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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a labor of love. You can see it in every pixel, animation and cutscene of the new 2D action game. It might be a surprise then that it's not the work of Team Ninja, the studio most closely associated with the series, but rather franchise newcomer The Game Kitchen. The Spanish studio is best known for its work on Blasphemous, a series of Souls-like Metroidvanias influenced by Spain's own Andalusian culture and history with Roman Catholicism."I'm an '80s kid," says David Jaumandreu, game director and producer on Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. "I still have my copy of the first Ninja Gaiden in the basement." The way Jaumandreu tells it, Ragebound is a dream project for him and his coworkers. The Game Kitchen began working on the gameabout halfway through the production of Blasphemous 2. French publisher Dotemu, best known for releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, approached the studio after seeing its work on Blasphemous.There's some superficial visual overlap between Ragebound and Blasphemous 2, but when it comes to tone and gameplay, theycould not be more dissimilar. Where Blasphemous 2 is dark and solemn, Ragebound leans into the franchise's origin as a product of the '80s. It's loud and frequently cheesy, but in an endearing way. It's also a lot faster paced, with levels that grade on how quickly you can complete them, often while taking as little damage as possible.Early on in the project, one of the things the team knew they wanted was to include two protagonists, with one of them hailing from the Black Spider Clan. For the uninitiated, the Black Spider Clan has usually served as the antagonists of the Ninja Gaiden series. Ragebound is set during the events of the 1988 NES game. After series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa leaves for the US to avenge his father's death, demons descend on peaceful Hayabusa Village and it's up to newcomer Kenji Mozu to save his clan.The Game Kitchen / Dotemu"We thought if we're taking the series back to its roots, wouldn't it be cool to control one of the Black Spider Clan?" says Jaumandreu. "It's like when you get to make a Star Wars game, and you fantasize about controlling an Empire character."To the surprise of everyone at The Game Kitchen, both Dotemu and Koei Tecmo - Ninja Gaiden's original license holder - liked the idea. In the demo I played, I didn't see the exact circumstances of how Kenji and the Black Spider Clan's Kumori end up working together, but the gist of it is that they're forced to merge souls to survive a deadly encounter.From what I can tell, outside of one mission that serves as an introduction to Kumori's skillset, you'll spend most of your time playing as Kenji in Ragebound. However, once the two of them join forces, Kenji's ability to engage enemies at range is greatly increased since he has access to Kumori's kunai.The Game Kitchen / DotemuMoreover, some of the platforming sections I ran into during the demo required that I play as Kumori to progress through the level. The tricky thing about these segments is that Kumori can only manifest for a short time, a gauge above her head indicating how much time I had left with her before I was back to Kenji and had to try the section again. It's possible to extend her gauge by taking out enemies along the way. At least in the demo, Kumori's segments weren't too difficult, but I could also see how the structure could really test players - maybe not to the level of Hollow Knight's Path of Pain, say, but something close.One of the things that stood out about both characters was how nimble they felt. Kenji can pogo off enemies and projectiles to gain additional height over his foes. During her platforming segments, Kumori can use her kunai to teleport across gaps and complete jumps Kenji can't. Most levels also include ceilings the two can climb along, and I frequently had to fight my way through multiple enemies to get to the other end. Speaking of combat, it's frenetic in a way that has mostly gone out of style in modern gaming. Outside of bosses, most enemies will fall after one or two slashes from Kenji's katana.The Game Kitchen / DotemuEven in early combat scenarios, I often had to fight two or three enemies simultaneously, while dodging and deflecting ranged attacks along the way to my next target. Once the combat system started to click for me, it felt incredibly satisfying to bounce between enemies and use Kenji and Kumori's abilities in unison.I left my hands-on with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound excited to play the final product. Of course, the ultimate test of the game will be how fans receive it. "We really put a lot of effort into creating a Ninja Gaiden game," says Jaumandreu. "We didn't want it to be a Blasphemous game with ninjas. We really hope when players get the controller, they feel at home with the series."Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound arrives this summer on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ninja-gaiden-ragebound-is-a-love-letter-to-the-series-nes-roots-150050773.html?src=rss

As TikTok continues to wait for a deal that will secure its future in the United States, the company is embracing a crowd-sourced approach to fact-checking. The service is adding Footnotes," a Community Notes-like feature that will allow contributors to add more context" to videos on the platform.Footnotes offers a new opportunity for people to share their expertise and add an additional layer of context to the discussion using a consensus-driven approach," TikTok's head of operations and trust and safety Adam Presser wrote in a blog post.The update, which has apparently been on the company's roadmap since last year, makes TikTok the latest platform to add a version of the crowd-sourced notes popularized by X. However unlike Meta, which recently began publishing Community Notes on its apps, TikTok's update isn't coming with a change to its moderation policies or its fact-checking partnerships. Instead, the company describes the change as a way for users to add helpful details that may be missing." Footnotes won't affect a video's algorithmic ranking or its ability to appear on the For You" page.Presser says that the company will use a bridge-based ranking system designed to find agreement between people who usually have different opinions, inspired by the open-sourced system that other platforms use." That's clearly a reference to X, which created a ranking system that requires contributors to rate each other's notes before they become publicly visible. Meta has adopted X's Community Notes algorithm for its own apps. But while TikTok's approach may be inspired by X, the company plans to use its own algorithm for Footnotes.It's not yet clear exactly what Footnotes will look like on TikTok or how prominent they will be. Like Community Notes on X, Footnotes are required to cite a source, whether it's another TikTok video or a third-party website.The company is kicking off its experiment by allowing users in the US to sign up to become contributors. Footnotes contributors must be 18 or older with an account at least 6 months old and without a recent history of a Community Guidelines violation. Over the next few months, contributors will be able to start writing notes and rating notes from others. It will be a few months before any Footnotes appear publicly in the US. The company hasn't indicated when Footnotes may roll out globally.The change comes at a time when TikTok's future in the US is still somewhat uncertain. President Donald Trump recently gave the company another 75-day extension to strike a deal that will allow it to remain in the US. Reports indicate that the White House favors a deal involving TikTok's existing US investors, though it's unclear how Trump's tariffs on China have affected the negotiations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-adding-footnotes-its-take-on-community-notes-140040044.html?src=rss

If you've ever tried to buy a digital photo frame, you likely know the market is full of bad products. Aura's frames are an exception - they're well-designed, have great screens, the software is easy to use and there are no subscription upsells. Today, the company is diversifying its lineup with the new Aspen frame, which sits comfortably between the 10-inch Carver frame and 15-inch Walden option. With an 11.8-inch, 1,600 x 1,200 display, it's larger and has a significantly higher resolution than the 10.1-inch Carver Mat frame (my current pick for the best digital frame on the market). That display has built-in light sensors to adjust brightness depending on the environment that does a good job of keeping it from feeling like you're staring at a monitor or tablet -the viewing experience on these frames is definitely more subtle. It also has a removable stand that lets you set the frame up in either portrait or landscape orientation; the Carver Mat's larger and thicker base means it can only be set up in landscape. Because the stand is removable, the Aspen is much thinner and lighter than I expected. But its more svelte dimensions don't come at the expense of structural integrity. I've tested a bunch of frames with removable stands so they can be aligned in portrait or landscape, and basically all of them have stands that are flimsy, ugly or both. The Aspen's stand, on the other hand, feels impressively solid and well-engineered. The Carver line of frames featured a touch bar for swiping through photographs or adjusting how fast it moves between images. On the Aspen there's two, so the controls are easily accessible no matter which orientation it's in. Getting photos onto the Aspen requires using Aura's app, but it again is probably the best digital photo frame app I've used. It's pretty simple to sync specific images and albums from your phone and you can also add photos by sending them to a specific email address you can set up. There are a few new software tricks in the app now, too. You can add a text caption to any image you've uploaded to the frame that'll display when the picture comes up, and you can also filter by people on the app now. Aura says that all facial processing is done on-device. The app otherwise integrates easily with Apple / iCloud Photos and Google Photos. The Aspen is on sale today for $229 and comes in either ink black or clay white; both have a subtly textured white mat surrounding the image. That's a good bit more than the $179 Carver Mat - but a bigger, higher-resolution screen, smaller footprint and the flexibility of going portrait or landscape may be worth it. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/auras-aspen-digital-photo-frame-features-a-bigger-better-screen-but-itll-cost-you-132728549.html?src=rss

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti aims at a very niche group of gamers. Starting at $379 with 8GB of VRAM, or $429 with 16GB, the 5060 Ti is for people who want something a bit more powerful than the base $299 RTX 5060, but aren't willing to shell out for the midrange $549 RTX 5070. (And it's worth noting that card is already selling for well beyond that price). In terms of raw rendering power, it's a minor upgrade over the previous RTX 4060 Ti. But thanks to the power of DLSS 4 AI upscaling, as well as 4X frame generation (the ability to create three interpolated frames for every one that's rendered), the RTX 5060 Ti can reach surprisingly high fps scores in 1080p and even 1440p. During my testing of PNY's RTX 5060 Ti 16GB card, I found it to be a solid performer overall, especially for games that can tap into 4X frame generation. But of course, it's unclear if you'll actually be able to buy it for $429, given the already volatile nature of the GPU industry and the additional headache of the Trump administration's unwieldy tariff plans. Would it be worth spending over $500 or even $600 on the RTX 5060 Ti? That's much harder to tell. Hardware Now if you're wondering why NVIDIA chose to offer 16GB of RAM in the RTX 5060 Ti, while it saddled the RTX 5070 with just 12GB, I don't really have any answers for you. It's a confusing move, and it's another sign that the RTX 5070 was simply a bit too mid. Even more curious, the 5060 Ti also has higher clock speeds than the 5070, reaching between 2.4GHz and 2.57GHz. The 5070 is rated between 2.16GHz and 2.51Ghz. Otherwise, the 5060 Ti sits right below the 5070: It has 4,608 Blackwell CUDA cores that can reach 24 TFLOPs, 759 AI TOPS and 72 TFLOPS of 4th-gen ray tracing cores. The 5070, meanwhile, has 6,144 CUDA cores for 31 TFLOPS of Blackwell shader power, 988 AI TOPS and 94 ray tracing TLFOPs. The PNY 5060 Ti I tested seemed like a typical budget GPU. It's relatively small, features just two fans and has one PSU connection. You won't be mistaking it for a slick NVIDIA Founder's Edition card, that's for sure. None 3DMark TimeSpy Extreme Geekbench 6 GPU Cyberpunk (4K RT Overdrive DLSS) Blender NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) 8,100 139,756 90 fps (4X frame gen) 4,220 NVIDIA RTX 5070 10,343 178,795 115 fps (4x frame gen) 6,015 NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti 12,675 238,417 153 fps (4X frame gen) 7,365 NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti 6,599 N/A 50 fps (1X frame gen) 4,435 What's good about the RTX 5060 Ti (16GB)? For the most part, the RTX 5060 Ti delivered everything I'd want in a sub-$500 video card. And in some cases, it even exceeded my expectations.

