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Elon Musk is reportedly looking to finally take SpaceX public after years of resistance, according to sources who spoke to TheWall Street Journal. The company has long said it wouldn't choose an IPO until it had established a presence on Mars. That isn't happening anytime soon.So why now? Company insiders have suggested it's because Musk wants to build AI data centers in space. Google recently announced it was looking into putting a data center in space, with test launches scheduled for 2027. Musk reportedly wants to beat his rival to the punch, but SpaceX would need the billions of dollars in capital that an IPO would deliver. Putting a giant center in space isn't cheap.

The festive lights, time off and cute scarfs can only conceal the truth for so long: Winter can be pretty bleak. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's cold all of the time, dark most of the time and this lasts far beyond the most wonderful time of the year. Here at Engadget, we've tried so many tools and products to make winter more bearable from therapy lamps to heaters. We've invested in tea sets, wrapped ourselves in heated blankets and learned to grow herbs indoors - really, anything that will make these three-plus months more bearable, we've tried.

YouTube is just as wary of the rise of AI slop as you, and that's why more AI-generated content is coming to the platform in the near future. In a lengthy blog post outlining YouTube's 2026 plans, CEO Neal Mohan said the company will continue to embrace this new "creative frontier" by soon allowing its creators to throw together Shorts using their AI-generated likeness.Mohan didn't elaborate further about how this feature will work when it launches, but acknowledged the "critical" issue of deepfakes currently polluting the web, and reaffirmed his company's support for new legislation such as the NO FAKES Act. YouTube also allows its own creators to protect themselves against unauthorized use of their likeness using a detection feature that scans newly uploaded videos for matches.Other fresh AI (note: in no way slop) features referenced in the post include the currently-in-beta no-code Playables platform, which lets you make games using Gemini 3 with a single text prompt, as well as new music creation tools. At the same time, Mohan said YouTube is building on its existing systems designed to combat spam, clickbait and "low quality AI content." He added that an average of six million daily viewers watched more than 10 minutes of AI autodubbed content in December, despite the issues that rival platforms have had with similar features.Mohan didn't say when we can expect the new AI likeness generation feature for Shorts, but if that sounds like the sort of content you'd rather not encounter on your lunch break, here's a little PSA: the company now allows you to omit its short-form videos from your YouTube search results altogether.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-ceo-promises-more-ai-features-in-2026-162409452.html?src=rss

I vividly remember when Bose announced the Ultra Open Earbuds. While I applauded the company for trying something different, I wasn't sure if the clip-on design would take hold. Well, here we are almost two years later and most earbud makers now have something akin to Bose's fashion experiment. You can now count Sony among those as the company revealed its LinkBuds Clip ($230) open-fit earbuds today.These aren't the first open-wear earbuds in Sony's LinkBuds lineup. The company has two generations of the LinkBuds Open (originally called just LinkBuds) under its belt, giving users a more traditional earbud fit with donut-shaped drivers that let ambient sounds in. Now Sony is taking a cue from Bose and others with a clip-on design that attaches securely and comfortably to the ear while leaving the ear canal unobstructed. It's clear companies believe customers like this type of earbuds, but Sony's challenge is to make the LinkBuds Clip unique among the growing list of alternatives.Design and fitSony isn't offering anything distinctive in terms of design here, but that's okay. To be fair, I haven't seen too much innovation in terms of aesthetics in these clip-on-style earbuds. For the most part, they all have similar shapes: two cylindrical cases connected by short, flexible cable. True to its predecessors, Sony put the drivers in a squatty housing while the bulk of the components are in a larger one that sits behind your ear lobe.Sony kept the weight of the LinkBuds Clip low, and it avoided the bulk of the Ultra Open Earbuds. Both of these factors contribute to a very comfortable fit, so the IPX4-rated earbuds can be easily worn all day without becoming a burden. And while I didn't need them, Sony includes a pair of flexible silicone fitting cushions" in the box. These clip on to the short, flat cable of the newest LinkBuds for a more secure fit. During my tests, the LinkBuds Clip stayed in place just fine without them, but there also wasn't any decreased comfort when I did install them.The last design-related item I'll mention is the touch controls. On the LinkBuds Clip, the flat connector between the two housings accepts taps for playback controls, volume changes, cycling through sound modes and more. You can tap along this area to make an adjustment, and you don't have to do so right in the center. The LinkBuds Clip were pleasantly responsive during this review, quickly completing the task without delay or repeated taps. That is, except for volume, because you have to keep tapping for that change to happen.LinkBuds Clip features Controls are situated along the connector between the two cylindrical housings Billy Steele for Engadget Sony typically throws a whole host of features at its earbuds. Even though they're technically the company's midrange line, the LinkBuds family has a robust set of conveniences that make them well suited for both productivity and leisure. Unfortunately, the LinkBuds Clip doesn't have as much to offer here. The company gives you the basics, like the ability to fine-tune the tap controls or customize the EQ, and there's even the Adaptive Audio tool that lets you customize settings based on activity or location (Sony calls them scenes"). But there are some handy features I've come to expect from Sony that are notably absent.The LinkBuds Clip doesn't support speak-to-chat, Sony's voice recognition feature that pauses audio and activates ambient sound when you start talking. Quick attention mode, the tool that lowers the volume and lets in ambient sound for brief chats, isn't here either. These earbuds don't even have wear detection, and you have to settle for regular ol' DSEE audio upscaling instead of an enhanced version of that tech.Sony did equip the LinkBuds Clip with unique listening modes meant to enhance the audio performance in two scenarios. First, Voice Boost increases the volume of voices when you're on a call or listening to podcasts or audiobooks. The company says this is designed for noisy environments where the ambient sound is overly raucous. During my testing, I found the setting to be an extreme treble boost and volume increase - something that's definitely not well-suited for music.Next, Sound Leakage Reduction dials back high-pitched tones to avoid annoying your neighbors in the office or coffee shop. To me, this is the opposite of Voice Boost, removing the highs for a more mid- and bass-heavy tuning, but it doesn't sound very good compared to the default setting. Plus, my family wasn't really able to hear any leakage on the LinkBuds Clip anyway, unless I had the volume cranked uncomfortably high. I'll also note that any EQ customization/presets and DSEE upscaling are only available in Standard (default) listening mode.Sound and call quality The LinkBuds Clip have both noise reduction and bone conduction tech for calls Billy Steele for Engadget Open-fit earbuds typically struggle to muster adequate low-end tone, and the LinkBuds Clip meets the same fate. However, it's not all bad in the audio department as these earbuds have great clarity and provide a solid soundstage so overall quality doesn't suffer to the point of being unpleasant. The lack of bass is most apparent in booming genres, like hip-hop and synth-heavy electronic tunes.The LinkBuds Clip doesn't fare much better with more chaotic music styles like rock and metal. Spiritbox's Holy Roller" doesn't have the depth that it does on closed-fit earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 or over-ear headphones like Sony's WH-1000XM6. As such, the band's songs aren't nearly as immersive or impactful without adequate amounts of bass. So if pristine, enveloping sound quality is your primary aim, you'll want to look elsewhere, and you'll want to tread carefully with any other open-type earbuds.The open nature of the LinkBuds Clip makes them well-suited for calls. Since your ears aren't plugged, you can clearly hear your own voice so you never feel like you need to shout. Sony says these earbuds have AI noise reduction and a bone conduction sensor for voice pickup, both of which are supposed to keep you sounding good. During the course of this review, I found the background noise reduction worked well without making me sound overly processed. However, the overall voice quality is average at best, which means you can get by with using these for calls, but there are better options if you really value clarity here.Battery life on the LinkBuds ClipWhen it comes to battery life, Sony says you can expect up to nine hours of use on a charge with up to 37 hours when you factor in the case. That means the LinkBuds Clip alone is enough to get you through a full workday, especially if you're pausing for the occasional office chat or in-person meeting. And you'll get more if you're docking the earbuds in their case once or twice a day. If you do find yourself with a depleted battery though, a three-minute charge will give you an hour of play time.I'm still conducting battery tests on the LinkBuds Clip. In my first attempt at a full, nine-hour run down, I wasn't able to hit Sony's stated figure, so I'm doing more testing before I offer any final observations here.The competition The including "fitting cushion" (left) can help with a secure fit Billy Steele for Engadget Based on my testing, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are still the best in this emerging clip-on category. However, they're the bulkiest and the most expensive at $299. While they offer all the perks of open wear, sound quality can vary based on how they fit your ears and the lack of multipoint Bluetooth could be a deal breaker for some.If you're hoping to pay less than either Bose or Sony, Anker's Soundcore line offers the AeroClip for $170. Or if you're truly ballin' on a budget, JLab has the Flex Open Earbuds that are now just $40. JBL just announced a new $150 set during CES too, but those won't be available until March. I've only given these two a casual listen without any in-depth testing, so I won't make a definitive call on which one stacks up best against the LinkBuds Clip. But they're also just three of currently available options, and there are many more if none of these seem compelling.Wrap-upThe LinkBuds Clip expands Sony's midrange lineup with a completely different design that comes with inherent perks. They're plenty comfortable and exploit the benefits of open-type designs while doing basic earbud functionality well. Subpar bass performance and the omission of some of Sony's more attractive features (and even some basic ones) mean the company hasn't done enough to distinguish the Clip from the competition in an obvious way. Sure, these earbuds work as intended without being flashy or overly complicated, but there are plenty of other options that do that too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-linkbuds-clip-review-open-fit-benefits-arent-enough-to-stand-out-160000140.html?src=rss

Weber has been in the smart grilling game since 2020, dabbling in Wi-Fi connectivity for gas and pellet grills. It has also offered grillers a standalone option for its Weber Connect platform. For 2026, the company is expanding its smart grilling lineup to its original fuel source: charcoal. Today, Weber announced the Performer Smart Charcoal Grill and Kettle Smart Ring, both of which bring Weber Connect control and cooking guidance to charcoal grilling in a more integrated way.The 22-inch Performer Smart Charcoal Grill has a Wi-Fi-enabled LCD controller that regulates grill temperature by adjusting the airflow to lit charcoal. Weber says this grill is well-suited for overnight smoking and longer cooks thanks to this bit of automation. The new Performer also has a so-called Rapidfire Assist mode to get those coals lit faster. The grill can be controlled remotely with the Weber Connect app, which can also keep tabs on any connected food probes.The new Performer is essentially an upgraded version of the Performer Premium, Deluxe and base options that currently exist. You still get the porcelain-enamel finish, adjustable dampers for manual temperature controls and the One-Touch cleaning system for ash removal. The other upgrade is a Weber Works side table and side rail that accommodate the company's line of accessories. A premium version comes with a cart with storage shelves for $799 while an option with a more basic cart will be $599. Weber also plans to sell non-smart versions for $649 and $449, respectively. The company says the base models will arrive this spring while the premium trims will be available this summer.Weber Kettle Smart RingWeber BlackstoneIf you already have a Weber Kettle and are looking to add a bit of automation to your setup, the Kettle Smart Ring brings temperature control and smart connectivity for $280 this spring. This accessory fits the company's 22-inch grills and is equipped with an LCD display and knob-based controls. Of course, it also syncs with the Weber Connect app and offers two slots for wired food probes.Another key smart grilling area Weber lags behind its competition is wireless temperature probes, but that changes this spring. The company will debut a $70 Smart Wireless Probe and a $115 version with range booster and charger. These new probes sync with any Weber smart grill, the Weber Connect app or the new Smart Hub Display and Booster ($90) that works on any grill. Weber also built a retractable wired Smart Probe ($40) that can be used to monitor the temperature at the grates.And if you're loyal to propane, Weber has new options for you too. Updated Genesis Smart Gas Grills have a Sear Zone that can hit temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit and a side table that now accommodates Weber Works accessories. It will be available in both propane and natural gas versions - in both three- and four-burner configurations - this spring starting at $999. More affordable Spirit Smart Gas Grills will start at $599 and will also come in three- and four-burner options. Both the Genesis and Spirit smart models work with the Weber Connect app like the rest of the company's Wi-Fi grills and accessories.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/webers-2026-smart-grill-lineup-includes-the-companys-first-wi-fi-equipped-charcoal-grill-150000097.html?src=rss

