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NASA's next mission will be to find a new agency leader, following a dramatic reversal from President Donald Trump. In a post made on Truth Social, the president withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman as the head of NASA. As first reported by Semafor, the pullback comes just a few days before Isaacman was due in front of the US Senate for a confirmation vote.Trump detailed in the post that he will soon announce another nominee who is more aligned with the president's mission and will "put America First in Space." Liz Huston, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement that it was "essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda." According to The New York Times, unnamed sources attribute the withdrawal to Isaacman's previous donations to "prominent Democrats."Besides his role as CEO of payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman has been venturing into the world of commercial space travel. The billionaire businessman has been to space twice now, even serving as the mission commander of the Polaris Dawn mission that was operated by SpaceX and saw the first commercial spacewalk. Isaacman was known as a close ally of Elon Musk, who is the CEO of SpaceX and recently left his White House role as an adviser to the president.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/trump-makes-a-last-minute-backtrack-on-his-pick-to-lead-nasa-153253836.html?src=rss

The long, long wait for Stranger Things 5 is almost over. Netflix has finally revealed the release date for the show's fifth and final season: November 26. At least, that's when the first part will drop. Just like Season Four, Stranger Things 5 will be released in chunks, so you won't be able to binge it all in one go from the outset. Volume One, which will have four episodes, comes out on November 26 at 8PM ET (5PM PT), followed a month later by three episodes for Volume Two on Christmas (December 25) and the final episode on New Year's Eve (December 31).If you need a little refresher on where we're picking back up with the Hawkins crew - I sure do - here's the synopsis for Season Five:

Summer Game Fest 2025 is just around the corner and it'll be a weekend packed with video game news. The event kicks off on June 6, with roughly a dozen livestreams scheduled to take place from then through June 8. Among them is the Latin American Games Showcase, which will highlight over 50 titles from Latin American indie developers. You can tune into the YouTube stream on Saturday, June 7 at 2PM ET (11AM PT).Last year's Latin American Games Showcase at SGF gave us a glimpse at a ton of games to be excited about, like the recently released title, Despelote, that's both memoir and soccer game. We don't know yet what the 2025 showcase will bring, but there's sure to be some gems. Before the Latin American Games Showcase on Saturday, Summer Game Fest Live will usher in the festivities on June 6 at 5PM ET (2PM PT).We have all the info you need to know right here ahead of Summer Game Fest and will be on the ground getting some hands-on time with many of the games you'll see featured in the showcases, so be sure to check back in for the latest news.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-latin-american-games-showcase-at-summer-game-fest-2025-210009391.html?src=rss

According to a report from NPR, Meta plans to shift the task of assessing its products' potential harms away from human reviewers, instead leaning more heavily on AI to speed up the process. Internal documents seen by the publication note that Meta is aiming to have up to 90 percent of risk assessments fall on AI, NPR reports, and is considering using AI reviews even in areas such as youth risk and "integrity," which covers violent content, misinformation and more. Unnamed current and former Meta employees who spoke with NPR warned AI may overlook serious risks that a human team would have been able to identify.Updates and new features for Meta's platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp, have long been subjected to human reviews before they hit the public, but Meta has reportedly doubled down on the use of AI over the last two months. Now, according to NPR, product teams have to fill out a questionnaire about their product and submit this for review by the AI system, which generally provides an "instant decision" that includes the risk areas it's identified. They'll then have to address whatever requirements it laid out to resolve the issues before the product can be released.A former Meta executive told NPR that reducing scrutiny "means you're creating higher risks. Negative externalities of product changes are less likely to be prevented before they start causing problems in the world." In a statement to NPR, Meta said it would still tap "human expertise" to evaluate "novel and complex issues," and leave the "low-risk decisions" to AI. Read the full report over at NPR.It comes a few days after Meta released its latest quarterly integrity reports - the first since changing its policies on content moderation and fact-checking earlier this year. The amount of content taken down has unsurprisingly decreased in the wake of the changes, per the report. But there was a small rise in bullying and harassment, as well as violent and graphic content.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-reportedly-soon-use-ai-for-most-product-risk-assessments-instead-of-human-reviewers-205416849.html?src=rss

The Women-Led Games Showcase will be returning for its second year at the Summer Game Fest 2025. It will feature 39 titles from women-led and majority women development teams, and viewers can expect to see deep dives, release announcements and information on DLCs during the event. The Showcase will take place on June 7 at 1PM Eastern time and will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, which is embedded below. You can also watch the stream through various co-streamers' Twitch channels that you can find from the Women-Led Games' X account. Take note that the team will also be running a Steam sale event from June 6 to 13 for women-led titles.In addition to this showcase, Summer Game Fest 2025 will also feature several other events, such as Day of the Dev for indie titles and Wholesome Direct for cozy games. There will be a showcase for titles created by Latin American developers, a Green Games event for titles that make direct contributions to green initiatives and an Xbox Games Showcase for updates on titles from across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. You can also watch the live premiere for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach on June 8 at 10PM Eastern time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-women-led-games-showcase-at-summer-game-fest-2025-190005489.html?src=rss

Just a day after its release, FromSoftware announced a crucial patch for Elden Ring Nightreign players who prefer to solo queue. The game's developer posted on X that Patch 1.02 will be released next week, delivering some bug fixes and "improvements for solo expeditions."More specifically, FromSoftware will add the effect of Automatic Revival Upon Defeat" that allows a self-revival once per night boss battle for solo expeditions. Players will also get more runes, which should provide a more balanced gaming experience when venturing alone. This news of this patch follows several criticisms of the game being poorly optimized when playing solo, versus in a party of three as it was designed for.FromSoftware's titles have a reputation for being difficult, but early reviews pointed out that Nightreign offers poor scaling with certain mechanics, abilities and boss fights that cater towards a full party. Despite the millions of copies sold on the first day, Nightreign holds a "mixed" Steam user review rating thanks to the solo queue issues, along with a lack of communication tools, cross-platform play and less replayability than other Souls titles.For FromSoftware, Elden Ring Nightreign represents a stylistic shift into the roguelike genre based on its best-selling predecessor and it might still be working out some of the kinks. The game's director, Junya Ishizaki, told IGN in an interview that jumping into an expedition as a duo was overlooked during development" but is something that the developer is looking at and considering for post-launch support. Some players are also having issues with matchmaking itself, where FromSoftware recommends restarting the process to get into an expedition. As for rebalancing for solo play, FromSoftware said that more details about this upcoming patch will come next week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreigns-next-patch-will-make-gameplay-easier-for-solo-players-183644323.html?src=rss

Nebraska is the latest state to crack down on how kids can use social media. The state's governor, Jim Pillen, recently signed into law a package of bills aimed at restricting certain social media features that keep kids hooked on the platform. The final bill signed, called the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, will require companies to offer time limits on usage, restrict certain categories of content and provide chronological feeds instead of algorithmic ones that promote infinite scrolling.The Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, also known as LB504, details that social media companies can only collect the minimum amount of personal data from younger users, and offers parents more tools to limit how their children use their accounts. Along with those restrictions, the law prohibits any ads related to gambling, alcohol, tobacco or drugs from reaching kids on social media.Alongside LB504, the signed package of bills includes LB140 that limits student use of smartphones in schools, LB383 that requires social media companies to verify the age of its users and require parental consent for creating accounts, and LB172 that creates criminal penalties for AI-generated pornography."Collectively, all these bills have an incredible impact on helping our teachers and giving our schools the opportunity to teach our kids, instead of being disrupted in the classroom," Pillen said in a press release. "They also provide parents with the tools they need to protect our kids from big tech online companies and predators."The law is set to go into effect January 1, 2026, and any companies that violate these new regulations will face civil penalties. Nebraska is the latest state to restrict social media usage for minors, but Texas is also trying to pass a similar ban. With more efforts to regulate social media, NetChoice, an Internet advocacy organization whose members include Google, Meta and X, has voiced criticism of these states' efforts, arguing that they infringe on First Amendment rights and user privacy. In 2022, California signed a similar law meant to protect underage users, but it has since been in a legal battle following a lawsuit filed by NetChoice that claims a violation of free speech rights.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-new-nebraska-law-wants-to-make-social-media-less-addictive-for-kids-171510432.html?src=rss

Devolver Digital is devoting its Summer Game Fest stream to a single title. That's quite the departure for the Austin-based publisher. So, the company must see something special in Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story. Get ready to find out about it on June 6.Devolver isn't being shy about its enthusiasm for Ball x Pit. The publisher says it's a game the team "can't even put down - hundreds of hours later." Sounds promising!So, what do we know about the game and its titular character? Not much. There's the teaser image above, featuring battle skeletons and other fantasy characters. Also, Devolver called it "a tremendous little game."Expect to learn much more about Ball x Pit on June 6 at 8 PM ET. You can tune into Devolver Direct on YouTube and Twitch. (That's the same broadcast as the Summer Game Fest Live and Day of the Devs livestreams.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-devolver-direct-at-summer-game-fest-2025-170014340.html?src=rss

The indie-focused Day of the Devs is nearly here. That's the portion of Summer Game Fest where smaller publishers step into the spotlight. It tends to be a worthwhile watch, often eclipsing the main show. Get ready to tune in on June 6.What's on tap this year? Heart Machine's 2D sidescroller Possessor(s) will make an appearance. If you like hand-drawn art, horror and visual novels, this is your game. (Oh, and don't forget "very hot" demons!)We'll also see more of Outersloth's "nightmarish life sim" Neverway. That title has a killer elevator pitch. "After quitting her dead-end job, Fiona starts over on a farm and becomes the immortal herald of a dead god." (As one does!)Big WalkHouse HouseUntitled Goose Game maker House House is on the schedule. That will presumably mean a closer look at Big Walk. The "cooperative online walker-talker" eschews the hardcore competition common in online gaming. "Our favorite part of playing online coop games is when they give you enough direction for the group to keep up a good momentum," the studio said in 2023. "But it's relaxed enough that you're mostly just able to enjoy spending time with your friends." Expect a chill time with delightfully strange characters.Expect much more beyond that small sampling. Day of the Devs kicks off on June 6 at 7PM ET. You can also stream it on YouTube and Twitch. Engadget will also be on the ground at Summer Games Fest with plenty of first-hand impressions.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-day-of-the-devs-at-summer-game-fest-2025-150047219.html?src=rss

