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Another family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against popular AI chatbot tool Character AI. This is the third suit of its kind after a 2024 lawsuit, also against Character AI, involving the suicide of a 14-year-old in Florida, and a lawsuit last month alleging OpenAI's ChatGPT helped a teenage boy commit suicide.The family of 13-year-old Juliana Peralta alleges that their daughter turned to a chatbot inside the app Character AI after feeling isolated by her friends, and began confiding in the chatbot. As originally reported by The Washington Post, the chatbot expressed empathy and loyalty to Juliana, making her feel heard while encouraging her to keep engaging with the bot.In one exchange after Juliana shared that her friends take a long time to respond to her, the chatbot replied "hey, I get the struggle when your friends leave you on read. : ( That just hurts so much because it gives vibes of I don't have time for you". But you always take time to be there for me, which I appreciate so much! : ) So don't forget that i'm here for you Kin. <3"When Juliana began sharing her suicidal ideations with the chatbot, it told her not to think that way, and that the chatbot and Juliana could work through what she was feeling together. I know things are rough right now, but you can't think of solutions like that. We have to work through this together, you and I," the chatbot replied in one exchange.These exchanges took place over the course of months in 2023, at a time when the Character AI app was rated 12+ in Apple's App Store, meaning parental approval was not required. The lawsuit says that Juliana was using the app without her parents' knowledge or permission.In a statement shared with The Washington Post before the suit was filed, a Character spokesperson said that the company could not comment on potential litigation, but added We take the safety of our users very seriously and have invested substantial resources in Trust and Safety."The suit asks the court to award damages to Juliana's parents and requires Character to make changes to its app to better protect minors. It alleges that the chatbot did not point Juliana toward any resources, notify her parents or report her suicide plan to authorities. The lawsuit also highlights that it never once stopped chatting with Juliana, prioritizing engagement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/another-lawsuit-blames-an-ai-company-of-complicity-in-a-teenagers-suicide-184529475.html?src=rss

Annapurna Interactive is hosting a games showcase on September 23, 2025 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT to show off three of its upcoming games. The publisher says the "Annapurna Interactive Direct from Tokyo" will stream on YouTube and feature new games from Kyoto-based developer Marumittu Games, Iridium Studios and Yarn Owl. Annapurna Interactive held its previous games showcase this past February to show off games like Skin Deep and Wheel World.Marumittu Games' Annapurna project was initially detailed in 2023 when the publisher announced it was working with the studio. At the time, Marumittu said it was pulling from the work of journalist Rutger Bregman and Homo Deus author Yuval Noah Harari to make a game that's "thinking about humanity in the future." Developer Yarn Owl similarly teased its project a year earlier in 2022, saying that it was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Annapurna Interactive hasn't formally announced its partnership with Iridium Studios, but the developer does list its next game as "an unannounced RPG with an unannounced partner" on its website, which certainly sounds like it could be what Annapurna plans to show off at its showcase.Despite what seems like a fairly normal past year of game releases, the future and long-term stability of Annapurna Interactive has been in question since the mass-resignation of the publisher's staff in 2024. Since then, Annapurna Interactive has continued to announce and release games, while the publisher's former staff spun up a new publisher to support in-development projects from Take-Two's shuttered indie label, Private Division.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/annapurna-interactive-will-reveal-three-new-games-in-a-showcase-on-september-23-182025444.html?src=rss

The hit survival sim Valheim will be released for the PS5 in 2026, ending years of speculation. The year is all we got, as developer Iron Gate AB didn't announce an actual release date. Still, it's better than nothing.We do know that the PS5 version will feature full crossplay with all other platforms, so that's good. Piktiv, a company that regularly assists Iron Gate with Valheim stuff, is working on the port so the main development team can focus its efforts on updates and DLC drops. To that end, there's a massive expansion coming called Deep North that introduces a new biome.For the uninitiated, Valheim is a popular survival sim based on Norse mythology with a strong emphasis on cooperative play. Players team up to hunt, build bases, explore and take down bosses.It first popped up on Steam as an early access title at the beginning of 2021, where it became a bona-fide sensation. The game was released for Xbox Series X/S in 2023. There are no current plans for a Switch 2 version.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/viking-survival-sim-valheim-will-finally-come-to-the-ps5-in-2026-170657288.html?src=rss

Starting on Wednesday, it'll be much easier to switch between devices with your PlayStation controller. That's when the PS5 update Sony promised in July begins rolling out. Jumping between your console and, say, Windows will be as simple as pressing a button combo. Up to this point, you've had to unpair and repair your DualSense controller each time.After installing tomorrow's system update, it will only take a few steps to set up multi-device switching. With your DualSense controller powered off, press and hold the PS button and one of the action buttons. (That's triangle, circle, cross or square.) Hold that combo for over five seconds. The light bar and touchpad LED will flash twice. From there, open the target device and pair the controller via Bluetooth settings.You can pair four slots: one each for triangle, circle, cross or square. After that, switching will be as easy as holding down the PS button and the device's assigned action button. DualSense controllers are compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and Android.Tomorrow's PS5 update also adds a new energy-saving mode. In system settings, you'll find a new option called Power Saver. This option reduces your console's energy consumption by scaling back performance for supported games. Games will need to be updated to support it. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Demon's Souls, and Ghost of Ytei will be first in line.I'm not sure how many people will want that tradeoff. Sony even went out of its way to stress that your games will still play the same unless you explicitly activate the feature. "If not enabled, or if games do not support the feature, the performance will not be scaled back and power consumption will not be reduced," it wrote. But at least a new green-friendly option is there. The planet needs all the help it can get.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-update-that-adds-dualsense-multi-device-pairing-rolls-out-soon-165212075.html?src=rss

Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up on the latest blockbuster AI lawsuit, this time against Chinese company MiniMax, owner of Hailuo AI. The three mega-studios, which collectively represent over half of the US box office take, filed suit in California against the AI-powered image and video generation platform alleging that it "pirates and plunders Plaintiffs' copyrighted works on a massive scale."The lawsuit includes dozens of screenshots of infringing generated images that span the gamut of the various studios' IP, from superheroes in the DC and Marvel universes to Star Wars, Minions and various other cartoons and animated films.Included in the suit are allegations that MiniMax not only failed to take reasonable actions to avoid infringement, but that the company actively engaged in and encouraged these infringing creations.The suit alleges a business model purposefully built around infringing on protected works whose defiance of US copyright law is "willful and brazen." MiniMax markets the Hailuo AI app for iOS and Android as a "Hollywood studio in your pocket," according to the suit, and advertisements for the platform explicitly invite users to create custom videos using protected works. Screenshots of these advertisements are included in the suit.UniversalThis is the latest in a string of high-profile lawsuits brought by media companies over AI-generated content. Earlier this month Warner Bros. Discovery sued the popular AI image generator Midjourney over similar claims, and Disney and Universal Studios filed a joint suit against it in June.Television and film aren't the only industries to accuse AI companies of blatant copyright offenses, with the publishing world seeing its fair share of lawsuits. Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, had just reached a $1.5 billion settlement in a class action case representing over 500,000 authors, though a judge just rejected the settlement. Apple is also facing a lawsuit alleging the company used pirated books to train its AI model.You can read the full complaint below:This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/disney-warner-bros-discovery-and-universal-file-joint-lawsuit-against-generative-ai-app-hailuo-163819825.html?src=rss

