AmazonWho needs cable TV anymore? Thanks to the wealth of streaming apps, you have more on-demand viewing options than ever before. And those streaming apps like Disney+, Netflix and Max are available on a wide range of hardware, too. Roku, Apple TV and Google TV (aka Chromecast) let you view thousands of movies and TV shows at the touch of a button, though we'd argue that seeing all your favorites on a big-screen TV is way better than watching it on a smaller laptop or smartphone screen.But there's at least one big reason to go with Amazon's Fire TV instead. Unlike archrival Roku, Amazon's Fire TV system offers VPN apps straight through its built-in app store. That's important if you want to watch a show or movie that's otherwise unavailable in your country. Fire up a VPN, set your virtual location and you'll likely get a different set of viewing options on many streaming services - or the ability to access ones to which you otherwise didn't have access. We'll explain the details and tell you how it works.Choose the right VPN for your Fire TVFor starters, we're going to assume you have a Fire TV device. If you don't, we have good news: If your TV doesn't already have Fire TV streaming built-in, the add-on devices are frequently on sale at Amazon for as little as $25 or less. Grab the Fire Stick 4K Max if you want a good balance of price versus performance - just make sure it's on sale for $40 or less. (See how the Fire TV streamers compare to rivals from Roku, Google, Apple and more by checking out our list of best streaming devices.)Once you have your Fire TV hardware set up, it's time to choose a VPN - and that's where the Fire TV operating system shines. A long list of VPNs, including all of our current top picks for the best VPNs, are available on the platform and they're as easy to download and install as any of the video apps.The Engadget-approved VPNs currently available on Fire TV include:
In April, a US District Court ruled that Google monopolized open-web digital ad markets. Now, the tech giant and the US Justice Department are at odds about what Google must do about it. The DOJ argues that Google should sell AdX, or Ad Exchange, a platform for publishers to sell unused ad space in real-time. It also wants the company to offload Google Ad Manager, previously DoubleClick for Publishers (Google DFP).The DOJ claims that both platforms minimize competition and contribute to Google's monopoly in the advertising space. The executive department has also pushed Google to sell Chrome due to a separate ruling that the company held a monopoly on search engines.Unsurprisingly, Google has no interest in getting rid of its products -it also plans to appeal the Court's ruling on Google Ad Manager. Google has announced "a proposal that fully addresses the Court's findings." These changes include allowing all rival publisher ad servers to make real-time bids on AdX and letting publishers set different price floors for each bidder."In contrast, the DOJ is seeking remedies that go significantly beyond the Court's narrow ruling by forcing a divestiture of Google Ad Manager," Google stated in its announcement. "This would risk breaking a tool advertisers use to connect with publishers and efficiently reach their customers, and that app and video publishers use to monetize their content - businesses that aren't even part of the narrow market of 'open web display ads' at issue in this case."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/doj-pushes-for-google-to-sell-its-advertising-platforms-134250436.html?src=rss
Roku's streaming player lineup is a little easier to understand in 2025 than ever - but it's still a bit confusing. With the release of the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, there are now three streaming sticks and one set-top box in the company's streaming player family. Express models and ones with the plus symbols are no longer in the mix. The Roku Ultra set-top box is the most expensive at $100. The 2021 Streaming Stick 4K goes for $50, while the Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus cost $30 and $40, respectively. After reviewing the Streaming Stick Plus and comparing it to other streamers, I think it packs a decent amount of power (and Roku's convenient interface) into a small dongle. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Arguably the Streaming Stick Plus' biggest competition comes from within its family. The Streaming Stick 4K and the Streaming Stick Plus both support 4K image quality, despite the Plus not having the term in its name. The Stick 4K also supports Dolby Vision and has a longer-range Wi-Fi connection. Both connect through the Wi-Fi 5 standard, but the 4K" model has a built-in Wi-Fi extender within its USB power cable. At this point, the Stick 4K is four years older than the Plus, and the new stick benefits from a few technological upgrades. For one, the Plus streamier is smaller thanks to the lack of Wi-Fi extender and power adapter. Roku's math claims the dongle itself is 35 percent smaller than the competition - but honestly none of these sticks are particularly large. I found that it was indeed smaller than the Amazon Fire TV Stick I tested. But the size reduction doesn't make a huge difference in everyday use - especially since they hide behind most TVs. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K (left) with it's cable, Wi-Fi extender and dongle. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus (right) with it's cable and dongle. Amy Skorheim for Engadget Another upgrade is a little more significant: better power efficiency. Now you can use your TV's USB port to power the device instead of a wall adapter. The Plus doesn't even come with an adapter in the box, making it a more travel-ready package. Older Roku sticks allowed you to do this (and the 4K model can use USB power on some TVs) but this is the first 4K-enabled device that Roku actually recommends using without a power adapter. Since you don't need an open wall outlet nearby, the dongle will prove more flexible. It certainly would have come in handy during a recent trip in which my hotel room's TV was about 12 feet from the nearest available plug. Both Sticks support Apple AirPlay and are compatible with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. They come with the same remote, which packs features like voice input and the ability to control the power and volume of your TV. They both showcase the same OS, with Roku's playful, purple interface, which I particularly like for live and free programming - as I outlined in our streaming devices guide. Performance Amy Skorheim for Engadget The Streaming Stick Plus is pretty fast for a $40 device. I have a Roku Ultra hooked up to another TV in my house and, when I performed the same actions on both, the Streaming Stick Plus was only a bit slower than the Ultra. For instance, Disney+ took a second or two to start on the Ultra, and just a half second or so longer on the Plus. Yes, there was a time difference, but the Streaming Stick Plus was never frustratingly slow. I don't think anyone honestly expects a streaming stick to perform at the same level as most recent smart TVs. My set is relatively new and side-by-side comparisons showed a minor disparity between a dongle and a bigger, built-in CPU. Take the Netflix menu, for example. It's clear and crisp and vibrant via my TV's native Netflix app, but the same page was markedly fuzzier and more pixelated when I opened it on the Roku device. That said, I only noted a slight difference in quality between the two when a show was actually playing. Sweeping shots of the sumptuous-yet-blood-stained White House interiors in The Residence were only the slightest bit grainier on the Roku. True video connoisseurs may note the disparity, but those who are just here to see Detective Cupp unnerve all the suspects won't likely notice. Should you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus? Amy Skorheim for Engadget Something the size of a tube of squashed lipstick can't rival a good smart TV. But if you have an older screen or a cheaper set with a tedious interface, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus could make TV time more enjoyable. Comparable streaming sticks include Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K, which is $10 more at full price (though it's often on sale). Between the two, I'd go with Roku's Streaming Stick Plus, as Roku's interface is far more helpful. This is also the stick I want to take with me on my next trip. I can plug it in at the Airbnb and, instead of logging in to whatever random apps the TV happens to have, I can watch more Doctor Who. I won't have to worry about where the nearest outlet is and I'll be spared the effort of typing in my stupidly long Disney+ password. As for whether you should get this or Roku's other 4K-enabled streaming stick, I'd go with this one. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is $10 cheaper and four years newer. The fact that it's powered by the TV means the dongle and the USB power cable fit out of sight so if you, like me, are opposed to the look of snaking wires everywhere, you'll be pleased. Of course, if you have a TV that supports Dolby Vision or your Wi-Fi router is really far away from your TV, then you can go with the Streaming Stick 4K - that's really the only major advantage that model has. Otherwise, the Streaming Stick Plus is a good pick for a cheap but modern streaming player. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-powered-by-the-tv-and-perfect-for-travel-130047601.html?src=rss
Since arriving in 2020, the Backbone One has helped popularize dedicated mobile game controllers, the kind you might use for streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, remote play apps, emulators or any smartphone game you'd rather play with buttons and joysticks instead of your fingers. While you can always clip your phone to a PlayStation or Xbox controller paired over Bluetooth, telescopic gamepads like the One tend to be more ergonomic, creating a Nintendo Switch-style shape by clamping around your device at both ends. Backbone is far from the only company making these things now, but the One is still among the most frequently recommended options on the market - Engadget's own Mat Smith gave it a favorable review back in 2022.After releasing several iterations of the One, Backbone is now unveiling its first real follow-up: the Backbone Pro. The new device comes with many of the design upgrades you might expect, from comfier grips and smoother joysticks to larger triggers and quieter face buttons. But it also supports Bluetooth, which means it can unhook from your phone entirely and work with PCs, iPads, smart TVs and the like. Backbone has built a few new features for its companion app as well, including one called FlowState" that lets you quickly connect to previously paired devices from one menu.[The Pro] is meant to be a premium device for anyone who wants to play games on any screen," Backbone CEO Maneet Khaira said during a briefing in New York City last month. Our idea was really, we want to make one device for all of gaming."After using the Backbone Pro for the past few days, I can squint and see the future Khaira has in mind, and the controller itself clearly feels more premium than its predecessor (which will remain available). But at $170, the device will be prohibitively expensive for some. That's Xbox Elite territory for a controller still mainly aimed at smartphones. Plus, as with the One, some the gamepad's perks are locked behind a Backbone+ subscription, which tacks on another $40 per year.A better BackboneJeff Dunn for EngadgetYou really need to buy the Backbone Pro as a multi-device controller for it to make the most sense as a purchase. Used strictly with a phone, however, it's a definitive upgrade over the Backbone One. This is most obvious in the grips, which are considerably thicker and more grooved than before. They fill out and hug your palms much more naturally as a result, which keeps the design comfier to hold over time. They're also coated in a soft, lightly textured matte plastic that seems better at fending off sweat.The concave joysticks are significantly taller and have a grippier ring" around the top. They don't use magnetic Hall effect sensors to resist drift long-term, which is annoying at this price, but they're tight and tangibly smoother. Khaira says the Pro uses the same joystick component as Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller and Sony's DualSense Edge; indeed, the sticks don't feel all that different than the ones on a full-size gamepad. Like other pro" controllers, you can also remap buttons and fine-tune the joysticks' and triggers' dead zones in the Backbone app, then assign those tweaks to different profiles.BackboneThe face buttons still aren't super quiet but feel distinctly less clicky and stiff, with a smoother finish and deeper sense of travel. Along those lines, the triggers are wider and fuller - my large-ish fingers can rest on them without hanging off, which wasn't the case with the One. The shoulder buttons are longer as well, while the menu buttons are less flush and easier to reach. The D-pad is similarly firm and precise but now has a glossier coating. There's also a pair of customizable back buttons, which rest right against your ring fingers but haven't caused any accidental presses in my testing.The fatter grips make the design taller than the One, but not much wider, and it's still about 80 grams lighter than a typical Xbox or PlayStation pad at 199g. As before, the Pro comes with adapters that hold different-sized phones steady in place, with or without a case. I've experienced no wobbling using an iPhone 15 Plus with Apple's Clear Case on. There's still a built-in headphone jack and pass-through charging port, though the actual connector is USB-C only, so the controller won't work with older Lightning-based iPhones. Since the Pro needs its own battery to play wirelessly, it sips a small amount of power to recharge whenever you top up a connected phone. Overall, Backbone says the Pro can last up to 40 hours; I haven't been able to perform a full rundown test yet, but the battery hasn't given me reason to doubt that estimate over the few days I've spent with the device.Looking past the phoneYou can quickly connect the Backbone Pro to new devices from this menu in Backbone's app.Jeff Dunn for Engadget / BackbonePairing the Backbone Pro with other devices wirelessly is largely straightforward. There's a dedicated button at the bottom of the controller that puts it into pairing mode, and the app prompts you to connect to all your other gear upon setup. Once you connect to a new device for the first time, the Pro remembers it, and that information is relayed in the app. When you want to connect to one of those devices again, you simply tap a menu in the app, select the device you want and hit "connect." As long as that device has Bluetooth active, it'll immediately reconnect. You need to have your phone hooked into the Pro's USB-C port to swap devices via the app, but I've had few hiccups bouncing from screen to screen otherwise.You can see how the Pro lines up with the multi-screen vision brands like Xbox are pushing. I can launch a Game Pass stream of Clair Obscur on my phone while my wife has the TV, then move it to the Fire TV Stick when she's all set. I can start a Balatrosession on my PC and carry it to my iPad through Steam Link. I don't have to change my controller at any point. I don't have to fiddle with any buttons to pair with the next thing I want to use - I just pop in my phone, select the device and go. I can even pick up right where I left off in a cloud stream, provided I swap devices within a few minutes. The Pro isn't the only controller that lets you game like this, of course, but its phone-friendly design and fast pairing tech make it especially inviting to this sort of play anywhere" approach.Top to bottom: an Xbox Series X/S controller, the Backbone Pro and the Backbone One.Jeff Dunn for EngadgetThere are a few issues once you look closer, though. One is simply that the Pro lacks the proprietary tech needed to pair with an Xbox, PS5 or Switch. That's not necessarily Backbone's fault, but when it pitches the Pro as a controller for all of gaming," it has to ignore the main way tons of people actually play video games.Second, for as much as I like the Pro compared to other mobile gamepads, it still can't help but feel cramped next to more traditional alternatives. The right joystick constantly brushes up against the bottom of my thumb, for instance, because it has to sit right below the face buttons. The triggers may be deeper, but they don't have the same travel as a standard console pad. The Pro is still comfy, still capital-N Nice, and it's great if you use your phone for gaming often. But an Xbox or PlayStation controller just has more room to work with.Third, all of this can get expensive in a hurry. The Pro's price tag is already steep. To take full advantage of cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now, you have to pay a subscription fee. Same goes for Apple Arcade. You can't remote play without owning a console or gaming PC. And Backbone restricts some app features to its own membership program, most notably the ability to launch cloud-based games directly from the app. So there are questions of what the market for a device like this actually is: Just how much do hardcore gamers, the people who'd buy a $170 controller, play on their phone? How much do they need a multi-device controller when they likely own an Xbox or PS5 pad already? Who really wants a subscription for a video game controller?You can organize and start up games from the Backbone app, but the ability to launch games from cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now directly in the app (annoyingly) requires a subscription fee.Jeff Dunn for Engadget / BackboneThat aside, the app still looks clean, and it still lets you organize your games or streaming apps in one central hub. The search function works well, allowing you to filter games by different platforms. When you select a game, it helpfully shows you which platforms you can play it through.Backbone is also adding a new built-in emulator with its next update. It can run NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64 games today, though the company says it's testing PlayStation 1 and PlayStation Portable cores as well. Opening a ROM in the app is simple enough, and once you do, it'll appear in your hub alongside the rest of your library. That said, you need a Backbone+ subscription to use the emulator, and it's fairly barebones compared to an app like RetroArch, with no way to rewind, adjust resolution or manage multiple save states. I also experienced a few bugs with certain games, with one title not loading entirely. This is still a neat idea, but given that other more featured emulators are available for free, I can't say it's worth paying for today.In an ideal world, the Backbone Pro would be a next-gen version of One rather than a step-up model priced $70 higher. The hardware is better in meaningful ways, and being able to use it across devices is genuinely convenient. But it's certainly not cheap. There's a decent chance the price was influenced by the looming effects of President Trump's tariff policy, but that still leaves the device well above other capable mobile gamepads today. If you've got the cash and spend hours gaming across your phone and other screens, the Pro is still well worth a look. It's one of the best in its niche. It's just hard to call it a great value.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/backbone-pro-hands-on-a-pricey-controller-for-more-than-just-your-phone-130034399.html?src=rss
