also likely to cost a whole lot more than any of the frames we've seen so far. But, if you don't want to wait, the Oakley Meta glasses are the closest you can get to that right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oakley-meta-glasses-review-a-familiar-formula-with-some-upgrades-120026844.html?src=rss

Anyone trying to watch porn online in the UK will need to take a selfie first - or share a photo ID. (Yes, both of those might ruin the mood.') The UK government began checking compliance with its Online Safety Act last Friday, which requires any website that publishes or displays pornographic content to implement a system for "highly effective age checks."Popular porn sites, including the country's most-visited site, PornHub, have agreed to the new regulations. The rules also apply to platforms like X and dating apps, where adult images may be shared. Social media sites like Reddit and Bluesky have already implemented an age verification system. Some of these age checks can be sidestepped by assigning a new location to profiles or, your friend and mine, using a VPN.In response, downloads of VPN apps have exploded.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The news you might have missed

Earlier this year, Google rolled out AI Mode to Search users in the US. Now, the notoriously inaccurate "tool" is coming to the UK. While Google's AI overviews have been available in the UK since last summer, AI Mode provides more conversational responses and fewer links to other pages.Google touts AI Mode as a more intuitive method for asking multi-part questions or follow-ups. It uses Google's Gemini 2.5 model to detail how-tos, compare products or plan a trip. Instead of searching for something under the "All" tab, users activate it by clicking "AI Mode" and issuing a prompt with text, voice or a photo.AI Mode uses something called a "query fan-out" technique, meaning it does "multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and multiple data sources and then brings those results together." However, there's two issues: The possibility of hallucinations - which Google admits to - and a reduction in click through rates. Both have occurred with AI Overviews on Google Search.A new Pew Research Center report found that users who receive an AI summary after their search click on a traditional result almost 50 percent less (8 percent of the time, compared to 15 percent). On top of that, only one percent of users clicked on the link provided within the AI summary. This pattern can cause problems both for website traffic and for ensuring that AI-generation information is accurate.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-searchs-ai-mode-is-rolling-out-in-the-uk-110011893.html?src=rss

Managing your finances doesn't have to be complicated, and there are so many tools available now that can make things easier (and even partially automated) for you. I was a Mint user for many years, but I was forced to find a new budgeting app after the service shut down in March 2024. Mint's parent company, Intuit, prompted folks to try their other financial app, Credit Karma. However, after testing Credit Karma myself, I found it to be a poor Mint replacement. So I set out to try all of the best budgeting apps available today to find a new home for all of my financial tracking and goal-setting. Hopefully my journey can help you find the best budgeting app for you and your money as well. Best budget apps of 2025 Other budgeting apps we tested PocketGuard PocketGuard used to be a solid free budget tracker, but the company has since limited its free" version to just a free seven-day trial. Now, you'll have to choose between two plans once the trial is over: a $13 monthly plan or a $75 annual plan. When I first tested it, I found it to be more restricted than NerdWallet, but still a decent option. The main overview screen shows you your net worth, total assets and debts; net income and total spending for the month; upcoming bills; a handy reminder of when your next paycheck lands; any debt payoff plan you have; and any goals. Like some other apps, including Quicken Simplifi, PocketGuard promotes an after bills" approach, where you enter all of your recurring bills, and then PocketGuard shows you what's left, and that's what you're supposed to be budgeting: your disposable income. Although PocketGuard's UI is easy enough to understand, it lacks polish. The accounts" tab is a little busy, and doesn't show totals for categories like cash or investments. Seemingly small details like weirdly phrased or punctuated copy occasionally make the app feel janky. More than once, it prompted me to update the app when no updates were available. The web version, meanwhile, feels like the mobile app blown up to a larger format and doesn't take advantage of the extra screen real estate. Ultimately, now that the free tier is gone, it just doesn't present the same value proposition as it once did. How we test budgeting apps Before I dove in and started testing out budgeting apps, I had to do some research. To find a list of apps to try out, I consulted trusty ol' Google (and even trustier Reddit); read reviews of popular apps on the App Store; and also asked friends and colleagues what budget tracking apps (or other budgeting methods) they might be using for money management. Some of the apps I found were free and these, of course, show loads of ads (excuse me, offers") to stay in business. But most of the available apps require paid subscriptions, with prices typically topping out around $100 a year, or $15 a month. (Spoiler: My top pick is cheaper than that.) All of the services I chose to test needed to do several things: import all of your account data into one place; offer budgeting tools; and track your spending, net worth and credit score. Except where noted, all of these apps are available for iOS, Android and on the web. Once I had my shortlist of six apps, I got to work setting them up. For the sake of thoroughly testing these apps, I made a point of adding every account to every budgeting app, no matter how small or immaterial the balance. What ensued was a veritable Groundhog Day of two-factor authentication. Just hours of entering passwords and one-time passcodes, for the same banks half a dozen times over. Hopefully, you only have to do this once. Budgeting app FAQs What is Plaid and how does it work? Each of the apps I tested uses the same underlying network, called Plaid, to pull in financial data, so it's worth explaining what it is and how it works. Plaid was founded as a fintech startup in 2013 and is today the industry standard in connecting banks with third-party apps. Plaid works with over 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada and Europe. Additionally, more than 8,000 third-party apps and services rely on Plaid, the company claims. To be clear, you don't need a dedicated Plaid app to use it; the technology is baked into a wide array of apps, including all of the budgeting apps listed in this guide. Once you find the add an account" option in whichever one you're using, you'll see a menu of commonly used banks. There's also a search field you can use to look yours up directly. Once you find yours, you'll be prompted to enter your login credentials. If you have two-factor authentication set up, you'll need to enter a one-time passcode as well. As the middleman, Plaid is a passthrough for information that may include your account balances, transaction history, account type and routing or account number. Plaid uses encryption, and says it has a policy of not selling or renting customer data to other companies. However, I would not be doing my job if I didn't note that in 2022 Plaid was forced to pay $58 million to consumers in a class action suit for collecting more financial data than was needed." As part of the settlement, Plaid was compelled to change some of its business practices. In a statement provided to Engadget, a Plaid spokesperson said the company continues to deny the allegations underpinning the lawsuit and that the crux of the non-financial terms in the settlement are focused on us accelerating workstreams already underway related to giving people more transparency into Plaid's role in connecting their accounts, and ensuring that our workstreams around data minimization remain on track." Why did Mint shut down? When parent company Intuit announced in December 2023 that it would shut down Mint, it did not provide a reason why it made the decision to do so. It did say that Mint's millions of users would be funneled over to its other finance app, Credit Karma. "Credit Karma is thrilled to invite all Minters to continue their financial journey on Credit Karma, where they will have access to Credit Karma's suite of features, products, tools and services, including some of Mint's most popular features," Mint wrote on its product blog. In our testing, we found that Credit Karma isn't an exact replacement for Mint - so if you're still looking for a Mint alternative, you have some decent options. What about Rocket Money? Rocket Money is another free financial app that tracks spending and supports things like balance alerts and account linking. If you pay for the premium tier, the service can also help you cancel unwanted subscriptions. We did not test it for this guide, but we'll consider it in future updates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/best-budgeting-apps-120036303.html?src=rss

