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The Roblox-like VR title Rec Room is shutting down after operating for a decade. The free-to-play social game is closing its doors because the developers "never quite figured out" how to make it profitable, despite attracting 150 million players."We spent a long time trying to find a way to make the numbers work," the team wrote in a blog post. "But with the recent shift in the VR market, along with broader headwinds in gaming, the path to profitability has gotten tough enough that we've made the difficult decision to shut things down."The shut down officially happens on June 1, but the platform is already making serious changes. Starting today, users will no longer be able to make friends, create new accounts or subscribe to the premium service. However, many features locked behind that subscription paywall will be free from now until June.The devs are also allowing users to download some of the assets connected to rooms they created. This could, in theory, let them port their creations to other platforms in the future. Snapchat owner Snap has already bought up a bunch of Rec Room's assets and some employees will join the social media company, according to a report by GeekWire.Rec Room first appeared all the way back in 2016, years before the standalone Meta Quest entered the VR scene. It was a massive hit on the PSVR platform before being ported to other hardware. There's even a traditional version of the game available for non-VR platforms. Just like Roblox, it lets folks design their own spaces to hang out in.VR is in a tough spot right now. Meta was an industry leader, but the company has been laying off hundreds of people from its Reality Labs division. This is the team that makes VR/AR hardware and software. It's been reported that, instead, the company has been funneling more money into ongoing AI efforts. Sony's PSVR2 was also not a gigantic hit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/rec-room-a-roblox-style-vr-game-is-shutting-down-154350384.html?src=rss

In-flight Wi-Fi on Delta flights will be provided by Amazon Leo beginning in 2028, the two companies have announced. In a blow to Elon Musk's Starlink, Amazon's deal with Delta will see its satellite internet service installed on 500 Delta aircraft initially, each equipped with its own Leo antenna.Amazon promises low-latency Wi-Fi with download speeds up to 1Gbps and upload speeds up to 400Mbps, allowing passengers to stream movies and TV shows, play games and work as if they were on the ground. If you're a Delta SkyMiles member you'll be able to use Leo-powered Wi-Fi for free when traveling to any of the more than 300 locations Delta flies to.Amazon currently has around 200 satellites in low Earth orbit, and plans to aggressively accelerate production this year. Delta already uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its reservation systems and applications, 600 of which have been migrated to the cloud since 2020.Amazon rebranded its satellite network to Amazon Leo (an acronym for low Earth orbit) last year, as it looks to take the battle for in-flight Wi-Fi supremacy to the more established Starlink. SpaceX has struck deals with Alaska Air, United and British Airways among others in the last few years, so Amazon is playing catch-up with its not yet operational network.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/delta-picks-amazon-leo-for-in-flight-wi-fi-starting-in-2028-153024212.html?src=rss

As of April 1, Gmail will have been around for 22 years. Many of us have a poorly chosen email address that's laced with regret, but we're now stuck with it. We've perhaps had it for longer than most college students have been alive and that's how others get in touch with us. Google is now giving us a chance to move on and change our Gmail address to something more appropriate.All users in the US can now change their Google Account username - the bit before the @ in your Gmail address. Google said in December that it was gradually rolling out this option to all users.To change your Google Account username, go to the email settings page. From there, click or tap on Personal info > Email > Google Account email. If the ability to alter your username has been enabled on your account, you'll see a Change Google Account email option. Click on this to start modifying your username.You'll only be able to change your username once every 12 months. If you do change the address, Gmail will retain all of your previous emails. Handily, your former Gmail name will remain as an alternate email address. As such, people will be able to get in touch with you via either address. You can also sign into Google services using both email addresses.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/all-google-users-in-the-us-can-now-change-their-gmail-address-141818676.html?src=rss

After releasing DLSS 4.5's Super Resolution feature earlier this year, NVIDIA has released an update with DLSS 4.5 features designed to boost frame rates on RTX 50 series cards. Those include DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation and DLSS 4.5 Multi Frame Generation 6X. With those, NVIDIA is promising the "smoothest path-traced gaming yet" to unlock the potential for high-refresh 4K 240Hz OLED gaming displays, or 1080p and 1440p monitors at 360Hz and beyond.The first feature, DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, is like an "automatic transmission" for your RTX 50 series card, NVIDIA said. Rather than multiplying the frame rate by a fixed amount, the AI-powered feature changes it dynamically to strike a balance between refresh rate, image quality and responsiveness. To optimize computing power, it ensures that a game's frame rate doesn't exceed your monitor's native refresh rate, so you won't play at 240 fps on a 120Hz monitor.The other key feature, Multi Frame Generation 6X, is designed to deliver even higher levels of performance. Based on NVIDIA's second-gen transformer model, along with frame pacing and image quality improvements, the feature boosts the maximum multiplier to 6X, generating up to five extra frames for every natively rendered frame on GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs. That will boost 4K frame rates up to 35 percent "with minimal impact to responsiveness," NVIDIA wrote.As with Super Resolution, the native frame rate of a game is not accelerated by these features. Rather, the DLSS 4.5 feature uses AI to create interpolated intermediate frames the machine "thinks" should be there. Normally this works fine, but the scheme can create odd artifacts in certain types of scenes, particularly with fine details like rain, hair and phone wires.Still, the tech allows for smoother gaming with a minimal increase on your GPU's burden. It's now available for NVIDIA RTX 50 series cards, and as NVIDIA announced earlier, there are a number of games supporting the MFG features. Those include 007 First Light (May 27th), CONTROL Resonant, Directive 8020 (May 12th) and Tides of Annihilation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-dlss-45-multi-frame-generation-tech-is-now-available-to-boost-your-hz-130035249.html?src=rss

The latest iteration of Meta's smart glasses has arrived and, as rumored, they are more customizable, particularly for people who need prescription lenses. Meta and Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica revealed two new styles of frames: the Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics, which will start at $499 a pair.The latest glasses are still considered to be part of the "Gen 2" Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but they do come with a few upgrades that make it easier to get a personalized fit. According to EssilorLuxottica, both styles have somewhat slimmer frames, swappable nosepads and adjustable temple tips so wearers can get a better fit. And, as the "optics" branding implies, the new frame styles are also compatible with a wider variety of prescription lenses, including progressive lenses and transition lenses.The Blayzer style frames are more square, similar to the existing Wayfarer glasses, while the Scriber version is a little more rounded, like the "Headliner" style frames. Both come in a variety of colors including some translucent styles and are available now for pre-order on Meta's website and will be on sale April 14. The "optics" lineup will also be sold at more physical retail stores, including LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Salmoiraghi & Vigano, Apollo, Grand Vision Optical, Vision Express and other locations that are part of EssilorLuxottica's distribution network.The round, "Scriber" frames.EssilorLuxotticaThe new lineup of glasses is also more expensive, with a starting price of $499, compared with Meta's standard Wayfarer Gen 2 model, which starts at $379. That price doesn't include prescription lenses either, which can easily run $200-$300 or more, depending on your setup.One benefit of that investment, though, is that Meta has consistently added new features to its smart glasses. And with the latest frames, the company is bringing some additional capabilities to all users. These include new translation support for Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic; as well as Meta AI-enabled food and nutrition tracking. Meta AI can also summarize longer message threads rather than simply reciting a long string of messages in a given chat.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-latest-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-are-more-customizable-and-expensive-130000553.html?src=rss

In the current RAM crisis, no company is better positioned to not only weather the storm but turn it to its advantage like Apple. It proved that when it released the MacBook Neo in early March. Despite only including 8GB of RAM, the Neo doesn't feel compromised, a testament to the company's silicon and software engineering. For Apple, it may be tempting to treat its latest MacBook as a one-off. That would be a mistake, because at this moment, the business decisions that made the Neo possible represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a bigger player in the PC market.If you read Engadget, there's a good chance you know the contours of the global memory shortage, but it's worth repeating just how bad things have become in recent months. Just three companies - SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron - produce more than 90 percent of the world's memory chips. At the end of last year, Micron announced it would end its consumer-facing business to focus on providing RAM and other components to AI customers.Citing data from TrendForce, The Wall Street Journal reported in January that data centers would consume 70 percent of the high-end memory produced in 2026. As the Big Three shift more of their production to meet enterprise demand, they're allocating fewer wafers for consumer products, leading to dramatic price increases in that market segment. According to data from Counterpoint Research, the price of memory - including consumer RAM kits and SSDs, as well as LPDDR5X memory for smartphones - increased by 50 percent during the final quarter of 2025. Before the end of the current quarter, the firm predicts prices will increase by another 40 to 50 percent, and the CEO of SK Hynix recently warned shortages could last until 2030.Since nearly all consumer electronics need some amount of RAM and storage, the trickle-down effects have come fast and hard. In December, before the situation got as bad as it is now, TrendForce warned that most of the major PC manufacturers were either considering, if not already planning, price hikes. This month, the firm warned laptop prices could increase by as much as 40 percent if manufacturers and retailers moved to protect their margins. Such a scenario would send the cost of a $900 model to about $1,260.Amid all that, Apple added another point of pressure: the $600 MacBook Neo. During a recent investor call, Nick Wu, the chief financial officer of ASUS, described the Neo as "a shock to the entire market," adding "all PC vendors, including upstream vendors like Microsoft, Intel and AMD" are taking the cute device "very seriously." Wu warned ASUS would "need more time" before it could ready a response.For ASUS and other Windows manufacturers, any response realistically may take ayear or more to formulate. That's because the Neo represents both a technical and logistical hurdle.To start, it's a fundamentally different machine from the one most Windows OEMs are making right now. It has the advantage of using "unified memory" instead of a set of traditional RAM modules. The 8GB of RAM the Neo has is shared between the A18 Pro's CPU and GPU, meaning it can more efficiently use the RAM that it does have. That's part of the reason the Neo doesn't feel like a Windows PC with 8GB of RAM. Apple didn't get to the A18 Pro and the MacBook Neo by accident. It has spent more than a decade designing its own chips.Since 2024, Microsoft has mandated 16GB of RAM - and 256GB of solid-state storage - for PCs that are part of its Copilot+ AI program. That branding effort may not have amounted to much, with Copilot+ AI PCs accounting for just 1.9 percent of all computers sold in the first quarter of 2025, but it did push OEMs, including ASUS, Dell and others to make more capable machines. It also saw Microsoft rework Windows to better support ARM-based processors from Qualcomm. Still, it's hard to see how Windows manufacturers can challenge Apple by going back to existing or older x86 chips with with less RAM.Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors could offer a potential response, but there are question marks there too. At CES 2026, the company announced the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a pared down version of its X2 Elite chipset with a six-core CPU. On paper, it should offer similar performance to the A18 Pro, but it doesn't seem Qualcomm has produced the chip at scale or that Windows OEMs have shown much interest in it. As of the writing of this story, the company's website lists just four X2 Plus-equipped models. I was only able to find one of those in stock, the $1,050 HP Omnibook 5. It has an OLED screen and more RAM than the Neo. Could HP repurpose something like the Omnibook 5 to take on the Neo? Maybe, but I'm not sure there's getting around the need for 16GB to get Windows 11 running decently.Even if the Snapdragon X2 Plus offers a stopgap measure, no company operates a supply chain quite like Apple. It has spent billions of dollars to make itself independent of companies like Qualcomm by designing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, for example. It also doesn't need to pay Microsoft a licensing fee to use a bloated Windows 11. Those are all factors that lead to OEMs like ASUS and Lenovo operating on razor thin margins.Per Statista, Apple earned a nearly 36.8 percent gross profit margin on its products in 2025. That's almost exactly half as much as the gross margin it made on services, which grew to a record 75.4 percent last year. For comparison, ASUS has seen its profit margins erode to about 15.3 percent in recent quarters, or less than a third of Apple's 2025 average of 46.9 percent. For ASUS and other Windows OEMs, the short-term outlook isn't good. HP recently told investors RAM now accounts for more than a third of the cost of its PCs. And if memory shortages continue, many of them will be forced to raise their prices to protect their margins.Apple is in no such position. The iPhone recently had its best quarter ever, contributing $85.27 billion to the company's Q1 revenue. The fact that Mac revenue declined from $8.9 billion to $8.3 billion year-over-year didn't make a dent to Apple's bottom line. For the companies that must now compete against the Neo, it's not a fair playing field. To Lenovo, Dell, HP and ASUS, PC sales are almost everything to their business. For Apple, it's a side hustle.As the company prepares to kick off its 51st year, it should consider it may never be in a better position to claw ahead in the market where it all started for the company. In both the PC and smartphone segments, Apple's market share has always been a distant second (and sometimes third and forth) to Windows and Android, in part because commoditization has consistently worked against the company. But when a single part now accounts for a third of the cost of a new PC, the regular rules don't apply.It's not just that the company is better insulated than nearly every other player against runaway RAM costs, it's that it also has a technological edge and the profit margins to compete on price at the same time. In recent quarters, the company's share of the PC market has hovered around the 9 to 10 percent mark, meaning it's consistently been about the fourth largest manufacturer.For as long as the RAM shortage continues, Apple shouldseriously consider sacrificing some of its PC profits to become a bigger player. So far, the company has moved to protect the margins on its more expensive devices. For example, it increased the price of the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro by $100. The company doubled the amount of base storage to make up for the hike.Moving forward, it should do everything it can to maintain, and maybe even lower the price of its computers to a point where its competitors can't meet it. If the Lenovos and HPs of the world can't compete on either price or performance, consumers will move to Mac computers. As Apple looks to the next 50 years, it may not get another opportunity like the one it has right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-ram-crisis-is-apples-best-chance-in-decades-to-capture-the-pc-market-130000672.html?src=rss

