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There are a lot of rumors flying around about a big iOS and macOS redesign coming this year, perhaps as a distraction to the continued issues around Apple Intelligence. And while I'm game for a fresh coat of paint across the software I use every single day, I have one plea while Apple's at it: Please, for the love of god, make the Notes app render the letter a" properly.Let me back up a bit. Apple first introduced the San Francisco typeface with the first Apple Watch in 2015; a few years later it became the default on basically every device Apple sells. The text you see in Messages, Apple Music, Maps and many other system apps are all different San Francisco fonts, and for the most part the multiple variations all feel consistent and cohesive.But, at some point in the last seven or eight years I noticed something odd in the Apple Notes app. The font appears the same as the other San Francisco fonts, but something just felt off." It took forever before I put my finger on it: the lowercase a" renders differently in the Notes app than it does anywhere else across the entire system.You see, the Notes app uses a single storey a," the sort of a" that most people use when writing by hand. That's the only first-party app, as far as I can tell, where you'll find a single-storey a. The rest of the time, it uses the double-storey a (just as you'll see on this website and almost everywhere else a lowercase a is used these days outside of handwriting).To be clear, this does not matter even a little bit. In fact, the completely inconsequential and random nature of this situation is probably why it irks me so. Part of me is glad I figured out exactly what was throwing me off, because for years Notes just looked wrong in a way that I found impossible to describe. Now at least I know what my brain was reacting to.One day recently we were having a lively discussion about fonts in the Engadget Slack, which triggered me to bring up this mystery. My colleagues both agreed that this was bizarre and also thought I was a bit of a lunatic for spending this much time thinking about a single character in a single app. This, of course, drove me to download and dig through all of Apple's system fonts and their variations to find the dreaded Latin small letter Alpha," or , that our resident Greek Cypriot Aaron Souppouris suggested I search for. Indeed, that's what pops up in Notes instead of the usual a." It's not even one of the font variants, as far as I can tell. [Ed. note: Nathan did no other work during this time.]Even though this is a ridiculous thing to think about, I want to know what's going on here! How did this happen? Who made this decision, and for what reason? Maybe it's because the Notes app originally used a skeuomorphic Marker Felt" sort of text that emulated handwriting - using the single storey a" is perhaps a nod to how most people actually handwrite the letter. Or, perhaps, it's just something that slipped through the cracks years ago and hasn't been worth changing because most people probably haven't consciously noticed the difference (you're welcome).Whatever the reason, I sure would love it if Apple unified things with the iOS 19 (and corresponding macOS) redesign. I generally find the default Apple font to be just fine, though people certainly have their own very strongly held opinions about typography. But if I'm being honest, I'd also probably miss that oddball - it's always fun to have an unsolved mystery to ponder over, no matter how inconsequential.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-only-thing-i-want-from-apples-big-2025-redesign-is-a-120023531.html?src=rss

Owning a Playdate comes with the perk of already having access to 24 games at no additional cost from the bundled-in Season One - and some pretty good ones to boot. But there are a ton of great games outside the Season One offerings too, for when you've finished the whole batch or, for newer players, while you're waiting for new games between the weekly drops. Here, I'll highlight some of the best games I've played so far from the Playdate Catalog. It'll mainly be split two ways: games that use the crank and games that don't. There are also a couple of titles that aren't quite games, but are worth checking out all the same. Games that use the crank Games that don't use the crank Comics, visual novels and more Check out our entire Best Games series including the best Nintendo Switch games, the best PS5 games, the best Xbox games, the best PC games and the best free games you can play today. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-playdate-games-190049201.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a small but welcome convenience feature with iOS 19: cross-device syncing for Wi-Fi access portals. This is according to the latest Power Onnewsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The feature would address the annoyance of having to individually fill out pop-up forms to access public Wi-Fi on all your devices, like when you're at a hotel. According to Gurman, "This new feature will let you enter that information on one device and have it synced to your other products."It's one of several upcoming features Apple may show off at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set for June 9-13 this year. The event is expected to bring some major design changes to the company's operating systems that should make for a more consistent look between its products' software. Gurman also reports that AirPods may be getting a live translation feature, which we could see at WWDC alongside a revamped Health app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-19-may-bring-a-feature-that-makes-signing-into-public-wi-fi-less-of-a-hassle-210435303.html?src=rss

As first reported by Politico, the Trump administration has fired the Register of Copyrights and US Copyright Office Director, Shira Perlmutter. The Register of Copyrights works under the Librarian of Congress - a title held most recently by Carla Hayden, who was fired earlier this week for her DEI efforts, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Times. Perlmutter's dismissal comes just after the office released a report that raised concerns about certain uses of copyrighted material to train generative AI. It's the third in a series of papers published over the last year analyzing copyright law as it pertains to AI.The Trump administration - particularly DOGE - has been pushing for broader use of AI. In April, the White House called on federal agencies to develop AI strategies and name Chief AI Officers that will "serve as change agents and AI advocates."In a statement released after news of Perlmutter's firing came to light, Congressman Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, called the move "a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis," saying, "It is surely no coincidence [Donald Trump] acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk's efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-has-fired-the-director-of-the-us-copyright-office-195646724.html?src=rss

It won't make you a better gamer, but Samsung's latest gaming monitor entices those hunting for faster refresh rates. The company's newest Odyssey OLED G6, which Samsung claims is the world's first OLED gaming monitor with a 500Hz refresh rate, is now available for pre-order in Southeast Asian markets, with a global rollout due to follow later this year. Samsung first announced the display, along with its sibling with 4K resolution called the Odyssey OLED G8, right before CES 2025 in January.The monitor is up for sale in a silver colorway on Samsung Singapore's site for around 1,500 Singapore dollars, or around $1,150. The Odyssey OLED G6 is expected to see its first shipments starting May 18. For certain gamers, a high refresh rate could mean the difference between life and death in competitive first-person shooters like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant. With most professional gamers using monitors that have a 240Hz refresh rate, Samsung's latest offering has more than double the speed to emphasize more responsive and smoother gameplay. Beyond its groundbreaking refresh rate, the Odyssey OLED G6 has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a response time of 0.03ms for less motion blur and ghosting in fast-paced action games.As with any OLED monitor, burn-in is a serious drawback that leaves a faint impression of a bright image even when the screen is blank. To combat this, Samsung includes its OLED Safeguard+ technology, which uses a cooling system to lower operating temps and a detection system that automatically reduces the brightness of static images like logos and taskbars. Samsung put its Odyssey OLED G6 up for pre-order first in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, and will roll it out in phases to other countries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsung-has-begun-taking-pre-orders-for-its-500hz-oled-gaming-monitor-183151123.html?src=rss

Following backlash about a quietly added clause to SoundCloud's Terms of Use that says users' content may be fed to AI, the company says it's "never used artist content to train AI models," and insists it "has always been and will remain artist-first." The outrage came after tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex (via TechCrunch) spotted a change to SoundCloud's terms that was made in February 2024 seemingly without notifying users. The updated text states that by using the platform, "You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services."In a statement to TechCrunch, a spokesperson said the update was only meant to "clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud's own platform" and that the company "has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes." SoundCloud's official Reddit account posted similar statements on the social media platform in response to users' outrage, and both noted that SoundCloud added a "no AI" tag for artists "to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use."AI may be used for things like music recommendations, playlist creation and fraud detection, the company said. "Any future AI tools will be built for artists to enhance discovery, protect rights, and expand opportunities," SoundCloud posted on Reddit. "We hear your concerns and remain committed to transparency, artist control, and fair use."Just a few months ago, though, SoundCloud introduced a suite of AI tools geared toward music creation, on top of three others it had announced earlier that year. That includes AI tools for generating remixes, new tracks, beats and singing voices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/soundcloud-says-its-never-trained-ai-using-artists-work-after-getting-called-out-for-terms-of-use-change-174433356.html?src=rss

One of the ultimate goals of medieval alchemy has been realized, but only for a fraction of a second. Scientists with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN, were able to convert lead into gold using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle accelerator. Unlike the examples of transmutation we see in pop culture, these experiments with the LHC involve smashing subatomic particles together at ridiculously high speeds to manipulate lead's physical properties to become gold.The LHC is often used to smash lead ions together to create extremely hot and dense matter similar to what was observed in the universe following the Big Bang. While conducting this analysis, the CERN scientists took note of the near-misses that caused a lead nucleus to drop its neutrons or protons. Lead atoms only have three more protons than gold atoms, meaning that in certain cases the LHC causes the lead atoms to drop just enough protons to become a gold atom for a fraction of a second - before immediately fragmenting into a bunch of particles.Alchemists back in the day may be astonished by this achievement, but the experiments conducted between 2015 and 2018 only produced about 29 picograms of gold, according to CERN. The organization added that the latest trials produced almost double that amount thanks to regular upgrades to the LHC, but the mass made is still trillions of times less than what's necessary for a piece of jewelry. Instead of trying to chase riches, the organization's scientists are more interested in studying the interaction that leads to this transmutation."It is impressive to see that our detectors can handle head-on collisions producing thousands of particles, while also being sensitive to collisions where only a few particles are produced at a time, enabling the study of electromagnetic 'nuclear transmutation' processes," Marco Van Leeuwen, spokesperson for the A Large Ion Collider Experiment project at the LHC, said in a statement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/scientists-find-lead-really-can-be-turned-into-gold-with-help-from-the-large-hadron-collider-163431201.html?src=rss

