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The New York Times ran a lengthy interview this morning between columnist Ross Douthat and venture capitalist and PayPal founder Peter Thiel. There's a reason it was published in the opinion section.Thiel, a Trump booster whose allies - including Vice President JD Vance - now litter the White House, was given free reign to discuss a variety of topics across over an hour of softball questions. Is Greta Thunberg the literal antichrist? Are the three predominant ideological schools in Europe environmentalism, "Islamic Shariah law" and "Chinese Communist totalitarian takeover"? Is AI "woke" and capable of following Elon Musk to Mars? Peter seems to think so! Perhaps the "just asking questions" school of journalism could add "hey, what the fuck are you talking about" to its repertoire.Admittedly, many of these assertions fall squarely into the realm of things that exist within Thiel's mind palace rather than verifiable facts, with at least one notable exception. Relatively early in their chat, Peter tells Ross the following [emphasis ours]:

We know what you're thinking: there just isn't enough AI around right now. Luckily for you, Donald Trump emphatically agrees. According to a new report from Reuters, his administration is assembling a number of executive actions that would significantly increase the energy supply used for expanding artificial intelligence. The US and China are currently battling it out to lead the way in the rapidly growing sector, but American companies will need more infrastructure to make the advances Trump wants."With the right Government policies, we can solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans," he said back in January when signing an executive order in his first days in office that made clear his intention to reduce any regulatory hurdles to allow unchecked development in the area.Reuters was told by sources that asked to remain anonymous that, if passed, the planned executive orders would "make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid, and provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology." The Trump administration is reportedly also planning to release an "AI action plan" and schedule a number of public events that promote its ongoing efforts.Power-hungry data centers are often large and not quick to build, but in an attempt to speed up the process, Trump's actions may offer land managed by the Defense Department or Interior Department to AI project developers. A nationwide Clean Water Act permit, meanwhile, would mean permission to build would no longer operate on a state-by-state basis, making it easier for developers to get projects off the ground.Donald Trump's AI crusade has been ongoing since he took office. After initially taking an eraser to Biden's extensive AI protection framework, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed a "big, beautiful bill" that places a 10-year ban on state AI regulations. It still has to pass through the Senate.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/donald-trump-is-reportedly-preparing-a-sweep-of-pro-ai-executive-orders-171856144.html?src=rss

The US Supreme Court has upheld a Texas law that could have broad implications for online free speech. The court ruled 6-3 in affirming Texas law HB 1181, which requires websites that host adult content to implement age verification.The nonprofit Free Speech Coalition petitioned the top court in April 2024 to review the law. (The organization represents the adult industry.) Texas was one of many states passing age-verification laws aimed at porn websites. Pornhub has exited 17 states due to similar legislation.Critics across the political spectrum have noted that HB 1181 has concerning implications for the First Amendment and online privacy. The EFF notes that no age verification method exists that is both accurate and respects user privacy. (Unlike flashing an ID in person, online verification requires data retention.)HB 1181 requires websites that contain at least "one-third" of their content as "material harmful to minors" to implement age-gating. The age verification applies to all users visiting the sites. The mandate applies to the entire website, not only the parts with adult content.Another concern is that experts consider age-gating to be largely ineffective. After all, teens who are unfamiliar with VPNs can easily learn about them.US Supreme CourtBefore today's ruling, the Supreme Court had previously struck down attempts to age-gate online content. In 1997, it rejected Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union primarily due to concerns over First Amendment rights. Under US law, adult content is considered protected speech.Justice Elena Kagan summarized the concerns of critics in her dissenting opinion. (Justices Sotomayor and Jackson joined her.) "Adults have a constitutional right to view the very same speech that a State may prohibit for children," Kagan wrote. "And it is a fact of life - and also of law - that adults and children do not live in hermetically sealed boxes. In preventing children from gaining access to 'obscene for children' speech, States sometimes take measures impeding adults from viewing it too - even though, for adults, it is constitutionally protected expression."Another concern about the ruling is the "slippery slope" factor. Today's ruling doesn't only exist in a bubble - it will also shield other states from criticism about similar laws. That may also mean we see laws that continue to push the envelope and move the Overton window in increasingly autocratic directions. The far-right Project 2025 agenda presidential blueprint wants to ban porn altogether. It even proposes imprisoning those who create and distribute it and forcing them to register as sex offenders.The ACLU lambasted Friday's decision. "The Supreme Court has departed from decades of settled precedents that ensured that sweeping laws purportedly for the benefit of minors do not limit adults' access to First Amendment-protected materials," Cecillia Wang, ACLU national legal director, wrote in a statement. "The Texas statute at issue shows why those precedents applying strict scrutiny were needed. The legislature claims to be protecting children from sexually explicit materials, but the law will do little to block their access, and instead deters adults from viewing vast amounts of First Amendment-protected content."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/supreme-court-upholds-texass-porn-site-age-verification-law-155007840.html?src=rss

Whether you're setting up a new device or helping a friend connect to your home network, sharing your Wi-Fi password doesn't need to be a hassle. Today's smartphones make it easy to share access without typing (or needing to remember) long strings of characters. Both iPhones and Android devices support features that let you send your Wi-Fi password quickly and securely, but the steps can vary depending on the devices involved.Of course, you can still go into your Wi-Fi settings to view your password and show it to your guest or copy and paste it into a group chat. But the methods outlined here avoid having to tell anyone what your long, complicated password might be and are generally more secure.Below are the most reliable ways to share Wi-Fi passwords between iPhones, between Androids and across mobile platforms.How to share your Wi-Fi password from iPhone to another Apple deviceApple has built-in functionality to simplify Wi-Fi sharing between its own devices that was introduced in iOS 11. This feature works on iPhones, iPads and Macs provided they're running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS or macOS.Before you start:

As to be expected, we're seeing many early deals in the lead up to Prime Day 2025, which starts on July 8. Blink Outdoor 4 cameras are among them, with discounts up to 62 percent on a bunch of bundles. If you're just starting out, you can get a one-camera system for only $45, 55 percent off its usual price. That gives you one security camera and the Sync Module 2, which lets you expand and connect more cameras down the line. If you want to start off with more, a three-pack is 62 percent off and down to only $100. Blink cameras that come with battery extension packs are on sale, as well. The Blink Outdoor 4 already has a two-year battery life, but the units with extension packs can last for up to four years before their batteries need to be replaced. A two-camera bundle with battery extension packs is on sale for $90, down $125 from $215. Meanwhile, the five-camera bundle with battery packs is down to $210 from $460, though you can also get a single camera and a pack of three. The Blink Outdoor 4 cameras can provide live views of the area in 1080p, has infrared night vision and two-way audio. They can also alert you to motion faster than their predecessors. Take note that the cameras come with a free 30-day trial of the Blink Subscription Plus Plan, which adds the ability to notify you about any person the cameras detect, as well as the ability to store footage in the cloud. The subscription costs $10 a month or $100 a year after the trial period ends. In addition to pure Blink Outdoor 4 bundles, the sale also includes packs with Blink video doorbells, the Blink Mini and a system hub that extends the range of what the camera can see.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/pick-up-a-blink-outdoor-4-camera-for-as-low-as-45-ahead-of-prime-day-115908395.html?src=rss

Meta is in currently in acquisition talks with PlayAI, a California-based startup that provides its users with an AI voice cloning tool, according to Bloomberg. According to the news organization, Meta is looking to buy the startup's technology, as well as to absorb some of its employees into the company. The parties haven't come to an agreement yet, but if the acquisition pushes through, it could give the company the technology it needs to expand its voice AI offerings. It could roll out more voice features for its AI chatbot and assistant, as well as for its smart glasses from Ray-Ban and Oakley.While both companies refused to confirm their talks to Bloomberg, the potential purchase of an AI voice cloning tool doesn't sound out of left field for Meta based on its recent activities. Company chief Mark Zuckerberg has been personally involved in a hiring spree for high-level AI experts over the past few months to form the company's new AI Superintelligence team.Zuckerberg has reportedly been offering experts from rival companies like OpenAI compensation packages as big as $100 million, and a few had already accepted. Just a few days ago, Meta finalized a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, a startup that provides other companies with data labeling and model evaluation services for AI training. In exchange, Scale AI's founder and CEO Alexandr Wang joined Meta and is believed to be heading its new Superintelligence lab. Before Meta decided to invest in Scale AI, it also considered acquiring Perplexity AI.PlayAI's website says its tool can mimic or clone a user's voice and can generate voices as real as humans, which can be deployed to websites, apps and phones. While its acquisition could lead to useful voice features for Meta's apps and websites, the company could also use the tool to make more life-like AI chatbots. Zuckerberg's vision of the future, after all, is a world where people's AI friends outnumber human ones. We may already be seeing the beginnings of such a world, considering chatbot romances have become increasingly popular over the past few months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-reportedly-looking-to-acquire-ai-voice-replicator-playai-133032491.html?src=rss

Super Mario Strikers, the first game in the Mario Strikers series that was originally released for GameCube in 2005, will soon be available to play on Switch Online. Nintendo is adding it to its GameCube library for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members, though it will only be accessible from the Switch 2. If you'll recall, the company announced the addition of a GameCube library to its $50-a-year subscription service as a Switch 2-exclusive upgrade before the console even shipped.In Super Mario Strikers, you play soccer (or football to most of the world) in an arena, where there are no penalties and you can quite literally hurt your opponent to get the ball. You can select your captain from the franchise's characters, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario and Waluigi. And you can obtain and use various Mario-themed items, such as bananas, shells and mushrooms for power-ups and to hinder your opponent's progress. In addition to the captain, your team will also have a goalkeeper and three "sidekicks." However, it's only the captain who's capable of taking a shot called the "Super Strike," which gives you two points when it's timed correctly.You'll be able to play Super Mario Strikers matches alone, but you'll also be able to play local and online multiplayer matches with up to four friends. For local matches, every player must have their own controller. The game will be available from the GameCube library on July 3, alongside other classic GameCube games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcaliber 2 and F-Zero GX.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-adding-super-mario-strikers-to-its-switch-online-gamecube-library-130051271.html?src=rss

