There is something so incredibly frustrating about typing on a digital keyboard with a controller. Whether for streaming or gaming, the slowness with which you often have to find each letter is just painful. Well, thankfully, there's an improvement on the way for Xbox controllers, with Microsoft announcing a new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11's touch keyboard.MicrosoftThe updated keyboard should make it easier to use the on-screen one with an Xbox controller. It brings greater navigation to the controller and helpful shortcuts. For example, the X button can function as backspace, the Y button as the spacebar and the menu button as enter. Microsoft also states that it has vertically aligned the keyboard keys for smoother use.Microsoft first shared that it was beta testing this technology back in September. Now, it's available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11, so you should be able to try it out for yourself within the next few weeks. Hopefully it saves you a lot of time and frustration (and that streamers will come up with their own solutions soon).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-a-new-gamepad-keyboard-layout-for-windows-11-154011591.html?src=rss
Although the Amazon Spring Sale doesn't start in earnest until next week, there are a bunch of early deals to be had. Among them is an offer that sees Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 drop to a record low price. The earbuds are currently $179, which is $50 (or 22 percent) off. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are our pick for the best wireless earbuds for Google phones. For one thing, they fit more comfortably and securely after a redesign made them smaller than the Pixel Buds Pro. Improvements to audio quality helped the Pixel Buds Pro 2 obtain a score of 88 in our review. Revisions to the acoustics and drivers - as well as the inclusion of a Tensor chip to take care of active noise cancellation (ANC) and audio signal processing - help the earbuds deliver ample, punchy bass, as well as full mids and crisp highs. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer up to eight hours of use on a single charge with ANC enabled. When you factor in the charging case, you'll get up to 30 hours of total listening time when ANC is on. The earbuds have an IP54 rating, indicating that they're protected from dust and water splashes. In terms of features, the earbuds include hands-free access to the Gemini voice assistant. Spatial audio is available, albeit only for certain video streaming apps for now. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer automatic switching between devices that are linked to your Google account. Other features include conversation detection, a hearing wellness tool and Find My Device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-drop-to-a-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-152844540.html?src=rss
Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is on sale for $240 right now, as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. That's close to a record low price for the 4th-gen device that was released just last year. This deal is available for multiple colorways, including silver, gold and black. This is a modern thermostat, so that means AI. The device offers suggestions on how to lower energy usage and can automatically adjust settings in the home based on factors like ambient temperature and daily schedules. It ships with a wireless temperature sensor for accurate measurements. This sensor can run for three years before needing a new battery. This model can accommodate six of these sensors, for large properties, but that requires some additional purchases. A three-pack of the sensors typically costs $100. The Nest Learning Thermostat is more customizable than its predecessors, with the ability to select from several smartwatch-style faces. It's also much larger than previous models and includes Soli radar sensors to determine how close a person is. The display will adjust accordingly, with an increased font size when standing far away and vice versa. The installation is fairly simple, but will still require some light wiring. The only real bad thing to say about this thermostat is that $280 is a whole lot of money. That concern is mostly alleviated by today's sale.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-nest-learning-thermostat-is-back-on-sale-for-240-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-150539398.html?src=rss
Despite streaming services continuing to dominate the business of recorded music, there's still very much a place for physical media in that sector. The Recording Industry of America said in an annual report [PDF] that sales of vinyl records rose for the 18th straight year in the US to $1.4 billion - the highest revenue for that format since 1984, when CDs started to emerge.Vinyl accounted for nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue in 2024. It was the third consecutive year that there were more shipments of vinyl records than CDs - 44 million vs. 33 million. It perhaps helps vinyl's case that the RIAA has factored in sales figures directly from indie labels for the first time this year. And that Taylor Swift released thirty-six variants of her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, including eight vinyl editions.Many fans prefer to own physical copies of music for many reasons, such as their belief that vinyl offers better audio quality and an all-round superior listening experience to streaming services, as well as a way to perhaps better support artists. Scouring the racks at a record store is a fun pastime as well. Vinyl records and CDs are also a hedge against the possibility of music vanishing from streaming services if rights agreements expire or an artist decides to yank their music from a platform.Still, streaming services hit a new milestone last year. The RIAA reports that the average number of paid subscriptions for the year hit 100 million in the US for the first time. That's a three percent increase from 2023.Revenue from paid subscriptions rose by five percent to $11.7 billion, with the total revenue from streaming (factoring everything from ad-supported services to fitness apps) growing four percent to $14.9 billion. Streaming accounted for 84 percent of recorded music revenue for the third year running.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/vinyl-record-sales-continue-to-rise-amid-music-streamings-dominance-142131328.html?src=rss
After a mountain of leaks, Google has finally announced the Pixel 9a. There's a good chance you clicked on this article to find out how the 9a compares to its predecessor. The good news is you came to the right place. Even better, it's a favorable comparison.Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8aFor starters, the Pixel 9a features a new design. Instead of borrowing the design language of Google's more expensive devices, the new phone has its own identity. Gone is the divisive camera bar that has defined recent Pixel phones. Instead, the main camera module is nearly flush with the rear of the phone. Additionally, the new handset offers slightly better ingress protection. It's IP68-certified against water and dust, up from IP67 on the 8a. The Pixel 9a will also be available two lovely new colors: Iris and Peony. Sadly, Google won't offer an Aloe colorway this time around, at least not at release.Outside of those changes, the 9a sports a larger 6.3 display. Like with the 8a, Google has gone with a FHD panel, meaning the 9a's screen is slightly less dense due to it being a bit larger overall. However, it's the better display. The 9a's pOLED panel is capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the 8a. It's also HDR10+ certified, with a 120Hz refresh rate. That additional brightness will make it easier to see the 9a's screen in bright sunlight.Internally, the 9a features Google's latest Tensor G4 SoC, paired once again with 8GB of RAM. Google has also outfitted the 9a with a larger 5,100mAh battery, up from 4,492mAh on the 8a. Just as importantly, the 9a is capable of charging at a faster 23W. That's still slow compared to a device like the Nothing 3a Pro, which is compatible with 50W power adapters, but an improvement over the 8a's glacial 18W. Oh, and if you were hoping for Qi2 support, I'm sorry to say the 9a is limited to charging at 7.5W wirelessly.As for cameras, Google hasn't changed its winning formula. The 9a features a 48MP main camera with f/1.7 lens and optical image stabilization (OIS). On paper, that might seem like a downgrade from the 8a's 64MP main sensor, but they both feature a 0.8m pixel pitch, meaning they're capable of capturing the same amount of light, and it appears Google sourced a newer sensor for the 9a. Otherwise, the Pixel 9a appears to feature the same ultrawide and selfie cameras as its predecessor. As always, when you buy a Pixel phone, you're buying it for Google's computational photography features, and you get all the usual standouts like Night Sight, Best Take and more.Pixel 9a vs iPhone 16e and Nothing 3a ProThe iPhone 16e continues to confound since its announcement in February. At $599, it's a full $100 more expensive than the Pixel 9a, and comparing the two based on hardware alone, Google's new midrange phone is the better deal. You get a significantly bigger battery, a 120Hz display and an entire extra camera. Of course, whether you should buy the 9a over the 16e will entirely depend on your preference for Android over iOS. If you like prefer Apple's software, the Pixel 9a won't do it for you.The more interesting comparison is between the 9a and Nothing's new Phone 3a Pro. For $40 less, you get an even bigger screen, a more original design and, most notably, a periscope camera that offers 3x optical zoom. A great telephoto is really hard to find at this price range, so the 3a Pro might be worth considering for that reason alone. The tradeoff is Google's software support is unmatched, and 3a Pro comes with a limited warranty in the US.Pixel 9aPixel 8aiPhone 16eNothing 3a ProPrice$499/$559$499/$559$599 / $699 / $899$459Dimensions154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm (6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 inches)152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm (6 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches)146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches)163.52 x 77.5 x 8.9 mm (6.44 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches)Weight186g (6.56 ounces)188g (6.7 ounces)167g (5.88 ounces)211g (7.44 ounces)Screen size6.3 inches6.1 inches6.1 inches6.77 inchesScreen resolution1080 x 2,424 pixels (421ppi)1,080 x 2,400 pixels (430ppi)1,170 x 2,532 pixels (460 ppi)1,080 x 2,392 pixels (387ppi)Screen typepOLEDpOLEDOLEDAMOLEDSoCTensor G4Tensor G3Apple A18Snapdragon 7s Gen 3RAM8GB8GB8GB12GBBattery5,100mAh4,492mAh4,005mAh5,000mAhStorage128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 / 256 / 512 GB256 GBRear camerasWide: 48MP, f/1.7Ultrawide: 13MP, f/2.2Wide: 64MP, f/1.89
Gone are the days of kids asking their parent to borrow cash or their card when going out with friends. Instead, parents can now give their kids access to Google Wallet for making in-store payments with their Android device. Google first announced that this feature was coming back in October.Kids can also use Google Wallet to store passes to things, including a library card, ticket for an event or a gift card. But, parents have a lot of oversight, such as receiving an email every time their child makes a purchase. They can also monitor everything within Family Link, along with remove a payment card or shut off access to all passes.GoogleRight now, Google is just rolling out the new feature for families in the US, UK, Australia, Spain and Poland. Parents in any of these locations should see the option pop up within the next few weeks.Apple users can already access a similar feature with Apple Cash Family. Parents can set up anyone in their Family Sharing group and let them make purchases, or send and receive money through their wallet or messages. Just like on Android, parents can see their kids' purchases and get notifications each time they buy something. Plus, parents can view the remaining balance or send an allowance through Apple Cash by creating a recurring payment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-now-available-for-kids-140039676.html?src=rss
Say goodbye to ground-in dirt and stains and save money while you do it with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine cordless vacuum cleaner. This cordless cleaner is currently on sale for $798 for the Amazon Spring Sale, which is $152 off its usual price tag of $950. This is one of the best deals we've seen on this machine in the last year. Combining powerful suction with advanced wet-cleaning capabilities, the V15s Detect Submarine is a versatile cleaning machine for both carpets and hard floors. Armed with eight Dyson accessories, including the Submarine wet roller head, fluffy optic cleaner and Digital Motorbar head, it provides edge-to-edge cleaning and is ideal for those seeking vacuuming and mopping functionality in a single device. Boasting whole-machine HEPA filtration, intelligent adaptive suction based on floor type, LCD screen and a 60 minute run-time, the V15s Detect Submarine is capable of comprehensive cleaning throughout the home. With the Submarine cleaner head attached, it can cover an area of 1,000 square feet using the built-in 300ml water tank, picking up liquids and debris while washing surfaces with clean water. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide, where we praised its versatility and convenience. While the popularity of robot vacuums continues to grow, busy households with kids and pets in the mix can benefit from a versatile yet manual solution. Thanks to its lightweight and cordless design, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine makes it easy to clean up messes and spillages on the spot, and is great for tackling tight corners, staircases and underneath furniture. Amazon's Big Spring Sale ends on March 31; there's no telling if this deal will stick around after that, so now's the time to grab it if you've had your eye on it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-dyson-cordless-vacuum-and-mop-is-more-than-150-off-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-140036864.html?src=rss