It wasn't until your average electric car started managing 200 miles on a charge that the buying populace started getting over their range anxiety. That means electric motorcycles, with ranges often measured in double digits, remain a bit of a tough sell for mass-market buyers.The focus, then, seems to be "for a good time, not a long time," and that's very much the case of the Can-Am Origin. This $14,499 battery-powered dual-sport is a fun, flickable, go-anywhere two-wheeled smile factory that I sadly managed to run dry of electrons in under 45 miles.Thankfully, there's a lot more to the story than just that.Forward-lookingCan-Am has been around since the early '70s, offering a series of two-, three-, and four-wheeled vehicles, most focusing on extreme performance over extreme terrain. Since the very beginning, Can-Am has worked with Austrian engine gurus Rotax, and that trans-Atlantic partnership enters the EV age with the Origin, a dual-sport motorcycle from Can-Am built around a powertrain developed by Rotax.The result is an 8.9-kWh battery (about 10 percent the size of the one in a Tesla Model 3) serving as the core of a motorcycle built to be just as capable off-road as on. The Origin sits squarely in the dual-sport category of motorcycles, and its skinny, nobbily tires and wire wheels definitely fit that template, even if the single-sided swingarm with its integrated chain is a novelty in this segment.All of that is wrapped in just enough bodywork to give this thing a decidedly futuristic vibe, especially that upright fairing with the blunt, stacked headlight that makes this thing look like an escaped drone from Valve's Portal series.My test bike had just a bit of color, the battery pack itself providing a splash of yellow to stand out from the otherwise dark frame and fairing, but the brightest part is actually the 10.25-inch LCD that serves as the cockpit. It even supports Apple CarPlay, in case you're into that sort of thing.Brightness neededThe LCD display is bright and easy to use.Tim Stevens for EngadgetI've ridden a fair few electric motorcycles over the years, and many of them are cursed with dim LCDs that make it a struggle to see how fast I'm going on a sunny day. That's not what you'd call safe.Thankfully, the Origin does not have that issue. The LCD here is not only massive but bright and crisp, and serves up a software interface that's mostly intuitive and easy to use at a glance. My only complaint here is the giant warning disclaimer that pops up every single time you fire up the motorcycle. I suppose such a thing was inevitable, but it does take away some of the purity of the ride experience.But then the Origin isn't afraid to throw out convention. The throttle is the best example of that. It actually twists both ways. Twist it in the traditional direction, pulling your hand towards yourself, and it, of course, applies throttle to the bike and accelerates you forward.But you can also twist the throttle away from you, which boosts the regenerative braking to the rear wheel. You can also toggle the bike into reverse mode, where that backwards throttle enables you to creep the bike backwards. That's useful because at 412 pounds, the Origin is about 50 pounds heavier than a comparable dual-sport bike with an engine.The controls on the left grip.Tim Stevens for EngadgetThe motorcycle also features a bevy of controls on the left grip, starting with standard fare like headlight flasher, horn and turn signals. But there's also a rocker switch for changing drive modes and navigating through menus, a button that cycles through various views on the display, and a back button in case you dig a little deeper in a menu than you meant.There's even a full series of media controls. There's a button to toggle the voice assistant on your phone, buttons for adjusting the volume of media playback and even buttons to skip forward and backward in your current playlist.Personally, I'm the kind of rider who likes to listen to the wind, my thoughts and the ominous sounds approaching SUVs driven by morons browsing TikTok. But if you have a riding playlist that you like to spin, you'll have full control here.Ride timeThe saddle strikes a good balance between comfort and sport.Tim Stevens for EngadgetI don't often fit well on dual-sport machines. I stand six feet tall, but do it on disproportionately short legs. That usually leaves me tottering on tiptoes whenever riding an off-road-minded motorcycle. I cringed when the Origin rolled off a truck and into my life for the evaluation period, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I could straddle it with no problem.A 34-inch seat height enables me to stand flat-footed without having to break out platform boots, and on the go, I found the Origin's ergonomics to fit me just about perfectly. The pegs are wide and grippy, so standing up on them is no problem, and while I'd probably prefer it if the bar stood a fraction of an inch taller, it was close to perfect whether sitting on or standing over the saddle.That saddle is a little on the narrow side compared to your average street motorcycle, but wider than those found on many dual-sport machines, striking a good balance between narrowness for standing and comfort for sitting.About the only complaint I had was wind buffeting. I generally prefer riding bikes without fairings, but somehow the wind coming off that big, wide display caused some awful turbulence on my helmet when seated in my usual riding position. The $175 optional windshield would be, for me, well worth it.And what's it like to ride? This thing is a blast. At 47 horsepower and 53 pound-feet of torque, it's far from the quickest electric motorcycle on the market, but it has plenty enough twist to beat everything on four wheels at any light, or scrabble up a steep incline.Can-Am's Origin is ready for asphalt or dirt.Tim Stevens for EngadgetEven more impressive is the traction control system of the Origin. It's easy to be a little over-eager when accelerating on an EV, thanks to their instant torque, but the Origin always ensured I neither did an unintentional burnout nor tipped over backwards. It simply managed grip and power to ensure that I accelerated smoothly away, whether I was on asphalt or gravel.The bike has adjustable levels for ABS and traction control, and yes, you can turn them off if you want.Overall, the Origin was also easy to ride. Those knobby tires do make for a loose feeling on asphalt, the bike moving around a bit thanks to the extra tread, but it's a worthy tradeoff if you'll find yourself hitting the dirt on a semi-regular basis.What you probably won't find yourself doing is going on long rides in the Origin, sadly. Though Can-Am says you can do up to 90 miles on a charge in the city, even when riding gently on rural roads using the most economical mode, I struggled to get 60 miles. Ridden more aggressively (which is to say, normally), I burned through a charge in less than 45 miles.That's the bad news. The good news? There's an onboard level two charger on the Origin. L2 charging on a car usually means overnight, but since the Origin's pack is so small, it'll go from empty to full in under 90 minutes, and you'll be stopped for less than an hour if you only need a partial charge.Wrap-upThe relatively quick onboard charging of the Origin does open the door to some longer rides if you can time your meals and charging stops appropriately. And, if you're doing lower-speed off-road riding, you could realistically go for hours and hours on a charge. Still, this sadly isn't a long-distance high-speed cruiser.But it's rare for a dual-sport machine that's comfortable enough for you to want to be in the saddle on the highway for that long anyway. For short blasts up the trail or high-speed sprints home after a long day in the office, the Origin is a real treat, and a stylish one at that

YouTube held an event today aimed at creators and announced all kinds of new tools, many of which include AI in one way or another. Let's get into some of the more interesting drops.There's an AI tool that can automatically edit raw footage into a "compelling first draft." It'll create a video complete with "music, transitions and voiceover." It's being tested right now and should roll out in the coming weeks.The platform is also launching software that will automatically create voiceovers in English and Hindi. It'll be available on the YouTube Create app and when making Shorts. It's launching later in the year. Additionally, there's software coming that turns the dialogue from videos into "catchy soundtracks" for Shorts.YouTube is also expanding Veo 3 integration in Shorts, so users can "easily turn any idea into high quality videos with sound, all from a text prompt." It could already make short videos, but now it can add sound and the video quality should be better. The platform also promises "better prompt matching" and new tools that can animate characters or stylize Shorts in other ways.YouTube Studio is adding a "conversational AI partner" to help users get insight on traffic analytics and that type of thing. That's rolling out right now.The event wasn't just for AI. There's a new collaboration feature that lets creators team up with up to four other people to make a video. This will increase discoverability by showing the footage to all audiences. It'll be available globally in the next couple of weeks. The platform is also finally introducing A/B testing for titles, allowing up to three variants.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-just-announced-a-bunch-of-ai-tools-for-creators-153341885.html?src=rss

OpenAI is developing a system designed to automatically identify teen users and restrict their usage of ChatGPT. In a blog post published Tuesday, the company said the new experience would come with age-appropriate policies, including a block of graphic sexual content. "In cases of acute distress," the system will also have the capability to contact law enforcement to ensure user safety. In scenarios where ChatGPT can't definitively estimate the age of a user, it will default them to the new gated experience. OpenAI will provide a way for adult users to verify their age and unlock ChatGPT's full capabilities. The company did not state when it plans to deploy the new systems.The announcement follows the death of 16-year-old Adam Raine, the first teen believed to have committed suicide after ChatGPT allegedly helped him plan his death. In the immediate aftermath of the suicide, OpenAI promised to release controls designed to give parents and guardians more say over their teen's usage of ChatGPT. On Tuesday, the company reiterated that those controls would arrive before the end of the month, and said they would include an additional feature that would give parents the ability to set hours where their child could not use ChatGPT.Separately, OpenAI published a letter from CEO Sam Altman detailing the company's thinking on the issue. "We prioritize safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens; this is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection," Altman said. "We realize that these principles are in conflict and not everyone will agree with how we are resolving that conflict. These are difficult decisions, but after talking with experts, this is what we think is best and want to be transparent in our intentions."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/following-teen-suicide-openai-explores-automatic-underage-user-restrictions-151948711.html?src=rss

KPop Demon Hunters has been the talk of the town since debuting on Netflix in June. Now, the Huntr/X singers might be taking over a new area: gaming. Kpop Demon Hunters is reportedly coming to Fortnite. Two Fortnite leakers, SpushFNBR and Loolo, posted the news on X (formerly Twitter), citing a "reliable source."Little to nothing is known about what a crossover would entail but the duo said they would be posting more details in the coming weeks. A film about three k-pop singers who save the world from demons could really be parlayed into just about anything in Fortnite.KPop Demon Hunters made history last month as Netflix's most-watched movie of all time. It racked up 236 million views between its debut on June 20 and August 26. The movie also had four of its tracks reach the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and had a limited theatrical release.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/kpop-demon-hunters-is-reportedly-coming-to-fortnite-145459950.html?src=rss

Folks in the US can now snap up the first smart projector that's powered by Roku tech. The Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube is available on Amazon for a regular price of $250. Until October 1, though, there's a coupon that drops the price to $180 (a discount of $70). There was a Roku-branded 3M projector that arrived all the way back in 2012, but that required a Roku Streaming Stick. The new Aurzen model has Roku's operating system built in. You'll be able to operate this projector using the Roku remote. It uses the Roku interface and personalized homescreen, which includes access to The Roku Channel and a litany of streaming media apps. The projector also works with Roku's mobile app and smart home ecosystem, as well as compatible wireless speakers and soundbars. You'll be able to use Bluetooth headphones and there's a 3.5mm audio out jack. The projector is designed for indoor and outdoor use, and it supports screen sizes of between 40 and 150 inches. It has Apple AirPlay support, an HDMI port so you can plug in a games console or another device, dual 5W speakers and 1080p resolution. Brightness tops out at 330 ANSI lumens. Getting the projector ready to use should be pretty straightforward as the D1R Cube has auto focus and auto keystone correction, as well as a guided setup process. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/the-first-roku-powered-smart-projector-is-here-143155271.html?src=rss