Google's Gemini AI has been getting upgrade after upgrade, now being able to handle data analysis in Google Sheets and using your past conversations with its chatbot to inform better responses. One of Google's latest offerings lets Gemini generate an original background during your virtual meetings for a personal touch before getting down to business.What are Google Meet's AI backgrounds?Google Meet lets you tap into Gemini to make AI-generated backgrounds based on whatever prompt you feed it. You can enter prompts like a "luxurious living room interior" or "a magical sunny forest glade," as Google suggests, or you can get creative with suggestions like "a gym full of cakes" or "a coworking space in Studio Ghibli style." This AI feature is currently available on desktop and Android devices, but has some requirements whether you're using it on a computer or smartphone.How to create an AI background in Google MeetThis feature requires either an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription, or entry into Google's early access testing program called Workspace Labs.To start on a computer, open up meet.google.com and join a meeting by punching in the specific code, or join via link. Before hitting the blue "Join now" button, navigate to the bottom-right corner of your self-view and click "Apply visual effects" and then "Generate a background." You then have to provide Gemini with a prompt, which can be as simple as "a cozy coffee shop with flowers" like Google suggests, then hit "Create samples." You can select an art style to better customize your background, and Google recommends including specific instructions like a setting and objects in your prompt to get the best results.GoogleGemini's first attempts at an AI background might not be exactly what you're looking for, so you can click "Create other samples" to refresh the results. If your initial prompt needs some tweaking, you can edit it by navigating to the top of the panel on the right, then hitting the "Create other samples" button. Once you land on the AI-generated background you want, just click on it and hit the "Close" button on the Backgrounds window to get on with your meeting.All of this can be done when you're already in a meeting, too. If you're using an Android device for Google Meet, you have to open the Meet app and tap the "Effects" button on the bottom of your self-view and navigate to the Backgrounds tab instead of the "Apply visual effects" button on computers. Make sure you have a compatible smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S9 or newer or a Google Pixel 3 or newer, that's running at least Android version 9. For iPhone users, this feature isn't currently available.GoogleHow to remove your AI backgroundIt's worth mentioning that using these Gemini-generated backgrounds on Google Meet can increase battery usage. If you want to preserve battery life or go back to a more basic background, you can reset everything by navigating to the Effects panel and clicking the Stack button on the bottom right side of your self-view. After you click the Stack button, you can choose which effects to remove or completely reset your background with the "Remove All" button.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-use-gemini-to-generate-unique-backgrounds-in-google-meet-130000553.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission has delayed the start of a rule that aims to make the process of canceling subscriptions less of a nightmare. Last year, the FTC voted to ratify amendments to a regulation known as the Negative Option Rule, adding a new "click-to-cancel" rule that requires companies to be upfront about the terms of subscription signups and prohibits them "from making it any more difficult for consumers to cancel than it was to sign up." Surprising no one, telecom companies were not happy, and sued the FTC. While the rule was nevertheless set to be implemented on May 14, the FTC now says enforcement has been pushed back 60 days to July 14.Some parts of the updated Negative Option Rule went into effect on January 19, but the enforcement of certain provisions were deferred to May 14 by the previous administration to give companies more time to comply. Under the new administration, the FTC says it has "conducted a fresh assessment of the burdens that forcing compliance by this date would impose" and decided it "insufficiently accounted for the complexity of compliance."Once the July 14 deadline hits, the FTC says "regulated entities must be in compliance with the whole of the Rule because the Commission will begin enforcing it." But, the statement adds, "if that enforcement experience exposes problems with the Rule, the Commission is open to amending" it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-pushes-the-enforcement-of-its-click-to-cancel-rule-back-to-july-201353413.html?src=rss

As first reported by 9to5Mac, PS5 users now have a direct way to buy games in the PlayStation store with Apple Pay. When you purchase a game on your PS5 with Apple Pay, you'll be shown a QR code that you can scan with your iPhone or iPad to complete the transaction from there.Previously, PS5 users had to go through the console's browser or the PlayStation App on iOS to buy games with Apple Pay. The latest update is a simple quality of life upgrade for PS5 owners since most already have a credit card tied to their PlayStation account. However, Apple Card owners can more easily take advantage of their 2 percent cash back on Apple Pay purchases when buying PS5 games.Besides using a traditional card on file, Apple Pay joins PayPal as an alternative payment method. The Apple Pay compatibility on the PS5 was made possible through an iOS 18 update that allows users to buy things on third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox with a unique QR code. This change lays the groundwork for more Apple Pay implementation with other browsers and devices, including support for the PS4 in a later software update, as indicated by 9to5Mac.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/your-ps5-now-natively-accepts-apple-pay-193606732.html?src=rss

Spoilers for The Story and the Engine."Doctor Who lives and dies by the quality of its writing and acting far more than almost anything else on TV. Audiences may demand big explosions and trippy visuals but its best work is often done in small rooms. The Disney era began with an episode that, for all its glossy excess, rested its big moment on Catherine Tate's acting. Now, as the Disney era potentially draws to its end, it's once again highlighting what a smart script and great actors can do. The Story and the Engine" is a stellar episode and a sign of what Doctor Who could look like a year or two from now.Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfTo get Belinda home, the Doctor takes the Vindicator to Lagos, Nigeria, to piggyback on the country's communications network. But there's another reason - he wants to visit his favorite barbership, Omo's. The TARDIS can cut the Doctor's hair, but it's not the same - especially now he's living for the first time (that we know of) as a Black man. A trip to Omo's is a chance to both get a trim and feel accepted, telling stories and laughing with his friends.Belinda stays in the TARDIS while the Doctor heads out, past missing people posters and signs warning people to stay away. As soon as the Doctor crosses the threshold into Omo's, the TARDIS begins blaring red alert, much to Belinda's confusion. The missing people are here, in the barbershop, but Omo is no longer in charge, having lost control to the mysterious (and unnamed) Barber.The Barber has kept the men hostage, cutting their hair on a regular basis, with each one telling him a story as he does. Each story is broadcast on the inside of the shop's window, and as soon as they're done, their hair grows back. The stories aren't for entertainment, but to fuel an enormous robot spider traversing a metaversal web. Only one person is allowed to leave the shop, Abena, who brings the men food each day to keep them alive.Naturally, an immortal time traveler is a fantastic resource for stories, but his first tale is that of Belinda staying behind after work to save a woman's life. Whereas the other men's stories are rendered in animation, we actually see Belinda's story as live action. And, once the Doctor's hair is shorn, it grows back, ready for his next turn to be an unwilling storyteller. Belinda, after asking the TARDIS to show her where to go, heads to Omo's, where the Doctor is surprisingly happy to see her as she, too, gets trapped in the barbershop.Abena is hiding a secret, and has been hostile to the Doctor ever since she met him. That's because she's really the daughter of Anansi, the spider-esque trickster god of Akan folklore. Her father defeated the Doctor many (many!) lifetimes ago, insisting they marry her, but the Doctor skipped town, leaving her on her own. [Casual viewers totally lost as to what was going on at that point and why the Doctor suddenly turned into someone else, head down to Mrs. Flood Corner for an explanation.]At some point in history, Abena teamed up with the Barber, who isn't a god himself, but a form of fiction-weaving figure. He told tales to entertain and sustain the gods, designing the dimensional web his giant spider robot is currently traversing. At some point, he'd outlived his usefulness and was cast out by his masters, and so he is using people's stories to power his story engine. When it reaches its destination, he'll wipe out all the gods of myth and legend and take their place.Abena, horrified that her own family will be wiped out in the Barber's revenge, opts to switch sides and tends to the Doctor's hair. She tells the story of how African people under slavery would braid messages and maps as cornrows to evade detection. The Doctor's hair is now a map of the story engine's mazelike corridors, leading him to its beating heart. When the Barber tries to stop him, he (wrongly) invokes Hemingway, talking about the power of his six word story.Oh, but we're five minutes from the end, so the Doctor saves the day by, uh, playing a highlights reel of all his prior incarnations. The Barber, however, is a changed man, and comes back with the Doctor as the story engine itself collapses under the sheer weight of the Doctor's life story. With everyone free, Omo declares he's retiring, and hands the role to the Barber, who will use his powers for good. Abena opts to part ways with her friend, and the Doctor and Belinda head back to the TARDIS.James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfThe Story and the Engine" is a phenomenal debut from British-Nigerian poet and playwright Inua Ellams. The rules of the barbershop and premise of the story is clear enough to grasp before the title sequence has rolled. And little time is wasted getting the Doctor through the door of Omo's shop, enabling him to engage with the problem at hand. If there's an issue, it's the same one that's dogged every episode this season: the overstuffed narrative that picks up and drops ideas in minutes that another series would have milked for weeks on end.The narrative and thematic density here includes nods toward folklore versus the mechanical reproduction of storytelling. An exploration of the nature of community, family, safety, betrayal, love and the value of revenge. Hell, the antagonist is a writer who's pissed off their overlords cut em loose and took the credit that was theirs to claim. Not to mention, Doctor Who is having to make a case for its own continued existence given the behind the scenes rumors. That's so much to cram into 45 minutes that you just want everything to slow down and let things breathe.As much as Doctor Who might be seen by the majority of its audience on a streaming platform, it's still constrained by its broadcast runtime. Like the rest of this run, this episode is just begging for more time to allow its textures to be better explored. In fact, as I lay in bed after watching the episode, I was thinking about how many of these episodes would work well in the old-school half-hour format. Three half-hours would give us more time in the barbershop and a more earned ending. The Story and the Engine" is already a chamber piece - make the CGI spider a barely-seen matte painting and use stock footage of Lagos and this could have easily been done in the 80s. Again, given the rumors that, without Disney's cash, the BBC can't afford to produce Doctor Who, we're seeing how great it can be when it's just got five or six actors in a single room.That's not to say the extra money isn't welcome: I also want to, again, single out how much great work the rest of the production team is doing this year. The story engine's heart, a beautifully-made heart-tree-brain sculpture, was another great piece of design work. And any episode of anything that uses Blick Bassey's "Ake" as a needle drop deserves a round of applause.A Nigerian barbershop is not the usual place for an episode of Doctor Who to play out, but it's also absolutely perfect. After all, one of the richest seams of inspiration the show has is to find the magic in the edges of the mundane. What could be more magic than people sitting around, telling stories and forming communities through nothing more than the cutting of hair.Mrs. Flood CornerMrs. Flood gets a tiny cameo this episode, popping into the hospital during the Doctor's tale of Belinda's heroism. It's ambiguous if the Doctor knows Mrs. Flood was there, or if her presence was only for the audience's benefit. Given the more standalone nature of this episode, we shouldn't ask too much of Mrs. Flood this week.It's certainly interesting to see what Belinda does and doesn't know about how the world of the Doctor works. My assumption is still that the Doctor briefed Belinda on the basics and even the more advanced details off-screen. Belinda's smart and capable enough that she'd ask the right questions to learn that the TARDIS wardrobe is also able to style hair.I am curious, however, about why the Doctor was so happy to see Belinda as she walked into the trap. And why Belinda knew what to do when the Doctor made his break for the story engine in the conclusion. That the costumes have changed since The Well" implies that time has passed for these two, so maybe their rapport has grown in the interim.Dan Fearon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfIf you'll allow me to go out on a limb, what if the real identity of Mrs. Flood or this season's big bad is in fact Fenric? Hear me out: The Story and the Engine" shares a premise with 1988's The Greatest Show in the Galaxy." In that episode, the Gods of Ragnarok have occupied a circus to fuel their hunger for entertainment, killing anyone who displeases them. The Barber in this story mentions he wrote stories for several Norse gods and tries to pass himself off as one of them before his real identity is revealed.Now, if you recall, another Norse god the Doctor tussled with in that era was Fenric, the villain from 1989's The Curse of Fenric." Which was one of the classic-series stories highlighted for the 60th anniversary's Tales of the TARDIS run. Given Davies' shot an additional episode of that run to introduce new viewers to Sutekh before he appeared in last year's finale, maybe the groundwork was already laid to bring Fenric back.Yeah, you're right, it's not going to be Fenric.When was the Doctor a Black woman?The 2020 season of Doctor Who made a number of controversial changes to the foundation of the series. Showrunner Chris Chibnall opted to dump the series' original deliberately ambiguous backstory in favor of something a little more stock sci-fi. Before then, our lead character was an outsider who left their world and stumbled around learning to become something of a hero. The show's first four seasons build to the moment when the Doctor says There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought." Like a lot of early Doctor Who, the character's development over time wasn't necessarily visible until you look back on the era as a whole.Chibnall threw all of that out, insisting that the Doctor wasn't just the most Special Time Lord Of All Time, but the figure who gave the Time Lords the power of regeneration in the first place. In one season, he'd turned the Doctor into the equivalent of Adam and Eve and Jesus all at once. He also eliminated the series' longstanding regeneration limit, saying the Doctor can change their body an infinite amount of times. Which rather undermines the action and saps the dramatic tension from episodes like The Caves of Androzani" and The Eleventh Hour."These changes gave the Doctor an entire as-yet unseen first and second act, with the adult Doctor working for the Time Lord equivalent of the CIA before having their memory wiped before the start of the series proper. The episode Fugitive of the Judoon" revealed the identity of one of these doctors, The Fugitive Doctor, played by actress Jo Martin - the only time the Doctor had been played by a Black actor before Ncuti Gatwa and only the second time (canonically) they'd been played by a woman after Jodie Whittaker. The Fugitive Doctor's place in the series' history is left ambiguous, and she mostly spent that time on deep cover missions.When Davies' return was announced, I was privately hoping he would very loudly unwind much of Chibnall's Timeless Child story arc. Trapping the Doctor in the hacky sci-fi role of chosen one felt like an act of near-fatal violence against the series. There have been many other secret origin stories for the Doctor over its sixty-year tenure, but the others were mostly content to sit in implication rather than bellowed from the rooftops.It's here I must offer yet more praise for Russell T. Davies, who opted to Yes-And Chibnall's hackiest impulses. He has managed to integrate the Timeless Child story in a way that serves the character of the Doctor supremely effectively. Rather than focusing on the ancestral history he's focused on the Doctor as an orphan, taken advantage of by cruel aliens. It gives greater weight both to his relationships with his companions, and to the need for belonging that takes him to Omo's. And the events of the Flux miniseries have broken the universe so utterly that it's opened the door for the pantheon of gods to enter it. Not to mention, it offers a vehicle through which we can get more stories of the Fugitive Doctor that gets it out from under the more reactionary storytelling under which she was created.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/doctor-who-the-story-and-the-engine-review-just-a-trim-thanks-190010762.html?src=rss

