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The following contains spoilers for Rogue."Doctor Who has always been gay.From the get-go, many of its key creative figures were queer, and a large proportion of its fans are too. As Tat Wood explained in his essays in show guide About Time 6, the mix of science, fantasy and camp offered subtextual solace for queer youth in less tolerant times. Russell T. Davies returned and pledged to start saying the quiet part as loudly as he possibly could. As it stands, Rogue" is probably the overtly gayest episode of Doctor Who ever made.Rogue" was written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman, the former best known as the director and executive producer of Disney's Loki. Davies was loudly critical of Loki's single nod toward the character's pansexuality, calling it a craven, feeble gesture." This, then, is a chance to make amends by embracing all of the modern-day queer-geek touchstones. Rogue" is an episode that sprints through slash fiction, D&D, cosplay, identity and, of course, the simmering erotic tension generated when two hot dudes face off against one another.Bad Wolf / BBC StudiosAs for the plot, it's another modern-day Doctor Who that is carried by performances and vibes rather than mechanics. We open in 1813 at a stately home where two gentlemen" are arguing in the night over a Lady's HonorTM. But the heroic figure breaks character, annoyed that his wimpy part isn't as fun as playing the conniving, libidinous villain. Turns out he's an alien that can absorb other people's identities, leaving nothing but a desiccated corpse.Inside the building, the Doctor and Ruby are dancing along to the Bridgerton-esque party, indulging their love of the Netflix series. Ruby is wearing a pair of Sonic Earrings that either control or inform her movements (it's not clear) letting her partake in the formal dances. The earrings pick up interference, sending the Doctor off to investigate while Ruby immerses herself in capital-S Society. The source of the disturbance is a brooding figure lurking on a balcony above the dance floor: Rogue (Jonathan Groff).Rogue is a bounty hunter sent to apprehend the alien - a Childer - who transforms into other people at the cost of their lives. The Doctor and Rogue slink off to discuss the matter in private and find the remains of the Duchess of Pemberton (Indira Varma). The pair accuse each other of being the Childer but, since Rogue has a gun and the Doctor doesn't, he wins the argument. He marches our hero at gunpoint to his spaceship and uses a device to trap him in place, planning to dump him in an incinerator. The Doctor, however, is more interested in flirting with Rogue and hijacking the ship's sound system to play Kylie Minogue.Once Rogue has scanned the Doctor and discovered he's not a Childer (complete with fan-baity images of past Doctors) they agree to work together. They talk about their lives, and the fact they have both clearly lost people along their journeys. After the Doctor has toured Rogue's ship (it's messy, he leaves his D&D dice on his main console) they visit the TARDIS. Both offer each other the chance at a better, or at least different, life, although we know deep down neither of them could ever leave what they have now. It doesn't stop them from getting ever closer, but never quite being able to act upon their obvious impulse to lock lips. Now, with the help of the TARDIS, the Doctor modifies Rogue's trap to more humanely exile them to an alternate dimension instead of an incinerator.Meanwhile, Ruby is watching some Bridgerton drama, making friends with a character who behaves like she's drawn out of a Jane Austen parody. It turns out that she is also a Childer, one of a handful that came to Earth to LARP their way through the evening. The gag being that, much like the Doctor and Ruby, they're all Bridgerton fans who came to indulge in some fantasy. The night will end with a grand wedding, albeit one that just happens to descend into homicidal chaos.After a chase, the Doctor and Rogue return to the house to see Ruby, now apparently the latest costume change for one of the Childers. Ruby's apparent death unleashes the Doctor's vengeful side, and he prepares to sentence all of the aliens to a long and painful exile as a consequence. But when he does trap the Childers, it turns out Ruby was just playing along and had actually beaten her would-be attacker. But once the trap is sprung, it can't be undone, and so the Doctor is faced with no choice but to condemn his friend along with his foes.As a payoff, Rogue passionately snogs the Doctor and takes the trap controls out of his hand. Knowing that the Doctor can't decide what to do, he sacrifices himself to push Ruby out of the trap, taking her place in the process. He triggers the trap, imprisoning himself in the alternate dimension with the Chidlers. As dawn breaks, the Doctor talks a good game about moving on, as we all must do in times of loss, but Ruby sees through it. There's no way for him to rescue Rogue, and so he must accept what has happened and move on to pastures new. Which, in this case, is the next episode, the first part of the series' two-part finale.Bad Wolf / BBC StudiosOne downside of Doctor Who's abridged season is that we've been deprived of a lot of Ncuti Gatwa. He was absent much of the last two episodes and only at the end of Dot and Bubble" did he get his first showpiece moment. Given Gatwa's generosity to share focus with his co-stars, it's gratifying to see him getting a chance to shine. And while Groff has to play Rogue as a stoic for much of the episode, the interaction between the pair is joyful.I don't feel as qualified to talk about the queer representation in the episode, but their chemistry felt believable and grounded. I'll leave it to better, more qualified writers to expand on these themes, but I was urging the pair to kiss every time their faces came close. It's funny how time changes your opinion on things: When the Doctor kissed in the doomed 1996 TV movie, I hated it. The idea of a sexy Doctor enmeshed in such human trivialities outraged my 12-year-old mind. Now, I just want the Doctor to bang whoever they want, whenever they want.The nature of a guest-starring role in a running TV series means that there was no chance Groff would not die or be exiled into the ambiguous if you ever fancy coming back" void. But it does mean Doctor Who's loudly, proudly queer era has embraced the Bury Your Gays" trope. It's sad to see two men who are attracted to one another not get a chance to embrace that future, even if Rogue's sacrifice is noble and well-telegraphed.None of that should detract from the fact Rogue" is a delightful way to spend an hour, and yet another welcome swerve both across genres and tones. It's a gloriously slashy and fun romp that should help show that Doctor Who is a vehicle through which you can tell almost any story it's possible to tell. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with it all those years ago, and I hope you have too.Susan Twist CornerI was on vacation and so couldn't review Dot and Bubble," which was a magnificent episode of Doctor Who. Last week, the pair recognized Twist who was playing Penny Pepper-Bean, and the Doctor even took a picture of her face. They also both clocked where they'd seen her before, although Ruby's memory was shakier given the time-bending weirdness of 73 Yards."Here, Twist is depicted in a portrait which, again, the Doctor notices and records. It does appear that the show has managed to find a way to balance the needs of each episode with the knowledge fans will scrub every frame for more meaning. But this isn't Davies' first time mining the show's metatext and paratext to bait fans: 2008's The Next Doctor" played with audience expectations after David Tennant announced he would be leaving but information about his successor was kept quiet.It might be nothing, but Rogue also mentions his bounty-hunting paperwork" has gotten a lot more demanding since the new boss" took over. Is that a hint about a big bad or just a character moaning about the admin side of their job?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doctor-who-rogue-review-just-kiss-already-130005431.html?src=rss

Heart Machine is working overtime. The studio is gearing up to release Hyper Light Breaker, a big ol' online adventure game, and it just revealed another title that's in development and due out soon: Possessor(s). It's scheduled to hit PC and consoles in 2025.Possessor(s) is a twitchy action sidescroller set in a sci-fi city overrun by interdimensional horror. In its reveal trailer, it looks absolutely beautiful - demonic, dramatic and hyper-chromatic.Possessor(s) is set in a quarantined metropolis that's been invaded by otherworldly forces, featuring 3D backgrounds and hand-painted characters coated in a sickly VHS glow. Combat involves lots of melee with found objects, sliding down long corridors and swinging from a grappling hook, with more weapons unlocked and upgraded as the experience progresses.Possessor(s) stars the host, Luca, and her problematic counterpart, Rehm. In order to survive, they need to learn how to coexist, and together they're on a mission to discover the source of the catastrophe that destroyed this city. There's an open-ended narrative with multiple paths to travel down, and a roster of characters to meet, each new story of devastation illuminating the larger mystery.Every cutscene in the Possessor(s) announcement trailer could be a screensaver and combat looks super smooth. It's developed by Heart Machine and published by Devolver Digital.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/possessors-is-an-eerily-beautiful-action-sidescroller-from-heart-machine-003306696.html?src=rss

The Crush House, the latest game from Reigns developer Nerial, will debut on August 9.Described as a "thirst-person shooter," The Crush House has you playing as a camera person tasked with filming a 1999 reality show. You'll cast four out of 12 potential characters for the show, and then film them at a secluded Malibu mansion for a week to create your season. The aim is to find the perfect reality-show balance of drama, romance and near-violence to keep audiences hooked. Similar to the Reigns games, you'll have to play to different audiences' desires to keep the show ratings up, and pleasing everyone is a near-impossible task.There seems to be a lot more to The Crush House than just a run-of-the-mill reality show. From the trailer, there's clearly some dark horror going on behind the scenes, and you'll be able to explore the mansion after-hours, talk to the cast and live out your dream of being a Bravo producer. Because everyone dreams of that, right? Right?The Crush House hits PC on August 9, published by Devolver Digital, and there's a demo set to hit Steam imminently.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/thirst-person-shooter-the-crush-house-hits-pc-on-august-9-002222406.html?src=rss

Phoenix Springs is a point-and-click detective game that looks like the cover of a mid-century sci-fi novel, and it's due to go live on Steam on September 16.Steeped in mystery and a vibrant neo-noir aesthetic, Phoenix Springs follows reporter Iris Dormer as she searches for her brother, Leo, in a mysterious community at the heart of a desert oasis. It's a challenging puzzle game featuring voice acting and a minimal UI, and Iris' inventory is designed to be filled with mental notes rather than physical objects, encouraging players to think in abstractions.Visually, there's no other game like Phoenix Springs. It mixes 2D and 3D animations, and it's composed of hand-drawn scenes featuring heavy shadows and muted greens, with bright pops of yellow and red. The game looks old and new at the same time, and for puzzle fans, it's one of the most intriguing titles coming out this year.Phoenix Springs is developed and published by Calligram Studio, a four-person art collective based in London. Calligram launched a Kickstarter for the game in 2017 and successfully raised more than 10,000. Over the past seven years, Calligram has secured a handful of prestigious awards and nominations for Phoenix Springs, adding an extra touch of anticipation to today's release-date announcement.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/phoenix-springs-possibly-the-prettiest-detective-game-ever-arrives-september-16-235408369.html?src=rss

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is due to hit PC, Switch, PlayStation 5 and mobile devices on July 25.Arranger is an adventure game with a simple and disruptive conceit: The world exists on a grid of sliding tiles. Moving the main character, Jemma, slides the connected row or column of tiles with her, shifting the landscape as she travels. This mechanic turns walking into a puzzle and it forms the basis of the game's spatial riddles.Jemma is a misfit who's venturing outside of her cozy home for the first time, discovering all of the amazing and terrifying things the wider world has to offer. The land is ruled by a strange, static force, and Jemma's mission is to make the place loosen up (quite literally, it would seem).Arranger is developed and published by indie studio Furniture & Mattress, which includes Braid artist David Helman, Carto writer Nick Suttner, Per Aspera composer Tomas Batista and Ethereal developer Nicolas Recabarren. The mobile version of Arranger will be distributed through Netflix, meaning anyone with an active subscription should be able to play at no extra charge.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/arranger-turns-a-slide-puzzle-into-an-adventure-game-this-july-232441365.html?src=rss