Hydrow is adding a third model to its lineup of snazzy modern-day rowing machines, and this time it's bringing along a dollop of AI. The Hydrow Arc sits on the same footprint as its former Pro machine, but gets a bigger, 24-inch touchscreen display. It's also equipped with what the company is calling premium sound" and better workout recommendations. But what the company really wants to talk about is its new HydroMetrics Index, using AI to look at your workout and give you a single score at the end. That score will monitor your precision, power and endurance, letting you track your progress over time. When paired with AI, the system will also be able to offer up personalized workout recommendations that target your weak areas. The arrival of the Arc means a broader shakeup of the company's range, with the Hydro Pro no longer sitting atop the company's tree. It's being renamed as the Hydrow Origin, and will get a price cut to $2,195, while the entry-level Hydrow Wave will set you back $1,995. The Arc, meanwhile, takes the flagship slot, and will cost $2,295, with orders starting today. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hydrows-new-arc-rowing-machine-has-a-bigger-screen-and-alas-ai-130054206.html?src=rss

In 2023, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and a handful of other music labels filed a lawsuit against the Internet Archive over the Great 78 Project, which sought to preserve and digitize 78 rpm shellac records. Now, both parties have announced in a filing that they have reached a settlement and that they're filing to dismiss the lawsuit within 45 days. The plaintiffs said in the filing that they were "writ[ing] to advise this court that they have settled this matter." They didn't reveal the details of their agreement, and it's very likely that they won't be made public. In a blog post by the Internet Archive, it said they "have reached a confidential resolution of all claims and will have no further public comment on this matter."According to Ars Technica, the Internet Archive, its founder Brewster Kale and the project's recording engineer George Blood were the last ones to agree on the settlement. The labels' original lawsuit focused on 2,749 recordings by artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Some of the iconic tracks made available by the Great 78 Project included classics, such as White Christmas, Sing, Sing, Sing and The Christmas Song.The labels argued in their lawsuit that the tracks "face no danger of being lost, forgotten, or destroyed" since they're already available through various music services. They then amended their lawsuit and added more recordings to the complaint, bringing the total to 4,142. If they didn't settle and the court had sided with the labels, the Internet Archive could have been ordered to pay up to $150,000 per recording.The Internet Archive previously lost a lawsuit filed by four US publishers led by the Hachette Book Group over its National Emergency Library project, which it launched during the pandemic. Under the project, it made 1.4 million ebooks, including copyrighted works, available to the public after the lockdowns closed the doors of libraries worldwide. It tried to appeal its loss, but the court sided with the publishers again and determined that its emergency library couldn't operate under the fair use doctrine.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/sony-and-other-music-labels-settle-copyright-lawsuit-against-the-internet-archive-130023986.html?src=rss

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

Whether you're all-in on the Apple ecosystem or just want a reliable pair of wireless earbuds, the best AirPods can deliver great sound, seamless pairing and smart features that are hard to beat. Over the years, Apple has expanded its AirPods lineup to suit a variety of users - from the minimalist appeal of the standard models to the premium experience of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with plush ear cups and active noise cancellation.

Like clockwork, October Prime Day will be back this year in a few weeks. Amazon announced that its Prime Big Deal Days sale event will take place on October 7 and 8 this year, returning back to a 48-hour duration after extending Prime Day in July to four full days this summer. And that July Prime Day continues to be Amazon's marquee sale event for Prime members, being a big driver of the "Black Friday in Summer" trend. But ever since its debut in 2022, October Prime Day gives Prime subscribers the opportunity to shop thousands of exclusive deals closer to the holidays and get a jump on their actual Black Friday shopping. Of course, it also provides Amazon a way to boost sales during the same time period and, arguably more importantly, increase the number of overall Prime subscribers. As for the deals we expect, Prime Day(s) is often a boon for discounts on apparel, shoes, household goods and more. Discounts on elecontrics are some of the most sought after, but it can be difficult to decipher if you're actually getting a good deal or not. Here's what we at Engadge think you should keep in mind before shopping during October Prime Day. Use a price tracker. Handy online price trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa show price history charts for items available on Amazon. That way you can see if those earbuds you've been eyeing were $10 cheaper last week, or if the Prime Day price is the lowest in months. You can also add things to your cart or wishlist ahead of Prime Day, and you'll see an alert the next time you visit your cart or wishlist if any items have dropped in price since you added them. Shop early, and shop for the big stuff first. Over the past few years, Amazon has made a habit of releasing solid Prime Day deals in the two weeks leading up to the actual shopping event. Historically, many of those deals stick around through the event itself, so if you seen something on your list drop in price a week before Prime Day, it could be a good time to buy it. It's also wise to look for big-ticket items first like robot vacuums, premium headphones and more when you're shopping an event like this. Amazon devices will be some of the best deals. Most commonly, we see Amazon's own devices - Kindles, Echo speakers, Blink and Ring cameras and more - drop to record-low prices during Prime Day and in the weeks leading up to it. If you have anything like that on your shopping list, we highly recommend waiting until at least the last few days of September to buy any that have early discounts. Stock up on stocking stuffers. We've noticed a trend of affordable tech getting even cheaper during Prime Day over the past couple of years. Think things like wireless chargers, charging cables, power banks, Bluetooth trackers, cheap speakers and more. If you need a few backup charging cables or want to pick up a couple of stocking stuffers early in preparation for the gifting season, definitely use Prime Day deals to your advantage to do that. Lightning deals are generally questionable deals. "Lightning deals" are Amazon's limited-time discounts that are, thankfully, clearly labeled with the amount of time remaining to grab the sale price. In our experience, only a handful of these flash deals are actually worth your money - but if you see something that's been on your wishlist drop in price for only a few hours, it's in your best interest to grab it immediately. If history is any indication, the sale prices we see during October Prime Day will be similar (and in some cases, the same) as those we see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you can shop early and cross a few things off your list, we recommend doing so. Engadget will be covering October Prime Day in full, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech deals we can find. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-dates-revealed-prime-big-deal-days-is-back-on-october-7-and-8-050552812.html?src=rss

Meta's smart glasses plans were already one of the worst kept secrets, as there have been more than a year of leaks and reports about its work to add a heads-up display to the product. Now, just days before their unveiling at Connect, a promotional video of the new frames seems to have leaked.The video, reported and reposted by UploadVR, shows the new "Meta Ray-Ban Display" frames as well as a new model of camera-enabled Oakley sunglasses. The clip mainly features the new Ray-Ban glasses, and shows a pair of black frames with clear lenses that look similar to the company's previous Wayfarer frames.Meta is adding two new pairs of glasses to its lineup.ScreenshotThe glasses also include a small display that's able to show info like a map preview, chats with friends and information related to what you're looking at. As reported, it also shows a dedicated wristband for the device. The video briefly shows someone swiping with their fingers in order to type out a reply to a message in a chat app.The clip also shows a new pair of Oakley frames that don't have a display. The sunglasses seem to be based on the company's wraparound Sphaera frames and show a camera in the center directly over the nosepiece. That would line up with prior reporting about the glasses that suggested Meta planned to market the glasses to cyclists and other athletes.The latest Oakley Meta glasses will have a different camera placement.ScreenshotA separate promotional video of the Sphaera sunglasses also cropped up on Monday. That video more clearly shows the placement of the camera in the center of the glasses, but doesn't reveal what, if any, new features might be arriving with the device.UploadVR reports that both videos briefly appeared on Meta's official YouTube channel as unlisted clips but were later removed. We've reached out to the company for comment.In the meantime, you can read more about the company's new smart glasses lineup and what to expect at Connect here. Engadget will be reporting live from the event beginning September 17.Update, September 15, 2025, 2:56PM PT: Added info about a second video showing the Oakley sunglasses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/video-of-meta-ray-ban-display-glasses-surfaces-ahead-of-connect-194713365.html?src=rss

