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Apple announced a bunch of new products at the It's Glowtime event on Sept. 9, but the rumored Apple Watch SE with a plastic shell wasn't among them. That doesn't necessarily mean we won't see it at some point, though. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who first reported that the company was developing an even cheaper version of the budget watch, the plastic SE is still moving forward." Sources told Gurman it could arrive next year.The Apple Watch SE last got a refresh in 2022 with the release of the second generation line. In addition to a plastic shell, plans for the rumored upcoming watch include bolder colors that would appeal to kids, Gurman reported. But, Apple has apparently hit a manufacturing snag with the plastic design. Last Monday's official Apple Watch news focused on the Series 10, which has a thinner build and larger display, as was expected in the leadup to the event. In a hands-on with the new wearable, Engadget's Billy Steele called the Series 10's brighter, wide-angle OLED display a massive upgrade" compared to other recent models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/a-plastic-apple-watch-se-may-still-be-happening-but-not-until-next-year-203534583.html?src=rss

Every couple of years, a core childhood memory resurfaces and sends me hunting for a bizarre PlayStation game my brother and I obsessed over but never actually played in its entirety. The internet search goes like this: game on red-and-black PS1 demo disk featuring feral child with pink hair tackling pigs and trees that look like butts. The results tell me the game I'm looking for is the 1997 platformer Tomba!, and I giddily bask in the nostalgia. Then I forget all about it, and the cycle eventually repeats.You can imagine my surprise, then, when a trailer popped up earlier this summer announcing Limited Run Games' rerelease of Tomba! in all its wacky glory for modern consoles. Tomba! Special Edition is now available digitally for PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. Physical editions, a line of plushies and a themed NEO S controller (pre-orders for which are sadly sold out) are also on the way. And in finally playing it all the way through almost 20 years after its original release, I've discovered that Tomba! is even more unhinged than I remembered.Tomba, the player-character, is a wild boy who lives outside of society, hunting boars and sleeping under the stars. His peace is disrupted one day when a group of delinquent pigs swoops in and wreaks havoc, ultimately robbing him of a gold bracelet that belonged to his grandfather. To get it back, Tomba ventures into the nearby towns to find the Evil Pig ringleaders and take them down. Along the way, he meets a slew of strange characters who will help guide him on his mission, but only after he completes a bunch of tasks for them.It's a 2.5D platformer, meaning much of the game operates like a two-dimensional side-scroller, but you can occasionally move into the background or foreground to explore the map in more depth. Tomba! Special Edition doesn't change much about the original game. The graphics are still distinctly PS1 polygonal, and the controls can feel clunky. There are some quality of life additions, though - namely a rewind feature that ends up being extremely handy because, as it turns out, this game is pretty tricky in some spots. I found myself needing to try certain maneuvers over and over again to get them right.Just about every part of the story and its environment carries a touch of absurdity. Tomba is able to scale walls, swing on branches, jump with inhuman ability and apparently store items (including living creatures) in his stomach, which he can regurgitate when they're needed later on. There are the butt trees, as mentioned earlier, which are allegedly meant to depict peaches but when Tomba jumps onto them and squeezes, a cloud of magical gas comes pouring out. You'll encounter a village of dwarves, but can only communicate with them after leaping on the heads of several dwarves to learn their language. In another village, everyone's been turned into mice, and for some reason, they're all wound up about the disappearance of an actual, never-been-human baby mouse.Limited Run GamesOne of the most memorable areas is undoubtedly the Mushroom Forest, a bad trip of a location that's filled with creepy, clownish anthropomorphic flowers and mushrooms that inflict Tomba with certain ailments if he jumps onto them. One will have him laughing uncontrollably, while the other makes him wail - and that cry is deeply unsettling. It kind of jump-scared me the first time it happened, if I'm being real. With both mushroom illnesses, Tomba becomes unable to wield his weapons, instead flailing his arms and screaming if you try to do an attack.It is altogether a surprisingly complex game, and visually striking thanks to its loud color palette. But the quest can feel convoluted as you try to navigate the often confusing map layout and fulfill the many, many tasks thrown your way. Boss fights are uniquely frustrating, too. Instead of simply beating up or killing the Evil Pigs, you have to wrangle each one and throw it in a bag... but the bag is floating and, in most cases, spinning.While frequently maddening, Tomba! was a joy to revisit. It's consistently silly, and the soundtrack gave me a welcome blast of nostalgia from the moment its steel drums started playing. (Tomba! Special Edition includes both the original soundtrack and a remastered version, and they're both great.) If anything, the Special Edition release has made it clear why Tomba! has lingered so long in my memory - I can't say I've ever played another game quite like it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ps1-gem-tomba-is-still-a-wild-ride-nearly-20-years-later-163011449.html?src=rss

The Polaris Dawn crew safely returned to Earth early Sunday morning, bringing the historic privately funded mission to a close. The Dragon capsule carrying the mission's four astronauts - Jared Isaacman, Scott Kidd" Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon - splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico around 3:30AM ET.

Apple's high-end earbuds will be able to be used a full-on hearing aids. Apple Could Apple really be teeing up a change that could save my elderly mother more than $1,500? That's the promise of the company's newly announced initiative to add true hearing aid functionality to the AirPods Pro - and why, with all due respect to the iPhone 16 and its fancy Camera Control button, it was the most promising section of Monday's keynote, to my eyes. The news couldn't have come at a better time for me. My 80-year-old mother has finally admitted that her hearing is, shall we say, subpar. And she just asked me to book her an appointment at the Miracle Ear clinic down the street (They're having a fall sale!"). But before I went down that road, I decided to do some research. The frustrating world of hearing aids I knew that there was a burgeoning market for hearing aids since the US government opened the field to over-the-counter competition in 2022. But a bit of googling confirmed that those models - even those with familiar names, like Jabra, Sony and Sennheiser - start at $300 and go north from there, sometimes topping $2,000. And while that's certainly a lot, the crazy thing is that it's downright cheap compared to clinical hearing aids. Those often start at $1,000, and can go as high as $5,000 or more. Yes, really. Some medical insurance may defer costs, but Medicare doesn't. While retired military personnel can get hearing aids through the VA, I remember my father's journey down that path meant that his hearing aids arrived many months after the initial hearing exam. Jabra Enhance's OTC hearing aid options top out at almost $2,000. Jabra Enhance And here's the clincher: Many elderly folks seem to loathe their hearing aids, and for good reason: They're generally tedious and unintuitive to use, sometimes with a single microscopic button to control volume. Want to turn them off? Pop open the battery cover, for starters. (And many hearing aids still use disposable microbatteries.) Case in point: My mother got one of these expensive pair of hearing aids years ago, but found the challenge of wearing and maintaining them wasn't worth the so-so audio improvement they offered. They still power on, but they don't seem to work effectively any more - and being out of warranty, the cause of our current hearing aid search. The competition from the OTC market has helped in that regard, as the Jabras and Sennheisers of the world push the traditional hearing aid providers to become a bit more tech-savvy. Some eschew the behind-the-ear battery pack and go for earbud-style simplicity. Bluetooth connectivity for calls and apps for sound adjustments are finally more common, as older people become accustomed to using their phones and tablets. But why go for what's essentially an AirPods knockoff when you can get the real thing at a fraction of the price? (And - amazingly, in an age where everything has gone the subscription route - free of any sort of recurring monthly fees.) Waiting for the software update - and managing expectations So, when will the hearing aid features become available? What seemed to be weeks away may now be much closer. FDA regulatory signoff (in the US) is already a done deal, arriving just a few days after the initial announcement. That leaves the requisite software upgrade. You'll need an AirPods Pro paired with a compatible device running iOS 18, or the equivalent 2024 OS updates for iPad or Mac. On the iPhone side, that's pretty much every model sold after the 2018 model year (iPhone XS/XR and later). While those initial software updates hit on September 16, it's unclear if the hearing aid functionality will arrive then, or sometime later - perhaps alongside the first Apple Intelligence coming in October. (Apple's site simply says coming this fall.") In the meantime, I've started the upsell to my mother. I showed her the relevant portion of Apple's video presentation, and I had her try out my AirPods Pro, just to gauge fit and comfort. The initial response wasn't enthusiastic. While she liked that they didn't fall out of my ears" like the AirPods 2, she's put off by the penetration of the eartips into her ear canal. Countless other headphone fans agree, and that's why the design of the new AirPods 4 is more open. But Apple hasn't suggested the hearing aid functionality is coming to those headphones anytime soon - if ever. Unlike traditional hearing aids, AirPods Pro are anything but discreet. (This shot is from Apple's keynote video.) Apple And let's be honest: This isn't envisioned as a miracle cure. Apple specifically says this feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss." I wouldn't be surprised if my mother has graduated to the need for pro-level hearing assistance at this point, over-the-counter or otherwise. So we may end up opting for one of those Jabra Enhance models, which offer a 100-day no-hassle return policy. But now we have the AirPods Pro as a testable alternative. Going forward, anyone in the market for hearing aids can start their journey with the AirPods Pro and its companion free audio test. If you like the results, you're done - or you at least have a stopgap solution. And if not, you can compare and contrast them against pricier OTC or clinical options in terms of comfort, battery life, ease of use and - of course - the respective efficacy of their actual hearing assistance. The very fact that Apple is in the hearing aid conversation with a $200-ish option feels like a win. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/why-the-airpods-pros-new-hearing-aid-features-are-a-bigger-deal-than-you-think-111543985.html?src=rss

A new, $26 solderless mod kit from 8BitDo can transform your old GameCube controller into a wireless Bluetooth device that works with Nintendo Switch and Android. It'll also work with the original GameCube, but for that, you'll have to buy the $26 Retro Receiver too. The mod kit comes with Hall Effect joysticks, a trigger pack and a rechargeable 300mAh battery, which 8BitDo says should get you around 6 hours of play time. Pre-orders for the kit are now open, and it'll ship September 25.