Google Labs is making virtual outfit try ons available to all with a new experimental AI app called Doppl, the company announced in a blog post. You can upload a photo of yourself and any outfit to see how it will look on you and can even create an AI-generated video of yourself and the clothing in motion.To use it, first upload a full-body photo of yourself, then choose photos or screen shots of outfits. For instance, you can screenshot or download photos from sources like Pinterest or clothing websites, or take photos of clothing from locations like thrift stores. You could even snap a photo of a friend wearing a desired outfit.Once the outfit is selected, Doppl (short for doppelganger one imagines) will create an AI-generated image of you wearing it even and convert the static image into a moving video. You can continue to browse through outfits, save your favorites and share different looks. It may not work perfectly for you - Google pointed out that "Doppl is in its early days and... fit, appearance and clothing details may not always be accurate."Google recently unveiled a similar try-on feature for its Shopping experience, but Doppl works strictly as a standalone app. It looks like the kind of thing people could have some fun with, particularly on social media, but it may also aid Google in gathering data on users' buying and shopping habits. The app is now available on iOS and Android, but only in the US for now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-ai-app-doppl-lets-you-try-on-outfits-virtually-120014003.html?src=rss

Panasonic's S1 II is arguably the company's best creator camera, if not the best creator camera, period. That's according to our review from Steve Dent, who really liked a lot of things but especially the 6K RAW video and excellent stabilization. However, at $3,200, it's expensive compared to the competition.EngadgetNikon's Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less. Then there's Panasonic's own $2,500 S1 IIe, which was announced at the same time as the S1 II. It has mostly the same features but uses a non-stacked sensor more prone to rolling. Make sure to check out the full review.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The news you might have missed

Most TVs on the market today are smart TVs - but there are still a few compelling reasons to get a streaming device. These sticks and set-top boxes let you access a user interface that might be easier to suss out than the built-in one on your set. In the case of older or cheaper TVs, a streaming device could make your TV feel faster, too. You may also find streaming sticks convenient for travel, letting you access all your streaming services on a hotel or Vrbo TV set without typing in a ton of passwords. We tested out streaming players from Roku, Google, Apple, Amazon and more, gauging the usability and the performance of each one to help you find the best streaming device for your cord-cutting needs. Table of contents

Elon Musk has reportedly fired Omead Afshar, Tesla's head of manufacturing and operations in North America and Europe, according to Forbes. Both CNBCand Bloomberg corroborated the report. Afshar's exit follows Milan Kovac, the head of engineering on Tesla's Optimus robot, who left the company in early June.Afshar was promoted to the role last year, Bloomberg reports, after working for multiple different Musk-owned companies since 2017. The timing of his exit isn't particularly surprising given the trouble Tesla has faced selling cars. Sales in Europe have shrunk for a fifth consecutive month and the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association reports that registrations of new Teslas dropped by nearly 41 percent in May. The company is also struggling in China, where sales fell 15 percent in the same month.While Musk appears to be holding Afshar responsible, the blame clearly lies at Musk's feet. Helping to fund President Donald Trump's re-election in the US, running the destructive DOGE cost-cutting efforts after his election and just generally maintaining a noxious public presence have permanently tainted Musk and his companies. While SpaceX still benefits from government contracts, Tesla's sales are vulnerable to public opinion, something the Tesla Takedown movement has been leveraging to its advantage with protests outside of the company's dealerships.Firing Afshar, leaving his position in the US government and launching Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin are all different attempts from Musk to change the narrative around Tesla. It's not clear yet whether they'll actually help.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/elon-musk-reportedly-fired-a-key-tesla-executive-following-another-month-of-flagging-sales-205118891.html?src=rss

Apple has introduced new fee structures for developers using the App Store in the EU in order to meet the requirements of the bloc's Digital Markets Act. Last month, the European Commission ruled that Apple was not in compliance the legislation and ordered the company to make changes within 30 days. Apple can still file an appeal of the decision until July 7.The new terms make things a little complicated. When apps promote offers for digital goods or services in the EU, they'll be subject to an "initial acquisition fee" and a "store services fee" as well as a Core Technology Fee for apps with more than 1 million annual installs. Developers who agree to the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement (EU) Addendum will be charged a Core Technology Commission (CTC) of 5 percent rather than the CTF. The CTC applies to "all sales of digital goods or services that occur within a 12-month period from the date of an install, including app updates and reinstalls" rather than the CTF approach based on installation numbers. The exact rules and exemptions are now listed on a dedicated support page.There are also two separate tiers of fee structures. Tier 1 is for apps using mandatory store services and Tier 2 covers apps using optional store services. The initial acquisition fee is 2 percent for both tiers, although participants in the Apple Small Business Program and recurring subscriptions after the first year will not be subject to that charge. The Tier 1 store services fee is 5 percent, while Tier 2 is 13 percent normally or 10 percent for program participants.That's the approach for the remainder of this year, although Apple said it plans to adopt a single business model of the Core Technology Commission for all developers in the EU beginning January 1, 2026.Apple is also offering new terms about how developers can promote and communicate offers to users in the EU. The destination for a promo can now be "a website, alternative app marketplace, or another app, and can be accessed outside the app or within the app via a web view or native experience." The company is also toning down language in the "scare sheets" it displays when a user follows a link to outside the App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-details-new-fee-structures-for-app-store-payments-in-the-eu-204253948.html?src=rss

Google has improved its AI-powered Ask Photos feature and is restarting its rollout to eligible users in the US. The company paused the launch of Ask Photos in early June over issues with latency and the feature's interface.To make Ask Photos speedier, especially on simple searches for dogs or people, Google says its essentially combining the old Google Photos search with Ask Photos. While Google's Gemini models work in the background, the app can now quickly return basic image recognition-based results for searches. Once the more complex Gemini responses are complete, they're automatically displayed.GoogleAnnounced at Google I/O 2024, Ask Photos uses AI to let you search through your Google Photos library with natural language queries. Besides structuring results as a chat, Google imagines the featuring being useful for sourcing information that you might not even realize your photo library is storing. You could search for your license plate number, for example, or the restaurant you visited on a specific birthday.Google started rolling out Ask Photos in September 2024, though the early version of the feature was annoying to deal with. Besides being slow to return responses, it also replaced the faster, more traditional search in the app's menu bar. If you want to access normal search results you have to tap through multiple layers of the Google Photos interface. The new approach splits the difference by combining the results.Ask Photos is once again rolling out to Google Photos eligible users. In order to receive the new feature, you need to be at least 18 years old, based in the US, have a Google Account with the language set to English and have the Google Photos "Face Groups" feature turned on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-tweaked-its-ai-powered-ask-photos-feature-and-restarted-its-rollout-192505246.html?src=rss

Get ready for your game library to grow, because the Steam Summer Sale is open and ready for business. The promotion runs through July 11, so you've got plenty of time to peruse all of the available deals, but there are a couple fun highlights in this season's selections.For starters, two likely contenders for 2025 game of the year are on sale. You can pick up the spectacular puzzle game Blue Prince for 15 percent off or about $25, and the lush Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a slight discount of 10 percent, which puts it at $45. I'm sad they didn't go thematic and make it $33, but even a small price cut is nice for games this recent.A couple other newish releases are available at smaller discounts. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is 20 percent off, as is Black Myth: Wukong, while Civilization VII is 15 percent off. The Silent Hill 2 remake is down to $42 thanks to a 40 percent cut.Most of the biggest deals are on older titles. For instance, if you don't already own the excellent Doom (2016), it's only $4 with an 80 percent off discount. Or pick up Death Stranding Director's Cut for just $16.Steam sales are also a prime chance to add more indies to your library. For multiplayer mayhem, Human Fall Flat and Overcooked 2 are each $6. You can explore the beautiful underwater world of Abzu for just $5. Chicory: A Colorful Tale is half off at $10 and Slime Rancher 2 is down to $20.Those are just a few of the highlights. Now you just have to find the time to play everything you buy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-steam-summer-sale-is-live-with-a-fresh-batch-of-big-discounts-190844050.html?src=rss

Threads and Instagram are continuing to decouple. Meta's social network has updated its Hidden Words setting to make it separate from Instagram. Prior to this update, users had one global Hidden Words setting that impacted both platforms.For the uninitiated, the Hidden Words setting lets users filter out stuff they don't want to see. The setting can be applied to posts, feeds, searches, profiles and replies. The tool can filter out words, phrases and emojis.ThreadsThreads also offers the ability to snooze words and phrases for a period of 30 days. This is really useful for avoiding spoilers or just when you get tired of a certain discussion topic. Today's update even brings in the ability to filter out words and phrases in batches. Threads head Adam Mosseri says all of this was done so users could "shape the experience into one where they feel comfortable expressing themselves."When Threads launched in 2023, it was basically an extension of Instagram. The two platforms have slowly been embracing independence the last couple of years. Threads has begun testing its own DM inbox that's not tied to Instagram and now lets people deactivate one account without impacting the other.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/threads-now-has-a-hidden-words-setting-thats-separate-from-instagram-184136934.html?src=rss

Senators Marsha Blacburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have reintroduced a bill that would force app store owners like Apple and Google to allow third-party payment systems and sideloading apps, among a collection of other developer-friendly changes. The bill, called the Open App Markets App, was originally introduced in 2021, but it never came up for a vote after passing through the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022.The Open App Markets Act applies its changes to app stores with 50,000 monthly users or more, most obviously applicable to the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Like the original bill, the reintroduced Open App Markets Act wants covered companies to allow things like sideloading, third-party app stores and alternative payments systems, while protecting developers ability to "tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive pricing." It would also prevent app store operators from privileging their own apps and services in app store search results."We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted experience our users love and a fantastic business opportunity for developers in the U.S. and around the world. We face intense competition everywhere we operate, and we are proud to be an engine for innovation and economic growth," an Apple spokesperson says. "We are concerned this EU-style regulation will open our users to new privacy and security risks, and will continue to advocate on their behalf."While the aims of the new bill are largely the same as the original one, the legal environment is meaningfully different. Apple has been forced to allow third-party app stores and alternative payment systems in the European Union following the introduction of the Digital Markets Act in 2022. Thanks to its failure to make good on the small concession Epic won via its lawsuit, Apple has also been forced to allow developers to direct customers to pay for things outside of the App Store and its in-app payments system. The Open App Markets Act would make these kinds of changes the law in the US.It seems possible the bill could pass, too. Regulatory pressure on tech companies has only increased since 2021. For example, Utah recently passed an age-verification law that would require app stores to only allow users 18 and up to make an account.Update, June 26 2025, 1:51PM ET: Added comment from Apple.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-senators-reintroduce-bill-to-open-apple-and-googles-app-stores-215037373.html?src=rss

