Google is shaking up Search. Again. Nearly a year after the company rolled out AI Overviews to everyone in the US, it's preparing to add a dedicated AI tab to its search engine. AI Mode is powered by a Gemini 2.0 model Google has trained to find and organize information out on the web. Its findings are then presented in an interface designed to make it easier to ask follow-up questions. In short, it's a proper response to ChatGPT Search."The goal and vision for [AI Mode] is to empower people to search for anything effortlessly," says Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search. According to Stein, AI Mode came out of feedback Google received related to AI Overviews. Since rolling out that feature to more than 1 billion users, he says people have told Google they want more AI-generated summaries from Search; in fact, some people are apparently adding "AI" to the end of their searches to prompt Google to respond with an AI Overview.AI Mode gives those people exactly that. When you go to use the feature, Gemini employs a "query fan-out" technique to conduct multiple concurrent searches across a variety of topics and data sources. It will also make use of Google's proprietary information systems, including the company's Knowledge Graph, to supplement information it finds online.In the version of AI Mode Google is making available to Google One AI Premium subscribers today, not every interface element the company has planned for the feature is in place just yet, but the idea is that the tool will create a rich visual experience. For instance, if you ask AI Mode to compare different sleep trackers, in the future you might see Gemini generate a comparison chart. Notably, Google displays sources more prominently in AI Mode than it does currently with AI Overviews. As you can see from the screenshots the company shared, links to websites feature prominent images. Additionally, in cases where AI Mode isn't confident it can produce an authoritative answer, the tool will default to displaying a regular list of search results.GoogleIn testing, Stein says Google has seen people use AI Mode differently than they do a traditional search engine. On average, testers wrote queries that were about twice as long and asked follow-up questions about a quarter of the time. "We're seeing people bring more complicated questions to this surface and also go back and forth to clarify, learn and go deeper."If you have a sense of deja vu reading about AI Mode, it's because it offers some of the same utility you'll find through Google's Deep Research tool. Like that feature, AI Mode will create a plan before it attempts to tackle your query, but you won't need to wait half-an-hour or even a few minutes for a response. "I think our intent for this version is to offer an experience people can use everyday, in the movement, and be able to get a response while they wait, relatively quickly," says Stein.If you're a Google One AI Premium subscriber, you can begin testing AI Mode starting today on desktop and mobile. For everyone else, Google has a few enhancements to AI Overviews to tide you over.When it announced Gemini 2.0 at the end of last year, the company said enhancing AI Overviews with the new model was a priority. If you live in the US, the next time you use Search to find the answer to a math or coding question, the platform will turn to Gemini 2.0 to generate the accompanying AI Overview. It will also use the system for multi-modal inputs. Stein says users can expect faster and better responses as a result, and in the future the company will enable the model for a broader variety of queries.Separately, Google is making AI Overviews available to more people. In nearly every market where it's available, teens can now start using the feature, and you no longer need to sign in to your Google account to see the summaries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-mode-adds-a-dedicated-search-chatbot-to-google-170016310.html?src=rss
Digg is getting another reboot with two of the most prominent names of the Web 2.0 era leading the charge. Founder Kevin Rose has bought it back for an undisclosed sum. Rose's partner in this endeavor is a very interesting one. Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit - which was at one point the site's biggest rival - acquired Digg alongside Rose.They surely have hopes that Digg can go toe-to-toe with Ohanian's former company once again. According to a press release, Rose and Ohanian have teamed up to revive the social platform with a fresh vision to restore the spirit of discovery and genuine community that made the early web a fun and exciting place to be."The former rivals plan to tap into their knowledge of what did and didn't work at Digg and Reddit over the years to help make the relaunch a success. Rose and Ohanian, both now venture capitalists, have also been meeting with community leaders from online forums (including Reddit) to try and better understand what gets in their way or frustrates them in order to address those factors in the new Digg. The new Digg will have a mobile-first approach too.Since this is 2025, of course there's an AI element here. The plan is to make Digg distinct from other services by focusing on AI innovations designed to enhance the user experience and build a human-centered alternative." Rose suggested to The New York Times that AI could help with moderation and allow for fun quirks, like translating a discussion among sci-fi enthusiasts into Klingon."At various times over the years I had been approached to repurchase Digg; it never felt right. The technologies to solve our biggest pain points didn't exist," Rose said. "Just recently we've hit an inflection point where AI can become a helpful co-pilot to users and moderators, not replacing human conversation, but rather augmenting it, allowing users to dig deeper, while at the same time removing a lot of the repetitive burden for community moderators".Justin Mezzell, an experienced product design exec and a longtime collaborator of Rose's, is CEO of Digg. Rose is the company's board chair and key advisor. Ohanian also sits on Digg's board and will be an advisor.Digg has had a long and winding road to get to this point. It was an early darling of the social media era as it went toe-to-toe with Reddit to curate the best of the internet through submissions from users, who would upvote (or Digg) the things they liked to push it further up the homepage - similar to how Reddit works. However, Digg's early success gave way to attempts to game the system, while a contentious 2010 redesign caused a mass exodus of users to Reddit.The company was sold off in parts in 2012, with LinkedIn and The Washington Post Company buying some aspects. A startup studio and venture capital company called Betaworks bought the Digg brand and relaunched it as a site where editors curated the content.That approach continued on until now, even after Digg was sold to an advertising company in 2018. The most recent version of Digg was still pretty solid, as it continued to offer a nice blend of curated material from around the web as well as some original writing from its editors.There were some hints that Rose was getting back in the Digg mix. After several years away, Rose and co-host Alex Albrecht resumed their Diggnation podcast last year. In December, a post on the Digg X account showed a screenshot of the app's icon with a bubble indicating that there were 3825 notifications. The same number is in the X account's header image. Some have taken that as a hint that the relaunch will take place on March 8 (3/8/25). In any case, Rose suggested the plan is to start small and ramp up Digg's features in the coming months.Here's hoping that, as part of this revival, the company reanimates Digg Reader, a much-missed RSS reader from the Betaworks era. And while we're bringing new life to staples of the Web 2.0 era, for the love of all that is well and good in this world, can someone please bring back StumbleUpon too?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/digg-is-getting-another-revival-this-time-with-an-injection-of-ai-161205428.html?src=rss
YouTube has introduced a new subscription option for viewing with reduced ads compared with its pricey but ad-free Premium plans. This Premium Lite plan is rolling out in the US starting today. It costs $8 per month, compared with $14 per month for Premium. All users in YouTube's pilot markets of Australia, Germany and Thailand will gain access to Premium Lite in the coming weeks.Most videos will be available without ads under this subscription, such as podcasts, gaming, fashion, beauty and news content. But the company is treating music content differently since its YouTube Music service is baked into the full YouTube Premium offering. There will still be ads on music and music videos, as well as on Shorts."When we talk to our users what we found is there's a whole swath of people who want an ad-free, uninterrupted streaming service but they don't necessarily want a music service. That's where we got the idea of Premium Lite," YouTube's chief product officer, Johanna Voolich, said in a video regarding the news. "It's really cool because it allows us to give these kinds of viewers more choice, but it also unlocks a new revenue stream for our creators."You'll likely see ads as you browse and search YouTube as well. Downloads and background play, two other key features of the Premium plan, won't be available to Premium Lite subscribers.YouTube began testing a lower-cost subscription plan in several markets in October 2024. Similarly, during that trial, the company offered users most content without advertisements, although it did show "video ads on music content and Shorts, and non-interruptive ads when you search and browse."The platform is still treating Premium Lite as a pilot. YouTube plans to expand the tier to more countries later this year. It will also "introduce more ways for our users to get the most from their subscriptions."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/youtubes-new-premium-lite-offers-ad-free-viewing-on-most-videos-for-8-per-month-153142844.html?src=rss
Elon Musk discovered a simple 30-second fridge trick" that can reverse diabetes, but the discovery has spooked pharmaceutical companies so much they put a $78 million bounty on his head, forcing the Tesla CEO to flee the country. At least, that's what a collection of AI-generated Facebook ads claim.Facebook ads depicting deepfakes of Elon Musk and Fox News personalities claiming that the Tesla CEO has discovered the cure for diabetes have been circulating on the platform for weeks. The ads seem to be part of a wider scam that uses the deepfakes to sell unproven supplements.Engadget has identified scores of pages running versions of these ads since early February. Though many of the ads don't stay up for very long, the same pages have repeatedly run dozens or even hundreds of versions of the videos, all of which follow a similar format. The vast majority feature Elon Musk and Fox News hosts, but there are also versions with other notable figures, including Oprah Winfrey, former Utah Senator Mitt Romney and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Using social media to hawk sketchy supplements isn't exactly new. AFP Fact Check detailed a similar ring of scammy Facebook ads promoting supplements that purported to cure high blood pressure last year. But the addition of AI-manipulated video and deepfaked audio of Musk adds a new layer to such scams.While this particular scam has apparently gone largely undetected by Meta, the company is well aware that fraudsters often use celebrities and other public figures to lure in unsuspecting users. A Polish billionaire recently won a legal battle with the company over deepfake ads that used his likeness. Last fall, the company announced that it would bring back facial recognition technology in an effort to fight celeb bait" scams.Musk, of course, is no stranger to impersonation scams. Crypto scammers have impersonated him across social media for years. His new position as a close lieutenant of President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency," however, makes him an even more attractive target to fraudsters hoping to capitalize on his newfound authority. Several of the ads identified by Engadget feature video clips of Musk's recent public appearances and speeches. These include ads with AI-generated audio overlaid onto video from an onstage interview this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, and a photo opp in the Oval Office.There are a lot of different blood sugar support,' type 2 diabetes, reverse diabetes, sort of scams out there these days," says Jordan Liles, a senior reporter at Snopes who has debunked some of these videos on his YouTube channel. It's the same sort of process you might see with other scams in that they start with an ad, they go to a long video on a website, and then they want you to order the product. And they want you to believe everything that you just saw is real."These ads seem to violate multiple policies of Meta, including its rules around medical misinformation and requirements for advertisers to disclose the use of AI-manipulated media. And many of the ads identified by Engadget appear to have been removed within a day or two. But many of the Facebook pages behind these ads, which have names like Mindful Medicine," Your health compass" and The Wellbeing Spot" remain active. Several pages repeatedly ran dozens of new ads with similar content shortly after the old ones were removed.Because ads that are taken down are removed from Meta's Ad Library along with their associated analytics, it's hard to know just how many accounts they are reaching. But the few that remain viewable offer some clues. One such ad, from a page called Healthy Style," was active on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger for three days, according to the company's Ad Library. The advertiser paid Meta between $300 and $399 for the ad, which generated 5,000 - 6,000 impressions. At one point in February, the page was running 177 versions of a similar ad. Another, from a page called Hydromeduoside" also ran for two days, generating between 10,000 and 15,000 impressions across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. It cost between $400 and $499, according to the Ad Library. Both ads were removed by Meta because they ran without the required disclaimer" for ads about social and political issues, according to a notice in the Ad Library, despite likely breaking other rules and having no particular relation to politics.Meta removed the "Healthy Style" page after an inquiry from Engadget. The company said in a statement it was investigating the ads and taking action on other pages. "The ad review system reviews ads for violations of our policies," a spokesperson said. "This review process may include the specific components of an ad, such as images, video, text and targeting information, as well as an ad's associated landing page or other destinations, among other information."The ads follow a similar script. They often open with deepfakes of Fox News personalities discussing how Musk recently blew up the internet" with his discovery that big pharma" doesn't want you to see. The ads then cut to an AI-manipulated video clip of him from a podcast or other public appearance. Many of the ads refer to the MAHA" website, an apparent reference to Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again" movement.The ads never disclose the actual trick" for reversing diabetes. In one version, Musk says all you need is a common fruit." In another, Kennedy says it requires a frozen lemon." Another suggests that all you need is a lemon and a pair of socks." The ads urge viewers to visit a linked website to find a guide before it's wiped from the internet." Bizarrely, the videos end with several minutes of silence that show a still image of a random object like a clock, calculator or blood pressure cuff.Most of these ads link to websites that attempt to spoof mainstream news sites like Fox News, CNN or Yahoo (Engadget's parent company). These websites typically don't have obvious links to supplements, but feature additional lengthy videos with AI-manipulated clips of cable news personalities. These videos, which can run upward of 20 minutes, often feature old video clips with AI-generated audio of Barbra O'Neill, an Australian naturopath who was permanently banned from offering health-related services in her home country after claiming that cancer could be cured with baking soda.