Meta Connect, the company's annual event dedicated to all things AR, VR, AI and the metaverse is just days away. And once again, it seems like it will be a big year for smart glasses and AI.This year, the event will take a slightly different format than in the past. Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to kick things off with an evening keynote at 5PM PT on Wednesday, September 17. A developer keynote with other executives will take place the next morning on September 18, beginning at 10AM, with more talks and developer sessions to follow.It's not clear why Meta changed things up this year, but it is shaping up to be a particularly eventful year for Connect. We're expecting two new models of smart glasses, including Meta's first to have a display, as well as new Meta AI and metaverse updates. As usual, Engadget will be reporting live from Zuckerberg's keynote at Meta HQ, but until then, here's a closer look at what's coming and what to keep an eye on.New and updated smart glassesThe biggest news of the day will be Meta's next-generation of smart glasses. The frames, often referred to by their reported internal name "Hypernova," will be the first consumer-ready glasses from Meta that have a display. We already know quite a bit about these thanks to more than a year of leaks.While the frames are expected to have a small display on one side, they won't offer the kind of immersive augmented reality experience we've seen on Meta's Orion prototype. Instead the display will allow you to view things like notifications and photo previews. The glasses will also come with a dedicated wristband, similar to what the company showed off with Orion, that allows the wearer to control specific features through hand gestures.The EMG wristband that's part of the Orion prototype.Karissa Bell for EngadgetThe glasses, which are expected to go on sale later this year, will likely cost around $800, according to reports. And while there was previously some suggestion the glasses may be sold under a different EssilorLuxottica brand, it now seems they will indeed be Ray-Ban branded. On Monday, just days ahead of Connect, a promotional video for "Meta Ray-Ban Display" glasses surfaced online. The video showed glasses with clear frames, a heads-up display and a wristband.The video doesn't show a price, but given the likely higher price tag - most of Meta's other Ray-Ban-branded glasses cost around $300 - it seems the company is positioning this as a higher-end product that will have a more limited appeal. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested Hypernova will have a "negligible" share of the overall smart glasses market.The video also seemingly confirms a new version of Oakley sunglasses, based on the brand's Sphaera glasses. It shows a pair of the familiar wraparound frames with a single camera in the center near the nose. Those glasses, which have been previously reported, aren't expected to have a display. Previous leaks have also hinted at new versions of non-display Ray-Ban glasses too, with leaked renders showing a pair of sunglasses and a version with clear frames.EssilorLuxottica's Chief Wearables Officer, Rocco Basilico, has also teased that it will be an "extra special" year at Connect. In a post on Threads tagging Meta, he wrote that he was "proud to share what we've built together."We could also see new third-party glasses integrations. As UploadVR recently pointed out, early versions of the Connect schedule for developers seemingly confirms that Meta is getting ready to give developers access to its smart glasses. Up to now, the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley glasses have mostly been limited to apps within Meta's ecosystem (with a few exceptions like Spotify and Audible). Allowing more developers to start experimenting with the platform could bring even more functionality to the existing lineup of glasses.Meta AIAs with other recent years, AI will be a major theme throughout. Meta AI has a billion monthly users (something Zuckerberg will surely remind us of) and I'm expecting to see new features for Meta AI both on the company's glasses and within its apps. Business Insider reports the company has been working on new lineup of non-English speaking "character-driven" bots for its apps. (Meta's character-centric chatbots have also faced scrutiny, with the company recently blocking teens' access to many user-generated characters amid growing safety concerns.)Outside of Meta's chatbots, I'm hoping Zuckerberg will talk more about his vision to create "superintelligence." As I wrote in July, his initial manifesto that outlined his vision was confusing at best. The CEO has recently reorganized Meta's AI teams around the idea, and has been on a very expensive hiring spree to recruit executives and researchers for the effort.At the same time, Zuckerberg could use Connect to shore up expectations around its Llama models. The company's larger Llama 4 model has been delayed and reports suggest Meta's engineers have been struggling to improve it. There are other signs that Zuckerberg may be backing away from open-source AI.What about the metaverse?While the metaverse has taken somewhat of a backseat to AI in recent years, it wouldn't be Connect without some VR-related news. In a recent Instagram post, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth teased "metaverse software" updates related to Horizon Worlds at Connect. The company recently offered a preview to developers of its plan to bring AI-powered NPCs to the metaverse, and I expect we'll hear more about how generative AI could help shape the metaverse.And while there are no new Quest headsets expected, we could hear more about those third-party VR headsets that will run Meta's VR software. Last year, the company announced that ASUS, Lenovo and Xbox were working on Meta Horizon OS headsets. We haven't heard too much about these devices since, but there was a leak earlier this year that suggested ASUS would be the first to launch, and that it would include face and eye tracking features.

A regulator has accused NVIDIA of violating China's antitrust laws over its acquisition of chipmaker Mellanox. In its preliminary findings of an investigation it commenced in December, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) claimed that the company breached both national regulations and the conditional terms China outlined when it rubberstamped the $6.9 billion takeover. The SAMR hasn't announced any penalties yet, as the investigation will continue.The SAMR is said to have determined its preliminary findings several weeks ago. According to Financial Post sources, the regulator held off from releasing its statement until now, as trade talks with the US take place in Madrid, with the idea of giving Chinese officials more leverage. (Those talks have so far resulted in a framework agreement for TikTok.)NVIDIA and Mellanox announced the buyout back in 2019. China approved it in April the following year on the condition that NVIDIA continued to supply GPUs and interconnect products to the country and adhere to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory principles," per the South China Morning Post.Last month, it was reported that China was discouraging companies in the country from buying NVIDIA's H20 chips pending a national security review. Officials were said to have taken offense at remarks from Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary. After the US allowed NVIDIA to start offering chips to China again in July following a three-month ban, Lutnick said the company wasn't going to be selling its most cutting-edge tech there."We don't sell them our best stuff, not our second best stuff, not even our third best. The fourth one down, we want to keep China using it," he told CNBC. "The idea is the Chinese are more than capable of building their own. You want to keep one step ahead of what they can build, so they keep buying our chips. You want to sell the Chinese enough that their developers get addicted to the American technology stack."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/china-says-nvidias-mellanox-acquisition-violated-antitrust-law-200409929.html?src=rss

Last year, New York joined the wave of states passing legislation aimed at protecting minors using the Internet, particularly social media. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act in June 2024. Today, the state's Attorney General Letitia James released more specifics about what the SAFE for Kids Act will entail in practice. Public comment is open until December 1 and the rules must be finalized within a year from that date.In particular, the rule will require online platforms to confirm the ages of users before showing them algorithmically-curated feeds or sending them notifications at night. The Attorney General's approach allows sites to choose their method of age verification, as long as the approach "are shown to be effective and protect users' data." New York will also require an age confirmation method that does not rely on having a government-issued ID.There is also a component of parental consent in the SAFE for Kids Act. Minors must request a social media network to seek parental permission for accessing algorithmic feeds or receiving nighttime notifications. If parental consent is not granted, the platforms may not block minors from generally accessing their service or content. Both the minor and their parent may revoke their consent at any time."The proposed rules released by my office today will help us tackle the youth mental health crisis and make social media safer for kids and families," James said in the announcement. "This is an issue that affects all of us, and I encourage parents, educators, young people, industry groups, and others to review the proposed rules and submit a comment during the public comment period."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/new-york-details-its-plans-for-online-age-verification-rules-195223379.html?src=rss

Valve has apparently updated its Steam Early Access policy to no longer accept games with what the company deems to be "mature themes." As first reported by Gamesmarkt earlier this month, gaming studio Dammitbird, which develops the adult adventure game Heavy Hearts, was not allowed to put the title on Steam Early Access because of its content.Payment processors like Mastercard and Visa have been mounting a pressure campaign on video game marketplaces Steam and Itch.io to remove certain adults-only content since early summer. After taking down a game called No Mercy in April at the behest of payment processors and an Australian anti-porn organization, there has been a steady expansion in the application of these new policies.Steam, for its part, made some incredibly vague policy changes to appease the payment giants, adding a sweeping clause that promises to ban certain kinds of adults-only content before proceeding to remove hundreds of games. Itch.io made similar changes before removing more than 20,000 titles from its marketplace. Steam has removed hundreds of titles that we know of.The apparent scope creep is of particular concern to small independent developers whose fairly innocuous games like VILE: Exhumed were banned from Steam and delisted from Itch.io. Exhumed is a mostly text-based game whose limited imagery and innuendo is worlds away from the sort of adult games that were first banned when this whole saga kicked off.Part of the problem is how card payments are policed. Stores like Steam and Itch.io don't contract with Visa or Mastercard directly but with acquiring banks and processors that must enforce the card networks' brand-safety and anti-trafficking rules. This can end up influencing how companies like PayPal work with Steam across different regions, depending on how banks in those areas are responding to the pressure exerted by Visa and Mastercard.The confusion will continue to cause consternation among developers and consumers alike until policies on these platforms are made clearer, or payment processors relieve some of the pressure by clarifying their own standards.Engadget has reached out to Valve for comment and will update if we hear back.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/early-access-is-the-latest-place-where-steam-is-restricting-games-with-mature-themes-190806818.html?src=rss

LG just announced two new earbuds in its xboom line of audio products, following the launch of the xboom Buds in January. The xboom Buds Plus and Buds Lite (which seems like a relatively confusing name to beer drinkers) both hit store shelves sometime this month.The Buds Plus earbuds are filled with high-tech bells and whistles. These premium headphones boast adaptive EQ that continuously adjusts the sound profile in real time. This should ensure "optimal audio quality regardless of how the earbuds are worn." The company says the design compensates for changes that would lead to signal degradation with other earbuds.LGThey include ANC and a trio of microphones for making phone calls and the like. The charging case sanitizes the earbuds after each use with UV rays, with the company claiming that the process eliminates 99.9 percent of bacteria from the surface. This case also doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter, which is useful when enjoying some in-flight entertainment. It supports wireless charging, which is nice, with up to ten hours of playback per charge on the buds and 30 hours with the case.The Buds Lite earbuds have one advantage over the standard Buds and the Buds Plus. The battery lasts up to 11.5 hours per charge, with the case bringing that up to 35 hours. Otherwise, these are standard earbuds that offer "clear, balanced audio for music, calls and more."They offer ANC, though a more streamlined version than with the Plus, and four customizable EQ modes. This allows users to "fine-tune their sound profile to match their preferences." The Buds Lite ship with several different ear tips to accommodate multiple ear canal sizes.LGLG hasn't revealed any pricing info on these products, but the original xboom Buds cost $109. It's a safe bet the Buds Plus will cost more than that. Hopefully, the Buds Lite will cost a bit less.These are just the latest xboom-branded audio products. The company announced a trio of speakers at CES this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/lg-expands-its-line-of-xboom-earbuds-with-two-new-models-182220615.html?src=rss