New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention.The Night Guest by Hildur KnutsdottirAnyone who lives with a difficult-to-diagnose chronic illness and has endured the demoralizing process of trying to get proper treatment can tell you it is, at times, a living nightmare. Advocating for yourself, fighting to be taken seriously; it's something I've dealt with most of my life as a person with autoimmune diseases. So when I read the description of Hildur Knutsdottir's psychological horror novel, The Night Guest, it resonated with me immediately:

23andMe is close to settling a proposed class action lawsuit filed against the company over a data breach that compromised 6.9 million users' information. According to the preliminary settlement filing, the DNA testing company has agreed to pay $30 million to affected customers, as well as to conduct annual computer scans and cybersecurity audits for three years. A website will be built to notify people eligible to a portion of the settlement fund and to facilitate payments. Affected users will also be sent a link where they can delete all their information from the service, and they'll be able to enroll to a three-year Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring program for free. A judge still has to approve those terms.In October 2023, the company admitted that the DNA Relatives profile information of roughly 5.5 million customers and the Family Tree profile information of 1.4 million DNA Relative participants had been leaked. It later revealed in a legal filing that the bad actors started breaking into customer accounts in late April 2023 and that they had access to its systems until September that year. It said that the hackers used a technique called credential stuffing, which uses previously compromised login credentials to access customer accounts.The breach led to several class action lawsuits filed against the company, including one that accused 23andMe of failing to notify the plaintiffs that they were specifically targeted for having Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. In the settlement agreement [PDF] for the consolidated lawsuit, 23andMe noted that it "denies the claims and allegations set forth in the Complaint" and that it "denies that it failed to properly protect the Personal Information of its consumers and users."According to Reuters, 23andMe describes its financial condition as "extremely uncertain." In its financial report for the 2024 fiscal year, it revealed that it earned a total revenue of $220 million, down 27 percent from a $299 million revenue the year before. A huge chunk of the settlement money will come from cyber insurance, though, which the company expects to cover $25 million out of the $30 million total.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/23andme-will-pay-30-million-to-settle-2023-data-breach-lawsuit-150058702.html?src=rss

After a two-week blackout, ESPN and other Disney-owned channels are back on DirecTV. The Walt Disney Company and DirecTV released a joint statement on Saturday announcing that they are in the process of finalizing a new contract, and that all channels affected by their dispute have been restored. That includes ABC, Freeform, FX and National Geographic channels. Disney yanked its networks off DirecTV at the beginning of September after the two companies failed to reach an agreement before their old contract expired. Inconveniently for sports fans, the blackout coincided with the start of football season.The new multi-year contract brings Disney's full linear suite of networks back to DirecTV, with package options for genre-focused channel bundles (sports, family, etc) and Disney's streaming services - Disney+, Hulu an ESPN+. ESPN's upcoming direct-to-consumer service, which is expected to launch this fall, will be included for free. In their statement, Disney and DirecTV said the new deal will give customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options." They also added, We'd like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney's entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/espn-and-other-channels-return-to-directv-as-it-finally-reaches-a-deal-with-disney-144938541.html?src=rss

Hardware season is in full swing. Apple launched the iPhone 16, AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10 on Monday this week. On the same day, at the very same time, the review embargo for the Pixel Watch 3 lifted, and we managed to get most of our piece up then. Not only that, we also saw Sony announce the PlayStation 5 Pro this week, plus in the last two weeks there has been plenty of news out of the IFA conference in Berlin. There were things like Huawei's tri-fold phone, reMarkable's Paper Pro tablet, DJI's $200 Neo drone, a new GoPro as well as more concept Lenovo laptops. As you can imagine, it's been a hectic couple of weeks for those of us who cover consumer tech, and the events are far from over. Reviews of all the big products announced recently will also be coming soon, if they haven't already, and I am once again back to help you catch up on all the reviews we published in the last two weeks. I will also explain why there are some products we haven't written up, like the OnePlus Pad 2. Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Two reviewers, one comprehensive analysis by Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford Since our foldables expert Sam Rutherford is on parental leave, the task of reviewing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold became mine. But Sam, being the responsible and helpful reviewer that he is, took time out to share his thoughts and impressions with me. He even took the review photos for our piece, and I especially appreciate his using mahjong tiles as an interesting backdrop for his pictures. While I focused my testing on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as a viable smartphone alternative and its use as a multimedia consumption device, Sam provided his insight by comparing Google's foldable to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6. Our review brings together those two perspectives, making for a fairly comprehensive analysis, if I do say so myself. We've got camera comparisons between Google and Samsung's offerings, with evaluation of both their software, battery performance, build, shape and more. I was also able to shoot a video encompassing all our reviews of the Pixel 9 family of phones, which covers the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL as well as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The footage goes into some extra detail around things like the Add Me and Made You Look camera updates, as well as what Emergency SOS via Satellite looks like on a Pixel phone. Check it out at the top of this article! Pixel Watch 3 review: Fighting against Apple by Cherlynn Low Google didn't make our lives very easy with its Monday embargo on September 9th, especially with Apple's iPhone 16 launch event happening the same day. But the good news is, our review units had arrived about two weeks prior, so we had enough time with the Pixel Watch 3 to get a better sense for it in the real world. I spent my time with the smaller 41mm model while Sam was able to share some testing insight of the new larger 45mm variant. Within a couple of days, Sam and I were trading notes about how impressed we were with the Pixel Watch 3's battery life. Since I hate wearing watches to sleep, Sam graciously filled me in on the watch's sleep-tracking and auto bedtime features. Once again, teamwork made the dream work here (quite literally for me, as I would not have been able to fall asleep otherwise). On my end, I focused on workouts and activity-tracking, double-wristing the Pixel Watch 3 with my Apple Watch Series 9 everywhere I went for two weeks. I was stoked that the Google smartwatch was better at automatically detecting my every walk, run and bike ride, but found it a little too thick compared to the competition. I also enjoyed the new customizable run workouts that let me set sprint and rest segments during my treadmill sessions. I know that a day and a half sounds just about average in terms of battery life for modern smartwatches, but considering older models could barely last 24 hours, the improvements to runtime feel huge. Together with some Google and Pixel integrations, the Pixel Watch 3 finally feels like it's ready to take on the likes of Samsung and Apple's flagship wearables. Ultimate Ears Everboom: A floatable speaker that's more loud than good by Billy Steele In this review, Billy once again shows us what to look for when getting gear for a party outside. Judging by the beautiful pictures accompanying his review, it's clear that when he's not testing headphones or grilling meats in his backyard, Mr. Grilly Steele spends ample time at the beach for (work-sanctioned) speaker testing. I support it. With the UE Everboom, Billy makes clear that the sound quality isn't stellar, and music lacks in the mid range. But if it's volume that you want, the Everboom delivers, beaming sound out in 360 degrees. Plus, it does so in a rugged, waterproof body that can also survive a toss into the pool, since, like the company's other speakers, it floats! However, with a score of just 75, the Everboom didn't quite make the cut to be one of the products we award the Recommended title. You'll likely find a better device for your needs from competing brands like Marshall and Beats. We didn't review: OnePlus Pad 2 With everything that's been happening in the industry and in our own lives lately, we have yet to review the OnePlus Pad 2. Or the 2024 Moto Razrs or Galaxy Watch Ultra, either, for that matter. We continue to test our review units so that experience can inform our evaluation of other products we write up. But time is a resource we never have enough of, and with companies constantly launching new products, it's hard to keep up. Our lead tablet reviewer (and deputy editor) Nathan Ingraham has been spending time with the OnePlus Pad 2, and he does have some thoughts to share. He's a fan of its build and display, finding it light and well-balanced despite being fairly large with a 12.1-inch screen. Speaking of, he also likes the display, appreciating its 301ppi pixel density. In fact, he called this "one of the nicest tablet screens I've seen outside of the iPad." I'll have to get Nate to look at a Samsung Galaxy Tab with a nice AMOLED panel before we make that official, but there are other things that set the OnePlus Pad 2 apart. If you own a OnePlus phone, Nate noted that "there are some smart software features" that could make this tablet a better option than an iPad or Galaxy Tab. But, as Nate points out, "the Android software situation, as always, is a rather unimpressive mixed bag." He called out multitasking and a lack of apps that make good use of larger screens as two areas that need improvement. Still, for $550 (and currently going for $499 direct from OnePlus), Nate thinks the Pad 2 is a fair value. "I still can't recommend it over an iPad, but at least it doesn't break the bank." Upcoming/on the horizon Like I said at the start of this recap, there are plenty of gadgets hiding in our homes, ready to be tested. There's plenty more to come, including new Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel chips, as well as cameras, earbuds and more. If anyone watching this week's news were so inclined, they could probably make a very educated guess as to what we're getting ready to publish reviews of, especially given established timelines from previous years. That's all I'll say for now. I did want to say how thankful we are for your patience as we make it through this intensely hectic time of year, and you may see reviews go up this month that are updated after publish with additional details. This might be done in an effort to get articles up in a timely manner while still being able to provide comprehensive insight on our experiences over time. For instance, my Pixel Watch 3 review went up on Monday, but I was able to update it on Wednesday morning with a whole section on the Wear OS and Fitbit app experience. It's not anything that was new or that impacted my score, but was simply extra detail that I didn't have the time to write up while concurrently preparing for the iPhone event. With the packed tech launch calendar coming up, you may see us adopt a similar approach on reviews that might have tight deadlines. As always, we appreciate all your time reading and watching our work. Have a wonderful weekend.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-foldable-wearable-floatable-140035783.html?src=rss

Sam Altman has told OpenAI staff members during their weekly meeting that the company is changing its rather convoluted non-profit corporate structure next year, according to Fortune. The CEO said OpenAI will move away from being controlled by a non-profit entity and will transition into a more traditional for-profit organization. He didn't delve into the specifics of how the company will achieve that goal and what OpenAI's corporate structure will look like exactly. A spokesperson only told Fortune that it remains "focused on building AI that benefits everyone" and that non-profit is "core to [its] mission and will continue to exist."OpenAI started as a non-profit organization in 2015 that relied on money from donors. In a page explaining its structure, it said that it only raised $130.5 million in total donations over the years, which it says made it clear that "donations alone would not scale with the cost of computational power and talent required to push [its] core research forward." The then-purely non-profit organization created a for-profit subsidiary in order to solve that problem. As Fortune explains, OpenAI's non-profit entity currently controls its for-profit arm, which in turn controls a holding company that takes investments from companies like Microsoft.Under this structure, the profit that can be allocated to investors, including Microsoft, has a cap. Anything OpenAI makes beyond the cap will go to its non-profit division. And the company's revenue is booming, according to a report by The Information published in June. OpenAI reportedly doubled its annualized revenue in the first half of the year, thanks to the subscription version of ChatGPT.The company's complex structure also allowed OpenAI's non-profit board of directors to oust Altman in 2023, because they "no longer [have] confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI." Five days later, however, the board was disbanded and replaced, while Altman was reinstated as CEO.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-reportedly-moving-away-from-its-complicated-non-profit-structure-next-year-130014948.html?src=rss

Apple has revealed it will allow iPad users in the EU to install third-party app stores on their tablets (without having to sideload them) starting on September 16. You'll need to install iPadOS 18, which will be available broadly on Monday, to do so.Back in April, the European Commission designated iPadOS as a "core platform service," meaning that like iOS, the App Store and Safari, the operating system is subject to stricter rules under the bloc's Digital Markets Act. As TechCrunch notes, Apple had six months to update iPadOS so that it complied with the DMA, which included opening up the platform to third-party app marketplaces.Epic Games has already pledged to bring its app marketplace to iPadOS, meaning that folks in the EU should be able to play Fortnite and Fall Guys natively on compatible iPads in the near future. Several other third-party app stores have arrived on iOS in the EU since Apple added official support in March.While the likes of AltStore PAL and the Epic Games Store aren't subject to Apple's usual app review policies, the company notarizes them for security purposes. The developers of third-party app marketplaces also need to pay a Core Technology Fee to Apple once they meet certain thresholds (the EU opened an investigation into this fee in March).One other key change coming to iPads with the rollout of iPadOS 18 is under the surface, but one that may ultimately change how EU users browse the web on their iPads. Apple will allow third-party browsers to use their own engines on iPadOS instead of having to employ its own WebKit. This means that the likes of Mozilla and Google will be able to offer iPad versions of Firefox and Chrome that run on their own tech.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipads-will-support-third-party-app-stores-in-europe-starting-september-16-180414833.html?src=rss