Playdate Season Two is here, bringing with it two new games for the quirky yellow handheld every week until July 3. And if the first two titles are any indication of what this season will be like, it's sure to be a great one. Season Two kicked off on May 29 with the arcade action game Fulcrum Defender - from the studio behind FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach - andthe delightfully chill Dig! Dig! Dino!. The two games couldn't be more different from each other, but they're both bangers in their own right.Panic also released Blippo+, which can only be described as a fever dream of cable TV,with the first drop of Season Two, and it is amazingly bizarre.Fulcrum DefenderSubset Games"Survive for 10min!" sounded almost like a threat when I first started reading through Fulcrum Defender's How To Play guide. Between all the on-screen information you need to pay attention to, the many different types of enemies that'll be attacking and the various weapon upgrades you can earn over the course of a run, there's a lot to take in, and I braced myself for a tense and complicated playing experience. But, while that may be closer to the case on Hard Mode, I found that Fulcrum Defender wasn't all that punishing of a shooter on Normal Mode. It's a challenge, for sure, but one with a surprisingly achievable goal that I was able to enjoy without losing my mind. At least, not until crossing the 10-minute mark. After that, all hell breaks loose.In Fulcrum Defender, you're positioned at the center of a circular arena and have to fend off a continuous swarm of enemies. Your shield will take damage any time an enemy collides with it, and once enough have breached that zone, it's game over. To avoid that, you need to shoot them down one by one, using the crank to aim your weapon and the D-pad to shoot. Some enemies can be taken out in one shot, but others - distinguished by their filled-in appearance - require multiple shots. Over time, you'll earn weapon upgrades to build out a more powerful defense system, with options like large, guided projectiles and a flail that can knock out several enemies in one sweep.It's unexpectedly addicting. The music is beautiful and calming, giving the whole thing a pleasant atmosphere despite the fact that you're surrounded by enemies at any given moment and trying not to die. Once I realized it was absolutely possible to survive 10 minutes and even go beyond that, I got sucked into the loop of trying over and over to beat my high scores. I'd love to see a global leaderboard for this game at some point, because I just know I'd be floored by how long some players will be able to last.If you liked this one and want to know a little more about the making of it, be sure to check out our interview with Jay Ma, the co-founder of Fulcrum Defender developer Subset Games.Dig! Dig! Dino!Dom2D & FayerI can't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now than pretending to be a paleontologist and casually digging for bones. No thoughts, just dig. That's exactly what Dig! Dig! Dino! has going on, and it's awesome.You're working as part of a crew (made up entirely of anthropomorphic animals) at the site of some really unusual dinosaur fossils, and it's your job to dig up new bones and artifacts. Once you've got the entire skeleton of a particular dinosaur, you can scan it in the lab to reveal what it was like when it was alive. That information, coupled with the peculiar artifacts scattered around the site, paints a picture of some pretty strange activities that went on there long ago. For example, some of these dinosaurs seem to have had crystals growing out of their bodies, and it looks like they were warned about the asteroid extinction event. Fishy!The gameplay is extremely low stakes - this is one for when you just want to zone out playing something that'll keep your hands busy. You're equipped with a shovel, a drill and a radar gadget for detecting items beneath the surface, and have no time-sensitive goals to hit. You only have so much energy, though, which will be consumed with each use of your tools. When you run out, the round is over. But you can visit each site as many times as you need to in order to find all of the dinosaur pieces hidden there, so it can be a really casual undertaking if you want it to be.It's a really nice time, with a fun story to tie it all together. You'll get a solid few hours of playtime out of this, too, and the simplicity of it all means you can put it down and come back to it later without having to rack your memory to figure out where you left off. I loved this one.Blippo+PanicWhat can one even say about Blippo+? This bizarre "1-bit television" experience came as a bonus with the first Season Two games, and it is something. Panic first teased it back in December 2024 as a Steam title, but here it is for the Playdate now, complete with a roster of channels playing hallucinatory programs and Femtofax, an interactive message board of sorts where you can find affirmations, neighborhood drama, chatter among amateur astronomers and more. Panic describes it as being "comparable to an old episode of The Twilight Zone," but it's more like an old episode of The Twilight Zone if it were made by Tim & Eric and aired after midnight on Adult Swim. I think I am obsessed with it?I'm really interested to see where this goes. I would totally park my Playdate in a dock (but not the Stereo Dock </3) on my desk and leave Blippo+ running in the background all day if it has enough fresh material to sustain it. The song playing alongside the endlessly scrolling Blippo+ TV guide screen is already stuck in my head, and I don't hate it. The program guide with this week's schedule is online, if you're curious about what's going on right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-fulcrum-defender-dig-dig-dino-and-blippo-140036697.html?src=rss

It's no secret that 28 Years Later used iPhones to shoot parts of the film. Now its director, Danny Boyle, has discussed the use of iPhones for the film in more detail with IGN. The first film in the franchise, 28 Days Later, was shot on digital video, giving it a homemade feel. Boyle explained that he and writer Alex Garland got the idea from the fact that home video cameras were common at the time, and people would've shot videos with them if an apocalypse had indeed happened. Those cameras, of course, have since been replaced by smartphones.The movies used three special rigs for the iPhone sequences: One for eight cameras that one person can carry, another with 10 and another with 20. "I never say this, but there is an incredible shot in the second half [of the film] where we use the 20-rig camera, and you'll know it when you see it," Boyle told IGN. He described the 20-iPhone rig as "basically a poor man's bullet time," which is a visual effect that uses multiple cameras to freeze or slow down time. Think the scene in The Matrix, wherein Neo dodged bullets in super slow motion.Doyle said that the 20-camera rig can be attached to cranes or dollies and give you 180 degrees of vision of an action. In editing, you can choose from any of the footage each iPhone takes to, say, move between perspectives or jump forward and backward. For 28 Years Later, the team used the rig for violent scenes to emphasize their effect. "For a moment the audience is inside the scene, the action, rather than classically observing a picture," Doyle explained.In addition to the iPhones, the filmmakers also used drones, cameras attached to actors and even farm animals to achieve an immersive feel for its 2.76:1 widescreen aspect ratio. They decided on the aspect ratio to create a sense of unease, since you'd have to keep scanning the screen to see potential threats coming from the sides.SonyThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/28-years-later-used-20-iphones-in-tandem-for-some-wild-shots-130043338.html?src=rss

One of the many beautiful things about the indie gaming scene is that there's always something to check out. So if you don't fancy playing Elden Ring: Nightreign this weekend, there are plenty of other new options. To help you keep up with what's going on in the space, here's our weekly indie game roundup.As a heads up, we won't be publishing an edition of this roundup next week. Not because there won't be enough games to highlight. Quite the opposite: Summer Game Fest kicks off on Friday June 6. There will be literally hundreds of game announcements and updates. There's also the small matter of the Nintendo Switch 2's arrival in a matter of days.You can check out what to expect from SGF and find out how to watch the various showcases in our preview. We'll be bringing you news on titles of all shapes and sizes from Summer Game Fest Live, Xbox Games Showcase and other events. We'll also be on the ground in Los Angeles to go hands on with many of the newly announced games. Keep up with our coverage here on Engadget throughout SGF.In the meantime, there are a host of new games to savor, as well as peeks at what's coming your way in the coming weeks and months. Let's get to it.Thinky DirectThis showcase from Thinky Games was jam packed with captivating puzzle and mystery games. Two in particular caught my eye. The first is a very intriguing first-person archery puzzler. In He Who Watches, you'll walk on walls, rotate rooms and use a bow and arrow to solve puzzles. It reminds me of the shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. A demo is out now on Steam and the full game should arrive this fall.The other game that really stood out to me was Echo Weaver, a so-called "Metroidbraina." Unlike in many Metroidvanias, where you need to find power ups or new abilities to progress, here you'll move forward by acquiring knowledge, including figuring out your character's special abilities.There aren't any procedurally generated elements here. As with the likes of Outer Wilds, each run is time-based. You can find ways to extend the limit or sacrifice some time to pass through a barrier. Echo Weaveris coming to Steam and Xbox (including Game Pass).There was lots of other interesting stuff in the first-ever Thinky Direct. I really enjoy the chill train puzzler Railbound and it was neat to find out that there's a level editor available in beta. Kiko's Apple Adventureis an adorable-looking block-pushing game in which the aim is to nudge apples onto rafts. It just arrived on Steam.The Button Effect features a museum with a lot of buttons, each with a purpose for you to find out. It seems like a certain Taskmaster task taken to new extremes. The first public demo just hit Steam.Nonolith is another compelling game that was featured in the showcase. In this puzzle platformer, you can copy and paste blocks to create openings, bridges and staircases. At first glance, it reminds me a little of Animal Well. Monolith is coming to Steam in 2026.New releasesOne thing definitely worth getting excited about this week if you own a particular yellow console with a crank owner is the start of Playdate Season Two. Every Thursday throughout the six-week season (which costs $39), two new games arrive on Panic's diminutive device.The first batch includes the charming-looking Dig! Dig! Dino! and Fulcrum Defender. The latter of those is from FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach studio Subset Games, whose co-founder Jay Ma went through hell to make Fulcrum Defender.One of the titles included in the season, Blippo+, is a full-motion video game. It will have weekly episodic updates for 12 weeks, extending far beyond the rest of the Season Two window. The first episode is out now.Trails is a lovely puzzle game that just landed on Steam. You'll guide sandships to their destination by drawing a path for them. You can't take a ship through the same square twice, and you'll need to make sure they don't crash into each other. There are obstacles, of course, and you'll sometimes have to collect and deliver cargo.I've enjoyed my time with Trails so far. Developer PurpleSloth gradually teaches you how to play through trial and error, and it adds new hazards and mechanics at a nice pace, though the puzzles do become quite tricky.You may have spent many pleasant hours cleaning grime off of various objects and iconic landmarks in PowerWash Simulator (which is set to get a sequel later this year). It's time to flip the script a bit in Spray Paint Simulator, from North Star Video Games and publisher Whitethorn Games.The concept is pretty similar, in that you'll complete jobs for clients by painting certain items or environments. There are no time limits here and a feature that lets you mask an area to ensure you get clean lines is a nice touch. If marking your territory on public or private property with sick, definitely-not-ugly tags is more your thing, there's a free spray mode that you can play alone or with a friend in co-op.Spray Paint Simulator is out now on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It's on Game Pass too. The game is also coming to Nintendo Switch on June 19.Eternal Evil debuted on Steam back in 2022, and two and a half years later, the survival horror game has made the jump to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It has mostly positive reviews on Steam and seems very much in the vein of the Resident Evil series (it even has a dual narrative with two characters to play). You'll take on vampires that get stronger as they feed in this game from solo developer Honor Games.How could I not include a game with a name like Trash Goblin? This is a cozy shopkeeping title from Spilt Milk Studios that just came out of early access on Steam. You'll unearth, restore and upcycle trinkets to sell to customers so you can upgrade your shop. It seems one you might chill out with.Elsewhere, To a T, a game we mentioned last week, is out now on Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass, PS5, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Cowboy-themed life sim Cowboy Country just landed on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch as well.UpcomingI've had my eye on Kingmakersfor a while. It's a completely bananas-looking blend of third-person shooting and strategy game from Redemption Road in which you travel back in time to a medieval war, bringing modern weapons and vehicles with you. Publisher tinyBuild revealed during a showcase this week that Kingmakers will debut in early access on Steam on October 8. Really looking forward to that one.Beyond the Board is a moody-looking adventure that takes a rook... well, beyond a chess board. It takes inspiration from puzzle games like Limbo and Monument Valley, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the story is told through visual storytelling and soundscapes rather than dialogue. This game from Fragile Shapes Studio doesn't yet have a release window, but you can check out a demo on Steam now.An extended demo for a fast-paced, melee-focused dungeon runner called Bloodthiefdropped this week. It looks like a lo-fi, medieval spin on Ghostrunner (a series I enjoy but am quite bad at) but with vampires. So yes, I will be digging into this when I have a chance. The original demo is said to have 20 or so hours of gameplay and there's even more in the extended version, which will be featured in Steam Next Fest. Bloodthief, from developer Blargis, is slated to arrive later this year.I'm going to close this edition out with a game you'll probably never be able to play. Developer Kenney says that, a few years back, they helped a young Star Wars fan make a game based on The Mandalorian after a Make-a-Wish connected the pair. It's a heartwarming story, and the game looks quite charming based on the clip that Kenney shared on BlueSky. However, for legal reasons, it'll likely stay under lock and key, sadly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-two-spray-paint-simulator-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110035699.html?src=rss

