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DJI just announced the dual-camera Air 3S drone and there's some all-new cutting-edge tech hiding in the nose. A LiDAR sensor is there to provide extra crash protection at night, a time that's often dangerous for drones. The Air 3S also has a new main camera with a larger sensor better suited for capturing video in low-light. And it now comes with the company's ActiveTrack 360, which it first introduced in the Mini 4 Pro, allowing the device to zoom all around your subject while tracking and filming them. There are a bunch of other little improvements, from storage to the new panoramic photo mode, all at the same $1,099 price as the Air 3 was at launch. To see if it lives up to DJI's hype, I tested all of its new capabilities, especially the new night-flying obstacle avoidance. Design The Air 3S looks a lot like the Air 3 and weighs just 0.1 ounces more at 1.6 pounds. Since it's over 250 grams, you need a permit to fly it in the US and elsewhere. Unlike the Avata 2 or Neo, the Air 3S is obviously not suited to fly around people, but DJI does offer propeller guards for a bit of extra safety. The Air 3S' camera module is larger as well because it holds a new 50-megapixel 1-inch sensor camera with a 24mm f/1.8 lens, up from from the previous model's 1/1.3-inch sensor. This setup supports 4K recording up to 120 fps and 1080p at 240 fps, along with D-LogM to improve dynamic range. DJI also boosted the maximum ISO to 12,800 for improved light sensitivity. The secondary 70mm (3x) zoom camera is unchanged with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, and it supports the same video specs and color modes as the primary. The Air 3S is DJI's latest drone with its ActiveTrack 360 system. Once you start tracking a subject, you can change the camera angle using an onscreen control wheel. The drone will then figure out the best way to change positions while also avoiding obstacles. It does so using six vision (camera) sensors, two downward facing infrared time-of-flight sensors and the new LiDAR. Another key change on the Air 3S is its 42GB of internal storage, up from 8GB on the Air 3 - something that'll be handy if you forget a microSD card or fill one quickly. You can transfer files to your PC either by a Wi-Fi connection or the drone's USB-C port. The wired method now works even if the drone is turned off. Steve Dent for Engadget The Air 3S can hit up to 45 mph in sport mode. That's fast and there's no obstacle detection with this setting, so you need to know what you're doing. In normal mode, which does support obstacle tracking, speeds drop down to 23 mph. You get about 12.5 miles of range in the US via DJI's latest O4 transmission system, or half that in Europe. One small change is that the Air 3S now transmits 10-bit 1080p 60p video rather than 8-bit as before, improving remote video capture quality. Battery life on the Air 3S is excellent at 45 minutes, which equates to about 38 minutes under working conditions. With the optional Fly More kit that includes three batteries and a charging hub, pilots should be able to fly most of the day. Like the Mini 4 Pro, the charging hub supports power accumulation, so you can transfer energy from the weakest batteries to the strongest for longer flights. Finally, the Air 3S appears to have the same propeller system as the Air 3 and emits about the same amount of noise. It's pretty quiet for such a large drone, and once it gets up to around 150 feet, you can barely hear it. Performance Steve Dent for Engadget I tested the ActiveTrack 360 function while walking, biking and driving a car to see how it worked at various speeds. When tracking my car at around 20 to 25 mph, it stayed locked on while easily avoiding trees and power lines. I found a bike trail among some widely spaced trees and another with denser foliage. In the first section, the drone weaved smoothly around obstacles while keeping the bike in frame. After a few minutes, I was confident it wouldn't crash and was able to focus on creating some cool shots. The drone occasionally hesitated when it encountered obstacles, which spoiled some footage. However, it never crashed or lost track of the bike. Things weren't quite as easy on the dense brush trail. When I changed the camera angle, the drone would occasionally pick a bad route, get hemmed in by branches and stop. A few times the propellers knicked leaves or branches, throwing the drone off keel. It never crashed or took any damage, but I replaced the propellers out of an abundance of caution. Steve Dent for Engadget That experience taught me that the Air 3S's sensors can miss small obstacles, so it's wise to stay away from those situations and use propeller guards if you can't avoid them. You also need to make sure the drone has enough room to maneuver when using ActiveTrack 360 to change camera angles. Later, I took the Air 3S out at night to test the LiDAR, flying it up around trees and next to buildings. Previously, this would have been very risky, but the Air 3S successfully detected and avoided all obstacles. This new low-light capability will be especially helpful when you need to bring the drone home in the dark. Keep in mind that the LiDAR only works in the forward direction, so avoid going backwards or sideways at night. Video quality Steve Dent for Engadget To test the video quality, I shot aerials with the Air 3S, at dawn, in the daylight and at night. With the larger 1-inch sensor, 4K video is more detailed than ever and the camera produces vibrant, accurate colors and nice skin tones. It also does a great job in variable light conditions when using the DLogM setting. That came in handy when I was biking in the forest with a mixture of dappled sunlight and shadows. The 4K 120 fps setting is nice for creating dramatic shots with moving subjects, and there's no discernible loss in quality compared to the 30p or 60p modes. The Air 3S promises up to 14 stops of dynamic range, DJI promises, matching high-end mirrorless cameras. That's impressive for a drone. If things are too bright, DJI includes an ND filter kit to reduce brightness and avoid high shutter speeds that can make video look choppy. Steve Dent for Engadget The secondary 70mm-equivalent telephoto camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor is the same as before and similar to the one on the Mini 4 Pro. To that end, it's not as sharp as the main camera and not as good in low light. However, DJI tuned it to closely match the main sensor, so it's now easier to combine shots from each. This camera also supports D-LogM video to boost dynamic range. The 3-axis mechanical gimbal allows for incredibly smooth footage, which is a hallmark of DJI drones. And if you need to shoot photos, the Air 3S produces sharp and color accurate RAW images that can be manipulated in post for great results. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The $1,099 Air 3S is DJI's most technologically advanced drone yet thanks to the LiDAR sensor, updated 1-inch camera and ActiveTrack 360 subject tracking. The obstacle detection is a strong point, and though the drone isn't invulnerable, I felt very safe flying it once I figured out its limitations. As usual, DJI's main competition is itself. The Mini 4 Pro is priced at $759 but lacks rear sensors and has inferior image quality. The triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro has a larger sensor that produces a slightly more cinematic image, but it costs $2,199. And of course, you can also look at DJI's Air 3, which has now dropped a bit in price. The only real non-DJI alternative is the $2,099 Autel Evo II Pro 6K (kit), which has just a single 1-inch camera and is also a lot more expensive. I think the Air 3S is a better choice than the Mavic 3 Pro for most video creators, because video quality is outstanding and it has superior obstacle detection. If I were a content creator looking for a high-end drone right now, the Air 3S is the one I'd buy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-air-3s-review-lidar-and-improved-image-quality-make-for-a-nearly-faultless-drone-130002876.html?src=rss

China has denied allegations by the US government and Microsoft that a state-sponsored hacking group called the Volt Typhoon has infiltrated US critical infrastructure, according to Bloomberg. The country's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center called the claims a "political farce" orchestrated by US officials in a new report. It also reportedly cited more than 50 cybersecurity experts who agreed with the agency that there's no sufficient evidence linking Volt Typhoon to the Chinese government.Moreover, the Chinese agency said that it's the US that uses "cyber warfare forces" to penetrate networks and conduct intelligence gathering. It even accused the US of using a tool called "Marble" that can insert code strings in the Chinese and Russian languages to frame China and Russia for its activities.Microsoft and the National Security Agency (NSA) first reported about Volt Typhoon back in May 2023. They said that the group installed surveillance malware in "critical" systems on the island of Guam and other parts of the US and has had access to those systems for at least the past five years. In February this year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the NSA and the FBI issued an advisory warning critical infrastructure organizations that state-sponsored cyber actors from China "are seeking to pre-position themselves on IT networks for disruptive or destructive cyberattacks."The US agencies said Volt Typhoon had infiltrated the US Department of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency, as well as various government agencies in Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand. Volt Typhoon doesn't act like other cyberattackers and espionage groups do. It hasn't used the malware it installed to attack any of its targets - at least not yet. The group is "pre-positioning" itself so that it can disrupt critical infrastructure functions when it wants to, which the US government believes is "in the event of potential geopolitical tensions and/or military conflicts" with the United States.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/china-calls-allegations-that-it-infiltrated-us-critical-infrastructure-a-political-farce-120023769.html?src=rss

Google TV is an easy to use operating system that provides access to all of the best streaming services in one centralized location. A growing number of modestly priced smart TVs have Google TV built-in. But even if your smart TV runs a different OS, you can get access to Google TV easily by buying a Chromecast for as little as $30, or a new Google TV box for closer to $100. But here's an open secret: If you use a VPN (virtual private network) with your Google TV set or Chromecast, you can access even more content. Here's how to set up a VPN on Google TV or a Chromecast and why you may want to use one.Why use a VPN on Google TV or Chromecast?For streaming purposes, VPNs have one clear benefit: spoofing your IP address to that of a different country so that you can access geo-restricted content. If you use a VPN and connect to a different country's server, you can access its content library on any streaming platform.Let's say you live in the US but want to watch some award-winning BBC documentaries on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. All BBC iPlayer content is free if you live in the UK, but blocked everywhere else. Using a VPN, you can connect to a UK VPN server and stream to your heart's content.VPNs also have considerable security benefits if you use them on your smartphone or PC. Purchasing a single subscription means you can use your VPN on any supported device, so we recommend you shop for a flexible one that supports multiple concurrent logins.What VPNs are available on Google TV?Google TV doesn't have as many VPN apps to install compared to other smart TV systems like Amazon's Fire TV OS. Although this may seem like a disadvantage, it's actually a blessing in disguise.With VPNs, you want to ensure you invest in a quality and trustworthy product. There are many untested or free VPNs available that sell your data or falsify their encryption claims. Although this might not be a huge issue for streaming purposes alone, it generally poses massive security and privacy risks.When installing a VPN on Google TV or Chromecast, we recommend the following VPN services:

