Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

There's a long list of reasons US stability is now teetering between "Fyre Festival" and "Charlie Sheen's 'Tiger Blood' era." Now you can add cybersecurity to the tally. A crucial cyber defense law, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015), has lapsed. With the government out of commission, the nation's computer networks are more exposed for... who knows how long. Welcome to 2025, baby.CISA 2015 promotes the sharing of cyber threat information between the private and public sectors. It includes legal protections for companies that might otherwise hesitate to share that data. The law promotes "cyber threat information sharing with industry and government partners within a secure policy and legal framework," a coalition of industry groups wrote in a letter to Congress last week.As Cybersecurity Dive explains, CISA 2015 shields companies from antitrust liability, regulatory enforcement, private lawsuits and FOIA disclosures. Without it, sharing gets more complicated. "There will just be many more lawyers involved, and it will all go slower, particularly new sharing agreements," Ari Schwartz, cybersecurity director at the law firm Venable, told the publication. That could make it easier for adversaries like Russia and China to conduct cyberattacks.Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)Kevin Dietsch via Getty ImagesBefore the shutdown, there was support for renewal from the private sector, the Trump administration and bipartisan members of Congress. One of the biggest roadblocks was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. He objected to reauthorizing the law without changes to some of his pet issues. Notably, he wanted to add language that would neuter the ability to combat misinformation and disinformation. He canceled his planned revision of the bill after a backlash from his peers. The committee then failed to approve any version before the expiration date.Meanwhile, House Republicans included a short-term CISA 2015 renewal in its government funding bill. But Democrats, whose support the GOP needs, wouldn't support the Continuing Resolution for other reasons. They want Affordable Care Act premium tax credits extended beyond their scheduled expiration at the end of the year. Without an extension, Americans' already spiking health insurance premiums will continue to skyrocket.In its letter to Congress last week, the industry coalition warned that the expiration of CISA 2015 would lead to "a more complex and dangerous" security landscape. "Sharing information about cyber threats and incidents makes it harder for attackers because defenders learn what to watch for and prioritize," the group wrote. "As a result, attackers must invest more in new tools or target different victims."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/congress-let-a-key-cybersecurity-law-expire-this-week-leaving-us-networks-more-vulnerable-174529522.html?src=rss

"Ohhh, this is niiice."I kept repeating that to myself when I first saw the 2026 Nissan Leaf in person, like the oft-memed Tiffany Haddish clip. I quickly learned it's hard not to love this third iteration of the Leaf. Its seats feel wonderfully comfortable, its infotainment screens are wide and immersive and its electromagnetic sunroof seemed like something meant for a far more premium car. I tested the highest-end Leaf, which retails for $38,990, but it still offers plenty of value at that price. And it makes me think the entry-level $30,000 model - which has smaller screens, cheaper seats and no sunroof - would be similarly great. Once again, the Nissan Leaf holds the crown as the ideal cheap EV.It's easy to forget what a revolutionary vehicle Nissan's original Leaf was. Released in 2010 for under $33,000, it was the first truly affordable EV on the market. Sure it was small and didn't go very far, but Nissan eventually fixed those issues with the second-gen model (which I ended up buying earlier this year). But that came at a time when the world was more hyped to see Tesla enter the fray with cheaper cars like the Model 3 and Model Y, and the Leaf was once again overshadowed when other automakers joined the EV arena.Now the Leaf is back and better than ever. Its compact SUV styling makes it look more futuristic than the basic hatchback design of the previous model, it can get up to 300 miles of range (up from a maximum of 212 miles with the earlier Leaf SV Plus) and it offers more cargo space with the rear seats down (55.5 cubic feet compared to 30 cubic feet). And with the Leaf's new turquoise color option, it truly stands out on the road. While it didn't turn as many heads during my testing as the VW id.Buzz, several neighbors commented that it simply looks cool.On a fundamental level, the 2026 Nissan Leaf shouts "hot new EV" in ways the old one simply didn't. Its sloped roofline and unique side profile makes it simultaneously seem like a sporty coupe and a tiny SUV. Its front and rear LED lights give off sci-fi vibes. Those same neighbors who were intrigued by this Leaf didn't even realize I had a 2018 model parked right beside it. They just thought that was a boring old hatchback. Since its inception, the Nissan Leaf's design has gone from a quirky curiosity to a car that was desperately aiming for the mainstream. This time around, Nissan's design choices feel supremely confident.Stepping into the Leaf makes that all the more clear: I loved its soft synthetic leather seats, which perfectly supported my aching back once I tweaked the lumbar support settings. Its enormous dual 14.3-inch infotainment screens also make a striking impression. The first screen, situated behind the steering wheel, makes it easy to see your current speed, charge level and additional driving information. But it's the center screen that takes the cake - it's gloriously colorful and bright enough to be visible in harsh sunlight. It's perfect for the Leaf's built-in Google Maps navigation, but it's even better when using wireless CarPlay, since every app fills the entire screen. (And thankfully, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support are available on every Leaf trim.)The base 2026 Leaf has cloth seats and two 12.3-inch screens, but from photos I've seen they still look like a step up from most infotainment setups. My review model also had a 10-speaker "Bose Personal Plus" audio system, which includes small speakers inside the headrests of the driver and passenger seats. That makes music sound a bit more immersive, but more importantly, it also serves as a covert way to deliver navigation instructions to the driver without distracting everyone else in the car. During my testing, I found that the Bose system felt rich and detailed for most music (it has a small subwoofer, so anything bass-heavy sounded muddled), and I genuinely appreciated having directions whispered into my ears. Here the sunroof is partially shaded. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The Leaf's panoramic sunroof, which is only available on the high-end Platinum+ FWD trim, also makes a striking impression. It lets in tons of light while blocking the heat of the sun, and it can also become opaque at the touch of a button with so-called Polymer Dispersed Crystal Display technology. You can also have it shade only part of the car, which is helpful when I'd like some light, but my kids in the back seat don't. The shaded mode still lets in diffuse light, but it's not powerful enough to cast shadows (it acts almost like a total solar filter, allowing you to see the sun safely). It doesn't darken the Leaf much, though, so you might need an additional shade for napping babies.According to Christian Spencer, a Nissan senior manager and engineer, the company found that the sunroof's shading technology also allowed for more headroom. Adding a traditional retracting shade would have shaved off a few much-needed inches. As it stands, the Leaf's wide and round roof should easily fit very tall drivers and passengers. In a conversation with Engadget, Spencer noted that Nissan also brought over some design elements from existing vehicles, like the Z sports car, Rogue SUV and Ariya EV. In particular, the new Leaf's sturdy 4-link suspension comes directly from the Ariya, and it helps to make the car feel much more stable over bumps and at high speeds. This is one of two charging ports on the 2026 Leaf. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget That's something I definitely noticed during a recent 100-mile round trip. The Leaf is zippy to get to highway speed thanks to its 214-horsepower electric motor (up from 147hp on the previous gen, but matching the same performance of the previous higher-end SV Plus models). The revamped Leaf also feels very solid while cruising alongside much larger cars and in chaotic winds, whereas the previous model always felt a bit unstable at high speeds. The overall rigidity leads to slightly mushy steering on the 2026 Leaf, but I still found it more comfortable to drive than Kia's similarly-sized EV6. My wife and kids, who care less about driving dynamics, noted that it just felt very smooth to ride in.My 100-mile trip brought the leaf down to 60 percent from a full charge, which is in line with the 259 miles of range available on my Platinum+ review model. (Curiously, you lose range as you step up the Leaf's specs. I'm sure the large 19-inch tires didn't help with efficiency - the cheaper models have 18-inch tires.) I was able to charge the Leaf from 65 percent to 100 percent overnight with a standard Level 1 charger. In addition to the standard J1772 port for Level 1 and 2 charging at home, the Leaf also includes a Tesla-style (NACS, above) port for high-speed refills at Tesla Superchargers. That makes the 2026 Leaf far more suitable for road trips than the older model, which was stuck with an archaic CHAdeMO port for fast charging. The nissan Leaf 2018 (left) next to the 2026 model (right). Devindra Hardawar for Engadget A major difference I noticed from my 2018 Leaf is that the new model actually feels like a true electric car internally, rather than being built out of a frame that was originally designed for a gas-powered vehicle. The annoying center console from the second-gen Leaf - which was made out of cheap plastic, and led to so much knee banging I had to install a cushion - is completely gone, replaced with room for a small backpack or purse by your right foot. The new Leaf's floor also sits very low, which gives second-row passengers a ton of leg room.Not every change is a true step forward, though. While the 2026 Leaf offers more overall cargo space than the previous version, it loses 3.6 cubic feet of storage when the rear seats are up. And if you've got kids in car seats, those rear chairs will always be up. I was able to fit in a small tricycle, two scooters, protective gear and a small cooler during a recent trip, but it was definitely a tight squeeze. On a brighter note, I was at least able to fit in a large combination car seat and smaller booster chair without issue. I also really appreciated Nissan's easily accessible LATCH connections, which are brightly colored and easily visible. You don't have to go fishing around for them under cushions like on other cars. Here you can see a Doona tricycle, two scooters and a cooler. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget There's also bad news for fans of one pedal driving: Nissan has dumped its original "E-pedal" feature for "E-step," which can dramatically slow the Leaf with regenerative braking, but won't fully stop the car. According to Spencer, that's partially due to Japanese regulators, who prefer having the brake be the only way to fully stop a car. But it's a bummer if you've gotten used to the convenience of one-pedal driving and never touching the brakes, a feature that Nissan helped to pioneer with the second-gen Leaf. Spencer says the company has heard plenty of feedback about the loss of true one pedal driving though, so it could be a feature Nissan implements again down the line.I'd consider those complaints minor quibbles, though. The 2026 Leaf is more attractive and feature-rich than the $34,000 Hyundai Kona EV or Chevy Equinox, and it also has the backing of a company with far more experience in the EV arena. While I'd still recommend looking at used EV options - I've seen great cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 dip to $25,000 or less - the 2026 Leaf is simply hard to beat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nissan-leaf-2026-review-still-the-budget-ev-to-beat-173000858.html?src=rss