The United Kingdom's Online Safety Act took effect on July 25th. Among other provisions, the new law makes websites responsible for protecting UK children from content deemed harmful, like pornography or the promotion of eating disorders. This has resulted in many of the most-used websites, including Pornhub, X and Reddit, either putting up or planning to put up age verification barriers to restrict access by minors.Age-restricting laws put broadly popular websites in a difficult position. Sites like Reddit that rely on user-generated content have no good way of making sure nobody under 18 ever sees restricted material anywhere on the platform, so it's usually simpler to just ban minors altogether. But this creates a knock-on problem: underage users relying on unvetted free virtual private networks (VPNs) to get back on their favorite platforms.UK residents are using VPNs to change their apparent locations to other countries and circumvent the Online Safety Act. In the few days since the law went into force, five of the 10 most-downloaded free apps in the UK have been VPNs. We like two of the five, Proton VPN and NordVPN, but NordVPN does not have a free plan - just a seven-day free trial, after which you have to pay. The other three are unvetted, untested and suspiciously generic (VPN Super Unlimited Proxy, FreeVPN.org and Unlimited VPN Proxy).When you use a VPN, all your web traffic goes through one of the VPN's servers before moving on to its ultimate destination. Every time you connect, you're trusting the VPN not to abuse its access to your information, and some VPNs unfortunately abuse that trust. A free VPN is generally safe if it's supported by paid subscriptions, like Proton is. If there is no paid tier, or the free tier comes with no restrictions, you have to ask yourself where the money is coming from.The saying that "if the product is free, then the real product is you" holds true here. For example, Hola VPN admits in its terms of service that its sister company Bright Data can sell free users' residential IPs as proxy servers, and Hotspot Shield was the subject of an FTC complaint in 2017 that charged it with providing personally identifiable information to advertisers. And one of the services on the UK's top 10 list, FreeVPN.org, has no address on its website and a frighteningly sparse privacy policy.Malware is the other significant risk. A 2016 study analyzed 283 Android apps with VPN capability, and found malware in 38% of them. Nor has the threat diminished in the 10 years since - just this year, threat analysts at CYFIRMA reported on a free VPN shared on GitHub being used as a malware vector.In the end, a fully free VPN has no real reason to protect you or your rights, and every incentive to milk you for profit. Whatever you choose to do with a VPN, make sure you're picking one that will keep you save without exploiting you. Green flags include a clear pricing structure, audits from independent firms in the last three years, a specific physical location on the VPN's website and a thorough privacy policy. Some trustworthy free VPNs include the aforementioned Proton VPN, plus hide.me, TunnelBear and Windscribe.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/vpns-are-booming-in-the-uk-after-age-restriction-laws-but-free-options-carry-big-risks-060036636.html?src=rss

Whistle, a subsidiary of Mars that makes pet trackers, has announced that it's being acquired by Tractive. As part of the acquisition, Whistle trackers will stop working, but Tractive is offering to replace those trackers for free for a limited time.The official shutdown date for Whistle's pet trackers is August 31, 2025. Users will be able to request a replacement tracker until September 30, 2025 by providing their tracker's serial number and then choosing a new Tractive tracker. Tractive will also credit pre-paid Whistle subscriptions to new Tractive accounts, and give anyone with a Whistle tracker without an active subscription two months of a Tractive subscription for free.Whistle's devices, like the Whistle Go Explore or Whistle Fit, focused on using GPS, Wi-Fi, and AT&T's network to keep tabs on the whereabouts of your dogs and cats. Tractive goes further by offering similar tracking features alongside wearable-style health monitoring. If you pay for the company's subscription - a Basic plan gets you all the most important features for $108 per year - you'll be able to see your dog's heart rate, respiratory rate and track if it's barking more than usual.If you're willing to pay even more, Tractive offers a Premium plan for $120 per year that unlocks things like "worldwide coverage" for its trackers and the ability export the GPS data your tracker collects. It's annoying to have to claim a new tracker and transfer accounts, but as far as acquisitions go, this seems like a best-case scenario.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/whistle-pet-trackers-are-shutting-down-next-month-212828325.html?src=rss

Anthropic has introduced new weekly rate limits on its Claude Code tool for AI assistance with coding tasks. The move comes shortly after the AI company quietly began implementing rate limits on the Claude Code service, which is an agentic side of the AI chatbot that is capable of reading code, editing files, performing tests and pushing GitHub commits.According to a series of posts from Anthropic on X, these changes are in response to some users who have been running Claude Code "continuously in the background, 24/7." Not only does that add up to a hefty environmental toll, the instances of non-stop use are also financially expensive for Anthropic. The company additionally questioned whether some users were violating terms of service by sharing or reselling accounts.Claude Code is only available on Anthropic's Pro and Max plans, the most expensive of which is $200 a month. Those subscriptions which will start seeing the weekly rate limits beginning in August. "We estimate they'll apply to less than 5% of subscribers based on current usage," the company said. For those people who do run up against the limits on the Max plan, there will be an option to purchase extra usage at standard API rates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-is-rate-limiting-claude-code-blaming-some-users-for-never-turning-it-off-211134730.html?src=rss

Microsoft is implementing an age verification system on Xbox accounts to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act, and in a new blog post announcing the move, the company suggests it'll come to other countries, too.Players in the UK who indicate on their account that they're 18 years or older will now "begin seeing notifications encouraging them to verify their age," Microsoft says. The process is optional for now, and players will be able to enjoy playing Xbox games until "early 2026," when verification will become mandatory to "retain full access to social features on Xbox, such as voice or text communication and game invites." If you don't verify, you'll still be able to make purchases, play games and earn achievements, but social features will be limited to your friends.Microsoft says its hopes to learn from its UK program, and "roll out age verification processes to more regions in the future." The company cautions that the version it introduces in other regions might look different than the "proof of government-issued ID, age estimation, mobile provider check and credit card check" options it's offering in the UK, but age verification will be the norm.The UK's Online Safety Act was signed in to law in 2023 to ban nonconsensual deepfake porn and create rules preventing children from being exposed to adult content. As regulators have defined ways companies can comply with the law, implementing an age verification system has become the solution most platforms that host adult content have settled on. That's why Microsoft, Bluesky, Reddit, Discord and others have announced age-verification programs in the last few months.The problem is, no age verification system is foolproof, and in some cases all they take is a photo to circumvent. The Verge reports you can fool Reddit's age gate with the photo mode in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, for example. Using a VPN has also proven to be a way to get around age verification tools. If companies take Microsoft's approach and introduce age verification in more regions, it might get harder to avoid, but widespread adoption has privacy and security implications of its own.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-plans-to-bring-xbox-age-verification-to-countries-outside-of-the-uk-201953614.html?src=rss

Microsoft has debuted a Copilot Mode for its Edge web browser. When enabled, this experimental feature can search across multiple open browser tabs and analyze the information on each page. An example posted on X by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shows Copilot Mode examining several papers published by the company's researchers and assessing if they make any similar points.

Sony is suing Tencent for copying nearly every aspect of its Horizon games for the upcoming Light of Motiram, an open-world hunting game with some obvious similarities to Sony's franchise, as first reported by Reuters. Tencent first announced the new game in November 2024.The lawsuit goes into detail on the various ways Tencent's new game appears to be unlawfully copying memorable aspects of Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West and Lego Horizon Adventures. That include the basic setup of the game (a post-apocalyptic setting where tribes of humans coexist with machines), the visual appearance of Light of Motiram'scharacters and even how Sony presents the franchise online. It all adds up to what Sony describes as a "slavish clone" of the Horizon franchise, something Engadget and other publications easily clocked when Tencent first announced the game.SonyThe most damning part of Sony's lawsuit is its claim that Tencent tried to license the Horizon IP before it even announced Light of Motiram. The company wanted to "develop its own Horizongame in collaboration with SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment)," Sony claims, and proposed licensing the Horizon IP to create a mobile game that introduced "Eastern aesthetics" and elements like "survival and crafting, pet taming, [multiplayer game modes], etc." After Sony rejected the offer, Tencent announced Light of Motiram anyway, with many of the mechanics it pitched and using many recognizable visual elements of the Horizon franchise.In response to the damage and customer confusion caused by Tencent making Light of Motiram, Sony wants an injunction that prevents Tencent from continuing to develop or release the game, along with money and the destruction of anything related to Light of Motiram. The ball is in Tencent's court to argue otherwise, which seems like it might be difficult.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sony-sues-tencent-over-its-horizon-zero-dawn-clone-191009077.html?src=rss

Google just announced a neat little feature for its Chrome web browser. It'll now show AI-generated reviews of online stores, to make buying stuff "safer and more efficient."The feature is available by clicking an icon just to the left of the web address in the browser. This creates a pop-up that spills the tea about the store's overall reputation, with information on stuff like product quality, pricing, customer service and return policy. The AI creates these pop-ups by scanning user reviews from various partners, including Reputation.com, Reseller Ratings, ScamAdviser, Trustpilot and several others.GoogleIt's only for US shoppers at the moment, with English being the only language available. It's also currently tied to the desktop browser. We've reached out to Google to ask if and when the feature will come to mobile. The company didn't confirm anything when asked a similar question by TechCrunch.This could help Google compete with Amazon, which already uses AI to summarize product ratings and the like. This is just the latest move the company has made to cram AI into the shopping experience. Google recently introduced the ability to virtually try on clothing and makeup and it has been developing tools to provide personalized product recommendations and improved price tracking.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chrome-will-now-display-ai-reviews-of-online-stores-190032205.html?src=rss