And now for a game that's actually 50 games - at least.UFO 50, the latest project from Spelunky studio Mossmouth, is due to hit Steam on September 18, about six years after it was originally expected to launch. That's merely an observation, not a criticism - UFO 50 is an ambitious project that offers 50 full, retro-styled games in a single package, and it's all coming from a team of just six people.In UFO 50 lore, UFO Soft was a game developer who was active between 1982 and 1990, peak NES and Genesis years. The games collected in UFO 50 feature recurring characters and sequels from UFO Soft's fictional past, and they're restricted in terms of color and audio, as if they had actually been developed for bygone hardware. Mossmouth is manifesting an alternate timeline of video game history here, and it looks like a ton of fun.The story of UFO 50 is that the games were all created in the 80s by a fictional company that was obscure but ahead of its time," the game's FAQ reads. They're also connected by a unique 32-color palette and other restrictions we decided on to make them feel more authentic. (However, we don't force sprite flickering or slowdown, as we didn't feel that it would make the games more enjoyable.)"Every game in UFO 50 is unlocked from the start, and the collection features a wide variety of genres, including platformers, RPGs, roguelites and shoot-em-ups. None of the titles are mini- or micro-games, and while they're all done in an 8-bit aesthetic, their visual and mechanical styles evolve with the years. Every game is playable solo, and half of them include multiplayer elements.All that said, I think Mossmouth is selling itself short by calling UFO 50 a collection of just 50 games. Sure, it includes 50 individual experiences inspired by classic games of the 1980s, but there's also one huge, hidden title in the collection - UFO 50 itself. Don't forget to factor that into your pricing deliberations, Mossmouth.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ufo-50-the-latest-game-from-the-spelunky-team-will-finally-arrive-september-18-231541214.html?src=rss

The next title out of Capybara Games - the studio behind Super Time Force, Below and Grindstone - is a competitive, online puzzler with real-time strategy and color-matching mechanics, live updates and a seasonal narrative shaped by players. It's called Battle Vision Network, and it's heading to PC and mobile devices in 2025.Battle Vision Network feels like an encapsulation of Capy's sensibilities over 20 years as an independent game studio. It's adorable in a Saturday-morning-cartoon kind of way, kind of like OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes. It relies on color-matching tactics, much like Grindstone. It has music from longtime Capy collaborator Jim Guthrie (Sword & Sworcery, Below) and Grindstone composer Sam Webster. And finally, it's a one-on-one puzzle fight, similar to Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. In the announcement video for BVN, director Dan Vader described the new game as a spiritual successor to Clash of Heroes with an emphasis on multiplayer combat.BVN has unlockable units with special abilities and a roster of customizable characters. The environments in BVN are outlandish and bright, packed with alien creatures, enthusiastic astronaut spectators and at least one talking skeleton. There are a handful of intergalactic teams in the game, each with a specific vibe, captain and engagement style. Every season players will determine the champion by battling under the banner of their preferred team and racking up points in a shared pool, affecting stats, events and narrative outcomes for everyone.Capy is building BVN to be accessible but deep, with hours of replayability baked into its design. Netflix will distribute the iOS and Android versions of the game, meaning it should be available to all Netflix subscribers at no extra charge.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/battle-vision-network-is-capys-spiritual-successor-to-might--magic-clash-of-heroes-230547594.html?src=rss

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, the stunning action and strategy RPG from Capcom, is set to come out on July 19 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5 and PC. It'll be a day-one Xbox Game Pass title.We've had our eyes on Path of the Goddess for a while now. Even just in early trailers, it seems to offer a beautiful exploration of Japanese folklore, featuring lush settings packed with reactive details and dangerous creatures to battle. In Path of the Goddess, the land is fighting back against the people who have defiled it, spreading blight and spawning monsters called the Seethe. Players have to recruit villagers to their side during the day, and at night, they fight the Seethe, strategizing and managing resources along the way.Capcom is celebrating Japanese history and culture with this game, similar to its previous titles Okami and Shinsekai: Into the Depths.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/capcoms-kunitsu-gami-path-of-the-goddess-is-coming-out-surprisingly-soon-230516011.html?src=rss

Simpler Times, the game that's sweet like honey on a summer's day, is out right now. Simpler Times is a soft and slow exploration game set in a supremely cozy bedroom, featuring a lifetime of memories to uncover and a soundtrack of soothing lo-fi music. Simpler Times is available on Steam.The game takes place over four seasons, as the protagonist, Tania, clears out her childhood bedroom and looks back on her life. Her room is compact, with a wide bay window, a desk, a bed and a record player, which controls the game's soundtrack. Players have to physically swap out the vinyl to keep the lo-fi beats going: remove the record, select a new one, slide the arm back and forth, drop the needle down. The process is meditative and rewarding, just like the rest of the game.Indie studio stoneskip and publisher iam8bit announced Simpler Times' surprise launch during the Day of the Devs showcase, which is part of Summer Game Fest. We played the demo at last year's SGF and found it to be the coziest game of the show.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/simpler-times-the-coziest-game-of-summer-game-fest-2023-is-available-now-225927580.html?src=rss

Alan Wake 2 is getting its first DLC package, which will consist of three separate chapters letting players explore the weird world of Alan Wake 2 with three new, if familiar, characters. The DLC itself is called Night Springs, and it'll be available to download and play tomorrow.Night Springs is a TV show that appears in the Alan Wake universe and if we followed that show's Twilight Zone theme, these spin-off chapters could be episodes' of this series, existing in parallel realities".Think of it as Remedy's take on Marvel's What If..., because you'll get to play as Alan Wake's biggest fan, Rose Marigold, Quantum Break's Jack Joyce and Control's Jesse Faden, in each chapter, respectively.It's a fun idea for DLC and it seems like Remedy is looking to get silly. Sinister voices tell Jesse to try the coffee." We get a jump cut to Shawn Ashmore's acting' as Quantum Break's Jack Joyce and a talking Billy Bass for fair measure. As mentioned alongside the full reveal, the DLC will be downloadable starting June 8.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alan-wake-2s-first-expansion-brings-remedys-other-heroes-to-night-springs-225204575.html?src=rss

The massively popular free-to-play tactical shooter Valorant is finally coming to consoles, as announced on-stage at Summer Game Fest. The game will be available for both Xbox Series X/S and PS5 as a limited beta starting on June 14. Once the beta concludes and Riot Games works out all of the bugs based on player feedback, it'll be available globally to all users.There are some caveats. You have to sign up for the beta right here and it will initially only be available in the US, Canada, Europe, the UK and Japan, with more regions to follow. Riot has also stated that there will be no crossplay between PC and console players, so as to maintain Valorant's renowned standard for competitive integrity."To that end, the game has been redesigned specifically for console controllers, with the company teasing custom-built" gameplay. This won't allow for crossplay, but will allow for a connected inventory and shared gameplay progression. Riot has also promised that both console and PC players will receive simultaneous updates, so patches, agents, maps and premium content will drop at the same time.We knew we had to be able to offer the same uncompromising, competitive experience that we've provided to PC players for years: a precise, team-based, tactical shooter," said Arnar Gylfason, production director at Riot Games. We hope we nailed it, but ultimately, our players will have the final say."For the uninitiated, Valorant has made a name for itself by focusing on precision and strategy, a rarity in the free-to-play FPS space. If you go in guns blazing without some serious tactical planning and some check-ins with your team, you'll lose every single time. It's more about outsmarting your opponents than shooting. It's also a major player in the esports scene.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/valorant-is-coming-to-xbox-series-xs-and-ps5-in-a-limited-beta-on-june-14-230016116.html?src=rss

The massive success of Among Uschanged the lives of the developers at Innersloth. Now, the team is paying that forward by helping to fund a bunch of other indie games under its new label Outersloth (perfect name, zero notes).Among the projects that Outersloth has backed so far are Mars First Logistics (a Mars rover building sim that went into early access last year), card battler RPG Battle Suit Aces, exploration game Mossfield Archives, single-button boss rush title One Btn Bosses and space dog fighting roguelike Rogue Eclipse. Strange Scaffold (An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs) and Visai Games (the fantastic Venba) are getting a hand from Outersloth too.Outersloth is also funding the next project from Outerloop Games, the team behind the acclaimed Thirsty Suitors. It's in the very early stages of development and it's called Project Dosa. It will see you exploring the world in an upgradable mech, cooking for a community, fending off bad guys and much more.It's very cool to see Outersloth giving indie developers another way to finance their games beyond the traditional publisher approach, relying on crowdfunding or going into early access. Meanwhile, Summer Game Fest Live included the first peek at the Among Us animated TV show.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/innersloth-is-spending-all-its-among-us-money-on-indie-games-224010763.html?src=rss

Slitterhead, the new, twisted title from Silent Hill series director Keiichiro Toyama, is due to hit PC and consoles on November 8. A new trailer debuted today during the Summer Game Fest kickoff event, showcasing slightly more information (and blood) than the original teaser we saw in December 2021.Slitterhead is a third-person action and horror experience with possession mechanics and a cast of giant, bug-like enemies to hack and slash. There seem to be hints of a detective storyline here, but most of the new trailer is concerned with punching, kicking, slicing, clawing and shooting a bunch of hulking monsters on dense city streets. It looks strange, spooky and incredibly satisfying.Slitterhead comes from Bokeh Studio, which was formed by Toyama and other Sony veterans in 2020. Devil May Cry character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Gravity Rush lead designer Junya Okura and Puppeteer lead designer Kazunobu Sato are working on the project as well.The November 8 release date for Slitterhead puts it in close proximity to the Silent Hill 2 remake, which is due to come out on October 8 from Bloober Team and Konami. It's a real Dead Space and Callisto Protocol situation.Slitterhead will land on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5, Steam and the Epic Games Store.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/silent-hill-creators-new-game-slitterhead-lands-november-8-222731843.html?src=rss

The team behind Furiand Haven is back with something completely different and seriously intense: Cairn. It's a rock-climbing simulator set on the face of a lethally steep mountain, starring an alpinist who's determined to be the first person to reach its summit. Players can climb literally everywhere in Cairn, and the challenge lies in maintaining balance and stamina moment-to-moment. If you don't, the climber falls and dangles on their tether, expelling a scream of frustration. It's kind of like GIRP, but incredibly elegant and super hardcore.Cairn is a survival climber," according to The Game Bakers, and it includes moments of slow mundanity among the extreme physical exertion. As they ascend, players are able to establish a limited number of checkpoints by screwing pitons into the rock, and choosing where to place these is a critical aspect of the game's strategy.The Game Bakers debuted Cairn during the Summer Game Fest opening show. Its development team includes sound designer Lukas Julian Lentz, who worked on Cocoon, and audio director Martin Stig Andersen, whose previous projects include Limbo, Inside and Control. It's currently scheduled for a 2025 release on PC and consoles.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-game-bakers-cairn-turns-mountain-climbing-into-a-boss-rush-220638117.html?src=rss

