Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

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

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are coming up. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) Mattia Ozbot via Getty Images The 2026 Winter Olympics are taking place in Italy this year, with all the action taking place in Milan and the Alpine city of Cortina. This year marks the fourth time Italy has hosted the Winter Games; most recently, Turin hosted in 2006. Of the 16 sports that will be featured at the Winter Olympics, there will be 15 returning favorites, including figure skating, Alpine skiing, curling, ice hockey, speedskating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and ski jumping, and one entirely new sport, snow mountaineering. (Will it be as big a hit as the 2024 Summer Games' new addition, breaking? It remains to be seen.) Live coverage of every event at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be available to stream on Peacock - though thanks to the time difference between Italy and the U.S., to watch many of the events live, you'll have to wake up (or stay up) until 2AM or 3AM ET. Primetime replays and select live coverage will air on NBC. The games officially kick off with the opening ceremony on Feb. 6, 2026. Here's what else you need to know about watching the 2026 Winter Olympics. How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Dates: Feb. 6 - Feb. 22 TV channel: NBC Streaming: Peacock When are the 2026 Winter Olympics? The Winter Olympics officially begin with the opening ceremony on Feb. 6, although some events will start as early as Feb. 4). The Milano Cortina 2026 games will run through Feb. 22. The closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in the Arena di Verona on Feb. 22. Where are the Winter Olympics this year? The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Northern Italy, primarily in Milan and also the Alpine mountain resort town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, where events like bobsled, skeleton, alpine skiing, curling, para snowboard, and more will take place. What channel are the Olympics on? The 2026 Winter Olympics will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock. How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without cable When is the Winter Olympics opening ceremony? The Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony will be held on Feb. 6, 2026. Due to the time difference, the ceremony will kick off around 2PM ET/11AM PT. Winter Olympics time difference This year's Olympic Games are in Italy, which is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. Meaning that some events will start bright and early for U.S. viewers, and live coverage will likely wrap up around 4PM ET each day. NBC will have primetime replays of the biggest moments each night. 2026 Winter Olympics TV/streaming schedule: All times Eastern. Wednesday, Feb. 4 (early competition starts)

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

File this one under "Things that make you go, 'Hmmm...'" Retro handheld maker Anbernic is launching a new controller with a screen. But unlike Nintendo's Wii U controller, there's no second-screen gaming capability here. Instead, the display is designed to "make customization intuitive and effortless." Oh, and the controller also has a heart rate sensor. Because, hey, if you're going weird, I say fully commit!The Anbernic RG G01 has a 2.5-inch HD display that the company describes as an "HD smart screen." The idea is to remap buttons, program macros and change other settings without requiring software on a connected device.You, too, can monitor your heart rate while gaming.AnbernicMeanwhile, Anbernic says the heart rate detection helps you "monitor your well-being during intense sessions." I would hope that folks with heart conditions would use something other than a gamepad to monitor their pulse. And I don't know why anyone else would be worried about that while gaming. (Too many Red Bulls?) Regardless, Anbernic seems to be leaning into the novelty / curiosity space here, so at least it fits the motif.The RG G01 connects in three ways: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4Ghz wireless and over a wire. It supports onboard calibration for the triggers, joystick and 6-axis gyroscope. There are four programmable buttons (including macro support) on the backside. The company promises a 1,000Hz polling rate in wired and wireless modes. The gamepad is compatible with PC, Switch, Android and iOS.We don't yet know when this glorious oddity will arrive, other than "coming soon." We also don't know how much it will cost. But you can watch the launch video below and see if it's your type of strange.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/retro-handheld-maker-anbernic-has-a-new-gamepad-with-a-screen-and-heart-rate-sensor-201651899.html?src=rss

More ads are coming to App Store search results starting in March, Apple shared on an advertising help page. The company first said that it would increase the number of App Store ads last month, and this new rollout of search ads will begin on Tuesday, March 3, according to a developer email viewed by MacRumors."Search is the way most people find and download apps on the App Store, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search," Apple says. "To help give advertisers more opportunities to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries." Up until this point, ads for related apps have appeared at the top of search results, but now they'll also appear "further down in search results," according to Apple.App Store activity makes up a significant portion of what Apple calls its "services" business. The company makes money on every App Store transaction, whether it's an app download or an in-app purchase, and increasingly, by selling ad space to companies looking to reach users. App Store ads are hardly new, but the number of ads has steadily increased over the years. Apple added ads to the Today tab in 2022 - a space that's already home to editorial curation that doubles as marketing - and in 2025, Bloomberg reported the company planned to bring ads to Apple Maps.Apple's decision to rebrand its advertising business from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in April 2025 was maybe the best indication that the company was interested in expanding the number of places it would help partners try and reach customers. And it makes sense: the company's billions of devices, each pre-installed with default apps, are some of the most valuable real estate it owns.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-will-begin-showing-more-app-store-ads-starting-in-march-192031226.html?src=rss