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new device called the Teal Wand, which its creator describes as an "at-home vaginal sample self-collection device for cervical cancer screening." It could be especially useful for women who find pap smears uncomfortable, painful and even traumatic, as well as for those who may not have time to go to a doctor or have disabilities preventing them from traveling to consult one. Users who get the Teal Wand will have to swab their vagina with the sponge tool at its tip. They then have to send the swab in to test it for HPV, or human papillomavirus, which causes most cervical cancers.Since the user isn't scraping cells from their cervix like what's done with a speculum during pap smears, there are no samples to analyze for abnormality under a microscope. But as The New York Times noted, some authorities are now recommending HPV testing as the primary screening for cervical cancer. Last year, the National Cancer Institute launched a clinical trial network called the Cervical Cancer Last Mile' Initiative and teamed up with Roche, which provided a similar self-collection solution for participants. The cancer institute explained at the time that cervical cancer is highly preventable with HPV vaccine and regular screening, but half of all diagnosed cases in the US are of individuals who have never been or are infrequently screened. A self-collection device can vastly expand access to cervical cancer screening.Teal Wand users will be able to dial into the company's telehealth services, with providers who can give them instructions on how to use the device. Users will then have to detach the swab from the wand, put it in a vial, label it and then mail it for testing. Teal Health claims that its solution was proven to be as accurate as in-clinic screening during its clinical study. The company will start shipping out wands to California residents in June before expanding availability across the country. It doesn't have pricing for the device yet, but it said it's working with insurance providers so that the wand could be covered by their plans. The company also intends to work with donors to subsidize costs for people without insurance, as well as to offer flexible payment options.Teal HealthThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/fda-approves-at-home-pap-smear-alternative-device-for-cervical-cancer-screening-170025767.html?src=rss

Nintendo's latest legal move to combat piracy may be super effective. According to a new change in the Nintendo User Agreement, the console maker can brick your Switch, or render it useless, if it's found with pirated games or mods. While some people may have glazed over the changes since Nintendo didn't make this a major announcement, Game File's Stephen Totilo dug through the changes and spotted the major updates.In Nintendo's own words, you shouldn't "bypass, modify, decrypt, defeat, tamper with, or otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Nintendo Account Services." The company's previous agreement only prohibited if you "adapt, reverse-engineer, or modify a Nintendo user account," but this updated language gives exact definitions of what you can't do with your Switch. If you do break these rules, Nintendo could make your "applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part." In plain English, that means if you're found with an emulator or pirated copies of games, your Switch might just end up being a very expensive paperweight.This latest legal leap isn't surprising considering Nintendo's strict stance on emulation. In March 2024, the company filed a lawsuit against the popular Switch emulator called Yuzu claiming that the developers were facilitating piracy. Later that year, another emulator called Ryujinx shut down after Nintendo offered an agreement to the development team to discontinue the project in October. This latest user agreement update comes on the heels of the upcoming release of the Switch 2 that's planned for June 5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-grants-itself-the-power-to-brick-switches-with-pirated-games-162129077.html?src=rss

Activision Blizzard's Overwatch team has formed a wall-to-wall union under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The union, which has been recognized by parent company Microsoft, includes nearly 200 developers "across all disciplines," from design and production to quality assurance, the CWA said in its announcement. It's the latest development in a broader organizing effort by video game workers, who aim to secure better job protections and improve their working conditions. Last summer, the team behind World of Warcraft announced its own union comprising more than 500 employees, and quality assurance workers at Activision joined the CWA a few months before that.Per the CWA's announcement on Friday, "A neutral arbitrator confirmed today that an overwhelming majority of workers have either signed a union authorization card or indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal." Members of the new Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA join over 2,000 workers from other studios owned by Microsoft who have unionized with the CWA. "Unionizing is about having a seat at the table so that we can work with leadership to build better, more sustainable working conditions," said Jess Castillo, senior test analyst II and organizing committee member, in a statement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-developers-behind-overwatch-have-unionized-154021756.html?src=rss

The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in Maps within the United States. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said during a press conference that the lawsuit has already been filed, but as The Guardian notes, she didn't say when and where it was submitted. Sheinbaum argued that the Trump administration's order for a name change only applies to the US portion of the oceanic basin and that the US government doesn't have the authority to rename the whole body of water. "All we want is for the decree issued by the US government to be complied with," she said.Google renamed the Gulf of Mexico into the Gulf of America for users who open Maps in the US back in February. It first announced that it was going to do so the previous month and said it was only waiting for the US government to make the change official in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which serves as the "federal and national standard for geographic nomenclature." BBC said the Mexican government wrote to Google at the time to get it to reconsider before eventually threatening legal action.When Google announced the name change for US users, it explained that it was following a longstanding practice to show official local names for places in Maps when they vary between countries. In Mexico, the basin is still called the Gulf of Mexico, while it shows up as "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" for users outside both countries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mexico-is-suing-google-over-gulf-of-america-name-change-for-us-users-150012599.html?src=rss

I can't blame you if you've been spending more time outside lately instead of reading gadget reviews. Spring has sprung, at least for us at Engadget HQ in the US, and there's a lot of touching grass going on amongst our staff. Still, if you've missed any of our reviews over the last two weeks, this condensed list has everything you need to catch up quickly. Surface Pro (12-inch) For basic computing in a highly portable device, the 12-inch Surface Pro does just fine. Senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardawar argued that you won't want this device for it's power anyway, and you'll probably be able to overlook its lower-spec display too. "You're not buying a tiny laptop for speed, you're buying it because it's cute and super portable," he said. "And in that respect, the 12-inch Surface Pro succeeds." Rivian R1S Gen 2 Rivian has become a popular option for EV shoppers looking for either a truck or a three-row SUV. Senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford recently spent some time behind the wheel of the company's second-generation R1S and came away impressed. "Its size may be imposing, but it certainly delivers on the look and feel of a car that's just as happy on asphalt as it is on unpaved trails," he wrote. "The only thing that might give me pause is that for people who aren't interested in off-roading, alternatives like the Kia EV9 offer similar passenger capacity for a much lower starting price." Canon Powershot V1 Compact cameras are making a comeback. Canon's Powershot V1 may be designed for vlogging, but reporter Steve Dent discovered its also great for stills. "The problem is that it's still primarily a vlogging camera and a lot of content creators have abandoned this type of compact model in favor of the Osmo Pocket 3," he explained. "At the end of the day, the PowerShot V1 is bound to be a hit because it delivers when it comes to video and photo quality." Alienware AW2725Q If you're looking for a new gaming display that can pull double duty as an everyday monitor, Alienware's AW2725Q may be worth a look. Senior reporter Igor Bonifacic particularly noted the display's overall image quality and motion clarity, but there's a lot to like here. "The best thing I can say about the Alienware AW2725Q is that I'm not looking forward to sending it back," he said. "It is an amazing display that has made one of my favorite hobbies more enjoyable." Roku Streaming Stick Plus Cheap TV streaming devices are typically easy to recommend, and the fact that Roku's new Streaming Stick Plus draws power from the TV is icing on the cake. "This is also the stick I want to take with me on my next trip," senior buying advice reporter Amy Skorheim wrote. "I can plug it in at the Airbnb and, instead of logging in to whatever random apps the TV happens to have, I can watch more Doctor Who. I won't have to worry about where the nearest outlet is and I'll be spared the effort of typing in my stupidly long Disney+ password." Framework Laptop 13 (2025) Framework offers a way for you to easily upgrade your laptop as needed, which means you can swap out the mainboard for a new one when the company makes them available. However, the upgrade might not always be worth it, even if it is easy, but Framework's overall premise still shows promise. "But while it may not have the razzle or dazzle, it does have the staying power, and that's going to be a bigger asset in the next few years," senior editor Daniel Cooper argued. "If you're the sort of person who would buy a Lenovo Thinkpad and run it until it falls apart, then this is a better option." Light Phone III The Light Phone III seeks to offer a distraction-free smartphone existence, but as deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham found, the lack of polish in the company's bare-bones UI is a hindrance. "I can blame the music player or lack of autocorrect, but ultimately I was not ready for how radically different the Light Phone III experience is," he admitted. "But, for a few weeks, I left my iPhone at home when I left the house as much as possible and there was something freeing about the complete lack of notifications and general siren-call for attention that I usually deal with." Doom: The Dark Ages, Despelote and Suborbital Salvage For all the gamers, we've published reviews of several titles over the last two weeks. Most recently, senior editor Jessica Conditt spent some time with Doom: The Dark Ages, where she noted the "blood-soaked and beautiful" game offered "a well-rounded romp through the bowels of hell." She also opined on Despelote, a game that explores memories, magic moments and being a kid. And for the Playdate fans, weekend editor Cheyenne Macdonald found out what it's like to have a cat serve as your very opinionated supervisor in Suborbital Salvage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-surface-pro-rivian-canon-light-phone-and-more-130003232.html?src=rss