(There's no evidence that O'Neill, who has emerged as a popular wellness influencer in the US in recent years, is actually associated with these websites. As The Guardian reported last year, O'Neill is often impersonated by scammers using AI-generated content to sell unproven remedies on Facebook and TikTok. Her official Facebook page often warns followers about scammers who impersonate her on and off Facebook. A representative for O'Neill didn't respond to a request for comment.)Once you make it to the end of the video, a link appears offering a time-limited deal" on a supplement called Gluco Revive." The supplement, which is also available from third-party sellers on Amazon and walmart.com, doesn't actually claim to treat any condition related to diabetes in its marketing. Instead, it suggests it offers blood support" that boosts energy levels" and "supports healthy weight." According to its label, it has a proprietary blend" of ingredients like juniper berry powder and bitter melon extract.An example of one of the websites linked from a Facebook ad that attempts to spoof Fox News.The FDA has previously warned consumers about companies selling over the counter diabetes treatments and supplements. There are no dietary supplements that treat or cure diabetes," the agency wrote in a warning published in December. Some all-natural' diabetes products contain hidden active ingredients found in approved prescription drugs used to treat diabetes ... these products may interact in dangerous ways with other medications."While it's impossible to know just how many people have been duped by these ads, there are dozens of listings for Gluco Revive on Amazon, some of which indicate there have been thousands of sales in the last month. The reviews on Amazon, where it's sold for anywhere from $22 - $70, suggest that some people may have purchased the supplements after seeing one of the ads described above. It's not working. I thought someone from the company was going to call me on what to do. Dr. O'Neil [sic] said that we might feel a change in about 17 hours. It's been 7 days and I feel no difference."This does not work and in fact raised my blood sugar," another reviewer reports, noting they found the product via Facebook. When contacting the suppler [sic] they did send me a Return authorization number and address to send the unused bottles ...I boxed them up [and] sent priority shipping and it's being returned as no such address. I called USPS and they let me know that it was a scam and they have had 100s of returns to that address [and] that they do not exist."Though Gluco Revive appears to be the most prevalent supplement sold via this scam, some linked pages from the Facebook ads sell similar products, like Gluco Control," which purports to be a a 100% natural, safe, and effective blood sugar management product." The website says it's made up of gymnema sylvestre, grape seed extract, green tea extract and African mango extract." The website features a list of scientific references and media endorsements that appear to be entirely made up. Another page promotes something called Gluco Freedom," which has a similar ingredient list, and offers a 180-day supply for $294.Liles, the Snopes reporter who identified the Gluco Revive ads on Facebook in early February, and has researched many similar scams on social media, suspects the ads are having some success. If the same product gets weeks and weeks, or months or longer of advertising, that means that it's something that they're seeing results with," he says.Have a tip? Get in touch with the author at karissa.bell [at] engadget.com or message securely on Signal: karissabe.51This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-scammers-want-you-to-think-elon-musk-can-cure-diabetes-153042842.html?src=rss
I wasn't impressed by the last pair of Technics earbuds I reviewed. The AZ70W was the first set to carry the iconic turntable brand's logo after Panasonic relaunched it in 2014. The 2020 model did some things well for $250, but inconsistent audio performance kept them from being a serious contender. The company followed up in 2021 with two more wireless earbud options, and 2023's AZ80 was well-regarded by many reviewers for its sound quality. For its 2025 model, Technics dug into its bag of tricks to improve the already mighty AZ80, resulting in the AZ100 ($300). These flagship earbuds offer all-new drivers, adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), AI-tinged voice tools, Dolby Atmos spatial sound and one neat tool none of the competition does. And thankfully, the AZ100 makes good on the promise of epic, reference-quality high-resolution audio." Sound quality I'm well aware that I'm skipping a few generations of Technics earbuds since the AZ70W, but that also means I have a much clearer picture of how much the company has improved since the beginning. The AZ100 is a sonic marvel compared to that first model, offering some of the best sound quality in any of the hundreds of earbuds I've tested over the years. The technology behind the audio boost is new magnetic fluid drivers. Technics says they offer low distortion, accurate bass and high resolution." These parts were developed with the company's know-how from its $1,200 EAH-TZ700 in-ear monitors (IEMs), which also pack in 10mm magnetic fluid drivers. The fluid is integrated into the voice coil of the driver to ensure precise movement of the diaphragm, leading to minimal distortion and excellent clarity across the soundstage. Technics also took care to improve bass performance on the AZ100. Those drivers help with that, but the earbuds also have a new acoustic control chamber and harmonizer to expand the low-end capabilities. It also doesn't hurt that the AZ100 supports both Dolby Atmos for spatial audio and Sony's LDAC high-res wireless audio codec. While the former is common on flagship sets, the latter is rare outside of Sony's own earbuds and headphones. The AZ100 is at its best with high-res tunes like Apple Music's Dolby Atmos catalog. With L.S. Dunes' alt-rock/post-hardcore Violet, the earbuds deliver big, punchy bass that remains tight and detailed. The kick drum, for example, has a thunderous cadence and serves as a prime canvas for the refinements Technics made to the audio platform on the AZ100. Even older albums from the early aughts, like The Appleseed Cast's Mare Vitalis, envelop you with drums, dueling guitars and the atmosphere of a live performance rather than a recorded album. That's impressive when you consider this is streaming lossless on Apple Music, not Dolby Atmos. Speaking of spatial audio, that's the one area where the AZ100 stumbles in terms of sound quality. That immersive mode is available with or without Dolby dynamic head tracking, and when it's toggled on, the sound gets too thin for my liking. The energy that the improved bass brings to the stock tuning is gone, leaving a more sterile audio profile that's a bit boring. ANC performance Billy Steele for Engadget Despite Technics' use of its most advanced" noise-canceling tech, the AZ100 lags behind the best in that regard. These earbuds do employ adaptive ANC that automatically adjusts to your environment, but it's not as good as what Bose offers on the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The AZ100 will serve you well in some situations, but like much of the competition, they don't handle chatty neighbors in the office well and don't silence constant noise sources like fans and white noise machines. App and features Every earbud company offers a companion app nowadays, although their utility can vary greatly. Technics has packed a lot into its software, and most of what you need frequently is right on the home screen. Once the AZ100 is paired with your phone, the app shows battery life for the earbuds individually and the case up top. You then get a usage guide, noise cancelling controls, EQ presets and a Voice Focus AI Test. Along the bottom, there's quick access to ambient sound, EQ and the more detailed settings menu. That settings menu is where things start to get confusing. Simply put, there are so many options here that it can all be overwhelming. And in some cases, items that should be higher up are closer to the bottom - like customizing the touch controls. Spatial audio can only be activated from this menu, which I'd argue should be an item on the home screen. There's a lot here to help you configure the AZ100 to your liking, but it will take some time to find everything you need. One unique feature that Technics offers is multipoint Bluetooth connectivity for up to three devices. I haven't experienced this on any other earbuds, but the feature isn't without caveats. First, LDAC audio can't be used when three devices are connected, most likely due to the constraints of Bluetooth. In fact, Technics recommends disabling multipoint if you want to listen to LDAC-quality tunes. With the app, the company allows you to select whether multipoint will switch devices during media playback or when a call comes in. I mostly used multipoint with just my phone and laptop, but if a tablet is also part of your daily workflow, or you have a dedicated work phone, I can see the utility of a triple threat. Call quality Billy Steele for Engadget The Voice Focus AI Test is a tool that allows you to hear what you'll sound like on calls using the AZ100. It's a nice feature to have so you can determine if the earbuds are good enough for important calls or virtual presentations. And to that end, the AZ100 sounds clear and somewhat natural when you're in a quiet spot. When you move to a louder location and the Voice Focus AI kicks in, you're going to sound more robotic and processed. The folks on the other side will hear you and none of the background noise, but voice quality noticeably suffers. There are two options for ambient sound - Transparent and Attention - but neither assist much with voice and video calls. The AZ100 doesn't pipe your voice back through the earbuds, so you do have to speak up to hear yourself. When in ambient mode, Transparent allows all sound through the earbuds with no changes while Attention focuses more on voices. I actually found Transparent to be the better of the two in all instances, even when I was trying to listen to someone talking. Battery life Technics promises up to 10 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, plus another 18 hours when you factor in the wireless charging case. If you opt for LDAC audio, those figures drop to seven hours and 11 hours respectively. After 10 hours of use with noise cancellation turned on, the AZ100 still had 20 percent battery left. Based on the rate of depletion I experienced, that would be enough for about two more hours. And when you find yourself in a pinch, a 15-minute charge will give you up to 90 minutes of use. Design updates Billy Steele for Engadget You have to get pretty far down the spec sheet on the AZ100 for a discussion of the design updates. That's because the sound and tech upgrades are the real story here. But, Technics did make some changes to the look of these earbuds compared to the AZ80, including reducing the size and weight. The company says a revised shape allows the IPX4-rated AZ100 to better hug the curves of your ears for increased comfort and stability. That holds true as the earbuds always stayed in place and I never felt any irritation, even after hours of use. Both the earbuds' touch panel and the lid of the case are emblazoned with the iconic Technics logo in gold on textured metal (on both the black and silver color options). This definitely gives the whole set a premium look, although I'm sure not everyone will be thrilled with the gold. None of the design changes are a huge departure from the AZ100's predecessor, but the thoughtful refinements, especially to the shape and fit, are notable. The competition Before the AZ100 arrived, Bowers & Wilkins stood atop Engadget's best wireless earbuds list in the best sound category for a long time. Recently, the company was relegated to number two at the hands of the incredible but pricey FoKus Rex5 from Noble Audio. Neither Bowers & Wilkins nor Technics can compete with the five-driver setup that Noble offers, but the two companies offer excellent audio quality for less than the $449 price tag on the FoKus Rex5. Since the competition is now for second place, I give the edge to the AZ100. There's a lot to like about Bowers & Wilkins' Pi8, and if you prefer a more natural sound with less boomy low-end tone, they're probably the pick for you. For me, I like the added bass the new Technics drivers provide and there's a longer list of features for the AZ100. In terms of ANC performance, I also give the nod to Technics, plus the AZ100 is $100 less than the Pi8. Wrap-up It's hard to follow a highly regarded product with another great one. Perhaps that's why a lot of audio companies rarely make huge changes to earbuds and headphones for new models, choosing instead to keep sound quality and ANC performance consistent. If it ain't broke..." and all that. Technics thought it could make its well-reviewed AZ80 even better by borrowing tech from another entry in its portfolio and the gamble has definitively paid off. Sure, you can find better noise-canceling performance with Bose and more modern features with Sony, but Technics has formulated excellent sound quality that few can challenge. I'd say that Best of CES award was well-earned. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/technics-az100-review-supreme-sound-quality-and-a-unique-bluetooth-tool-150038587.html?src=rss
Roku is continuing its relationship with Phillips, with the launch of a new cross-branded television. The Phillips OLED Roku TV is available starting today and retails starting at $1,299 online and in stores at Sam's Club. The 65-inch screen has a 4K UHD display and OLED technology, which has become pretty standard for a premium TV model. It's also equipped with Dolby Vision IQ, which adjusts picture quality settings based on the current lighting setup. And this Phillips OLED Roku TV includes a potential audio upgrade with the addition of a built-in Dolby Atmos 2.1 speaker system. The announcement highlighted the screen's gaming potential, with a native 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium to prevent screen-tearing. Roku started making its own brand of televisions last year with the Pro Series, but it's also still maintaining collaborations with more established hardware manufacturers. The Phillips model will support all the latest Roku features, such as Backdrops. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/phillips-expands-its-roku-tv-range-with-a-1300-65-inch-oled-140047071.html?src=rss