The Hogwarts sports game Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions now has a release date. The multiplayer title, announced last year, will arrive on PC and consoles on September 3.The game, a companion to last year's Hogwarts Legacy, is a complete, standalone Quidditch experience" that engages players in the sport of Quidditch and other broomstick adventures alongside friends in a competitive, multiplayer setting." The game is developed by Unbroken Studios, known for supporting work on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and published by WB Games.Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will be available on PS5 / PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One and PC. You'll need an online connection to play.You can check out the release date trailer below. It showcases familiar Harry Potter characters, from Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Weasley twins to smaller roles like Viktor Krum:Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/harry-potter-quidditch-champions-arrives-on-september-3-212932083.html?src=rss

The Summer Game Fest Live showcase started with a bang - depending on how much you enjoy both Aloy and Lego games. Lego Horizon Adventures, a spinoff of Guerrilla Games' Horizon series, is coming to PS5 and PC this holiday season. Oh, and it'll be available on Nintendo Switch too.For the first time, you'll be able to play a Horizon game in co-op, either locally or online. It seems that this version will retell some of the story of the mainline games too, albeit with lots of digital bricks. While Aloy is often funny in the two mainline Horizon series, she's usually deadpan. It'll be interesting to see how that squares with the typically offbeat humor of Lego games.Lego stalwart Traveller's Tales isn't involved here. Instead, Guerilla is working on Horizon Adventures with Studio Gobo, a team that's helped out on games as varied as Hogwarts Legacy and For Honor.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/aloy-is-getting-the-lego-treatment-in-horizon-adventures-212512320.html?src=rss

Thank Goodness You're Here! was perhaps the highlight of Untitled Goose Game publisher Panic's first-ever game show last year. It's described as a "slapformer" or slapstick platformer, and it's set in a fictional Northern English town called Barnsworth. With a Cartoon Network aesthetic and a very English sense of humor, it captured a lot of peoples' hearts.Today, developer Coal Supper announced the game's voice cast, with Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows) headlining and a lot of UK talent that will be familiar to those in the know, including Chris Cantrill of Icklewick FM. Expect a lot of accents that would be subtitled on US TV.Also new is a release date of August 1, which Coal Supper says is also Yorkshire Day. My somewhat northern colleague Mat Smith informs me this is a real thing. Either way, this all looks like a lot of fun - it's coming to PC, Switch and PlayStation, and you can catch a bunch of cute GIFs on the game's official site.Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/slapstick-platformer-thank-goodness-youre-here-arrives-august-1-205215490.html?src=rss

TikTok says it has fixed a vulnerability that allowed for a cyberattack that targeted high-profile accounts, as reported by Axios. A TikTok spokesperson added that the company is currently working to restore access to impacted users.The social media giant hasn't announced how many accounts were hit by the attack, but we do know that CNN and Paris Hilton were targets. The hack involved sending messages to users that were filled with malicious code. When the user opened up the message, the code went to work and took over the entire account. Oddly, the impacted accounts didn't post anything while they were compromised.It remains unclear who was behind the attack and what their ultimate goal was, aside from taking over celebrity TikTok accounts. TikTok also remains mum as to the specifics regarding the vulnerability that allowed for the attack in the first place. This type of hack is extremely rare, however, so it shouldn't be a big concern for average users.The hack is known as a zero-click attack, meaning that you don't have to click on anything to get infected. In this case, users just had to open up a direct message. The method used here is similar to zero-click spyware attacks, only those hackers target high-profile government officials and journalists for the purpose of secretly gathering information. This attack took over the whole account for unknown purposes.This isn't the first big TikTok hack. Last year, over 700,000 accounts in Turkey were compromised due to insecure SMS channels. Researchers at Microsoft discovered a flaw back in 2022 that let hackers overtake accounts with just a single click. Later that same year, an alleged security breach allegedly impacted more than a billion users. That's a whole lot of people.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-says-it-fixed-a-vulnerability-that-enabled-a-cyberattack-on-high-profile-accounts-184313591.html?src=rss

We're still a ways out from Amazon's upcoming Prime Day sale and most Memorial Day promotions have ended, but this week, we still found a decent amount of discounts on gadgets we've reviewed and recommend. Searches turned up a surprising number of deals on Apple stuff. Does that have anything to do with the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next week? I have no idea. What matters is you can now get a new iPad Air, the latest Apple Watch, the second-gen Apple Pencil and a pair of AirPod Max headphones for less than you'd pay otherwise. If you could care less about Apple, there are plenty of other deals to check out, including discounts on Samsung Bluetooth trackers, the Google Pixel 8 Pro and some great earbuds for running. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-ch720n-wireless-headphones-are-down-to-98-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-173016749.html?src=rss

Qualcomm's new commercial that revives Justin Long as a frustrated Mac user who decides to spend hundreds of dollars on a new computer rather than manage his notifications is objectively terrible. (The mocking has been so brutal that Qualcomm deleted the commercial from its YouTube channel!) But, it does raise one fair point: notifications, regardless of what OS or device you're using, are a complete mess. The tools you'll find on your computer or phone for managing them are overly complicated and hard to explain to someone who isn't intimately familiar with the settings menu. I've been covering and using iOS for years, so for some stupid reason I do understand how Apple's various notification options work, but wish me luck if I have to explain it to someone else.That's why the number one thing on my list for Apple to fix in iOS 18 (and really all its platforms) when its announced at WWDC next week is notifications. Rumors haven't pointed to any big change this year, but a boy can dream. But the big problem with notifications isn't really with Apple, or Microsoft, or Google - it's with app developers.Poshmark, a platform for buying and selling fashion items, is a perfect example. My spouse gets constant notifications from the app, making me wonder why she hasn't just turned them off. Turns out that when you're selling something, you want to know if someone messages you or buys something - but sorting those notifications from the myriad of other promotional junk the app shoves at you is near impossible.To test things, I just went through the onboarding process for Poshmark myself. After creating an account and signing in, the app asked if I wanted to turn on notifications. Every app on iOS is required to ask you if you want them - but if you say yes, you're opting in to anything the app wants to send you. Buried in the Poshmark app itself are more granular controls that let you turn various types of notifications on or off, including things like party invites," just picked for you" items, daily deals," live events" and more. In fact, there are nearly two dozen different notification types in this app alone! That is too many. I also got something like four notifications in the first hour, after barely using the app. Too. Many.Apple has done what it can to help users find these settings. If you go to the global iOS notifications settings, you can manage preferences for every app on your phone. There's now an option at the bottom of that list to take you directly into the app to let you do things like turn off most of Poshmark's 23 different notification types. There's also an option to allow time sensitive" notifications (things like direct messages or calendar reminders) to alert you immediately while shuttling other notifications into a summary.The problem is that most people don't have the time or mental bandwidth to do this for every app they install, which leads to situations like the one that Qualcomm so cleverly skewered in its awful ad. I've accepted the fact that when I get up in the morning, I'm going to find a ton of notifications cropped up on my phone that aren't meaningful, even though I've done my best to aggressively prune them where possible. At this point, it's a crapshoot whether I'll find anything useful when I swipe into my Notification Center, which means that I am surely missing important reminders about things I need to deal with.It's also worth noting that Apple has tried to fix notifications over the years with tools like Do Not Disturb, grouping notifications, sending them to a summary and of course letting you decide how intrusive they are to begin with. You can easily turn off red bubbles if they give you agita, or make it so your phone doesn't light up with every message you get. But again, the onus is on the user to be aware enough of the many ways they can customize notification settings, and a lot of people don't do that until their phone is completely overwhelming them with pings.Of course, I don't have anything useful like a solution" to offer here, but I think the best way forward is for Apple to figure out how to disincentivize developers to flood users with notifications. Perhaps in addition to the existing opt-in dialog for notifications when you first launch an app, Apple can force developers to show you the notifications preferences so you know exactly what an app wants to send you. And instead of turning on all notifications, an app could start with everything off by default and you only check the things you actually want to see.But I'm also skeptical that more settings to wade through are going to fix anything. People are still going to want to install an app and get started using it without spending five minutes going through an increasingly granular notification settings process. The end result would be the same, too many apps taking up valuable real estate on your phone and in your brain. But they pay Craig Federighi and company the big bucks to figure this stuff out, not me - here's hoping he has some good news on Monday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/my-one-wish-for-wwdc-2024-is-better-notifications-on-iphone-and-mac-172004630.html?src=rss

Microsoft has attempted to soothe privacy concerns regarding Recall, an upcoming Windows feature that's said to help users resurface just about anything they've previously done or looked at on a Copilot+ PC. That naturally involves keeping tabs on how you use your computer in one way or another, which has raised privacy concerns over data storage and access. In an attempt to resolve those, Microsoft is making changes before it starts rolling out Recall later this month.Recall will be opt-in, meaning that the feature won't take snapshots (i.e. screenshots) of what you're doing every few seconds or log your activity without your explicit permission. Microsoft will ask whether you want to enable Recall when you set up a Copilot+ PC, which is a positive move.In addition, those who want to use Recall will need to use a Windows Hello authentication method such as facial recognition or a fingerprint scan. Authentication will be required before Recall allows a user to scroll through or search the activity timeline. But this measure won't necessarily make Recall super secure - all it takes is for someone to know your PIN and they can access it.On top of that, Microsoft is adding more protections to the Recall snapshots. It will employ just in time" decryption protected by Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security. Snapshots will only be decrypted and available after user authentication. The search index database is encrypted too.Microsoft says snapshots will remain on-device (locked to a user account) and won't be used to train AI models. You can block Recall from snapshotting specific apps, and pause or delete snapshots. The AI processing that powers Recall takes place on-device too.Recall was designed to help users find something they've done on their Copilot+ PC based on whatever they can remember. So if they remember a shirt they looked at a few weeks earlier and now think they might want to buy, they can describe the item. Recall might do a better job of finding the shirt than you can by scrolling through your the web browser history.Recall will be able to unearth details from chats, productivity apps, emails and so on. Microsoft has described it as effectively a photographic memory for your PC. A preview of Recall will be available on Copilot+ PCs, which will start shipping on June 18.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-moves-to-resolve-privacy-concerns-over-its-recall-feature-170318905.html?src=rss

The Jabra Elite 4 Active earbuds are on sale via Amazon for just $78, which is a discount of 35 percent. This isn't a record-low price for the earbuds, but it's dang close. Unfortunately, this major discount only applies to the black version, though many of the other colorways are still on sale.These earbuds easily made our list of the best headphones for runners, and it's not just because the word active" is in the name. We appreciated the comfortable fit and IP57 water and dust protection, which includes protection from sweat. They'll do fine with your daily exercise routine.Of course, earbuds live and die by their sound quality and the Elite 4 is no slouch in that department. It boasts a fantastic sound profile right out of the box, but you can tweak the EQ via the company's proprietary app. This app also lets you save profile presets. Sometimes you just need a bit more bass when running, to account for all of that exterior noise.Speaking of exterior noise, these earbuds feature decent ANC. The battery life is solid, thanks to the included charging case, and the multipoint connectivity is useful when switching audio sources. The case also includes the option for wireless charging, which is always a nice bonus.These aren't perfect, but what is? The company's HearThrough transparency mode isn't as natural-sounding as tech found with rival products like the Beat Fits Pro. The Elite 4 Active earbuds also lack the ability to play spatial sound with Dolby Audio.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-pairs-of-wireless-earbuds-for-running-is-on-sale-for-only-78-163046935.html?src=rss