Meta's latest play to get you into VR is a cheaper VR headset almost as capable as the $500 Quest 3. The Quest 3S brings some but not all of the top features of the more expensive headset. Compared to the Quest 2, it has a more capable processor, better hand and controller tracking and lets you dip your toes into mixed reality.Costs have been cut: There are lower-res screens and cheaper Fresnel lenses, but Meta has cleverly cherry picked the right specs to ensure the Quest 3S feels as capable as the more expensive option. You get the same subtle, comfortable controllers and the camera arrays to track your environment.You can also use the 3S to play Xbox titles and even connect to your PC for VR games like Half Life: Alyx. The Quest 3S starts at $300 with 128GB of storage. If you're intrigued, check out our full review.- Mat SmithThe biggest tech stories you missedNeva review: A platformer so perfect it made me cryInternet Archive's Wayback Machine is back online DJI's Osmo Mobile 6 smartphone gimbal is cheaper than ever right nowGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Fujifilm's X-M5 is its first sub-$1,000 camera in yearsIt offers most of the X-T50's capabilities.FujifilmThe $799 X-M5 is for photographers on a budget or vloggers stepping up from a smartphone. Fujifilm cut a few features, like a viewfinder (EVF), to get to that price point, but it does have the company's latest 26-megapixel X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor. There are also handy vlogging features, like a portrait enhancer, background defocus and product priority, much as we've seen on Sony's vlogging Z-series cameras. It's on presale for $799.Continue reading.Google strikes deal to power its AI data centers with nuclearThe company agreed to buy energy from 7 small nuclear reactors.Google said it will partner with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US. The deal aims to farm 500 megawatts of nuclear power from the small modular reactors (SMRs) by the decade's end. The first is expected to be up and running by 2030, with the rest arriving through 2035. It's the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built inside a factory rather than onsite, which can help lower construction costs. It's not a dead cert: Kairos will need the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve the plans.Continue reading.SpaceX successfully catches its Super Heavy rocketIt's a huge milestone in making Starship and the Super Heavy rocket a fully reusable system.SpaceX's Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the pad after liftoff, caught by the launch tower's mechanical arms. It's rather incredible - you should watch it. The milestone came during the fifth flight of the company's Starship and is a huge step for the rocket's planned reusability goals. Where Falcon 9 typically lands on a drone ship in the ocean, Super Heavy returned to its launch site and had to navigate into the narrow opening between the launch tower's outstretched chopsticks." Just watch it!Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-meta-quest-3s-111519614.html?src=rss

NASA has launched its Europa Clipper spacecraft, the biggest one it has ever built for a mission heading to another planet, on top of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mission controllers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have confirmed that the Europa Clipper successfully separated from the rocket's second stage and has already deployed the two solar arrays flanking its main body. Now, the spacecraft has started its 1.8 billion-million journey Europa, one of Jupiter's moons and one of the most promising habitable worlds outside our own planet, which will take it five-and-a-half years to reach.The Europa Clipper will not be heading straight to Jupiter - it will instead fly by Mars and, in 2026, by Earth to use the planets' gravity to boost its momentum. NASA's plan is to use that momentum to slingshot the spacecraft towards the outer solar system. Europa has a thick icy shell that's estimated to be around 10 to 15 miles thick, covering a saltwater ocean that could have twice the water in our planet's oceans combined. Since scientists believe that life on our planet originated from the ocean, Europa's could also host organic compounds and contain energy sources."Scientists believe Europa has suitable conditions below its icy surface to support life. Its conditions are water, energy, chemistry and stability," said Sandra Connelly, the Deputy Associate Administrator in the NASA Science Mission Directorate.Upon reaching Europa in 2031, the Clipper will fly by the moon 49 times, coming as close as 16 miles to its surface. NASA equipped the spacecraft with nine instruments, including an ice-penetrating radar, cameras and a thermal instrument, housed inside a vault made of titanium and aluminum to protect them from the intense radiation produced by Jupiter. The Clipper will operate its instruments simultaneously every time it passes by the moon to investigate how thick Europa's outer shell truly is and how deep the ocean underneath all that ice is. It will also look for areas with warmer ice and find any plumes of water vapor that could be escaping from Europa's icy shell.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are notoriously difficult to work with. Maybe you're a remote worker who has to sign in to one each day to access company services, or you tried it once because you heard you could use it to access international content, but were met with laggy service and frequent disruptions.

Google is turning to nuclear energy to help power its AI drive. On Monday, the company said it will partner with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US. The deal targets adding 500 megawatts of nuclear power from the small modular reactors (SMRs) by the decade's end. The first is expected to be up and running by 2030, with the remainder arriving through 2035.It's the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built inside a factory rather than on-site, which can help lower construction costs compared to full-scale plants.Kairos will need the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve design and construction permits for the plans. The startup has already received approval for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, with an online date targeted for 2027. The company already builds test units (without nuclear-fuel components) at a development facility in Albuquerque, NM, where it assesses components, systems and its supply chain.The companies didn't announce the financial details of the arrangement. Google says the deal's structure will help to keep costs down and get the energy online sooner.By procuring electricity from multiple reactors - what experts call an orderbook' of reactors - we will help accelerate the repeated reactor deployments that are needed to lower costs and bring Kairos Power's technology to market more quickly," Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for energy and climate, wrote in a blog post. This is an important part of our approach to scale the benefits of advanced technologies to more people and communities, and builds on our previous efforts."The AI boom - and the enormous amount of data center power it requires - has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft forged an agreement with Constellation Energy to bring a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania back online. In March, Amazon bought a nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-strikes-a-deal-with-a-nuclear-startup-to-power-its-ai-data-centers-201403750.html?src=rss

There are few faster ways to improve your smartphone photo and video game than by snapping up a gimbal. This increases image stabilization, reducing hand shake to make for smoother shots and help ensure a still is framed just as you want it. DJI's Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal is an option worth considering, especially since it's on sale. This model is currently $20 off, which brings it down to a price of $119. The Osmo Mobile 6 has a larger clamp than DJI's previous models, meaning larger smartphones and ones with bulkier cases can slot in. If you attach an iPhone, the Mimo app goes into camera view when the gimbal is unfolded so you can start shooting photos and videos with it faster. The handle is said to be more comfortable to hold compared with earlier versions. DJI retained the built-in extension rod from the previous model, so you can use the Osmo Mobile 6 as a selfie stick. You can set it up as a tripod too. DJI included an array of smart features, such as timelapse, gesture control, automatic dynamic zoom, panorama and story mode. Using a side wheel, you can adjust the focal length and zoom level manually. There's a new status panel built in that displays battery levels and a button that lets you switch between various modes. DJI also upgraded its ActiveTrack feature. This supports stable tracking over longer distances and helps your phone's front camera to better track subjects as they rotate. 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/djis-osmo-mobile-6-smartphone-gimbal-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-192859156.html?src=rss

Microsoft is bringing the latest Call of Duty game to Xbox Cloud Gaming on day one. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available to stream for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers at 10AM PT on its launch day, October 25. Modern Warfare III and the battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone arrive on the platform on the same day.This will be the first time Call of Duty games have been playable on Microsoft's cloud gaming platform. Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to enjoy Call of Duty in more places than ever before, including on their consoles, PCs, mobile devices, select Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Meta Quest devices," Xbox VP of Gaming Experiences & Platforms Ashley McKissick wrote in a blog post. This opens up even more ways to play Black Ops 6 starting on day one at launch."Ubisoft owns the rights to streaming Activision games after Microsoft cut a 2023 deal to gain regulatory approval for its purchase of the Call of Duty maker. So, Ubisoft appears to have licensed it back to Microsoft (and could do so with other cloud platforms).Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will have a full campaign set in the early 1990s. The game will add omnimovement, the new fluid mobility option that lets you sprint, slide, and dive in any direction." Also new is Supine Prone, the ability to rotate while prone," which Activision describes as adding more freedom of movement and tactical flexibility. Its maps will span the Middle East, southern Europe, Russia and the US.Modern Warfare III is last year's installment, which came to Game Pass in July. One of the lowest-rated games in the franchise's history, it's a direct sequel to Modern Warfare II. The game follows a special operations unit tracking Russian ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makaro, who is (tsk, tsk) hatching a plot to start World War III. The game includes a single-player campaign, multiplayer and an open-world Zombies mode (just in time for Halloween).Finally, Call of Duty: Warzone is Activision's 2022 answer to the free-to-play battle royale trend. As with genre stalwarts like Fortnite, you parachute onto a shrinking game map and have at it. Locations include Urzikstan, Rebirth Island and Fortune's Keep.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/three-call-of-duty-games-arrive-on-xbox-cloud-gaming-later-this-month-175819790.html?src=rss

Here's a little something to liven up the week in gamerland: Xbox is hosting a third-party games showcase on Thursday, October 17 at 1PM ET. A 4K, 60 fps stream will be available on YouTube in English with live subtitles in 16 other languages (Xbox will add subtitles for more languages after the fact). The Xbox channel will have versions of the show with audio description and American Sign Language (ASL). A British Sign Language version will be available on the Xbox On channel. You'll also be able to watch the stream in English and ASL on Twitch, as well as on, uh, LinkedIn.The Partner Preview stream will run for around 25 minutes and it will include more than a dozen trailers from Xbox's partners. You'll get a look at the next Alan Wake 2 expansion (The Lake House), Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gameplay and some bosses in a Soulslike called Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Xbox is also promising some new game reveals along with release date announcements. As you'd expect, many of these titles will be coming to Game Pass in one form or another.Xbox is ending the year with a reasonably packed slate of first-party games, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle yet to come. Still, it's always nice to see platform holders shine the spotlight on games from third-party publishers and developers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-is-hosting-a-partner-showcase-on-october-17-at-1pm-et-174034491.html?src=rss

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones came out almost exactly a year ago and now Amazon is selling the Lunar Blue colorway for $329, which is $100 off the MSRP (other hues are full price). We saw this price last week for all four colors during Amazon's fall sale. Lunar Blue looks to be a limited edition, which could account for the discount, or it could just be Amazon's way of keeping the deals engines burning after the end of October Prime Day. Engadget's Billy Steele reviewed these when they came out last October, awarding them a respectable 86. The difference between this Ultra version and Bose's standard QuietComfort headphones is the integration of Bose's version of spatial audio. The design saw some changes too, with a single multifunction control instead of the three buttons to handle playback and mode functions. There's also a touch strip to adjust the volume. Some of the plastic was swapped out in favor of metal, and we found the comfort to be the same high level as with previous Bose cans - particularly for long listening sessions. And, of course, the active noise cancellation is still among the best you can get. As for the Immersive Audio (the marquee feature) it's good sometimes. It works with all content - not just content created to support it, such as Dolby Atmos in Apple Music or Sony's 360 Reality Audio. But since it's relying on signal processing instead of specially engineered sounds, the results vary. Sometimes it sounds great, other times not so much. But thankfully, Bose has improved the audio all around, so even without the new feature, the sound is warmer and clearer than on the standard QCs. In our guide to the best wireless headphones, we mention QuietComfort Ultra but point out that the $100 price jump from the standard QCs (our current ANC pick) isn't quite worth it, since the success of the spatial audio isn't consistent. But with this discount, the blue QC Ultra headphones are currently $20 cheaper than the originals. Could be a good day to go for the pricer/not pricier version. 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/the-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-are-back-on-sale-at-their-lowest-price-yet-173728366.html?src=rss

The head of Xbox Game Studios Alan Hartman is set to retire at the end of November, marking an end to 30 years working at Microsoft. Appointed to succeed him is Craig Duncan, the studio head of Rare, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2002. To fill in for Duncan's eventual departure from the studio, Joe Neate and Jim Horth will take over as co-leads of Rare, as seen in an internal memo seen by The Verge:

Adobe is joining several other players in the generative AI (GAI) space by rolling out its own model. The Firefly Video Model is powering a number of features across the company's wide array of apps. At Adobe MAX, the company announced that some of those are available in beta today.Generative Extend is a Premiere Pro feature that Adobe previewed earlier this year. It enables editors to add generated footage and audio to the start or end of a clip. This can help cover a transition or edit if the required shot isn't available. All editors need to do is drag out the beginning or end of a clip. Adobe says the tool can also correct eyelines and actions that change unexpectedly in the middle of a shot.Adobe said it worked with professional video editors over the last year to better understand how GAI could help resolve some issues in their workflow. While Generative Extend might give them the footage they need, other creatives may be less enthused. It may mean that reshoots are no longer required, taking days of work (and income) away from the cast and crew.That said, Generative Extend is only intended for small tweaks. The feature is also limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p for now, so it's not exactly cinema quality.In September, Adobe previewed its text-to-video (similar to OpenAI's Sora and Meta's Movie Gen) and image-to-video features. Those are now available in the Firefly web app in beta, thought you may have to join a waitlist.Adobe says that, like with other Firefly generative models, both the Firefly Video Model and the features it powers are designed to be safe for commercial use. Its Content Credentials watermarks are applied to whatever the video model outputs.Elsewhere, Photoshop is gaining some features Adobe showed off earlier this year, with Generative Fill and Generative Expand now running on the latest Firefly Image Model (the company says this can generate images four times faster than previous versions). The Generate Similar tool is fairly self-explanatory - it can generate variants of an object in the image until you find one you prefer. Adobe released those features today.In addition, Adobe is adding a neat feature to the Remove tool, which lets you delete people and objects from an image with ease, like Google's Magic Eraser. With Distraction Removal, you can remove certain common elements with a single click. For instance, it can scrub unwanted wires and cables, and remove tourists from your travel photos.Meanwhile, Frame.io V4, said to be the biggest update to the collaborative photo and video production platform since it debuted nine years ago, is available to all users. Adobe has entirely redesigned it to, for instance, improve workflows and upgrade the video player. It also emerged that Canon, Nikon and Leica will support its Camera to Cloud (C2C) feature, which allows for direct uploads of photos and videos to Frame.io. Adobe says that means most major manufacturers are now supporting C2C.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-starts-rolling-out-generative-ai-video-tools-in-beta-163703601.html?src=rss

Bungie seems to have set its sights on the mobile games market, as Destiny: Rising, a new mobile sci-fi RPG shooter title, is coming to Android and iOS. This spinoff is being developed by NetEase Games, the same company that developed the free-to-play Diablo: Immortal. Destiny: Rising will also be free to download and play when it launches.Destiny: Rising is set in a different timeline from Destiny and Destiny 2, but NetEase promises players they'll meet some familiar faces and new ones. The narrative is focused on a time after the Dark Age. Players will get to explore Earth after The Collapse" and see how humanity tries to recover from a loss of civilization.Bungie/NetEase GamesBesides playing in a first-person perspective, NetEase Games is introducing a new third-person viewpoint, previously only limited to specific weapons and equipment. The game also supports smartphone-compatible controllers if you own them.As a Destiny 2 spinoff, Destiny: Rising will have both PvE and PvP modes, both familiar and new. Players are able to create clans and make friends, both fighting alongside or against them in challenges.Bungie/NetEase GamesSome of you may realize that since NetEase Games is developing and publishing Destiny: Rising, the game is likely to have many microtransactions. Sadly, there's no concrete info about this right now, but if we can take Diablo: Immortal as an example, these worries may come true.It's worth noting that Bungie had just laid off 220 employees this past August despite the success of its latest expansion, the Final Shape. Many Destiny 2 players may also recall that the company recently released a roadmap detailing future plans in the wake of those layoffs.NetEase Games is opening sign-ups right now for a closed alpha test taking place next month. Those interested can visit the official website to learn more. There's no official release date at this time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/destiny-rising-is-bungies-new-mobile-game-published-by-netease-games-163054704.html?src=rss

Amazon isn't a stranger to acquiring various companies and services, but it's finally taking steps to streamline its many acquisitions, as reported by The Information. PillPack, bought by Amazon in 2018, and Amazon Pharmacy, launched in 2020, are slowly being combined into one service. Amazon is also attempting to combine the online components of Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh, albeit in a different manner.PillPack is a service that sends customers medication packs containing the required pills for a single day's consumption, while Amazon Pharmacy is geared towards general purchases. One of the planned changes is to allow PillPack users to handle their orders using Amazon Pharmacy accounts. They can also use coupons and Prime discounts on their PillPack purchases. Additionally, Amazon Pharmacy will accept Medicare through PillPack in January.Although Amazon has plans to expand Amazon Pharmacy to the UK, Canada and Australia, this hasn't happened yet. The service remains US-only.Right now, both pharmacy services already ship orders from the same facilities, which is a change from the previous arrangement. PillPack previously had its own facilities, and the change will make same-day deliveries in 20 new cities possible, bringing the total available locations close to 30 from less than 10 right now.Amazon previously acquired Whole Foods in 2017, but it wasn't connected to Amazon's regular grocery deliveries or Amazon Fresh at all. Now, Amazon is placing popular items at Whole Foods and Amazon in Fresh centers in the US, UK, Italy and Spain. Shoppers can now stick to using only Amazon Fresh more often instead of buying from multiple stores at once. One driver can also deliver everything in a single order, which helps Amazon reduce costs.Additionally, Amazon is testing a mini-warehouse located in a Whole Foods store that lets customers pick up orders. This warehouse stores products like Coca-Cola and Oreos, which aren't allowed in Whole Foods stores due to policies. Amazon intends to help shoppers avoid visiting multiple stores due to a lack of products, a problem Whole Foods suffers from due to it stocking fewer brands.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-will-reportedly-merge-its-pharmacy-operations-and-some-grocery-delivery-services-160914672.html?src=rss

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Neva. As a story, Neva is a living fairy tale that plays out in dreamlike scenes of natural beauty, starring two creatures bonded by tragedy and propelled by an intense need to protect each other - and save the world in the process. As a game, Neva offers exquisite swordplay and intuitive platforming action, with a contained suite of abilities that evolves purposefully with each new stage. As a piece of art, every frame of Neva is breathtaking. This is what a faultless game looks like. This is how it feels to play something perfect. Alba is the protagonist in Neva and she's badass. When we meet her, she's a seasoned warrior and nomad with a cloud of silver hair, dancer's limbs, and a billowing red cape that hides a slender sword. Her wolf companion, Neva, is just a cub at first, easily distracted and still learning how to navigate the forests and fields of their world. In the beginning, Neva needs Alba. By the end of the game, after seasons of growth and vicious battles, Alba also needs Neva. Nomada Studio None of these descriptors are spelled out in words, but the characters' actions and a few beautifully animated vignettes make their backstories clear, and the entire story unspools in a similar fashion. The only speech in the game comes from Alba as she calls out, Neva?" or, Neva!" or, Nevaaa," with each press of the interaction button. Her tone and level of panic shifts dynamically with Neva's position in the environment - Alba's voice is strained with worry when she and the wolf are separated, and it's soothing or playful when they're near each other. Standing next to Neva and pressing to interact lets Alba pet her (and yes, there are achievements for doing so). In a million small ways, the game's mechanics forge a deep emotional connection between Alba and Neva, until it eventually feels like they're a singular entity, fighting the darkness as one. Alba and Neva's world is stunning. It's composed of lush forests, sun-drenched valleys, soaring mountains and twisting cave systems - and all of it is being consumed by an oozing, ink-black decay spread by swarms of bulbous monsters with stark white faces. The decay acts like cordyceps, suffusing the bodies of massive animals and transforming them into zombie-like murder machines. In other areas, it takes the form of spiky brambles and skeletal vines that deal damage if you touch them. The monsters - round bodies, screaming faces and spidery limbs - appear consistently with a variety of ranged, melee, airborne and rushing attacks. It's Alba and Neva's mission to destroy the decay and the monsters, and reclaim their land. For the completionists among us, there are also glowing white flowers hidden among the levels, and finding them all unlocks something special. Nomada Studio The game is divided into four seasons, and as Neva grows, so do her abilities. Alba, meanwhile, is always strong and she only becomes more powerful as she and Neva learn how to fight together. To start, Alba can jump, double jump and dodge, and she has a basic sword attack and a downward thrust that can strike enemies and burst through weak floors from above. In the back half of the game, Neva is able to leap on invisible platforms and essentially teleport to any area she pleases, watching from high ridges as Alba climbs walls of white flowers to reach her. This is a distinct contrast to the early stages, when Alba had to coax cub-Neva to jump across small gaps, and it drives home the game's core theme of parental love. Eventually, Alba is able to throw Neva into battle like an aimed projectile, and she'll ferociously attack whatever enemy she hits. This ability is a little silly at times - like when you're trying to reach a hidden flower and you end up hurling Neva into a wall repeatedly until the angle is just right - but it quickly feels like a natural, necessary extension of Alba's arsenal. Besides, Neva doesn't seem to mind. Nomada Studio Mechanically, Neva is an incredibly light and responsive platformer. Playing on PlayStation 5, inputs never lag; Alba is able to jump, double jump and dodge with ease, and this trio of abilities resets with the lightest of touches to the terrain. Enemy hitboxes are tight, encouraging players to fight up close and dodge through dangers in between swings of Alba's sword. Health regenerates as Alba lands hits without taking damage herself, and healing cairns are sprinkled generously throughout the scenes. Mid-air levels, where Alba leaps between cliff sides and bounces off floating enemy blobs, cultivate a brilliant sense of precision, daring players to push Alba's maneuvers to their absolute limits. Neva offers subtle yet clear direction through environmental cues alone, and I never once felt lost in its platforming sauce. The levels shift with the seasons: complex navigation puzzles and delightfully tricky mirror levels are steadily added to the sidescrolling action, constantly testing Alba and Neva's capacity to work together. Alba and Neva are connected in every scene, but their bond is tangible during battles, particularly once the wolf throw becomes a reliable part of Alba's attack-dodge rhythm. This only makes it more distressing when, in some stages, Alba has to battle on her own. Neva's presence brings a fullness to Alba's abilities, and especially in the game's last few hours, my controller felt distinctly empty any time she didn't fight alongside me. Nomada Studio I don't want to say too much about the final stages of Neva. The game builds to an inevitable, emotionally intense conclusion, with pockets of deep longing and sublime reconciliation sprinkled throughout the rising action. Yes, Neva will make you cry. I definitely did, with big, ugly tears. Neva is infused with magical realism, blending the familiar with the impossible in a format that looks like a living children's book. Otherworldly terror creeps around the edges of each landscape, foreboding and exquisite, and the game's animations are anime-smooth. Neva looks incredible and it plays just as beautifully - a rare and powerful combination. Just like Alba and Neva. Neva comes out on October 15 on PC, macOS, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/neva-review-a-platformer-thats-so-perfect-it-made-me-cry-160037311.html?src=rss