Skullcandy just revealed a new pair of wireless earbuds, the Method 360 ANC. Interestingly, the company has teamed up with rival headphone-maker Bose for this product. The earbuds have been tuned by Bose and use eartips similar to the ones found with the company's QuietComfort line.This is part of the pre-existing Sound by Bose platform, in which the company helps rivals with tuning and sound quality. The Motorola Moto Buds+ earbuds also include this feature.Otherwise, the Method 360 ANC earbuds seem like a solid entry in a crowded field. They offer ANC, multipoint connections, custom EQ options, wear detection and other bells and whistles. The battery lasts around 10 hours per charge, which increases to 40 hours when considering the charging case. However, this metric is with ANC turned off. There is a quick-charge feature that advertises two hours of use on just ten minutes of charging. This charging case includes an O-ring, so it can be clipped to stuff, and is available in several colors.SkullcandyThe earbuds ship with multiple sets of eartips that also use technology by Bose to ensure a secure, ultra-comfortable fit and superior noise isolation." They integrate with the Skull-iQ app, for making EQ adjustments, reconfiguring buttons and changing ANC modes. The Method 360 ANC earbuds are available right now at an introductory price of $100. The cost will go up to $130 later on.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/skullcandys-new-method-360-anc-earbuds-have-been-tuned-by-bose-230053911.html?src=rss

According to an SEC filing from NVIDIA, the US government now requires companies to obtain a license to export H20 integrated circuits and any other products that achieve the same performance benchmarks. The filing states that "the license requirement addresses the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a supercomputer in China." Mainland China is not the only place targeted by this license; NVIDIA will also require permission to sell the H20 to the territories of Hong Kong and Macau as well as to nations with the D:5 designation as US Arms Embargo Countries.The H20 chips are currently the most advanced chips that can be sold to select international markets under present laws and they are powerful enough to be used for artificial intelligence applications. NVIDIA has wanted the ability to retain Chinese customers for these products and last week, it seemed like the company may have gotten a reprieve on new restrictions. However, it appears that the new license requirement "will be in effect for the indefinite future."NVIDIA said in the SEC filing that it now expects to report about $5.5 billion in charges related to "inventory, purchase commitments and related reserves" associated with the H20 circuits in the results for its current fiscal quarter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nvidia-says-the-us-has-put-export-restrictions-on-h20-ai-chips-224822930.html?src=rss

Google announced today that it will no longer be using country code top level domains for searches. Instead, all search services will happen on the google.com URL and local results will be delivered automatically. For example, that means users in the UK will no longer see google.co.uk in their browser's address bar. Google URLs with those country-specific domain endings will now redirect to the main google.com address.Google started using location information to automatically provide search results based on geography in 2017. With that change, it didn't matter whether you entered a query into a local country code URL or into google.com; you'd always see the results version for the place you were physically located. Today's announcement seems to take that initial action to its conclusion by sunsetting those ccTLDs."It's important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won't affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws," Google noted in its announcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-retiring-country-specific-domains-for-search-212157490.html?src=rss

In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg floated the idea of spinning out Instagram, one of the remedies the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will likely seek in Meta's antitrust trial that began this week. CNBC reported on Tuesday that the comments from an email thread with executives came to light in Washington, DC."I'm beginning to wonder whether spinning Instagram out is the only structure that will accomplish a number of important goals," Zuckerberg wrote in the email. "As calls to break up the big tech companies grow, there is a non-trivial chance that we will be forced to spin out Instagram and perhaps WhatsApp in the next 5-10 years anyway." His estimate, made six years ago, ended up being spot-on."On the flip side, while most companies resist breakups, the corporate history is that most companies actually perform better after they've been split up," Zuckerberg added in the same email, according to The New York Times.It's Zuckerberg's second day of testimony in the trial, which stemmed from a 2020 government lawsuit against Meta (then still known as Facebook). The FTC argues that the company's purchases of Instagram (for $1 billion in 2012) and WhatsApp (for $19 billion in 2014) hurt competition. If the trial goes the FTC's way, it will likely ask the judge to break up Meta by selling off one or both of the apps.Last April, Meta moved to dismiss the case, but US District Judge James Boasberg allowed it to proceed with a narrower scope.On the stand on Tuesday, the Meta CEO reportedly defended the company's Instagram purchase as the result of a standard cost-benefit examination. "We were doing a build-vs.-buy analysis," Zuckerberg said. "I thought that Instagram was better at that [than Facebook's Camera app], so I thought it was better to buy them.""Building a new app is hard," he said when asked on the stand why he was intent on buying Instagram. "We've probably tried building dozens of apps over the history of the company, and the majority of them don't go anywhere."Other details that came to light on Tuesday include a 2013 email in which Zuckerberg told executives to block Asian competitors Kakao and WeChat from advertising on Facebook. "Those companies are trying to build social networks and replace us," he wrote. "The revenue is immaterial to us compared to any risk."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mark-zuckerberg-predicted-metas-antitrust-trial-in-a-2018-email-205719635.html?src=rss

Whether in Ancient Greek parodies, Shakespeare's subtle jabs at the haughty upper class or Jon Stewart's takedowns of the latest Washington absurdities, humor can be a razor-edged weapon that shapes public opinion. Last weekend, we were reminded again of comedy's ability to strike at the rich and powerful when someone hacked Silicon Valley crosswalks to play synthetic voice impersonations of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk."Hi, this is Elon Musk," the voice impersonating the Trump ally and federal government dismantler said. "Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering. You know, they say money can't buy happiness. And... yeah, okay... I guess that's true. God knows I've tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that's pretty sick, right? ...Right?? Fuck, I'm so alone.""Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck," the synthetic voice of Meta's CEO said over one crosswalk speaker. "It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya."The videos have accumulated over 100,000 likes on TikTok and nearly 400,000 views on X (ironically). Palo Alto Online reports (via TechCrunch) that they could be heard in downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but had been removed beginning on Saturday."Hi, this is Elon Musk," another crosswalk speaker emitted. "And I'd like to personally welcome you to Palo Alto. People keep saying cancer is bad, but have you tried being a cancer? It's fucking awesome.""Hey, it's Zuck here," another voice said. "I just wanted to tell you how very proud I am of everything we've been building together. From undermining democracy to cooking our grandparents' brains with AI slop to making the world less safe for trans people, nobody does it better than us. And I think that's pretty neat. Zuck out!"Finally, a Palo Alto speaker conducted armchair psychology on the Tesla CEO. "Hi, I'm Elon. Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I'll give you a Cybertruck, I promise. Okay, look, you don't know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval. I mean, let's be real. It's not like I had any moral convictions to begin with, right?"This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/someone-hacked-silicon-valley-crosswalks-to-spoof-mark-zuckerberg-and-elon-musk-191822645.html?src=rss

With America's long-term (and even short-term) economic prospects shifting on Eric Cartman-like whims, some internet providers have begun offering multi-year price guarantees to provide a little stability amid the chaos. A couple of weeks after Verizon introduced a three-year price lock, Comcast has followed suit with a five-year pricing guarantee for new Xfinity residential customers.On the bright side, the deal isn't linked to an annual contract requirement. Comcast says that the following plans are available to be used with the five-year guarantee (speeds listed are download speeds):

Anthropic announced that its Claude AI can integrate with Google Workspace. This tie-in allows the AI assistant to access any information in Gmail, Google Documents and Google Calendar. Enterprise-level customers even get a special cataloguing option for Documents that aims to offer even better speed and accuracy when retrieving information.This update could make Claude more helpful when it comes to using the chatbot for scheduling or accessing information within the Google ecosystem. The blog post with the announcement specified that the Enterprise option comes with special security controls for confidentiality, but doesn't detail if or how other users might be able to keep Claude from accessing sensitive information that might be stored in an email or document. Google Workspace integration is available in beta now for all paid Anthropic customers.Anthropic is also adding a Research feature. Queries in this mode are intended to offer thorough answers to queries that "explores different angles of your question automatically and works through open questions systematically." Claude's responses in Research will include citations for fact-checking. Anthropic says this feature can be combined with the Google integration for analyzing information stored across multiple different locations, such as notes about complicated work or school projects. Research is available in the US, Japan and Brazil as an early beta for users on the Max, Team and Enterprise plans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-can-now-read-your-emails-181511019.html?src=rss

It looks like OpenAI is building its own X-like social media network, according to a report by The Verge. We don't have many specifics, but we do know there's an internal prototype that adds a social feed to ChatGPT's image generation tool.It remains unclear if OpenAI will launch this social network as a standalone app or if it will be integrated within the ChatGPT app, which is what the prototype indicates. The report does suggest that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been asking for feedback about the social network from people outside of the company.One potential reason for this step is that the app would allow OpenAI to gather real-time data from users to train its AI models. It's also a potentially diversifying move for the company.Although it's uncertain if this project will ever see the light of day, one thing is probable - it'll likely get under the skin of Elon Musk, who owns X. Altman and OpenAI have been at odds with Musk for some time. The company rejected his offer to buy OpenAI, instead offering to "buy Twitter" for just $9.7 billion dollars. It's worth noting that the offer is four times lower than what Musk paid for the platform and that Altman purposefully used the word Twitter and not X.