Blink Mini security cameras are on sale via Amazon. You can scoop up a two-pack for just $30, which is 40 percent off and a record-low price. The sale extends to single packs, which are 33 percent off, and triple-packs.The Blink Mini is not the most recent model, thanks to Amazon's release of the Blink Mini 2, but it's still a fantastic way to keep an eye on your home. These cameras are easy to set up, connect via Wi-Fi and capture 1080p video. They also capture infrared signals and send security alerts directly to your phone anytime the sensor detects movement.There's also two-way audio and an affiliated app, so you can yell who's the cutest in the world? It's you the cutest in the world" at a pet while at work. Blink is owned by Amazon, so there's full Alexa voice control, which is always nice. Finally, the Mini comes with a free 30-day trial of the company's subscription plan, which lets you save and share video clips.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blink-mini-two-packs-drop-to-only-30-at-amazon-155700282.html?src=rss

An ex-employee has accused Amazon of breaching UK sanctions by selling facial recognition technology to Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, The Financial Times reported.Charles Forrest alleged that he was unfairly dismissed in 2023 after accusing Amazon of wrongdoing on a number of issues between November 2022 and May 2023, according to the article. The allegations were presented to a London employment tribunal as part of a hearing this week.Forrest said that Amazon closed a deal with Russian firm VisionLabs to provide access to its Rekognition facial recognition technology. It did that "through what appears to be a shell company based in the Netherlands," according to the tribunal filings. He also accused the company of breaking its self-imposed moratorium on police use of facial recognition tech implemented after the murder of George Floyd.Amazon denied the allegations. "We believe the claims lack merit and look forward to demonstrating that through the legal process," a spokesperson told the FT. "Based on available evidence and billing records, AWS did not sell Amazon Rekognition services to VisionLabs."Forrest was let go for "gross misconduct" after refusing to work his contractual hours and failed to respond to emails or attend meetings, Amazon alleged. It denied that Forrest made the sorts of disclosures that would entitle him to whistleblower protections.Amazon has denied the contention it provided police with facial recognition technology, and added in a tribunal filing that "a self-imposed moratorium does not amount to a legal obligation."Update, June 7 2024, 11:14AM ET: An Amazon spokesperson clarified that the company is denying it provided facial recognition capabilities to police, and the last paragraph of this story has been changed to reflect that. The company remains adamant it did not sell that same software to VisionLabs but has declined to provide a statement related to whether VisionLabs obtained those capabilities through an intermediary.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whistleblower-claims-amazon-violated-uk-sanctions-by-selling-facial-recognition-tech-to-russia-125001230.html?src=rss

A year since Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, and about four months since its muted launch, the spatial computing headset still feels surprisingly undercooked. Simple features, like the ability to organize icons in the visionOS home screen, are nowhere to be found. Content that truly shows off the Vision Pro's immersive capabilities is still rare (the recent Marvel experience was just a glimpse of what's possible).According to the latest report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company will show off visionOS 2 at its Worldwide Developers Conference ((WWDC 2024), but the update will mostly focus on polishing the Vision Pro experience. We can expect native Vision Pro versions of Apple software (right now the headset uses iPad versions of many apps), as well as a Passwords app and new environments. Apple's major AI push will also reportedly be called "Apple Intelligence," a cheeky way of colonizing the term "AI."Beyond minor polishing and bug fixes, here's what I'd like to see on the Vision Pro at WWDC 2024 (or really, anytime in the next year, Apple!).iPhone and iPad screen mirroringPerhaps the most baffling aspect of the Vision Pro is how it refuses to play well with the iPhone. If you ever need to unlock your phone to use an authentication app, or quickly peep a Slack message, you'll either have to remove the Vision Pro to use FaceID, or type in your PIN and squint through the headset's middling cameras. Why?!If Apple can already deliver sharp and lag-free macOS mirroring, it's not a huge leap to give us something similar for iPhones and iPads. Sure, ideally you'd be able to manage your text messages and other tasks in the Vision Pro without relying on other devices. Realistically, though, the Messages app doesn't always receive texts as quickly as your iPhone, and its history of texts and contacts often differs too.Offering a quick pop-up of your iPhone's screen would erase those issues, and it would keep you within the flow of whatever you're working on in the Vision Pro. As for the lack of FaceID, Apple could tie authentication of your iPhone together with your Apple ID. You already have to sign into your Vision Pro with a PIN or Optic ID scan, as well as log into your ID itself, so Apple already knows who you are.Mirror my MacBook Air's screen inside the Vision Pro.Photo by Devindra Hardawar/EngadgetWhen it comes to iPads, screen mirroring could be just as useful as it is on Macs. If you were typing away on a document on an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard, why shouldn't you be able to continue doing that on the Vision Pro? Supporting less powerful iPads could also be useful, since they could mirror downloaded media or games. Why burden the headset's M2 processor when you could tap into an M2 chip on an iPad Air?Taking this concept a step further, it would also be nice to have Apple Watch mirroring eventually. Imagine lifting up your wrist and having a glanceable view of notifications or media controls while using the Vision Pro. What if you could immediately see a 300-inch version of your Apple TV's home screen as soon as you sit down on your couch. Apple has the potential to shape reality itself while using its headset, so why not lean into that for its own devices?AppleMore native Vision Pro appsRecent rumors suggest we'll see native versions of Apple's apps on the Vision Pro (many are just repackaged iPad apps right now), but I'm hoping to see more developers jump on the platform. There still aren't any Vision Pro apps for Netflix, YouTube or Spotify. If you want to use those services, you'll have to log into a web browser, or rely on a third-party app like Supercut. This isn't the seamless spatial computing future I was promised, Apple.Now I'm sure it'll be tough for Apple to get YouTube to play nice with the Vision Pro, especially as Google just recently struck a mysterious partnership with the AR headset company Magic Leap. But not being able to get Netflix and Spotify on the headset remains a huge problem for Apple. Without the apps we live with every day, Vision Pro will always seem undercooked.Photo by Devindra Hardawar/EngadgetCast audio to speakers and home theater systemsThe Vision Pro's built-in speakers are fine, but they lack the depth of a proper pair of bookshelf speakers or Apple's own HomePod. And they certainly don't have the low-end kick you'd get from a complete home theater system and subwoofer. So why can't we just send audio easily to those devices?Let us AirPlay to HomePods on a whim! Let me sit in my home theater and enjoy the massive speakers surrounding me, while watching Fury Road at near-IMAX scale on the Vision Pro! While I enjoy using AirPod Pros for immersive audio on the go, they can't hold a candle to the Dolby Atmos-equipped towers in my basement.I'm sure home theater users aren't a high-priority consideration for Apple, but at the moment, who else is known for spending way too much money on hardware that isn't meant for everyone?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-features-wed-love-to-see-at-wwdc-2024-151822925.html?src=rss

Bluetooth trackers are handy little devices that can help you keep track of items you're worried about losing. Which model you opt for depends on several factors, such as the physical form factor and the phone operating system or brand you use. In any case, a few of our favorite Bluetooth trackers are on sale, including Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2. A four-pack is currently $70, which is $30 off and matches a record low. A single tag has dropped from $30 to $21 - just $1 more than the lowest price we've seen for it.The Galaxy SmartTag 2 is our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for folks with Samsung phones. While Samsung perhaps doesn't have as many smartphones out there as Apple (the Find My network uses every iPhone in the vicinity to track AirTags), it has an extensive enough number of devices in the wild to make its own finding network fairly robust. Unfortunately, the Galaxy SmartTag 2 does not yet work with Google's Find My Device network, which would allow any compatible Android device to help hunt for a misplaced tag.That quibble aside, we quite like the SmartTag 2. Setup is a cinch, for one thing. In our testing we were able to quickly find items tagged with one, while the left-behind alerts worked well when a Samsung phone detected that we were moving away from a SmartTag 2. The design is useful, since it's easy to attach the tracker to a set of keys. It has a louder ring than an AirTag or Tile Pro as well.The battery will run for about 16 months, according to Samsung, and it's replaceable. The SmartTag 2 is also IP67 rated for water and dust resistance. While the SmartTag 2 may not be quite as precise as an AirTag for finding a misplaced or stolen item, it's still a solid Bluetooth tracker option for Samsung users.If you're looking for an option that both iPhones and Android devices can help track down, it's worth considering the Tile Mate. A single tag in white is available for $18, which is $7 off the regular price. This has a Bluetooth range of up to 250 feet and can be easily attached to keys as well thanks to a small hole in one of the corners. The battery is not replaceable, unfortunately, but it will power the tracker for up to three years, Tile says.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-four-pack-of-samsung-smarttag-2-trackers-is-back-on-sale-for-70-145444036.html?src=rss

Apple has been holding its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) for over 30 years and frankly - other than no one calling them out for abbreviating it with two Ws in that span of time - I don't have strong feelings about them. Launch a new thing. Shovel AI bloatware into whatever. It's big tech's world and I'm just as trapped in it as anyone else. Imagine thinking iterative updates to a goddamn computer are a core part of your identity. Couldn't be me!But my world-weary ears perked up when I saw this little tidbit from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman ahead of Monday's keynote:

Just a few days before Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC 2024) kicks off, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has delivered his final round of party-spoiling details. The biggest takeaway: Apple will call its long-rumored artificial intelligence play "Apple Intelligence." (Leave it up to Apple to find some way to redefine the term "AI.") Don't expect the company to lean into generative AI features as much as competitors. According to Gurman, Apple's AI capabilities will focus on features with "broad appeal" - something I read as being more practical than creating psychedelic images on demand.Apple Intelligence will be powered by a combination of the company's technology, as well as OpenAI's. Bloomberg also notes the AI capabilities will be mostly opt-in, and we can expect Apple to tout its security capabilities since it will also rely on a combination of on-device and cloud connectivity. Previously, Apple has bragged about the iPhone's on-device security being more effective than competitors like Android.As previously rumor, Gurman says that Siri will be able to control apps more directly using Apple Intelligence. You could potentially tell the assistant to summarize an article or edit a photo in a certain way. Notably, Apple reportedly plans to open up this capability to third-parties, and allow you to string together multiple commands - but those features won't be available until next year.As for other features, it sounds like Apple is trying to bake in AI smarts where it can. You'll reportedly be able to create AI emojis that you can customize with text strings, and you can expect to see AI transcriptions in Voice Memos and more AI photo editing capabilities.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-ai-push-will-reportedly-be-called-apple-intelligence-of-course-134840050.html?src=rss