Apple announced its newest lineup of smartphones during the 2024 iPhone 16 launch event earlier this week. Four new models took center stage: The iPhone 16, the larger iPhone 16 Plus, the high-end iPhone 16 Pro and its big sibling the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Last year, the most notable design change came with the adoption of a USB-C charging port. This year, all four phones are getting a new, multi-function capacitive button on the side. The other big news comes on the inside with the A18 and A18 Pro chips designed to handle all the coming Apple Intelligence features, including the just-announced Visual Intelligence. Our team on the ground in Cupertino had a chance to put their hands on the handsets, but we'll tell you exactly what we think about Apple's latest phones and features once we've had a chance to thoroughly review them. But if you already know you want a shiny new iPhone 16 as soon as possible, pre-orders are open now ahead of the ship date of September 20. Here's how you can buy them. Apple also announced the AirPods 4 and the Apple Watch Series 10, both of which are available for pre-order now. Like the new iPhones, they'll ship on September 20. Catch up on all the news from Apple's iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-launch-heres-how-to-pre-order-the-new-iphone-from-the-apple-store-183710721.html?src=rss

End-of-summer and back-to-school sales have mostly expired and, while we know Amazon will have another Prime Day sale in October, we don't know when just yet. That makes this just another week of our team hunting and searching for deals all across the world wide web. We actually found quite a few worth considering, with discounts on products pulled from our extensive and growing list of buyer's guides and reviews.The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (in its original color) is $110 off and the LCD Steam Deck is seeing a rare discount. One of our favorite power banks from Baseus is on sale with a 40 percent coupon. And an Amazon Fire Tablet that makes a great communal device for casual use is just over half off. Here are the best deals from this week that you can still get today.Discounts on Apple gearPhoto by Devindra Hardawar/EngadgetThe iPhone 16 launch event revealed four new iPhones, one new Apple Watch and a new pair of AirPods. iPhones don't tend to get standalone discounts, but Apple is offering healthy trade-in deals, including up to $650 credit towards a new handset (if you happen to be done with your iPhone 15 Pro Max). A new Apple Watch Ultra 3 was not announced, but a new black color for the Ultra 2 was. If you're happy with the original titanium, you can grab a $100 discount on that model. The new AirPods 4 aren't discounted yet, but the AirPods Pro 2 are currently $60 off. That's about $20 more than their all-time low, but could still be worthwhile considering the useful upgrades a software update will enable in a month or so.

Tales of the Shire, a cozy life sim set in the world of Lord of the Rings, has been delayed until 2025. It was previously set for a release sometime this year. Developer Weta Workshop, who assisted with the effects in all of Peter Jackson's Middle-earth films, says the delay was necessary to ensure that players experience a fully realized version of its original vision.This is a cozy life sim in the vein of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and a million others, but this one is set in In Tolkien's Middle-earth between the events of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Mixing the cozy sim formula with a pre-established IP tends to work. Just ask fans of Disney Dreamlight Valley.If there's one aspect of Tolkien's world that fits this genre, it's the Hobbits and their Shire. The forthcoming game looks to prioritize meal prep, as we all know Hobbits love a good feast, and will let players design the look of their own personal Hobbit hole. There's fishing and farming, of course, but also a robust-seeming character interaction system. We aren't sure if romance is on the table but, come on, that Hobbit population isn't going to replenish itself.The developer is holding a live showcase event on September 22 at 10:30AM ET to discuss some new aspects of the game and to go over various mechanics. It will also use the stream to drop an actual release date which, again, will be sometime in 2025. Maybe we'll also get an update on Hobbit-based romance during the showcase.

NASA confirmed on Friday that it's developing a new lunar time system for the Moon. The White House published a policy memo in April, directing NASA to create the new standard by 2026. Over five months later (government time, y'all), the space agency's confirmation states it will work with U.S. government stakeholders, partners, and international standards organizations" to establish a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).To understand why the Moon needs its own time zone, look no further than Einstein. His theories of relativity say that because time changes relative to speed and gravity, time moves slightly faster on our celestial neighbor (because of its weaker gravity). So, an Earth clock on the Moon would gain about 56 microseconds a day - enough to throw off calculations that could put future missions requiring precision in danger.For something traveling at the speed of light, 56 microseconds is enough time to travel the distance of approximately 168 football fields," said Cheryl Gramling, NASA timing and standards leader, in a press release. If someone is orbiting the Moon, an observer on Earth who isn't compensating for the effects of relativity over a day would think that the orbiting astronaut is approximately 168 football fields away from where the astronaut really is."NASAApril's White House memo directed NASA to work with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State and Transportation to plot the course for LTC's introduction by the end of 2026. Global stakeholders, particularly Artemis Accords signees, will play a role. Established in 2020, the agreements include a growing collection of 43 countries committed to norms expected to be honored in space. Notably, China and Russia have refused to join.NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program will lead the initiative. One of LTC's goals is to be scalable to other celestial bodies in the future, including Mars. The time standard will be determined by a weighted average of atomic clocks on the Moon, although their locations are still up for debate. Such a weighted average is similar to how scientists calculate Earth's Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).NASA plans to send crewed missions back to the Moon through its Artemis program. Artemis 2, scheduled for September 2025, plans to send four people on a pass around the Moon. A year later, Artemis 3 aims to land astronauts near the Moon's South Pole.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-confirms-its-developing-the-moons-new-time-zone-165345568.html?src=rss

In Hollowbody, an early 2000s-style third-person survival horror game by Nathan Hamley (the solo developer behind Headware Games), the true terror comes not from its hideous monsters, but from inhabiting a world where regular people are failed by the system and left to die.Hollowbody is an homage to the PlayStation 2-era classics that helped define the genre. It also adds a tech-noir" spin; think the first few Silent Hill games, namely Silent Hill 2, and a touch of Blade Runner. It goes heavy on atmosphere, relying almost entirely on tension-building rather than action to create a sense of palpable unease. And while the game resurrects PS2 graphics, it does not subject you to tank controls (unless you want them, then there's a toggle for that, sickos).It's set in the not-too-distant future in a ruined city somewhere in the British Isles, decades after the region was struck by a supposed biological attack and later bombed while under quarantine. A brief introduction alludes to corruption and conspiracy around the true events of the catastrophe. The initial attacks targeted cities plagued by economic hardship and depravity," and the affected areas were walled off to contain the spread of any contagions - but not before people deemed to be high value" citizens were allowed to escape to an artificial island with a suspiciously utopic name (Aeonis).The game opens with a group of researcher-activists who have convened at an entry site to one of the exclusion zones, where they plan to go in search of answers. After one of them, Sasha, goes missing, her partner Mica sets out in a hover car to find her at any cost.It's in this early sequence that we really see the tech-noir part of Hollowbody's description come through: Mica staring out the huge glass window of an apartment overlooking a densely packed city a la Blade Runner 2049; zipping between skyscrapers in a flying passenger vehicle; having a cheeky conversation with an intelligent navigation system. Naturally, Mica crashes on the ride in, loses contact with the one person who can help her and has to make her way toward Sasha on foot.Headware GamesFrom then on, the tech-noir bit slips mostly out of focus until it swings back around at the end of the game, and Hollowbody takes on the more traditional survival horror mold of science experiment turned local extinction event.' There are some touches of that distinct tech-infused vision - at one point, Mica passes a broken-down mech the size of an apartment building, and there's a glowing children's toy in one room that looks vaguely robotic - but it's not exactly pervasive. Mica's personal gadgetry and the styling of the inventory menu serve as the only real reminders of that angle for most of the game.There are a number of puzzles to solve as you explore derelict buildings and the city's parks trying to figure out how to get the hell out of there. The solutions to most of these are fairly obvious once you've come across the clues sprinkled around each location, so the fun is more in the exploration.There was an occasional head-scratcher that would send me in circles though. It didn't help that the surfaces I was able to interact with would sometimes continue to display indicators like Pick up" or Seek" even after I took everything that could be used from them. In cluttered rooms, I found myself rechecking some spots over and over thinking I'd missed something. These prompts will also appear in some places just for the sake of having Mica make inconsequential observations, like commenting on the dirty dishes or sheets that have gone years unwashed, and she'll say the same remarks repeatedly as she encounters the same setups in different apartments.Thankfully, that doesn't detract much from how unnerving the setting is. The music is haunting, and it combines with heightened environmental noises like rain, radio static and Mica's echoing footsteps to create a really visceral soundscape. If ever Mica's inside a building or underground structure, you can be sure it'll be dark and labyrinthine. It always felt like a monster was going to jump out at any second, despite that not usually being the case. (It was sometimes, though.) Outside, Mica is exposed, and it doesn't take long for monsters to notice her and start congregating around her.Headware GamesThe monsters themselves are wonderfully disgusting. There are bipedal abominations, some emaciated while others are top-heavy and headless, with gross tendrils flailing out from their upper halves. Hollowbody has some demon dogs, too, plus a few scuttling insectoid creatures that seemingly pose no threat beyond creeping you out. Cat-sized worm critters will slither right past you, and their hilariously clunky animation just might be the most PS2 thing about the entire game.It's not very combat-oriented - often, you can just run past the enemies - but there are guns to come by, and a few makeshift melee weapons. Using the latter felt somewhat stiff and slow at times, particularly when facing a group of beasts, but I was still able to make do favoring bludgeoning tools to conserve ammunition. And I delighted in the gushy thwack of my street sign ax connecting with monster flesh. I also loved that Mica can grab an electric guitar off the wall and use it as a weapon. It may not be the most pragmatic approach considering the heaviness, but the clang when it makes contact with its target is very satisfying.There are bodies in various states of decay at every turn, and Mica's scanner will give you an instant read on the deceased to get a sense of who they were and how they died. In many instances, the cause is nothing paranormal: dehydration, starvation, murder, etc. A backstory forms through documents and audio flashbacks that are activated at certain sites, telling of financial struggles and gentrification in the city long before the biological disaster, and the eventual desolation endured by the people in the quarantined area afterward, who could only survive as long as their dwindling resources allowed.Mica finds a notice of impending rent hikes, a letter that mentions the disruption of construction going on at all hours of the night and a past due notice for unpaid utilities bills showing monthly prices had quadrupled. She comes across a note left behind by a dying man, wishing for a better future for his family and humanity. In one post-quarantine recording, starving civilians pleading to leave the city are gunned down by armed forces. It is all incredibly bleak, and I didn't have to suspend my disbelief very much to envision a reality in which things would pan out like this.Headware GamesBut an explanation as to why there are horrid, fleshy humanoid monsters roaming the streets never fully reveals itself in a straightforward way. (At least, not with the ending I reached and all the materials I collected.) The most substantial hint on that front came from a single newspaper clipping, the contents of which I'd rather not spoil here. The article plants the seed of an idea, but it's largely up to the player to fill in the blanks beyond that.There are touching snippets of Mica and Sasha's story as well, but the duo's connection to this place and apparent significance within its present goings-on never quite got the neat wrap-up I was hoping for. While the ending was a beautiful, emotional scene that felt like it brought the story full circle thematically, it also left me with the feeling of, Wait, what just happened? It seems like there are other endings, though, which may prove more conclusive on subsequent playthroughs. Beating the game also unlocks a harder difficulty option and a first-person dungeon crawler mode, which immediately made everything feel scarier when I switched it on.Even with its shortcomings, Hollowbody is a solid survival horror title that feels especially impressive when you take into account the fact that it was made by a solo indie developer. Vibes are part of what made its predecessors unforgettable, and Hollowbody's oppressive mood hits all the right notes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollowbody-fills-the-void-left-by-ps2-survival-horror-games-160030810.html?src=rss