Following a limited, four-month preview, Google is making its Veo 2 video generation model available to more people. The company has begun rolling out the tool to Gemini Advanced users, who can use it to create 720p clips that are up to eight seconds long. "The more detailed your description, the more control you have over the final video," Google says of the model.For the time being, Gemini will only generate footage in 16:9 landscape orientation, meaning it won't be great for creating social video. That said, Google notes you can upload videos directly to TikTok or YouTube through Gemini's share sheet, and any footage you create through the chatbot will automatically be formatted as a MP4 file. Relative to the model's iteration, Google says Veo 2 has a better understanding of real-world physics and human motion.If you want to start using Gemini to generate video clips, you'll need Google's $20 per month One AI Premium Plan. Once the company completes the roll out of Veo 2, video generation will be available in every language you can use Gemini on both on the web and mobile. Separately, Google is bringing Veo 2 generation to Whisk. For the uninitiated, Whisk is an experimental AI application the company offers through its Google Labs beta platform. It allows you to generate images from both text and image prompts, and with Veo 2 now baked in, you can use Whisk to animate what you create through the app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-veo-2-video-generation-to-gemini-advanced-170014422.html?src=rss

There are physical editions of the iconic shooters Doom and Doom II coming out, thanks to Limited Run Games. All editions ship with both games, but the highlight is something called the Will it Run Edition. This one comes with all kinds of extra goodies, including a game box that actually runs the original Doom. You read that right. Box play Doom. All you have to do is connect a USB controller, as the box also has a port.It costs $666, which is a nod to the devilish source material, and is being kept to a limited run of 666 copies. It comes with the aforementioned screen-enabled game box that runs Doom, but that's just the beginning. The combo pack ships with the soundtrack on cassette, a certificate of authenticity and a trading card park with five cards.It comes with a couple of toys based on one of the franchise's most iconic enemies. There's a detailed three-inch Cacodemon that connects to a five-inch base, which looks pretty nifty. There's a smaller handheld Cacodemon that, you'll never guess, also runs Doom.Limited Run GamesThis edition is available for Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The PC version, however, ships with a download code and not physical copies of both games. Preorders start on April 18 and end on May 18, with a release sometime after that.If $666 is too rich, or demonic, for your blood, there are also cheaper editions available. The Big Box Edition costs $100 and ships with both games, a really big box, a trading card set and the soundtrack on cassette. The Standard Edition only includes the games and costs $30.

Larian Studios has deployed the final major update for Baldur's Gate 3. It's a pretty spicy one too, as the developer is adding a bunch of the community's most-requested changes. Among them is full cross-play support. So, no matter whether you're playing on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S or Mac, you can squad up with your buddies and help each other get through the huge RPG.Another welcome arrival is that of a built-in photo mode. This will be available during most parts of the game, including cutscenes. You can also slap stickers on your snaps and apply several effects to them.Along with those updates, Larian has added 12 new subclasses, and it says each of them offer new ways to play the 2023 hit. The additions are as follows:

Dune: Awakening, the open-world MMO inspired by Frank Herbert's novels and Denis Villeneuve's films, has been delayed. Developer Funcom said on Tuesday that it needs "a bit more time to cook." Previously slated for May 20, the game has a new release date of June 10 on Steam.Funcom says the three-week delay will allow it to "act on a lot more of the feedback we know is important to our beta testers." The game is in a closed one now, but the developer says it will roll out a larger-scale beta test in May. Further details on that are coming "soon."Although June 10 is the new launch date for those who buy the $50 standard version, Funcom is launching a head-start incentive for those who plunk down $70 or $90 on the Deluxe or Ultimate edition. Those versions will unlock on June 5. (Gotta love paywalling an earlier release date.)FuncomAlthough Dune: Awakening is set in the familiar Duniverse on Arrakis, it uses an alternate timeline. In this "what if?" version, the Fremen have disappeared, Paul Atreides was never born (sorry, Chalamaniacs) and Lady Jessica gave birth to a girl. You start as a prisoner taken to the planet but soon "learn the true meaning of desert power," rising to become an agent of the Atreides or the Harkonnen.You can get a jump on things today with a character creator, launched in February, that lets you build your hero and take the Gom Jabbar test. (For more casual Dune fans, that's the hand-in-a-box torture test.) You can use your character when the game launches.Dune: Awakening will only be available on Steam when it arrives on June 10. You can pre-order it now. It's also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but those versions don't yet have a release date.$50 $50 at SteamThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dune-awakening-gets-pushed-back-to-june-155059951.html?src=rss

It looks like that long-rumored remake of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is actually real, according to a report by Eurogamer. There are actual screenshots of the game in action that were published on developer Virtuos' website. Even cooler? Eurogamer suggests that the game will be shadow-dropped next week for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The same report also indicates it'll be available on Game Pass.Fans on Reddit and elsewhere began poking around on the developer's website and reportedly found a treasure trove of in-game images, which included comparison screenshots to the original game from 2006. Eurogamer has collected these images on imgur to preserve them for posterity. It has also been corroborated that the screenshots do come from Virtuos' server. We've reached out to Bethesda and will update this post when we hear back.VirtuosThis remake has been bouncing around the rumor mill since 2020. Initial reports pegged it as a simple remaster, but a former Virtuos employee claimed it was a full remake back in 2023. It's reportedly being built using Unreal Engine 5. That same employee also suggested that several gameplay systems have been completely reworked, including stamina, archery, sneaking, blocking and hit reaction. The HUD has also supposedly been remade.All we can do now is wait for next week and see if Microsoft does indeed surprise-drop the game. If not, there's an Xbox summer showcase on June 8. Maybe we'll get some clarity at that event.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-elder-scrolls-4-oblivion-remake-is-real-according-to-developer-screenshots-151955341.html?src=rss

Riot Games has unveiled details about the next season for League of Legends. This chapter of the MOBA is themed Spirit Blossom Beyond, and it will bring a temporary new look to Summoner's Rift and several floral cosmetics for the champions. Season 2 will also involve some notable gameplay changes, as well as introducing an all-new game mode called Brawl.LoL is a perpetual balancing act, and the team at Riot have pared back the emphasis on early- and mid-game objectives this season so players can focus more on laning at the start of a match. Void Grubs are getting nerfed, with only one trio of grubs spawning per game. The reward for securing all three will be a single Void Mite to aid in your tower takes. Rift Herald has been slightly retuned, removing the Shelly's Gaze debuff to make the camp easier to solo.Atakhan is getting overhauled for Season 2. With this streamlined approach, he will only have one form that expands on the Bloody Petals mechanic introduced in Season 1. Killing the new Thornbound Atakhan will grant a team all remaining Bloody Petals that have spawned on the map with an increased buff amount. The team will also get a permanent buff for the rest of the match called Spiritual Purification: when an enemy is killed, opponents in the surrounding area will be slowed and take damage. Riot intended this Atakhan design to match the seasonal theme as well as nixing the unpopular mechanics like the team-wide Withdraw buff from the Voracious version of this new neutral camp.Riot GamesAs the name implies, the new Brawl mode for LoL is all about fighting. It's a 5v5 matchup that removes much of the strategic burden from typical bouts, with no towers and only a handful of neutral buffs available to claim. Instead, teams score points by taking down enemy champions and by shepherding minions into the rival gate on a new map designed just for this mode. Riot is positioning these bite-sized, 10-minute matches as on-ramps for newer players still building their basic skills or as a mental break from the regular solo queue grind.As with any big new content release, there are plenty of other tweaks to balance and quality of life that will be fully detailed in the patch notes. Season 2 for League of Legends kicks off on April 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/league-of-legends-season-2-hello-brawls-bye-bye-voracious-atakhan-150028605.html?src=rss

A few years ago, I gave up on my Gmail inbox. I used to be meticulous. I would assign labels to every new email that came in, starring those that I wanted to find later easily. But between a job in journalism and way too much spam, the volume of new messages became unmanageable. And as of this article, I have more than 21,000 unread emails. After trying Notion's new email client, I might have a chance to reclaim my inbox.With Notion Mail, Notion isn't trying to reinvent email. "I feel like every email client has their own system, and many have a religious onboarding experience," Notion Mail Lead Andrew Milich tells me over video chat. "You know, it's either keyboard shortcuts, a screening feature, a chatbox or something else. We tried to do something more lightweight."Milich knows a thing or two about rigid email apps. Before joining Notion, he was the co-founder of Skiff, a startup that offered, among other things, end-to-end encrypted email. Notion acquired Skiff at the start of 2024. Since then, the Skiff team has been working on Notion Mail. For those keeping track, Notion Calendar was similarly born out of the company's acquisition of Cron."We want Notion Mail to stand alone as an email product you would love and want to use independent of Notion, but also one that every existing Notion user will find familiar and enjoyable," Milich says.To that point, current Notion users will find much that's familiar. For instance, in the compose window there's support for slash commands, code blocks and Markdown shortcuts. However, it's the new features Milich and his team created for Notion Mail that are what make the app interesting.NotionIt starts with two related tools: AI labels and views. The first time you open Notion Mail, the software will analyze your inbox and suggest personalized labels for broad categories of messages, and create corresponding folders where those emails will be automatically sorted. You can filter, group and sort emails independently within each view for added flexibility. If you ever want to create additional AI labels, a button at the top of the interface to do so quickly. Additionally, any labels you create through Notion Mail will be preserved in Gmail, and your data won't be used to train future AI models."We try to sync as much data as possible, so that means all these labels, even the ones that are applied by AI as the emails are received, get synchronized to Gmail too," Milich says, adding, "we've deliberately moved drafts and sent lower and tried to focus users on the labeling, views and templates."The final pillar of Notion Mail revolves around scheduling. Provided you've granted Notion Calendar access to your Google Calendar, you can insert booking links directly within the compose window by typing "/schedule". For the recipient, a single click will get them on your calendar.NotionOutside of those big features, Notion Mail offers the usual time savers you'll find in its competitors, including suggested replies, keyboard shortcuts and a built-in AI editor for drafting and editing messages. There's also a snippet library you can use to save yourself from writing the same section of text over and over again in different emails.In the short time I've had with Notion Mail, I've noticed it's incredibly flexible. According to Milich, the app isn't designed to push users toward a goal like inbox zero that isn't obtainable (or really useful) in a modern context. Instead, he says his hope is that Notion Mail limits how much the act of managing your inbox drains your time, energy and attention, and so far I can say it has done exactly that.If you want to try Notion Mail for yourself, Notion is making the client available to everyone, including free users, at no additional cost. You will only need to pay for the app if you frequently use some of its AI features. At launch, it works with Gmail. Milich says support for Outlook and iCloud is on the roadmap, but didn't share a specific date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/notion-mail-is-a-powerful-but-lightweight-email-client-for-busy-people-150007543.html?src=rss