I'm honestly shocked the AirPods Max 2 even exists. After Apple only added a USB-C port and a few new colors to its over-ear headphones in 2024, I thought it had given up on delivering a proper upgrade to its priciest AirPods model. I'm happy to report that wasn't the case.The AirPods Max 2 is certainly an updated version of Apple's headphones, but the company is also catching it up to the AirPods Pro 3. The headphones now carry the company's powerful H2 audio chip, the component that enables features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. The USB-C AirPods Max may have barely been an update, but the AirPods Max 2 is worthy of the new numeral in its name. The price is still $549, due in part to the fact that Apple's products are exempt from Trump's tariffs, yet these remain some of the most expensive headphones I've reviewed. Are the AirPods Max still worth it?What's new on the AirPods Max 2?All of the AirPods Max 2's major new features are here thanks to the upgrade to the H2 chip. It was baffling that Apple didn't swap out the H1 when it made the switch to USB-C, choosing instead to saddle its pricey headphones with very outdated silicon for another 16 months. So, in a lot of ways, the AirPods Max 2 is a lot more about getting up to date with the rest of the lineup, which means a host of new tools await.Thanks to the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 has Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Siri Interactions (head gestures) and Live Translation. Adaptive Audio blends active noise cancellation (ANC) with transparency mode and automatically adjusts the mix based on your surroundings. Conversation Awareness can tell when you're talking and automatically lowers the volume and enables transparency mode for quick chats.Voice Isolation helps improve your voice quality for calls when the AirPods Max 2 is used with compatible apps on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, and I think we're all well-aware of what Live Translation is. Lastly, Personalized Volume takes notes on your listening preferences over time and applies automatic adjustments based on those and your surroundings.Unsurprisingly, these features all work as well as they do on the AirPods Pro 3. Of course, there will be some that you use often and others that you might not touch at all. For me, I don't like contending with unwanted volume changes due to Conversation Awareness, so I turn that one off. It's not as easily triggered as Sony's version, but I did trick it with an unexpectedly loud burp. I also don't use the Siri head gestures, although they work very well. I frequently use Adaptive Audio around the house, which allows me to enable transparency mode to hear what I need to while letting the headphones apply ANC if I encounter unwanted noise. Voice Isolation is also a big improvement to normal voice performance and Live Translation is certainly nice to have.Two additional H2 features that I do use often on the AirPods Pro, and will do so on the AirPods Max 2 because they work well here, are studio-quality audio recording and Camera Remote. The first is self-explanatory, but it does offer a boost to clips recorded in Voice Memos and the Camera app (my main two uses). Meanwhile, Camera Remote allows you to use the Digital Crown to take a photo or start/stop a video recording without reaching for your iPhone.Et tu, hearing health? The fabric ear pads on the AirPods Max 2 Billy Steele for Engadget Apple's hearing health features are some of the most important tools on the AirPods Pro. However, you won't find them on the AirPods Max 2, despite the new H2 chip. While the headphones do offer loud sound reduction, the hearing test, hearing aid and automatic conversation boost tools are absent. There are several reasons for this, the primary one being that the cushions on the over-ear headphones don't seal off your ears the way the AirPods Pro ear tips do.Still, loud sound reduction isn't nothing. This prevents exposure to loud ambient noise while making adjustments to keep the audio sounding good. It's particularly useful when you encounter blaring construction sounds during a commute or similar inconveniences.Design: More of the same The Digital Crown and the listening mode control on the AirPods Max 2 Billy Steele for Engadget One thing that hasn't changed on the AirPods Max 2 is the design. For better or worse, Apple has kept the same look that it debuted in 2020. Aside from new colors and the switch from Lightning to USB-C in 2024, there are no other visible differences between this version and the original. I would argue it's time for the company to change things up, but I can also understand why it hasn't.First, let's discuss what's great about the AirPods Max's design. It's unique, especially the mesh headband, solid aluminum ear cups and fabric ear pads. The punches of color are nice too, and if you prefer something more subtle, the black and gold, er... Midnight and Starlight options fit that bill. From the start, I've loved the simple controls that are comprised of the Apple Watch's Digital Crown and the lone additional button for listening modes (a press and hold will activate Live Translation). The controls are in a great location, and it's so satisfying to spin the Digital Crown for volume adjustments.So, why hasn't Apple redesigned the outside of the AirPods Max? I'd argue it doesn't think it needs to yet. The AirPods Pro is still largely the same as it has been from the first version, and the regular AirPods only got its first big design overhaul in 2024. The original AirPods debuted in 2016, so if Apple keeps a similar timeline for aesthetic changes to both the Pro and Max lines, we might not see those until 2027 and 2028 respectively.Sound quality, ANC and calls Like before, the ear pads are replaceable on the AirPods Max 2 Billy Steele for Engadget Besides the H2 chip, the other big upgrade to the AirPods Max's internal components is a new high dynamic range amplifier. This improves overall sound quality by allowing you to listen at higher volumes with low distortion and excellent clarity. Apple also overhauled the digital signal processing (DSP) for better bass response and to enhance the locations of instruments in the mix.Those tweaks don't equate to a huge leap in audio performance on the AirPods Max 2, but the gains are noticeable. Sound quality wasn't an issue before, but you can definitely hear the improved instrument localization and enhanced bass performance across nearly all genres. On Ruston Kelly's Waiting to Love You (Piano Version/Live From Salt Lick Sessions)," the singer's unique voice and the keys completely fill your head. It's like a barrage of balladry in the best way. You get the texture of the vocals, the reverb of the piano and all the dynamics of the stripped-down live performance.Jump to something a bit more energetic, like aya's navel gazer," and the AirPods Max 2 deftly manages the vocals, synths and whatever else is happening in the mix (seriously, it's a lot). And there's still the sonic deluge that hexed! hits you with. Even with the multi-genre mash-up metal of Bilmuri, these headphones keep the vocals, guitars, drums and subtle sounds separate. There are a lot of delicate details in the artist's latest tracks - like More Than Hate," for example - and the AirPods Max 2 ensures you'll catch them all. A screeching eagle? Hell yeah, brother.While wireless listening remains excellent, the AirPods Max 2 still offers lossless audio over USB-C. If you opt for wired use, you can get up to 24-bit/48kHz quality from compatible streaming services or locally stored files. This is the same functionality that Apple delivered in 2025. As expected, it still works well and provides enhanced listening when needed. Personally, I like to use it when I'm sitting at my desk. What's more, the wired USB-C connection can be used for low-latency audio - which is great when you're playing a game or mixing/editing audio projects. I should note the rest of the AirPods Max features (Siri, Adaptive Audio, etc.) still work over Bluetooth in wired mode, and there's also a low-latency Game Mode for wireless use with a Mac, iPhone or iPad.In terms of ANC, Apple says the H2 unlocks up to 1.5x stronger performance than the previous generation. The company combined the audio chip with new computational audio algorithms to reduce more external sounds - like airplane engines, trains and the roar of a coffee shop. That difference is certainly noticeable, as I found constant sources of noise around my house (fans, white noise machines, HVAC system, etc.) were much less apparent when I had the AirPods Max 2 on. Plus, Adaptive Audio uses the ANC system to pick up any changes and make the necessary adjustments to keep your music, podcast or movie coming through clearly.Every AirPods model that has ANC is also equipped with transparency mode. Since the debut of the first AirPods Pro, I've been continually amazed by the natural sound of this feature. No other audio company comes close to matching the clarity of the ambient sound here, nearly making you forget you're wearing earbuds or headphones. This has a tremendous impact on calls, as you can hear yourself very well, so you never feel the need to speak loudly. Plus, Voice Isolation combines the AirPods Max 2's H2 chip with an iPhone, iPad or Mac to further improve your voice and reduce background noise. Most headphones offer average voice performance at best, but like it has in the past, Apple actually delivers.Battery life The Smart Case puts the AirPods Max 2 in an "ultra-low-power state" Billy Steele for Engadget One of the areas I was hoping for an additional boost on the AirPods Max 2 is battery life. Sadly, I was headed for disappointment. This model offers the same 20-hour longevity as its predecessors, a figure that includes ANC and/or Spatial Audio. While it's certainly enough to get you through a couple of work days or a trans-Atlantic flight, that number falls well short of the 30-50 hours much of the over-ear competition can muster these days.I haven't had the AirPods Max 2 long enough to do a full battery test; I chose to focus on the new features instead. However, based on the performance that I've seen so far, I have no reason to doubt Apple's claims here. The company has a solid track record on battery life, and all indications are that it continues on the AirPods Max 2. I'll update this review when this test is complete.The competition The AirPods Max 2's mesh headband Billy Steele for Engadget If you're thoroughly invested in Apple's ecosystem, the AirPods Max 2 is worth considering. Most of the features are reserved for the iOS, iPadOS and masOS faithful, so it doesn't really make sense for Android users or Windows devotees to splurge on the $549 headphones. If you're still balking at that price tag, Sony's WH-1000XM6 is my current top pick on our best headphones list. While those headphones are $460 at full price, you can currently find them for $400. Sony continues to mix great sound with capable ANC and a list of features few rivals can compete with. Plus, those handy tools are available to both iOS and Android users.Bose's second-gen QuietComfort Ultra headphones are another solid option. They offer powerful ANC, great sound quality and excellent comfort for $449, but you can currently snag them for around $400. If noise cancellation performance is your primary concern, this is your pick. Lastly, if money is no object, a personal favorite is the Px8 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins. They're pure luxury right down to the $799 price tag, and they exude grandeur. The company's combo of leather and aluminum screams high end and it made some design tweaks for this model to refresh the overall look. Battery life and sound quality are the big attractions here, but just know you'll have to forgo the advanced features much of the (more affordable) competition provides - like all of those H2-powered tools on the AirPods Max 2.Wrap-up Apple AirPods Max 2 and the Smart Case Billy Steele for Engadget The AirPods Max 2 is an obvious upgrade over the previous version. And no, I don't count the USB-C swap-in as a separate model. Simply put, the H2 chip brings Apple's over-ear headphones on par with the rest of the AirPods lineup, namely the AirPods Pro 3. And since I don't expect Apple to announce new earbuds this year, that parity should remain for a while.These headphones are still expensive though, and the more affordable AirPods Pro offer handy hearing health features that are nice to have in your pocket. I could also understand why prospective buyers would want some design changes before making such a big investment. Sure, the AirPods Max 2 looks the same as its predecessor, possibly leaving those who own the previous version with a difficult decision to make. But Apple kept the price the same and brought better sound and more features, so there's no denying these headphones outperform the original.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-max-2-review-better-late-than-never-130000982.html?src=rss

