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Pornhub will stop offering full access to new users in the UK on February 2, its parent company Aylo said Tuesday, citing the nation's Online Safety Act and its age-verification requirements. The company said users who already verified their ages before the cutoff will still be able to access the adult site through existing accounts.The move follows the Online Safety Act's Protection of Children Codes, which took effect last summer and require adult sites to use "highly effective" methods of age verification. Aylo claims the system is backfiring and shifting both adults and minors to noncompliant porn sites that don't verify age or moderate content according to Politico. Aylo's lawyers argued that only device-based age verification methods sufficiently protect user data.Alexzandra Kekesi, VP of Brand and Community at Aylo, said "anyone who has not gone through that process prior to February 2 will no longer be able to access [the sites] and they're going to be met with a wall," according to 404 Media. The adult site was similarly made unavailable in various US states after the passage of age-verification laws that Pornhub claimed put users' privacy at risk. "These people did not stop looking for porn," Aylo said at the time. "They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify age, that don't follow the law, that don't take user safety seriously, and that often don't even moderate content."Users who wish to get around these sorts of bans typically use VPNs to mask the origin of their internet traffic, though the UK is reportedly considering a ban on VPNs for children. The nation has also been considering a social media ban for users under 16 years of age, similar to the one enacted in Australia.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/pornhub-will-become-unavailable-for-many-uk-users-as-of-february-2-194622124.html?src=rss

A recent investigation by an online advocacy organization called the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found that the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are rife with so-called "nudify" apps. These are AI applications that create nonconsensual and sexualized images, which is a clear violation of both companies' store policies.All told, the investigation found 55 of this type of app in the Google Play Store and 47 in the Apple App Store. Both platforms also still offer access to xAI's Grok, which is likely the most famous nonconsensual deepfake maker in the world."Apple and Google are supposed to be vetting the apps in their stores. But they've been offering dozens of apps that can be used to show people with minimal or no clothing-making them ripe for abuse," said Michelle Kuppersmith, an executive director at the nonprofit that runs TTP.The apps identified by the report have been collectively downloaded over 700 million times and generated more than $117 million in revenue. Google and Apple get a cut of this money.

Sonos has unveiled its first new product of 2026, the Amp Multi. This amplifier is a niche option for the owners of very large or complicated spaces, and it's being billed as professional grade option for residential audio installations. The Amp Multi has eight 125W outputs and four configurable zones, and each channel can support up to three Sonos Architectural speakers. In other words, that's a lot more audio than the average home needs. Even the Sonos Amp would probably be overkill for those of you living the apartment life.The Amp Multi will be available "in the coming months," according to the company's press release, and there's no pricing information yet for the product listing on its website. But given the high-end customers this is targeting, expect the Amp Multi to cost a fair bit more than the $800 Sonos Amp.Sonos has mostly been keeping its proverbial head down on the product side as it continues to address fallout from a bungled app redesign in 2024 that soured customers and put the company in dire straits. First there were layoffs, then the CEO left. Sonos' temporary chief exec, Tom Conrad, got the position permanently last summer. Once the business' position does stabilize at last, we will hopefully be hearing more positive updates from Sonos in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/sonos-introduces-amp-multi-for-complicated-residential-installs-191000421.html?src=rss

The French government is saying au revoir to Microsoft Teams and Zoom as it embraces a home-grown alternative. By next year, civil servants across all departments will have switched to French videoconference platform Visio, as EuroNews reports.As with Teams and Zoom, Visio has an AI-powered transcription tool. Visio runs on a French company's cloud infrastructure as well. The platform has around 40,000 users and it's been in testing for the last year. The government expects the switch to help reduce costs by as much as 1 million ($1.2 million) each year for every 100,000 users.The decision to ditch Microsoft Teams and Zoom is part of a broader effort to rely less on foreign software services - particularly US ones. Under the Suite Numerique project, France also plans to jettison the likes of Gmail and Slack for government use."The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool," David Amiel, minister for the civil service and state reform, said. "This strategy highlights France's commitment to digital sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of foreign surveillance or service disruptions."

TikTok has reached a settlement in a closely-watched lawsuit over social media addiction, narrowly avoiding a trial that's scheduled to begin jury selection Tuesday. Terms of the deal, which was reported by The New York Times, weren't disclosed.TikTok's settlement comes about one week after Snap reached a settlement in the same case. The trial is expected to move forward in Los Angeles with Meta and YouTube as the only defendants. Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, said in a statement to NYT that they were "pleased" with the settlement and that it was "a good resolution." TikTok didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.The trial stems from a 2023 lawsuit brought by a California woman known in court documents as "K.G.M." She sued Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube and alleged that their platforms were addictive and had harmed her as a child. The judge in the case previously ordered the companies' executives, including Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, to testify. YouTube's top exec, Neal Mohan, is also likely to testify, according to The New York Times.The lawsuit is the first among several high-profile cases against social media companies to go to trial this year. Meta is expected to head to court in New Mexico in early February in a case brought by the state's attorney general, who has alleged that Facebook and Instagram have facilitated harm to children. TikTok and Snap are collectively facing more than a dozen other trials in California courts this year.

Amazon is rethinking its grocery business, and as part of that, it will shut down all of its remaining Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores. The company will convert some locations into Whole Foods Market stores."While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion," the company wrote in a blog post. Amazon added that it would help workers at Go and Fresh stores to find positions elsewhere within the company.For now, Amazon is focusing its grocery efforts on Fresh deliveries, Amazon Now (a 30-minutes-or-less delivery option it recently introduced to compete with DoorDash and Instacart) and Whole Foods. It plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years.Amazon also says it will introduce new types of physical locations in the coming years. One concept it's considering is a "supercenter" that would offer a broad selection of goods from Amazon, including household items, groceries and "general merchandise." I dunno, that just sounds like a supermarket to me.Meanwhile, the checkout-less Just Walk Out tech that the company implemented in Go and Fresh stores is still in use at third-party locations, including hospital cafeterias and sports arenas. Amazon has also deployed it in break rooms in dozens of its warehouses to help "employees maximize break time by grabbing meals without checkout delays." It's definitely not to keep closer tabs on workers, I'm sure.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/amazon-go-and-fresh-stores-are-closing-as-amazon-focuses-on-grocery-delivery-and-whole-foods-180448412.html?src=rss

Google AI Plus, the company's most affordable AI subscription plan, is now rolling out in the US. It will cost you $8 a month for its features, though you can get it for $4 a month for the first two months for a limited time only. AI Plus gives you access to 200GB of storage, as well as access to the Gemini 3 Pro model, Deep Research and Nano Banana Pro inside the Gemini app. Nano Banana Pro generates images that look so realistic, they're nearly indistinguishable from ordinary photos snapped on phones. Google even had to limit its usage due to high demand.A subscription to AI Plus also expands your access to Google's AI filmmaking tool Flow, its image-to-video creator tool Whisk and its research assistant tool NotebookLM. In addition to the US, the plan is now making its way to 34 more countries, making it available in all regions where Google is selling its AI services. In the US, the new option costs less than half of a $20 AI Pro subscription, which comes with 2TB of storage and access to more tools like code assist. Google's most expensive AI plan, the AI Ultra, costs a whopping $250 a month and comes with 30TB of storage, along with all the AI tools the company can offer. Take note that if you're paying for a Google One Premium 2TB subscription, you'll also get all of AI Plus' features over the next few days.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-ai-plus-is-now-available-in-the-us-for-8-a-month-180000175.html?src=rss