After a six-year wait, Panasonic's S1 II is finally here and there's a lot to unpack. As you'd expect from this company, it's creator-centric with up to 5.8K ProRes RAW internal video recording. At the same time, it's Panasonic's fastest full-frame photo camera ever with 70 fps burst speeds and reduced rolling shutter distortion thanks to the new partially stacked 24-megapixel sensor. And with an AI-powered hybrid phase detect system, autofocus is no longer a weak point as it was with the original S1. There is one issue though, and a surprising one for Panasonic: the price. The $3,200 S1 II is similar to Nikon's Z6 III, right down to the partially stacked sensor and internal RAW video. However, the latter is some $700 cheaper and can often be found on sale for even less. Since Panasonic often undercuts rivals, that puts the S1 II in the unusual position of being overpriced next to the competition. After testing it for the last month, I've found that whether it's worth it depends on your priorities. Handling and design The S1 II shares its excellent body design with the higher-resolution S1R II and the cheaper, non-stacked S1 IIe. It's considerably lighter than the original S1 at 1.76 pounds and much smaller as well, both of which make it less burdensome. It's also easy to hold thanks to the big ridged grip. However, it's more angular and has a harder rubber skin than Canon's rival EOS R6 II, so it's not quite as comfortable over long shooting sessions. The excellent control layout makes the S1 II a breeze to use. It has all the buttons and dials you need and they're well located - particularly the joystick and control dials. There's a dedicated switch for photos, video and slow and quick (S&Q) modes, and each has separate adjustments so you won't mix them up. It also has a dedicated autofocus switch, two video record buttons (top and front), 10 other programmable buttons and a tally light. I rarely needed to search for settings thanks to the logical color-coded tabs and easy-to-use quick menu, both accessible by touch or the joystick. Panasonic also made it simple to program buttons, dials and the quick menu to your personal preferences and it allows you to save them to a memory card as a backup. The S1 II's electronic viewfinder is bright and sharp, matching the Z6 III with a resolution of 5.76 million dots and 0.78x magnification. The rear display not only swivels out but also tilts up and down for overhead or hip-level photography. In comparison, Nikon's Z6 III screen doesn't tilt, so it's not as versatile. As with the S1R II, battery life isn't a strong point here, with only 360 shots on a charge or 320 when using the EVF. To be fair, that matches the Z6 III exactly (and Panasonic's non-stacked S1 II is only slightly better at 380 shots), but Canon's cheaper R6 II has more than twice the battery life at 760 shots. Steve Dent for Engadget In order to capture RAW video, the S1 II has a CFexpress Type B card slot along with a slower SDXC UHS-II slot. Like the S5 IIx and GH7 (and several Fujifilm models), it also supports high-bandwidth RAW video capture to an SSD via the USB-C port. The S1 II comes with a full-sized HDMI port that supports Blackmagic and ProRes RAW capture. You also get mic and headphone ports, and you can capture 32-bit float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory to reduce the possibility of clipping. Finally, the S1 II has a carbon fiber curtain that comes down to protect the sensor like recent Canon and Sony models. Performance The S1 II can fire bursts at a pedestrian 10 fps in mechanical shutter mode, but supports a superb 70 RAW images per second with the electronic shutter. And if you're worried about skewed images, don't fret. Distortion is minimal in electronic mode thanks to the partially-stacked sensor that has a rapid readout speed of around 12 milliseconds. That's fast enough for sports or wildlife photography, unless the subject moves very rapidly. Pre-burst capture, which starts when you half-press the shutter, is also available at the highest speeds. That lets you save up to 1.5 seconds of photos you might have otherwise missed once you fully press the shutter button. The buffer is a bit small, though, so you can only capture about three seconds (220 shots) at the 70 fps speed. The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is the best of any Panasonic camera I've tested to date. However, it's not yet up to Sony and Canon's standards for speed and accuracy, and falls a bit short of Nikon's Z6 III. If you're shooting a fast-moving subject at the maximum burst rate of 70 fps, you may see more than a few out-of-focus photos. Steve Dent for Engadget The S1 II supports multiple AI modes - including animals, birds and vehicles - on top of human eye-tracking modes. I had mixed success with those as the camera had trouble locking onto the eyes of some birds and marine mammals I shot at the Vancouver Aquarium. However, it was better with more typical animal subjects like dogs, cats, horses and geese. Panasonic also introduced an AF mode called Urban Sports that improves tracking for breakdancing, skateboarding and parkour. I tested that mode with some skateboarders at the highest burst settings and saw a high percentage (90-plus) of in-focus shots. One area where Panasonic tops its rivals is stabilization. That's been boosted to eight stops (slightly short of the R6 II's eight and a half stops), which allowed me to shoot at shutter speeds down to a half second and still get sharp shots. And as I'll explain shortly, the S1 II is peerless when it comes to video stabilization. Image quality I've been impressed with Panasonic's color science of late, finding that it matches Nikon in delivering some of the most color-accurate images of any system. By comparison, Canon's images skew warmer, and I feel that Sony models like the A7 IV lack some accuracy, particularly with blue-green colors. The S1 II delivers pleasing JPEGs with a nice balance between sharpness and noise reduction, though the latter can get overly aggressive at high ISO levels. RAW images offer plenty of detail in light and dark areas of the image, letting you tweak and correct to a fine degree. Keep in mind that using the electronic shutter in burst modes reduces RAW bit depth from 14 to 12. The downside of any stacked sensor is additional noise, and the S1 II is no exception. This is most apparent at higher ISO levels where the camera exhibits a bit more grain than Panasonic's S5, which has the same resolution but isn't stacked. That said, the S1 II has about the same low-light prowess as the Z6 III and beats most fully stacked cameras. If the native 24MP resolution isn't enough, the S1 II offers a high-resolution mode that captures eight images with a slightly offset sensor position and composes them into a single 96-megapixel file (either RAW or JPEG). I was able to take sharp images in that mode without the use of a tripod thanks to the S1 II's excellent in-body stabilization system. Video The S1 II doesn't shoot 8K RAW like the 44MP S1R II due to its lower resolution. However, it does support 5.8K 30 fps ProRes RAW, open gate full sensor video and super slow-mo (4K 120p) - all with far less rolling shutter distortion. Because of that, I think this is a better camera overall for creators. Of course, the S1 II offers 10-bit video in both MP4 and Quicktime formats on top of RAW. Panasonic's V-Log is also on tap to boost dynamic range, and thanks to a recent firmware update, you can pay $200 to get ARRI LogC3 to match that company's pro digital cinema cameras. With that same firmware update, the S1 II now supports 17 frame aspect ratios (up from 10), and enables simultaneous display of up to three frames at once (unlike the LogC3 update, these are free). That will let you shoot open gate, for instance, while seeing how the image will look in both vertical and horizontal aspect ratios. Overall, video quality is outstanding with sharp oversampling, excellent color accuracy and decent dynamic range. The latter can be increased using Panasonic's dynamic range boost option, although that effectively doubles rolling shutter distortion. Without the setting enabled, skew from rolling shutter is only an issue with whip pans or very fast-moving subjects. Video AF is solid, keeping subjects in focus as long as they don't move too quickly. Face, eye, animal, urban sports and vehicle detection work well, though you'll see a bit more accuracy and speed on Canon and Sony's latest models. Steve Dent for Engadget The S1 II offers better video stabilization than its rivals, though. Optical stabilization provides good results for handheld video, while electronic stabilization (EIS) provides gimbal-like smoothness at the cost of a significant crop. As with other recent Panasonic models, the S1 II also offers cropless" EIS that corrects corner distortion when using wide lenses, while also reducing rolling shutter. Thanks to a built-in fan, overheating is rarely an issue with the S1 II. The only time I ever saw a problem was with 5.8K at 60 fps and 5.1K open gate recording, when the camera shut down after 50 minutes and 40 minutes respectively. That's still excellent for a small mirrorless camera. Those limits are eliminated, by the way, if you record to an SSD via the USB-C port. Creators may wonder how the S1 II compares to Nikon's Z6 III. The latter offers more RAW options, with the choice of 5.8K Nikon RAW (N-RAW) at up to 60 fps rather than just 30 fps. Both offer similar video quality as they use the same sensor. The Z6 III has slightly better autofocus, but the S5 II has superior stabilization and handling. Finally, the S1 II has some nice pro features like timecode, waveform monitoring and pro audio. I'd say the S1 II is slightly better for video shooters, but the Z6 III is significantly cheaper. Wrap-up Panasonic's S1 II is a powerful hybrid camera, and if it wasn't so expensive, it would be a no-brainer for creators. However, Nikon's Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less, so I'm inclined to recommend that model for most users. Another option at a lower price is Panasonic's new $2,500 S1 IIe, which was announced at the same time as the S1 II. It has the same body and mostly the same feature set, but uses the non-stacked sensor from the S5 II, so rolling shutter is more of an issue. If you favor photography, the higher-resolution S1R II is a better option and costs just $100 more. However, if you're a video pro who needs features like time code, ARRI LogC3 and advanced monitoring or audio features, the S1 II is a solid choice. Those folks might want to wait for a sale though.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/panasonic-s1-ii-review-a-near-perfect-creators-camera-if-money-is-no-object-174509182.html?src=rss

The notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is finally heading to a junkyard upstate. This error message has been a key part of the Windows experience for almost 40 years. Microsoft has been teasing this change for years, but now we know the crash screen will be removed in an update to Windows 11 that's coming later this summer.Windows computers are still going to crash, so there needs to be some sort of error screen. Microsoft is transitioning to a Black Screen of Death instead. This new crash screen will be black, as the name suggests, and there will be no cutesy frowny face and QR code. It'll just be a black screen with a short message that tells users they need to restart.Microsoft The new BSOD recalls the black screen shown during a Windows update, but it will list the stop code and system driver that contributed to the crash. This should make life easier for IT admins.This is really an attempt on clarity and providing better information and allowing us and customers to really get to what the core of the issue is so we can fix it faster," David Weston, vice president of enterprise and OS security at Microsoft, said in an interview with The Verge. Part of it is just cleaner information on what exactly went wrong."The new BSOD will debut alongside the Quick Machine Recovery feature. This tool is designed to restore machines that won't boot. These changes are being made in the wake of last year's CrowdStrike incident that crashed over 8 million Windows devices. That massive outage impacted banks, airlines and major corporations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/windows-is-finally-kicking-the-blue-screen-of-death-to-the-curb-172011343.html?src=rss

"ExpressVPN never keeps data that could tie you to any online activity," the VPN provider claims on its website. An independent audit from late February supports those claims. Accounting firm KPMG found "reasonable assurance" that the VPN provider's system prevents the logging of user activity. The product is one of Engadget's top VPN picks.RAM-based VPN serversThe firm's audit put ExpressVPN's TrustedServer system under a microscope. That's the company's RAM-based system. In theory, this approach means user data is wiped with every server reboot. (Doing so would prevent even the possibility of long-term storage.) Some competitors, including NordVPN, also use RAM-based servers. Meanwhile, ProtonVPN counters that properly encrypted hard drives are just as secure.Another counter-argument to RAM-based servers is that they're only effective if they're rebooted. In theory, a company could run RAM servers for marketing purposes, but then never restart them. That's where audits can help.KPMG's findingsKPMG has a high level of confidence that the no-logging system functioned as advertised in late February. "Controls provide reasonable assurance that the ExpressVPN TrustedServer does not collect logs of users' activity," KPMG's paper reads. That included "no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, DNS queries or specific connection logs."KPMG's assessment was an ISAE 3000 Type I audit. That means it focused on ExpressVPN's control design and implementation at a specific point in time. (Meanwhile, a Type II audit would have gone farther, testing the effectiveness of those controls over an extended period.) If you aren't familiar, KPMG is one of the Big Four accounting firms. It's a trusted name that corporations shell out big bucks to for audits like this.The assessment looked at several factors. These included documentation reviews, observing the system at work and interviewing ExpressVPN personnel. The audit's conclusion applies "as of February 28, 2025." So, it represents KPMG's conclusions for a specific point in time rather than a blanket statement of permanent trust. The assessment also didn't include stress-testing the entire system or a full-fledged security analysis of the company.You can read KPMG's full paper for a more detailed breakdown.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/expressvpns-external-auditors-confirm-no-logs-policy-as-of-february-171957335.html?src=rss

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is out today, not counting the early access period. Kojima Productions and publisher Sony couldn't resist putting out one last trailer. I wouldn't be surprised if the filename for it was something like DS2_FINAL_TRAILER_V17_noactuallyitsthelastone.mp4 and yet it still has a runtime of six minutes.Although there are some fun moments in this trailer, it's much too long. You probably shouldn't watch it if you'd like to stay as spoiler-free as possible before playing the game, as the trailer includes some heavy-handed teases and perhaps gives away some of DS2's surprises.The game's director, Hideo Kojima, is a man with more ideas than he has time to execute. That's evident in his games, which are packed full of complexity and cinematics. I found a YouTube video titled "Death Stranding 2 All Cutscenes Part 1" that's nearly two hours long. In other words, these games are a lot (though it is cute that there's a special cutscene when it's your birthday). Fittingly, the trailers are excessive as well.By my count, we've now had over 30 minutes of DS2 trailers, including a 10-minute one. That's not counting the 22-minute gameplay demo at Summer Game Fest. There will be more trailers when Death Stranding 2 inevitably migrates from the PS5 to other platforms, so I don't believe for a second that this is the "final" one. Perhaps there will be a Director's Cut edition with its own trailers.Yes, studios, publishers and their marketing teams have a tough time on their hands trying to break through the noise and get their games on the radars of players who might want to check them out. But this is a Hideo Kojima game that Sony is publishing. A sequel to an acclaimed game that more than 20 million people have played. The vast majority of people who would be interested in Death Stranding 2 are likely already well aware of it. This probably didn't need a final trailer, and certainly not one that's six minutes long. (I am well aware of the irony that, by embedding it here, we're bringing more eyeballs to this trailer. Don't @ me.)Kojima famously edits the trailers for his games himself, and he did so with this one. But they could probably do with another pass in someone else's hands.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/who-is-this-final-six-minute-death-stranding-2-trailer-actually-for-161728737.html?src=rss

YouTube is getting an injection of Google's AI-assisted search functionality in the shape of a new carousel feature. In a blog post, YouTube said the AI-generated carousel is currently exclusive to its Premium members in the US. It might appear (it seemingly won't happen every time) when you search for "queries related to shopping, place, or things to do in a specific location" in the YouTube app on your phone.This carousel pulls in a series of relevant videos that play in order from left to right (you can also tap a video's thumbnail to jump straight to that clip), with each one getting its own headline and a paragraph of text that explains its inclusion. The implementation, unsurprisingly, looks a lot like going through your friend's stories on Instagram. YouTube says each video in the carousel provides useful insights" related to your query.YouTube has also announced that it will start rolling out its previously Premium and Android-exclusive conversational AI tool to standard users in the US. The AI assistant can be activated by clicking the "Ask" button that appears between the existing share and download options in the toolbar below a video, and allows you to ask it questions related to the content of the video. You can also have it summarize a video before you hand over five minutes of your time to watching it, or get recommendations for similar content. When it first introduced this functionality, YouTube said its AI tool draws on information within YouTube itself and the wider web. It's not clear how many users will be able to use the new feature or how often you can expect it to show up. It's also unclear if or when iPhone users will get it.Google's AI Overview tool has been a controversial topic because it's not always accurate with the information it provides, among other reasons. Whether similar issues arise for YouTube creators remains to be seen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtubes-newest-premium-perk-more-ai-clutter-155942603.html?src=rss

Nintendo just revealed that Drag x Drive will be available on August 14, exclusively for the recently-released Switch 2 console. The company made this announcement on its Today! news app.For the uninitiated, Drag x Drive is a 3 v 3 wheelchair basketball game. The main hook is that it's controlled via the mouse-like functionality of those new Joy-Con controllers. This will be the first major test of this feature and will let us know if it'll be a barely-used gimmick or a real opportunity for new gameplay experiences.The game looks pretty fun, though it will likely be something of a niche title. Think Arms and not Wii Sports. We don't have a price yet and it remains to be seen if the concept is robust enough to charge $60 or $70. My guess is that it'll come somewhere in the $30 to $40 range.This does, however, prove one thing. Nintendo is trying to release a first-party game each month, which is something it did during much of the lifecycle of the original Switch. The new console launched with Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza comes out on July 17.Speaking of Donkey Kong Bananza, the next big Switch 2 exclusive co-stars Pauline from the original arcade game and looks like an absolute blast. DK gets to eat giant, golden bananas and destroy everything in his sight. It could also very well be a prequel to both the original Donkey Kong and Super Mario Odyssey, given Pauline's age in Bananza.Update, June 26 2025, 9:52AM ET: Despite the competitive appeal of Nintendo's upcoming basketball game, it looks like Drag x Drive won't support local multiplayer at launch. As spotted by Eurogamer, the eShop page for the game says it supports up to 12 players online but only one on a single system. Beyond saying you can either team up with or play against friends, Nintendo doesn't go into much detail on what multiplayer modes are available, but the lack of a local option seems strange. If one was added, you'd presumably need at least four Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers to play with someone else, as two are required for each player.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-mouse-controlled-basketball-game-comes-out-on-august-14-163200335.html?src=rss

After going through a controversial branding change that eliminated the beloved XPS name, Dell has launched its replacement. The new Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium Windows 11 laptops represent the high end of Dell's business lineup and offer features like Intel Core Ultra 9 16-core CPUs, NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPUs and battery life up to 27 hours.The XPS name may be gone but last year's design largely remains. Both models keep the simple and elegant wedge-like form from before, with slightly bigger (16.3 and 14.5 inches), largely bezel-free displays coated with Gorilla Glass 3. Dell promises top-notch craftsmanship and a new thermal design that allows for a thin and light design, maximal airflow and minimal noise. Just as it did with the branding, Dell has followed Apple with the two available colorways: Platinum and a darker Graphite.New 3.2K and 4K 16:10 120Hz OLEDs are now available on the high-end models (14.5- and 16.3-inch, respectively) and 2K LCD 120Hz versions (1,920 x 1,200) in the base models. The OLEDs are certified DisplayHDR 500 with 400 nits of brightness and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, while the LED models average around 500 nits. Audio also looks solid with Dolby Atmos, "studio-quality tuning," quad speakers, a dual microphone array and a universal headphone jack with head tracking.Dell 14 Premium laptop in PlatinumDellOn the performance front, Dell is wedded to Intel's latest power-efficient Core Ultra 7 255H and 256H 16-core processors, along with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H 16-core version on the Premium 16 only. Those offer up to a 33 percent performance boost over the previous XPS models (18 percent on the 16 Premium), along with a 2.4x boost in AI performance.However, the main benefit is much boosted battery life with up to 20 hours of Netflix streaming on the 14 Premium and 27 hours on the 16 Premium. Those figures are with the 2K LCD displays and drop to 11 and 9 hours on the higher resolution 3.2K OLED (14.5-inch model) and 4K OLED (16.3-inch model) respectively.The Premium 14 and Premium 16 differ the most in terms of GPU options, with support for NVIDIA's new RTX 5050 GPU, along with the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 on the 16.3-inch model, but just an NVIDIA RTX 4050 on the Premium 14. Opting for one of those, particularly the RTX 5070, should make them solid gaming and graphics machines but you'll be paying more and sacrificing some battery life. Otherwise, you'll be getting Intel's Arc 140T GPU on the 14 Premium and 16 Premium base models, designed mostly for business and entertainment.Dell 16 Premium GraphiteDellOther key features include WiFi 7, extra security for business users, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x dual channel 8400 MT/s memory, encryption ready SSDs, up to 4TB storage and a FHD webcam. They're now on sale at Dell.com starting at $1,650 for the base 14 Premium (Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 16GB memory, 2K LCD display, Intel Arc 140T graphics). The same model with an NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of memory and the 3.2K OLED display is $2,350.The Dell 16 Premium, meanwhile, starts at $2,700 with a Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 32GB of memory, 2K LCD display and NVIDIA RTX 5060, while a version with the 4K OLED display and Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU is $3,050. Other options aren't yet available on Dell's online store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-announces-new-premium-replacement-for-the-xps-line-130018315.html?src=rss