Last year was a major one for Microsoft's Surface lineup, thanks to the launch of Copilot+ AI PC initiative, as well as surprisingly capable Arm-powered Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models. But aside from the addition of OLED and Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chips, the overall design for those Surface machines didn't really evolve much. That changes this year, as Microsoft has announced smaller versions of its Surface family: A 12-inch Surface Pro hybrid tablet and a 13-inch Surface Laptop. To be clear, they won't be replacing the existing Surface devices, instead they're more like compact siblings. While they may sound only a bit smaller than the existing 13-inch Surface Pro and 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, Microsoft managed to cut off plenty of excess weight. The new 12-inch Surface Pro is a half-pound lighter than the 13-inch model, clocking in at 1.5 pounds, and the revised Surface Laptop is 0.3 pounds lighter (2.7 pounds). Notably, the Surface Pro is coming in 0.2 pounds lighter than the Surface Pro X, a device we praised for having "gorgeous" hardware that was betrayed by Windows' terrible Arm support in 2019. Microsoft Both new Surface devices are powered by an eight-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus chip, which includes a 45 TOPS NPU and Adreno GPU, as well as 16GB RAM. As for storage, you can choose from either 256GB of 512GB UFS (Universal Flash Storage) options. Unlike the SSDs in other Surface devices, you won't be able to upgrade the UFS storage down the line. That's not the only downgrade, either: The smaller screens of both devices are a significant step down from their larger siblings. The Surface Pro's 12-inch LCD sports a 2,196 by 1,464 resolution, which is only slightly better than 1080p, and maxes out at a 90Hz refresh rate. The 13-inch Surface Pro, meanwhile, offers more pixels per inch with a 2,880 by 1,920 resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, and an optional OLED upgrade. As for the smaller Surface Laptop, it sports a simple 1080p 60Hz LCD. The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop has a sharper 2,304 by 1,536 LCD that can hit up to 120Hz. Microsoft Microsoft has also given up on using the Surface Connect port with these devices, opting instead to rely on USB-C charging alone. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop both have two USB-C/USB 3.2 ports, which support 45W and 60W fast charging, respectively. There's no USB power adapter bundled with the Surface Pro, unfortunately, but the Surface Laptop still comes with a 45W charger of its own. Similarly, the Laptop is the only new machine with a USB Type-A connection and a headphone jack. The 12-inch Surface Pro starts at $800, which is technically $200 less than the retail price of the 13-inch model, but oddly enough that version is currently on sale for $800 as well. As usual, you'll have to buy the Surface Keyboard separately, which tacks on another $149 to your Surface Pro purchase. Microsoft says it's reimagined the Surface Keyboard for the 12-inch tablet, so its typing experience may be different this time around. The 13-inch Surface Laptop starts at $900, but in another curious twist the larger model is also currently on sale for $800 (down from $1,000). Perhaps Microsoft is betting some people will opt for the new hardware simply because it's more compact. We'll have to test both machines to see if their spec downgrades are worth the lighter weight. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-unveils-smaller-surfaces-a-12-inch-surface-pro-tablet-and-a-13-inch-surface-laptop-130030983.html?src=rss
DoorDash has agreed to purchase British food and grocery delivery service Deliveroo for $3.9 billion, the companies have revealed in a filing with the London Stock Exchange. The acquisition will "strengthen DoorDash's position as a leading global platform," the filing said. Deliveroo operates in nine regions, namely Belgium, France, Italy, Ireland, Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. All those regions are new for DoorDash and will give the combined companies access to a total population that exceeds 1 billion people.It doesn't sound like DoorDash is erasing Deliveroo's brand after it takes over. Instead, they'll both be part of an "Enlarged Group" operating in multiple regions around the world, giving DoorDash an expanded presence in Europe and giving it an entry into the Middle Eastern market. "Both companies are highly complementary, whether in their geographic footprints or their missions, and I am confident that being part of the Enlarged Group will accelerate the realisation of Deliveroo's full potential," Deliveroo chair Claudia Arney said in a statement.The acquisition is still subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals. As CNBC noted, though, this marks the end of Deliveroo's problems as a public company. It has faced a lot of competition and legal challenges after a period of abundance for food delivery services during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and its share prices have plummeted since it went public in 2021. Before the company went public, Amazon took on the UK's Competition and Markets Authority to become a major investor in Deliveroo. The e-commerce company was the leading investor in a funding round worth $575 million and owned a 16 percent stake in the food delivery service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-is-buying-british-rival-deliveroo-for-39-billion-123005055.html?src=rss
Whether your grad plans to schlep it to the office every day or needs to build their own workspace at home, chances are they could use some help prepping their desk for the professional world. If you know a recent graduate and want to make their first days on the job a little more convenient, we've rounded up a few of our favorite office essentials - gadgets and accessories that should prove useful in anyone's day-to-day life. Have a look below if you need help jogging your brain for a gift idea. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-work-from-home-office-gifts-for-graduates-123015003.html?src=rss
Apple may see further fallout over its failure to comply with a court order that led to last week's contempt ruling. A class action suit filed on behalf of developers claims that Apple's actions cost Pure Sweat Basketball (and other developers) revenue during the period it was found to have violated the original court order. "Had Apple complied with the injunction, as required, Pure Sweat would have been able to sell subscriptions to its app directly to its customers," the law firm, Hagens Berman, alleges.The original 2021 court ruling forced Apple to allow App Store developers to direct user to other payments systems so that they could bypass the 30 percent of of in-app payments taken by Apple. The App Store was supposed to stop preventing developers from including buttons or links in their apps and metadata that would allow allow users to make purchases outside the App Store environment.However, developer Epic Games accused Apple of "malicious compliance" with the ruling because it still charged a commission of up to 27 percent on any sales made through links to external payment systems. It also said Apple came up with onerous restrictions on external buttons, among other violations.In her ruling last week, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple "chose the most anticompetitive option" at every turn. She even alleged that Apple lied under oath to hide the truth about its actions and referred the case to a US attorney for a criminal contempt investigation."The court ultimately held that Apple willfully violated the injunction to protect its revenues, and then reverse engineered' justifications to proffer to the court, often with lies on the witness stand," the class action lawsuit states. "The evidence showed that while one senior Apple executive [Phil Schiller] advocated that Apple comply with the injunction,' Mr. Cook ignored this advice and allowed others in his finance team to convince him otherwise. Cook chose poorly."The class action seeks to recover lost revenue for up to 100,000 or more developers forced to pay Apple commissions that shouldn't have existed. Hagens Berman obtained a $100 million settlement for iOS developers in a previous App Store class action suit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-hit-with-class-action-suit-from-developers-after-app-store-ruling-120058208.html?src=rss
It's been eight years since Nintendo released its revolutionary hybrid console, and while many have spent the last couple of those itching for sequel hardware, it's a good time to recall how Nintendo smashed expectations and continued to forge its own path in gaming, graphical fidelity be damned.Whether it was its core conceit - a handheld and a TV-connected console - or Nintendo's continued production line of hit games, which included arguably the best game of the decade, we have a lot to say. And let's not forget the Switch came before the Steam Deck and the tidal wave of handheld gaming PCs that have appeared in recent years. Nintendo proved people would play triple-A games without being tethered to their TV.We've pulled together some of the Engadget team's reflections. I love to say "reflections".- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!All the biggest stories you might have missed
Netflix has released its first teaser trailer for the final season of Squid Game. Based on the scenes the streaming service included in the video, the games will be restarted after a failed uprising led by the show's protagonist Seong Gi-hun, or Player 456. While Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, it hinted strongly that the rebellion will fail to end the games right then and there.In the teaser, Player 456 could be seen being brought back into a room full of players inside a coffin. And after he wakes up, the games resume, players are segregated into groups, mother and son are separated and, curiously, a baby could be heard crying by the end of the teaser. We also get glimpses of Jun-ho as he searches for the island where the games are being held and his brother In-ho, who resumes his role as the games' Front Man after pretending to be a player in the previous season.Squid Game is a Korean survival thriller with themes revolving around class struggle and social inequality. In the story, ordinary people, often buried in debts and desperate to earn money, are locked in a facility where they're forced to play games. Only one person wins the pot of money players collectively earn by winning games. Everybody else? Well, they die. Seong Gi-hun, the first season's winner, chose to come back for another round in order to dismantle the organization running the games, and the third season will show the culmination of his efforts. Squid Game season 3 arrives on Netflix on June 27.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-teases-squid-games-final-season-035721654.html?src=rss
Yet another high-profile Xbox franchise is making the leap to PlayStation. While Halo isn't yet making the transition, Gears of War is about to join the likes of Forza Horizon 5in crossing the divide. Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the first game in the series from 2006, is coming to PS5, PC (on the Xbox PC app and Steam) and, naturally, Xbox Series X/S on August 26. However, it's not making its way to Nintendo Switch 2, at least for the time being.The game costs $40, though it will also be on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one. Those who bought the digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before the remaster announcement will get a free upgrade. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to play the third-person shooter on Xbox Cloud Gaming.The Coalition, an Xbox studio that focuses on Gears of War, worked on the remaster with Sumo Interactive and Disbelief. The game includes all of the Gears of War DLC at no extra cost, including a bonus act for the campaign and all multiplayer features. There will be some characters and cosmetic items that you unlock through progression.As ever, you can play through the campaign with a friend either online or in classic split-screen co-op. There's cross-play for all platforms with support for up to eight players in the versus multiplayer mode. If you sign in with a Microsoft account (which isn't required), you can enable cross-progression. So if you pick up Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5 and play the campaign or multiplayer there, you can continue where you left off on a phone or tablet via Xbox Cloud Gaming, for instance.Along with "platform-specific features," Gears of War: Reloaded includes support for 4K HDR visuals, framerates of 60 fps in the campaign and 120 fps in multiplayer modes, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and other visual, audio and performance enhancements. Microsoft is also promising that the campaign will have zero loading screens.The Coalition has another Gears of War project in the pipeline. During last June's Xbox Games Showcase, Gears of War: E-Day was revealed. Outriders studio People Can Fly is co-developing the game, which does not yet have a release window.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/gears-of-war-is-coming-to-playstation-for-the-first-time-on-august-26-000159326.html?src=rss
The Apple TV is one of the best streaming devices you can get right now to add Netflix, Disney+, Max and other streaming apps to your boring old TV. It costs more than the competition, but it offers a more polished experience (the screensavers are worth the price of admission) as well as more privacy protections.One perk of Apple TV you may not know about is its support for several native VPN apps. You can use a VPN to unlock shows, movies, and sporting events that are usually restricted to other territories. If you use a VPN to change your IP address to a different virtual location, you can fool streaming sites into changing what content they make available. Here's how to use a VPN on your Apple TV and why you might want to install one.How to use a VPN on Apple TVAs of the September 2023 release of the tvOS 17 software update, the Apple TV platform supports third-party VPN apps. Setting them up is easy; just follow these steps (these may vary slightly between VPNs):
Ecco the Dolphin, the Sega-published game series starring a time-traveling bottlenose dolphin, is making a comeback, according to a new interview in Xbox Wire. The series' creator Ed Annunziata says that both Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time are being remastered, and a third game is in the works."Me and the entire original team are going to remaster the original Ecco the Dolphin and Tides of Time games," Annunziata says. "Then we will make a new, third game with contemporary play and GPU sensibilities." Ecco the Dolphin was featured alongside games like Tchia and Coral Island for Xbox's celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and games that draw "inspiration from API cultures." For its part, Ecco the Dolphin is about a porpoise, but Annunziata says his goal was always to "create a game that sparked curiosity and respect for the ocean."Annunziata tried to get a spiritual successor to Ecco funded on Kickstarter in 2013, but failed to raise enough money to get the project off the ground. He sued Sega for the rights to the original franchise that same year, and ultimately settled with the publisher in 2016, GamesBeat reports. The settlement might be why remasters and a new game can happen in the first place.While it's considered a classic for its difficult gameplay and iconic soundtrack, Ecco the Dolphin hasn't been particularly easy to play legally if you don't already own it. The game was one of several Sega titles that were delisted from digital storefronts in December 2024.Annunziata didn't share further details about either project in the interview, but did point readers to an Ecco the Dolphin website, which currently has a countdown timer that's set to end on April 25, 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-new-ecco-the-dolphin-game-and-remasters-are-on-the-way-205338160.html?src=rss
A hacker has exploited a vulnerability in TeleMessage to breach the service and steal data, according to reporting by 404 Media. TeleMessage is an Israeli company that provides modded versions of encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram.It was revealed last week that former US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz used TeleMessage's modified version of Signal to archive messages. Today's report indicated the presence of other high-ranking government officials in archived chats on the app, including Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance.The unnamed hacker was able to access archived chats, but it doesn't look like they got into any of Waltz's conversations. The hack does, however, prove that the app's message archiving service is not end-to-end encrypted.The hacker also accessed contact information of government officials, login credentials for TeleMessage and data pertaining to the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Some businesses who use the service, like Coinbase and Scotiabank, were also hacked. 404 Media spoke to the anonymous hacker, who said the whole thing only "took about 15-20 minutes" and that it "wasn't much effort at all." TeleMessage's parent company Smarsh has yet to comment on the matter.All of this happened after Waltz accidentally revealed he used TeleMessage during a cabinet meeting last week. This led people to question what kind of information was being shared on the app and how it was being secured. Now we know it wasn't secured all that well.TeleMessage gave a statement to Reuters saying that it was "investigating a potential security incident" and suspending its services "out of an abundance of caution."Of course, it's only been a few weeks since Signalgate, in which it was revealed that top US officials were using the messaging app Signal to discuss active combat operations. Prior to the Trump administration, government officials typically avoided consumer-grade messaging apps to hash out military plans. Instead, they used Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and in-house encrypted communication channels.Update, May 5, 2025, 3:38PM ET: Added a statement from TeleMessage to confirm they are investigating a security incident.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telemessage-a-signal-clone-the-trump-administration-uses-has-been-hacked-183606147.html?src=rss