Welcome to our first weekly roundup of indie game releases, news and trailers. It's impossible to cover the indie scene completely comprehensively - dozens of games hit Steam alone every single day. There are so many indies we'd love to highlight, but we don't have the time to cover each individually. Our goal is to shine a spotlight on the games that grab our attention each week, one way or another. (Feel free to email me about your projects too!)This time around, we've got a spreadsheet-based puzzler, a pirate hack-and-slash title that was first announced 22 years ago, two solo-developed games and more.New releasesComedy puzzle game SpreadCheat has an early '90s/Windows 3.11 vibe and a Clippy-style assistant that definitely won't get annoying. Along with trying to Excel (I'm so sorry) at bending the rules of spreadsheets to solve brainteasers, you can venture into side quests like cleaning up viruses. I'm not sure I'll try this one myself, as math has no place in my video games (except for you, Balatro, you're cool), but the concept is intriguing. SpreadCheatis out now on Steam.From solo developer Andrea Cavuoto, Spear sounds a little like the movie Free Guy in that it's up to a non-player character to save the day. After a critical error deletes the hero of his game and threatens the existence of his reality, an NPC named Default has to step up. Default uses a makeshift spear to solve puzzles, battle foes and traverse the environment in this action-platformer. Spear is out now on Steam.Captain Blood is very much a throwback. It's a hack-and-slash game that looks straight out of the PS2 era (albeit with more refined visuals). Perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise, since the game was first announced in 2003. In fact, the original pitch was to make an old-school God of War, but with pirates.After several reboots, the game was canceled when the original publisher went bust. Legal issues prevented the developers from releasing the game themselves. SNEG later secured the rights to Captain Blood and over two decades since it was revealed, the game has formally been released. It's had mixed reviews, but I'd like to check it out all the same. That title is pretty great too. Captain Bloodis out now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC and macOS.We covered this one a few weeks ago, but here's a quick reminder that Geoguessr is now on Steam in early access. The Steam version was supposed to arrive in April, but it landed on May 8 instead. Nevertheless, it should now be easier for you to play the geography guessing game on Steam Deck. Elsewhere, Among Us 3D is out, while the super-charming Little Kitty, Big City has made its way to PS4 and PS5.UpcomingAnother game from a solo developer, Zefyr: A Thief's Melody looks like a blend of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, '90s Final Fantasy and one of my favorite games of the last few years, Tchia. Mathias Fontmarty says it took 12 years to make this stealth adventure. Who wouldn't want to explore a world on the back of a giant turtle? Zefyr will hit Steam on June 2.It's always worth keeping an eye on whatever Devolver Digital is up to and this past week, the publisher revealed Botsu. It feels like another spin on Fall Guys, albeit with voxel-based robots. Botsu, which is from developer Peculiar Pixels, is slated to arrive between July and September. A Steam demo is available now.However you slice it, virtual reality is still a relatively niche market, so it's always welcome to see games make the transition from VR to 2D formats (still side-eyeing you, Half-Life: Alyx) and perhaps find a wider audience. Survios is (Xeno)morphing Alien: Rogue Incursion into a PS5 and PC game. The studio says the flattened version, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition, will have full HD, 60 fps gameplay. It's set to arrive on September 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/spreadsheet-puzzles-metatextual-platformers-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-130035266.html?src=rss

Google has agreed to pay the state of Texas $1.375 billion to settle two lawsuits accusing the company of violating its residents' data privacy rights. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google in 2022, alleging that it collected users' biometrics without their express consent and continued to track their location even after they've disabled the feature. In the Attorney General's website, his office said that it's the biggest amount Google has agreed to pay to resolve similar lawsuits for data privacy violations. "For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won," Paxton said.When the Attorney General filed the lawsuit, Google told Engadget that Paxton mischaracterized its products. One of Paxton's complaints, for instance, was that Google used features in Photos and Assistant to scan people's faces. The company's spokesperson told us that Photos only scanned faces so that users can group images of the same person for organization. Google representative Jose Castaneda told CNBC that the company is not admitting any wrongdoing or liability by agreeing to settle. He said Google doesn't have to make any changes to its products as part of the agreement. "This settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies we have long since changed," he said.In July 2024, Meta also agreed to pay Texas $1.4 billion to settle a similar lawsuit that accused the company of collecting its residents' facial recognition data. Paxton said Meta violated the state's Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act "billions of times" by tagging photos and videos without users' consent.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-pay-texas-14-billion-to-settle-data-privacy-violation-lawsuits-120044844.html?src=rss

Threads users have long joked about the sometimes bizarre posts served up by its recommendation algorithm since the early days of the app. Lately though, some users are starting to notice another type of strange post appear in their suggestions: posts from random people looking for "friends."The posts often feature selfies of young people whose profiles claim to be 18. Engadget has observed numerous such posts appearing in Threads' "related threads" feature that surfaces recommended content to logged-out users. It's not clear why these posts are appearing as "related" to other popular recommended posts.For example, this post about Spotify from popular Threads user Chris Messina was suggested on Threads' home feed to logged out users. Clicking into the post surfaced a "related" post from Threads head Adam Mosseri. Underneath that post, however, was another "related" post from an account claiming to be an 18-year-old girl in 11th grade.Screenshot via ThreadsFor whatever reason, Threads seems to be surfacing many other such posts in its "related threads" feature. For example, the following post was also recommended as a "related" post elsewhere in the app. A look at this user's profile shows that they have posted the same thing - a photo followed by a WhatsApp link - more than 30 times in the last five days.Screenshot via ThreadsAnd here's what Engadget's editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris was recently recommended as a "related" thread" underneath one of my own posts while logged out.Screenshot via ThreadsAs Threads has grown to more than 350 million users, it's not surprising that the platform would see an influx of spam. Meta exec Mosseri said the company had seen an increase in "spam attacks" in July of 2023, not long after the service launched. Last year, the company said it was working to get engagement bait under control.But while the mere presence of spam on a platform the size of Threads isn't unexpected, it's bizarre that the app is recommending these posts so frequently. Meta didn't respond to specific questions about these posts or why they are being featured as "related" content, but confirmed that spammy posts shouldn't be featured as recommended content in the app.Notably, spammy posts seem to be appearing as recommendations in other parts of Meta's apps too. One Reddit user recently noticed a strange post that appeared as a recommendation on Instagram. This post featured a selfie of a woman with the words "I need a bf Age don't mind." A quick look at that user's profile shows they've posted dozens of times with that same caption over the last week. Literally every time the suggested Threads window shows up, I have to scroll through 2-4 posts like this before seeing something normal," the Redditor wrote. "I press not interested' and report every one I see, but they still keep showing up."Screenshot via ThreadsThe post seems to be related to some kind of ongoing spam campaign. The exact same selfie and text flagged by the Redditor was shared by at least one other Threads account. And searches on Threads show numerous other accounts are almost constantly sharing posts saying "age doesn't matter" or "don't mind age."Have you seen posts like this in your recommendations on Threads? Get in touch at karissa.bell [at] engadget.com or on Signal at karissabe.51.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/why-is-threads-recommending-these-weird-spammy-posts-from-people-looking-for-friends-234829584.html?src=rss

In the latest blow to what was generally a functional government, President Donald Trump wants to eliminate the independent agency in charge of issuing recalls and protecting US citizens from harmful products. The Office of Management and Budget has suggested the responsibilities of the Consumer Product Safety Commission should be folded into "a nonexistent division within the Department of Health and Human Services," according to a joint letter from lawmakers. And to seemingly start the process, Trump has fired the commission's three Democratic members without cause, The Washington Post reports.Following a meeting with the Department of Government Efficiency, Commissioners Mary Boyle and Richard Trumka Jr. received emails on May 8 informing them they'd been fired. A third commissioner, Alexander Hoehn-Saric wasn't formerly fired, but shared via a statement on May 9 that the Acting Chairman of the commission was "preventing [him] from executing [his] duties."Commissioners in agencies like the CPSC, FCC or the FTC are appointed by the President, approved by the Senate and normally serve out their term in its entirety. Removing a commissioner requires the President to determine that they've neglected their duty or are credibly accused of wrongdoing.