Waymo and Uber are planning to bring their robotaxi service to more locales in the near future. Waymo One will arrive in Austin and Atlanta by early 2025. Folks in the two cities will be able to take a ride in Waymo's autonomous, electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles via the Uber app.Waymo employees in Austin are already using the service. The company will open up access to a limited number of public riders via the Waymo One app before moving the service to Uber early next year. The Atlanta public can start taking rides in the robotaxis in early 2025, and the companies plan to gradually expand Waymo One in that city.The Austin operations have been a long time coming. Waymo first revealed plans to expand to the Texas state capital back in 2023, and it initially planned to do so that fall.Waymo One riders currently take more than 100,000 trips each week across San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Waymo said in May it was facilitating 50,000 paid trips every week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/waymo-and-uber-are-bringing-their-robotaxi-service-to-austin-and-atlanta-by-early-2025-154417860.html?src=rss

Anker's 3-in-1 MagSafe foldable charging station has dropped to $88, which is a record low price. We haven't seen it go this low since Amazon Prime Day. This is a discount of 20 percent. As the name suggests, this is a 3-in-1 charging station that can simultaneously accommodate an iPhone, an Apple Watch and AirPods. It boasts 15W charging and is Qi2-certified, so you can expect things to move quickly. For instance, the company says it can get an Apple Watch Series 9 to 47 percent in just 30 minutes. It's easy to see why this thing made our list of the best Apple Watch accessories. It's actually quite portable for a charging station. It only weighs 6.9 ounces and the whole thing folds up to around the size of a deck of cards. It also ships with the charger's cable and a 40W power brick, so you'll have everything you need to get those top charging speeds without having to splurge on anything extra. While this is a great charger, especially for frequent travelers, the price has long been a sticking point for many. It's tough to recommend any accessory like this at more than $100. The sale price of $88 makes things a bit more palatable. October Prime Day 2024 is around the corner, serving as Amazon's (un)official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. If you're eager to snag some early holiday deals for those on your list (or yourself), here's what we know so far about the next Prime Day shopping event. When is October Prime Day 2024? Amazon has not announced the dates of fall Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it will be returning sometime in October. What is October Prime Day? October Prime Day is an extension of the regular Prime Day sale held annually in July. It features exclusive deals on Amazon for Prime members, although not quite on as big of a scale as the main summer Prime Day. How long is October Prime Day? In years past, October Prime Day has been two days long, just like Prime Day in July.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ankers-3-in-1-magsafe-foldable-charging-station-drops-back-down-to-its-prime-day-price-151850336.html?src=rss

Starting next week, Meta will no longer put an easy-to-see label on Facebook images that were edited using AI tools, and it will make it much harder to determine if they appear in their original state or had been doctored. To be clear, the company will still add a note to AI-edited images, but you'll have to tap on the three-dot menu at the upper right corner of a Facebook post and then scroll down to find "AI Info" among the many other options. Only then will you see the note saying that the content in the post may have been modified with AI.Images generated using AI tools, however, will still be marked with an "AI Info" label that can be seen right on the post. Clicking on it will show a note that will say whether it's been labeled because of industry-shared signals or because somebody self-disclosed that it was an AI-generated image. Meta started applying AI-generated content labels to a broader range of videos, audio and images earlier this year. But after widespread complaints from photographers that the company was flagging even non-AI-generated content by mistake, Meta changed the "Made with AI" label wording into "AI Info" by July.The social network said it worked with companies across the industry to improve its labeling process and that it's making these changes to "better reflect the extent of AI used in content." Still, doctored images are being widely used these days to spread misinformation, and this development could make it trickier to identify false news, which typically pop up more during election season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-hides-warning-labels-for-ai-edited-images-143004313.html?src=rss

Uh oh, it appears that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has leaked online a couple of weeks ahead of the game's release date. Some new images and clips from the Nintendo Switch title are circulating online, per Nintendo Life.YouTubers Nintendo Prime and Zelda Lore sounded the alarm, claiming that a ROM file of the game is already available and that some people are playing it via emulators. For what it's worth, some of the more popular sites from which people obtain pirated Switch games don't yet offer download links for the Echoes of Wisdom ROM, but it might take a little time for the leaked file to propagate on those.Unfortunately, this isn't a rare occurrence. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaked before its debut last year, with boss battles and other spoiler-laden footage popping up within a similar timeframe, around two weeks ahead of the release date.As for how this latest leak happened, Echoes of Wisdom is set to arrive on September 26, so this is right around the time that Nintendo is likely to be sending out review copies. As such, someone with early access may have ripped the game and shared it online. In any case, it's worth exercising some caution and maybe muting some keywords on the social media platforms you frequent if you don't want any of the game's surprises to be ruined.It would be a real shame for fans to accidentally be spoiled on Echoes of Wisdom, since it marks the first time Zelda herself will be the main playable character in the series that carries her name. Any leak could also result in Nintendo being even more selective when it comes to providing review copies of games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-may-have-leaked-already-142334680.html?src=rss

A European consumer watchdog has filed a complaint against Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Roblox and other game publishers over deceptive in-game currency practices, Reuters reported. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) said it has "identified numerous cases where gamers are misled into spending money" and called on authorities "to provide consumers with safe gaming environments."The BEUC pointed out that consumers are unable to see the real cost of digital items price using in-game currencies, saying that in-game purchases should always be displayed in real money. It added that companies' claims that gamers prefer in-game premium currencies are wrong; consumers are often denied their rights when using such currencies; and that children are particularly vulnerable to these "manipulative tactics."

Last year, I experienced my first iPhone launch cycle at Engadget and the fanfare got to me. It seemed I couldn't call myself a respectable member of the tech world if I didn't own any of the shiny new tech. So I headed to the Apple store on the iPhone 15's opening weekend and put my name in to buy one. As I waited my turn, I idly played with the display model. Holding it up to my iPhone 11, my enthusiasm dimmed. A bright grid of apps, softly rounded corners, one button on the right, two buttons and a toggle on the left... These two phones were the same. Sure, the pill-shaped thing on the screen was new, but, so what?Instead of splurging, I left the store with my old phone. One year later, as this week's iPhone 16 event approached, the thought of upgrading my phone hadn't really crossed my mind. I was more concerned with the real-time transcription abilities I'd need to help cover the event.But then Apple went and announced a brand new feature for the iPhone 16. While rumors suggested the DSLR-like focus button (now known as the Camera Control) would grace only the Pro models, every iPhone announced this year actually got the fancy new thing. And the Action button from the 15 Pro would now be on the base model as well. Additionally, there's a new fusion camera" that combines a 48MP sensor with a 2x telephoto lens. I may not know what that really means, but anything that might help me take better pictures of cityscapes is a plus.Of course, the new button was likely added because it'll serve as the interface for October's upcoming Visual Intelligence, Apple's AI-fueled feature that interprets the real world through the lens of Apple Intelligence. Given that shareholders insist AI's buzz be shoved into everything, it's not surprising that Apple's best selling product would have all the tools it needs to embrace the tech fully. AI isn't something I need, but two new buttons? And one that seems potentially pretty cool? It's enough to lure me to upgrade.I'm not much of a shopper. I wear six-year old t-shirts, own seven pairs of shoes and still carry an iPhone 11. I'm not necessarily proud of these facts; the experience of buying A New Thing often just leaves me cold, particularly when the stuff I have still works just fine.Up until now, every iPhone I've replaced was for a good reason: Three years in, the battery on my iPhone 3GS stopped holding a charge. After the same amount of time, my iPhone 7 got so slow I'd forget what I was trying to do before an app would open.Conspiracy theories once abounded that Apple purposely built planned obsolescence into their handsets, but I think a saner reason was that battery and chip technology just weren't where they are now. With the release of iOS 17, Apple dropped feature update support for the iPhone 8, but a security update went out as recently as last month. That's nearly seven years of reasonable use (and I have family members with iPhone 8s who have no plans to upgrade anytime soon).My iPhone 11 outside its case. Still quite shiny.Photo by Amy Skorheim / EngadgetI got my iPhone 11 in early 2020 and, four and a half years later, it's still an entirely serviceable device. I can play my daily games, waste time on Reddit, keep in contact with friends and family using their various preferred methods and take pictures of tall buildings and overhead wires that turn out pretty decent. The battery won't last through a whole day if I'm relying heavily on navigation, though that's not a huge problem for me - I have far too many power banks laying around to ever end up with a dead phone. But it won't last forever.The new iPhone 16 costs $799 - the same price as the iPhone 15 went for - and it comes in a new ultramarine color. It's sort of a purply royal blue that I'm very drawn to and represents just the sort of superfluous, consumerist frivolity that provokes post-shopping dejection. But it's so pretty! Granted, I'll never really see that deep, blue-hour shade. The moment I get this new phone, it's going directly into a case, where it will stay until the next time I upgrade - maybe around 2030 or so.Catch up on all the news from Apple's iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/my-iphone-11-is-perfectly-fine-but-the-new-buttons-on-the-iphone-16-are-compelling-133045569.html?src=rss