Back in August, Adobe debuted Acrobat Studio. The new service saw Adobe bring the humble PDF into the 21st century with support for a handful of new genAI features, including PDF Spaces, a hub where you can upload up to 100 documents and have AI summarize them. Now the company is enhancing the capabilities of those hubs with the introduction of four new genAI features inside of Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Studio and Adobe Express.The next time you add documents and files to a PDF Space, you can prompt Adobe's built-in AI assistant to generate a presentation from those materials. The software will first create an outline. From there, you can select from a handful of "professional" designs to build the presentation around, and then make tweaks. Adobe says the majority of changes, including copy edits and image swaps, can be made without the need to generate entirely new slides. Once you're happy with the results, you can share the presentation with your co-workers for further editing. Adobe has also made it easier to collaborate inside of PDF Spaces. With this latest update, you can invite others to add files and leave notes.On the subject of editing, you can now carry out a dozen different tweaks using natural-language prompts. That includes adding text, comments, images and e-signatures. If you're old-fashioned like me, Adobe has also reworked the Help section to offer step-by-step instructions on how to complete most tasks.Last but not least, Adobe is borrowing a page from NotebookLM by adding a feature that allows users to generate podcasts from a PDF Space. This works much like it does in Google's app. Acrobat will default to centering the generated podcast around two hosts having a conversation about the material you want summarized.Adobe says Acrobat's AI features have been highly popular, in part because users are finding those tools are saving them time. As you might expect, the company reports students have had a particularly strong response to its efforts to add AI inside of Acrobat, seeing as the app can generate summaries of course material while providing citations for fact checking.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-acrobat-can-now-generate-presentations-and-audio-podcasts-from-your-documents-140000146.html?src=rss

One of the disconcerting things about using a virtual private network (VPN) is that it can be hard to tell when it's doing its job. The best VPNs all work in the background to keep your IP address hidden and your communications with their servers encrypted. The better the VPN, the less you notice it, which can make a top-performing VPN feel (uncomfortably) like one that isn't working at all.Luckily, you've got options for checking whether your VPN is working - other than just taking the app at its word. In this article, I'll cover the basics, then go through five different tests you can run to make sure you're actually using an encrypted VPN server. For each test, I'll explain what kind of problem it's looking for, how to run it and what to do in case it fails.Make sure your VPN is turned onBefore you do anything else, though, it's not a bad idea to check your VPN app and make sure you remembered to connect. It's all too easy to open up the client app, choose a server, tweak some preferences and feel like your work is done. On top of that, we don't always remember to tell VPN beginners that simply opening the client isn't enough.To check that your VPN is turned on, open the app on your desktop or mobile home screen. Each VPN designs its apps differently, but common signs include the color green, the word Connected and information on what server location you're connected to.The main UI for Proton VPN, with the connection button visible at top-left and the server location menu below it.Sam Chapman for EngadgetIf you don't see anything like that, click the On button, which should be on the first page that appears when you log into the app. Most VPNs also connect whenever you click the name of a server location.For those of you on iPhone or iPad, I've just written an explainer on how to turn a VPN off and on. For all the tests I'll discuss across the rest of this article, make sure you're connected to a VPN server before you run them. Also, make sure your internet connection is active - a VPN can only work when there's internet.5 tests to check if your VPN worksEach of these tests investigates a different reason your VPN might not be working. We'll start by looking for connection problems that might not be obvious, check for DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks and IPv6 leaks, then finally make sure an apparently active VPN is managing to change your virtual location.1. Has your IP address changed?Websites and internet service providers (ISPs) use IP addresses to identify devices and their owners online. A VPN's most important job is to change your IP address to one matching its own server, which disassociates your identity from your online activities. Not doing this indicates a failure on a fundamental level: either the VPN says it's connected when it isn't, or its technology is active but somehow not sending you through the proper encrypted tunnel.To check whether your VPN has changed your IP address, start by going to an IP address checker like whatismyipaddress.com or ipleak.net. This will show you the public IP address that everyone sees when you get online without a VPN, including the ISP that holds it and the geographic location it's associated with. Write that down or take a screenshot.A censored report from WhatIsMyIPAddress.com.Sam Chapman for EngadgetNext, connect to your VPN. Remember the location you connect to, and note down the new server IP address if the VPN tells you what it is. Go back to your IP tester tool and refresh the page. You should now see an IP address and location that match the one you connected to through the VPN, including a different ISP.If your IP address is the same as before, your VPN isn't working. To fix this, try disconnecting from the server, waiting about 10 seconds, then connecting to the same location and trying the test again. This will show you whether the problem was with one individual server or an entire location.If the problem persists, try a different server location, then a different VPN protocol. If it's still leaking, try restarting your VPN client, your device and your modem (in that order). This should fix the problem, but if it doesn't, move on to the remaining tests or get in touch with the VPN's tech support.2. Are you leaking DNS requests?A domain name system (DNS) server is an important step in getting a website to appear on your browser. DNS holds the information that connects URLs to the IP addresses of destination servers. If a VPN client lets your device contact a DNS server owned by your internet service provider without routing it through an encrypted tunnel first, the DNS request might reveal your real IP address to the ISP.You can check for DNS leaks by connecting to your VPN, then going to dnsleaktest.com or another tool of your choice. The tester sends several innocuous DNS requests, then scans to see which servers resolve them. If you see your real ISP at all, you've got DNS leaks.A DNS leak test run without a VPN. With one active, my real ISP (Comcast) should not appear on the list.Sam Chapman for EngadgetThe fix for DNS leaks is more intensive than the fixes in step #1. Check your VPN's control panel to activate any DNS leak protections and try again. IPv6 leaks can also appear as DNS leaks, so try disabling IPv6 in your browser (see #4 below for instructions). If you keep seeing leaks, you can also try clearing your computer's DNS cache.Here's how to do that. On Windows, go to the Command Prompt (on Windows 10) or the Windows Terminal (on Windows 11). Enter the phrase ipconfig/flushdns. On Mac, open Terminal from the Utilities folder, then paste in the phrase sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and hit Enter. Test the VPN once more to see if it's still leaking.3. Are you leaking information through WebRTC?WebRTC, which stands for Web Real-Time Communication, is a technology that lets browsers exchange information directly with each other. This is useful for text and video chats, streaming and more, but it's also a potential security risk. WebRTC can serve as a backchannel that inadvertently sends your real IP address outside the VPN tunnel.It's pretty easy to test for WebRTC leaks. I recommend the tool ipleak.net, which checks for them as a matter of course. You can also use browserleaks.com/webrtc to run a test that's particular to this kind of leak. These tools establish dummy connections through WebRTC, then test to see if the VPN still works when they're active. As usual, if you see your real IP address, there's a problem.Your WebRTC IP not matching your Remote IP is a potential red flag.Sam Chapman for EngadgetThe fixes for a WebRTC leak are the usual ones: try different servers, locations and protocols, reset your VPN, device and modem, then try another VPN provider. However, if nothing is working, you can also disable WebRTC on your browser altogether. This means you won't be able to do any real-time chatting (that's Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and so on), so it's a last-resort solution.To disable WebRTC on Firefox, type about:config in the URL bar, click the message to accept the risk, type media.peerconnection.enabled in the search bar, then double-click the word True to change it to False. To turn WebRTC back on, just double-click False again.On Edge, you can disable WebRTC by entering edge://flags in the URL bar, scrolling down to the option "Anonymize local IPs exposed by WebRTC" and making sure the dropdown next to it is set to Enable. There's no built-in way to turn off WebRTC on Chrome, but you can install the WebRTC Control extension to switch it off and on yourself.4. Is your IPv6 address leaking?Next up, it's possible that your real location is leaking through your IPv6 address, not IPv4. To make a long explanation short, IPv6 is a new way of formatting IP addresses that leaves more options available for the future. Since we haven't yet hit the crisis point of IPv4 shortage, very few websites are restricted to IPv6 alone.The problem is that most VPN apps were designed in the IPv4 era and aren't built to protect IPv6 traffic. There are some exceptions, including NordVPN, but most VPNs block IPv6 traffic completely rather than retrofit themselves to work with it. However, if a VPN of that sort isn't blocking IPv6 entirely, your IPv6 address and associated location can leak.Any IP address checker can reveal an IPv6 leak, but you can find a specific test at test-ipv6.com. This site runs several exams that look for IPv6 readiness, but the most important line is the one that shows your current IPv6 address. This will probably say you don't have one, since most ISPs don't work through IPv6 yet - but if you do have one, it should match your active VPN's location, not your real one.If your IPv4 address matches the VPN server but your IPv6 address does not, IPv6 is the likely cause of your leak.Sam Chapman for EngadgetShould it turn out that you're leaking IPv6 requests, the easiest solution is to disable IPv6 on your computer. On Windows, you can do this through the network adapter options page of your control panel. Here's how to get there:

Looking to keep your home clean without having to vacuum and mop every day, pick up dirt, the dinner your child threw on the floor or your furry friend's endless pet hair? Join the club. Smart home gadgets have come a long way over the years, and that includes robot vacuums. With newer technology including voice controls, object detection and more automation features, investing in a robot vacuum cleaner makes more sense now than ever before. Some of the best robot vacuum cleaners even have mopping capabilities, roller brush options and self-emptying bases, too, and there are plenty that don't cost a fortune either. If you're ready to adopt a less hands-on approach and let a robot vacuum cleaner do the hard work for you, consider our recommendations below. Best robot vacuums 2026 Latest robot vacuum news CES is typically a time for robovac manufacturers to unveil new innovations and this year was no different. Companies like Eufy announced new models, many of which are on the higher end of the price spectrum. Those flagship announcements are often paired with more minor ones that usher in mildly upgraded versions of midrange and entry-level machines. Now that robot vacuums are ubiquitous, the new models that make headlines tend to have some sort of gimmick like a built-in arm for picking up clothes, or offer (supposedly) top-tier suction power and a slew of extras. They also tend to be super expensive. However, most people will be served just fine with a robot vacuum that doesn't choke at the first sign of dust bunnies or pet hair, and maybe has mopping capabilities if you want a machine that can tackle hard floors in addition to carpet. Those other innovations are nice-to-haves, not necessities. Arguably even bigger than CES announcements is the fact that iRobot, a name synonymous with smart cleaning robots, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of 2025. What does that mean for Roomba owners? Not too much immediately, as the company stated that it will continue to operate with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships or ongoing product support." However, this also means that buying a new Roomba in 2026 is a questionable decision. What to look for in the best robot vacuums TLDR Despite companies coming out with gimmicky extras and new software perks in their robot vacuum lineups, the core competency of these devices have remained the same for years: sucking up dirt without needing your attention. You want a robot vacuum with the strongest suction power you can afford. Those with tile and hardwood floors can consider robovacs with mopping capabilities, and those who want peak convenience should opt for a model with a self-emptying base. However, both of those extra features will cost extra. Floor type First and foremost, we recommend considering the floors in your home: Do you have carpet throughout, or tile and hardwood floors, or a mix? Robots with stronger suction power will do a better job picking up dirt on carpets as they can get into high piles more easily. Some machines have max" modes as well, which ups suction power, but also typically eats battery life faster than the normal" floor cleaning mode. Vacuum suction Suction power is an important factor to consider. Unfortunately, there isn't a standard power scale that all robovacs adhere to, so it's difficult to compare among a bunch of devices. Some companies provide Pascal (Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum cleaner will be. But other companies don't rely on Pa and simply say their robots have X-times more suction than other robots. If you're looking for the best vacuum for your needs, it's helpful to pay attention to real-world testing and how well the machine can pick up fine dust, crumbs and pet hair in an environment similar to that of your home. Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi connectivity is a key feature for most robot vacuums. Some of the affordable devices aren't Wi-Fi connected, so it's best to double check before you buy something on the low end of affordable. Wi-Fi lets a robot vacuum cleaner do things like communicate with a mobile app, which then allows you to control the device from your phone. Mapping features and object detection Past a certain price threshold, you'll find advanced perks like home mapping features and improved object detection. Home mapping is exactly what it sounds like: The vacuum uses sensors to map your home's layout as it cleans, allowing you to send it to particular rooms or avoid no-go zones where you don't want it to roam. Most robo-vacs have object detection, but some will be better than others at actually avoiding things like chair legs and children's toys. High-end models even go so far as to promise obstacle avoidance to steer clear of things like pet poop that can potentially ruin your machine. Mopping capabilities Mopping features are much more common now in robot vacuums than they were just five years ago. Machines that support this will have a water tank either built into the robot's chassis, the auto-empty bin or as a separate piece that you swap in for the dustbin when you want to mop your floors. It makes the robo-vac more useful if you have hard floors in your home that you like to keep squeaky clean, but it does require more work on your part. Filling and emptying the reservoir remains a human's job for the most part (except on the most expensive machines), as does adding cleaning solutions if the mopping robot comes with this feature to ensure it uses clean water for every cycle. Self-empty station inclusion Finally, for peak convenience, consider a robot vacuum that comes with a self-empty station. These are basically garbage bins attached to the machine's docking station. At the end of each job, the robo-vac automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base - that means you won't have to empty the dustbin yourself and you'll only have to tend to the base once every few weeks. Just keep in mind that many self-emptying bins require proprietary garbage bags - another long-term expense you'll have to factor in (look for mentions of bagless" to avoid this all together). Also, any vac-and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean base, so you'll still have to clean up that yourself. Robot vacuum maintenance tips First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuum's dustbin after every cleaning job. If you have a model with a self-emptying base, there's less work for you to do yourself. If not, simply detach and empty the dustbin as soon as the robot is done cleaning. It's also a good idea to take a dry cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small dust and dirt particles clinging to the insides. In addition, you'll want to regularly examine the machine's brush roll to see if any hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not succumbing to tangled hair, but it's a good idea to check your robot's brushes regardless - both their main brush and any smaller roller brushes or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangled hair or other debris attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards. Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months. Check your machine's user manual or the manufacturer's website to see how long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time, these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or Walmart. How we test robot vacuums We primarily test robot vacuums by using them as they are intended to be used: in a home, across different types of flooring and in the face of all sorts of messes including pet hair, spilt coffee grounds and other food debris, dust bunnies, stairs (gasp) and more. We set up all robot vacuums according to their provided instructions and run multiple cleaning jobs during a testing period of at least one to two weeks per machine. If the robot has mopping capabilities, we also test those as well on hardwood and tile flooring. For models with self-emptying bases, we rely on those built-in trash cans for all post-job cleaning, and we make sure to test the robot vacuum's mobile app for usability and convenience. As we're testing, we make note of things like how loud the robot and its components are, how much human attention the robot needs on a regular basis, how the robot handles large messes and big dust bunnies, if the robot gets stuck on rugs, doormats or other furniture and more. Robot vacuum FAQs Are robot vacuums worth it? We tackled this question when we reviewed budget robot vacuums and the answer is yes, especially if vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores. Robots take the hard work out of cleaning your floors - just turn the thing on and watch it go. Any robot vacuum cleaner worth buying is semi-autonomous in that it will suck up dirt around your home until its battery is low and then make its way back to its charging dock. Unlike a regular vacuum, you should only have to interact with it to turn it on, empty its dustbin and untangle it if it were to get stuck somewhere. That's not to say robot vacuums are perfect. They're almost always less powerful and less flexible than traditional vacuums. Since most robo-vacs are much smaller than traditional models, they often don't have the same level of suction you'll get in an upright machine. Plus, their dustbins are smaller, so they will need to be emptied more frequently. While Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuums give you the flexibility to start a cleaning job from anywhere using an app, targeting a small area of your home can be more complicated. Some robo-vacs have spot-cleaning features that focus the machine's attention on a specific area, which almost - but not quite - mimics the spot-cleaning you'd be able to do yourself with a regular or cordless vacuum. How long do robot vacuums last? Robot vacuums can last many years, if you take care of them properly. Check out our recommendations for robot vacuum maintenance above, but in a nutshell, you should make sure that you're emptying the machine's bin after every job and periodically cleaning the interior of the bin and the brushes. It's also a good idea to check the user manual to see how often your robot vacuum's filter needs changing. Do robot vacuums work better than handheld vacuums? There's no straight answer to this question. Robot vacuums offer more convenience than handheld vacuums, so for those who are looking to automate a chore, that could mean one of these devices works better for them than a standard vacuum. However, handheld vacuum cleaners often have stronger suction power, and they give the user a bit more control. It ultimately depends on how you intend to use your main vacuum cleaner and what you want to prioritize most. How often do you have to clean a robot vacuum? Cleaning a robot vacuum isn't too much of a chore, but you'll want to give it a little TLC every few weeks or so, depending on how often you're running it and how much dirt it's picking up. The dustbin usually needs to be emptied after each cleaning run, especially if you have pets or lots of carpet where dirt can hide. Many newer models have self-emptying docks, which means you won't have to empty the dustbin yourself after every use, but the main bin will still need a good clean once a month or so. Also, it's a good idea to check the side brushes and main brush for any hair tangles or debris every couple of weeks to keep things running smoothly. What are the negatives of robot vacuums? Robot vacuums won't work for everyone. One of the biggest drawbacks is that they usually don't have the same suction power as a full-sized upright vacuum or even a cordless stick vacuum, so they might struggle with deep-cleaning thick carpets. They're also designed for floors only, so if you're looking to clean furniture, stairs or other tricky spots, you'll still need a traditional vacuum to do that. Plus, they can sometimes get stuck or miss spots, especially if you've got a lot of furniture or obstacles in the way. While their sensors help, they might still bump into things or need a little help getting out of tight spots. And while most have decent dirt detection features, they're best for keeping things tidy rather than doing heavy-duty cleaning. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-robot-vacuums-130010426.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission lost its antitrust case against Meta last year, but the regulator hasn't given up on its attempts to punish the social media company for its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The FTC is appealing a ruling last year in which a federal judge found that the government hadn't proven that Meta is currently operating as a monopoly."Meta has maintained its dominant position and record profits for well over a decade not through legitimate competition, but by buying its most significant competitive threats," the FTC's Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said in a statement. "The Trump-Vance FTC will continue fighting its historic case against Meta to ensure that competition can thrive across the country to the benefit of all Americans and U.S. businesses."The FTC originally filed antitrust charges against Facebook in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term in office. The government argued that by acquiring apps it once competed with, Instagram and WhatsApp, the company had depressed competition in the space and ultimately hurt consumers. A trial last year saw testimony from several current and former executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg, who spoke at length about the pressure to compete with TikTok.US District Judge James Boasberg was ultimately persuaded by Meta's arguments, writing that the success of YouTube and TikTok prevented Meta from currently "holding a monopoly" even if the company had acted monopolistically in the past. If the FTC had won, it could have tried to force Meta to undo its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Should it be successful in its appeal, that remedy could once again be on the table.News of the FTC's plan to appeal is also a blow to Zuckerberg, who has spent the last year courting Trump and hyping Meta's plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI infrastructure in the United States. In a statement, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that the original ruling was "correct," and that "Meta will remain focused on innovating and investing in America."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-ftc-isnt-giving-up-on-its-antitrust-case-against-meta-225020769.html?src=rss

OpenAI is the latest company to hop on the bandwagon of gating access by users' age. The AI business is beginning a global rollout of an age prediction tool to determine whether or not a user is a minor. The model looks at a combination of behavioral and account-level signals, including how long an account has existed, typical times of day when someone is active, usage patterns over time,and a user's stated age," the company's announcement states. If an individual is incorrectly characterized by ChatGPT as underage, they will need to submit a selfie to correct the mistake through the Persona age verification platform.Most AI companies have been willing to push new features first and then attempt to layer on a patchwork of protections and safety guards on top of them after they cause harm. OpenAI was implicated in a wrongful death suit for a teen who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan his suicide, and only in the following months began pondering automatic restrictions on content for underage users and launching a mental health advisory council. In this instance, OpenAI is attempting to prepare for the launch of an "adult mode" that will allow users to create and consume content that would be dubbed NSFW. Considering how well a similar change has been going over at Roblox, another platform with a shaky history around protecting minors, it seems probable that underage users will find ways to circumvent the existing tools if they want to use ChatGPT as adults.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-launching-age-prediction-for-chatgpt-accounts-222650340.html?src=rss

Akai just revealed its most powerful standalone groovebox, the MPC XL. For the uninitiated, the MPC has been around since the 1980s and pretty much defined hip hop from that era. The line has continuously iterated to keep up with the times and the XL looks to be the baddest of them all.First of all, it offers four times the processing power of previous MPCs, which is enough to load up to 32 virtual instruments at the same time. This is assisted by a full 16GB of RAM, which is a whole lot in this era of AI tomfoolery. The XL can handle 16 audio tracks simultaneously. In my experience with previous units, this is more than enough for a full song.It runs on a proprietary OS and features a 10-inch OLED touchscreen for making adjustments. There are also dozens of knobs and buttons to play with, including 16 knobs that integrate with the display for real-time feedback.The XL features a step sequencer, but this is an MPC. The real star attraction are those 16 drum pads. These pads can be set to trigger samples and hits, but can also be programmed to initiate effects and do all kinds of other stuff. Each pad has four quadrants, one for each corner, and they are all fully adjustable.Looking for even more nuanced control? There are two assignable touch-strips and plenty of short-cut keys. It has built-in microphone preamps, phono inputs for sampling, instrument inputs and numerous other connectivity options. This is a true flagship in every sense of the word. It's also very, very large.The MPC may have started as a hip hop machine, but newer models are useful for any genre of music. To that end, it comes with an extensive collection of plugins, samples and effects. These even include some plugins made by rival company Native Instruments.The software can handle stuff like stem separation, time-stretching and more. The workflow has been heavily inspired by modern DAWs, with a full arrangement view available on that OLED.The MPC XL is a standalone unit, so it doesn't need a computer or anything like that. The power requirements here, however, don't allow for batteries. This thing has to be plugged in, much like Native Instruments' Maschine+. It's available right now and costs a whopping $2,900. This is a serious machine with a serious price tag, just like Roland's recently-released TR-1000 drum machine.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/akais-mpc-xl-groovebox-is-the-most-powerful-device-the-company-has-ever-made-183952483.html?src=rss