AMD has finally done it. For years it's tried to undercut NVIDIA with slightly cheaper, but less capable, video cards like the Radeon 6700 XT and 7900 XT. And sure, it's still following that same strategy with the new Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT. This time around, though, AMD has produced far more capable hardware, especially when it comes to 4K and ray tracing performance. And there's hope that it could finally catch up to NVIDIA's DLSS AI upscaling with its new FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR4) technology. These aren't perfect video cards, to be clear. But for $549 and $599, the Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT are far more compelling than AMD's previous lineup. That's particularly true since the 9070 XT is $150 less than NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti, and in our testing it's sometimes faster than that card. AMD still has to prove that it can catch up to NVIDIA's DLSS, which has had several years to steadily improve its AI upscaling capabilities. In particular, AMD needs to match the performance of NVIDIA's multi-frame generation in DLSS 4, which has led to some surprisingly high fps figures while testing the RTX 50-series GPUs. AMD's Fluid Motion Frames technology is a start, but it's not nearly enough at this point. Hardware The Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT are AMD's first RDNA 4 GPUs, a new platform sporting more powerful and efficient compute units, third-generation ray tracing accelerators and second-generation AI accelerators. There isn't a huge technical difference between the two cards: The RX 9070 features 56 compute units, 56 ray accelerators and 112 AI accelerators, whereas the 9070 XT has eight more compute accelerators and 16 additional AI processors. The XT model is clocked slightly higher, as you'd expect, and it also draws more power (304W vs 220W). Notably, both cards also ship with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, whereas NVIDIA skimped a bit and only put 12GB of RAM in the $549 RTX 5070. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget As I was comparing our XFX-built review units, though, it was practically impossible to tell the RX 9070 and 9070 XT apart without reading the fine print on their labels. This is fairly typical for AMD cards with XT variants, and it makes sense since they're technically so similar. The XFX Swift GPUs I tested came in an elegant frost white case, with three large fans and surprisingly massive heatsinks. They're both 3.5-slot cards, so they also take up more room than the RTX 5090, which is a dense two-slot beast. Thanks to AMD's efficient RDNA design, you also don't need to rely on complex power dongles to drive these cards. They both take two PSU connections directly, and XFX recommends 800-watt power supplies at a minimum. That's significantly higher than AMD's minimum 650W spec though, so it could be that XFX is just trying to play it safe with its massive cooling setup. (If you're planning to overclock these cards, though, you'll likely want more than a mere 650W PSU.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget In use: A big step up for AMD I knew AMD was onto something special when I learned the Radeon RX 9070 averaged 60 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K Ray Tracing Overdrive mode. Sure, it needed FSR 3 upscaling to get there, but it was still better than the 50 fps I saw on the Radeon 7900XT a few years ago. The game occasionally dipped below 60 fps, but it was still very playable. 1440p was much smoother overall, averaging 117 fps. The Radeon 9070 XT, meanwhile, averaged 68 fps in 4K and 130 fps in 1440p. Sure, these numbers are far behind the raw figures from NVIDIA's RTX 5070, which used the magic of multi-frame generation to deliver 115 fps in 4K with ray tracing and maxed out graphics. That card also hit 205 fps in 1440p. But as impressed as I was by the 5070, most of those frames were just meant to deliver the illusion of smoothness. During actual gameplay, I had a hard time seeing much slowdown with either Radeon card in 4K, and the difference between the NVIDIA card was practically erased in 1440p. Remember, fps figures aren't the entire story, even though NVIDIA wants you to believe otherwise. I kept that idea in mind as I tested FSR 4, which surprised me when it averaged around 20 fps less than FSR 3 in Call of Duty: Warzone on both GPUs. The Radeon 9070 XT reached 250 fps in 4K with FSR 3, cranked up graphics and frame generation, whereas it hit 229 fps in FSR 4. AMD tells me that's no error, it's to be expected since FSR 4's AI upscaling is more focused on delivering higher quality graphics rather than a pure frame boost. I couldn't really see a huge difference while dodging bullets in CoD, but I did notice that finer textures like chain-link fences looked a bit clearer in FSR 4. (I also saw a few random glitched textures, something that was common in DLSS upscaled games early on. They weren't a major problem, but AMD clearly has to refine its upscaling model further.) At the moment, enabling FSR 4 is a bit counter-intuitive as well. You have to turn it on in AMD's driver software, and then flip on FSR 3.1 in a compatible game. Warzone also required a reboot to fully enable the feature, but the game didn't prompt me to do so. And if you want frame generation, that's another option that has to be toggled on outside of the game. Hopefully this process will be smoothed out over time, along with wider availability for FSR 4. In addition to Black Ops 6, it's supported in the newly launched FragPunk, Civilization 7, Marvel Rivals and a handful of PlayStation 5 ports like the Spider-Man games. But it's nowhere to be found in Avowed or Dragon Age: The Veilguard, where you'll be stuck with FSR 3. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget For games that don't work with FSR at all, AMD's Adrenaline software also has a HYPR-RX" mode that enables features like Radeon Super Resolution upscaling (a separate driver-level technology) and AMD's Fluid Motion Frames generation. Altogether, they led to me seeing 200 fps in Forza Horizon 5 using the RX 9070 XT in 4K with maxed out graphics settings, up from 85 fps natively. But again, those are just fps figures - AMD points out Radeon Super Resolution may not look as clear as FSR alternatives. (I didn't notice any weirdness in Forza, but I may have been distracted by the beautiful racing vistas in Mexico.) GPU 3DMark TimeSpy Extreme Geekbench 6 GPU Cyberpunk (4K RT Overdrive DLSS) Port Royal ray tracing AMD Radeon 9070 10,997 113,012 60 fps (DLSS 3 w/ frame gen) 15,888 AMD Radeon 9070 XT 13,060 130,474 68fps (DLSS 3 w/ frame gen) 17,959 NVIDIA RTX 5070 10,343 178,795 115 fps (4x frame gen) 13,920 NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti 12,675 238,417 153 fps (4X frame gen) 19,309 AMD Radeon 7900XTX 12,969 N/A 55 fps (DLSS 3) 14,696 When it comes to benchmarks, the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT hold their own against NVIDIA's 5070 and 5070 Ti in most of 3DMark's tests. In the Steel Nomad benchmark, the 9070 scored 1,100 points higher than the 5070, and the 9070 XT beat out the more expensive 5070 Ti by almost 3,000 points in Timespy Extreme. I was also surprised to see the RX 9070 scoring almost 2,000 points higher than the RTX 5070 in the Port Royal ray tracing benchmark. Previously, ray tracing of any kind was AMD's Achilles heel. Both of our XFX cards also stayed surprisingly cool during benchmarks and extended gaming sessions. They never went beyond 65C under load, and they typically idled below 40C. And since they never got very hot, I could barely hear their fans spinning up. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Should you buy the Radeon RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT? On paper, both of AMD's new GPUs are compelling alternatives to NVIDIA's midrange cards for 1440p gamers who occasionally dabble in 4K. The RX 9070 XT is particularly interesting, since it's noticeably faster and still comes in $150 less than the RTX 5070 Ti. But we're also dealing with a chaotic time in the PC gaming world, where GPU stock can disappear quickly and prices can rocket up quickly. If you can nab either Radeon card at their listed prices, they'll be good deals. But it's not worth overpaying by too much for now. It also remains to be seen how the Trump administration's combative tariffs will affect pricing for PC hardware and electronics. Prices could easily jump by 20 percent or more to cover those costs. While NVIDIA's DLSS 4 technology is more mature and leads to higher interpolated frame rates, there's also a good argument for going with AMD's cards since they have 16GB of VRAM. They'll be better suited to handling larger textures in games down the line, and there's also the potential for FSR 4 to improve as well. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Wrap-up It's clear now why AMD was focused on upgrading its mid-range Radeon cards first. There's not much point competing with NVIDIA at the extreme high end, like it did with Radeon RX 7900 XT and XTX. It makes more sense to focus on cards people can actually buy. The Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT also solve many of the problems I've had with AMD's GPUs in the past. They can go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA's cards, they have better ray tracing support and finally, they have AI upscaling. It remains to be seen if AMD will actually build on the promise of those features, but these cards are a hopeful start.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-radeon-rx-9070-and-9070-xt-review-hitting-nvidia-where-it-hurts-140014376.html?src=rss
Apple has introduced its latest update to the MacBook Air, bringing the M4 chip to its lightweight laptops at long last. Even though the Air lineup is getting more powerful, it's also getting cheaper. The smaller base model of the M4 MacBook Air will retail at $999, down $100 from the previous starting price. Pre-orders begin today, and the machines will be available starting on March 12. Last year's Air models were quite good but didn't do anything revolutionary, and the same seems true for the 2025 versions. There are still two size choices, 13-inch and 15-inch. RAM for the M2 and M3 laptops is 16GB by default, and the M4 model matches that standard. Apple is promising up to 18 hours of battery life, and the Airs will have support for Apple Intelligence. There's also a new look in the lineup, with the addition of a sky blue color to the now-familiar choices of silver, midnight and starlight. The company's current chip has been available in MacBook Pros, the Mac mini and the iMac for awhile now, so the power levels of the M4 have been pretty well established. But the boost for Apple's ultralights is still welcome. Apple says the new chip can make the latest Airs up to twice as fast as the M1 versions. The M4 is kitted out with a 10-core CPU and a GPU with up to 10 cores. It supports up to 32GB of unified memory. The new prices might be the most exciting part of today's Air announcements. The 13-inch M4 Air starts at $999, or $899 for buyers in education, while the 15-inch model starts at $1,199, or $1,099 for education. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-unveils-the-m4-macbook-air-with-a-price-drop-140012109.html?src=rss
Apple just unveiled its latest Mac Studio desktop PC promising improved performance over the previous model thanks to the long awaited M3 Ultra, the company's highest performing processor to date. The new machine is primarily aimed at content creators, so on top of the faster chips, it offers the latest high-speed SSD storage, Thunderbolt 5 technology and an updated Neural Engine. It's been a bit of a wait for a new Mac Studio as the last one came out at WWDC 2023, nearly two years ago. As before, you can think of it as like a Mac mini Pro," a bigger and significantly more powerful version of Apple's budget desktop. Like the last two models, it comes in two configurations with either the M3 Ultra or M4 Max chips and physically looks the same as the previous M2 model. Apple The M4 Max version is aimed at "video editors, colorists, developers, engineers, photographers and creative pros," according to Apple. To that end, it comes with up to a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, from 36GB to 128GB of RAM, four Thunderbolt 5 ports with 15 GB/s throughput (triple the previous model's speed) and over 500 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth. It also includes Two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s), an HDMI port, 10Gb ethernet and a 3.5mm headphone jack. All that makes it up to 3.5 times faster than the original Mac Studio M1 Max. Apple noted that with the M4 Max chip, the latest Mac Studio is the first with Apple's advanced graphics architecture that allows features like hardware-accelerated mesh rendering and a second-generation ray-tracing engine to boost content creation and gaming. For AI processing, it offers triple the speed of the M1 Max version. The M3 Ultra model ups the ante considerably with a 32-core CPU with 24 performance cores, "50 percent more than any previous Ultra chip and the most CPU cores ever in a Mac," Apple said. Meanwhile, the GPU packs up to 80 cores, another record for Apple silicon, along with a 32-core Neural Engine for on-device AI and machine learning. It also supports from 96GB to a record 512GB of unified memory, plus up to 16TB of SSD storage. Apple You may be wondering why Apple is just now releasing the M3 Ultra chip when every other Mac (including the all-new MacBook Air) has some kind of M4 processor. The answer is that it's apparently not easy to design and build the Ultra processors because they're effectively two chips mated together using Apple's "Ultrafusion" bridge technology. Despite not having "M4" in the name, though, the M3 Ultra is still approximately twice as fast as the best M4 Max processor under taxing workloads and 2.5 times quicker than the Mac Ultra M1, according to Apple. Considering its power, the Mac Studio with an M4 Max chip is reasonably priced starting at $1,999 with 32GB of memory and 512GB of storage. The Mac Studio with M3 Ultra is another story, though, doubling that to $3,999 base, with 96GB of unified memory (up from 64GB before) and 1TB of storage. Orders are now open with shipping set to start on March 12th. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apples-new-mac-studio-comes-with-the-long-awaited-m3-ultra-chip-140005216.html?src=rss
US federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has denied Elon Musk's request for an injunction that would have immediately stopped OpenAI's conversion into a for-profit entity. Musk filed for an injunction late last year after suing OpenAI and Microsoft and accusing them of telling investors not to fund rival AI companies, such as his own xAI. According to the Financial Times, the judge dismissed his request based on that claim of anticompetitive behavior. Gonzalez Rogers cited a previous statement by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, saying that the company only warned certain investors who were granted access to sensitive information that their rights would be terminated if they made a non-passive investment in rival companies.The judge also reportedly rejected the request based on Musk's claim that OpenAI and Altman broke their contract with him and violated the company's founding mission of building AI "for the benefit of humanity." Musk, who helped found OpenAI and funded it when it was just starting out, said Altman and his fellow OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman "took advantage of [his] altruism in order to lure him into funding the venture." In a statement sent to Bloomberg, OpenAI said that the lawsuit has "always been about the competition." The company added that "Elon's own emails show that he wanted to merge a for-profit OpenAI into Tesla. That would have been great for his personal benefit, but not for [OpenAI's] mission or US interests."After Musk filed his original lawsuit against OpenAI last year, the company published old emails between Musk and other people in the company. OpenAI revealed that Musk was not only aware that it was taking the for-profit route, he wanted majority equity, control of the initial board of directors and the CEO position. Anoter email from Musk suggested making the organization a part of Tesla. In February this year, Musk launched a bid to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion, but the company gave him a firm "no thank you" in response.As Bloomberg noted, the judge's rejection of Musk's request is significant, because OpenAI is already in the process of talking with government officials about taking on a more typical corporate structure. While the judge has rejected Musk's request, she is fast-tracking his lawsuit and will hold an expedited trial later this year on the basis of public interest and on his claim that OpenAI's transformation has a "potential for harm if a conversion contrary to law occurred."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/court-denies-elon-musks-attempt-to-block-openais-for-profit-transformation-133025600.html?src=rss