With the AI boom, construction of new data centers has skyrocketed, and not without consequence - some communities that count these facilities as neighbors are now facing water shortages and strained power supplies. While tech's data center footprint has been growing for decades, generative AI has seemingly shifted the impacts of these operations toward the catastrophic. What exactly makes these new data centers such a burden on the environment and existing infrastructure, and is there anything we can do to fix it?ChipsThe industry believes AI will work its way into every corner of our lives, and so needs to build sufficient capacity to address that anticipated demand. But the hardware used to make AI work is so much more resource-intensive than standard cloud computing facilities that it requires a dramatic shift in how data centers are engineered.Typically the most important part of a computer is its brain," the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It's designed to compute a wide variety of tasks, tackling them one at a time. Imagine a CPU as a one-lane motorway in which every vehicle, no matter the size, can get from A to B at extraordinary speed. What AI relies on instead are Graphics Processing Units (GPU), which are clusters of smaller, more specialized processors all running in parallel. In the example, a GPU is a thousand-lane motorway with a speed limit of just 30 mph. Both try to get a huge number of figurative vehicles to their destination in a short amount of time, but they take diametrically opposite approaches to solving that problem.Phil Burr is Head of Product at Lumai, a British company looking to replace traditional GPUs with optical processors. In AI, you repeatedly perform similar operations," he explained, and you can do that in parallel across the data set." This gives GPUs an advantage over CPUs in large but fundamentally repetitive tasks, like graphics, executing AI models and crypto mining. You can process a large amount of data very quickly, but it's doing the same amount of processing each time," he said.In the same way that thousand-lane highway would be pretty wasteful, the more powerful GPUs get, the more energy hungry they become. In the past, as [CPUs evolved] you could get a lot more transistors on a device, but the overall power [consumption] remained about the same," Burr said. They're also equipped with specialized units that do [specific] work faster so the chip can return to idle sooner." By comparison, every iteration of a GPU has more and more transistors, but the power jumps up every time because getting gains from those processes is hard." Not only are they physically larger - which results in higher power demands - but theygenerally activate all of the processing units at once," Burr said.In 2024, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a congressionally mandated report into the energy consumption of data centers. The report identified a sharp increase in the amount of electricity data centers consumed as GPUs became more prevalent. Power use from 2014 to 2016 was stable at around 60 TWh, but started climbing in 2018, to 76 TWh, and leaping to 176 TWh by 2023. In just five years, data center energy use more than doubled from 1.9 percent of the US' total, to nearly 4.4 percent - with that figure projected to reach up to 12 percent by the start of the 2030s.HeatLike a lightbulb filament, as electricity moves through the silicon of computer chips, it encounters resistance, generating heat. Extending that power efficiency metaphor from earlier, CPUs are closer to modern LEDs here, while GPUs, like old incandescent bulbs, lose a huge amount of their power to resistance. The newest generation of AI data centers are filled with rack after rack of them, depending on the owner's needs and budget, each one kicking out what Burr described as a massive amount of heat."Heat isn't just an unwelcome byproduct: if chips aren't kept cool, they'll experience performance and longevity issues. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) publishes guidelines for data center operators. It advocates server rooms should be kept between 18 to 27 degrees celsius (64.4 to 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Given the sheer volume of heat GPUs kick out, maintaining that temperature requires some intensive engineering, and a lot of energy.The majority of data centers use a handful of methods to keep their hardware within the optimal temperature. One of the oldest ways to maximize the efficiency of air conditioning is a technique of hot and cold aisle containment. Essentially, cold air is pushed through the server racks to keep them cool, while the hot air those servers expel is drawn out to be cooled and recirculated.Many data centers, especially in the US, rely on the cooling effect that occurs as water changes from a liquid to a gas. This is done by drawing hot air through a wet medium to facilitate evaporation and blowing the resulting cooled air into the server room, in a method known as direct evaporative cooling. There's also indirect evaporative cooling, which works similarly but adds a heat exchanger - a device that's used to transfer heat between different mediums. In this type of setup, the heat from the warm air is transferred and cooled separately from the server room to avoid raising the humidity levels indoors.Due in part to their cooling needs, data centers have a tremendous water footprint. The Lawrence Berkeley report found that, in 2014, US-based data centers consumed 21.2 billion liters of water. By 2018, however, that figure had leapt to 66 billion liters, much of which was attributed to what it collectively terms hyperscale" facilities, which include AI-focused operations. In 2023, traditional US data centers reportedly consumed 10.56 billion liters of water while AI facilities used around 55.4 billion liters. The report's projections believe that by 2028, AI data centers will likely consume as much as 124 billion liters of water."Collectively, data centers are among the top-ten water consuming industrial or commercial industries in the US," according to a 2021 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. About one-fifth of these data centers use water from stressed watersheds, i.e. areas where the demand for water may be greater than the natural supply.Most of the water consumed by data centers evaporates and won't be immediately replenished, while the rest goes to wastewater treatment plants. As a trio of academics explained in an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, data centers are "effectively removing [drinking water] from the local water cycle." Water used in the cooling process is typically treated with chemicals such as corrosion inhibitors and biocides, which prevent bacterial growth. The resulting wastewater often contains pollutants, so it can't be recycled for human consumption or agriculture.And data centers' water use goes well beyond cooling. A much bigger portion of their water footprint can be attributed to indirect uses, mainly through electricity generated by power plants but also through wastewater utilities. These account for about three-fourths of a data center's water footprint, the study notes. Power plants use water in a number of ways, primarily for cooling and to produce the steam needed to spin their electricity-generating turbines. According to the authors, 1 megawatt-hour of energy consumed by data centers in the US on average requires 7.1 cubic meters of water."Data centers are indirectly dependent on water from every state in the contiguous US, much of which is sourced from power plants drawing water from subbasins in the eastern and western coastal states," the authors explain. To adequately address the water issue, energy consumption must be reigned in too.Exploring the alternativesOne major approach to reduce the massive water footprint of these systems is to use closed-loop liquid cooling. This is already ubiquitous on a smaller scale in high-end PCs, where heat-generating components, such as the CPU and GPU, have large heat exchangers that a liquid is pumped through. The liquid draws away the heat, and then has to be cooled down via another heat exchanger, or a refrigeration unit, before being recirculated.Liquid cooling is becoming more and more common, especially in AI data centers, given the heat that GPUs generate. With the exception of mechanical issues, like leaking, and the water needed to operate the facility more generally, closed-loop systems do not experience water loss and so make more reasonable demands on local water resources. Direct-to-chip liquid cooling drastically cuts a data center's potential water use, and more efficiently removes heat than traditional air-cooling systems. In recent years, companies including Google, NVIDIA and Microsoft have been championing liquid cooling systems as a more sustainable way forward. And researchers are looking into ways to employ this approach on an even more granular level to tackle the heat right at the source.Whereas cold plates (metal slabs with tubing or internal channels for coolant to flow through) are commonly used in liquid cooling systems to transfer heat away from the electronics, Microsoft has been testing a microfluidics-based cooling system in which liquid coolant travels through tiny channels on the back of the chip itself. In the lab, this system performed "up to three times better than cold plates at removing heat," and the company said it "can effectively cool a server running core services for a simulated Teams meeting." A blog post about the findings noted, "microfluidics also reduced the maximum temperature rise of the silicon inside a GPU by 65 percent, though this will vary by the type of chip."Another option is "free" cooling, or making use of the natural environmental conditions at the data center site to cool the operation. Air-based free cooling utilizes the outdoor air in cold locales, while water-based free cooling relies on cold water sources such as seawater. Some facilities couple this with rainwater harvesting for their other water needs, like humidification.A map of Start CampusStart CampusStart Campus, a data center project in Portugal, is located on the site of an old coal-fired power station and will use much of its old infrastructure. Rather than simply employ a closed-loop, the high temperatures will require the closed-loop system to interact with an open loop. When the campus is fully operational, its heat will be passed onto around 1.4 million cubic tons of seawater per day. Omer Wilson, CMO at Start Campus, said that by the time the water has returned to its source, its temperature will be the same as the surrounding sea. Start Campus has also pledged that there will be no meaningful water loss from this process.There is another novel cooling method, immersion, in which computing equipment is - you guessed it - immersed in a non-conductive liquid suitable to draw heat. Wilson described it as a relatively niche approach, used in some crypto mining applications, but not used by industrial-scale facilities.To keep with both energy and cooling needs, some researchers say the industry must look to renewable resources. "Directly connecting data center facilities to wind and solar energy sources ensures that water and carbon footprints are minimized," wrote the authors of the aforementioned Environmental Research study. Even purchasing renewable energy certificates - which each represent one megawatt-hour of electricity generated from a renewable source and delivered to the grid - could help shift the grid toward these sources over time, they added. "Data center workloads can be migrated between data centers to align with the portion of the grid where renewable electricity supplies exceed instantaneous demand."Geothermal resources have begun to look especially promising. According to a recent report by the Rhodium Group, geothermal energy could meet up to 64 percent of data center's projected power demand growth in the US "by the early 2030s." In the Western US, geothermal could meet 100 percent of demand growth in areas such as Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Las Vegas.For cooling, geothermal heat pumps can be used to "leverage the consistently cool temperatures" found hundreds of feet beneath the surface. Or, in locations where there are shallow aquifers present, data centers can make use of geothermal absorption chillers. These rely on the low-grade heat at shallower depths "to drive a chemical reaction that produces water vapor," the report explains. "This water vapor cools as it is run through a condenser and cools the IT components of a data center using evaporation."Iron Mountain Data Centers operates a geothermally cooled data center in Boyers, Pennsylvania at the site of an old limestone mine. A 35-acre underground reservoir provides a year-round supply of cool water. Geothermal may not be a widespread solution just yet, but it's catching on. In 2024, Meta announced a partnership with Sage Geosystems to supply its data centers with up to 150 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power starting in 2027.Beyond the hardwareWhile novel cooling methods will undoubtedly help curb some of the AI data centers' excessive resource demands, the first step to meaningful change is transparency, according to Vijay Gadepally, a senior scientist at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center. AI companies need to be upfront about the emissions and resource use associated with their operations to give people a clear view of their footprints.Then there is the hardware to consider. Incorporating more intelligent chip design - i.e. processors with better performance characteristics - could go a long way toward making data centers more sustainable. "That's a huge area of innovation right now," Gadepally said. And large data centers are often "running underutilized," with a lot of power that isn't being allocated efficiently. Rather than leaning into the push to build more such facilities, the industry should first make better use of existing data centers' capacities.Similarly, many of today's AI models are vastly overpowered for the tasks they're being given. The current approach is "like cutting a hamburger with a chainsaw," Gadepally said. "Does it work? Sure... but it definitely is overkill." This doesn't need to be the case. "We have found in many instances that you can use a smaller but tuned model, to achieve similar performance to a much larger model," Gadepally said, noting that this is especially true for new "agentic" systems. "You're often trying thousands of different parameters, or different combinations of things to discover which is the best one, and by being a little bit more intelligent, we could dismiss or essentially terminate a lot of the workloads or a lot of those combinations that weren't getting you towards the right answer."Each of those unnecessary parameters isn't just a computational dead end, it's another nudge towards rolling blackouts, less potable water and rising utility costs to surrounding communities. As Gadepally said, "We're just building bigger and bigger without thinking about, 'Do we actually need it?'"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/why-do-ai-data-centers-use-so-many-resources-171500010.html?src=rss

It's been quite the week for Xbox news. A lot of people are still coming to terms with Microsoft's veritable gut-punch of an announcement that the price of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription is about to soar by 50 percent. And if that has already pushed you into washing your hands with Xbox altogether, it looks like Microsoft may soon attempt to tempt you back by giving away its cloud gaming service for free. That is, an extremely limited version of it, with ads.According to The Verge, Microsoft is preparing to announce an ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, which finally exited beta this week. Sources said to be familiar with Microsoft's strategy told The Verge that game streaming with ads is already being tested internally with employees. You'll reportedly be able to play select games that you own as well as a selection of Xbox Retro Classics titles. Microsoft will also offer Free Play Days games, an initiative that already lets Xbox users try games over a weekend. All of this will be possible without a paid Game Pass subscription.But the inevitable catch, beyond the restricted catalogue of available games, is that you could have to watch up to several minutes of ad content before getting into a game, and it sounds like there are a number of time-based restrictions as well. It's currently being tested with a one-hour time limit, up to five times per month, though that could change come launch.Microsoft could launch its ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier in beta soon, and it will reportedly be available on PC, Xbox, handheld devices and on browsers. What isn't clear is what streaming quality will be offered on the free version. Xbox Cloud Gaming's recently-unlocked 1440p option is going to be exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate, with Microsoft saving the "best quality" streaming for its most expensive plan. You'll be capped at 1080p on the Premium and Essential tiers.All three paid Game Pass tiers include unlimited cloud gaming, but wait times get longer the further down you go. It's fair to assume that any free cloud service not tied to Game Pass will be hit with longer wait times, though perhaps the enforced ads would hide those pretty well anyway.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/a-free-ad-supported-xbox-cloud-gaming-option-might-be-on-the-way-165739468.html?src=rss

Indonesia has suspended TikTok's operational registration status in the country, alleging that the social media platform did not fully co-operate with a request to share its data during nationwide protests in August. In a statement, Alexander Sabar, an official from Indonesia's digital and communications ministry, said TikTok had violated national laws by only providing partial data while the protests were ongoing between August 23 and 30.Sabar said TikTok was given until September 23 to hand over its data related to traffic, streaming and monetization, after it emerged that some accounts with links to online gambling may have profited from TikTok livestreams during the protests. All forms of gambling are illegal under Indonesian law. TikTok reportedly said that it couldn't provide all of the requested data due to internal policy. The app has now been temporarily suspended, although Bloomberg claims that TikTok remains accessible in the country for now.Anger about the state of Indonesia's economy, widespread police brutality and a number of government policies sparked August's violent protests. TikTok voluntarily suspended its live feature for a number of days during the unrest in an attempt to keep the platform a "safe and civil space." The app has over 100 million users in the country.Sabar gave no indication as to how long the ban will last. As reported by Reuters, a spokesperson for TikTok said the company respects the laws of the countries it operates in, and added that it's working with the digital ministry to find a resolution.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/indonesia-suspends-tiktoks-operating-licence-for-allegedly-withholding-data-145134189.html?src=rss

It's getting increasingly difficult to say smart rings are just a niche inside the broader world of wearable technology. The raft of celebrities who are seen wearing them, the NBA's use ofOura rings as an early warning system against COVID-19 and, last year, Samsung's entry into the market has made them far more prominent in the minds of mainstream consumers. We've tested plenty of smart rings, and are likely to test plenty more as the years roll on. To help you better understand the category, we've built this guide that explains what they do, what they're for and which ones are worth your time and money right now. Best smart rings for 2025 What is a smart ring? Smart rings offer an alternative to smartwatches and fitness trackers to keep an eye on your health and daily activity. They can track your movements, heart rate, temperature and monitor how well you've been sleeping. Essentially, they take much of the same hardware you'd find in a smartwatch or tracker and shrink it down into a much smaller package. The trade-offs are, as such, obvious: Rings are smaller and can't track anywhere near as many things as a wrist-worn device can. You'll also miss out on any of the added features that are found on those bigger pieces of gear, like a screen on which to see your notifications or real-time readings of your steps count. But they may be more accurate for your heart rate and temperature, and are significantly more discreet. That discretion is important if you want to keep an eye on your health without looking like you care. Sure, they're still gadgets, so they're still noticeably bigger than traditional pieces of jewelry - but not by much. Plus, it's an alternative for people who don't like watches, with one statistic saying 68 percent of Americans don't wear them. What can smart rings track? Much like smartwatches and fitness trackers, smart rings are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes that can track your movement. That lets them interpret how much you're moving and, based on whether you toss and turn in the night, how well you're sleeping. Many rings have PPG (photoplethysmography) sensors to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygenation, either continuously or at intervals. Plus, they often come with temperature sensors that can be used to track signs of infection, and the data they gather on body heat can be used to predict the wearer's menstrual cycle. It's possible to use this information to draw broader conclusions about how you're doing more generally. You can get metrics for your stress, resilience and recovery rates, and you'll even get data on how calm you are during meditation sessions. I've personally been able to look back at stressful days and then compare my vital signs to the baseline. This can be useful to monitor how well, or badly, you're dealing with stress at any given time and chart progress made. But not all smart rings are alike. Circular's Ring 2 is one of a handful to offer its own one-line ECG (electrocardiogram). This, like many fitness watches that now offer the same, will look at your heart's electrical activity to look for irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation. Evie, meanwhile, markets itself as a smart ring designed for women" with a focus on reproductive cycle tracking. Smart rings vs. smartwatches At the risk of winning this year's Yeah, obviously" award, smart rings are not a replacement for smartwatches. Rings do not have built-in displays or vibration motors, so the only way to interact with them is via their companion apps on your phone. There's no way for you to get any idea of how you're doing at any given time unless you're able to look at your primary device. Even activity alerts - pop-ups telling you to move if you've been still for too long - can only be pushed to your phone. You won't get any of the added-value stuff you get with most wrist-worn devices either, and not just the ability to tell the time. That means no calls, apps, message responses, GPS, fall detection or mobile payments via NFC. There are a few exceptions: Samsung's Galaxy Ring can detect pinch gestures to activate the camera trigger or turn off alarms with a compatible phone. It's probably worth noting that while no consumer wearable will be as accurate or reliable as a clinical diagnostic tool, the smaller hardware may mean a compromise in accuracy. Rings might also get in the way of certain types of activity, like pull-ups, barbell deadlifts or any other movement that involves gripping onto a handle that might push the accessory into your finger and cause discomfort. Who should use a smart ring? Given the broader features available in even the most basic fitness tracker, it's hard to say smart rings are a better" choice. A $300 ring will do a lot less than a $50 tracker, and if you're led by your wallet, a ring will always work out to be the luxury option. What they offer, however, is a far more elegant aesthetic, especially if you're not likely to wear a tracker, smartwatch or fitness watch. And that's before we get to people with skin sensitivities or other reasons for preferring a smaller, more unobtrusive tracker. What to consider before buying a smart ring What do you want to get out of it? Are you hoping a smart ring will encourage you to get out and exercise more? Help you keep an eye on your physical health? Manage your mental health? It's good to go in with a clear picture of what you want because you may find the limited applications frustrating. Will it fit your finger? Most reputable smart rings will, during the ordering process, send you a sizing kit so you can find the most comfortable model. You're asked to find a size that sits snugly on your index finger ensuring the sensors make good contact with your skin. The companies often suggest you wear this plastic dummy on your hand for a few days before placing your order. After all, our hands can swell and shrink during the day and depending on the ambient temperature. Normal rings can be sized up or down a bit (by a competent jeweler) if your body shape shifts over time. You can't do that with most smart rings, so if you do change sizes drastically, you'll have to go through the process from the start and pay full price again. There are exceptions to this: If you pay for a coverage plan with Ultrahuman, for example, you'll get one free ring replacement if you lose weight. Anecdotally, some makers will offer ad-hoc discounts if you speak to them but that's obviously at the discretion of the name in question. One thing to bear in mind is wearing your ring while working out, which might be an issue as pointed out earlier. Depending on your activity, you might find a ring uncomfortable compared to a watch. If gripping onto a dumbbell or handlebars is something you do frequently, it might be better to use a smartwatch or wristworn device. But for runners, swimmers or other folks who don't need to grab onto much while they work out, a ring should be just fine. What's the battery life like? Bigger rings will have bigger batteries, so it's a lot harder to give a clean figure as to how long each ring will last on a charge. Thankfully most rings sip, rather than slurp, at their batteries and so most of them last at least five days or so on a charge. That's one big plus over some smartwatches given they often will only last a day or so before needing more power. What can you do if you lose your smart ring? Several companies include Find My Ring features in their apps to identify the last location that your ring was connected to your phone. However, if you're not a fan of minimalism and your home is full, it might be harder to find them. After all, the rings don't have vibration motors or speakers to offer an audible chirp as and when you're looking for them. I once lost an Oura Ring 3 for two days before downloading a third-party app that could locate it within a few feet. Turns out, when I'd made my kids' bed, the ring had fallen into my daughter's duvet cover, which I found only once I'd turned the room upside down twice. Samsung, meanwhile, offers location-tracking in its app and can give you a rough idea of your ring's last location. You can also, if you're hunting for it in dark environments, set its lights to blink, which is something its rivals do not offer. Are there long-term costs? The nature of the technology world, especially in 2025, is that a lot of hardware companies can't survive selling users one device every three or four years. So, to supplement that income and to offer users a better value proposition, companies offer additional features at an extra cost. That can come in the form of a premium subscription to unlock additional features and insights about your body. There are also one-off purchases to unlock specific features that you may want to focus on, as well as extended warranties or insurances. I'd wager most people plan on wearing a smart ring for several years before opting to upgrade, and so it's important to keep an eye on the total cost of ownership. If your budget will only stretch to the initial payment and no further, keep in mind what features you'll be missing out on. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-smart-ring-140000425.html?src=rss

The Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker is on sale right now via Wellbots for $110, which is a discount of $50. Just enter the code ENGFIT50 at checkout, as this is an exclusive deal. The Charge 6 topped our list of the best fitness trackers, and for very good reason. It's a solid device that gets the job done. It features built-in GPS, which is always handy for navigating around trails, and the battery lasts an impressive seven days per charge. The heart rate monitor is accurate and the AMOLED display is eye-catching. It also tracks steps, oxygen saturation, sleep and a whole lot more, with more than 40 dedicated exercise modes. It's a relatively thin device that we said feels "premium when compared to other fitness trackers." The unit integrates with Google Maps and Google Wallet. Some of the more advanced features are locked behind a paywall, which is unfortunate, and there's no integration with Apple Health. Otherwise, this is a near-perfect fitness tracker. Wellbots is also selling the Fitbit Inspire 3 at a deep discount. It's available for just $75 with the coupon code ENGFIT25. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/fitbits-charge-6-fitness-tracker-is-50-off-right-now-130019229.html?src=rss

The latest Apple Watches came out a few weeks ago, but you can snag some good deals on previous models for October Prime Day. One of the best discounts at the moment is on the Apple Watch SE 2, which has dropped to $189. That's 37 percent off, or the equivalent of a $110 discount. That's a new record low price for this 40mm variant with a small/medium band. The discount applies to versions with an ink sport loop and denim sport band. It's worth bearing in mind that this deal is for the previous-gen model, which Apple released in 2022. The company started shipping the latest Apple Watch SE in September. That starts at $240 for a GPS and Wi-Fi model without LTE connectivity. The third-gen SE 3 is now our pick for the best budget Apple Watch. However, if you're looking for a cheaper option for fitness tracking, at-a-glance notifications and, perhaps, quick access to a calendar, the second-gen SE is worth considering. Several variants of the Apple Watch Series 10 are on sale on Amazon as well. This is last year's version of the smartwatch, but it's still plenty capable and it supports some of the same new features as the Series 11, such as sleep apnea detection and sleep scoring. You can pick one up for as little as $329. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-apple-deals-include-the-apple-watch-se-2-for-a-record-low-price-162845841.html?src=rss

You don't have to worry about losing access to Sunday Night Football and NBCUniversal's other sports offerings and shows on YouTube TV over the next few years. The broadcaster has reached a multi-year agreement with Google to keep its programs on the streaming service after they were almost pulled by the end of the companies' original deal. YouTube TV said at the time that NBC was asking it "to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for [its own] subscribers." They were able to agree on a last-minute "short-term extension" while working on a more permanent deal to prevent the removal of NBCUniversal's offerings.The multi-year commitment will give you access to NBCUniversal's portfolio, including NBC, Telemundo, Bravo, CNBC, Golf Channel, E!, Oxygen True Crime, MSNBC, USA, Syfy and Universo. You'll also get access to the relaunched NBC Sports Network, the cable channel the broadcaster shut down in 2021, later this fall. "NBCSN will complement the prominent sports properties presented year-round on the NBC broadcast network," the broadcaster announced. In addition, you will be able to get Peacock in the coming months as an add-on subscription through YouTube Primetime Channels.Movies and shows from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will continue to be available to buy or rent from Google TV and YouTube TV, as well. And Peacock app will continue to be available via Google Play. "This deal builds on our long-standing partnership with NBCU while addressing the evolving media landscape and recognizing the importance of making content available where and how viewers want to watch it," said Justin Connolly, Youtube's Global Head of Media & Sports.While Google and YouTube TV were able to reach an agreement with NBCUniversal, they failed to reach a similar deal with Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcaster in the US. Google said that Univision's "current demands aren't supported by [its] performance on YouTube TV over the last four years." TelevisaUnivision, its parent company, warned customers in early September that YouTube TV wanted to remove its programs from its standard package and to charge viewers an extra $15 to be able to access its network.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/google-and-nbcuniversal-reach-multi-year-agreement-for-youtube-tv-120051505.html?src=rss

If I covered everything announced at Amazon's fall hardware event, it would take a while, and I would be repeating the hard work of my colleague Kris Holt. Check out his report for all the new Echo speakers, new Alexa tricks, more Nest Cameras and, yes, more Kindles - AKA the only Amazon hardware I'm usually interested in.When it comes to Amazon's ereader series, the standout new addition is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, combining its stylus-toting note-taking hardware with its latest color e-ink screen. It has a new rendering engine, too, which is meant to make writing faster, more fluid and more natural. Check out our first impressions of the device, and if you're intrigued, you can order one later this year for $630.If you think color is overrated, there's a new regular Kindle Scribe, with a bigger screen that matches typical paper sizes. The refreshed Kindle Scribe will go on sale in the US by the end of the year, priced at $500. A version without a front light will be available for $430.Amazon- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The news you might have missed

This week, EA announced that it plans to go private as part of a massive $55 billion sale, a move that will likely have huge implications for the gaming landscape. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget's Sam Rutherford chat about what this deal really means (and why it includes a Saudi Arabian investment fund), and also dive into the messy state of Xbox. Is the ROG Ally Xbox X already a failure at $1,000?Subscribe!

The Nintendo Switch 2 is here, and that means millions of people will eventually have to buy a new microSD card. While the console comes with 256GB of storage on its own, its improved performance means that some games will chew up a ton of space. Cyberpunk 2077is a 60GB download, for example, while Split Fictionchecks in at 69GB. Other titles aren't nearly as big (particularly those made by Nintendo itself), but it's not hard to see how you could end up deleting and redownloading games within a couple months.

Portable Bluetooth speakers have become a must-have for music, podcasts and even calls when you're on the move. Whether you're heading to the beach, planning a camping trip or just want something more flexible to use around the house, the best portable speakers give you big sound in a compact design. They connect quickly to your phone, work indoors and outdoors, and many models are built to handle splashes or drops without cutting the music short.

Apple has removed ICEBlock, the app which allowed users to put a pin on a map to show where ICE agents have recently been spotted, from the App Store. It has also pulled other apps that served a similar purpose. According to Fox Business, Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded their takedown, telling Apple that the apps were "designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs." Bondi added that "violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed." She also said that the "Department of Justice will continue making every effort to protect [its] brave federal law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe.""We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps," Apple told the publication in a statement. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store."Bondi demanded the apps' removal after the FBI and the administration reported that the gunman who attacked an ICE facility in Dallas used tracking apps, including ICEBlock, to open fire from a rooftop. The gunman killed two immigrants and injured a third, but he was allegedly targeting ICE agents. Joshua Aaron, the app's developer, told Fox Business that he was "incredibly disappointed" by Apple's actions. "Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move," he said. "Apple has claimed they received information from law enforcement that ICEBlock served to harm law enforcement officers. This is patently false." Aaron added: "We are determined to fight this with everything we have. Our mission has always been to protect our neighbors from the terror this administration continues to reign down on the people of this nation."ICEBlock climbed to the top of the App Store charts in July after administration officials slammed it, making more people aware of its existence. At the time, officials warned Aaron that they were "looking at him, and he better watch out" because the app threatens the lives of law enforcement agents. NBC News reports that it was downloaded more than 1 million times since it was introduced. Tom Homan, the administration's "border czar," recently told Fox News that the government will investigate the "people who put these apps up" because they put "law enforcement at great risk."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-removes-iceblock-from-the-app-store-after-trump-administrations-demand-031659651.html?src=rss

Fitness tech appears to be having a strange spat. Earlier this week, Strava filed a lawsuit alleging that Garmin infringed on its patents for two features related to tracking exercise routes: segments and heatmaps. It's also claiming that Garmin violated a Master Cooperation Agreement by developing its own heat map feature. The complaint (via The Verge) is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Garmin from selling any items with segments or a heat map features, which would amount to a majority of Garmin's hardware products as well as its Connect tracking program.The lawsuit on its own is a surprise. Strava and Garmin are two major players in fitness tech that have worked together for about a decade, the pair have a number of integrations between their platforms. It also seems unlikely that Strava will make much headway with the case. DC Rainmaker, which first picked up on the lawsuit, has a thorough timeline of the companies' patent filings that strongly suggests the arguments won't hold water in court. It's also strange that these alleged infringements, by Strava's own assertions, began a long time ago and yet the company is only taking issue with them now.But the situation got even stranger when Strava Chief Product Officer Matt Salazar took to Reddit today to give some insight into why the company is taking such aggressive action against a frequent partner. According to Salazar's post, Strava is invoking the lawyers because Garmin is adopting new developer guidelines for API partners "that required the Garmin logo to be present on every single activity post, screen, graph, image, sharing card etc." Although he frames it as a move to protect users' data, the argument sounds more like a petty complaint that Garmin is putting its brand on the data its products are used to collect.It's a weird lawsuit, and hopefully one that won't cause any disruptions for either company's customers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/strava-sues-garmin-in-bizarre-patent-infringement-lawsuit-213300227.html?src=rss

It's been quite the year for Aggro Crab. After stopping production on a sequel to Going Under (with funding issues and burnout both factoring into that decision), the studio decided to focus on self-funded game jam projects before moving onto another big game. Some of the team collaborated with Content Warning developer Landfall to create Peak. With the help of clever marketing, that co-op climbing game turned out to be a huge hit, selling 10 million copies in just two months.The rest of the Aggro Crab squad focused on a different multiplayer game, which is called Crashout Crew. This is a party game for up to four players (there's a single-player option too) in which you'll try to complete orders in hazard-filled warehouses using cute, color-coded forklifts. Time is of the essence as you race to meet quotas by loading boxes into trucks, so it's just as well that you can drift around corners. Just be careful not to drop any explosives.You'll be skidding around icy environments and spinning out if you run over a broken egg. Falling rocks, bees and blackouts all add to the chaos. You can upgrade your forklift and warehouse, though they'll reset after the level ends.The reveal trailer reminds me quite a bit of Overcooked. I wonder if this could turn out to be just as effective as a litmus test for how well you communicate with family and friends.I adore Another Crab's Treasure, Aggro Crab's last large-scale game, so I'll always be interested in whatever the studio is cooking up. I'm looking forward to trying out Crashout Crew when the demo goes live on October 13 as part of Steam Next Fest. The game is scheduled to hit Steam next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/crashout-crew-looks-like-overcooked-style-mayhem-from-one-of-the-studios-behind-peak-193854718.html?src=rss

A court in the Netherlands has ordered Meta to change Facebook and Instagram's timelines, after finding that the element ran afoul of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). As reported by Reuters, the Dutch court said that the company needs to provide users with simpler options - namely ones that don't rely on an algorithm."People in the Netherlands are not sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems," the court said in its decision. It ruled that the timeline must honor a user's choice of chronological order or other non-profiled options, instead of reverting to the algorithm-driven version whenever a user closes and reopens either app.The case was brought by Bits of Freedom, a Dutch digital rights group. "It is unacceptable that a few American tech billionaires can determine how we view the world," said the group's spokesperson, Maartje Knaap.Meta said it will appeal the decision, and that these DSA issues should be handled by the European Commission and other EU regulators, not by the courts of individual nations. "Proceedings like this threaten the digital single market and the harmonized regulatory regime that should underpin it," a Meta spokesperson said. Meta faces a potential fine of $117,450 for every day it fails to comply with the court's order, up to a maximum of $5.8 million.The DSA has been a common thorn in the side of big tech companies since its approval in 2022. The European Commission has levied hundreds of millions of dollars in fines against the likes of Apple, Meta and Alphabet for violations of the DSA. The regulations have also been used to effect certain changes on these platforms in the name of privacy, data security and the protection of minors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/dutch-court-orders-meta-to-change-its-facebook-and-instagram-timelines-185106583.html?src=rss

Amazon has announced its Prime Gaming October update, which sees it add a fresh batch of games that users can add to their libraries for free. The most noteworthy additions are probably Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition and Fallout: New Vegas. With the second season of Prime Video's surprisingly excellent Fallout TV show arriving in December, it's an ideal time to acquaint yourself with the games it's based on. New Vegas is particularly relevant, as season two looks like it'll primarily be set in that game's world and will presumably be heavily influenced by Obsidian's beloved 2010 RPG.Beyond that, XCOM 2 is probably worth a look, and there's a handful of games that are giving Halloween vibes -how can you go wrong with Tormented Souls or Hellslave as we approach spooky season?Here's the full list of October games that you can claim for free. Most come in the form of codes you can redeem on GOG, though some others are available on the Epic Games Store or Legacy Gaming.

Perplexity's Comet AI browser is now free for everyone worldwide. The browser had previously only been available to Perplexity Max users at a cost of $200 per month.The company says that it has "become the most sought-after browser on the internet with millions signed up to the waitlist." Now that waitlist is gone and everyone can get to downloading. Perplexity went on to note that this isn't a limited-time promotion as Comet "will always be free."