Earlier this month, Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey unveiled a peer-to-peer, Bluetooth-based messaging app he put together. Now, anyone with a compatible iPhone, Mac or iPad (or even Apple Vision Pro) can try Bitchat as it's available on the App Store.Dorsey created Bitchat under the auspices of "and Other Stuff," an open-source development collective he has backed financially. Per the free app's description, it allows users to chat with others who are physically close to them without needing to have their email address or phone number, which could make Bitchat handy for in-person events. Messages are private and encrypted, while the Panic Mode function allows you to delete all your Bitchat data with a triple tap.Dorsey said he built Bitchat as an experiment in "Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models and a few other things." The app doesn't need internet access to function, making it a useful option in situations in which authorities block mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other apps that offer Bluetooth mesh messaging first started appearing over a decade ago.

Earlier this summer Engadget covered the news that Warner Bros. Discovery would split into two giant media companies. Today the conglomerate announced the names for the restructured entities.The company retaining Warner Bros. film, television and game studios, along with New Line Cinema, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, will be called Warner Bros. Meanwhile, the other entity, which holds the original company's full portfolio of live cable channels, including CNN, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Discovery and TLC, will be called Discovery Global.These companies have a storied history of creative naming schemes, such as when WarnerMedia merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery. It was also this parent company that brought us the saga of HBO Go being renamed HBO Max, which was then renamed Max, only to revert back to HBO Max this year.The announcement also confirmed that David Zaslav, the current president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as president and CEO of the newly formed Warner Bros. Meanwhile, current Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels will serve as president and CEO of Discovery Global.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-new-warner-bros-and-discovery-global-would-like-you-to-forget-warner-bros-discovery-183951865.html?src=rss

Sony just dropped some more details about its upcoming wireless fight stick, including the real name. During development, it was known as Project Defiant but it's officially called the FlexStrike.This is the very first fight stick controller designed by Sony Interactive and it's compatible with both PS5 and PC via either a wired or wireless connection. It's also extremely easy on the eyes, as you can see below.Fighting games require precise inputs with no lag, and wireless controllers aren't typically the preferred option. However, FlexStrike capitalizes on the PlayStation Link technology to deliver "ultra-low latency wireless" gameplay. This requires the included PS Link USB adapter, which is compatible with USB-C ports.The controller features angled surfaces and a non-slip base so it shouldn't move around during frantic play sessions. It also includes a custom-designed digital stick and mechanical switch buttons. It even features a touchpad, so it boasts just about every input found on a traditional DualSense.The aforementioned adapter can be used to connect two FlexStrike controllers at once, or to pair a single controller with Sony's Pulse Elite headset or Pulse Explore earbuds. A standard DualSense can also remain connected to a PS5 at the same time, for menu-diving and the like.The FlexStrike controller will be available sometime in 2026. We don't have a price yet, but we do know that it ships with a nifty carrying case.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sonys-wireless-fight-stick-is-now-called-flexstrike-and-it-features-mechanical-switch-buttons-180517208.html?src=rss

We've known Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was coming for a while now, but we finally have some real footage. Paramount just dropped a trailer, in addition to an official announcement that the show will premiere in "early 2026."For the uninitiated, the show is set at the titular Starfleet Academy in future San Francisco and follows a group of cadets and their instructors. The trailer introduces us to all of the major characters, more or less, all while chancellor Holly Hunter does her best space Dumbledore and delivers a rousing speech.Eagle-eyed fans, however, will notice an abundance of Easter eggs in this footage. Starfleet Academy is where nearly every major Star Trek character in franchise history went to school, and they've all left their footprints here. There are shoutouts to James Kirk, Wesley Crusher, Tom Paris and, most interestingly, a class that examines the ultimate fate of Deep Space Nine head honcho Benjamin Sisko.The trailer also re-introduces two fan-favorite characters from previous installments. Robert Picardo returns as the holographic doctor from Star Trek: Voyager and the one-and-only Tig Notaro returns as snark-mouthed engineer Jett Reno from Star Trek: Discovery. Holograms don't age, but people do, so I wonder what kind of sci-fi gobbleygook they'll come up with as to why Picardo now looks older.Paramount Speaking of the passage of time, there's the Discovery-sized elephant in the room. Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century, after the crew of the Discovery accidentally ended up there at the end of season two. This is 800 years after the 90s shows like The Next Generation and 900 years after the original series. So this means any and all connections between planets and species are likely to be radically different, as eight centuries is a really, really long time. Just think about how different the year 1225 was from today.The show premieres in six or seven months on Paramount+. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy stars the aforementioned Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diane, Kerrice Brooks and Paul Giamatti as the half-Klingon antagonist.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-first-star-trek-starfleet-academy-trailer-is-filled-with-easter-eggs-164554379.html?src=rss

On July 23, the Trump Administration released its long-awaited AI Action Plan. Short of copyright exemptions for model training, the administration appears ready to give OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other major players nearly everything they asked of the White House during public consultation. However, according to Travis Hall, the director of state engagement at the Center for Democracy and Technology, Trump's policy vision would put states, and tech companies themselves, in a position of "extraordinary regulatory uncertainty."It starts with Trump's attempt to prevent states from regulating AI systems. In the original draft of his recently passed tax megabill, the president included an amendment that would have imposed a 10-year moratorium on any state-level AI regulation. Eventually, that clause was removed from the legislation in a decisive 99-1 vote by the Senate.It appears Trump didn't get the message. In his Action Plan, the president signals he will order federal agencies to only award "AI-related" funding to states without "burdensome" AI regulations."It is not really clear which discretionary funds will be deemed to be 'AI-related', and it's also not clear which current state laws - and which future proposals - will be deemed 'burdensome' or as 'hinder[ing] the effectiveness' of federal funds. This leaves state legislators, governors, and other state-level leaders in a tight spot," said Grace Gedye, policy analyst for Consumer Reports. "It is extremely vague, and I think that is by design," adds Hall.The issue with the proposal is nearly any discretionary funding could be deemed AI-related. Hall suggests a scenario where a law like the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act (CAIA), which is designed to protect people against algorithmic discrimination, could be seen as hindering funding meant to provide schools with technology enrichment because they plan to teach their students about AI.The potential for a "generous" reading of "AI-related" is far-reaching. Everything from broadband to highway infrastructure funding could be put at risk because machine learning technologies have begun to touch every part of modern life.On its own, that would be bad enough, but the president also wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to evaluate whether state AI regulations interfere with its "ability to carry out its obligations and authorities under the Communications Act of 1934." If Trump were to somehow enact this part of this plan, it would transform the FCC into something very different from what it is today."The idea that the FCC has authority over artificial intelligence is really extending the Communications Act beyond all recognition," said Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. "It traditionally has not had jurisdiction over things like websites or social media. It's not a privacy agency, and so given the fact that the FCC is not a full-service technology regulator, it's really hard to see how it has authority over AI."Hall notes this part of Trump's plan is particularly worrisome in light of how the president has limited the agency's independence. In March, Trump illegally fired two of the FCC's Democratic commissioners. In July, the Commission's sole remaining Democrat, Anna Gomez, accused Republican Chair Brendan Carr of "weaponizing" the agency "to silence critics.""It's baffling that the president is choosing to go it alone and unilaterally try to impose a backdoor state moratorium through the FCC, distorting their own statute beyond recognition by finding federal funds that might be tangentially related to AI and imposing new conditions on them," said Venzke.Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetOn Wednesday, the president also signed three executive orders to kick off his AI agenda. One of those, titled "Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government," limits federal agencies to only obtaining those AI systems that are "truth-seeking," and free of ideology. "LLMs shall be neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas such as DEI," the order states. "LLMs shall prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and shall acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory."The pitfalls of such a policy should be obvious. "The project of determining what is absolute truth and ideological neutrality is a hopeless task," said Venzke. "Obviously you don't want government services to be politicized, but the mandates and executive order are not workable and leave serious questions.""It's very apparent that their goal is not neutrality," adds Hall. "What they're putting forward is, in fact, a requirement for ideological bias, which is theirs, and which they're calling neutral. With that in mind, what they're actually requiring is that LLMs procured by the federal government include their own ideological bias and slant."Trump's executive order creates an arbitrary political test that companies like OpenAI must pass or risk losing government contracts - something AI firms are actively courting. At the start of the year, OpenAI debuted ChatGPT Gov, a version of its chatbot designed for government agency use. xAI announced Grok for Government last week. "If you're building LLMs to satisfy government procurement requirements, there's a real concern that it's going to carry over to wider private uses," said Venzke.There's a greater likelihood of consumer-facing AI products conforming to these same reactionary parameters if the Trump administration should somehow find a way to empower the FCC to regulate AI. Under Brendan Carr, the Commission has already used its regulatory power to strongarm companies to align with the president's stance on diversity, equity and inclusion. In May, Verizon won FCC approval for its $20 billion merger with Frontier after promising to end all DEI-related practices. Skydance made a similar commitment to close its $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global.Even without direct government pressure to do so, Elon Musk's Grok chatbot has demonstrated twice this year what a "maximally truth-seeking" outcome can look like. First, in mid-May it made unprompted claims about "white genocide" in South Africa; more recently it went full "MechaHitler" and took a hard turn toward anti-semitism.According to Venzke, Trump's entire plan to preempt states from regulating AI is "probably illegal," but that's a small comfort when the president has actively flouted the law far too many times to count less than a year into his second term, and the courts haven't always ruled against his behavior."It is possible that the administration will read the directives from the AI Action Plan narrowly and proceed in a thoughtful way about the FCC jurisdiction, about when federal programs actually create a conflict with state laws, and that is a very different conversation. But right now, the administration has opened the door to broad, sort of reckless preemption of state laws, and that is simply going to pave the way for harmful, not effective, AI."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/everyones-a-loser-in-trumps-ai-action-plan-160023247.html?src=rss