As much money as Big Tech is sinking into generative AI, it's no surprise to see more AI-powered tools materializing to valiantly assist you in spending your hard-earned cash. (Yay?) Snark aside, the shopping tools Google began rolling out on Wednesday might make it a bit easier to find the clothing and makeup you'd have been searching for anyway.Vision MatchGoogleOnce a wee Google Labs experiment, Vision Match has graduated into the mainstream. The AI feature, which arrived for testers in 2023, lets you describe a garment you're picturing in your own words and find the best available matches. If that sounds like "googling it with extra steps," well, it is. But AI-generated images serve as a bridge between your words and the products you may eventually buy - one that hopefully produces results that better fit what you had in mind.Say you're looking for a specific piece of clothing you saw a stranger wearing in public. With Vision Match, describe the garment as vividly as possible (Google's example: "colorful midi dress with big daisies"), and the Gemini-powered AI tool will then spit out a few images that fit the description. You can refine it from there if what you see doesn't quite match. After you pick one, you'll see real-world products you can order.You can find Vision Match in a couple of places, but only on your smartphone. One option is to google the piece of clothing (like any other search term) and then scroll to the "Can't nd it? Create it" prompt in the results. You can also find it in the left-hand panel of the Google Shopping tab under "Create & shop."Expanded AR makeupGoogleGoogle's AR beauty features let you "try on" makeup by showing a digital representation of it on your face in real time. Today, the company added the ability to sift through how multiple makeup products would look on you (rather than just one specific brand) when searching for terms like "spring makeup" or celebrity looks."For example, searching 'soft glam' might offer you a selection of neutral eyelash, a rosy blush and a subtle lip gloss, all applied virtually to your face," Google explained.You can try the expanded AR try-ons by tapping "See the looks on you" when searching for makeup trends or those inspired by celebrities or influencers.Virtual try-on: Pants and skirtsGoogleFinally, Google's virtual try-on tool, which launched in 2023 with tops, now supports pants and skirts. Instead of showing an augmented real-time view of you, this feature shows how the clothing would look on models. Fortunately, they cover the entire human spectrum of shapes and sizes - from XXS to XXL."Whether you need flattering skinny jeans for a night out, a silk skirt for the office or comfortable linen pants for summer, finding the right style is only a few clicks away," Google said.You can try the feature by searching for specific pants or skirts on your mobile device or desktop. Look for results that include a "try on" badge. From there, you can choose the model that looks the most like you (or the person you're shopping for) to get a clearer picture of how it might look when it arrives at your door.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-stuffs-even-more-ai-tools-into-online-shopping-120026444.html?src=rss
Volvo has officially launched the ES90, the fully electrified version of its S60 sedan. While the vehicle can technically be considered a sedan, Volvo says it has the "adaptability of a fastback, and the spacious interior and higher ground clearance associated with SUVs." It's the first Volvo EV with an 800-volt system, which promises faster charging times. Since Volvo's 800-volt technology uses lighter components to reduce the vehicle's overall weight, it could also lead to a longer range and better acceleration.For the ES90, specifically, Volvo promises a driving range of 700 kilometers or 435 miles, though the official EPA range could be shorter. When plugged into a 350 kW fast charger, the model can add 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range in just 10 minutes, and its 106 kWh battery can go from 10 to 80 percent full in just 20 minutes. All the vehicle's variants have a top speed of 112 mph, but the Twin Motor Performance (all-wheel drive) version has the fastest acceleration and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.The ES90 was built on top of the Volvo Cars Superset tech stack, just like the EX90 SUV. That's a single set of hardware and software that will serve as the base for all of Volvo's electric vehicles and will make it possible to simultaneously roll out over-the-air updates for all its EVs as needed. ES90, however, is the first Volvo model to be powered by dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin configuration, which the company's chief engineering and technology officer says makes it the "most powerful car [Volvo has] ever created in terms of core computing capacity."Volvo gave the ES90 a slightly raised ride height and its Thor's Hammer headlight design, along with its new C-shaped LED rear lamps. It also equipped the vehicle with an array of sensors that include one lidar, five radars, seven cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors for its active safety systems that can help drivers avoid collision and hazards. Inside, owners can individually fold down its three rear seats for more space. And while the panoramic roof provides 99.9 percent UV protection, buyers can choose the electrochromic version that will allow them to darken the glass and reduce glare at the touch of a button. Owners can access the model's infotainment system on its 14.5-inch center screen display, which comes with built-in Google apps, including Maps and Assistant.Interested buyers can now order the ES90 in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Volvo will release it in more markets later this year and into 2026.VolvoThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvo-reveals-its-es90-ev-with-an-800-volt-charging-system-101006882.html?src=rss
PC players of Grand Theft Auto V have at long last reached parity with their console brethren. Following an announcement last month, today Rockstar Games has released a PC update with features that for several years had only been available to the latest console generation.It's a free update for anyone who already owned a copy of the hugely popular game. The original version of GTA V has been delisted from PC storefronts in favor of the new Expanded & Enhanced iteration of the game, which includes a copy of the old Legacy edition. Both Story Mode and Online progress can be migrated to the most recent version. The update includes technical improvements that debuted on the consoles, as well as some PC-specific ray tracing features if the recommended specs are met. There are also some minor additions on content, such as ambient wildlife, photography challenges, new vehicles and access to the GTA+ subscription service.Rockstar Games has been spiffing up several entries in its GTA franchise over the years. It released a trilogy of remasters for Grand Theft Auto III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas in addition to providing these upgrades to GTA V and Grand Theft Auto Online. And while fans of the series might enjoy all the nostalgia, it's safe to say that expectations are sky high for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gta-v-finally-gets-its-next-gen-update-on-pc-three-years-after-consoles-234614209.html?src=rss
Sony has run a number of PlayStation beta programs over the years, including one that lets folks try new PS5 features before they go live for everyone. The company is now making it easier to sign up for the chance to be invited to future beta tests as you'll only need to register once.The creatively named Beta Program at PlayStation allows you to log your interest in beta tests for PS5 and PC games, new console features, PlayStation App updates and changes to the brand's website. You can sign up for the free initiative starting today, but there are a few provisos.You'll need a PlayStation Network account that has a current email address (invites to betas will land in your inbox) and is in good standing. If your account has been suspended or it has other restrictions, you may be ineligible. In addition, you'll need to meet your region's legal age requirement and live in a part of the world where the program is actually available.Signing up doesn't guarantee that you'll get access to a beta test since there's bound to be interest from more people than Sony is able to accommodate. You'll need to sign a nondisclosure agreement before taking part in a beta and there's no obligation to participate if you're invited to one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-streamlining-its-playstation-beta-programs-with-a-single-sign-up-202628072.html?src=rss
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has once again promised to end the province's $100 million contract with Elon Musk's Starlink after reversing course back in February, according to reporting by the CBC. The reasoning behind this reversal is fairly obvious. The long-threatened Trump tariffs have officially gone into effect, which pops a 25 percent tariff on most Canadian goods and a 10 percent tariff on energy exports.The contract was signed in November of last year and tasked Starlink with providing internet service to remote parts of Ontario. Ford, a former staunch supporter of President Trump, is prepared to go even further to protect Canada's interests. He said that if the tariffs persist that the region will be forced to issue its own 25 percent surcharge on electricity exported to the US. He also said he would shut off electricity with a smile" on his face to US customers if things aren't resolved, according to the Toronto Sun."We also need to be ready to dig in for a long fight," Ford said. "We need to be ready to escalate using every tool in our tool kit."It's worth noting that Canada provides electricity to US residents in Michigan, New York and Minnesota, and a shutdown would impact over 1.5 million people. Ford has also floated the idea of issuing a surcharge to mineral exports or ending them entirely.Ontario's primary liquor wholesaler, the LCBO, has confirmed that it will stop purchasing and selling US-made alcohol. Additionally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would be issuing its own retaliatory matching tariffs on US goods."Today the US launched a trade war against Canada, their closest ally and their closest friend. At the same time, they're talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense," Trudeau said during a news conference. He also suggested that Trump was trying to weaken the Canadian economy as an annexation strategy, but that "Canada will never be the 51st state."Trump's stated boogeyman behind these tariffs continues to be fentanyl, even though less than one percent of the drug arrives in this country via Canadian routes. This data has been confirmed by both Trudeau and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.Don't worry about SpaceX and Starlink's financials. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just announced a partnership to install Starlink terminals at various airports, which seems like auspicious timing. The agency also reportedly ordered staffers to begin finding tens of millions of dollars for a Starlink deal." Government efficiency at its finest. In any event, we've reached out to Ontario's Ministry of Infrastructure for details regarding the the contract cancellation and will update this post when we find out more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ontario-once-again-promises-to-nix-100-million-starlink-deal-over-trump-tariffs-194512098.html?src=rss
Dotemu, the developer behind beat-'em-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, is back with another slice of side-scrolling retro goodness. This time, however, the company's eschewing a tried-and-true franchise in favor of an original IP. Absolum is a fantasy beat-'em-up that's being co-developed by Guard Crush Games and Supamonk.The game looks to retain the core beat-'em-up mechanics the developer has become known for, but with some flourishes. Dotemu boasts of "branching paths to explore," which is giving me Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse vibes. The developer has also implemented roguelike mechanics of some kind, with it going so far as to describe the game as a "rogue-em-up." We don't know the details of these mechanics just yet.We do know that Absolum will be playable as a solo campaign or in a co-op mode, offering both local and online play. Gamers will be able to choose from four different fantasy-themed characters. Also, the animation looks pretty dang gorgeous. It'll be available for Switch, PlayStation and PC later this year.Just because Absolum is a brand-new IP, doesn't mean that Dotemu has given up on reviving classics for modern audiences. The company is also publishing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a game that's actually set during the events of the NES original.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-dev-behind-tmnt-shredders-revenge-is-making-an-original-beat-em-up-180518331.html?src=rss
After weeks of teasers from Activision and Tony Hawk, the video game publisher has officially announced that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be available on July 11. Iron Galaxy Studios remade the old skateboarding games from the ground up to create an updated version of the classics. The remake includes the original games' content, along with cross-platform online multiplayer for up to eight skaters. Activision says it picks up from where Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 left off, but it didn't mention whether the new title would also come with local multiplayer like its predecessor does.The new game was developed by a different studio than the one that remade the first two games even though Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 was pretty well-received. Hawk previously revealed that Vicarious Visions, the studio that developed the first remake, was supposed to work on the third and fourth installments, as well. However, that plan was scrapped after the studio got absorbed into Blizzard. The new game will feature new skaters, tricks and brand-new parks. Its skater selection will include legends in the sport - though Bam Margera was notably absent in the roster we were given - as well as newer names, like two-time Olympics champion Yuto Horigome.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. For the PC, it can be purchased through Steam, Battle.net and Microsoft Store. Finally, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers will be able to play it at launch through the game streaming service. Pre-orders will be available starting today, and those who do purchase in advance will be able to access the Foundry Demo in June. Those willing to pay extra and pre-order the Digital Deluxe and Collector's Editions will be able to access the game earlier on July 8. The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with extra content, while the Collector's Edition comes with a full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck and a printed Tony Hawk autograph.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tony-hawks-pro-skater-3--4-arrives-on-july-11-180029571.html?src=rss
Google has just announced the four latest features of its Android 15 operating system.First up, Google Messages now uses AI to detect scam messages in real time. Scam Detection will notify you if it detects suspicious writing patterns from the messages you're receiving and will give you the option to report and/or block the conversation. For the privacy-minded, Scam Detection runs locally on your device, keeping your messages safe from prying eyes.Find My Device can now let you share your location live with your friends, and you can see each other on a map while trying to meet up. It's a handy feature for those who want to watch their loved ones, ensuring they end up where they should be. This feature was already part of Google Maps (and Apple's own Find My app) but is now rolled into Find My Device.New games are coming to Android Auto, including Candy Crush Soda Saga, Angry Birds 2, and Beach Buggy Racing. After downloading them to your phone, you can play them in your car while parked. The Chrome app for Android will also now track price comparisons for products and potentially send you alerts when an item is on sale.You can click here to learn more about the latest Android updates. Pixel smartphone owners can also check out the newest features exclusive to these devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-latest-android-update-includes-live-scam-message-detection-170040545.html?src=rss