OpenAI is releasing a new app called Prism today, and it hopes it does for science what coding agents like Claude Code and its own Codex platform have done for programming.Prism builds on Crixet, a cloud-based LaTeX platform the company is announcing it acquired today. For the uninitiated, LaTeX is a typesetting system for formatting scientific documents and journals. Nearly the entire scientific community relies on LaTeX, but it can make some tasks, such as drawing diagrams through TikZ commands, time-consuming to do. Beyond that, LaTeX is just one of the software tools a scientist might turn to when preparing to publish their research.That's where Prism comes into the picture. Like Crixet before it, the app offers robust LaTeX editing and a built-in AI assistant. Where previously it was Crixet's own Chirp agent, now it's GPT-5.2 Thinking. OpenAI's model can help with more than just formatting journals - in a press demo, an OpenAI employee used it to find and incorporate scientific literature that was relevant to the paper they were working on, with GPT-5.2 automating the process of writing the bibliography."None of this absolves the scientist of the responsibility to verify that their references are correct, but it can certainly speed up the process," said Kevin Weil, vice president of science for OpenAI, when asked during the demo the possibility of ChatGPT generating fake citations."We're conscious that, as AI becomes more capable, there are concerns around volume, quality and trust in the scientific community," he later added. "Our view is that the right response is not to keep AI at arm's length or let it operate invisibly in the background; it's to integrate it directly into scientific workflows in ways that preserve accountability and keep researchers in control."Later in the same demo, the OpenAI employee used Prism to generate a lesson plan for a graduate course on general relativity, as well as a set of problems for students to solve. OpenAI envisions these features helping scientists and professors spend less time on the more tedious tasks in their professions.Prism is available to anyone with a personal ChatGPT account. It includes support for unlimited projects and collaborators. OpenAI plans to bring the software to organizations on ChatGPT Business, Team, Enterprise and Education plans soon.Crixet won't be offered separately.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-releases-prism-a-claude-code-like-app-for-scientific-research-180000454.html?src=rss

Meta's WhatsApp just introduced something called Strict Account Settings, a tool "that further protects your account from highly sophisticated cyber attacks." This is a one-click button in the settings that automatically initiates a series of defenses.So what does it do? It blocks media and attachments from unknown senders, disables link previews and silences calls from unknown senders. This results in a more restrictive experience, but hopefully a safer one.The company says this isn't necessarily for regular users, as conversations are already protected by end-to-end encryption. Instead, this is being pitched as a tool for "journalists or public-facing figures" that "may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks."Strict Account Settings will be rolling out globally in the coming weeks. Users will find the tool in the Privacy settings.WhatsApp is just the latest tech platform to offer enhanced security tools for high-risk users. Apple introduced Lockdown Mode back in 2022 and Android introduced its Advanced Protection Mode last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/whatsapp-introduces-an-advanced-security-mode-to-protect-against-hackers-174144598.html?src=rss

Yahoo has announced a new AI-powered "answer engine", dubbed Yahoo Scout. The new tool is available now in beta and is powered by Anthropic's Claude.The company says Scout "synthesizes" info from the web, as well as Yahoo's own data and content when constructing responses to user's natural-language search queries. Yahoo says the interface will include interactive digital media, structured lists and tables and visible source links aimed at making answers easier to verify. (Disclosure: Yahoo is the parent company of Engadget.)Alongside Scout, Yahoo is announcing an "intelligence platform" across its varied products. This will include features like AI summaries in Yahoo Mail, key takeaways" in Yahoo News and game breakdowns in Yahoo Sports. Scout will also integrate into Yahoo Shopping to offer insights and shoppable links, and Yahoo Finance, where it can populate company financials, analyst ratings and explain stock moves as they occur. Yahoo says the answer engine behind Scout will become more personalized and focus on "deeper experiences" as time goes on.Google offered a glimpse of generative AI in search back in 2023, and the company's AI Mode for search was made widely available in the US last year. The company has been similarly at work integrating its AI model across its product portfolio, including Gmail and shopping.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/yahoo-is-adding-generative-ai-to-its-search-engine-172706249.html?src=rss

Google has begun rolling out two upgrades for Search. Starting today, Gemini 3 is the default model powering AI Overviews. When the company debuted its new family of AI systems last November, it first deployed Gemini 3 in AI Overviews through a router that was programmed to direct the most difficult questions to the new system. Now Google is making Gemini 3 the standard for all users globally. In practice, Gemini 3 should prove better at generating more credible and relevant summaries.As for that second upgrade, now you can jump into AI Mode conversation directly from an AI Overview. Google first previewed this feature late last year."In our testing, we've found that people prefer an experience that flows naturally into a conversation - and that asking follow-up questions while keeping the context from AI Overviews makes Search more helpful," said Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search. "It's one fluid experience with prominent links to continue exploring: a quick snapshot when you need it, and deeper conversation when you want it."If you're using Google Search on a mobile device, you can jump directly into an AI Mode conversation from an AI Overview starting today.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-3-is-now-googles-default-model-for-ai-overviews-170000302.html?src=rss

After more than two months of contract disputes, NBCUniversal's lineup of channels are still not being carried by Fubo, which is a bummer for anyone hoping to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics. Once again, NBC will be the primary place to watch the Winter Games, but Fubo subscribers will need to find alternate viewing methods if they want to watch events like figure skating, ice hockey, luge or skiing this year. The Olympics will also be broadcast on the USA Network and CNBC, and those channels are similarly blacked out on Fubo. While the two media companies continue their negotiations, subscribers have had no choice but to sign up for other services - or at least test drive the ones that offer free trials - so if you're a Fubo subscriber and you want to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics, here are some answers to your biggest questions, including which NBC channels are missing from the Fubo lineup, where to watch them, and when to tune in for Olympics coverage. Which channels are broadcasting the Olympics? Olympics coverage will be broadcast daily on NBC, USA, and CNBC. NBC will be the main hub for all U.S. coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, showing daily live coverage of many popular events and a primetime broadcast each night spotlighting the top moments from competition. How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without Fubo The Olympics officially run from Feb. 6-22 and and you'll also be able to stream every single event live on Peacock. If you want to tune in to daily coverage on NBC, USA, and CNBC, you can also find those on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV. Which channels are no longer available on Fubo? The following is a list of channels owned or licensed by NBC that are not currently available on Fubo, including NBC, USA, and CNBC: Local Channels:

Pinterest is planning on laying off up to 15 percent of its workforce, according to a report by CNBC. The company has been posting stellar earnings reports these past few quarters, so why punish employees? You already know the answer. It's AI.The company said it's "reallocating resources" to AI projects and prioritizing "AI-powered products and capabilities." It's also cutting down on office space, presumably because AI algorithms don't require cubicles and the occasional low-grade snack.Pinterest noted in a recent security filing that it expects these cuts to the workforce will be complete by the end of the third quarter in September. The company had 4,500 global employees as of April, so the layoffs should impact up to 675 people.It will also be reshaping its sales and marketing strategies, likely to highlight new AI initiatives. To that end, Pinterest introduced an AI-powered shopping tool a few months back."Our investments in AI and product innovation are paying off," Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said in November. "We've become a leader in visual search and have effectively turned our platform into an AI-powered shopping assistant for 600 million customers."

If your TikTok feed has felt a little off lately, it's not just you. TikTok says is still working to fix its service in the US following a power outage at one of its data centers that's caused multiple bugs" in the app. TikTok users have reported problems logging in and uploading videos, as well as strange behavior from the "for you" algorithm. Creators have also noticed that new uploads are seemingly getting o views or likes and that in-app earnings have disappeared."Since yesterday we've been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate," the company wrote in a statement Monday. "We're working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We're sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon."