With performance and especially efficiency that should scare Intel, Windows PCs running Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X Elite have strong appeal for content creators. The current problem is a lack of apps, but Blackmagic Design just announced that its popular (and free) DaVinci Resolve 19 (beta 3) video editing and effects software now supports Windows machines running the new chip."DaVinci Resolve 19 beta 3 now supports Qualcomm's new all in one CPU, NPU and GPU processor for Windows, Snapdragon X Elite," Blackmagic Design wrote in a press release. "DaVinci Resolve has been fine tuned to optimize performance of the DaVinci Neural AI Engine, with NPU acceleration giving customers up to 4.7x faster performance of AI tools such as magic mask and 2x faster performance for smart reframe on computers using this new processor."All the DaVinci Resolve 19 tools found on Intel PCs and Macs are on the Qualcomm platform as well. Those include the "ColorSlice" color correction tool, Ultra NR denoising, Intellitrack AI for motion tracking and stabilization, audio "ducking" and more. Since many of those are powered by AI, users should benefit from the Snapdragon X Elite's neural engine (NPU) that beats nearly every laptop processor out there.The Yoga Slim 7x 14-inch laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite chip is just a tenth of a pound heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Air. EngadgetThe Snapdragon X Elite also has outstanding multi-threaded CPU performance, topping many Intel chips and Apple's M3. The VPU (video processing unit) offers AV1, VP9, HEVC (H.265) and H.264 encoding and decoding (up to 10-bit), so users should be able to work with most native camera formats and encode for YouTube and other platforms quickly.Graphics performance is a bit of a weak point, though, with performance only on par with Intel's Core Ultra 7, and well below most dedicated GPUs. Meanwhile, the Apple M3 GPU (on a MacBook Air) beats it by a wide 31 percent margin. That means DaVinci Resolve effects, encoding and more that rely on the GPU might be slow compared to Wintel and MacBook M3 machines.Still, this is good news for content creators wishing for a lightweight road machine that can keep up to Apple's laptops. DaVinci Resolve 19 public beta 3 for Windows on Arm with Snapdragon X Elite is now available for download from the Blackmagic Design web site.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blackmagics-davinci-resolve-19-arrives-for-qualcomm-snapdragon-x-elite-pcs-123042761.html?src=rss

The classic movie 12 Angry Men is titled as such because, well, it's about a jury comprised of 12 men. But viewers have noticed recently that the image Amazon uses for the movie has more than 12 characters in it. Further, their melting, inhuman faces look like they could be somebody's sleep paralysis monsters. The terrifying quality to the characters' faces is just one of the elements indicating the use of AI to generate the image. Their deformed and claw-like hands are another, along with the other obvious AI artifacts in the photo.

Apple plans to build a password management app right into the next versions of iPhone and Mac operating systems, reported Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Thursday. The new app, simply called Passwords, will compete against existing password managers like 1Password and LastPass, which typically charge people a monthly fee for generating and storing unique passwords. Apple plans to reveal the app at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.Apple already generates and stores unique passwords through iCloud Keychain, a feature that syncs passwords across all Apple devices you own as well as Windows PCs through a browser extension. But passwords stored in iCloud Keychain live - weirdly - in the Settings app, often making them cumbersome to find or change. Having a dedicated app for passwords built into Apple devices would not only make this easier but also give people one more reason to stay in the Apple ecosystem.Just like its rivals, Apple's Passwords app will reportedly split passwords into different categories like accounts, WiFi networks, and Passkeys (here's our deep dive explaining how they work). It will also allow you to import passwords from rival apps and will fill them in automatically when your device detects you're logging into a website or an app. Passwords will also work on Apple's $4,000 Vision Pro headset, and, just like Google Authenticator and Authy, will support two-factor verification codes. What is still unclear is whether the Passwords app will let you securely store files and images in addition to passwords, something that both 1Password and LastPass offer.In addition to Passwords, Apple is expected to reveal the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, WatchOS and VisionOS on Monday. The new versions of the software will reportedly be infused with brand new AI features.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-reportedly-build-a-dedicated-passwords-app-for-the-iphone-and-mac-211812245.html?src=rss

Boeing's Starliner has successfully docked with the ISS -but not without some last-minute problems. The company's first crewed test flight to the space station linked up at 1:34 PM ET after missing its first shot due to several thrusters malfunctioning. Astronauts Barry Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Suni" Williams plan to spend the next eight days onboard the ISS before returning to Earth.The capsule docked with the ISS in an orbit about 260 miles over the Indian Ocean. The pair is now circling the planet at around 17,500 mph.Nice to be attached to the big city in the sky," Wilmore spoke over comms to mission control in Houston after the successful docking. The capsule carries 760 pounds of cargo, including about 300 pounds of food and other supplies requested by the four US astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts onboard.NASA TVInitially scheduled for 12:15 PM ET, the link-up was delayed after five of Starliner's 28 reaction control thrusters went down. Several were lost due to a helium propulsion leak. NASA and Boeing concluded that the loss didn't compromise the mission, and Wilmore and Williams restarted three of them, providing enough redundancy to move forward.On Wednesday, a small helium leak was detected during liftoff and ascent. Later, two more leaks appeared.The problems are emblematic of Boeing's struggles to get its capsules certified for regular flights. Various problems and delays, including orbital flight test issues, valve problems, software glitches and a bum parachute system, have plagued Starliner. Boeing's rival, SpaceX, reached the ISS for the first time in 2020, approximately when this Starliner mission was originally slated to launch.Boeing is seeking NASA certification to join SpaceX as a regular ride to the ISS. The government agency wanted to have multiple private-sector ferries make routine trips to the space station. Despite Boeing's troubles, it may get there in the end.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/boeings-starliner-overcomes-last-second-problems-to-dock-with-the-iss-194801249.html?src=rss

It'll soon be Apple's turn to talk about its next major operating system updates, giving developers a chance to get their apps ready ahead of a broad rollout this fall. The company's Worldwide Developers Conference is right around the corner. Apple is sure to reveal some of the main features of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, as well as what's ahead for the likes of watchOS, macOS and visionOS at WWDC 2024.Given the current tech climate, though, it seems likely that Apple is about to follow its rivals by making a big leap into the realm of generative AI. That could be a major focus of the keynote, since those are the only two letters investors seem to give a hoot about hearing these days.The Apple rumor mill never stops churning, so we've heard some bits and pieces about what WWDC will perhaps entail. It seems unlikely that we'll get any major hardware announcements at the event, but you never truly know until Tim Cook wraps things up. After all, we did see the Apple Vision Pro make its first appearance at the last WWDC.In any case, here's what to expect from Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote:When is WWDC 2024?WWDC 2024 starts on June 10 and runs through June 14. There will be a variety of events throughout the week, but the bulk of the attention will be on Apple's keynote which is set for 1PM ET on June 10.The keynote is where Apple tends to reveal many of the key features for the next major versions of its main operating systems: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and most likely visionOS. Apple has also used the WWDC keynote to unveil new hardware over the years, though we expect that to be less of a concern this time around.How to watch WWDC 2024As usual, you'll be able to tune in to Apple's presentation online. Apple used to restrict its streams to its own homepage and apps, but fortunately its grip has lessened over the years. You'll be able to watch the keynote on apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app and Apple's YouTube channel.ASSOCIATED PRESSAIEven though Apple has largely shied away from uttering "AI" too often during its events, there's no getting away from the big tech buzzword of the last two years. Generative AI is quickly seeping into more aspects of our lives and Apple seems primed to grab a piece of that pie.It's believed that Apple doesn't yet have its own AI chatbot that's ready for primetime. While it continues to beaver away on that, the company has reportedly reached a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is still interested in reaching an agreement with Google to offer that company's Gemini AI assistant on iPhones too, but that may not happen until further down the line.Siri, meanwhile, is expected to get an upgrade across compatible devices using Apple's own large language models. Reports also suggest that you'll be able to use the voice assistant to carry out many more specific functions in certain apps (like opening documents and sending emails), but it's believed that Apple won't roll out this Siri upgrade until early 2025.Apple's approach to generative AI in both iOS 18 and macOS 15 is said to be a practical one that's based on helping regular folk in their everyday lives rather than letting them, say, quickly generate long reams of text they can sell as ebooks for a quick buck. Instead, you're more likely to see GAI features like suggested email and message replies, TL;DR text summaries, voice memo transcriptions (finally!) and improved photo touchup tools in core apps.Apple is expected to handle as much of the AI processing on-device as it can, with the remainder being sent to data centers. That raises questions about how Apple will ensure user privacy, one of the company's core tenets. It will have to spell out how it's keeping user information secure as it moves between the device and a data center.Photo by Billy Steele/EngadgetiOS 18 / iPadOS 18As ever, new features are coming to a swathe of iOS and iPadOS apps. Arguably the most notable is the expected introduction of RCS to Messages.GMSA's RCS, or Rich Communications Service, is a more advanced messaging protocol than the three-decade-old SMS. RCS is more secure than old-school SMS, since it offers end-to-end encryption. It allows for improved media sharing, with high-resolution images, video and audio clips. RCS allows for proper group chats and it supports Wi-Fi messaging too.And yet for years, Apple refused to bring RCS to its platform - something Google had long been needling it to do - to keep iMessage more of a walled garden. Of course, iMessage itself has many of the same features as RCS. At one point, Apple CEO Tim Cook's response to someone who asked for improved Android texting compatibility so they could share videos with their mother was to "buy your mom an iPhone."Apple eventually relented on its RCS stance last year, possibly to ensure it complies with strict EU regulations. The company said it would enable RCS support in 2024, so it makes sense that this feature would debut in iOS 18. That means messaging between iOS and Android should be much better in the near future (even if texts from Android devices will still appear as green bubbles on an iPhone). Meanwhile, Google just started allowing Android users to edit RCS messages within a 15-minute window of sending them.Gurman also noted that Apple is likely to support custom emoji generation based on what you're writing in text messages. It seems that you'll also be able to change the colors of app icons on your home screen and no longer have to keep apps locked to a rigid grid system.Apple Music may gain an auto-generated playlist feature, following an OpenAI-powered tool that Spotify rolled out in 2023. Custom routes and topographic maps (which debuted on Apple Watch last year) are said to be on the way to Apple Maps. In addition, Apple is rumored to be adding a voice-recording tool to Notes, which would dovetail nicely with the expected transcription function, as well as the option to display mathematical notation.Other core apps are reportedly in line for some changes, such as generative AI functions in productivity apps like Keynote and Pages. Others like Mail, Fitness and Health are also expected to get new features, but the details haven't been leaked as yet.Another thing we'll be looking out for is a rumored Passwords app that is said to work across iOS, macOS and iPadOS. This is expected to build upon iCloud Keychain and make it easier to find and use your stored passwords across Apple devices.CalculatorThis long-expected update deserves its own section. That's right, the Calculator app is said to be getting a major overhaul on iPhone and Mac. Snarkiness aside, the revamp actually sounds like it'll be useful, with Notes app integration, improved unit conversions and a sidebar listing recent activity. The app is also said to be coming to iPadOS.Photo by Devindra Hardawar/EngadgetmacOS 15Let's take a wild guess out of the gate here and declare that Apple will name the next version of macOS after a notable location in California. In all seriousness, that would be the least shocking thing Apple could possibly do on the keynote stage.Many of the iOS app updates are expected to be replicated in macOS 15, such as the Apple Music, Notes and productivity changes. Rumors suggest that Apple is reorganizing the System Settings app based on importance and priority of the various categories, so the General tab is likely to be bumped up while Sound and Notifications are expected to drop down the list.Elsewhere, Siri's menu bar icon may get a new look with a flat monochrome design expected to supplant the current colorful version. There may be some welcome accessibility upgrades too, such as a Shortcuts option that allows users to trigger a certain setting or action using a custom spoken phrase.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetApple hardwareLast year's WWDC was a hardware bonanza, with Apple finally announcing the Vision Pro along with the 15-inch MacBook Air and the M2 Ultra-powered Mac Pro and Mac Studio. We're not expecting much from Apple on the hardware front this time around, though.The company just updated its iPad lineup and it's likely a little too early for any new laptops given the MacBook Pro and iMac updates in October and MacBook Air refreshes in March. Of course, iPhones will remain under wraps until September, as will the next Apple Watches. However, Apple may take the opportunity to slot its M3 or even M4 chips into its other desktop systems, many of which remain mired in the M2 generation.We could see some refreshed peripherals and other devices too. There's always the possibility that Apple will unveil an (official) version of the AirPods Max with a USB-C charging port.Back in January 2023, Gurman reported that a new Apple TV box would arrive in the first half of 2024. There's still just enough time for that to happen. There's a possibility that Apple may add a camera to the Apple TV as well. In that case, there'd be no need to use an iPhone or iPad for FaceTime chats on the biggest screen in your home.Photo by Devindra Hardawar/EngadgetApple Vision ProOne thing we are expecting on the hardware side is for Apple to reveal where the Vision Pro is going next. Until now, the headset has only been available in the US. That's probably going to change in the coming weeks and months. Multiple reports have suggested that the next phase of the rollout will include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the UK. However, there hasn't been much in terms of visionOS 2 leaks so far, so it's unclear what kind of updates the mixed reality operating system will get.What we don't expect at WWDC 2024Given that WWDC is a software developer's conference first and foremost, we don't expect any significant hardware updates. There haven't been many rumors, and Apple already released new MacBook Airs and iPads earlier this year.That said, there are a few Macs that are still running on the M2 chip (or variants thereof). Given that the M3 came out late last year, the Mac mini and Mac Studio are a bit overdue for an update. Apple did update the Mac Studio at WWDC last year, so it wouldn't be unheard of for a new model with an M3 Max and (as-yet unreleased) M3 Ultra chip - or maybe they'll skip over the M3 generation entirely and go to the M4 that's in the new iPad Pro.The rumor mill has been quiet about watchOS updates too. There will surely be some notable changes to Apple's wearable operating system, but we could be in for a relatively minor iteration of watchOS after last year's massive overhaul.It's rare that tvOS gets much love during an Apple keynote, but it's bound to get an update that we'll learn about at some point during WWDC. You might have to wait until the Platforms State of the Union event at 4PM ET for the scoop. The same goes for CarPlay and HomePod.Bear in mind, none of this is certain until the likes of Cook, Craig Federighi et al hit the WWDC keynote stage and start discussing what's next for Apple's products and services. But based on the reporting of several Apple-focused journalists with a strong track record of getting things right, we do expect to hear about many of the above updates and announcements.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wwdc-2024-what-we-expect-to-come-out-of-apples-keynote-and-how-to-watch-195802167.html?src=rss