The latest Pixel feature drop is here with Google rolling updates across its family of smartphones and wearables. If you're a Pixel 9 owner in the US, you'll soon have access to a new version of Pixel Studio capable of creating stickers and images of people. As a refresher, Pixel Studio is an AI image app that is exclusive to Pixel devices. "Just type a description of a person or scene you'd like to see, or choose the style you want, like 'video game' or '3D cartoon,'" Google says of the new feature. The approach Google taking here is similar to the one Apple currently employs with Image Playground. Photorealistic images are off the table so that you can't use Pixel Studio to confuse your friends and family.Beyond Pixel Studio, Google is bringing other AI features to the Pixel family in the US and beyond. Most notably, the company's live scam protection, which Google brought to testers last fall, is expanding to more devices, with additional functionality for those with Pixel 9 handsets in the US.If you own a Pixel 9, it will start screening English calls to protect you from scams. On the Pixel 6 and newer, Google is expanding the availability of scam text detection, with the feature rolling out to phones in the US, Canada and United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 Pro users in Japan can look forward to a large portion of the brand's AI suite, including Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio, rolling out to their devices. Similarly, Google is making many of those same features available to Pixel 9 users in Germany.GoogleIf AI features aren't your thing, this month's Pixel drop won't leave you disappointed. To start, Google is updating its Find My Device app to allow users to send and receive the location of friends and family, "so you can rest easy knowing where they are, or that they got where they were going safely." This is rolling out to recent Pixel devices, and more broadly the wider Android ecosystem. One other nifty new feature allows Pixel 9 owners to connect their phone to a recent GoPro camera or another Pixel phone to stream video from multiple angles.Google hasn't forgotten about Pixel Watch users. If you're running the latest model, the company has obtained clearance from the FDA to offer its Loss of Pulse Detection feature. "This first-of-its-kind feature can detect when you've experienced a loss of pulse," Google explains. A loss of pulse can occur due to a cardiac arrest, a respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose or poisoning. Whatever the case, the Pixel Watch 3 will automatically call emergency services if the user is unresponsive.Google is also rolling out on-device menstrual tracking to the Pixel Watch 3, and the entire Watch family will start tracking steps with greater precision and accuracy. This is due to the fact Google has made the underlying algorithm better at recognizing when you deviate from your usual walking pattern to go do something like push a shopping cart or wheelchair. "The improved algorithm ensures that not only are your steps accurately counted toward your daily goal, but that you'll get reliable insights into your daily activities."The March Pixel drop is starting to roll out today. As usual, it may take a few days before the update is available to download on your device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/googles-pixel-studio-can-now-generate-images-and-stickers-of-people-170032821.html?src=rss
Acclaim was one of the biggest gaming brands in the '80s and '90s, but the company ran into trouble in the the early 2000s. It filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and it was sold off in parts. Now, more than twenty years later, a group of industry veterans has revived the publisher with the aim of supporting indie developers and revitalizing its own gaming franchises.The company will help indie studios on the funding, marketing and PR fronts. That's very welcome news, especially at a time when funding is tougher to come by.Acclaim's plan to revive its own catalog of gaming IP is pretty exciting too. The company, which was founded in 1987, published the console and PC versions of the NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat series, as well as a string of licensed games, including WWF titles, The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare, Spider-Man games, Alien 3, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Space Jam and many more. Acclaim also published the first games in the Burnout and Turok franchises.CEO Alex Josef said in a press release that Acclaim has already signed some indie games and it plans to reveal those soon. But here's hoping the publisher gives the people what they really want: a modern take on NBA Jam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/acclaim-is-back-from-the-ashes-to-support-indie-games-and-revive-its-own-classic-franchises-165005620.html?src=rss
Shure just revealed the MoveMic 88+ wireless direct-to-phone microphone with four selectable polar patterns. The company says this is the first-ever microphone of its type to offer this feature. For the uninitiated, polar patterns dictate where a microphone picks up sound. Most of the mics in this category offer just an omnidirectional polar pattern, which records equally from all sides. Some companies swap that out for a cardioid pattern, which picks up audio from a single direction. The MoveMic 88+ offers access to both of the aforementioned polar patterns, in addition to bi-directional and raw mid-side. Why does any of this matter? It increases the versatility of the microphone. The cardioid pattern is perfect for, say, a TikTok video or an acoustic performance. The bi-directional pattern would be the go-to choice for a two-person interview and the omnidirectional pattern is the one to select for a field recording. The microphone also offers a bevy of mounting options. It attaches to most popular tripods and mic stands with included mic clips and can be used as a handheld microphone. It pairs directly with a mobile phone via Shure's MOTIV app, without the need for the company's MoveMic Receiver. It can, however, integrate with the receiver if you want to use it with a regular camera or a computer. The app also gives users controls over the audio signal, with settings like gain, EQ, high pass filter and more. The wireless range maxes out at 100 feet and the battery lasts around eight hours per charge. The MoveMic 88+ is available right now for $299 and comes with a cold shoe mic clip, 5/8" mic clip and USB-C charging cable. Shure Shure introduced another wireless direct-to-phone microphone last year, but that one didn't feature selectable polar patterns. It also recently unveiled a pretty nifty condenser mic that includes a built-in two-channel audio interface. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shures-movemic-88-is-the-first-wireless-direct-to-phone-microphone-with-selectable-polar-patterns-164052767.html?src=rss
Late last year, Australia passed a law banning social media for all people under 16 years old. Now, some of those companies - namely Meta, TikTok and Snap - are not happy at one exception: YouTube. Australia has deemed YouTube as a critical education tool and is allowing use, despite an original assumption that the Google-owned platform would be included, Reuters and The Guardian reports.This follows last month's report from Australia's eSafety Commissioner, which found that YouTube is the most popular platform with 13 to 15-year-olds - with just under three-fourths of that age range using it in 2024. Notably, anyone under 16 needs to be part of a family account that offers parental supervision rights to use YouTube.Remarks from big tech were pointed. "It is illogical to restrict two platforms while exempting the third. It would be akin to banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola," said TikTok's director of public policy in Australia and New Zealand, Ella Woods-Joyce. Meanwhile, Meta called out the Australian government for failed transparency and making "a mockery of the government's stated intention, when passing the age ban law, to protect young people."Snap reiterated its fellow platforms' concerns, stating, "There must be a fair and impartial application of exclusions and all services should be held to the same standard." At the same time, Snap is arguing that it's a messaging service and thus shouldn't be part of the ban.Australia's ban on social media for under 16-year-olds should go into effect towards the end of this year. Time will tell whether big tech's outrage will change its impact on YouTube.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-tiktok-argue-youtube-should-be-included-in-australias-under-16-social-media-ban-160220248.html?src=rss
Repairing your iPhone without shelling out lots of money to Apple has long felt impossible. But, with recent Right to Repair laws in the likes of Colorado and Oregon, the new iPhones are a bit easier to repair without ever setting foot in an Apple store. This shift includes Apple's latest product, the iPhone 16e, which debuted last month. It received a provisional 7/10 rating from iFixit thanks to features like a new repair guide for the USB-C port and its easy-release battery adhesive.The charging port repair guide is a big deal and something even the other iPhone 16s don't offer. However, that's not to say it's a simple process. First, you have to remove the back glass, selfie camera, top earpiece speaker, battery, Taptic Engine and the list goes on. Then you have to lift up the logic board to access the port replacement bit. So, it's still a bit of a mess, but at least you now know you're taking the right steps as you go along it.The iPhone also offers the same electrically released battery adhesive as its fellow iPhone 16 models. It replaces the stretch-release adhesive which never worked as well as you'd hope. This is also the first time an iPhone has Apple's C1 modem after a decade of rumored development. iFixit got down and dirty with the logic board to explore the C1 modem. The team went so far as to run the C1 through a CT scanner, which revealed that there's not a trace of Qualcomm tech in the package.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ifixit-tears-down-the-iphone-16e-now-with-repairable-usb-c-charging-port-151558784.html?src=rss
The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is now 50 percent off at $99. That's a whole $100 off, and if you've been eyeing a Wi-Fi upgrade, now might be the time. Google claims this mesh router can provide coverage up to 2,200 square feet, and the signal won't lose strength even at the edge of that area. You also have lower latency than Wi-Fi 6, so your internet usage will be smoother overall. Because Wi-Fi 6E offers three bands compared to the two Wi-Fi 6 and older has, the network can divide the burden across more bands and reduce interference. This sounds complicated, but Google designed the Nest Wi-Fi Pro to be a more straightforward device you can set up and then forget. Besides receiving regular security and software updates, the router can adjust the network's performance and fix simple problems. Plus, it integrates well with Google services and smart home devices. Just make sure you're using the latest Nest Wi-Fi and Google Wi-Fi devices. The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is on our best mesh Wi-Fi systems list due to its ease of use. It's admittedly lacking in the customization department, but the simplicity makes up for it if the former isn't a concern. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-the-nest-wi-fi-pro-6e-while-its-50-percent-off-150954369.html?src=rss
More than a month after their reveal at CES 2025, I think it's fair to say NVIDIA's 50 series RTX GPUs are a disappointment. Between manufacturing issues, the company's misleading marketing around the 5070 and minimal performance gains over the 40 series, this might be one of NVIDIA's worst releases in recent memory. But the worst part of it all has been watching history repeat itself.Looking back at the last few weeks, I'm reminded of an article I wrote in 2022. The short of it was I bought an RTX 3070 in August of that year, or little more than two years before NVIDIA announced the GeForce 40 series. Plenty of readers rightfully pointed out that I was wrong about the effect the crypto market would have on future pricing, but I think my underlying reasoning was sound. I bought the 3070 when I did because I had a feeling NVIDIA's new GPUs would cost more than their 30 series counterparts and that finding a new card at release for a reasonable price would be nearly impossible. And I was right: 40 series cards were difficult to find at launch.Here we are two years later at the start of a new GPU generation, and we're doing this all over again. If you're just a regular person looking to upgrade your gaming PC, not only is it impossible to find a 50 series GPU in stock anywhere, but nearly every single model is priced far above NVIDIA's suggested price. There's no pandemic to blame this time, so what gives?Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetThe problem is that trends during COVID set a precedent. Since 2020, some people have been willing to pay whatever it costs to buy NVIDIA new cards at launch. The difference now is that rather than give scalpers the chance to profit on that behavior, NVIDIA's partners have decided to take that money for themselves. The end result is that the company's GPUs are now marked up as high as the market will tolerate, and they will continue to carry outrageous prices as long as supply is limited.It's time we admit the business model at the heart of the GPU industry is broken. For the uninitiated, AIBs (or add-in board partners) like ASUS, Gigabyte, XFX, and Zotac produce the majority of GPUs you can buy from NVIDIA and AMD. In the past, this model led to differentiation between cards in the same tier. For instance, there was a time in the mid-aughts where you could spend extra to buy a GeForce 8800 GT with 1GB of VRAM instead of the 512GB specified by NVIDIA. However, those days are long gone.Modern AIB GPUs can feature slight overclocks or an extra fan but fundamentally they're all the same product. Whether you buy a 5070 directly from NVIDIA or one of its partners, it will still be a 5070. At best, you might see a few percentage point difference in performance if you pick a model with an overclock or additional cooling, and yet pricing can vary dramatically between different AIBs and even within one company's lineup.Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia said it best in one of the outlet's recent DF Direct episodes. "The AIB model seems, for a lot of cards, like some weird middle man that purely exists to extract more value from the consumer, and doesn't offer valid differentiation for the price increase."Just look at the 5070 Ti. According to NVIDIA's website, pricing starts at $749. However, retailer websites tell a different story. If you visit Newegg, for instance, there's not a single 5070 Ti listed for $749. The most affordable one comes in at $799, with every other option priced above $830. There's even one listed at $920. Needless to say, the 5070 Ti is a very different (and worse) value proposition at $900 than it is at $750.Newegg briefly blamed the Trump administration's recent tariffs on Chinese imports for the inflated price of NVIDIA's new 50 series GPU, and that would have been a plausible explanation if the cost of those cards went up by only 10 percent.NVIDIA seems uninterested in tackling the problem in a meaningful way. So far, the best solution it has offered is a program that gives an unspecified number of US customers the chance to buy a 5090 or 5080 directly from the company. Provided they deliver the performance the company is promising, AMD's new $549 Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT cards will put pressure on NVIDIA to price the 5070 and 5070 Ti more aggressively, but it remains to be seen if AMD will manage to keep the cards in stock and at their suggested retail price.Pricing for this generation's GPUs will normalize eventually, but unless there's a fundamental change to how the industry does business, you can bet all of this will happen again. Just because the industry has always done things this way doesn't mean we should settle for business as usual - especially as the status quo gets worse every launch cycle.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-gpu-market-is-built-on-a-broken-foundation-143100986.html?src=rss