Sometimes, you just need to give your mind a little vacation. And these days, outer space sounds like as good a destination as any. Thankfully, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is here to give us a dazzling new image of the Helix Nebula.Discovered in the early 19th century, the Helix Nebula resides in the constellation Aquarius. (Cue The 5th Dimension.) At about 655 light-years away, it's one of Earth's closest planetary nebulae. When zoomed farther out, it's easy to see why it's been nicknamed the Eye of God or Eye of Sauron. This 2004 image from the Hubble telescope illustrates that.A wider view of the same nebula from 2004NASA / ESA / C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt University) / M. Meixner / P. McCullough / G. Bacon ( STSI)What we're seeing in the nebula is, in a sense, a moment of death that lays the groundwork for a new birth. The dying star (out of frame in the closer new image) sheds its outer layers. As expelled gas and dust cool, they provide raw material that could someday form new stars and perhaps planetary systems.The new image from Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) provides a much closer, higher-resolution view.Pillar-like reddish knots in the Helix NebulaThose pillars you see are called cometary knots, and this image is our best view of those to date. "Here, blistering winds of hot gas from the dying star are crashing into colder shells of dust and gas that were shed earlier in its life, sculpting the nebula's remarkable structure," the ESA wrote in its press release.The knots' colors represent temperature and chemistry. Hints of blue indicate the hottest gas (energized by ultraviolet light). The yellow regions, where hydrogen atoms form molecules, are farther from the nebula's nucleus (and therefore cooler). On the edges, reddish-orange regions depict the coolest material, where gas thins and dust begins to form.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/earth-is-having-some-issues-so-lets-enjoy-the-webb-telescopes-new-nebula-image-181049901.html?src=rss

Roland just unveiled the Go:Mixer Studio, a powerful entry in the company's line of audio interfaces. This one promises to be a portable and affordable way to create high-quality recordings with a smartphone or PC.The biggest news here are the 12 input channels and six output channels. This means that users can record multiple instruments at once and even run the signal through outboard gear if so desired. There are two XLR inputs on the back with phantom power, an instrument jack, stereo 1/4-inch line-in jacks, an aux input, TRS MIDI ins and outs, two headphones jacks and stereo line outs for connecting monitor speakers.It records up to 24-bit/192kHz audio, which will certainly get the job done. The device comes with built-in effects for mangling audio on the fly. Each audio input also has a dedicated EQ and compressor directly on the channel.It connects via an app that's available for iOS, Windows and MacOS. The iOS app actually lets users capture both video and multitrack audio at the same time, which should be a boon for streamers and content creators of all stripes. The Windows and MacOS apps allow for complete control of the mixer remotely.As for the unit itself, there are several big knobs to adjust parameters and a color display. It's also really small and light, making it easy to pack away in case of an unexpected recording session. The device can even be mounted on a mic stand.The Roland Go: Mixer Studio is available right now and costs $300. The Roland Go line of audio products has been around for years, but this one seems like a major step up.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/rolands-gomixer-studio-is-an-affordable-but-capable-mixer-for-budding-recording-engineers-163927262.html?src=rss

In a strange twist of fate, a fire broke out this week at the Rad Power Bikes retail store warehouse in Huntington Beach, California, Electrek reports. The structural blaze came less than two months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned customers to "immediately stop" using and dispose of some of the company's e-bike batteries due to fire hazard. In December, Rad filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, stating it couldn't afford to recall the batteries."We're working with local authorities to review a thermal incident that occurred at our Huntington Beach store Sunday evening," a Rad Power Bikes spokesperson told Engadget. "The incident was contained and happened while the store was closed. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed."The recent two-alarm fire hit a commercial complex with multiple businesses. Footage from the fire shows e-bikes outside of the warehouse as firemen fought the blaze. Engadget has reached out to Rad for more information on the fire's impact.The CPSC's November warning told of 31 reports of fire, with 12 of those involving property damage. In some cases, the battery was in storage, not being charged or used, yet still caught fire. The CPSC told customers to get rid of (in a safe, detailed manner) specific models of Rad's lithium-ion batteries. It claimed that the "hazardous" batteries were at risk of igniting or exploding, even more if wet or interacting with debris.Rad told the CPSC it couldn't recall the batteries as it couldn't afford to offer replacements and refunds. "Rad offered multiple good-faith solutions to address the agency's concerns, including offering consumers an opportunity to upgrade to Safe Shield batteries (described below) at a substantial discount. CPSC rejected this opportunity," Rad Power Bikes said in a statement at the time. "The significant cost of the all-or-nothing demand would force Rad to shut its doors immediately, leaving no way to support our riders or our employees."The company also said it disagreed with the CPSC's "characterization of certain Rad batteries as defective or unsafe." It also pointed to the incident rate being below one percent and stated that all lithium-ion batteries come with a risk when customers do things - such as improper charging and excessive exposure to moisture - that Rad cautions against.Update, January 20 2026, 11:08AM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Rad Power Bikes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/rad-power-bikes-warehouse-catches-fire-following-flammable-battery-warnings-133056542.html?src=rss

Meta has a lot of work to do when it comes to limiting hate speech on its platforms. Now, its Oversight Board is looking into the company's decision to ban an account for, among other things, posting visual violent threats and harassment against a journalist - and it wants the public's advice.In the year prior to the ban, Meta referred five posts due to violations of its hateful conduct, bullying and harassment, violence and incitement and adult nudity and sexual activity community standards. In addition to the posts harassing the woman journalist, the user also shared "anti-gay slurs against prominent politicians and content depicting a sex act, alleging misconduct against minorities."Meta's internal review experts decided to permanently disable the account due to the consistent violations and calls for violence. This action was taken despite the number of strikes not reaching the ban threshold - Meta's guidance states that even seven strikes only get users a one-day ban. However, its account integrity page lays out examples of when it will disable accounts, including violating its community standards through "risk of imminent harm" to an individual.The Board is now looking for insight from the public until 11:59PM PT on Tuesday, February 3. The Board is specifically seeking comments from individuals who can "contribute valuable perspectives" on the following topics:

One way to read more in the new year is to incorporate audiobooks as part of your reading habit. Audible is having a sale right now that makes that easier and cheaper to do: you can get three months of access for only $1 per month, or a total of $3. The promotion runs through January 21. An Audible subscription grants one audiobook per month to keep. This can be selected from a massive catalog of new releases and bestsellers. The collection here has just about everything. However, it's easy to plow through a single book in a month. Users also get streaming access to thousands of curated titles. Think of it like Netflix for audiobooks. The catalog is limited, but it gets the job done in a pinch. Subscribers do get access to all Audible original content and they will receive discounts on purchasing audiobooks outright. In other words, it's a neat little service and well worth a buck. The regular price is $15, so make sure to cancel at the end of that three months if you aren't enjoying the platform. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-audible-deal-ends-soon-get-three-months-of-access-for-only-3-193859839.html?src=rss

Adobe has announced updates for Premiere and After Effects, including new AI-powered tools that are meant to speed up your video editing tasks. In Premiere, the company's video-editing software, it has unveiled a new AI-powered Object Mask feature that lets you easily pick and track persons or objects moving through your video clips. You simply have to hover over that object and click to generate a mask overlay in seconds. While the mask is supposed to be accurate from the start, you can adjust and resize it as needed. Adobe says the feature uses its own AI model for the feature and that the processing happens on-device. It also says that it doesn't use your activities and data to train its models.The company has also given its Shape Mask tool an upgrade. You can generate its redesigned Ellipse, Rectangle and Pen masks directly from the toolbar. Further, it updated their controls to make moving or adjusting the masks more precise. The masks can now also track objects on your video clips 20 times faster than their predecessors, which means you won't have to keep such a close eye on the status bar. Another new Premiere update lets you easily bring media from from Firefly Boards, Adobe's AI-powered digital canvas, into the program. In addition, Adobe Stock is now fully integrated within Premiere.For After Effects, Adobe has rolled out an update that lets you import SVG files that are commonly used in Illustrator. You can now also build graphics and photorealistic objects inside images with 3D parametric meshes, consisting of cubes, spheres, cylinders, cones, toris and planes, within the visual effects software.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-unveils-new-ai-powered-video-editing-tools-for-premiere-140000970.html?src=rss

The UK government has announced a consultation, asking people for their feedback on whether to introduce a social media ban for children under 16 years old. It would also explore how to enforce that limit, how to limit tech companies from being able to access children's data and how to limit infinite scrolling," as well as access to addictive online tools. In addition to seeking feedback from parents and young people themselves, the country's ministers are going to visit Australia to see the effects of the country's social media ban for kids, according to Financial Times.Australia's minimum age social media ban went into effect on December 10. It's the first of its kind and covers several social media platforms, including Facebook, X, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, YouTube and Reddit. Just recently, Meta shut down nearly 550,00 accounts, most of which were on Instagram, to comply with the new law.The UK passed the Online Safety Act in 2023 and has been enforcing its rules since. Last year, for instance, it started requiring websites that publish pornography to conduct age checks for users. But British politician Liz Kendall said parents still have serious concerns about the content their children can consume online. As The Guardian notes, the announcement for a consultation comes just before the House of Lords votes on an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The amendment is seeking a social media ban on children under 16, which will be enacted within a year if and when the bill passes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-uk-is-mulling-an-australia-like-social-media-ban-for-users-under-16-130000446.html?src=rss

Part of a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its non-profit status claims Musk is owed anywhere from $79 billion to $134 billion in damages for the wrongful gains" of OpenAI and Microsoft.Musk claims in the filing that he's entitled to a chunk of the company's recent $500 billion valuation, after contributing $38 million in seed funding" during the AI company's early years. It wasn't just money - according to the filing, Musk helped advise on key employee recruitment, introductions with business contacts and startup advice.If this sounds familiar, it's because the lawsuit dates back to March 2024. It's still going.- Mat SmithThe other big stories (and deals) this morning

Sony is ceding control of its Bravia TV brand to China's TCL as part of a new "strategic partnership," the companies announced in a joint press release. The Japanese electronics giant plans to sell a majority 51 percent stake in its home entertainment arm to TCL, while retaining a 49 percent share. The joint venture is set to start operations in April 2027, pending regulatory and other approvals.The new combined business will sell TVs carrying Sony and Bravia branding while using TCL's display technology. The partnership will also leverage Sony's picture and audio expertise, supply chain management and other areas of expertise. For its part, TCL will contribute its vertical supply chain strength, global market presence and end-to-end cost efficiency."By combining both companies' expertise, we aim to create new customer value in the home entertainment field," Sony CEO Kimio Maki said in a statement. "We expect to elevate our brand value, achieve greater scale and optimize the supply chain in order to deliver superior products and services to our customers," added TCL Electronics chairperson DU Juan.The news will come as a shock to some, particularly in Japan, as Sony has been strongly associated with high-quality TVs since the Trinitron days. However, it's currently fighting in a low-margin TV business full of formidable competitors including Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL. The company has already sold off or closed other electronics operations, including PCs and tablets, and is barely hanging in with its smartphone business.Sony effectively stopped making its own LCD and OLED panels some time ago, while TCL has increased its own production - having recently purchased LCD Panel patents from Samsung and taken over its plant in China. Other Japanese companies like Toshiba and Hitachi have already exited the TV business, while some including Panasonic have a highly reduced presence.The Bravia brand survived mainly thanks to customers willing to pay extra for high-end picture and sound quality, along with Sony's association to filmmaking and high-end camera gear. As I detailed in a recent explainer, Sony was a pioneer in many key flat panel breakthroughs, having developed LED backlighting, quantum dot technology and the first OLED TVs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/sony-is-handing-control-of-its-bravia-tv-business-to-chinas-tcl-120957252.html?src=rss

Pioneering mathematician Dr. Gladys West has passed away at the age of 95. Her name may not be familiar to you, but her contributions certainly are; West's work laid the foundation for the global positioning system. As you likely know from experience, GPS is now an essential component of industries ranging from aviation and emergency response, as well as ensuring that you get to that dinner date or job interview on time.