Now that Threads has grown to more than 400 million users, Meta is adding more features that could help the platform establish an identity. The company is testing a new "communities" feature that creates dedicated spaces for people to chat about specific topics and interests.Meta describes the feature as an evolution of its custom feeds and topic tags, with the goal of creating "casual spaces for you to share unique takes on topics like basketball or TV with other people who love them too." The company has already created more than 100 communities around topics that already have large followings on the platform, like "NBA Threads," "Book Threads" and "Tech Threads."Several users have already reported seeing the feature and joining these spaces over the last few days. (Meta says that "leading voices" in these communities will get to add blue badges to their profiles to showcase their involvement in the groups.)MetaFor now, community feeds don't look all that different from Threads' topics feeds, but there are subtle differences. According to Meta, posts in communities will be ranked to surface more relevant posts higher up in the feed (the app's current topic-based feeds tend to be more of a random jumble of posts from anyone who has tagged the topic). And, when you're browsing a community's feed, liking posts will trigger a custom emoji, like a basketball for the "NBA Threads" community.Meta isn't the first to try out the idea. Twitter created a communities feature back in 2021, and X said last year that the feature had seen a "495% jump" in "user active minutes."Communities could also make Threads feel more cohesive. Since Threads' algorithm so heavily emphasizes recommended posts from random, unconnected accounts, users have regularly complained about the app's feed. Now, Meta says that the communities people join will also influence the content they see in their main feed, so joining more communities could also help tune its recommendations overall.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-getting-a-communities-feature-for-better-conversations-170006903.html?src=rss

Fresh off its Jimmy Kimmel suspension saga, Disney is giving its app a makeover. The Disney+ app will soon add a navigation bar and UX overhaul. The update also brings Hulu into the fold outside the US. After reportedly bleeding subscribers during the Kimmel saga, the company would surely welcome a renewed focus on its fictional epics.The Disney+ homepage now has a new navigation bar at the top. "For You" is now the default landing tab. That's where you'll find personalized recommendations based on your viewing history. (Disney also updated its algorithm in hopes of serving up better suggestions.) The new nav bar also has dedicated tabs for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN content.The vertical navigation bar (the existing one on the left side of the screen) now includes a live hub. Here, you'll find live news, sports, events, and 24/7 streams.Disney+As it prepares to fully integrate Hulu into Disney+, the company is making big changes for non-US users. On October 8, Hulu will replace Star as the app's global entertainment brand. That's where you find shows from ABC, FX and more. It also includes more mature content than its typical fare. American users won't see any changes there. However, for everyone else, Star becomes Hulu next Wednesday.The Disney+ app is also getting some love. iOS widgets are launching, providing a one-click entry point into the app's content. The company says its mobile app will eventually host "mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences" to expand its reach. However, those are coming "in the year ahead."Jimmy Kimmel Live / YouTubeAll of this follows the Jimmy Kimmel suspension that dominated headlines in late September. Disney-owned ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely on September 17, following pressure from officials in the Trump administration. That included FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who told the company, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Disney, which recently wrapped up the anti-fascist epic Andor, chose the easy way.The company changed its tune and reinstated Kimmel on September 22. Its official line was that it was the result of "thoughtful conversations with Jimmy." However, the company reportedly lost 1.7 million Disney+ subscribers during that period, following widespread calls for a boycott.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-design-and-navigation-changes-are-on-the-way-165513106.html?src=rss

Neon, a service that pays you for recordings of your phone calls and then sells those to AI companies for training data, seems set to return in the wake of a privacy breach. The app swiftly went viral after its debut, but it has been on ice since last week after a security flaw emerged.According to CNET, Neon founder Alex Kiam apologized for the incident in an email to users and said the app would return soon." It went offline after TechCrunch found users were able to access other people's call recordings, along with transcripts and metadata. Neon pledged to add extra layers of security during the outage before making a comeback.While the app has been offline, users have been unable to cash out their payments. Neon pays them up to $30 per day for call recordings - 30 cents per minute for chats with other Neon users, and 15 cents per minute for calls with anyone else. It offers $30 for referring a newcomer to the app as well.In the email to users on Tuesday, Liam wrote that, "Your earnings have not disappeared -- when we're back online, we'll pay you everything you've earned, plus a little bonus to thank you for your patience!"Neon says it only records the user's side of the conversation when they place a call through the app. If the person on the other end is a Neon user as well, it records both sides of the chat. The company claims its tech automatically filters out personal information like names and phone numbers. Some privacy experts have warned people not to use Neon, in part because of potential pitfalls related to two-party consent laws for recording conversations in various jurisdictions.

For the third generation of its Kindle Scribe line of reading-and-writing tablets, Amazon is giving the device a makeover and two new configurations. Since its introduction in 2022, the Scribe hasn't changed much physically, with the sophomore model mostly getting a new color. This year, Amazon is launching three flavors of the Scribe. At the entry level is a model with a monochrome screen and no front light. Next is the Kindle Scribe 3, a version that has LED front lights but with a black-and-white display. Finally, at the top of the line is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft - Amazon's first writing tablet with a color display. I was able to briefly check out the three new tablets ahead of the company's launch event, and was quite impressed at the responsiveness and color saturation on the demo units I saw. Also, Amazon hasn't given these devices a name that indicates what generation they are, simply calling them the all-new Kindle Scribe lineup" and adding the Colorsoft label to the color model. To make things easier for this article, I'll be occasionally referring to these as the Kindle Scribe 3. The first thing I noticed was the Scribe 3's shape. I'm used to the slightly thicker bezel along one long side of the display that, on the older Scribes, has been a handy place to grip the device without touching the screen. But it wasn't just there for my thumb to hold onto. That area was also where Amazon placed many of the Kindle's components like the processor and memory. To reduce the size of the bezel, Amazon's Kindle vice president Kevin Keith said we had to engineer basically the electronics to fold behind the display." The result is a symmetrical-looking device with a barely-there bezel that's the same size along all sides of the 11-inch display (slightly bigger than its predecessor's). It weighs 400 grams (or 0.88 pounds), which should make it easier to hold with one hand while taking notes. Keith also said that, at 5.4mm, the new Kindle Scribe is thinner than the iPhone Air." I should point out that a lot of tablets are similarly sleek. The 13-inch iPad Pro and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra both have barely-there profiles of 5.1mm, while the 11-inch iPad Pro measures 5.3mm. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Another way Amazon was able to make the latest Scribe so thin and light was by reducing the number of layers in the display. It removed the anti-glare film on the device, using a glare-free display instead, as well as a textured glass that mimics the friction you'd get when putting pen to paper. The company also got rid of a touch layer that was on top of the display before, since it was able to use a screen with integrated touch input support. Keith said that Amazon also considered the size of the casing around the USB port to aid in shrinking the device further. On models with front lights (all but the entry-level configuration), Amazon had to use miniaturized LED front lights since there was no longer a chunky bezel to contain them. In addition to making them smaller, the company also doubled the number of bulbs to ensure consistency of lighting across the page. I couldn't help reaching for the new Kindle Scribe when I saw it, mostly because it looks a lot different than its predecessor. I already found the original Scribe satisfyingly svelte and this latest model is similarly attractive. I do wonder if I might miss having something to grip onto that isn't the screen, but that might not be a problem if Amazon's palm rejection technology is effective. I did notice a slight dullness in the model without the LED front lights, but it remained as easy to read as an older Kindle. The other two certainly looked a lot brighter, with the higher contrast making onscreen text and drawings look fresher and more vibrant. I'll get to the Colorsoft model in a bit, but I appreciated how clear and saturated colors appeared on its screen. One of my favorite updates this year is magnets. Specifically, the magnets holding Amazon's stylus to the Scribe itself have gotten stronger. Keith said we added more magnetic force so that it's harder to fall off," and when I tried pulling the pen off the tablet it required noticeably more effort than with previous models. It also snapped back on more easily. Considering this was one of my complaints about the older Scribes, I'm very encouraged to see this improvement. At Amazon's event, I got to spend a bit more time with the new Scribes and, at the suggestion of a rep at the demo area, picked up the Scribe Colorsoft just by holding onto the pen attached magnetically to it. The fact that I was able to do so without the tablet falling off seems like a testament not just to the strength of the magnets on this model but also to the light weight of the device. Cherlynn Low for Engadget The stylus itself has also been refined, with a slightly thicker, rounded silhouette that Keith said is a little bit more ergonomic." It still has a rubberized top that works as a digital eraser and when I used it on the new Scribe I felt the urge to brush off eraser dust, just like I did with the predecessors. The programmable action button remains present as well. Inside the new Kindle Scribes sit a new custom chip and more memory. Amazon also added the oxide display from its Paperwhite reader, and together with the new processor, that brings a 40 percent faster overall experience with page turning," according to Keith. The response rate also makes a significant difference in writing, which on the new Kindle Scribe is now down to under 12 milliseconds. That enables a much smoother writing experience with barely noticeable delay between putting the nib on the screen and the digital ink appearing, and because of the changes to the display, any parallax effect is virtually gone." During the few moments I had to scribble on the new Kindle Scribe, I found it hard to tell if there was a big improvement in fluidity or parallax effects compared to the previous models. It's about as responsive as before, perhaps just a touch faster at showing what I've written. Without a side-by-side comparison, it's not something I can evaluate right now. I will say that I found the latest Scribe a lot easier to hold with one hand, even in spite of the thinner bezels. That is with the caveat, of course, that I have yet to spend more than a minute writing on it. I usually have a hard time writing on the Scribe without a surface on which to prop it up, so I'm curious to see if it'll be easier to do so with the newest model. The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is surprisingly vivid I was able to get a good idea of how the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's color rendering compares to some of its competition, though. Every morning, I write three pages of free-flowing thoughts by hand, and I currently do so on the reMarkable Paper Pro. All my entries include highlighting of the date and time, and my experience with the color rendering on that device has been underwhelming. Technically, I can choose from yellow, green, blue, pink, orange and gray, but honestly I can barely tell the difference between yellow and orange, while blue and gray are also very close. So instead of five usable highlighter shades, I really only have three (gray is barely a hint of a tint). The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft not only renders colors more vividly, but hues are more distinct from each other. I'd say the reMarkable Paper Pro is like reading a faded newspaper's comic strip while the Colorsoft looks more like a glossy graphic novel. It's still a bit muted, but you can at least see variations in shades. Part of what makes the Colorsoft look nice is the fact that the device itself comes in a nice purplish hue that Amazon calls fig." With the selection of colors on its screen, I got a very autumnal vibe and was reminded of berries, for some reason. (It's also possible I was hungry.) Like the Kindle Colorsoft that Amazon announced in 2023, the Scribe Colorsoft uses a color filter and LEDs. What's slightly different is a new rendering engine that Amazon said enhances the color and ensures writing is fast, fluid and totally natural." While the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the same dimensions and weight as its monochrome counterpart, it has a slightly slower response rate of 14ms. I have only written on the Colorsoft so far, and will wait till I can spend more time with both tablets to see if this different latency makes a big difference. Cherlynn Low for Engadget In addition to the new hardware, Amazon also updated the Scribe's software. All Kindles will be getting a redesigned home page that better surfaces your recently added and edited content. Based on what I saw, instead of having rows of covers on the main screen, there is now a Search bar at the very top, followed by an area on the left half below that for quick notes." This is basically a notepad for you to continuously update whenever you need it, so you won't need to create a new notebook every time you want to jot down a thought. To the right of this top half is the Jump back into" section, which will show things you were recently working on. Below those two portions is a row of titles called Recently added," where things you just downloaded into your library will appear. So if you have been reading, say, The Body Keeps the Score and just bought Katabasis, you'll find the first one at the top right and the latter in the Recently added" section. The search bar at the top is now powered by AI, because there is no escaping that. Thankfully, Amazon has been fairly cautious about its approach, which is particularly important for a product like the Kindle Scribe where people go to read and produce original content. The new AI feature here is a smarter search that not only indexes all your handwritten notes, but understands and groups common topics so you can search for something like What have I told Panos Panay before?" The Scribe will scan your notebooks, find all your relevant scribblings and present everything you've written down across all your files and summarize its findings for you. I didn't have time to try this out but I am intrigued at the potential here. I make so many different to-do lists for Engadget's events coverage that it would be nice to be able to ask What are the tasks I need to do by the end of October" and possibly get a neatly organized list. The usefulness of this feature depends almost entirely on how intelligent the AI is, so I'll have to wait till I can review it more thoroughly to say anything more evaluative. Amazon is also bringing support for Google Drive and OneDrive, so you can create a folder in either service, add documents to them and the system will download them onto your Kindle Scribe. This is just an easier way to get files onto your Kindle, in addition to sending an email to the associated address or finding a way to add them to your Amazon account. OneNote support is coming as well, and it'll allow you to export your notes as an embedded image or as a converted text document. A Send to Alexa+" feature is coming early next year, so you can share your notes or documents from the Kindle Scribe to the assistant. It will be able to pull information from your pages and remember or refer to them in your conversations, so you can ask it about what's next on your to-do list or what items are already on your shopping note. One more update on the redesigned home page: Instead of the existing Notebooks" tab, Amazon is rolling out the Workspace" section. Keith described this as essentially like a new folder system." Functionally, it didn't appear too different from the Notebooks setup, other than making it easier to group your related documents so you can access, say, all the lists you've written up for your wedding planning or writing projects. The redesigned home page will be launching later this year, and older Kindle devices will be able to update to the new software. The latest generation of Kindle Scribe will be available later this year, with the entry-level model going for $429, the version with the front light costing $499 and the Scribe Colorsoft starting at $629. Update, October 2 2025, 10:30AM ET: This story has been updated to include more impressions of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's increased magnetic force as well as pictures from Amazon's event this week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-colorsoft-hands-on-vivid-and-responsive-145147981.html?src=rss

Despite coming out just a couple of weeks ago, the Apple Watch Series 11 is already discounted at Amazon. You can pick up one of the smartwatches for $10 off, starting at $389 right now. Apple revealed the latest generation of its wearable at its iPhone 17 event in Cupertino. The Series 11 packs some new features like 5G connectivity on cellular models, a more scratch-resistant screen, new sleep features, improved battery life and a hypertension alert system that just received FDA clearance. The GPS-only version is our top pick for Best Apple Watch in 2025. In our hands-on review, we gave the Apple Watch Series 11 a score of 90 out of 100, noting its thin and light design, the excellent battery life, a nifty new wrist-flick gesture and its comprehensive approach to health and fitness monitoring. It is relatively pricey however, and the Watch SE 3 is probably enough for most users, but the Series 11 has a brighter and larger display, a thinner design, longer battery life and more advanced health features. For anyone who hasn't bought a new Apple Watch in a few years, the Series 11 is a worthy upgrade. If you're in the market for your first Apple Watch, then this model would be a great one to start with. If you're rocking a Series 10, then you probably don't need to upgrade now unless the improved battery life will mean that much to you. If your budget is tighter and you don't mind getting a slightly older model, you can save on the Apple Watch Series 10 and SE 2. The former is on sale for $329, while the latter is down to only $189. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/you-can-already-get-a-discount-on-the-apple-watch-series-11-at-amazon-135020356.html?src=rss