Amazon's Kindle Scribe is a solid ereader and writing tablet that's handy for things like scrawling on ebooks and taking notes. The device is back on sale for a record-low price. It'll currently run you $325, which is $75 or 19 percent off. This deal is for the second-generation model, which Amazon released last year. Our main qualm about the Kindle Scribe 2 was its high price of $400, which has been mitigated by this sale. We gave the Kindle Scribe 2 a score of 86 in our review and it's our pick for the best e-reader E Ink tablet. We appreciated, among other things, the slick design as well as the smooth reading and writing experience it offers. The Scribe provides a low-latency writing experience with no real perceptible delay between making a mark on the screen with the companion pen and it showing up on the display. There are multiple brush types to choose from, such as a marker, pencil and fountain pen. You can create multiple notebooks and add pages or change the templates as you see fit. You have a decent-sized canvas on which to make your notes and scrawls as the Scribe has a 10.2-inch display. Obviously, it hooks into Amazon's Kindle ebook ecosystem, though you can borrow digital tomes from libraries and access them here. Moreover, you can listen to Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-second-gen-kindle-scribe-is-back-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-143105483.html?src=rss

4chan, the controversial forum known for birthing early meme culture and Gamergate, is down, following an apparent hack. Per Downdetector, reports of an outage began circulating late Monday evening, with users sharing updates on connection issues through the early hours of Tuesday morning. As of the writing of this article, it's possible to access the website following a long delay, but clicking on any of the board links leads to a timeout.According to screenshots shared on Imgur (NSFW warning), it appears a hacker gained shell access to 4chan's hosting server. They then went on to post images of the site's phpmyadmin page, and appear to have doxed the entire moderation team alongside many of the site's registered users. While it seems some users took steps to protect their identities, many appear to have used their primary email address to register for the forum, with .edu and even .gov addresses reportedly appearing in the list leaked emails.It's unclear what this means for the future of 4chan, but some social media and Reddit users are speculating this could be the end of the internet's most infamous forum. In addition to doxing much of 4chan's userbase, the hacker also appears to have leaked the site's source code, revealing security holes that have existed since around the time Hiroyuki Nishimura bought the forum from creator Christoper Poole. It may take months to rebuild a more secure version of 4chan.If this is the end of 4chan, it would be the most significant de-platforming of extreme right-wing internet users since Kiwi Farms temporarily went down in 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/4chan-the-internets-most-infamous-forum-is-down-following-an-alleged-hack-142516392.html?src=rss

If you have been hemming and hawing over whether to buy a new MacBook, then a current sale might just sway you. Right now, Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip is down to $1,049 from $1,299 - a 19 percent discount. The deal brings our choice for best budget MacBook to just $50 more than its all-time low price. Apple released the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip (along with a 13-inch model) in 2024. We gave it a 90 in our review thanks to features such as the M3's fast performance, with a much bigger speed boost than we expected. The 15-inch option also offers a six-speaker array, compared to the 13-inch's quad-speaker array. Plus, it has a sturdy design, along with a great keyboard and trackpad. Our big con was that this MacBook Air still doesn't have USB-C ports on both sides. Yes, it seems minor, but when your charging cable just reaches where you're sitting, having the option to plug it in on either side makes a big difference. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-15-inch-m3-macbook-air-is-250-off-right-now-131324637.html?src=rss

There's another development in the saga that is governments accusing Google of monopolistic practices favoring its search app and Chrome. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has issued a cease and desist order to Google, demanding the tech company end all efforts to gain preferential treatment on Android phones.The watchdog alleges that Google required phone makers to preinstall Chrome and Google Search on Android phones - along with setting Chrome as the default browser. It also claims they had to place the icons for each app on the home screen. This arrangement came due to the tech company's power as provider of the Google Play app ecosystem, which Android manufacturers need to install before distribution.However, the JFTC further claims that Google sweetened the deal, agreeing to give these phone manufacturers a slice of its ad revenue. As of last December, six Android phone manufacturers allegedly had these deals with Google. These arrangements have been ongoing since at least July 2020, if not earlier.The JFTC's decision follows an investigation, opened in October 2023. It comes the same week as a Japanese delegation, led by Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa, will visit the US to negotiate tariffs.The US has expressed similar concerns to Japan. Last November, US federal judge Amit Mehta called Google "a monopolist" within the search engine industry and called on the company to sell off Chrome. An evidentiary hearing on the matter is set to begin later this month, with a trial commencing in May.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/japan-clamps-down-on-googles-android-app-pre-install-deals-130050220.html?src=rss

At long last, NVIDIA has announced its budget GeForce RTX 50-series, but don't expect any major discounts over the previous models. The RTX 5060 will start at $299, just like the RTX 4060 did when it launched two years ago. Of course, it's unclear how many people will actually be able to nab it at that price, given the volatile nature of the GPU market and further fluctuations from the Trump administration's sloppy tariff deployment.NVIDIA is also launching two variants of RTX 5060 Ti GPUs with 8GB and 16GB of VRAM, priced at $379 and $429, respectively. Those faster GPUs will arrive on April 16, but we don't have a firm date for the RTX 5060 besides a vague May release.While NVIDIA touts the typical performance improvements, the real selling point of the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti will be their full support of DLSS 4 upscaling and 4X multi-frame generation. In my reviews of the RTX 5070, 5070 Ti and 5090 cards, I was surprised how much DLSS 4 boosted frame rates while still delivering excellent image quality. But it'll be interesting to see if that technology will see much benefit from slower cards like the 5060 and 5060 Ti.NVIDIACuriously, NVIDIA isn't divulging full specs for all of these GPUs just yet, even though plenty of early details have already emerged. Officially, the company says the RTX 5060 is powered by 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 19 TFLOPS Blackwell shader cores, 5th-gen tensor cores with 614 AI TOPS performance and 4th gen RT (ray tracing) cores that can hit 58 TFLOPS. Unofficially, reports claim it also has 3,840 CUDA cores. In comparison, the RTX 4060 had 3072 CUDA cores and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.The RTX 5060 Ti steps things up to 4,608 CUDA cores and the aforementioned 8GB and 16GB GDDR7 RAM options. NVIDIA says its Blackwell shader cores offer 6 TFLOPS more performance than the 5060, which should be plenty noticeable in typical gameplay. The RTX 5060 is mostly a 1080p-focused card, while the RTX 5060 Ti is far better suited to 1,440p gameplay - as long as you don't need obscene framerates.According to NVIDIA's benchmarks, the RTX 5060 can reach 234 fps in Hogwarts Legacy while playing in 1080p with maxed out graphics settings and 4X frame-generation. The RTX 4060, in comparison, hits around 110 fps with 1x frame generation. NVIDIA claims the 5060 can also reach 148 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, 220fps in Avowed, and 330 fps in Marvel Rivals in 1080p with the same graphics settings and frame gen. It could be the perfect card if you're rocking a 240Hz 1080p screen.As for the RTX 5060 Ti, NVIDIA says it can reach 108 fps in Cyberpunk while playing in 1,440p with Full RT graphics settings and 4X frame generation. That's double the 4060 Ti, which reached 52 fps with 1x frame generation. Even when native performance is solid, NVIDIA also says DLSS 4's transformer upscaling model can improve overall image quality and latency. The 5060 Ti can reach 61 fps and 70ms latency in Hogwartz Legacy natively, but the latency drops to 47ms with DLSS 4 enabled (which also pumps up the frame rate to 171 fps).As usual, a scaled down version of the RTX 5060 is also headed to laptops, which NVIDIA says will start at $1,099. We don't have specs for that hardware either, but the company claims it'll be able to reach 146 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 while playing in 1080p with ultra graphics settings and 2X frame generation. In comparison, the mobile RTX 4060 reached 60fps with those settings, and it was also limited to 1x frame generation.The real challenge for NVIDIA with the GeForce RTX 5060 family lies in pricing. The company doesn't directly control how OEMs price their cards, and numbers could also fluctuate wildly depending on stock and economic conditions. So sure, the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti sound compelling for their price, but it remains to be seen if those figures are actually realistic for consumers. And it'll be interesting to see how AMD responds with cheaper new GPUs, after its Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT cards walloped NVIDIA's current mid-range options.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-geforce-rtx-5060-gpu-starts-at-299-rtx-5060-ti-at-379-130020340.html?src=rss

Chipolo has launched a new Bluetooth tracker that works with both Apple Find My and Google Find My Device networks. The Chipolo Pop comes in the same form factor and colors as the Chipolo One, which is one of Engadget's best Bluetooth trackers for 2025. But unlike One that only works with the Chipolo app, the company's Spot line that only works with Apple Find My and its Point-branded trackers that only work with Google's network, Pop is compatible with all three. The Chipolo Pop has a range of 90 meters or 300 feet, longer than the older Chipolo models' 200-feet range. It's dust and water-resistant (IP55) and is powered by a replaceable CR2032 battery that can keep the tracker running for up to a year. Pop works with Apple's Find My network on iPhones installed with iOS 14.5 or later and iPads with iPadOS 14.5. Android phones and tablets must be running Android 9 or later with Google Play Services if you want to link them with the Pop tracker. Even if you technically don't need the Chipolo app, installing it will give you access to extra features like the ability to call your phone by double-pressing the tracker, as well as the ability to change its ring volume to up to 120 dB and to change its ring tone. A single Pop tracker will set you back $29, but you can get a four-pack in various colors for $89 instead of $116. If you order straight from Chipolo's website, you could get your order as soon as April 20. You can also pre-order the tracker from Amazon, though the model will be released on the e-commerce website on April 30. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/chipolos-pop-bluetooth-tracker-works-with-both-apples-and-googles-find-my-networks-120014022.html?src=rss

Just before the weekend, the US Customs and Border Protection published a list of products excluded from Trump's tariffs, including smartphones, PCs, memory chips and let's say 80 percent of everything we write about at Engadget.However, that's more because they'll be siloed into a specific product category. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview on Sunday: Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming."The new exclusions would exempt many devices and parts from both the 10 percent global tariff and the steeper tariff on China. Lutnick told ABC News' Jonathan Karl that, in doing this, the president was just making sure everyone understood that all of these products are outside the reciprocal tariffs and they are going to have their own separate way of being considered."He added that semiconductor tariffs are coming in probably a month or two." Maybe reassess that Switch 2 pre-order.- Mat SmithGet Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Everything else you might have missed