ASUS appears to be shifting its business operations away from smartphones. According to translations of recent quotes from Chairman Jonney Shih, the company does not plan to release new phone models in the future. The chairman did not confirm whether smartphones would be completely phased out, but he did acknowledge that possibility. Whatever direction ASUS takes, its existing phones will continue to receive software updates and warranty assistance. Shih suggested that its future plans may include a shift into AI-related projects such as robotics or smartglasses.Previous reports hinted that ASUS would not introduce any smartphones in 2026, but Shih's recent comments indicate that the pause may stretch longer than a year. We've reached out to ASUS for additional comment and will update if the company shares any further information.ASUS had plenty of other updates emerging from CES at the start of the month unrelated to smartphones, such as dual-screen laptops and a pair of gaming smartglasses. So if it does decide to leave that product segment, there will still be other ASUS-branded gear on the market.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/asus-will-not-release-any-new-smartphones-this-year-213043832.html?src=rss

The UK Gambling Commission has raised concerns that Meta is ignoring advertisements by illegal gambling websites on its platforms. At a conference in Barcelona, the commission's Executive Director Tim Miller criticized Meta's behavior towards advertisements for online gambling on its Facebook and Instagram social networks."Companies like Meta will tell you that they don't tolerate the advertising of illegal sites and will remove them if they are notified about them," Miller's speech transcript reads. "But that approach suggests that they don't know about those ads unless alerted. That is simply false."Meta's internal policy is that gambling sites must be licensed in the markets where their ads run. However, the agency was able to conduct basic searches for advertisers that are not on its GamStop platform, which helps people block themselves from accessing online gambling sites. GamStop integration is required for an operator to receive a UK license."I would be very surprised if Meta, as one of the world's largest tech companies is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling," Miller said. "It could leave you with the impression they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/uk-agency-questions-metas-policies-for-illegal-gambling-site-ads-210500714.html?src=rss

Marathon, Bungie's long-awaited extraction shooter, will arrive on March 5, the studio announced today. Alongside a definitive release date, Bungie shared a new gameplay trailer, in addition to details about the game's forthcoming deluxe edition, which fans can pre-order today on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. All versions of the game will support crossplay, meaning you'll be able to play with your friends, no matter where they decide to buy Marathon.Sony, Bungie's parent company, had previously committed to a March release for Marathon, but stopped short of sharing an exact date. News of that date leaked early Monday after Microsoft published the pre-order trailer you see above early. Sony had originally planned to release Marathon in September 2025, but delayed the game indefinitely in June of last year after a mixed reception to its alpha and an admissionBungie hadpartially plagiarizedsome visual assets. It's safe to say Marathon could decide the future of the studio. In November, Sony said Destiny 2 had not lived up to its expectations and wrote down the value of the studio's assets by $204 million. This came after the company said it would take more direct control of Bungie.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bungies-marathon-arrives-on-march-5-193808588.html?src=rss

Elon Musk posted on X that Tesla will be restarting work on Dojo3, the third generation of its in-house supercomputer project. The Dojo team had been disbanded last year as the company prioritized the AI chips that run on board Tesla vehicles. Musk said the company is returning to the project "now that the AI5 chip design is in good shape."The purpose of the Dojo project is to process video recordings and other data from Tesla vehicles and use that to train the "neural net" behind the company's Full Self-Driving software. Last year, however, Musk posted on X that "It doesn't make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs. The Tesla AI5, AI6 and subsequent chips will be excellent for inference and at least pretty good for training. All effort is focused on that."The AI chips Musk is referring to are ones developed for running FSD onboard Tesla vehicles and are not optimized for training. The AI6 chips will be made by Samsung in the company's Texas factory, after it struck a $16 billion agreement with Tesla.Musk has also claimed a lot of things over the years, and many of those assertions either were misrepresentations or simply didn't pan out. Working against this chip project: Musk said that Dojo3 will be "space-based AI compute," as he and others believe that data centers in orbit are a superior alternative to the land-based behemoths currently being built. The idea is that space provides easier access to the sun's energy, and the cold temperatures there might greatly reduce the power needed, among other benefits. While it's an increasingly popular if entirely speculative idea, experts have their doubts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/musk-claims-tesla-will-restart-work-on-its-dojo-supercomputer-173127863.html?src=rss

Apple keeps most of its product pricing on a tight leash, but we do see the company's AirTags go on sale pretty frequently. Another cost cut has come around for this item just in time for the holidays. Amazon is currently selling a four-pack of AirTags for $65. At a third off the regular cost, that price is pretty close to the record low discount of $63 we've seen for these Bluetooth trackers. AirTags can be useful for people who travel frequently, helping you to keep track of essentials like your passport as well as a way to keep tabs on luggage while you're on the go. If you do purchase some AirTags, we have some recommendations for useful accessories to go along with them, such as different styles of cases to best attach the trackers to different types of items. These are worth looking over and adding to your shopping cart in order to make the most of the product. AirTags have an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance and their replaceable batteries should last for about a year. They can also support Precision Finding, which gives more exact directions to a lost item, when paired with most models after the iPhone 11. Up to five people can share an AirTag's location, which is helpful for families or large travel groups. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/airtag-deal-get-four-of-the-bluetooth-trackers-for-65-202333107.html?src=rss

Meta's Threads is pulling further ahead of Elon Musk's X on mobile, based on recent estimates from analytics firm Similarweb, Forbes reports. In the first stretch of January, Threads averaged roughly 143 million daily active users worldwide on mobile devices, compared with about 126 million for X.Similarweb's year-over-year snapshot shows Threads growing sharply, up 37.8 percent year-over-year, while X's daily mobile audience fell 11.9 percent across the same period. The picture is more mixed in the US, where X still holds a narrow edge on mobile. Similarweb data puts X at about 21.2 million daily active US mobile users in early January versus roughly 19.5 million for Threads.However, Threads' US mobile usage has risen substantially faster over the past year, surging almost 42 percent to X's 18 percent. X remains far larger on desktop, where it draws around 150 million daily users or visits worldwide, while Threads' web presence sits at just 9 million.Forbes also reported on Similarweb data for Bluesky, another competing text-based platform started by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. Dorsey left the board in the summer of 2024, later telling Pirate Wireshe believed Bluesky was "literally repeating all the mistakes we made as a company," in reference to Twitter. The social network opened registrations in 2024, and sits now with a daily mobile user base of 3.6 million, which Similarweb says is down 44.4 percent year-over-year.X has found itself in hot water yet again over xAI's Grok chatbot, which was altering pictures of women on the platform to create lewd images at the request of users without the consent of those pictured. In some cases, the chatbot also altered the images of underage girls. The uproar in response led the company to shut off image generation for nonsubscribers and place firmer guardrails on what types of images can be generated. The delayed action came after weeks of Grok creating tens of thousands of these images, and after the Attorney General of California launched an investigation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-has-more-global-daily-users-than-x-on-mobile-for-the-first-time-144936831.html?src=rss

Instant cameras have become a popular category for one simple reason: they're fun. You can whip one out at a party or event and take a snap, then a couple of minutes later you have a real, physical, instant photo that everyone can touch, feel and enjoy instead of staring at a screen. It's also a lot cooler than a smartphone shot thanks to the retro, nostalgic vibes of analog photography.

If you weren't able to shut down your Windows 11 device recently, Microsoft has rolled out an emergency fix addressing a couple of critical bugs that popped up with its latest January 2026 Windows security update. The latest "out-of-band" update repairs an issue for some Windows 11 devices that would only restart when users tried to shut down or hibernate. The same update restores the ability for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users to log into their devices via remote connection apps.Microsoft said the inability to shut down or hibernate affected Windows 11 devices using Secure Launch, a security feature that protects a computer from firmware-level attacks during startup. As for the remote connection issue, Microsoft explained in its Known issues page that credential prompt failures were responsible when users tried to log in remotely to affected Windows 10 and 11 devices.According to WindowsLatest, some lingering issues with the January 2026 Windows security update are still affecting users, like seeing blank screens or Outlook Classic crashing. Back in October, Microsoft had to issue another emergency fix for Windows 11 related to the Windows Recovery Environment. For those still hesitant to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft is allowing you to squeeze some more life out of Windows 10 by enrolling in Extended Security Updates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-issues-emergency-fix-afer-a-security-update-left-some-windows-11-devices-unable-to-shut-down-192216734.html?src=rss

You can easily spruce up your nightstand or desk by decluttering a bit, replacing some of those annoying charging cables with a good wireless charging setup. One of our favorites that can handle three devices at once is the UGREEN MagFlow Qi2 3-in-1 Charger Station 25W. Normally $140, it's on sale right now for $95; that's 32 percent off and only about $5 more than its record-low price. This is our top pick for a 3-in-1 charging pad thanks to its versatility. The UGREEN can work equally well as a permanent fixture in your home or act as a portable charging station. It boasts a foldable design and has smart little design details to keep it feeling like a premium product. The Qi2 25W charging works across a range of iPhone models and accessories, such as AirPods. There's also a dedicated part of the pad's design for an Apple Watch, which uses a proprietary charging standard, to power up too. Just note that you'll need a newer model of phone and the latest iOS 26 in order to take full advantage of the 25W charging capability. The wireless pad also comes with both a charging plug and a cable. We felt this UGREEN model was a great value at $140, so being able to snag one for a third of the usual price is an even better deal. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-ugreen-3-in-1-wireless-charger-is-32-percent-off-right-now-214707378.html?src=rss