While the company might be pulling back some of its investments in the infrastructure that makes it run, Microsoft remains, at least publicly, intensely focused on AI and Copilot. The company's annual Microsoft Build developer conference runs from May 19 to 22 and typically touches on all of the company's various platforms, but it seems like AI will once again be the star.Microsoft Build is typically a pretty dry affair - Azure comes up a lot - but in the last few years the company has also used the conference to introduce new AI features that eventually make their way into consumer products. Since Microsoft recently released a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, too, the event should be all about software.You'll be able to watch the opening Build Keynote hosted by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CTO Kevin Scott on the Build website, or if you want the highlights as they happen, follow along with Engadget's liveblog. In the meantime, we can make some educated guesses as to what Microsoft might touch on.Adding more AI to Windows 11Microsoft talked up agents - AI that can take action on your behalf - a lot at Microsoft Build 2024, and the ways AI is automating work in Windows will likely come up this year, too. Microsoft has announced plans to introduce an agent into the Settings app that can make adjustments to your computer for you. An in-depth look at the feature or a tease of other agents coming to Windows 11 seems like obvious subject for the keynote to touch on. The company will likely get in to how third-party developers can build agents into their own apps, too.Microsoft has also shared that its making changes to File Explorer to let you find and tweak files without jumping into another app, and upgrading the start menu so you can find and download apps without having to open the Microsoft Store. Both features could be highlighted at Build.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants eyes on everyone leaving the country by vehicle. Wired reported this week that the agency plans to photograph every person in cars going to Mexico or Canada by land, including backseat passengers.The program would use facial recognition to match the pictures with travel documents like passports and visas. A CBP spokesperson told Wired that it wasn't immediately apparent that the surveillance system would track self-deportations, but she wouldn't rule out future use. "Not to say it won't happen in the future, though, with the way self-deportation is going," CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner said.Among the Trump administration's self-deportation moves have been offering $1,000 payouts to undocumented immigrants to leave the country voluntarily. It also listed 6,000 living immigrants with temporary parole as legally dead. That included canceling their Social Security numbers, effectively voiding their ability to work or collect benefits.The outgoing border photography plan would mirror a program CBP is developing for incoming border crossings. A separate Wired report from earlier in the week revealed the agency asked tech companies to suggest how they would track everyone entering the country by vehicle, including those seated two or three rows back. It's turning to Big Tech because its own attempts haven't been up to snuff. A recent test of the system at a Texas-Mexico crossing showed that CBP's cameras only met face-matching validation requirements 61 percent of the time.The moves come amid souring immigration approval for President Trump. A late-April poll from WaPo-ABC News-Ipsos found his approval rating on immigration underwater by seven points. (In February, he had a net positive of two points on the topic.) Meanwhile, a late-April NYT-Sienna College poll found that 53 percent of registered voters said Trump has "gone too far" on immigration enforcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/the-trump-administration-wants-to-photograph-everyone-leaving-the-us-by-car-200129593.html?src=rss

Epic has officially submitted Fortnite to the US Apple App Store. If the game returns, it'll be the first time in nearly five years that the battle royale shooter will be available on iOS devices.This is happening after a judge ruled that Apple must stop collecting fees for purchases made outside of the App Store. Epic celebrated the ruling by announcing Fortnite's imminent return, along with changes to its sales platform aimed at developers and publishers. The company will not charge a commission of any kind to publishers for the first $1,000,000 in revenue from an app per year.Additionally, Epic announced the formation of standalone webshops, offering another way for devs to avoid Apple's exorbitant App Store fees. The shops are powered by Epic Games Store and offer a platform for "out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective alternative to in-app purchases." It also announced a higher rate of Epic Rewards when using its proprietary payment system.Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has stated that the company would return the game to the App Store worldwide, so long as Apple extends the court's ruling across the globe. We don't know where Apple stands on that one, but the company did appeal the ruling and filed an emergency motion to ask the federal appeals court to put a pause on any changes to how the App Store operates and collects fees.

Arlo is expanding the AI features offered in its subscription security service as part of its new Arlo Secure 6 update. The updated system will offer improved video search, give cameras and doorbells a greater ability to identify possible emergency events and automatically create captions for anything your security system records when it starts rolling out later in May.As part of Arlo Secure 6, cameras will not only be able to use object-detection to identify things like packages, but also send you a notification when they visually detect a flame. The list of things devices can detect via sound is also expanding to include gunshots, screams, barking and broken glass, making it easier to know when to call for help.To make it easier to review footage, Arlo is now also using AI to generate captions for the clips your security system captures, that way you don't need to watch everything to know what's going on. And when you need to pull up a specific clip, Arlo Secure 6 will let you search for "specific keywords, descriptions, or time ranges" to find what you're looking for.Both Google and Amazon have explored similar AI-powered features in their Nest Aware and Ring Home services, automatically identify smoke alarms or letting you search for a specific person or thing in video search. This Secure 6 update makes Arlo's service more competitive, while focusing on some specifics that neither Google or Amazon offer.If you're already pay for an Arlo Secure plan, you should get the new Arlo Secure 6 features starting this month. Arlo offers two versions of its Secure subscription, a Plus plan for either $8 per month (one camera) or $18 per month (unlimited cameras), and a Premium plan for $25 per month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/arlo-updates-its-security-system-to-caption-what-cameras-see-and-detect-gunshots-183019334.html?src=rss

Now that Apple has to stop collecting fees on non-App Store purchases, Epic is pouncing with a new incentive. Starting today, you'll get 20 percent back in Epic Rewards when using the company's payment system for in-app purchases in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys.The offer isn't limited to the App Store, so you'll get the same 20 percent reward on PC, Android and the web. The reward balance will arrive 14 days after your purchase. You can redeem Epic Rewards inside the company's games or on the Epic Games Store.PC gamers who use Epic's Store also get 20 percent back on all purchases. However, unlike the in-app purchase program, that incentive only runs for a limited time. It expires on August 31.The rewards follow a legal ruling in Epic's favor. Last week, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a federal district judge in Northern California, said Apple violated a previous ruling from 2021. That four-year-old injunction required the iPhone maker to let App Store developers direct users to alternative payment systems, bypassing Apple's 30 percent fees.However, after the 2021 ruling, Apple charged a 27 percent commission on external payments. (It was a lower 12 percent for iOS Small Business Program members.) The company also showed "scare screens," discouraging users from using third-party payment systems due to decreased privacy and security. The judge scolded Apple in her ruling, saying it knew what it was doing and "at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option."After the ruling, Epic quickly announced that Fortnite would return to the App Store. Epic said on Friday that it submitted the game for review on Apple's storefront.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-launches-a-reward-program-to-lure-you-away-from-the-app-store-182027032.html?src=rss

Google has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of systemic racial bias against Black employees, as reported by Reuters. The preliminary settlement was filed earlier this week, but still requires a judge's approval. The class action suit covers more than 4,000 employees.Plaintiffs involved in the suit said that Google operates a "racially biased corporate culture" that steers Black employees to lower-level jobs. The suit also accuses the company of paying these employees less than other workers. The complaint goes on to say that Black employees comprised just 4.4 percent of its workforce and around three percent of its leadership in 2021. As a reference, Black Americans make up 14 percent of the population.

The 12-inch Surface Pro is the most iPad-like hybrid tablet Microsoft has made yet, but to get there the company had to make plenty of compromises. Clocking in at 1.5 pounds, it weighs almost the same as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and its 7.8mm thickness also makes it the thinnest Surface ever. But it's also running a slower processor than last year's 13-inch Surface Pro, and is stuck with a far worse screen. Its keyboard, which is once again sold separately for $149, also doesn't angle up for ergonomic typing. So was that all worth it for a more compact $800 Surface Pro? It depends on what you're looking for. If you've been hankering for an incredibly light Windows tablet that can occasionally transform into an adorable 12-inch laptop, the Surface Pro is a success. Just don't expect too much from it. Much like the ASUS ZenBook A14, its weight and thinness is notable, yet it's also chock full of compromises. What's new in the 12-inch Surface Pro The Surface Pro 12-inch is basically a shrunken version of the 13-inch model: It's a half-pound lighter and 1.5mm thinner. Hence, the iPad comparison. In your hands it feels a lot more like a genuine tablet, whereas previous Surface devices have always felt a bit clunky, as if they were laptops shoved into a slate-like case (which, admittedly, they were). Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Qualcomm's eight-core Snapdragon X Plus is the major driving force behind this redesign. As a low-power Arm chip, it allowed Microsoft to build a more compact tablet, rather than sticking with its older cases which had to support hotter Intel chips. Even last year's 13-inch Surface Pro, which was also powered by Qualcomm hardware (the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus and 12-core X Elite), wasn't a huge departure from earlier Intel models. Similar to the MacBook Air, the Surface Pro 12-inch is also fan-less, which could be an issue if you're working in warm environments. Sure, it also means the device is completely silent, but honestly I haven't had many issues with fan noise in other modern ultraportables. It mainly becomes a problem in gaming systems and high-end workstations, but those devices also run hot, so fan noise is inescapable. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Since the goal was to make the 12-inch Surface Pro smaller and cheaper, Microsoft also downgraded its screen a bit. There's no OLED option like there is with the 13-inch Surface Pro, and its LCD maxes out at a 90Hz refresh rate, instead of 120Hz. The resolution is also scaled down to 2,196 by 1,464 (3.2 million pixels, 220 pixels per inch), which is a far cry from the 2,880 by 1,920 (5.5 million pixels, 267ppi) screen on the larger model. While the smaller Surface Pro's screen is nowhere near as sharp as the 264 ppi Retina Display on the iPad Pro and iPad Air, it doesn't look like a cheap LCD either. Colors pop, and it's still decently bright in the sun. But it's not ideal if you're doing serious photo or video editing, both for its size and its merely adequate resolution. Another surprising step down? This Surface Pro doesn't have a magnetic Surface Connect charging port. Instead, you'll have to charge it over one of its two USB-C ports. Oh, and speaking of charging, Microsoft only includes a USB-C cable in the box - you'll have to supply your own AC adapter. You could pick up the over-priced 45W Surface USB-C charger for $70, but I'd recommend looking at one of the many cheaper and more powerful offerings in our fast charging guide instead. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Last, but not least, Microsoft also designed a new 12-inch Surface Pro keyboard. Even though it should just be bundled with the Surface Pro (who the hell is going to buy it without a keyboard?!), Microsoft once again says it's offering consumers a "choice" by making you pay an extra $150 for this accessory. Obviously, the company wants to market an $800 Surface Pro, which would be impossible if the keyboard were actually bundled. But it's still a deceptive practice by Microsoft, one that's inherently anti-consumer and ultimately continues to hurt hurt the credibility of the Surface lineup. It would be another story if other companies were building their own keyboards that could magnetically latch onto the Surface - Microsoft wouldn't comment when I asked if that was a possibility. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget In-use: An adorable Surface for the basics The 12-inch Surface Pro didn't surprise me with the zippiness I saw in the Snapdragon X Ultra-powered 13-inch model. And it certainly didn't blow my mind like the Apple M1-powered MacBook Pro. Instead, the smaller Surface is simply... fine. It handled my typical workflow - juggling a few dozen browser tabs, Evernote, Spotify and light image editing - without much issue. But I could tell from its benchmarking performance that I couldn't really stress it much. Honestly, though, slow performance has always plagued 12-inch laptops, like Apple's last MacBook. You're not buying a tiny laptop for speed, you're buying it because it's cute and super portable. And in that respect, the 12-inch Surface Pro succeeds. Together with the 0.3 pound Surface Keyboard, the entire Surface Pro package weighs around 1.8 pounds. That's still around 0.2 pounds less than the 13-inch Surface Pro on its own, without a keyboard! Needless to say, it was easy to throw the 12-inch Surface Pro into my messenger bag to get work done around town. After a while, I completely forgot I was carrying it. And while I didn't expect much from the new Surface Keyboard, I found it to be pleasant and responsive to type on. I was worried that the keys would feel more cramped than the 13-inch model, but my fingers couldn't tell much of a difference. I definitely miss having a larger trackpad, but the 12-inch keyboard is still smooth and accurate. If you want a bit of stylus action, you can also snag the $130 Surface Slim Pen, which magnetically mounts to the top of the tablet. I've personally fallen out of love with tablet styluses in general, but the Surface Pen worked fine for doodling and hand-writing notes on the 12-inch Surface Pro. As a standalone tablet, the Surface Pro is once again adequate, but it's held back by Windows' small touch targets and general inaccessibility to slates. It's not a tablet that I'll casually browse like an iPad, instead I typically use the Surface Pro in laptop form and then yank off the keyboard to read longer articles.