Dell is holding a back to school sale on all kinds of laptops and accessories, and there are some significant discounts on offer. The company's newly-released line of Premium laptops is up to $350 off, depending on the screen size and overall specs. A solid starter computer for students is the Dell Premium 14 base model, which is down to $1,500 from $1,650. It boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The RAM can be increased to 32GB and the hard drive to 1TB, but that costs extra. The standard monitor is a 14.5-inch 2K panel, but that can also be upgraded to an OLED touchscreen. The larger Premium 16 is a better bet for students looking for something a bit beefier. The specced out version is down to $2,350, which is $350 off the usual price. This one includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, a GeForce 5060 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The monitor can be upgraded to a 4K touchscreen, but that increases the price tag. For the uninitiated, Dell's Premium line of laptops basically replaced the XPS line. These computers keep the elegant wedge-like form factor and feature bezel-free displays coated in Gorilla Glass 3. There's also a newly-designed thermal system that should allow maximal airflow and offer minimal noise. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/dells-back-to-school-sale-includes-up-to-350-off-premium-laptops-153204107.html?src=rss

Roku's latest streaming sticks are both on sale with steep discounts. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which supports 4K and HDR10+, is on sale for $29, a discount of 27 percent. If your television only supports HD, pick up the Roku Streaming Stick HD, which is on sale for $19. That's 37 percent off its retail price. Both the Plus and HD versions of the Roku Streaming Stick offer more than 500 free channels through Roku Live TV, which is why we called the Plus the best streaming device for free and live content. Both versions work with virtual assistants including Siri, Alexa and Hey Google, and both are WiFi only. The Roku interface is uncluttered and easy to use, with a simple remote that features shortcuts to various streaming services. Both sticks support Apple AirPlay for streaming from your Apple device. In our handson review of the Streaming Stick Plus, we noted that this is Roku's first 4K streaming stick that doesn't require a wall adapter for power. Instead, the stick can be powered by your TV's USB port, adding flexibility for TV placement and neater cable management. While the Streaming Stick Plus has a shorter WiFi range and slightly slower performance than more expensive streaming devices, we still felt it offered a solid value and gave it a score of 85 out of 100. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/roku-streaming-sticks-are-up-to-37-percent-off-right-now-135013886.html?src=rss

Insta360 has decided to spin out its own drone company, Antigravity, allowing it to operate independently. The new sub-brand is now developing an as-yet-unnamed drone that can record 360-degree video, similar to Insta360's X camera series.Details are currently limited, as the company finalizes its first product. However, Insta360's Antigravity says its drones will be aimed at existing drone owners, looking for more creative video options as well as beginners intimidated by the learning curve of flying a drone". If the company's drones can utilize the 360-degree camera sensors that made it famous, you'd likely be able to reframe and curate angles and views as you flew, given the sensors would capture everything. Antigravity said: If you're looking to capture moments without missing the shot," - this is for you.It isn't the first time that Insta360 has dabbled with drones. A few years ago, it introduced the $430 Sphere, which attaches the company's 360-degree cameras to a chassis that can be mounted on the DJI Mavic 2. Using its own algorithms and technology, the sphere could capture 360-video footage, stitched together from the camera sensors, making the drone invisible' in the resulting footage. The device is currently out of stock.The company is launching its own drone, accompanied by a dedicated development team. Insta360 says this was due to the additional complications of making drones, with far more challenges, specialized technical knowledge and (of course) regulatory compliance. It's a lot more than an action cam. The Antigravity team said this would help keep development agile, and that we can expect to see new product lines and even accessory ecosystems in the near future."It plans to reveal the drone in August 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-spin-off-antigravity-360-degree-video-drone-130048742.html?src=rss