After years of uncertainty over TikTok's future in the United States, a deal for the app's US business has been finalized. The new US entity is called TikTok USDS Joint Venture. ByteDance has retained a 19.9 percent percent stake in the new business, with the rest controlled by a group of non-Chinese investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, an Emirati-state owned investment firm, all of which have a 15 percent stake. Dell CEO Michael Dell and other investors have smaller stakes in the new company.The terms of the deal were first leaked last month, after TikTok CEO Shou Chew reportedly told employees in a memo that TikTok and ByteDance had agreed to a group of investors. This ends a lengthy saga and months of slow progress as the agreement was being worked out, ensuring that the app will remain available in the US after years of being on the verge of a ban in the country.President Donald Trump, who had tried to ban the app during his first term in office, praised the deal in a post on Truth Social. "It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice," he wrote."I only hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok."According to TikTok's announcement, the joint venture will protect American users' data with Oracle's secure US cloud environment. It will also retrain TikTok's algorithm on US users' data and will be in charge of content moderation in the US. The entity promises interoperability, as well, promising that users will still get international content and, if they're a creator, viewers. The safeguards provided by the Joint Venture will also cover CapCut, and Lemon8 and a portfolio of other apps and websites in the US," TikTok said.The new entity will be overseen by a seven-member board of directors, most of whom are Americans. It includes, Shou Chew, the Chief Executive Officer of TikTok, Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban, Oracle Executive Vice President Kenneth Glueck and MGX Chief Strategy and Safety Officer David Scott. Adam Presser, who had previously been head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, is the CEO of TikTok USDS Joint Venture.Exactly what the new joint venture means for US users of TikTok is unclear. Shortly after the deal was announced, TikTok introduced new terms of service for US users. As the BBC notes, the new terms include provisions relating to use of the app by kids under 13 (they are limited to the "Under 13 Experience") and that the "TikTok USDS Joint Venture does not endorse any content" in the app. The company hasn't announced specific changes to the app's algorithm or other core features.Update, January 23, 2026, 10:58AM PT: This post was updated to add a statement from President Trump, and with additional information about TikTok's new terms of service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-finalizes-deal-for-its-us-entity-010543484.html?src=rss

Vimeo just got hit by a brutal round of layoffs, according to a report by Business Insider. Staffers are posting on various social media sites that the layoffs have impacted most of the company, including the entire video team. Vimeo is a video-hosting platform, so that sounds bad.Yesterday, following Vimeo's recent acquisition by a private equity firm, I learned that I, along with a large portion of the company, was impacted by layoffs," wrote the company's former vice president of Global Brand & Creative, Dave Brown. He is referring to a firm called Bending Spoons that bought Vimeo for $1.38 billion in the latter half of 2025.We don't know why parent company Bending Spoons conducted such a massive round of layoffs, but the equity firm is known for purchasing tech companies and aggressively cutting costs via layoffs. It did the same thing to Evernote back in 2023 and WeTransfer in 2024. Engadget has reached out to Vimeo to inquire about the exact number of employees that were laid off and will update this post when we hear back."I can confirm that a layoff was announced at Vimeo on January 20, 2026. To respect the privacy of those departing, we cannot provide additional details at this time," a Bending Spoons spokesperson told Gizmodo in an emailed statement. "Going forward, Bending Spoons remains committed to growing Vimeo to meet the needs of its diverse user base."

Tesla just objectively decreased the value of the Model 3 and Model Y. On Thursday, the company said it's paywalling its lane-centering feature, Autosteer, for new purchases of the two EVs in the US and Canada. This was previously a standard feature. Lane centering is now part of the Full Self-Driving Supervised (FSD) package, which costs $99 per month.Speculating on why Tesla would do this doesn't require much imagination. Remember the pay package Tesla shareholders approved for Musk in November? One of his requirements for receiving up to $1 trillion is reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions.One of Musk's stipulations for receiving $1 trillion is reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)ANGELA WEISS via Getty ImagesAs for the details, Tesla killed the Basic Autopilot feature that was standard on the Model 3 and Model Y. That package included both Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC). Now, the latter will remain a standard feature, but Autosteer now requires that $99-per-month FSD subscription. The change applies only to new purchases, not existing owners.The move comes ahead of FSD's switch to a subscription-only service. After February 14, you'll no longer be able to buy the package for a one-time $8,000 upfront fee. If you want FSD (or just lane centering) from now on, your annual cost will be $1,188.Making matters worse, Musk warned that FSD won't remain at $99 monthly forever. "I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD's capabilities improve," the Tesla CEO posted on X. He didn't indicate when that might happen or what the increase would be.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-paywalls-lane-centering-on-new-model-3-and-model-y-purchases-184000707.html?src=rss