If you sent something you regret in a Google Messages RCS group chat, it looks like you'll soon be able to delete it for everyone, not just yourself. On Thursday, a Reddit user posted (via 9to5Google) a screenshot of the option in a public beta for Android's messaging app.The image from u/seeareeff shows a pop-up menu asking if they want to "Delete for everyone" or "Delete for me." Until now, the latter has been the app's only deletion option.The delete for everyone feature aligns with the RCS's Universal Profile v2.7. The GSMA finalized that update in June 2024, but it takes time for RCS-enabled apps like Google's to implement it. In February, a Messages app teardown from 9to5Google showed the change was in the pipeline for Android users.There are some caveats. First, not everyone using the public beta has seen the option. In addition, the Reddit user who spotted it only saw it in a group chat with 12 people; it wasn't yet in their one-on-one threads. Finally, 9to5Google's app sleuthing from February revealed a limitation you'll want to remember: Deleted messages "may still be seen by others on older app versions."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/delete-for-everyone-appears-in-the-google-messages-beta-161920211.html?src=rss

The AI-generated deepfake of a deceased road rage victim gave his own impact statement in court at the sentencing hearing of the defendent, as reported by NBC News. This is likely the first time the technology has been used in this way.The idea of using an AI version of the victim, Christopher Pelkey, came from his family, according to a Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesperson. Pelkey's sister said she had been writing the impact statement for two years but found that what she had to say "did not seem like it would do justice" to his memory. Pelkey was shot and killed in 2021 during a road rage incident.So the idea of bringing in a deepfake avatar was born. Pelkey's sister wrote the script, telling CNN that she was sure "it's what he would think." Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang approved the idea and the family played a video of the AI-generated Pelkey in court. In the video, the avatar actually seemed to ask for leniency when sentencing his killer. The defendant was convicted of manslaughter and endangerment earlier this year."To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances," the artificial version of Pelkey said. "In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness."However, the judge issued the maximum sentence of over 10 years in prison. "I heard the forgiveness," he said about the AI-generated avatar. "I feel like that was genuine, that his obvious forgiveness of Mr. Horcasitas reflects the character I heard about [Pelkey] today."The defense has stated that the AI presentation creates a strong issue for appeal. "While judges certainly have latitude as to what to hear, particularly from victims, an appellate court will have to decide if this was error," defense lawyer Jason Lamm said. The case has already been retried for procedural issues.Arizona State University law professor Gary Marchant, who specializes in ethics and emerging technologies, is worried about the legal precedent set here."You see that person in the courtroom actually speaking, and in reality, they're dead and they're not speaking," he told NBC News. "So this is an extra jump that I feel is going to get us into dangerous grounds."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepfake-of-deceased-man-gives-his-own-impact-statement-in-court-161138506.html?src=rss

The pink and yellow models of Apple's latest entry-level iPad with the A16 chip have just hit a new low of $278 at Amazon, down from the retail price of $349. Walmart is currently matching that discount for the tablet in pink. The other colors are still on sale, but for a lesser discount at $299. That's still $50 off and is available from Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart. All discounts apply to the base configuration, which includes 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Apple released the iPad A16 back in March, and we've since named it the budget pick in our iPad buying guide. It's not quite as refined or powerful as the iPad Air, as it's a bit slower for more involved tasks, and its non-laminated display has a harder time fending off glare. That said, it costs significantly less, and it's still more than enough tablet for the things most people do with an iPad. We gave it a score of 84 in our review. Apple didn't increase the price of this latest base iPad compared to the previous model, but it added 2GB of RAM, doubled the storage space and slotted in a more powerful chipset that's fast enough for most common tasks, including moderate gaming and lighter media editing. However, the iPad doesn't support Apple Intelligence - which may be a positive or negative, depending on your feelings about generative AI. The build quality is still as solid as ever, while the battery lasts around 10 hours on a charge, depending on the tasks you carry out with it. On the downside, the accessory situation isn't ideal. It only supports the more basic USB-C and first-gen Apple Pencils, neither of which can charge wirelessly when you magnetically attach them to the tablet's side - instead, you'll need a USB-C cable and/or USB-C to Lightning adapter to juice those up. The Magic Keyboard support isn't great either, as the model that works with this base iPad is tough to stabilize on your lap. Now, it's worth noting that the current iPad Air M3 is on sale for $100 off right now, too. That model is nearly identical in terms of size and weight, but adds the better antireflective screen, Apple Intelligence compatibility and support for the more robust Magic Keyboard add-on. But if those step-ups don't appeal to you - or, at least, aren't worth another $200 - the iPad A16 is still an ideal way to watch some movies while you're flying or to read the news without breaking the bank. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-new-apple-ipad-a16-has-dropped-to-a-new-low-of-278-143619852.html?src=rss

Panasonic is cutting 10,000 jobs globally in an effort to boost efficiency. Citing slowdown in EV growth and deteriorating profits in the air-conditioning sector as two of the challenges it is currently facing, the Japanese company will make the staff cuts in the current financial year, which ends in March 2026.In a statement released today, it was revealed that the structural reform will target 5,000 employees in Panasonic's native country and 5,000 overseas. The company says it expects to incur costs of 130 billion yen (around $900 million) as a consequence of the cuts. Panasonic said it will thoroughly review operational efficiency at each Group company, mainly in sales and indirect departments, and reevaluate the numbers of organizations and personnel actually needed."As a result of the shrinking its workforce and revamping its consumer electronics business, Panasonic aims to achieve an adjusted operating profit of at least 600 billion yen ($4 billion) in the financial year ending March 31 2027, but that doesn't take into consideration any potential impact from the Trump tariffs. Panasonic makes a variety of products, from EV batteries it supplies to Tesla, to its consumer-focused cameras and TVs. Panasonic TVs made a return to the US last year after a 10-year absence, but the company has reportedly indicated that it would be willing to leave the sector altogether if it continues to underperform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/panasonic-will-slash-its-global-workforce-by-10000-151746678.html?src=rss

Like untold millions of smartphone users, I have a bit of a problem. I've been trying, with middling success, to be more mindful about how I use my phone. I'll often uninstall various social media apps (but reinstall them later), and I've disconnected all my work tools unless I'm traveling specifically for the job. I don't play games without intention or doomscroll very much. But I still find myself mindlessly reaching for it when there's a moment to fill, and I don't love that habit. I don't think I'm completely addicted to my iPhone; my Screen Time stats put daily usage around two to three hours. That's less than I've seen a lot of people post on social media, but it's still significant. I've been intrigued by the Light Phone III since I first saw some previews for it last year. As the name suggests, it's the third phone by Brooklyn-based startup Light, and the ethos remains the same. It has no "infinite scroll" apps like email, social media, a web browser or most everything else that defines a modern smartphone. It's designed for quick interactions so you can pick it up, respond to a call or message, maybe get directions or put on a song and then get back to life. However, there are a lot of improvements compared to prior Light Phones that made it feel a lot more viable to me. Specifically, there's a camera, the screen is OLED instead of E Ink and the wider, more responsive display is better suited to text input. It also looks cool in a minimalist way, and has some nicely responsive physical buttons in a world when those are becoming increasingly rare. I've been using the $599 Light Phone III since late March, and my plan was to fully commit to it - but the practicality of doing so was surprisingly difficult. Based on my experience, it's going to be a tough sell for a lot of people who use a smartphone for basics or things only specific apps can deliver. The Light Phone III isn't quite ready to be most people's only device, but I wish it could be. The Light philosophy In general, the Light Phone III reminds me a little bit of the very first iPhone - a device with maybe 16 built-in apps and nothing else. Of course, the iPhone had time-wasters like YouTube, an email client and a web browser, but that device was not nearly the attention-hog that modern smartphones are. In the same way, Light picked specific tools that it feels most people will need while keeping everything as simple and bare-bones as possible. The idea is that instead of a device filled with apps constantly notifying you and trying to grab your attention, the Light Phone is focused on intentional use so you aren't constantly picking up your phone. That shows up in a variety of ways, from the basic block form factor to the fact that LightOS (based on Android, but you'd never know it) is literally white text on a black background. The only time you see color is if you open the camera or look at photos. But the most important thing is the extremely basic set of tools you can install on the device. Here's a full list in addition to the settings and phone / text messages apps:

During the 25th anniversary celebration of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates has announced that he was planning to give away "virtually all" of his wealth within the next 20 years. In all, he expects to distribute approximately $200 billion until the foundation shuts down on December 31, 2045, which as The New York Times notes is decades before originally intended. The Gates Foundation has funded several causes since it was founded in the year 2005 by Bill and his then-wife Melinda French Gates, including those dedicated to the eradication of and to supporting the sufferers of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.It has also funded causes focused on gender equality, maternal and child health, as well as family planning worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it committed $2 billion to various response efforts. The foundation's other initiatives include agricultural development, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene projects. It is not without its controversies, however, and was previously accused of marginalizing researchers who did not support Gates-backed educational policies, such as small schools and charter schools. It was also criticized for deferring too much to Gates' views and for lacking enough internal debate between its members.In an interview with The Times, Gates said that he and his team believe they can achieve their humanitarian goals within a much shorter period than they originally thought. It seems as if the foundation intends to bridge gaps left after the pandemic and to fill the hole the current US administration will be leaving after its massiv e cuts to foreign aid. One of things he spoke about specifically is the U.S.A.I.D. budget cuts, which killed the money meant for polio and HIV research and medicine aid. Gates called out Elon Musk, specifically, who cut the agency's budget "because he didn't go to a party that weekend." While he admitted that Musk could still end up being a great philanthropist if he gives away his wealth later on or after his death, Gates said that for now, "the world's richest man has been involved in the deaths of the world's poorest children."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/bill-gates-says-he-will-give-away-almost-all-of-his-money-over-next-20-years-140036671.html?src=rss

Doom: The Dark Ages is a very different game than Doom Eternal, the most recent mainline entry in id Software's demon-splattering series. While the Slayer in Eternal was a high-jumping, rail-swinging parkour machine, the Slayer in Doom: The Dark Ages moves like a bull on ice skates, heavy and meaty but incredibly agile. It feels good, and maybe more importantly, it feels right. The developers have made it clear that their goal with The Dark Ages is to emulate the original Doom more than its recent iterations, with the focus on building a concise combat loop and making the Slayer feel like a living monster truck, rather than a Ferrari. After 12 hours with the game, I can say they've done precisely that, plus they've made everything around the Slayer about 666 percent more metal than ever before. Doom: The Dark Ages is an exciting return to form and a phenomenal evolution of a genre-defining series. Bethesda Doom: The Dark Ages feels like an old-school Doom game in terms of combat, soundtrack and the Slayer's overall vibe, but it introduces fresh elements, including a razor-lined Shield Saw, a playable mech and dragon, detailed difficulty sliders, and expansive sandbox maps. I'm currently on chapter 12 of 22 and I've completely filled up my weapon wheel, maxed out multiple stats, solved a handful of puzzles, unlocked shield runes, played as a titan twice and ridden a dragon once. At this point I can feel the game's rhythm in my bones and, even with the modern touches, it's a familiar, catchy beat. The shield is the most obvious addition to the combat loop and it's a core element of every encounter, allowing the Slayer to block, parry, rush forward and throw it out as a giant spinning sawblade. There are dozens of demon types, each with its own moveset and vulnerabilities, and the Shield Saw reacts to them in unique ways. Some enemies shoot out glowing red or green projectiles, and parrying a green one with the shield sends it back at the attacker, dealing heaps of damage. Throwing the Shield Saw like a boomerang sends it slicing through hordes of basic ghouls, catching them on the way there and back. Or, it just embeds and spins in the flesh of mid-size monsters, interrupting their attacks until you recall it. It can also shatter bullet-heated armor and vaporize whole groups of infantry imps hiding behind their own red-hot shields. You can lock on to most enemies with the shield and then press the attack button to rush forward, stunning or exploding the targeted demon and its nearby buddies. On top of functioning as a cross-map dash move, the Shield Slam is critical in taking down midbosses that favor ranged weapons, forcing them to put away their guns and make parryable melee attacks. Bethesda The Shield Saw, heavy and dangerous, quickly becomes the Slayer's natural companion, and in combination with the gauntlet or flail, your melee weapons, it's a twitchy, deadly force. There are 10 main guns to unlock, each more hellish than the last, and they support a range of playstyles, from spray-and-pray to precision headshots and elemental damage. Based on early footage of The Dark Ages, I thought the Pulverizer was going to be my favorite gun because it looked like a powerful crowd-control tool and it had an actual human skull in the middle of it - but as it turns out, the Chainshot is my weapon of choice. It shoots out a heavy metal ball on a chain and deals significant damage with each hit, and I love that it can also kill demons as it's retracting. There are upgrade trees for each weapon, plus a range of Shield Runes to unlock. Let me put it this way: None of the guns in The Dark Ages are underpowered. Feel free to pick your favorite and go all in. The Slayer's weapons and attacks work symbiotically, building a complex rhythm of parrying, repositioning, shield throws and gunfire. The battlefields are littered with glowing piles of ammo, health and overshields, and the sounds that accompany their pick-up are charmingly familiar. These items pop out of demons as they take damage, keeping you alive, just barely, even when surrounded by enemies. There are entire levels built out of relentless combat, with large-scale fights around every corner and the sound of guttural, demonic groans constantly echoing across the wastelands. The Slayer feels like a tank made out of pure muscle, but he runs, dodges and attacks like an athlete a quarter of his size, and the combination of heft and responsiveness is just right. The Slayer is a bleeding, breathing weapon and in The Dark Ages, he really feels like it. But, if he ever feels less than godlike, you can fix that. The Dark Ages introduces a detailed difficulty slider that allows you to fine-tune the action straight from the pause menu. There are four difficulty settings - Aspiring Slayer, Hurt Me Plenty, Ultra-Violence and Nightmare - and from there, 10 elements to adjust, like enemy aggression, parry window size, enemy projectile speed and daze duration. Bethesda I started on the Hurt Me Plenty setting and quickly found it to be too easy, so I bumped my experience up to Ultra-Violence. I eventually hit a wall with one battle that I couldn't seem to beat, and I was deflated, on the verge of acute frustration. I didn't want to lose the tension that I was enjoying so much until that moment, so I left the main difficulty setting alone, and slightly increased my damage and the effectiveness of resources. This was just enough to push me over the edge, and I slid right back into a demon-slaughtering flow, feeling like a badass again. With The Dark Ages, id Software has built a thoughtful and rich customization system, and it's a quality-of-life feature that I can see being replicated in other similar games. And, remember, it works both ways - on top of making fights easier, it can also turn any battle into an overwhelming hellscape. You know, for fun. The Dark Ages is the largest Doom game id has ever made, and it's also the most gorgeous. In the first 12 hours alone, I've encountered battle-worn medieval castles overlooking ravaged kingdoms, mazelike underwater regions, floating ships made out of giant bones, and, of course, the wastelands of Hell, covered in juicy, intestinal growths, gothic fortresses and rivers of fire. There are a handful of secrets hidden in every level, and exploring the terrain is just as much a part of the gameplay as demon-slaying, a feature that I enjoy immensely. The character designs are also luscious: There's a marshmallow-like corpo alien and its floating, tentacled workforce; King Novik wearing heavy armor everywhere except over his rippling pecs and abs; and Prince Ahzrak, an ambitious demon with a pale face, slender horns and high-collared blood-red robes (a look that I would love to see replicated on Dragula, in fact). The classic enemies, updated but grotesque as ever, are a delight to both see and kill. As far as I've seen it, the story is appropriately epic and surprisingly coherent, with plenty of high-stakes missions and a clear Ultimate Villain. I'm already anxious for our final encounter, which I'll take as a good sign. Bethesda There are two new elements in The Dark Ages that I haven't discussed yet, even though they're both literally huge: the titan and the dragon. In certain levels only, you're able to control a mech-sized Slayer to fight giant demons, and you're separately able to hop on top of a vicious, armor-plated dragon and fly it through the sky. These moments are fun and they offer a brief break from the standard horde-hunting action, but largely, I don't think they're necessary. When I think about my time with The Dark Ages so far, I tend to forget about the titan and the dragon. They're simply overshadowed by the satisfaction and strategy built into the moment-to-moment gameplay, plus the layers of customization and all of the Satanic beauty on display. I'm not mad that I can pilot a mech and ride a dragon in the newest Doom game, but I am kind of meh about it. The Dark Ages is blood-soaked and beautiful. Even though some of its largest new elements are actually its least relevant, the game's focus on crisp combat, customization and twitchy shield play makes it a well-rounded romp through the bowels hell. The Dark Ages is a bright spot in Doom history. Doom: The Dark Ages will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 15. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/doom-the-dark-ages-review-goodbye-parkour-hello-shield-saw-140014377.html?src=rss

Years after the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta in a bid to halt acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, the trial that will shape its future is finally underway. The trial kicked off last month when CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand, and it's expected to last several weeks.Facebook's 2012 acquisition of Instagram is a central part of the FTC's case against Meta. The government says Zuckerberg bought Instagram to neutralize it as a competitor. When Instagram's cofounder and former CEO Kevin Systrom took the stand, he didn't exactly defend the move. While Zuckerberg had testified Meta had helped Instagram grow, Systrom testified Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a threat" to Facebook's growth and intentionally withheld company resources.Further still, Facebook's decision to pay $1 billion for Instagram - an app with no revenue and just a handful of employees - seemed like an incredible sum. Sheryl Sandberg thought Zuckerberg had overpaid for Instagram. In an exchange between the two from 2012, she said, Yes, of course it's way too much."There are more nuggets, too. Like how Meta sees TikTok as an earnest threat, how Europeans aren't buying the ad-free subscriptions (duh), and why Zuckerberg thought about nuking users' friend lists annually to boost engagement. Read Karissa Bell's full breakdown of the FTC v. Meta antitrust trial so far.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you might have missed

Apple is developing a chip for smart glasses, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and it's based on the chip used for the Apple Watch. The company's silicon group has reportedly removed some components from the chip used for the Watch to improve its power efficiency. In addition, the group has been working to give it the ability to control multiple cameras that the glasses would need to be able to function. Gurman previously reported that the company has set aside plans for Mac-tethered augmented reality glasses but that it still intends to release standalone AR glasses in the future. These glasses won't be true AR glasses, however, and would be more of a direct competitor to Meta's Ray-BansThe company is taking a slower, more cautious approach in developing the standalone glasses, so it could take some time before they're released. Gurman says Apple is looking to start mass producing the chips for the product sometime in 2027, so the company is expecting its development to take two more years at the very least. Based on that timeline, Meta will likely be able to release its first true pair of augmented reality glasses first: The company is already working on one and is hoping to launch it in 2027.If the device is going to be a true competitor to Meta's Ray-Ban spectacles, then it will be able to capture photos and videos, will have speakers or earphones and will be able perform tasks with voice commands. Apple's glasses will reportedly be using cameras to scan its environment and will assist wearers with the help of artificial intelligence. So yes, it will be similar to Meta Ray-Bans, but Bloomberg says Apple is still figuring out its exact approach for the product. Aside from the chip for its smart glasses, Apple is also reportedly working on chips for use in other devices, including a range of more powerful Macs and AI servers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apples-smart-glasses-project-may-use-the-same-chips-from-the-watch-120054077.html?src=rss