Washington state residents may soon be forced to produce IDs before getting onto websites with pornographic content. Within the state's House of Representatives, Rep. Mari Leavitt introduced House Bill 2112, which is informally known as the Keep Our Children Safe Act. Similar to the initiatives seen in other states, the bill proposes to restrict access to "online sexual material harmful" to anyone under 18.In practical terms, those living in Washington state could see websites asking for digital identification or demanding the user go through an age verification system that requests a government-issued ID. If a website that has more than one-third of its content being "sexual material harmful to minors" is found not following these rules, the state's attorney general can pursue steep civil penalties.If those restrictions sound familiar, it's because many other states have also passed similar constraints. Washington state's proposed bill is very similar to Texas' age verification law that went into effect in September 2023 and was recently upheld by the US Supreme Court. Like the Texas law, several groups expressed disapproval of the bill during the public hearing at the House committee level. As reported by The Seattle Times, groups including the ACLU, Lavender Rights Project and the Northwest Progressive Institute warned of privacy risks related to potential data breaches and the loose definition of "sexual material harmful to minors" in the bill's language.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/washington-is-the-latest-state-pursuing-an-age-verification-law-for-porn-sites-174423529.html?src=rss

If you want a wireless charger for your iPhone and prefer to stick with Apple, Amazon has a sale that may pique your interest. The retailer is selling the one meter Apple Magsafe charger for $30, saving you $10 off the regular price, while also selling the two meter model for $40 ($10 off). If you have an iPhone 16, iPhone 17 or iPhone Air, this cable can charge your device at 25W as long as it's connected to a 30W power adapter on the other end. While you'll need a more recent iPhone to get the fastest MagSafe charging speeds, the charger can wirelessly top up the battery of any iPhone from the last eight years (iPhone 8 and later). With older iPhones, the charging speed tops out at 15W. The cable works with AirPods wireless charging cases too - it's certified for Qi2.2 and Qi charging. The MagSafe charger is one of our favorite iPhone accessories, and would pair quite nicely with your new iPhone if you're picking up one of the latest models. If you're on the fence about that, be sure to check out our reviews of the iPhone 17, iPhone Pro/Pro Max and iPhone Air. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-latest-25w-magsafe-charger-is-on-sale-for-30-141707297.html?src=rss

Six years after the announcement of plans to build Atari Hotels in eight cities across the US, including Las Vegas, only one now seems to be moving forward, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Las Vegas deal ultimately "didn't come to fruition," spokesperson Sara Collins told Las Vegas Sun this week, and Atari Hotels is putting its focus into the Phoenix site "for the time being."Phoenix was always meant to be the first site, followed by other hotels in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. But Las Vegas is now apparently off the table, and there haven't been any signs of life around the other planned locations. The FAQ on the Atari Hotels website notes, "Additional sites, including Denver, are being explored under separate development and licensing agreements." The Atari Hotel project was announced in 2020 just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequently experienced development delays. Construction on the Phoenix hotel, which was supposed to break ground in 2020, is expected to begin late this year, with its opening now planned for 2028.But maybe don't hold your breath. According to a December press release, the company is still trying to raise $35 million to $40 million to fund the "playable destination" for gamers in Phoenix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-plan-for-a-gaming-themed-atari-hotel-in-las-vegas-has-reportedly-been-scrapped-214212269.html?src=rss

Amazon is reportedly adding Teresa Palmer (The Fall Guy, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge) to its pantheon of Norse gods for its God of War TV show adaptation. As first reported by Deadline, Palmer will play Sif, Thor's wife and eventual leader of the Aesir, in the live-action adaptation. It may not carry as much weight as the casting of the video game's protagonist that was revealed earlier this week to be Ryan Hurst, but it could hint at the direction the TV show may take.

In another attempt to reduce our attention spans to mush, TikTok has released the PineDrama app, which offers serialized drama series that are roughly a minute per episode. As first spotted by Business Insider, the app is designed exactly like TikTok, but instead of trendy dance videos, you can scroll through and watch "micro dramas."For those new to the category, micro dramas are bite-sized TV shows shot in vertical video and available in minute-long episodes. Don't expect any nominations for Best Original Screenplay with series like The Officer Fell For Me or Married to my past life's nemesis, since they typically offer soap opera vibes with cliffhangers that keep users scrolling to the next episode. The app is designed to keep people on it with a Discover tab, a place to save favorites and the ability to react in real time alongside other viewers.Right now, the micro dramas on PineDrama are all free to watch and don't have any ads. It's unclear if TikTok will introduce any costs or ads to the app, since other micro drama options like DramaBox or ReelShort have a paid structure. Late last year, TikTok also introduced a way to watch micro dramas within its own app, with a section called Minis. It's not the first time we're seeing shorter TV show formats, since Quibi made waves with a format of episodes that were less than 10 minutes long. However, maybe even 10 minutes was too long since the startup eventually called it quits after eight months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tiktoks-latest-spinoff-app-feels-a-lot-like-quibi-but-with-shorter-and-cornier-content-185702010.html?src=rss

E Ink tablet maker reMarkable is running a bundle deal right now that can save you between $80 and $90 when buying a reMarkable 2 along with a Marker stylus and a folio case. The savings vary depending on the bundle you configure, but this can bring your out-the-door cost down to $449 from $529 for the tablet, Marker stylus and polymer weave book folio. The offer runs through January 17. The company also sells a newer stylus called Marker Plus that lets you erase by flipping it around just like a real pencil, but that will cost you an extra $50. If you've been eyeing a dedicated writing tablet for work, school or just jotting down notes without the distraction of endless apps, this bundle deal is an ideal opportunity to pick one up. The reMarkable 2 earned our top pick for best e-ink tablet. In our review, we said the tablet was prettier than ever with a 10.3-inch display and a handsome aluminum frame. The tablet is only 4.7mm thick and weighs less than a pound, helping it feel lean and portable. The display can detect over 4,000 different levels of pressure with the Marker stylus, allowing for precise shading when sketching and the latency between the stylus and the screen is just 21ms. reMarkable fitted the display with a resin layer on top of the glass to make writing on it feel more realistic. We didn't think this passed muster, but we found writing on it was a joy nonetheless. The tablet supports PDFs and ePUBs, which can be added via the companion mobile app or a desktop computer. You can also pair the reMarkable 2 with Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox to access files. The battery is rated for an impressive two weeks between charges. The reMarkable Paper Pro, a higher-end model with a richer feature set like a full color display and a built-in reading light, is our pick for best premium e-ink tablet. The pricier tablet also has bundle deals right now with savings up to $80 depending on configuration. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/its-the-last-day-to-get-up-to-90-off-remarkable-e-ink-tablet-bundles-150242090.html?src=rss

We now have some idea of what's at stake in the longstanding feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI. As first reported by Bloomberg, the latest filing, as part of a lawsuit that accuses the AI giant of abandoning its non-profit status, claims that Musk is owed anywhere between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages from the "wrongful gains" of OpenAI and Microsoft.Musk claimed in the filing that he's entitled to a portion of OpenAI's recent valuation at $500 billion, after contributing $38 million in "seed funding" during the AI company's startup years. Along with providing "roughly 60 percent of the nonprofit's seed funding," Musk offered recruiting of key employees, introductions with business contacts and startup advice, according to the filing. The monetary estimate comes from C. Paul Wazzan, a financial economist who's serving as Musk's expert in the case. According to Wazzan's calculations, OpenAI earned between $65.5 billion and $109.43 billion in wrongful gains, while Microsoft saw between $13.3 billion and $25.06 billion.The lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI dates back to March 2024, when the xAI CEO first filed a legal action claiming that OpenAI violated its non-profit status. Musk later added Microsoft as another defendant and even tried to get an injunction when OpenAI announced efforts to reorganize its corporate structure. Besides this suit, Musk has named OpenAI in another legal battle, accusing the company, along with Apple, of monopolistic practices that prevent xAI from getting a fair shot in the App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-is-looking-for-a-134-billion-payout-from-openai-and-microsoft-171824945.html?src=rss

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sent a cease and desist letter to xAI, days after his office launched an official investigation into the company over reports that Grok was generating nonconsensualIf you'll recall, xAI and Grok have been under fire for taking images of real individuals and putting them in revealing clothing like bikinis upon random users' requests.Bonta's office demands that xAI immediately cease and desist from creating digitized sexually explicit material" when the depicted individual didn't consent to it or if the individual is a minor. It also demanded that xAI stop facilitating or aiding and abetting the creation... or publication of digitized sexually explicit material" of nonconsenting individuals and persons under 18 years of age.X changed its policies after the issue broke out and prevented the Grok account from being able to edit images of real people into revealing clothing. xAI also moved Grok's image-generating features behind a paywall and geoblocked paying users' ability to edit images of real people into bikinis, but only in regions where it's illegal.In his announcement, Bonta said xAI developed a spicy mode" for Grok to generate explicit content and used it as a marketing point. The California AG also said that Grok-generated sexual images are being used to harass both public figures and ordinary users. Most alarmingly, news reports have described the use of Grok to alter images of children to depict them in minimal clothing and sexual situations," Bonta's announcement reads.The actions above violate California law, including California Civil Code section 1708.86, California Penal Code sections 311 et seq. and 647(j)(4), and California Business & Professions Code section 17200," it said. The state's Department of Justice now expects to hear from xAI on the steps it's taking to address these issues within the next five days.