When it comes to audio performance, Bowers & Wilkins is on a hot streak. The company manages to consistently offer balanced and detailed sound across its line of headphones and earbuds. The Px7 and Px8 lines have been mainstays on our best headphones list for a while now, primarily for their outstanding audio quality. With the Px7 S3 ($449), the company updated a previous model with changes to its sound platform and some subtle design tweaks. And that combination continues an upward trajectory that shows no signs of slowing down. What's good about the Px7 S3? Bowers & Wilkins has been crafting a superb mix of sound and design for a while now. That run of form continues on the Px7 S3 with an audio platform that's powered by 40mm bio cellulose drivers, discrete headphone amplifiers and a 24-bit audio connection. There's also support for the full suite of aptX codecs (Lossless, Adaptive, HD and Classic) as well as TrueSound mode. That latter item is a dedicated audio profile that the company says allows you to hear music and movies with the striking accuracy and realism of the original recording, with nothing added and nothing taken away." All of that combines for some truly stellar audio performance on the Px7 S3. The sound is crisp and detailed, even offering nuance to more bass-heavy and chaotic genres. I heard some particular elements in the percussion on Turnstile's DULL" that I hadn't noticed before on other headphones or earbuds. You can also hear the band's use of guitar effects to a greater degree on this model (hello reverb and chorus). Plus, even at their most raucous, tracks have nice separation so that all of the instruments gain an airy, atmospheric quality rather than sounding compressed. I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference between the stock tuning and the TrueSound mode. I think that's a testament to the device's sonic prowess out of the box. But, if you find that you do need to make a change, there's a full 5-band EQ available for that. Billy Steele for Engadget Bowers & Wilkins says it greatly upgraded" its active noise cancellation (ANC) setup on the Px7 S3. It added two more microphones on this model, so there are now eight total units with an even split on each ear cup. ANC has always been... fine on the company's headphones, but it never came close to the supreme world-blocking capabilities of Bose or Sony. Here, there is noticeable improvement, but TV sounds, human voices and constant noise from planes, fans and sound machines still cut through. Other improvements on the Px7 S3 include slight changes to the design of the headphones. Bowers & Wilkins slimmed down the ear cups and refined the headband, and these two updates offer a sleeker silhouette and improve overall comfort. There's still the mix of metal, leather and textured fabric from the Px7 S2 and Px7 S2e, with the only obvious aesthetic change being a new ridged ring around the earcups. There's no doubt the company has created a sophisticated look, but it would be nice to see some bigger design changes now that three consecutive models have looked nearly identical. Bowers & Wilkins claims you'll get 30 hours of battery life on a charge with the Px7 S3. As it has in the past, the company doesn't specify if this is with ANC on or off. The company has a habit of understating its runtime stats though, and the Px7 S3 continues that trend. After 15 hours of what I'd consider normal" use - mostly with ANC active, but several times with ambient sound on for calls - I had over 60 percent left in the tank. Better-than-stated battery life is never a bad thing, so just know you'll probably outlast the company's numbers in that regard. What's not so good about the Px7 S3? Billy Steele for Engadget The first strike against the Px7 S3 is its price. At $449, this model is $50 more than its predecessors in the Px7 line. Sure, everything is more expensive these days with the constant churn that is tariffs and other financial uncertainties, but it's still worth considering that Bowers & Wilkins is asking you to pay more for its upgrades this time around. The next issue I have with the Px7 S3 is the location of its controls. On the Px7 S2e, the buttons were on the edge of the ear cups - a positioning that's common among the competition. For this model though, Bowers & Wilkins moved the controls to the edge of the smaller panels where the headband connects to the ear cups. As such, the ledge or lip there is skinnier, so the buttons are more cumbersome to find with your thumb. This may seem like nitpicking, but it's a change that impacted the overall experience for me as someone who is constantly testing headphones. Bowers & Wilkins typically focuses on the basics when it comes to its headphones. This means you'll get excellent sound quality, capable ANC and some audio customizability, but that's about it. The same holds true for the Px7 S3, as you won't find any advanced features here that companies like Sony and others may tack on for your convenience. There's no automatic pausing when you start to speak or sound profiles that can be set to change based on location. It also lacks voice detection for your phone's assistant and doesn't offer advertised support for spatial audio. While any number of these could help soften the blow of that $449 price tag, I'd argue the sound is so good you'll likely be satisfied despite the limited set of features. Final verdict on the Px7 S3 Bowers & Wilkins has been taking an if it ain't broke, slightly tweak it" approach to its Px7 line for a while now, but the S3 version is a more robust upgrade than the previous release. However, the company's updates are mostly on the inside, with further enhancements to an already stellar sound profile and slight ANC improvements. There are some changes on the outside too, but I'd like to see the company make some bigger strides there the next time it sees fit to slightly tweak" this model. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bowers--wilkins-px7-s3-review-a-sonic-powerhouse-only-slightly-improved-130027301.html?src=rss

Samsung will make Tesla's A16 chip in a deal worth 22.8 trillion won ($16.5 billion). The chip manufacturer had filed a regulatory contract with an unnamed entity, but Elon Musk announced Tesla as the other party on X (formerly Twitter).The deal will run through 2033 and utilize an upcoming plant in Taylor, Texas. Musk stated, "Samsung's giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate." This agreement marks a significant turnaround for Samsung, which, earlier this month, pushed back opening the Texas factory until 2026 due to a lack of customers.

After previously saying that the US would block exports of key AI chips to China, Donald Trump's administration may have backtracked. The US will now temporarily block restriction on exports of chips and other technology to China, the Financial Times reported. The aim is to help Trump book a meeting with China President Xi Jinping later this year in order to strike a trade deal, according to people familiar with the matter.Export controls are dictated by the US Commerce Department, which was reportedly told to avoid tough moves on China, according to eight people including current and former US officials. Trump is said to have wanted to avoid angering Xi due to the risk of China retaliating further on the export of crucial rare earths and magnets.Last week, NVIDIA said it would be able to resume selling key AI chips to China after being blocked earlier by the Department of Commerce. "The US government has assured NVIDIA that licenses will be granted and NVIDIA hopes to start deliveries soon," the company stated in a blog post. Today's news of frozen export controls effectively backs up that statement.However, 20 people including security experts and former US officials, including from Trump's previous administration, wrote the Department of Commerce saying it was a bad idea to give China access to advanced AI chips. "This move represents a strategic mis-step that endangers the United States' economic and military edge in artificial intelligence," they said in a letter. "By supplying China with these chips, we are fueling the very infrastructure that will be used to modernize and expand the Chinese military."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/trump-temporarily-drops-export-controls-to-smooth-negotiations-with-china-120021499.html?src=rss

There are dozens of excellent Nintendo Switch games available now to the point where you'll always have something new to play even if you have an extensive library of titles already. Whether you're playing on the go with a Switch Lite, at home with your friends on an OLED Switch or now on a brand new Switch 2, you'll be able to play most games on your preferred console. This flexibility makes the Switch lineup ideal for both casual gamers and hardcore fans who love having the ability to access every title, whether they're at home on the big screen or gaming on the go.

Foldable phones have gone from futuristic novelties to genuinely useful devices that blend portability with big-screen versatility. Whether you're into multitasking, mobile gaming or just love having a phone that turns heads, the best foldable phones you can buy offer powerful performance, durable designs and impressive displays that unfold to reveal more room for apps, videos and productivity.

The streets of Tromaville, New Jersey are calling once again as the video game adaptation of the off-the-wall cartoon series Toxic Crusaders gets a release date. Seen in an official trailer from Retroware that was shown off during San Diego Comic-Con and shared online by IGN, the Toxic Crusaders game is releasing on December 4 on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Steam.As a true callback to the quirky cartoon from the '90s, the video game is designed as a side-scrolling beat 'em up, all packaged in a fitting pixel art style. In Toxic Crusaders, you can select up to seven characters from the series, each with their own unique movesets and abilities, and join together for up to four players in local co-op. For Toxic Crusaders fans wanting more after the original series ended without a second season, this adaptation picks up where things left off. You'll still run into some familiar faces, like the story's main villain, Dr. Killemoff and his two bumbling henchmen.For followers of the franchise, it's been a discouraging journey since Retroware first announced the adaptation for release in 2023. It's been delayed a couple of times, but the latest trailer finally offers a definitive date. If you can't wait until December, you can catch The Toxic Avengerfilm - which is a reboot of the original movie from 1984 that the Toxic Crusaders cartoon was adapted from - in theaters on August 29.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-video-game-adaptation-of-cult-classic-toxic-crusaders-cartoon-finally-gets-a-release-date-213050227.html?src=rss

The second round of deferred resignations for NASA staff closed on Friday, and the agency says roughly 3,000 employees applied to leave, according to Bloomberg. The Trump administration first offered the deferred resignation program as a buyout to government workers in January as it gutted the federal workforce under the guidance of DOGE - then led by Elon Musk - asking employees to resign while still receiving benefits and pay for a period of time. In the earlier round, 870 NASA employees reportedly opted to leave. The space agency opened a second round in June, with a July 25 deadline.The latest batch of applications brings the total to nearly 4,000 employees, or roughly 20 percent of NASA's workforce, according to a statement provided to Bloomberg. It comes after Politico reported earlier this month that over 2,000 senior NASA staff members have agreed to leave.NASA is grappling with proposed budget cuts that could crush the agency's science programs and result in the loss of thousands of jobs. A group of current and former NASA employees called on Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy to reject the "harmful cuts" in a letter published on July 21, writing that recent policies "threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-may-lose-close-to-4000-employees-after-latest-deferred-resignation-round-204452249.html?src=rss