Meta will no longer allow teens to chat with its AI chatbot characters in their present form. The company announced Friday that it will be "temporarily pausing teens' access to existing AI characters globally."The pause comes months after Meta had said it was working on chatbot-focused parental controls following reports that some of Meta's character chatbots had engaged in sexual conversations and other alarming interactions with teens. Reuters reported on an internal Meta policy document that said the chatbots were permitted to have "sensual" conversations with underage users, language Meta later said was "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies." The company announced in August that it was re-training its character chatbots to add "guardrails as an extra precaution" that would prevent teens from discussing self harm, disordered eating and suicide.Now, Meta says it will prevent teens from accessing any of its character chatbots until "the updated experience is ready." Those updates will include parental controls, according to a Meta spokesperson. The new restrictions, which will be starting "in the coming weeks," will apply to those with teen accounts, "as well as people who claim to be adults but who we suspect are teens based on our age prediction technology." Teens will still be able to access the official Meta AI chatbot, which the company says already has "age-appropriate protections in place."Meta and other AI companies that make "companion" characters have faced increasing scrutiny over the safety risks these chatbots could pose to young people. The FTC and the Texas attorney general have both kicked off investigations into Meta and other companies in recent months. The issue of chatbots has also come up in the context of a safety lawsuit brought by New Mexico's attorney general. A trial is scheduled to start early next month; Meta's lawyers have attempted to exclude testimony related to the company's AI chatbots, Wired reported this week.Correction, January 23, 2026, 11:18AM PT: This post was updated to clarify that Meta's planned chatbot parental control features have not yet rolled out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-temporarily-pulling-teens-access-from-its-ai-chatbot-characters-180626052.html?src=rss

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently went on record saying that AI still needs to prove its worth if society is to adopt it long-term, but he presumably thinks his company has cracked it with its latest innovation: AI coloring books.A new Microsoft Paint feature currently rolling out to Windows Insiders allows you to generate coloring book pages based on the text prompt you enter. The example Microsoft uses is "a cute fluffy cat on a donut," to which the AI tool will spit out a set of slightly different options based on your prompt.You can then choose which image you want, add it to your current workspace, copy or save it. Presumably you can also print it out for the purpose of entertaining your kids. No doubt the kind of real-world impact the Microsoft chief was alluding to.The coloring book feature is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, and Microsoft is also adding a fill tolerance slider that lets you adjust the precision with which the Fill tool adds color to your canvas.As well as Paint's new Coloring book feature, Microsoft has also improved its Write, Rewrite and Summarize AI functionality in Notepad, which integrates with GPT to fine-tune your writing and summarize complex notes. You'll need to sign into your Microsoft account to use cloud features, but results will now appear more quickly and let you interact with the preview without having to wait for its full response. Again, you'll need to be Windows Insider in the Canary and Dev channels on Windows 11 to take advantage of the updates initially.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-now-create-ai-generated-coloring-books-in-microsoft-paint-163512527.html?src=rss

Basketball fans can save on NBA League Pass right now, which lets you catch a bunch of out-of-market NBA games via streaming. The League Pass Premium subscription is on sale for $75, down from the usual $160, and League Pass Standard is marked down to $50 from $110. Considering we're almost halfway though the season, the discount makes sense and is a good deal for anyone who wants to keep a close eye on the rest of the games to be played this year. The Standard plan includes commercials and support for only one device at a time, while the Premium tier offers no commercials, in-arena streams during breaks in the game, offline viewing of full games and concurrent streams on up to three devices at once. Last year, League Pass added multiview, which allows you to view up to four games at once on a single screen. This is included across both subscription tiers. The service also added a smart rewind tool that automatically selects key highlights and plays from each game. Outside the US and Canada, League Pass carries every single NBA game live, but within these countries a bevy of restrictions apply. In the US, any games being shown on your regional sports network will be blacked out as the service is meant for out-of-market games only. Also, any nationally broadcast games will not be available live, but instead will be available for on-demand viewing at 6AM ET the following day. The service is only for regular-season games. If you're an avid NBA fan that follows multiple teams then the League Pass almost certainly carries dozens of games you can watch even with the restrictions in the US. Subscribers can get a list of applicable blackouts by entering their ZIP code before signing up. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/nba-league-pass-is-up-to-55-percent-off-163421368.html?src=rss

After being one of the first countries in the world to block Elon Musk's Grok chatbot, Malaysia has now lifted its ban. Along with Indonesia, the country moved swiftly to temporarily halt access to X's frequently controversial AI chatbot earlier this month, after multiple reports emerged of it being used to generate deepfake sexualized images of people, including women and children.At the time, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the restrictions would remain in place until X Corp and parent xAI could prove they had enforced the necessary safeguards against misuse of the above nature.Malaysian authorities appear to be taking X at its word, after the MCMC released a statement confirming it was satisfied that Musk's company has implemented the required safety measures. It added that the authorities will continue to monitor the social media platform, and that any further user safety breaches or violations of Malaysian laws would be dealt with firmly.At the time of writing, only Malaysia and Indonesia have hit Grok with official bans, though UK regulator Ofcom opened a formal investigation into X under the country's Online Safety Act, in the wake of the non-consensual sexual deepfake scandal. X has since changed its image-editing policies, and on January 14 the company said Grok will no longer allow "the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis."Earlier this week, the UK-based non-profit, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), estimated that in the 11-day period between December 29 and January 9, Grok generated approximately 3 million sexualized images, around 23,000 of which were of children.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/malaysia-lifts-ban-on-grok-after-taking-x-at-its-word-144457468.html?src=rss