Amazon announced that it is adding new capabilities for ordering food delivery with its Alexa+ artificial intelligence assistant. Users will be able to place orders using natural language on Alexa+ through the GrubHub or Uber Eats platforms, provided they have an Amazon device with a large screen. First, you'll need to connect an account for those delivery services to use the feature. You can ask to see restaurants with a specific cuisine or tell the assistant to go right to a favorite spot. Once you start an order, Alexa+ will also support natural language requests and, if you ask for something generic, the assistant will match it to the most similar item on the menu. It should also support more detailed queries like "what are kid-friendly options?" and be able to submit special requests like "no onions."To start, this ordering capability will be available for Alexa+ customers using the Echo Show 8 or larger devices. The screen should reflect your order, with any changes shown in real time. Amazon made the Alexa+ subscription available to all US customers earlier this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-adds-dynamic-food-delivery-ordering-to-alexa-130000065.html?src=rss

We've written about the Swiss company Proton's moves to take on Google and Microsoft with an expanding variety of privacy-focused internet services, and the company is announcing yet another new tool today. Proton Meet, as the name suggests, is a video-calling service that sounds comparable to Zoom, Microsoft Teams and, naturally, Google Meet.As with everything Proton does, Meet is end-to-end encrypted, but the company is taking extra steps towards security and anonymity here. You don't need a Proton account to join a Meet call, which should help service gain traction - you can use Proton and not totally throw off everyone else who's still using other systems. Proton says that Meet can be used anonymously and no logs are kept. The company even says that a Proton account isn't needed to host a meeting. If you visit the Proton Meet site, you can start an anonymous call with up to four participants for free.Proton says that anyone with an account (even a free one) can start Meet call with up to 50 participants for up to one hour, but it is also offering a dedicated Meet Professional plan for $8 a month with fewer restrictions (though we don't have the specifics yet).Meet joins the other core Proton tools including Mail, Calendar, VPN, Drive and a password manager. Drive in particular has gotten some notable upgrades recently - it offers collaborative documents and spreadsheets, just like Google. With the addition of Meet, Proton has most of the core services that Google offers covered. There's even a little AI bot if that's your thing.Proton is using this launch as an opportunity to rebrand its services, gathering them all under the new Proton Workspace (another name pulled directly from Google's offerings). In addition to the dedicated Meet Professional plan, Proton is offering Workplace Standard for $13 per month (billed annually) or $15 a month (billed monthly). That includes the aforementioned tools and 500GB of space by default. There's also a Premium plan ($20/month annually or $25/month billed monthly) that adds more storage, access to the Lumo chatbot, expanded Meet participant limits and a few other tidbits.The company says it'll continue offering its other plans, including a Mail-only option that costs $36 a year as well as other bundles for an individual, two users or a whole family. But Proton is obviously looking to expand its business client base with Meet in addition to growing its user base (currently more than 100 million). Proton says it has about 100,000 enterprise customers, and adding a tool like Meet to its portfolio should make it easier to court companies as well as individuals.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/proton-adds-a-secure-video-conferencing-service-called-meet-to-its-toolbox-121729143.html?src=rss

SpaceX has lost contact with Starlink satellite 34343 after it suffered an unspecified anomaly on March 29 while it was in orbit, the company has announced on X. The event happened while the satellite was approximately 348 miles above our planet. Since that is a relatively low altitude, SpaceX's analysis showed that the remains of the satellite pose no risk to the International Space Station or the upcoming launch of the Artemis II mission. It also won't affect the company's Transporter-16 mission, which launched with small satellites from its clients on March 30.In its statement, SpaceX also said that it will monitor any trackable debris, indicating that the satellite is no longer in one piece. LeoLabs, an American company tracking satellites in Low Earth Orbit, said it detected a fragment creation event" involving Starlink 34343 on March 29. It also mentioned that this event is similar to another incident that happened on December 17, 2025. SpaceX had lost Starlink satellites to events like geomagnetic storms in the past, but it doesn't seem like these two recent incidents were caused by external factors. The company has yet to announce what led to the anomalies, but LeoLabs believes that both of them were likely caused by an internal energetic source rather than a collision with space debris or another object."At the moment, the Starlink team is still working on determining the root cause of the incidents. SpaceX said that once it has come to a conclusion, the company will rapidly implement any necessary corrective actions."

Screenshots promoting "Instagram Plus" have been spotted by users in the Philippines and Mexico in recent days. According to social media consultant Matt Navarra, a subscription to Instagram Plus includes several Story-focused features not otherwise available to Instagram users. This includes the ability to create multiple audiences for Stories posts, search the list of people who have viewed your Story, extend Stories longer than 24 hours and create "spotlight" Stories. It also mentions something called super hearts" for reacting to Stories.A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test to Engadget, saying that Instagram Plus is currently available in a few countries." The spokesperson added that preview" would allow people to see some of another user's Story without showing up as a viewer". There's nothing quite like paying to be sneakier on social media.The idea, as we've seen so far, seems closely modeled after Snapchat+, which also offers bonus features to the app's power users. Launched in 2022, the service has now become a significant driver of non-advertising revenue for the company.- Mat SmithThe other big stories (and deals) this morning

AT&T just announced OneConnect, a new service that lets customers sign up for both wireless service and fiber home internet under a single subscription. Pricing starts at $90. This could end up saving some serious bucks, especially for those who are paying around $100 per month for each from separate providers.These plans offer unlimited mobile data, which is great. The home internet speed caps at 1Gbps, which is a decent enough metric.Pricing starts at $90 per month, which includes a single phone line, unlimited data. This plan also covers mobile data for three devices of the user's choosing, like smartwatches and tablets.AT&TFamily plans shoot all the way up to $225 per month, but the pricier subscriptions increase the number of covered mobile devices to ten and allow up to ten concurrent phone lines. This could be a huge money-saving opportunity for large families.The company hasn't said anything about throttling users once they reach a certain cap on mobile data, which should please customers. This is similar to how T-Mobile handles its Magenta Max plan. Taxes and fees are included in the quoted prices, which means there shouldn't be any surprises when the bill comes around.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/att-now-offers-a-single-subscription-for-both-wireless-service-and-home-internet-091501503.html?src=rss

Your game collection says a lot about you. With a cute new game, you can also give your collection a space that's just as personalized. BOXROOM is a building sim where the whole purpose is creating a space to show off your game library. You can select furniture, paint and lighting, then you choose games from your Steam library to display on your virtual shelves. Titles appear in game boxes, giving it a throwback feel to the days where a game collection had to be physical. Once complete, the room serves as a launcher, allowing you to boot up a title from the game box. The demo is available now, and the team said that BOXROOM will launch in early access soon.This is a fun idea, although it's unlikely that you'd fit your entire collection into even this virtual space if your Steam library starts to number in the hundreds, or even thousands, of games. As with an IRL space, you'd need a warehouse rather than a cute, cozy room. But if you wanted to have a curated selection of your go-to titles in a customized virtual space, this might be a fun addition to your already sizable collection. Or, if you want a virtual reality take on a similar idea, EmuVR might be worth a look.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/boxroom-lets-you-build-a-cozy-game-room-for-your-steam-library-215349560.html?src=rss

Another day, another announcement of game industry job cuts. The latest restructuring is happening at Eidos Montreal, which stated that 124 people are being laid off. As with so many similar cuts, the studio's LinkedIn post credited the downsizing to "a result of changing project needs and impacts across production and support teams." The company is also parting ways with its studio head, David Anfossi.Eidos Montreal has worked on titles within the Deus Ex and Tomb Raider franchises, as well as Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel's Avengers games. It is one of the many companies owned by Embracer Group, which snapped up a bunch of studios but has been stuck in a downsizing in a loop following an expensive restructuring of its own gaming empire during 2023 and 2024. That activity reportedly included axing a planned new Deus Ex game that Eidos Montreal was working on.The post from Eidos Montreal didn't specify what projects it is currently active on, although it has said it is involved with the upcoming Grounded 2 from Obsidian Entertainment and the reimagined Fable from Playground Games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/deus-ex-game-studio-eidos-montreal-cuts-124-jobs-205057796.html?src=rss

Meta is testing a new subscription service for Instagram that offers users "exclusive" features like the ability to post Stories for longer than 24 hours. Screenshots promoting "Instagram Plus" have been spotted by users in the Philippines and Mexico in recent days.According to screenshots shared by social media consultant Matt Navarra, a subscription to Instagram Plus comes with a number of Story-focused features not otherwise available to Instagram users. This includes the ability to create multiple "audiences" for Stories posts, see info about who has rewatched your Story, search the list of people who have viewed your Story, preview Stories posts, extend Stories longer than 24 hours and create "spotlight" Stories. It also mentions something called super hearts" for reacting to Stories.A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test to Engadget, saying that Instagram Plus is currently available in a few countries," but didn't say which. A dedicated help page on Meta's website says that this feature is not available to everyone right now." The spokesperson confirmed the feature list shown below, and added that preview" would allow people to see some of another user's Story without showing up as a viewer" and that Stories posts could be extended for an additional 24 hours. Our hope from these tests is to understand what's most valuable to people in a premium feature set," the spokesperson said.A list of features that come with Instagram Plus subscriptions.ThreadsIt seems that early versions of the service are priced fairly cheaply, with the prices in the Philippines landing at 65 PHP (about $1.07 in USD) a month and in Mexico at $39 MXN (about $2.15 in USD) a month. Meta is also offering prospective users a free one-month trial of the service.The idea seems to be closely modeled after Snapchat+, which also offers bonus features to the app's power users. Launched in 2022, the service has racked up more millions of subscribers and has become a significant driver of non-advertising revenue for the company.Now, Meta is looking to boost its subscription revenue too.The company said earlier this year it would test new types of subscriptions, including those focused on AI features. Elsewhere, Meta has also been pushing its Meta Verified subscriptions more aggressively. Over the last several weeks, I've repeatedly seen promotions for discounted Meta Verified plans with an initial one-month trial starting at $1 (the cheapest Meta Verified plans typically start at $14.99/month). The company has also recently tested link-sharing features in Instagram captions for subscribers and limits on link-sharing on Facebook for non-subscribers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-testing-an-instagram-plus-subscription-service-with-exclusive-features-181215180.html?src=rss