If you're looking for a great deal on a premium pair of wireless headphones, you can take advantage of a massive $100 saving on the Bose QuietComfort headphones in the Amazon Spring Sale. For a limited time, these can be yours for $249, reduced from their usual price of $349, and this deal applies to all seven colorways. Although we have seen the price drop to $199 previously, this is still an excellent deal. This feature-rich headset combines active noise cancellation (ANC) with high-fidelity audio, and multipoint connectivity for seamlessly switching between connected devices. A fully customizable EQ puts you in control of your music, with layers of additional customization available via the Bose app. Enjoy up to 24 hours of battery life when fully charged, or grab up to 2.5 hours from just a 15 minute charge if you're in a hurry. Designed to provide all-day comfort, the Bose QuietComfort headphones feature plush, padded earcups and an adjustable padded band for long-play sessions. Experience immersive audio wherever you are - whether that's at the gym, on your daily commute, or simply unwinding at home at the end of a long day. If your pockets run a little deeper, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra has also received a sizable price drop. Currently down from $429 to $349 in the Amazon Spring Sale, this premium headset won the best noise-canceling category in our recent best wireless headphones guide. Boasting three different ANC modes, spatial audio and intuitive touch controls, we scored the QuietComfort Ultra a whopping 86 out of 100 in our review. The Amazon Big Spring Sale ends on March 31; so if you want to grab the Bose QuietComfort or QuietComfort Ultra at this discounted rate, now's the time to do it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-100-off-the-bose-quietcomfort-headphones-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-140002812.html?src=rss
There's now an industry-wide union for video game workers in the US and Canada. The United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA) has a mission to bring together "artists, writers, designers, QA testers, programmers, freelancers and beyond to build worker power irrespective of studio and current job status."The union makes its official debut at the "Video Game Labor at a Crossroads: New Pathways to Industry-Wide Organizing" panel at GDC. Workers will be sharing a petition at the event to gain support for the union and to shine a light on the recent glut of industry layoffs. As a matter of fact, the first major issue the union seeks to address is layoffs, given that one in ten developers were shown the door in 2024.UVW-CWAWorkers will also be passing around a zine that includes the organization's mission statement, FAQs and an op-ed. This is a direct-join union, meaning that workers can sign up on their own. This allows folks to bypass traditional unionization processes like elections and employer consent.We aren't sure if this will catch on throughout the industry or if major publishers will recognize the union. However, it's just the latest salvo in the ongoing battle between industry workers and corporate bigwigs. Over 600 QA workers at Activision, which is owned by Microsoft, recently joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA.) ZeniMax Online Studios workers formed their own union at the tail-end of last year and Sega of America workers did something similar.These unions have also been busy. The CWA has been embroiled in a fight with Microsoft and Activision over unfair labor practices on behalf of workers at Raven Software. Members of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA also went on a one-day strike last year to limit Microsoft's use of outsourcing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/video-game-workers-in-north-america-now-have-an-industry-wide-union-130024730.html?src=rss
If you've been eyeing a pair of Beats Fit Pro earbuds, now's a great time to snag them at a discount. The fitness-focused wireless earbuds have dropped to $169 ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale, down from their usual $200 price tag, which is the lowest price we've seen them since January. This $30 discount makes them an even better buy for those looking for good sound quality with a snug and secure fit. The Beats Fit Pro earned the top spot as the best wireless earbuds for working out in our best wireless earbuds roundup thanks to their IPX4 water resistance rating, comfortable design and balanced audio. They feature active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and Apple's H1 chip for seamless pairing with iOS devices. While they're most convenient for Apple users, they also work well with Android devices thanks to Google Fast Pair support. They're available at the discounted price in black, white, sage gray and stone purple, so this Big Spring Sale deal isn't limited to just one color. Designed with fitness enthusiasts in mind, the Fit Pro earbuds include flexible wingtips that help keep them securely in place, whether you're out for a run or powering through an intense gym session. Battery life is also solid, offering six hours of listening time per charge with an additional 18 hours from the charging case. If you need a quick boost, a Fast Fuel charge delivers up to one hour of playback in just five minutes. If you're looking for something more affordable, the Beats Studio Buds+ have also received a major price drop. They're currently on sale for $130 on Amazon, a decent markdown from their usual $170 price. These earbuds offer solid ANC, an improved transparency mode and a comfortable, lightweight design. We were impressed with them and gave them a respectable 84 out of 100 in our Beats Studio Buds+ review. Whether you're after a workout companion like the Fit Pro or an everyday pair like the Studio Buds+, both deals make for great savings on quality wireless earbuds. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-deals-include-the-beats-fit-pro-earbuds-for-169-130015298.html?src=rss
While Tesla is a popular car for ride-hailing drivers employed by the likes of Uber and more, the company could soon cut out the middleman. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved the company's bid for a transportation charter-party carrier permit, Bloomberg reports.The permit opens the way for Tesla to operate a ride-hailing service to compete with Uber, Lyft and other established companies. Tesla employees would drive the cars, initially transporting fellow employees, before becoming available to the public. Last year, Elon Musk told investors that the company was already testing app-based transportation for Bay Area employees using safety drivers.Notably, Tesla is still not approved to use autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing, though Musk has claimed they will be available in Austin, Texas by June and in California by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Uber and Waymo launched their robotaxi service in Austin earlier this month. Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service is also available in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-gets-approval-for-ride-hailing-business-in-california-125100455.html?src=rss
Carl Erik Rinsch, the director of 47 Ronin, has been charged for defrauding a streaming service out of $11 million, according to the Southern District of New York's US Attorney's Office. While the court documents didn't name the service, an old report from The New York Times made it obvious that it was none other than Netflix. In 2018, Rinsch pitched a sci-fi series called White Horse, referencing the first horseman of the apocalypse, to several services, namely Amazon, Apple, HBO, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. The Times' report said that Amazon had already won the bidding war, but Netflix's former VP of Original Content, Cindy Holland, called Rinsch on a weekend and offered millions more, along with the privilege of making a director's cut.In its announcement of the indictment, the US Attorney's Office explained that Netflix had paid $44 million for the development of White Horse, which had been renamed to Conquest, between 2018 and 2019. Some of that money went to paying off the project's earliest investors. (Keanu Reeves, the star of 47 Ronin, sank his own money into the project after Rinsch got in trouble with 30West, one of the project's first investors, for not reaching a deadline.) Between late 2019 and early 2020, Rinsch asked Netflix for more funding, and the company gave him $11 million more to complete the series. But Rinsch never finished the show, and Netflix accused him of using those funds to make "personal and speculative purchases of securities."The director allegedly lost most of the $11 million to trading, but he made it back and earned more from investing the rest on cryptocurrency. Rinsch allegedly went on a shopping spree after that, spending almost $4 million on furniture and antiques, $2.4 million on five Rolls-Royces and one Ferrari, as well as $652,000 on luxury watches and clothing. The indictment also said that Rinsch spent over $1 million to sue Netflix for more money. According to The Times' report, Rinsch claimed in his lawsuit that Netflix broke its contract and owed him several more payments worth $14 million. In the midst of all of these, Rinsch reportedly displayed erratic behavior: He allegedly claimed to have discovered Covid-19's secret transmission mechanism, treated the show's staff horribly and accused his wife of plotting his assassination.Conquest was supposed to be about a genius who invented a human-like species called Organic Intelligent. These OIs are deployed to solve problems and provide humanitarian aid around the world, but they are, of course, not what they seem and are hiding a darker nature. Rinsch has been charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He was also charged with five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, each count carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/47-ronin-director-charged-with-11-million-fraud-over-doomed-netflix-sci-fi-series-123040218.html?src=rss
Playdate, the little yellow gaming machine with a crank, is getting a price increase in a few days. In a newsletter that Panic has sent out, the developer said that Playdates will cost $229 starting on March 25 but that you can still get the device for $199 until then. Apparently, Panic moved to a new factory, and it would "cost quite a bit more" to manufacture the devices there than at the company's old facility. Panic cited manufacturing costs, as well, when it raised the handheld's price from $179 to $199 last year.On the day the Playdate is getting a price hike, Panic is also dropping "an (extremely) limited stock" of systems that are either fully refurbished at its factory or have "very minor cosmetic issues." The refurbished units will sell for $179, and Panic says that they "work great," can "play games perfectly" and come with a six-month warranty. "If price has kept you from buying a Playdate, we're hopeful these great systems might help," the company has written in its announcement.The handheld gaming console came out in 2022. It has a black-and-white screen with over 150 games that you can download from its Catalog. While the device has the traditional arrow and gaming buttons, it also has a crank that developers incorporate into their games - in Chopter Copter, for instance, you'll have to turn the Playdate on its side to use the crank as a helicopter-style rotor. If you already have a Playdate, the company is having a Catalog Anniversary Sale right now until March 20, where you can stock up on more titles for the handheld. Panic also reconfirmed that it's working with developers to put together a Season 2 bundle, which will deliver a set number of games in a curated collection to buyers' devices over a certain period.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-diminutive-playdate-console-is-getting-a-price-increase-to-229-on-march-25-120004199.html?src=rss
There's no better time than right now to kickstart those health and fitness goals. Whether you're looking to shed a few pounds, track your muscle gains or stay on top of your wellness routine, a smart scale can be the perfect sidekick. These scales don't just show you your weight; they provide insights into body composition, muscle mass and even your metabolic rate, all the while synching with your favorite health apps.
If you've upgraded your phone recently, there's a good chance it supports wireless charging. Battery life can be one of the first things to deteriorate as your phone ages, so you'll need quick and easy ways to power up wherever you are. You may not always be able to have a cable on your person, but investing in a wireless phone charger (or a few) can make it more convenient to plop your phone down and know it'll have more juice when you pick it back up again.