At their core, refrigerators are relatively simple devices. If you're the type of person to view every extra feature as a component that could potentially go wrong, basic iceboxes are probably the kind you go for. But for those on the other end of the spectrum, Samsung's latest Bespoke Refrigerators with AI inside have more bells and whistles than you might think possible - including an optional 32-inch screen.Editor's note: The model we tested for this review came out in the second half of 2025 and will continue to be on sale throughout 2026. Hardware will remain the same, the only changes will come in the form of an OTA software update slated for later this year that will add support for Google Gemini, improved food recognition/labeling and more.Design: As sleek as a fridge can beIf you're into faux vintage appliances like Smeg's retro-inspired models, Samsung's offerings might not be for you. For everyone else, the Bespoke family does minimalist design better than practically any other line of fridges on the market. Granted, the counter-depth French Door AI model I tested is a bit of a departure thanks to a huge 32-inch screen embedded in its right-side door. That said, there are a ton of configurations, including the choice of a smaller 9-inch panel or models without a display at all. The latter looks like a big rectangle, but in a way that Dieter Rams would probably appreciate (I'm just guessing, I don't have his contact info). Other options include setups ranging from four-door models to side-by-side two-door variants or even a single-panel upright model. Glare is one of the tiny downsides of a fridge with a glass front. Sam Rutherford for Engadget On my review unit, the fresh food section is a touch smaller (16.5 cubic feet) than you might expect from a fridge this size, though I've never really felt limited by the amount of available storage. Samsung does a good job of optimizing interior space by providing a number of adjustable shelves, including a sliding one on the right side that makes it easy to store taller items without completely sacrificing flat space for others. The shelves are also spill proof and made out of tempered glass, so they resist scratches and just look a bit nicer than those made from lower-quality materials. I also appreciate how Samsung found a spot between the two crisper drawers for the water filter, instead of just sticking it in the top corner like a lot of competitors. Even with the FlexZone drawer stealing some space, the main section of this Bespoke model still features 16.5 cubic feet of storage. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Meanwhile, in exchange for a slightly smaller main cabinet, this model has what Samsung calls a FlexZone drawer, which might be my second favorite thing about this fridge. It's perfectly designed for storing things like 12-ounce cans and juice boxes, and as someone who always likes to keep a couple of chilled Coke Zeros on standby, it's super convenient. That said, taller bottled drinks may need to be stored on their sides, which doesn't feel quite as efficient. But really, you can put anything you want in there and if you have young children like me, it's an excellent place to keep refrigerated kids' snacks. My four-year-old can go in there on his own without needing help from an adult to reach stuff higher up. Samsung even gives you the ability to set a different temperature for the FlexDrawer, which is a nice touch. The optional FlexZone drawer is amazing for stashing drinks or having a refrigerated section that's easy for kids to reach. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Additionally, along with some rivals from LG, this fridge also has touch sensors at the bottom of each door that let you open them with a light tap. While I still prefer to just grab the built-in handles (which are located both above and below each door), this is a nice inclusion, particularly on a fridge that doesn't have giant handgrips bolted to the outside. My one small gripe with Samsung's exterior design is that its top isn't completely flat as it dips down in back. Admittedly, this hasn't stopped me from storing stuff like sheet pans and roasting trays above the fridge, but it would be nicer if things were fully level up there.Water and ice dispensing: Samsung's Beverage Center reigns supremeI've already gone on record about how Samsung's Beverage Center is the best new feature to land on any fridge in years, so without belaboring the point, but I'll happily wax poetic about it again. Instead of having a water dispenser installed smack dab on the outside of the door, Samsung opted to hide things behind an exterior flap on the left side of the fridge. This accomplishes several things. Not only does it feel a bit more hygienic because the spigot isn't subjected directly to all the germs swirling around the kitchen or a cough or sneeze from anyone passing by, it also simplifies the fridge's exterior design. This might sound a bit weird, but I've always thought that putting water dispensers on the outside of a fridge was kind of like installing a shower in the middle of a room. It's just kind of awkward. Furthermore, by opening the Beverage Center's door, you also have access to one of the fridge's interior shelves, which makes it quick and easy to grab things like ketchup, mustard or any other sauces you might need for a meal. My wife stashes her matcha there, so it's readily available first thing in the morning. Samsung's Beverage Center is one of the best fridge innovations and years. It includes both a water dispenser and a built-in pitcher that refills itself automatically. Sam Rutherford for Engadget But the most important thing is that right next to the spigot, there's also a built-in water pitcher that automatically refills itself after every use. This means there's pretty much always 40+ ounces of ice-cold water (depending on the specific model) that you can pull out and pour. This allows you to fill up everyone's cup in seconds like a server at a restaurant, instead of blocking the entire fridge while you slowly top off each glass individually. To me, it's the difference between an active process where you can dictate your own pace versus having to stand there while the machine takes its sweet time. Plus, if you like infusing your water with fruit or tea, there's a built-in basket filter for that too. The Beverage Center is a truly useful innovation and one of Samsung's biggest advantages over its rivals, and because the company patented it, it'll be years before competitors can come up with copies. The top shelf in the freezer also contains the ice maker, which comes with an included scoop and the ability to make two difference kinds of cubes. Sam Rutherford for Engadget As for ice, the model I'm testing can produce two different types: regular cubes and smaller pebbles. There's also an included scooper and a dedicated shelf for storing it. Now I will admit that the smaller pebbles aren't quite as good as what you get from a standalone nugget-style icemaker, but in my experience they're more than good enough for anyone who likes variety in their frozen water. My small critique for Samsung is that I've heard the ice trays on other models come with sliders that have actual ball bearings instead of plastic rails and I wish the latter were a standard inclusion on every model. There's never so much friction that anything would get properly stuck, it would just be nice if things slid a bit more smoothly.The screen: A welcome addition to a digital lifestyle The fridge's 32-inch display can be used to write memos or draw, along with a ton of other functions. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Of course, one of the biggest potential objections about Samsung's latest fridges may also be one of its biggest strengths: their optional displays. With the continued intrusion of screens into our daily lives, I'm not here to tell you that you need one more. However, even though I was skeptical at first, I've grown to really appreciate having one on the fridge and I'd argue that unless you're skipping the feature entirely, the larger 32-inch panel is what you want.The main reason is that, at least for my family, so much of what we do is already digital. Things like calendars, shopping lists, recipes and family photos already live on my phone and being able to share all of that with the fridge directly via Wi-Fi is a major plus. Frankly, it's easier to upload a picture to the fridge's display than it is to print one out and post it, which goes double for Samsung's Bespoke line since its glass front means magnets don't stick. Even though I already have a smart display in our kitchen, the size of Samsung's screen, along with support for a handful of important apps, have turned the fridge into a better family hub than anything else we own. Because there's so much space, there's room for photos, memos, the weather, filter status and a full 30-day calendar - the latter of which has significantly improved my family's planning and coordination. You can even watch TV or YouTube videos right on the fridge's display. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The fridge runs Samsung's Tizen OS, which is basically the company's lightweight take on Android, so it's super easy to use. You can swipe left and right to add additional widgets to your screen, play music or even watch videos (YouTube, Samsung TV Plus, etc.) if you're so inclined. That said, sometimes I wish the screen was a bit more responsive, because even though I don't think it's a dealbreaker, after having reviewed several generations of the company's phones, I know Samsung can do better. There are also some settings from its handsets that I wish would get ported over to its fridges - like a dedicated dark mode. When I grab a glass of water later at night, the last thing I need is the entire display blasting my kitchen like a pair of hi-beams.AI Inside: A work in progress with benefits todayWith seemingly every tech company trying to shoehorn AI into its latest products, it's easy to roll your eyes at the idea of adding that into a fridge as well. And I think even Samsung would admit that its efforts to integrate machine learning into the Bespoke line are a work in progress. I've found that while it certainly isn't essential, the AI features found here can be a handy bonus in the right situations. Bespoke models with AI feature a camera mounted to the top of the fridge that can recognize and take pictures of the food you put inside. Sam Rutherford for Engadget AI Vision is the headline feature in Samsung's package, which uses machine learning and a camera mounted to the roof of the fridge to automatically recognize and record items you put inside. However, there are some limitations. Currently, Samsung's AI can detect 37 different food items like fresh fruit and veggies, along with an additional 50 kinds of packaged goods like yogurt. Furthermore, the camera only records what goes into the fridge's main cabinet, so anything you put in the FlexZone drawer, freezer or either door won't get recorded. Regardless of whether an item is recognized or not, the fridge will then take a photo of the item (and tag it with the name of the food if it can be properly identified). You can then view a list of everything in the fridge via a dedicated tab on its screen (assuming your model has one) or from your phone via Samsung's SmartThings app. From there, you can do things like set names for anything uncategorized or add an expiration date, though I wish the fridge would do that last part on its own. The fridge uses AI to automatically track food that it can recognize and applies labels to the corresponding photo. Sam Rutherford for Engadget In practice, this means you just put items in the fridge like you would normally and let the AI sort things out on its own. You can always go through the main list to see if you have a specific item or let the fridge automatically delete things when you take them out. That said, the AI doesn't get things right every time, because while Samsung's programming does clear things out after a certain amount of time, you will still need to delete food manually from time to time. Thankfully, for items in the door, the fridge can show you a live feed of what's there, so if you're at the store and can't remember if you have milk or not, you can simply pull out your phone and see for yourself.Because the camera is mounted to the top of the fridge, you might not get the clearest picture or you may end up with your hand covering part of the food as the fridge takes a picture as you put items inside. Even so, that's still more than enough for me to be able to tell what something is just by looking at a small icon. I've found that Samsung AI Vision legitimately makes it easier to grocery shop by allowing me to see what food I have at a glance, regardless of whether I'm at home or at the store. Samsung also uses AI to suggest recipes based on ingredients you already have in the fridge. You can even specific things like food preferences and dietary restrictions. Sam Rutherford for Engadget On top of that, the fridge also has built-in meal planning capabilities. This means you can ask the fridge to come up with a dish based on ingredients you already have, and it's surprisingly good. Not only do you have the ability to specify preferences and dietary restrictions, there's a wide variety of recipes it can choose from. On several occasions, I even found that when asked to suggest a recipe, the fridge came up with dishes I already had in mind. Alternatively, it will highlight when you're missing items for a potential dish, so you can grab them the next time you're at the store. This is one of the most helpful features, because often at the end of the week, I find myself with a handful of leftover ingredients. So when the fridge uses that info to suggest recipes that use those items, it helps reduce food waste.Sadly, the weakest part of Samsung's AI is Bixby. In addition to being overeager when listening for voice prompts, which ended up causing a lot of inadvertent triggers, Samsung also put the Bixby icon near the bottom left corner of the screen. That's right next to the sensor and handle for the door, resulting in even more unwanted summons. After using this fridge for four months, I wish Bixby would just go away, and it seems Samsung agrees. Sometime later this year, the company is adding support for Google Gemini, which should deliver a massive upgrade to the fridge's voice-controlled capabilities.A word on ads You can disable ads that show up on the fridge's cover screen, though that will also get rid of the news and weather widgets. Thankfully that doesn't impact that widgets on the fridge's main home screen. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Last fall, to the dismay of many, Samsung announced that it was adding ads to its Family Hub fridges, including Bespoke models with built-in displays. Now no one likes being taunted with commercials, especially when they're on expensive appliances located in the busiest room of their home. Thankfully, I've found that these ads only show up on the Cover Screen, which only appears after no one has used the fridge in a while, kind of like a screensaver on a desktop. Furthermore, you can disable these ads entirely. The downside is that doing so also gets rid of the rotating news and weather widgets that appear on the home screen. But in my experience, that's just fine, because I don't need what is effectively the fridge's lock screen to have that much going on. Plus, when you open the fridge or touch its screen, it instantly reverts to the main home menu, which includes its own set of widgets that you can customize how you like.Some quick notes and observations For some reason, the door to the Beverage Center doesn't soft close like the rest of the doors do. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The Bespoke fridge's screen does collect smudges, but so does stainless steel, and it doesn't really impact viewability. And on white glass models like my review unit, the simple design makes it easier to clean and maintain than typical metal-clad rivals.The door to the Beverage Center doesn't soft-close like you'd normally expect on a fridge. It's more of a clack, which isn't a bad thing on its own, though I hope Samsung changes its design to match the other doors on future models for consistency's sake.Because the fridge runs Tizen and not full Android, there aren't nearly as many choices for widgets. For example, there's a widget for Spotify and Amazon Music, but not YouTube or Apple Music. There's also only a single option for weather and a widget for pinning your favorite websites, but very little choice when it comes to dedicated news options. In my testing, the SmartThings integration worked better on Samsung phones compared to standard Android handsets, but your experience may vary.If you are so inclined, you can create shopping lists directly on the fridge and then order them from partners including Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Walmart and others.Wrap-upAI in a fridge might sound ridiculous, but it allows for some genuinely useful features, even if the tech suffers from growing pains. And while this might sound preposterous, I think Samsung should actually double down on the tech by adding even more cameras, so the fridge has more angles and viewpoints to choose from as its algorithms evolve. The ability to automatically track what goes in and out of the fridge makes it easier to both shop and plan meals, and this is just in the early stages of the tech.That said, obsessing over AI is sort of besides the point because even without it, Samsung's Bespoke French Door fridge is a first-class icebox. For tech-savvy people, its big screen helps simplify and organize our digital lives while simultaneously allowing the fridge to be helpful in ways you might not have even considered. It's also well-built and exquisitely designed to fit in seamlessly with other modern devices, which feels refreshing considering how often appliances feel like they are lagging years or decades behind gadgets like phones and laptops. And I can't overstate how much I like Samsung's Beverage Center, which in my opinion, is so good it's worth going with a Bespoke fridge just for that one feature.In the end, the two biggest factors you'll need to consider are price and your appetite to digitize your kitchen, and by extension, your life. Starting at $3,500 for AI-equipped Bespoke models, Samsung's top-of-the-line fridges are far from cheap. Thankfully, versions without machine learning can be had for much less. But more importantly, you have to be willing to embrace technology's role in your home. 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.