The European Commission has started proceedings to ensure Google complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in certain ways. Specifically, the European Union's executive arm has told Google to grant third-party AI services the same level of access to Android that Gemini has. "The aim is to ensure that third-party providers have an equal opportunity to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape on smart mobile devices," the Commission said in a statement.The company will also have to hand over "anonymized ranking, query, click and view data held by Google Search" to rival search engines. The Commission says this will help competing companies to optimize their services and offer more viable alternatives to Google Search."Today's proceedings under the Digital Markets Act will provide guidance to Google to ensure that third-party online search engines and AI providers enjoy the same access to search data and Android operating system as Google's own services, like Google Search or Gemini," said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. "Our goal is to keep the AI market open, unlock competition on the merits and promote innovation, to the benefit of consumers and businesses."The Commission plans to wrap up these proceedings in the next six months, effectively handing Google a deadline to make all of this happen. If the company doesn't do so to the Commission's satisfaction, it may face a formal investigation and penalties down the line. The Commission can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global annual revenue for a DMA violation.Google was already in hot water with the EU for allegedly favoring its own services - such as travel, finance and shopping - over those from rivals and stopping Google Play app developers from easily directing consumers to alternative, cheaper ways to pay for digital goods and services. The bloc charged Google with DMA violations related to those issues last March.In November, the EU opened an investigation into Google's alleged demotion of commercial content on news websites in search results. The following month, it commenced a probe into Google's AI practices, including whether the company used online publishers' material for AI Overviews and AI Mode without "appropriate compensation" or offering the ability to opt out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-eu-tells-google-to-give-external-ai-assistants-the-same-access-to-android-as-gemini-has-154157081.html?src=rss

Lego unveiled its Smart Play system at CES 2026 earlier this month, with a selection of sets designed for the engaging feature. Now, the toy company has announced five new compatible sets - all Stars Wars themed - available now for pre-order. Anthony Daniels, the original C-3PO, shared the news during the Nuremberg Toy Fair.The Smart Play system, Lego's newest venture, involves a Smart Brick, Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures. Each Smart Brick has proximity sensors, an accelerometer, a speaker and more. The Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures relay what's happening to the Brick. For example, if you whoosh a spaceship through the air, the Smart Brick should make a sound that imitates that. Vader, of course, also makes his deep breathing sound. Plus, it requires no screens or apps, so the fun remains in its true, tactical form.The five new Smart Play sets span the Star Wars universe:

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that his office is investigating whether TikTok is truly censoring content critical of Trump, days after ByteDance finalized a deal to spin off its business in the US. Newsom made the announcement in response to a post on X, claiming that you can no longer send messages in the app with the word Epstein" in it. Newsom's office, in a separate post, said it was able to independently confirm instances wherein TikTok suppressed content critical of President Donald Trump.The governor's office told Politico that it tried to send a direct message with the word Epstein" in it and got a warning that it could not be sent because it may violate TikTok's community guidelines. Newsom's team is now launching a review of this conduct and is calling on the California Department of Justice to determine whether it violates California law."If you'll recall, ByteDance finalized a deal for a new US entity just as TikTok was about to be banned in the US. ByteDance only owns 19.9 percent of the new entity called the TikTok USDS Joint Venture, while the new investors own 80 percent. Oracle, Silver Lake and Emirati fund MGX have a 15 percent stake each. The US business will now retrain TikTok's algorithm on US data and will also be in charge of content moderation.After the US entity's announcement, users started complaining about technical issues affecting TikTok's recommendation algorithm and other features. Some claimed that they had difficulties posting videos about ICE over the weekend. TikTok blamed its issues, including bugs, slower loading times and timed-out uploads, on a power outage at one of its US data centers. It said it's now working to restore its services.

Between the new Macs, iPhones and rumored AI gadgets, Apple surprised us with an upgraded, second-generation AirTag. It has Apple's latest Ultra Wideband chip - the same one used in the iPhone 17 lineup and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It also uses Precision Finding to reach items up to 50 percent further away than the previous AirTag model. This feature will now work with any Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 or newer.TMAAppleApple says the new tag is 50 percent louder and features a distinctive new chime." So you can show off that you've got the new kind of AirTag. Sadly, there's still no keyring hole, so you might want to invest in a holder... with a keyring. There are cheaper options than Apple's leather version, fortunately. I personally like Elevation Lab's AirTag Wallet Holder.- Mat SmithThe biggest tech stories.

The right accessories can transform your Apple Watch into the best workout companion, a stylish timepiece and everything in between. Whether you're looking to upgrade its style, recharge its battery quickly or make it even more convenient to use on the go, there's an accessory out there that can help. From a stylish sport loop that keeps things comfortable during workouts to a sturdy charging stand for your bedside, there are plenty of ways to enhance your experience.

Wireless earbuds are now the default option for everyday listening, whether you're heading out for a commute, fitting in a workout or just watching videos at home. The best wireless earbuds combine reliable connectivity, comfortable fits and sound quality that holds up across music, calls and podcasts, all without the hassle of cables. Most are small enough to disappear into a pocket and pair quickly with phones, tablets and laptops.

TikTok's newly formed US entity is off to a very bumpy start. As the app continues to face technical issues affecting the recommendation algorithm, view counts and other features, TikTok is also seeing a wave of frustrated users uninstalling it, according to new data.Analytics firm Sensor Tower, which tracks downloads and other app store-related metrics, told CNBC that there has been a 150 percent rise in uninstalls of the TikTok app in the United States compared with the last three months. An analyst at Sensor Tower told Engadget that TikTok's US daily active users (DAUs) have increased about 2 percent in the same time period, and are flat week-over-week. TikTok has blamed a power outage at a data center for multiple bugs," including those affecting view counts and load times. The company hasn't said when users can expect a fix.At the same time, an independent app called UpScrolled has seen a surge in interest over the last few days. The app is currently the ninth most-downloaded app in the US App Store and the second most popular social app (Meta's Threads is currently in the number one spot for social apps). The app has also reached the top five in the UK and Australian app stores. In the United States, its sudden popularity seems to be closely tied to recent changes at TikTok.UpScrolled has seen 41,000 total downloads between Thursday (the day the US joint venture was formalized) and Saturday, according to estimates from App Figures. The app, which was first released last June, has been downloaded about 140,000 times between Apple and Google's app stores, according to App Figures. Prior to last Thursday, the app was averaging less than 500 downloads a day, according to the company. The rapid increase in downloads has apparently caused some issues for the company which asked users to "bear with us" on Monday.

Google has agreed to a $68 million settlement regarding claims that its voice assistant inappropriately spied on smartphone users. Plaintiffs claimed that the company's Google Assistant platform began listening to them after it misheard conversations that sounded like its wake words. The suit argued that private information that Google Assistant shouldn't have heard was then used to deliver those individuals targeted ads.Reuters reported that Google denied wrongdoing in the suit, but according to court papers, the company agreed to a settlement in order to avoid the risk and costs of litigating the issue. The preliminary class action settlement was filed on Friday and now awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.Google has been transitioning away from the Google Assistant platform in the past year, replacing it with its Gemini tool. Not that AI chatbots should be trusted as paragons of privacy either.Apple faced a very similar allegations around its Siri voice assistant in 2019; that class-action suit ended in a $95 million settlement in January 2025. Not sure if a reward of $20 per device feels sufficient when these companies are accidentally overhearing deeply personal conversations and details, but that's how the justice system shakes out some times.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-agrees-to-68-million-settlement-in-voice-assistant-privacy-lawsuit-222405727.html?src=rss

Google is rolling out a Gemini feature that could turn out to be pretty useful for many folks. It's a Google Calendar tool that can help figure out the best time to schedule a meeting, taking into account attendees' schedules. When creating a meeting, you can click the "Suggested times" option and Gemini will look at the availability that people have marked on their calendar and potential conflicts. You'll then be able to choose from a list of suggested time slots.But the time you pick may not work for everyone. So if multiple people decline the meeting invite, you can reschedule by going to the event. You'll see a time when everyone is available and you can quickly update the invite.There are a few catches here. Naturally, this will only work properly when meeting organizers have access to attendees' calendars. It's also limited to paid users who are on Google Workspace Business (Standard and Plus) and Enterprise (Standard and Plus) plans, as well as those with the Google AI Pro for Education add-on. The feature is available now on Rapid Release domains and it'll start rolling out to Scheduled Release domains on February 2.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-aims-to-take-the-sting-out-of-scheduling-meetings-with-a-new-gemini-feature-204853761.html?src=rss