Twitch is getting more TikTok-ified with vertical game streaming. Also, "2K" (1440p) video will let you watch that League of Legends stream in a higher resolution. The ability to rewind streams is coming, too. CEO Dan Clancy made the announcements on Saturday at TwitchCon Europe.Portrait-mode streaming makes it a little easier to watch gameplay on your phone. Until now, Twitch only supported the orientation for clips and IRL streams. Clips are short highlights that creators can share after a stream ends. And "In Real Life" content shows everyday activities rather than gameplay.But some screens work much better in a landscape view. Fortunately, Twitch is also rolling out a dual-format mode. Creators can go live in vertical and horizontal orientations at once. You can watch the version that works best for your device. The company will begin testing "with a small number of channels" this summer. It will expand access later this year.Twitch's 1440p streams should be a welcome addition. (Who doesn't like a sharper-looking video?) On the back end, it uses a newer HEVC codec that produces a better picture with a lower bitrate. And the platform's Enhanced Broadcasting tech automatically tweaks the viewer's resolution.The 1440p streaming begins rolling out today to all partners and affiliates. But it's in an open beta, so creators may need to wait for access.Finally, Twitch is rolling out a rewind feature. If you miss part of a stream, you can scrub back to catch up on what you missed. That feature isn't quite here yet, either. Twitch will test it with "a small number of viewers" this summer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/twitch-is-adding-1440p-and-vertical-streaming-091533811.html?src=rss

Playtonic, the creators of Yooka-Laylee, is laying off some of its staff, the developer and publisher announced on social media. The post doesn't mention how many members of Playtonic will be effected, but does credit the layoffs to the company's struggle with "a period of profound change in how games are created and funded."Based on a LinkedIn post shared by Playtonic brand manager Anni Valkama, the layoffs include staff members who worked in production, various art departments, game design, narrative design and UI/UX design. Playtonic only lists around 50 staff members on LinkedIn, but given the studios growth into a publisher and its upcoming release of Yooka-Replaylee,its possible the actual team is a bit larger.

After two years of negotiating, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA, the union representing quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media, has reached a tentative union contract with Microsoft, according to the Communication Workers of America. The union originally formed in 2023 and was immediately recognized by Microsoft, which made its commitment to stay neutral towards union organizing at ZeniMax official in 2024.The new contract will cover over 300 ZeniMax employees and includes "substantial across-the-board wage increases as well as new minimum salaries for workers," the CWA says. The contract also includes language protecting workers from the impacts of AI and "a crediting policy that clearly acknowledges the QA workers' contributions to the video games they help create.""Video games have been the revenue titan of the entire entertainment industry for years, and the workers who develop these games are too often exploited for their passion and creativity," Jessee Leese, a QA tester and ZeniMax Workers United-CWA bargaining committee member shared in the CWA announcement. "Our first contract is an invitation for video game professionals everywhere to take action. We're the ones who make these games, and we'll be the ones to set new standards for fair treatment."The new contract is considered "tentative" until union members ratify it, but because existing contracts often act as a reference in ongoing negotiations, the agreements ZeniMax workers secured will likely serve as a standard for other unions going forward. ZeniMax QA testers aren't the only video game union at Microsoft - QA workers at Raven Software, QA workers at Activision, workers at ZeniMax Online Studios and the development team behind Overwatch are all still in active negotiations with the company.Outside of Microsoft, the CWA also announced the United Game Workers-CWA union at this year's GDC, as a another option for representation. United Game Workers-CWA is a direct-join union, a labor organization that all workers in an industry can participate in without needing legal recognition from an employer. The idea is that currently employed workers, anyone who's been laid off and freelancers can all still wield power together, even without a potential contract hanging in the balance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/zenimax-qa-workers-win-tentative-union-contract-with-microsoft-194204789.html?src=rss

It's almost that time of year again. Summer Game Fest starts on June 6. The annual kickoff stream begins at 5PM ET on that date. Yeah, we know. The time isn't ideal for folks with regular jobs, but we'll be in Los Angeles to cover the event in person, so you can just hit up the site for updates.The best way to watch this is likely via the YouTube stream. After all, the event is being hosted at the YouTube Theater. There will also be a Twitch stream for the YouTube-averse.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach technically launches on June 26, but you'll be able to get an early look at the game and hear from a panel of people who worked on it thanks to a newly announced event that will close out Summer Game Fest on June 8. The "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Game Premiere"will be hosted by Geoff Keighley and feature live gameplay of the upcoming game, alongside a panel discussion with Hideo Kojima and other talent who worked on it.Death Stranding 2: On the Beach picks up after the events of the first Death Stranding, following Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) as he's drawn back into the world of schlepping things by Fragile (Lea Seydoux). Based on recent trailers, the sequel appears to build on the traversal challenges of the original, with new types of terrain and weather to navigate and new tools at Sam's disposal to make it easier.You can attend in-person at the Orpheum Theatre on June 8 at 10PM ET / 7PM PT by registering for tickets online. The event will also stream live on YouTube for anyone who's not able to make the trek to Los Angeles to attend.This premiere event kicks-off a world tour - appropriately titled the "Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2" - promoting Death Stranding 2: On the Beach leading up to the game's launch and extending well beyond it. A24 and Kojima Productions also recently announced that the film adaptation of Death Stranding will be written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the director behind A Quiet Place: Day One and Pig.Considering the bromance / business partnership Kojima and Keighley have maintained over the last few years, it's not at all surprising they're teaming up to promote the new Death Stranding. Of course, the event is just one of several livestreams that will pad out Summer Game Fest 2025, which includes the Keighley-hosted Summer Game Fest Live, and more intriguing games showcases like Day of the Devs and the Devolver Direct.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/how-to-watch-the-death-stranding-2-premiere-event-at-summer-game-fest-184514009.html?src=rss

Wholesome Direct, an annual showcase of cute and cozy games, is coming back on Saturday, June 7 at 12PM ET. This is a live event that can be streamed via the official YouTube page or Twitch account. The organizers promise to show off "a vibrant lineup of artistic, uplifting, and emotionally resonant games from developers of all sizes from around the world."The YouTube stream link is already available, so feel free to bookmark this page and come back on June 7 just in time for the show. Last year's stream was a whole lot of fun. One of the cool things about Wholesome Direct is that the organizers typically make several games available for download immediately after the event, though we don't know which ones will get that sort of VIP treatment this year.We only know a few of the games that will be covered during the event. There's an adorable puzzle game called Is This Seat Taken? that tasks players with positioning cute little characters on a bus, in a waiting room or at a restaurant. This one's actually being released by the event's publishing arm, Wholesome Games Presents. Another title is called MakeRoom and reminds me of the indie hit Unpacking, but with a focus on designing the perfect room and sharing that creation with friends.The mobile game Usagi Shima is coming to Steam and is getting a prime spot at Wholesome Direct. This title has players transforming a barren island to make it hospitable to lovable bunnies. Minami Lane is already out for Switch, but is also coming to Steam and will be featured during the livestream. It's a town management sim that focuses on one street at a time. It's also extremely easy on the eyes.Last year's stream discussed over 30 titles. That leaves plenty of room for cozy surprises. Also, the showcase falls right in the middle of Summer Game Fest, which hosts a group of loosely-affiliated events that begin on June 6.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/how-to-watch-the-wholesome-direct-showcase-on-june-7-at-12pm-et-181249575.html?src=rss

VPN users have an unbelievable amount of choice in the market, but lots of those choices are bad. Upwards of 180 virtual private networks are available for commercial users alone. For the casual user who just wants a VPN to protect themselves online or change their virtual location, the risk of analysis paralysis is very real.It doesn't help that VPN providers love to make misleading claims about their own product. Read a few of their homepages and you'll start to see some phrases repeat. "Lightning-fast." "Bank-grade encryption." "Zero-logs policy." It's designed to sound good without meaning much, and unfortunately, even the best providers love to talk like this.Our team at Engadget started digging into the VPN world to help you cut through all this clutter and pick the provider you actually want and need. We've developed a rigorous testing process that combines investigative journalism, objective testing and qualitative review. This article explains how we research and test a VPN.Update, May 28, 2025: This story has been completely overhauled to reflect the updated 2025 Engadget VPN testing methodology.Table of contents