OpenAI has overtaken SpaceX as the largest startup and most valuable private company in the world. Bloomberg has reported that the company has authorized a secondary share sale, which allowed its former and current employees to sell their stocks. OpenAI had authorized the sale of $10.3 billion in shares, but they ultimately sold $6.6 billion to investors that include Softbank, Abu Dhabi government's MGX fund, American investment firm Thrive Capital and global investment management firm T. Rowe Price. As Bloomberg explains, that has boosted the company's valuation to $500 billion from $300 billion, overtaking SpaceX with a $400 billion valuation and TikTok developer ByteDance at $220 billion.In early September, OpenAI said it was getting closer to transitioning to a new structure that will turn it into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) controlled by its nonprofit arm. The company's nonprofit division received an equity stake of more than $100 billion, making it a major shareholder of the PBC. SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk is one of the biggest critics of OpenAI's decision and has been trying to block the company's for-profit transition in court. Musk was one of OpenAI's founders and funded its initial operations. He claimed in court that OpenAI and Altman are breaking their contract with him and violating the company's founding mission of building AI "for the benefit of humanity" by changing its structure.OpenAI is hoping that being a PBC would make it more appealing to investors, as it would remove the cap on the financial returns they can get. It needs a lot more money than what it has raised so far, after all: OpenAI chief Sam Altman previously said he intends to spend trillions of dollars on building out data centers to run artificial intelligence services.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-now-the-worlds-most-valuable-private-company-at-500-billion-133028221.html?src=rss

About two years ago, I tried a facial treatment in Singapore that had left me feeling refreshed and my skin smooth and taut. I found out it was called an aqua peel" and started investigating how I could replicate the experience at home in the United States. Back then, the available options were either too costly or looked dubious. At the time, devices like the BeautyBio GloFacial weren't showing up in my searches, and the Dermaflash Dermapore+ Pore Extractor and Serum Infuser just didn't seem like what I was looking for.When I first read the description for Shark's FacialPro Glow, I felt a spark of hope ignite. It sounded like the aqua peel I had experienced, and it wasn't until I actually was able to try it out recently that I was convinced. The company says its latest gadget is a hydro-fueled, skincare-enhanced facial device that delivers spa-level results." Basically, imagine a nozzle being dragged around your face as it sucks gunk out of your pores while also flushing them clean. That's the refreshing sensation I experienced and was, to use a Singaporean term, damn shiok."There are two parts to the FacialPro Glow system: the cleanse" or exfoliating attachment and the Shark Depuffi, which will be sold separately starting October 17. Both of these components can snap onto a handle that houses the power unit. The cleanse" portion is made up of a dual-pump system that applies suction and also sprays water or a hydrator into your pores so it infuses as it cleans. From all the descriptions I've read of aqua peels" or hydra facials" the FacialPro Glow seems to do pretty much the same thing.I've only had the chance to try it out once so far but I'm already pretty impressed. But before I get into that, a word on the setup. You can choose to use the Depuffi to warm up your skin before moving on to the exfoliating attachment, but I didn't do so. The Depuffi is basically like a bigger, rounder gua sha (Asian smooth-edged tool for scraping your face to sculpt it) with a much larger surface area. It can either heat up or be cold, and uses similar technology as the undereye plates in Shark's LED mask that launched earlier this year.I missed that suggestion as I didn't see it in the manual and was eager to begin with the suction, but I did use it after I was done with the exfoliation session to relax and cool my face.The very first step in the process is to apply a thin layer of the included Derm Detox" exfoliating gel on your face and leave it there for three minutes. It's a combination of glycolic and salicylic acids that Shark says gently dissolves impurities." So far, I haven't found anything noteworthy about the formulation. It didn't have any smell or fragrance, didn't leave my skin feeling tingly and despite being called a gel it had a mostly watery consistency that was reminiscent of facial treatment essences.There are two tanks on the FacialPro Glow - a smaller one near the nozzle for clean water (or the BHA hydrator that Shark includes) and a larger one behind it labeled gunk tank." For your first pass, which is mostly about suction and cleaning, you'll need to fill the front section with clean, cool water. A close-up look at the Shark FacialPro Glow after one round on my face. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Shark includes five tips for the device: gentle wide, gentle T-zone, normal wide, normal T-zone and self-cleaning. Once you've attached your preferred head and filled up water to the max" line, you can turn on the FacialPro Glow and adjust the intensity using the plus" button above the power button.Then, as you would with a microdermabrasion device like the PMD or even a makeup brush, glide the nozzle over your skin. Shark also includes a guide on how to do so, going over the types of motion you should use and the general direction (outwards and upwards) to sweep in. As I dragged the machine around my face, I felt a tug on my skin and suction that felt similar to the pore vacuum devices used in salons, and whenever I caught sight of the gunk tank I noticed it slowly filling up with cloudy water. This wasn't as murky as I was anticipating, and frankly whatever mild coloration I did notice in the gunk tank seemed more like the removal of the Derm Detox essence than any actual build-up from my pores. (I did just have a facial a week prior, so there likely wasn't a lot to extract.)The instruction manual suggests using the wide head for about two minutes and the T-zone option for the remaining minute of the three-minute sessions. The device will keep track of the time and simply pause after your three minutes is up, so all you have to do is switch out the attachments when you're ready. I found this part slightly confusing as I wasn't sure if I could just hit the power button to pause the machine while I switched out the tips or if there was a time it would stop on its own. Eventually I just went with the former method and pressed the power button again to resume the suction and it did end on its own afterwards.The next step in the process was to fill the clean tank with the BHA hydrator essence that Shark included, called Hydro infuse," and launch another three-minute session with it flushing your face. This was the part I really enjoyed. The gentle stream of liquid swooshing against my skin felt very refreshing and relaxing. I never felt like there was too much moisture - nothing dripped and I performed the whole session standing up without any of my clothes or surroundings getting wet.It's worth pointing out that Shark says its two formulas were dermatologist-tested and developed in a Korean lab specifically for the Shark FacialPro Glow routine." According to the company's vice president of design and engineering Chris Hedges, you'll have to use these products instead of third-party options because the exfoliating AHA/BHA percentages were carefully managed to balance well with the device flow rate, amount of suction provided and the amount of time the tip is covering your face."Hedges added that this mix of chemical and mechanical exfoliation is the key to the efficacy and safety of the process" and that use of other formulations with the device is not advised as it could unbalance the system, leading to over or under exfoliation." The Shark FacialPro Glow with its exfoliating attachment and with its Depuffi head. Shark I'm not a fan of being limited to a company's products, especially as someone who has already found a skincare system that I'm committed to (shoutout to the Jan Marini range of products). Hopefully, Shark might be able to develop a range of offerings or work with third parties in a way that would make it easier to use the FacialPro Glow without needing to consistently repurchase exfoliating gels from the one company. Plus, Shark is selling $50 replenishment bundles that come with one bottle of each, which is quite pricey. Depending on how frequently you perform the treatment, you might find yourself shelling out an additional $100 a year.Once you've finished your three-minute pass with the Hydro Infuse, you're technically done with your treatment. If you like, you can detach the cleanse module (the one that contains the two tanks and the nozzle) and swap in the Depuffi attachment. After you do so, slap on some moisturizer and turn on the device, you can run the cool plate all over your face for a calming effect. I have sensitive skin that turns red at almost any touch, so having the Depuffi cool my face down was nice. It's also just very comforting and enjoyable, like running a cold, dry bottle on your skin on a hot day.Like I mentioned earlier, you can also turn the Depuffi into heating mode, in which case you'd be running a warm plate all over your face. This should help open up pores ahead of your cleansing treatment and might make impurities easier to suck out. Shark offers six temperature levels for the Depuffi, though I should note that when I accidentally left the Depuffi in its warmer state, it took awhile for it to feel cool again after I toggled back to the chill mode.If you're only interested in the Depuffi, it will be available separately for $200. The whole FacialPro Glow system, which includes the cleansing attachment, the Depuffi and the exfoliating gel and hydrating essence, will be available from October 6 for $400.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/sharks-latest-skincare-gadget-will-suck-gunk-from-your-pores-and-rinse-them-133000385.html?src=rss

Apple had big plans for the the future of the Vision Pro, but it has reportedly put them on the back burner and has prioritized the development of smart glasses that can compete directly against the Meta Ray-Bans. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company told staff last week that it's moving team members working on a cheaper and lighter version of the Vision Pro to accelerate the development of its smart glasses. Apple is apparently developing two models, one of which, called the "N50," has no display of its own and will pair with iPhones. The company reportedly intends to launch it sometime next year and will it release in 2027.Bloomberg says Apple is also working on smart glasses with an augmented reality display that can rival the Meta Ray-Ban Display. It was going to release the model in 2028, but now Apple is looking to expedite its development, presumably so it could be available at an earlier date. Like Meta's smart glasses, Apple's devices will rely heavily on voice interaction and AI commands. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple is releasing an updated Siri next year that's powered by large language models, meant for use on displays, speakers and, yes, glasses.Apple's smart glasses will reportedly come in a variety of styles, will be powered by a new chip and will have speakers for playback, as well as cameras to capture images and videos. The company is looking to equip it with health-tracking capabilities, as well.It has long been reported that Apple's ultimate goal was to release augmented reality glasses of its own, since they could rival phones in the future. If this report is true, Apple is merely adjusting its timeline, especially since it's now fairly behind Meta in the space. While Apple's priorities have shifted, it hasn't abandoned the Vision Pro altogether. The FCC recently uploaded documents referencing an updated "Head Mounted Device" by Apple, though it's unclear if it's the upcoming lighter version that's supposed to be cheaper than the $3,499 original model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-is-reportedly-pulling-staff-from-the-vision-pro-to-work-on-its-smart-glasses-130050475.html?src=rss

When Lego announced its near 1:1, 421-piece Nintendo Game Boy set I wrote that it was charming, but "sadly not playable." Now that it has started shipping (as of yesterday), creator Natalie the Nerd proved me 100 percent wrong. She added the power to play genuine Game Boy cartridges, using real hardware and not an emulator, according to her post on Bluesky and a story on The Verge. The project was right up Natalie's alley as she specializes in circuit board design, having even created a transparent one for another Game Boy project. To make the Lego Game Boy run, she created a custom circuit board with Game Boy chips soldered on, including working buttons. She then added the "smallest screen kit on the market," she told The Verge, removing a few bricks to make it fit. You won't even have to worry about batteries as it has a USB-C port to run everything. Natalie the Nerd It's fully functional but not quite complete - on Bluesky, Natalie pointed out that the A and B keys are currently held in by an elastic band. To fix that, she plans to 3D print a lego piece that will hold a custom PCB for the buttons. Once it's all ready, she'll share her designs as she has with past products. "I am going to release it once I am happy with it," she wrote on X. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-creator-has-made-legos-non-playable-game-boy-set-playable-120044617.html?src=rss

Two Amazon delivery drones reportedly collided with a crane this morning in Tolleson, AZ. The incident occurred about two miles from a fulfillment center run by the tech company and involved two of its Prime Air drones. No injuries have been reported. Law enforcement were called to the scene, however Sgt. Erik Mendez of the Tolleson police told local radio station KTAR that the Federal Aviation Administration would be taking over the investigation."We're aware of an incident involving two Prime Air drones in Tolleson, Arizona," Amazon representative Terrence Clark said. "We're currently working with the relevant authorities to investigate."Amazon began offering a drone delivery option in the Phoenix area last year. The drones only fly during the day and if weather conditions are favorable. The company received FAA approval to ship several more products by drone in May.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/two-amazon-prime-air-drones-crashed-in-arizona-224857013.html?src=rss

After a few years of mostly humming along in the background, Amazon's game streaming service is receiving a bit of an update. Amazon Luna will still act as a game streaming service with a rotating library of free games for Prime users, but now, Amazon also plans to offer "GameNight," a collection of social party games that you can play with your friends with just a smartphone. The expansion is about more than just new games: Amazon's Prime Gaming brand is now also part of Luna.Amazon says the new GameNight collection includes over 25 multiplayer games, some that are reinterpretations of classic games like Angry Birds, Exploding Kittens or Ticket to Ride, and others that are entirely original and developed by Amazon, like Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg. If you've played any of Jackbox's various multiplayer games, GameNight seems to use a similar setup. You load up the game in Luna, whoever's playing scans an onscreen QR code with their phone and then they can join the game using their device as a controller.The hope is that these smartphone-controlled games will lower the barrier to entry for anyone intimidated by a controller, or who hasn't already taken advantage of Luna as part of their Prime subscription. For everyone else, though, Amazon says the service is getting a collection of new high-profile games in the near future, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Dave the Diver. As before, if you're willing to pay for one of Amazon's add-on subscriptions you can add even more games to your library, too. Unlike GameNight games, though, all of these titles will require a controller to play, whether it's Amazon's Luna Controller or a Bluetooth controller connected to the Luna app.As far as Prime Gaming is concerned, Amazon's not retiring the benefits of the plan, but rather using them to bolster Luna. Prime Gaming launched as Twitch Prime, a program that unlocked unique emotes, one free Twitch sub and free PC games every month if you linked your Twitch and Amazon accounts. Those benefits will still be available after Prime Gaming is retired, and Twitch says that any free PC games you redeem will be available "wherever Amazon Prime is available as part of Luna Standard." That includes regions where you can't stream Luna yet.While confusing, adding more games and folding Prime Gaming into Luna suggests that Amazon views the service as the gaming project it's prioritizing moving forward. It doesn't have the library of Xbox Cloud Gaming and it's not clear if Amazon is as gun-ho about streaming as Microsoft is, but if the company is willing to pay, offering more games and more ways to play them seems like a good move.Update, October 1 2025, 6:07PM ET: The story and its headline have been updated to include details about Amazon's changes to Prime Gaming.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-luna-will-offer-controller-free-party-games-in-an-attempt-to-woo-prime-subscribers-130004416.html?src=rss

Forbes has published an investigation into Amazon's efforts to court law enforcement clients for artificial intelligence and surveillance services. The article reveals that not only is the company promoting Amazon Web Services as a potential police tool, but it has been partnering with other businesses in that sector to use its cloud infrastructure. According to the Forbes report, Amazon's partners that are pitching police departments include car tracking tools and license plate readers from Flock Safety, gun detection by ZeroEyes, real-time crime center apps from C3 AI and Revir Technologies, and AI that helps compose police reports from Abel Police and Mark43. The piece estimated that the police tech business is worth $11 billion. Based on emails sent by members of Amazon's law enforcement and safety team, the company is working awfully hard to get a share of those billions.The company's aggressive sales work has raised outcry for privacy issues around how police officers might use these tools, which is unsurprising given that AI tools can create inaccuracies and easily be misused. Regulation is still a piecemeal affair and some law enforcement departments have failed to follow what laws do exist about tech use."It's dismaying to see one of the largest and most powerful companies pushing authoritarian surveillance tech in this way," ACLU Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley told Forbes. "I didn't realize Amazon was serving as a midwife for AI law enforcement technologies."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-reportedly-aggressively-pitching-law-enforcement-on-its-cloud-services-215334082.html?src=rss