Twitch has entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with all of the major record labels that will force DJs who monetize to pay a fee to use songs in livestream sets. The actual percentage being paid out to these labels is being kept under wraps and varies according to the chosen monetization method, but the DJs and Twitch will reportedly split these fees 50/50. The company also says that it'll cover more than 50 percent at first, but didn't get into numbers.Twitch will also be offering a one-year subsidy to select DJs to help cover the difference between earnings and money paid to labels. The company didn't announce how it would award these subsidies or if it would cover all of the required licensing fees. It did say that the subsidy amount would reduce over time as the program increases in popularity. There are thousands upon thousands of DJs on Twitch, so it'd be nice to get a little bit of clarification here. We've reached out to the company and will update this post when we hear back.

If you have one of Apple's non-iMac desktops or a MacBook you'd like to plug into a monitor, perhaps it's time for an upgrade (or to buy a dedicated display in the first place). As it happens, Apple's Studio Display is on sale right now. The price has dropped by $300 to $1,300 for the VESA mount and tilt-adjustable models, marking a record low for both. It's worth noting that the discount applies to the variants with standard glass, not nano-texture glass.We gave the Apple Studio Monitor a score of 80 in our review in 2022. We appreciated the quality of the build and the audio, as well as the bright and color-accurate screen. On the downside, restricting the monitor to single-zone backlighting was a disappointment, as were the 60Hz refresh rate (which is becoming increasingly paltry) and the lackluster webcam. The lack of HDR in such an expensive monitor is a bummer too.Still, for those heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, this is a solid 5K LCD monitor. The 27-inch, 2,880p display supports 1 billion colors and the P3 wide gamut. The six-speaker array supports spatial audio and there's a triple-mic setup for calls and voice recordings. On the connectivity front, there's a Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB-C slots. The Studio Monitor can also deliver a 96W charge to your MacBook.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-studio-display-is-300-off-right-now-175108626.html?src=rss

Microsoft and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have forged a labor neutrality agreement for all ZeniMax workers. The CWA says the deal is similar to the one from 2022 covering Activision Blizzard's workforce, which went into effect in April of this year.Thousands of our ZeniMax co-workers now have a free and fair path to organize together for better working conditions," Page Branson, a Senior Quality Assurance (QA) Tester, wrote in a CWA press release.In 2022, the Xbox maker signed a formal agreement with CWA to respect Activision Blizzard employees' right to organize. Set to take effect 60 days after Microsoft's acquisition closed, it didn't become official until earlier this year. It also extends Microsoft's early 2023 recognition of ZeniMax QA workers' right to unionize, and it now includes every eligible employee at ZeniMax.The CWA says the new agreement means Microsoft will take a neutral approach when employees express interest in joining the union. The workers can communicate with their peers and union reps about membership in a way that encourages information sharing and avoids business disruptions."According to the CWA, workers will have access to a decision-making process that respects their privacy if they wish. In addition, it includes a dispute resolution and arbitration process in the case of any disagreements between the union and Microsoft.When we organized our union under a similar legal agreement the process was clear and management did not try to influence anyone's decision and the company did not try to interfere with the voting process," Branson wrote. There is strength in numbers, and as our numbers grow at ZeniMax, at Microsoft, and in the video game industry, we will gain the respect we deserve and raise the standards of working conditions for everyone across the video gaming industry. When we benefit, the consumer and the company will ultimately benefit with us and help keep this industry stable for current and future workers."Update, June 6 2024, 1:45PM ET: The subhed of this story has been updated to reflect that the 2022 deal was between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard workers, while Activision Blizzard the entity was not a party to the deal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-and-cwa-forge-labor-neutrality-agreement-covering-all-zenimax-workers-212643324.html?src=rss

The US has banned companies like Nvidia from selling their most advanced AI chips to China since 2022. But if loopholes exist, profit-hungry corporations will find and exploit them. The Information published a bombshell report on Thursday detailing how Oracle allows TikTok owner ByteDance to rent Nvidia's most advanced chips to train AI models on US soil.ByteDance, which many US lawmakers believe has direct ties to the Chinese government, is reportedly renting US-based servers containing Nvidia's coveted H100 chips from US cloud computing company Oracle to train AI models. The practice, which runs against the spirit of the US government's chip regulations, is technically allowed because Oracle is merely renting out the chips on American soil, not selling them to companies in China.The US government has cracked down on exporting the chips to China as an extension of the tensions between the two nations. The Biden Administration fears the nation could use advanced AI for military or surveillance purposes or to gain an economic upper hand. The US government passed bipartisan legislation in April that will force ByteDance to either sell its US operations or face a ban. But ByteDance still has until early next year to close a deal, and it's suing the US government, which could delay enforcement.Although ByteDance is training its models in the US, it could be difficult to stop them from sending the models they produced back to their headquarters in China," according to US-based cloud providers and a former Nvidia employee who spoke to The Information. Quite the loophole, indeed.ByteDance's Project Texas initiative, which the company claims siloes off TikTok's US operations from its Chinese leadership to allay US fears, is at the heart of the arrangement. However, former ByteDance employees have described Project Texas as largely cosmetic," as they claim the company's US wing regularly works closely with its Beijing-based leadership.ByteDance isn't the only Chinese company looking to game the rules. The Information says Alibaba and Tencent are discussing similar arrangements to gain access to the sought-after chips. Those deals could be harder to squash because they have their own US-based data centers and wouldn't have to rent servers from American companies.US cloud computing company Oracle reportedly enables ByteDance's training of AI models in the US.OracleNot every company has been as willing as Oracle to skirt the law's intent. Two small American cloud providers" reportedly turned down offers to rent servers with Nvidia's H100 chips to ByteDance and China Telecom because they seemed to go against the spirit of U.S. chip restrictions." However, Oracle, cofounded by American businessman Larry Ellison and run by current CEO Safra Catz, apparently found the opportunity for profit through technically legal workarounds too tempting to pass up.The US Commerce Department, the bureau that could close the loophole, may already be aware of the practices. Earlier this year, the department proposed a rule that would require US cloud providers to verify foreign customers' identities and notify the US if any of them were training AI models that could be used in malicious cyber-enabled activity." However, the Commerce Department recently said most cloud providers disapproved of the proposal, claiming the burden of additional requirements might outweigh the intended benefit." In the meantime, the proposed rule, which could theoretically plug the loophole, remains in limbo.But even if the US manages to shut down that exploit, The Information says it wouldn't cover Chinese cloud providers like Tencent and Alibaba from buying Nvidia's chips and using them to train AI models in their own US-based data centers. The Commerce Department will have its hands full figuring this one out as business and defense interests wrestle for control.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-ai-efforts-reportedly-exploit-loopholes-to-use-premium-nvidia-chips-173432988.html?src=rss

Niantic's AR skating sim Skatrix Pro just got a beefy update for Apple Vision Pro that adds room-scale mixed reality gameplay, among other features. This means that the little skater boi avatar is free to roam the living room, doing gnarly tricks on your furniture.Skatrix Pro was a day-one release for Apple Vision Pro, but the full mixed reality gameplay wasn't ready yet. At launch, you skated in a floating cube in AR space. Now, thanks to the headset's advanced scanning capabilities, the real world is transformed into a skatepark. This allows for interaction with virtually any object, shape or terrain." Who among us hasn't wanted to grind off of a washing machine, flip and land on top of a sleeping cat? It's the stuff dreams are made of.Basically, the headset uses LiDar scanning to construct a detailed 3D mesh of the environment, which captures geometry with high precision." In other words, the skater should interact with an object as if both were in the real world.As for controls, there's a virtual joystick that floats in AR space, but Niantic has also implemented 3D hand input gestures. The company said this makes it easier to control the avatar while exploring new tricks in new spaces."Skatrix is available for mobile devices and Niantic says it's planning future updates that connect the dots between headset and mobile gameplay" to deliver cross-platform play. The company will also continue to improve the physics engine to allow for greater accuracy. Skatrix Pro for the AVP costs $20, but the headset itself is still $3,500.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/skatrix-for-apple-vision-pro-now-features-room-scale-mixed-reality-gameplay-165417900.html?src=rss