Espresso Displays makes some of our favorite portable monitors, but up until now, it felt like there was a hole in its portfolio. That's because aside from its flagship model - the $800 Espresso 17 Pro - the other members of the family are slightly more affordable fare like the $469 Espresso Touch 13 and $499 Touch 15. Today, the company is plugging that gap with the Espresso 15 Pro, which packs everything I like about its bigger sibling in a more portable package for $699 (with a stand included). Design and display One of the things I appreciate about Espresso is that it doesn't try to do too much. The 15 Pro features an ultra minimalist design made from simple sheets of matte black aluminum along with glossy glass in front (if you prefer matte displays, you can always add one of the company's textured screen protectors). Granted, the monitor does have a bit of a chin, but aside from two USB-C ports stashed in the corner, that's really the 15 Pro's only defining exterior feature, so I'm not that bothered. All told, the display weighs 1 pound and 11 ounces, which sounds a lot heavier than it feels. As for its specs, the Espresso 15 Pro's 4K LCD panel delivers nearly everything you want and then some. Brightness tops out at 550 nits (it was actually 556 nits according to my light meter), which is higher than the 450 nits on the 17-inch model. It also covers 100 percent of the Adobe RGB spectrum with 10-bit color (8-bit + 2-bit frame rate control). The one thing I wish Espresso included was a 120Hz refresh rate instead of being capped at 60Hz. That said, unless you're gaming or editing videos, that limitation may not be a huge factor. Setup and special features Sam Rutherford for Engadget Getting the 15 Pro up and running couldn't be easier. Each USB-C port has enough bandwidth to carry power and data over a single cable, so you just need to plug in the included cord, and off you go. The one exception is for laptops that can't send out much power via USB-C, but I tested the monitor with 4 different laptops (both Mac and PC) and none of them had issues. The display even automatically downloaded the EspressoFlow software, which adds touch support to your Apple notebooks. You also get the new Glide feature that automatically positions the monitor in the right place depending on how you have it arranged next to your laptop. And by some black magic, the 15 Pro nailed it when it correctly laid out the monitor to the left of my notebook's built-in screen. As someone who has recently been forced to use a Mac for work, the ability to quickly and easily add touch support to Apple's laptop is super nice. And while I'm far from a digital Degas, you can even use the display for drawing and sketching as the monitor also works with the company's optional stylus. This makes the 15 Pro an ideal travel companion for both people who want more screen real estate or a portable way of creating art on the go. Accessories In addition to screen protectors and pens, there are also a couple of important stand accessories for the 15 Pro. The first is the $49 Espresso Case, which is more of a magnetic folding cover that protects the screen while in transit that can also flip around back to become a kickstand when you're working. Like the display itself, it's a fairly simple affair that does exactly what you expect it to. However, for those who want something more substantial, the 15 Pro also works with Espresso's $69 Stand+. It's more like what you'd see on a traditional desktop monitor, except that it can fold up for improved portability while also packing a really strong magnet that allows you to mount the monitor in a variety of positions. This thing might be too pricey for some, but I've quickly grown to appreciate how easy it makes putting the 15 Pro in the perfect position. It's more well-built than a lot of the desktop monitor stands I have. The obvious drawback is that at 1 pound and 4 ounces, the Stand+ weighs almost as much as the display itself, which is rather hefty. Wrap-up Sam Rutherford for Engadget The Espresso 15 Pro has nearly everything I look for in a premium portable monitor. It features well above average brightness, a sleek but sturdy design and super simple setup. It also comes with a few special features like Glide and added touch support for Macs that help you get more out of the devices you already own. And thanks to a wealth of accessories, it can adapt to almost any use case. While I'd like a higher refresh rate, not having it is far from a deal-breaker. That would almost certainly increase its price, and considering that the 15 Pro is already somewhat costly, starting at $699 for the monitor and the Stand+, I'm not sure the added expense would be worth it. Regardless, if you want a really portable monitor that's also more than good enough to use at home, there aren't many other displays that can match the Espresso 15 Pro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/espresso-15-pro-review-just-a-really-nice-though-pricey-portable-monitor-230046315.html?src=rss

In a decision almost certainly informed by the recent tariff chaos, NVIDIA is going to start making some of its AI chips and supercomputers in the US. The company announced that it's building and testing its Blackwell chips in Arizona and it plans to manufacture its AI supercomputers - presumably the recently announced DGX Spark and DGX Station - in Texas.NVIDIA says TSMC is already making Blackwell chips in Phoenix, Arizona and the company is partnering with Amkor and SPIL for testing and packaging. In Texas, the company's supercomputers will be made by Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas. "Mass production at both plants is expected to ramp up in the next 12-15 months," NVIDIA says.It's not entirely clear which version of NVIDIA's Blackwell chips TSMC will actually be building, but the chip maker plans to be equipped to handle a wide variety of manufacturing for US tech companies, including Apple and Qualcomm. TSMC received $6.6 billion in funding from the CHIPS Act under the Biden administration and committed to spending an additional $100 billion to expand its US operations in March.NVIDIA has benefitted most directly from the current AI boom, and stood to be harshly impacted by the latest round of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. As of April 11, some of those tariffs have been "paused" for computers and chips, saving companies like NVIDIA from some financial strife, but moving some manufacturing to the US is a much more permanent way to avoid the ongoing trade war.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/nvidia-is-going-to-make-ai-chips-and-supercomputers-in-the-us-213534618.html?src=rss

Intel is selling off its majority share in chip-maker Altera as part of its new CEO's first steps toward stabilizing the company. The 51 percent stake sold today for $4.46 billion in a deal that is expected to close in the second half of this year. "Today's announcement reflects our commitment to sharpening our focus, lowering our expense structure and strengthening our balance sheet," CEO Lip-Bu Tan said of the sale.Altera makes field programmable gate array chips, which are often used to power retro gaming hardware such as the Analogue consoles. The company's other products have applications ranging from military to telecom sectors. Intel acquired Altera in 2015 for a hefty $16.7 billion, which means its current valuation has taken quite a dive since that purchase. However the sale should still provide some cash flow to Intel at a critical juncture.Tan was appointed Intel's CEO in March, following the departure of Pat Gelsinger as the company's top exec. He is expected to help change course for the company following a long string of poor decisions, and from the start of his appointment, it seemed likely that Intel would see some streamlining of its business.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-is-selling-off-a-majority-stake-in-chip-maker-altera-for-446-billion-205015269.html?src=rss

OpenAI has announced its phasing out GPT-4.5 from its developer API in favor of its new GPT-4.1 model. When it launched, OpenAI described GPT-4.5 as its best and most capable model so far, in part because it was a more natural conversationalist and could capably mimic some notion of emotional intelligence. Despite what its name suggests, GPT-4.1 is supposed to be better and more efficient.OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is available exclusively to developer's using OpenAI's API, and comes in three sizes, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-4.1 nano. That means that if you won't find it as in option in the public-facing ChatGPT interface, but you could someday interact with an agent that leverages the model's improvements. GPT-4.1 is supposed to be better at coding and "long context understanding," according to OpenAI, with support for "up to one million tokens of context" and knowledge of the world up to June 2024.Important to the decision to phase out the GPT-4.5 Preview, GPT-4.1 is also cheaper to run. OpenAI says the model is "26 percent cheaper than GPT-4o for median queries." The company imagines developers using GPT-4.1 to build agents that can work in software engineering environments, one of the more popular uses for generative AI. Even though GPT-4.5 will be eventually removed from OpenAI's API, the model preview will still be available in ChatGPT if you wan't to play with it.OpenAI says the GPT-4.1 family is available to use today via the company's API. GPT-4.5 will be fully-phased out in three months on July 14, 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-phasing-out-gpt-45-for-developers-185554841.html?src=rss

Ubisoft has open-sourced Chroma, the company's in-house colorblind assistance tool. It's available for download via GitHub and is described as a "one-stop solution for detecting color blindness-related issues in games."Here's how it works. It throws a filter over the game screen that simulates various types of color blindness. This allows testers to flag accessibility issues in real time. The tool uses the Color Oracle algorithm and integrates with both single or dual-screen setups. It works with hotkeys and there's a customizable overlay for adjusting settings. Ubisoft says that applying the filter will not impede game performance.UbisoftIt's important to note what this software does and who it's for. It simulates how a person with color blindness will experience a game, allowing devs to take action. It doesn't fix anything on its own. However, knowing is half the battle as they say. This move by Ubisoft should allow other devs to address these concerns before shipping a game out the door.Ubisoft isn't the only company that has been widening the availability of accessibility tools. EA recently made a whole bunch of accessibility patents open-source. This included photosensitivity and speech recognition tech.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-just-open-sourced-its-colorblind-assistance-tool-chroma-184546640.html?src=rss

Meta plans to start using data collected from its users in the European Union to train its AI systems, the company announced today. Starting this week, the tech giant will begin notifying Europeans through email and its family of apps of the fact, with the message set to include an explanation of the kind of data it plans to use as part of the training. Additionally, the notification will link out to a form users can complete to opt out of the process. "We have made this objection form easy to find, read, and use, and we'll honor all objection forms we have already received, as well as newly submitted ones," says Meta.The company notes it will only use data it collects from public posts and Meta AI interactions for training purposes. It won't use private messages in its training sets, nor any interactions, public or otherwise, made by users under the age of 18. As for why the company wants to start using EU data now, it claims the information will allow it to fine tune its future models to better serve Europeans."We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that's not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them. That's why it's so important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities," Meta states."That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products. This is particularly important as AI models become more advanced with multi-modal functionality, which spans text, voice, video, and imagery."Meta notes other AI companies, including Google and OpenAI, have similarly used data from European users to fine tune their own systems. Today's announcement follows the initial release of Meta's new Llama 4 models. After some early hype, the company was accused of gaming LMArena, a website where humans compare the outputs of different AI models to rank them. Researchers noticed Meta had provided an experimental version of Llama 4 to the site "optimized for conversationality."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-start-using-data-from-eu-users-to-train-its-ai-models-175307338.html?src=rss