Ubisoft has launched - and named - its Tencent-backed subsidiary. Vantage Studios is the first of the company's "creative houses" under a previously-announced reorganization. The new studio will oversee the company's tentpole franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six.The news follows Ubisoft's March announcement of a new subsidiary with a 1.16 billion ($1.36 billion) investment from Tencent. The Chinese company took a minority ownership stake in Vantage as part of the deal. In July, Ubisoft named the new subsidiary's co-CEOs: Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot."Our focus is on evolving Ubisoft's operating model to bring more focus, more autonomy and more accountability to the teams so they can stay closely attuned to our players," Guillemot said at the time. "Decision making will be quicker, and it will also be easier to pivot when we need to change course."UbisoftUbisoft's announcement today reflected that language. The idea is to give its developers "a higher level of autonomy" at Vantage and future studios. It wants the new structure to enable "a shorter pathway between gathering and implementing player feedback."Vantage is the only creative house the parent company has announced. The company will set up future ones "under the banner of a shared DNA and development expertise." However, it's unclear what other creative houses will work on, with Vantage taking over Ubisoft's bread-and-butter franchises.Vantage's team will be spread across Ubisoft's offices in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia. Multiple gaming publications, including GamesIndustry.biz, reported that the studio began operations today. Ubisoft is said to have chosen "Vantage Studios" based on a vote by its 2,300 employees. As for Tencent, it will reportedly act in an advisory role, with the co-CEOs having the final word.Ubisoft was due for some big changes. The company has endured big-name flops, studio closures and layoffs. At least Assassin's Creed: Shadows has done well.Incidentally, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six titles were among those added to Game Pass on Wednesday. Microsoft seems to have intended for the announcement to soften the blow of the service's 50 percent price hike. I'm not so sure it worked.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-launches-its-new-tencent-backed-subsidiary-194750403.html?src=rss

If raising console prices wasn't enough to scare you away, Microsoft has also increased the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent. That makes the subscription cost $30 per month when it used to be $20. Even if it comes with more games and the benefits of a Fortnite Crew subscription, you wouldn't be wrong for wanting to cancel.Cancelling means you'll also lose ability to play online multiplayer games, but cheaper tiers of Game Pass received new benefits without getting a similar price hike, so downgrading might be worth considering. Whichever you choose, the process of managing your subscription is relatively easy, provided you remember your login information.How to cancel your Game Pass subscriptionIan Carlos Campbell for EngadgetRather than managing your Game Pass subscription on your Xbox, you'll need to log in to your Microsoft account through a web browser. To get started:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing home-search website Zillow, alleging that it paid rival Redfin $100 million to eliminate competition in the online listing business. The suit refers to a deal inked back in February between the two companies in which Redfin allegedly agreed to become "an exclusive syndicator of Zillow listings."The allegations suggest that Redfin began copying over listings from Zillow instead of creating its own listings, which gave Zillow much more control over the space. The suit also accuses Redfin of agreeing to end contracts with advertising customers in an alleged attempt to cede more ground to Zillow.The FTC went on to suggest that this anti-competitive practice would lead to higher prices and worsening terms for both renters and advertisers. This agreement is nothing more than an end run around competition that insulates Zillow from head-to-head competition on the merits with Redfin for customers advertising multifamily buildings," the lawsuit said.Zillow released a statement on the suit, which was published by CNN. The statement called the previous deal with Redfin pro-competitive and pro-consumer" and noted that our listing syndication with Redfin benefits both renters and property managers and has expanded renters' access to multifamily listings across multiple platforms."Redfin also disagrees with the allegations from the FTC, saying that "by the end of 2024, it was clear that the existing number of Redfin advertising customers couldn't justify the cost of maintaining our rentals sales force." The company went on to suggest that "partnering with Zillow cut those costs and enabled us to invest more in rental-search innovations on Redfin, directly benefiting apartment seekers."The FTC further alleges that Redfin laid off hundreds of workers as part of the deal, going on to help Zillow hire some of these employees. Basically, the agency is accusing Zillow of acquiring a large part of Redfin's business, all while hiding behind the idea of a partnership to avoid scrutiny. The FTC has asked the court to end the agreement and consider a divestiture of assets.This isn't the only current legal dispute that Zillow finds itself in. A real estate brokerage company called Compass issued its own lawsuit back in June, accusing Zillow of engaging in anticompetitive practices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-sues-zillow-and-accuses-it-of-buying-off-rival-redfin-184539492.html?src=rss

Mars isn't our only neighbor that may harbor life. The odds have risen that Saturn's moon Enceladus may, too. On Wednesday, scientists published a paper outlining the increasing complexity of molecules emitted from beneath the moon's surface. "We now have all elements required for Enceladus to harbour life," the ESA's Dr Jorn Helbert told The Guardian.Enceladus gives researchers a unique window into its subsurface world. The Cassini mission already taught us that plumes of water ice shoot 6,000 miles into space from Enceladus. The source of those icy jets is believed to be a subsurface saltwater ocean, around 30 miles deep, that envelops the entire moon. The space geysers shoot out from its South Pole.Previous analysis of the moon's icy particles already revealed the chemical building blocks for life as we know it. But before, the organics were inferred from studying Saturn's E ring, which is composed mostly of material from the icy jet. In contrast, this study looked at data from the Cassini mission's flyby of the plumes themselves. What's different today is the variety of organic signatures and the freshness of the samples. "These grains were just minutes old," lead author Dr. Nozair Khawaja told The Guardian.NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute"The detection of organics directly in the plume rules out space weathering as the sole production pathway," the paper's authors wrote. Space weathering refers to radiation and other processes that potentially alter or spoil the samples. "The grains are fresh, unaltered and proof of survival through ocean transit and plume emission" for the compounds."These grains were just minutes old," Khawaja said. "It means that what we are capturing here is actually the pure sample from the subsurface." He said the results also increased the known complexity of Enceladus' sub-surface organic chemistry. "When there is complexity happening, that means that the habitable potential of Enceladus is increasing right now," he said.The results still don't prove that there's life on Saturn's moon. However, they do suggest a chemically rich subsurface ocean that could seed the building blocks of life. Your move, Mars.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/saturns-ocean-moon-looks-more-hospitable-to-subsurface-life-than-we-thought-174149814.html?src=rss

Xbox owners got a bit of a nasty surprise thanks to Microsoft's sudden announcement today that the monthly cost of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription is getting a 50 percent increase. The new $30 monthly price, up from $20, is going to really sting for a lot of people, especially with no cheaper annual or quarterly options offered.Fortunately, the rough price hike isn't all that Microsoft talked about today - there are a lot of games being added to the service, particularly for the two most expensive plans. In case you aren't up to date, Game Pass is now split into three slightly revamped tiers: Essential, Premium and Ultimate, two of which are confusingly also names Sony uses for its cheapest and most expensive PS Plus offerings. You can read a full breakdown of each tier and what they cost here.More than 45 new games have joined the Ultimate library, with certain Ultimate games trickling down into the Premium and Essential tiers. If that sounds confusing, that's probably because it is, but the main headlines are that Hogwarts Legacy is now part of Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, while the priciest Ultimate lineup has ballooned in size thanks to the introduction of Ubisoft Classics+. This curated catalogue of Ubisoft's extensive back catalogue joins EA Play, which was already part of Ultimate, and is a pretty significant addition to the service. Especially if you like old-school Assassin's Creed.Here is the full list of games joining each Game Pass tier today.Ultimate

T-Mobile just announced that its T-Satellite with Starlink service now integrates with several apps. These include AllTrails, AccuWeather, X, WhatsApp and several others. Certain native apps also now integrate with the service, like Google Messages, Apple Music and Samsung's weather app.It's important to note that users won't always have access to the full app experience here, as satellite connectivity is limited. Some features may be limited and everything is likely to be noticeably slower. Still, being able to look at a map on AllTrails while actually on a trail in the middle of nowhere will be incredibly useful. It'll be less useful to read some random screed on X while sitting next to the campfire, but whatever gets you through the night.T-Mobile T-Mobile promises that WhatsApp will allow for "sending voice notes, sharing photos or even calling your entire group chat." This is a potential game-changer but it really depends on how slow everything is, which we won't know until some explorers get out there to put the app through its paces.The company has also integrated a number of business-focused apps into T-Satellite for those subscribed to the SuperMobile or T-Priority plans. These apps include the communications platform MultiLine and the AI-powered messaging service Dialpad.T-Satellite uses Starlink satellites to provide coverage in remote parts of the world. It became broadly available back in July after months of testing. The service is available for both Android and iOS devices. It's free for T-Mobile customers but everyone else can sign up for $10 a month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/t-mobiles-starlink-satellite-service-now-works-with-a-handful-of-apps-165732659.html?src=rss

Microsoft has announced some major changes for Game Pass. It's rebranding some of the tiers, which should make it a little easier to keep tabs on what games and features are available on Game Pass across Xbox consoles, PC and cloud gaming.However, there is a painful price increase here. The high-end plan, Game Pass Ultimate, now costs $30 per month - 50 percent more than the previous $20 per month. and there's no annual or quarterly option available to make that sting less.That means the price of a Game Pass Ultimate membership has nearly doubled in 15 months. Microsoft previously raised the price from $17 to $20 in July 2024. The latest change now means that, at $360 per year, Game Pass Ultimate is now more than twice as expensive as PlayStation Plus Premium, which is currently $160 on an annual plan.Microsoft recently announced a price increase for its Xbox Series X/S consoles as well. The systems will be more expensive to buy in the US starting this Friday. Also, pre-orders for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld just went live, with Microsoft confirming that the higher-end model would cost $1,000. PC Game Pass is going up from $12 per month to $16.50 too. It's getting really expensive to be an Xbox fan, folks.A breakdown of the Xbox Game Pass tiers.XboxIn fairness, along with a price increase, Microsoft is expanding Game Pass Ultimate in other ways. It's adding more than 45 games to that tier today, including a whole bunch of Assassin's Creed and Far Cry titles, as well as other Ubisoft games. That's due, in large part, to Microsoft adding Ubisoft+ (which costs about $16 per month) to Game Pass Ultimate today.On November 18, Ultimate members will get Fortnite Crew as part of their subscription. That gives players access to the Fortnite battle pass, 1,000 V-Bucks added to their account each month and other perks. That usually costs $12 per month, so the Game Pass Ultimate price increase might actually work out in some Fortnite players' favor - if they ever stop playing it long enough to check out other games and get more value for their $30 per month.Microsoft also notes that Ultimate subscribers will be able to play more than 75 day one games (i.e. those that join the service on their release day) every year across Xbox consoles, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming. That works out to at least six per month, on average. The Ultimate library now includes more than 400 games, including titles from EA Play.As part of these changes, Xbox Cloud Gaming is officially out of beta and Ultimate subscribers have access to what Microsoft claims is its highest-quality streaming option with the lowest wait times. They'll be able to earn up to $100 worth of rewards per year by playing games too.Microsoft can talk up the new Ultimate features as much as it likes, but there's no denying that a 50 percent price increase is a heck of a jump. Of note, games news curator Wario64 pointed out that the Game Pass cancellation web page appears to be overloaded:

Meta will start scraping conversations with AI chatbots to gather data for the purpose of ad targeting. The company says this data will be used to "personalize the content and ads" that people see across apps like Facebook and Instagram.The "feature" goes into effect on December 16 and Meta will start sending out in-product notifications and emails about the move on October 7. The company says this change is coming to "most regions" throughout the world, but the launch won't impact the EU and South Korea at first.MetaMeta gives an example of a user talking with an AI chatbot about hiking and then seeing ads about, you guessed it, hiking. "As a result, you might start seeing recommendations for hiking groups, posts from friends about trails or ads for hiking boots," it wrote in a blog post."People's interactions simply are going to be another piece of the input that will inform the personalization of feeds and ads," Christy Harris, privacy policy manager at Meta, told Reuters.This is the same type of ad targeting that has followed us around the internet for ages, but one-on-one conversations have typically been excluded from this sort of thing. This is just another reminder that AI chatbots are not your friends.There will be no way to opt out of this, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. If you talk to a Meta chatbot, it'll be scraping. The company notes that the chatbots will not scrape data pertaining to "topics such as their religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership." I'd recommend not discussing those things with an AI chatbot no matter what Meta says.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-soon-use-ai-chats-for-ad-targeting-because-of-course-it-will-153319626.html?src=rss