It looks like Ubisoft is planning even more layoffs to accompany last week's studio closures and game cancellations, according to reporting by IGN. The company is planning a massive reduction of the workforce in its Paris headquarters. It has proposed the loss of up to 200 jobs, which is nearly 20 percent of the current staff.This will be organized under France's Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC) process, in which staff can agree to form a collective, voluntary mutual termination agreement. It's not a done deal just yet, with a company spokesperson saying "at this stage, this remains a proposal and no decision will be final until a collective agreement is reached."The RCC process is voluntary, which is good for Ubisoft Paris employees, but the company hasn't made any statement regarding what it would do if it doesn't get 200 willing participants. The company recently introduced a mandate for employees to return to the office for five days each week, which could entice staffers with one foot out the door.This is just the latest cost-cutting measure by Ubisoft, as the company has been experiencing difficulties for months. It shut down its Halifax studio just 16 days after employees entered into a unionization agreement. Last week, it shuttered its Stockholm studio and announced various restructuring efforts at several other developers under its umbrella.It also announced the cancellation of six games, including the long-awaited Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. It didn't reveal the other five games that were scrapped. Ubisoft did announce, however, that seven additional games were being delayed. Inexplicably, Beyond Good and Evil 2 wasn't cancelled, so we have that to (one day) look forward to.Ubisoft's stock has absolutely plunged in the past several years. The company was riding high at $20 per share in 2021, but now the stock rests at around $1 per share.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-proposes-even-more-layoffs-after-last-weeks-studio-closures-and-game-cancellations-192703241.html?src=rss

Since March 2025, ChatGPT has been capable of generating images. Following a period where it briefly wasn't available to free users, you now don't even pay for one of OpenAI's subscriptions to use this feature. And while making images inside of ChatGPT is easy, there are some nuances worth explaining. For example, did you know you can ask ChatGPT to edit photos you've taken? It's more powerful than you might think. Here's everything you need to know about generating AI images with ChatGPT.How to create images with ChatGPT using text promptsTo begin making an image in ChatGPT, you can start by typing in the prompt bar. Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetYou can start generating images in ChatGPT simply by typing in the prompt bar what you want to see. There's no need to overthink things; as long as you have some version of "generate an image" followed by a description of your idea, ChatGPT will do the rest.Depending on the complexity of the prompt and whether you pay for ChatGPT, it may take a minute or two for the chatbot to complete your image request. Sometimes the process can take longer if OpenAI's servers are experiencing greater traffic than usual.At the end of last year, OpenAI updated the model powering image generation to make it faster, as well as better at rendering text and following instructions. At the same time, it added a dedicated "Images" section to ChatGPT's sidebar. Here you can see all the images you've made, alongside sample prompts and suggestions for styles to try out, making it a great place to start if you've never used an image generator before.How to create images with ChatGPT using existing photosYou can also upload images to ChatGPT.Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetIn addition to generating images from text prompts, ChatGPT can modify existing photos or images you upload. This is my preferred way of making images with ChatGPT; I don't need to describe the composition, I can use an existing one to guide the chatbot. To use an existing image as a starting point for a new generation, follow these steps:

Anthropic has been building out support for third-party apps inside of Claude. As of today, the chatbot can now connect to platforms like Slack and Canva, fetching up files from inside those apps or performing tasks within them on a user's behalf.For instance, when connected to Box, Claude can now search for files, preview documents inline and answer questions about the content in front of you. Meanwhile, with a connection to Asana, it can now turn chats into projects, tasks and timelines your co-workers can then find and interact with on the project management app.Box and Asana are just two of the platforms adding deeper integrations with Claude today. In total, there are nine launch partners, with some of the more notable ones including Canva, Figma and Slack.As with Anthropic's past integrations, the new functionality is powered by Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. MCP is a technology Anthropic released in fall 2024 to make it easier for third-party platforms to connect their systems to Claude. Since then, the protocol has become an industry standard. OpenAI, for instance, adopted MCP last year, and has been building additional support since then. At the end of last year, Anthropic donated the protocol to the Linux Foundation. The company says AI platforms will be able to bring similar integrations to their own products since they're built on a new open extension designed by Anthropic.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-now-offers-deeper-integrations-with-apps-like-canva-and-slack-180000604.html?src=rss

The Trump administration is planning on using Google Gemini to draft important federal regulations, as reported by ProPublica. This is starting with the Department of Transportation, according to interviews with agency staffers. Regulations created by the DOT help keep us safe when traveling.The plan was initially presented to DOT staffers last month, with agency attorney Daniel Cohen writing to colleagues about AI's "potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings." Gregory Zerzan, the agency's general counsel, has indicated that President Donald Trump is "very excited by this initiative" and that DOT will be "the first agency that is fully enabled to use AI to draft rules." This does suggest a pilot program of sorts, with eventual plans to bring AI to other departments.

It's time to jump back into the pit. Ball x Pit is one of the very best games of 2025 and there's now even more to play around with in the brick-busting roguelite. The first major free update for the game (one of three that's on the cards this year) just arrived on all platforms. It added a bunch more stuff to the mix, including two new characters, eight extra special balls with powerful abilities and an endless mode.Developer Kenny Sun wrote on the PlayStation Blog that because fans demanded it so much, endless mode jumped right to the top of the to-do list. After you beat a level's boss, you can keep going as long as you can stay alive and really put your builds to the test.The Regal Update brought two more playable hunters to the mix as well. Opt to use The Falconer, and you'll fire balls from two birds, one at each side of the screen. When balls return to The Carouser, they orbit around him to deal extra damage. Sun added that this character twists ball trajectories with a personal gravity field that pulls shots off their usual paths."Then there are the new balls. The Stone Ball is powerful, but disintegrates as it bounces. Two of the latest balls deal spins on fire damage and the Fireworks Ball seems like it'll add even more chaotic visual flair. The update added a trio of passives too. I enjoy creating builds around baby balls (a secondary type of ball that doesn't have a special ability), so I'm eager to try out Iron Onesie. This passive scales up the damage of special balls depending on how many baby balls are in play.Finally, the update introduced support for more languages. You can play Ball x Pit in Spanish (Latin America), Polish, Italian, Thai, Turkish and Ukrainian.In anticipation of the update, I jumped back into Ball x Pit over the weekend for a quick refresher. Before I knew it, four hours had gone by. This game is once again going to be an existential threat to my time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ball-x-pits-first-update-brings-an-endless-mode-and-much-more-to-the-chaos-174306548.html?src=rss

While we got a peek at a few Xbox Game Studios projects during last week's Developer Direct event, neither Bethesda nor Activision Blizzard made appearances. Fans of several Blizzard franchises won't need to wait too long to find out what's next for their favorite games, though, as the publisher has lined up several showcases to help mark its 35th anniversary.The developer-led streams will include major game announcements," according to Blizzard. They'll all air over the next few weeks. Here's where and when you can watch each stream:

The ninth mainline Resident Evil is trying to split the difference between the series' action-heavy entries and the stress-inducing hide-and-seek episodes. During a four-hour playthrough of some early parts of Resident Evil Requiem, I spent time with both of the two main characters, Grace and series mainstay Leon. They offer distinctly different playstyles, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. While it isn't an entirely new premise for the survival horror series (in the original, playing as Chris Redfield offered more challenge than playing as Jill Valentine) it's never been this pronounced.I started playing as Leon, entering a medical facility he seemed to have been invited to. With a cavernous main hall, it feels like yet another iconic Resident Evil hub, immediately reminding me of Raccoon City's Police Precinct and even the original's cavernous manor. Wings to explore? Check. Suspiciously quiet and empty central area that will almost definitely get overrun by zombies at some point? Probably.Both Grace and Leon's parts can be played in either third- or first-person perspective, though Leon's segments seem better suited to the third-person view, since there's just a lot more shooting. Grace's segments were tense and demanded my full attention, more akin to Resident Evil 7. During this early part of the game, there is a lot of hiding, plenty of ammo conservation and a lot more learning from dumb mistakes. The parts of the game I played with Leon reminded me more of Resident Evil 4 (or 5 or 6 - but let's gloss over those).Once you take control of him, Leon is immediately attacked and has to fend off roughly 15 infected doctors, nurses and patients. It's a significant tone shift from Grace skulking around the facility, hiding behind plants and sometimes just hoping for the best.Leon faces off against a chainsaw-wielding doctor zombie. Best cut that arm off.CapcomLeon, fortunately, arrives with several weapons, including a new melee option, a hatchet. Using this, he can make targeted attacks to lop off limbs and aim at the head to deliver more damage. At least on these basic zombies, I found relentless slashing more effective than more targeted efforts - I'm sure future enemies will demand more... nuanced approaches. A later enemy must be decapitated to kill it.After a set number of swings, you will need to retreat and sharpen the blade, which adds to the jeopardy while not disrupting the chaos. The hatchet can even be used to parry attacks - if you get the timing down.Leon even gets to wield a chainsaw during this initial encounter, but only after claiming it from one particularly industrious zombie that seemed to find it inside a hospital. It was crucial to both disarm this zombie and grab the chainsaw before another corpse could take a turn on it. However, just because the chainsaw gets dropped doesn't mean it's turned off. I suffered significant damage when I repeatedly rushed into the spinning power tool.The zombies in Requiem are also a little more nuanced compared to previous games - if a zombie can have nuance. While nearly all of the zombies will attack you on sight, they can be distracted or delayed based on the person they were before they turned. For example, the chef zombie (a hardy, bigger zombie than the ones you've come across until that point) will only chase you around his kitchen. Step out into the corridor and he'll leave you alone. Elsewhere, a zombie (attached to an IV, cute) has his eyes bandaged and will react aggressively to any noise. I used this to my advantage, hurling an empty bottle at another zombie who stood nearby. The IV zombie killed him immediately. Another time, a senior exec who's been turned is firing an employee of his... by killing them, moaning You're fired" as he does so. This little vignette gave me enough time to dim the lights and hide when he left his office.In Requiem, players are expected to exploit individual zombie behaviors to outmaneuver them. It's also a welcome dose of humor to the survival horror series, reminding me a little of the camp moments in Dead Rising, another zombie-centric Capcom series.Leon doesn't have to strategize quite as much, arriving with a particularly powerful handgun, the Requiem, that he eventually passes over to Grace. This is capable of stopping pretty much (but not all) enemies you come across, although it initially comes with only a single bullet, so you really have to make it count.During a set-piece battle against a towering, swollen former patient, I got to test Requiem's action-horror controls under pressure. Leon finds a shotgun and has to flank (and outrun) his hungry" attacker. The environment in the rafters of the building is designed so it's easy to figure out where you need to go and how to stop the giant zombie from cornering you. Ammo, at least during this fight, was scattered around, which was a relief after struggling to find bullets during Grace's segment.Despite the lack of traditional weapons, Grace eventually finds a blood injector (and its companion blood analysis system). These turn into Requiem's crafting system. Powered by literal buckets and puddles of blood (you have to draw up infected blood from certain parts of the environment and enemies), samples can be combined with scraps, herbs and more to create high-powered first-aid shots, injectable explosive blood, ammunition and a lot of other things. Analysing different blood types (and solving some light puzzles) adds further crafting options.Oh he's not going to help you.CapcomDuring the preview, the infected blood injector was exclusively for Grace's use. It'll be intriguing if only one character gets to benefit from the crafting system, although Capcom teased customizable weapons for Leon, which might better suit his playstyle. Grace might also be handicapped by the typewriter save system popularized in the first few RE games. This could mean you'll only be able to save if you have an ink ribbon on you, a very stressful part of inventory management early on in the series - she really can't catch a break. However, it appears to be adjustable in difficulty settings.According to Capcom's Resident Evil showcase last week, infected blood will apparently play a strong role in Requiem, touching on both Leon's past (he's apparently suffering from a mystery ailment) and the circumstances surrounding the death of Grace's mother. And it wouldn't be a Resident Evil game with mystery, buckets of blood, and a pulpy villain. Capcom has primed another fascinating villain with Requiem's Dr. Gideon, a former Umbrella virologist who was seemingly written for an actor to go full camp baddie - if the doctor's hooded snakeskin trenchcoat wasn't a giveaway.Resident Evil Requiem will be released on February 27, 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Europe is probing Elon Musk's X for failing to take action to prevent the spread of AI-generated sexually explicit images including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), regulators said in a press release. The European Commission's investigation could result in further enforcement steps" against X, not long after it levied a $140 million fine against the platform.Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA [Digital Services Act], or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said the Commission's executive VP, Henna Virkkunen in a statement.The EU said that it will assess whether X took measures to reduce risks around the dissemination of illegal content when it deployed Grok onto the platform. Those risks include manipulated sexually explicit images including content that may amount to CSAM. These risks seem to have materialized, exposing citizens in the EU to serious harm," the Commission stated.On top of the new inquiry, the EC is also expanding its 2023 investigation of X over its recommendation algorithm and tools used to prevent the spread of illicit content.CBS News found that, as of Monday morning, Grok was still able to generate undressed images of individuals. X previously claimed this ability had been removed for both free and paid users.The investigation is coming at a delicate time for Europe, which is already in the Trump administration's crosshairs over its scrutiny of American tech companies. And the EU would also be going up against Musk, who is the owner and has the biggest megaphone on X. After X was hit with a 120 million euro ($140 million fine) for breaching Europe's Digital Services Act, Musk called the EU the fourth Reich" and said in a post on X that it should be abolished."In response to the inquiry, X reiterated previous comments it has made about Grok. We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity and unwanted sexual content," a spokesperson told The New York Times.Update, January 26 2026, 11:42AM ET: Added additional coverage from CBS.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-eu-is-investigating-grok-and-x-over-potentially-illegal-deepfakes-134506678.html?src=rss

It's that time of year where a great pair of headphones double as earmuffs and a current sale will ensure you get a great quality - and good looking - option. One of our favorite wireless headphones for 2026 is available for 35 percent off. Amazon is offering the first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones for $279, down from $429. Since coming out last April, they've become our choice for best noise-canceling wireless headphones. Notably, the sale is only available in the headphone's nice limited edition Deep Plum model. We gave the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones an 86 in our review, thanks, in part, to their incredible active-noise cancellation (ANC) - an industry-lead Bose has held for years. They also offers improved audio, producing a warmer and clearer sound than other Bose headphones. Plus, they live up to their name, remaining comfortable even after hours and hours thanks to cushioning inside the headband and earpads. 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-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-are-35-percent-off-130020033.html?src=rss

A good home theater setup goes beyond just having the right TV (although that certainly does help a lot). Getting the right sound for your space, the right lighting and making sure your streaming gear is up to date are all things that can go a long way to making your setup feel premium.