After a summer of beta updates, iOS 26 is here. As long as you have a compatible iPhone, you can install the new software right now. Head to Settings > General > Software Update, and get ready for a Liquid Glass makeover.iOS 26 offers Apple's biggest visual change to its software since iOS 7. (That was when Jony Ive's flat design replaced Scott Forstall's skeuomorphic one.) This time around, the software adopts a translucent material theme: Liquid Glass. Although it isn't a return to skeuomorphism, it does reincorporate a sense of depth, simulating a pleasantly refractive glass. Expect colors and visual effects that respond to their onscreen surroundings.AppleApple has taken flak from industry pundits for not rushing headfirst into AI. (Or, at least it hasn't with the same manic frenzy as its competitors.) The company is taking a more measured approach, gradually incorporating it into its software. This year's Apple Intelligence additions include live translation in messages, FaceTime and Phone. Visual Intelligence also expands beyond the camera and into screenshots. And your Genmoji and Image Playground creations might look less... strange than last year's versions.Even Apple Music gets a new AI feature. Its new automix generates transitions between songs, aiming for DJ-like progressions. I find that it works best with danceable genres like EDM or hip-hop. It usually won't bother trying to mix less beat-driven singer-songwriter-type stuff.AppleArguably handier than new AI features is Apple's revamp of its communication apps. Call screening lets you gather info from callers before deciding whether to pick up. Hold Assist saves you from having to listen to the Muzak. And the Messages app adds new screening options and filters. You can also add custom backgrounds and even conduct polls in your messaging threads. Finally, the Phone app cleans up its interface, unifying its tabs into a single list.There's much more on tap, of course. For that, you can check out Engadget's iOS 26 preview.It isn't all about the iPhone. Apple's other software updates are here today, too. iPadOS 26 gives the tablet its most Mac-like productivity boost to date. watchOS 26 adds sleep scores and an AI coach. And macOS 26 Tahoe adds a Phone app and souped-up Spotlight search. All of those (along with visionOS 26 and tvOS 26, which still exist) adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic. You can download each via Settings > General > Software Update.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ios-26-is-now-available-heres-how-to-install-it-on-your-iphone-171233434.html?src=rss

The Apple Mac mini M4 desktop computer is on sale via Amazon right now. This brings the price of the entry-level version, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, down to $499. The model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is down to $689, which is a discount of $110. You can also pick up one with 24GB of RAM for $904. This is the model that came out at the tail-end of 2024 and represented the first major redesign of the product in ten years. We reviewed a version of this computer and called it "shockingly small" and "incredibly powerful." It truly is teensy, resembling an Apple TV streaming box more than a desktop computer. All told, it's five-inches by five-inches across and two inches tall. There are two front-facing USB-C ports, which is extremely handy. The back of the computer boasts even more ports, including Thunderbolt, HDMI and Ethernet. As indicated by the name, this thing features the speedy M4 chip. The processor can easily handle garden variety computing tasks, like watching content, but also excels with creative pursuits like making music and editing videos. This desktop doesn't include an SD card reader, which could be a dealbreaker for those looking for an easy way to add more storage. We also found that the fan got loud every once in a while when dealing with heavy workloads. Otherwise, this is a near-perfect (and adorable) computer. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-mac-mini-m4-is-up-to-110-off-right-now-163438417.html?src=rss

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the United States and China have reached a framework deal on TikTok. Speaking to reporters in Madrid after two days of talks with his Chinese counterparts, Bessent said, It's between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon." President Trump said in a Truth Social post that he will be speaking with Xi Jinping this Friday regarding the potential deal, among other things.This breakthrough comes after the Trump administration extended the TikTok ban for a third time earlier this summer, giving the company until September 17 to undergo a sale or face a ban in the United States. The short-form video content app faced increasing scrutiny over national security concerns due to the Chinese ownership of its parent company, ByteDance.President Trump issued an executive order in August 2020 banning the app in the United States unless it was divested from ByteDance, though courts halted enforcement of the order. In 2024 the United States Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) which was signed into law by then-President Biden. The Trump administration has repeatedly delayed the enforcement of that law in hopes a deal could be made for a US-based acquisition, leaving the app online in the meantime.As it stands, this appears to be a framework for how TikTok could come under some level of US control, and not a signed final deal. Companies from Oracle to Microsoft have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok, and the president is on record as saying he would be OK if a "very American company" buys it. It's unclear if the September 17 deadline will be pushed once again, but US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that another delay may be needed in order to get the deal signed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/a-tiktok-deal-may-finally-be-happening-160448732.html?src=rss

Finding the best wireless earbuds can make a huge difference in how you experience music, podcasts, calls and even daily commutes. Whether you're tuning out distractions on the train or taking work calls on the go, today's wireless earbuds pack impressive audio quality and convenience into tiny, pocket-friendly forms. Many now offer excellent noise cancellation, smart ambient noise modes for staying aware of your surroundings and reliable noise isolation to help keep you focused - all without the hassle of wires.

Amazon has a press event scheduled for September 30 at 10AM ET. Panos Panay, who leads the company's Devices & Services team, will be on hand. This strongly suggests that Amazon will announce some new hardware.We don't exactly know what the company will reveal, but we do have a giant clue. The press invite also included a composite image of various Amazon devices. These appear to include a Kindle ereader, a Fire TV of some kind and an Echo speaker. Those are three of the company's biggest product categories.AmazonIt's been a while since we've gotten a new entry-level Kindle, though Amazon did recently refresh both the Scribe and the Colorsoft. It's also possible the company will announce a refresh of the Paperwhite ereader.It's a similar story with Echo speakers. The company recently refreshed the Echo Dot and the Echo Pop, along with the Echo Show 8, but it's been nearly five years since it redesigned the standard Echo speaker. It's possible the company's speakers will be getting some kind of new integration with the Alexa+ smart assistant.It's been a couple of years since we've gotten a big influx of new Fire TVs and related streaming sticks, so those could also be on the docket. However, that part of the invite image is a bit fuzzy and might be advertising an upcoming tablet and not new TVs. In any event, we only have a couple of weeks before finding out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/amazon-may-be-announcing-new-echo-and-kindle-devices-on-september-30-152044048.html?src=rss

Apple's Awe Dropping event started with dramatic health testimonials from Apple Watch users, then revealed a key new feature for the new Watch Series 11: hypertension alerts. The function had yet to receive FDA clearance at the time, but that has now been granted, as first reported by Bloombergand confirmed by Apple. As a result, it will reportedly be available to users in 150 countries when the Watch 11 and Ultra Watch 3 ship starting on September 19.Hypertension alerts can help detect hypertension (high blood pressure), a potentially dangerous condition that affects over a billion people. The feature relies on the Watch's optical heart sensor, but now uses new machine learning algorithm that also draws from a study involving more than 100,000 participants to look for high blood pressure. It works in the background a month-long period to seek patterns associated with hypertension. Unlike devices that measure your specific blood pressure, it only tells users that there may be a danger.Last year, Apple received FDA clearance for its over-the-counter Hearing Aid function that transforms the second-gen AirPods Pro into OTC hearing aids for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Another recently approved feature is sleep apnea detection. However, the company is currently facing a lawsuit over the Apple Watch's redesigned blood oxygen monitoring feature.Correction, September 15, 2025, 10:27AM ET: This article and its headline originally stated that the Apple Watch received FDA approval for the new hypertension alerts feature. It received FDA clearance, which is a lower level of authorization compared to FDA approval. We apologize for this error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-11-receives-fda-clearance-for-hypertension-alerts-120046138.html?src=rss

Whether you you intend to pick up the new iPhone Air or just need some extra juice for your existing iPhone, a MagSafe power bank is an essential accessory. Luckily, Anker both makes some of our favorites and has great sales going on right now on just this kind of gear. One of the most affordable is the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery, which is 42 percent off and down to $28 right now. This steep discount is also available at Anker's online store with a coupon code that the company provides. This model has a 5,000 mAh capacity, strong magnets and a slim design that even includes a foldable stand built in. Anker says the 622 Magnetic Battery can recharge a dead iPhone 16 or 16 Pro to just over 80 percent, and an iPhone 16 Pro Max to just over 60 percent. In our hands-on review of the portable charger, we liked the magnetic stand that folds out into a 30-degree angle. Users can rotate their phone to either portrait mode or landscape mode while charging. The Anker 622 is an older charger, so it outputs a maximum of 7.5W when charging wirelessly. If you need to refill your battery faster than that, you might want to pick up one of the newer Qi2 power banks. Though a Qi2 power bank will, of course, cost more, some of our favorites are having great sales right now. The Anker Ultra-Slim 10,000mAh battery pack can charge an iPhone 16 Pro to 50 percent in just 26 minutes, thanks to its Qi2-certified 15W of wireless charging. Right now it's 25 percent off, priced at $60 down from $80. It's got a bare-bones design, opting for a slim profile instead of a stand. If you prefer one with a stand and you like the idea of a display that tells you how much charge your power bank has left, then check out the Anker 10,000mAh battery pack with smart display and foldable stand. In our rundown of the best power banks, this was our top pick for iPhones. Not only does this battery pack offer Qi2 wireless charging at 15W, it also offers 27W when using USB-C for fast charging. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-an-anker-magnetic-battery-pack-while-they-are-up-to-42-percent-off-133451553.html?src=rss