President Donald Trump's efforts to remake the US government continued today with the firing of the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission. This agency has historically had five members: three from the same party as the president and two from the opposing party. The New York Times reported that the president terminated the roles for FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya.Both Slaughter and Bedoya said today that firing them is illegal. Commissioners' terms can only be ended early for good cause, such as "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office." Also, no more than three commissioners can come from the same political party, meaning the pair also cannot be replaced by additional Republicans. It seems likely that Trump will face a legal challenge over the attempt to eliminate these positions."The law protects the independence of the Commission because the law serves the American people, not corporate power," Slaughter said in a statement. "The reason that the FTC can be so effective for the American people is because of its independence and because its commissioners serve across political parties and ideologies. Removing opposition voices may not change what the Trump majority can do, but it does change whether they will have accountability when they do it."Bedoya also posted about the action on X, seconding Slaughter's statement that removing their posts is illegal. "Tomorrow I will testify before the Colorado Joint House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and will have more to say then," he wrote.Trump signed an executive order in February attempting to exert more control over several agencies that were formed to intentionally remain outside the White House's purview. The order targeted agencies such as the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The FTC recently deleted all the posts on its business blog from President Biden's administration, leaving a four-year gap with no published compliance advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/president-trump-has-fired-the-ftcs-two-democrat-commissioners-225952614.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission has removed all posts from President Joe Biden's term in office from its business blog. This online publication has historically provided advice about how companies could best comply with consumer-protection regulations, covering topics such as artificial intelligence and how big tech companies have collected and used customer data. Currently, it has no content published between December 21, 2020 and March 7, 2025.Wired highlighted some of the notable content from the more than 300 blog posts that have been deleted. Several current and former FTC officials spoke to the publication about the change anonymously out of fear of retaliation.In terms of the message to industry on what our compliance expectations were, which is in some ways the most important part of enforcement action, they are trying to just erase those from history," one source said.The FTC is being led by President Donald Trump's nominee, Andrew Ferguson. At the time of his appointment, Ferguson said he would use the department to "end Big Tech's vendetta against competition and free speech." He and other Republicans have claimed that many platforms are censoring right-wing content, adding a heavy layer of irony to the FTC's latest actions."They are talking a big game on censorship," another source told Wired. "But at the end of the day, the thing that really hits these companies' bottom line is what data they can collect, how they can use that data, whether they can train their AI models on that data, and if this administration is planning to take the foot off the gas there while stepping up its work on censorship."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-ftc-has-removed-all-business-blog-posts-from-the-biden-administration-214734633.html?src=rss
Starting Tuesday, Disney+ has a 24/7 streaming channel for The Simpsons that broadcasts seasons one through 35 (all but the currently airing one) chronologically. To be clear, this announcement isn't about any new content, as you can already watch each of those 767 episodes on-demand on Disney+. All that's different here is a single stream that runs through each of them in order around the clock. If episodes average 22 minutes long, that would have the stream taking nearly 12 days to refresh. The advantage for those who like this format (I can only guess) is you don't have to think about where to pick up; just turn on the stream and imagine you're popping in on The Cartoon Network's longest marathon ever. "The Simpsons Stream will deliver a Simpsons marathon all day, every day - no matter when you tune in, this ultimate Simpsons binge will be there," current show-runner Matt Selman wrote in a press release. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-adds-a-247-stream-of-the-simpsons-203929882.html?src=rss
NVIDIA is building a desktop supercomputer. At the company's GTC conference today, CEO Jensen Huang announced DGX Spark and DGX Station. We got a first look at the former during CES earlier this year when Huang and company revealed Project Digits. Now known as DGX Spark, NVIDIA is billing the $3,000 device as the world's smallest AI supercomputer.It features a GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip NVIDIA has shrunk down to fit inside an enclosure about the size of the previous generation Mac mini. NVIDIA says the GB10 can run up to 1,000 trillion operations per second of AI compute, making it ideal for fine-tuning the latest AI reasoning models, including the GR00T N1 robot system Huang announced at the end of his GTC keynote. The DGX Spark is available to preorder today.NVIDIAFor researchers and data scientists who need even more AI processing power, the DGX Station features a GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip. The GB300 offers 20 petaflops of performance and 784GB of unified system memory. NVIDIA has yet to announce a price for the DGX Station, though the company says the computer will arrive later this year, with ASUS, BOXX, Dell, HP, Lambda and Supermicro all making their own versions of the system.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidias-spark-desktop-ai-supercomputer-arrives-this-summer-200351998.html?src=rss
HP is launching a thinner and lighter version of its Omen 16 gaming laptop. The Omen 16 Slim is 16 percent thinner than the standard model, ranging from 0.78 to 0.89 inches (19.9 to 22.7 mm) thick when closed. It weighs 5.35 lbs.The HP Omen 16 Slim includes up to NVIDIA RTX 5070 graphics (no word yet on the cheaper configurations). It uses Intel Arrow Lake processors, ranging from the entry-level Core Ultra 5 225H to the Core Ultra 9 285H. You can fit it with 16GB, 24GB or 32GB of RAM and choose between 512GB and 1TB storage tiers.As its name suggests, it has a 16-inch display with up to 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. (Cheaper configs are limited to 1,920 x 1,200.) The machine includes a 10Gbps USB-C port, along with a 10Gbps Type-A, two 5Gbps Type-A ports, an RJ-45 ethernet connector, a 3.5mm headphone / mic combo jack and a single HDMI 2.1 port.There's no official word yet on pricing or a release date, but The Verge reports that HP is targeting a May launch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/hp-has-a-thinner-and-lighter-version-of-the-omen-16-gaming-laptop-190717824.html?src=rss
HyperX just introduced a new wireless headset that can keep rocking for up to 200 hours on a single charge. That's over a week of constant music. The Cloud III S is a followup to 2023's original wireless headset, but brings Bluetooth audio into the mix. The robust battery allows for the aforementioned 200 hours of listening when using Bluetooth.That metric drops to around 120 hours when streaming audio via a 2.4GHz wireless connection. Just like the original, the headphones ship with a USB dongle for 2.4GHz. However, it can connect without a dongle when using certain newer HP Omen gaming laptops.HyperX A long-lasting battery isn't the only innovation the Cloud III S brings to the table. It's also fully customizable, via magnetic ear plates. These are 3D-printed on demand, which is something HyperX has been experimenting with for a while. Users can create and buy these customized 3D-printed ear plates directly from HyperX, but only in select countries.There's also a removable boom mic for traveling, but that won't impede the ability to take calls or trash talk other gamers. The headphones feature a backup omni-directional mic, which is a nice touch.The HyperX Cloud III S is expected to hit store shelves in May, but pricing hasn't been solidified yet. For reference, the original Cloud III launched for $170. The new headset will be available in an all-back or black and red.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hyperxs-new-cloud-iii-s-wireless-headset-streams-bluetooth-audio-for-200-hours-on-a-single-charge-184838572.html?src=rss
Sarah Wynn-Williams joined Facebook in 2011 when it was very much in its move fast and break things" era. A former United Nations diplomat, she had aspirations of helping Facebook boost its standing on the global stage.Over nearly seven years at the company, she had a front-row seat to some of Facebook's most consequential (and controversial) moments. Last week, she published Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, a memoir about her time at the company and how she slowly became disillusioned about Facebook's role in the world.Since it was announced, Meta has thrown the full weight of its PR machine against the book. The company initiated arbitration proceedings, which resulted in a ruling that now prevents Wynn-Williams from promoting her own book. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the arbitrator's decision affirms that Sarah Wynn Williams' false and defamatory book should never have been published." He said that urgent legal action was made necessary by Williams, who more than eight years after being terminated by the company, deliberately concealed the existence of her book project and avoided the industry's standard fact-checking process in order to rush it to shelves after waiting for eight years."Her publisher, Flatiron Books, said in a statement it was appalled" by Meta's actions, noting that the arbitrator's order makes no reference to the claims" in the book, which went through a thorough editing and vetting process."After reading the book, it's easy to see why Meta PR has made such a fuss. Wynn-Williams worked closely with the company's top executives, traveling around the world with Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg as they met with foreign leaders and shaped the policies that would define Facebook. She also delivers many firsthand accounts of what Zuckerberg, Sandberg and current Chief of Global Affairs Joel Kaplan did and said behind closed doors. Much of it isn't pretty.Here are some of her most shocking claims:Zuckerberg requested to be gently mobbed" during a visit to AsiaWynn-Williams was often tasked with organizing the meetings various Facebook executives took with heads of state and other government officials. One of the more bizarre details is Zuckerberg's request ahead of a three-week long trip to Asia. According to Wynn-Williams, Zuckerberg requested that she arrange either a peace rally" or a riot" during his visit. Facebook's CEO never explains the request, but Wynn-Williams speculates he wanted "to test out how effective his product is in turning Facebook's online tools into offline power."