Insta360's new gimbal isn't quite "Pro," but its pricing isn't, either. The Flow 2 includes many of the features from the Flow 2 Pro while costing $50 less.The Insta360 Flow 2 ticks most of the boxes that its Pro sibling does. (The more expensive gimbal launched earlier this year.) Like that model, the Flow 2 features a built-in selfie stick and a tripod. It supports advanced subject tracking, golden ratio subject framing and a built-in spotlight. Also carrying over is NFC one-tap pairing and teleprompter mode.But if you're an iPhone user, there's one big omission. The Flow 2 doesn't support Apple DockKit, which enables seamless control of motorized docks. You can make up for much of that with Insta360's AI tracker accessory. However, it costs extra. At that point, your total price will creep closer to that of the Pro model. So, it would be wise to break down your specific needs before making a decision.Insta360There are a few other differences. The standard model also lacks the Pro's selfie mirror, which lets you check your framing and appearance on the fly. Its tracking mobility is more limited than the Pro model's 360-degree version. There's no Free Tilt mode either. (That's the feature that lets you angle your phone in unique and creative ways.) Nor is there a tracking ring light on the standard gimbal.If none of those omissions affect your workflow, the Flow 2 could help you save a few bucks. The Insta360 costs $110. The company also offers a bundle with the AI tracker accessory for $130. (Otherwise, the AI tracker is a separate $40 purchase.) The gimbal is now available from the company's website and retailers like Amazon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-has-a-cheaper-flow-2-gimbal-for-the-masses-130016631.html?src=rss

Amazon MGM Studio's James Bond movie, the first of what could be many in a series, will be directed by Denis Villeneuve. The company has revealed that he will be leading the production in an announcement, where it also named Villeneuve's wife Tanya Lapointe as an executive producer. Villeneuve is perhaps best known for directing Dune and Dune: Part Two, the latest adaptations of Frank Herbert's novel starring Timothee Chalamet. He also directed the sci-fi drama Arrival with Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, as well as Blade Runner 2049 with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford."Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007," Villeneuve, who'd previously expressed many times in the past that he wanted to direct a Bond movie, said in a statement. "I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy [Pascal], David [Heyman], and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust."Amazon bought MGM back in 2021 for $8.5 billion, and with it came the rights to the James Bond franchise. However, Barbara Broccoli, the producer who inherited the rights to the franchise from her father, reportedly didn't trust Amazon with the property, putting the development and production of the next Bond film on pause. Earlier this year, both parties have finally come to an agreement. It's unclear if Amazon told Brocolli back then that Villeneuve was a potential director, but she and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson ultimately agreed to take a step back and give the company full creative control over the next Bond films. Amazon has yet to announce the franchise's new star, but seeing as a lot of actors want to work with Villeneuve these days, the production won't have a shortage of names to choose from.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazons-james-bond-film-will-be-directed-by-denis-villeneuve-123023234.html?src=rss

Federal Judge Vince Chhabria has ruled in favor of Meta over the 13 book authors, including Sarah Silverman, who sued the company for training its large language model on their published work without obtaining consent. His court has granted summary judgment to Meta, which means the case didn't reach full trial. Chhabria said that Meta didn't violate copyright law after the plaintiffs had failed to show sufficient evidence that the company's use of the authors' work would hurt them financially.In his ruling (PDF), Chhabria admitted that in most cases, it is illegal to feed copyright-protected materials into their large language models without getting permission or paying the copyright owners for the right to use their creations. "...by training generative AI models with copyrighted works, companies are creating something that often will dramatically undermine the market for those works, and thus dramatically undermine the incentive for human beings to create things the old-fashioned way," he wrote.However, the court "must decide cases based on the evidence presented by the parties," he said. For this particular case, the plaintiffs argued that Meta's actions cannot be considered "fair use." They said that that their creations are affected by Meta's use because the company's LLM, Llama, is capable of reproducing small snippets of text from their books. They also said that by using their books for training without consent, Meta had diminished their ability to license their work for LLM training. The judge called both arguments "clear losers." Llama isn't capable of generating enough text straight from the books to matter, he said, and the authors aren't entitled to the "market for licensing their works as AI training data."Chhabria wrote that the argument that Meta copied their books to create a product that has the capability to flood the market with similar works, thereby causing market dilution, could have given the plaintiffs the win. But the plaintiffs barely touched the argument and presented no evidence to show how output from Meta's LLM could dilute the market. Despite his ruling, Chhabria clarified that his decision is limited: It only affects the 13 authors in the lawsuit and "does not stand for the proposition that Meta's use of copyrighted materials to train its language models is lawful."Another judge, William Alsup, also recently sided with Anthropic in a class action lawsuit also brought by a group of authors who accused the company of using their copyrighted work without permission. Alsup provided the writers recourse, though, and allowed them to take Anthropic to court for piracy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-wins-ai-copyright-case-filed-by-sarah-silverman-and-other-authors-120035768.html?src=rss

We're getting yet another Hollywood sequel. Deadline reports that Aaron Sorkin will be directing The Social Network II, a follow-up to the film that chronicled the development of Facebook and the ensuing lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg. The next movie will take its inspiration from a 2021 investigation by The Wall Street Journal into the harms caused by Facebook and the company's failure to address those problems.Sorkin has a long career as a writer, including the screenplay for The Social Network, but only three credits as a director on his resume. There's no production date for the movie at this time, and it's unknown whether actors from the original will return to their roles, most notably Jesse Eisenberg as Zuck.Facebook certainly provides no shortage of potential inspiration for a biopic. Just in the past six months, the platform dug a deeper hole for itself when it tried to quash a tell-all memoir with some pretty wild behind-the-scenes stories from a former employee. Facebook also eliminated its third-party fact checkers and gutted its own hate speech policy, which was unsurprisingly followed by an increase in violent content and harassment. But given all the negative hits for Facebook's reputation, viewers may not be too excited about spending two hours or more stewing in all the crappy stuff the network has done.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/aaron-sorkin-is-making-a-second-social-network-movie-221555267.html?src=rss

The Trump Organization announced a cellular brand earlier this summer, and its main selling point for Trump Mobile was that its T1 smartphone was "made in the USA." It seemed highly unlikely that those claims about the phone were possible. Now, the website for the device has removed all language indicating that it was manufactured in the US. Instead, there is broader language such as "designed with American values in mind" and "Premium Performance. Proudly American."The Verge also noticed that some of the specs for the ostentatious gold smartphone have changed. The listed screen size has shrunk from 6.78 inches to 6.25 inches, and there's no longer any information about RAM. The phone is also offering a more general "later this year" availability time frame rather than promising to arrive in September. Despite walking back the loud promises made about the device, it seems unlikely the changes will matter to anybody who wants to buy this thing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/trump-mobile-drops-its-made-in-the-usa-claims-193917169.html?src=rss

Meta is adding a new Message Summaries feature to WhatsApp that uses AI to summarize unread messages in a few bullet points. The feature is built on the Private Processing technique Meta announced at Llamacon in April, and claims to let AI work with content in WhatsApp without exposing any of it to Meta itself.Once the feature appears in your app, you just tap on the onscreen banner over your unread messages with that says "Summarize privately" to receive a summary from Meta AI. The Message Summaries feature is rolling out to WhatsApp users in the US chatting in English first, but Meta says it hopes to "bring it to other languages and countries later this year."The company pitches summaries as an easier way to catch-up on what you missed if you haven't checked your phone or you're just in too many chats. AI is by no means foolproof at even simple tasks like this - Apple's trouble with notification summaries was only a few months ago - but the tool could be appealing to people in particularly large and active chats.The real novelty of the summaries is how Meta claims to be deploying them without walking back the private nature of WhatsApp chats. The company has a blog post and whitepaper digging into the details of how Private Processing works, but on first blush it sounds similar to Private Cloud Compute, the method Apple uses to call on more demanding AI features without exposing its users' data. Using end-to-end encryption and a secure cloud environment, WhatsApp messages can be processed without data being accessed while its happening, or saved after the fact.Importantly, all of this is still optional. Summaries won't be provided without you asking for them first, and the feature is disabled by default. Meta also says you can exclude chats from being shared with the company's AI via the Advanced Chat Privacy feature.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/ai-powered-chat-summaries-are-coming-to-whatsapp-191201240.html?src=rss

NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct images of a planet outside of our solar system, which is the first time it has accomplished such a feat. This is a very big deal because exoplanets don't put out much light, so researchers typically discover new planets through indirect methods like keeping track of shadows as they pass across a host star.Webb, however, didn't have to do all that. It has directly captured images of a planet called TWA 7 b. Scientists believe the planet is around the mass of Saturn and is located 100 light years away from Earth.