The Meta Quest 3S is on sale for $269 via Amazon. This is a record-low price for the 128GB VR headset, as it typically costs $300. It comes with a download code for Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial for Meta Quest+. This is the platform's version of Game Pass or PS Plus, with an extensive catalog of playable titles. The Quest 3S made our list of the best VR headsets, and for good reason. It offers a similar experience to the standard Quest 3, with just a couple of cut corners. This means that the graphics fidelity is a bit lower with the 3S, as it doesn't have those sweet pancake lenses. However, it does have the exact same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip as the Quest 3 and uses the same Touch Plus controllers. They offer decent motion controls and responsive joysticks and buttons. There's no headphone jack, but we found the speakers to be adequate in most cases. Plus, you can always insert a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter or just pair wireless headphones. Just like the original Quest 3, this one can connect to gaming PCs over USB-C or wirelessly. This allows folks to play AAA titles intended for power-hungry computers and not standalone VR headsets. It can also wirelessly stream gameplay to Chromecast devices or to AirPlay devices by mirroring the Quest app from an iPhone. We called it "impressive VR for $300" in our official review. This is even more true with today's sale. The only caveat here is this is the 128GB version, which could fill up pretty fast. Batman: Arkham Shadow, for instance, is around 20GB. The 256GB model is on sale for $369 instead of $400. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-meta-quest-3s-is-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-174954820.html?src=rss

Mobile gamers can now dive into Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which has arrived on iOS and Android. The action platformer is a paid game, but you can get a taste of it for free thanks to a trial. If you buy the full game before May 5, you'll be able to take advantage of a promotional price drop and snap it up for $10.Ubisoft says that no internet connection is required to play the game. You can use either touchscreen controls or an external controller. The Lost Crown will also run at up to 60 fps on certain phones and tablets.There are some features that are unique to the mobile versions, including automatic parrying and healing potion use, as well as the option to slow down time. There are other quality-of-life improvements for the iOS and Android ports, Ubisoft says.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown debuted to widespread acclaim on PC and consoles in early 2024. However, the critical praise seemingly did not convert into broader success for the game. Sales failed to meet Ubisoft's expectations, according to reports. The company disbanded the team that was behind the project at its Montpelier studio, redirecting most of its developers to "other projects that will benefit from their expertise."As such, Ubisoft Da Nang handled the mobile ports of the game. That same team brought the game to Mac in December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-hits-ios-and-android-171626438.html?src=rss

Potential PS5 buyers in Europe, the UK, Australia and more will now need to fork over up to 100 more AUD, EUR and other local currencies for a console. Sony has announced a series of price hikes for the PS5, blaming "a backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates." The company last raised PS5 prices across these markets in 2022.Only the PS5 Digital Edition's cost changes in Europe and the UK. It will increase to 500 ($570) from 450 ($513) in Europe and to 430 ($567) from 390 ($514) in the UK.Prices for the Digital Edition and PS5 with disc drive are rising significantly across the board. The Digital Edition is increasing to AUD $750 (USD $475) from AUD $650 (USD $412) in Australia. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the PS5 with disc drive is now NZD $950 (USD $558), up from NZD $900. Those new prices go into effect immediately, so hopefully, you did some shopping over the weekend if you wanted a new PS5.In contrast, Sony is reducing the cost of purchasing the add-on disc drive. Buyers will pay 80 in Europe (down from 120) and 70 in the UK, down from 100.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps5-prices-are-increasing-across-europe-uk-and-australia-123025793.html?src=rss

For anyone who misses the way smartphones used to work, Samsung has announced two new "rugged" Galaxy devices, the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro, that feature removable backplates and user-replaceable batteries.The Galaxy XCover 7 Pro is designed for enterprise customers, but it comes packed with some of the same Galaxy AI features Samsung has been pushing on its flagship smartphones, including Google's Circle to Search and Object Eraser. The phone uses a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, has a brighter screen and comes with a 4,350mAh battery, but the reason to buy it are all the ways Samsung's made it tougher and more customizable than the average phone. That includes IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H certification for drops, programmable buttons, built-in pogo pins as another charging option and a battery you can replace yourself just by popping off the back of the phone.SamsungThe Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro has a 10.1-inch screen and uses the same Snapdragon chip as the XCover 7 Pro, but the tablet offers even more options when it comes to charging. Samsung says the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro can be used without a battery inside if it's connected to a dock and you can also hot-swap batteries on the tablet without turning it off. You'll get to enjoy many of the same durability benefits as the XCover 7 Pro, and the IP68 water and dust resistance extends to the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro's S-Pen stylus, too.SamsungNeither of these devices are for normal people by any means, but they are good illustration of how formerly common-sense features like batteries you can replace yourself have become niche. We got lighter and sleeker flagship phones in the process, but one has to wonder whether XCover owners are the ones actually living the good life.The Galaxy XCover 7 Pro will be available to order on May 8, 2025. The Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro is schedule to be released in "early June," according to Samsung.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-latest-rugged-devices-are-keeping-old-school-mobile-traditions-alive-120056640.html?src=rss

Spoilers follow for The Last of Us season two, episode oneThe heart of all things The Last of Us, whether it's the games or the first season of the HBO adaptation, is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. It was brought to life in remarkable fashion by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in season one; the pair's chemistry was the show's undeniable high point. So it's a bit of a shock that they only share a few minutes of screen time together in the season two premiere Future Days" - and that their time together is strained to say the very least.That all comes near the end of the episode, though. Backing up a bit, the show resumes exactly where we left off, with Ellie saying okay" to Joel's lies about what happened in the season one finale. That episode saw him decimate the Fireflies to save the immune Ellie. The Fireflies were hoping to make a cure for the cordyceps infection that devastated the world, but it would have killed her in the process. Okay" meant that she was accepting his story, even if she didn't quite believe it. Fast forward five years, and things are tense - so tense that our hardened Joel is in therapy.We get to eavesdrop on a session with Joel's therapist Gail, played by the always-wonderful Catherine O'Hara. I've been looking forward to seeing how she'd be used since Gail was revealed in an early trailer, and both her and Joel are having a day when they get together. Joel's relationship with Ellie is apparently what drove him to meet with Gail, and he's going on about the distance in their relationship - she barely talks to him, sulks and acts distant, and Gail isn't exactly impressed. She notes that Ellie is acting like every other 19-year-old acts towards their father, and also says it's clear there's a lot more going on between them.Pedro Pascal and Catherine O'Hara in HBO's The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBOGail then opens up to Joel in an effort to get him to be honest (and because she's a few drinks in) and drops a bit of a bomb in the process: Joel shot her husband Eugene (a character from The Last of Us Part II who we never met in the game). She says she understood that he had to do it - an implication but not confirmation that Eugene had been infected - but can't forgive him for the way she found out and can't help but hate him for what he did. Not the kind of thing you usually hear from your therapist, but that's The Last of Us for you. She then gets Joel to tearfully admit he did something to Ellie, but when she asks if he hurt her, he responds by saying he saved her and then gets the hell out of her house. Season one showed Joel as a more vulnerable person than his game counterpart, a change that benefitted him given the expanded drama and depth of the show, and I'm glad season two is emphasizing that in a way that's pretty unconventional for the post-apocalypse world.We also get a hint at the discord between Joel and Ellie via Dina, a new character introduced as Ellie's best friend through a conversation she has with Joel. The two of them are getting along just fine; Joel even calls her kiddo," showing a similar dad-like affection for Dina that he usually does with Ellie. After a little chat she asks him point blank why Ellie's angry with him, and he responds with more vagaries about the two of them figuring out what it's like being a father and daughter at her age while asking Dina to keep the therapy sessions he's having a secret - his therapy-speak when discussing how he's dealing with everything was just too on the nose for her to miss.Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBOBut the most pivotal scene in this exposition-heavy episode is the New Year's Eve party where Dina and Ellie share a dance, share a kiss and get shouted at by the drunk town bigot. Just as Ellie is about to treat him like a clicker, Joel intercedes, shoves Seth to the ground and asks if she's okay - which gets him a disgusted look and verbal smackdown from Ellie, after which he slinks away in decidedly un-Joel fashion.Things are decidedly unwell between the pair, and while it's an intriguing note to start the story on, it's also hard not to be disappointed about the lack of time together for Pascal and Ramsey. Having them at odds is a totally reasonable story beat - even if she was a normal 19-year-old, they'd be having their share of challenges. But the loss of their connection and the lack of interactions between the two put a subdued mood over everything, something that episode writer / director and showrunner Craig Mazin certainly intended and will exploit throughout the season.Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBOMazin also paid tribute to the game in some lovely ways in this episode, particularly with the town party scene. Right from the start of season one, I expected to see more scenes from the game done nearly note-for-note in the show, and my expectations have been largely defied throughout, right from the start of the series' first episode. It's been clear that the goal of the show is not to reproduce all of the game's iconic scenes but expand on it while still picking the right moments to deploy some tributes to the source material. The party scene is a perfect example, starting off with a shot of Ellie's back as she looks over the merriment in front of her; what follows is nearly identical to the pivotal game scene in dialog, set design and framing. What is different, though, is the timing - we're getting this right off the bat rather than much later in the story as you'd find in the game.Similarly, the episode's other most significant scene takes place right at the beginning. After that quick flashback, we're immediately introduced to Abby, one of the second game's playable characters. We learn that she and her friends are survivors of Joel's Firefly massacre at the hospital in Utah, and that Abby in particular is keen on revenge. Mazin and co-showrunner Neil Druckmann have already discussed how they wanted to introduce Abby and get into her motivations quicker in the show than in the game, largely because players build a relationship with her through gameplay. In this case, though, we already know that Abby is after Joel, and the episode ends with her crew reaching Jackson. While Future Days" focused more on scene-setting than action (with the exception of some pretty tense scenes of Ellie and Dina against some Infected), things are clearly going to ratchet up next week - and not just with Abby, as the show also teased a major Infected threat as well. Let's get those flamethrowers ready for next Sunday.Infected score: 6/10One of the main complaints from fans of the video games during season one was a relative lack of Infected. The showrunners say they've changed things up in season two - let's see if they're sticking to their word.Episode one was mostly an exposition episode without a ton of action, but we did see Ellie and Dina stealthily take down a pair of Clickers. But the most exciting bit was seeing a Stalker in action for the first time in the show. It had Ellie completely fooled, even giving her another bite that she had to hide from Dina. Here's hoping we see more of these creepers as the season goes on. And, of course, the threat of tendrils lurking in the pipe in the middle of Jackson promises bigger problems soon, but we're not there yet. I'm giving this episode a 6 of 10 - there wasn't all that much action, but the stalker reveal was intense enough to up this episode's rating.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-two-premiere-future-days-highlights-the-fracture-between-ellie-and-joel-020029565.html?src=rss