Google plans to start producing its own films and television shows via a "production initiative" called 100 Zeros,Business Insider reports. The company is working with Range Media Partners, a talent management and production company, to identify projects that appeal to younger audiences and could "promote a positive view of [Google's] products."Besides the obvious opportunity for product placement, the larger goal of the initiative is to fund projects that have a positive view of technology, and to get the creative industry interested in using Google's products. Immersive View, Google's 3D aerial scans featured in Google Maps, could be a tool it pushes, Business Insider writes. Veo 2, Google's AI video model, seems like a natural candidate, too. Whichever way the company goes, 100 Zeros already has a movie under its belt: The initiative reportedly helped pay for the marketing for the indie horror movie Cuckoo.When Engadget reached out to Google for comment, the company shared the X post below, confirming that 100 Zeros isn't a studio, but was created to help filmmakers incorporate XR and AI into their productions:
The Switch 2 is nearly here, which means the original Switch is entering its twilight years. It's been eight years since Nintendo released its revolutionary hybrid console, and while many fans have spent the last couple of those itching for the device to be replaced, now seems like an opportune time to look back at what its legacy may wind up being (while acknowledging that it still has some life ahead of it).Instead of bleating on myself, though, I turned to the rest of the Engadget staff to see what comes to mind when they think of the Switch, as just about everyone on the team has played with the console. We've collected our reflections below - some take a bigger-picture view, some are more personal, some contradict others' experiences entirely. There's plenty more that went unsaid. But I think that's part of the Switch's beauty; it's a device that's resonated with so many, in so many different ways, in its near-decade on the market.The Switch embodied Nintendo's lateral thinking with withered technologyBroadly speaking, you can group Nintendo consoles into two types. On one side you have devices that may be distinctive in certain ways but mostly iterate on a previous success or focus on technical upgrades first - think the SNES, GameCube, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, 3DS and, by the looks of it, the Switch 2. (The N64 and original NES could go either way, but I'd put them here too.) On the other you have machines that are more out there, ones that most obviously represent lateral thinking with withered technology," the company's longtime product philosophy championed by legendary designer Gunpei Yokoi.These eschew cutting-edge technology for mature, cheaper hardware redeployed in novel ways. The worst of these have been existential disasters for Nintendo (Wii U, Virtual Boy). The best have created new forms of play, experiences you could hardly imagine before but make perfect sense in hindsight (Game Boy, DS, Wii). Not coincidentally, these are the consoles that've sold best in Nintendo's history.The Switch fell firmly in the latter camp. It didn't really matter that the chip was from an old Android TV player. It didn't really matter that the Joy-Cons kind of sucked, with beady buttons and thumbsticks that broke too often. It didn't matter that there was a paltry 32GB of storage, that the (non-OLED) display was barely usable outdoors, that the triggers weren't pressure-sensitive or that the kickstand always felt like it'd snap off. In a world that, for better or worse, increasingly demands comfort above all else, it won on sheer force of convenience. No other gaming device had ever gone so far to meet players where they live. And it won on the games, as Nintendo systems often do. Like the Game Boy and Wii, the Switch's concept was so undeniable that its hardware only needed to be good enough for its time in the sun. So that's all it ever was. It embodied Nintendo's lateral thinking, blending unremarkable parts into something playful and brilliant.- Jeff Dunn, senior reporterThe Switch saw Nintendo (finally) embrace indiesThe Switch was an absolute delight for fans of indie game studios. This was really the first time the company truly embraced smaller developers in a comprehensive way, and it paid off big. The console became the de facto way to experience many of the standout titles of the past generation, including stuff like Celeste, Dead Cells, Hades, Golf Story, Undertale, Stardew Valley and, of course, Hollow Knight.The hybrid nature of the console led many gamers, myself included, to wait for a Switch release of an indie title. This was before the Steam Deck and its ilk, so there really wasn't any other way to play most of these games on a portable machine. The company's sudden support for indies was great for gamers, as we got to play cool stuff, but it was also great for Nintendo. Many of these titles sold really well and gave the company some breathing room between first-party releases. Remember, the Switch was woefully underpowered when compared to other consoles so it couldn't really run many AAA third-party games. Nowadays, Nintendo loves indies so much that they get their own Direct livestreams. My, how times have changed. - Lawrence Bonk, contributing reporterThe Switch was a haven for the golden age of MetroidvaniasIt's fitting that Metroid Prime 4: Beyondwill be the Switch's swan song. Starting with the release of Hollow Knight a year after the system's debut, the Switch has been the best place to experience the golden age of Metroidvanias. Between Animal Well, Blasphemous 2, Hollow Knight, Nine Sols and Nintendo's own contributions to the genre, nearly every great Metroidvania since 2017 has made it to the Switch; in fact, Microsoft even released the Ori series on the console.The Switch was my favorite place to play many of those games. With their often simpler graphics, most Metroidvanias were a perfect fit for the system. For example, Hollow Knight and Metroid Dreadrun at a flawless 60 frames per second and look great on the system, especially on the OLED model with its ability to produce inky blacks. The Switch's portability is also a huge boon for these types of games. They're great for short pick up and play sessions, and even better for longer ones when you can get lost in their worlds. - Igor Bonifacic, senior reporterIn praise of the Switch Lite, the handheld console for everyoneWhen I think of the Switch, the first object that comes to mind is my coral Switch Lite. No fancy OLED screen, no detachable controllers, no TV input mechanism and a maximum resolution of 720p, all wrapped up in an adorable, handheld, candy-colored package. For me, this is a highlight of the ninth console generation. The Switch Lite is effective because it's simple: It comfortably fits in most people's hands (ahem, Steam Deck), it offers a large selection of indie and mainstream games, its screen is just big enough, it travels well and it's cute as hell. The audience for the Switch Lite spans children to adults, commuters to work-from-homers, and its popularity demonstrates some deep truths about what we actually love in video games. Turns out, photorealistic graphics and uncapped framerates are less important than solid game design and innovative mechanics.I've owned a full-fat Switch and a Lite for years, and while I enjoy playing Mario Kart 8 with friends on the couch, nothing beats the intimacy of curling up with my little Lite. Perhaps it's not surprising that Nintendo, the creator of the Game Boy and its numerous iterations, knows how to make a fantastic handheld console, but it's still supremely satisfying. I'm excited about the Switch 2, sure, but the debut console - 8-inch display, detachable gamepads and all - is only responsible for half of that feeling. The other half is on pause and smothered in pastels, patiently waiting on the announcement of a Switch 2 Lite. - Jessica Conditt, senior editorThe Switch is a lesson to all developers, everywhereEver since I've been able to see how much memory a single Chrome tab uses, I've been obsessed with elegance. Not in the ballgowns-and-tuxedos sense, but to pursue efficiency as a form of art, to use self-imposed limitations to surpass anyone's expectations. It may have been a brightly-colored games console, but the Nintendo Switch was a masterpiece of elegance.It's not that modern-day Nintendo has ever really gotten into the bigger-number-is-better wars but then, as now, people were sniffy about the Switch's power. After all, it was using a modified and, crucially, downclocked version of NVIDIA's Tegra X1 system on chip. It wasn't long before everyone started (kinda) joking their smartphones could beat the console in the power metrics.Compared to the competition? Pfft. The Xbox and PS4 were smog-billowing big rigs next to the Switch's carbon-fiber bicycle with only one crossbar. And yet, of the three, it's the console I've spent the most time playing during this whole generation. Because for all it lacked in graphical clout, it never seemed to miss out where it counted.That's testament to Nintendo squeezing so much damn power out of the Switch, and its willingness to put the work in. Yes, you can get Call of Murder Simulator with ultra-realistic blood spatter on the other two consoles, but it's not as if there weren't plenty of demanding titles on this platform too. I can call to mind games like Doom Eternal and The Witcher 3, not to mention top-tier games from the last generation, like Bioshock and Portal.And that's before you got to masterpieces like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom which are, shockingly good given the hardware they're running on. Yes, there was the odd frame drop in the latter title, but when you think about what that game was doing, a frame drop was more than forgivable. Fundamentally, the Switch is a lesson to all developers everywhere that they should be disciplined to do a lot more with a lot less. - Daniel Cooper, senior editorThe Switch had me dreaming of a higher-fidelity HyruleApologies in advance if this comes off as another gamer saying Nintendo should make more powerful consoles. That's not what I'm saying, I swear. Nintendo hasn't chased the PlayStation or Xbox in graphics power for multiple console generations; it clearly has different priorities. And the art style and attention to detail in its first-party games is nearly unmatched. Rarely have I played any of Nintendo's games and thought this could use more pixels" or more realistic" graphics.However, in late 2017 I was engrossed in two games: Horizon Zero Dawn on the PS4 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the then recently released Switch. As fate would have it, both games came out in March, and while Horizon got plenty of positive reviews, it was a bit buried by the hype around Breath of the Wild and its radical reinvention of how a Zelda game plays. And while the two have their fair share of differences, the commonality of exploring a gorgeous and vast open world where you could go to almost anywhere you can see made me think how much I'd love it if Nintendo went all-in on a console and Zelda title that could provide fidelity like in Horizon Zero Dawn.I'm not saying I need human-realistic characters in a Zelda game - the art direction in Breath of the Wild is great. But the forests, mountains, deserts, caves and rivers in Horizon are perhaps the most beautiful rendering of the natural world that I've ever seen in a game. Combining the endless exploration of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild with a Hyrule that looks as good as the world in Horizon does would be an incredible combo, even though it's not something I'm holding my breath for. That said, the Switch 2 seems like a much more capable console, and you have to imagine the next Zelda game will look a bit different than the last two. Surprise me, Nintendo! - Nathan Ingraham, deputy editorThe Switch changed me from Nintendo skeptic to Nintendo superfanBefore the Switch came out, I knew there were people who proudly wore their Nintendo fandom, but I could not understand their fascination. I think that was because I'd never had my own Nintendo hardware. Every experience I'd had of the company's games before the Switch was on a console that belonged to a friend, roommate or significant other. That meant as a player, my experience was almost entirely based on casual hangout games like Mario Kart and Mario Party. Later on, as I began writing about games, my professional opinion was that Nintendo made money by manufacturing scarcity with limited releases and a dubious attitude about preservation.Given all the mid-to-bad feelings I had about the company, I don't remember why I decided to buy a Switch for myself. It was about a year after the hardware debuted, so maybe I'd seen enough positive buzz that I was ready to see what all the fuss was about. Whatever the reason, I'm so happy I wandered into the store to finally acquire my first Nintendo console that fateful day.Since then, I've spent hours in Super Mario Odyssey, gleefully searching every corner of each world for sneaky hidden moons. I logged even more time in Breath of the Wild, exploring Hyrule as an escape from the doom of COVID in the real world. I've logged multiple hundreds of hours uncovering the intrigues of Garreg Mach Monastery and leading my students into battle with Fire Emblem: Three Houses. And you don't even want to know how many hundreds of hours I've spent clearing out pills in Dr. Mario. A bunch of titles that I'd now consider my favorites came from my time playing on the Switch.I'm sure that if the SNES or the N64 had been my true introduction to the world of Nintendo, I'd have similar warm fuzzies about those generations of games. But the way my timeline has gone, the Switch is the one that introduced me to this joyful and delightful gaming ecosystem. So I see you, Nintendo fans. And now I am one of you. - Anna Washenko, contributing reporterThe Switch was the console I always wanted - until it wasn'tI was desperately hoping for a console like the Switch before it was announced by Nintendo. That time, I was mainly gaming on the Nintendo 3DS and the PS Vita, until I discovered the Vita TV and realized that I prefer being able to play my handheld games on a bigger screen sometimes. I remember playing Fire Emblem Awakening on the 3DSand thinking of how it would be so much better if I could get a bigger view of the battlefield.When Nintendo released the Switch years later, it was everything I wanted. You can take your game with you anywhere and then play it on the TV when you're home? Perfect. The Vita TV wasn't as seamless, since I had to move memory cards to and from the handheld Vita to play the same game.Now, years later, my life and my eyesight have gone through some big changes. I no longer play games if I can't play them on the TV. That means for games that have both a Nintendo and a PlayStation version, I almost always get the one for PlayStation, since it has better graphics and overall quality.But what about Nintendo-exclusive games? These days, I find myself wishing for a Switch without a screen. Just a simple console like the Vita TV with, perhaps, better specs for crisper graphics and less stuttering. Or, if that's truly not possible, just one that's cheaper than the full console. (I'm not the only person who's called for this!) Alas, there's no version of the Switch 2 coming out without a display. It's a wish I may have to carry with me for years like my wish for the Switch's current form factor - I'll just have to wait and see if it also comes to life. For now, I'll just keep on playing on my (docked) Switch. - Mariella Moon, contributing reporterThe Switch helped make handhelds feel special againI got my Nintendo Switch on launch day way back in March 2017 and it's the only one I've ever owned. And even though its Joy-Con started to drift over the years and its Nvidia Tegra X1 chip was already kind of dated from the get-go, I will always appreciate how that thing held it down for the better part of a decade. Plus, thanks to Nintendo's magic, it never felt like the console was held back by its less powerful hardware.However, as we begin the transition to its successor, I really want to praise the Switch for reinvigorating people's interests in handhelds. When it came out, the Nintendo 3DS was already on its last legs while Sony had all but abandoned the Vita. But thanks to the Switch's ability to double as both a home console and a portable gaming device, it directly paved the way for so many of the handheld PCs on sale today like the ASUS ROG Ally, Steam Deck and more. This reminds me of how awesome it felt as a kid to bring games with me to help pass the time on long road trips or when the dentist would distract me with a Game Boy during cleanings. It's something that still feels special today even with the proliferation of laptops and tablets, which can't quite match that level of engagement and portability, and I will forever appreciate the risk Nintendo took when it designed that flexibility into the Switch's core identity. - Sam Rutherford, senior reporterThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/reflections-on-the-nintendo-switch-the-hybrid-console-that-changed-gaming-192049755.html?src=rss
Last week a federal judge issued a scathing ruling over Apple's handling of fees for in-app transactions. As promised, Apple has appealed the latest decision in the protracted lawsuit brought by Epic Games over the company's anti-competitive App Store policies. The initial 2021 ruling attempting to loosen Apple's grip on in-app sales was all but ignored, as the company went to great lengths in attempting to circumvent the decision.While the company complied with the judges ruling, it has now filed its promised appeal after it made clear last week that it strongly disagreed with the court's decision. It remains to be seen if there is any chance for Apple to win the appeal, as Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sternly reprimanded Apple in her latest ruling.