AirPods work most smoothly with Apple hardware, but they also connect reliably to Android phones, Windows laptops and other Bluetooth devices. The pairing process depends on the platform in use although the basics remain the same. Once the AirPods are placed in pairing mode, most devices detect them quickly and handle the remaining steps in the background. The guide below explains how to pair AirPods with Apple products, how the process differs on newer iPhones that support H2 features and how to connect them to non-Apple devices.How to pair AirPods with Apple devicesApple builds AirPods to pair almost instantly with devices in its own ecosystem. Opening the charging case near an unlocked iPhone or iPad usually brings up an on-screen prompt. Tapping Connect links the earbuds to the device and to every other Apple product signed into the same iCloud account. After that, switching between devices is automatic. Audio output follows the active device as long as each product is using updated software and is signed in with the same Apple ID.If the pairing prompt does not appear, there are a few simple checks that help things move along. Opening the Control Center and selecting the audio output menu confirms whether the AirPods already appear as an available device. If they are listed there, choosing them establishes the connection. If they do not appear, opening the Settings app and checking Bluetooth usually reveals whether the AirPods are in range or already recognized. Opening the case while viewing the Bluetooth menu often triggers the pairing card once more.The process is similar across Apple Watch and Mac. When the AirPods are already linked to an iPhone, they tend to show up automatically on a paired Apple Watch. On Mac, opening System Settings and viewing the Bluetooth section reveals the same device list seen on an iPhone. Selecting the AirPods from that list completes the connection and also syncs the pairing status back to every other Apple device using the same account.Enhanced pairing with newer iPhonesSome newer iPhones support features enabled by the H2 chip used in newer AirPods models. With compatible AirPods, models such as iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 lineup tend to deliver a faster and more responsive setup experience. When an AirPods case is opened near one of these phones, the device quickly detects the earbuds and displays the pairing card with little delay. This also tends to speed up transitions between devices and improves reliability when switching audio sources.If the fast pairing prompt does not appear on a newer iPhone, reopening the case while the phone is unlocked is usually enough to reinitiate the process. It also helps to confirm that Bluetooth is turned on. Placing the AirPods back in the case for a few seconds and trying again will often reset the pairing state if the earbuds were connected elsewhere.AirPods Pro 3EngadgetHow to put AirPods into pairing modeEvery AirPods model supports a manual pairing mode. This is essential when linking the earbuds to devices outside the Apple ecosystem, or when the automatic prompt fails to appear on an iPhone or Mac. On older AirPods models, pairing mode is activated by opening the lid and pressing and holding the setup button on the back of the case until the LED light flashes white. Newer models, including AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3, use a touch-based method instead. With the lid open, tapping the area near the LED light places the earbuds into pairing mode. Leaving the lid open keeps the AirPods discoverable for nearby devices. Closing the case ends the process and requires it to be repeated if the device fails to detect them.Pairing mode does not remove any previous connections. It simply makes the AirPods available to new devices, which is helpful when switching between ecosystems. However, connecting to a new device usually takes priority. If the AirPods are already linked to something else that is nearby, turning off Bluetooth on the previously connected device prevents interference and helps the new device detect them more easily.How to pair AirPods with Android devicesAlthough AirPods are designed for Apple hardware, they function like any other Bluetooth earbuds on Android. Opening the case and placing the AirPods in pairing mode allows Android phones to detect them through the standard Bluetooth menu. The earbuds appear in the list of available devices and selecting them initiates the connection. Once paired, AirPods work for calls and media playback. Some features, such as automatic ear detection and battery status indicators, may require a third-party app on Android and are not supported at a system level. Features such as spatial audio and device switching remain exclusive to Apple's ecosystem but day-to-day performance is consistent on Android.If the AirPods fail to appear, refreshing the Bluetooth device list on the Android phone usually helps. Making sure the earbuds are still in pairing mode is essential since the white LED indicator stops flashing after a short period. Reopening the case and holding the button again, or tapping on the front for newer models, restores discoverability.How to pair AirPods with Windows laptopsWindows 11 handles AirPods as a regular audio device. Opening the Bluetooth and Devices menu in System Settings displays a list of nearby accessories. With the AirPods in pairing mode, the laptop should detect them and display them as an audio device. Selecting them completes the process and adds the earbuds to the device's known accessories. Windows generally reconnects to AirPods automatically on future sessions as long as Bluetooth remains enabled.If the earbuds do not appear in the list, toggling Bluetooth off and back on helps the system refresh the device scan. Checking whether the AirPods are already linked to a different device is another useful step. Windows sometimes struggles to take over a connection when the earbuds remain in range of a previously paired phone so disabling Bluetooth on the other device often resolves the issue.Troubleshooting common pairing issuesMost pairing problems come down to the AirPods not being in discoverable mode or being connected to another device nearby. Resetting the earbuds solves many problems. On AirPods models with a setup button, placing the AirPods in the case, leaving the lid open and holding the button until the LED turns amber then white restores the factory pairing state. On newer models without a physical button, place the AirPods in the case, close the lid for about 30 seconds, then open it and quickly tap the front of the case three times. The status light should then flash amber and then white, to indicate that the reset is complete. This clears previous connections and makes the AirPods behave as if they are new out of the box.Low battery levels can also interrupt pairing. Ensuring both the earbuds and the case have enough charge prevents unexpected disconnections during setup. Interference from other wireless accessories affects pairing on crowded networks. Moving to a quieter spot or turning off surrounding Bluetooth devices helps the AirPods stand out when scanning.AirPods are built to pair quickly with Apple devices but they also integrate smoothly with other platforms. Keeping the earbuds in pairing mode and confirming that Bluetooth is enabled on the device in use ensures a smooth setup every time. Once connected, the AirPods tend to remember the device and reconnect whenever they are nearby which keeps day-to-day use simple regardless of the platform.

I came out of my CyberGhost review with a positive opinion, feeling it had earned its spot in my best VPN roundup. However, even an expert review is subjective, and there's a chance CyberGhost will not work for you. If that's the case, here's how to cancel your subscription.How to stop your CyberGhost subscription renewingCancelling your CyberGhost subscription won't end it right away, unless you delete your account or get the refund (I'll explain how to do both of those later). Instead, the way to cancel CyberGhost is to stop your subscription from renewing at the end of each billing period. Once you've done that, you can keep using CyberGhost until your current period ends.The following steps will cancel auto-renewal if you got CyberGhost through its website. If you bought it through an app store instead, see the next section.

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. Several neat-looking games arrived this week, we got release dates for several others that I'm really looking forward to and a brand-new Steam festival was announced.The Love, Romance, and Heartbreak Debutante Ball is said to be the first Valentine's Day-themed Steam festival. It'll run from February 13 to 20 and feature more than 100 games, including discounts and demos. A showcase will take place on February 13 at 1PM ET on the Sunny Demeanor Games YouTube channel too.Organizers say the festival includes a wide variety of games about love, including RPGs, puzzle games and (naturally) visual novels. You might play as a cat or someone trying to fish an engagement ring out of a claw machine, as a secret agent or a couple that's run off to another planet. I'm intrigued! There will be some NSFW games involved, for what it's worth.New releasesQuarantine Zone: The Last Check seems like a 3D version of Papers Please but with zombies. At a checkpoint amid a zombie outbreak, your mission is to screen survivors for signs of infection. If you're unsure of their status, you can send an individual to quarantine for further observation or a lab for additional screening. Otherwise, you can let them in or send them to "liquidation." Get things wrong and it could spell disaster, but at least you have a sidearm (and a weaponized drone) to help you deal with sticky situations.It looks like there's a lot going on in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check, which is from Brigada Games and publisher Devolver Digital. There are base and resource management aspects as well. It's out now on Steam (usually $20, but there's a 10 percent discount until January 26) and PC Game Pass.Air Hares seems to draw inspiration from classic top-down shoot-'em-ups. But instead of simply blowing up countless ships, your mission is to restore farmland. You'll fire seeds and water to turn barren land into fertile carrot fields. There are still enemies to contend with - you (and perhaps a co-op partner) can dodge and ram them as you try to protect the land.Expect boss battles, too.I really like the aesthetic here. It has a '90s-style cartoon look (I suddenly really want a modern Bucky O'Hare game). Also, the song from the trailer is going to live in my head for weeks.Husband-and-wife team Tim and Megan Bungeroth created Air Hares over six years with the help of several contributors. According to a press release, the game is "inspired by the creators' personal journey with infertility and the idea of creating life rather than destroying it."Air Hares is out now on Steam. It typically costs $9, but there's a 20 percent discount until January 28.Luckshot Games' Big Hops looks like my kind of 3D platformer: joyous and playful. As a young frog who has been kidnapped, you'll try to find airship parts for a raccoon who has promised to help get you home.There are tons of movement mechanics here, and Hop's tongue plays a major role in those. You can use it to swing across gaps, hookshot your way to higher platforms and solve puzzles.Big Hops is out now on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PS5 for $20. The Switch and Steam versions have a 10 percent launch discount until January 19.Cassette Boy is a pixel-art game that might appear to be a 2D exploration puzzler, but there's more going on here. You can rotate the world to discover new secrets and hide enemies and hazards from view so you can move past them. If you can't see something on your screen, it doesn't exist. There's a bit of a Fez influence here, it would appear.Wonderland Kazakiri and publisher Pocketpair are behind this one, which I'm looking forward to checking out when I have a chance. Cassette Boy is available on Steam, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S for $13.UpcomingI really enjoyed the demo for Aerial_Knight's DropShot (as well as Aerial_Knight's previous games). I'm for sure going to be playing the full game when it hits PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Steam and Epic Games Store on February 17.This is a single-player first-person shooter in which you're skydiving with finger guns. You compete with four enemies to grab the only available parachute as you're falling through the air. Rounds are fast-paced too, generally lasting under a minute.Point-and-click adventure Earth Must Die has been on my radar for a while and we'll all get a chance to try it soon. It's designed to be a playable cartoon (with a runtime of about eight hours) and it has an art style to match.The cast is pretty stellar, with Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II), Joel Fry (Our Flag Means Death) and a whole load of British comedy figures on board. There's a demo available on Steam now and the full game - from Size Five Games and publisher No More Robots - will land on January 27.Let's wrap things up for this week something very silly-looking from Monster Shop Games. Pie in the Sky is a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater-inspired action arcade game in which you play as a magpie that terrorizes bystanders. You can knock people off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, ram kids off of scooters, actually go skateboarding and, uh, cause havoc from above. In classic THPS-style, there are hidden areas too.This looks like a fun distraction from [gestures at everything]. Pie is the Sky will swoop onto Steam on February 2.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/papers-please-but-with-zombies-a-farming-based-shoot-em-up-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-123000437.html?src=rss

X seems to be working again after struggling with an outage that took the service offline and made it slow to load for much of the morning. According to X's developer platform page, there is an ongoing incident related to streaming endpoints that's caused increased errors. The incident started at 7:39AM PT, according to the page.That roughly coincides with a spike in reports at Down Detector. The issues seemed to be somewhat intermittent. At some points, X's website loaded partially and only showed older posts. At other times, the app and website failed to load at all.As of 9:30AM PT, X's Explore and trending pages were loading, but the following" tab wasn't showing posts and instead suggested users find some people and topic to follow" (as shown in the screenshot below).Posts aren't loading.XAs of 11:15AM PT, X's developer site was still indicating ongoing issues, so there may still be some lingering problems even though the website seems to be functioning normally again. Reports on Down Detector have also dropped off considerably.X didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the outage. As TechCrunch notes, this is the second time this week that X has experienced significant issues. The service also went down for many users around the world on Tuesday.Bluesky changed its profile photo earlier in the week.XBut while the latest issues were widespread, some posts are were still managing to go through. Rival Bluesky, which earlier in the week changed its profile picture on X to its butterfly logo in a bikini, took the opportunity to throw some shade.At 1PM PT, X updated its status page to indicate the issue had been resolved after nearly six hours. It didn't elaborate on the underlying cause.Update, January 16, 2026, 2:09PM PT: Updated with the latest information from X's status page.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-fully-online-after-going-down-for-most-of-the-morning-171843711.html?src=rss

Google has filed its appeal to the Department of Justice's antitrust case that ended with a federal judge ruling that the company was maintaining a monopoly with its search business. While the company goes through the appeals process, it's also asking that implementation of the remedies from the case, which include a requirement that Google share search data with its competitors, also be paused.As we have long said, the Court's August 2024 ruling ignored the reality that people use Google because they want to, not because they're forced to," Google said in a statement. The decision failed to account for the rapid pace of innovation and intense competition we face from established players and well-funded start-ups. And it discounted compelling testimony from browser makers like Apple and Mozilla who said they choose to feature Google because it provides the highest quality search experience for their consumers."The company says that the requirement that it provide syndication services to rivals" and share search data is a privacy risk and could discourage competitors from building their own products." Both remedies where compromises based on what the Justice Department originally proposed, which included forcing Google to sell its Chrome web browser.After a 10-week trial held in 2023, Google was found to have a search monopoly in 2024 because of the placement it maintained as the default search engine on multiple platforms, and the control it exerted over the ads that appear in search results. Both arguments were key points in the DOJ's original 2020 lawsuit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-appealing-the-ruling-from-its-search-antitrust-case-to-avoid-sharing-data-with-rivals-215107905.html?src=rss