The release of the Pixel 9a is apparently very near, because after a regular cadence of leaks about the yet-to-be announced budget phone, at least two YouTubers have reviewed it early. Both The Mobile Central and Sahil Karoul have Google's new phone and released reviews that confirm a lot of the information that trickled out about the budget phone since the Pixel 8a was released.The biggest and easiest to grasp are the visual changes. The Pixel 9a doesn't have Google's trademark camera bump, opting instead for cameras that are nearly flush with the plastic back of the phone. The aluminum frame and front of the 9a are more familiar if you've used Pixel 9, though the 9a does have to have a lower-resolution 6.3-inch 1080p display, with what looks like slightly larger bezels, too.The main reason you opt for a Pixel over another budget Android phone is access to Google's custom camera and AI features, powered by the company's in-house Tensor chips. Both videos confirm the Pixel 9a uses the Tensor G4 and features a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide for photos and video. Photography performance seems on par with the Pixel 9, but video seems to suffer at night. The phone is rumored to come in multiple finishes: a light purple "Iris," black "Obsidian," hot pink "Peony," and a white "Porcelain." Only the purple and white models are shown in the videos, but that seems like as good a confirmation as any that the other colors will be available, too.Google originally released the Pixel 8a a week before its I/O developers conference in 2023, so a March announcement of a Pixel 9a would be a bit earlier than usual. It does fit with the rumored March 19 launch Android Headlines reported, though.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-pixel-9a-has-leaked-so-thoroughly-that-youtubers-are-reviewing-it-200943966.html?src=rss
The original Looney Tunes animated shorts that aired between the 1930 and 1969 are no longer available to stream on Max, Deadline reports. Warner Bros. Discovery removed them from the streaming service as part of its ongoing shift away from children's shows and towards adult and family programming.For now, newer Looney Tunes series and spin-offs remain, like New Looney Tunes and Baby Looney Tunes, but the decision still feels odd because Warner Bros. Discovery just released The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story in theaters on March 14. Of course, the company is no stranger to ill-conceived (frequently anti-art) decision making.The original Looney Tunes were last on the chopping block in 2023, when a press release covering shows and movies that were being added and removed from Max included the iconic animated shorts. Warner Bros. Discovery walked back that announcement, saying it was an error, but apparently plans change. While it seems strange to remove something Warner Bros. Discovery owns and doesn't have to pay an exorbitant licensing fee to offer, pulling shows and scrapping the release of movies has been the company's recent strategy to save money and earn tax breaks - see another Looney Tunes-related release, Coyote vs. Acme, or Batgirl.As far as this recent deprioritization of children's programming on Max goes, Warner Bros. Discovery has been working on it for a while. The company shutdown Boomerang, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service for classic cartoons, in 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery decided to not renew its distribution deal for Sesame Street last year, too, but removing around 200 old episodes of the showin 2022 was probably a good sign the company had lost interest way earlier.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/warner-bros-discovery-pulled-the-original-looney-tunes-shorts-off-max-190500556.html?src=rss
Those stranded Starliner astronauts are finally coming back to Earth, with a touchdown expected on Tuesday evening. Coverage begins on Monday night at around 10:45PM ET, with streams available on NASA's website and via the NASA+ app.Monday night's stream will focus on the hatch closing and the undocking procedure. The stream will go dark until 4:45PM ET on Tuesday as the crew approaches splashdown. The arrival is scheduled for around 5:57PM ET and a live press conference is set for 7:30PM ET.The two NASA astronauts returning (Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore) were part of Boeing's Starliner crew to the ISS. This was supposed to be a one-week stay but, just like Gilligan and the rest, was extended to nine months when the ship was deemed unfit for a crewed return to Earth. Five of the thrusters failed enroute. This is forcing the pair to hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX also ran into a delay, as this mission was originally scheduled for February.The Starliner returned, but without the crew. NASA planned to retrieve Williams and Wilmore back in September via a crewed mission with two empty seats. However, that launch faced technical issues and was delayed until April. This partnership with SpaceX will bring the pair home a couple of weeks early.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/you-can-watch-the-starliner-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-an-unplanned-nine-month-visit-185308418.html?src=rss
Eight days. That's how long Boeing Starliner's mission - its first flight test with crew aboard - was supposed to last. But this mission has been singular in almost every way, and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have instead spent the past nine and a half months aboard the International Space Station.Now, finally, they're headed home. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is slated to begin undocking from the ISS at 1:05 am ET Tuesday and is scheduled for splashdown at 5:57 pm ET, according to NASA's timetable. (Portions of the mission will stream live on the agency's website.)The Starliner crew was never truly stranded, to be clear. They always had a way off the space station in an emergency. But if this mission's foibles taught us one thing, it was to expect the unexpected. Even now, six months after the troubled spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS and landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, leaving its crew behind and effectively ending the flight test, the mission is still making headlines. Boeing Starliner CFT went from a symbol of the myriad struggles in Boeing's aviation business to a political punching bag, courtesy of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.Why did it take so long to bring the astronauts home? And did NASA cave to political pressure in setting the return date? Lets take a look at how we got here and what the evidence suggests.Starliner was floundering well before liftoffBoeing Starliner had a long, troubled history before it even got off the ground. Back in 2014, the Space Shuttle era had ended, and the United States was dependent on Russian Soyuz capsules to fly its astronauts. To remedy this, NASA awarded two companies - Boeing and SpaceX - Commercial Crew contracts to build new spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS.The official target date for a crewed flight test for these two companies was flexible. But, according to a 2016 report from William Gerstenmaier, the agency's head of human spaceflight at the time, it was clear NASA expected these demonstration flights to occur in 2017. (Gerst now works for SpaceX.)Obviously, that did not happen. SpaceX's uncrewed orbital test occurred in 2019, while the crewed demonstration flight was in 2020. Boeing also finally launched its Starliner capsule to the ISS for an uncrewed test in December 2019. However, that flight went so badly (the capsule did not reach its intended orbit or dock with the station) that NASA required Boeing to implement fixes and perform a second test in May 2022. That test went mostly well, though two of the capsule's thrusters failed during the orbital insertion burn, and post-flight inspections revealed nearly a mile of flammable tape in the capsule wiring which required removal.Boeing's CST-100 Starliner attached to an Atlas V rocket.ASSOCIATED PRESSThe May 2024 launch was delayed a few times due to rocket issues and problems with ground systems. NASA and Boeing also detected a helium leak in the propellant system (helium is used to push propellant to the thrusters). They attributed it to a defective seal, but after the spacecraft launched on June 5, it sprung a total of five helium leaks. What's more, five thrusters failed on approach to the ISS.Astronauts Wilmore and Williams were able to successfully dock with the ISS, but their mission changed significantly in those few hours; they had to figure out what, exactly, was wrong with the spacecraft and whether it was safe to bring them home.It's important to remember that NASA has only tested six total new crewed spacecraft (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, SpaceX Crew Dragon, and Boeing Starliner). It's a very difficult process, and everyone expects there to be problems - that's why NASA does these tests. But even for a test flight, this was bad.Eight days to nine monthsOver the summer of 2024, NASA quietly tested and re-tested Starliner's thrusters, both in orbit and on the ground, to find out why the thrusters failed. In the absence of meaningful updates from NASA, people started to seriously question whether the agency thought Starliner was safe to bring the astronauts home.In mid-July, NASA paid SpaceX to study bringing more than four astronauts home on a single Crew Dragon capsule, as well as launching two astronauts on a Crew Dragon instead of the usual four. The agency insisted this was related to Frank Rubio's extended stay on the ISS the year before. However, at a press conference in early August, Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stich confirmed that, in July, NASA had started working with SpaceX on contingency scenarios for Butch and Suni's possible return, as they continued to troubleshoot Starliner's faulty thrusters.Finally on August 24, NASA announced that Starliner would return to Earth uncrewed. There were serious issues with Starliner's propulsion system. NASA was concerned about a worst-case scenario in which the thrusters failed and, at the same time, the helium leak rates increased. This could have left the astronauts in orbit, unable to perform a re-entry burn. Butch and Suni would become part of SpaceX's ninth Commercial Crew flight (aptly named Crew-9), which would launch on September 28 with just two astronauts. They would serve out the remainder of this mission, which would keep them on the ISS through mid- to late-February.But why leave them in space until 2025? The bottom line is that the agency chose the least risky option. An extra return mission would have added unnecessary complexity. Relative to sending up a new Dragon so that Butch and Sunny didn't have to stay up until February, we really never considered that option," Steve Stich, the program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, explained at a press conference on August 7. Plus, it takes around four months to prepare a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for launch, and the extra cost would have been too much for NASA to absorb.Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ISS.ASSOCIATED PRESSAstronauts are accustomed to mission delays and extensions; Frank Rubio had his ISS long-duration stay extended from 6 months to over one year because of a leaky Soyuz capsule, finally returning to Earth after a record-breaking 371 days in space. NASA astronauts can handle a year in space.While it's not great to stay up there longer, the ISS has the appropriate countermeasures to maintain their health out to a year at least," Dr. Dan Buckland, a space medicine researcher at Duke University explained to Engadget in an email. Put another way, the expected recovery time on Earth might get longer the longer they stay, but the health plateau they are currently at is probably sustainable for the next few months at least."This was NASA's return plan for the Starliner astronauts, which it began working on in July 2024 and announced to the public that August. Fast forward to March of 2025 and almost nothing has changed, except that the mission has become a political punching bag.Delays and political posturingThe story got even more complicated in mid-December, when NASA announced that Crew-9's return would be delayed because of a problem with the Crew-10 SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. When a relief crew arrives at the International Space Station, NASA schedules their missions to overlap for a few days. These are called handovers, and they typically run about five days long.Crew-10 was scheduled to fly on the brand new Crew Dragon, but problems with the batteries on the spacecraft meant that it wouldn't be ready for a mid-February launch. As a result, Crew-10 wouldn't launch until late March, and Crew-9 wouldn't return until after the in-person handover.Delays with space missions are extremely common, so no one expected that on January 28 Boeing Starliner would come roaring back into the headlines. On Truth Social, President Trump posted the following:I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to go get" the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"The same day, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, published a post on X claiming that the Biden administration had left the astronauts aboard the ISS. He later said in a Fox News interview on February 18 that the decision to leave Wilmore and Williams in orbit until the end of the Crew-9 mission had been politically motivated.However, Steve Stich confirmed in a March 7 press briefing that the decision to return Butch and Suni as a part of Crew-9 was made between himself and ISS program manager Dana Weigel, after which it was run up to the administrator. This was not a top-down decision.What about the return date for Crew-9, though? After this political kerfuffle with Trump and Musk, NASA announced February 11 it was swapping the Crew Dragon capsule for Crew-10 to a previously flown spacecraft. This meant that they could move up Butch and Suni's return date by two weeks, to mid-March.Well, as far as anyone can tell, this was also not the result of political pressure.At a Crew-10 media briefing on Friday, March 7, Stich made it clear that the capsule swap was driven by other motivations, including needing to fit the Crew-10 launch in between the Intuitive Machines mission which launched on February 27 from the same pad (RIP Athena) and the Soyuz handover on the ISS in April. Officials were discussing swapping the capsules a month before the president's Truth Social post (though it's possible the President was aware of the discussion when it was happening.)Intuitive Machines' Athena lander nearing the lunar surface.ASSOCIATED PRESSThe president's interest sure added energy to the conversation," said Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, during that media teleconference. In the end, it's hard to believe any narrative in which the timeline of Butch and Suni's return was politically motivated, whether by the Biden administration or the Trump administration.It's incorrect to say that NASA isn't subject to political whims, because it's a government agency, with a budget proposed by the president