Alienware is at its best when it makes no-holds-barred gaming machines that are big on style and performance. By reviving an iconic nameplate and combining it with an all-new design packing some seriously intergalactic vibes, the Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop is just that. Sure, it's so big and heavy that you won't want to move it around very often. And battery life be damned, because if you aren't plugged in, you probably aren't pushing those pixels hard enough. But if you're in the market for a classic desktop-replacement gaming notebook with flagship specs and an unmistakable aesthetic, this rig represents a beastly return to form. Design: A revamped spaceship Alienware's industrial design is so far out there that its systems have almost become a shorthand for gamer culture in movies and TV. But for this generation, I think the company has done a great job of creating something unique that's also a bit more sophisticated than before. To start, there's Alienware's "Liquid Teal" paint job. It's the only available color and in person, it looks more like the kind of deep emerald green you'd see on a car due to the way it shifts and shimmers depending on the light. As always, there's Alienware's classic logo in the middle of the lid, complete with customizable lighting. On the inside, there are nice touches like RGB-lit fans, punchy up-firing speakers and a clicky mechanical keyboard with deep travel that reminds you that if you aren't using this system to frag some enemies every now and then, you're probably doing it wrong. The Area-51 laptop features mechanical switches with lots of travel and customizable RGB lighting for both its keyboard and touchpad. Sam Rutherford for Engadget My favorite design element is the little window on the bottom of the laptop. At first, this seems like overkill, because just like men's shoes, how often do you really look at the bottom of a PC? But if desktop PCs can have glass panels that show off the insides of the machines, why not laptops too? More importantly, Alienware's raised Cryo Chamber (that's its technical name) improves thermals thanks to increased airflow and a hidden exhaust that helps move heat away from critical components like the GPU. Even so, the vent's placement means you're still not going to want to use this on your lap for prolonged periods (especially while gaming). But as a feature that would normally be purely functional, Alienware's solution is clever and stylish. The Area-51 laptop's only two ports that aren't in the back are a microSD card reader and 3.5mm audio. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Of course, the downside to adding extra glass to an already hefty notebook is that it makes this thing even less travel-friendly. Weighing 7.5 pounds, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is actually closer to a typical 18-inch notebook like a Dell 18 Pro Max (7.2 pounds) than a similarly-sized non-gaming machine. On top of that, while the Area-51 offers a wealth of connectivity options (three USB-A, two USB-C and HDMI 2.1), most of its ports are in the back. That's great for keeping cables tidy and out of the way, but they are a bit harder to reach, which reinforces the notion that you won't be moving this PC around very much. I just wish Alienware had made room for a single USB-C port somewhere on either side. Having a full-size SD card reader and 3.5mm audio on the left is super handy for quickly transferring media or plugging in headphones, but it would have been nice to have one more spot for accessories like thumb drives so you could avoid fumbling around in the back. Display: Bright and fast, but more choice would be nice The Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop features a 16-inch 2,560 x 1,600 LCD display with 500 nits of brightness and a 240Hz refresh rate. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The Alienware 16 Area-51 packs a 2,560 x 1,600 display with a 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support and 500 nits of brightness. In a vacuum, it's a really solid panel. It has a matte coating to reduce reflections while still producing vibrant colors that look good even in sunny rooms. My only gripe is that for a flagship system, I would have liked to see some other display options. For demanding gamers, or people planning to use the system for photo or video editing, a 4K screen upgrade (preferably an OLED one) would be a great option. Alternatively, with the Area-51 capable of accommodating up to an RTX 5090 GPU, a panel with a 300Hz or higher refresh rate could have been a nice choice for the hardcore competitive crowd. And sadly, even if you feel like upgrading to the 16-inch model's bigger brother, there aren't any additional display options available for that version either. Performance: More cooling, more speed The bottom of the Area-51 laptop is both functional and stylish thanks to its Cryo Chamber, which provides a view at the components inside while also improving heat management. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Our $2,800 review unit features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU with 24 cores, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU. Unsurprisingly, a loaded system like this had no issues handling games like Cyberpunk 2077. Even when using Ultra graphics presets at 1080p with ray tracing turned on, the Area-51 still hit 90 fps. Meanwhile, in Control, the Alienware fared even better at the same resolution and Epic settings when it reached 154 fps. Thankfully, if you don't have nearly $3,000 to burn, the Area-51 is rather configurable. A base model starts at a more affordable $2,000 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX chip, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 5060. On the other hand, if you want all-out performance, you can load this thing up with an RTX 5090, but doing so currently starts at $3,550. Battery life: Don't leave home without your power cord Most of the Area-51 laptops ports are in the back which is great for keeping cables out of the way, but it can be annoying if you want to quickly plug in USB accessories like a thumb drive. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Peter Parker's beloved Uncle Ben once said "With great power comes great energy draw" (or something like that), and the Area-51 is a perfect example of that. On PCMark 10's Modern Office battery rundown test, Alienware's laptop only lasted four hours and thirteen minutes. That's more than three hours less than what we got from its predecessor - the m16 R2 (7:51) - and five hours less than last year's ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (9:17). When I retested the ASUS only using its GPU (instead of automatically switching to onboard graphics), its time of 3:08 was worse. So when it comes to power-hungry portable gaming machines like these, if you plan on using them away from an outlet on a regular basis, you'd better make sure you have a portable charging solution on hand. Wrap-up Depending on the light, Alienware's Liquid Teal paintjob can shift between emerald green, blue and several other colors. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Even though the Alienware 16 Area-51 might not be as portable as some of its rivals, it's got a lot to offer. There's a striking design, a nice screen (though more options would be nice), tons of ports and class-leading performance with plenty of configurability so you can dial in its specs exactly how you like. Granted, Alienware's attention-grabbing space-age aesthetics might not be for folks who aren't ready to be beamed up to the mothership. But aside from its short battery life and high price for well-equipped models, this system delivers pretty much everything you want from a flagship gaming laptop.

It's not every day I get to try out an entirely new type of tech product. Telescope company Unistellar recently gave me the chance to do just that with Envision, the first smart binoculars that can identify mountains and stars. The only things like it on the market are Swarovski's smart binoculars, but those are triple the price and strictly for birds and wildlife.At an event near Marseilles, I tried an Envision prototype with the design and most of the functionality of the final product (like several other Unistellar products, the company marketed it on Kickstarter and raised $2.7 million). Some features were a bit rough and it took practice to use the binoculars smoothly. But it's an interesting amalgam of analog and digital tech that's bound to be a hit with astronomers and travelers.The Envision initially came out of a conversation between Unistellar engineers wondering why there were no binoculars with an AR-like digital overlay. They soon found out: It was a huge engineering challenge. Combining all the data into an overlay and getting it to line up with the optical view was particularly vexing. Reducing latency was another problem, so that the digital display wouldn't lag behind the optical view.The company eventually came up with a solution it borrowed from AR tech. Envision combines premium lenses with an augmented reality projection system that beams contextual info into the optical path via a bright, high-contrast microdisplay. That overlay only appears in one eye, but your brain transforms it into a complete image.The Envision binoculars take data from inertial sensors and a compass using custom software to guarantee precise positioning and low-drift orientation" of the digital display. It then pulls in topographic and cartographic info from a large database and merges it onto an AR overlay based on your location and viewing direction. This information comes from your phone's internet connection, but the binoculars can be used offline as well if you load specific regions in advance.Steve Dent for EngadgetI tested a hand-built prototype that lacked the quality control that will happen in full manufacturing. However, the materials, optics and electronics were nearly complete. For daytime testing, I went to the Citadelle de Forcalcquier that offers a panoramic view of mountain ranges in the region. While it was a bit overcast and rainy, distant peaks up to 30 miles away were still visible.Though a bit heavier than regular binoculars, the Envision was comfortable to hold and use over a period of an hour thanks to the rubberized coating and high-quality plastics. To use the Envision, you set them up as you would any pair of binoculars. They have a diopter adjustment for your specific vision and you can retract the eyecups for use with glasses. There's a width adjustment to match your eyes and a focusing wheel to sharpen the view.With all of that set, there's a rocker control on the left side that enables the AR overlay, which consists of monochrome red graphics like an old-school arcade game. The previous/next buttons let you switch between targets, which you can then select by hitting the validate" button.The last button, target lock," does two things. Clicking it once does exactly that, locking onto the target. Then, if you pass the binoculars to someone else, they'll be guided by arrows to the same object. And to correct any drift that inevitably occurs, you press and hold the target lock button and move the binoculars until both the overlay and optical view align. Lastly, release the button and everything is re-synced.As regular binoculars, they gave me a clear view of distant objects. I switched on the AR and waited a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When looking at a mountainous horizon, the Envisions overlaid a red outline matching the topography, with the names of peaks and ranges displayed at the bottom center of the screen, along with their elevations and distance from the viewer. It was a half-inch or so off the real-world view, so I used the target lock control to align them perfectly.The latency wasn't bad, but if I moved the binoculars too quickly it took a second or so for the overlay to catch up. After scanning across the horizon a few times, the overlay would drift out of sync again, so I needed to use the target lock to realign the views once more. Both the latency and misalignment should improve with the final production version, Unistellar told me.For now, the Envision can only identify mountain peaks, valleys and ranges. In the production version and via future updates, however, it will identify things like water springs, shelters, hiking paths, rivers and lakes. A companion app will provide the updates, and the software also lets the user select points of interest, access the geographical database and receive guided tours. Sadly, none of those features were available in the prototype I used.The next test was star spotting using Envision's Night mode. Fortunately, I didn't need to go far (the hotel pool) as the clouds covering the sky for most of the day serendipitously broke apart to give us a crystal-clear starscape.For a stargazing experience, the Envisions were transformational. With the binocular optics set up as before, switching on the AR view instantly displays the names of individual stars, linked together in their constellations by lines. For example, it pointed out Lynx, a constellation that's faint with the naked eye, along with its fourth brightest star Alsciaukat (31 Lyncis). The final version of the binoculars will also display nebulae, galaxies, planets, moons, comets, asteroids and even human-made points of interest like the International Space Station (ISS) and Apollo landing sites.This could make the Envision an outstanding educational tool. You can lock onto a star, then give the binoculars to someone else and they can quickly locate the same body by following the arrows. They'll also see whatever constellation it's part of. It would only take a few nights of stargazing for someone to learn a lot about the night sky.At the same time, it's a great way for aspiring astronomers to survey interesting targets to study with a more powerful telescope. I did just that, using the Envision to home in on a star cluster. With the name clearly displayed, I punched it into Unistellar's Odyssey Pro smart telescope and quickly saw it with a larger, clearer view. Conversely, you'll be able to enter a star name into Unistellar's app and be guided to it by Envision, in the final production version.The Envision does have some issues. If you're someone who already has trouble seeing through binoculars, these may not be for you. The AR display can be hard to read at times, and adjusting the brightness (especially for night viewing) can be a challenge. One missing feature is a built-in camera like the one on Swarovski's binoculars. That was a bit disappointing, as you can't easily share your experience on social media. The only way to do so is to snap images with your smartphone through the eyepiece. That effectively requires you to lock the binoculars onto a tripod which, well, defeats the purpose of binoculars.With that being said, I think Unistellar's first crack at smart binoculars was a success, even in their unfinished form. They add an informational element to a true optical view and finally bring binoculars, which have been around for hundreds of years, into the informational age.Steve Dent for EngadgetLike any early product (I'm thinking of Pebble's smartwatch), it's bound to improve significantly in future versions. Yes, there are smartphone apps that can identify stars and geographical features. But there's something about looking through a lens and seeing a true image that can't be beat. And with Envision, you'll finally know exactly what you're seeing.Unistellar is opening pre-orders for its Envision smart binoculars starting today at $999, a fairly steep discount from the final $1,499 retail price, with deliveries set for October 2026. That's a long way off, but if you're willing to wait, Unistellar has a perfect track record with its smart telescope deliveries. Retail availability is even farther away, set for 2027.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/unistellars-smart-binoculars-can-tell-you-which-mountain-youre-looking-at-140007104.html?src=rss

Uber was found not responsible by a California jury for an sexual assault that a woman said occurred during a 2016 ride, The New York Times reported. It's the first of what could be thousands of similar lawsuits in the US from women who claim they were "kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked" by Uber drivers, according to the original claim. The cases were consolidated, meaning they can be presented before the same judge with similar procedural processes, while still being tried individually.The woman in the first case, identified as Jessica C., said she was an 18-year-old college student when she ordered a ride to San Jose's airport. Shortly after she got in, the driver deviated from his route and climbed on top of her, groped and kissed her and tried to remove her pants, according to her testimony. The victim told the driver "No, no, no" and tried to push him off. She feared for her life and later dropped out of school, while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the assault.Under California law, Uber would be responsible for the harm suffered by the woman if it failed to use adequate safety measures and that negligence was a "substantial factor" in causing the harm. Conversely, for Uber to not be responsible, the jury would need to find that Uber didn't know and could not have expected that its driver would take advantage of the situation that it created.The jury ruled that while Uber was negligent, that negligence was not a substantial factor in causing harm to Jessica C. However, the plaintiff's attorney said that the court allowed evidence into the trial that let Uber blame Jessica C. for the harm she faced, adding that the decision discourages victims of sexual assault to come forward. "[It's a] sad day for victims of sexual abuse across the country," said John Taylor of Taylor & Ring.Jessica C.'s lawyers accused Uber of covering up the scale of its sexual assault problem, revealing during discovery that 558,000+ trips had resulted in reports of sexual assault or misconduct from 2017 to 2024, far more than what was publicly reported. They also said that the company failed to put systems in place like mandatory video recording that could have protected passengers.Uber said that the driver in Jessica C.'s case had passed background checks and didn't trigger any alarms over past complaints. The company said that despite deploying numerous safety measures, it couldn't guarantee that driver transgressions would never occur, and that it wasn't responsible for driver misconduct in any case. Uber's safety head, Gus Fuldner, testified during the trial that passengers used the service at their own risk.Uber told the NYT that its work "to improve safety on our platform is never done. Uber has worked for years to raise the bar on safety, and we'll continue to do so in the years ahead."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-found-not-guilty-in-first-of-many-sexual-assault-lawsuits-133046712.html?src=rss

As part of Google's smart home announcements today, the company has unveiled a new look for its Google Home app that will begin rolling out globally today. The heart of the redesign is about Gemini for Home, which will replace the Google Assistant role in smart devices and promises a more conversational way to interact with and direct the company's AI. The Google Home app is also now where customers will control their Nest devices.There's now a Home tab with a consolidated view of the system, an Activity tab that collects the notifications from all connected devices and an Automations tab for managing the hands-off side of the smart home hardware. The app also now has a persistent AI-powered "Ask Home" option in the header that Google describes as a "natural language command center for your entire home." The company promises that it will be able to execute naturally written commands, such as searching for specific moments in a camera clip or creating more open-ended automations. However, some of those features will require a Google Home Premium subscription to access.In addition to the new Gemini features, the Google Home app has been rebuilt for increased reliability and performance. The software loads "significantly faster," reportedly more than 70 percent faster on some Android devices. Camera views in the app should load 30 percent faster and playback failures should be down 40 percent in the new version. Google is also boasting a reduction of almost 80 percent in app crashes and said it is additionally working to improve battery draw.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/google-has-overhauled-its-smart-home-app-to-feature-gemini-130041497.html?src=rss

Google is finally ready to explain how Gemini will replace Google Assistant in your smart home. The company's original voice assistant will be replaced with the aptly named Gemini for Home starting this month, ushering in what might be an easier-to-use and more conversational smart home era in the process.Like Google teased at CES 2025, the biggest change Gemini for Home will introduce for Google Assistant devotees is an end to rigid commands. While you'll still need to use a "Hey Google" wake word, the days of having to be precise are over. Google claims Gemini grasps context enough to not only remember what your last request was, but also understand that if you're saying "Hey Google, I'm about to watch a movie, turn off the lights," you specifically mean the lights in your living room. You'll also be able to string multiple requests together into the same sentence, and create automations without having to whip out the Google Home app, just by describing them. And when you want to ditch wake words entirely, you can start a Gemini Live chat and have a smooth back and forth with Gemini about whatever you choose.AI-based improvements will also extend to any cameras you have in your smart home. Google says Gemini can create more useful notifications if a camera detects motion or films a notable event from around your home, thanks to its semantic understanding of visuals. You can also pull a specific piece of footage with natural language requests and even receive answers based on things your smart home recorded via a new feature called "Ask Home." Like Ask Photos in Google Photos, Ask Home understands the context and meaning of footage you've captured to provide answers to questions like "Did I leave the car door open." And for a larger overview of what's going on at home, the "Home Brief" can identify important events you've filmed and "summarizes hours of footage into a quick, digestible summary you can read to catch up on what happened while you were away," Google says.GoogleGoogle says Gemini for Home will be available on all of its smart home devices released in the last decade, including new Gemini for Home-compatible doorbells and cameras created by Walmart. Unfortunately, if you're interested in features like Gemini Live, AI-powered notifications, Ask Home and Home Brief, you'll have to pay for a $10-per-month Google Home Premium subscription to use it. The subscription also unlocks an additional 30 days of cloud storage for any videos your smart home captures and comes included with Google's AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions at no additional cost.To try out Gemini for Home as soon as possible, you can sign up for early access in the Google Home app. Google says the update will roll out throughout the month of October, and come to smart speakers and smart displays "toward the end of the month."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/gemini-for-home-is-the-official-replacement-for-google-assistant-on-smart-devices-130041482.html?src=rss