Apple has been steadily updating its product lineup over the last year or so to make sure as many devices work with Apple Intelligence as possible. But shockingly enough, the new base iPad now has an A16 chip rather than the A14 in the previous model. That'll certainly provide better performance, but it's not enough for Apple Intelligence. It's an obvious way to differentiate this iPad from the just-updated iPad Air, which now has an M3 chip. The two most recent Air models also work with Apple Intelligence. One nice thing here is that Apple doubled the storage and kept prices the same - the 128GB model costs $349, and you can also get it with 256GB or 512GB of storage. It comes in blue, pink, silver and yellow. Besides the A16, much remains the same here, though. The iPad still has a 10.9-inch screen (that they're just calling 11 inches at this point) that lacks some of the niceties you'll find on the iPad Air display like full lamination to the front glass and an antireflective coating. It has basically the same camera array as other non-Pro iPads at this point, a 12-megapixel shooter on both the front and back. There's no Face ID, unsurprisingly - you'll need to authenticate with Touch ID on the power button. As with the iPad Air, the new base iPad is open for pre-orders now and will be available on March 12. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apple-updates-the-base-ipad-with-an-a16-chip-and-more-storage-141208654.html?src=rss
It's been less than a year since Apple update the iPad Air, but the company is taking another opportunity to speed things up by adding the M3 chip to the mix. The new iPad Air still comes in 11- and 13-inch sizes and starts at the same price as the prior model - $599 for the 11-inch and $799 for the 13-inch. It also works with a redesigned Magic Keyboard, similar to the one Apple introduced last May with the iPad Pro. It's definitely a strange update, given that Apple doesn't typically upgrade its iPads on an annual basis at this point. And an M3 versus the M2 that it had before likely won't make a big difference to most users - the iPad Air already worked with Apple Intelligence, and the M-series chip also enables it to use the more advanced Stage Manager multitasking mode. I guess moving to the M3 means Apple can get one step closer to winding down M2 production. Most other specs appear identical to last year's model. The 11- and 13-inch displays are the same resolution and are still stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate, though they are fully laminated to the glass and have an antireflective coating, unlike the screen on the base iPad (which was also just updated). It still uses Touch ID on the power button rather than Face ID, and storage (which starts at 128GB) remains unchanged. As usual, you can get 5G wireless capabilities for an extra $150. Surprisingly enough, Apple cut the price of the updated Magic Keyboard - it now starts at $269 for the 11-inch and $319 for the 13-inch, $30 less than before in both cases. It's a lighter and thinner keyboard than the one it replaces, and adds an extremely handy function key row to the top. There are a few differences to the keyboard compared to the iPad Pro model, though. It isn't backlit, and the trackpad doesn't have haptic feedback. Still, it's a definite step up over the older model Apple offered, at a better price as well. That said, it's identical in size to the M2 model, so an older Magic Keyboard should work without issue. Pre-orders start today, and the new iPad Air will ship on March 12. In case you were curious, it looks like it comes in the same four colors as the last model: space grey, starlight silver, purple and blue. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apple-updates-the-ipad-air-with-an-m3-chip-and-a-new-magic-keyboard-140525345.html?src=rss
Peak Design may have recently begun dabbling in tripods and dedicated smartphone accessories, but it started as a bag maker. It's continuing that tradition by announcing its first-ever roller luggage, the Roller Pro Carry-On. This bag is appropriate to stow away overhead during flights, thus the name, but also comes with some tech-friendly features.First of all, there's a hidden compartment specifically for an AirTag tracker. That would come in mighty handy in the case of a mistaken identity/swapped luggage type of deal like in the movies. It also boasts external gear loops for hooking stuff like tripods. There's a protected pocket for chargers, headphones, tablets and laptops.The Roller Pro has been designed to accommodate the company's newly-announced XL-sized Camera Cube. This container fills the entire volume of the Roller Pro and holds a 400mm prime lens, along with other camera accessories. The company says it turns the bag into a mobile creative workstation for photographers on location or in the studio." It also eliminates the need for a dedicated camera roller.Tech aside, this is a piece of luggage. To that end, the carbon fiber handle has been designed for maximal strength in a minimal volume." Peak Design says it's significantly stiffer" than rival handles, but takes up just a third of the volume." This allows for more packing space, which is always good. The 60mm wheels also nestle into the corners, further maximizing space. The capacity is expandable from 34L to 39L, which is great for piling on last minute gifts while traveling.Peak DesignIt's covered in a lightweight polycarbonate shell and Peak Design's proprietary VersaShell fabric. The Roller Pro is available in a few colors and preorders start today via Kickstarter. This is a Peak Design product, however, so get ready to empty that bank account. The price ranges from $140 to $600, depending on add-ons.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/peak-design-made-a-roller-suitcase-thats-perfect-for-techies-and-content-creators-140035490.html?src=rss
I'll cut right to the chase: If you're an RTX 4070 owner looking to upgrade to NVIDIA's latest video cards, the $549 RTX 5070 won't be much different than what you're used to. Aside from DLSS 4's ability to generate multiple extra frames, the 5070 is practically the same as the 4070 Ti in our testing (and in some cases it's worse). So if you're already committed to spending more than $500 for a new GPU, you're likely better off saving up a bit more for the $749 5070 Ti, which has more VRAM (16GB instead of the 5070's 12GB) and more capable hardware for gaming in 4K.Given the current state of the video card market, though, those prices are basically just theoretical. NVIDIA's previous RTX 50-series cards are already selling well above their retail prices at most stores, if you can find them in stock at all. So I wouldn't be surprised to see the RTX 5070 suffering the same fate. For now, though, Best Buy has NVIDIA's Founder's Edition card and an ASUS model listed for $549.The RTX 5070 comes in $50 cheaper than the RTX 4070's original launch price, so at least we're edging closer to the days of the $500 RTX 3070 (again, if you were lucky enough to snag it for that MSRP). The 5070's price alone made it the new NVIDIA GPU I was most looking forward to test. But after spending some time with it, I can see why NVIDIA was able to keep it relatively affordable: It's simply not a huge jump from the 4070.Devindra Hardawar for EngadgetHardwareAs the runt of the litter (so far), the RTX 5070 is clearly behind its siblings on paper. It sports 6,144 CUDA cores, compared to the 5070 Ti's 8,960, and the aforementioned 12GB of GDDR7 memory. Notably, the RTX 4070 also shipped with 12GB of memory, though that was slightly slower GDDR6X RAM. The new card has a 33 percent memory bandwidth advantage - 672 GB/s vs 504 GB/s - but it would have been nice to see more RAM, especially since AMD managed to deliver 16GB in the upcoming $549 Radeon 9070.The NVIDIA Founder's Edition RTX 5070 we reviewed looks similar to the 5090, with a gorgeous metal case and dual fans to cool down the PCB sandwiched in the middle. A dongle with two 8-pin PSU connections is included in the box, and the 5070 requires a 650W power supply at a minimum. (Though I'd recommend going for at least an 800W PSU if you want to future-proof a bit.) Around the back, the 5070 features three DisplayPort 2.1 connections and an HDMI 2.1 port.
Alienware unveiled a widescreen 34-inch QD-OLED monitor a few years ago and it was hit from the get-go thanks to the HDR brightness, OLED color accuracy and smooth 175Hz refresh rate. Now, the company has launched an updated version that boosts the refresh rate to 240Hz - making it a tempting option for gamers who prize visuals and speed. Dell's gaming brand also revealed several inexpensive LCD gaming models, including a 25-inch, 320Hz model for just $250.On top of the boosted refresh rate, the new Alienware 34 Ultra-Wide QD-OLED Monitor (AW3425DW) offers improved connectivity with HDMI 2.1 FRL, while adding G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA AdaptiveSync certification. As before, it comes with WQHD 3,440 x 1,440 resolution and 1800R curve, providing a 21:9 gaming experience that while not as sharp as 4K, is still a huge leap ahead of 1080p. It goes on sale today for $800.Along with that model, Alienware's 27-inch 280Hz QD-OLED Monitor (AW2725D) is also available at a reasonable $550 price point (arriving summer 2025). It combines QHD resolution with a high-speed 280Hz refresh rate, allowing sharp high-quality visuals along with a smooth gaming experience. Rounding out the QD-OLED models is the 27-inch 4K QD-OLED Monitor (AW2725Q) previously announced at CES, with a 240Hz refresh rate and highest pixel density of any OLED or QD-OLED monitor, the company claims. It's available starting today for $900.Finally, Alienware unveiled four new LCD monitors, including 34- and 32-inch curved VA monitors with 180Hz refresh rates priced at $400 and $320, with both available starting March 6th. The most interesting, however, is a 25-inch 320Hz monitor available for just $250 (coming summer 2025), giving pro gamers on a budget a very high-speed option, if they don't mind a smallish screen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/alienware-boosts-its-34-inch-qd-oled-gaming-monitor-to-240hz-140015276.html?src=rss
Lenovo hasn't even released its futuristic laptop with a rollable screen, but it's rejigged all those parts into a whole new thing for MWC in Barcelona. Officially called the ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC Proof of concept (no typos), the laptop uses the same flexible OLED in its rollable, revealed earlier. However, instead of disappearing inside its chassis, the display folds outwards. This allows what is normally a 13-inch panel to double to 18.1 inches. Notably, because the Flip's screen bends instead of sliding in and out of the bottom half of the system, Lenovo can use the panel's full area.And, just to drill home that it's a concept, Lenovo also added a Smart ForcePad, with a three-layer illuminated dashboard with customizable controls and icons.EngadgetThen there's the Lenovo ThinkBook 16P, which ostensibly is a lot like other 16-inch ThinkBooks. But, if you use the company's Magic Bay docking system, you can really amp up the screen space. The Magic Bay 2nd Display Concept is a small 8-inch screen that attaches magnetically to the ThinkBook 16P, while the Magic Bay Dual Display Concept adds two 13.3-inch panels that flank the notebook's primary screen, giving you that true I'm-a-00s-hacker aesthetic in your local coffee shop.Sadly, the ThinkBook 16P Gen 6 is not slated to be available in North America, so it may have to be a Parisian cafe. Or a cafeteria in Barcelona?- Mat SmithGet this delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's top semiconductor manufacturer, has pledged to invest another $100 billion over the next four years to boost advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. The company's chairman and CEO C.C. Wei has announced its expanded investment in the US at the White House with President Donald Trump. TSMC was originally going to invest $40 billion into building chip-making facilities in Arizona, which it then raised to $65 billion after it was announced as a CHIPS Act recipient getting $6.6 billion in grants under the Biden administration. This announcement is for an additional $100 billion, bringing the company's total planned investment to $165 billion. TSMC called it "the largest single foreign direct investment in US history."During the announcement at the White House, Trump reportedly said that his threat to impose new tariffs on chip imports prompted TSMC to invest more into its US manufacturing efforts. The president previously told reporters that his administration could collect 25 percent in taxes, or higher, for chip imports. The tariffs could go substantially higher over the course of a year, he said.The company's original investment already included plans for three fabrication factories in Arizona. This expansion will allow TSMC to build three more fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major research and development center. TSMC's facilities in Arizona will manufacture chips for AI and other cutting-edge applications for its customers, which include Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom and Qualcomm. The company didn't give a timeline for when the new facilities will open, but it said its additional investment will lead to 40,000 construction jobs in the next four years and will create "tens of thousands of high-paying, high-tech jobs in advanced chip manufacturing and R&D."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tsmc-is-investing-an-additional-100-billion-into-semiconductor-manufacturing-in-the-us-130045776.html?src=rss
Whether you're talking about the screen of an old laptop or that brand new OLED TV you just bought, all displays get dusty and dirty over time. You may be hesitant to give the screens in your home a thorough cleaning; the fact there are so many products claiming to do it best certainly doesn't help. In my experience, the best approach is the simplest. If you want to refresh all of the screens in your home, I'll outline the best way to clean them.How not to clean your screensPhoto by Igor Bonifacic / EngadgetBefore we get to how to clean a screen, there are a few ways you don't want to go about the process. The first and most important is that you don't want to clean any display using substances like isopropyl alcohol or Windex. Alcohol- and ammonia-based cleaners can damage a screen's anti-reflective or glossy coating, and using those substances repeatedly can lead to clouding and the coating becoming uneven.Companies like Whoosh make cleaning products that won't damage your screen, but in my experience, you're better off using distilled water. It's more affordable than a dedicated cleaning agent. Plus, it's more versatile since you can use it on a variety of surfaces. It also won't leave behind any residue on your display, which is something I've seen products like Whoosh do occasionally. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware.It's possible to use tap water, but we don't recommend it. Depending on the hardness of the water in your area and how the municipality you live in treats it, there may be minerals and chemicals that will leave behind residue or, worse, damage your display.Once you have some distilled water, you'll want a separate spray bottle. One option is to reuse one you already have at home, but if you don't have a spare, Muji makes handy travel bottles in 100ml, 50ml and 30ml sizes that are perfect for the task. You can also find similar options on Amazon.Next, be mindful of what you use to wipe your screen. You want to avoid using paper towels, dish rags or anything else that may have an abrasive surface that will damage the display's coating. You can use the sleeve of an old (but clean) t-shirt, but you'll get the best results using a microfiber cloth.Microfiber is extremely soft and good at attracting dust. We suggest buying a pack of rags so that you always have a clean one ready. The last thing you want to do is use a dirty one and transfer any dirt and grime onto your display.Lastly, avoid spraying any liquid directly on a display. You'll have a lot more control if you deposit it on your microfiber cloth and it's much easier to avoid any of it making its way into the more sensitive parts of the display.How to clean your screensPhoto by Igor Bonifacic / EngadgetWith all that out of the way, the actual process of cleaning a display is straightforward. If you're only dealing with some dust, use a can of compressed air or an air blower to dislodge it. You can also turn to a dry microfiber cloth.For anything more than that, dampen your microfiber cloth with a small amount of distilled water and then gently wipe the display. Once you've gone over the entire surface, turn over the cloth and use the dry side to remove any excess water. At this stage, avoid buffing the screen or using excessive pressure. You don't want to work any particles into the surface of the screen.That's it. You should have a clean display now. Naturally, it will take longer to clean a bigger screen, but you can put to use the tips mentioned for all types of displays, including TVs, monitors and glass smartphone displays.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/how-to-clean-a-tv-screen-and-all-the-other-screens-in-your-home-150049478.html?src=rss