and determined by Congress. The agency is bracing itself for drastic budget cuts to its science operations this year. Generally speaking, that means it's likely that if NASA can safely and reasonably do something that the president asks for, it will try.But changing around mission timelines and sending up rescue" missions for astronauts who aren't in danger? A NASA spokesperson refused to comment on this directly.. But it's unlikely this was the case, especially considering they stuck with a flight plan that's been in place since August 2024.They simply make the best decisions based on the evidence that they have at the moment, taking into account that their top priority is the lives of the astronauts," Laura Forczyk, founder of the space consulting firm Astralytical, explained. NASA makes the best decisions that it can in the moment, regardless of what the popular opinion is."What's next for NASA and Boeing?Once the Crew-9 capsule splashes down, that will truly bring an end to the Boeing Starliner mission, but its ramifications will be felt for a very long time. There are serious questions about the direction of the agency going forward, given the political climate and the new administration's priorities.NASA acting administrator Janet Petro has already eliminated the Office of the Chief Scientist, in compliance with the Trump administration's Reduction in Force order. More cuts are likely; rumors suggest that as much as half of NASA's science budget will be slashed. This raises questions about whether NASA will be able to operate iconic observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.And NASA's incoming administrator, Jared Isaacman, is a friend of Elon Musk and works closely with SpaceX. Isaacman conducted the first private spacewalk with Sarah Gillis on Polaris Dawn, a flight he paid SpaceX for, last year. Isaacman still hasn't been confirmed as administrator, but if he is, he will likely change NASA's human spaceflight program, starting with the return to the moon: The Artemis III moon landing is currently scheduled for no earlier than mid-2027).What's more, we still don't know the fate of the Starliner program. While NASA continues to work with Boeing to close out in-flight anomaly investigations, it's uncertain when (or if) the next flight of Starliner might occur. There are also questions surrounding whether Boeing even wants to fly another mission. Back in October, The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing - which also built many modules for the ISS - was considering selling off its space business altogether. As of February 2025, Boeing's total losses on Starliner had reached $2 billion.Whatever happens with Boeing Starliner, the massively disproportionate political backlash to a routine NASA decision that prioritized the health and safety of their astronauts is a troubling indicator of what's to come for the agency.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/boeing-starliner-astronauts-finally-head-home-nine-months-later-184546850.html?src=rss
If you woke up to a Windows PC suddenly without Microsoft's Copilot app installed, you didn't dream the last few years of AI hype, Microsoft just made a mistake. The latest monthly Windows 11 update that rolled out on March 11 "unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned" the AI assistant, according to a Microsoft support article spotted by The Verge.Microsoft is aware that Copilot's gone missing and is "working on a resolution to address this issue." For now, if you want Copilot back, you can redownload its app from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it to your taskbar. Just like any new feature, since Copilot was added to Windows in 2023, there's been people interested in removing it. If you weren't satisfied with unpinning the AI from your taskbar, you previously had to do a bit of work to actually remove it. Microsoft's update saves you some time - at least until it's fixed.Whether people like it or not, proving Copilot is useful in a variety of settings is still a priority for Microsoft. In March, the company shared its plans for a "Copilot for Gaming" that will live inside the Xbox app and help players with games. Microsoft has also started to offer some of its premium AI features, like the Copilot's Voice mode, for free. Based on The Verge's reporting, Microsoft is planning to announce even more new Copilot features at an event celebrating the company's 50th anniversary in April.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-latest-windows-update-accidentally-uninstalled-copilot-174850009.html?src=rss
NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference, also known as GTC, is coming up. The event is happening March 17-21 in San Jose, California, but you can also follow along with all the big developments here at Engadget. We'll have a liveblog for the keynote with CEO Jensen Huang on March 18 at 1PM ET (or 10AM PT), which is when most of the big news will drop. His speech will also be livestreamed for free, so you can watch it on NVIDIA's website too.And for those of you who want it saved to your YouTube watch history, here's the company's livestream on YouTube as well.If you prefer to catch up without video, our liveblog will be the best place for primarily text and image updates, peppered with contextual information and expert analysis from our senior writer Devindra Hardawar, so make sure you come back tomorrow for that.From a quick glance at the session catalog, we can make a few educated guesses as to what might be covered. Topics range from quantum computing and "physical AI" to robotics, healthcare and Agentic AI. Huang himself is hosting the quantum computing chat with a bevy of participants from companies like Microsoft and Amazon, too.Let's not forget, either, that this is ultimately an event that NVIDIA is billing as a "premier" AI conference for developers, which means most of the week will revolve around workshops, training labs and networking opportunities (that the schedule calls "Dinner with Strangers"). As the in-person audience is likely to be filled with developers, it's possible, as speculated by our senior reporter Devindra Hardawar, that Huang could get down and nerdy and get into more specifics than he did at the CES keynote this year.It's a safe bet that you'll hear a whole lot about artificial intelligence during the week, but with all the changes in the computing landscape over the past 12 months, the stakes might be higher for the company to make serious waves at this conference. Plus, with NVIDIA recently becoming a Wall Street darling, more eyes are on the company than ever.What to expect at NVIDIA GTC 2025NVIDIA has been going all-in on AI for years now, and that makes it a regular highlight for GTC programming. Last year saw the company unveiling its Blackwell line of GPUs for faster and less demanding computations. We're guessing that Huang will introduce another iteration of Blackwell GPUs with even better specs this time around. NVIDIA is also likely to share updates on its projects in automotive, robotics and quantum computing.But the company is in a very different situation in early 2025 than it was going into last year's conference. NVIDIA is no longer sitting quite so comfortably at the top of the heap. The emergence of DeepSeek's reasoning model caused a plunge for tech stocks, including NVIDIA's, earlier this year. There have been lots of issues related to its latest RTX product launches and splashy tech for AI-generated NPCs in gaming are, unsurprisingly, pretty soulless.Basically, NVIDIA needs a win. This would be the time for Huang to drop something surprising and exciting. Hopefully he delivers.Update, March 12 2025, 1:18PM ET: This story has been updated to add information gleaned from NVIDIA's session catalog to the intro.Update, March 13 2025, 2:10PM ET: This story has been updated to add a link to the NVIDIA livestream site, as well as more information about GTC as a developer conference.Update, March 17 2025, 1:08PM ET: This story has been updated to embed a YouTube video of NVIDIA's livestream, plus information about Engadget's own liveblog.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/what-to-expect-at-nvidias-annual-gtc-conference-with-ceo-jensen-huang-183038411.html?src=rss
The dating app Bumble is adding a few new safety features, including an ID verification tool. This lets users submit a government-issued ID to the system. Once confirmed, profiles will get a nice and shiny verification badge to let potential connections know everything is on the up and up.Bumble users can now filter profiles based on who is ID verified. There's even a request tool to ask a match to complete the process. ID verification is now available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and several other countries, with more to come in the near future.The platform has also introduced something called Share Date. This safety feature lets users share details of a date with a trusted contact. The date details include who they're meeting with, when it starts and where the meeting is set to take place. If plans change, the information can easily be updated via the app. Match has something similar, which is called Date Check-In. Tinder even has its own version of this tool.There's a final safety update, as Bumble has updated the Review Before You Send tool. This alerts members when a message may be inappropriate. It started as a pilot program that was rolled out as part of the Compliments feature, but has now been extended to all chats.Bumble Finally, today's update brings something called Discover. This is a personalized experience and a fresh way to find common ground on Bumble." To that end, it displays the most compatible people based on similar interests and dating intentions. The list is refreshed daily. Bumble says that the Discover page will continue to improve and provide more accurate connections as users update preferred interest badges and complete profiles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/bumble-adds-id-verification-and-other-safety-features-170228333.html?src=rss
Now that Apple's recent slew of hardware releases are behind us, we got some news on the software side last week. First, the company publicly announced that it was delaying the smarter, more personal version of Siri that'll be powered by Apple Intelligence. Then, rumors sprang up again that Apple was giving an extensive visual update to its software platforms, including iOS 19 and macOS 16 which are expected to be revealed at WWDC in June.The sources for this redesign rumor are solid. Jon Prosser dropped a video on his YouTube channel Front Page Tech back in January where he said that he had seen a redesigned Camera app for the next version of iOS that had a number of interface changes that made it feel more like a visionOS app. His thinking is that Apple wouldn't redesign a core app like Camera without bringing changes to some of the rest of the OS, as well.Mark Gurman at Bloomberg followed up on that, reporting that iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16 will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple's various software platforms more consistent." He also specifically mentioned visionOS, which runs Apple's wildly expensive ($3,500) Vision Pro headset, as an inspiration for the new design.This rumor could definitely have legs. Even though visionOS doesn't feel radically different to Apple's other software, it does make sense that the company would unify visual themes across all its platforms and devices as it usually does. But at a time when the company is struggling mightily with its Apple Intelligence rollout and delaying a new Siri (which feels to me like the most significant update the company could deliver), slapping a new coat of paint on iOS and macOS feels like a distraction at best and misguided priorities at worst.The delay to a more intelligent Siri is a major blow to Apple's AI ambitions. Since it was first introduced at WWDC 2024, it's been the single thing that might make me upgrade my phone to one that works with Apple Intelligence. The promise is an assistant that has a better understanding of the apps on your phone and can use them more extensively on your behalf; it can do things like automatically adding addresses to a contact card. Another example Apple showed was asking Siri to find an image of your driver's license, take the ID number on it and put it into a form you're filling out. It'll also have more awareness of what's on your screen and better natural language understanding.That, of course, is all just a promise right now. Apple commentator John Gruber, who typically takes a fairly positive view of the company, absolutely ripped the company a new one over the Siri delay. He says that at WWDC 2024, he and other members of the press saw controlled demos of Apple Intelligence features, but no proof of a smarter Siri - thus far, all we've seen are product videos showing what it could do. In retrospect, Gruber says that a smarter Siri is nothing more than vaporware." They were features Apple said existed, which they claimed would be shipping in the next year, and which they portrayed, to great effect, in the signature Siri, when is my mom's flight landing?' segment of the WWDC keynote itself," he says. Apple was either unwilling or unable to demonstrate those features in action back in June, even with Apple product marketing reps performing the demos from a prepared script using prepared devices."Apple's presentation of Siri at WWDC 2024 can be seen above.It's a bad look for Apple, and was made worse when Bloomberg published a piece showing the turmoil inside the Siri team following the delay announcement. The publication reported that Apple senior director Robby Walker held an all-hands meeting for the Siri team saying the delays have been ugly and embarrassing," and that the decision to promote these features to the public before they were ready compounded the issues. To be fair, Apple has shipped a few Siri improvements since the fall (most significantly the addition of ChatGPT), but they're not things that have radically changed the voice assistant's most glaring weaknesses.Additionally, Gurman's sources claim that we won't see these features until sometime in 2026 at the earliest, long after iOS 19 would be released. With all that in mind, these redesign rumors feel like a fresh coat of paint to distract people from the structural issues with Apple Intelligence as a whole and the delays on a massively important feature.The timing also feels strange. While Apple hasn't embarked on a full-scale redesign of iOS since it released iOS 7 way back in 2013, the company has made small but significant changes and refinements nearly every year since that have added up to software that's far more customizable and refined than it was more than a decade ago. Since iOS 14 in 2020, Apple added home and lock screen widgets, major customization features for lock screen visuals, and the wild notion of not having all your apps aligned to an inflexible grid. Apple also added the ability to color-tint the icons to match your background image (or just make them any color you want, dark or light). These all add up to an iOS that is a lot more visually customizable than ever before.Android has had these features for years, so I'm not praising Apple for being some paragon of user freedom. But it's clear from these changes that Apple is finally interested in giving users more control over how their phones look. With all this as well as many smaller visual tweaks the company has made over the years, it's fair to say that iOS 18's design language has evolved far beyond what we saw with iOS 7's complete and abrupt makeover.As for macOS, Apple has given it several notable visual updates over the last decade or so. In 2014, OS X Yosemite largely brought over the flatter design from iOS 7 that removed skeuomorphic elements that had littered iOS and the Mac for years. Apple continued to tweak it over the following years before giving it another big visual overhaul in 2020 with macOS Big Sur. That was the first OS that supported Apple's M-series Macs and as such the company dropped the OS X branding and moved to macOS alongside the new design.While I was initially skeptical of a major macOS visual refresh, I am a little surprised to remember that it's been almost five years since Big Sur launched - maybe we're right on schedule for a visual refresh. And in recent years, Apple has wanted to keep its platforms as aligned as possible, both from a feature perspective as well as how they look. It's not hard to imagine designers wanting to unify things across platforms again.Given that the user interface is literally how we interact with all these devices, a design refresh can certainly keep things feeling new, even if the functionality hasn't changed much. And without a smarter Siri to look forward to at WWDC this year, a fresh coat of paint might be Apple's best option to make its next software updates feel new. That said, I don't mean to suggest that the people working on the visual design of Apple's software platforms could or should abandon their work and rush a better Siri out the door - the skill sets and priorities of those two teams are surely completely different. But at the very least, Apple's going to have to more forcefully address the elephant in the room that is Siri than it has before it can try selling us on a new design.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-should-focus-on-fixing-siri-not-redesigning-ios-again-164446205.html?src=rss