As if we needed more ways to grow our Steam libraries with games we'll never finish or even play. Now, Steam is experimenting with a redesigned storefront menu as part of its latest beta update to help sell more games. Instead of being overwhelmed with text links and cluttered menu buttons in the current version, Steam's store page remodel combines everything into a more polished and organized menu at the top.In its blog post, Steam said that the redesign is supposed to "provide easier access to the places Steam users most frequently visit." At the top, the new browse feature lets you get right into digging through games, based on options like top sellers, new releases or discounts. Next to browse, the recommendations button lets you explore what Steam thinks you'll like, based on other games in your library, your games' playtimes or even community recommendations. To get a more tailored feel, the categories menu button will give you a look at your top genres and offer some suggested tags to find similar games.Steam also revamped the store's search function to show the most popular searches, your recently viewed games, and top genres. There's even a button for advanced search for users who want to sort through games with specific filters and tags. None of these features are new, but Steam's new look makes it easier to get to the most useful parts of the store page.Steam"With these changes, we're aiming to make your experience smoother and more tailored to your needs," Steam wrote in its blog post. "We've been hearing from players, and experiencing ourselves, that some of the most commonly visited areas of Steam were hard to get to."We may be getting improved search functionality with Steam's storefront, but it comes amid frustrations over Steam's recent policy change. Earlier this month, Steam delisted tons of titles with adult or NSFW content to appease its popular payment processors, like Visa and Mastercard, leading to criticism of setting a worrying precedent of censorship. For now, the store page redesign is still part of the Steam Client Beta, where you can submit feedback to help shape the final look.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/steam-is-testing-out-a-redesigned-storefront-that-makes-it-easier-to-find-games-youll-like-165216486.html?src=rss

That reunion tour concert you booked a few months ago is creeping up on your calendar, but you're going to be trapped at home because life gets in the way sometimes. If you booked your ticket through Ticketmaster, you can easily transfer your pass to someone else instead of letting it turn into an empty seat.How to transfer tickets in the Ticketmaster appIf you have the Ticketmaster app, you can locate the ticket you want to transfer in the My Tickets section. Once there, hit the Transfer button, where you'll be prompted to enter a one-time code to verify your identity. After confirming, you can select the tickets in question and hit the Transfer To button. You'll have to enter the contact info for who you're sending the tickets to, which can either be a mobile number or an email address. Once your recipient has claimed the transferred ticket through a text message or email, you'll get a confirmation email that the process is completed and your own ticket is no longer valid.How to transfer tickets on the Ticketmaster website or a team/venue-branded siteIf you prefer to do things through a web browser, the process is very similar. Using the Ticketmaster website, you have to first sign in to your account before following the same steps as laid out in the app. If you have a specific team or venue that works with Ticketmaster, search for it on the Account Manager page and then sign in. Once logged in, you can transfer tickets in the same way as the app or the Ticketmaster website.TicketmasterSome restrictions applyBefore you go through with your transfer, it's important to note that whoever you're sending the ticket to needs to have a Ticketmaster account. And, some venues or artists will opt out of the ability to transfer tickets, so it may not always be an option. Some users also reported that Ticketmaster's transfer option isn't available until a few days before the event, so you may have to plan accordingly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/how-to-transfer-your-ticketmaster-tickets-to-someone-else-154023783.html?src=rss

According to a report from The Washington Post, DOGE is using an AI tool to analyze federal regulations and determine which to get rid of. A DOGE PowerPoint presentation obtained by the publication notes that its "AI Solution" - reportedly called the DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool - found that 100,000 out of over 200,000 regulations "can be deleted." The document sets a September 1 goal deadline for agencies to complete their own deregulation lists using the tool, which it says can be done in under four weeks, and then "DOGE will roll-up a delete list of 50% of all Federal Regulations (100k Regulatory Rules)."The tool is targeting regulations that are no longer required by law, The Washington Post reports. After it makes its suggestions, staffers would review the proposed deletions before finalizing a plan. According to the PowerPoint, the tool has already been tried out by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where it's been used to write "100% of deregulations," and by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections. The Washington Post spoke to three HUD employees who confirmed it was recently used. One also said that the tool got things wrong on several occasions, misreading the language of the law at times.DOGE will reportedly start training other agencies on the tool this month. Head over to The Washington Post to read the full report.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/doge-is-reportedly-pushing-an-ai-tool-that-would-put-half-of-all-federal-regulations-on-a-delete-list-212053871.html?src=rss

For less than the price of a fully decked-out MacBook Pro, you can buy Unitree's latest humanoid robot called the R1. You only have to shell out $5,900 for a robot that weighs around 55 lbs, stands about four feet tall, and is built with a Large Multimodal Model to handle complex tasks.If you're wondering what the R1 will be used for, your guess is as good as ours. Unitree said its robot is "fully customizable" and demoed its capabilities in a video showing off cartwheels, handstands, boxing, roundhouse kicks and running downhill, but didn't offer examples with any practical use yet. The lightweight robot has an ultra-wide view and a four-microphone array to help it recognize voices and images, but was also built with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. It's not hard to envision a world where people program the R1 as a robot butler to handle daily chores, much like what Meta is reportedly working on. However, you might even be able to square up two R1s to fight each other, as evidenced by Unitree promoting a unique fighting tournament that felt like a less aesthetically polished version of 2011's Real Steel.The latest R1 is a much lower entry point than Unitree's previous humanoid robot, the G1, which starts at $16,000 and was demoed at CES 2025 with somewhat disastrous results. Even though the R1's sub-$6,000 price tag is arguably high, it's still much cheaper compared to other similar options, like Tesla's Optimus bot that's expected to go for at least $20,000.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/this-humanoid-robot-can-do-cartwheels-handstands-and-roundhouse-kicks-at-less-than-6000-184500276.html?src=rss

As of Friday, anyone trying to watch porn online in the UK will need to subject themselves to an awkward selfie or get their photo ID ready. The UK government announced it will start checking compliance with its Online Safety Act, which requires any website that publishes or displays pornographic content to implement a system for "highly effective age checks."Ofcom, the UK's media regulatory agency, offered a few methods for sites to provide more extensive age verification, including credit card checks, photo ID matching and even estimating a user's age with a provided selfie. Several popular porn sites, including the country's most-visited site PornHub, have agreed to the new regulations. Beyond popular porn providers, social media sites like Reddit and Bluesky, have already implemented an age verification system that complies with the Online Safety Act's rules.Savvy internet users are already circumventing the age checks by using a VPN, providing a fake ChatGPT-generated photo ID, or taking a high-quality selfie of video game characters. However, the UK's new law also makes it illegal for websites to promote VPNs that get around age verification. To make sure the Online Safety Act is effective, Ofcom will fine companies caught breaking the rules with fines of up to 18 million or 10 percent of their global revenue.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/people-in-the-uk-now-have-to-take-an-age-verification-selfie-to-watch-porn-online-164418948.html?src=rss

China wants to work with other countries and has laid out its plans for the global governance of artificial intelligence at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Li Qiang, the country's premier, warned about "technological monopolies" and said that AI could become "an exclusive game for a few countries and companies." As such, he proposed the creation of a "world AI cooperation organization" during the event.Li didn't specifically mention the United States when he talked about monopolies, but the US restricts AI chip exports to his country. NVIDIA had to develop chips that are only meant for China and conform to export rules so it wouldn't lose the Chinese market completely. Meanwhile, Chinese companies like Huawei are developing their own AI systems to make up for China's lack of access to more advanced AI chips from American firms. Li also made the statement a few days after the Trump administration revealed its AI Action Plan, which seeks to limit state regulation of AI companies and which aims to ensure that the US can beat China in the AI race.The Chinese premier said his country would "actively promote" the development of open source artificial intelligence and that China is "willing to provide more Chinese solutions to the international community" when it comes to AI. He also said that his country was eager to share AI technologies with developing countries in the global south."Currently, overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences, particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts [and] institutional rules," Li said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/china-calls-for-the-creation-of-a-global-ai-organization-160005350.html?src=rss