Travel is one of the best ways to learn something new about yourself and as a parent, you probably want to ensure your child has a great time exploring the world. Visiting a new place can be intimidating, but a few gadgets can help make the experience easier and more enjoyable for your new grad. These are some of the best travel accessories that always earn a spot in our bag whenever we head out on an adventure. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-travel-tech-for-graduates-123028465.html?src=rss

The late, great $30 Chromecast is no more. After hanging on as an option at Google's online store for months after the introduction of the pricier Google TV streaming box, it's gone to the great Google graveyard. But that doesn't mean there aren't countless Chromecast dongles still serving up the best streaming services, even as the the new box and a growing number of good budget-priced smart TVs now have Google TV as their default operating system.But no matter which generation of Google streamer you're using, you'll need a VPN (virtual private network) to expand your video options beyond your home library. Fortunately, both support several native VPN apps. Here's how to set up a VPN on Google TV or a Chromecast and why you may want to use one.Why use a VPN on Google TV or Chromecast?For streaming purposes, VPNs have one clear benefit: spoofing your IP address to that of a different country so that you can access geo-restricted content. If you use a VPN and connect to a different country's server, you can access its content library on any streaming platform.Let's say you live in the US but want to watch some award-winning BBC documentaries on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. All BBC iPlayer content is free if you live in the UK, but blocked everywhere else. Using a VPN, you can connect to a UK VPN server and stream to your heart's content.VPNs also have considerable security benefits if you use them on your smartphone or PC. Any worthwhile VPN encrypts your connection to the internet so you're totally anonymous online. Purchasing a single subscription means you can use your VPN on several devices concurrently, so we recommend you shop for a flexible one that supports multiple concurrent logins.What VPNs are available on Google TV?Google TV doesn't have as many VPN apps to install compared to other smart TV systems like Amazon's Fire TV OS. Although this may seem like a disadvantage, it's actually a blessing in disguise.With VPNs, you want to ensure you invest in a quality and trustworthy product. There are many untested or free VPNs available that sell your data or falsify their encryption claims. Although this might not be a huge issue for streaming purposes alone, it generally poses massive security and privacy risks.We recommend the following VPN services for Google TV and Chromecast:

This week we're diving into the new 12-inch Surface Pro, which, alongside the 13-inch Surface Laptop, is a foray into smaller Surface hardware. You can thank Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chips for that. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget's Igor Bonifacic explore the compromises Microsoft had to make for these devices, and they dive into the rumors around Half Life 3 and the leaked photos of Microsoft and ASUS's potential Xbox handheld. Also, Devindra chats with the head of Google's X division, Astro Teller, about the past and future of the "moonshot factory."Subscribe!

Fitness trackers are a solid option if you really want to hone in on tracking, well, your fitness. Some of the best fitness trackers also include additional sensors to track things like stress, sleep and other advanced health metrics. Sure, you could opt for the best smartwatch, but if you're not interested in all of the extra features they offer, a fitness tracker might be a better (and more affordable) option.

Microsoft hasn't secretly raised Surface prices, as earlier reports claimed. Instead, it has removed the base models of the Surface Pro 13-inch and Surface Laptop 13.8-inch from Microsoft.com, according to a statement by Nancie Gaskill, GM of the Surface group. "Customers can purchase base models of Pro and Laptop at the starting price of $999 at other key retailers," she added.Currently, you can still find those models at Amazon and Best Buy, where they're discounted to $800. That's the same price as the smaller (and slower) Surface Pro 12-inch, so potential buyers have to think hard about balancing portability versus power. It's also unclear if those base models are still being produced by Microsoft, the company could be trying to sell through it's existing stock so future customers can only order the more expensive models.Earlier this week, XDA first noticed a potential Surface price change at Microsoft.com. The starting prices of the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop and 13-inch Surface Pro appeared to jump from $1,000 to $1,200 - but it turns out those are just higher-specced models.And despite the confusion around actual Surface pricing, Microsoft has definitely made its accessories more expensive. The 65W Surface power supply shot up from $90 to $120 this week, and the 127W variant went from $125 to $175. (Perhaps consider the many cheaper options from Anker and other companies in our fast charging guide.)Microsoft also increased Xbox prices last week increases. The Xbox Series X is now $80 more expensive, while an Xbox Series X costs an extra $100.Updated 5/8/2025 6:00PM: Added Microsoft's statement about not increasing Surface pricing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-says-it-hasnt-raised-surface-prices-210427376.html?src=rss

ChatGPT is bringing its Deep Research service directly into GitHub's developer ecosystem. This integration is beginning a beta test this week, with ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Team users the first to receive access over the coming days. Members of the Enterprise and Edu plans will get a chance to try it out "soon." Users can grant the AI assistant access to select code repositories and ask questions about their contents that ChatGPT will answer with cited reports.Programmers have been a notable audience for AI assistants. A tool like ChatGPT can quickly review code and see where you've left a bracket unclosed or explain why a function isn't working, so looping the chatbot directly into GitHub could streamline the process. Plus, Microsoft owns GitHub and the company has made extensive investments into OpenAI.When OpenAI initially announced Deep Research, the analysis-focused application of the AI chatbot required a Pro plan to use. In February, the company opened it up to all paying users of ChatGPT.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-deep-research-can-now-connect-to-github-215909296.html?src=rss

CEO and founder of Celsius Network Alex Mashinsky has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a US District Court. Celsius Network held about $25 billion in assets at its height, but was one of the many cryptocurrency operations to fail during 2022. Prosecutors were seeking two decades for Mashinsky, claiming he defrauded and misled customers about the status of his company's CEL token."His crimes were not the product of negligence, naivete, or bad luck," the attorneys said. "They were the result of deliberate, calculated decisions to lie, deceive, and steal in pursuit of personal fortune."After an initial not-guilty plea to seven criminal counts, the former cryptocurrency leader pled guilty to two of the fraud charges in December. As part of his plea deal, Mashinsky agreed not to appeal any sentence of 30 years or less.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/celsius-ceo-alex-mashinsky-sentenced-to-12-years-for-crypto-fraud-210415388.html?src=rss

Threads will finally start giving users more visibility into when their accounts are penalized for breaking its rules. Meta is bringing its Account Status" feature to Threads, which will enable people to see when the company has removed or demoted posts or handed out other penalties.The change adds a layer of much-needed transparency to Threads, which already has a recommendation algorithm that can be hard for creators to understand. Earlier this year, Meta reversed course on whether it would recommend political content to Threads users after it tried to limit posts about elections and other social" topics last year.As on Instagram (and Facebook), Account Status allows Threads users to view actions" Meta has taken against their account. It will indicate if a post has been removed, made less visible in other users' feeds or deemed un-recommendable by Meta. It will also show if a user has been blocked from using certain features for breaking the platform's rules.If Meta has actioned" your account for some reason, Account Status is also where you can request an appeal. The company says it will alert users once their report has been reviewed.Account Status is starting to roll out now and is accessible from the account" section in Threads' settings menu.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-start-telling-users-when-their-posts-are-demoted-204628224.html?src=rss

Nintendo's lawyers have killed another Palworld gameplay mechanic. Pocketpair issued a patch on Thursday that changes how gliding works in the cheeky "Pokemon with guns" satire.You can still glide in Palworld, but you can no longer use your Pal to do so. Starting with patch v0.5.5, you can only soar with a boring, inanimate glider in your inventory. Although Glider Pals can still passively buff gliding, it's no longer as fun as flinging out the creature and using their aerodynamics to cross a ravine.As you'd expect, Pocketpair's decision traces back to its legal defense. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company sued the developer in Japan last year, claiming Palworld infringes on multiple patents. Since then, Nintendo has filed a flurry of patent applications in the US in an apparent scheme to go global with its legal assault."We understand that this will be disappointing for many, just as it is for us," Pocketpair wrote. "But we hope our fans understand that these changes are necessary in order to prevent further disruptions to the development of Palworld."PocketpairToday's update isn't the first to bork the game to try to stave off the Mario maker's legal barrage. In November, Palworld removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Spheres, one of the game's more Pokemon-esque details. But gliding is a much less established Pokemon gameplay mechanic. On top of that, it's a common one in the industry, found in franchises as diverse as Far Cry, Fortnite and Batman: Arkham.The lawsuit sparks fears that industry behemoths using the courts to snuff out smaller competitors will become more widespread. "Video game patent mechanics has to utterly die given how it's either abused by major companies to cripple any competition or utterly wasted like with the Nemesis system from Middle-earth games," u/DenseCalligrapher219 opined on Reddit.Another way to view Nintendo's move is that it masks the stench of a stagnant franchise. "If Nintendo is going to sabotage other Pokemon-like games, the least they could do is get Game Freak to develop a Pokemon game that isn't garbage," wrote u/VacantThoughts. "The world's biggest franchise with the world's laziest half-ass devs."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/palworld-removes-pal-gliding-as-it-continues-its-legal-battle-with-nintendo-200644597.html?src=rss

It's getting down to the wire to snag a Mother's Day gift that will arrive on time. But luckily, as of this writing, more than a few of these gifts will arrive before Sunday for Amazon Prime members. Below, you'll find gift ideas we at Engadget think moms will appreciate long after a bouquet of flowers would have died. We've tried these gadgets and subscriptions ourselves, reviewing them for guides or otherwise using them in our everyday lives - so we know they're worthwhile. Be sure to double check shipping windows if you want something to arrive by Sunday. And for truly last-minute shopping, we also included a couple of subscriptions. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-last-minute-mothers-day-gift-gadgets-and-subscriptions-mom-will-love-131533691.html?src=rss

Instagram's Threads app began testing advertisements for its users at the start of this year, and the social platform is already ramping up its monetization efforts. Meta announced at IAB NewFronts that it will start testing video ads on Threads. The company didn't get specific about the size or scale of this preliminary test, but said that a "small number" of advertisers will trial 19:9 or 1:1 video ad creatives placed between typical posts in users' feeds.At the NewFronts event, where social media companies can pitch themselves to advertisers, Meta also said that it is trying out a new ad option centered around Instagram Reels. It is developing Reels trending ads that will be shown next to some of the service's most popular videos.Basically, Meta is following the same trajectory with its Instagram networks that it did with Facebook: making it less and less enjoyable to actually socialize with your connections.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-test-video-ads-on-threads-192213050.html?src=rss