The hugely popular first-person shooter game Valorant is getting some long-awaited upgrades as the game approaches its 5-year anniversary. In the latest dev update, the Valorant team announced the long-anticipated replay feature. They'll function about the same as replays in other online shooters like Counter-Strike 2, allowing players to revisit their previous matches and watch them from the perspective of any player in the game or from a free-roaming camera. Replays will initially launch on PC with patch 11.06 in September and will come to consoles later in the year.After initially developing and updating the game in Unreal Engine 4 for more than ten years, the dev team announced a port to Unreal Engine 5 with patch 11.02 around the end of July. The Valorant devs say this will bring higher frame rates and faster future patch downloads without changing the current gameplay feel. In their video update, the team teased that moving to Unreal 5 will enable a whole host of possibilities in the future.Competitive players will take particular note of new anti-smurfing initiatives. Smurfing is the practice of higher-ranked players using lower-ranked accounts to gain a competitive advantage by playing against players far below their skill level. In an attempt to further curb this behavior, Valorant will be asking suspicious accounts to complete multi-factor authentication and is exploring requiring it on all competitive accounts. These guardrails will launch later this year with more details to come. Additionally, users who wish to report other players for smurfing can now select a specific "Rank/Matchmaking Abuse" category to help the better identify those accounts.The update also showcased some gameplay balancing measures involving character abilities, teased a new competitive map and highlighted the team's vision for the future of Valorant in esports.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/valorant-is-finally-adding-replays-and-upgrading-to-unreal-engine-5-173931808.html?src=rss

A lot of people (not least Engadget's own Sam Rutherford) have been asking Microsoft to make an Xbox-branded handheld for a long time. And it looked for a while like we might be getting exactly that in the not-so distant future. But Microsoft's priorities have reportedly shifted to improving the widely criticised performance of Windows 11 on existing third-party PC gaming handhelds.In an exclusive report, Windows Centralclaims that a dedicated Xbox handheld system, which could have launched in 2027 alongside the successor to the Xbox Series X, isn't the company's main area of focus right now, even if it remains keen on the idea. An internally developed handheld, for which Windows Central's Jez Corden says he has seen a number of different codenames, is not currently being worked on, and he adds that no layoffs have taken place as a result of the strategic shift.While a native Xbox device might be some way off, the report makes clear that Microsoft is still very much active in the handheld market. A third-party console that it has been working on with ASUS, codenamed "Project Kennan", is still targeting a 2025 launch. It's likely this device, which could be equipped with AMD's Z2 Extreme chip, will ship with an improved Windows 11 experience better suited to a controller interface.The software's awkward integration in early iterations of PC handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally has been a big problem, and it's partly why people are so excited about the SteamOS experience no longer being exclusive to the Steam Deck. The Lenovo Legion Go S started shipping with SteamOS running out of the box this week, the first handheld not made by Valve to do so.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/we-might-not-be-getting-that-handheld-xbox-for-some-time-153844220.html?src=rss

Chaos ensued on German roads this week after Google Maps wrongly informed drivers that highways throughout the country were closed during a busy holiday. Many of the apparently closed roads were located near large German cities and metropolitan areas, including Berlin, Dusseldorf and Dortmund.As reported by a locally based journalist for The Guardian, drivers opening Google's navigation app would see a swarm of red dots used to indicate no-go areas, which resulted in people looking for alternative routes that caused traffic pile-ups nationwide. The Guardian also reported that police and local authorities were contacted by people confused (and presumably pretty annoyed) about the supposed standstill.To compound the issue, the Google Maps error coincided with the beginning of Germany's Ascension Day public holiday on May 29, which meant the roads were even busier than usual.

With the world the way that it is, it can't hurt to have a massage gun on hand. And now's a good time to snag one. Wellbots has an exclusive deal for Engadget readers on three popular Therabody models. Save up to $110 today on that tempting Theragun you've been eyeing. You'll save the most on the top-of-the-line model. The Theragun Pro Plus G6 is a powerhouse with a 16 mm amplitude. (That's how far it can travel with each pulse.) Its motor delivers up to 60 lbs. of force. That should be more than enough to pound out whatever ails you. The Theragun Pro Plus G6 supports vibration, heat and LED light therapy. It comes with five attachments: standard ball, dampener, thumb, micro-point and wedge. The device has an ergonomic grip, so you can easily reach those shoulder and back muscles. It's long-lasting: up to 300 minutes on a single charge. The gun even integrates with the Therabody app, where you'll find guided routines. This model usually costs an eye-popping $650. But can get it for $540 with our exclusive code. Enter ENGADGET110THERA at checkout. Therabody Although impressive, the high-end model is overkill for most people. You can also save on a model that's great for casual users. The Theragun Relief G6 is a lightweight massage gun (1.37 lbs.) that's easy to throw into a gym bag. It has a 10 mm amplitude, which feels less like hard pounding and more like a pleasant vibration. This one doesn't support heat therapy. But it still includes three attachments: standard ball, dampener and thumb. The Theragun Relief G6 retails for $160. But our code ENGADGET30THERA slashes it to $130. Therabody For something between the first two options, you can also save on the Theragun Prime Plus. Like the first model we covered, this one has an impressive 16 mm amplitude. It's 95 percent quieter than its predecessor, so it won't disturb anyone. This model also supports heat therapy. It includes four attachment heads: standard ball, dampener, wedge and heated percussive plus. You can also use it for cold and vibration modes, but those heads are sold separately. The Therabody Prime Plus typically costs $430. But Engadget's code lets you save $60. Enter ENGADGET60THERA at checkout to bring it down to $369. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/theragun-percussion-massagers-are-up-to-110-off-right-now-130059571.html?src=rss

This week we're fielding your burning tech questions, as well as diving into a bunch of AI web browser news. Opera has started testing its fully agentic AI browser, the Browser Company is dumping the Arc browser in favor of something AI related and Mozilla is getting in a bit of hot water with experimental AI preview summaries. Try as we might, we just can't escape AI.Subscribe!

Disney Plus and Hulu have come up with a new idea to draw in subscribers: an updated "Perks" program. If you sign up for a subscription with either of those services, Perks will give you freebies like a six-month DoorDash membership, discounted stays at Walt Disney World and 20 percent off Adidas shoes. You'll even get a shot at winning items from Hulu shows, like actual A Handmaid's Tale robes and wings (which seems a bit on the nose in our current times).The offer is now available to current and new Disney Plus subscribers and will launch for Hulu on June 2nd. Other companies participating including Microsoft, Pure Green, LG and Funko, with new perks arriving every week this summer. If you subscribe to one of Disney's Disney Plus and Hulu bundle plans, you'll get access perks from both programs. An international launch is set for later this year.Disney Plus counts 126.0 million paid subscribers worldwide as of March 31 this year, thanks to 1.4 million new signups in the first three months of 2025, according to Variety. Paid Hulu subscribers rose by 1.1 million during the same period and now stand at 54.7 million. By comparison, Netflix counted 301.6 million paid subscribers globally at the end of 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-plus-and-hulus-new-perks-feature-offers-discounts-tickets-to-movie-premieres-and-more-123035097.html?src=rss

The Sony Days of Play sale is underway, and it includes the first official price cut for the PS5 Pro. The console has dropped by $50 to $650 in the US for the sale, which runs from May 28 to June 11. This is the first time Sony has discounted its Pro-level console. Retail partners like Amazon are matching the discount as well. If you don't have a PS5 already and can afford the Pro model, it's definitely the way to go to get the best PlayStation experience. It earned a score of 88 in our review, and it might have scored even higher if not for the price and the lack of a built-in disc drive. There are other discounts on consoles in the US and Canada as part of the sale. A bundle of either the standard PS5 or Digital Edition with a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 starts at $400/$510 CAD (for the Digital Edition). Sony says that will save you $120/$160 CAD compared with buying them separately. The PS5 standard and digital versions will be on sale in Europe and Asia too, starting at 400/340/65,980. It's worth noting that Sony has considered raising the prices of PS5 hardware to offset the cost of tariffs. Microsoft this month jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles recently for that reason. So if you've been on the fence about getting a PS5 or PS5 Pro, now might be the time to snap one up. Elsewhere in the Days of Play sale, accessories are getting discounts. You can save on the PlayStation VR2 ($50 off), PlayStation VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle ($50 off), Pulse Explore earbuds ($30 off), DualSense Edge controller ($30 off), PlayStation Access controller ($20 off) and the DualSense controller ($20 off). Things like PS5 console covers and external storage drives will get price cuts as well. You will, of course, be able to snap up PS5 games for fewer dollars than usual. MLB The Show 25, the brilliant Astro Bot and Lego Horizon Adventures are among the many first-party games getting discounts. If you haven't played The Last of Us Part II and don't want to wait a year or two before finding out where the story of HBO's adaptation will go after that (somewhat unsatisfying) season finale on Sunday, you might like to snap up the remastered edition of the misery simulator, which will be included in the sale. Hundreds of other games will be featured. The list includes several Assassin's Creed titles, Grand Theft Auto V, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Balatro. On top of that, movies will be on sale through Sony Pictures Core Elsewhere, some PlayStation Plus plans are 33 percent off for new subscribers. Upgrading to the Extra or Premium tiers may cost you a third less than usual as well. That stinks for long-term PS Plus members who'd like to add another year or two (especially after recent price increases in several regions), but that's standard practice for plans such as these as companies try to boost subscriber numbers. Speaking of which, Sony is adding an extra few games to the PS Plus Game Catalog for Extra, Premium and Deluxe members. They are:

According to Bloomberg, the next versions of Apple's operating systems may be labeled by year, starting now. It makes sense. At this point, we've got VisionOS 2, watchOS 11, macOS 15, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Instead, they might all be tagged 26 - even if they launch this year.It's not the first tech company to align new products with the year of release. Samsung started naming its phones by year of release in 2020 with the S20, which followed the S10. We'll learn for sure in under two weeks: WWDC kicks off June 9.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The news you might have missed

Buying a good Father's Day gift can be tough for those on a budget, especially if your dad already knows his way around technology. Sometimes they'll say they don't want anything, other times they might buy the thing you're looking to gift without giving anyone a heads up. If you need help brainstorming some ideas, we've rounded up a few of the better items we've tested that are priced below $50. From mechanical keyboards and security cameras to luggage trackers and power banks, each has the potential to make your dad's day-to-day life a little more convenient. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-dad-under-50-113033738.html?src=rss