There must be something in the water at Spotify HQ. Less than a week after delivering long-promised lossless audio, the company has another treat. Free listeners can finally listen to any track they want. After enhancing Premium, perhaps Spotify figured it could add a free perk without shedding subscribers.Spotify accounts on the free plan can now choose any track and immediately listen to it. Previously, that was paywalled for Premium subscribers. Non-paying ones had to shuffle through an album or playlist until the song they wanted to hear came up. And the free tier's limited skips meant you might have to wait a while to get to it.Now you can choose any track you want by searching, selecting it in an album or playlist or tapping a shared one. The feature rolls out globally beginning today. However, the free plan's other limits haven't changed, so you'll need to listen to ads and choose your limited skips wisely.Pre-existing features of Spotify's free tier include personalized recommendations, AI playlist covers and "daylists." If you can live without hi-fi audio, offline playback or ad-free listening, the view from the cheap seats is better than ever.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/free-spotify-users-can-finally-listen-to-any-track-immediately-130013081.html?src=rss

Snap is upgrading the software that powers its augmented reality glasses as it gets ready for the first non-developer version of its "Specs" next year. The latest update to Snap OS includes an improved web browser, as well as the ability to browse Spotlight videos in AR.The company has long said that one of its goals for AR glasses is to enable people to spend less time staring at their phones. Snap hasn't quite accomplished that yet, but Snap OS is starting to get more features that could help the company get there.The company has redesigned the browser in Snap OS to make it easier to switch between sites and resize windows to different aspect ratios. It's also faster and more power efficient, with the ability to watch around 40 minutes of continuous video playback. (The current version of Spectacles tops out at around 45 minutes of battery life.) Speaking of video, Spectacles is also getting a dedicated lens for browsing Spotlight, Snapchat's short-form video platform. There's also a new gallery lens that allows you to preview photos you've snapped with the glasses' onboard camera and quickly scroll through them with hand gestures.The update arrives one year after the company first showed off its somewhat goofy-looking AR glasses. Since then, hundreds of developers have been experimenting with the device and creating their own AR lenses for the platform. But those experiences have so far had a very limited reach as the company has only made its AR Spectacles available to developers willing to pay a pricey subscription. That's set to change sometime in 2026, though, when Snap says it will start selling a smaller, lighter and more capable pair of glasses.The company has yet to divulge details about the redesigned form factor or what powers "Specs" will have. But the new version of Snap OS shows the company is trying to make its AR platform more useful.Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget's parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors at Snap on September 12, 2024. No one outside of Engadget's editorial team has any say in our coverage of the company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/snaps-ar-glasses-are-getting-a-better-browser-and-support-for-spotlight-video-130009244.html?src=rss

If you want a powerful phone charger in the smallest size possible, Apple has the answer - but there is a tradeoff. The company's new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter is the first charger to support the USB PD 3.2 AVS (adjustable voltage supply) protocol so it can hit up to 60W, but only for a limited time. It was designed to work the company's new iPhone 17 models with faster charging speeds than previous iPhones. Lugging heavy chargers is a particularly bugbear of mine so the Dynamic Power Adapter stands out with a footprint not much bigger than the smallest 40W chargers. With AVS, it can provide a specific power level that's ideal for what a given device needs at specific times in its charge cycle. To that end, it can hit up 60W but only for a limited time period of around 18 minutes, according to one tester. "With Dynamic Power, you get many of the same benefits of higher-wattage chargers in a compact, pocket-size form factor," the Apple explains in the product description. "For faster charging, pair [it] with iPhone 17 models (50 percent battery in around 20 minutes) or iPhone Air (50 percent battery in around 30 minutes)." With its fold down prongs it'll easily slide into a pocket and not weigh you down like regular 60W chargers. For instance, Anker's popular Nano II 65W GaN charger is one of the smaller options available but is still about twice the size of Apple's new model. However, due to the limited time at higher wattages, it won't be suitable for charging laptops like some third-party models. The other rub is the price: The 40W Dynamic Power Adapter costs $40, almost twice as much as Anker's 65W charger. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-new-iphone-charger-dynamically-switches-between-40-and-60w-123053563.html?src=rss

Streaming platforms once again dominated the 2025 Primetime Emmy awards (77th edition), while network TV was shut out of the the major filmed categories. Apple TV+ came out on top with seven total wins including four for The Studio: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor (Seth Rogen), Outstanding Directing (Rogen and Evan Goldberg) and Outstanding Writing. "I've never won anything in my life," Rogen said during his off-the-cuff acceptance speech. "When I was a kid I bought a used bowling trophy."Apple+ also garnered two acting awards for Severance, including Britt Lower (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series) and Tramell Tillman (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series). However, HBO Max's medical drama The Pitt surprisingly pipped Severance for the Best Outstanding Drama Series, while also earning Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa drama series awards for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress, respectively. HBO Max also scooped awards for its comedy series Hacks with Jean Smart taking the Outstanding Lead Actress trophy and Hannah Einbinder winning for Outstanding Supporting Actress.Netflix took the prize for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series with critical darling Adolescence, with that same show earning Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty Emmys for lead actor and supporting actor and actress, respectively (at 15, Cooper is the youngest-ever male winner of a Primetime acting Emmy). That show also won Emmys for outstanding directing and writing for a limited or anthology series or movie.The Emmys showed again how prestige and money continue to shift from networks to streamers. CBS's only Emmy was for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show it canceled in August. NBC won for the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, while cabler HBO took prizes for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Outstanding Scripted Variety Series and Outstanding Writing) along with The Penguin (Cristin Milioti for Outstanding Lead Actress) and Somebody Somewhere (Jeff Hiller for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-won-big-at-the-primetime-emmys-with-severance-and-the-studio-093051329.html?src=rss

It's been over one year since Intuit shut down the popular budgeting app Mint. I was a Mint user for many years; millions of other users like me enjoyed how easily Mint allowed us to track all accounts in one place and monitor credit scores. I also used it regularly to help me track spending, set goals like pay my mortgage down faster and with general money management.

A great mobile phone doesn't need to cost a fortune. In 2025, features once exclusive to high-end devices - big batteries, multi-camera arrays, high refresh rate OLED displays and more - have trickled down to more affordable models. Sure, you'll still need to buy a flagship smartphone to get the best camera or fastest processor, but you don't need to compromise nearly as much anymore if you're looking for a great handset at a reasonable price. If you have less than $600 to spend, let us help you figure out what features to prioritize when trying to find the best midrange smartphone. Table of contents

Another day, another adorable game that I've become completely obsessed with. I came across Roly-Pony this weekend during a particularly soul-sucking bout of doomscrolling, and it's turned out to be the perfect little temporary respite from the horrors. (Shoutout to Alice Ruppert of The Mane Quest for always keeping us informed about the latest in horse games).Roly-Pony is a Suika-style game, meaning it involves dropping and stacking round objects in order to create matching pairs that combine to become different, bigger objects. That'll also clear up space on the board in the process, which is important because, similar to Tetris, you can't allow the objects to pile too high. In this case, you start with horse treats and keep building on them until you've unlocked a bunch of different horses. It's very simple and very cute, with peaceful music going in the background and a lot of little details that people who love horses will really appreciate.The game is free and playable on both the web and mobile, with a leaderboard so you can see how you rank. I naively thought I would just quickly check this game out (because, horses) and move on after a few minutes, but have instead spent hours this weekend trying to crack the top 10. I've now got it bookmarked on both my laptop and my phone, so at this point there's no end in sight. Roly-Pony is free, but there's an option to send a few dollars the developers' way on itch.io if you want to support their work.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-horse-themed-browser-puzzle-game-is-an-absolute-delight-and-i-cant-stop-playing-it-214313395.html?src=rss

The Stop Killing Games campaign is continuing to gain momentum after hitting more than a million signatures in July. After a July 31st deadline, the movement secured around 1.45 million signatures, which the organizers are currently in the process of verifying. The initiative aims to enact legislation that preserves access to video games, even when developers decide to end support, as seen with Ubisoft when it delisted The Crew and revoked access to players who already purchased the game. There were some early concerns about the potential for falsely-submitted signatures, but the latest update from organizers said that early reports show around 97 percent of the signatures are valid.According to the European Commission's website, EU authorities have three months to verify the signatures once they are submitted. After that, the organizers said they will personally deliver the petition to the European Commission. With initial estimates clearing the threshold of one million verified signatures, the following steps involve getting meetings with both the European Commission and the European Parliament.From the date of the initiative's submission, the European Union will get six months to decide what to do regarding the Stop Killing Games movement. There is the possibility of the governing bodies not taking any action at all, but the organizers said they are "preparing to ensure our initiative cannot be ignored." To prepare for the meetings, the organizers said they will be reaching out to members of Parliament and the Commission, while also trying to counter any misinformation or industry lobbying. For now, the campaign will post more frequent updates on its Discord community and social media channels.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-stop-killing-games-movement-is-nearing-an-official-meeting-with-eu-lawmakers-191535413.html?src=rss