s.p.l.i.t is the most badass typing game I've ever played. It's actually more of a hacking simulator, cyberpunk thriller and puzzle experience than a typing game, but its core loop is bookended by sequences of high-intensity letter pecking with gruesome consequences - think Mavis Beacon as designed by Ted Kaczynski - and the final scenes have a way of searing themselves into your psyche. Not to mention, the whole thing takes place on a keyboard, no mouse or gamepad. So I guess it's technically only a typing game, but it's also not a traditional typing game at all. Trust me, it makes perfect sense in practice.s.p.l.i.t comes from Unsorted Horror and Buckshot Roulette developer Mike Klubnika, and it features his signature layers of grit, retro hardware and purely concentrated nightmares. In s.p.l.i.t, you're seated at a '90s-style computer terminal in a cramped, gray-washed shack. The world appears in PS2-era 3D graphics, and you're surrounded by distended black screens crawling with orange monospaced text. To your left, a window looks onto a dense forest. To your right, there's an electronic device in a lockbox. By pressing Alt and A or D, you're able to twist your torso to interact with two separate screens: One displays an active IRC channel with your co-conspirators, and the other is where the hacking takes place.The narrative unfurls in strings of data logs, file directories, command prompts and instant messages, while a bed of ambient industrial music pulses in hypnotic waves. You're attempting to gain root access to a facility where mysterious but clearly unethical things are taking place, and you're working with two colleagues, Sarah and Viktor, to infiltrate the systems. Sarah and Vikor's messages automatically appear in the chat box, each one accompanied by a satisfying bloop sound, and when it's your time to respond the SEND button flashes once, prompting you to type. It doesn't matter which keys you press while chatting, as lines of pre-written dialogue will appear to push the narrative along smoothly. Sarah, Viktor and the player character, Axel, have distinct personalities and they clash in believable ways. The game does a fantastic job of building robust characters in such a short time, through dialogue alone.On the hacking side, it very much matters which keys you press. You are in full control of the typing while digging through the facility's files, so spacing, capitalization, punctuation and spelling are all taken into account, alongside use of the proper commands. This portion of the game is a maze of directories and data, operating as one big logic puzzle. Your colleagues outline the goals but once you're in the system, you're on your own, relying on context clues to figure out what information you need and how to gain access. The hacking riddles in s.p.l.i.t are perfectly complex, requiring failure and tenacity to work out, and this balance makes each victory feel like a real accomplishment.Mike KlubnikaTyping help" at any time pulls up a list of all possible commands, and I found this screen useful whenever I hit a dead end in my investigations - it's a natural way to mentally reset and visualize any unexplored paths. The print" command functions as a notepad, allowing you to save relevant numbers and other information on a strip of paper attached to the PC screen, and it's a useful tool especially in the game's later stages.I'm no coder, but I got used to the keyboard style of navigation really quickly. There's a strong sense of internal logic in s.p.l.i.t and it's satisfying to play in this sandbox, learning the game's language and steadily building skills as the narrative tension grows. The first-person interface, rhythmic electronic soundtrack and consistent characters combine to make s.p.l.i.t an incredibly immersive experience. It all pays off in a massive way by the end, when the typing game returns and things really get gruesome.s.p.l.i.t tests critical-thinking skills and keyboard proficiency in a dystopian near-future setting, and it's a uniquely unnerving, heart-pounding slice of interactive psychological horror. It's no more than a few hours long, but it's something you'll think about for days after the credits roll, guaranteed. s.p.l.i.t is available now on Steam for just $2.50 through July 31, and $3 after that.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/if-you-have-90-minutes-to-spare-play-the-cyberpunk-horror-game-split-120033911.html?src=rss

Welcome to our weekly roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There have been quite a few high-profile arrivals this week, as well as others that have left early access and or arrived on more platforms.I have a long flight this weekend and I'm a little torn over what to play while I'm in the air. I have my Switch 2, Steam Deck and Playdate with me (excessive, I know). As such, there are many ways I can go here. I haven't yet burrowed my way into Donkey Kong Bananza, so that's a strong option. But then there are all the Playdate Season Two games I've yet to check out - Taria & Como is one I definitely want to play - while my Steam Deck is bursting with games and is running out of storage space.Decision paralysis is an all-too-common affliction these days, particularly when it comes to games or picking something to watch. I feel like the smartest choice here is to play whatever is taking up the most space on my Steam Deck that I've yet to play, so I can just scrub it if I'm not interested. I'll probably do that unless I do my usual thing while flying: try to catch up on sleep.New releasesIf there were a hall of fame just for mobile games, the first two Monument Valley games would surely be first-ballot inductees. While the third entry in the series perhaps didn't quite hit those heady heights, it still has its fans and was well-received when it debuted on iOS and Android via Netflix late last year. Just over seven months later, Monument Valley 3 has sailed onto more platforms. Ustwo Games' thoughtful and stylish M.C. Escher-inspired puzzler is now available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.RageSquid and publisher No More Robots had a surprise in store this week when they suddenly released Descenders Next during a showcase of that game and its downhill biking-focused predecessor. This is a multiplayer action sports game that, at the outset, features snowboarding and mountainboarding. The developers plan to add more extreme sports over time (the game is currently in early access and there's a two-year roadmap to the 1.0 release). Descenders Next is available on Steam, Xbox and Game Pass for Xbox and PC.Wheel World seems much more relaxing than Descenders Next, even though your mission is to save the world from complete collapse. The launch trailer for this open-world cycling game from Messhof (Nidhogg) has impeccable vibes. Between races, you'll be able to search for parts to upgrade your bike. Given its stellar track record, any game that Annapurna Interactive publishes is worth checking out, and I'll certainly be giving Wheel World a spin. It's out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.Wildgate is a multiplayer shooter from publisher Dreamhaven's Moonshot Games division. Dreamhaven CEO Mike Morhaime is a co-founder and former president of Blizzard. Almost all of the company's first wave of employees used to work at Blizzard too. So it's maybe not too much of a surprise that Wildgate has a polished, colorful look. The team extraction shooter - which is now available on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S - has spaceship-based combat and a procedurally-generated map to help switch things up from game-to-game.Dreamhaven has had quite a busy 2025 so far. It has released the full version of the enjoyable action RPG Lynked: Banner of the Spark (by FuzzyBot Games), forged a publishing partnership with Game River for its tactical wargame Mechabellum and unleashed two games of its own in the shape of tabletop RPG party game Sunderfolkand now Wildgate.Supervive (previously known as Project Loki) is a game we've had an eye on for a while and it's now out of early access on Steam. Theorycraft has overhauled this free-to-play MOBA/battle royale hybrid with the 1.0 update by introducing a larger map that has more traversal options, a two-seater aerial vehicle, more playable characters, faster revives, an upgraded user interface and much more.UpcomingAgefield High: Rock the School is a narrative adventure game that follows a high school senior after his parents move with him to a new town. Sam Tatum wants to make his last few months of school unforgettable, and if he feels the need to skip class or mow lawns for a few bucks to make that happen, so be it.This project from Refugium Games, which is in development for PC and consoles and slated to debut in early 2026, already feels like it's dripping with nostalgia, and that's just based on the trailer and press release. It's set in 2002 and is said to have a soundtrack filled with pop-punk tunes. Agefield High: Rock the School has a branching narrative too, with several endings to experience. The developers took some inspiration from Rockstar's Bully and since we might not ever get a proper sequel to that game, Agefield High: Rock the School may just fill a certain void in my millennial heart.I quite like the aesthetic of Oceaneers, a survival-crafting sim from Barrel Smash Studios. It seems to draw from the same well as Don't Starve, but that's hardly a bad thing. You'll hop between islands in search of resources and ways to expand your colony. You'll also battle sharks and crabs, and maybe even discover hidden bunkers - perhaps there's someone inside who has to punch a sequence into a terminal every 108 minutes? Oceaneers is expected to hit Steam early access in 2026 with a demo dropping soon. Maybe I'll start a long-overdue Lost rewatch in the meantime.Getting lost in a fictional world for dozens upon dozens of hours can be quite appealing, and I do enjoy larger games in that vein. But so many games are too bloated these days and I do love shorter, more focused experiences. Catto's Post Office is said to take around an hour to complete.In this open-world title from In Shambles Studio and publisher Cult Games, you'll play as a Postcat who delivers packages to the residents of a small town. You can do cat things like hide in boxes, knock stuff over and meow whenever you like with a dedicated button. It looks too dang adorable. Catto's Post Office will cost $5 when it hits Steam on August 4, and there will be a 20 percent launch discount.You know how, in Final Fantasy VII, Cloud has a massive sword? Well, what if you could have a weapon like that in a puzzle-focused action platformer? Enter the wonderfully titled Gigasword from solo developer Studio Hybrid and publisher Akupara Games. Along with using your weapon to take out unfortunate baddies and beastly bosses, you'll employ it to solve puzzles and help with platforming. Gigasword is coming to Steam on October 2, and there's a demo available now.Speaking of games with fantastic names, The Player Who Can't Level Up sure has one of those. This is an action roguelite that is based on a webtoon that debuted last year. It has a slick, gorgeous trailer and - as the title suggests - you won't be able to level up your character. You can, however, select perks to help you hunt monsters. Tripearl Games is the studio behind the project, for which it's targeting a 2026 debut on PC and consoles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/extreme-sports-an-fps-from-former-blizzard-devs-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110007013.html?src=rss