The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine is back online in a read-only state, after DDoS attacks took the entire platform offline on October 9. Founder Brewster Kahle posted on Monday (via The Verge) that the service is resumed in a provisional, read-only manner" without the ability to save new pages.Security researcher Troy Hunt said last week's attacks coincided with the Internet Archive's plan to disclose a previous breach that led to the theft of over 31 million records. Hunt, who runs the Have I Been Pwned? service, believed the timing of the two attacks was likely entirely coincidental," citing the involvement of multiple parties."The hacking group Blackmeta claimed responsibility for the attacks, posting that the Internet Archive belongs to the USA." The nonprofit, founded in the early days of the web in 1996, is headquartered in San Francisco.Kahle says it's safe to resume" using the Wayback Machine, so you can resume your nostalgic trip to your favorite Geocities post-grunge tribute sites. However, the founder warns that the service may need further maintenance, so don't be shocked if it goes down again.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/internet-archives-wayback-machine-is-back-online-after-last-weeks-ddos-attacks-155820797.html?src=rss

Fujifilm has released its first sub-$1,000 camera in a long while and resurrected the 11-year old "M" branding with the $799 X-M5. With that price, it's primarily aimed at photographers on a budget or vloggers looking to step up from a smartphone. Fujifilm film cut a few features like a viewfinder (EVF) to get to that price point, but it does have the company's latest 26-megapixel X-Trans 4 CMOS sensor and decent video specs. For a camera without a viewfinder, the X-M5 should handle pretty well. It has front and back control dials, along with a top setting dial that includes a new "Vlog" mode. It also comes with the same film simulation dial found on the X-T50, to help social media users and creators create cool photos straight out of the camera. Fujifilm When in vlog mode, you get a full GUI interface on the touchscreen for easy access. That includes things like a "portrait enhancer," background defocus and product priority, much as we've seen on Sony's vlogging products. For vloggers, it has a 3-inch, 1.04-million dot fully articulating rear display that's hopefully bright enough to use in sunlight (because, again, no EVF). There are both headphone and microphone ports for vloggers, but they're not located on the left as usual. Instead, Fujifilm placed the 3.5mm mic input on the rear (where the EVF would usually go) and the headphone port on the right side. That's to avoid having the display hit the mic or headphone cable when it flips out, as can happen on other cameras. You'll never mistake it for a sports camera, but the X-M5 can shoot 8 fps bursts with the mechanical shutter, or an outstanding 20 fps in electronic mode (both with continuous autofocus). It can capture a decent 82/60 compressed RAW frames in those modes before the buffer fills, again very respectable for such a small camera. Video is also pretty strong, with 6.2K open gate 3:2 capture, 4K 60p and Full HD at up to 240 fps (these specs match the X-T50 as you may have noticed). There's a bit of crop for 4K 60p (1.18x) and FHD past 120fps (1.29x) but otherwise everything is one-to-one. Another thing missing is in-body stabilization so the X-M5 is limited to what the lens provides or electronic stabilization. In the latter mode, there's a minimum 1.32x crop for 4K 30fps video and a significant 1.44x when shooting 4K 60p. The small body also has overheating limitations when using LP (long play) recording, but those can be reduced with a $200 fan attachment. Fujifilm Other features including three internal microphones that allow for surround sound-like capture, a 9:16 short movie mode for TikTok creators, high-speed movie transfer, up to 440 frames of battery life and a single UHS-I card slot. I couldn't understand what Fujifilm was thinking when it released the X-T50 for $500 more than the X-T30 II. Now we know - it's hoping budget buyers will gravitate toward the X-M5 instead. It goes on pre-sale today for $799 and Fujifilm also unveiled the 16-55mm f/2.8 (24-70mm full-frame equivalent) lens selling for $1,199 and XF500mm f/5.6 super telephoto (750mm equivalent) now on pre-order for $2,999. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilms-x-m5-is-its-first-sub-1000-camera-in-years-140715888.html?src=rss

Pokemon developer Game Freak has confirmed its servers were hacked in August. The breach meant internal materials - from source codes to early and even scrapped character designs - were circulating on social media over the weekend.Leaked documents and images flooded Reddit and X after Centro Leaks began dumping it all on Saturday afternoon. It allegedly includes source codes for past games and codenames for the Switch 2 and the upcoming Gen 10 Pokemon games. There are also references to a Pokemon MMO, future movies and a new anime series. The leak revealed tons of beta character designs and concept art.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

The next Tron game is a follow-up to Tron: Identity, but it's also something completely new. Where Tron: Identity was a visual novel, Tron: Catalyst is an isometric action game with a looping narrative, and it's coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch in 2025. Tron: Catalyst is in development at Bithell Games, the award-winning studio behind Tron: Identity, John Wick Hex and Thomas Was Alone.In Tron: Catalyst, players return to the Arq Grid, a virtual world that's evolved without human input, creating a siloed, Galapagos Islands type of space populated by sentient computer programs. The protagonist is Exo, a program who's able to relive segments of time by exploiting a system-level glitch that no one else can sense. She's on a mission to uncover and stop the unsavory goals of the Arq Grid's overlords, sniffing out secrets and bypassing enemies with each new loop.Combat includes melee and ranged attacks, and Exo will collect data shards that grant her new abilities as the game progresses. Exo's identity disc is a crucial tool in her fight to stabilize the Arq Grid, and one thing players will do with it is customize their upgrade paths.As you're playing through, all combat flows from your identity disc, but you're going to be able to upgrade that disc in order to satisfy the kind of action you'd like," Bithell Games founder Mike Bithell said during a media preview of Tron: Catalyst. He showed off a disc kick, a ranged move that (fittingly) let Exo kick her disc back at the enemies encircling her, in between close-combat slices and standard throws. On top of parkour traversal, players will also be able to ride light cycles.Tron: Catalyst will make complete sense even if you haven't played Identity, but anyone who played the first installment will encounter a few familiar faces and locales. The new game is a narrative-driven experience where players' choices have a small but noticeable impact on the world around them. The game has voice acting for major characters and in pivotal scenes.Bithell GamesWe have a text-based dialogue system here," Bithell said. This is at times linear in that way. The player also gets to make dialogue choices. The game is very straight ahead with its action, so there's not an enormous amount of branching, but it does let you be expressive. So as a player, you can decide if you want to be snarky with people, polite with people, and kind of make some choices - for example, choosing if you want to lie or not to this character, and you'll see the echoes of that in your character interactions."In the demo, Exo was on a mission to edit her identity disc - in the first loop, she fought her way through stages of enemies in order to access a club and talk to the proper character, who then sent her on an escort mission in order to prove her worth. She completed it, got her disc wiped, and restarted the loop. The second time around, she didn't need to fight anyone because her identity disc scanned clean. From that point on, the city was open to Exo in a new way.Bithell GamesTron: Catalyst isn't an open-world game, but it's composed of multiple big levels," as Bithell called them.He added, We probably need to come up with a better term."Essentially, Tron: Catalyst is composed of multiple large hubs that take players from the city streets to rooftop penthouses, providing plenty of points of interest, even after multiple loops. As players explore, they'll be able to add shortcut codes to Exo's disc, removing some of the tedium from the playthroughs.When you travel somewhere, you may get a taxi to the hotel, but then once you start to get comfortable, you might go to a coffee shop nearby," Bithell said. Slowly, in ever-increasing concentric circles, a kind of iterative exploration. That's something we've really tried to pull in here. So as you're playing the game, you're building up that knowledge of the space and how to use it."Characters in the world of Tron: Catalyst don't shift cycle to cycle - at the start of each loop, everyone returns to their original place, doing what they were originally doing. Still, Exo's perception of each situation changes with every refreshed loop, revealing new paths, and the world reacts according to the edits in her identity disc.Bithell GamesIt's meant to be a game about playing with those relationships and exploring how characters can kind of be influenced and have their minds changed," Bithell said. There's lots going on there, but it's different to Hades, definitely. It's not a 100-loop roguelite. It's not that kind of game. It's much more story-driven."Bithell Games has a team of about 20 developers working on Tron: Catalyst, and it's being published by Devolver Digital's new hub for licensed indie games, Big Fan. Of course Disney is also involved - technically the new game's full name is Disney Tron: Catalyst, so don't be alarmed if it appears higher up in your alphabetized library than expected once it lands in 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-next-tron-game-is-an-isometric-action-adventure-due-out-in-2025-130050360.html?src=rss