Ring has launched a new tool that can tell you if a video clip captured by its camera has been altered or not. The company says that every video downloaded from Ring starting in December 2025 going forward will come with a digital security seal. Think of it like the tamper-evident seal on a medicine bottle," it explained. Its new tool, called Ring Verify, can tell you if a video has been altered in any way. Even adjusting a video clip's brightness or trimming a few seconds off will break that seal, and the tool will tell you that it cannot be verified. All you have to do is visit the tool's web page and upload the video you want to check.In the era of AI, you can also use the tool to make sure you're looking at a real Ring video instead of something generated by artificial intelligence models. OpenAI's Sora, for instance, can easily create Ring video doorbell footage with just a prompt or two, leading to a lot of fake security cam footage on social media apps. The company suggests asking the owner of the camera to share videos straight from the Ring app to make sure they're unaltered. It also doesn't matter what camera it is: All of the company's models now embed digital security seals to downloaded videos and videos shared from Ring's cloud storage. However, the tool can only tell you if a video has been tampered with or can't be verified at all. It can't tell you what has been edited or if it's AI-generated.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-can-now-verify-if-a-video-has-been-altered-140000140.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly working on an AI pin of its very own to compete with OpenAI's non-existent pin. No, it doesn't really make much sense to us, either. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Managing Editor Cherlynn Low discuss why Apple might be quick to jump on the AI pin trend, even before it jumps into smart rings. Also, we dive into Sony's Bravia TV deal with TCL, and the aftermath of Verizon's massive service outage.Subscribe!