Last August, Anthropic released Artifacts. The feature allows Claude users to create small, AI-programmed apps for their own use. Today, Anthropic is making it easier to share Artifacts. At the same time, it's making the apps you can make with the feature more powerful.To start, Artifacts now have their own dedicated space you can access from the Claude app sidebar. Here you'll find a curated selection of projects made by other people to get you started on your own programs. Every Artifact you create will be organized in this space, making them easy to find later.Once you have an idea of what you'd like to make, creating an Artifact simply involves typing a prompt. "Just tell Claude an idea to instantly create shareable interactive apps, tools, and games with Claude's intelligence directly embedded, making them independently smart and responsive," says Anthropic.When using the feature, the company recommends thinking big. That's because you can embed Claude's AI abilities into your creations. For instance, if you're a student studying for a language exam, instead of asking Claude to create a set of flashcards, prompt it to make a flashcard app. "One request gets you static study materials. The other creates a shareable tool that generates cards for any topic," says Anthropic.Notably, Anthropic is making the updated Artifacts experience available to all users, including those with free accounts. Additionally, everyone can share their projects with others for free, with no associated API cost for doing so. All you need to access someone else's Artifact is a Claude account, free or otherwise.The new Artifacts experience is available on both mobile and desktop. To access every feature, you'll need to use your computer. On Android and iOS, you can create, view, interact with and customize Artifacts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-makes-it-easier-to-create-and-share-claudes-bite-sized-artifact-apps-170022293.html?src=rss

Bumble, the makers of the Bumble Dating App and Bumble For Friends, announced Wednesday that the company will be laying off 30 percent of its workforce, or roughly 240 employees. This comes as dating app companies struggle to perform in recent years. Bumble was once a company worth almost $8 billion, but finds itself worth about 90 percent less today.Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd had briefly stepped down as CEO in early 2024 before returning as CEO this year. The company has posted declining revenues this year as it struggles to attract and maintain paying members. In a statement to CNBC, a Bumble spokesperson said, "Our focus now is on moving forward in a way that strengthens our core business, continues to serve our members effectively, and positions us for future growth."Bumble added new safety and verification tools back in March that allow users to upload an image of their government-issued ID and receive a verification badge on their profiles. Users searching through profiles could then filter their search to show only verified users. Trust and safety issues are of paramount concern on dating apps where you meet up with strangers. New features like Share Date on Bumble and double dating on Tinder aim to ease the anxiety of what are normally solo meetups.The securities filing for the layoffs said that employees were notified today but did not include any details on whether the affected employees were mostly in Bumble's Austin, TX, headquarters or global in scope. The company has also not shared which teams have been affected.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/bumble-is-laying-off-30-percent-of-its-workforce-165350687.html?src=rss

YouTube is increasing the minimum age required for its users to live stream to 16. In a message uploaded to the YouTube Help support page, it was confirmed that as of July 22, creators will need to be 16 or older to stream unaccompanied on the platform. Previously, YouTube stipulated that children under the age of 13 had to be visibly accompanied by an adult if they wanted to post live content, but going forward this rule will extend to anyone between anyone aged 13-15.YouTube warns that anyone who isn't 16 or older and is continuing to live stream without an adult present beyond July 22 risks having their live chat disabled, along with access to other features temporarily revoked. YouTube adds its eventual intention is to remove live streams found to be breaking the rules, and anyone whose account is hit with restrictions will be forbidden from live streaming using a different channel. Doing so could ultimately lead to a terminated account. The TeamYouTube account said on X that creators impacted by the rule changes will be notified by email if their streams are taken down.Creators under the age of 16 who want to continue live streaming will be able to grant an adult access to their channel as an editor, manager or owner, which allows them to start a stream from the account linked to their channel. Previously, this had to be done from YouTube's Live Control room. YouTube said adults co-creating with someone younger than 16 will have to be "visibly present" and clearly just as much a part of the live stream.We've reached out to Youtube for more details, as the post doesn't offer an explanation for why it has decided to make these changes now. But it will no doubt come as a blow for younger creators with a large existing audience.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/youtube-will-increase-the-minimum-age-for-live-streaming-to-16-163315489.html?src=rss

M3GAN was an unexpected hit, and for good reason: It was the best killer toy horror film since Child's Play, combining comedy and camp with a meme-worthy android lead. For the sequel, writer/director Gerard Johnstone (working off a story from him and the first film's writer Akela Cooper), have taken a few notes from Terminator 2. This time around, there's an even more evil android on the scene (Amelia, played by Ivanna Sakhno) who wants AI to rule the world. And there's only one somewhat less evil android that can stop her: M3GAN.If that setup sounds silly and campy to you, well... it is. That's the point. More so than the first film, M3GAN 2.0 leans into the sheer silliness of its premise and is all the more fun for it. It's also not really a horror movie this time, it's a full-on action film with tons of gunplay, hand-to-hand combat and one wingsuit infiltration sequence that would be right at home in a Mission: Impossible film.Universal PicturesSpeaking of Mission: Impossible, it's hard not to notice that M3GAN 2.0 features practically the same AI takeover plotline that bogged down The Final Reckoning. The difference here is that it's actually somewhat well-informed - M3GAN 2.0 isn't just about "evil AI," it also explores (however briefly) the notion of AI autonomy, technology regulation and ethics. (For God sakes, there's a killer Section 230 joke that only tech-savvy readers would understand.)M3GAN 2.0 once again centers on Gemma (Allison Williams), the engineer who originally created M3GAN, and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw). Following the events of the first film, Gemma was briefly sent to jail but reemerges as a technology critic. (Isn't it funny how many "tech critics" pop up after making bank from Big Tech?) She then teams up with a tech ethicist (Aristotle Athari) to push governments for stronger technology regulation, especially when it comes to AI.The existence of Amelia seems to prove her point. In the opening of M3GAN 2.0, we watch as she goes on a covert mission to rescue a military scientist, only to disobey her programming and kill him instead. It turns out Amelia was built on the bones of M3GAN's design, and for some reason she's aiming to kill everyone involved with her creation. That mission inevitably leads back to Gemma and Cady, of course.Universal PicturesIt's not a spoiler to say that M3GAN didn't really die at the end of the first movie. Turns out, she backed herself up to the cloud and has been watching Gemma and Cady via their smart home devices. After a set piece involving inept FBI agents, M3GAN convinces Gemma that she needs some sort of physical body to stop Amelia. Funnily enough, her first new outfit is the not at all fictional Moxie child companion robot I tested a few years ago. (Embodied, the startup behind Moxie, folded last year, leaving its handful of customers with a dead robot. That may be why Moxie M3GAN is allowed to swear.)M3GAN gets her wish and, like the Six Million Dollar Man, receives a fully upgraded body, one that's better, faster and stronger. (And also one that's more befitting of Amie Donald, the talented young actress who plays her.) And at that point, the movie turns into a full-on action fest as M3GAN infiltrates a tech lab to save Cady. Thankfully, MEGAN 2.0 understands the assignment: Fight scenes are energetic and well-choreographed, and Johnstone makes sure that everything is easily legible. The multitude of Steven Seagal references also makes it clear he's a fan of schlocky action cinema.Universal PicturesJohnstone is also clearly a tech nerd: the film is filled with references to places like Xerox PARC, one of the early R&D labs that developed concepts like the GUI (graphical user interface) and mouse. There's an Elon Musk analog, played by the great Jemaine Clement, who has an over-inflated ego and an obsession with brain interface devices. And the film pokes fun at anti-tech crusaders, who sometimes push back against any sort of technological advancement as inherently evil.M3GAN 2.0 balances a smart view of tech alongside sheer summer movie fun. And while it runs close to two hours, it never feels like a slog like the nearly three-hour long The Final Reckoning. Both movies are about the impending doom of an AI apocalypse, but M3GAN 2.0 manages to do it without being too self-serious and far more well-informed. Now that it seems like we're just a few clicks away from some sort of tech apocalypse, poking fun at it just seems like a better way to cope.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/m3gan-20-review-the-ai-camp-queen-pulls-a-terminator-2-160049818.html?src=rss

Apple is rolling out a notable update for its Sports app. Just ahead of the Wimbledon Championships getting under way, Apple is adding point-by-point tennis scores to Sports. You'll be able to get live updates from Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000-level matches and view details like the results of a player's previous matches in the tournament.Also in the 3.0 version of Apple Sports, baseball fans can view pitcher and batter matchups at the top of every MLB scoreboard. On the home screen, you'll now be able to see a list of upcoming events by league. You can rearrange the order that leagues are shown in, though your favorite teams will always appear at the top.In recent months, Apple has added NASCAR and F1 to Sports, along with support for more soccer competitions. Other recent additions include rankings on league pages, highlighted goal scorers at the top of NHL games and a new way to share game details with friends and family via Messages and social media platforms so they can stay up to date as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-apple-sports-app-now-offers-tennis-scores-just-in-time-for-wimbledon-155439959.html?src=rss

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be released for PS5 on August 12. We knew the port was coming this summer, and now we have an actual date. Ninja Theory says the title will be optimized for both the standard-issue PS5 and the more powerful PS5 Pro. This is a real homecoming for the franchise, as Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was originally released for PS4 back in 2017.That PS5 release date coincides with the cross-platform launch of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced. This version includes a performance mode that pushes the frame rate up to 60FPS. Ninja Theory says this results in smoother gameplay that's "especially noticeable during combat and fast-moving moments." This mode won't be available for Xbox Series S.The PC version is getting a new "Very High" preset to push the settings to the max and the update includes optimizations to make the game Steam Deck Verified. We love to see it.Hellblade II Enhanced also includes a new gameplay mode that significantly amps up the difficulty, complete with perma-death. Beyond that, there's a developer commentary track and a refreshed photo mode. These features arrive as a free update. The PS5 version of the game will cost $50, though there's a Deluxe Edition available for $70 that also includes the soundtrack and an optimized version of the original Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.For the uninitiated, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a third-person adventure that first hit the Xbox and PC in 2024. The brutal and gorgeous game is set in Iceland during the 10th century. We called it an outstanding "interactive brutality visualizer" in our original review, going on to call out the game's "extended, extremely anxious and violent vibe." Let's hear it for simulated violence!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-hits-ps5-on-august-12-151731215.html?src=rss