Whether you love cooking already or you want to try to cook more at home to spend less money on takeout, there are tons of gadgets that can make your time in the kitchen even more enjoyable. As food lovers and tech reviewers, the Engadget team has tried out pizza ovens, sous vide machines, air fryers, ice cream makers and more. Here, we gathered all of the best gear we've tested, reviewed and used in our own kitchens for when you're looking to spice things up in yours. We've also linked to our reviews and buying guides so you can dive deeper into our recommendations for the best kitchen gadgets around. Best kitchen gadgets for 2026 Nicole Lee contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179.html?src=rss

Never underestimate the chilling powers of grainy grayscale imagery and ethereal whooshing sounds. Outside Parties asks, "What if I Spy, but in an alien hell dimension?", and it is impressively unnerving despite the fact that nothing's really happening at any given time. It goes all in on atmosphere, to great effect. This is the Playdate horror game that I've been waiting for.Adams Immersive's Outside Parties is a sort of scavenger hunt across a massive image of a realm called the Outside, which can only be visited by astral travel, according to the lore. There are lots of unknowns about what or where it really is, though explorers have mapped it fairly extensively through out-of-body excursions and they've encountered thousands of different entities there, including the spirits of the dead. As the player, you have come across a Hellscryer K5 - the communication device, psychic camera and recorder used for these trips - and now you're combing through the mission logs, getting sucked into the mystery of it all. Think of the K5 as your Playdate, except powered by blood and runes.At the center of Outside Parties is a 1.44 gigapixel, 360-degree panoramic HDR image which has dozens of eerie scenes hidden within it: skeletons of human, animal and paranormal origin; scary robed figures and occult symbols etched all around; what appear to be fountains and rivers of blood; a Stonehenge of teeth. These are the targets you're meant to track down, and as you hone in and check them off your list, voice signals attached to each one will reveal more and more of the explorer's spellbinding story. But this isn't a straightforward "find the object" puzzle game by any means. When you first look at the zoomed-out photo, it's akin to a strip of TV static with some heavily shadowed areas throughout. You can zoom to up to 64 times magnification to get a better look at specific zones, but you also have to adjust the image brightness using the crank to improve the clarity of the objects. Making it brighter or darker will reveal more objects in certain spots while simultaneously obscuring others. There are 150 targets according to the developer, which should take players somewhere from 10-20 hours to complete. I've been at it for hours and still have plenty left to find. (If you're stuck, you can turn to the helpful target lookup page, which provides hints with varying degrees of specificity.)All the while as you're hunched over your Playdate, laser-focused on the screen to find targets that are buried in a sea of fuzz, unsettling audio transmissions are cutting in and out, disturbing images are flashing on-screen at random and a constant atmospheric whooshing is playing in your ear. The sound design of this game is seriously brilliant - it's worth playing for that alone, not to mention all the other cool stuff. From the startup page to the menus where you'll find bits of a background story, to the creepy clips of people wailing and ominously reciting numbers, the sounds of Outside Parties make for a truly immersive, disconcerting experience that I previously wouldn't have thought possible on a Playdate. It's really something special.Outside Parties also comes with a screensaver that once again makes me yearn for the Playdate Stereo Dock. Pop on the Void Monitor, sit back, and enjoy the horrifying sights and sounds of the Outside.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/outside-parties-is-the-creepiest-playdate-game-yet-and-im-kind-of-obsessed-213142541.html?src=rss

Microsoft issued another out-of-band update to fix a bug that caused Outlook to crash for Windows 11 users. This second emergency patch addresses issues seen with Outlook and files stored in the cloud following Microsoft's January 2026 Windows security update.According to Microsoft, this update fixes a bug where some apps that "open or save files stored in cloud-backed locations" became unresponsive or displayed error messages. Some users also experienced Outlook crashing or not opening when PST files are stored in cloud-based options like OneDrive.This is the second time this year that Microsoft had to issue a last-minute fix for bugs related to its January security update. Last week, some Windows 11 devices couldn't shut down or hibernate, while other devices running Windows 10 or 11 couldn't log in through remote connections. For more context, Microsoft only issues out-of-band updates when there's a serious issue that can't wait until its regular update cycle. Fortunately, the latest out-of-band update is cumulative, so you only need to download and install this one to fix the issues seen with the January update.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-releases-second-emergency-windows-11-update-to-fix-outlook-crashes-192012812.html?src=rss

A new and improved Siri may finally make an appearance, but this time, it could be with a Google Gemini glow up. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple wants to announce a new Siri in "the second half of February" that will show off the results of its recently announced partnership with Google and offer demonstrations of the Gemini-powered capabilities.After this reveal, Gurman reported that the new Siri will make its way to iOS 26.4, which is also slated to enter beta testing in February before its public release in March or early April. Apple has been meaning to launch its next-gen Siri ever since its announcement at WWDC 2024, but now we know that this Gemini-powered Siri will behave more like an AI chatbot, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, thanks to another Bloomberg report from last week.Following the reported demo that's scheduled for late February, Gurman said Apple will have a grand reveal of the new Siri, which is currently codenamed Campos, at its annual developer conference in the summer. After that, the latest Siri and the accompanying Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence features are expected to arrive with iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27, which are expected to be available as beta releases in the summer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-reportedly-plans-to-reveal-its-gemini-powered-siri-in-february-174356923.html?src=rss

There's a new trailer for the upcoming Super Mario movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it confirms some beloved characters are joining the crew for its latest adventure. The trailer provides our first official look at Yoshi in the new movie, whose appearance was leaked back in the fall by a Pillsbury cookie box design. And, just as exciting, we also see Birdo in the mix. The trailer was released during Nintendo's The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct.The short event also confirmed that the movie is now in post-production. While a previous trailer set the release date at April 3, the movie is now scheduled to come out two days earlier, on April 1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie stars Chris Pratt voicing Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach and Charlie Day as Luigi, along with Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Benny Safdie (Bowser Jr.), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek) and Brie Larson (Rosalina).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/yoshi-and-birdo-arrive-in-new-trailer-for-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-along-with-an-earlier-release-date-154455021.html?src=rss

Your Gmail inbox should now be back to normal after Saturday's hiccups. Google said in an update on X on Saturday night that the issue, which affected the automatic filters that keep Gmail users' inboxes free from the clutter of promotional emails, non-urgent updates and spam, is now fully resolved for all users." On its Workspace status dashboard, it added that an investigation is underway, and an analysis will be published once complete.Gmail users on Saturday reported that their inboxes were flooded with promotional emails that had not been properly sorted out of the main tab, and some said they were seeing notices that emails had not been scanned for spam. On social media and DownDetector, some Gmail users also reported delays in receiving messages, leading to issues with two-factor authentication logins. After confirming the issue, Google noted in an update on its Workspace dashboard that the problem resulted in the "misclassification of emails in their inbox and additional spam warnings," including a banner that says, Be careful with this message. Gmail hasn't scanned this message for spam, unverified senders, or harmful software."In a statement to Engadget, a Google spokesperson echoed the message from its dashboard, saying, "We are actively working to resolve the issue. As always, we encourage users to follow standard best practices when engaging with messages from unknown senders."Update, January 25 2026, 9:53AM ET: This story has been updated to reflect that the issue has been resolved.

OpenAI may have called GPT-5.2 its "most advanced frontier model for professional work," but tests conducted by the Guardian cast doubt on its credibility. According to the report, OpenAI's GPT-5.2 model cited Grokipedia, the online encyclopedia powered by xAI, when it came to specific, but controversial topics related to Iran or the Holocaust.As seen in the Guardian's report, ChatGPT used Grokipedia as a source for claims about the Iranian government being tied to telecommunications company MTN-Irancell and questions related to Richard Evans, a British historian who served as an expert witness during a libel trial for Holocaust denier David Irving. However, the Guardian noted ChatGPT didn't use Grokipedia when it came to a prompt asking about media bias against Donald Trump and other controversial topics.OpenAI released the GPT-5.2 model in December to better perform at professional use, like creating spreadsheets or handling complex tasks. Grokipedia preceded GPT-5.2's release, but ran into some controversy when it was seen including citations to neo-Nazi forums. A study done by US researchers also showed that the AI-generated encyclopedia cited "questionable" and "problematic" sources.In response to the Guardian report, OpenAI told the outlet that its GPT-5.2 model searches the web for a "broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints," but applies "safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/report-reveals-that-openais-gpt-52-model-cites-grokipedia-192532977.html?src=rss