Roomba robot vacuums are up to $620 off right now via Wellbots. These are some real-deal discounts, so if you've been saving up for a robovac, it might be time to take the plunge. The best deal of the bunch is for the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which is down to $780. The standard asking price is a whopping $1,400, so this is a savings of $620 on the hybrid vacuum/mop. All you have to do is jot down ENGAD620" in the checkout field. We loved this robovac in our official review, calling it the ideal robot vacuum and mop." The vacuuming performance is top-tier and can even suction up stubborn cat hair. The obstacle detection is also on point, so it won't get tripped up by the actual cat. The battery life is good and the base is well-designed and easy to use/empty. The j9+ also found a place on our list of the best robot vacuums. It won the award for best combo model, as the mopping element is nearly as refined as the vacuum. It can struggle with extremely sticky messes, however, but will easily handle regular floor maintenance. The only real downside with this device is the price. It's hard to recommend any vacuum at $1,400, even if it helps save tons of time. This isn't quite the case at $780. Wellbots is also selling the Roomba Combo j5+ model for just $440 instead of $730, which is a savings of $290. Just pop the code ENGAD290" in the checkout field. The regular j9+, without the mop, is on sale for $580 instead of $900 with the coupon code "ENGAD320." 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/deals/roomba-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-620-off-right-now-130055975.html?src=rss

Apple revealed its latest earbuds during the iPhone 16 launch event earlier this week: The AirPods 4. Rumors suggested we could get a new generation of AirPods Max, but a few new colors and a USB-C port were the extent of the changes there. Announcements around the AirPods Pro centered on the hearing updates the top-tier buds will receive via a software update this fall. That makes the new AirPods 4 the only brand new addition to Apple's personal audio lineup. They come in two varieties: With active noise cancellation for $179 and without that feature for $129. Engadget's Billy Steele briefly tried the more expensive buds after the event in Cupertino and his initial impressions were positive. We'll post a full review soon, but in the meantime, here's how to pre-order yours now before the AirPods 4 release date on September 20. Catch up on all the news from Apple's iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/how-to-pre-order-the-apple-airpods-4-174518535.html?src=rss

The entire Annapurna Interactive team has left the company after its executives walked out, according to Bloomberg. Apparently, the video game publisher's president, Nathan Gary, had been negotiating with Annapurna Pictures' founder Megan Ellison to spin off Annapurna Interactive into its own entity. A company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the parties had explored the possibility of a spinoff, but their discussions broke down. Gary and the publisher's other executives had resigned and walked out as a result, and the team's other members had followed suit."All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned," the team said in a joint statement. "This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly."Annapurna Interactive, like other publishers, teams up with developers, funds their games, takes care of the QA process and then markets and distributes titles when they're ready for the public. Its partner developers have reportedly been scrambling to find out what the team exodus means for them over the past few days. Bloomberg says Hector Sanchez, an Annapurna Interactive co-founder, assured developers that the company will honor their agreements. Sanchez had been at Epic Games the past five years, but he recently rejoined the publisher as its president for Interactive + New Media. Annapurna will also reportedly hire new staff members to replace those who left, essentially building a brand new team."Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition," Ellison told Bloomberg News. We're committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater."The publisher made a splash when it debuted with What Remains of Edith Finchback in 2017, and it now has a number of critically acclaimed and popular games under its belt. Its games include the cat simulator Stray, a puzzle adventure game featuring a world-hopping beetle called Cocoon, pop album rhythm action game Sayonara Wild Hearts, and action adventure game Outer Wilds, which is set in a solar system trapped in a time loop.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/annapurnas-entire-video-game-team-has-reportedly-left-the-company-123045395.html?src=rss

Before announcing new handsets during the It's Glowtime iPhone 16 launch event in Cupertino, Apple execs talked up the company's latest suite of smartwatches. Rumors suggested we could get an Apple Watch X instead of the Apple Watch Series 10, if the company were to borrow the naming scheme from its 2017 iPhone. But that didn't happen, it's indeed the Apple Watch Series 10. In addition to the flagship wearable, we also saw the announcement of a new finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Unfortunately, after a two-year wait, the Apple Watch SE has not been updated to a third generation. Here's how you can pre-order the new Apple Watch Series 10, which should start shipping on Sept 20. A new Apple Watch SE was not announced during the event, though it remains part of the official lineup. Last year's Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still the company's most recent high-end wearable, only getting an additional shiny black colorway instead of a new model. Catch up on all the news from Apple's iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/how-to-pre-order-the-new-apple-watch-series-10-173004323.html?src=rss

California firefighters needed to spray 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a roadside Tesla Semi fire, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a preliminary report. Crews also used an aircraft to drop fire retardent in the "immediate area as a precautionary measure," according to the agency.The crash happened at 3:13 AM on August 19 on the I80 freeway east of Sacramento. The tractor-trailer departed the roadway while navigating a curve, struck a traffic delineator and eventually hit a tree. The driver was uninjured but taken to hospital as a precaution.California Highway PatrolThe Tesla Semi's large 900kWh battery caught fire and reached a temperature of 1,000 degrees F while spewing toxic fumes. It continued to burn into the late afternoon as firefighters dowsed it with water to cool it down (Tesla sent a technical expert to assess high-voltage hazards and fire safety). It wasn't until 7:20 PM (over 16 hours after the crash) that the freeway was reopened.All of that caught the attention of the NTSB, which sent a team of investigators, mainly to examine the fire risks posed by large lithium-ion battery packs. The agency - which can only make safety recommendations and has no enforcement authority - said that "all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause."Given the long road shutdown time, dangerously hot fire and toxic fumes, the accident is likely to provoke a lot of discussion in and out of government. The NTSB concluded in 2021 that battery fires pose a risk to emergency responders and that manufacturers' guidelines around such fires were inadequate.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-semi-fire-required-50000-gallons-of-water-to-extinguish-120006477.html?src=rss

The iPhone 16 event is over, and now we've got plenty of thoughts to share after playing with all of Apple's new hardware. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about the entire iPhone 16 and Pro lineup, and Senior Reporter Billy Steele joins to chat about his experience with the AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10. It turns out, the Apple Watch stole the show from the iPhone.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Subscribe!

OpenAI has unveiled yet another artificial intelligence model. This one is called o1, and the company claims it can perform complex reasoning tasks more effectively than its predecessors. Apparently, o1 was trained to spend more time thinking through problems before they respond." According to the company: [the models] learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies and recognize their mistakes."That more considered response means it's significantly slower at processing prompts than GPT-4o. And while it might be thinking more, o1 hasn't solved the problem of hallucinations - a term for AI models making up information. OpenAI's chief research officer Bob McGrew told The Verge, We can't say we solved hallucinations."- Mat SmithThe big news you might have missed

An artist who goes by @tofu_rabbit on X says that the look of Nerf's Ace of Spades handgun from Bungie's Destiny games came from a commissioned artwork they drew almost a decade ago.Nerf and Bungie unveiled its newest foam dart gun collaboration on Tuesday featuring a limited edition version of Cayde-6's iconic Ace of Spades" blaster from Destiny 2 that is available for purchase on Bungie's online store. The following morning, @tofu_rabbit posted images comparing Nerf's newest foam dart launcher to a piece of art they made in 2015 and posted on their DeviantArt page based on the same gun from the game.The artist pointed out 11 parts or designs on the Nerf gun that allegedly line up perfectly with their original design. They include features like an upside down spade on the handle, identical shaped cracks in a strip of paint on the bullet chamber and a paisley pattern etched on the gun just in front of the trigger. They claim the design of the Nerf gun "DIRECTLY lifts a commission" they did in 2015, and add that the likeness goes beyond just being "similar" or "coincidence."

Elgato has introduced the Stream Deck Studio, a new version of its creative control tech that's firmly targeting professional broadcasters. This 19-inch rackmount console has 32 LCD keys and two rotary dials. The $900 price tag shows that this is not an entry-level purchase. The company collaborated with broadcast software specialist Bitfocus on the Stream Deck Studio. The device can run the Companion software that works on other Stream Deck models, but also supports the company's new Buttons software. The Buttons app allows for additional interface customization designed specifically for the Stream Deck Studio. Elgato has been expanding its Stream Deck line, which began life as a simple sidekick for livestreamers, to reach a broader range of users. For instance, it introduced an Adobe Photoshop integration aimed at visual artists. This push to reach more pro-tier customers could put Elgato into more frequent competition with rival brands like Loupedeck, which Logitech acquired last year, along with established broadcast brands like Blackmagic. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/elgatos-latest-stream-deck-is-a-900-rackmount-unit-for-pros-215003305.html?src=rss

Google will beta test a new feature for Google Wallet that can turn US passports into a new form of digital identification. Google announced the new feature on its official blog.Now digital IDs made from passports and state issued IDs can be used as valid forms of identification at certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports. Now you won't have to play Beat the Clock with all of your pockets frantically searching for your wallet as you slowly approach a TSA agent in line.This new digital ID feature won't work at every airport. As of Thursday, 21 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico have at least one airport that accepts digital ID. You can consult the TSA's digital map on its website to find out if the state you're leaving or flying to accepts digital IDs at security checkpoints.Digital ID adoption has grown across the country for both Android and iPhone users even if it's not available in every state. Major airports in Arizona, Colorado and Georgia started accepting state IDs from Google Wallet users. Last month, California started accepting IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at some airports.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-testing-turning-passports-into-digital-ids-213526915.html?src=rss

Valve has big savings on the entry-level (LCD) Steam Deck. You can take 25 percent off the 512GB model or 15 percent off the 64GB one, dropping their prices to $336.75 and $296.65, respectively. The sale runs through September 26 while supplies last for the two phased-out models. The 512GB (NVMe SSD) LCD Steam Deck initially cost $449, so the sale shaves over $112 off its MSRP. For some perspective, the OLED version with the same storage costs $549. This deal on the (lower-grade but still high-quality) LCD variant is a terrific chance to get started with handheld PC gaming on the cheap. The LCD Steam Deck has a seven-inch display (1200 x 800) with 60Hz refresh rates and 400 nits brightness. The 512GB model adds anti-glare etched glass that the 64GB lacks, so - if both fall within your budget - the former is a no-brainer upgrade at only $40 extra. Both variants have 40Wh batteries with a theoretical eight hours of uptime, but our tests found they averaged around 4.5 hours with regular use. (If needed, you can squeeze more out by lowering brightness and refresh rates.) Each model includes a standard carrying case. In Engadget's 2023 re-review of the LCD Steam Deck, Jessica Conditt concluded the entry-level model offers a fantastic return on investment," even compared to its premium OLED sibling. Most mainstream games that launch today are classified as either Verified or Playable on Steam Deck, and most gamepad-friendly games will fare well with the handheld. The bottom line: Although the OLED model is worth the upgrade if it fits your budget, this LCD model - especially when cut by up to 25 percent - is still a fantastic entry-level handheld gaming device that offers only a slightly compromised experience compared to the (much more expensive) high-end one. 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/gaming/pc/the-lcd-steam-deck-is-up-to-25-percent-off-right-now-194740400.html?src=rss