You can think of the $300 Meta Quest 3S as a basic Honda Accord of VR headsets. It doesn't have the same high-quality optics as the $500 Quest 3, which is more like a Touring-grade Honda for enthusiasts, but they both get you to the same place: Truly immersive virtual reality. After testing the Quest 3S for the past week, I see it less as a step down and more like an upgrade over the Quest 2. That headset also launched at $300 four years ago, but its price fluctuated up and down depending on supply chain issues, and, over time, it was hampered by aging hardware. But now Meta has a $300 VR entry that's powered by a much more capable processor, offers better hand and controller tracking, and lets you dip your toes into mixed reality (overlaying digital objects atop a camera feed of real life). While the Quest 3S might just appear to be a less capable Quest 3, it has the potential to be one of the most significant VR products Meta has made yet. Hardware As I mentioned in my initial hands-on, the Quest 3S doesn't look very different compared to the Quest 3, aside from its triangular sensor array. It still has a sturdy plastic case, a healthy dose of cushioning around your eyes, and an adjustable Y-shaped strap. You'll have a genuinely hard time telling the headsets apart while they're facing each other, I found myself peeking at their front sensors often while testing them on the same workbench. Look a bit closer, though, and you'll notice some key differences. For one, you can easily see the telltale concentric circles of Fresnel lenses on the Quest 3S. Meta also used them on the Quest 2, and they've historically been common among cheaper VR headsets. The Quest 3, on the other hand, uses pancake lenses, which have a smooth surface. (More on the technical differences between those two lens types below.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget One way Meta was able to drive down the cost of the Quest 3S was by re-using the 1,830 by 1,920 pixel per eye screen from the Quest 2. The Quest 3's screen offers 30 percent more pixels (2,264 by 2,208 pixels per eye), to deliver a sharper and more realistic image. The Quest 3S doesn't have a headphone jack, either, so you'll have to plug in a USB-C adapter to get better sound, or connect to wireless headphones. While I'll go to my grave as a defender of 3.5mm audio jacks, I suppose it makes to lose it here. Most Quest 3S users will likely be just fine with its built-in speakers, and anyone who demands the fidelity of a wired connection likely wouldn't mind paying more for the Quest 3 (or shelling out for a $10 USB-C to 3.5mm adapter). Also gone is the nifty dial for adjusting lens spacing from the Quest 3, instead you have to manually push the lenses into three positions to approximate the best pupillary distance. This involves putting the headset on and taking it off several times (exactly the sort of friction that could easily turn off VR newcomers), but at least it's something you only have to sort once. It could be a bigger problem if you're sharing the headset with your household, though. Meta added an action button for quickly swapping between mixed reality mode, which shows a camera feed of your room, and a completely immersive VR view. This is something the Quest 3 doesn't have at all - instead, you have to tap its right front corner to jump into mixed reality. Having a dedicated button is simply better for usability, especially for new VR users, so I don't mind that it slightly disrupts the curves of the Quest 3S's design. The Quest 3S also uses the same Touch Controllers as its more expensive sibling, and they're once again excellent. They've lost the clunky motion tracking ring from the earlier models, now they're simply light controllers that fit your hand like a glove. The joysticks feel smooth and accurate, and the buttons deliver some wonderfully responsive feedback. That's nothing new, though: I've been impressed by Facebook's gamepads since the first Oculus Touch controllers were released in 2016. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's most important about the Quest 3S is the hardware Meta brought over from its more expensive headset. There's the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, which the company claims offers double the graphics performance as the Quest 2, as well as 8GB of RAM. That's only a slight leap from the Quest 2's 6GB of memory, but it's essential for storing more detailed textures. Now instead of worrying about how a game would perform on the slower Quest 2, developers can simply build for a single hardware specification. Less headaches for devs, ideally, should mean more software on the Meta Quest store. And the hope is that a wealth of new apps will lead to people buying more headsets. Which leads to more apps sold. It's a virtuous cycle that could potentially help Meta out of the death spiral the consumer VR market has been circling for years. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget In use: Snappy and functional VR The first thing I noticed after donning the Quest 3S: Wow, it sure feels fast. Stepping through the headset onboarding process, downloading a few apps and navigating around the Meta home environment was simply snappy and responsive. That's something I remembered from the Quest 3, as well, but it feels like even more of a revelation on a $300 headset. There was none of the lag or occasional slowdowns I grew used to on the Quest 2. The actual VR experience looked detailed and immersive, as well. I didn't notice the resolution loss from the Quest 3 much, but it was easily apparent that the cheaper Fresnel lenses led to more artifacts. Edges looked a bit fuzzier, I'd occasionally see haloing around objects, and God rays from extra bright objects often appeared in games like Pistol Whip. There's no doubt the Quest 3's pancake lenses, which aren't as susceptible to the same visual issues, look far sharper. But here's the thing: I don't think the Fresnel lenses will make much of a difference for VR newcomers. I enjoyed VR headsets for years while living with those same artifacts. And if going with cheaper lenses helped Meta drive the cost of the Quest 3S down to $300, it was worth it. The biggest barrier to the world of VR isn't fidelity, it's cost. Once I started spending significant time inside the Quest 3S, I also noticed the visual issues less. I was far more interested in trying to conduct the perfect symphony in Maestro, which did a fantastic job of simulating the live orchestral experience thanks to the headset's accurate hand tracking and immersive audio. It was also fun to pick up a random pen from my desk and transform it into a virtual baton. The game certainly looks a bit clearer in the Quest 3, but I would wager many people won't be directly comparing the two headsets. I also spent an hour playing Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom - which is less a game and more of an interactive anime film, but it was engrossing enough that I started to ignore the Quest 3S's artifacts. If you're immersed in a genuinely great VR experience, they simply don't matter. Naturally, I also checked out classics like Pistol Whip and Superhot, which are still a blast to play after all these years. Sadly, the Quest 3S doesn't solve the problem of looking like an absolute buffoon while using VR. That was particularly noticeable while playing I Am Cat, a game that had me climbing up walls, digging up a litter box and absolutely terrorizing the old woman in my virtual house. I was having a blast, but my six year old daughter started to wonder if I was going mad. I ended up streaming the game to the Meta app on my iPhone, and screen mirroring that to my Apple TV, to give her a live view of everything I was seeing. That, of course, led to her coming up with all sorts of ways for me to wreak kitty havoc in VR. (Pro tip: You can totally make the old lady eat a cat poop sandwich.) Just like the previous Meta standalone headsets, the Quest 3S can also stream more intensive VR experiences from gaming PCs, either wirelessly or via a USB-C cable. I was able to connect to my rig over Wi-Fi and play 15 minutes of Half-Life: Alyx without any noticeable lag. Sure, it didn't look as great as it did on the Valve Index, but that whole setup still costs $1,000. And, of course, the Index doesn't give you the option of playing wirelessly without a PC. I was also able to stream some non-VR Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, including Halo Infinite and Fortnite, after pairing my Xbox controller. W2D gaming isn't the ideal thing to do in a VR headset, but being able to virtualize an enormous screen still makes it worthwhile, especially if you don't have a large TV. While Meta positioned the Quest 3 as a mixed reality device, thanks to its color cameras and more capable room mapping, I never found it as useful as the Vision Pro. That's a headset I can wear for hours at a time while I move around my home. The Quest 3's cameras were simply too fuzzy to use for long, and the Quest 3S suffers from the same problem. It's fun to play Meta's First Encounters demo and have aliens invade your home, or jam out in Synth Riders, but the Quest 3 and 3S headsets need far better cameras to truly recreate reality. That's also why I couldn't stomach using Meta's Remote Desktop app to replicate my PC for too long. The virtual display looked decently sharp, but I had a hard time focusing on that alongside a fuzzy view of my office. I'd much rather just take off the Quest 3S and look at my monitor to get some work done. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget As an entertainment device, the Quest 3S is a comfortable way to sit back and enjoy movies, TV and 360-degree videos. Home theater heads might notice that videos don't leak nearly as sharp as they do on the Quest 3, and the contrast and black levels are lightyears away from the Vision Pro's MicroLED displays, but for most people the Quest 3S is perfectly fine. It's certainly better than watching something on a laptop or tablet (or god forbid, a phone). Throughout my week of testing, the Quest 3S would typically last around two hours and 20 minutes before needing a recharge. That's slightly better than what I saw on the Quest 3, which could drain its battery in just two hours. This is one area where the Quest 3S's lower resolution displays may be a benefit, since they're less demanding on the GPU. You could always plug in a 10,000 mAh external pack to extend the Quest 3S's 4,324 mAh built-in battery, or just leave it plugged into a charger for extended play sessions. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Pricing and the competition The Quest 3S starts at $300 with 128GB of storage, but you can double that to 256GB with the $400 model. If you need 512GB of space, then the $500 Quest 3 is your only option. Given the optics advantage of the more expensive headset though, the $400 Quest 3S doesn't exactly seem like a smart buy. If you need more than 128GB of storage, you're better off saving up until you can snag a Quest 3. Meta still doesn't have much competition in the world of inexpensive standalone VR headsets. HTC's Vive Focus 3 lineup, which now includes the new Focus 3 Vision, starts at $1,000 and is geared more towards enterprises and business customers. HTC Vive's storefront also has far fewer games and apps than Meta's, so their platform doesn't make much sense for average users. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Wrap-up The Meta Quest 3S is the best $300 standalone VR headset we've ever seen. It's comfortable to wear, and it delivers a snappy VR experience. It's so good, you likely won't notice that it's not as sharp as the Quest 3, or that it also has more visual artifacts. When you're truly immersed in VR, those problems will fade away. Alongside the company's Ray-Ban smart frames, its Orion augmented reality glasses, and the billions it's already spent on VR, Meta clearly believes the future of computing rests on your face. But even light smart glasses are still glasses, something that many people avoid wearing by shoving contact lenses onto their eyeballs instead. We don't know how, exactly, the public will respond to true AR glasses. But really, that's a problem for the future. For now, we can just enjoy the Quest 3S for what it is: Great VR at a relatively inexpensive price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-quest-3s-review-impressive-vr-for-300-130013596.html?src=rss

Another October Prime Day is in the books, but all of the deals haven't disappeared from Amazon's site just yet. This year's Fall Prime Day brought a bunch of discounts on smartphones, speakers, wearables, robot vacuums and more tech, and you can still grab some of the sale prices right now even after the event has officially ended. While it's possible we see some of these deals come back in a month during Black Friday, it's a good idea to pick up your top items now if you're keen on getting some of your holiday shopping done early. Here are the best Prime Day deals you can still get today.Best Prime Day deals you can still get: Engadget's top picks

The Terrifier franchise, with its distinctively horrifying antagonist Art the Clown, is having a bit of a moment right now. Coinciding with Terrifier 3's wildly successful opening weekend - the indie horror movie reportedly pulled in over $18 million - game publisher Selecta Play has announced that a Terrifier video game is in the works and will be released next year. Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is being developed by indie studio Relevo and styled after a classic beat em up. The teaser shows it to be a fitting combination of gory and goofy, with colorful pixel art and tons of over-the-top blood spatter. According to the Steam listing, you'll get to play as Art the Clown and unleash chaos" on several movie sets where films about him are being produced. There will also be local multiplayer modes. Terrifier: The ARTcade Game will be available for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox when it's released in 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/an-arcade-style-terrifier-beat-em-up-game-is-coming-next-year-205755240.html?src=rss

Pokemon developer Game Freak has confirmed it suffered a breach as troves of internal materials pertaining to the franchise - from source codes to early and, in some cases, scrapped character designs - hit social media this weekend. In a statement published on Thursday (translated from Japanese), the company said it discovered its servers were hacked in August and that sensitive employee information had been leaked. It did not address the Pokemon leaks, though the bulk of this content appears to have been published online after the statement was released.Leaked documents and images flooded Reddit and X after Centro Leaks began dumping it all on Saturday afternoon. The Teraleak" files, as some fans are calling it, allegedly include source codes for past games such as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, codenames for the Switch 2 and the upcoming Gen 10 Pokemon games - Ounce" and Gaia," respectively - references to an in-development Pokemon MMO, and internal discussions from design meetings. There are also details on the purported unreleased Detective Pikachu sequel and other planned Pokemon movies, as well as a new anime series.The scope of the leak is enormous, exposing tons of beta character designs and concept art in addition to the source codes. Neither Nintendo nor The Pokemon Company has publicly acknowledged the leak yet. Engadget has reached out for comment. Game Freak said in its statement that it's strengthening its security and apologized to those affected by the breach, noting that the unauthorized third-party accessed the personal information of over 2,600 current and former workers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/massive-pokemon-leak-exposes-beta-designs-source-codes-and-plans-for-upcoming-titles-180208503.html?src=rss

SpaceX's Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the pad after liftoff to be caught by the launch tower's mechanical arms in an incredible feat Sunday morning. The milestone came during the fifth flight of the company's Starship, and is a huge step for the rocket's planned reusability. Starship launched at about 8:25AM ET from SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas Starbase.