Waymo and Uber's robotaxi service is launching today in Austin, exclusively in the Uber app. The companies announced their plan to expand to Austin and Atlanta in September 2024, and Waymo raised a cool $5.6 billion in October to help pay for it.Unlike the Waymo One service offered to riders in San Francisco and Los Angeles, interested Austin riders will get a chance to ride in a Waymo just by ordering an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric ride, similar to how things are handled in Phoenix. You're not guaranteed to receive a Waymo when you do order one of those rides, but Uber says you can increase your chances of receiving one by changing your "Ride Preferences" in the app. Upfront prices remain the same whether you get a Waymo or not, though if you do end up in a robotaxi, you won't be prompted to tip. You'll use the Uber app to unlock the Waymo, open its trunk and start your ride, too.Uber / EngadgetUber says Waymo One will cover 37 square miles in Austin, and in a first for the company, Waymo vehicles themselves will be stored, cleaned and maintained by a third-party partner, Avomo, theoretically making the experience even more taxi-like than before.Waymo won't be the only major self-driving shop offering rides in Austin. Tesla's robotaxi service is supposed to launch in the Texas capital in June. They're not evenly matched so far, though. In May 2024, Waymo said it makes 50,000 paid trips every week. It remains to be seen how quickly Tesla will reach the same scale. For its part, Uber has expressed interest in offering Tesla rides through its app, too, though so far the EV company is operating on its own.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-and-ubers-austin-robotaxi-expansion-begins-today-120035908.html?src=rss
Nothing doesn't have a Phone 3 yet, instead choosing to make a lateral move to not one, but two new mid-range devices, the Nothing Phone 3a and, intriguingly, the 3a Pro. Reassuringly, Nothing continues to design phones unlike anything else out there. Its retro-future design aesthetic for the exposed-but-not hardware on the rear of the phones, as well as the dot-matrix fonts, animations and software, are all back. Hardware design remains Nothing's biggest strength. I get asked about the Nothing phone more than I do when I'm using the latest iPhone, Samsung's foldables or anything else. It's just different. The Phone 3a series now has a glass backing (upgraded from polycarbonate) and you can still see screw fittings, electronics and a return of Nothing's Glyph lighting system. The Phone 3a is rated IP64, adding better protection this year against rogue water sprays and liquid incidents. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Nothing has once again rejigged the exposed hardware, and the Glyph lighting details are all at the top of the phone, circling the camera unit. On the Phone 3a Pro, courtesy of a new periscope sensor capable of 3X optical zoom, a substantial circular camera unit protrudes from the back. If you think the 3a Pro's camera module looks chunky, it also adds roughly 10 grams to its weight compared to the base Nothing Phone 3a. But for camera obsessives, only one of these phones will hold your attention. (Although the blue iteration of the Nothing Phone 3a is gorgeous.) The Nothing Phone 3a Pro's 50-megapixel telephoto sensor can stretch to 3x optical zoom, but it also includes a rather useable, in my early testing, lossless cropped 6x zoom. There's also a 50MP primary sensor with f/1.88 lens, and dual-pixel phase detection auto-focus (PDAF). Nothing has crammed in an ultrawide 8MP sensor with a 120-degree field of view. The 3a Pro also has a telemacro mode and can combine focus as close as 15cm (5.9 inches) away with the zoom of the telephoto. It's a feature that makes macro photography far more useful - and still rare on phones outside of China. The base model Phone 3a's main 50MP camera has single-pixel PDAF, but otherwise keeps the same primary camera specs. Its telephoto stretches to 2x optical zoom, and a third ultrawide 8MP camera. While we'll explore the camera more deeply in our review, my early impressions are positive. Images are crisp and Nothing has a knack for curated filters that look good. I especially like the frosted glass effect, which Nothing also offers for wallpaper customization. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Nothing says its TrueLens Engine 3.0 combines AI-powered tone mapping with Ultra XDR, which it co-developed with Google, to tune photos. It involves a burst of 8 RAW images, which are all processed together to adjust the brightness of each pixel up to five times. Nothing's image processing seems to lean towards punchy, high-contrast photos and video. The Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are otherwise identical in specs. Compared to the Nothing Phone 2a, both new devices have a bigger 6.77-inch AMOLED LTPS display, now using Panda Glass rather than Corning's Gorilla Glass. As you might expect from most (but not all) phones, the 3a has an always-on display, can reach 120Hz refresh rates and it now hits 1,300 nits, making it brighter than the company's last phone, too. Once again, the phones both have a big 5,000mAh battery and fast charging at up to 50W. According to Nothing, this means it should take less than an hour to charge the device entirely, while you should be able to get halfway there in 19 minutes. One of the only parts of the Nothing Phone 3a series that hints that they aren't quite at a flagship level is their processor: a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. We'll put that chip through its paces in our review, but it is supposed to help with Nothing's own custom software pecadillos, like the TrueLens Engine. The company says that chip makes the 3a series 92 percent better at AI processing than its predecessor. In a nod to both its OnePlus history and the recent trend for adding buttons, Nothing added its Essential Key to the Phone 3a, on the right edge below the power button. Oddly, it has a different finish to the rest of the machined buttons on the 3a and feels a bit cheaper. It works like an AI assistant launcher on other smartphones, like Samsung's Gemini AI launcher, although the AI hooks come later. One press will capture and send content a screenshot to Nothing's Essential Space app, while a longer press will start recording a voice note. You can also double-press to launch straight into the Essential Space app, which is a storage space for all those collections. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Nothing uses the same AI tricks we've seen elsewhere; it just simplifies them. The Phone 3a will transcribe your voice notes, automate reminders, and even describe your photos and screenshots if needed. As I juggle work commitments, other writing projects, life and everything else, this is an intriguing soup of AI tools, storage and automation, all in a single place. This also seems to be Nothing's equivalent of Android's Labs setting. The company is teasing further functionality, such as focused search, flip-to-record, Camera Capture (using the Essential key while in the camera app), Smart Collections of all your notes and more. It seems to be the Notes equivalent of how Google Photos gives you quick and easy access to the images and videos you're looking for. With the Phone 3a Pro's software more broadly, Nothing OS is fun. Despite a learning curve in places, it's playful. The icons, fonts, and animations across Nothing's take on Android 15 add a refreshing touch of personality in a sea of smartphone sameness. Perhaps there are a few too many creative cooks, as Nothing's decorative touches jostle with what I assume are Google's baked-in fonts and menus. Some of the icons are hard to discern, too. After powering up the Phone 3a for the first time, a pixelated smiley face appeared on the home screen. I'd tap it and realize it does nothing. It turns out this is Nothing's attempt at showing your screen time - but it doesn't need to be a 2x2 widget. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Other nice touches include a monochrome theme (on these monochrome phones), app label removal and a smart app drawer that corrals similar apps together for more straightforward navigation. Availability in the US will come through a Beta Program, like in previous years. The Phone 3a ($379) is available to preorder now in grey, black and blue, with devices landing March 11, while the Phone 3a Pro ($459) in black and grey, goes on preorder March 11 and launches March 25. In the UK, the company's Nothing Store in London will be one of the first places to offer the phone directly, from 11AM GMT on March 8. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/nothings-phone-3a-pro-is-a-stylish-almost-flagship-experience-for-459-103058974.html?src=rss
Meta and the Internet Society have established the Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative, which aims to expand affordable internet connection around the world. They announced the new project at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The partners are committing a $30 million investment through 2030 that will go to funding infrastructure development in various communities, specifically those overlooked or intentionally ignored by commercial providers. In addition, the initiative's money will go towards training programs that improve the technical know-how of marginalized grounds, to community-centered solutions for underserved areas, as well as to locally owned networks that create jobs.This an expansion of the non-profit organization's partnership with Meta, which started years ago when they worked together to improve internet connectivity in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America by developing Internet exchange points. These points, or IXPs, are physical locations where internet providers can exchange traffic.Meta is only the Internet Society's first partner for the Co-Funding Initiative, and the non-profit org is putting out a call for more partners who can help grow that fund. "This new Connectivity Co-Funding initiative, supported by Meta, is a prime example of collective action that will help provide meaningful access to more than 2 billion people across the world with insufficient or no Internet," said Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society. "It is our hope that this fund plays a pivotal role in reducing this gap and creating a more equitable digital society."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-and-internet-society-team-up-to-expand-internet-access-around-the-world-080034114.html?src=rss
Before a new car comes to market, it's subjected to many months, sometimes years, of rigorous testing around the world. Sweden often hosts a big part of that journey, its cold northern expanses offering the perfect mix of frigid temperatures and frozen surfaces.It's there that I myself got to do a little testing of an upcoming new EV from Mercedes-Benz. It's the GLC with EQ Technology, an all-electric version of one of the company's most popular SUVs. With new batteries, new motors and a higher-voltage charging system, it marks a significant departure from, and upgrade over, the company's current EV offerings like the EQE SUV.But could it be better to drive? That's the question that brought me to Sweden. I'm generally quite comfortable driving on the ice and snow. I've certainly been doing it long enough, living in the northeast my entire life and ice racing for the last 20 years. But, put me behind the wheel of a priceless, hand-built prototype and I'll usually take a few extra minutes before I start to really push things.Not so when I got behind the steering wheel of the electric GLC SUV. Within 30 seconds, I had my foot flat to the floor, and I, along with a wide-eyed development engineer, were flying down an ice-covered trail bisecting a birch tree stand.Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AGThat's how good the new GLC's traction and stability control systems are. Where most cars will simply cut all the power in a slippery situation like that, especially practical-minded ones like a typical crossover SUV, the GLC was far more giving. When the grip was low over sections of dark, glassy ice, the system reduced the power application and kept me from making a big, expensive dent in a snowbank.When the grip was there, though, the GLC quickly ramped back up to maximum acceleration, relying on the power of its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive to keep us tracking smoothly and cleanly between the trees. Those motors and the smarts that control them are all part of Mercedes-Benz's new platform, MB.EA. These are permanent magnet type motors, with the front one featuring a physical disconnect to reduce its drag when it's not needed.The car also features a new heat pump that's able to absorb thermal energy from the ambient air as well as the car's various internal systems. Mercedes engineers said it will warm the cabin twice as fast using half the energy as their current EVs. Indeed, the interior in the GLC was quite cozy despite temperatures well below freezing.Unfortunately, I can't comment on the vehicle's range in those conditions. This is just a pre-production prototype, after all. Still, I'm expecting a substantial improvement over the 307 miles the EQE SUV can manage on a charge. The batteries in the GLC rely on a revised chemistry, said to reduce the reliance on troublesome cobalt while also increasing energy density. That means more miles per pound of battery.Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AGAnother thing helping to extend range is a revised regenerative braking system. The GLC will feature multiple different rates of regen, including a one-pedal mode that will bring the SUV to a complete stop. When you do go for the brake pedal, though, you might notice it feels a little weird.That's because stepping on the pedal doesn't really do anything. Similar to a sim-racing pedal set, the resistance here is simulated. You're not feeling a hydraulic system squeezing pistons, just springs compressing.It's a different sensation, but not a bad one. The idea is that the car will give you a steady, consistent feel regardless of what you're doing or how you're driving. The car itself will determine how much of your desired deceleration can come from the regenerative power of the electric motors. When it needs more than they can provide, it seamlessly calls in the physical brakes for reinforcement.In practice, it works brilliantly. The car stops smoothly and cleanly, and there's none of the occasional uneven braking that you get when stomping hard on the stop pedal in an EV. The lack of pedal feedback when ABS engages is a bit disappointing, but then I've heard that pulse causes some people to lift off the brake pedal, so perhaps it's for the best.Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AGWhen stomping on the other pedal, again, the GLC accelerates strongly. It's quick enough to keep performance-minded drivers entertained. Still, given the low-grip nature of the roads and trails I covered, I can't say just how competent a handler it will be.I can say that the optional air suspension did a sublime job over truly terrible road conditions. Ruts, washboards, frost heaves, you name it, the car happily soaked it up, even raising the suspension by an inch when some deeper snow and ice necessitated a little more ground clearance. On smoother roads, the GLC was every bit the quiet limousine that you want a luxury EV to be. There was a bit of road noise from the aggressively treaded snow tires, but this thing should be a delightful cruiser on normal tires.The only problem? We'll have to be patient. The GLC is set to make its formal debut in Germany in September, which means it likely won't enter production until well into 2026. Mercedes-Benz hasn't set a price for the electric GLC yet either. Given the state of the world right now, it's anyone's guess what the incentive/tariff situation will look like for foreign EVs, even those built in the US like Mercedes-Benz's current EQS SUV.If it's priced right, though, and if it doesn't look too awful once those camouflage stickers and taped-on protrusions are removed, it should be a winner. I already can't wait for another go behind the wheel and another chance to get even more comfortable.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/mercedes-benz-glc-with-eq-technology-prototype-drive-better-when-chilled-230157718.html?src=rss