Match Group and its subsidiary OkCupid has finally settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission that dates back to its alleged sharing of user data back in 2014. According to the lawsuit, the FTC accused OkCupid of inappropriately sharing personal user data that includes photos and location info with a third party company, Clarifai, which offers AI-powered software for uses like facial recognition and content moderation.According to the FTC, OkCupid's privacy policy at the time noted that the company wouldn't share a user's personal information with others, except for some cases including "service providers, business partners, other entities within its family of businesses." However, the lawsuit accused OkCupid of sharing three million photos of its users to Clarifai, which the FTC claims is a "unrelated third party" that didn't fall under the allowed entities. On top of that, the lawsuit alleged that OkCupid didn't inform its users of this data sharing, nor give them a chance to opt out."While we do not admit any wrongdoing, we have settled this matter with the FTC with no monetary penalty to resolve an issue from 2014 and move forward," an OkCupid spokesperson told Engadget, adding that the allegations don't reflect how OkCupid operates today. "Over the years, we have further strengthened our privacy practices and data governance to ensure we meet the expectations of our users."Moving forward, the settlement would "permanently prohibit" Match Group, which owns OkCupid, and Humor Rainbow, which operates OkCupid, from misrepresenting what kind of personal information it collects, the purpose for collecting the data and any consumer choices to prevent data collection. Even after the 2014 incident, OkCupid was found with security flaws that could've exposed user account info but, which were quickly patched in 2020.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/okcupid-settles-ftc-case-on-alleged-misuse-of-its-users-personal-data-175159228.html?src=rss

Over the last 50 years, Apple reimagined personal computers, catalyzed the era of the smartphone, enlarged an iPhone and called it the iPad and garnered a strong position in wearable tech through its Watch series and its AirPods. It also popularized software and services like its App Store, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessages and many more. For a lot of us, the first time we pinched-to-zoom on a photo was likely on an iPhone.However, Apple gives and it takes away. Things have had to change, be removed and consumers have to move on to whatever's new. For better or worse, the weight of Apple's influence has led to entire product categories following suit. Or, more typically, there's resistance, complaining and then... following suit. With the benefit of hindsight, most of these cases are examples of Apple seeing where technology was going and getting ahead of a transition that would have been inevitable. Often, these transitions have caused short-term pain for some, but time has proven Apple (mostly) correct about dropping older tech.As Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch once said: murder your darlings. Here are some of the darlings we've lost over the years.The death of the disk drive (1998)This is a two-parter. The iMac G3 marked Steve Jobs' return. The colorful all-in-one Mac was a new start in many ways. In 1998, Apple ditched the standard ports and myriad cable types of personal computers, going all in on USB and a little-known thing called the internet. (In fact, that's what the i' in iMac stands for.)In doing so, it also ditched the 3.5-inch floppy disk drive - although it did have a read-only optical disk drive. Even with sluggish internet and USB transfer speeds at the time, the convenience was plain to see and it led to a decade of thumb drives of ever-increasing storage limits. High-capacity alternatives to the floppy disk, like the Zip disk and even Minidisc, attempted to bridge the gap, but never gained the widespread traction and adoption of the original disk drive. But flash drives and, later, internet-based file storage quickly made them obsolete anyway. Apple was just a little early with its dismissal.Portable music players (2007)Despite Apple's iPod being the de facto music player at the time, it was supplanted by the company's own biggest hit: the iPhone. At its peak, the iPod made Apple the zeitgeisty tech company it is today. It dominated the MP3 player market, and by 2006, iPods were responsible for 40 percent of the company's revenue. And that was before the era of Apple including a free U2 album with every iTunes account.When the iPhone launched in June 2007, it was swiftly followed by the iPod Touch in September. This was the iPhone without the phone part - indicating how the company saw the future of music listening. You didn't need an iPod if you already had an iPhone in your pocket. It's the best example of Apple cannibalizing a product that defined a decade with something far more impressive and, eventually, more successful.It was a slow death. Ignoring the countless MP3-playing rivals, (RIP Zune), Apple dropped the classic iPod in 2014. It soon did the same to the tiny iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017. Finally, the company discontinued the iPod Touch in May 2022.The physical smartphone keyboard (2007 plus change)Unsplash / Thai Nguyen When the iPhone's capacitive screen and touch keyboard landed, there was a learning curve. Moving from physical keys (whether it was a 9-key alphanumeric version or the BlackBerry's QWERTY experience) to a touch screen, especially on the tiny 3.5-inch panel of the first iPhone, wasn't easy.But it was the future. Physical keyboards took up physical space on devices - especially as those screens grew and grew. The adoption of touch keyboards sped up, thanks to third-party keyboard apps on Android, like Swype, SwiftKey and many others, introducing different input methods, smarter predictive text, typing algorithms and even touch heatmaps. Software keyboards were intrinsically more versatile, supporting multiple languages, infinite key arrangements and eventually emoji galleries. A colon-ellipsis smiley soon didn't hit the same.The death of the disk drive, part 2 (2008)The MacBook Air, introduced by Steve Jobs in 2008, was famously pulled from a manila envelope to demonstrate its ultraportable design. To achieve that slimness, it had to ditch the internal optical drive entirely, making it the first MacBook without one. That move kickstarted an era of ultraportable laptops.It was a major break from what laptop users were used to, and Apple tried to offer people some options. Apple introduced "Remote Disc," a feature which allowed the Air to wirelessly use the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC, and offered an external USB SuperDrive as an optional accessory. (I've used mine exactly once since I bought it in 2013.)While it was considered underpowered compared to Windows competitors, the original MacBook Air set a new design standard for the industry. It positioned Apple's Macs for a future of App Store software installations, faster internet connectivity, and the rise of streaming media, cloud storage, and the rest. Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBooks eventually followed suit, ditching optical drives in 2012.Adobe Flash (2010)AppleIn the early days of the iPhone, Apple famously refused to support Adobe Flash. This was in the early 2000s, too, when much of the web was built with Flash for animations and video support. The iPhone and iPad notably lacked support, creating a fractured browsing experience for years.In April 2010, just as the first iPad arrived, Steve Jobs published his "Thoughts on Flash" open letter, criticizing its poor security and a lack of touch-friendliness. Many Flash games and interfaces interacted with the mouse cursor's precise position, something that was invisible on the touchscreen iPhone.It was also a calculated move. By denying Adobe access to the rapidly growing iOS user base, Apple forced developers to choose between sticking with the aging Flash or embracing open standards like HTML5. Also, by making Flash-based games and tools incompatible, it nudged those developers (and iPhone users) toward the App Store for those very games and tools (and more). There, Apple could curate and monetize those creations.It was a slow death: Adobe finally discontinued Flash in 2020.The headphone jack (2016)In a move described by Apple marketing executive Phil Schiller as "courage," nixing the headphone socket ended up becoming the biggest headline to come from the iPhone 7 launch in 2016. Every flagship iPhone since has lacked the jack, with the most recent iPhone to include it being the original iPhone SE.To make the change more palatable, Apple bundled a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter (expect more dongle chat later) with the iPhone 7, 8 and X. In-box headphones also swapped from the typical jack to Lightning. Naturally, this meant you couldn't charge the phone while you listened to music, unless you already had a pair of wireless headphones.Of course, this move was ultimately instrumental in making true wireless earbuds ubiquitous. While Apple wasn't remotely the first company to introduce wireless earbuds (and then headphones), the removal of the headphone jack undoubtedly sped up adoption. Pour one out for the Bragi Dash, the Jabras, the Jaybirds of this world.Conveniently, alongside the aforementioned iPhone 7, Apple announced the AirPods. Features like one-tap setup and automatic pairing brought the convenience people expected of Apple and put it into a tiny white case.Despite early resistance and "bragging" from rivals who clung onto the headphone jack, at this point, the socket is mostly confined to cheaper smartphones or phones aimed at audiophiles (hi, Sony) or mobile gamers (ASUS ROG).Eventually, the iPad Pro also lost its headphone jack, and the rest of the company's tablets followed. The only non-Mac device to keep the jack? The iPod Touch, which had one until its discontinuation in 2022.Bespoke ports (2016)Engadget2016 was the year of donglegate. Apple's MacBook Pro redesign that year was another drastic shift in the laptop's history. Chasing ever-thinner profiles and less port fuss, Apple stripped away nearly every legacy connector that professionals relied on. This was particularly jarring after the previous-generation MacBook Pro (2015) was often cited as the peak of utility, with a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, two USB-A ports, not to mention a full-size HDMI port and an SD card slot.Those were replaced with four (or on the cheapest 13-inch MBP only two!) Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and a headphone jack. For power users (like some Engadget editors), it demanded dongles (possibly multiple ones) in order to connect your USB-A thumb drive, wired internet, SD cards, external screens and well, at that point, pretty much everything. Many were particularly furious with the loss of the MagSafe charging connector. Of course, this also meant that one of those USB-C ports would be used primarily to charge the MBP. This sped up the availability of USB-C peripherals and accessories - perhaps because everyone was sick of carrying around so many dongles and hubs - but we still have USB-A devices. HDMI is everywhere. I still have SD Cards.Eventually, Apple course-corrected itself. The 2021 MacBook Pro redesign reintroduced the SD card reader and HDMI port, and even MagSafe returned, freeing up a USB-C port.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/50-years-of-apple-pushing-tech-forward-for-better-or-worse-170025862.html?src=rss

Uber has acquired Blacklane, a Berlin-based startup that offers chauffeur services and bookings through its app, with plans to expand further into the luxury travel industry. Blacklane, founded in 2011, acts as a liaison between independent local chauffeur services and travelers looking for a more premium ride. According to Uber, the deal is subject to regulatory approvals but is expected to close by the end of 2026."This partnership marks a significant milestone in Blacklane's next chapter and is a powerful step-change in introducing our service to new markets globally," Jens Wohltorf, founder and CEO of Blacklane said in a press release. Uber didn't disclose the acquisition details and it's not clear if Uber Elite and Blacklane will compete against each other.Currently, Blacklane is available in at least 500 cities across more than 60 countries. Besides on-demand chauffeur hailing, the startup offers long-distance rides from city to city, airport pickup with flight tracking, and by-the-hour bookings. Uber's acquisition of Blacklane comes several weeks after it launched Uber Elite as an invite-only service for its "luxury ride experience." Besides Uber Elite and Blacklane, another luxury hailing service has recently entered the US market. Earlier this month, Wheely announced its US debut with New York City as its first location, with five others to be announced in the coming years. Blacklane also currently operates in New York City, along with several dozen other cities in the US.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-to-acquire-berlin-based-chauffeur-hailing-app-to-ramp-up-its-luxury-travel-efforts-163855603.html?src=rss