Bungie finally took the wraps off its upcoming team-based extraction shooter, Marathon, sharing a look at gameplay and a cinematic short during its showcase this weekend. We also now know the release date: September 23. Marathon will be available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and support full cross play and cross save.Marathon, a reboot of Bungie's 30-year-old FPS series, was first announced back in 2023, and we've heard little more about it until now. Now, Bungie says:

Apple is said to be readying some big improvements for iPadOS that could bring it more in line with macOS. According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple's iPadOS 19 will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management - with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac." It won't quite be macOS for iPad, but Gurman notes that the changes will likely go far enough" to please those users who are looking to get more out of the tablet's software.It's expected to arrive later this year. Chances are we'll hear all about it at WWDC 2025, which Apple has set for the second week of June. This year is rumored to be bringing some major changes to iOS and macOS as well, as Gurman previously reported. It all reportedly comes as part of Apple's push to make its software look more consistent across its devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-software-will-reportedly-get-more-mac-like-with-the-ipados-19-redesign-200759136.html?src=rss

US Customs and Border Protection on Friday night published a list of products excluded from Trump's reciprocal tariffs, including smartphones, computers and memory chips, along with other electronic devices and components. But in an interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl on Sunday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the move doesn't mean these products will be exempt from tariffs altogether - they're just getting their own category. Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming," Lutnick said.It all comes shortly after Trump imposed a 125 percent tariff on goods from China, which the administration confirmed to CNBC and other outlets is in addition to the 20 percent tariff put in place earlier this year, bringing it to a total of 145 percent. Trump had previously announced higher reciprocal tariffs for other countries, too, but walked this back with a 90-day pause" earlier this week. The pause does not apply to China, though, and there's still a 10 percent tariff on imports from almost all countries. Electronics imports in particular are expected to be hit hard by the new rules, and we've already seen companies like Nintendo and Razer changing up their plans around upcoming product launches in the US.The newly published exclusions would exempt many devices and parts from both the 10 percent global tariff and the steeper tariff on China, according to the notice published on Friday. Lutnick told ABC News' Jonathan Karl that, in doing this, the president was just making sure everyone understood that all of these products are outside the reciprocal tariffs and they are going to have their own separate way of being considered." The move is meant to make sure that those products get reshored," Lutnick said, or in other words, made in America. So what he's doing is, he's saying they're exempt from the reciprocal tariffs but they're included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two," Lutnick said.Update, April 13 2025, 1:43PM ET: This story has been updated to include new information about a separate semiconductor tariff from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that was shared in an ABC News interview on Sunday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/smartphones-computers-and-other-electronics-are-exempt-from-trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-for-now-153139830.html?src=rss

Apple hasn't abandoned its previously rumored plans to release a less expensive Vision Pro, according to Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter this weekend that the company has two new models in development: one that's lighter and cheaper than the first generation headset, and one that would tether to a Mac. While Apple had once considered the latter setup for AR glasses, it shifted the idea over to the Vision Pro so it can create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user's Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications," according to Gurman.Apple's ultimate goal, though, is reportedly to create AR glasses that are practical and comfortable enough to be worn like regular glasses, and the next iterations of the Vision Pro are seen as steps toward getting there. Gurman reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook is hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-two-new-versions-of-the-vision-pro-153536984.html?src=rss

Spoilers for The Robot Revolution."The start of any season of Doctor Who is important, doubly so when there's a new co-star to introduce. The Robot Revolution" has to get us to fall in love with Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), ensnare new fans and keep existing ones hooked. Especially since it's the second of two series that Disney paid for, meaning it's got to do well enough to keep the money flowing.We open 17 years ago" with Belinda Chandra staring at the stars next to her boyfriend, Alan Budd (Jonny Green). It's an awkward teenage date, with Alan clearly trying to win the heart of his beau by buying her one of those star adoption certificates. In 2025, Belinda is now a nurse at a busy London hospital where, in the background, the Doctor is searching for her.Belinda goes home to bed, and we see that she's got the star ownership certificate framed on her wall. But she's rudely awoken by a squad of retro-futuristic 50s robots in a Tintin rocket who have come to abduct both her and the certificate. The Doctor reaches her home just in time to see the rocket take off, and cue the opening credits.The certificate wasn't a gag present, and she is actually queen of the planet BelindaChandra, populated by BelindaChandrians (I'm calling them humans from now on). The Doctor gives chase in the TARDIS but both the rocket and TARDIS get caught in a vaguely-defined time fissure. When Belinda arrives, she's greeted by the human Sasha55, who tells her the robots are in charge, having overthrown and subjugated the people in a bloody uprising a decade prior.Oh, this is a bit like Jupiter Ascending," I wrote in my notes.Belinda is taken to a throne room where she's told that she must merge with the planet's evil ruling supercomputer, the AI Generator. AI Generator, all skull shapes and Tesla coils, intends to bond with Belinda. She is shown an animated demonstration of her fate, as she is wrapped in machine parts and made into an unthinking cyborg.Oh, that's like the scary bit from Superman III," I wrote in my notes.Who's been lurking in the background of the scene all along? The Doctor, who has adopted the title of Planetary Historian. (Thanks to the time fissure, he arrived here six months ahead of the rocket, the Robots seized the TARDIS and he's been working with the rebellion. He's even got a new companion, Sasha55, who he's promised to take to the stars when this is all over.) He tells Belinda the robots can't, for some reason, hear every ninth word spoken, and gives her a coded message telling her he, and the rebellion, are here to rescue her. In the ensuing fight, Sasha55 is vaporized, much to the Doctor's admittedly brief horror and grief.The surviving rebels, along with a little Roomba bot assigned to clean Queen Belinda's pathway...Oh, like the floor-cleaning robot M-O from Wall-E," I wrote in my notes.... escape to a teleporter, after which the Doctor disables the Roomba to ensure the robots can't track them down, then kisses the bot by way of apology. Then comes time for the episode to stop while we see the Doctor and Belinda interact properly for the first time. The Doctor was told about Belinda's plight by someone from their future, and he can't say more lest he muddle the timelines.Alistair Heap / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad WolfThe time fracture both vessels passed through has caused plenty of time-bending issues, like the fact the robots have their own copy of Belinda's star certificate. But it's not a copy, it's the same object from another point in time, and nobody knows how or why they have it. Belinda, like Ruby Sunday before her, is trope-aware enough to know that two of the same object from different points in time cannot occupy the same space, lest it cause an explosion.Oh, like in Timecop!," I wrote in my notes.There are wounded at the base, and Belinda instantly kicks into nurse mode, grabbing IVs and treating patients. She's quick to take charge and has no patience for nonsense, quick to defend herself from any hint of condescension when the Doctor suggests something timey-wimey" is going on. She refuses to allow anyone to fight her battles for her and is determined to grab the narrative and shape it her way, no matter the cost. So, she sneaks off, reactivates the Roomba and offers herself to the robots in exchange for them sparing the lives of the rebels.Belinda and the Doctor are taken to meet the AI Generator which turns out to be... the AL Generator. When Belinda was kidnapped by the robots, she mentioned her ex Alan had bought the certificate, and so they went to kidnap him as well. But the time fracture meant Alan arrived a decade earlier, fused with the machine (becoming a creepy cyborg) and started the robot uprising.Even so, Belinda's happy to sacrifice herself to him until she spots Alan holding his copy of the star certificate. She opts to Timecop the two pieces of paper together, causing a big timey-wimey explosion that only the Doctor can pull her out of. Belinda is safe, but the Doctor mentions that he's now intertwined with Belinda's timestream. Alan, meanwhile, has been regressed to a sperm on the floor that the Roomba bot quickly mops away.Reunited with the TARDIS, the Doctor scans Belinda and reveals he's already met her descendant - Mundy Flynn (also Varada Sethu) from last season's Boom." Belinda may be curious as to how someone that far removed from her may be identical, but she's not embracing the mystery. She's angry with the Doctor for scanning her without consent and that he's treating her like a puzzle to be solved.Having seen Sasha55 die, she knows trekking around with the Doctor is dangerous, and wants to get back to May 24, 2025. But the TARDIS won't land on present-day Earth, and even the Cloister Bell begins ringing a warning. They open the TARDIS doors to see empty space before the Doctor decides to take her back home the long way round."Once the ship disappears, a series of objects start to float in front of the camera: A smashed up black cab, the twisted wreckage of the Eiffel Tower, Belinda's star adoption certificate and a calendar with all the days in May but the 25th ticked off. Uh-oh.It's a lot to get through in such a short episodeAlistair Heap / BBC Studios / Bad WolfLike a lot of Disney-era Who, The Robot Revolution" feels overstuffed to the point of bursting. On one hand, nothing overstays its welcome. On the other, it feels like the show is burning through a movie's worth of plot on fast-forward. It's hard to get a tangible sense of the stakes given how rushed everything is, and there's a lot of telling, rather than showing. We're told the planet is under the brutal thumb of an evil overlord but it plays out as little red ships firing at buildings in the digital matte paintings. We're told Alan is a creep but we never really get any sense of that until after he's revealed as the villain. We're told the Doctor is operating on instructions from a figure from his own future, but it'd be nice if some of this was depicted.Davies was pivotal in reviving Doctor Who and building the cultural juggernaut it became under his leadership. His role in the show's history is secure but, even so, his Disney-era series seem to be in thrall to the work of his own successor, Steven Moffat. The Robot Revolution" features a macguffin found inside a mundane trinket, a split narrative and time-bending shenanigans. It's not that Moffat owns these ideas but you can almost feel Davies trying to bend his less formal, more character-driven style into something else. A cynic might suggest Davies is reacting to the slight of not having a single credited episode in Doctor Who Magazine's most recent poll of the series' greatest, while Moffat has five.In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the slightly frantic, gappy nature of this script is a deliberate ploy to lay the framework for the rest of the season. But, even so, you can feel a degree of straining for a storytelling model that doesn't quite work.If the script is the weakest part of the episode, then the production design has to take the crown for strongest. The retro-futuristic robots call to mind a bright red Ford Thunderbird or Chevy Bel Air while the cleaning robot is clearly styled on a VW Beetle. It's a rather humanistic design I wish the robovac makers of today would emulate.Behind the scenesJames Pardon / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad WolfDoctor Who is a regular source of gossip, especially given the permanently tenuous nature of the star role. It's easy to say the lead is about to quit and for that to sound true, given they leave after three or four years in the role anyway. There are a number of recent reports suggesting Ncuti Gatwa has already quit the show, or is about to. Many of them also suggest the BBC and Disney are refusing to greenlight new episodes until they see how successful this season is. In addition, the BBC says funding cuts and inflation has seen its budget fall by 1 billion (around $1.3 billion) in real terms since 2010. It doesn't help that, when asked directly about the future of the series in an interview with (the BBC's youth-orientated news show) Newsround, Russell T. Davies opted to equivocate in a way that suggests the show is about to back on ice.I mention this because of the sequence where Belinda defeats Alan with the certificate, and the Doctor pulls her out. He says she needed a Time Lord to absorb the enormous amount of energy kicked out when she touched the paper together. The Doctor then clutched at his back as if he was in a lot of pain, but shrugged it off and was fine for the rest of the episode. Fans with long memories, however, know that absorbing a lot of energy from the time vortex is what killed Christopher Eccleston's Doctor back in 2005. Well, that and Eccleston's decision to leave.Mrs. Flood CornerLara Cornell / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad WolfIt seems Mrs. Flood enjoys moving in next door to whoever is winding up as this year's companion. While being abducted, she calls to her neighbor to call the police and tell her parents she loves them. As the rocket lifts off, she tells the audience that we haven't seen her, and goes back indoors to avoid encountering the Doctor, who sprints out in pursuit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/doctor-who-the-robot-revolution-review-meet-belinda-chandra-190054697.html?src=rss