Flat-top griddles are insanely popular. Even if an aspiring grill master prefers charcoal or pellets for their main machine, chances are they're packing a griddle for smash burgers, breakfast and other items that need an even surface. Or, at the very least, they have an insert that transforms a grill into a flat top. Griddles are versatile and they keep a lot of the mess of cooking things like cheesesteaks, fajitas and fried rice out of your kitchen. However, they all basically offer the same premise: a large metal slab on some sort of cart that runs on propane. Since there's not a ton of variation in the general design, the devil is in the details for companies like Blackstone, Traeger and Weber.The Weber Slate ($649 and up) is the company's second attempt at grabbing a foothold in the popular griddle market. With a more refined design and tons of clever features that make the flat-top cooker more fun to use, Weber is trying to set itself apart from the competition in a few key areas. But, even the most affordable Slate is pricier than some of the other options on the market, so those finer points will likely determine if this griddle is right for you.DesignOn the Weber Slate, the company developed a more sophisticated look than its first griddles that debuted last spring. Those had more of a cart design akin to Weber's most affordable gas grills, while the Slate has almost a hybrid cart/cabinet stand where the storage varies based on the model. Some configurations have semi-closed space while others have weather-resistant storage bins or a fully enclosed area underneath the cooking surface. Every version has a mid shelf directly under the cooktop, where you can place tools and other supplies for quick access.Weber flanks the cooking area with sizable side tables, with some versions offering a fold-down extension for even more work space. The top of the side table on the right is removable, which allows the remaining frame to accommodate a line of accessories known as Weber Works. You can move those storage bins up to this area and the company has a convenient caddy/serving tray combo that also fits this space nicely. With either of these, you can put seasonings, oils, sauces and more within reach at all times. You can also replace the table top with a cutting board if you want to do your prep or slicing outside. Weber Works also includes items that clip onto the edges of the Slate's side shelves, including a cup holder, condiment bin and an organizer kit" that comes with a paper towel rack, tool hooks and a trash bag holder.Billy Steele for EngadgetThe Slate has an attached, hinged lid like most premium griddles. This component pays homage to previous Weber grills as it has the company's signature black and silver scheme like you'll see on Genesis and other grills. The one area of this griddle that feels slightly cheap are the wheels. The four casters do the job, but they've obviously plastic with little polish. Even something slightly more robust like the sturdier rollers that come on the Genesis series would've been nice.I'm also constantly frustrated by the grippy texture inside the Slate's cover. It has two handles on the top so you should be able to lift it straight off the griddle easily, but the cover's interior coating catches on the side tables, making what should be an easy task more of a chore.A key feature of the Slate is its digital display, which sits between two of the burner control knobs. It runs on two AA batteries and shows the temperature of the cooking surface based on data from a probe underneath the cooktop. I like that the screen is easy to read, thanks to its high contrast and large numerals, and it handily shows how much juice is remaining on the batteries, too.Cooking with the Weber SlateBilly Steele for EngadgetI'll admit I didn't see the utility in a griddle until I actually used one. I've been smashing burgers and sizzling other things on a full-size insert for a Weber Genesis for a while now. But the Slate is actually better since it's purpose-built with a grease chute that's in a better position along the front so it takes up minimal cooking space. You have free rein to use the back and the sides of the cooktop to help you flip and move foods.I've cooked smash burgers, hibachi chicken, fajitas and a full breakfast with hash browns on the Slate. My wife, the pancake pro in our house, also used it and loved having the extra space to cook enough for the four of us in less than half the time it takes indoors. The Slate distributes heat edge to edge, so things like pancakes cook evenly. The 30-inch version I tested has ample space for my needs, and Weber says the 30-inch x 18-inch cooking area on this unit can hold up to 22 burger patties.Once you fire up the propane burners, the 30-inch Weber Slate takes about eight and a half minutes to reach a maximum temperature of around 565 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes just over five minutes to hit 450 degrees, which is what you'd want for smash burgers and what I prefer for fajitas. For more delicate things like pancakes, you'll want to turn it down to the burners' lowest setting, which is around 350-355 degrees.The Weber Works accessories make cooking with the Slate much easier. I primarily used the caddy with a lid/serving tray, which allowed me to take various seasonings, sauces, tools and more to the griddle in one trip. It's also nice that the caddy can replace the side table for quick access, with the lid/tray beside it to rest tools or foods when they're done. Those larger side tables also ensure you have enough space for supplies and food, with the mid shelf underneath and the side table extension providing more places to rest things if needed. Not once did I panic wishing I had another spot to put something while using the Slate. It's great that the Weber Works storage bins can remain outdoors without much worry about weather. I wouldn't store ingredients there, but it's a good place to keep cleaning supplies and towels, for example.Cleaning and maintenanceBilly Steele for EngadgetThe primary concern when you own a flat-top griddle is rust. The best way to prevent it is to clean the cooking surface soon after use, but that's not always possible because maybe you're hosting guests or any number of other reasons. So, rust is a constant battle when the steel or cast iron component is exposed to moisture, oil and food residue for an extended period. Not all griddles have lids or covers, and even if they do closing one up when the cooking surface is still warm can lead to condensation drips even if you're on point with the cleaning.Weber is addressing this with a rust-resistant" cooktop. As the company describes it, the carbon-steel gets transformed under extreme heat and pressure that case hardens and bonds the surface, reducing the ability for moisture to collect and rust to form."Rust-resistant doesn't mean rust-proof, though. To test Weber's claim, I left the Slate cooktop dirty for 36 hours after making hibachi chicken , only lightly pushing larger chunks to the grease tray and leaving sauce and oil. When I did go to clean it, there were small spots of rust, but nothing like I've seen on the company's older griddle inserts for its gas grills (Weber now sells inserts that are rust-resistant too). This was also a messier meal, so it didn't just leave behind a typical amount of muck.The good news is that, while annoying, the rust comes off easily with vinegar and coarse sea salt. After leaving white vinegar on the surface for a few minutes and adding salt to help lift the stuck-on grime, I had no trouble restoring the Slate's cooking surface to a unblemished state. It took some elbow grease, but wasn't too tough of a task. So while the Slate does buy you some time on the cleanup, you probably don't want to leave residue any longer than overnight if you're looking to avoid any extra work.Weber Slate configurationsBilly Steele for EngadgetWeber offers three versions of the Slate griddle, all with slightly different features. While they share the same overall design, including rust-resistance and the attached lid, the most affordable model is the 30-inch Slate that doesn't come with the two weather-resistant, outdoor storage bins (sold separately for $40 each). It also lacks the digital temperature gauge or the folding side table extension, but does have a partially closed storage cabinet. You'll save some money as this unit is $649. As you'll see, though, that price is actually low.For $150 more, you get the same 30-inch Slate I tested with a handy temperature display, extendable side table and a pair of weather-resistant storage bins. Those bins are fully exposed, but there's a track system that allows you to slide them out like a drawer. Plus, the outdoor-friendly design keeps dust and debris from ruining your supplies. There's also a natural gas version of this model that's $829. What's more, there are two retailer-exclusive 30-inch options. At Home Depot, you'll get the digital temperature display and an enclosed storage cabinet for $699. Ace Hardware offers the 30-inch Slate with digital temperature display, fully enclosed storage cabinet, extendable side table and the Weber Works caddy for $749.The priciest option is a 36-inch version with four burners instead of three. It still has the digital temperature gauge and fold-down side table extension, along with the modular side table for all of those Weber Works accessories, but the storage area underneath is a fully enclosed cabinet. If you want that extra cooking space, the grand total here comes to $999.The competitionBlackstone is the most popular name in griddles and the company has loads of options in several different configurations. Heck, you can even get one that has an air fryer underneath. The model that's closest to the base Weber Slate is the 28-inch XL with a hood." It sits on more of a bare-bones cart, though, so there's no enclosed storage under the cooktop and the side tables are smaller. It typically costs $549, but it's currently on sale for $399.In competition with Weber's most expensive option, Blackstone has the 36-inch Iron Forged griddle. It too has a hood" (attached lid or cover) and four burners with a more refined cart design with a storage shelf. There's also an extendable side shelf, paper towel holder, garbage bag holder and side shelf rail system that accommodates even more accessories. This one is usually $649, but it's currently on sale for $499.Then there's Traeger. Yes, the company that made its name on wood pellet grills has a single gas-burning model and it's a griddle. The Flatrock takes several design cues from the company's latest Ironwood and Timberline series, including the wrap-around PAL (Pop And Lock) accessory rail and so-called EZ-Clean grease keg. The Flatrock's side tables are similar in size to those on the Slate and its U-shaped burners put direct flame under more of the 33-inch cooktop. Traeger says its FlameLock design is more wind-resistant and fuel-efficient than the competition and a sensor keeps tabs on how much propane you've got left in the tank. The Flatrock does come with a Traeger-esque price tag though: $899.Wrap-upAfter several weeks with the Weber Slate, I've fully experienced the grilling potential that standalone griddles provide in the backyard. With the addition of a rust-resistant cooktop, the company gives you an extension on the precious cleanup window. The digital temperature display is handy and easy to read from a distance while the Weber Works accessories can transform the griddle into a proper outdoor cooking station. Some details could be refined, but overall, the Slate would be a solid addition to any grilling arsenal. And even if it's the only grill you own, the flat top allows you to cook a wide variety of foods.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/weber-slate-griddle-review-a-smash-burger-machine-with-clever-features-163023562.html?src=rss

Microsoft is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission over its deal with Inflection AI, according to The Wall Street Journal. Back in March, the company hired almost all of Inflection AI's employees, including founders Karen Simonyan and Mustafa Suleyman, who was also a DeepMind cofounder. In addition, Microsoft paid Inflection AI $650 million to license its artificial intelligence technology. Now, the FTC wants to know whether the companies deliberately structured the deal to avoid being the subject of regulatory antitrust review.As The Journal notes, companies are required to report any acquisition that's valued at $119 million or more to federal antitrust agencies. The FTC or the Justice Department could then investigate whether the deal stifles competition in the industry and then sue to block the merger or the investment that it deems to be anti-competitive. When companies want to hire all the talent in another firm, they typically buy the other out in an "acquihire." But Microsoft didn't buy Inflection, which denied that the bigger company has any power over it. Ted Shelton, its new COO, told the publication that it still operates as an independent company under new leadership.The FTC has already sent out subpoenas to both Microsoft and Inflection, asking for relevant documents over the past two years. If it does determine that the companies entered into an agreement in a way that would give Microsoft control over the other while dodging regulatory review, then Microsoft could be fined, and the transaction could be suspended pending a more in-depth investigation.Microsoft provided Engadget with the following statement: "Our agreementswith Inflection gave us the opportunity to recruit individuals at Inflection AI and build a team capable of accelerating Microsoft Copilot, while enabling Inflection to continue pursuing its independent business and ambition as an AI studio. We take our legal obligations to report transactions under the HSR Act seriously and are confident that we have complied with those obligations."US federal agencies have been cracking down on monopolistic practices by the world's largest tech companies over the past few years. To be even more efficient in conducting antitrust investigations involving the current biggest players in artificial intelligence, the agencies have also just struck a deal on how they're dividing their responsibilities. The Justice Department will take the lead in investigations involving NVIDIA, while the FTC will take charge of antitrust probes involving Microsoft and OpenAI.Update, June 6 2024, 11:46AM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Microsoft.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftc-launches-an-antitrust-probe-into-microsofts-deal-with-inflection-ai-130038896.html?src=rss