A day after Amazon updated its security cameras, Google followed suit with its competing suite. A trio of new Nest security cams is available starting today. The latest Nest Doorbell and Nest Cams have higher-resolution (2K HDR) video and a wider field of view. That not only makes for better images, but it also opens the door to new (paid) AI features. Google's new additions include the Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (3rd gen). The company says the devices were designed to "provide the rich, detailed data our multimodal AI uses to understand." The results, according to the company, are "better alerts" and the ability to "find important moments, faster." Google says DxOMARK rated all three as first in their class for image quality. The Nest Cams each have 2,560 x 1,400 resolution with a 152-degree diagonal field of view (FOV). The Nest Doorbell uses a 2,048 x 2,048 sensor with a 166-degree FOV. All three support up to 6x digital zoom. Alerts can digitally zoom in on subjects. Google The company says the combination boosts the cameras' ability to capture video in low-light conditions. Specifically, Google claims they offer 120 percent more light sensitivity than their predecessors. "This means the cameras can now stay in full-color mode much longer at dawn and dusk than before," the company wrote. The sharp resolution also allows you to digitally zoom in on a specific area in the Home app, cropping out the rest. Google says the feature could be handy for hot spots like a garden bed or walkway. Similarly, your alerts will include animated previews that zoom in on the subject. This could make it easier to tell at a glance who or what triggered the notification. Ask Home (left) and Home Brief Google The upgraded Gemini AI chops include a new chatbot feature called Ask Home. It lets you do things like ask what ate your plants. (In Google's example, the chatbot explains that it was rabbits, producing photo evidence.) It also lets you perform smart home tasks or create automations using natural language. There's another new AI feature called Home Brief that gives you an AI-generated summary of the day's activities. Both of the new AI features require a Google Home Premium subscription. All three cameras are available beginning today at the Google Store and with retail partners. The Nest Cam Indoor costs $100. The Nest Cam Outdoor will set you back $150. And the Nest Doorbell costs $180. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/googles-new-nest-doorbell-and-nest-cams-have-2k-video-and-new-ai-chops-130006878.html?src=rss

Google announced a wave of hardware updates today, including giving some love to the Google Home Speaker. We saw a teaser for the revamped smart speaker last month, so the announcement isn't a surprise, but it does provide some specifics about what's coming to the company's smart home efforts.This new Google Home Speaker puts the Gemini AI assistant front and center, as is the case with so much Google hardware these days. The light ring will also flash different colors to show when the AI model is listening, processing or responding. If you have a Google Home Premium subscription, you'll also be able to use the Home to access Gemini Live. The blog post promises "more natural conversations" with this model, which it says has custom processing to support the demands of running an AI assistant.Google is also bringing 360-degree audio to the Home Speaker. The upcoming iteration will be able to connect a pair of Home Speakers to the Google TV Streamer, allowing for a surround-sound home theater setup. The Home will still be able to connect to other Google Nest speakers as well. And for the privacy-minded, there's a physical button to toggle the microphone off.The new speaker won't be available until spring 2026 and will retail for $99. It has four color options: porcelain, hazel, jade and berry. The Google Home Speaker will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.The announcement follows hot on the heels of Amazon's fall hardware event, which also had some big updates for smart speakers centered on its own Alexa+ AI assistant, including a brand new form factor called the Echo Dot Max.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-google-home-speaker-is-getting-a-gemini-driven-refresh-130004673.html?src=rss

In a lot of ways, Meta's hasn't changed much with its second-gen Ray-Ban glasses. The latest model has the same design and largely the same specs as the originals, with two important upgrades: longer battery life and improved video quality. At the same time, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses have a lot of features that didn't exist when I first reviewed them two years ago, largely thanks to AI. And with the release of its second-generation frames, there's still a lot to look forward to, like new camera features and AI-powered audio. The good news is that Meta isn't limiting these updates to its newest frames, so if you have an older pair you'll still see the new features. But, if you've been on the fence about getting a pair, there's never been a better time to jump in. Same look, (slightly) better specs Meta and EssilorLuxottica haven't strayed too far from the playbook they've used for the last two years. The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses come in a handful of frame styles with a number of color and lens variations that start at $379. I tried out a pair of Wayfarer frames in the new "shiny cosmic blue" color with clear transition lenses. I personally prefer the look for the slightly narrower Headliner frames, but the second-gen glasses still look very much like traditional Wayfarer glasses. I've never been a fan of transition lenses for my own prescription eyewear, but I'm starting to come around on them for smart glasses. As Meta has improved its cameras and made its AI assistant more useful, I've found more reasons to wear the glasses indoors. The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses come with clear frames, with polarized and transition lenses available as an upgrade. Karissa Bell for Engadget Also, if you're going to be paying $300 or more for a pair, you might as well be able to use them wherever you are. It also helps that the transition lenses on the second-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses get a bit darker than my first-gen Wayfarers with transition lenses. Upgrading from the standard clear lenses will cost you, though. Frames with polarized lenses start at $409, transitions start at $459 and prescription lenses can run significantly more. As with the recent Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, the second-gen Ray-Bans come with a longer battery life and better camera. Meta says the battery can last up to eight hours on a single charge with "typical use." I was able to squeezea little more than five and a half hours of continuous music playback. That's a noticeable step up from the battery on my original pair which, after two years, is starting to show its age. The glasses also now support higher-resolution 3K video recording, but the 12MP wide-angle lens shoots the same 3,024 x 4,032 pixel portrait photos as earlier models. The second-gen glasses have the same design as the first-gen, with a capture button on the right side of the frames. The charging case provides an additional 48 hours of battery life. Karissa Bell for Engadget For videos, there's a noticeable quality boost, but I still think it's probably not necessary for most people if you're primarily sharing your clips on social media. It does make the glasses more appealing for creators, though, and judging by the number of them in attendance at Connect, I suspect Meta sees them as a significant part of its user base. I'm looking forward to Meta adding the ability to record Hyperlapse and slow-motion videos, though, as I think these may be more interesting than the standard POV footage for everyday activities. Meta AI + what's coming Two years ago, I was fairly skeptical of Meta's AI assistant. But since then, Meta has steadily added new capabilities. Of those, the glasses' translation abilities have been my favorite. On a recent trip to Argentina, I used live translation to follow along with a walking tour of the famous Recoleta cemetery. It wasn't perfect - the feature is meant more for back-and-forth conversations rather than extended monologues - but it allowed me to participate in a tour I would have otherwise had to skip. (A word of warning: using the live translation for an extended period of time is a major battery killer.) Meta AI can also provide context and translations in other scenarios, too. I spent some time in Germany while testing the latest second-gen Ray-Ban glasses and found myself repeatedly asking Meta to translate signs and notices. For example, here's how Meta AI summarized this collection of signs. Meta AI was able to translate these signs (left) when I asked it "what do these signs say?" Karissa Bell for Engadget As I wrote in my review of the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, I still haven't found much use for Live AI, which lets you interact with the assistant in real-time and ask questions about your surroundings. It still feels like more of a novelty, but it makes for a fun demo to show off to friends who have never tried "AI glasses." There are also some very interesting accessibility use cases that take advantage of the glasses' cameras and AI capabilities. Features like "detailed responses" and support for "Be My Eyes" show how smart glasses can be particularly impactful for people who are blind or deal with low vision. One AI-powered feature I haven't tried out yet is Conversation Focus, which can adjust the volume of the person you're speaking to while dampening the background noise. Meta teased the feature at Connect, but hasn't said exactly when it will be available. But if it works as intended, I could see it being useful in a lot of scenarios. I'm also particularly intrigued by Meta's Connect announcement that it will finally allow third-party developers to create their own integrations for its smart glasses. There are already a handful of partners, like Twitch and Disney, which are finding ways to take advantage of the glasses' camera and AI features. Up to now, Meta AI's multimodal tools have shown some promise, but I haven't really been able to find many ways to use the capabilities in my day-to-day life. Allowing app makers onto the platform could change that. Disney has previewed a smart glasses integration for inside of its parks that would allow visitors to get real-time info about the rides, attractions and other amenities as they walk around. Golf app 18Birdies has shown off an app to deliver stats and other info while you're on the course. Should you buy these? And what about privacy? When the Ray-Ban Meta glasses came out two years ago, this was a pretty straightforward question to answer. If the idea of smart glasses with a good camera and open-ear speakers appealed to you, then buying a pair was a no-brainer. Now, it's a bit more complicated. Meta is still updating its first-gen Ray-Ban glasses with significant new features, like Conversation Focus, new camera modes and third-party app integrations. So if you already have a pair, you won't be missing out on a ton if you don't upgrade. (And with a starting price of $299, the first-gen glasses are still solid if you want a more budget-friendly option.) There are also other options to consider. The upcoming Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses come with more substantial hardware upgrades and other unique features that will appeal to athletes and anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors. And on the higher end, there are the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses that blend AR elements with its existing features in an intriguing way. Meta has already previewed several new features, like new camera modes and Conversation Focus. Karissa Bell for Engadget I also have many of the same concerns about privacy as I did when I reviewed Meta's first Ray-Ban branded glasses back in 2021. I'm well aware Meta already collects an extraordinary amount of data about us through its apps, but glasses just feel like they provide much more personal, and potentially invasive, access to our lives. Meta has also made some notable changes to the privacy policy for its glasses in recent months. It no longer allows users in the United States to opt out of storing voice recordings in its cloud, though it's still possible to manually delete recordings in the Meta AI app. The company says it won't use the contents of the photos and videos you capture to train its AI models or serve ads. However, images of your surroundings processed for the glasses' multimodal features like Live AI can be used for training purposes (these images aren't saved to your device's camera roll). Meta's privacy policy also states that it uses audio captured via voice commands for training. And it should go without saying, but anyone using Meta's glasses should be very careful about sharing their interactions with its AI app, as a bunch of users have already seemingly inadvertently shared a ton of highly-personal interactions with the world. If any of that makes you uncomfortable, I'm not here to convince you otherwise! We're still grappling with the long-term privacy implications of generative AI, much less generative AI on camera-enabled wearables. At the same time, as someone who has been wearing Meta's smart glasses on and off for more than four years, I can say that Meta has been able to turn something that once felt gimmicky into a genuinely useful accessory.

It's been a rough time for Peloton. Last year was marred by deep staff cuts, a change of CEO and a reckoning of where the home fitness company belonged, post-Pandemic boom. The answer is, unfortunately, AI-tinged, but that shouldn't distract from some major hardware upgrades across its Bike, Tread and Row family of machines. It's an almost-entire overhaul, with new software, programmable workouts and an array of collaborations. There are also some tentative steps toward wellness, because why not?Peloton's 2025 lineup is called the Cross Training series, with five different fitness devices - Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+ and Row+ - all benefiting from new hardware, varying levels of AI smarts with Pelpton IQ and software improvements.All of the new machines have a 21.5-inch screen that rotates away from the bike/track/rower. (Previously, the Bike+ had this feature, with a bigger 23.8-inch display.) This turns it into a more versatile screen for cross-discipline workouts that Peloton has already dabbled in, including yoga and strength training. Peloton explained at the launch event that strength training is actually its second most-popular class offering.Image by Mat Smith for EngadgetPeloton's Guide camera, if you remember, has been fused into the plus' machines. A new movement tracking camera (which can be flipped off) can count your reps automatically and show that on screen while also monitoring form and offering light guidance. During a demo, while doing weight training next to the bike, the machine suggested improving squat movements by imagining sitting deeply into a chair. It seems like relatively surface advice, but it's more guidance than Peloton's fitness equipment has offered in the past.Senior Vice President of Product Brent Tworetzky said that the Guide device informed how Peloton's cameras track workout movements, which was all folded into these Cross Training machines. There are voice commands to pause workouts, adjust weights and even skip moves when needed.Peloton has also folded in some of the most-requested hardware features from its members. While a phone tray won't blow your mind, a new three-speed fan and a reengineered seat are all included with the plus machines. Peloton has also worked with Sonos to upgrade the speaker system, and the plus machines are the first to have a woofer built-in.Peloton IQ features go further than computer vision. Across all the new machines, it can generate and track personalized workout plans, and can even control strength training workouts that you can tackle at your own pace, if instructor movements prove too confusing.Turning on your Peloton of choice on a Monday, for example, you can program in a week of workouts, with the AI working in the background to offer balanced workouts or a training program geared at your fitness goals, whether that's weight loss, cardio fitness or strength.Peloton IQ will also analyze your workout history and give personalized target metrics and goals to help them select their workout. Select a more challenging (or longer) workout and IQ will note that the workout will be "Harder than your usual" when browsing the class library.Image by Mat Smith for EngadgetPeloton is expanding its membership offerings even further, although several intriguing additions aren't yet available. For example, the company is collaborating with New York's Hospital for Special Surgery to develop workout programming that focuses on injury prevention and recovery. It also acquired Breathwrk, a breathing exercise app that's now folded into services for both All-Access and App+ Members.There's even more. Peloton is also collaborating with Respin Health on an eight-week program, curating Peloton classes to target symptom relief and overall quality of life improvement for members experiencing perimenopause through to postmenopause. And - don't tell your competitive exercise buddy - Peloton is expanding its collaboration with Hyrox with new classes to help train towards those manic races.There is a cost to all these additions. The new Cross Training versions are priced several hundred dollars higher than their predecessor. Peloton's Cross Training Bike is priced at $1,695, while the Bike+ jumps up to $2,695. The Cross Training Tread starts at $3,295 , while the Tread+ is $6,695. And if you're looking for an upgraded rower, the Row+ starts at 3,495. All of the machines require a Peloton subscription, priced at $50.And that's an increase there, too. Effective starting this month, Peloton has raised its All-Access Membership from $44 to $49.99 and App+ Membership from $24 to $28.99. The app-only service is also being nudged up from $12.99 to $15.99.The new Cross Training range is available to buy now at onepeloton.com, Peloton's own retail stores, Amazon and Dick's Sporting Goods.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/peloton-cross-training-bike-tread-row-plus-machines-form-checking-cameras-rotating-screens-ai-price-launch-date-110042677.html?src=rss