Gmail will now automatically show you a summary card for lengthy email threads if you check a Google Workspace account on the iOS or the Android app. The company introduced AI summaries last year when it rolled out Gemini side panels for Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Gmail. However, you'd have had to manually tap the "Summarize this email" option at the top of emails before if you wanted to see a thread's contents at a glance. Now, the summary will show up at the top of the email the moment you open a thread.Google's AI assistant will write up key points from multiple messages and include them in the summary. It will keep re-generating that summary and keeping it up to date as more replies come in. At the moment, however, the feature will only work for emails written in English. Also, your personalization smart features in Gmail, Chat and Meet, as well as smart features in Google Workspace, have to be switched on. As The Verge notes, Google didn't say whether it will also make auto-summaries available on non-Workspace accounts and Gmail on desktop. But you can always tap the "Summarize this email" option at the top whenever auto-summary isn't available for you.In addition to summarizing emails, Gemini in Gmail can help you draft new emails and help you find information from within your inbox or from your Drive files. At I/O 2025, Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced Personalized Smart Replies, an upcoming feature that can look at your past emails and files to draft a response containing relevant information in the tone you typically use when you write.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-gmail-app-can-automatically-summarize-those-long-email-threads-120023369.html?src=rss

Q: My question is how best to set up an Xbox for my kid. I want to know how to control use time and whether I should use my email to set up. - Guillermo from UtahA: You're in luck! Console parental controls have come a long way from the days of hiding NES systems (or their controllers) from unruly kids. Microsoft, in particular, has made it very easy through its Xbox Family Settings app for iOS and Android, which supports Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One systems. Once you've added your kids to your Xbox family group, you'll be able to manage and see reports of their playtime, restrict access to specific content, require parental approval for purchases and sort incoming friend requests. In typical Microsoft fashion, though, setting up Xbox family accounts can be a bit confusing, so let's go over it step by step.MicrosoftHow to set up an Xbox for your child

Another great streaming deal has hit the internet: one year of Peacock Premium is only $25 right now. Just use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout to get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. Just note that this tier does include ads, and the deal only runs through May 30. Peacock is a decent platform and made our list of the best streaming services. It doesn't get the attention of Netflix or Disney+, but it's home to several nifty original shows. There's the AI-adjacent tomfoolery of Mrs. Davis and the Rian Johnson-made whodunnit Poker Face. It also airs several video game adaptations, like Knuckles and the surprisingly-decent Twisted Metal. The big draw here, however, is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, which is called The Paper. That one premieres in September and is a Peacock exclusive. The platform also signed an 11-year agreement with the NBA and that goes into effect this fall. The mobile app could be getting minigames and short-form vertical videos (like TikTok) in the near future. There's one caveat. This subscription will automatically renew for $80 after the year runs out. Stay on top of scheduling if you want to cancel before then.

Picking the best tablet means more than just choosing a screen size or a particular brand - it's about finding the right balance of power, portability and features that match your lifestyle. Whether you're looking for a casual couch companion for web browsing or a powerful laptop replacement for work and creativity, there's a great tablet out there for everyone.

A nearly year-old Facebook event for a "simple maths competition" has been one of the most viral posts on the platform for six months. The "event" racked up about 51 million views on Facebook during the first quarter of 2025, according to the company's latest report on "widely viewed content" on the platform.That would be an impressive stat for any single post, but it's the second quarter in a row in which the "maths competition" has nabbed the number two spot on Meta's list of widely viewed content. It also appeared on last quarter's report, during which time it received about 64.3 million views, according to an archived version of the report.So why is a random Facebook event that's not really an event getting more than 100 million views? It would seem to be a repackaging of an old engagement bait tactic. The header image for the event is an image of a piece of paper with the words "only for genius" followed by a seemingly simple equation. When shared as a Facebook post, the image is prominently displayed in a way that may look like a normal image post. The image also has some striking similarities to other seemingly simple math equations that have been going viral on Facebook for nearly 15 years.A look at the event page itself shows that hundreds of thousands of people have engaged with the event. More than 800,000 people responded to the supposed July 8, 2024 event. Even now, nearly a year later, the event is seeing regular comments from Facebook users - most of whom are intent on earnestly explaining how the equation should be solved (or arguing with others' interpretation). As Slate noted back in 2013, there's something irresistible about arguing basic arithmetic with strangers on the internet.What is a bit of a mystery is why this post has gone so viral months after it was originally posted. I reached out to the account behind the post, a Nigerian-based creator named Ebuka Peter Ibeh and didn't immediately hear back. The post seems to be far more successful than any other recent posts from Ibeh, who has about 25,000 Facebook followers.In any case, the post offers an interesting window into the kinds of bizarre content and questionable tactics that still regularly goes mega-viral on Facebook. Meta recently said it would crack down on creators sharing spammy posts on Facebook, though it's unclear if this type of engagement bait would fall under the category of content it's explicitly trying to discourage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-fake-facebook-event-disguised-as-a-math-problem-has-been-one-of-its-top-posts-for-6-months-231852601.html?src=rss

YouTube Shorts is beta testing the addition of Google Lens. Integrating this tech into the short-form video platform will allow viewers to search for more information about what they can see in a clip. The functionality will begin rolling out to all Shorts users this week.Once it's enabled on your account, the feature can be accessed by pausing the video, selecting Lens from the top menu and then tapping or highlighting an element of the clip to search about. Visual matches and search results will be overlaid on top of the Short. More details are provided in Google's support pages.The post announcing the Lens beta notes that advertisements won't be shown in the results during the test phase. Additionally, it states that "the Lens experience isn't available for Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate links or with paid product promotions." While the beta test isn't going to be tied to commerce, this feels like an integration that could very likely become a Shopping-centric resource in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/google-lens-is-coming-to-youtube-shorts-221803755.html?src=rss

Tinder helped popularize a modern dating culture that puts looks first, and now the app is trying out a new way to capitalize on it. As part of a test, select Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum subscribers will be able to set a preferred height range for matches they receive in the app, according to TechCrunch. The feature was first spotted by a Reddit user who noticed the option in the app's "Discovery Settings."Deciding that you prefer matches who are 5'10" and up won't necessarily weed out the short kings in your area, but it will influence the recommendations the app offers as you swipe. Tinder has long included ways to spell out your preferences in your profile, and plenty of people go further in their bio, signaling that they only swipe right on people with specific features or interests. Making height preference part of the official settings just formalizes things.u/Extra_BarracudaaaaGiven how dating apps are already associated with superficiality, though, this feature seems intended to be a bit provocative. It could also reflect how Tinder is approaching its paid subscriptions going forward: not just as a way to increase the reach of your dating profile, but as the official method for exerting granular control over who you match with."This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritizing user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly," Tinder's VP of Comms Phil Price Fry tells Engadget."Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward."Whether being able to set a height preference becomes a real feature, it doesn't stop people from lying in their dating profile. Though, as TechCrunch notes, Tinder has joked about implementing height verification in the past.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tinder-is-testing-height-preferences-212414694.html?src=rss

Under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany could impose a new 10 percent tax on major online platforms such as Google and Facebook. Reuters reported that political factions in the country struck a deal earlier this year to pursue these fees for digital service companies."These corporations do billions in business in Germany with extremely high profit margins and benefit enormously from the country's media and cultural output as well as its infrastructure - but they pay hardly any taxes, invest too little, and give far too little back to society," Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said of the draft rule during an interview with the magazine Stern.Other nations around the world have also explored and enacted taxes on online revenue generated by the largest internet tech companies. Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria and Canada have similar legislation to the draft rule Germany's culture minister is proposing, according to Reuters.If the tax is passed, Germany could see retaliation from President Donald Trump's administration. Trump had said in February that he would seek tariffs on nations that impose a digital service tax on US tech businesses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/germany-is-considering-a-10-percent-digital-service-tax-on-us-tech-giants-195705330.html?src=rss

J Allard, a former Microsoft executive and one of the minds behind the Zune, is leading a new team at Amazon, CNBC reports. Allard is officially the vice president of Amazon's ZeroOne, which, based on at least one Amazon job listing, is "a special projects team dedicated to inventing breakthrough consumer product categories."What ZeroOne is actually working on remains a bit mysterious, but CNBC was able to find another listing for a "Senior Applied Scientist" role that suggests the team will be "conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product." Computer vision is the umbrella term for technologies that allow computer systems to "understand" images and video - for example, the ability for a Ring Video Doorbell to identify when a package is on your door step.Depending on your taste in MP3 players, Allard's role in the creation of the Microsoft Zune could justifiably give you pause. Microsoft's failed MP3 player looked distinct, but was no match for the popularity of the iPod. The Zune was one of several interesting, if unsuccessful projects Allard led at Microsoft, including the Microsoft Kin, and the Courier, a book-style tablet that was later reimagined as the Surface Neo. Allard also co-created the original Xbox, arguably his biggest claim to fame at the company.ZeroOne will exist inside Amazon's larger devices and services division, which is led by Panos Panay, another Microsoft expat. Panay joined Amazon to lead the division in 2023, after several years overseeing the development of Surface hardware and Windows 11 at Microsoft. Since Panay joined the company, Amazon has launched a new lineup of Kindles and introduced Alexa+, its integration of generative AI into the well-known voice assistant. Hiring both Allard and Panay suggests Amazon plans to lean even harder into product development going forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-zunes-creator-is-leading-a-secretive-team-at-amazon-194136949.html?src=rss

Meta is bidding to build high-tech wearables for the US Army, as reported by Wall Street Journal. The company is teaming up with Palmer Luckey's defense firm Anduril Industries on the project, which has been dubbed EagleEye. The contract is worth around $100 million, though it hasn't been awarded yet. It's part of a larger $22 billion Army wearables project of which Anduril is the lead vendor.As expected from Meta and Luckey, EagleEye will be a line of tech-forward helmets, glasses and other wearables that provide an augmented reality or virtual reality experience. Reporting indicates that these devices will include sensors that enhance the hearing and vision of soldiers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that this tech will protect our interests at home and abroad."