A wide-ranging sale on Beats headphones has brought some of the brand's products down to record-low prices. Take, for instance, the Beats Solo 4. That model is currently half off at $100 at Amazon. Although we've seen those headphones hit this price before, it's matching an all-time low. The same offer is also available at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. We gave the Beats Solo 4 a score of 79 in our review just over a year ago. The lack of multipoint connectivity was a disappointment and there's no automatic pausing when you remove them from your ears. Some folks may find the fit quite tight as well. However, we feel that the Beats Solo 4 offer improved sound quality over previous models, while the 50-plus hours of battery life is very welcome. If you're looking for a portable set of on-ear headphones, the Solo 4 might be worth considering. In addition, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are available for a discount, just a few months after they debuted. You can save 50 bucks if you buy a pair of the earbuds now, as they're down to $200. The Powerbeats Pro 2 are Apple's first earbuds that include a heart-rate tracking feature. We gave the fitness-focused model a score of 79 in our review back in February. The improved design helps make the earbuds more comfortable to wear compared with the previous iteration and we felt that they delivered powerful audio performance on the low end. The Powerbeats Pro 2 also have a lot of the same smarts as AirPods, largely thanks to the inclusion of an H2 chip. That said, the hook design won't be to everyone's taste, and we felt the active noise cancellation performance was so-so. Elsewhere in the sale, there are some solid discounts that aren't quite all-time lows but still worth checking out. You can snap up a pair of over-ear Beats Studio Pro headphones for $170, down from $350. We gave those a score of 81 in our review. As for the in-ear Beats Studio Buds +, those are $70 off at $100. We think these are the best Beats option for most people, and gave them a score of 84 in our review. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-beats-headphone-sale-includes-all-time-lows-on-the-solo-4-and-powerbeats-pro-2-144550967.html?src=rss
Graduating college is a major milestone - then comes the not-so-fun part: learning to be an adult. If you know a recent grad and want to celebrate, there are countless gadgets and services you can give them to make the next step in their life a little less daunting. We spend our days testing exactly these kinds of products and figuring out which ones are actually good; if you need a hand coming up with something, we've rounded up a few of our favorite college graduation gift ideas below. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-graduation-gifts-111518948.html?src=rss
In a development that can only be seen as positive, non-consensual deepfake porn site Mr. Deepfakes has shut down for good, reports 404 Media. This news comes due to the site losing one of its service providers."A critical service provider has terminated service permanently. Data loss has made it impossible to continue operation," a notice on the site reads. "We will not be relaunching. Any website claiming this is fake. This domain will eventually expire and we are not responsible for future use. This message will be removed around one week."As sites continued to crack down on non-consenual deepfake porn, Mr. Deepfakes became an open space for it. Users could upload videos and connect with creators to commission videos. People also used it as a way to collaborate on new techniques, share their methods and provide datasets. All of it was with the goal of creating this non-consensual media, sometimes with a strong likeness to real people.The creator of Mr. Deepfakes is still technically anonymous. However, German newspaper Der Spiegel reportedly tracked down one of the individuals behind it, a 36-year-old in Toronto.Governments across the world have been taking steps to make sexually explicit deepfakes illegal. Last week, the US Congress passed a bill criminalizing the "publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images," including deepfakes. The UK has made multiple attempts in recent years to make it illegal to create sexually explicit deepfakes. Currently, it's illegal to share this content, but not to produce it. In early 2024, the European Commission proposed new rules to criminalize sharing non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/leading-deepfake-porn-site-is-shut-down-for-good-120018413.html?src=rss
Nintendo is going after the company that showed off unauthorized mockups of the not-yet-announced Switch 2 at CES 2025. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Nintendo accuses accessory maker Genki of trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising, arguing that Genki embarked upon a strategic campaign intended to capitalize on the public interest surrounding Nintendo's next-generation console." According to Nintendo, Genki promoted accessories it claimed are compatible with the Switch 2 despite not having official access to the console, and used the Switch logo to do so.Following the initial reports in January that Genki brought Switch 2 mockups to CES and published a video said to show a 3D render of the console, Nintendo released a statement to say that neither the hardware nor imagery were official, per IGN. While Genki reportedly claimed it had access to a Switch 2 at first, the company later wrote on X that it does not own or possess a black market console," and told Game*Spark (translated by Automaton) that its mockups were based solely on leaked information. In the lawsuit, Nintendo says Genki's statements were contradictory and inconsistent," yet the company maintained its representation to consumers that its accessories will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 upon the console's release."Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 on January 16, a little over a week after the mockups made their CES appearance. Even in the months since, Nintendo alleges, Genki continues to exploit the attention of the media and fan base and usurp and threaten sales of Nintendo's own accessories," through means including piggybacking on Nintendo Direct with its own Genki Direct" event immediately after. In a statement shared on X following the filing, Genki said it is taking [the lawsuit] seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully."What we can say is this: Genki has always been an independent company focused on building innovative gaming accessories for the community we love," Genki's post continued. We're proud of the work we've done, and we stand by the quality and originality of our products. While we can't comment in detail, we're continuing preparations to fulfill orders and showcase our newest products at PAX East this week."The Nintendo Switch 2 arrives after years of rumors and speculation. In the lawsuit, Nintendo notes that it began planning the next-gen console shortly after the release of the first. Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 opened in April, and the console will be available on June 5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-suing-the-accessory-brand-that-flaunted-switch-2-mockups-ahead-of-its-reveal-210341646.html?src=rss
The votes are in and residents of a small swath of southern Texas are in favor of Starbase becoming a real city. The newly-designated city is home to SpaceX and many of its employees, and it's where Elon Musk's company builds rocket engines, launches spacecraft and manufactures other space-related tech. According to the final vote tally, 212 residents voted in favor of incorporating as Starbase, while six voted against the measure - but, it's worth noting that most of the eligible voters in the locale are SpaceX employees and only 143 votes were needed to make Starbase a city.Musk celebrated on X, while the city also made its first post, stating that becoming a city will help us continue building the best community possible for the men and women building the future of humanity's place in space." The idea for Starbase dates back to March 2021, when Musk first teased the idea on what was then Twitter. Now that the vote has taken place, Starbase will be separated from Cameron County as its own roughly 1.5-square mile city. This designation is particularly important considering SpaceX may be able to circumvent governmental red tape when it comes to scheduling rocket launches. Previously, Musk's company had to get permission from county authorities to close a nearby highway or restrict public access to Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park for rocket launches.While the vote to designate Starbase as an official Texas city passed, county commissioners and judges still need to declare the election results official, according to Remi Garza, the elections administrator for Cameron County. Even though SpaceX may get a helping hand with Starbase handling its own building and permitting processes, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino told NBC News that any changes to the existing procedures that SpaceX has to go through would be unnecessary.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-texas-hq-starbase-is-officially-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-city-185643351.html?src=rss
A space observatory designed to map the entire sky over a period of two years to further our understanding of the early universe has started snapping images. SPHEREx, which launched in early March, got started with its observations this past week after over a month of setup procedures and system checks, according to NASA. The space telescope will complete about 14.5 orbits of Earth per day, capturing roughly 3,600 images daily and observing the sky in an unprecedented 102 wavelengths of infrared light. Its observations will eventually be combined to create four all-sky" maps.SPHEREx's 25 month survey will be a comprehensive one. The spacecraft orbits Earth from north to south, passing over the poles, and each day it takes images along one circular strip of the sky," NASA explains. As the days pass and the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx's field of view shifts as well so that after six months, the observatory will have looked out into space in every direction." Researchers will use the SPHEREx observations to study the universe's expansion in the moments after the big bang, and search for the ingredients for life elsewhere in the Milky Way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-spherex-space-telescope-has-begun-its-mission-to-map-the-entire-sky-in-3d-173458720.html?src=rss
Instead of deciding between four new models of iPhones every fall, you may have to choose among three in both the spring and the fall. A new report from The Information claims that Apple will change the release cycle for its smartphones, starting with the iPhone 18 in 2026. According to The Information, three unnamed supply chain sources detailed that the more expensive models will launch first, meaning the Pro models will keep the fall release window and the standard model iPhones will get pushed to the following spring.It's a notable departure from the typical all-at-once release schedule, but it could indicate that Apple wants to make room for other models, like the long-rumored foldable iPhone. If the report is accurate, Apple would release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and potentially the foldable iPhone in fall 2026, followed by the iPhone 18 base model, the iPhone 18 Slim and the iPhone 18e in spring 2027.If you've been paying close attention to Apple's releases, this change may not be much of a surprise. While the company has been releasing its annual batch of new iPhones in September or October since the iPhone 5, Apple started breaking from the schedule with the introduction of the iPhone SE models, which were usually released in March or April. More recently, Apple introduced the iPhone 16e in February to replace the SE range. As for the iPhone 17, we're still expecting Apple's regularly programmed schedule with four new devices to be revealed this September.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-reportedly-wants-to-split-up-the-iphones-release-schedule-164737099.html?src=rss
Spoilers for Lucky Day."When the writers for this season of Doctor Who were announced, one name in the roster put me instantly on edge. Pete McTighe may have a distinguished filmography but, in this house, he's known as the person who wrote Kerblam." That's the Chibnall-era episode summed up as Space Amazon is great and the people protesting poor working conditions and mass-layoffs are the real villains." Imagine then, my delighted surprise when Lucky Day" doesn't just get its politics right, but it does so with molotov cocktails in hand. James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfIt's 2007 and the Doctor and Belinda land in London as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Day. The Doctor, Vindicator in hand, gets another set of coordinates before realizing a small boy, Conrad Clack, saw the TARDIS land. He hands Conrad a 50 pence piece and tells him it's his lucky day," before the boy sprints back to his mother. But she's not interested in his story about a magical blue box, striking the boy and saying she's had enough of his lies.Conrad next encounters the TARDIS 17 years later when he spots it parked down a dark alley. There's a nearby door with a broken lock and he ventures inside to a closed down department store, where he's stalked by an unseen monster. After a few seconds, the monster brushes past Conrad, leaving green slime on his neck - which is how it marks its prey. When the creature, the Shreek, emerges into the open ready to strike, it's zapped away by the Doctor and Ruby.From the shadows, Conrad watches the Doctor hand Ruby a vial of antidote as she, too, was marked as prey. He stalks them back to the TARDIS and overhears their conversation - half an hour prior, she was hanging out with the Beatles, putting this just after The Devil's Chord." He snaps a picture of Ruby and puts it online, asking the internet if anyone has seen this woman.He tracks down Ruby at some point after she stops traveling in the TARDIS, and invites her onto his podcast. Conrad tries to flirt with his guest, and a quick montage shows them date and start to get serious about each other. He even confesses he was present during that first encounter with the Shreek, and Ruby hands him a vial of antidote. She says the Shreek, which had tagged him with green slime, was preparing to return to this dimension to hunt him again. But UNIT - the Doctor's military allies here on Earth - captured it (off-screen).The pair go to a countryside village where Conrad introduces her to his friends in a quiet pub. But, as night draws in, the lights begin to flicker, and the blink-and-you-miss-it blurs of scary monsters appear outside. One of Conrad's friends, Sparky, goes missing, and Ruby calls UNIT who leap into action despite no signs of a Shreek incursion. Conrad confesses to Ruby he didn't take the antidote, wanting to prove to her he was as brave as the Doctor to win her heart.When UNIT arrives, soldiers face off with a pair of Shreek monsters until they reveal they're just Conrad's stooges in rubber suits. Conrad isn't an innocent caught up in a crisis he can't comprehend, he's a conspiracy theorist streamer claiming UNIT is a sham organization. He's the type to engineer stunts and deceptively edit the resulting footage to smear his targets. I won't name the real world figures Conrad is inspired by as we'd get angry emails from their lawyers, but I'm sure you can work out who they are.Conrad's encounter with UNIT was livestreamed, and there's another montage of people talking to their generic social media followers decrying the organization. He's arrested, but quickly released, and given a welcome press tour by the British media, including a favorable BBC News report and a joke on the UK version of The Masked Singer. Conrad even gets consoled during an interview on The One Show - a prime time talk / magazine show - by its real presenter Alex Jones (not that one).UNIT's overseers in the UK government and Geneva buckle to public pressure to put UNIT under close scrutiny. As its head, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart says, imagine the fate of the world if any dictator got their hands on UNIT's arsenal of captured alien technology. Someone senior at UNIT demands the caged (and real) Shreek captured off-screen be removed from London and brought up to the helipad ready for transit. Meanwhile, Conrad has a man on the inside, who has been radicalized into believing his own employers are a sham, who helps him break into UNIT HQ.Kate refuses to lock the building down, insisting that it's time the issue was solved once and for all. Conrad, with a stolen UNIT rifle in hand, tries to bait Kate into attacking her on camera with some vicious slander about her father, the legendary Brigadier. Kate is happy the Doctor isn't here, since he won't stop her from doing what the audience has been demanding she do for the last few minutes. She opens the cage holding the Shreek and lets it go for Conrad.Like all two-bit bullies, Conrad crumbles in the face of real danger and starts begging for mercy but Kate refuses. Sadly, Shirley hands Ruby a taser, which she uses to knock out the Shreek before it can bite Conrad's head off. Now that his life has been saved, Conrad goes back to playing up for the livestream, boasting that UNIT's special effects" have gotten better. At which point the Shreek wakes up and bites his arm off.There's a sharp cut, and next we see Conrad waking up in a prison cell with a contraption around his arm, presumably keeping it joined to his elbow. Suddenly, he hears the TARDIS noise and is brought aboard for the Doctor to tell him that he's a bitter, sad person who will die in prison. But Conrad is unrepentant and says he rejects" the Doctor's reality." After he's returned to the cell, he's visited by Mrs. Flood, who confirms what he saw was real, and that she's letting him free as it's his lucky day."Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfIt does appear as if I owe Pete McTighe a fulsome apology and must assume he isn't at fault for all of the reactionary politics of Kerblam." Lucky Day" is both a worthy sequel to 73 Yards" and a sign that, if Doctor Who is just weeks from an enforced hiatus, then it's going out swinging. It's got a lot of targets, including the BBC's habitual reputation-laundering of unsavory characters. The notion of who is in the wrong" is made explicitly clear here, too, and Conrad occupies the same political (and narrative) circles as Roger ap Gwillam (Albion TV gets a reference).Like a lot of this year's run, the episode feels like an overstuffed script which was then cut down to fit a specific runtime. But the structural work underpinning things feel more solid here, so while a lot of the connective tissue is absent, it's not to the detriment of the story. Kate's decision to unleash the Shreek may have been well-telegraphed but it's better than the solution appearing out of nowhere because there's five minutes left to run.There's an element of the show playing to its strengths, and the genre savviness of its audience here as well. If you know the beats of a girl-meets-boy romance movie, then you'll spot this is a cracked-ish mirror version of that. And we don't need much evidence of Conrad's villainy - calling the Doctor, UNIT and Kate a bunch of frauds to make money from his online audience - since we know they are our heroes. Plus, anyone who slanders Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, after all, deserves to get what's coming to them.Lucky Day" is smart about how it introduces us to Conrad, too, giving us obvious red flags from the get-go. Adult Conrad has no reservations about taking a picture of a stranger and sharing it online for the internet to identify on his behalf. There's a hint of judgment in how he asks about her relationship to and with the Doctor, mirroring the way Alan Budd flirted with Belinda in The Robot Revolution." In fact, it's an interesting counterpoint to that episode, since we get enough time with Conrad early on to learn to at least be wary of him, rather than it being a fairly unsupported third-act twist.If there's one downside, it's that the episode leans on the trope that survivors of abuse perpetuate that cycle of abuse. Conrad gets hit in the head by his mother and while it's hard to assume a pattern of behavior from one scene, it didn't seem like it was the first time. Much as we saw in Lux," there are limits to the storytelling possibilities inherent in a series about an immortal science clown traveling anywhere in time and space in a blue box.This episode is also focused on Ruby's post-TARDIS life, which has left her in a vulnerable position. As she admits at the end of the episode, her time with the Doctor was spent in a constant state of panic and peril. She's tired, she's alone and the first man she tried to form a relationship with turned out to be using her. That's bound to leave a scar, but the after effects of a trip in the TARDIS is rarely discussed in the context of the series itself. The majority of the classic series' companions lacked detailed interior lives, while modern day ones often move on to other exciting" things rather than back to a normal life.Mrs. Flood CornerBBC Studios/Disney/Bad WolfIt does appear as if the structure of the series isn't just Russell T. Davies relying on a familiar rhythm but something more deliberate. Lucky Day" is the fourth in a row that shares themes and elements with the same numbered episode in last year's lineup. It'll be interesting to see how much of next week's The Story and the Engine," and the following week's The Interstellar Song Contest" shares with their counterparts from the first series.It's plausible that the time fracture that was featured in The Robot Revolution" has, somehow, knocked the series off its previously-planned course. That either within the show's fiction or in its metafiction, we're explicitly seeing parallel versions of those previous episodes. If you recall from that episode, too, the Doctor says he was told to meet Belinda by an unknown person. What if he was chasing down Conrad's lead, and if so, would that be enough to create a paradox (even if the TARDIS can avoid such obstacles)?Then there's the fact Conrad says he explicitly rejects the Doctor's reality," which feels like a telling way of wording things. Especially as this season's two-part finale is titled Wish World" and The Reality War," although that title is hardly a massive clue. After all, last season's finale was Empire of Death," as opposed to The one in which it turns out Stuekh has been clinging to the TARDIS roof for God knows however long."I'm not sure I want to read too much into Mrs. Flood releasing Conrad since that, like last week, could simply be a topper to the story. It may be that she's simply letting him out to wreak more havoc and undermine UNIT and the Doctor's goals rather than anything specific. Not to mention that if Mrs. Flood is a dimension-surfing entity hell-bent on destroying the Doctor, she's hardly going to have much use for a schmucky YouTuber.This week, the BBC announced that The Reality War" would not be getting its customary early in the day stream online. Instead, it'll hit the iPlayer and Disney+ at the same time as the UK broadcast, and both episodes are being lined up for a small cinema release. That's reserved for big event episodes, and it adds more weight to the rumor Gatwa has already left the show. Not to mention he's starring in the play Born With Teeth from August 13 through November 11 - which would prevent him from shooting a season for 2026.Outside the mystery box elements of the show, this season feels as if it's having a meta conversation with itself. Lucky Day," for instance, takes a similar premise as Love and Monsters," a Doctor-lite episode focusing on one of the so-called ordinary people who are peripherally involved in the Doctor's adventures. Conrad is initially presented as one of the lost souls who are drawn to the Doctor - you could almost describe them as fans - but who don't shine brightly enough to get the Time Lord's special attention.Oh, and I can't think of any reason beyond silly fan service that Conrad's streaming outfit is called Think Tank" beyond a deep cut nod to 1974's Robot." After all, there's almost nothing in common between the two entities and their goals are ostensibly in conflict.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/doctor-who-lucky-day-review-pete-i-owe-you-an-apology-190037017.html?src=rss
Cue a new batch of Half-Life 3 confirmed" memes. The latest rumor surrounding Valve's long-awaited next installment in the Half-Life series claims that the game is currently playable, end-to-end" and could even be announced in the summer, followed by a release in winter of this year. The speculation comes from Tyler McVicker, who's known for reporting on Valve rumors, during his latest Q&A livestream. According to McVicker, the game is currently playable from beginning to end, which he guesses could put it on track for an announcement and release this year.Besides McVicker's hours-long livestream, there have been other recent hints about Valve's progress on its highly anticipated title. In March, Valve concept artist Evgeniy Evstratiy claimed that he was in the room where Valve made Half-Life 3 on CG Voices Podcast. In the same month, another Valve leaker, Gabe Follower, claimed that Half-Life 3 would be the end of Gordon's adventure," potentially signaling a non-cliffhanger ending to one of gaming's best franchises. Outside of these rumors, internet sleuths discovered code referencing HLX, which is widely thought to be the codename for Half-Life 3, in major updates to Deadlock and Dota 2.While these rumors are unconfirmed, they are promising signs of life for Half-Life 3. McVicker said during his livestream that the HLX project won't be another virtual reality game like Half-Life: Alyx and that there are procedural generation features that aren't for terrain generation or roguelike mechanics. Before you get your hopes up, remember that Half-Life 2 recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary, and we still don't have any official confirmation from Valve about a follow-up game.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/half-life-3-is-reportedly-playable-in-its-entirety-and-could-be-announced-this-year-183030499.html?src=rss
Google Gemini is adding nannying to its chatbot skillset. According to a New York Times report, Google will make Gemini available to users under 13, so long as they're under a parent-managed Google account using Family Link. In an email sent to parents, Google said that kids will get access to Gemini to ask questions, get homework help and make up stories." This expanded availability will come with guardrails for its new user base, Google spokesperson Karl Ryan told NYTimes, adding that it would prevent Gemini from offering up unsafe content to kids.In the email, Google acknowledged that Gemini can make mistakes" and recommended that parents teach their kids how to fact-check Gemini's responses. Along with double-checking, Google suggested reminding younger users that Gemini isn't human and to not enter any sensitive or personal data into conversations. Even with those measures, the email still warned that children could encounter content you don't want to see."With the staggering pace of AI chatbot adoption, concerns about underage users have been bubbling up to the surface thanks to instances of factually incorrect or suggestive responses. In a report published last week, Common Sense Media warned that AI chatbots were encouraging harmful behaviors, providing inappropriate content, and potentially exacerbating mental health conditions" for users under 18. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta's AI chatbots were able to engage in sexual conversations with minors. On top of dodging unsafe conversations, Google said it won't use any data from its younger Gemini users to train its AI models. For now, Google said it's gradually rolling out access to Gemini for supervised accounts.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/kids-under-13-will-soon-get-supervised-access-to-google-gemini-164017036.html?src=rss
It's the first Saturday of May, which means Free Comic Book Day is here, and this year, even Tamagotchi is getting in on the fun. Bandai has released a limited edition comic for the event, and it sports the new moniker that's been fueling fan speculation for months: Tamagotchi Paradise. The comic will only be available in physical form, so if you want one, you'll have to take a trip to your local comic store to pick it up. You can find participating shops using the FCBD store locator.Internet sleuths first spotted a trademark filing for Tamagotchi Paradise earlier this year, sparking theories about the company's plans for an upcoming device. The comic doesn't outright confirm anything - there's no official statement about whether the device and previously unseen characters pictured in its pages will be brought to market - but it sure does seem to suggest that something really cool is on the way.Per the Tamagotchi website:
In a few months, you'll no longer be able to rent a Nintendo 3DS to guide you around the Louvre and tell you about the pieces exhibited in it. The website Nintendo Everything has spotted a notice in Louvre's official website, stating that the Nintendo 3DS console audio guides "will go out of operation in September 2025." It also stated that the 3DS will be replaced by a new system, but the museum has yet to reveal more details about it. Is the Louvre swapping the 3DS for the Switch or a more traditional audioguide device? Guess we'll find out in a few months.The Louvre has been offering Nintendo 3DS audio guides since 2012 as a 6 rental. It can tell you about exhibits in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. It can also tell you about the history of the palace and not just the artworks inside it, as well as give you access to high-resolution images of select artwork so you can zoom in and see the smallest details. But if you've ever gotten lost inside big museums, you may perhaps consider its geolocation tracking capability its best feature. The Louvre is massive, and with 782,910 square feet of space to explore, it's very much possible to lose your way and not find an exit when you need it the most.Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto demonstrated how the 3DS worked as a Louvre audio guide and location tracker over a decade ago, and you can watch it below.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-louvre-will-stop-renting-out-nintendo-3ds-audio-guides-in-september-150057520.html?src=rss
Volkswagen has recalled 2025 ID.Buzz electric vans, because their rear seats are only configured for two people but are wide enough to fit three. According to the NHTSA note (PDF) found by Electrek, Volkswagen is recalling 5,637 vehicles, which were manufactured between September 18, 2024 and February 11, 2025. The removable third-row of the 2025 ID.Buzz are only fitted with seatbelts for two people. However, its seating surface width exceeds the value specified for two occupants under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which sets the standards to reduce the number of deaths in the event of a crash.In other words, the third row of the 2025 ID.Buzz is wide enough to require three seatbelts. As it is, it'll be very easy to fit a third person in, and they will have no protection while the vehicle is on the road, increasing their likelihood of getting injured or dying if they get into an accident. Volkswagen intends to fix the issue by installing permanent "unpadded trim parts" to limit the surface width where passengers can sit on the rear bench. The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van was released in the US in November 2024 and has a starting price of $60,000. It has an EPA-estimated range of 234 miles on a full charge and comes in several possible color schemes.VolkswagenThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagen-recalls-5700-idbuzz-electric-vans-because-their-seats-are-too-spacious-120034140.html?src=rss
The Trump administration's preliminary 2026 budget proposes the biggest single-year cut to NASA funding in the agency's 67-year history. The cuts are part of the White House's broader government "skinny budget," which aligns with Elon Musk's DOGE wishlist. The NASA portion would gut the agency's science programs, cancel the Gateway space station project and phase out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after a measly three flights.Trump's proposal would cut NASA's funding by more than $6 billion from its 2025 budget, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. That's a 24 percent decrease and, according to The Planetary Society, the biggest single-year drop in NASA funding ever. Space.com says the most brutal cuts would be to space science (a $2.3 billion decrease), Earth science ($1.2 billion less) and legacy human exploration programs ($900 million less).Also on the chopping block would be Gateway, the planned lunar orbit space station that would act as a hub for missions to the Moon and (eventually) Mars. Ditto for a joint program with the European Space Station to return Mars soil samples to Earth. The White House proposes ending NASA's sustainable aviation efforts (who needs a healthy planet, amirite?) and "any funding toward misaligned DEIA [diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility] initiatives."NASA's SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft.NASAIn addition, the White House's budget would phase out Boeing's SLS and Lockheed Martin's Orion after only three flights - projects that cost $26.4 billion and $21.5 billion to produce. The Trump administration wants "more cost-effective commercial systems" to replace them. (I'm no NASA budget expert, but that sounds like quite the potential score for the president's billionaire backers, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.)The only area that would see an increase would be human space exploration, which would see a $650 million boost. Bloomberg says it calls for over a $7 billion increase in lunar exploration funding and a new $1 billion investment in Mars exploration.If there's a silver lining for those who care about science, Congress would have to approve the budget, so some or all of those bullet points could be slashed before the 2026 funding is approved. Trump's political capital is nowhere near where it was on Inauguration Day. Recent polling reveals plummeting support, including over half of Americans viewing the 47th president as a "dangerous dictator."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-white-houses-proposed-budget-would-cancel-nasas-gateway-space-station-project-201459838.html?src=rss