Microsoft's Copilot is getting even better at research thanks to a new feature that combines the power of both OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. In a blog post announcing Copilot Cowork's availability, Microsoft debuted the Critique feature that will be used in Microsoft 356 Copilot's Researcher tool. Unlike the standard Copilot, Researcher is designed to tackle more complex tasks with multiple steps.Now, Researcher is getting even better at that with the Critique feature that uses GPT responses, which are then refined by Claude. In a blog post, Microsoft said that, "this architecture creates a powerful feedback loop that delivers higher-quality results across factual accuracy, analytical breadth, and presentation," adding that Researcher's process is similar to what you see in "academic and professional research settings." Microsoft claims the upgrade scores somewhat higher (compared to the most recent Perplexity Deep Research models) on the Deep Research Accuracy, Completeness, and Objectivity benchmark. On its own, Anthropic has a Research feature that can use multiple Claude agents to provide a comprehensive response to more complex requests.If you prefer doing research with a little more autonomy, Microsoft also added the Model Council feature that's available as an alternative option for Researcher. With Model Council, you'll get side-by-side responses from both Anthropic and OpenAI, with a report that shows where the models agree and disagree. Both features are currently available in Microsoft 365 Copilot's Frontier program, which acts as a early access space for the company's AI innovations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsofts-research-assistant-can-now-use-multiple-ai-models-simultaneously-154558628.html?src=rss

Microsoft has confirmed exactly when this year's Xbox Games Showcase will take place. It will air at the usual time, 1PM ET on the Sunday (June 7) of Summer Game Fest weekend. In recent years, the company has offered a deeper dive into one particular game straight after the showcase, and it's sticking to that format this time with a closer look at Gears of War: E-Day.The showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct will be available in more than 40 languages, including American Sign Language and British Sign Language. A stream with English audio descriptions will be available as well. You can watch it on several of Xbox's various social channels, including YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.This is typically Xbox's biggest showcase of the year. It will be the first Xbox Games Showcase with Asha Sharma at the helm of Microsoft's gaming division. Perhaps we'll hear some more details on the next Xbox (aka Project Helix), which is confirmed to be a system that will run PC games - much like the upcoming Steam Machine.Along with more details about a brand-new Gears of War game, it seems likely that we'll learn the release date for Fable during the Xbox Games Showcase. That game is slated to arrive this fall.We don't yet have exact release dates for Minecraft Dungeons 2 or Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the first Halo game's campaign. Those are scheduled to debut this year as well, so they seem like prime candidates for showcase appearances. Microsoft also has Clockwork Revolution, State of Decay 3, OD (from Kojima Productions) and something new from Toys for Bob in the hopper.In addition, Microsoft is promising the return of Xbox FanFest, an in-person fan event, to help mark the brand's 25th anniversary. Sharma confirmed this will take place in Los Angeles, where all of the Summer Game Fest events are going down. This year's experience will include a look back at the last 25 years, alongside a forward view of what's next," according to an Xbox Wire blog post.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/this-years-xbox-games-showcase-is-set-for-june-7-134942027.html?src=rss

It's safe to say that Project Hail Mary is a success. The movie has taken in over $300 million globally, making it the best showing for Amazon MGM yet, Variety reports. Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022.Creed III previously held the record for Amazon MGM, having grossed $276 million. Notably, the achievement for Amazon MGM is just versus its own markers, rather than against other production companies. But it's certainly notable given streamers aren't known for focusing on theatrical releases.With that said, Amazon MGM has pivoted recently, announcing last April that it planned to release 14 films in theaters this year. These titles include Is God Is (May 15), Masters of the Universe (June 5), and Verity (October 2).Project Hail Mary is based on a 2021 novel by Andy Weir, author of The Martian. It follows Ryan Gosling as high school teacher Ryland Grace, who wakes up on a spacecraft with no idea who he is or why he's there. It has garnered mostly positive reviews and a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/project-hail-mary-is-already-amazon-mgms-highest-grossing-film-ever-112955144.html?src=rss

It's a sad day for the dozens of players still grinding The Elder Scrolls: Blades. Bethesda announced that it's permanently shutting down the servers for its free-to-play mobile spinoff on June 30. First spotted on Reddit, The Elder Scrolls: Blades has already been delisted from the App Store and Google Play store, and is currently unavailable on the Nintendo Store.In the meantime, players will receive a free bundle of Gems and Sigils, while all items in the in-game store are available for just one Gem or Sigil each. With a server shutdown imminent, The Elder Scrolls: Blades' will at least cross its six-year mark since its official release was in 2020 for Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The dungeon-crawling spinoff did see early success when more than one million iOS users downloaded the game during the first week of its early access period, but it never amounted to the commercial success of Bethesda's mainline titles.In the end, The Elder Scrolls: Blades ended up with a "Generally Unfavorable" score on Metacritic, with critics calling it "repetitive" and filled with microtransactions. The shutdown doesn't come as a total surprise, since Bethesda also killed off its other spinoff, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, by halting development in 2019 and ultimately taking the game's servers offline in January 2025. For anyone who still wants to play a mobile spinoff of Bethesda's fantasy world, there's still The Elder Scrolls: Castles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bethesda-is-shutting-down-the-elder-scrolls-blades-on-june-30-191016852.html?src=rss

The fighting game community is going to have their hands full this summer between the release of Marvel Tkon: Fighting Souls and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. The studio behind the 2D fighting game based in the Avatar universe announced that a July 2 release date with a trailer that shows off new gameplay and a base price of $29.99.The game will launch with 12 characters, encompassing both the heroes and villains from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The game's developer, Gameplay Group International, said that there are more than 900 hand-drawn frames for each character, which makes the game look like it came directly out of the beloved TV series. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will feature both casual and ranked matches, using a rollback netcode to ensure smooth frame-by-frame action between players, along with crossplay across PS5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.For those more interested in the lore, there will be a single-player story mode and a gallery mode with "never before seen art." Avatar Legends: The Fighting Gameis currently available for pre-order, starting at $29.99, but there's a $59.99 deluxe edition that includes a digital art book, music soundtrack, unique HUDs and a Year 1 Pass, which adds five additional characters that will be released in the future. Those who pre-order will also get a Samurai skin for Appa, exclusive character colors and voting privilege for the Year 1 Pass characters.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-avatar-fighting-game-will-release-on-july-2-for-pc-and-consoles-174614552.html?src=rss

Bluesky is the latest social media platform to throw its hat into the AI chatbot ring. Bluesky, but specifically its chief innovation officer Jay Graber and her new Exploration team, built a new AI assistant called Attie that's designed to help users create custom feeds. Graber called Attie an "agentic social app" that's built on its its open-source framework called the AT Protocol.To use Attie, users can punch in prompts in natural language to generate social feeds without having to know how to code. On the Attie website, examples include prompts like, "Show me electronic music and experimental sound from people in my network" or "Builders working on agent infrastructure and open protocol design."Attie"It feels more like having a conversation than configuring software," Graber described Attie in a blog post. "You describe the sort of posts you want to see, and the coding agent builds the feed you described."Graber added that Attie is a separate app from Bluesky and users don't have to use the new AI assistant if they don't want to. However, since Attie and Bluesky were built on the same framework, it could mean there will be some cross-app implementation between the two or any other app built on the AT Protocol. Attie is currently available on an invite-only closed beta, but anyone interested can sign up for the waitlist on its website in the meantime.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/blueskys-next-product-is-an-ai-assistant-that-helps-build-custom-social-media-feeds-163140902.html?src=rss

A new trailer has given us our best look yet at the upcoming The Ghost in the Shell anime. While it might not tell us all that much about the direction the show will go in plot-wise, it sure is aesthetically pleasing, with a throwback art style that looks a lot more like the original manga than we've seen with other adaptations. The series will be released on Prime Video this July.The Ghost in the Shell is being produced by Science Saru. The studio hasn't revealed much about its story, only noting that it's based on Masamune Shirow's manga, so it isn't entirely clear yet how closely it will follow the source material. The franchise has certainly seen its fair share of questionable adaptations over the years. But, this glimpse at the art style seems like a promising indicator. An exact release date hasn't yet been announced, but July isn't too far away now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-trailer-for-science-sarus-ghost-in-the-shell-anime-series-210147477.html?src=rss

Austria is the latest country to prepare a social media ban for its children, but it's going even further than others by including anyone under 14. In a press release, the Austrian government said it has introduced a comprehensive catalogue of measures meant to shield minors from the harms of social media. According to the press release, an official bill will be introduced by the end of June.Andreas Babler, a vice chancellor and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Austria, said the government's efforts would include the new age restriction, improved media literacy and clear rules for social media platforms. Austrian lawmakers didn't detail what the upcoming rules would be, but the country is likely to follow in the footsteps of many others who have or are pursuing similar bans. While Australia was the first to implement a social media ban for anyone under 16, other European countries like Spain and the UK are also looking into comparable restrictions.More recently, Indonesia approved new regulations that would prevent anyone under 16 from using social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Roblox. Indonesia's social media ban just went into effect, but the country only specified that the law's implementation would be carried out gradually until all platforms are in compliance, according to AP.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/austria-is-pursuing-a-social-media-ban-for-kids-under-14-190755295.html?src=rss

President Donald Trump may have a tendency to put his name on everything, but his administration decided to go with the more authoritative The White House App for his latest pursuit. Now available on the App Store and Google Play store, the official White House App claims to gives Americans "a direct line to the White House."From the press release, the app provides "unfiltered, real-time upgrades straight from the source." In more practical terms, the White House App is a one-stop shop for official communications from the administration and more. On the app, you can find press releases, livestream announcements and even a photo gallery, along with turning on notifications so you get official communications as soon as they happen.However, it only takes a few minutes of digging through the app to question its value. The White House App's News tab features a carousel of about 35 articles that seem suspiciously cherry-picked with articles that favor the Trump administration. In the Affordability window, the app points out year-over-year prices that have dropped for things like eggs, milk and bread, but conveniently omits the recent swell in gas prices.In the Social tab, there's a button to "Text President Trump," which auto-populates a new text with "Greatest President Ever!" before ultimately trying to get you to sign up for a marketing blast. The press release mentioned a way to "send your voice and feedback directly to the Administration" but the app's functionality doesn't seem to promote that. Most notably, there's even a way to submit a tip to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the app's Get in Touch section.While it's convenient to have all your Trump administration announcements in one place, the White House App is mostly just a portal that ends up opening external websites. Traditionally, official White House accounts on social media platforms are passed on during the transition of presidents. However, it's hard to say what will happen to the app after Trump leaves office, but one only has to look towards the lasting triumph of TrumpRx, Trump Mobile or even Trump University.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-white-house-app-is-just-as-weird-and-unnecessary-as-youd-expect-175354004.html?src=rss

Two new models of Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses are on the way, and they're going to be catered towards those who use prescription lenses, according to a Bloomberg report. While these are supposed to be announced next week, Bloomberg noted that these won't be a "new generation" of Meta's smart glasses.You can already add prescription lenses to Meta Ray-Ban's AI glasses, but the upcoming models will come in rectangular and rounded styles and will be sold through traditional prescription eyewear channels. Bloomberg didn't specify how these new glasses will differ from existing options, but noted that it's the first time Meta and Ray-Ban are releasing a pair of AI glasses specifically designed for this demographic.The two models are likely the codenamed products Scriber and Blazer, which were first spotted by The Verge in filings with the Federal Communications Commission. The filings described the devices as production units, meaning Meta could be close to the actual product launch. Looking at the filings, it's unlikely these upcoming prescription AI glasses will have a display like the Meta Ray-Ban Displays.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hinted at AI glasses that are meant for prescription glasses wearers in a previous earnings call. As noted by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg previously said that "billions of people wear glasses or contacts for vision correction," adding that, "it's hard to imagine a world in several years where most glasses that people wear aren't AI glasses."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/metas-next-ai-glasses-are-reportedly-designed-with-prescription-lenses-in-mind-162730768.html?src=rss