Microsoft is expanding Xbox Cloud Gaming's streaming capabilities to support titles that aren't on Xbox Game Pass, The Verge reports. The company has stated its plans to let users stream games from their own libraries numerous times over the last few years, going back to the announcement of Project xCloud, but the feature hasn't yet materialized. Now, Microsoft is ready to start testing it among Xbox Insiders in November, with plans to ultimately support thousands of games, according to The Verge, which cites sources familiar with Microsoft's plans."Xbox players have long been asking for the option to stream games that they've purchased, rather than only those that are available on Xbox Game Pass. If the testing period goes as planned, more players could soon see the ability to do this. The report comes on the heels of Xbox president Sarah Bond's announcement on Friday that Android users will be able to buy and play games on the Xbox app starting next month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-cloud-gaming-may-finally-let-you-stream-your-non-game-pass-purchases-soon-212759959.html?src=rss

If you watched that Star Trek episode about the tribbles and thought, I need one of those in my life (minus the rapid reproduction problem), Casio's got just the thing for you. The company is now taking pre-orders in Japan for Moflin, the adorable robotic plushie with AI emotional capabilities" that debuted during CES 2021. Moflin, developed in a partnership with the Japanese startup Vanguard Industries, is meant to work like an emotional support pet - snuggling is its specialty, and the creators say each robot has its own distinct personality, can shift moods depending on the situation and will form attachments to people over time.It's available in gray and blonde for a hefty 59,400 (roughly $400), and is expected to ship on November 7. There's no word on a release outside of Japan.Moflin doesn't just respond to cuddles. You're supposed to talk to it, too, and it'll react with movements and cute sounds. These interactions will help shape its character. Moflin has the ability to learn and its personality will develop based on how it is treated," said Vanguard founder Masahiko Yamanaka in a promotional video. It's Bluetooth capable so it can connect with an app, and charges in a little nest so as to avoid breaking the illusion of it being a real pet. When it's charging, it'll just go to sleep. The fur is removable for when you need to wash it, though.Vanguard ran successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns for Moflin in 2020 but only started shipping the robots to backers in late 2023. Casio is now handling the manufacturing and distribution.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-fluffiest-robot-of-ces-2021-is-back-thanks-to-casio-174714733.html?src=rss

TikTok's executives and employees were well aware that its features foster compulsive use of the app, as well as of its corresponding negative mental health effects, according to NPR. The broadcasting organization reviewed the unredacted documents from the lawsuit filed by the Kentucky Attorney General's Office as published by the Kentucky Public Radio. More than a dozen states sued TikTok a few days ago, accusing it of "falsely claiming [that it's] safe for young people." Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the app was "specifically designed to be an addiction machine, targeting children who are still in the process of developing appropriate self-control."Most of the documents submitted for the lawsuits had redacted information, but Kentucky's had faulty redactions. Apparently, TikTok's own research found that "compulsive usage correlates with a slew of negative mental health effects like loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, conversational depth, empathy, and increased anxiety." TikTok's executives also knew that compulsive use can interfere with sleep, work and school responsibilities, and even "connecting with loved ones."They reportedly knew, as well, that the app's time-management tool barely helps in keeping young users away from the app. While the tool sets the default limit for app use to 60 minutes a day, teens were still spending 107 minutes on the app even when it's switched on. That's only 1.5 minutes shorter than the average use of 108.5 minutes a day before the tool was launched. Based on the internal documents, TikTok based the success of the tool on how it "improv[ed] public trust in the TikTok platform via media coverage." The company knew the tool wasn't going to be effective, with one document saying that "[m]inors do not have executive function to control their screen time, while young adults do." Another document reportedly said that "across most engagement metrics, the younger the user, the better the performance."In addition, TikTok reportedly knows that "filter bubbles" exist and understands how they could potentially be dangerous. Employees conducted internal studies, according to the documents, wherein they found themselves sucked into negative filter bubbles shortly after following certain accounts, such as those focusing on painful ("painhub") and sad ("sadnotes") content. They're also aware of content and accounts promoting "thinspiration," which is associated with disordered eating. Due to the way TikTok's algorithm works, its researchers found that users are placed into filter bubbles after 30 minutes of use in one sitting.TikTok is struggling with moderation, as well, according to the documents. An internal investigation found that underage girls on the app were getting "gifts" and "coins" in exchange for live stripping. And higher-ups in the company reportedly instructed their moderators not to remove users reported to be under 13 years old unless their accounts state that they indeed are under 13. NPR says TikTok also acknowledged that a substantial number of content violating its rules get through its moderation techniques, including videos that normalize pedophilia, glorify minor sexual assault and physical abuse.TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek defended the company and told the organization that the Kentucky AG's complaint "cherry-picks misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment to community safety." He also said that TikTok has "robust safeguards, which include proactively removing suspected underage users" and that it has "voluntarily launched safety features such as default screentime limits, family pairing, and privacy by default for minors under 16."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-is-reportedly-aware-of-its-bad-effects-on-teen-users-150030241.html?src=rss

In a message to employees, Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg has announced that the company is reducing the size of its total workforce by 10 percent. That means Boeing is cutting roughly 17,000 jobs, including executives and managers, over the coming months. Ortberg, who only took the helm back in August, explained that the company has to "make structural changes" to ensure it can "stay competitive" and deliver for its customers over the long term.Ortberg announced the upcoming layoffs in the midst of a machinist strike that had shut down production in most of Boeing's plants, including the ones manufacturing its best-selling plane, the 737 Max. Around 33,000 union machinists are involved in the strike, which has been going on since mid-September. As AP explains, that's had a big impact on Boeing's pockets, since it gets paid for half of what a plane costs after it delivers a customer's order.In addition to the layoffs, Ortberg announced that Boeing will delay the development of its 777X planes due to the challenges it has faced in development, along with the ongoing work stoppage. It now plans to deliver the new wide-body planes in 2026 instead of 2025.Boeing started 2024 having to ground some 737 Max 9 planes after an Alaska Airlines door plug blew off while it's mid-flight. While there were no reported injuries, the Boeing plane had only been in service since November last year. In July, the company had agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the US government following two fatal crashed in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Boeing had also eaten hundreds of millions in losses as a result of Starliner's delayed return from the International Space Station. The company's first crewed flight was only supposed to last a few days, but hardware issues prevented it from sticking to the original timeline. In the end, the Starliner returned to Earth months later, without the astronauts it originally flew to the space station. Its crew will now come home on a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/boeing-to-lay-off-17000-employees-to-stay-competitive-110033175.html?src=rss

The National Labor Relations Board has accused Apple of infringing on its employees' rights to advocate for better working conditions. In a complaint spotted by Reuters, the agency alleges Apple illegally fired an employee who had used Slack to advocate for workplace changes at the company. Separately, the NLRB accuses Apple of forcing another worker to delete a social media post.The case stems from a 2021 complaint filed by #AppleToo co-organizer Janneke Parrish. In October of that year, Apple fired Parrish for allegedly sharing confidential information, a claim she denies. Per the complaint, Parrish used Slack and public social media posts to advocate for permanent remote work.She also shared open letters critical of the tech giant, distributed a pay equity survey, and recounted instances of sexual and racial discrimination at Apple. According to the labor board, Apple's policies bars employees from creating Slack channels without first obtaining permission from a manager. Instead, workers must direct their workplace concerns to either management or a People Support" group the company maintains. An example of the type of concerns some employees used Slack to voice can be seen in a 2021 tweet from former Apple employee Ashley Gjovik.We look forward to holding Apple accountable at trial for implementing facially unlawful rules and terminating employees for engaging in the core protected activity of calling out gender discrimination and other civil rights violations that permeated the workplace," Parrish's lawyer, Laurie Burgess, told Reuters.Apple disputes Parrish's claims. "We are and have always been deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace. We take all concerns seriously and we thoroughly investigate whenever a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of any individuals involved, we do not discuss specific employee matters," an Apple spokesperson told Engadget."We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at the hearing."Provided Apple does not settle with the agency, an initial hearing is scheduled for February with an administrative judge. The NLRB is looking to force the company to change its policy and reimburse Parrish for the financial hardships she suffered due to her firing. Last week, the NLRB accused Apple of forcing employees to sign illegal and overly broad confidentially, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements.Update 7:09PM ET: Added comment from Apple.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nlrb-accuses-apple-of-illegally-restricting-employee-slack-and-social-media-use-200059723.html?src=rss

The soundtrack to the spider-bot-crawling 1997 Ghost in the Shell game adaptation is coming to the West for the first time. Titled Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body (as an ode to the Fuchikoma mech you pilot in the game), the soundtrack was produced by Takkyu Ishino. It's available to pre-order on iam8bit ahead of its 2025 release.The PS1 game adaptation had late-90s gamers piloting a spider-like mech (first appearing in the 1991 manga), blasting enemies to smithereens with twin machine guns and guided missiles. Masamune Shirow, the original manga's author, wrote and illustrated its story and art design.But as 90s shooters often figured out, firing guns nonstop for hours on end is much better with a badass techno soundtrack pumping in the background like an energy drink for your ears. In addition to Ishino, it includes warehouse-shaking bangers" from Mijk Van Dijk, The Advent, Joey Beltram and Brother from Another Planet (among others).iam8bitThe soundtrack album first arrived in Japan alongside the game in 1997 in a single-disc version and an expanded two-disc limited edition. In an apparent nod to the original, the 2025 soundtrack for the West will be available on CD (23 tracks), a double LP (11 tracks) and a 12-inch picture disc ( a carefully curated" six tracks).You can now pre-order the three Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body variants on iam8bit. The CD (packaged in a stunning 3D lenticular case") costs $43, the vinyl version is $55 and the picture disc (which comes on an illustrated two-sided disc that pays homage to the original release) costs $50. The soundtrack is expected to arrive in Q2 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-ghost-in-the-shell-ps1-soundtrack-is-finally-coming-to-the-west-194447885.html?src=rss

Robot vacuums across the country were hacked in the space of several days, according to reporting by ABC News. This allowed the attackers to not only control the robovacs, but use their speakers to hurl racial slurs and abusive comments at anyone nearby.All of the affected robots were of the same make and model, the Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2s. This particular robovac has developed a reputation for being easy to hack, thanks to a critical security flaw. ABC News, for instance, was able to get full control over one of the robots, including the camera.One victim of this week's hacks was a Minnesota lawyer named Daniel Swenson. He told ABC that he was watching TV when the robot started making weird noises, like a broken-up radio signal or something." Through the app, Swenson could tell that a stranger was accessing the live camera feed and the remote control feature.He reset the password and rebooted the vacuum, but that's when the weirdness really started. It immediately started moving again of its own accord and the speakers began emitting a human voice. This voice was yelling racist obscenities right in front of Swenson's son."I got the impression it was a kid, maybe a teenager," said Swenson. "Maybe they were just jumping from device to device messing with families." Ultimately, he said it could have been worse, such as if the vacuum silently spied on his family for days on end.Swenson's device was hacked on May 24. That same day another Deebot X2s in Los Angeles began chasing around a dog. This vacuum's speakers also shouted abusive comments. Five days later, a similar incident happened in El Paso. It remains unclear how many of the company's devices have been hacked in total.At the root of this issue is a security flaw that allows bad faith actors to bypass the required four-digit security PIN in order to gain control of the vacuum. This issue originally came to light in December 2023. The Bluetooth connector also has a flaw that allows for complete access from up to 300 feet away. However, the attacks occurred throughout the country, so the Bluetooth vulnerability is an unlikely culprit.According to Gizmodo, the company has developed a patch to eliminate the aforementioned security flaw that'll roll out sometime in November. We reached out to Ecovacs to get a confirmation on this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-are-making-robot-vacuums-randomly-yell-racial-slurs-184017187.html?src=rss