A hacking group called "DragonForce" has gained access to Co-op's membership data, the UK retailer and insurance provider shared in a press release. DragonForce actually contacted the BBC directly to confirm that it had the private data of 20 million people.Co-op's statement says the hackers accessed name and contact details, but don't have things like "members' passwords, bank or credit card details, transactions or information relating to any members' or customers' products or services ." The story is a little different for Co-op's employees. According to the BBC, DragonForce was able to produce a database that includes the usernames and passwords of all of Co-op's employees."We have implemented measures to ensure that we prevent unauthorized access to our systems whilst minimizing disruption for our members, customers, colleagues and partners," Co-op writes. The company also says it's working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate how the hackers accessed its data in the first place.Co-op's breach is the latest in a string of cyberattacks targeting UK retailers. Marks & Spencer experienced a similar attack in late April that led the company to stop accepting online orders, Reuters reports. The department store Harrods dealt with its own cyberattack a few days later.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-have-gained-access-to-the-membership-data-of-uk-retailer-co-op-195215251.html?src=rss
Microsoft just increased all Xbox prices: Grab one before the hikes go into effect Microsoft Gaming is about to get a lot more expensive - at least for Xbox fans. Effective May 1, Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox consoles and controllers, and not by an insignificant amount:
NotebookLM, the Google research tool that gained notoriety for its uncanny AI-generated podcasts, is getting an official app on May 20, 2025. You can pre-register for the Android or iOS version of the app right now and have it automatically downloaded to your device on May 20, the first day of Google I/O 2025.Based on the listings in the Play Store and App Store, Google seems intent on keeping all of the core functionality of the web version of NotebookLM intact for its mobile debut. You can upload a variety of different sources (PDFs, website URLs, YouTube videos and copied text) and have NotebookLM, powered by Gemini, do stuff with them. That could be answering specific questions, generating study guides or creating an Audio Overview, the previously-mentioned "podcasts."Google NotebookLM started life as Project Tailwind back at I/O 2023 and has gradually transitioned from research project to real product over time. The service officially launched as NotebookLM in December 2023 and gained Audio Overviews in September 2024. As of April 2025, NotebookLM is now offered in more than 50 languages. Getting an actual app release is the best sign yet the service is here to stay.Critical to its sucess, NotebookLM makes more sense as a tool you can trust than basically any other Gemini product. The service's output is grounded in documents and sources you choose. That means Google's AI is less likely to hallucinate because it's quoting a research study directly, and it's easier to double check its answers because you can view the source directly in NotebookLM.Google has already signaled that I/O 2025 will be Gemini-focused by breaking out Android announcements into their own stream, so there's a good chance NotebookLM won't be the only AI product getting some love on May 20. It remains to be seen whether Google has any ideas as cogent as "an AI that helps you digest long PDFs," though.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/notebooklm-the-acceptable-face-of-google-ai-is-getting-an-app-in-may-182041294.html?src=rss
A few weeks out from the arrival of Elden Ring: Nightreign, developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have released a lengthy overview trailer that offers an in-depth look at what's in store. The run-based Elden Ring spinoff gives players three in-game days to prepare for a final boss battle with the help of up to two human-controlled allies.The new trailer explains that you'll have a limited time to strengthen your character. You can level up by fighting dangerous grunts or scour the land for weapons and other gear. You can also collect useful information that's hidden in enemy bases. Alternatively, you can face off against more formidable enemies inside fortresses and receive "powerful rewards" if you can take them down. You don't have to stay with your teammates the entire time either, as you can take a divide-and-conquer approach to your runs.Limveld (a renamed version of the original game's first main area Limgrave) is procedurally generated, so things will be different every time you play. Yup, this is a roguelite, folks. Expect the unexpected, as obstacles can include things like meteor strikes and craters that are full of lava.As in the likes of Fortnite and other battle royale games, the playable area will shrink over time, nudging your squad into encounters with minor bosses when night falls. So you'd best make good use of your time to prepare for these tough fights. If you do fall in battle, one of your allies can revive you by, uh, attacking you. Look, this is Elden Ring, it doesn't have to make complete sense.In addition, the trailer reveals details about the eight character classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Each has their own weapons, passive abilities and skills. One has a grappling hook that can pull in enemies or be used to swiftly close a gap. Another can turn invisible to sneak around enemies or ambush them. I suspect quite a few people will opt for the sea-faring Raider, whose arsenal includes a powerful blow that can't be interrupted by an enemy attack. Let's see how those colossal bosses like the taste of their own medicine.After each run, whether you triumph or fail, you'll earn relics. These are part of a permanent progress system and can be used to improve your stats. You'll be able to unlock cosmetic costumes as well. Some of these take inspiration from previous FromSoftware games, such as one that references Solaire from Dark Souls.Elden Ring: Nightreign is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on May 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreign-trailer-details-all-eight-classes-and-some-fiery-hazards-151216173.html?src=rss
Q: I'm a Gen X Windows user, I've been building my own systems for decades, and I work mainly in 3D design for the building and construction industry. I would like to know if you feel switching to Mac makes sense with all this unnecessary tariff turmoil? I've been trying to make the leap for years ... I feel like I need someone to just tell me to go for it and not look back. - Jim from Bainbridge Island, Washington A: It's undoubtedly a great time to make the jump from Windows to Macs. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are among the highest-rated laptops we've reviewed over the last few years, and the Mac mini and iMac are also fantastic solutions for desktop users. There's certainly a bit of a learning curve when jumping platforms, but it's mostly just a problem if you require specialized software that only runs on Windows. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What are the benefits of moving from Windows to Mac? There are three big advantages from switching from Windows to Mac. Speed At the moment, the biggest advantage is the sheer speed of Macs. That's entirely thanks to Apple Silicon, the company's custom chips that are built to be efficient and very fast. In our benchmarks, even the most basic M4 chip blows away most of the hardware from Intel and AMD. Apple's advantage only grows as you move up to its Pro, Max and Ultra chips. Apple Silicon's speed doesn't just show up in benchmarks. It's easy to see that modern Macs, even the entry-level MacBook Air, feel zippier than comparably-priced Windows PCs. That goes for everything including web browsing and office productivity apps, as well as more complex tasks like rendering video. Apple's chips also include some powerful graphics cores, giving you the ability to easily run many games from the App Store. While you certainly wouldn't mistake any Mac as a true gaming PC, I was still surprised that the MacBook Air was able to run a complex new game like Lies of P in 1080p at 60 fps. Battery life Since Apple Silicon is based on Arm's mobile chip architecture, it's also a lot more efficient than Intel and AMD's more demanding CPUs. That leads to killer battery life across the board for Mac laptops. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air lasted well over 18 hours in our video benchmark, while the MacBook Pros went beyond 30 hours. In real-world usage, you can expect most Macs to last two full work days without needing a charge. Macs also tend to hold their charge in standby mode far better than PCs, so you can have a bit more faith that they'll be ready to work the instant you turn them on. Durability After reviewing Macs for the last 15 years, and supporting them as an IT worker for a decade before that, I can also confidently say that Mac hardware lasts longer than PCs. Apple's aluminum cases withstand bumps and drops far better than the cheap plastic you'll find on some PCs. Now that's not to say they're immune to wear and tear, but from what I've seen Macs just tend to hold up well. If you do need to get something fixed, it's also relatively easy to get that done at an Apple Store, instead of shipping a Windows PC off to its maker. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget What are the downsides of switching from Windows to Macs? While I think it's worth making the jump to Macs overall, there are a few downsides: Windows to Mac learning curve Given how much of our computing lives revolve around cloud apps like Gmail and Google Docs these days, moving to Macs mainly involves learning the basics of Apple's platforms. Installing software outside of the App Store works a bit differently than Windows - you often have to drag an app to the Applications folder, instead of clicking through an installer. Apple's trackpads also don't support right-clicking by default. Instead, you either have to hold down the Control key and click, or enable a Secondary Click feature (System Preferences > Trackpad). There you can assign right-clicks to a two-finger tap, or a tap on the bottom corners of the trackpad. The macOS Dock can be confusing since it can't show all of your open apps like the Windows taskbar can. Subsequently, managing all of your open apps can be a pain. My suggestion? Set up Hot Corners (System Settings > Desktop and Dock > Hot Corners) so that your Mac will reveal your apps whenever you drag your pointer to a corner of your screen. Since that feature debuted (it was originally called Expose), I've set it up to reveal current app windows in one corner, all of my windows in another, and the desktop in a third. Apple's Stage Manager, which debuted in macOS Ventura, can also help you wrangle apps, but I typically only use that when I want to focus on one or two programs. Lackluster gaming library, limited upgrade options Apple has historically been terrible when it comes to supporting games on macOS, but it's getting better. Recent titles like the aforementioned Lies of P, as well as Resident Evil Village and Death Stranding, are readily available on the app store. There are also more titles on Steam shipping with dedicated Mac support, and cloud streaming opens up access to services like Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass library. But there's no way Apple will be able to catch up with Windows when it comes to overall gaming support anytime soon. So if you actually care about always getting the latest titles, you might want to stick with PCs. That's doubly true if you also have any interest in ever wanting to upgrade video cards, RAM or internal storage options, all of which aren't really accessible on Macs - including desktop models. No touchscreen support While Apple pioneered the use of touchscreens with the iPhone and iPad, it's stubbornly refused to bring that feature over to Macs. So if you're used to casually flicking a laptop's screen to scroll, you're just out of luck with Macs... for now. A 2023 report claimed that we may see a touchscreen MacBook Pro this year, but it's unclear if that will actually happen. Personally, I don't miss having a touchscreen when I use Macs, since Apple's glass touchpads feel just as fluid. Devindra Hardawar/Engadget A brief history of Mac vs. Windows The battle between Mac and Windows is nearly as old as the concept of personal computing itself, and it will likely never end. In 1983, Apple's Lisa broke new ground as the first consumer computer with a graphical user interface (GUI), and the company followed that up with the more affordable Macintosh in 1984. Microsoft countered with Windows 1.0 in 1985, but the platform didn't really take off until Windows 3.0 arrived in 1990. By that point, the philosophical differences between the two companies was clear: Apple was more focused on delivering friendly user experiences for its custom hardware, while Microsoft built up Windows as a platform that could run on a wide variety of computers. Consequently, the user culture around both platforms became fairly distinct: Macs became the go-to choice for anyone working in creative fields and academia, whereas Windows was more focused on office work and straightforward productivity. There's also always been a major price difference between the platforms, as Apple's custom hardware has typically cost far more than your basic Windows PC. Over the years, Apple has gone from using Motorola's PowerPC chips to Intel's - a move that brought Macs far closer to Windows PCs. And most recently, Apple completely changed things up again by moving entirely to its own Apple Silicon chips, which are built around the same mobile architecture used by iPhones and iPads. While Macs and Windows remain very distinct, the differences between them have flattened a bit now that we're relying on so many cloud services. Using Gmail or Google Docs on a Mac is no different than on a Windows system, after all. Which Mac is best for you? It may sound cliche to say this, but Apple's Mac family now has something for everyone (unless you're a hardcore gamer). We're four generations deep into Apple Silicon chips, and all of the company's hardware has seen some helpful impressive revisions. The real question is figuring out which Mac is best for you. A note on pricing: While Apple's entry-level prices are more reasonable than ever before, they do skyrocket as you add more RAM and storage. You also can't add more memory or storage to Apple Silicon systems down the line, so you'll have to think hard about what you need when you buy a new Mac. I'd recommend prioritizing more RAM when possible, as you could always use cloud services or external drives for storage beyond your SSD. I'd also suggest snagging a new Mac soon if you're interested, as there's a chance Apple could start increasing prices to keep up with tariffs. (Just recently, both Microsoft and DJI have increased prices for aging devices.) But if you're finally ready to pull the trigger on a new Mac, these are your best options right now. You can also find some excellent deals if you look for refurbished M3 and M2 versions of the systems below. The MacBook Air is the best ultraportable laptop available today. It's fast, incredibly light, has great battery life and is also completely silent, since it has no cooling fan. Now that it starts at $999 with 16GB of RAM, it's also a surprisingly good deal. Unless you need the additional ports and improved screen on the MacBook Pro, the Air will be all the computer you need for several years. Stepping up to the MacBook Pro gets you a high refresh rate screen, faster M4 Pro chips and a wide variety of ports (including more USB-C connections, a microSD card reader and HDMI). While it's heavier than the Air, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is still relatively light and is better-suited to sustained workloads, like video encoding or 3D rendering. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is pretty much the same machine with a larger screen. Starting at $599 (but often on sale for much less), the Mac mini is a powerful-yet-tiny box that can outmatch full-sized Windows desktops. It's the ideal gateway to the world of Macs if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse you like. The base model is powerful enough to handle any productivity task you throw at it, but if you need more performance you can also step up to the M4 Pro-equipped Mac mini. In addition to shrinking it down for this latest revision, Apple also seems to have heard my complaints and added two USB-C ports to the front of the Mac mini. Together with three more USB-C ports on the rear, HDMI and Ethernet, the Mac mini serves up a comprehensive array of ports and it's hard to think of a more capable $600 PC. While the iMac isn't the first all-in-one desktop computer, it's popularized the form factor to the point where most PC makers have their own copycat products. Now with an M4 chip, the iMac is more powerful than ever, while also sporting a thin profile that means it fits right at home on a kitchen table. Its 24-inch screen is just right for getting a bit of work done without dominating a table, and its speakers also sound surprisingly great. The iMac is the ideal family computer, one that can be set up just about anywhere and be useful for kids and parents alike. If you need more power than the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is a powerhouse of a desktop. While it's still far smaller than a typical Windows desktop, its M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips can easily take on the best hardware from Intel and AMD. At this point, the Mac Studio is more of a Mac for professionals than the actual Mac Pro, which is far more expensive and more meant for high-level corporate work. Have a tech question you'd like Engadget to answer? As tech reporters, the Engadget staff is always answering questions from readers, friends and family about electronics, software, gaming, big tech policies and more. So we decided to write down our answers. This question came from a listener of The Engadget Podcast, and has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. If you've got a tech-related question you'd like us to answer for you, please email ask@engadget.com.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/ask-engadget-is-it-a-good-time-to-move-to-macs-from-windows-145159396.html?src=rss