It's been a while since rumors and reports suggested Apple is exploring a new divisive product category, and it's been several years since the Apple car. Unfortunately, the new challenger is a wearable AI pin with cameras, mics and... zero interest from me.According to a report from The Information, it'll resemble a slightly thicker AirTag with an aluminum and glass exterior. The report suggests it'll have two cameras (standard and wide-angle) for photos and video. It may also have three microphones and a (swoon) physical button. I love a physical button.TMAAppleHow is Apple going to pitch it? What is the non-creepy, not-nefarious selling point of a tiny listening device with cameras? As Engadget's Devindra Hardawar puts it: Why attempt an unproven wearable? Especially when its own Watch and AirPods could already deliver a lot of what's being rumored here.The Information says Apple could release its AI pin as early as 2027, but it's reportedly only in the very early stages and could still be canceled. Even if the Vision Pro and Watch eventually happened, the Apple Car and the Apple TV never did.- Mat SmithTikTok finalizes deal for its US entityA group of non-Chinese investors will own 80 percent of it.TikTok owner ByteDance has finalized a deal for its US entity. The majority of its stake is held by a group of non-Chinese investors. The deal was closed just before the Trump administration's latest deadline to ban the app in the US unless it was divested from ByteDance. TikTok's new investors will own 80 percent, with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, an Emirati-state owned investment firm, taking 15 percent each.According to TikTok's announcement, the joint venture will protect American users' data with Oracle's secure US cloud environment. It will also retrain TikTok's algorithm using US users' data and will be responsible for content moderation in the US. The new US TikTok also promises interoperability, ensuring users still get international content and, if they're creators, viewers.Continue reading.Bungie's Marathon arrives on March 5Another extraction shooter to distract.TMABungieBungie's long-awaited Marathon will arrive on March 5. The 3v3 extraction shooter has a lot riding on it - but it looks pretty damn cool. You might remember Sony, Bungie's parent company, previously committed to a September 2025 release. However, it delayed the game indefinitely last June after a mixed reception to its alpha and partially plagiarized visual assets.It's a very important game for both Bungie and Sony. The latter said Destiny 2 had not lived up to its expectations. It wants another hit like Helldivers 2, not another Concord.Continue reading.How to find an affordable GPU during the great RAMageddonIt sucks out there.If you're thinking about getting a new graphics card this year, your window for doing so at a typical retail price has closed. What do you do if you want to upgrade to a new graphics card this year? If you're sitting on an older GPU, the best advice we can give is to stick with your current hardware. On the other hand, if your current GPU is not up to running the games you want to play, consider buying a card with at least 12GB of VRAM. Then, well, read on for more tips and our top recommendations.Continue reading.The biggest stories you might have missed