Ivy Road, the video game developer behind Annapurna-published cozy game Wanderstop, is shutting down on March 31. While Wanderstop was well-received and even critically acclaimed, it seems like it wasn't enough of a hit to sustain the studio while it develops a new game without getting investors involved. In its announcement, the Ivy Road team said the company failed to land a funding and publishing deal for its new project, Engine Angel. The studio's problems securing funding for its new game first came to light back in January when it laid off five team members.Even though the studio is shutting down soon, the team said it has one last surprise that will help Wanderstop reach new players. It didn't say what the surprise was, but the team said Annapurna Interactive will share more news about it in the future. Wanderstop revolves around a former fighter, Alta, who manages a tea shop in a magical forest. In the game, you can gather ingredients and concoct tea, tidy up, talk to customers and learn their stories or just sit on a bench to think and relax. The game will still be available to play and purchase even after Ivy Road shuts down.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wanderstop-developer-ivy-road-is-shutting-down-153655278.html?src=rss

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got some new games for you to dive into this weekend, and a glimpse at some upcoming titles. But, first, a look at indie studio Albatross Interactive's take on a multiplayer mode from a much-loved blockbuster.Terminal War is a 4v4 third-person shooter and it seems like the small team of developers is trying to keep things grounded. Ammo and supplies are scarce, and there's an emphasis on melee combat with the promise of "brutal executions." The action is set in the late '90s, a few years after a global war, with three factions battling for control and survival in a collapsed version of the United States.Albatross Interactive isn't shy about the inspiration behind Terminal War. They canceled The Last of Us Factions 2," the team wrote on X. "So we're building it [sic] our version."In September 2019, nine months before the game's eventual release, Naughty Dog confirmed The Last of Us Part 2 wouldn't have a multiplayer mode. At the time, it told players "you will eventually experience the fruits of our team's online ambition."That still hasn't exactly come to pass. The studio formally announced The Last of Us Online in June 2022 and canceled it 18 months later. As such, the Factions mode in 2014's The Last of Us Remastered for PS4 remains the franchise's only remaining multiplayer mode.Albatross Interactive, which says it's building Terminal War from scratch, plans to reveal more gameplay soon. The game is slated to hit Steam in early access as soon as this summer.The team expects Terminal War to remain in early access for around 12-18 months, though it noted that "we're a small studio and we'd rather take the time to get it right than rush to a finish line. The timeline will ultimately be shaped by community feedback, the scope of content we deliver, and the standard of quality we hold ourselves to." The studio plans to bring the game to consoles as well.New releasesI'm into the current iteration of Acclaim as an indie publisher (albeit one with a plan to revive its own historic franchises). Its latest title, GridBeat from Ridiculous Games, is a rhythm-based dungeon crawler in which you're trying to escape from a corporate network after pinching a trove of valuable data. Malware and security protocols are on your tail. Navigating the mazes, interacting with objects and boss battles are all synced to a beat.GridBeat is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch. It typically costs $20, but there's a 10 percent discount on Switch until April 2. It's 15 percent off on Steam until April 9.Given how much time I spent playing Football Manager 26 last year, Nutmeg is right up my alley. Getting veteran commentator Jim Rosenthal to pitch the soccer management sim in the launch trailer certainly doesn't hurt.This is a card-battler take on soccer management and it's set in the '80s and '90s. You can start out in the lower divisions and can work your way up to the top of the English soccer system. You'll hire and fire staff, and select your team and formation before taking on an opponent. Completing challenges and doing well in training will earn you more card packs.The trailer reminds me of collecting Panini stickers as a kid as well as the smell of my friends' Subbuteo figures. I would have said my favorite thing about this is that everything takes place at an era-appropriate desk with a TV that shows results and standings in the style of Teletext and an old computer that has some retro mini-games you can play. However, Sumo Sheffield and Publisher Secret Mode are donating a small portion of every sale of Nutmeg to charity, which is a nice gesture.Nutmeg is out now on Steam. It'll usually cost you $25, but there's a whopping 40 percent discount until April 2.Devil Jam is a metal-themed spin on the roguelite formula that Vampire Survivors popularized with a dash of Hades-esque characterization mixed in. It's been out on Steam since November and it hit consoles this week. It costs $8 on PS5 and Switch, and $7.59 on Xbox Series X/S.You'll wield a cursed guitar as you battle demonic enemies and bosses. As ever with this type of game, it's all about finding fun, powerful builds by synergizing abilities. You can put those together in a 12-slot gear system. I dig the art style and animation in this game from Rogueside too. I especially love that one character dashes by powersliding on their knees.A couple of months after its debut on Steam, Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator landed on Xbox Series X/S for $20 this week. The latest game from prolific studio Strange Scaffold is a stock market simulator in which you speculate on the "simulated lives of babies" and how successful (or not) said alien sprogs will be in the future. It takes aim at real-life prediction markets where people can gamble on everything from the Time Person of the Year to nuclear tests.UpcomingHere's another game you can actually check out this weekend, as a playtest is taking place on Steam until March 31. Salvation Denied is a co-op construction sim/tower defense game from Firevolt and publisher Digital Vortex Entertainment.You can get together with up to three friends to build experimental structures at the behest of a foreman who looks like he's stepped right out of Team Fortress 2. You'll have tools like a gravity gun, foam gun and jetpacks on hand to help you form these structures, along with heavy machinery that can move or recycle sections of the build. Coordinating with proximity voice chat could be critical as you and your buds deal with natural disasters like acid rain and meteor showers.I'm almost always going to be on board with a game that's all about chaos, so I'm interested in checking out Salvation Denied. It's set to hit Steam this fall before landing on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2027.Someone has stolen the sun. Reclaiming it is your goal in Light Dude, which is from solo developer Ramy of Dergham Games. It's an action game in which the lights go out when you move, so you'll need to figure out your approach to each level and how to avoid hazards before moving forward. There's a first-person mode here too.Light Dude is slated to hit Steam sometime this spring. A demo is available now.Solo developer Mateo Covic (aka ZoroArts) is looking to follow up on the success of Paddle Paddle Paddle with another friendslop game. Covic said it took just four weeks to create Cool Story Bro. Up to four players each have five minutes to write a short story that includes four words. These are picked at random or taken from a pool of player suggestions.Special items appear throughout each round, such as a revolver, which can take another player out of the game for 10 seconds, and one that swaps everyone's stories. If you're the first player to type an item's name, you can use it.After everyone has finished writing their story, players take turns to read theirs out for the rest of the group. The others vote on whether they liked the tale. If you really hate someone else's short story, you can blow them up with a rocket launcher. If only I had that option at some of the poetry readings I've been to.This seems fun and silly, and the kind of thing that could easily blow up on Twitch (there's an integration that allows viewers to suggest words). Cool Story Bro is slated to hit Steam sometime in April.Fittingly enough, it's been a long time since Third Shift announced its debut project, Forever Ago. Six years, in fact. The game re-emerged this week during the Xbox Partner Preview showcase. Publisher Annapurna Interactive is bringing it to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox on PC, Steam and Epic Games Store this fall. It'll be available on Xbox Game Pass (and Xbox Cloud) on day one.This is a road trip adventure in which you take on the role of Alfred. Following a personal tragedy, he ventures north in his minivan to seek redemption. With an instant camera in hand, Alfred will meet new people and explore forests, deserts and mountains. It's another narrative-heavy game from Annapurna, which appears to be leaning heavily into nostalgia this year given that Mixtape is only a few weeks away.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/beat-based-dungeon-crawlers-card-battling-soccer-sims-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000472.html?src=rss

Verizon will waive late fees and offer flexible payment arrangements for workers affected by the partial government shutdown. The carrier has made similar offers in the past, like during the COVID-19 pandemic when it gave customers extra mobile data at no additional cost.The Department of Homeland Security has been hit the hardest by the partial shutdown, but Verizon's offer covers any federal worker who's able to offer employment verification. Verizon says employees can call 1-800-Verizon (1-800-922-0204) to get their late fees waived and set up a payment plan.The partial government shutdown started in February after Congress failed to pass a new DHS funding bill. The lack of funding has not affected all of DHS' sprawling organizations equally, however. While the Transportation Security Administration is no longer able to pay its employees - leading to significant delays in airport security lines over the last week - both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection have been spared thanks to a separate funding pool established by a previous bill.Lawmakers continued inability to fund DHS also happens to hinge on both agencies. Democratic senators and congresspeople are demanding ICE agents wear body cams and remove masks before making arrests, among other restrictions, and refusing to fund DHS until those restrictions are worked into the bill. Both Republicans and Democrats have also separately proposed funding the entire department except for ICE and CBP, but while that bill passed in the Senate, it hasn't been taken up in the House.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/verizon-waives-late-fees-for-federal-workers-affected-by-partial-dhs-shutdown-221814382.html?src=rss

A hacking group called Handala has gained access to FBI Director Kash Patel's email account, Reuters reports. The group published content from Patel's email on their website as proof, including photos of Patel "sniffing and smoking cigars" and "making a face while taking a picture of himself in the mirror with a large bottle of rum."TechCrunch was able to independently confirm that at least some of the emails Handala stole were from Patel's account by checking information used by mail delivery systems that's stored in an email's header. Several stolen emails included a cryptographic signature that linked them to Patel's account. The FBI has also separately confirmed that the Director's account was hacked. "The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel's personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity," the Bureau told TechCrunch. "The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information."The FBI is offering up to $10 million in rewards for more information about the hackers who targeted Patel's account. Handala presents as a pro-Palestinian hacking group online, but is believed to be one of several aliases used by cyberintelligence units working for the Iranian government, Reuters writes. Groups affiliated with Iran have targeted officials in the US before. In August 2024, the FBI shared that a separate group, APT42, was trying to gain access to both the Trump and Harris campaigns. Three men associated with APT42 were later charged that September.Handala has appeared to become more active during the current conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. According to Reuters, the group claimed to be behind a cyber attack on Stryker, a medical devices company, earlier in March. Handala also said it accessed and published personal data from Lockheed Martin employees stationed in the Middle East.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/kash-patels-personal-email-account-was-accessed-by-hackers-linked-to-iran-212618474.html?src=rss

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have a complicated history. In 2023, the two vowed to fight each other in a cage match that never happened. But by early 2025, when both were cozying up to the newly-elected President Donald Trump, they were apparently on more friendly terms.In February of that year, Zuckerberg texted Musk approvingly about his work with the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Looks like DOGE is making progress," the Meta CEO texted. "I've got our teams on alert to take down content doxxing or threatening the people on your team. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help."The texts, which were published Friday in court documents as part of Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, are dated February 3, 2025. That's just a few weeks after Zuckerberg announced Meta's pivot away from content moderation in favor of "free expression." It's also the same day that a US Attorney said he would protect DOGE employees from "disgruntled" critics.Musk responded to Zuckerberg's message with a heart and followed up with an unrelated topic: OpenAI. He asked Zuckerberg if he was "open to the idea of bidding on the OpenAI IP with me and some others." Zuckerberg asked to "discuss it live" and Musk said he would call the next day. Previous documents disclosed in the case show that Musk had invited Zuckerberg to help him buy OpenAI, though he never officially signed on to the bid.In a separate filing also made public Friday, Musk's lawyers argued that his exchanges with the Meta CEO ought to be excluded from the lawsuit. "Musk's personal relationships and communications - including with other high-profile individuals - are also tangential and prejudicial," they wrote. "Defendants included in their exhibit list for trial, for example, several private exchanges between Musk and Mark Zuckerberg discussing Musk's political activity and this lawsuit. Those recent communications have nothing to do with Musk's claims and are nothing more than Defendants' attempt to stoke negative sentiments toward Musk because of his association with Zuckerberg."A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.In the same filing, Musk's lawyers also take issue with Altman's lawyers asking about Musk's alleged ketamine use and his attendance at Burning Man. A transcript from a video deposition with Musk indicatedhe was asked if had taken "rhino ket" at Burning Man in 2017. Musk said no, according to the transcript."Any implication that music festivals or drugs have any relevance to this case is outlandish, and how Musk spends his free time is equally irrelevant," his lawyers wrote. A judge ruled earlier this month that OpenAI's lawyers would be permitted to ask "limited" questions about Burning Man, but not ketamine.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mark-zuckerberg-offered-to-help-elon-musk-with-doge-in-2025-211737138.html?src=rss