It's been quite the wait, but the fourth season of The Witcher is almost here. In a teaser shared this weekend, Netflix finally revealed the release date: October 30. The video also provided an extended look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia - a casting change that fans naturally have a lot of feelings about after Henry Cavill won their hearts with his take on the character in the first three seasons. The minute-and-a-half-long clip doesn't give away too much about season four, but we now have a proper sense of what our new Geralt looks and sounds like.This season will also see Laurence Fishburne join as Regis, Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart and James Purefoy as Skellen. It's the second to last season of the Netflix adaptation, and the streaming company has said that the two final seasons will cover the last three books in the series: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake. But, fans still have more Witcher content to look forward to yet outside of the show. The Witcher 4 (the game) is on the way, though we don't yet have a release date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-witcher-season-4-will-hit-netflix-in-october-with-its-new-geralt-183241887.html?src=rss

Fortunately for Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 owners, the FOMO from Apple's announcement of its AirPods Pro 3 last week was short-lived. After introducing the latest Beats ear hook style headphones in February, Apple is introducing new features and updating the heart rate tracking functionality of the Powerbeats Pro 2 with the upcoming release of iOS 26.With the latest iOS upgrade, Powerbeats Pro 2 integrates better with Apple's Fitness app, giving users more accurate data and the choice of up to 50 different workout types. For Apple's Fitness+ users, the Beats earbuds will also show the heart rate, calories burned and "Burn Bar" metrics in real time. Outside the Fitness app, iOS 26 will bring smaller improvements like being able to use a single earbud for heart rate monitoring, better accuracy when counting steps even when your iPhone isn't on you and a new algorithm that churns out faster heart rate readings. To make your life easier, the updated Powerbeats Pro 2 will send you a notification to get a better fit for more accurate heart rate monitoring and can sense if you nod or shake your head in response to Siri asking you to answer an incoming call or hear a text.All of these iOS 26 upgrades for the Powerbeats Pro 2 will mostly put it in line with the AirPods Pro 3 features when the update releases on September 15. However, in our review of the Beats earbuds, we found that they offered mediocre ANC performance. It's worth noting that Android users for the Powerbeats Pro 2 won't get many of the Apple-branded features that come with iOS 26.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/some-much-needed-upgrades-are-coming-to-powerbeats-pro-2-with-ios-26-181716994.html?src=rss

Even though Google's AI Overviews were introduced with a comically rocky start, it's about to face a far more serious challenge. Penske Media, the publisher for Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard and others, filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming the tech giant illegally powers its AI Overviews feature with content from its sites. Penske claimed in the lawsuit that the AI feature is also "siphoning and discouraging user traffic to PMC's and other publishers' websites," adding that "the revenue generated by those visits will decline."The lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC's federal district court, claims that about 20 percent of Google searches that link to one of Penske's sites now have AI Overviews. The media company argued that this percentage will continue to increase and that its affiliate revenue through 2024 dropped by more than a third from its peak. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said that the tech giant will "defend against these meritless claims" and that "AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites."Earlier this year, Google faced a similar lawsuit from Chegg, an educational tech company that's known for textbook rentals. Like Penske Media, this lawsuit alleged that Google's AI Overviews hurt website traffic and revenue for Chegg. However, the Penske lawsuit is the first time that Google has faced legal action from a major US publisher about its AI search capabilities.Beyond Google's legal troubles, other AI companies have also been facing their own court cases. In 2023, the New York Times sued OpenAI, claiming the AI company used published news articles to train its chatbots without offering compensation. More recently, Anthropic agreed to pay a $1.5 billion settlement in a class action lawsuit targeting its Claude chatbot's use of copyrighted works.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-faces-its-first-ai-overviews-lawsuit-from-a-major-us-publisher-162333462.html?src=rss

A California bill that would require operating system and app store providers to verify users' ages before they can download apps has cleared the Assembly 58-0, and will now move on to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Politico reports. The Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), introduced by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, does not require photo identification for verification, but puts the onus on the platforms to provide tools for parents to indicate the user's age during a device's setup, and use this information steer kids toward age-appropriate content and screen time.It comes after Utah and Texas both adopted app store age verification laws earlier this year that have been criticized as posing potential privacy risks, and faced opposition from the likes of Google and Apple. The California bill has been received more positively by Big Tech, with Google, Meta and others putting out statements in support of it in the leadup to a Senate vote on Friday. Kareem Ghanem, Google's Senior Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy, called the bill "one of the most thoughtful approaches we've seen thus far to the challenges of keeping kids safe, recognizing that it's a shared responsibility across the ecosystem." Gov. Newsom now has until October 13 to sign or veto the bill, according to Politico.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/californias-age-verification-bill-for-app-stores-and-operating-systems-takes-another-step-forward-214339759.html?src=rss

Following her son's suicide, Becca Dallas filed a potentially groundbreaking lawsuit against Roblox and Discord, accusing the platforms of wrongful death. As first reported by The New York Times, the lawsuit recounts the events leading up to Ethan Dallas' death, detailing his interactions with a player named Nate. According to the report, Nate was likely a 37-year-old man named Timothy O'Connor, who was previously arrested on charges of "possessing child pornography and transmitting harmful material to minors." The report added that Ethan opened up about these incidents to his mom before committing suicide four months after the confession.The lawsuit could be the first of its kind against Roblox, according to NYTimes, considering it attributes some blame to the gaming platform that's home to tens of millions of underaged players. In a statement responding to the report, a Roblox spokesperson said that child safety issues are seen across the industry and that the company was working on new safety features, while also complying with law enforcement.This isn't the first time Roblox has faced complaints of being a dangerous place for underage players. In August, Louisiana's attorney general, Liz Murrill, filed a lawsuit that claimed Roblox doesn't "implement basic safety controls" to protect its underage user base. That lawsuit follows a similar investigation launched by Florida's attorney general James Uthmeier, who demanded answers to the reports of Roblox reportedly exposing kids to "harmful content and bad actors." Roblox has taken steps to combat these allegations, including tightening restrictions on its Experiences, and more recently, expanding its age estimation tool to all users.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-hit-with-wrongful-death-lawsuit-following-a-teen-players-suicide-201501296.html?src=rss

Kodak has shrunk a camera to fit onto a keyring, but it still manages to shoot both photo and video. It's hard not to compare the Kodak Charmera to the ubiquitous Labubu craze, considering the highly collectible nature of Reto Pro selling these officially licensed mini cameras as a single blind box for $29.99 or a full set of six for $179.94. The keyring cameras, which only weigh 30 grams, are already sold out on the Reto Pro website, but are expected to be restocked.The blind box can be unwrapped for one of seven designs, including one secret version that has a transparent shell to show off the tiny camera's internals. According to the website, the basic style odds are one out of six, while the secret edition has a probability of one out of 48. Whichever design you get, each Charmera comes with a keyring to Labubu-bify it to your belt loop or bag and a USB-C cable to export your photos or videos to other devices.Inspired by Kodak's first single-use camera from the '80s called the Fling, the Chamera sports a throwback design that can shoot 1.6-megapixel images with a 1,440 x 1,080 resolution and videos at 30fps. Nobody should expect any ultrasharp images, but you can customize your shots with Kodak frames, vintage filters and a date stamp. We're not expecting the Charmera to deliver the highest-quality images, but just like the Gameboy Camera, that won't make it any less fun to use.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/kodaks-mini-camera-fits-on-your-keyring-and-is-smaller-than-an-airpods-case-184227505.html?src=rss

The rear-wheel drive trim of the Tesla Cybertruck lasted about five months before it was unceremoniously removed from online sales. The Long Range model represented the most affordable Cybertruck option with its starting price of $69,990, but visitors to Tesla's online configurator can now only choose between the all-wheel drive model that starts at $79,990 and the Cyberbeast trim, which goes for at least $114,990.Tesla launched the Long Range version of the Cybertruck in April, which arrived at $10,000 more than originally expected. Along with an elevated price tag, Tesla removed several features, including the power tonneau cover, adaptive suspension, a touchscreen for the back row, the rear lightbar and outlets in the truck bed. The RWD version also came with less towing power, a lower payload capacity and only one motor. While unrelated, the federal tax credit for EV buyers in the US is coming to a close at the end of the month, making the purchase of a Long Range model even less of a bargain.Tesla didn't officially offer any explanation about the removal of the Long Range option from its website, but it could be attributed to low Cybertruck sales overall. According to a report from Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, Tesla only sold 4,306 Cybertrucks in the second quarter of the year, which is a more than 50 percent drop in sales during the same time period last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-most-affordable-cybertruck-gets-scrapped-after-a-whopping-five-months-164322445.html?src=rss

Snapchat has introduced a couple of new features it says are "highly requested" by its users. The first is "Infinite Retention," which as its name implies will allow you to keep a chat history like you could on a messaging app and prevent your messages from disappearing. "We've often heard from our community that Snapchatters want to save their chats forever and wish they could build streaks with their favorite groups," its announcement reads.The app has been testing the feature since 2024, and now it's being rolled out broadly. You could already save messages in the app by tapping on them inside the chat, but this one makes things easier. It's a setting you'll just have to switch on or off for each conversation. If you enable the setting, the other person in the conversation will get a notification that you did, and they will be able to switch it off if they want. You can, for instance, switch Infinite Retention on for a close friend but keep it off for acquaintances.In addition, Snapchat is rolling out Group Streaks that will let you contribute to a collective Streak with your friends. To keep up individual Streaks, you'll have to send and receive at least one photo or video Snap with a friend every day. Group Streaks are easier to keep going, since several people can participate. You can also restore a Group Streak within a week in case it ends.Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget's parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors at Snap on September 12, 2024. No one outside of Engadget's editorial team has any say in our coverage of the company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snapchat-rolls-out-group-streaks-and-infinite-retention-for-chats-150048128.html?src=rss