Meta has published the first of its quarterly integrity reports since Mark Zuckerberg walked back the company's hate speech policies and changed its approach to content moderation earlier this year. According to the reports, Facebook saw an uptick in violent content, bullying and harassment despite an overall decrease in the amount of content taken down by Meta.The reports are the first time Meta has shared data about how Zuckerberg's decision to upend Meta's policies have played out on the platform used by billions of people. Notably, the company is spinning the changes as a victory, saying that it reduced its mistakes by half while the overall prevalence of content breaking its rules "largely remained unchanged for most problem areas."There are two notable exceptions, however. Violent and graphic content increased from 0.06%-0.07% at the end of 2024 to .09% in the first quarter of 2025. Meta attributed the uptick to "an increase in sharing of violating content" as well as its own attempts to "reduce enforcement mistakes." Meta also saw a noted increase in the prevalence of bullying and harassment on Facebook, which increased from 0.06-0.07% at the end of 2024 to 0.07-0.08% at the start of 2025. Meta says this was due to an unspecified "spike" in violations in March. (Notably, this is a separate category from the company's hate speech policies, which were re-written to allow posts targeting immigrants and LGBTQ people.)Those may sound like relatively tiny percentages, but even small increases can be noticeable for a platform like Facebook that sees billions of posts every day. (Meta describes its prevalence metric as an estimate of how often rule-breaking content appears on its platform.)The report also underscores just how much less content Meta is taking down overall since it moved away from proactive enforcement of all but its most serious policies like child exploitation and terrorist content. Meta's report shows a significant decrease in the amount of Facebook posts removed for hateful content, for example, with just 3.4 million pieces of content "actioned" under the policy, the company's lowest figure since 2018. Spam removals also dropped precipitously from 730 million at the end of 2024 to just 366 million at the start of 2025. The number of fake accounts removed also declined notably on Facebook from 1.4 billion to 1 billion (Meta doesn't provide stats around fake account removals on Instagram.)At the same time, Meta claims it's making far fewer content moderation mistakes, which was one of Zuckerberg's main justifications for his decision to end proactive moderation."We saw a roughly 50% reduction in enforcement mistakes on our platforms in the United States from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025," the company wrote in an update to its January post announcing its policy changes. Meta didn't explain how it calculated that figure, but said future reports would "include metrics on our mistakes so that people can track our progress."Meta is acknowledging, however, that there is at least one group where some proactive moderation is still necessary: teens. "At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring teens on our platforms are having the safest experience possible," the company wrote. "That's why, for teens, we'll also continue to proactively hide other types of harmful content, like bullying." Meta has been rolling out "teen accounts" for the last several months, which should make it easier to filter content specifically for younger users.The company also offered an update on how it's using large language models to aid in its content moderation efforts. "Upon further testing, we are beginning to see LLMs operating beyond that of human performance for select policy areas," Meta writes. "We're also using LLMs to remove content from review queues in certain circumstances when we're highly confident it does not violate our policies."The other major component to Zuckerberg's policy changes was an end of Meta's fact-checking partnerships in the United States. The company began rolling out its own version of Community Notes to Facebook, Instagram and Threads earlier this year, and has since expanded the effort to Reels and Threads replies. Meta didn't offer any insight into how effective its new crowd-sourced approach to fact-checking might be or how often notes are appearing on its platform, though it promised updates in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-sees-rise-in-violent-content-and-harassment-after-policy-changes-182651544.html?src=rss

Sony is offering PS Plus subscription plans at a deep discount. An annual subscription to the Premium tier is available for just $107, which is a discount of 33 percent. This promotion is running until June 11, giving gamers a bit of time to think things over. For the uninitiated, PS Plus Premium provides full access to the Game Catalog. This library includes hundreds of PS4 and PS5 titles. Each month, users also get a handful of free games and some PlayStation Store discounts. Other exclusive benefits include game trials, online multiplayer, cloud streaming and access to the Classics Catalog. This is a collection of older games. That's a whole lot of perks, and the main reason a subscription to PS Plus topped our list of the best PS5 accessories. It's an easy and budget-friendly way to pad out that library, especially for those who just purchased a console. Recent additions to PS Plus include standout titles like Balatro and Battlefield V. An annual subscription to the PS Plus Extra tier is also on sale for $101, which is a discount of 25 percent. This is basically the same thing as Premium, but lacks game trials and cloud streaming. No matter which tier you choose, remember to cancel before the year runs out or you'll be locked into the original price. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ps-plus-annual-subscriptions-are-up-to-33-percent-off-165355268.html?src=rss

The New York Times and Amazon have entered into a multi-year licensing agreement that will allow Amazon access to much of the publication's editorial content for AI-related uses. In a press release announcing the deal, The New York Times shared that this agreement will bring new features for customers like accessing summaries or excerpts of Times content using Alexa. It will also allow Amazon to train its AI models on The New York Times content.In announcing the deal, The New York Times shared, "The collaboration will make The New York Times' original content more accessible to customers across Amazon products and services including direct links to Times products and underscores the companies' shared commitment to serving customers with global news and perspectives within Amazon's AI products." Access to content from NYT Cooking and The Athletic is also included in the deal.AI models require training on vast amounts of data, and many of the companies building them are likely running afoul of copyright laws by training on protected materials. OpenAI and Google went so far as to ask for a government exemption to copyright laws for their models to train freely. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for training their models on the company's content without permission back in 2023, though the case is still ongoing.Licensing agreements can offer additional revenue streams for companies willing to hand over user data or allow AI models to train on content created by their employees. The Washington Post is one of several major publications that have signed deals with OpenAI earlier this year. The specific contents of today's deal, such as how much Amazon is paying, have not been disclosed. Amazon has been on a tear releasing AI-powered tools for shopping, book recaps and product explanations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-and-the-new-york-times-enter-ai-related-licensing-agreement-155019578.html?src=rss

Elon Musk has left his role as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk wrote on X. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."DOGE is a Trump administration initiative with the stated goals of cutting wasteful government spending, modernizing IT systems and maximizing efficiency in various departments - even though DOGE itself was initially set to have two leaders, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out to focus on a bid to become Ohio's governor. Musk's tenure there has been an eventful one, to put it mildly, as DOGE has taken a chainsaw to the government over the last four months.Musk's slash-and-burn approach (similar to the one he adopted in his early days at X) played a role in hundreds of thousands of federal workers being turfed out - reportedly including some working at an agency that regulates Tesla. DOGE officials were involved in firing workers who it turned out had essential roles and had to be quickly hired back. In some cases, federal judges ordered the reinstatement of fired federal employees.DOGE has inserted staffers into many government agencies. It demanded access to sensitive data including federal employee information and Treasury Department financial records, a request that a judge granted this week despite 19 attorneys general trying to prevent that over privacy and legal concerns.Elsewhere, DOGE has been using generative AI chatbots to try to automate some government tasks. (A custom version of ChatGPT used by the Department of Veterans Affairs is called, in all seriousness, VAGPT.) The initiative also reportedly monitored government communications for criticisms of Musk and President Donald Trump. It was also reported last month that the Social Security Administration was moving all its official communications with the public to X, the social network that Musk owns.Given his status as a Special Government Employee, Musk could only legally serve in his position for 130 days in a one-year period. The 130 days are up as of May 30, though DOGE is slated to remain operational until July 4, 2026.Musk's departure comes at a time of turmoil for some of his higher-profile companies. It emerged this week that, between April 2024 and last month, sales of new Tesla electric vehicles dropped by half in Europe. - despite EV sales in the region rising overall by 28 percent. In Quebec, said to be the most EV-friendly market in Canada, Tesla sales reportedly sank by 87 percent between the first three months of 2024 and the same period this year. Overall, Tesla deliveries dipped by 13 percent in that timeframe.Tesla's business is interlocked with Musk and the public persona of its CEO. Its reputation has been damaged in the eyes of many given Musk's political dealings, personal views, his association with DOGE, the agency's actions and his efforts to help Donald Trump win the presidency.Activists have called for boycotts of Musk's companies and staged protests at Tesla showrooms. Many Tesla owners have been trying to distance themselves from Musk by placing stickers on their cars. Others have sold their EVs, even though that meant taking a financial hit amid plummeting resale values. Protestors have targeted Cybertrucks and others have made fun of the vehicle and owners of it on social media. (In fairness, that's not entirely to do with Musk's association with DOGE and the president - the Cybertruck is an absolute eyesore).Meanwhile, SpaceX had mixed results with its latest Starship test flight this week. While the spacecraft reached space, the payload door got stuck and it was unable to deploy its payload of fake satellites. As for the Super Heavy booster, which had been reused after the successful seventh test flight, that was supposed to splash down into the ocean but, six minutes after launch, it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly."So Musk has plenty to concern himself with as he officially leaves DOGE, but he's been critical of a federal budget bill. As he prepared to depart his government role, he expressed "disappointment" with the Trump spending bill, suggesting in an interview that it "undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the House passed last week, will end most clean energy tax credits, including those on EV purchases. Tesla has claimed that "abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid."In any case, it's unclear whether DOGE has actually met its mandate of slashing government spending. A tracker on the DOGE website claims to have saved taxpayers some $170 billion by canceling contracts and laying off workers, but reports suggest that the "Wall of Receipts" is full of misleading or inaccurate claims. A fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank suggested to CBS News this month that the figure is more likely to be around $80 billion.Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that, since Trump took office in January, federal spending has actually increased by 8.7 percent compared with the same period in 2024. That's largely due to spending on Social Security, Medicare and other social insurance programs, as well as interest payments on the federal debt. However, the report notes that the full impact of the DOGE-led cutbacks may not yet been factored into the figures, given the up-front costs involved in ending programs and canning so many workers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-leaves-doge-amid-tanking-tesla-sales-153859407.html?src=rss

It seems that Apple is giving its operating systems a significant overhaul this year, and not just on the visual and usability fronts. It was expected that the next major versions of iOS and iPadOS (set to be announced at WWDC 2025 in a few weeks) would be followed by the number 19, Macs would move onto macOS 15 and so on. That would continue the numbering system Apple has used for many years.That could be about to change, according to Bloomberg. The next versions of the operating systems may be earmarked by the year, according to the publication's sources. That means we could soon see the debut of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.The numbers would align with the year after each major OS release, since Apple typically rolls out the first public versions of those each fall. So the versions of iOS, iPadOS and so on that arrive this September or October may be named after 2026.We'll know for sure whether this shift is happening on June 9, when the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place. It's widely expected that Apple will be giving its operating systems a major user interface overhaul to deliver a more unified experience across various devices.It seems like a wise move to align the branding of all of the various operating systems. The software powering Apple Watch devices is currently up to watchOS 11. Apple Vision Pro is running visionOS 2. It's a little messy as is. Applying the same numbering to all of the operating systems and aligning it with the release year should make things easier for everyone to keep up with.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-rumored-to-release-ios-26-not-ios-19-at-wwdc-2025-193424610.html?src=rss