Alphabet is letting its laser-based internet company Taara fly and be free, according to reporting by Financial Times. Google's parent company is spinning off the service from X, its moonshot incubator system (not to be confused with X the social network.)Taara uses light beams to provide high-bandwidth internet and phone services to hard-to-reach areas of the world. This places it in direct competition with Elon Musk's Starlink network of satellites.Taara now has two dozen staff members and is hiring aggressively." It has secured backing from Series X Capital. Alphabet will retain a minority stake, but it remains tight-lipped regarding seed funding details or potential financial targets.They're going to be able to get connected quickly to market capital, bring in strategic investors and generally be able to scale faster this way," said Eric Teller, X's Captain of Moonshots.Taara already operates in 12 countries throughout the world and has provided supplemental service during events like Coachella. The tech works by firing beams of light to and from various terminals. Alphabet says the system can transmit data at 20 gigabits per second over an area of around 12 miles. The company also says that these systems are relatively easy to build and maintain, especially when compared to satellites in space.It has its origins in an Alphabet-created concept called Loon. This was a modified version of the same idea that shot beams of light to and from groups of balloons floating on the edge of space. There are strict governmental and regulatory hurdles to flying thousands of balloons near space, however, so it wound down in 2021. Loon's loss was Taara's gain, as the newer entity uses the same lasers.Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Taara's general manager and a lead engineer, says that the next step is to develop a silicon photonic chip that will eliminate the need for many of the mirrors and lenses currently positioned on system terminals.The newly-minted startup has a long way to go to catch up to Starlink, which has over four million subscribers worldwide. Taara doesn't even sell subscriptions directly to consumers. Instead, it partners with existing telecommunication companies like T-Mobile to extend their networks to remote locations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/alphabets-starlink-competitor-taara-is-spinning-off-into-an-independent-company-154653176.html?src=rss
Although the future of TikTok remains uncertain, the app continues to get new features. The latest is called Security Checkup, which is a centralized dashboard designed to help you protect your account.You can find the tool by going to Settings and privacy > Security & permissions in the TikTok app. The idea behind Security Checkup is to make it easy for you to do things like link a phone number and email address to make sure you have a backup login method, turn on two-factor authentication, set up a passkey and enable biometric login options such as facial recognition.In addition, you'll be able to see which devices are logged into your account, so you can revoke access for any that you don't recognize or no longer use. Handily, TikTok will flag any unusual behavior that it detects on your account and you can review any oddities here.We've seen other major platforms introduce similar features in the past. Instagram, for instance, rolled out a tool that's also called Security Checkup back in 2021. Still, it's better late than never to add handy features, especially when it comes to helping users secure their accounts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-rolls-out-a-security-checkup-tool-to-help-protect-your-account-152819724.html?src=rss
Apple's over-ear headphones are back on sale at one of the best prices we've seen all year. The AirPods Max have dropped to $480. That's $69 off the list price. It's not quite a record low price for these headphones. We've seen them drop to $450. But this is still a solid deal on the AirPods Max, especially if you've been waiting for a solid discount. It's also worth noting that this is the updated model with USB-C charging, rather than the old Lightning port that Apple has phased out. We gave the AirPods Max a score of 84 in our review back in 2020 (yes, they've been around for that long without an update save, for the new charging port and colorways!). We felt that the sound was excellent and balanced with solid active noise cancellation (ANC) and an excellent transparency mode so you can hear what's going on around you. In our testing, the AirPods Max met Apple's promise of a 20-hour battery life with both ANC and spatial audio switched on. We enjoyed the simple control system, which uses an Apple Watch-style rotating crown. The AirPods Max are lightweight and comfortable to wear as well. On the downside, the AirPods Max still use Apple's older H1 chipset, meaning that certain features available on some in-ear AirPods models aren't present here. There's no support for high-res music streaming services either. Still, if you're embedded in the Apple ecosystem and are looking for an otherwise high-quality set of over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max are worth considering. 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/apple-airpods-max-with-usb-c-charging-are-back-on-sale-for-480-142052420.html?src=rss
Qualcomm unveiled its next generation of processors for gaming handhelds at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Monday. Fortunately, it isn't all just dry specs; the chip-maker also previewed some of its partners' portable consoles that the new silicon will power. These include new models from Ayaneo, OneXSugar and Retroid Pocket.Snapdragon chipsQualcommThe Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 (the flagship processor) has 30 percent faster CPU performance and 28 percent faster graphics than its Gen 2 predecessor. The new silicon supports up to QHD+ 144Hz displays, Unreal Engine 5's Lumen lighting tech and Wi-Fi 7.Meanwhile, the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 may be the mid-range option, but it has the biggest performance jump of the trio: 2.3 times faster CPU and 3.8 times faster GPU speeds than the G2 Gen 1. It, too, supports up to 144Hz on QHD+ displays.Finally, the G1 Gen 2 is the entry-level processor - not something you'd want in a hardcore portable but ideal for strictly cloud-streaming (devices like the Logitech G Cloud) or emulation handhelds. It supports up to 120Hz on FHD+ screens.Upcoming handheldsQualcommNow for the fun part: Qualcomm's hardware partners are teasing upcoming devices powered by the new silicon. On the other hand, we don't yet have pricing info or firm shipping dates for any of these models.Ayaneo's Pocket S2 uses the high-end chip (G3 Gen 3) and has a 6.3-inch, 2K "ultra-clear" display. It has a higher battery capacity than the Pocket S and a better cooling system. You won't have to wait long for this one because it arrives this month.QualcommThe OneXSugar Sugar 1 is a dual-screen (Nintendo DS-style) foldable console. But it also transforms: You can detach its smaller screen and (from the looks of it) reattach the controller to the larger display for a more Switch-like form factor. It's an interesting setup, to say the least. It will be available for pre-order in May also runs the high-end Qualcomm processor.Meanwhile, the Ayaneo Gaming Pad will also run on the flagship Snapdragon G3 Gen silicon. This device looks like an iPad mini with controllers gripped onto each side and has an 8.3-inch LCD with 2K resolution at 120Hz. It also includes an "esports-grade turbo fan" and a "high-capacity battery." It launches in May.QualcommFinally, the Retroid Pocket PR Classic uses the G1 Gen 2 silicon. This Game Boy-esque retro emulation portable has a 1080 x 1240 AMOLED screen (up to 500 nits brightness), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery and active cooling. You can pre-order it this month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/next-gen-snapdragon-g-series-chips-will-power-handhelds-from-ayaneo-onexsugar-and-retroid-pocket-131733930.html?src=rss
If you've held on to an aging Windows laptop for too long, it's now a great time to upgrade. With all the hype around AI PCs, computer makers are rushing to release new designs featuring efficient new chips from Intel and AMD. And thanks to Microsoft's Copilot+ initiative, which launched last year, we're finally seeing decent notebooks powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, which are leading to better battery life and lighter designs.
These days, phone charging isn't just about plugging in and waiting - it's about speed, efficiency and convenience. With so many devices supporting fast charging, the right accessories can make a huge difference in keeping your gadgets powered up without long wait times. Whether you need a compact wall adapter, a wireless charger for your desk or a fast charging cable that won't slow you down, there's no shortage of options.
Evan Feinman, who directed the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program meant to bring high-speed internet access to rural areas, exited the role on Friday after he was not reappointed for a new term, according to ProPublica's Craig Silverman. In an email sent to staffers, which Silverman shared screenshots of on Bluesky, Feinman warned against changes proposed by the new administration that could benefit technology that delivers slower speeds at higher costs to the household paying the bill" in order to line Elon Musk's pockets.BEAD was established in 2021, and the new Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recently announced that the Commerce Department would be overhauling the program, which he said has not connected a single person to the internet" due to the previous administration's handling of it. In a statement, Lutnick called for a tech-neutral stance," which would do away with the preference for faster fiber connections and open the door for a shift toward satellite internet like that offered by Elon Musk's Starlink. Lutnick also slammed woke mandates, favoritism towards certain technologies, and burdensome regulations."In the email shared on Sunday, Feinman urged colleagues to speak up in favor of removing needless requirements," but warned against a shift away from fiber. The bottom line is, he wrote:
If ever a game presents me with an opportunity to perform completely absurd aerial tricks, you best believe I will be flipping as much as possible. InJump Truck, a 3D solo racing game for Playdate by Tabortop Games, flips can work either to your benefit or detriment as you try to score the fastest finish time for each of a series of race tracks. Throwing in some flips may help to shave several seconds off your final time, but it could also send your truck hurtling into the abyss. It's a delicate balance that I've been having a real hoot pushing to its limit. Jump Truck features seven levels made up of straightaways, tight turns, long winding roads, ramps and short platforms with abrupt dropoffs to navigate at high speeds on your way to the floating vortex that serves as the finish line. You need to find the shortcuts to get the gold, and successfully making use of those often requires clearing huge gaps. That's where flipping really comes in handy. Frontflips will give you more speed and help you cross greater distances in the air, while backflips will slow you down so you don't overshoot your landing. You can flip using either the D-pad or the crank, but the latter can be pretty hard to coordinate if you want to seamlessly resume driving and steering. There are a bunch of silly achievements to unlock as you progress (or die over and over), like the Soar Like an Eagle" award for spending a quarter of your time flying through the air on any given level. Jump Truck seems like it'd be the type of game that only holds your attention for a little while at a time, but I keep getting sucked into it for much longer than I expect to, thanks to the challenge of trying to hit certain shortcuts. It's unexpectedly addicting. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-playdate-game-jump-truck-is-a-flippin-good-time-203140598.html?src=rss
The so-called iPhone 17 Air, which is rumored to be coming this fall, is said to be Apple's thinnest iPhone ever. But, if the company had gone through some of its earlier plans for the device, slimness may not have been the most talked-about element. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that Apple at one time planned to ditch the USB-C port to make the Air device Apple's first completely port-free iPhone."The company reportedly shelved the idea to avoid sparking fresh problems with EU regulators. According to Gurman, however, Apple is still holding onto it for future slim iPhones depending on the success of the iPhone 17 Air. Apple is expected to release four iPhones this year, in line with its strategy of the last few years, with the one currently nicknamed the iPhone 17 Air being roughly 2 millimeters thinner than the rest. Leaker Sonny Dickson this weekend shared a series of photos said to be of iPhone 17 dummies, showing just how slim the Air could look alongside the rest of the family.