Apple's F1 movie opens in theaters on June 27, and the company really wants you to know about it.On Tuesday morning, Wallet users noticed an Apple Pay notification that was both a coupon and an advertisement for the racing film. It offered "$10 off 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie at Fandango." When they clicked "Get tickets now," they were taken to a dedicated Fandango link that instructed them to use the promo code "APPLEPAYTEN" as well as use Apple Pay to receive their discount.Not everyone likes being advertised to in such a forceful manner, and while it's not nearly as bad, it's reminiscent of the U2 album fiasco. In 2014, Apple pushed U2's album Songs of Innocence to the devices of every iTunes user in the world. Over 81 million users received the free album, and it did not go over well.The budget for F1 was, by some reports, as high as $200 to $300 million, though its lead producer and director have both disputed that figure. This is Apple's first real attempt at making a summer blockbuster, and the company is pulling out all the stops from aggressive ads to a haptic trailer just for iPhones.For those planning to see the movie anyway, the discount runs through June 29, and $10 off is nothing to sneeze at. That being said, I hope it doesn't become a trend. After all, if I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, opened it to grab a $20 bill, and saw that someone stuck a coupon for a movie inside it, I'd be a little miffed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-shoves-f1-movie-ad-into-wallet-144539300.html?src=rss

With the flagship smartphone market in a continued state of stagnation and more people making an effort to be more sustainable with their tech purchases, it feels like a good time for the Fairphone 6 to arrive. It's been nearly two years since the Fairphone 5 first launched, and as you'd expect, its successor is another highly repairable modular smartphone designed to last you a long time.The Fairphone 6 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and ships with a 4415mAh battery that Fairphone says will last you nearly two days. You can get 50 percent of juice back into the phone in 25 minutes with a 30W charger. When that battery inevitably degrades a few years down the line, it's one of the 12 components in the phone that can be swapped out after removing a few screws. Nothing in the phone is glued down, so tinkering is fully encouraged here. That said, like the Fairphone 5 before it, its water and dust resistance is only rated at IP55, which means it won't take well to a swim.The Fairphone 6 has a 6.31-inch 1,116 x 2,484 OLED display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, which is a jump up from the previous model's 90 Hz panel. You get 256GB of internal storage which is expandable by up to 2TB via microSD, and the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.As for cameras, you have a 50MP main rear lens with up to 10x digital zoom, which is flanked by a 13MP ultra-wide camera. On the front, there's a 32-megapixel selfie camera. On paper, the Fairphone's photographic arsenal is actually a fairly sizable step downgrade from its predecessor, which used a 50MP lens for all three cameras.The Fairphone 6 runs Android 15 and its maker guarantees updates until 2033 (on top of the phone's five-year warranty). There's also some custom software called Fairphone Moments. Activated by flicking the lime green-colored switch on the side of the device, it's effectively a minimalist focus mode that lets you streamline your phone to show only five apps of your choice. You can have multiple Moments collections, from essentials to more relaxation-oriented apps.As well as the phone's modular innards, you're also free to replace its backplates with custom alternatives with built-in features like a cardholder, finger loop or lanyard. And that remains the main appeal of the Fairphone brand. The fairly mid-range specs are less important than its future-proofed, anti-wastage design.The Fairphone 6 is available to buy now for 599 (around $695), and comes in three colors: Cloud White, Forest Green and Horizon Black.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-modular-fairphone-6-offers-two-day-battery-life-and-a-modern-design-143634840.html?src=rss

Sony has revealed the PS Plus Monthly games for July as the subscription service is about to reach its 15th anniversary. Between July 1 and August 4, members on all tiers will be able to add Diablo IV (PS5 and PS4), The King of Fighters XV (PS5 and PS4) and Jusant (PS5 only) to their collection. The monthly games for June - NBA 2K25, Alone in the Dark (2024), Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and Destiny 2: The Final Shape -are available to claim until July 1.Diablo IV is the clear headliner this time around. The 2023 action RPG from Blizzard is just about to get a big update too, including the expansion of endgame dungeons and the addition of keyboard and mouse support on consoles. Don't Nod's Jusant is a really lovely, narrative-based climbing game, a fairly relaxing way to spend a few hours. SNK's The King of Fighters XV, meanwhile, retains the series' 3 vs. 3 tag fighting format and it includes rollback netcode to minimize lag while playing online.Meanwhile, June 29 marks the 15th anniversary of PS Plus. Sony is marking the occasion by offering free multiplayer to non subscribers this weekend, adding a couple of game trials (WWE 2K25 and Monster Hunter Wilds) for Premium members and offering discounts on games and Sony Pictures Core movies. The company says that, throughout the lifespan of PS Plus, it has made more than 500 monthly games available for subscribers to keep in their collection as long as they maintain their membership.Sony still isn't sharing PS Plus subscriber numbers, though it told Game Filethat the Premium tier has grown by 18 percent over the last year. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino recently said that PS Plus price increases are "partly a result of increasing value we bring to the players" and that they hadn't slowed down subscriptions. The company still has no plans to offer its own games on the service on their release date, unlike Xbox does with Game Pass, though it will continue to add some third-party games to PS Plus on day one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps-plus-monthly-games-for-july-include-diablo-4-and-jusant-142438637.html?src=rss

Aside from a screen protector, the best accessory to keep your Switch 2 safe is a carrying case. And with the increased price of Nintendo's latest console compared to the original, there are even more reasons (about $150 of them) to figure out a way to shelter your console. But why stop there? With one important tweak, Belkin engineered a great way to add extra utility to a basic travel case by allowing you to charge the Switch 2 while keeping it out of harm's way. Design Belkin's Charging Case for the Switch 2 doesn't stray too far from the official Nintendo version, but there are a handful of subtle but welcome improvements. It features a polyester exterior (available in gray, green and tan) with reinforced sides and a soft velvet interior. There's a zipper that runs along the perimeter with Belkin thoughtfully including an inner liner to prevent any metal from coming in direct contact with the Switch 2. There are also cutouts and indents that allow the console to snuggle safely inside. Belkin did a good job of providing a secure fit without too much wiggle room. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The one small downside to this is that if you're planning on using a bulky skin or sleeve, things may be extra-tight (or might not fit at all). But for people like me who prefer to keep their devices naked, it's a great companion. As for durability, while I don't want to risk my Switch 2 by dropping it off a building, I did push the console off a table a few times while it was stashed inside the case without it suffering any damage. Battery pack OK, but what about the charging part? Instead of integrating the battery into the case itself, Belkin kept things incredibly straightforward. The kit comes with an included battery pack and a cutout with a strap to make sure it won't slide around in transit. Granted, this isn't the most elegant solution, but it's simple and effective while giving you the flexibility to charge other devices when needed. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Now, it's possible that if Belkin had opted for a battery that was built into the case, there may have been room to add more capacity. But at 10,000mAh, I feel like the kit strikes a good balance between size and longevity. With the Switch 2 having a 5,220mAh cell, Belkin's power pack has enough juice for almost two full recharges. Plus, because it's removable, if you ever need to top off something other than a Switch 2, you can simply grab the battery and leave the case behind. I appreciate that Belkin didn't cut too many corners either. The pack features two USB-C ports that support both charging and recharging. Speeds are decent too, with the battery capable of sending out up to 20 watts, which is similar to if the Switch 2 were plugged into the wall (though it's closer to 15 watts in real life). You can even recharge two devices simultaneously, but because you're splitting the output, things will take a bit longer. There's even a handy built-in display, so you never have to guess how much juice is left in the tank. And thanks to an included cable with a right-angle connector and a little channel for the cable inside the case, it's super easy to keep everything neat and orderly while charging. Extra features Sam Rutherford for Engadget Some other small but useful details about Belkin's case include a mesh pocket for stashing small accessories like cables. Just don't stuff too much in there or else you may put extra pressure on the console. There's also a flap with elastic pockets that can store up to 12 game cartridges. But my favorite feature is the AirTag compartment hidden behind the mesh on the right, which allows you to put a tracker inside without it being super obvious. Wrap-up The Belkin Charging Case for the Switch 2 isn't very sophisticated. But considering it costs $70, that's just fine by me because it has everything you want from a basic case with a very handy bonus. It looks good, the Switch 2 fits well inside and short of being something like a beefy Pelican crate, it offers more than enough protection from everyday bumps and tumbles. Sam Rutherford for Engadget I kind of wish Belkin sold a version that doesn't come with a battery for anyone who wants to use their own power pack. The company's non-charging version of this case isn't an ideal alternative as it doesn't have much extra space inside. But even so, this kit offers a solid combination of price and practicality, which is all I'm ever really asking for.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/belkin-charging-case-for-switch-2-review-simple-but-effective-140016952.html?src=rss

A new Dragon spacecraft launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket at 2:31AM Eastern time on June 25, 2025 to take the four astronauts of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. It's the second Axiom mission that's been sponsored in part by national governments, with the country and space organization of each participant contributing to mission costs. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson serves as the mission commander, while Indian Space Research Organisation astonaut Shubhanshu Shukla is the mission pilot. ESA astronaut Sawosz Uznaski-Winiewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of the Hungarian Space Office join them as mission specialists.