Before Electronic Arts goes private in a groundbreaking sale, some US lawmakers are pleading for some federal oversight. Democratic members of the US Congress, as part of the Congressional Labor Caucus, penned a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to "thoroughly review" the $55 billion acquisition of EA.EA confirmed the sale to the Public Investment Fund, or the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners in September, but the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Before the official change of ownership, the 46 House Democrats who signed the letter to the FTC are calling for more scrutiny into the impacts of the deal.The letter noted some of the most consequential effects, including the worsening of an unstable industry, the potential for more layoffs and increased market dominance for EA. "We respectfully urge the Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the labor market consequences of this proposed acquisition, including EA's existing wage-setting power, the likelihood of post-transaction layoffs, the degree of labor-market concentration in relevant geographic and occupational markets, and the role of cross-ownership in shaping labor outcomes," the letter read.The letter already earned support from the Communications Workers of America union, who also supported a petition from the United Video Games union. As spotted by Eurogamer, the petition calls on regulators and elected officials to "scrutinize this deal and ensure that any path forward protects jobs and preserves creative freedom."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/us-congress-members-call-for-thorough-review-of-eas-55-billion-sale-175851429.html?src=rss

Waymo has caught the attention of the National Transportation Safety Board as the federal agency launched an official investigation into the company for its robotaxis improperly passing school buses in Austin, Texas. The NTSB said on X that it would "examine the interaction between Waymo vehicles and school buses stopped for loading and unloading students."The latest federal probe stems from a preliminary evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that looked into how Waymo reacts to stopped school buses in the Texas city. That report led to Waymo's voluntary software recall in December. However, the school district said in a memo that the robotaxis were seen repeating the same offense days after the software update.As for the NTSB investigation, an agency spokesperson told the Austin American-Statesman that its "investigators will travel to Austin to gather information on a series of incidents in which the automated vehicles failed to stop for loading or unloading students." According to an NTSB spokesperson, a preliminary report will be out within 30 days, but the final report will take anywhere between 12 and 24 months.In response, Mauricio Pena, chief safety officer for Waymo, said in a statement to multiple news outlets that "there have been no collisions in the events in question, and we are confident that our safety performance around school buses is superior to human drivers," adding that the investigation will be "an opportunity to provide the NTSB with transparent insights into our safety-first approach."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/ntsb-will-investigate-why-waymos-robotaxis-are-illegally-passing-school-buses-160943613.html?src=rss

Google has started rolling out a new feature for its Photos app that can turn your images into memes. The feature, called Me Meme, uses Google Gemini to take meme templates and recreate them with the photo you use from within the app. It's still in its experimental stages and will only be available for users in the US in the English language. In addition, it seems to be rolling out for Android users only at the moment, and Google warns that the generated images may not match the original photo at times. If you do get access to the feature soon, check out the instructions below on how to use it.

Apple's iOS 26 and watchOS 26 introduced a new fitness companion called Workout Buddy. This feature uses Apple Intelligence to provide spoken feedback during workouts and give motivation based on your activity history. Workout Buddy analyzes your pace, heart rate, distance and other metrics to deliver real-time encouragement and performance insights directly through connected Bluetooth headphones. It works in conjunction with the Workout app on Apple Watch and is partially controlled through the Fitness app on iPhone. This guide walks you through everything needed to set up and use Workout Buddy effectively during workouts.What Workout Buddy doesIt's important to note that Workout Buddy is not a full coaching program. Instead, it adds to your workout with spoken cues that reflect how your session is going. Workout Buddy can remind you of your weekly activity totals, alert you to personal bests or performance milestones and provide an overview when you're finished. It is designed to feel like a supportive training partner rather than a strict coach.The feature operates in English by default and uses a text-to-speech model trained on voices from Apple Fitness+ trainers. It is available for a subset of workout types, including running, walking, cycling, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training. It requires on-device Apple Intelligence, which means you'll need to keep one of the latest iPhones running updated software nearby during workouts.Supported models include iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and any iPhone 16 model. You'll also need an Apple Watch running watchOS 26.Requirements before you beginBefore Workout Buddy appears in your Fitness app or Workout app you must ensure a few things are in place. First, your Apple Watch must be running watchOS 26 or later and paired to an iPhone with iOS 26 installed. Second, your iPhone must be capable of on-device Apple Intelligence, meaning you must own one of the supported iPhone models we mentioned above and have Apple Intelligence enabled in the phone's settings.You'll also need Bluetooth headphones paired with either your iPhone or your Apple Watch. Workout Buddy's audio feedback cannot play through the watch speaker so headphones are essential. Lastly, your device language must be set to English, at least initially. If any of these things are missing, the option to enable Workout Buddy may not appear.How to turn on Workout Buddy from iPhoneWhile much of the interaction with Workout Buddy happens on Apple Watch during workouts, you can enable it and choose voice options from the Fitness app on iPhone.Open the Fitness app on your iPhone and tap the Workout tab at the bottom. Scroll through the list of workout types until you find one you plan to use with Workout Buddy. Tap the waveform bubble icon associated with that workout. This will bring up settings where you can turn on Workout Buddy. Flip the toggle to enable it and choose a voice from the available options. Once you have selected a voice, close that screen and your choice is saved. When you start this workout type on Apple Watch, Workout Buddy will activate.Enabling Workout Buddy for a workout type on iPhone means you do not need to toggle it on separately on Apple Watch each time for that specific workout. However, you may still adjust it from the watch interface for more granular control.How to turn on Workout Buddy on Apple WatchTo use Workout Buddy during a session, open the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through and select the workout you want to do, such as Outdoor Run, Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT or Strength Training. If you want to see all available workouts, tap the Add button at the bottom.Once the workout type is selected, look for the Alerts button on screen. Tap Alerts then scroll until you see Workout Buddy. Tap Workout Buddy and flip the switch to on. You will then be asked to choose a voice if one is not already selected on your iPhone. After selecting the voice, return to the previous screen and tap Start. Workout Buddy will begin working as soon as the workout does.Using Workout Buddy during a workoutOnce you start an exercise on your Watch or iPhone, Workout Buddy will speak to you through your connected headphones. The feedback is designed to be encouraging and relevant to your pace, performance or milestones. It may mention your current progress toward activity goals, pace, splits, personal bests or other highlights from your fitness data. At the end of your session Workout Buddy will offer a summary of key metrics like duration distance and calorie burn.While a workout is active, you can temporarily mute the audio if you need silence. On Apple Watch during the session, swipe right to reveal controls then tap Mute. This pauses Workout Buddy's spoken commentary without disabling the feature entirely.Customizing and managing Workout Buddy settingsWorkout Buddy is enabled on a per-workout-type basis. If you prefer voice feedback for running but silence for strength training, you can enable it for one and leave it off for the other. The Fitness app on iPhone allows you to set a default voice preference for each workout type. On Apple Watch you can quickly toggle the feature on or off before starting a session.If Workout Buddy does not appear as an option for a particular workout type, you may need to check compatibility. Apple's documentation indicates that only certain types* are supported initially and that the option will not appear for unsupported workouts.*Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3Troubleshooting common issuesIf Workout Buddy fails to activate make sure your devices meet the requirements outlined above. Confirm that your iPhone with Apple Intelligence is nearby and that Bluetooth headphones are connected. If audio feedback is missing, ensure headphones are paired correctly and that the language is set to English. Some users have reported that if the headphones are paired only to the Watch rather than the iPhone, it can interfere with feedback. Switching to the iPhone often resolves that issue.For workout types where Workout Buddy previously worked but suddenly does not appear, you may try toggling the feature off and on again in the Fitness app or rebooting both devices. In rare cases removing and re-adding the workout type on Apple Watch can refresh the settings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/how-to-use-workout-buddy-with-apple-watch-and-ios-26-130000922.html?src=rss