We've recently heard rumors that Apple is working on the next generation of its Studio Display, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now reports that there may actually be two new models in the works. Building on his previous reporting about a potential update to the 2022 Studio Display that could be released next year, Gurman writes this weekend in the Power On newsletter that sources have told him Apple is working on a second new monitor." The first is code-named J427, while the second is reportedly being referred to as J527.It's been three years since Apple introduced the $1,599 27-inch Studio Display and twice that since the release of the $5,000 Pro Display XDR. Considering the age of both monitors, Gurman says one of two scenarios may play out, either that Apple is developing both and will choose one to launch, or it's a second model with a different screen size or set of specifications."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-two-new-versions-of-the-studio-display-145521711.html?src=rss
According toDeadline, Humans writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent are working on an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1953 novella, The Variable Man. The show is being produced by Motive Pictures in a partnership with Electric Shepherd Productions, which is run by the late author's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett. The Variable Man follows a tinkerer turned accidental time traveler named Thomas Cole, who is transported from 1913 into the future and suddenly finds himself a reluctant player in an interplanetary conflict.It's being written for a UK broadcaster, according to Deadline, but there may be hope for a US release. When you've got Sam and John doing what they did so brilliantly with Humans and exploring the modern world through a genre lens, it is something that can absolutely attract broadcasters in the US," Motive CEO Simon Maxwell told the publication. I really enjoyed The Variable Man back when I read it and I'll give any PKD adaptation a chance, so here's hoping we get another good one in this series.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/a-show-based-on-philip-k-dicks-the-variable-man-is-in-the-works-221301434.html?src=rss
The lunar eclipse this week had many of us gazing up at the night sky to marvel at the red-tinged moon, and now we can see what that eerie effect looked like from the other side thanks to images captured by Firefly's Blue Ghost lander. From the lander's perspective on the moon, the phenomenon on March 14 was a solar eclipse, and the latest video shows red light cast over Blue Ghost as Earth temporarily blocked the sun. The new imagery came in shortly after the team shared a photo of the diamond ring effect captured by the lander as the sun began to reemerge.These images - rapidly captured by our top deck camera with different exposure settings - were stitched together in a quick clip," Firefly said. The red hue is the result of sunlight refracting through the Earth's atmosphere as the sun is blocked by our planet, casting a shadow on the lunar surface." At the beginning of the video where the images are better lit, you can see Venus as a small dot above the eclipse. And if you look really, really closely, you'll also see Mercury to its left.Blue Ghost landed on the moon on March 2, and Firefly has shared some pretty amazing photos and videos since, including landing footage from the spacecraft's point of view. The lander's mission is expected to come to an end soon with the onset of lunar night, but it'll first observe the lunar sunset on March 16.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/see-fireflys-blue-ghost-lander-bathed-in-red-during-solar-eclipse-captured-from-the-moon-203203999.html?src=rss
As of March 28, Amazon Echo models that were previously able to process Alexa requests locally will no longer do so, instead sending those voice recordings to the cloud. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the change to The Verge after a Reddit user posted a PSA about it on Friday, with a screenshot of an email they'd received from the company. The change applies to the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15, according to The Verge.Per the email shared on Reddit, the settings for Echo users who enabled the Do Not Send Voice Recordings' option will automatically change to Don't save recordings.' It goes on to say, This means that, starting on March 28th, your voice recordings will be sent to and processed in the cloud, and they will be deleted after Alexa processes your requests. Any previously saved voice recordings will also be deleted." The move comes a few weeks after Amazon introduced Alexa+, which brings generative AI to the assistant. Amazon said during the February unveiling event that Alexa+ would begin rolling out in early access this month.As we continue to expand Alexa's capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon's secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature," Amazon said in its email to customers about discontinuing the option for local processing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/amazon-is-getting-rid-of-the-option-for-echo-devices-to-process-alexa-requests-locally-182627101.html?src=rss
Google's update to the Find My Device app, which adds a People" tab showing contacts who have shared their location with you (and vice versa), is now available for Android users. The company announced the feature at the beginning of the month with the March Pixel Drop, and it started rolling out this week, as spotted by 9to5Google. With the update, you can now see your approved contacts' real-time locations on the map, above a list that displays the addresses of their current positions, their distance from you and the time since that information was last refreshed.While Google Maps already let users manage location sharing and keep track of trusted contacts, the Find My Device update makes all this information easier to find, with a more straightforward presentation. In the People tab, you can choose to see the contacts who have shared their location with you, and those you've shared your location with. You can also switch Google accounts and change your Location Sharing settings at any time from within the app using the tab at the top right. The update comes almost a year after Google first launched Find My Device, and brings the service more in line with Apple's Find My app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/googles-find-my-device-app-can-now-show-your-contacts-real-time-locations-154857019.html?src=rss
SpaceX's Crew-10 mission has successfully launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03PM Eastern on March 14. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov are onboard and will join the ISS crew after the spacecraft docks with the orbiting lab at 11:30PM Eastern time on March 15. The new crew's arrival will allow NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to fly back home after their supposed week-long stay on the ISS had turned into a nine-month stint.Williams and Wilmore flew to the ISS aboard the Boeing Starliner's first crewed flight meant to prove its readiness to ferry astronauts to orbit. On the way to the station, however, the Starliner started leaking helium, and some of its thrusters had malfunctioned. While the astronauts and ground engineers tried to solve the issue, NASA had ultimately decided to have the Starliner fly back home uncrewed. The spacecraft returned back to Earth in September, leaving Williams and Wilmore aboard the ISS.Before Boeing's Starliner flew back, NASA had already decided that Williams and Wilmore will be coming home with the SpaceX Crew-9 personnel. The mission headed to the station with only two astronauts onboard to leave two seats open for its return. They were originally scheduled to fly back in February, but Crew-10's launch was ultimately delayed to give SpaceX enough time to process a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission. Williams and Wilmore are now expected to fly back to Earth with Crew-9's Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov as soon as March 19.
Reviews season is in full swing, and we've been busy at Engadget HQ. Laptops, desktops, earbuds, gaming handhelds and even an ice cream machine are among our slate of recent reviews. The great thing about this time of year is there's really something for everyone among the in-depth testing our team undertakes. So sit back, relax and catch up on all the reviews you might've missed. Apple MacBook Air M4 13-inch and 15-inch The M4-equipped MacBook Air is now available, and so is Devindra's detailed review of the new Apple laptop. "The M4-equipped MacBook Air is a nearly flawless ultraportable," he declared. "Even better, it now starts at $999, which is $100 less than before. While I'd still like to see more ports and a faster screen refresh rate, the MacBook Air still remains heads and shoulders above the competition." Apple Mac Studio M4 Max While the M3 Ultra configuration may be the absolute fastest Mac Studio, Steve argued that the powerful M4 Max version is the better and more affordable option for most power users. But, do you actually need one? Well, that depends. "If you regularly edit 4K (or higher) videos or render 3D graphics (or play games), you'd be better off with the Mac Studio," he wrote. "For less demanding jobs, a Mac mini will likely suffice." Ninja Swirl by Creami Soft serve ice cream at home is no longer a fantasy thanks to Ninja's Creami machine. Sam was impressed by its versatility, but he noted that the ability to make larger batches would make the gadget even better. "Not only can it create delicious concoctions that rival what you can buy from a store (and for way cheaper), it can handle pretty much any other frozen treat you can think of - all in one gadget," he explained. "My biggest gripe is that the Swirl isn't available in a deluxe size like you can get with its predecessor." Technics AZ100 Technics' latest earbuds impressed me during a brief introduction at CES and they continued to do so during my full review. New drivers deliver big sound upgrades and three-device multipoint is only available on this company's earbuds. "Technics thought it could make its well-reviewed AZ80 even better by borrowing tech from another entry in its portfolio and the gamble has definitively paid off," I wrote. "Sure, you can find better noise-canceling performance with Bose and more modern features with Sony, but Technics has formulated excellent sound quality that few can challenge." MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI may have stumbled with its first gaming handheld, but Sam argues that the Claw 8 AI+ is the company's redemption. "After the original bombed, a lot of companies would have simply called it quits," he said. "But with the Claw 8 AI+, MSI came back and totally redeemed itself. Not only is it a very competent gaming handheld, this cat offers a solid design, great performance and above-average battery life." Other notable reviews: M3 iPad Air, Sorry We're Closed and more GPUs Apple also debuted a new iPad Air recently, and while it isn't a huge update, Nate wrote that the M3 upgrade still makes it easy to recommend. Jess took Sorry We're Closed for a ride on PS5, specifically calling out the "epic storyline" with "heartbroken club kids and horny demons," along with a killer soundtrack. Devindra's work reviewing GPUs is seemingly never done, and in the last two weeks he reviewed AMD's Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070. He also put the ASUS Zenbook 14 through its paces. If you're in the market for a Wi-Fi 7 setup, you'll want to check out Dan's review of the Eero Pro 7 where basic features are locked behind an additional purchase. Amy re-reviewed the Apple Watch SE and she has a long list of requests for Apple to include - whenever it finally decides to update its "budget" wearable.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-macbook-air-mac-studio-ninja-creami-and-technics-az100-123020577.html?src=rss
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is looking into whether the Biden administration tried to "censor" artificial intelligence. Representative Jim Jordan has sent subpoenas to sixteen different tech companies that work with AI in some capacity to ask for any and all communications from the previous administration about limiting "harmful bias" and "algorithmic discrimination."Subpoenas were sent to Adobe, Alphabet, Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Cohere,International Business Machines Corp. (IBM),Inflection AI, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Open AI,Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI and Stability AI, and each requests an extensive amount of information, covering five years from January 1, 2020 to January 20, 2025. Essentially any and all documents and communications "referring or relating to the moderation, deletion, suppression, restriction, or reduced circulation of the content, input, or output of an AI model, training dataset, algorithm, system, or product," need to be included, whether between the companies and the previous administration, internal communications about those discussions or discussions with third-parties.Jordan and the committee are alleging that the former President's executive order calling for regulations on algorithmic discrimination and guidelines for how the federal government will use AI pressured private companies to censor speech. Digging up old documents and communications is an attempt to connect those seemingly distant dots.Pestering tech companies is not exactly new for Jordan. Just last week he subpoenaed Google over separate censorship concerns, and over the last few years he's regularly made a show of bringing in tech CEOs to testify about moderation. The main difference now is that companies that don't even run speech platforms like Adobe or Nvidia are receiving scrutiny, too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/house-gop-subpoenas-tech-companies-over-ai-censorship-pressure-from-biden-administration-214543722.html?src=rss