Since 2017, the Vespa-maker Piaggio's Fast Forward division has been exploring a unique way to cut down on car trips: Building robots that can follow you around and carry your stuff. We called its original Gita (pronounced "jee-tah," Italian for "trip") robot an attractive rolling porter, but its size and initial $3,250 price made it more of a robo-curio than something you'd actually want to buy. The company followed that up with the Gitamini, a smaller and slightly cheaper $1,850 model, but even that remains niche.Most people just don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a cute follow bot - but the calculation may be different for Star Wars fans. Squint a bit, and Piaggio's devices don't look that different from BB-8, R2-D2 and the multitude of other droids. So it's not a huge surprise to see Piaggio Fast Forward debut a special Star Wars edition robot: the G1T4-M1N1. It's basically just a $2,875 version of the Gitamini (which now sells for $2,475) with Star Wars decals and sound effects.Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetG1T4-M1N1 boasts all of the same specs as the Gitamini: It can carry up to 20 pounds in its top compartment; it lasts for 7 hours, or 24 miles; and its speed tops out at a jaunty 6 MPH. But like a true Star Wars droid, it's more talkative than its older sibling. Lucasfilm offered up some of its unique sound effects for the bot, so you might hear it sound extra flustered as it's rushing to catch up to you, or turning quickly around a corner. It's a big leap beyond the Sphero-powered BB8 toy from 2015.I had a chance to spend a weekend with G1T4-M1N1 at my home, but unfortunately I couldn't take it outside or use it in public, where it's really meant to shine. Instead, it was stuck puttering around my home and deck. While that delighted my kids - who both jumped in the air the moment G1T4-M1N1 awoke with a loud boot-up sound - they were still frustrated they could't pile their toys into its compartment and walk it to the neighborhood park.From my brief time with it, I can confirm G1T4-M1N1 followed me around like an eager droid, ready to carry whatever I needed. But it also had some trouble navigating around my cluttered floors - if it hit any major obstacle or corner, it would go to standby mode until I tapped the capacitive button on its noggin. Unlike my Roomba vacuums, it doesn't back up and try again. I also had to be extremely careful with the G1T4-M1N1 around my deck stairs, since it continually tried to fall to its death like a robotic lemming.According to Piaggio Fast Forward CEO and co-founder Greg Lynn, the company expects bot owners to watch out for major "cliff" drops like stairs. Gitamini and Gita have the ability to pause before jumping over large curb drops, he says, but I couldn't see that in action.Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetBetween its trouble with stairs and obstacle avoidance, I couldn't imagine ever using any Gita robot indoors without headaches. But I could see it being useful if I still lived in Brooklyn, where it could accompany my kids and I to the park while lugging their gear. (My aching back sure would appreciate that, anyway.) I could also see parking it outside a local grocery store and having it follow me home afterwards.Even in that dream scenario, though, I'd worry about someone trying to steal the G1T4-M1N1. While you can lock it down from an app, which closes the storage compartment and turns off any following capability, you still have to remember to do that manually. According to Lynn, he's seen curious strangers accidentally enable the Gita bots' following feature more than he's encountered stories of potential theft. Still, the worry is there, especially since the G1T4-M1N1 and Gitamini weigh 28 pounds. It's not hard to imagine some intrepid thief driving up to a parked G1T4-M1N1 and throwing it in their car. (Unfortunately, there's no way to physically chain it like a bike, either.)I'm not making any final judgements on the G1T4-M1N1, or its siblings, since I couldn't test it properly. But it's clearly not something meant for everyone - not at that price, and not with the navigation problems I encountered. But I could see a future where assistive robots like these could be helpful. We currently have robots delivering food on the streets of some cities, and I've seen them helping waiters move food around local restaurants. At some point, we'll see cheaper and more useful home bots beyond the Roomba and its ilk. And whatever comes next will likely owe a debt to the ground being tread by Gita's large wheels.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/piaggio-turned-its-cute-follow-robot-into-a-star-wars-droid-140019416.html?src=rss
If you're concerned about how new US tariffs might affect future electronics purchases, look no further than DJI. The company has raised the price of its popular Osmo Pocket 3 camera to $799, or $280 (54 percent) more than it cost at launch. The Pocket 3 Creator Combo that includes a wireless Mic 2 and other accessories also went up from $700 to $950. Recent tariffs levied by President Trump on Chinese products were "certainly among the key considerations" for the hefty price bumps, the company told The Verge. The Osmo Pocket 3 was a success from the get go, thanks to the built-in gimbal, motorized subject tracking and large 1-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, even in low light. It's widely beloved by content creators for those reasons and is a recommended option in several of Engadget's camera buying guides - in fact we bought some for our own reporters. It's fair to say that the new tariffs are 100 percent behind the price increase, despite DJI's diplomatic wording. The price is the same as at launch in Europe and in Canada, suggesting that there are no other technical reasons to raise it. DJI quietly boosted the US price from $520 to $620 a couple of months ago, around the time that Trump first announced potential tariffs on Chinese products. Other DJI products like drones have yet to rise in price, however. DJI said that the Osmo Pocket 3 is one of the best selling products in the history of the company and that it's popularity "continues to exceed expectations." However, much of that popular was likely due to the original $520 price (on top of the camera's strong feature set), that was a bargain next to standard compact cameras like Canon's new $899 PowerShot V1. At $799, the Pocket 3 loses some of its competitive advantage. It's difficult to find the Pocket 3 in the US (and elsewhere) at any price at the moment, though DJI says it's striving to keep up with demand. On top of all that, the company is facing a full ban of its drone products in the US in 2026 unless it obtains an exemption from regulators. That will affect the company as well as consumers, as its drones are widely used in production, emergency services and elsewhere - and it's far ahead of rivals in terms of technology. DJI sent a formal letter to five national security agencies (DHS, DoD, FBI, NSA, and ODNI) in March requesting that any or all of the agencies begin evaluating its products "right away." This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-pocket-3-camera-now-starts-at-799-following-trumps-tariffs-131536721.html?src=rss
In an earnings call for the quarter ending in March, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company expects to pay around $900 million for US tariffs for the months of April to June. Apple saw limited impacts from tariffs for the months January through March, which doesn't come as a surprise since most of the government's new import taxes didn't exist before April. The company was also able to optimize its supply chain and inventory before then. Cook admitted that Apple can't give a precise estimate of the impact tariffs will have on the company in the coming months because the Trump administration's rules could still change the future."For the June quarter, currently, we are not able to precisely estimate the impact of tariffs as we are uncertain of potential future actions prior to the end of the quarter," the CEO explained. The $900 million figure came from the company's estimates, assuming "current global tariff rates, policies and applications do not change for the balance of the quarter and no new tariffs are added." Investors seemed relieved that Apple is only slated to spend $900 million to pay the new taxes, which is a drop in the bucket for a company valued at over $3 trillion. When an inventor asked what tariffs would look like for Apple after June, though, Cook said: "I don't want to predict the future, because I'm not sure what will happen with the tariffs.""For our part, we will manage the company the way we always have, with thoughtful and deliberate decisions, with a focus on investing for the long term, and with dedication to innovation and the possibilities it creates," Cook assured investors. Apple posted a quarterly revenue of $95.4 billion, up 5 percent year over year, for January to March 2025. Apple told CNBC that it's manufacturing half the iPhones meant for the US in India instead of China, which would mean lower tariff rates for the company. It will also manufacture most of its other products for the US in Vietnam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-could-spend-900-million-on-tariffs-over-the-next-quarter-123037323.html?src=rss
Despelote is a living memory. Julian Cordero, the game's co-creator, invites players to spend a few hours in the city of Quito, Ecuador, in the early 2000s, and experience a nationwide soccer fever from the perspective of his own childhood. Wrapped in layers of static and shadow, Despelote follows an 8-year-old Cordero as he interacts with his family, attends school and kicks a ball around with friends. Pivotal national events, revealed in news reports and overheard conversations, color the game's runtime. But its focus remains squarely on Cordero's experience - a charmingly self-centered child viewing the world from hip height. In Despelote, it's the summer of 2001 and Ecuador is on the verge of qualifying for its first-ever World Cup, which has created a soccer frenzy across the country. Soccer is a storytelling mechanic in Despelote, as Cordero runs around Quito kicking a ball, playing a FIFA-style video game, watching World Cup matches on TV and generally annoying his neighbors. Using actual recordings from Quito, Despelote captures intimate conversations, inside jokes and everyday chatter among Cordero's friends and family members (in Spanish, obviously, with translations provided in speech bubbles). The game's environments are built out of photographs of Quito that have been stylized to mimic the way memories feel - single-color, fuzzy backgrounds with people and important objects outlined in crisp black and white. Actual footage of the Ecuador team making its World Cup run plays out on in-game TVs, and you're able to sit and watch an entire match on a small, staticky screen, if you wish. These true-to-life elements ground the game in reality, while visual flourishes make everything seem like a daydream, and the combination of styles is hypnotic. Transitions come in the form of nearly imperceptible camera zooms and slowly blurring environments, and at every turn, there's space to luxuriate in the simple activity of being a kid. The game's mechanics are intuitive - flick the right stick to kick the ball; hold any trigger to run; press any button to interact; look down to check your watch so you can get home on time - and this simplicity helps Quito come alive. Poignant moments of magical surrealism cut through the flow like memories inside of memories, providing glimpses into Cordero's future as a teenager and Ecuador's evolution as a country. These scenes appear just enough to provide a sense of tension and context without breaking the immersion of the childhood memories. Panic There isn't much in terms of a moment-to-moment storyline here, but Despelote effortlessly builds a sense of place and self with each new vignette. It's night and Cordero is sitting in the back of the family van, idly listening to his parents' conversation and drawing shapes in the window fog. His mom stands in front of the television and tries to pull his attention away from the video game he's playing, exasperated. His younger sister asks him to draw a frog. A grumpy neighbor steals the ball that Cordero and his friends are playing with, so they start kicking around an empty bottle instead. These are the building blocks of Cordero's childhood, and while they're deeply specific, they're also highly relatable. Despelote is a study in the beauty of mundanity. I haven't played many games like Despelote. I'm tempted to say I've never played anything like it, that this is the first true memoir in video game form, but of course that's not entirely accurate. Games like That Dragon, Cancer and Dys4ia offer similar glimpses into their creators' lives, and they're similarly vulnerable and grounded. They're also examinations of moments of acute pain - and while stories about trauma compose a substantial and valuable portion of the memoir market, there's room for Despelote's slower, lighter reflection in this genre. Despelote is a stellar addition in the category of memoir video games, proving that a thoughtful rumination on one person's childhood can translate into a powerful interactive experience. The key, as always, is authenticity. Panic Cordero breaks the fourth wall at the end of Despelote in a way that feels completely natural. The style of the game changes in an instant and Cordero narrates the scene, talking about how he and co-creator Sebastian Valbuena traveled to Quito to collect Despelote's audio and location data. He discusses the fickle nature of memory and clarifies some of the game's timelines. He says he really just wanted to get it right. He wanted players to understand the magic of this moment in Ecuador's history, when soccer was everything, and he was just a kid. I believe he succeeded. Despelote is available now on Steam, PlayStation 4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, published by Panic. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/despelote-review-a-poignant-memoir-masquerading-as-a-soccer-game-124526276.html?src=rss
Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to comply with the orders of a California court, which required the company to immediately stop collecting commissions on purchases that weren't paid through the App Store. As noticed by 9to5Mac, the most prominent change in the guidelines states that there are now no prohibitions on "buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase," as long as it's for an app on the US storefront. Further, developers don't have to request for an entitlement from Apple to be able to offer external link purchases on apps for the United States storefront anymore.In the section stating that certain applications, such as reader apps and apps that sell goods and services, cannot encourage users to opt for third-party purchasing methods in-app, Apple added that the prohibition doesn't apply to apps on the US store. "The App Review Guidelines have been updated for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps," Apple said in a statement.These changes come as a result of a recent ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who found that Apple violated her 2021 ruling for Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple. Back then, she ordered Apple to allow developers to direct users to other payment systems that would let them avoid paying the company a 30 percent cut.However, Apple still took a 27 percent cut from external purchases, prompting Epic Games to accuse the company of non-compliance in a new legal filing last year. Apple also showed users a "scare screen" when they try to make external purchases, discouraging them from using third-party payment systems. In addition to ordering Apple to stop collecting fees from purchases made outside the App Store, Gonzalez Rogers also prohibited Apple from creating rules that would prevent developers from presenting customers with buttons and links for external paymentsIn response, Epic chief Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will be coming back to iOS next week. He also said that the video game company will bring back Fortnite on iOS for everyone and will drop all litigation regarding the issue if Apple adopts the no-commission policy worldwide, but that doesn't seem to be the case for now. Other companies are now also looking to roll out updates that would allow them to bypass Apple's commission for external payments. One of them is Spotify, which announced that it had already submitted an update that would allow customers in the US to pay outside the App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-app-store-guidelines-to-allow-external-payment-options-123039994.html?src=rss