Following the shutdown of an alternative app store, Apple has accused the European Commission (EC) of using political delay tactics" as an excuse to probe and fine the company, Bloomberg reported. Apple issued the statement preemptively as commission is reportedly preparing to blame Apple for the shutdown of third-party app store Setapp due to what the developer called still-evolving and complex business terms."As part of an EU ruling, Apple was forced to allow third-party marketplaces for apps once the Digital Markets Act (DMA) took effect in 2024. Apple agreed to allow such stores, but implemented fees of 0.50 per installation if the number of downloads exceeded one million, among other rules.In April 2025, the EC found Apple to be in non-compliance" with the DMA over rules on steering" users to alternative payments and levied a $500 million fine. In June last year, Apple said it would change its pricing for third-party App Stores to a five percent revenue share called the Core Technology Commission (CTC).However, Apple said that the EC has so far refused to allow those changes. In the meantime, a developer called MacPaw shut down its fledgling Setapp store, saying Apple's terms don't fit Setapp's current business model" due to the complexity. As a result, the EC will reportedly rule that Apple hasn't addressed the key issues it raised regarding business terms, including their complexity.The European Commission has refused to let us implement the very changes that they requested," Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg. In October, we submitted a formal compliance plan and they have yet to respond. The EC is using political delay tactics to mislead the public, move the goal posts, and unfairly target an American company with burdensome investigations and onerous fines."In reply, an EC spokesperson told Engadget that it's in constant" contact with Apple with the aim of finding a DMA-compliant solution. The Commission's main objective is that gatekeepers operate in full compliance with the DMA. The Commission is available to discuss and work with gatekeepers to achieve full compliance. In this context, the Commission has been in a constant dialogue with Apple to solve all pending issues, while also listening to developers from all over the world. We remain committed to this exchange to find a DMA compliant solution."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-accuses-europe-of-delay-tactics-following-alternative-app-store-collapse-124701591.html?src=rss