Sony just released a PS5 system update that includes new options for customizing the home screen. The just-announced Welcome hub is basically a blank canvas that users can fill with various widgets that display console storage space, battery level for accessories, online friends, trophies and a lot more. It replaces the current Explore tab.These widgets can be resized and arranged in various ways, adding another layer of customization. The background can also be changed, allowing players to choose from animated effects or screenshots. This is still a far cry (reference intended) from the kind of system-wide themes of the PS3/PS4 era, but it's a start.The PS5 Welcome hub starts rolling out to US customers today, though it's a gradual release so it could take a few days to hit every console. Sony says other parts of the world will get the feature over the coming weeks," with Japan and Europe grabbing first dibs.That's not the only feature arriving with this latest system update. Sony's also introducing personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds, allowing players to make a variety of adjustments to better fit unique "hearing characteristics." This is in beta for now. There's also adaptive charging for PS5 Slim and the forthcoming (and uber-expensive) PS5 Pro, in addition to the ability to enable remote play for individual users.Sony Sony also teased something that's coming in the next few weeks. Soon, users will be able to share party voice chat links on any messaging or social media app. This means players will be able to invite people to join one of these chats even if they aren't friends on the PlayStation Network.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-is-getting-a-more-customizable-home-screen-192824758.html?src=rss

The White House released a statement today outlining commitments that several AI companies are making to curb the creation and distribution of image-based sexual abuse. The participating businesses have laid out the steps they are taking to prevent their platforms from being used to generate non-consensual intimate images (NCII) of adults and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).Specifically, Adobe, Anthropic, Cohere, Common Crawl, Microsoft and OpenAI said they'll be:

OpenAI has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence model called o1, which, the company claims, can perform complex reasoning tasks more effectively than its predecessors. The release comes as OpenAI faces increasing competition in the race to develop more sophisticated AI systems.O1 was trained to "spend more time thinking through problems before they respond, much like a person would," OpenAI said on its website. "Through training, [the models] learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies, and recognize their mistakes." OpenAI envisions the new model being used by healthcare researchers to annotate cell sequencing data, by physicists to generate mathematical formulas and software developers.Current AI systems are essentially fancier versions of autocomplete, generating responses through statistics instead of actually "thinking" through a question, which means that they are less "intelligent" than they appear to be. When Engadget tried to get ChatGPT and other AI chatbots to solve the New York Times Spelling Bee, for instance, they fumbled and produced nonsensical results.With o1, the company claims that it is "resetting the counter back to 1" with a new kind of AI model designed to actually engage in complex problem-solving and logical thinking. In a blog post detailing the new model, OpenAI said that it performs similarly to PhD students on challenging benchmark tasks in physics, chemistry and biology, and excels in math and coding. For example, its current flagship model, GPT-4o, correctly solved only 13 percent of problems in a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad compared to o1, which solved 83 percent.The new model, however, doesn't include capabilities like web browsing or the ability to upload files and images. And, according to The Verge, it's significantly slower at processing prompts compared to GPT-4o. Despite having longer to consider its outputs, o1 hasn't solved the problem of "hallucinations" - a term for AI models making up information. "We can't say we solved hallucinations," the company's chief research officer Bob McGrew told The Verge.O1 is still at a nascent stage. OpenAI calls it a "preview" and is making it available only to paying ChatGPT customers starting today with restrictions on how many questions they can ask it per week. In addition, OpenAI is also launching o1-mini, a slimmed-down version that the company says is particularly effective for coding.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-new-o1-model-is-slower-on-purpose-185711459.html?src=rss

A concerning report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) expresses some serious concerns about the future of America's space exploration agency.The NASEM report was written by a panel of aerospace experts and lays out what it sees as a possible "hollow future" for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It addresses issues of underfunding due to declining long-term national emphasis on aeronautics and civil space," an assertion that NASA itself is aware of and agrees with. The report also notes that NASA's problems extend far beyond having enough funding to carry out its missions and operations.Some of the report's core findings" suggest areas of concern that could affect the space agency's future. These include a focus on short-term measures without adequate consideration for longer-term needs and implications," reliance on milestone-based purchase-of-service contracts" and inefficiency due to slow and cumbersome business operations." The report also raised concerns about the current generation of talent being siphoned off by private aerospace companies, and the next generation of engineers not receiving an adequate foundation of knowledge due to our underfunded public school systems. Finally the report states bluntly that NASA's infrastructure is already well beyond its design life."These and other issues could lead to even more serious problems. Norman Augustine, a former Lockheed Martin chief executive and the report's lead author, told The Washington Post that reliance on the private sector could further erode NASA's workforce, reducing its role to one of oversight instead of problem-solving.Congress could allocate more funds to NASA to address these concerns but that's not likely since it's constantly struggling to prevent government shutdowns. Instead, Augustine says NASA could focus on prioritizing its efforts on more strategic goals and initiatives.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/a-new-report-raises-concerns-about-the-future-of-nasa-184643260.html?src=rss

Apple Apple The Apple event on Monday revealed the newest selection of iPhones, which includes the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. If you're looking into upgrading to one of the latest models but are unsure of the differences between the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro (other than the price tag), we can help you decide which one is right for you. Now that we've officially seen the iPhone 16 lineup - and the bells and whistles included - we know that all versions will run iOS 18 and will have access to Apple Intelligence when those features begin to become available in October. But there are some extra perks you get if you spend the extra couple hundred bucks for an iPhone 16 Pro - for instance, better camera features and a slightly larger display. We'll tell you the differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro below. For more, here's how the iPhone 16 Pro compares to the competition. And if you decide you're ready to take the plunge, note that pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series start September 13. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro at $999, with prices increasing $100 for each size and storage capacity from the 128GB baseline. Screen size and technology When it comes to screen size, the iPhone 16 Pro's display is only slightly larger than the iPhone 16. The 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch ProMotion technology and Always-On display (just like last year's iPhone 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display. What all that means is that the Pro model offers a faster refresh rate up to 120Hz, delivering smoother video than the standard iPhone 16, which tops out at TKHz. Otherwise, the screen technology between the two models is very evenly matched. Both sport a Super Retina XDR display with the same HDR, brightness, P3 color gamut and True Tone specs. As for the actual phone sizes, there's really not that much of a difference between the two. The iPhone 16 is 5.81 inches tall, 2.82 inches wide and weighs six ounces, while the 16 Pro is 5.89 inches tall, 2.81 inches wide and weighs just over seven ounces. The resolution is also slightly different - the iPhone 16 has 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, while the 16 Pro has 2,622 x 1,206 pixels. Both phones have the latest-generation Ceramic Shield screen, which should make for good protection against drops and scratches. They also both offer the Dynamic Island (first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro), which replaces the notch found on older iPhones. Camera and microphone differences As with previous models, two cameras sit on the back of the iPhone 16: the 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and the 12-megapixel ultra wide camera. That combo allows you to zoom out" for wide angle shots (0.5x) and zoom in up to 2x. The iPhone 16 Pro has a more sophisticated triple camera array: a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and a new 48-megapixel ultra wide lens, along with a 12-megapixel Telephoto camera. That third lens 16 Pro lets you zoom in up to 5x, and out up to 0.5x. The Pro phone has second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization," while the baseline iPhone 16 presumably only has the first-gen version of that feature. The Pro can also shoot in the Apple ProRAW file format, and offers night mode portrait shots not available in the baseline model. On the video side, both iPhone 16 lines can shoot 4K Dolby Vision video, but the Pro model offers capture up to 120 frames per second. That enables better slow-motion video. The Pro further lives up to its name by offering the Academy Color Encoding System, log video recording and ProRes video recording on the rear and front cameras. (If you have to ask what these are, you don't need them.) Otherwise, the camera capabilities between the two models are pretty much the same. That includes two new-for-2024 features: Photographic Styles and the Camera Control button. Photographic Styles is akin to old-school Instagram filters, but with a major twist: you can undo or change the styles after shooting a given photo. Meanwhile, the new Camera Control button also comes equipped on both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models on the bottom right side of the phones. It offers one-click access to photo and video shooting, and includes touch-sensitive manipulation to change modes, frame shots and so forth. New camera button on the iPhone 16 models. (Apple) Apple Lastly, the iPhone 16 Pro includes a studio-quality" four-mic array which offers better audio capture during video sessions and enables the new multi-track recording option in the Memos app. (No, that feature is not available in the baseline iPhone 16 models.) Under the hood: CPUs and RAM The iPhone 16 comes with a new-for-2024 A18 chip, which includes a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, as well as a 16-core Neural Engine. The iPhone 16 Pro has an equally new A18 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, along with a 16-core Neural Engine. Both A18 chips offer the performance and power consumption advantages versus the equivalent models that appeared in the 2023 iPhone 15 models. Per Macrumors, all iPhone 16 models sport 8GB of RAM - the same as the iPhone 15 Pro models had last year. The combo of processing power and on-board memory ensure that all of the iPhone 16 models will run the upcoming Apple Intelligence features. USB speed While both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have USB-C ports, the 16 Pro supports USB 3 to allow for up to 20 times faster transfers. (For reference, the iPhone 16 supports USB 2.) That extra speed is useful for creators who are transferring video, audio and photos from the iPhone Pro. The charging speeds for these are the same, with a 50-percent charge in just 30 minutes when using a 20W adapter with the USB-C cord. Color options and design differences As per usual, the iPhone 16 models come in bright new colors, while the iPhone 16 Pro has more neutral colors. The iPhone 16 is made from aluminum with a glass back, and you can choose from new colors like ultramarine (periwinkle), teal, pink (but darker than last year's pink), or the standard white and black choices. As for the iPhone 16 Pro, it's made from titanium with a textured matte glass back, and your color options are desert (gold), natural (silver), white or black. Both phones come equipped with the Action button - only the iPhone 15 Pro currently has this - which lets you assign a litany of functions, including the ringer, flashlight or voice memo. (Remember, the camera now has its own dedicated button.) Apple Apple Battery life If you're looking for a phone with a battery that can last all day, the iPhone 16 should be a great option if it lives up to Apple's advertised specs. The iPhone 16 offers up to 22 hours video playback, up to 18 hours of streaming and up to 80 hours of audio playback. The 16 Pro offers up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 22 hours of streaming and up to 85 hours of audio playback. What about the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max? The iPhone 16 Plus is just a bigger version of the iPhone 16 with a longer battery life, and the same goes for the 16 Pro Max. They have all the same features as their smaller counterparts but here's how the battery life and sizes differ. iPhone 16 Plus Battery: Offers up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 24 hours of streaming and up to 100 hours of audio playback. Actually better than the 16 Pro battery span. Size: Has a 6.7-inch display, and is 6.33 inches tall, 3.06 inches wide and weighs just over seven ounces. iPhone 16 Pro Max Battery: Offers up to 33 hours of video playback, up to 29 hours of streaming and up to 105 hours of audio playback. Size: Has a 6.9-inch display, and is 6.42 inches tall, 3.06 inches wide and weighs nearly eight ounces. But how do the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro work in real life? Our full reviews of the new iPhones are still in the future. But our own Cherlynn Low spent some time with the new iPhones in the demo area at Apple Park on launch day. Check out her first impressions of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. None iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max Price Starting at $799 Starting at $899 Starting at $999 Starting at $1,199 Dimensions 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches 6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 inches 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches 6.422 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches Weight 6 ounces 7.03 ounces 7.03 ounces 7.99 ounces Screen size 6.1 inches 6.7 inches 6.3 inches 6.9 inches Storage options 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Colors and finish Aluminum with glass back in colors ultramarine, teal, pink, black Aluminum with glass back in colors ultramarine, teal, pink, black Titanium with textured matte glass back in colors desert, natural, white, black Titanium with textured matte glass back in colors desert, natural, white, black Battery Up to 22 hours video playback Up to 27 hours video playback Up to 27 hours video playback Up to 33 hours video playback Resolution 2,556 x 1,179 (460 ppi) 2,796 x 1,290 (460 ppi) 2,622 x 1,206 (460 ppi) 2,868 x 1,320 (460 ppi) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/iphone-16-vs-iphone-16-pro-specs-and-features-compared-side-by-side-182312186.html?src=rss