CyberGhost is the middle child of the Kape Technologies VPN portfolio, but in quality, it's much closer to ExpressVPN than Private Internet Access. I mainly put it on my best VPN list because it's so cheap, but I wouldn't have done that if it didn't earn its place in other ways - affordable crap is still crap, after all.My universal impression of CyberGhost is a VPN that's not perfect but is always genuinely working to make itself better. It makes decisions based on what will help its users, not to set itself apart in a crowded market. This makes it similar to a lot of other VPNs, but that's not a bad thing - especially at such a low price.Other than its price, the best things about CyberGhost are its intuitive app design, its frictionless user experience and the super-low latencies that make it an ideal pick for gamers. Download speeds are great up close but middling far away. While I love how many servers it's got in Africa and South America, a few too many of them are virtual locations. I'll get into all this and more in the review; feel free to read straight through or use the contents table to find the area that interests you most.Editor's note (1/16/26): We've overhauled our VPN coverage to provide more detailed, actionable buying advice. Going forward, we'll continue to update both our best VPN list and individual reviews (like this one) as circumstances change. Most recently, we added official scores to all of our VPN reviews.Check out how we test VPNs to learn more about the new standards we're using.Findings at a glance Category Notes Installation and UI Windows app has more options and the most sensible organizationmacOS app is very easy to use, but a bit lacking compared to WindowsAndroid and iOS both have simple main pages and slightly confusing preferencesNo browser extensions (free proxy doesn't count) Speed Excellent latency tests, with ping times short enough to lead the VPN fieldGreat download and upload speeds on close-in serversDistant servers lag somewhat on both upload and download, bringing down the worldwide average Security Uses WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols, but they aren't all supported on all platformsBlocks IPv6 and prevents WebRTC and DNS leaksDisconnects when switching servers Pricing $12.99 per month$41.94 for 6 months ($6.99 per month)$56.94 for 28 months ($2.03 per month), renewing at the same price for 12 months ($4.79 per month)Seven simultaneous connections Bundles Dedicated IP address for $2.50 per month Privacy policy Anonymizes all personal dataCan share data with other Kape subsidiaries, but only if they're based in areas with good privacy lawsRAM-only servers and full-disk encryption confirmed by auditHas never given information to police Virtual location change Unblocked Netflix perfectly in five different regions using streaming-optimized servers and WireGuard Server network 125 server locations in 100 countriesGood global distribution, with nine locations in South America and six in AfricaHowever, most servers in the southern hemisphere are virtual locations that may not give the best speeds Features Kill switch cannot be turned off except on WindowsSplit tunneling by app on Android and by URL on WindowsContent blocker can only be turned on or off, no customizationLarge network of torrent-optimized servers and streaming serversSmart Rules automation is both user-friendly and deep Customer support Online help pages are well-written but poorly organizedLive chat responds quickly; there is a bot but it's easy to get pastCan also submit email tickets through an online portal Background check Founded in 2011 and based in RomaniaAcquired by Kape Technologies in 2017 Installing, configuring and using CyberGhostCyberGhost gets installation and UI largely right. There are no needless hurdles in the setup process. All its app designs put the important controls front and center and don't overload you with needless information. I've broken up my thoughts by platform, as CyberGhost is pretty different depending on where you use it.WindowsCyberGhost downloads and installs amazingly fast on Windows 11. I didn't even have to grant any permissions. I just opened the .exe, clicked through a licensing agreement and logged into the desktop client. It took about two minutes end-to-end, including time I spent digging around in my password vault. The CyberGhost VPN client for Windows 11. Sam Chapman for Engadget Once inside, you're greeted with a UI that looks an awful lot like Surfshark - and if it's not broken, don't fix it. Options for special servers are on the left, the server list is in the middle and the connection interface is on the right. The arrangement prioritizes the most important controls and keeps clutter to a minimum. The only thing I can find to complain about is that clicking on a country with multiple locations doesn't open the menu to choose between them; instead, you have to click on a hard-to-see arrow to the right of the name.To access any of the special servers, click the appropriate tab in the left window, then choose from the list. Everything connects quickly. A gear icon at the bottom-left leads to all the special features and options, organized into three tabs: General (to do with the VPN app itself), CyberGhost VPN (to do with the VPN connection) and Account (to do with your subscription). The names could be better, but I can't argue with the clear and useful descriptions on each feature.MacThe download process on macOS Sequoia is as easy as it is on Windows 11. CyberGhost walks you through every step, installs its helper tools with minimal fuss and is ready to go out of the box. It's best to download directly from cyberghostvpn.com, since the App Store version is designed for iPads, not desktop computers.Right after launching, the Mac app is pinned to the taskbar. To open it as a separate window, click the arrow button at the top-left. While it's in the taskbar, the only things you can do are connect, disconnect and switch to one of your favorite locations. You can do all that from the standalone window, too, so there's not much reason to ever leave it pinned. CyberGhost's VPN client for macOS Sequoia. Sam Chapman for Engadget The interface on Mac differs from the Windows client in other noticeable ways. For one thing, it's permanently in dark mode, whereas Windows users get to choose between light and dark. There are fewer categories of servers in the left-hand column, with only torrenting (called For Downloading) and streaming options available - you can still connect to NoSpy, but only by going to the Romania location on the main list.Also, the control panel gear is in the exact opposite location, sitting at the top-right of the connection window. The organization of options is also completely different and generally not as useful, with all the actual controls crammed into a single General tab. This happened to me once or twice when my internet connection had no problems. Sam Chapman for Engadget Compounding the sense that CyberGhost didn't give its Mac app as much attention as its Windows app, I kept getting the odd error pictured in the screenshot above. The client would tell me I had no internet connection (my internet was fine) and direct me to run a connection test. This would always turn up all green lights and let me connect without any incident. It rarely tripped me up for more than a moment, but it was still bizarre.AndroidCyberGhost on Android is streamlined to the extreme, focusing on ease of use above all else. Connections happen quickly, and the server selection is narrowed down, with only the streaming locations getting their own tab. It's nice, but it does sometimes remind me of when I'd clean my room by shoving all the clutter under the bed. CyberGhost connected on an Android phone. Sam Chapman for Engadget That's mainly because tapping the gear at the top-right opens up a preferences menu with a lot more going on than the main screen. Most of the options here aren't too complicated, but the shift is still jarring, especially since Android doesn't do as well as Windows at explaining what everything does. "Anonymous statistics" and "Share network data for troubleshooting" sound like the same thing to me, and we get nothing on the esoteric concept of Domain Fronting.Still, I'm nitpicking a bit. CyberGhost's Android client does 95 percent of its job very well. Most of the settings aren't necessary anyway, so you can pick your favorite server and be on your way.iOSMuch like its Android app, CyberGhost's iOS offering is sleek on the front end, a little cluttered in the back, but overall quite easy to use. Connections happen within seconds. The main page includes a useful option to tap on your current Wi-Fi network and immediately set Smart Rules for it. As with Android, only streaming-optimized servers and favorites are separated from the rest. The main page of CyberGhost's iPhone app. Sam Chapman for Engadget The control panel also looks very similar to what you get on mobile. The apparent clutter comes from simple on-off toggles and more complex submenus being all jumbled up together, but you can use the VPN just fine without engaging with any of it. For the most part, CyberGhost on iOS does a lot to help you and nothing to get in your way.Browser extensionsCyberGhost doesn't have a full-service browser extension. If you look for an extension link on the download hub, you won't find anything. What it does have is free proxy add-ons for Chrome and Firefox, which can be used to change your IP address to a new location.However, proxies do not encrypt your traffic, leaving out one of the critical aspects of how a VPN works. The extension library pages for the CyberGhost proxies are vague about this, but they're no substitute for a full VPN. They're free and may be convenient for occasional streaming if they don't get caught, but they aren't secure.CyberGhost speed testI conducted all these tests on a wireless connection using the WireGuard protocol. For each, I selected either a physical server or a virtual location close to its physical source. Here's what each metric means in the table below:

Claude Cowork, Anthropic's AI assistant for taking care of simple tasks on your computer, is now available for anyone with a $20 per month Pro subscription to try. Anthropic launched Cowork as an exclusive feature for its Max subscribers, who pay a minimum of $100 per month for more uses of Claude's expensive reasoning models and early access to experimental features. Now Claude Cowork is available at a cheaper price, though Anthropic notes "Pro users may hit their usage limits earlier" than Max users do.Like other AI agents, the novelty of Claude Cowork is its ability to work on its own. If you have the macOS Claude app and a Pro subscription, you can prompt Claude Cowork to work on tasks on your local computer, like creating documents based on files you have saved or organizing your folders. The feature is an evolution of Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding agent, and can similarly use connectors and the Claude Chrome plugin to work with other apps and the web.As part of this expanded rollout, Anthropic has included a few fixes inspired by early user feedback. You'll now be able to rename sessions with Claude Cowork ("Tasks" in the parlance of the Claude app) and the company says the AI assistant will offer better file format previews, more reliable use of connectors to other apps and confirmation messages before it deletes files.Coding agents top the list of applications of AI that have gained real traction in the last year, so Anthropic applying what it learned with Claude Code to a more general collection of computer tasks makes sense. Claude Cowork is still limited to macOS and Anthropic's paid subscribers, but assuming the AI agent continues to be popular, it wouldn't be surprising if the company brought it to other platforms.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-opens-up-its-claude-cowork-feature-to-anyone-with-a-20-subscription-194000021.html?src=rss

If you follow Anthropic, you're probably familiar with Claude Code. Since the fall of 2024, the company has been training its AI models to use and navigate computers like a human would, and the coding agent has been the most practical expression of that work, giving developers a way to automate rote programming tasks. Starting today, Anthropic is giving regular people a way to take advantage of those capabilities, with the release of a new preview feature called Claude Cowork.The company is billing Cowork as "a simpler way for anyone - not just developers - to work with Claude." After you give the system access to a folder on your computer, it can read, edit or create new files in that folder on your behalf.Anthropic gives a few different example use cases for Cowork. For instance, you could ask Claude to organize your downloads folder, telling it to rename the files contained within to something that's easier to parse at a glance. Another example: you could use Claude to turn screenshots of receipts and invoices into a spreadsheet for tracking expenses. Cowork can also navigate websites - provided you install Claude's Chrome plugin - and make can use Anthropic's Connectors framework to access third-party apps like Canva."Cowork is designed to make using Claude for new work as simple as possible. You don't need to keep manually providing context or converting Claude's outputs into the right format," the company said. "Nor do you have to wait for Claude to finish before offering further ideas or feedback: you can queue up tasks and let Claude work through them in parallel."If the idea of granting Claude access to your computer sounds ill-advised, Anthropic says Claude "can't read or edit anything you don't give it explicit access to." However, the company does note the system can "take potentially destructive actions," such as deleting a file that is important to you or misinterpreting your instructions. For that reason, Anthropic suggests it's best to give "very clear" guidance to Claude.Anthropic isn't the first to offer a computer agent. Microsoft, for example, has been pushing Copilot hard for nearly three years, despite seemingly limited adoption. For Anthropic, the challenge will be convincing people these tools are useful where others have failed. The fact Claude Code has been universally loved by programmers may make that task easier.Anthropic briefly made Cowork preview only available to users of its pricey Claude Max subscription. That changed on Friday when the company expanded access to include customers of its $20 per month Pro plan. If you want to try Cowork for yourself, you'll need a Mac with the Claude macOS app installed.Update 01/16/26 2:30PM ET: Updated to reflect Claude Cowork is now also available to Claude Pro customers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-launches-claude-cowork-a-version-of-its-coding-ai-for-regular-people-193000849.html?src=rss