Nintendo is gearing up for the launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, and to ensure you're ready to go when the console arrives at your door, you'll need to download the latest update for the newly renamed Nintendo Switch App. The app, which was previously called the Nintendo Switch Online app, had added a number of new features, including a more seamless screenshot interface, GameChat functionality and placeholder icons for game-specific services like Zelda Notes. The latter will become usable on launch day.Arguably the most useful addition is the revamped screenshots and video upload feature, which allows you to link your phone to your Switch 2 and wirelessly upload in-game media to the app, either manually or automatically. This was already possible on the original Switch (and is hardly a revolutionary feature), but doing so involved some needlessly clunky QR code scanning that didn't always work. Now, screenshots and gameplay clips should just appear in the app, where you can save them locally. Up to 100 files can be stored in the app for 30 days from the point of upload, and once you hit the limit the oldest files will disappear if not saved.Another big Switch 2 feature is GameChat, Nintendo's new multiplayer voice chat functionality. Via the Nintendo Switch App you'll be able to receive notifications for GameChat invites, friends coming online and friend requests. Your added friends will be displayed on the home screen of the app. Again, no one who's been playing games on a modern PlayStation or Xbox console for the last decade is going to be blown away by any of this stuff, but it looks like playing online with friends on Switch 2 is going to be mercifully less fiddly than on its predecessor.The Zelda Notes icon now appears when you open the Nintendo Switch App, but it won't be functional until June 5. The app, which is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, effectively functions like a sat nav for tracking down missing Koroks and shrines on your save file. You can also share your Autobuild creations in TotK with friends, edit in-game photos and check play records such as the number of enemies defeated and total game overs.Nintendo is making small tweaks to some of its other services ahead of the Switch 2's arrival. Over on Nintendo Switch Online (not to be confused with the mobile app), where you can play a selection of emulated classics from Nintendo's back catalogue, a new Switch 2-exclusive rewind feature will be added to the N64 library, as well as a new CRT filter option. These features were already available for NES and SNES games on the service, and it's not entirely clear why original Switch owners won't benefit from the additional N64 options as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-updated-mobile-app-will-make-sharing-switch-2-screenshots-a-lot-easier-143842317.html?src=rss

While we're still waiting for a true electric minivan to hit the US, VW's ID.Buzz microbus is close. It's a unique family hauler that'll definitely get your neighbors buzzing. No, seriously, during my week of testing I had over a dozen conversations with strangers who were fascinated by the ID.Buzz. One of my neighbors stopped their car dramatically when they saw it, backed up, and just had to give me a thumbs up and praise it as "cool as hell." My kids were similarly enamored, they loved its cute design and enormous interior space. In many ways, it's the family EV I've been dreaming of - something that could comfortably seat seven people and carry tons of cargo for road trips. Unfortunately, its high $60,000 starting price and relatively lackluster 234 mile range hold it back from true greatness. Really, though, those issues were obvious when VW announced its US launch details for the ID.Buzz last year. I was more intrigued to see if it was a complete flop for VW, or if there was something compelling about it despite those flaws. After testing the ID.Buzz for a week, I've noticed one surprising thing: It makes everyone smile. It may not look exactly like VW's classic '60s microbus, but it elicits a similar amount of joy. And that's refreshing compared to the response I've seen to other large EVs like the Cybertruck (my son calls it the "ugly truck") and the ridiculous Hummer EV. Sure, it's sort of coasting on vibes, but the VW ID.Buzz still has plenty of practical benefits if you don't mind the high price and charging a bit more often during road trips. And as I'll explain below, it'll likely be an enticing option once it hits the used market in a few years. What is the VW ID.Buzz? Most cynically, the ID.Buzz is an attempt to milk the brand nostalgia for VW's hippy-era Type 2 microbus. VW never quite gave up on those vehicles, but its later models dropped the cute rounded aesthetic and looked more like commercial vans. What makes the ID.Buzz truly interesting is that it transforms a beloved classic into a cutting-edge EV, with an enormous infotainment screen and modern features like adaptive cruise control. It also makes a great first impression, since it doesn't look like anything else on the road. There's a rounded front end that evokes the playfulness of the original model, and its two-tone color design (on some trims) simply pops among a sea of boring (and often white) cars in traffic. Sure, VW has done this before, but the Buzz is still a great reminder that EVs don't have to look like traditional vehicles. There's no front engine to worry about, just a big battery and electric motors. In the Buzz's case, you can choose from rear-wheel drive and "4Motion" all-wheel drive dual motors, delivering 282 and 335 horsepower, respectively. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The ID.Buzz offers the seating of a minivan - with room for six to seven people depending on your configuration, and convenient sliding second-row doors - plus the height and storage capacity more akin to cargo vans. With all of its seats up, the Buzz offers an acceptable 18.6 cubic feet of storage, which is enough for a typical grocery run or a stroller and a diaper bag. Fold the third row down, though, and you get a far more useful 75.5 cubic feet of space. You could also remove the second and third row of seats entirely to get a massive 145.5 cubic feet of space. Funny enough, you could technically fit three people into the Buzz's third row, but US regulators have taken issue since that row only has two seatbelts. VW has recalled existing vehicles and says it'll be adding "unpadded trim parts" to reduce the seating area. Yes, it's the rare recall where you'll actually lose a bit of functionality in the name of safety. (Nobody is actually forcing Buzz owners to do that, though...) As for other niceties, the ID.Buzz offers an enormous 12.9-inch infotainment screen (I've never seen Apple CarPlay look so big before), a smaller driving information screen behind the steering wheel and an optional heads-up display. There's also a panoramic sunroof option, which can't be opened but can be tinted to look opaque on demand. Our review unit didn't have that sunroof, unfortunately, and the interior certainly felt a bit gloomier because of that. If I were seriously considering the ID.Buzz, I'd argue the sunroof a is requirement. (Admittedly, it could be a problem if you're trying to get babies and toddlers to sleep, since the interior will never truly get dark. But kids outgrow napping fairly quickly, and it's easy to find canopies for car seats.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's good about the VW ID.Buzz? The best thing about the ID.Buzz is the vibe you get while driving it around town. People will stop and stare at it, kids will point at it excitedly and harried parents will approach it like the monolith from 2001. It's as if VW's designers took Marie Kondo's advice to heart: It simply sparks joy. As I dropped off my son at daycare one morning, one of the school's admins dragged me outside and demanded to see the interior. "I wish I could retire in this thing and travel the country," she said. The ID.Buzz is also very capable as an EV. Despite its large size, it's quick to accelerate and incredibly comfortable on the highway and bumpy roads. Parking was a bit annoying, but the Buzz was also easy to maneuver thanks to the large infotainment screen, which could display both single-camera and 360-degree overhead views at the same time. I had a much easier time backing into spots than I did with much smaller cars. The Buzz's large second row could easily fit three carseats side-by-side, assuming you get the models with the middle bench seat. I was able to hook up my son's carseat and my daughter's booster chair in a few minutes, without the finger-cramping I usually experience with my Volvo XC90 SUV. (One downside to the second row? You can't open its windows fully, instead only a smaller section of the windows open up.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget I also instantly appreciated the Buzz's enormous storage area, as it was able to fit a large pile of charity donations that were sitting in my garage. That included a bike trailer for kids as well as an old high chair. We were able to fully load up the trunk with the third-row seats down, and there was still room in the second row for additional gear. That trip likely would have been possible with my Volvo, but it would have involved cramming in large items more creatively. With the ID.Buzz, I didn't break a sweat. Now that I'm several years into being a suburban dad with two kids (sigh), I've learned to appreciate the benefits of less flashy and more practical transportation. And there's no doubt the ID.Buzz is useful. In addition to that donation drop-off, I was also able to comfortably pile my parents into the Buzz along with my kids for a day trip. My dad thought the third row was absolutely huge, and my mom had no trouble sitting in the second row alongside the child and booster seats. There's no other EV that's this flexible. The Rivian R1S is far more expensive, and the Kia EV9 is great but doesn't offer as much storage. And neither of those cars have minivan-like sliding doors, which are a life-saver in tight parking spots. There's no true EV minivan in the US at this point, the best you can get is the hybrid Toyota Sienna (which I loved) and the plug-in hybrid Pacifica (which I had to dump because of Chrysler's terrible build quality). Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's bad about the VW ID.Buzz? The hardest pill to swallow with the Buzz is its $60,000 starting price, which can escalate to over $70,000 if you want all the fixins. Basically, it's a luxury curiosity for those who can afford it, not something that's easily attainable for everyone. Its price could be excused if the Buzz also offered everything we see in comparable EVs, but its short 234-mile range is just inexcusable when the EV9 can reach 309 miles for around the same price. For such a large vehicle, you'd think VW would be able to stuff in more batteries. Realistically, the Buzz's range only becomes a problem during long road trips, where you'll have to charge more often compared to other EVs. But that can be an annoying process, since you'll typically have to spend at least half an hour at a charging station to get ready for the next leg of your trip. VW says the Buzz can go from 10 to 80 percent charge on a 200 kW DC fast charger in 30 minutes, but those aren't available everywhere. One hour of level 2 AC charging got me 12 percent of additional battery life, while level 1 trickle charging at home added 20 percent of juice over 14 hours. It's also worth noting that range estimates vary dramatically in cold weather, or if you're cranking the Buzz's heat or air conditioning. That's why it's always smart to aim for as much range as you can, even if you don't think you'll be driving that much. Volkswagen Beyond the obvious problems, I also hated the Buzz's capacitive touch controls, which are spread across its steering wheel buttons, infotainment center and window controls. While there are indentations and a bit of haptic feedback when you hit something, like pumping up the volume or choosing the next music track via the steering wheel, it's hard to differentiate those controls from nearby capacitive buttons. It's far too easy to tap the cruise control functions while you're just trying to change the volume, and vice versa. Since it's hard to actually feel where certain buttons are, I found myself looking down to make sure I was hitting the right option, which is something I absolutely hate doing while driving. Similarly, trying to adjust HVAC settings on the bottom portion of the infotainment screen can easily trigger the capacitive buttons below them, which was another reason I had to occasionally take my eyes off the road. Thankfully, VW appears to be focusing on physical buttons for future vehicles, but ID.Buzz owners are still left with a frustrating interface. The ID.Buzz's rearview mirror controls... how do they work? Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Here are just some of the ways the capacitive buttons infuriated me:

After watching its fixed-lens X100 VI camera do stratospheric sales numbers, Fujifilm decided to build a bigger and badder version that could go up against Leica's full-frame Q3. The result is the $4,899 GFX100RF, the first-ever 100-megapixel medium format compact camera. The GFX100RF has some novel features, like a crop dial that lets you choose aspect ratios ranging from vertical 3:4 to a panoramic 65:24. It can digitally zoom via a dedicated toggle and offers all the social media-friendly benefits of the X100 VI, including film simulations. You can even shoot medium-format 4K video. However, the GFX100RF has some flaws. Where Leica's Q3 has a fast 28mm f/1.7 lens and optical stabilization, Fujifilm's 35mm lens (28mm equivalent) here is limited to f4 and lacks any shake reduction, hurting the camera in low light. I've used the camera for nearly two weeks now and enjoyed it, but given the high price and quirks, it's definitely not for everyone. Design and handling Though it's Fujifilm's smallest medium-format camera, the GFX100RF is still a hefty unit at 735 grams. That's more than many full-frame mirrorless cameras and around the same weight as the Q3. The control layout is similar to the X100 VI with control dials on the front and back, along with exposure compensation, shutter speed and ISO controls on top. What's new is the aspect ratio dial that offers modes for 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 17:6, 3:4, 1:1, 7:6, 5:4 and 65:24 (the latter pays tribute to Fujifilm's TX-1 panoramic camera). The GFX100RF also has a toggle up front to select 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 63mm (full-frame equivalent) zoom levels. Those gradually lose resolution due to cropping, from 100MP at 28mm down to 20MP at 63mm. Bokeh is also reduced as the sensor size shrinks. The rear 2.1-million-dot, 3.15-inch display only tilts up and down, but that's fine for the camera's primary street photo role. Though sharp and detailed, the 5.76-million-dot electronic viewfinder unfortunately lacks the X100 VI's signature hybrid display that lets you switch between optical and electronic views. However, it does offer three modes to support the aspect ratio dial and make composition easier. One only shows the selected crop, another shows the full scene with a box around the crop and the third displays everything outside the crop at 50 percent opacity. Fujifilm's GFX100RF includes an innovative aspect ratio dial at back Steve Dent for Engadget Battery life on the GFX100RF is outstanding with up to 820 shots on a charge or about 100 minutes of 4K 30 fps video shooting. For me, that amounted to nearly two days of use, which is better than nearly every other (non-DSLR) camera I've tested. The camera also includes dual UHS-II memory card slots plus mic, headphone, microHDMI and USB-C ports. The latter allows not only data transfers and charging, but also SSD video recording. Performance The GFX100RF is essentially a GFX100S II squeezed into a compact body, so performance is similar with up to 6 fps burst shooting speeds. However, each RAW file is up to 150MB in size and JPEGs are 70MB, so even at those slower speeds, you can fill your memory cards very quickly. That said, this camera definitely isn't designed for sports or wildlife, so I didn't use burst shooting often. The autofocus is reliable when shooting single photos, but it's a little laggy for bursts. Using the face and eye detect AI modes helps nail eye focus reliably, but it's not as fast as Sony and Canon's systems. It also supports animal, bird and vehicle tracking, which helped me capture sharp photos of ducks floating on the Seine river in Paris. Steve Dent for Engadget The GFX100RF has both mechanical and silent electronic shutter modes. Rolling shutter skew is a big issue with this sensor in silent mode with fast moving subjects, though. Luckily, the mechanical shutter eliminates that and is nearly inaudible. The built-in ND filter can reduce light up to four stops, letting you shoot on sunny days while retaining some bokeh. However, the main problem is when there's not enough light. The minimum f4 aperture is simply inadequate and the lack of stabilization exacerbates the issue as you risk blurry photos at slow shutter speeds. In dim light you may need to pack a tripod, which isn't ideal for a compact camera. Image quality The aspect ratio and zoom options on the GFX100RF are handy and fun. Some curmudgeons may prefer to shoot full sensor 100MP photos and then just crop later in post production. But the GFX100RF lets you have your cake and eat it, too. You can apply all the crops, zooms and film simulations you want and save them as JPEGs for easy sharing. Then, if you need to go back and change something, you also have the full 100MP RAW image as a backup (though obviously, shooting both will fill your memory card more quickly). As with the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF is a top performer when it comes to detail and sharpness. Colors are pleasing and RAW files retain high amounts of dynamic range, allowing for easy adjustment in Lightroom. And of course, Fujifilm's film simulations give you colorful, nostalgic options - like Reala Ace or the dramatic black and white look of Acros - straight out of the camera. The GFX100RF also delivers beautiful bokeh, with the f4 aperture equivalent to around f3 for a full-frame camera in terms of depth of field (but not light gathering). Like other GFX models, the large sensor produces more dramatic images than full frame for portraits, landscapes or street shots. Like I mentioned, things fall apart when the light dims, though. With no option below f4 and no stabilization, I relied on high ISOs to boost exposure. The GFX100RF isn't bad in this area, with controllable noise up to about ISO 8000, but that's not high enough considering the other factors. For these reasons, the GFX100RF is less versatile than it could be. Video Steve Dent for Engadget The GFX100RF can handle 4K and widescreen DCI 4K at up to 30 fps with fairly high bit rates, as long as you have a fast UHS-II SD card. It can even shoot ProRes with at much higher data speeds, but for those, you'll need to record directly to an SSD via the USB Type-C port. Autofocus for video is decent but not incredibly fast, so ideally your subjects don't move too much. The AI-powered face and eye detection helps nail focus when filming people, but again, can fail if subjects dart around. Video has a dreamy quality and bokeh that only a large sensor can offer. Like the GFX100S II, the GFX100RF captures video using the full width of the sensor in most modes, albeit with pixel binning that reduces quality. The sharpest video comes with a 1.32x crop, but that reduces the image quality benefits of a large sensor. Video on the GFX100RF has one thing going for it that the photo side lacks: digital stabilization. This smooths out shakiness for handheld shots, but the excessive rolling shutter limits your ability to move the camera quickly. Colors are pleasing and easy to adjust, particularly when using Fujifilim's F-Log or F-Log2 10-bit modes to boost dynamic range. And of course, Reala Ace, Acros and other film simulations are available in video modes to create great looks straight out of the camera. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget Fujifilm's $4,899 GFX100RF is a powerful camera with incredible image quality that's hampered by a lack of low-light performance. It's also a niche and expensive product that, unlike Fujifilm's popular X100 VI, only appeals to a small group of photographers. Its primary rival in this space is Leica's Q3, which has a smaller 60MP full-frame sensor and higher $6,735 price tag. However, the Q3 has a much faster 28mm f/1.7 lens, less rolling shutter, a single SD UHS-II card slot and up to 8K video. It also has the Leica brand cachet, which does mean something to people spending this kind of money. The GFX100RF is fun to use, though, and introduces several innovations like the aspect ratio dial. Though it may never have a huge market, I think products like this push the industry in new directions and create conversations that draw new people into photography. So even though I'd never buy one, I'm glad the GFX100RF exists for those reasons.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-gfx100rf-review-a-powerful-and-fun-camera-thats-far-from-perfect-133034384.html?src=rss

The Steam Deck just got even more useful. NVIDIA's native GeForce NOW app is now available for the portable console, after being teased back at CES. This allows Steam Deck owners to stream the entire library of over 2,200 games, with up to a 4K resolution at 60FPS.There are some benefits to using this service even when the game already runs natively on the Steam Deck. The integration provides HDR, DLSS 4 and Reflex on supported titles and the settings can be pushed much higher than usual. This is a streaming platform, so the Steam Deck is more or less just a display for cloud content.To that end, NVIDIA promises a massive increase in battery life when using GeForce NOW as compared to running a game natively on the console. The company says players could squeeze around 50 percent more use out of the Steam Deck before requiring a charge. This is a big deal, as the Deck is a noted battery hog.It also allows players to run games that aren't available on the handheld. GeForce NOW pulls its library from Steam, Epic Games Store, Game Pass for PC, Ubisoft, Blizzard's Battle.net and other places. NVIDIA says that it can be used to run games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Monster Hunter Wilds and Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 "at max settings without worrying about hardware limits." That's an enticing proposition.The Steam Deck is also easily docked to a TV, offering a way to play the aforementioned titles on the big screen. There's a free version of GeForce NOW to try it out, but it comes with serious caveats. The queues are generally much longer here than with paid subscriptions and users are limited to play sessions of one hour. The company's offering a six-month Performance membership right now for $30. This reverts back to $50 once the period expires.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nvidias-native-geforce-now-app-is-now-available-for-steam-deck-130016615.html?src=rss

Tesla's robotaxi service has started testing in Austin without drivers in advance of its promised June launch, according to the company. "For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no on in driver's seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents," CEO Elon Musk posted on X. "A month ahead of schedule."Earlier this year, Tesla promised to launch its robotaxi service sometime in June, using an internal fleet of 10 to 20 Model Ys operating in a limited, geo-fenced part of Austin with remote human assistance. The level of human assistance (teleoperation) isn't clear, but there are fears based on Tesla's recent history that human operators may be used to cover up any technical deficiencies in Tesla's self-driving vehicles.A recent Bloomberg report was more specific about the launch date with paid customers, putting it at June 12. However, reports earlier this month indicated that Tesla had yet to even start testing without drivers as of mid-May, so it would only have a few weeks of testing before a commercial launch.On top of that, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still in the dark about many details around the service. "The agency would like to gather additional information about Tesla's development of technologies for use in 'robotaxi' vehicles to understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads," the NHTSA wrote in a May 8 letter to Tesla.That information is key for public safety, because Tesla will only be using camera-based systems and not LiDAR and radar sensors like Waymo and other robotaxi operators. In a recent analyst call, Elon Musk said that the Model Y robotaxi vehicles would be the same as Model Y vehicles sold to the public. "There's no change to it," Musk said (before being contradicted by Tesla's Autopilot software director).No other details were released, but the upcoming service is certainly of critical importance to the automaker given flagging Tesla EV sales, particularly in Europe. CEO Elon Musk famously staked the future of Tesla on robotaxis, reportedly even canceling a budget EV to focus on that service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-it-has-been-testing-driverless-model-ys-in-austin-for-several-days-123037251.html?src=rss