Unity has ditched a controversial fee it was charging game developers. The game engine maker says it's focusing on its seat-based subscription fee (i.e. an annual payment for each person using the software at a studio), though there will be a price increase for Pro and Enterprise users.The company announced the runtime fee a year ago. Initially, it was going to make developers pay up every single time someone downloaded one of their games after certain thresholds were met. The backlash was swift and intense, with some industry figures suggesting that it would make Unity unviable for indie developers. Many developers (some of whom were years deep into making a game with Unity) were outraged over the sudden change and some threatened to abandon the engine.Unity apologized a few days later and made some changes to the runtime fee. But the policy was a near-disaster for the company. Unity CEO and president John Riccitiello left through the back door the following month. In November, Unity laid off 265 workers in a move it attributed to its Weta Digital deal, but this occurred amid the company's ill-fated attempts to squeeze more revenue from developers. Two months later, Unity said it would lay off 1,800 people, about a quarter of its total workforce.Current CEO Matt Bromberg, who took on the role in May, is hoping to rebuild trust (or, perhaps, unity) with developers by abandoning a loathed pricing model. The runtime fee is gone, effective immediately. The Unity Personal plan will remain free for developers with under $200,000 in revenue and funding. They'll also have the option to remove the Made with Unity splash screen from their games starting with Unity 6, which will arrive later this year.On the flipside, pricing and annual revenue thresholds for Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise subscribers are changing on January 1. Pro users (those with at least $200,000 of total annual revenue and funding have to go with this plan) will need to pay $2,200 per seat per year. That's an eight percent increase. As for Unity Enterprise, which is required for developers with north of $25 million in annual funding and revenue, a 25 percent price increase will apply. Pricing is customized based various factors, such as the products and services Enterprise customers require.Bromberg says that, going forward, Unity plans to consider possible price increases only on an annual basis. Developers will also be able to continue using an existing version of Unity on existing terms if they're not on board with changes to the Editor software."We want to deliver value at a fair price in the right way so that you will continue to feel comfortable building your business over the long term with Unity as your partner. And we're confident that if we're good partners and deliver great software and services, we've barely scratched the surface of what we can do together," Bromberg wrote in a blog post. "Canceling the Runtime Fee for games and instituting these pricing changes will allow us to continue investing to improve game development for everyone while also being better partners."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/unity-dumps-the-runtime-fee-that-caused-a-developer-revolt-181559332.html?src=rss

Apple's recent iPhone event brought some nifty ideas, from the camera button to a reinvention of Google Lens and beyond. The company also announced that it's bringing simple multitrack recording to Voice Memos. This was particularly exciting for me since, well, I use Voice Memos a lot. I have nearly 500 of these little recordings that were made during the lifetime of my iPhone 14 Pro and thousands more in the cloud. You never know when you'll need a random tune you hummed while waiting for the subway in 2013.So this feature felt tailor-made for me. I write songs. I play guitar. I do everything that lady in the commercial does, including opening the fridge late at night for no real reason.AppleThen reality hit. This isn't a software update that will hit all iPhone models. It's tied to the ultra-premium iPhone 16 Pro, which starts at a cool $1,000. I don't really want to upgrade right now, so the dream of singing over an acoustic guitar track right on the Voice Memos app is dead on arrival.Why is this particular feature walled behind the iPhone 16 Pro? It's a simple multitrack recording function. From the ad, it looks like the app can't even layer more than two tracks at a time. This can't exactly be taxing that A18 Pro chip, especially when the phone can also handle 4K/120 FPS video recording in Dolby Vision.Pro Tools, a popular digital audio workstation, was first introduced in 1991. This was two years before Intel released the Pentium chip. Computers of that era had no trouble layering tracks. For a bit of reference, last year's A17 Pro chip had around 19 billion transistors. An original Pentium chip had around three million. In other words, a modern smartphone chip is around 6,300 times more powerful than a 1993 Pentium-based PC.So let us layer tracks on Voice Memos, Apple! It can't be that complicated. I've been using dedicated multitrack apps ever since the iPhone 3. Apple throws GarageBand in with every iPhone. Both GarageBand and third-party recording apps have a place, sure, but nothing beats the quickness and ease-of-use of Voice Memos. It'd sure be great to be able to make a quick-and-dirty acoustic demo of a song and send it out to someone without having to navigate a fairly complicated interface.AppleYeah. I see the elephant in the room. There's a part of the ad that I've been avoiding. The woman records the vocal layer over the guitar track without wearing headphones. She just sang into the phone while standing in front of that refrigerator. Now, that's something old-school Pentiums could not do. There's some microphone placement wizardry going on there, along with machine learning algorithms that reduce unwanted ambient noise. The iPhone 16 Pro has a brand-new microphone array, so I get that older models might not be able handle this particular part of the equation.But who cares? That's a really neat feature. It's also completely unnecessary. If you're reading this, you are likely already wearing earbuds/headphones or have some within reach. Record the first track without the headphones. Record the secondary layer while wearing headphones. That's it. Problem solved. You can even do it in front of the refrigerator.Also, both the base-level iPhone 16 and the Pro support Audio Mix, which lets people adjust various sound levels from various sources after capturing video. This is done without the new Studio Mics on the iPhone 16 Pro and seems to reduce ambient noise in a similar way. So it could be possible that there's a software solution here to handle even that elephant in the room. After all, the company credits "powerful machine learning algorithms" for this tech - if it can erase environmental wind noise, surely it can handle music playing in the background?So I am once again asking for Apple to let the rest of us play around with multitrack recording on Voice Memos. There's no reason every older iPhone model couldn't compute its way to a simple guitar/vocal two-track wav file. Pop the feature into a software update. I hear there's one for iOS 18 coming really soon, and another for Apple Intelligence after that.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/i-dont-get-why-apples-multitrack-voice-memos-require-an-iphone-16-pro-175134621.html?src=rss

This really solid Baseus 30W/10000mAh MagSafe power bank is on sale via Amazon for 40 percent off. That brings the price to $28, from $46. This is a record low for this particular power bank, but be sure to clip the coupon to get the deal. This is one of the best MagSafe batteries out there and easily found a place on our list of the best power banks. It specializes in magnetic wireless charging for iPhones, of course, but also has a built-in USB-C cable. This means you can use the device to charge the vast majority of modern gadgets, though not wirelessly. The USB-C cable is also used to recharge the bank itself at a power outlet. This isn't a Qi2-certified product, but it still managed to charge an iPhone 15 just as quickly as the latest Qi2 Anker bank. It gets a modern iPhone to 55 percent in around 30 minutes. It's also quite small and pocket-friendly, with a strong magnet that allows for one-handed smartphone use as it provides juice. On the downside, this is a fairly bare-bones device. There's no status display or a kickstand, such as the likes found with rival power banks. However, it nails the basics, especially for $26. 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/deals/one-of-our-favorite-magsafe-power-banks-is-40-percent-off-right-now-165924327.html?src=rss

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Apple's over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature. Designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it transforms the second-gen AirPods Pro into OTC hearing aids. This follows the FDA's 2022 decision to allow adults with less-than-severe impairment to use corrective consumer hearing devices without a professional test, prescription or fitting. The FDA says Apple's software-based Hearing Test feature for AirPods Pro showed similar benefits to those who received a professional fitting of the wireless earbuds. Results also showed comparable performance for tests measuring levels of amplification in the ear canal, as well as a measure of speech understanding in noise," the FDA wrote in its announcement. The agency adds that it didn't observe any adverse events" from using the device as an OTC hearing aid. Apple's Hearing Aid feature, coming in iOS 18, starts with a hearing test on your paired iPhone or iPad. As the image above shows, the test begins by ensuring your earbuds have a good seal. After that, it activates active noise cancellation (ANC) and asks you to tap the screen when you hear tones in the left and right ears. Once you finish, your results will live in the iOS Health app, where you can see how your results change (or not) over time. You can download your results and give them to an audiologist anytime. (If the test determines you have severe hearing loss, it will recommend you seek a professional assessment since the AirPods feature is only approved for those with mild to moderate impairment.) Engadget's Billy Steele got an early preview of the feature after Apple's big iPhone 16 event earlier this week. It seems to be as quick and easy as Apple describes," our audio expert wrote. Although the demo was a simulation, it covered each step of the process, adding up to only about five minutes. Apple developed the feature using 150,000 real-world audiograms and millions of simulations. The company's FDA application was reviewed under the agency's De Novo premarket pathway, which provides a runway for novel devices that don't carry serious risk. Apple's Hearing Aid and Hearing Test features will arrive no earlier than when iOS 18 launches to the public on September 16. The AirPods Pro (second-gen) is required to use the feature. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-fda-greenlights-apples-hearing-aid-feature-for-airpods-pro-164912484.html?src=rss

It's not totally uncommon for major automakers to buddy up on projects, share their knowledge and try to find ideas that benefit all parties. The latest to snuggle up are GM and Hyundai. Through their collaboration, they hope to improve their competitiveness while trying to reduce the costs and risks involved with developing new tech.The two companies have signed a non-binding agreement and they'll immediately start assessing joint opportunities and working toward binding agreements. According to GM CEO Mary Barra, the aim "is to unlock the scale and creativity of both companies to deliver even more competitive vehicles to customers faster and more efficiently."Projects that the two sides are looking at working on together include co-development and production of passenger and commercial vehicles, internal combustion engines and electric and hydrogen clean energy tech. They'll also explore supply chain efficiency - combined sourcing for the likes of battery raw materials and steel could save them both a bundle. GM and Hyundai will look into ways that they can harness their scale and knowhow to do all of this while reducing costs.It might be a while before we see any fruits of these labors, but it's smart for automakers to team up and try to reduce costs, especially with the EV market being somewhat dicey. Ford's EV division, for instance, is on track to lose around $5 billion this year.There are other types of partnerships between automakers, of course. In June, Volkswagen and Rivian teamed up, with the former expected to invest $3 billion into the EV company and a further $2 billion on a joint venture between the two sides.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/gm-and-hyundai-plan-to-work-together-on-cars-and-clean-energy-tech-162625133.html?src=rss