Having the right GPS watch on your wrist whether you're going for your first ever run or your umpteenth run can make all the difference. The best GPS running watches not only keep track of how far you've run, but they track pace and other real-time metrics, advanced training features to help you hit your goals and, of course, precise distance measurements. Some models even provide offline maps for navigation, sleep tracking, recovery insights, and smart features that regular" smartwatches do.

Sennheiser has unveiled its RS 275 TV Headphones, which are bundled with a BTA1 digital receiver. These headphones use Auracast technology to provide low-latency audio at a range of up to 50 meters, and can connect to other devices enabled with Auracast or Bluetooth Classic. For those unfamiliar, Auracast is broadcast Bluetooth audio; we have an explainer about it after CES 2024 put this audio tech onto the big stage. The digital receiver introduces an Auracast signal in a physical space for any other compatible devices, which might include hearing aids or loudspeakers as well as other headphone sets.The company promises 50 hours of listening with the RS 275 TV Headphones on a single charge, and the set can be powered up from the receiver's USB-C port. Sennheiser designed the headset for long-term comfort; the ear cushions and battery can be replaced by the device's owner. The headphones can be further personalized with the Sennheiser Smart Control Plus App. In addition to finding lost headphones, the app provides controls such as transparency mode, left-right balance, hearing profiles and device-type audio modes.The RS 275 TV Headphone bundle will retail for $300, while a standalone BTA1 receiver will cost $130. Pre-orders will open on February 3 and the audio gear is expected to start shipping on February 17.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sennheiser-introduces-new-tv-headphones-bundle-with-auracast-233735294.html?src=rss

Darth Maul, the beloved, sometimes spider-legged former Sith Lord first introduced in Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace, is officially getting his own animated spin-off on April 6, 2026, based on a new teaser trailer published by Disney. Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord was originally announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2025, and is set after Maul's arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars but before his appearance in Star Wars: Rebels.The 10-episode series covers Maul's plot to rebuild his criminal syndicate "on a planet untouched by the Empire," according to Lucasfilm. "There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who may just be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge." Shadow Lord will premiere with two episodes on April 6, and will stream two episodes a week on Disney+ through May 6.Like most of Disney's popular animated Star Wars shows, Maul - Shadow Lord is created by Dave Filoni, a George Lucas supplicant, co-creator of The Clone Wars and newly minted President and Chief Creative Officer at Luscafilm. Besides picking up the story threads he helped establish in his previous animated work, Maul - Shadow Lord could be representative of the work that will define his tenure: stories that play in the pre-existing Star Wars sandbox.Since completing their sequel trilogy in 2019 with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Disney and Lucasfilm have struggled to define what the future of their franchise will actually be. New projects have languished in pre-production, interesting TV shows have gotten cancelled and the only things that seem to come out with any consistency are spin-offs of The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars. Disney and Lucasfilm will release The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026, the first new Star Wars movie to hit theaters in seven years. The Shawn Levy-directed Star Wars: Starfighter, the first film set chronologically after the events of Rise of Skywalker, is slated to premiere on May 28, 2027.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/darth-mauls-standalone-series-premieres-on-disney-on-april-6-224036720.html?src=rss

JBL is trying its hand at something new, with a pair of AI-powered practice amps. The BandBox Solo and BandBox Trio include an onboard Stem AI that purportedly lets you separate or remove vocals and instruments from any music streamed over Bluetooth. So, say you're a young guitarist learning Stairway to Heaven" (as one does). At least in theory, you could use the speaker to remove Jimmy Page's part and hone your chops with the rest of the band.The $250 BandBox Solo, designed for individual musicians, has a single guitar / mic input. And the $600 BandBox Trio, better for bands, supports up to four instrument inputs. The latter also has a few extra perks not found in the Solo: onboard controls (to reduce reliance on the app) and an LCD.The more expensive BandBox Trio has an LCD and more onboard controls.JBLThe JBL One app lets you add filters to match a variety of modern and vintage amp models. You'll also find effects like phaser, chorus, and reverb, as well as a pitch shifter and tuner. A built-in looper will allow for layering, but JBL says that feature will arrive via a software update in October.JBL says the BandBox Solo supports up to six hours of battery life. The BandBox Trio is said to last up to 10 hours. But the latter has a replaceable battery, so you could buy a spare (for an as-yet-unknown price) and double that time.The $250 BandBox Solo and $600 BandBox Trio are available to pre-order from JBL's website starting today. Shipments and third-party retail availability are scheduled for March 1.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/jbl-made-a-pair-of-ai-powered-practice-amps-221000631.html?src=rss