Netflix has started testing a new search feature powered by OpenAI that can help customers find movies and shows to watch, according to Bloomberg. The streaming service has reportedly given select users in Australia and New Zealand the option to use the tool. It will allow users to search for terms other than a specific show's title, an actor's name or the genre they want to watch. Bloomberg says it will give them a way to search for content using more specific terms, like their mood. Presumably, that means the service can surface dramatic shows for a search query that says "sad," and seeing as it's powered by generative AI, users will most likely be able to use natural language in their search terms.As the news organization notes, Netflix already uses artificial intelligence for some of its existing features, such as learning user's preferences based on their viewing history to recommend titles they're more likely to watch. And it's looking for more ways to use the technology. At the moment, OpenAI-powered searches are only being tested in the two countries, but Netflix reportedly has plans to expand its testing to more markets, including the United States. The company has history of rolling out features to Android users first before making them available on iOS. This time, however, the feature is currently accessible on iOS devices only, and it's unclear if the next test markets will be able to access it on Android.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/netflix-is-reportedly-testing-a-search-function-powered-by-openai-190025983.html?src=rss

On April 14, Waymo will start testing its robotaxi technology outside the US for the first time. As Yomiuri Shimbun reports, the company will deploy 25 of its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Tokyo for the initial phase of its testing program. Waymo is taking it slow and will not be operating them without a driver behind the wheel yet, however. Drivers from Tokyo taxi company Nihon Kotsu Co. will be driving the cars around Chiyoda, Minato, Shinjuku and four other wards in the Japanese capital.The cameras and radars equipped on the I-PACE vehicles will collect data on Tokyo's roads, which are typically narrower than roads in the US. They'll provide the company with information on local infrastructure, road conditions and the driving patterns of locals. "It's important for us to understand the difference in driving environment, what makes the driving here unique," said Nicole Gavel, Waymo Senior Director, during an event in the city. Waymo will have to adjust its software according to the driving conditions and the capital's rules, after all. Gavel said that Waymo is focused on the testing for now but "would love to have a business" in Tokyo in the future.But that's probably a long ways away: After the initial mapping phase, Waymo will still have to conduct autonomous driving tests with a driver behind the wheel, and then tests without a driver on board.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-will-start-testing-its-self-driving-taxis-in-tokyo-next-week-163016736.html?src=rss

This installment of our reviews roundup goes in several different directions. We've got an excellent Android phone, some smart glasses and a powerful CPU. Plus, we revisited our old pal the iPhone 16 Pro and offer up a spoiler-free review of The Last of Us season two. There's plenty to catch up on, so keep scrolling to see what our reviews team has been up to over the last few weeks. Google Pixel 9a There's a lot to like about the Pixel 9a. In fact, senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford argues it's the best Android phone you can buy right now in terms of pure value. "I would love to see Google add a true telephoto lens and its charging speeds (both wired and wireless) could be better," he writes. "But for $500, Google's most budget-friendly phone covers all the bases and then some." Even Realities G1 If you're looking for a pair of smart glasses that are more practical instead of being a content capture device, Even Realities' G1 might be for you. The device impressed senior editor Daniel Cooper, but the caveats will be dealbreakers for some people. "I really like Even Realities' G1 for what they can do right now, but I'm also hopeful that it'll get far more useful in the future," he explains. "It seems to me there are so many things that could be tweaked, primped and plumped to make these far more appealing." AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D The latest AMD Ryzen CPU is a powerhouse, but it comes with a steep price tag. "After releasing a pair of excellent midrange GPUs, which showed that the company can genuinely go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA, this CPU and its accompanying 3D V-Cache technology is a reminder of how AMD is far ahead of Intel in many ways," senior editor Devindra Hardawar says. "While it's certainly not the best deal around, if you can afford it, the 9950X3D is the best desktop CPU you can buy today." An iPhone 16 Pro check-in and S2 of The Last of Us We're revisiting big devices about six months after their initial release to see how things are progressing. UK bureau chief Mat Smith recently put the iPhone 16 Pro through its paces again, noting that Apple Intelligence remains a disappointment. Deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham got early access to The Last of Us ahead of the season two premiere this weekend. He explains that the show navigates a rough patch in the source material with relative ease, and his review won't spoil the new episodes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-the-pixel-9a-smart-glasses-and-amds-latest-cpu-141825552.html?src=rss

Meta has announced that Patrick Collison and Dina Powell McCormick are joining its board of directors on April 15. Collison is the co-founder and CEO of Stripe, the payment processor and financial services company that he started with his brother. He is also the co-founder of the Arc Institute, a biomedical science and technology institution. Meanwhile, Powell McCormick was a partner at Goldman Sachs and ran its Global Sovereign investment banking business. She also worked for the US government and served as Deputy National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term.Powell McCormick helped shape the Trump administration's foreign policy, especially in regards to the Middle East as an Egyptian-American. She served as an Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor for Economic Initiatives during Trump's first term, as well. Her Trump-era appointments weren't the first time she worked in the US government, though: Back during the George W. Bush administration, she served as the Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs and Deputy Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy. She is married to Republican senator Dave McCormick."Patrick and Dina bring a lot of experience supporting businesses and entrepreneurs to our board. Patrick is deeply committed to expanding economic opportunity, and Dina has a long career advocating for economic development and supporting entrepreneurs. Their perspective will be extremely valuable to businesses that rely on our services to grow," Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.In January, Meta also welcomed UFC CEO Dana White, who's a known friend and associate of Donald Trump and a supporter of his re-election bid, to its board of directors. White's and Powell McCormick's additions to Meta's board are signs that the company is tacking right now that Trump is back in power, and perhaps one of the ways the company is ingratiating itself to the current administration.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/metas-new-board-members-include-former-trump-security-advisor-121510374.html?src=rss

Apple's new Passwords app (introduced with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia) is a big leap forward in making password management simple and user-friendly for Apple users, even if it's not as robust as other password managers. If you've ever fumbled through Safari settings to find a saved login or toggled through iCloud Keychain menus to edit credentials, the Passwords app is for you. It's designed to give you a dedicated home for all your saved login credentials, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and two-factor authentication codes, all in one secure, easy-to-navigate interface.What is the Apple Passwords app?The Passwords app is Apple's standalone password manager. While Apple users have long been able to save passwords using iCloud Keychain, the actual management experience was buried within Settings or Safari. With the Passwords app, Apple has turned what was once a tucked-away feature into a full-fledged application that works across iPhone, iPad and Mac.The app holds all your saved login credentials, plus passkeys, verification codes and Wi-Fi passwords. Everything is securely stored, synced via iCloud and protected by Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. With it, you can more easily search for logins, get security recommendations, share credentials with family members and store two-factor authentication codes all in one place.Rob Webb for EngadgetHow to access the Passwords app on iPhoneTo access the Passwords app on your iPhone:

The Social Security Administration is planning to stop issuing press releases and move all of its official communications to X, according to Wired. The change is happening amidst cuts at the department directed by DOGE, the organization created by Elon Musk, the CEO of X."We are no longer planning to issue press releases or those dear colleague letters to inform the media and public about programmatic and service changes," SSA regional manager Linda Kerr-Davis reportedly told staff in a meeting. "Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public."Like any other government organization, the SSA uses press releases to inform the public and update employees about any changes they should be aware of. That could be simpler things, like correcting the record on how the SSA's death record works, to more vital updates like changes being made to how the SSA does identity verification.The SSA using X for official announcements will do little to dissuade anyone who sees Elon Musk's presence in government as a way to benefit him and his companies. X is not most retirees' preferred social media app, nor is it reasonable to expect them to know how to make an account. Moving official communication there makes it more likely elderly people will miss important updates.That fits with DOGE's other moves, though. The department reportedly cut jobs at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has butted heads with Musk's Tesla, and has a plan to deploy a custom government chatbot.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-social-security-administration-is-reportedly-moving-all-official-communication-to-x-223201698.html?src=rss

Tequila Works, the Spanish developer that created games like Rimeand Gylt and published games like The Sexy Brutale, is auctioning off its intellectual property (via VGC). The studio filed for insolvency in 2024 after "prolonged market conditions" made it financially-difficult to stay above water.The games and IP rights available to bid on at auction site Escrapalia include Tequila Works' first game Deadlight, Rime and its horror adventure game Gylt. The company is also auctioning off in-development projects, including "The Ancient Mariner," "Dungeon Tour" and "Brawler Crawler."Prior to it filing for insolvency and Tequila Works' founders stepping down, the studio released Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, one of the games on the short-lived Riot Forge publishing label. Riot announced it was shutting down Riot Forge in January 2024. The label published League of Legends spin-off games in variety of different genres, including turn-based RPG Ruined King, 2D action RPGThe Mageseeker, and more.Back in 2022, Tencent acquired a controlling stake in Tequila Works, a connection that made sense given the Chinese company also owns Riot. Contraction across the games industry, the failure of Riot Forge games to connect with a larger audience and Tequila Work's Gylt starting life as a Google Stadia-exclusive all likely contributed to the studio's current position.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-rights-for-tequila-workss-games-are-up-for-auction-after-insolvency-filing-193627934.html?src=rss