Microsoft has teased a new Surface Copilot+ PC set to be revealed on May 6th, the company announced on X. "Something new is coming... find out next week," the post states. The new model(s) will be revealed nearly two weeks before the company's Build 2025 developer conference. That appears to be a change from last year when the company kicked off its Build 2024 event by launching two new Surface Copilot+ PCs the day before.The rumor mill has it that Microsoft is working on a smaller 11- or 12-inch Surface Pro to directly compete with Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro. It may also be working on a Surface laptop with a Snapdragon X processor. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the new Intel-equipped Surface Pro (11th Edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition) for Business.It's not clear whether Microsoft will hold an event to announce the new machines or just issue a press release. It also begs the question as to what hardware (if any) the company will announce at Build 2025. That conference kicks off on May 19 and is expected to be heavily focused on AI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-surface-team-has-something-new-coming-next-week-121507230.html?src=rss
You can expect to see a lot of "We got xxx before GTA VI" memes in the coming days, because Rockstar Games has announced that it's pushing back the long-anticipated game's release. In a statement, the developer said that Grand Theft Auto VI is now set for release on May 26, 2026. Last year, the company said that the game will be available sometime this year, but it will now be fully missing the 2025 release window. Rockstar didn't explain why it was pushing back the game's availability. It just said that its goal for every game has "always been to try and exceed [its players'] expectations" and that Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. "We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve," it added.Rocktar's parent company Take-Two Interactive wrote in its fourth quarter 2024 earnings report that it narrowed down the game's previously announced 2025 window to fall of this year. Clearly, that's no longer going to happen. GTA VI follows the criminal duo Lucia and Jason in an open-world game set in Leonida, the fictional equivalent of Florida.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/grand-theft-auto-vi-is-delayed-to-may-2026-120405517.html?src=rss
Spring has sprung, and it's time to get grilling. Before you give your existing setup a thorough cleaning or start researching to buy a new one, take a look at my list of the best grills and grill accessories currently available to improve your outdoor culinary experience. My slate of reviews includes a variety of smart grills and other cooking gadgets, so you can trust that I've put these picks through their paces. There are recommendations for very necessary non-grilling items too, like options to keep your bevvies cold and the best choice for a pizza oven. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-grilling-gear-143011296.html?src=rss
In 2023, I tested my first OLED gaming monitor for Engadget, the LG 27GR95QE. Coming from an IPS LCD, the LG screen was transformational. Its WOLED (White OLED) panel produced inky blacks that made every game look incredible, and it allowed me to experience HDR gaming on a PC for the first time. But as amazing as that monitor was, it was a first generation product and it had a couple of problems. It produced text fringing that made it distracting to use for productivity tasks, and it would flicker whenever I enabled NVIDIA's G-Sync smoothing. I ended up recommending the LG 27GR95QE with a few caveats in my first gaming monitor guide, but anytime in the last two years that I've considered buying an OLED for myself I've held off. The panels have gotten better, but if I'm going to spend $800 or more on a new monitor, it better be perfect or at least close to it. I think I've finally found the OLED monitor I would recommend without reservation, and I'd even buy it for myself. As long as you own a GPU that can drive it, Alienware's new AW2725Q is an exceptional gaming display. With a 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, it's fast, sharp and delivers nearly flawless image quality across both SDR and HDR applications. Oh, and did I mention it's substantially cheaper than the competition? If you're in the market for a high-end gaming monitor, this is the one to buy. Design Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q marks the debut of Dell's new AW30 design language for Alienware products. It's been a while since I've seen one of the company's devices in person, and I was worried the monitor would look gaudy on my desk. Thankfully, the AW2725Q is not that; in fact, it has one of the more understated designs I've come across. Dell offers the AW2725Q in a single color: Interstellar Indigo. It's a subtle hue that's more interesting than the usual black you see on so many competitors. The monitor also has minimal Alienware branding. On the back of the display, there's the company's trademark alien logo, while on the front you'll find its badge. The logo lights up. You can change the color of the LED or turn it off from the on-screen display (OSD) menu. Like most Dell monitors, the AW2725Q offers plenty of ports. To start, it comes with two HDMI 2.1 connections. One of them supports eARC, so you can connect the monitor to a soundbar and a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. It also has three USB-A ports and a single USB-C connection capable of 15W power delivery. The AW2725Q has the same flat Samsung-made QD-OLED panel as the $1,200 ASUS PG27UCDM and the $1,100 MSI 272URX. Dell cut a few features to get its monitor to $900. First, it's missing a DisplayPort 2.1 output, meaning it's limited to the older 1.4 standard. As a result, the AW2725Q needs to rely on Display Stream Compression (DSC) to output a 4K signal at 240Hz. On paper and in practice, that's not much of a reason to skip over Alienware's monitor. As the name suggests, DSC is a compression algorithm. It's not technically lossless, but it is "visually lossless," and unless you pixel peep, it's difficult to notice a difference between a DSC signal and an uncompressed one over DisplayPort 2.1. Besides, you'll need one of NVIDIA or AMD's latest GPUs to take advantage of the new standard anyway. The AW2725Q's other compromises are more notable. The MSI and ASUS models offer faster 98W and 90W power delivery over their USB-C ports, making them better for charging a laptop quickly. The ASUS monitor also comes with a KVM switch, in case you want to use a single keyboard and mouse to control more than one computer. Those are all nice to have, but not features I would pay an extra $200 or $300 to get on a new monitor, especially one I plan to use primarily for gaming. Display Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Although I've seen more than a few OLED monitors in the past, the AW2725Q was immediately impressive. As I mentioned earlier, it features a QD-OLED panel made by Samsung, and this specific model marks the first time that company has offered a 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel. That might seem like overkill, and in a way it is. That said, there's one major benefit to the AW2725Q's 166ppi pixel density. This is the first OLED monitor I've used that doesn't sacrifice text clarity. With earlier generations of OLED panels from both Samsung and LG, I found the text fringing really distracting, making them impractical for most productivity tasks. With the AW2725Q, that problem is almost entirely solved, making it not just a great gaming monitor, but a great monitor period. The AW2725Q offers 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. Out of the box, my unit needed some calibration, as the green diodes were slightly overpowering everything else. Once I ran the monitor through DisplayCal, the AW2725Q looked nearly perfect. Colors were vibrant without being overbaked. If you want to use the AW2725Q for design work, Dell includes an option to clamp down the display to sRGB in the OSD. Speaking of the OSD, it's well laid out and easy to navigate thanks to a joystick that's just big enough not to feel fiddly. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q has a glossy coating that accentuates the panel's ability to produce deep blacks and vibrant colors. In a dimly lit room, the Alienware monitor outputs an image that's almost three-dimensional. When I went to revisit older games, even ones that were mastered in SDR, I felt like I was seeing artistic details I hadn't noticed before. Of course, the tradeoff with a glossy coating is that reflections are far more pronounced. Additionally, one of the quirks of QD-OLED panels is that their black pixels can look gray in rooms with bright ambient light. At first I found this frustrating, but once I got better about using my blinds to manage the light coming through the window, the tradeoff was more than worth it. In that way, the AW2725Q is like any OLED screen: it needs proper lighting to look its best. Once I had the screen dialed in, the AW2725Q was equally great for both immersive and competitive gaming, thanks in part to its 240Hz refresh rate. Coming from a 165Hz monitor, I didn't think the faster refresh rate would make games feel noticeably smoother, but I was wrong. Even when my NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU wasn't able to saturate the display fully, in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Space Marine 2 for example, I didn't see any blur or smearing. Much of that is thanks to the 0.03ms pixel response time. One of the nice things about OLED monitors, especially if you're running a less powerful GPU like I am, is that you don't need to worry about overdrive modes. I saw VRR flicker when I had G-SYNC enabled, but it seemed less pronounced than what I've seen on older OLED monitors like the LG 27GR95QE. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Everything I mentioned so far applies to SDR gaming, but the AW2725Q really comes into its own when you enable HDR. It's a VESA True Black 400-certified display. In dark, atmospheric games like Dead Space and Alan Wake, the AW2725Q's ability to produce true blacks and a near-infinite contrast ratio is transformational. The screen greatly enhances the ambience those games strive to achieve, thanks to dark scenes that aren't washed out by the glow you get on IPS displays. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment needed to measure peak brightness and panel uniformity. The reviewers at Rtingsand Monitors Unboxeddo rate the AW2725Q highly, though. They found the monitor can peak at 220 nits in its SDR mode, and sustain around 260 nits of peak brightness across a full screen during HDR operation. If you're coming from an LCD display, I imagine the AW2725Q won't disappoint, even if it doesn't get as bright as some other OLEDs on the market. Burn-in protection A few weeks is not long enough to stress the AW2725Q for burn-in, but from what I've seen so far, with decent care, the panel should last for years. First of all, the monitor comes with a suite of maintenance features. One of those will refresh all the pixels on the panel so they don't get stuck. You can start the process manually through the OSD. The AW2725Q will also initiate the process on its own after you turn off your computer or it goes to sleep. The entire procedure takes about five minutes. There are also self-diagnostic tools for the panel and fan at the back of the display. In the US, Dell offers a three-year warranty on the AW2725Q, with burn-in protection included in the coverage. Not every manufacturer does this with their OLED monitors, so the fact Dell does is nice and makes the AW2725Q a smarter long-term purchase. Wrap-up Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Normally, when I review a product, I can't wait to get back to the device I was using before. I try to be thoughtful about my buying habits, and only purchase things I know will serve me well for years to come. So the best thing I can say about the Alienware AW2725Q is that I'm not looking forward to sending it back. It is an amazing display that has made one of my favorite hobbies more enjoyable. The fact it costs $900 is icing on the cake. Yes, it's still more expensive than your average IPS gaming monitor, but it's cheaper than the competition without sacrificing visual quality. If you're in the market for a 4K OLED, I would only skip the AW2725Q if you have the desk space to accommodate a 32-inch screen and you prefer that size.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/alienware-aw2725q-review-an-exceptional-oled-gaming-display-120046049.html?src=rss
This week Meta held its first-ever AI dev conference, LlamaCon, focused on the development of its Llama generative AI model. But while there was plenty of hype, not much happened, besides the launch of the Meta AI app and a new Llama API. In this episode, Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell joins us to talk about her thoughts on LlamaCon after attending in person. After just announcing its latest Llama models a few weeks ago, it was as if Meta didn't have much else to say.Subscribe!
Microsoft is dramatically increasing the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S as well as new games and accessories. The Series S will start at $380, up from $300, while the Series X will begin at $550, a $100 increase on its previous price. The company is also increasing the prices of pretty much all its first-party products and peripherals. A basic controller will now cost $65. Microsoft is also increasing pricing in Europe, UK, Australia and many other countries.Microsoft, however, isn't pointing the finger at tariffs: We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development," the company said. It's unusual for a mid-generation console to increase in price - typically, companies launch a slightly more expensive, better-specced iteration instead.Also this week, Samsung's chief financial officer Soon-cheol Park told reporters The ongoing uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies continues to pose a potential risk of demand slowdown." Park said US tariff policies and stronger export controls against artificial intelligence products are expected to have an impact on demand. In addition to a downward trend on sales, the company also expects tariffs to raise prices for the components it uses on its mobile phones - so expect more expensive smartphones down the line.The recent addition to upward pricing is DJI's popular Ozmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera. Up from a launch price of $520, it's gone way up to $799. (DJI had already bumped the price up last month to $620.) The base camera is now more expensive than the Creator Kit available at launch.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missed
If you love capturing your adventures, from mountain biking trails to underwater dives, an action camera is a must-have in your gear bag. The best action camera delivers crisp footage, rugged durability and the flexibility to shoot in just about any environment - including in the rain, snow or under water. These compact, often wearable devices are built to go where your phone or mirrorless camera simply can't, offering features like image stabilization, wide angle lenses and impressive video resolution for smooth, immersive footage.
Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit's main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit," Huffman said. Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That'll be the primary search box, and you'll type your query in there, you'll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you're searching for."Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in beta," has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding Reddit" to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That's only a small fraction of Reddit's 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit's primary search box should give it a boost.Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial - Reddit users aren't exactly known for loving big changes to the service - though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we're even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers," Huffman said. But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss
Lyft is rolling out a new service called Lyft Silver that's specifically designed to give aging and elderly people a way to get around when driving isn't an option.The basic pitch is that while getting rides from friends and family is great, it can limit the sense of independence an elderly person has. According to Audrey Liu, Lyft's head of Rider and Community Safety, the goal "wasn't just to build a service, but to remove everything that makes getting around a challenge." Lyft Silver will ideally help people "stay connected with their communities."Public transportation is already doing that for plenty of elderly people, but not everyone has access and Lyft is promising an extra level of security and support. Besides featuring a simpler interface, the new service adds access to live human support whenever you need it. Lyft Silver will also prioritize matching riders with cars that are easier to get in and out of, and make it easier to share ride details with loved ones.Lyft has offered features in the past that acknowledge elderly riders, but hasn't addressed them directly. The company's Concierge service lets a doctor's office order a ride for an elderly patient, for example. Lyft has also partnered with healthcare providers to offer paid rides to appointments. Lyft Silver just simplifies things even further by repackaging the basic ride-hailing experience for an older audience.Lyft says Lyft Silver will launch in early access "nationwide" on May 5. You'll be able to use the service directly from the normal Lyft app, and the company says families will be able to pay for their loved ones rides with Lyft Cash, the company's in-app payment method.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-silver-wants-to-keep-your-aging-parents-off-the-road-192617078.html?src=rss
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