Meta will fix mistakes" in how Threads enforces its rules after days of complaints about the company's handling of content moderation on the service. In an update, Threads head Adam Mosseri said the company had already made some changes to address issues that have cropped up.Mosseri's comments come as Threads users have been increasingly vocal about Threads' seemingly aggressive, and sometimes bizarre, moderation decisions. In one prominent example, a number of users reported that their accounts had been penalized for using the word cracker" or saltines." Mosseri didn't explain exactly why these types of mistakes occurred, but said that one of the company's internal tools broke," which prevented human reviewers from seeing sufficient context" about the posts they were moderating.For those of you who've shared concerns about enforcement issues: we're looking into it and have already found mistakes and made changes," Mosseri wrote. Most prominently, our reviewers (people) were making calls without being provided the context on how conversations played out, which was a miss. We're fixing this so they can make the better calls and we can make fewer mistakes. We're trying to provide a safer experience, and we need to do better."Content moderation isn't the only issue that's rankled Threads users in recent days. Earlier this week, Mosseri also promised that Threads was working on a fix to bring engagement bait under control" on the service, following widespread complaints.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-found-mistakes-and-made-changes-to-address-threads-moderation-issues-175734448.html?src=rss

Redbox is as dead as disco, but that doesn't mean it can't (sorta) live on in your living room. Redbox's parent company folded with hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid debts. It also left over 24,000 of its iconic red machines at various retail locations, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and spotted by Gizmodo.The machines are heavy, cumbersome and difficult to dispose of, with a former RedBox executive suggesting it costs $500 to remove one of the kiosks. This is compounded by the fact that some of the machines are actually embedded in concrete. The retailers plan on salvaging them for scrap, at a loss, which has led collectors to take the initiative to scoop some up before they hit the scrap heap.

Shut-ins of the world, you'll have to wait a bit longer for your ultimate wish-fulfillment video game. Date Everything!, the cheekily bizarre romantic sim from Team17 and Sassy Chap Games, is no longer arriving on October 24, as was initially announced. On Friday, the team pushed back the game's release date to Valentine's Day 2025.On a game design level, Date Everything! appears to be a simple dating simulator with dialogue branches and voiced characters. What sets it apart is its delightfully absurd premise: You can date all your household objects, thanks to magical glasses known as the Dateviator."Your dateable objects each have a distinct personality and branching storylines. Your romantic possibilities include a laundry hamper (the fiery Harper"), a vacuum cleaner (the hunky Hoove") and your overwhelming (and shirtless) sense of existential dread who would prefer just to be called Doug." As unappealing as that bunch sounds for a romantic fling, it may still beat today's microtransaction-riddled dating apps.Team17 / Sassy Chap GamesDepending on your dialog branch choices, each humanized object can become a Love, Friend or Hate. The game's press release promised that each outcome influences a critical path tying it all together," so choose wisely between the lamp and the towel who dresses like Liberace.Date Everything! arrives on February 14, 2025, on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/absurdist-romance-sim-date-everything-has-been-delayed-to-valentines-day-2025-163412249.html?src=rss

We're getting into the colder months of the year (at least in the northern hemisphere). If you haven't done so already, it'll soon be time to switch on the heating. Rather than make manual adjustments to the thermostat throughout the day, why not let a smart version take care of the heavy lifting? As luck would have it, Google's Nest Thermostat is back on sale. The device can be yours for $85. That's $45 off the regular price but some way off the record low of $61 it dropped to a year ago. This is a more affordable version of the Nest Learning Thermostat and should do the trick for many people. When you leave your home, the Energy Star-certified Nest Thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature to prevent wasting energy on heating or cooling. The Nest app allows you to tweak the settings remotely. This can come in especially handy if you're going to arrive home at a different time than usual. You can delay a temperature change or make it kick in earlier so your home's at the optimal level of warmth while minimizing energy waste. The thermostat can be controlled via Google Assistant and other Matter-certified assistants such as Siri and Alexa. There's also a Savings Finder feature. This offers suggestions on how to tweak your temperature schedule to keep your costs lower. 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/googles-nest-thermostat-is-back-on-sale-for-85-155604449.html?src=rss

It's time to dust off a pair of pistols, as Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered releases for PS4 and PS5 on February 14, 2025. What better way to spend the next Valentine's Day by foraging around caverns for loot?These remasters boast updated visuals, though you can toggle to the old-school graphics to soak in the nostalgia. The same goes for controls. There are modern controls inspired by the newer entries in the series, but those retro inputs are just a toggle away.The collection includes more than 150 trophies, which feature nods to iconic moments from the series." The photo mode from Tomb Raider I-III Remastered has also returned, allowing players to share favorite moments and the beauty of the remastered environments with the community."It's worth noting that the three games included in this collection were never referred to as numbered sequels. The remaster features Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.Crystal Dynamics and Eidos are behind these remasters, so this is the real deal. This is the team that made the aforementioned Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, which was well-reviewed.It sure looks like we are in the midst of a Croft-ian renaissance. The animated Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft just premiered on Netflix and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who starred in the latest Indiana Jones film, is writing a live-action Lara Croft show for Prime Video.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/tomb-raider-iv-vi-remastered-hits-the-ps4-and-ps5-on-february-14-152949568.html?src=rss

Disco Elysium is widely hailed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, but the future of the series has been up in the air. A planned sequel and expansion were canceled and developer ZA/UM laid off some workers as a result. There's also been an infamously messy battle over ownership of the intellectual property. Still, the essence of the original game is very much alive, not least because a new studio is working on a spiritual successor. The project is slated to continue "the thoughtful, narrative-first approach that defined its predecessor."Some developers who worked on Disco Elysium and its scuttled sequel - along with folks who used to work at Bungie, Rockstar Games, Brave at Night and elsewhere - comprise the 12-strong team at London-based Longdue. According to The Guardian, the studio's first game is billed as a psychogeographic RPG" that explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character's psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces."If you know anything about Disco Elysium, that should sound fairly familiar. Not many other details have been revealed about the game so far, but Longdue did release a piece of concept art (above).At Longdue, we're inspired by decades of classic RPGs, from Ultiima and Wizardry, through Fallout and Planescape, to the justifiably adored Disco Elysium," narrative director Grant Roberts, formerly of Bungie and Rocksteady, said in a press release. We're excited to continue that legacy with another narrative-first, psychological RPG, where the interplay between inner worlds and external landscapes is the beating heart of the experience."Longdue hasn't revealed all of the former ZA/UM developers that are involved, but Disco Elysium lead designer and writer Robert Kurvitz and lead artist Aleksander Rostov are not among them. In late 2022, ZA/UM's new majority shareholders fired that pair along with writer Helen Hindpere, accusing them of misconduct and trying to steal intellectual property (among other things). That's despite Kurvitz writing the novel on which the world of the 2019 game was based. Lawsuits were filed and ZA/UM claimed those were resolved last year. Kurvitz and Rostov have set up their own company, Red Info.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/former-disco-elysium-devs-are-making-the-games-spiritual-successor-at-a-new-studio-144205377.html?src=rss

October Prime Day may have come and gone, but you can still save on Lego sets at the moment. While you may think it's early to think about holiday shopping, these kits make amazing presents - for the young and full-grown adults alike. At Engadget, we're most interested in specific sets from lines like Super Mario, Star Wars and Harry Potter, and some of these are still on sale for up to 41 percent off. These are the best Prime Day Lego deals you can still get today.Prime Day Lego deals still availableOn the Star Wars side of things, this Spider Tank set is 36 percent off and down to only $32, which is the lowest it's ever been. It includes 526 pieces that replicate the spider tank from season three of The Mandalorian, plus three minifigures: Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze and Grogu. Once built, the spider tank has grabbing claws, flexible legs and a little cockpit in which one of the figures can sit. Also on sale is this Boarding The Tantive IV set in which you recreate the iconic scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. That will set you back $44, which represents a 20-percent discount.The Star Wars Lego Advent calendar (complete with Luke and Leia in holiday sweaters) is down to $36, after a 20 percent discount, and we don't expect this one to last long.In the Mario space, this Dixie Kong's Jungle Jam expansion set has the biggest discount: 41 percent off and down to $16. It has 174 pieces along with buildable Dixie Kong and Squawks figures that both come with musical accessories. Mario fans who are old enough to have a work-from-home setup might appreciate this displayable Piranha Plant set that would look great in the background of any video conference call. It's 20 percent off and down to $48.Rounding things out with Harry Potter sets, this Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set is down to $136 and has never been cheaper. It includes 2,660 pieces that create a final product that's over eight inches high, 13 inches wide and 10 inches deep. Plus, it comes with a cute, golden Hogwarts architect statue minifigure.If you're looking for more general Lego sets, the best deal we found was on the Classic Medium Creative Brick Box, down to $21. The box includes 484 pieces in all different sizes and colors, and would make a great gift for anyone who just likes to build with Lego without following a set of instructions.

Comedian and writer John Mulaney will host a live variety talk show on Netflix, the streaming company announced in a post on X. The show may be similar to Mulaney's Everybody's in LA, a live talk show that streamed on Netflix for six episodes in May 2024.Mulaney's production company will produce and he'll be the showrunner, but no other details were revealed. However, at an event in LA, Netflix's chief content officer Bela Bajaria said Everybody's in LA showed what a weekly live talk/variety show could look like on the service. "[It] was just so bold and original and fresh and then unpredictable," he said, "And I think it'll be really fun to get to do a live show with him."

Starting in November, Xbox players will be able to play and purchase games directly from the Xbox App on Android. Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox at Microsoft, has made the announcement on X, with a comment that the "court's ruling to open up Google's mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility." She's talking about the ruling on Google's four-year antitrust battle with Epic Games that was recently handed down by US District Judge James Donato. The judge issued a permanent injunction that would force Google to give third-party app stores access to the Play library and to make Android apps available on alternative storefronts.