The European Commission has announced that it suffered a cyber attack that affected "cloud infrastructure hosting the Commission's web presence on the Europea.eu platform." While the attack has been contained, Bleeping Computer reports that the threat actor claiming to be behind it was able to take over 350GB of data before the Commission addressed the issue."Early findings of our ongoing investigation suggest that data have been taken from [Europa] websites," the European Commission says. "The Commission is duly notifying the Union entities who might have been affected by the incident."The Commission's investigation is ongoing, and it has yet to disclose how its cloud infrastructure was breached. According to Bleeping Computer, the threat actor was able to access the Europa sites and employee data via one of the Commission's Amazon Web Services accounts. The Commission disclosed a breach that similarly impacted employee data in February.Both breaches appear to be less severe than the Salt Typhoon hack that impacted US telecommunications companies in 2024. Hackers reportedly gained access to data from the smartphones of members of both the Trump and Harris campaigns, and other government officials. In January 2026, the European Commission introduced a new Cybersecurity Package designed to address similar issues, in part by outlining new ways for EU states to deal with potentially risky companies in their telecom supply chains.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/european-commission-confirms-data-breach-200000982.html?src=rss

If you're still using Crunchyroll after its AI subtitle fiasco and subsequent price increase, there's a new way to watch. The anime streaming service is now available as a channel in the Apple TV app.That means you can subscribe and stream your favorite anime titles, all within Apple's video app. No need for the Crunchyroll app or a separate login. (Your Apple account handles your subscription using this method.) 9to5Mac notes that this is the first significant new channel added to the TV app in some time.Crunchyroll starts at $10 per month, after the platform raised all of its monthly subscription prices by $2 earlier this year. That may be a hard sell for fans frustrated by the platform's direction.Last year, months after the company president enthused about the potential for AI subtitles, fans noticed something fishy. The German subtitles for Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show included one that began with "ChatGPT said..." Crunchyroll pinned the blame on a third-party vendor and promised it would work to "rectify the error."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/crunchyroll-is-now-available-as-a-channel-in-the-apple-tv-app-182500579.html?src=rss

The Mimms Museum of Technology and Art in Roswell, Georgia is debuting a new exhibit celebrating Apple's 50th anniversary. The exhibit, iNSPIRE: 50 Years of Innovation from Apple, is set to open on April 1, the date the company was founded, and includes "more than 2,000 artifacts across 20,000 square feet, making it the largest public display of Apple products in the world."iNSPIRE is supposed to offer "a unique look" into Apple, by "highlighting early computers, rare prototypes, original documentation and immersive installations inspired by Apple's most iconic products and campaigns." Based on photos shared from the exhibit's launch event, that includes displays of every model of key products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, and an interactive installation that inserts you in the company's iconic iPod ads.If you're based on the west coast of the US, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California is also displaying its own "Apple@50" exhibit, and running what it calls "Mactivations," scheduled demos where you can interact with a reproduction of an original Macintosh.Apple's own celebrations have included a published letter from CEO Tim Cook ruminating on the company's mission, and live music events at the company's stores, offices and select landmarks around the world.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/if-you-live-in-georgia-theres-a-new-exhibit-you-can-visit-celebrating-apples-50th-anniversary-180940846.html?src=rss

After years of rumors and countless fan-made Unreal Engine tech demos of varying quality, it sounds like we might finally be getting a ground-up remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.That's according to Nintendo insider NatetheHate, who said in the latest edition of his podcast that a remake of the seminal Nintendo 64 game would be coming to Switch 2 in the second half of 2026. The reliable tipster said he doesn't know whether Nintendo is making a 1:1 remake of the original 3D Zelda entry, or something "that's a little more free to explore design choices," adding that he was initially reluctant to share the information he'd received in case we ended up getting little more than an HD remaster. But it sounds like this is a more ambitious undertaking than that.Ocarina of Time has of course been remastered before, with 2011's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the 3DS generally considered to be the best version of the game you can play today. The original 1998 game is also easily accessible via emulation through Nintendo Switch Online, but a modern remake for Switch 2 does make some sense.For one, 2026 marks the series' 40th anniversary, and if you asked every Zelda fan alive what their favorite entry is, you can bet that OoT would feature pretty high in the final rankings. We're also getting that live-action Zelda movie next year, and Nintendo will no doubt want to make sure audiences have done their homework on the games that inspired it.Of course, none of this is official, so have those grains of salt at the ready, but NatetheHate did also claim that anyone hoping for a new 3D Mario game to arrive in 2026 is going to be disappointed. That's more likely to arrive in 2027. In better news, we're apparently also getting a brand new "classic-style" Star Fox game this summer, which would mark the return of the spacefaring Fox McCloud after a decade spent in Nintendo's unloved mascot closet.This rumor seems logical after Nintendo's surprise announcement that the anthropomorphic red fox is going to feature in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which arrives next week. He's being voiced by Glen Powell, because of course he is.NatetheHate's information on all of the above has been corroborated by VGC, which says it lines up with what it's heard from its own sources. And in the case of the Ocarina of Time remake, that recent Lego set suddenly makes a lot of sense.If indeed we do get the remake of Metacritic's highest-rated game of all time later this year, physical collectors could have a difficult choice to make, after Nintendo announced that physical versions of first-party Switch 2 games are about to become more expensive than their digital counterparts. This adjusted pricing will come into effect when Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches on May 21.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/it-looks-like-were-finally-getting-an-ocarina-of-time-remake-175546356.html?src=rss

Team Cherry just fixed a bug with the original Hollow Knight, according to a report by GamesRadar. That game came out a full nine years ago, so it's pretty impressive that the dev team is still cranking out updates.Spoilers follow, but it's been nine years so whatever. The update involves a glitch regarding an attack from The Radiance, one of the final bosses of the game. At later stages, she tosses out these honing balls of light. These are difficult to avoid on their own, but a glitch made it so the balls of light occasionally lingered in the air after finishing. This added yet another way for the player to take some damage and led to numerous unnecessary deaths.This has now been fixed. The patch notes say the developers "fixed Radiance's orb attack hitbox lingering slightly longer than intended if the orb expires in the air." This is great news for brand-new players and frustrating news to people who have been trying to avoid those lingering orbs for the better part of a decade. Better late than never, right?We don't know why the company tackled this particular issue right now. It could be that the success of the long-awaited sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has been driving new players to the original release. It's also possible they just now got around to it. Today's patch includes other stuff, like raising the volume when navigating the inventory and adding more journal notification icons. Team Cherry isn't Ubisoft or Nintendo. It's a relatively small team.The team has been pumping out updates for Silksong as well. Team Cherry recently added traditional Chinese and German language options, which had become a sticking point for some. It's also busy working on the game's first major DLC expansion, called Sea of Sorrow.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-original-hollow-knight-just-got-an-update-to-fix-a-glitch-with-a-final-boss-173533993.html?src=rss

Anxiety, more so than technological rigor, sits at the heart of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. Director Daniel Roher is anxious about the future he's bringing a child into - will it be an AI-driven utopia? Or does it spell certain doom, something explored in countless sci-fi stories. To figure it all out, he interviewed some of the most well known AI proponents and critics, including The Empire of AI author Karen Hao, AI researcher Emily Bender and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.The AI Doc, which hits theaters this weekend, doesn't really shed new light. For that, I'd recommend reading Hao's industry-defining book, which chronicles the rise of OpenAI and the precarious nature of its business. But I don't think tech-heads are the main audience for this film. Instead, Roher is trying to break down the state of AI for mainstream audiences, the folks who may occasionally use ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, but aren't aware of why they're controversial. In particular, the film exposes the near-religious devotion many in the tech world have around AI.It's not a spoiler to say that Roher ultimately adopts an "apocaloptimist" viewpoint. He's aware of the potential dangers of AI, and that it will likely have some serious societal impact. But, he also thinks humans have the ability to shape where it's headed. AI proponents have a near-religious belief in the eventuality of artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI that can match and surpass human capabilities. But AGI isn't inevitable, and Roher argues there's room for critics and the public to push back.We're seeing small examples of AI resistance already. Just look at the viscerally negative response to NVIDIA's DLSS 5 AI upscaling; Microsoft's recent plans to pull back on Copilot AI features in Windows 11; or OpenAI shutting down its Sora AI video generation app. (The latter may be due to the sheer expense, but Sora has certainly seen plenty of criticism.) If enough people say no to various implementations of AI, tech companies will be likely to respond.Daniel Roher in The AI Doc.Focus FeaturesThe AI Doc splits its narrative between true believers - like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei - and prominent AI critics -like Tristan Harris, the co-founder and president of the Center of Humane Technology, as well as linguistics professor Emily M. Bender. It's easy to feel a bit of whiplash when the film moves from people who genuinely think AI will lead to some sort of utopia (and who will also become insanely rich in the process), and the extreme critics who think it will mean the end of humanity. At one point, Harris mentions that some of his friends working in AI risk assessment believe that their kids "won't see high school." There's that anxiety again.While The AI Doc squeezes an impressive amount of notable interviews in its hour-and-43-minute runtime, I would have liked to hear more from critics like Timnit Gebru, a former Google AI researcher who also ties the development of AI into a rise of "techno-fascism" in Silicon Valley. She appears briefly in the film, but her perspective isn't fully fleshed out. The AI Doc doesn't dig very deeply into the driving forces behind AI, whereas Ghost in the Machine, this year's other major AI documentary, draws a direct line between the rise of eugenics and Silicon Valley. (Ghost in the Machine is headed to theaters this summer, and will air on PBS in the fall.)It's the sort of energetic, animation-heavy documentary that wants to make sure the audience is never bored. But the threat of AI deserves more nuance and critical scrutiny. At worst, The AI Doc may make more people question the value of AI as the tech industry becomes more desperate to make it a success.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-ai-doc-explores-how-we-can-survive-an-uncertain-ai-future-154341735.html?src=rss

It was only last August that Sony raised PS5 console prices in the US, blaming a "challenging economic environment" at the time. Today it has slightly tweaked the phrasing to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape," but the outcome is the same: price rises across the board, this time even affecting the PS Portal handheld.Starting April 2, the price of the standard PS5 (that's the one with the disc drive) is going up to $650. That's a whopping $100 hike, or $150 if you go back to before the August price increases. The Digital Edition is getting the same increase, up to $600 from $500 since August.But the most eye-wateringly huge bump goes to the PS5 Pro, which will now cost you $900, $150 more than its (already very high) previous $750 MSRP. If you managed to pick up a Pro during last year's Black Friday sale, when its price was slashed to $650, then you're probably feeling pretty smug right now.Even the PlayStation Portal is getting a $50 increase, up from $199 to $250. The Portal has gotten a lot more capable in the last 12 months, but $250 for a device that can't run any games natively might make a purchase harder to justify for a lot of people.In a blog post, Sony acknowledged the impact of prices increases on its audience, but said after "careful evaluation" that it was "a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide."Global economic turbulence is affecting the entire games industry right now. Valve has already pushed back the launch date for the Steam Machine, while the ongoing RAM crisis could also be to blame for Steam Deck stock shortages.Microsoft also raised Xbox prices twice last year, and earlier this week Nintendo announced that some of its physical first-party Switch 2 games will soon be more expensive than purchasing the game digitally. While Nintendo has experimented with this kind of pricing structure before, it might point to the increasingly prohibitive costs of making and shipping products right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-is-getting-more-expensive-again-133141514.html?src=rss

It turns out people don't actually love having Copilot shoved into their faces. This week, Devindra and PCWorld Senior Editor Mark Hachman discuss Microsoft's surprising plan to "fix" Windows 11 by refocusing on customization and core features, instead of bringing Copilot AI into tons of apps. Is there any enthusiasm left for Windows? Or will most people be better off considering macOS or Linux?Subscribe!