Chrome is getting a series of safety updates that could improve your security while browsing online. In a release, Google announced the new features, which include protecting against abusive notifications, limiting site permissions and reviewing extensions.Safety Check, Chrome's security monitor, will now run continuously in the background to more readily take protective steps. The tool will let you know what steps it's taking, which should include removing permissions from sites you no longer visit and ones Google Safe Browsing believes are deceiving you into giving permission. It will also flag any alerts it deems you might not want and notify you of issues that require attention, like security issues. Plus, Safety Check on your desktop should alert you to any Chrome extensions that might pose a risk.Google is also reducing the number of permissions that last for sites on Chrome for desktops or Android devices. The new feature will allow you to approve mic or camera access for one time only instead of always for the site. Instead, they will have to request your permission again on the next use. Plus, Google is also expanding the ability to unsubscribe from a site on Chrome with one button beyond Pixel devices to more Android ones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chromes-latest-safety-update-will-be-more-proactive-about-protecting-you-160046221.html?src=rss

Roland just released the Aira Compact P-6, a battery-powered sampler with a built-in microphone for capturing ideas quickly. There's also a USB-C port and analog inputs for plugging in a higher-grade mic, a smartphone or an actual computer for even more sampling opportunities. Roland calls it a roving recorder," likely because it's nearly small enough to fit inside of a pocket.The P-6 can hold up to 48 samples at once, split across eight banks of six pads. There are four available sampling rates to suit different tastes, though the internal memory is on the smallish side. The keyboard lets you chop up and trigger these samples on the fly, in addition to playing samples polyphonically.Like many modern musical gadgets, the Aira Compact P-6 is something of a jack of all trades. Sampling is the main feature, of course, but this thing includes a granular synthesis engine and a 64 step sequencer. This sequencer is fairly feature-rich, with neat options like off-grid sequencing, sub-steps, micro-timing and a lot more. You can even manipulate samples in real time during the sequence, for improvisation purposes.There are also plenty of effects to make each sample your own. These include a vinyl simulator, a looper, a phaser, a resonator and a lo-fi emulator, among others. The granular synthesis engine allows for even more microscopic sound design" opportunities, with the ability to detune samples and adjust the grain shape.RolandIf the idea of manipulating samples on a tiny device gives you the sweats, Roland offers a dedicated software suite called SampleTool. This brings even more features to the table, like downsampling, click removal and precise editing.The battery should get around three hours of use per charge, so make sure to bring along a charger while out and about. The Aira Compact P-6 costs $220 and is available now. As the name suggests, this sampler is a sibling product to the rest of the Aira Compact line, which are all fairly diminutive gadgets. There's a drum machine, some synths, a vocoder and more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/roland-just-released-an-almost-pocket-sized-sampler-with-a-built-in-mic-152737594.html?src=rss

AST SpaceMobile is taking another step toward its goal of providing a space-based mobile communications network - one that would turn any standard smartphone into a satellite phone, no additional hardware required. After announcing that its network of five commercial satellites is scheduled to launch into low-Earth orbit on September 12, the launch took place successfully this morning. You can watch the launch below; the 10-second countdown starts at 1:16:09 in the video.The company's five BlueBird satellites are equipped with communications arrays that aim to provide standard off-the-shelf smartphones with the same voice, data and video speeds as a broadband tower. Once in orbit, AST's satellites will provide "non-continuous cellular broadband service across the United States and in select markets globally." The network can allow unmodified mobile phones to act as satellite phones, which would provide an option for cell users to communicate even in areas with limited broadband tower coverage, such as rural communities or national parks.At the start, this BlueBird network will be focused on servicing beta test customers from the AT&T and Verizon networks. AST landed a deal with AT&T in May to offer satellite communication to its customers. The company also worked with AT&T to complete its first successful two-way voice call over its satellites in April 2023, followed by a successful 4G data download test in June 2023.Update, September 12 2024, 11:07AM ET: This story has been updated to confirm that the launch took place successfully this morning.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/starlink-competitor-ast-spacemobile-launched-its-bluebird-smartphone-satellites-this-morning-184506110.html?src=rss

A decade after its untimely demise and countless clones later, the original Flappy Bird is coming back. Under the banner of the Flappy Bird Foundation, some dedicated fans acquired the rights to the viral mobile hit, per a press release. Flappy Bird will return to iOS and Android as native mobile apps in 2025. But you'll be able to play it elsewhere before then. The team is planning to bring the game to other platforms, such as desktop and the mobile web, starting this fall.The Flappy Bird Foundation has some big plans for the revived title, and it showed off some of those in a trailer. While maintaining the original game design is key, you can also expect new modes, characters, progression and multiplayer challenges.A blend of difficult gameplay and a crude art style (including pipes that seemed very inspired by Mario games) helped Flappy Bird become a sensation. The challenge posed by tapping the screen to flap the bird's wings and squeeze through gaps between pipes caught the imagination of legions of gamers - more than 100 million of them, according to the Flappy Bird Foundation.Flappy Bird debuted in May 2013 but it didn't blow up until the following January. Developer Dong Nguyen soon revealed that the game was raking in $50,000 per day from advertising. However, Flappy Bird's success was all too much for its creator. Nguyen removed it from the App Store and Google Play in February 2014 for seemingly altruistic reasons (though he brought another version to Amazon Fire TV later that year).Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed," he told Forbes. But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it's best to take down Flappy Bird. It's gone forever." Thankfully for fans (but maybe not people who were reselling old phones with the original game still installed), "forever" isn't necessarily permanent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/flappy-bird-is-finally-returning-10-years-after-its-demise-142756765.html?src=rss

If you're eager to get your hands on a MacBook Pro but want to save some cash, Amazon has a good deal right now on the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3. That laptop is down to $1,300 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which represents a $300 discount (a steeper sale than what we saw during Amazon Prime Day in July). The typical price for this version is $1,500, so you're saving a good chunk of change. Keep in mind, though, that October Prime Day is likely right around the corner - Amazon announced it would return this year, although no specific dates yet. There's a chance we could see a deeper discount during that sale event, but there's no guarantee. This is the latest MacBook pro with an M3 chip that was released last year. It comes with a 14-inch display, an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. We loved this laptop in our official review, calling the design a major improvement" over previous MacBook Pro releases and praising the gorgeous" Liquid Retina XDR display, the abundant selection of ports and that speedy M3 processor. This machine also made our list of the best MacBooks, and for good reason. We called it the best MacBook for creatives" due to the incredibly efficient and powerful CPU. Apple silicon ain't no joke. The battery life is on point, lasting around 24 hours per charge. That's about three full work days. There's one caveat here. This is the model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The storage is fine, as there are plenty of ports for external drives and an SD card slot. If you are going with a MacBook Pro over an Air, however, it might be a good idea to spring for a model with 16GB of RAM to get the most out of the machine. Luckily, the 1TB/16GB version is also on sale via Amazon for $1,700. October Prime Day 2024 is around the corner, serving as Amazon's (un)official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. If you're eager to snag some early holiday deals for those on your list (or yourself), here's what we know so far about the next Prime Day shopping event. When is October Prime Day 2024? Amazon has not announced the dates of fall Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it will be returning sometime in October. What is October Prime Day? October Prime Day is an extension of the regular Prime Day sale held annually in July. It features exclusive deals on Amazon for Prime members, although not quite on as big of a scale as the main summer Prime Day. How long is October Prime Day? In years past, October Prime Day has been two days long, just like Prime Day in July.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-discounts-the-apple-14-inch-m3-macbook-pro-below-its-prime-day-price-152341957.html?src=rss

Google's latest update for its AI-powered research tool NotebookLM can turn the materials you want to pore over into a podcast-like audio discussion. The new feature called Audio Overview takes information from documents you've uploaded and then generates a "deep dive" discussion between two AI hosts. In addition to summarizing your sources, Google says the hosts will be able to find links between different topics and even banter back and forth. Based on the example the company posted with its announcement, the AI hosts sounded human enough to listen to, though you could still determine that the voices were AI-generated from their inflections and odd pronunciations of certain words.Since the feature is still in its experimental stages, Google admits that it has its limitations. The hosts can only speak English at this time, and they sometimes say inaccurate information, which means you will have to double check your material and ensure you didn't just learn something that's not factual. You also can't interrupt the hosts while they're speaking yet, and it still takes several minutes for NotebookLM to generate an Audio Overview for notebooks with larger files. Biao Wang, Google Labs product manager, wrote in the feature's announcement post that his team is "excited to bring audio into NotebookLM" despite those limitations, since they "know some people learn and remember better by listening to conversations."The company launched NotebookLM back in 2023 as some sort of a digital assistant that you can ask questions about the documents you upload. In June this year, Google announced that NotebookLM has officially started running on Gemini 1.5 Pro, giving it new features and tools, and has expanded to over 200 countries and territories.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-notebook-can-generate-a-podcast-about-your-notes-140004869.html?src=rss

Are you looking for a pair of earbuds that will let you enjoy music on your commute without costing so much you have to cut out your daily iced coffee? Well, Anker's Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are 40 percent off right now, dropping to $48, down from $80. This deal brings the earbuds to a record-low price - by $1, but, hey, we'll take it. We named Anker's Soundcore Space A40 as our choice for best budget wireless earbuds in 2024 for quite a few reasons. For starters, the earbuds offer the quality and features - including active noise cancellation - that you typically need to spend way more money to get. They offer wireless charging, an IPX4 water-resistance rating and the ability to connect to two devices at once. The battery lasts about 10 hours on its own and 50 hours with the case. You can also get about four hours of juice after just ten minutes of charge. The sound quality isn't going to be the same level as what you'd get from Bose or Sony, with a slight dulling of finer details. However, the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds do offer custom EQ tools through the Soundcore app, so you can tweak it a bit. Overall, between offering ANC and pretty good comfort, these earbuds are a steal at this price. October Prime Day 2024 is around the corner, serving as Amazon's (un)official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. If you're eager to snag some early holiday deals for those on your list (or yourself), here's what we know so far about the next Prime Day shopping event. When is October Prime Day 2024? Amazon has not announced the dates of fall Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it will be returning sometime in October. What is October Prime Day? October Prime Day is an extension of the regular Prime Day sale held annually in July. It features exclusive deals on Amazon for Prime members, although not quite on as big of a scale as the main summer Prime Day. How long is October Prime Day? In years past, October Prime Day has been two days long, just like Prime Day in July.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/these-anker-earbuds-we-love-are-cheaper-than-they-were-during-prime-day-135034318.html?src=rss