At Tesla's We, Robot event at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in California, the company finally unveiled its robotaxi. The car is expected to go into production before 2027, but even Musk caveated that, saying he was highly optimistic with timeframes."The Cybercab doesn't have a steering wheel and, according to Elon Musk (so pinch of salt!), could be very cheap to run. The Tesla boss said the operating cost of the robotaxi would be 20 cents a mile, 30 to 40 cents with taxes. He also confirmed people can buy one and that Tesla expects to sell the Cybercab for below $30,000. He still, predictably, said something weird. Musk said he envisions a future where people own several robotaxis and manage a fleet like shepherds. Huh?The technology is a little different to most of its robotaxi competitors. Tesla has long dropped radars and sensors that other robotaxis, like Waymo's, use extensively, instead going for cameras and AI object detection. There's also no charging port, using inductive charging instead, so a completely different infrastructure is needed to keep these vehicles on the roads.Not one to waste a big event, Musk also briefly introduced the Robovan - an autonomous van that can carry up to 20 people and transport goods, and he marched out a line of Optimus robots, which ended up serving drinks to attendees during the event.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missed

Steam appears to have started posting a notice in its shopping cart that purchases on its storefront are only for a license and not a game, according to a notice spotted by Engadget. It looks like an attempt by the company to get ahead of a new California law coming next year that forces companies to admit that buyers don't actually own digital content.When you open your shopping cart with items inside and before going to payment, a notice at the bottom right states: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam." This is the first time our editors have seen of a notice like this (and we use Steam a lot), so it appears to be relatively new.EngadgetLast month California governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2426 into law, forcing digital marketplaces to make it clear to customers when they only purchase a license to access media. It will not apply to permanent offline downloads, only digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows or ebooks from an online storefront. Companies that fail to comply could face fines for false advertising if they don't explain in clear language the limitations of a given digital purchase. The law followed situations like Ubisoft deleting The Crew from player's libraries after the game's servers shuttered.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-tells-gamers-up-front-that-theyre-buying-a-license-not-a-game-085106522.html?src=rss

Tesla has introduced a robotaxi called Cybercab during its "We, Robot" event at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in California, six months after Elon Musk revealed that the company was going to launch one. Musk made his way to the stage on a Cybercab, which has no steering wheels or pedals, announcing that "there's 20 more" where it came from. He talked about how our current modes of transportation "suck" and how how cars are on standby all the time. A car that's autonomous could be used more, he said. "With autonomy, you get your time back... Autonomous cars are going to become 10 times safer."Musk said the costs of autonomous transport will be so low that they will be comparable to mass transit. In time, he said the operating cost of the robotaxi to be 20 cents a mile, 30 to 40 cents with taxes. He confirmed to the audience that people will be able to buy one and that Tesla expects to sell the Cybercab for below $30,000.The Tesla CEO envisions a future wherein people own several robotaxis, managing a fleet like a "shepherd," that can earn them money through a ridesharing network. When asked when the model will be available, he replied that Tesla will start by making fully autonomous unsupervised Full Sell Driving available on the Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California. Musk said that the Cybercab is expected to go into production before 2027, but he himself admitted that he tends to be "highly optimistic with timeframes." And he does - he said way back in 2019 that Tesla will "have over a million robotaxis on the road" within a year.TeslaTalking about the Cybercab's technology, he said that it uses AI and vision. Tesla has long dropped radars and sensors that other robotaxis like Waymo's use extensively. Because of that, he said that it doesn't need expensive equipment, and Tesla can keep manufacturing costs low. Notably, the Cybercab doesn't come with a charging port and uses inductive charging instead.Reuters reported back in April that Musk ordered the company to "go all in" on robotaxis built on its small-vehicle platform. Musk previously said that the model was going to be unveiled on August 8, but he later announced that the company's robotaxi event will be pushed back to October after he requested "an important design change to the front." The delay would also give the company extra time to "show off a few other things," he explained. The Cybercab that Tesla presented to the audience today is all silver and seems to have taken design cues from the Cybertruck. It doesn't have a back windshield and has doors that open upwards.TeslaIn addition to reporting the robotaxi's existence, Reuters revealed in April that Tesla scrapped its plans for an affordable, $25,000 electric vehicle. While Musk called it a lie, another report by Electrek backed Reuters' story and cited "sources familiar with the matter" who reportedly told the publication that the low-cost EV's development has been postponed.After talking about the Cybercab, Musk briefly introduced the Robovan - an autonomous van that can carry up to 20 people and transport goods. It'll get the costs of travel down even further, he said, since it could transport big groups like sports teams. Finally, Musk brought out a parade of Tesla's humanoid Optimus robots. Musk said Tesla has made dramatic progress on its development over the past year and that in the future, it could teach your kids, mow your lawn and even be your friend. He believes Tesla could sell its Optimus robots, which mingled with the audience and served drinks during the event, for between $20,000 to $30,000.TeslaThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-unveils-its-cybercab-robotaxi-032132013.html?src=rss

There are a ton of Shrek movies but not one of them have ever answered this question: Who cleans up the mess when the ogre and his various fairytale villains are done fighting? Square Enix's PowerWash Simulator finally has an answer.Dreamworks and Square Enix have teamed up to create the Shrek Special Pack DLC for PowerWash Simulator available now on all consoles and PC. The new pack adds a bunch of scenarios from the iconic animated films and some new armor and tools to help you scrub down the many layers of crud that have accumulated over Shrek's world.The new DLC pack comes with 5 new locations that need a good power washing. They include Shrek's home swamp, the town of Duloc complete with that adorable wind-up information booth, the Fairy Godmother's potion factory, the dragon's lair and Hansel's delectable Honeymoon Hideaway with the Shreks' onion wedding carriage.The Shrek Special Pack also offers a new campaign mode that takes you through the new scenes and grants you a new set of knight themed power washing armor and hoses. You'll also receive messages from some familiar faces," maybe even the Muffin Man. (The Muffin Man!) Yes, the Muffin Man! (Actually, you probably won't. He's not really an ancillary character in the Shrek universe outside of the nursery rhyme reference from the first movie.)One of the great things about PowerWash Simulator is just how crazy they've gone with the DLC packs. Square Enix has also developed special cleaning scenarios based on Back to the Future, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy. The developers have been working on so many things to clean up that they've accidentally lost track of one and released it to players on Steam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/scrub-down-shreks-world-in-powerwash-simulator-232032583.html?src=rss

Ticketmaster announced that it will be the first ticketing company to take advantage of new features that arrived in Apple Wallet with iOS 18. According to a blog post from the business, Ticketmaster tickets viewed in the Apple app can show enhanced information such as venue maps, parking directions, local weather forecasts and recommended listening from Apple Music. Teams and event spaces can also choose to add links to their own apps or websites that customers can access from their Wallet tickets.The company is first applying the new tech to two sporting events this year, and said it will be rolling out the capabilities to more events in 2025. While Ticketmaster is touting its role as the first adopter of the new Wallet ticket experience, the new features will not only be available to that company. Considering Ticketmaster was in the PR images announcing the new features, it seems likely that the companies had an agreement about how they'd jointly promote the updates.Apple Wallet boasts several upgrades in the latest operating system release, such as a new Tap to Cash feature for faster money transfer. The initial iOS 18 rollout last month had some good stuff, but the marquee debut of Apple Intelligence likely won't happen until later in October.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-first-company-to-use-upgraded-apple-wallet-tickets-is-ticketmaster-230141866.html?src=rss

Bluesky seems to have a bold new strategy to entice potential new users: posting on Threads. The rival social media service joined Threads amid a surge in complaints from users who are increasingly frustrated with Meta's policies.While complaints about Meta's policies aren't a new topic, they've gained new prominence over the last week amid complaints about the surge in engagement bait on the platform, as well as Threads' sometimes inexplicable content moderation decisions. Meta exec Adam Mosseri, who runs the Threads app, has said the company is looking into both issues. But in the meantime, there's been an increase in discussions about Bluesky, the decentralized service that has a very different philosophy when it comes to algorithms and moderation.On Wednesday, Bluesky created an account on Threads, and promptly began pitching itself as an alternative platform for those frustrated with Meta. The strategy seems to be having an effect. Bluesky" has been a trending topic on Threads for two days in a row and, at the time of this writing Bluesky vs Meta moderation" was trending on the platform.We're not like the other girls... we're not owned by a billionaire," Bluesky wrote in a post Thursday. Your social experience should be yours to customize, not bent to the whims of whoever the owner of the platform is."While not the first time Bluesky has lightly trolled a rival (see its X post from earlier this week), the company is seizing on genuine frustration among Threads users. Besides the complaints about blatant engagement bait in their feeds, users have been questioning Meta's seemingly aggressive moderation tactics on Threads. The company already throttles political content on the app, has taken a heavy handed approach to moderation of the service, according to many users. A number of people have reported having posts actioned by Meta for using the word cracker" or saltines," as The Verge points out. Social media consultant Matt Navarra shared that he was penalized for sharing a BBC article about the viral goodbye Meta AI" hoax on his Threads account.Bluesky, on the other hand, has taken a much more flexible approach to content moderation. It puts most decisions in the hands of users, who are able to decide what kind of content they want to see or not, and allows users to run their own moderation services. We're always doing baseline moderation, meaning that we are providing you with a default moderated experience when you come in [to Bluesky]," Bluesky CEO jay Graber told Engadget earlier this year. And then on top of that, you can customize things."Whether the new attention on Bluesky will result in a significant number of departures to the service is so far unclear. Bluesky currently has about 10.8 million users, according to a dashboard tracking its growth, And while it's not clear how many new people arrived in the last couple days, it suggests there's been a bit of a surge over the past month as Bluesky previously grew to about 8.8 million users immediately following the shutdown of X in Brazil last month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-is-having-a-moment-on-threads-222404971.html?src=rss

Another breach of a huge financial institution has leaked the personal information of thousands of customers to the public. TechCrunch reported that an unidentified hacker obtained 77,009 customers' personal data from the asset management firm Fidelity Investments.A filing by Maine's attorney general posted yesterday revealed that the unidentified third party obtained the information in mid-August using two phony customer accounts. It's not yet known how these accounts were used to access customer data. Fidelity said in a letter to its customers that it discovered the breach on August 19. The letter also said that the unidentified party did not access customers' Fidelity accounts but after Fidelity completed its review, it confirmed that customers' personal data had been breached.The New Hampshire attorney general's office filed a second data breach notice yesterday revealing another data security incident" of Fidelity Investments' customer data. The notice says the unauthorized third party obtained access to an internal database that houses images of documents pertaining to Fidelity customers" by submitting fake requests for access also on August 19. The second data breach did not provide unwanted access to any customer accounts or funds and the leaked information only related to a small subset of Fidelity's customers."If you believe your data has been obtained by unwanted parties or is part of a data leak, the Federal Trade Commission recommends putting a freeze and fraud alerts on your credit reports and personal bank and credit card accounts. You can also report any identity theft incidents at IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/data-breach-of-fidelity-leaks-77000-customers-personal-data-214248985.html?src=rss