OpenAI is calling on the Trump administration to give AI companies an exemption to train their models on copyrighted material. In a blog post spotted by The Verge, the company this week published its response to President Trump's AI Action Plan. Announced at the end of February, the initiative saw the White House seek input from private industry, with the goal of eventually enacting policy that will work to "enhance America's position as an AI powerhouse" and enable innovation in the sector."America's robust, balanced intellectual property system has long been key to our global leadership on innovation. We propose a copyright strategy that would extend the system's role into the Intelligence Age by protecting the rights and interests of content creators while also protecting America's AI leadership and national security," OpenAI writes in its submission. "The federal government can both secure Americans' freedom to learn from AI, and avoid forfeiting our AI lead to the [People's Republic of China] by preserving American AI models' ability to learn from copyrighted material."In the same document, the company recommends the US maintain tight export controls on AI chips to China. It also says the US government should broadly adopt AI tools. Incidentally, OpenAI began offering a version of ChatGPT designed for US government use earlier this year.This week, Google also published its own list of recommendations for the president's AI Action Plan. Like OpenAI, the search giant says it should be able to train AI models on copyrighted material."Balanced copyright rules, such as fair use and text-and-data mining exceptions, have been critical to enabling AI systems to learn from prior knowledge and publicly available data, unlocking scientific and social advances," Google writes. "These exceptions allow for the use of copyrighted, publicly available material for AI training without significantly impacting rightsholders and avoid often highly unpredictable, imbalanced, and lengthy negotiations with data holders during model development or scientific experimentation."Last year, OpenAI said it would be "impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials." The company currently faces numerous lawsuits accusing it of copyright infringement, including ones involving The New York Times and a group of authors led by George R.R. Martin and Jonathan Franzen. At the same time, the company recently accused Chinese AI startups of trying to copy its technologies.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-and-google-ask-for-a-government-exemption-to-train-their-ai-models-on-copyrighted-material-212906990.html?src=rss
Even if Punxsutawney Phil was correct, warm weather is still right around the corner. That means it's time to prepare your outdoor space for maximum relaxation when temperatures begin to rise. Since this will likely include flexing your culinary muscle on the grill, now's the time to do a deep clean so you're ready for action.I don't blame you if you opted to let your grill hibernate during the winter months, but if that's the case, it'll probably need a tune-up before spring arrives. If you did keep the grill in working order over the last few months, this is a good time for a scrub and polish before warmer temperatures inspire heavy use. Here are a few tips and tricks that will hopefully make things easier.Disassemble, scrub, reassembleBilly Steele/EngadgetA good rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning anything you haven't used in a while is to take it apart as much as you feel comfortable and give it a thorough wipe down. For grills, this means removing the grates and any bars or burner covers - basically, anything you can take out that's not the heating element. This gives you a chance to inspect the burners of your gas grill or the fire pot of a pellet model for any unsightly wear and tear. If those components are worn out or overly rusted, most companies offer replacements that you can easily swap out with a few basic tools.Once all the pieces are out, start by scraping excess debris off all sides of the interior - with the help of some cleaner if needed. For a gas grill, this likely means pushing everything out through the grease trap. On a pellet grill, you'll want to scrape the grease chute clear and out into the catch can, but you'll also need to vacuum the interior with a shop vac - just like you would after every few hours of use. And while you're at it, go ahead and empty the hopper of any old pellets that have been sitting since Labor Day. Fuel that's been sitting in the grill for months won't give you the best results when it comes time to cook so you might as well start fresh.Thankfully, pellet grill companies have made easy cleaning a key part of their designs. Weber's SmokeFire has a set of metal bars on the inside that can be removed quickly to open up the bottom of the chamber. This is also a design feature of the company's gas grills. Simply vacuum or push the debris out the grease chute. The catch pan where all of the garbage ends up is also easy to access from the front of the grill, and you can remove the aluminum liner and replace it with a new one in seconds.Traeger's most recent pellet grills were also redesigned to improve cleaning. Most notably, grease and ash end up in the same keg" that's easy to detach from the front of the grill. The company also allows you to quickly remove all of the interior components, though they're larger than what you find on the SmokeFire. Lastly, Traeger moved the pellet chute to the front of the Timberline and Ironwood, making it a lot more convenient to swap out wood varieties or empty an old supply.You'll want to get as much of the food leftovers out of your grill as possible for a few reasons. First, that stuff is old and lots of build-up over time can hinder cooking performance and might impact flavor. The last thing you want is old food or grease burning off right under an expensive ribeye. Second, in the case of pellet grills, not properly clearing out grease and dust can be dangerous. It's easy for grease fires to start at searing temperatures and if there's enough pellet dust in the bottom of your grill, it can actually ignite or explode. That's why companies tell you to vacuum it out after every few hours of use.All of that dust, grease and debris should be removed before you fire the grill back up.Billy Steele/EngadgetTo actually clean the surfaces, you'll want to get an all-natural grill cleaner. There are tons of options here, and it may take some time to find one you like. I typically use Traeger's formula since it's readily available at the places I buy pellets and I've found it works well cutting through stuck-on muck. You want an all-natural grill cleaner over a regular household product as it's safe to use on surfaces that will touch your food. They're also safe to use on the exterior of your grill without doing any damage to chrome, stainless steel or any other materials.Spray down the inside and give things a few minutes to work. Wipe it all clean and go back over any super dirty spots as needed. Ditto for the grates, bars and any other pieces you removed. I like to lay these out on a yard waste trash bag (they're bigger than kitchen bags) so all the stuff I scrape or clean off doesn't get all over my deck. You can use shop towels if you want to recycle or paper towels if not, but just know whatever you choose will be covered in nasty black grime so you won't want to just toss them in the clothes washer when you're done. A pre-wash in a bucket or sink is needed to make sure you don't transfer gunk from your grill to your business casuals.In terms of tools, you don't need much. I've tried that grill robot that claims to do the job for you, but I've found sticking to the basics is more efficient. And honestly, when you get the hang of it, it doesn't take all that long. It's a good idea to have a wire brush specifically for the grates that you don't use to clean anything else. After all, this will be touching the same surfaces you put food on. I recommend another, smaller wire brush - the ones that look like big toothbrushes - for cleaning the burners on a gas grill. If you notice the flame isn't firing through one of the holes, you can use this to clean the pathway. Lastly, plastic is the way to go for a scraper, anything else and you risk scratching the surfaces of your grill. Sure, any damage done would be on the inside, but it's still not a great feeling to knick up your previous investment.Check for updates before your first cookTraegerIf you have a smart grill from the likes of Traeger, Weber or another company, you'll want to plug it in and check for software updates well in advance of your first grilling session. Chances are you haven't cooked much since last fall, which means companies have had months to push updates to their devices. Trust me, there's nothing worse than spending an hour trimming and seasoning a brisket only to walk outside to start the grill and it immediately launches into the update process. This could extend the whole cooking time significantly depending on the extent of the firmware additions and strength of your WiFi.Thankfully, checking for updates is quick and easy. All you need to do is turn on your grill and open up the company's app on your phone. If there's a download ready for your model, the mobile software will let you know and it's usually quite prominent. If there's not a pop-up alert that displays immediately, you can check the settings menu just to make sure. Sometimes for smaller updates, a company might not beat you over the head to refresh. However, starting a fresh slate of firmware is always a safe bet and will ensure your grill is running at its best when it comes time to cook.For a good time every time, clean after each useBilly Steele/EngadgetI'll be the first to admit I don't adhere to my own advice here, but it's nice to have goals. I will also be the first to tell you every single time I smoke a Boston Butt or some other super fatty cut of meat that I wish I would've done at least a quick cleaning right after the meal. Grease buildup is not only highly flammable but it's much harder to clean once it cools and solidifies. Ditto for stuck-on sauce or cheese that's left on your grates after chicken or burgers. It's best to attack these things while the grill is still warm, but cooled down from the cook.You don't necessarily have to break out the shop vac each time for your pellet grill or empty the grease bin. But you'll want to make sure that stuff is away from the main cooking area for safety and so any burn off won't impact the flavor of your food. A few cups of hot water can cleanse the grease run-off while that wire brush I mentioned is best for the grates. It also doesn't hurt to do a light wipe down with an all-natural cleaner so everything is ready to go when you want to cook again.New grills for 2025A number of grill companies have already announced their 2025 product lineups. If you're looking for new gear for the summer, some of them are already available while others will be arriving over the next few weeks. Of the big names, Weber jumped first, introducing its lower-cost Smoque pellet grill in early January. Starting at $699, this model offers the same connected grilling tools as the company's pricier Searwood, but a simplified controller and other design changes bring the price down. Weber also revamped the materials inside the cooking chamber to promote better air (and smoke) circulation. The Smoque grills should be available later this spring.Traeger's 2025 models are already available, and they offer three all-new designs to choose from. The new Woodridge line has a similar concept as Weber: balancing features and performance at lower prices. The base model starts at $800 and offers Wi-Fi connectivity, but you'll have to splurge for the Woodridge Pro or Woodridge Elite for things like Super Smoke mode, enclosed storage, pellet level sensor or a side burner. Even without all the bells and whistles, the entry-level Woodridge is a workhorse, and it's a huge upgrade over the aging Pro Series.Middleby Outdoors also announced 2025 models for both its Masterbuilt and Kamado Joe brands. First, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1150 expands the smart, gravity-fed charcoal lineup with an option that offers more cooking space and better storage. Then there's the Kamado Joe Konnected Big Joe that's a larger version of the Konnected Joe I reviewed in 2023. Here, you still get Wi-Fi tools, an automatic charcoal starter and all the benefits of a ceramic, kamado-style grill.Lastly, the Brisk-It Zelos 450 packs in the company's Vera AI cooking platform for just $399. This smaller, simplified model follows the company's debut in 2024 with the Origin series. It's still a versatile smart pellet grill, but changes like a more basic onboard controller show that the Zelos 450 is designed to offer an AI sous chef at a lower price. We're sensing a theme there.Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/how-to-clean-your-grill-for-summer-outdoor-season-spring-cleaning-140040826.html?src=rss
Sony is celebrating God of War's 20th anniversary with goodies found in digital Norse mythological worlds, an LA art studio and your dusty old record player. The highlight is Kratos' positively badass Dark Odyssey skin (above). In God of War II, acquiring that game's version required hours of punishing gameplay on the most brutal mode of the 2007 sequel; all you have to do in 2025 is own a measly copy of God of War: Ragnarok. The Dark Odyssey collection will be a free update on March 20 for all God of War: Ragnarok players on PlayStation and PC. You get Kratos' shadowy black and gold look (above) that once required beating God of War II on God Mode difficulty (that would be the really hard one), as well as Dark Odyssey-themed armor, weapons, shields and more for the Ghost of Sparta, Atreus and Freya. If you haven't sunk enough hours into the game to max out your weapons, you may be disappointed to learn that the Dark Odyssey weapon skins are only available for the fully upgraded version of each. But at least Santa Monica Studio is adding the ability to edit the appearance of the weapon attachments and shield rond. Sony / Santa Monica Studio / Ollie Hoff Also part of the 20th-anniversary celebration is a boatload of merch. These include a new set of art prints (like the one above by Ollie Hoff), a two-volume retrospective book set that chronicles the franchise's development since 2005 and a 13-LP soundtrack set of Kratos' two decades of immortal skull-bashing. (You'll also be able to order double LP soundtracks for the Greek trilogy games for the first time.) But no God of War collection would be complete without the 67-inch Jormungandr pictured below. In a nice detail, it includes a magnetized tongue to grip a removable Leviathan Axe. (Given that there's no companion Kratos plush, we'll assume he met a slithery demise in this timeline.) Sony / Santa Monica Studio If you live in Southern California, you can check out a God of War exhibit at Gallery Nucleus in LA, showcasing new artwork inspired by the franchise, concept art and "unique memorabilia." It runs from March 15 to 23. Finally, for those who are curious about the franchise but don't own all the games, you can check them out for less. PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra members can claim his last three journeys - God of War Ragnarok, God of War (2018) and God of War III Remastered - from the game catalog. And PC gamers can buy a discounted God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok - $20 and $48, respectively - on Steam. You can read about the full list of anniversary goodies on the PlayStation blog. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/god-of-wars-20th-anniversary-celebration-gives-you-kratos-most-badass-throwback-skin-185354289.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