The Anker 3-in-1 Cube MagSafe charging stand is on sale at Amazon for $113. This matches a record low price for the charging accessory and is 25 percent off. That's still a large chunk of change for a charger, so let's take a look at what you actually getFirst of all, this model comes with everything you need to get started. It ships with the stand itself, a power cable and a 30W charging brick. Some versions of this accessory don't come with the cable or brick, requiring a separate purchase. It's also MagSafe compatible and has spots to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time.The device folds down to a compact cube when it's not being used and is designed so that the iPhone's viewing angle can be adjusted while charging, which allows for both landscape or portrait mode. Once folded, it's easy to just pop this thing in a pocket or bag so you can have access to 15W high-speed charging on the go.It's tough to fully recommend any charger that's above $100, especially when there's an endless array of cheap-as-dirt devices out there. However, I've tried a good baker's dozen of those off-brand chargers and, as they say, you get what you pay for." Anker makes good stuff and its gadgets are regularly featured in our lists of the best chargers and power banks. If you're sick of constantly replacing $20 chargers, this might be a good time to splurge.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-anker-3-in-1-magsafe-charging-stand-has-never-been-cheaper-152256126.html?src=rss

Microsoft has revealed the first wave of Game Pass additions for June, and they include two titles that suddenly joined the lineup today. Octopath Traveler and its sequel are now available on the service across cloud, console and PC.When Octopath Traveler 2 debuted last year, Xbox was the only major platform it was missing from. Square Enix said last September that the HD-2D RPG would come to Xbox consoles in "early 2024." For what it's worth, the original game took nearly three years to hit Xbox after its 2018 debut on Nintendo Switch - and it only just arrived on PS4 and PS5.Elsewhere, the Dead Space-esque The Callisto Protocol (from Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield and his team at Striking Distance Studios) arrives on Game Pass on cloud, console and PC on June 13. Still Wakes The Deep, a narrative horror game from The Chinese Room will join the lineup in all three formats on June 18.Other titles hitting Game Pass in the early part of June are Cthulhu-inspired tabletop RPG Depersonalization (coming to PC Game Pass) and WWI first-person shooter Isonzo (cloud, console and PC). Both will arrive on June 13.Several games are leaving Game Pass this month as well. Bramble: The Mountain King, High on Life, Rune Factory 4 Special, Spacelines from the Far Out and The Bookwalker are all departing on June 15.We're about to learn about several more titles that are bound for Game Pass in the coming months and years too. Microsoft will reveal more details about its upcoming slate at the Xbox Games Showcase, which takes place on June 9 as part of Summer Game Fest. We could, for instance, hear about Microsoft's plans for rolling out more Activision Blizzard games on the subscription service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/both-octopath-traveler-games-are-now-on-xbox-game-pass-150222800.html?src=rss

SpaceX's Starship just soared through a series of critical milestones in its development, surviving reentry through Earth's atmosphere and demonstrating a landing burn for the first time, before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. Starship lifted off from the company's Texas Starbase at around 8:50AM ET for its fourth flight test, which focused on demonstrating the reusability of the massive spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster.A few minutes after launch, Super Heavy separated from Starship and successfully performed a controlled descent to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico as planned. Starship continued flying for about an hour, starting its reentry a little after the 45 minute mark. Live views from an onboard camera made for a nailbiting final few minutes - at an altitude of about 33 miles above Earth, one of the ship's flaps started to burn off. Then the camera cracked, obscuring the view so little more than flashes of light from plasma could be seen.But the ship managed to stay intact enough to keep sending data all the way through the moment of its landing burn. SpaceX confirmed splashdown just before 10:00AM ET. The test marks a major success for SpaceX as it works to develop Starship as a transportation system that could carry humans to the moon and Mars.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/starship-survives-reentry-to-splash-down-in-the-indian-ocean-after-successful-fourth-flight-test-142912013.html?src=rss

It emerged recently that Humane was trying to sell itself for as much as $1 billion after its confuddling, expensive and ultimately pretty useless AI Pin flopped. A New York Times report that dropped on Thursday shed a little more light on the company's sales figures and, like the wearable AI assistant itself, the details are not good.By early April, around the time that many devastating reviews of the AI Pin were published, Humane is said to have received around 10,000 orders for the device. That's a far cry from the 100,000 it was hoping to ship this year, and about 9,000 more than I thought it might get. It's hard to think it picked up many more orders beyond those initial 10,000 after critics slaughtered the AI Pin.At a price of $700 (plus a mandatory $24 per month for 4G service), that puts Humane's initial revenue at a maximum of about $7.24 million, not accounting for canceled orders. And yet Humane wants a buyer for north of $1 billion after taking a swing and missing so hard it practically knocked out the umpire.HP is reportedly one of the companies that Humane was in talks with over a potential sale, with discussions starting only a week or so after the reviews came out. Any buyer that does take the opportunity to snap up Humane's business and tech might be picking up somewhat of a poisoned chalice. Not least because the company this week urged its marks customers to stop using the AI Pin's charging case over a possible fire safety risk."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/humane-is-said-to-be-seeking-a-1-billion-buyout-after-only-10000-orders-of-its-terrible-ai-pin-134147878.html?src=rss

Google first launched NotebookLM, its AI-powered research tool, in summer 2023 and now the company is expanding its capabilities and access. In a new blog post, Google announced that NotebookLM is officially running on Gemini 1.5 Pro, an upgrade from the original Gemini Pro model that brings a host of new features. The research and writing assistant has also expanded to over 200 countries and territories.NoteBookLM works differently than many other AI-powered tools in that it only takes from the resources you provide, rather than a plethora of general knowledge. The research assistant has always accepted files such as transcripts, research notes and corporate documents from Google Docs or in PDF format, but now you can also upload Google Slides and web URLs.Other new features include letting you ask questions about images, charts and diagrams, along with including images in citations as further supporting evidence. Then there's a boost to inline citations, which now bring you directly to the supporting passages so you can confirm the AI knows what it's talking about. Plus there's Notebook Guide, which will convert your sources into clear formats like FAQs and briefing docs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-notebooklm-gets-gemini-15-and-extra-tools-133054595.html?src=rss

I'm the first to admit that the amount of joy Google Sheets brings me is a bit odd, but I use it for everything from tracking my earnings to planning trip budgets with friends. So, I'm excited to see that Google is making it easier to get notified about specific changes to my spreadsheet without me learning to code (something I've just never gotten into). The company has announced that Google Sheets is getting conditional notifications, meaning you can set rules in spreadsheets that send emails when certain things happen.For example, you could set it to send you an email notification when a number drops below or above a certain amount or when a column's value changes at all. You can also set rules that align more with a project manager tool, like getting a notification when a task's status or owner changes. This tool only requires edit access, with anyone able to set notifications for themselves or others by entering their email addresses. Don't worry, you can unsubscribe if someone starts sending you unwanted notifications.To use conditional notifications, go to tools and then conditional notifications or just right-click in a cell. From there, click add rule (you can name the rule or let Google auto-label it) and then select a custom range or column. You can add additional criteria for the rule, such as exactly what a box should say for you to receive a notification. Then, you can manually input email addresses or select a column containing them. However, Google warns that if you do the latter, the number of cells must match the number included in the rule. So, if you have three cells in the rule, you can only highlight three cells with email addresses. If you get confused, Google gets into all the nitty-gritty of it here.Google Sheet's conditional formatting is available to anyone with the following workplaces: Businesses Standard and Plus, Education Plus and Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus or Essential. It started rolling out for Rapid Release domains on June 4 and will begin showing up for Standard Release domains on June 18. In both cases, conditional formatting might take up to 15 days to appear.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-sheets-new-tool-lets-you-set-specific-rules-for-notifications-133030113.html?src=rss

NewsBreak, a popular free news app in the US, has been publishing fictitious stories written by AI since 2021, according to Reuters. The app publishes licensed content from legitimate news sources, such as CNN, AP and Reuters itself, but it also uses artificial intelligence tools to rewrite press releases and local news. One of the most egregious examples of a false news story by NewsBreak was published on Christmas Eve last year. The app's writeup claimed that there was a shooting in Bridgeton, New Jersey when no such incident took place.New Jersey's police department dismissed the claims made in the article before the app, which said it got the information from another website, took it down four days later. In January, February and March, a Colorado-based food bank told Reuters that it had to turn people away because NewsBreak published the wrong time for food distribution. It also received no response from the company when it complained about its inaccurate reporting.Another charity in Pennsylvania said NewsBreak published a report, twice, that claimed it was holding a 24-hour foot-care clinic for homeless people when it wasn't. The app removed all the false stories involving the charities after Reuters notified it. In March, it added a warning on its homepage that says its content "may not always be error-free," as well. Aside from publishing erroneous stories, NewsBreak allegedly copied articles from websites without permission and had previously settled copyright infringement cases with at least two publications. Reuters describes NewsBreak as the "most downloaded US news app." If you haven't heard of it before, that's probably because its users are predominantly women above the age of 45, who don't have college degrees and who live in suburban and rural US. It's known for posting links on social networks like Facebook, and clicking on one will prompt you to download the app.NewsBreak, which is only available in the US, launched in the country as a subsidiary of China-based company Yidian, which is partly owned by a Chinese state-linked media firm. Yidian is no longer connected with the app, but one of its primary investors is IDG Capital, a Beijing-based company that the Pentagon says is affiliated (PDF) with the Chinese military.Former employees told Reuters that NewsBreak's China-based engineers do most of the work on its algorithms, even though the app presents itself as a US-based company with US investors. NewsBreak CEO Jeff Zheng told Reuters that it complies with US data and privacy laws and that it's maintained on Amazon servers based in the United States. Its Chinese staff, Zheng said, can only access anonymous data stored on those servers. It's worth noting that despite its connection to China, Reuters didn't find evidence that NewsBreak has published stories that showed the Chinese government in a positive light.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/popular-us-news-app-accused-of-using-ai-to-make-up-fake-stories-140016882.html?src=rss

When we reviewed the Dell XPS 16 and XPS 14 laptops earlier this year, one of our biggest complaints with both models was the relatively exorbitant prices. Now, Dell has addressed this to a minor extent by dropping the price of both models by $200 across all configurations, the company told Engadget in an email.Dell cited a couple of examples of high-end configurations. The XPS 14 build with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and a 3.2K OLED display is now $2,500 instead of $2,700. Meanwhile, the higher-end XPS 16 with the same specs but the addition of a GeForce RTX 4070 and 4K OLED display drops from $3,400 to $3,200.Lower-end configurations are also $200 cheaper and represent a better saving, percentage-wise. The XPS 16 starts at $1,900 so it's now $1,700, while the base 14-inch model drops from $1,700 to $1,500.That's still MacBook Pro M3 money for similar higher-end models (the 16-inch 36GB M3 Pro model is $2,900). However, it shows some acknowledgement from Dell that the original price was too steep and may have impacted sales.In fairness, these are among the best Windows laptops available (Dell obviously felt they were worth a premium), with glorious screens and a blend of beauty and power. They also offer solid connectivity, though we disliked the invisible trackpad and capacitive top row buttons that disappear in bright sunlight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dells-xps-14-and-16-get-a-permanent-200-price-cut-123036312.html?src=rss