Here's a use of artificial intelligence that could be handy. Ring is adding AI-generated text descriptions of alerts. If it works well, a glance will be all it takes to tell whether something requires your attention.Ring founder Jamie Siminoff gave some examples of the new notifications. "A person is walking up the steps with a black dog" could tell you it's just the dog walker returning. Or, "Two people are peering into a white car in the driveway" could indicate it's time to call the fuzz.Siminoff wrote in a press statement that the descriptions are "intentionally concise." They only describe the main subject that triggered the motion alert and what they're doing. The Ring founder hinted that AI features were on the way when he returned to Amazon in April. "We're just scratching the surface of what we can do with AI - and I look forward to digging into this with the team even more," he said.RingThe feature is only available to Ring Home Premium subscribers. That's the company's most expensive tier ($20 monthly or $200 annually). Fortunately, you don't have to buy new hardware to use the feature. It's available on all currently available Ring doorbells and cameras. Video descriptions are only available in English.The feature begins rolling out today. Once available, you'll find the setting to toggle it on in the Ring app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/rings-ai-video-descriptions-tell-you-whos-doing-what-130048789.html?src=rss

The HDMI forum, which develops and manages HDMI specification, has officially launched the final and full specifications for HDMI version 2.2. First revealed at CES 2025, version 2.2 was designed to make it significantly easier to send videos with higher refresh rates and resolutions to modern TVs, such as those with 4K and 8K displays. Version 2.2 cables are required to be branded with the Ultra96 feature name, which indicates that they support up to 96Gbps in bandwidth and all HDMI 2.2 applications.The label ensures buyers that they're purchasing a certified product with the features they need, as the current ultra high-speed HDMI cables only support up to 48Gbps in maximum bandwidth. HDMI forum will require testing for each model length to guarantee compliancy, and the label is required to be displayed on the cable itself.HDMI 2.2 cables are capable of sending content with up to 12K resolution at 120 fps and 16K resolution at 60 fps to supporting devices. They also support uncompressed full chroma formats such as 8K resolution at 60 fps/4:4:4 and 4K resolution at 240 fps/4:4:4 at 10-bit and 12-bit color. In addition, they come with a new feature called Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) that improves audio and video synchronization. It will be especially useful for more complex system configurations, such as those that include audio-video receivers or soundbars. Now that the Forum has officially released HDMI Version 2.2's full specifications, we'll just have to wait for certified cables and compatible devices to be available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/hdmi-22s-full-specs-have-been-finalized-with-better-support-for-modern-displays-130001078.html?src=rss

Google has unveiled its latest text-to-image model Imagen 4 with the usual promise of "significantly improved text rendering" over the previous version, Imagen 3. The company also introduced a new deluxe version called Imagen 4 Ultra designed to follow more precise text prompts if you're willing to pay extra. Both arrive to a paid preview in the Gemini API and for limited free testing in Google AI Studio.Google describes the main Imagen 4 model as "your go-to for most tasks" with a price of $.04 per image. Imagen 4 Ultra, meanwhile, is for "when you need your images to precisely follow instructions" with the promise of "strong" output results compared to other image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney. That model boosts the price by 50 percent to $.06 per image.The company showed off a range of images including a three-panel comic generated by Imagen 4 Ultra showing a small spaceship being attacked by a giant blue... space lizard? with some sound effects like "Crunch!" and inexplicably, "Had!!" The image followed the listed prompt beat for beat and looked okay, not unlike a toon rendering from a 3D app.GoogleAnother prompt read "front of a vintage travel postcard for Kyoto: iconic pagoda under cherry blossoms, snow-capped mountains in distance, clear blue sky, vibrant colors." Imagen 4 output that to a "T," albeit in a generic style lacking any charm. Another image showed a hiking couple waving from atop a rock and another, a fake "avant garde" fashion shoot. The images were definitely of good quality and followed the text prompts precisely but still looked highly machine generated.Imagen 4 is fine and does seem a mild improvement from before, but I'm not exactly wowed by it - particularly compared to the market leaders, Dall-E 3 and Midjourney 7. Plus, following an initial rush of enthusiasm, the public seems to be getting sick of AI art, with the main use case apparently being spammy ads on social media or at the bottom of articles.GoogleThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-imagen-4-text-to-image-model-promises-significantly-improved-boring-images-111711517.html?src=rss

Diablo IV has been demonically chugging along since the release of the major Vessel of Hatred expansion last fall. The seasonal model usually brings temporary gameplay updates and storylines, but when Season 9 hits on July 1, it will add a couple of useful permanent changes. First, console players are getting support for mouse and keyboard controls. Second, there will be new additions to Nightmare Dungeons.The endgame of Diablo IV involves a lot of grinding Nightmare Dungeons, so even with a healthy dose of procedural generation, the landscape of those challenges starts to feel overly familiar. Season 9 will add some new wrinkles to the tile sets. Horadric Strongrooms are micro-dungeons within the Nightmare Dungeon that offer big potential rewards as well as a buff for the remainder of the main dungeon. Escalating Nightmares are a trio of dungeons in increasing challenges, and when tackled at Torment difficulty, they conclude with a riff on the Astaroth boss fight.It'll be a while yet before the developers bring another expansion on the scale of Vessel of Hatred, but Blizzard has been providing new twists on the game each season for the players who log hundreds of hours in Diablo IV. The Season 9 permanent additions, which also include some brand new dungeon affixes, could help keep things challenging and interesting for the game's hardcore fans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-next-season-of-diablo-iv-adds-extra-challenges-to-the-endgame-203832761.html?src=rss

When Philips Hue's US prices go up next month, you can officially know who to blame. (Hint: It rhymes with "rump.") Parent company Signify told Hueblog (via The Verge) that its price increases are "a direct result of tariffs." See how easy that was, Amazon?Before that confirmation, the company vaguely referred to an upcoming price increase. "Hurry, prices go up on July 1," marketing copy from earlier this month stated.Signify's statement to Hueblog doesn't mince words about Trump's trade war being the culprit. "Signify will increase prices on our Philips Hue portfolio in the US, effective July 1, 2025, as a direct result of tariffs," it wrote. "We remain committed to providing consumers with high-quality products and features that make smart lighting extraordinary. Signify reserves the right to modify prices based on new or additional tariffs becoming effective in the future."We don't yet know the exact price increases. The company says it will reveal them when they take effect on July 1. But there are some hints. The newly upgraded Hue smart button costs $32 compared to the old model's $25. If you think that's because it's a new version, the product stayed at the same 21.99 as its predecessor in Europe. Up to this point, the company's US pricing had been around a 1:1 conversion.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/philips-hue-says-us-prices-will-go-up-in-july-because-of-tariffs-183434777.html?src=rss

Anthropic has received a mixed result in a class action lawsuit brought by a group of authors who claimed the company used their copyrighted creations without permission. On the positive side for the artificial intelligence company, senior district judge William Alsup of the US District Court for the Northern District of California determined that Anthropic's training of its AI tools on copyrighted works was protected as fair use.Developing large language models for artificial intelligence has created a copyright law boondoggle as creators attempt to protect their works and tech companies skirt rules or find loopholes to gather more training materials. Alsup's ruling is one of the first that will likely set the foundation for legal precedents around what AI tools can and cannot do.Using copyright materials can be deemed fair use if the output is determined to be "transformative," or not a substitute for the original work. "The technology at issue was among the most transformative many of us will see in our lifetimes," Alsup wrote.Despite the fair use designation, the ruling does still provide some recourse for the writers; they can choose to take Anthropic to court for piracy. "Anthropic downloaded over seven million pirated copies of books, paid nothing, and kept these pirated copies in its library even after deciding it would not use them to train its AI (at all or ever again)," Alsup wrote. "Authors argue Anthropic should have paid for these pirated library copies. This order agrees."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/judge-rules-anthropics-ai-training-on-copyrighted-materials-is-fair-use-182602056.html?src=rss

Synthesizer giant Roland just announced a fairly bizarre contraption. The Mood Pan is the company's digital take on an acoustic handpan. For the uninitiated, a handpan is a version of the steelpan instrument that's been popular in Trinidad and Tobago since the 1930s. It's widely considered to be the only truly new acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century.However, handpans and steelpans take serious skill to play. Roland's Mood Pan is much easier to play, thanks to clearly visible pads that represent notes. These nine pads can be set to different musical scales, making it impossible to hit a wrong note. The company says that this simpler design requires "no previous musical skills."There's a built-in 2.1 speaker system and a Bluetooth receiver, which lets users stream audio from external sources. The sound engine offers "tranquil tones," with multiple sound variations and effects.The Mood Pan allows access to a number of different percussive instruments like the tongue drum, gamelan, crystal bowl and singing bowl, along with unique tunings. It can also emulate stuff like sitars, orchestral strings and synth pads. There's an affiliated app for changing up sounds and for fine-tuning pad sensitivity.It's played with finger taps, just like many of its acoustic cousins. The instrument is small enough to be placed directly on a lap, though also works on a table. Roland claims this is the perfect gadget for "musical exploration, relaxation and meditation." As for those last two, the Mood Pan can play built-in environmental music and nature sounds. The company says these modes are for "mornings, evenings, relaxing and yoga sessions."This being a modern digital instrument, there's a USB-C MIDI port for triggering sounds on computers or via other gadgets. It's powered by six AA batteries or via USB-C connection. The instrument is available to order right now, but shipments won't be going out for a few weeks. The Mood Pan costs $660.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/roland-just-released-a-weird-little-riff-on-an-acoustic-handpan-180051436.html?src=rss

As we edge closer to Windows 10's end-of-support on October 14, 2025, Microsoft is throwing its more stubborn users another bone. The company previously announced that, for the first time, consumers would be able to purchase one year of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for $30. Today, Microsoft revealed that you'll also be able to use 1,000 reward points to snap up an ESU. That could be helpful if, like me, you've been slowly amassing Microsoft Rewards and completely forgot they existed. (You can earn points by searching on Bing, shopping on the Microsoft store and playing Xbox games.)To recap, the Windows 10 ESU will get users bug fixes, security updates and technical support until October 13, 2026. If you don't pay for the ESU, you can still keep using Windows 10, you just won't get any major updates. At the very least, though, Microsoft will continue to deliver MS 365 app security updates, as well as Windows Defender antivirus intelligence updates, until October 2028. I'd also wager you'll start to see plenty of notifications nagging you to update to Windows 11 after this October.Microsoft says Windows 10 users will be able to enroll in its ESU through notifications and Windows Settings. The enrollment wizard is currently available to Windows Insider testers, and the company plans to start rolling it out to general users in July, with wide availability in mid-August.I can understand why Windows 10 users would be reluctant to move. It was a rock solid upgrade after the fiasco of Windows 8, and it's simply annoying to readjust your entire workflow for a whole new OS. But I also liked Windows 11 when it debuted in 2021, since it offered a more refined Windows experience. Microsoft has also addressed most of my concerns with Windows 11 by now - for example, you can finally see app names on the task bar again, instead of having them hidden for the sake of aesthetics.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/windows-10-users-can-get-extended-security-updates-for-1000-microsoft-rewards-points-170023129.html?src=rss