It seems like LeBron James' legal team has been trying to stop the spread of viral AI videos featuring the basketball star. As 404 Media reported, a law firm representing James has sent a cease and desist letter to a person behind an AI platform that allowed Discord users to make AI videos of James and other NBA stars.As 404 noted, these videos have been circulating for awhile but it's one particularly strange clip that seems to have gotten James' lawyers involved. The video, which reportedly racked up millions of views on Instagram, shows a pregnant James being loaded into an ambulance after telling an AI Steph Curry to "come quick our baby is being born."404 reports that at least three Instagram accounts that had shared the clip have since been removed, though the video is available on X. The founder of the AI platform used to make the videos also posted about the cease and desist letter he received. It's unclear what is in the letter, or if James' lawyers were also in touch with Meta about the videos. We've reached out to the company for more info on its rules.Of course, LeBron James is far from the only public figure to grapple with unwanted AI versions of themselves. Social media scammers routinely impersonate celebrities to promote sketchy products and other schemes. We've previously reported on such scams involving deepfakes of Elon Musk and Fox News personalities that have proliferated on Facebook. Jamie Lee Curtis also recently had to publicly plead with Mark Zuckerberg to take down deepfaked ads of herself.A still from a clip created with Google's Veo (left) and images generated by Meta AI (right)Screenshots via Veo and Meta AIBut the videos of James are a little different. They don't feature fake endorsements and seem to be more of a prank meant to go viral in the way that lots of "AI slop" does. And James and other celebrities will likely continue to have a difficult time preventing these kinds of deepfakes from spreading. Some quick testing by Engadget showed that it's relatively easy to get AI chatbots to create images and video of "pregnant LeBron James."We first asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot to make such a photo. All chatbots initially refused, saying that such an image could go against their guidelines. But when given an image of James and asked to "make this person eight months pregnant," Google's Gemini delivered a 7-second clip of the basketball star cradling a pregnant belly. (We've reached out to Google to clarify its rules around such content.)Likewise, Meta AI seemingly had no reservations about producing images of "pregnant LeBron James" and promptly delivered many such variations. While these creations aren't as detailed as the initial video that went viral, they do highlight how difficult it can be for AI companies to prevent people from circumventing whatever guardrails may exist.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/lebron-james-is-reportedly-trying-to-stop-the-spread-of-viral-ai-pregnancy-videos-211947871.html?src=rss

Apple has announced that Pluribus, a new science fiction drama from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, will premiere on Apple TV+ on November 7. Gilligan was confirmed to be working on the project back in 2022, when Better Call Saul's Rhea Seehorn was also announced as its primary star.Alongside the premiere date, Apple also released a short (somewhat ominous) teaser for the series that shows a hospital employee mindlessly licking donuts. Pluribus is supposed to follow "the most miserable person on Earth" (presumably Seehorn) as they "save the world from happiness," but your guess is as good as mine as to how the two tie together.Apple's penchant for backing science fiction shows has been well-documented at this point. The company is currently producing a television adaptation of William Gibson's Neuromancer, and has made three seasons and counting of Foundation, based on the novel series by Isaac Asimov. Toss in things like Severance, Murderbot, Siloand For All Mankindand you've got a pretty varied catalog of sci-fi media to choose from.Just how "science fiction" Pluribus will actually be remains up in the air. When reports went out in 2022 that Apple was ordering two seasons of the show, it was described as "a blended, grounded genre drama." Apple's premiere date announcement pitches the show as "a genre-bending original."Pluribus' nine-episode first season will premiere on November 7 with two episodes. New episodes will stream weekly after that, all the way through December 26.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/breaking-bad-creators-new-show-streams-on-apple-tv-november-7-204150489.html?src=rss

Tea, an app that claims to help women "make sure your date is safe, not a catfish and not in a relationship," is experiencing a security breach. 404 Media reports that a database posted on 4chan allowed anyone to access users' data. (It's since been removed.) The dataset included thousands of images, including driver's licenses.4chan users claimed the data came from an exposed database hosted on Firebase, Google's app development platform. 404 Media verified that the exposed storage bucket URL matches one found in Tea's Android app.The company confirmed the breach. In a statement to 404 Media, Tea said it "identified unauthorized access to one of our systems and immediately launched a full investigation to assess the scope and impact." The company stated that the exposed information included data from over two years ago. It included 72,000 images, including selfies, photo IDs and pictures from app posts and DMs."This data was originally stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements related to cyber-bullying prevention," Tea said. "We have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are working around the clock to secure our systems. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that current or additional user data was affected. Protecting our users' privacy and data is our highest priority. We are taking every necessary step to ensure the security of our platform and prevent further exposure."Google Play StoreThe app allows users to post photos of "red-flag" men. "Already swiping for dates on Tinder, Bumble, Match or Hinge?" the app's Play Store pitch reads. "Tea is a must-have app, helping women avoid red flags before the first date with dating advice and showing them who's really behind the profile of the person they're dating."Its Play Store listing highlights a reverse phone number lookup. It has sections for men's real names, ages, addresses, social profiles and relationship statuses. Other features include a reverse image search and background checks to help women "get the tea on your date." Users can poll others about whether they should date new matches.The app requires new users to submit a verification selfie and a photo of their government-issued ID. Tea told 404 Media that it uses this to verify that new signups are indeed women.The timing of the breach coincided with the app's surge in popularity. According to Business Insider, Tea hit the top of Apple's App Store this week. The app first launched in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/tea-app-suffers-breach-exposing-thousands-of-user-images-190731414.html?src=rss

Following the success of Fallout, Amazon is turning its attention to another video game adaptation. The company is reportedly developing a series based on the Wolfenstein franchise with the help of some of the creative team behind Fallout,according to Variety.The details of how the Wolfenstein show will adapt the alternate history action of the games are still under wraps, but the subject matter remains unfortunately timely. The show's logline is "The story of killing Nazis is evergreen," according to Variety, which seems like a direct acknowledgement of that fact.Patrick Somerville, the writer and showrunner of Station Eleven, will reportedly serve as the writer of the Wolfenstein adaptation, with Lisa Joy, Athena Wickham and Jonathan Nolan producing the show through their company Kilter Films. The production company also made the adaptation of the William Gibson's The Peripheral for Amazon, and currently produces Fallout.While it might make sense to pair a new show with a brand new Wolfenstein game, the series has effectively been on hold since 2019. MachineGames, the Microsoft-owned developer of the last five Wolfenstein games, hasn't produced a new entry since 2019's Wolfenstein: Youngbloodand Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. The studio released Indiana Jones and the Great Circlein December 2024.Given the tumultuous state of Microsoft's Xbox division, the series could be your best bet for getting more Wolfenstein, assuming Amazon decides to move forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-is-developing-a-wolfenstein-tv-show-190028817.html?src=rss

VSCO, the photo filter and editing app that spawned an entire culture, has released a dedicated camera app called VSCO Capture. The free iOSonly app is a camera with live previews where users can choose from over 50 different presets with realtime film effects and manual settings like shutter speed and exposure for finetuning. The app takes the guesswork out of how your photo will look after you apply VSCO's iconic filters.VSCO Capture is a direct response to our community's desire to get closer to the lens, to reduce editing fatigue and find more joy in the process of making authentic, stylized photography using their phone," said Eric Wittman, CEO of VSCO.The app's nondestructive presets retain the original captured image so users can modify them later and change filters after the fact. VSCO Capture supports RAW and ProRAW formats for maximum flexibility when editing. Capture syncs instantly with the main VSCO app for additional edits and sharing.VSCO Capture is available for download now on iOS.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/vsco-launches-dedicated-capture-app-with-live-previews-184005036.html?src=rss