Our reviews team is rested up after the CES grind and we're back to business. This week we reviewed the latest devices from Valerion, Canon, Samsung and Sony, covering a wide range of product categories in the process. Grab yourself a beverage and cozy up with all the reviews you might've missed.Valerion VisionMaster MaxThe weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are a popular time to upgrade home theater setups before the big game. One way to do that is Valerion's VisionMaster Max - if you're willing to splurge. The Valerion VisionMaster Max is a highly capable indoor projector that offers the best image quality I've seen thanks to the dynamic iris and Enhanced Black Level features," contributing reporter Steve Dent discovered. However, it's also a lot more expensive than rival models at $5,000. It's pretty hard to justify that extra money, unless you're really fussy about picture accuracy and gaming performance, or need other features like the 1Gbps ethernet port."Canon EOS R6 IIIIf you're primarily shooting video these days, contributing reporter Steve Dent just wrapped up testing with the Canon EOS R6 III. While he said it's great for video, the photo quality isn't the absolute best you can get right now. If it's mainly photography you're interested in, though, Sony's $2,900 A7 V is a better choice," he said. It matches the R6 III's resolution, price and autofocus but offers superior dynamic range and lower rolling shutter distortion."Samsung Bespoke Fridge with AIWe don't often review appliances here at Engadget, but Samsung's AI-infused refrigerator caught the attention of senior reporter Sam Rutherford. You may not think you need a 32-inch display in your kitchen or cameras in your fridge, but Sam argues once you try them you may never go back. You may not agree or want to pay this much for features like this just yet, but Samsung's Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door refrigerator has convinced me there's a happy home for smarter iceboxes," he concluded.Sony LinkBuds ClipClip-on earbuds have been constantly popping up over the last few years. Many of the key players in headphones have tried their hand at the open-wear form factor with Sony being the latest to jump on board. While the company embraces the inherent perks of these designs, the LinkBuds Clip doesn't do enough to rise above the competition. Subpar bass performance and the omission of some of Sony's more attractive features (and even some basic ones) mean the company hasn't done enough to distinguish the Clip from the competition in an obvious way," I wrote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-valerion-visionmaster-max-canon-eos-r6-iii-and-samsung-bespoke-fridge-123000849.html?src=rss

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. It's been a very busy week of fun game releases (next week will be too!), so let's get into some of them after a quick reflection on gaming while traveling.I love my Steam Deck. I really truly do. It's a fantastic machine. And yet when I brought it with me on a five-week trip over the holidays, I used it for barely an hour the entire time. That doesn't really justify the space and weight it takes up in my bag. The same holds true for my Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation Portal.I'll be leaving them all at home next time. I'll take a small controller (probably OhSnap's MCON) so I can play the odd game on my laptop or phone. I'll bring my Playdate as well. I adore that little yellow console, and I haven't spent nearly enough time using it. I have a lot of neat-looking indie games to catch up on there (Diora looks particularly interesting). I'm more likely to play something on a flight if it's on a device I can pull out from my pocket. I just wish Panic had put a backlight in the Playdate.New releasesMassive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital gave Cult of the Lamb fans a whole bunch of reasons to jump back into the game this week with the arrival of the Woolhaven expansion. You'll need to get close to the end of the base game (though you don't need to beat the final boss) before you can experience what the DLC has to offer. It includes weather effects, a new mountain area with a pair of fresh dungeons, a ranching system (which allows you to raise animals as pets or for food) and much more.Folks who dig Cult of the Lamb seem to get really into the game. After a few years of free updates from Massive Monster, Woolhaven is a major expansion that's similar in scope to the base game, so it should keep fans busy for quite a while if they want to try everything. The DLC is out now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It costs $17 if you already have the base game.Inkle, the studio behind Overboard! and the wonderful A Highland Song is back with TR-49, a puzzle game with a World War II computer at its core. Over five decades, an array of books, letters and journals were fed into the machine as part of an effort to "crack the code of reality." But now you're tasked with finding and destroying one specific book before a timer runs out.It all seems rather mysterious. To give you a sense of what's going on here, Inkle says it drew inspiration from narrative deduction games like The Roottrees are Dead, The Return of the Obra Dinn and Her Story, as well as audio dramas. I can't see myself having the time or patience to figure out the enigma of this particular machine (I imagine many players will need a notebook for this one), but I'm intrigued enough to at least watch a Let's Play at some point. You can experience this mystery for yourself on Steam (normally $7, but there's a 10 percent launch discount until January 28).Another week, another Metroidvania, but MIO: Memories in Orbit has a more striking art style than most. This game from Douze Dixiemes and publisher Focus Entertainment debuted to positive reviews this week. After the AI caretakers on a forgotten spaceship stop working, you'll have to help the robot MIO explore the spacecraft "to revive its lost memories" and save it from doom. Naturally, you'll discover some new abilities along the way, including a grappling hook and air gliding.MIO: Memories in Orbit is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store for $20 (with a 10 percent launch discount on some platforms). You can also check it out via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.Perfect Tides: Station to Station is a pixel-art point-and-click narrative adventure and a sequel to Three Bees' Perfect Tides. Over the course of an in-game year, you'll help 18-year-old Mara explore the big city and find her place in the world.The early 2000s vibes of the trailer are immaculate, so I'm going to have to try to play this at some point. Perfect Tides: Station to Station is out now on Steam for PC and Mac for $20.Cozy cafe sim Tailside debuted in early access on Steam (normally $11, but there's a 10 percent discount until January 28) this week. I'm bummed I haven't had a chance to try this one from Coffee Beans Dev yet, because it looks lovely.Along with serving snacks and drinks to your furry customers, you can learn more about the visitors to your cafe by reading stories about them in the newspaper (hopefully nice ones!). You can play at your own pace as you draw latte art and decorate your cafe. Eventually, you'll be able to visit other players' cafes and open a flower shop. Like I said, it looks lovely.Upcoming

In Big Tech's never-ending quest to increase AI adoption, Google has unveiled a meme generator. The new Google Photos feature, Me Meme, lets you create personalized memes starring a synthetic version of you.Google describes Me Meme as "a simple way to explore with your photos and create content that's ready to share with friends and family." You can choose from a variety of templates or "upload your own funny picture" to use in their place.The feature isn't live for everyone yet, so you may not yet have access to it. (A Google representative told TechCrunch that the feature will roll out to Android and iOS users over the coming weeks.) But once it arrives, you can use it in the Google Photos app by tapping Create (at the bottom of the screen), then Me Meme. It will then ask you to choose a template and add a reference photo. There's an option to regenerate it if you don't like the result.Google says Me Meme works best with well-lit, focused and front-facing portrait photos. "This feature is still experimental, so generated images may not perfectly match the original photo," the company warns.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-can-now-turn-you-into-a-meme-213930935.html?src=rss

Meta is being sued by Solos, a rival smart glasses maker, for infringing on its patents, Bloomberg reports. Solos is seeking "multiple billions of dollars" in damages and an injunction that could prevent Meta from selling its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses as part of the lawsuit.Solos claims that Meta's Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 1 smart glasses violate multiple patents covering "core technologies in the field of smart eyewear." While less well known than Meta and its partner EssilorLuxottica, Solos sells multiple pairs of glasses with similar features to what Meta offers. For example, the company's AirGo A5 glasses lets you control music playback and automatically translate speech into different languages, and integrates ChatGPT for answering questions and searching the web.Beyond the product similarities, Solos claims that Meta was able to copy its patents because Oakley (an EssilorLuxottica subsidiary) and Meta employees had insights into the company's products and road map. Solos says that in 2015, Oakley employees were introduced to the company's smart glasses tech, and were even given a pair of Solos glasses for testing in 2019. Solos also says that a MIT Sloan Fellow who researched the company's products and later became a product manager at Meta, brought knowledge of the company to her role. According to the logic of Solos' lawsuit, by the time Meta and EssilorLuxottica were selling their own smart glasses, "both sides had accumulated years of direct, senior-level and increasingly detailed knowledge of Solos' smart glasses technology."Engadget has asked both Meta and EssilorLuxottica to comment on Solos' claims. We'll update this article if we hear back.While fewer people own Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses than use Instagram, Meta considers the wearable one of its few hardware success stories. The company is so convinced it can make smart glasses happen that it recently restructured its Reality Labs division to focus on AI hardware like smart glasses and hopefully build on its success.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/a-rival-smart-glasses-company-is-suing-meta-over-its-ray-ban-products-205000997.html?src=rss