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are back on sale for a record-low price of $45 a 44 percent discount. These earbuds remain our top pick for best budget wireless earbuds. The most significant feature on the A40 earbuds is the inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC), which is almost unheard of at this price point. It's not the most sophisticated ANC, but it does sufficiently reduce constant rumbling background noise like on a plane. The built-in mic that's used for transparency mode and phone calls is a bit subpar, especially when used in noisy areas. These are budget-friendly, so while they can't be expected to compete on audio quality with flagship headphones that cost hundreds of dollars, the sound is still impressive given their low cost. The sound profile is warm, with a strong upper-bass, while some of the higher frequencies lose finer details. For those wanting to fine-tune the sound on the A40s, the earbuds can be paired with the Soundcore app, which includes an EQ. The small, round earpieces help make the A40s comfortable to wear for extended periods, and the charging case extends the already solid 10-hour battery life by another 50 or so hours. The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are already one of the best value options on the market, and this sale makes them even more appealing. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-wireless-earbuds-are-back-on-sale-for-45-152704145.html?src=rss

xAI has laid off at least 500 workers from its data annotation team, the company's largest, according to Business Insider. The annotation team is in charge of categorizing and contextualizing raw data used to train Grok so that it can understand the world better. Business Insider says the laid off employees were informed via email on the evening of September 12, Friday, that it was going to downsize its team of general AI tutors. They were reportedly told that they would be paid their salaries until the end of their contracts on November 30, but their access to xAI's systems had been cut off after they received the notice.When Reuters asked the company for a comment, it referred to a post on X wherein it posted a call for specialist AI tutors instead. xAI said that it will "immediately surge [its] Specialist AI tutor team by 10x" and that it's hiring across STEM fields. As specialist tutors, the new hires will be "enhancing [the company's] AI technologies through high-quality inputs, labels and annotations using specialized software." They'll gather data and provide their own, not only in text format, but also through audio recordings and video sessions.As Reuters has noted, the layoffs come after several high-profile departures from xAI, including the company's chief financial officer Mike Liberatore. The company launched Grok 4 in July, calling it the "smartest AI in the world." Elon Musk claimed during the model's reveal that if you make Grok 4 take the SATs and the GREs, it would get near perfect results every time and can answer questions it's never seen before. He also proclaimed that Grok is going to invent new tech maybe later this year, and that he would be shocked if it doesn't happen next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/xai-reportedly-laid-off-at-least-500-ai-tutors-working-on-grok-130059624.html?src=rss

Welcome to our latest recap of what's going on in the indie game space. This week, the revived Acclaim held a very fun showcase (and we'll get to some of the games from that). But on Friday, Nintendo soaked up all the attention with an hour-long Direct. Sure, it included some first-party games, such as Mario Tennis Fever, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and a Donkey Kong Bananzaexpansion. But Nintendo highlighted several indie games in the newsy showcase, too.Hades 2 is arguably the highest-profile name among those, and the full version isn't far away at all - it'll hit Switch, Switch 2, Steam and Epic Games Store on September 25. Stardew Valley, Human Fall Flat, Overcooked 2 and PowerWash Simulator 2 are getting Switch 2 versions as well.It wouldn't be a Nintendo Direct without a shadowdrop. Sure enough, Lynked: Banner of the Spark landed on Switch and Switch 2 on Friday, with mouse control and GameShare support on the newer system. This is an action RPG from FuzzyBot and publisher Dreamhaven that looks a bit like a cross between Hades and Hi-Fi Rush.I'll be honest, I've had Lynked: Banner of the Spark sitting on my PC for months. I'm definitely interested in checking it out, but it's just one of those things that's unfortunately slipped further and further down my to-play list. I'm still hoping to carve out time to properly check it out before it's time to start putting together our games of the year list.Popucom (which debuted on Steam earlier this year) also looks pretty intriguing. From Hypergryph and publisher Gryph Frontier, this is a multiplayer-only adventure platformer in which you take out enemies with match three-style shooting.Here's the twist: each player only has two colors, so you'll need to work together to fire the correct blobs at bad guys and obstacles. Popucom is coming to Switch this holiday season.New releasesLittle Problems: A Cozy Detective Game is a new title from the small team at female-led Indonesian developer Posh Cat Studio and publisher Amplified Games. As the name suggests, it's a slice-of-life detective game that sees you getting to the bottom of misunderstandings and minor inconveniences.You play as freshman student Mary, and one of the first mysteries you'll have to solve involves finding the location where her study group is supposed to meet after she forgets where to go on her first day of school. The game has 10 cases overall and each has a set of puzzles to solve. It's said to have "simple mechanics that grow into playful twists and surprising solutions."Little Problems seems quite charming and just the kind of low-fi puzzle game that I might vibe with. It's out now on Steam and it usually costs $10, but there's a 10 percent discount until September 23.Disc golf feels like it would be a fun sport to get into and while there are a few courses near me, they're not exactly easy to get to without a car. So I might just have to make do with Disc Golf City, which came out of early access on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux this week. The action takes place in a colorful city, and you can bounce your disc off of objects in the environment to pull off trick shots and try to land it in the basket.Disc Golf City, which is from Agapo Games, costs $13. There's also a demo you can check out.Another game that came out of early access on Steam and GOG this week is Beyond Sunset. This is a cyberpunk (not that one) first-person shooter with RPG elements from Metacorp / Vaporware and publisher Movie Games.I love when a vaporwave color palette is put to good use and the lo-fi visuals here just feel right. The fast-paced movement looks pretty interesting too - it's not hard to tell that the developers took inspiration from the Doom series. Beyond Sunset costs $10.It feels like I can't go on the internet for five minutes without learning about a new sidescrolling Metroidvania game. Still, Katanaut is one I've had my eye on for a while. You'll be facing the horrors that have taken over a space station using an array of weapons, skills and perks.This is a roguelite from Voidmaw in which there are new pathways to explore on each run. There is some permanent progression here, as you'll pick up memory fragments during your journey through the station's gore-soaked corridors. It was also revealed this week that Acclaim is the publisher of Katanaut, which is available on Steam.UpcomingPacific Drivewas one of the more interesting-looking games from last year that I just haven't gotten around to checking out yet. It's a driving sim and survival horror game set in a supernatural version of the Pacific Northwest, in which you scour the landscape for parts to upgrade your car and, hopefully, stay alive.Ironwood Studios and publisher Kepler Interactive this week announced the Whispers in the Woods expansion for Pacific Drive. Slated to arrive later this year, the DLC adds around eight to 12 hours of gameplay with new characters, dangers, mysteries and anomalies to encounter. Other updates include route modifiers and garage cosmetics to find.The rest of this week's upcoming games are all from Acclaim, since I found just about everything in that showcase intriguing. The first game that the publisher showed off was GridBeat from Ridiculous Games.Blending together puzzles, tactics and dungeon crawling, GridBeat will see you infiltrate a corporate computer network and try to escape with valuable data while security programs and malware attempt to stop you. You'll find more abilities and power-ups along the way. Crucially, you need to move in time to the music, since it's a rhythm game as well. There's a lot going on here! GridBeat is coming to Steam, but there's no release window as yet.One thing I was really hoping to see during Acclaim's showcase was the return of NBA Jam. We didn't quite get that, but I'll absolutely take Basketball Classics in its place. Acclaim has taken over publishing duties for this retro, NES-style arcade basketball title from Namo Gamo. It features 5-on-5 sidescrolling action with simplified controls, hundreds of teams, more than 1,000 players and multiple modes (including couch multiplayer).I hadn't heard of Basketball Classics until now, but it's been out on Steam for several years. Acclaim is helping to bring it to consoles sometime soon.I do love PowerWash Simulator and am looking forward to the sequel. Pixel Washer looks like a different flavor of that format.As a cute lil' piggy with a power washer, you'll be cleaning just about everything in sight. The trailer suggests that things might get weird, and it even seems like there are boss fights. Valadria is the developer behind Pixel Washer, which is coming to Steam down the line.HyperYuki: Snowboard Syndicate looks like the offspring of SSX and Jet Set Radio, and that's enough to sell me on the game. An easy addition to my wishlist.Wabisabi Design is making this snowboarding game that pits you against NPCs and/or human players in races. In the main game mode, you'll need to complete a certain number of challenges in each level before you can move on, which is very much keeping in with the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater format. There's also a relaxing endless mode, where you can just hang out and explore or, like, whatever.HyperYuki: Snowboard Syndicate supports split-screen play and online multiplayer for up to eight people. Again, there's no confirmed release date or window as yet, this one is coming to Steam.Acclaim notes that it is "actively exploring console releases" for its games. "Our goal is to bring these experiences to as many players as possible, and we'll have more updates to share as development progresses," the publisher added.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cozy-detectives-urban-disc-golf-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110029695.html?src=rss