Honda and Sony announced that they are discontinuing both the Afeela 1 and 2, their electric cars. The company is reviewing its business direction," but it's hard to expect much from a car company that's cancelled all of its cars.The Afeela 1, casually called the PlayStation Car, was meant to be a fusion of a modern EV and your own digital media bubble. (You could have a God of War-themed dash - if you wanted that.)EngadgetThere's a wider pressure on Honda, beyond this risky collaboration with Sony. It expects to take a $15.7 billion loss after writing off a large portion of its EV investment. The US's removal of federal EV tax credits and the imposition of tariffs have hit everything hard.The Afeela was exciting on paper, but in person, it was a pretty unassuming sedan. And expensive! Rival EV makers were offering more for less. Also: don't tease a car for six full years. It's never a good sign. Check out Tim Steven's editorial on how it all fell apart.- Mat SmithThe other big stories (and deals) this morning

I know what you're thinking: Isn't Fender a guitar company?" It sure is, and has been one of the most iconic names in guitars and amplifiers since 1946. So what is the company doing making headphones and speakers? Well, it isn't, exactly. Like Zound Industries used to do with Marshall (before buying the amp business), another company is licensing the Fender name for its consumer audio products. Fender Audio, the brand that's on the headphones I'm reviewing, is owned by the Fender Corporation, but Riffsound oversees the design and production of portable audio gear.The first products from Fender Audio are the Mix headphones and the Elie speaker (in two sizes). The company revealed these in January before properly showing them off at CES. I'll get to those speakers in a few weeks, but the Mix headphones are first up on the review docket.With the Mix, Fender Audio seeks to offer a set of premium over-ear, noise-canceling headphones at a lower price than the likes of Sony, Bose and Sennheiser. There's also marathon battery life, several smart design touches, a lossless Bluetooth transmitter and swappable parts that combine for a unique formula to take on those big names. I'm honestly impressed that Fender Audio could cram all of that in a more affordable package, but the final verdict on the Mix isn't so straightforward.What's good about the Fender Mix headphones?Fender Audio made numerous smart design decisions on the Mix headphones, and they resulted in my favorite things about using them. To start, you can swap out the ear pads, ear cups and headband as you see fit. The ear cups attach to the headband via USB-C ports, so they're easy to snap on and off. Obviously, this allows you to change the look of the Mix over time, within the bounds of Fender's available colors.Underneath the ear pads, Fender put a storage slot for the lossless dongle on the left side and gives you access to the removable battery on the right. I'm thrilled that I can enjoy higher quality Bluetooth connectivity without having to remember to bring along such a small accessory. Plus, it's nice to know that users will be able to install a fresh battery, provided the company sells those at some point.I also enjoy how Fender Audio designed the onboard controls. First, they're physical buttons, which are always my preference over touch- or gesture-based options. Second, the main one is a five-way joystick, so they're very simple. Press it to play/pause, press and hold for pairing mode or press longer to power on or off. If you push the joystick up or down, you can adjust the volume, while moving it left and right skips the track forward or backward. You can also push down twice to enable Auracast pairing right on the headphones. A second button, which is just the regular kind, is used to cycle through noise canceling modes: ANC, transparency and both off. The lossless Bluetooth dongle inside the left ear cup Billy Steele for Engadget Sonically, the Mix headphones are at the height of their powers in lossless mode, which is enabled by the Bluetooth dongle hidden inside the ear cup. Bass tuning that's otherwise overpowering in most cases is restrained, and you can pick up finer details in the more balanced mix. When listening to Watchhouse's Rituals, I got the sense that I was surrounded by the band, with strings, drums and vocals enveloping my ears with sound - rather than it simply being projected from the left and right channels. There's more nuance with the lossless mode, and it kept calling me back to the Mix headphones at the times when I'd probably opt for the conveniences of earbuds or a speaker.ANC performance is respectable, although it's not on the level of Bose. It's good enough to block out mild-to-moderate distractions, but it struggles with louder human voices and sudden jolts of noise. It will certainly do the job in the office or coffee shop, but you may notice some sounds invade your ears during a commute. For calls, transparency mode provides natural sound and it picks up enough of my voice that I never felt the need to shout. Call quality, though, is a different matter (more on that in a bit).Another big perk of the Mix is its long battery life. Fender Audio says you'll get up to 52 hours with ANC on or a whopping 100 hours with it off. The company is forthcoming with the fact that the latter number is achieved at 50 percent volume, which will be too low for most regular" use. Still, with noise canceling enabled and the volume around 70 percent, I had 52 percent battery left after nearly 30 hours of use. I spent most of that time with either ANC or transparency mode on.What's not so good about the Fender Mix? The five-way joystick and ANC button on the Fender Mix Billy Steele for Engadget Out of the box, Fender Mix's tuning is too bass heavy. I realize a lot of people prefer a thundering low-end tone out of their headphones, but I found it to be too overpowering here. The stock sound profile is my biggest issue with this model, although it's somewhat alleviated by using the lossless Bluetooth dongle. In that mode, the bass is slightly subdued, but it's still quite prominent at times when it shouldn't be.On that Watchhouse album, the kick drum starts to drive the sound, rather than the guitars, mandolin and other instruments. When I listen to the same songs on other headphones, I've noticed a better blend of drums and strings. With more intense genres, like the hardcore riffs and breakdowns of Incendiary's Product of New York, the booming bass isn't as much of an issue. The distorted guitars still cut through, and there's plenty of texture in their tone. And when each song hits its climax, the cranked up lows offer extra oomph. It works for metal, but it isn't always nice for bluegrass, jazz and synth-laiden electronic tunes where the extra bass can muddy the mix.The Fender Mix also lacks many of the smart features that are present in premium headphones today, which is probably how the company is able to sell them for $299. Things like automatic EQ tweaks and adaptive ANC are missing, as is automatic pausing when you speak or things like head gestures. These headphones don't have wear detection either, so they don't pause the audio when you take them off. There's also no app available to dial in the EQ or adjust other settings (it's coming soon).These headphones only have two microphones for calls, and you can tell almost instantly that those are insufficient. Despite claims of crystal clear calls," your voice will just sound okay to the person on the other end. Honestly, I would've sounded better just using my iPhone with no headphones. The Mix works to get your voice across, but don't dream of dialing into a podcast recording with them. What's more, the Mix isn't good at blocking background noise, so you'll need to use them in a quiet location to have a chance at sounding decent. Which, again, is about the best these headphones can muster.While the modular design allows for a decent degree of customization, the extra parts you'll need aren't on sale yet. What's more, only two colors - white, which is really more of a light gray, and black - are currently available. So, for now, one of the perks of the Mix remains untapped.Wrap-up The Fender Mix headphones Billy Steele for Engadget There's a lot to like about the Fender Mix, from the clever design choices to the crisp, detailed sound. The lack of finesse with the bass tuning and the omission of advanced features, particularly the absence of an app for settings changes, keeps these headphones firmly planted in the midrange category.Clearly that's not what the company is aiming for with tools like the lossless Bluetooth dongle, but that's where it lands for me at the end of the day. So, at $299, the Mix is a tough call when a $250 price tag would make these an easier sell. Sure, there's enough here to make these a capable daily audio accessory, but not everything I'd need to call them a must buy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/fender-mix-review-well-designed-headphones-that-just-fall-short-of-greatness-120000974.html?src=rss

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has revealed more details about its upcoming title, Stranger Than Heaven, at the Xbox Partner Preview stream. While previous teasers showed that it was going to be set in the 1910s and 1940s, it turns out its gameplay will span five different time periods: 1915, 1929, 1943, 1951 and 1965. The game's events will also take place in five different cities. Ryu Ga Gotoku has yet to reveal what the locations will be based on, but the setting for 1965 seems to be Kamurocho. That's the fictionalized version of Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district in the studio's games, the Yakuza and Judgment series.One time period seems to be set during winter, while another focuses on a hot spring town. It's clear from teasers and the new trailer RGG released that new title will share Yakuza's aesthetics and maybe even its fighting mechanics. The studio has yet to say whether it will be connected to the Yakuza series, but fans believe Stranger Than Heaven could focus on the beginnings of the yakuza clans that appeared throughout the franchise.RGG Studio will reveal more details about the game on another stream with Xbox on May 6 at 7PM Eastern time. For now, you can watch the trailer below for a preview. Take note that while the studio has teamed up with Xbox for these reveals, the game will also be available on Steam and the PS5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/rggs-stranger-than-heaven-game-will-span-five-time-periods-114554699.html?src=rss

The court has granted Anthropic's request for a preliminary injunction, preventing the government from banning its products for federal use and from formally labeling it as a supply chain risk," at least for now. If you'll recall, things turned sour between the company and the Trump administration when Anthropic refused to change the terms of its contract that would allow the government to use its technology for mass surveillance and the development of autonomous weapons.In response to Anthropic's refusal, the president ordered federal agencies to stop using Claude and the company's other services. The Defense Department also officially labeled it as a supply chain risk, which is typically reserved for entities typically based in US adversaries like China that threaten national security. In addition, department secretary Pete Hegseth warned companies that if they want to work with the government, they must sever ties with Anthropic. The AI company challenged the designation in court, calling it unlawful and in violation of free speech and its rights to due process. It asked the court to put a pause on the ban while the lawsuit is ongoing, as well.In a court filing, the Defense Department said giving Anthropic continued access to its warfighting infrastructure would introduce unacceptable risk" to its supply chains. But Judge Rita F. Lin of the District Court for the Northern District of California said the measures the government took appear designed to punish Anthropic."Lin wrote in her decision that it seems Anthropic is being punished for criticizing the government in the press. Punishing Anthropic for bringing public scrutiny to the government's contracting position is classic illegal First Amendment retaliation," she continued. The judge also said that the supply chain risk designation is contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious. She added that the government argued that Anthropic showed its subversive tendencies by questioning" the use of its technology. Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the US for expressing disagreement with the government," she wrote.Anthropic told The New York Times that it's grateful to the court for moving swiftly" and that it's now focused on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI." The company's lawsuit is still ongoing, and the court has yet to issue its final decision. Judge Lin said, however, that Anthropic has shown a likelihood of success on its First Amendment claim."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/court-temporarily-blocks-us-government-from-labeling-anthropic-as-a-supply-chain-risk-083857528.html?src=rss