Apple's offered Major League Baseball games through the Apple TV app since 2022, and that's continuing in 2025, with new programming at no additional cost. The company announced that "Friday Night Baseball" is coming back on March 28, and that its releasing a three-part docuseries on the 2024 World Series and a new Yankees-focused Immersive Video for the Vision Pro.The opening weekend double-header on March 28 features a match between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays at 6:30 PM ET and the New York Mets and Houston Astros at 7:30 PM ET. Apple says its season coverage will also include a rematch between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers after their World Series face-off in 2024, a game between the Texas Rangers and Astros, and match-ups between the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies and the Dodgers and the Mets. You can view the complete schedule for the first half of the season in Apple's press release.Apple TV+ subscribers will also be able to watch coverage throughout the week on MLB shows like MLB Big Inning or Countdown to First Pitch, along with game recaps and replays of classic games. What's more interesting is the narrative documentary work Apple plans to release this season. The docuseries Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series covers the Dodgers and Yankees journey to last year's World Series and how each team handled their post-season. Meanwhile, the small Venn diagram of Yankees devotees who also happen to be Vision Pro owners will be able to watch VIP: Yankee Stadium, a short film shot in Apple's Immersive Video format that "gives viewers an all-access pass to one of the world's most iconic sports venues."While Apple has reportedly toyed with buying the rights to NFL Prime Ticket in the past, so far the company's sports programming only covers Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball. "Friday Night Baseball" launched for free in the Apple TV app in 2022, and was moved behind the Apple TV+ paywall in 2023. That subscription required continues in 2025, though Apple is clearly trying to sweeten the deal with some additional baseball content this season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apples-friday-night-baseball-is-back-on-march-28-with-a-world-series-documentary-in-tow-222335747.html?src=rss
What started as an Apple Intelligence feature exclusive to the Camera Control-endowed iPhone 16 line is coming to older iPhones, and soon. We already knew that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max would get Visual Intelligence at some point in the future, and thanks to 9to5Mac, we now know it's one of several options you can assign to the Action Button in the second iOS 18.4 beta. That likely means the feature could end up in the final release of the update.Visual Intelligence lets you draw on AI models from Google and OpenAI to find information (and websites) about anything you point your iPhone's camera at. You can also use the feature to add information from a flyer to your calendar and oddly, identify dog breeds. Until recently, the feature had to be summoned with a long-press of Camera Control on an iPhone 16, but as of the release of the iPhone 16e, Apple made it possible to use an Action Button to pull it up, too. Considering the iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro chip offers enough RAM to enable other Apple Intelligence features, it makes sense that its ACtion Button shouldn't be left out of the fun.iOS 18.4 is currently in beta and is expected to launch in early April. Alongside expanding the number of phones that can run Visual Intelligence, Apple is also using the update to launch a new recipe section in Apple News called Apple News+ Food. Previously, Bloomberg reported that iOS 18.4 was supposed to also mark the launch of Apple's upgraded Siri, which is supposed to have the ability to see and take action inside of apps, but that feature is now coming later.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-iphone-15-pro-will-get-visual-intelligence-with-ios-184-204658321.html?src=rss
We already suspected that Apple was planning to announce a new MacBook Air in March, and now we have it from the horse's mouth. Company CEO Tim Cook took to social media to post a tease-heavy video, along with the caption this week."The video itself plays music as the text there's something in the air" crawls along the screen. Finally, a tell-tale ultra-thin swoosh interrupts the text. It's incredibly likely that the swoosh is being used to represent the forthcoming M4 MacBook Air. We don't know when this week the announcement will take place, so hold tight.
Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones are on sale for record-low prices, making this a great time to upgrade. The standard S25 is down to $700, which is a discount of $100. The slightly-beefier S25+ now costs $800 instead of $1,000. Finally, the S25 Ultra has been discounted to $1,100 from $1,300. All of these deals are available via Amazon. This is Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone line, having just released back in January. We appreciated the base S25 in our official review, calling out the solid build quality and incredible battery life. The processor is also noticeably more powerful than last year's model. This makes the whole Gemini AI experience smoother, if that's something you're into. The camera system is fantastic, though virtually unchanged from the S24. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Samsung phones offer a top-tier experience for shutterbugs. The S25 and its cousins are tangibly thinner, which is nice, and the 2X AMOLED screen is plenty bright, at 2,600 nits. The S25 Ultra is pricier, but did make our list of the best Android phones. The 6.9-inch screen is glorious, with an anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2 panel, and the new 50MP ultra-wide camera sensor is useful. It does have some extra horsepower, but it seems to be used primarily to boost the AI experience. If you want the speediest AI around, go for the Ultra. If you just want a great smartphone, consider the S25 or the S25+. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/samsung-galaxy-s25-series-phones-are-on-sale-for-record-low-prices-170952808.html?src=rss
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has announced it's investigating how TikTok, Reddit and Imgur protect children on their platforms.The probe into TikTok is looking at how the platform uses it young users' (13 to 17 year olds) personal data for recommendations and suggested content, while the investigation into Reddit and Imgur focuses on both how the platforms are using children's personal information and how they're using measures that estimate or confirm a child's age."If social media and video sharing platforms want to benefit from operating in the UK they must comply with data protection law," UK Information Commissioner John Edwards stated. "The responsibility to keep children safe online lies firmly at the door of the companies offering these services and my office is steadfast in its commitment to hold them to account." The UK doesn't yet know if these companies have infringed on personal data protections.In 2023, the ICO handed down a 12.7 million ($16.1 million) fine to TikTok. The platform had allowed up to 1.4 million children under 13 on it in 2020, and used their data without parental consent. The ByteDance-owned company has also faced backlash in the US around young users, with mixed results.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/uk-watchdog-investigates-chidrens-safety-on-tiktok-and-reddit-153052793.html?src=rss
Mobile World Congress 2025 has officially kicked off in Barcelona. Google is on the ground previewing two AI features that will begin rolling out to Android devices starting later this month.The first is Live Video, which Google first showed at I/O 2024 last May. The tool takes advantage of Gemini's multi-modal capabilities to allow users to show the chatbot what their phone's camera sees. As you can see from the demo Google shared, Gemini is able to answer a question about mid-century modern decor and offer a suggestion when it comes how to apply that knowledge to pottery.The other new feature, screensharing, works exactly as you would imagine. You can share your screen with Gemini to ask questions about what you see in front of you on a website or app. Google isn't exactly pushing the envelope with either feature. ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode has offered both live video and screensharing since the end of last year, but the nice thing here is you won't need to jump into a separate app to take advantage of Gemini's new capabilities.As mentioned, Google will begin rolling out live video and screensharing to Gemini Advanced subscribers starting later this month. Gemini Advanced is included in the company's $20 per month Google One AI Premium plan. If you're a Verizon customer, the carrier recently added the subscription as a perk for some plans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-live-video-and-screensharing-arrive-on-android-devices-later-this-month-151743457.html?src=rss
Apple's iPad mini 7 (A17 Pro) from 2024 is currently on sale for $399, a record low for this compact iPad. It's perfect for those who find a full-sized iPad too large for their needs, but make no mistake this tablet can punch above its weight. The iPad mini 7 runs on the same Apple A17 Pro chip found in iPhone 15 Pro series devices. It's not the most powerful chipset available, but it's enough for daily tasks, light gaming, reading and streaming content. Apple claims that the iPad mini 7's battery can last 10 hours, but our tests revealed that the number was usually closer to eight, depending on the apps you're running. If you have an Apple Pencil Pro (sold separately), this iPad mini supports it. You can quickly start writing notes with the tap of a button, which calls up a blank document. It's the perfect tool for artists or those who prefer a tablet stylus. Despite the absence of features like Face ID or refresh rates above 60Hz, the iPad mini 7 is a convenient yet powerful device you can bring anywhere. That's why it's on our best iPads list. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-ipad-mini-7-is-back-on-sale-for-100-off-143830970.html?src=rss
I've been wondering why everyone seems so hyped on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, an independent French studio with fewer than 30 employees, and it's attracted massive partnerships in video games and film over the past five years. Expedition 33 has a high-profile cast of voice actors, including Andy Serkis, Charlie Cox, Shala Nyx and Jennifer English. Itreceived an Epic MegaGrant in 2022, it was picked up by Pacific Drive publisher Kepler Interactive in 2023, and it was a tentpole of Xbox's first showcase of 2025. Even though the game isn't out until April, Story Kitchen has already signed on to turn it into a live-action film. At the very least, it's seemed like an easy game to fall in love with. After playing just over three hours of Expedition 33, I understand all of it - the hype, the quick love and the quiet excitement generated by the game's writing, acting, world and mechanics. Expedition 33 is innovative and absolutely stunning. Expedition 33 feels like a prestige drama set in a surreal, slightly gothic 3D landscape. Tonally it's drenched in melodrama, and visually it's reminiscent of Game of Thrones, but with Belle Epoque stylings and mountains of diabolical magic. The realm of Lumiere has been consumed by a powerful being called the Paintress - she paints a new number on the tower each year and all people of that age instantly die. She's been counting down for more than half a century, killing the oldest citizens first, and she's just painted the number 33. The people of Lumiere send out annual expeditions to stop the Paintress, but so far, they've all been met with death. The heroes of expedition 33 have one year to live. When we meet Gustave in the preview, things aren't going well for expedition 33. His party has been ambushed by a mysterious white-haired man - someone so old that he shouldn't be able to exist in this world - and Gustave is alone. Gustave has a magical robot arm and a very French moustache, and he sets off through lush forests and dark, wet caves to track down other survivors. He does find some, but only after he nearly kills himself in despair. Lune, a strong-willed and scholarly mage, appears just in time to save Gustave from himself, and together they meet up with Maelle, Gustave's introverted but powerful foster sister. Sandfall Interactive Your party supports six playable characters in the full game, but the preview focuses on these three. The prestige-drama vibes stem from their interactions, and particularly their personality clashes. In one cutscene, Lune and Gustave find themselves sitting around a campfire on a starry night, screaming at each other about the ethics of utilitarianism. Between tirades, Gustave screams, Fuck the mission!" Eventually their intensity subsides and the conversation returns to a tentatively amicable space. At the end of the scene, the shot pans to Lune, who smirks and says, Fuck the mission? Really?" Gustave sheepishly responds, Sorry." And suddenly, I'm deeply invested in the relationship between Lune and Gustave, but also Maelle and all of the friends they've come to save. It doesn't hurt that these cutscenes are truly gorgeous, with realistic skin textures and dirt smudges in close-up shots, and beautiful performances by all actors. From cutscenes to combat, Expedition 33 is radiant. Sandfall Interactive Environments in the preview grow more surreal as Gustave, Lune and Maelle travel closer to the Paintress, who's hidden herself across deep seas and expansive land masses. They travel through raw areas shattered by magic, boulders hovering in mid-air and ornate buildings haphazardly embedded in odd places, broken and inhospitable. Anthropomorphized rock enemies roam the lands and there are bits of chroma - currency, essentially - to find, and some upgrades hidden off the linear path. We're not talking Avowed levels of shinies, but a minimal sense of curiosity is definitely rewarded. When exploring, you can swap among party members without breaking stride, and Lune emerged as my clear favorite. Instead of running, Lune speed-hovers a few inches above the ground, and embodying her is like soaring through a dream. Running (or hovering really fast) feels great in the game, and so does the grapple system that flings you across gaps and up buildings. There are also climbable handholds and ropes of light that act as elevators, and all of it works a treat. The game's dreamlike feeling only crystallizes in Flying Waters, a region that looks and behaves as if it's at the bottom of the ocean - bubbles, shipwrecks, whales and all - but without a drop of water to be found. You breathe, walk, run and jump as normal here, but there are schools of fish swimming through the air and the waterline is visible high above you. It's wonderfully trippy. I could spend the rest of this preview just gushing about Expedition 33's fabulous environments, characters and enemies, or its top-notch writing, music and graphics - but let's talk combat. Sandfall Interactive Expedition 33 is a turn-based game with clear JRPG influences, but it adds a twist to the traditional battle system: quick-time prompts. Your party members have the ability to use an item, deploy a specific skill, or plain-old attack, plus they have a Free Aim move that can snipe enemy weak points before a full strike. There are elemental weapons to equip and upgrade, and each character runs on a distinct battle mechanic. Gustave has an overcharge system that powers up his robot arm for a special move, Lune uses elemental stains to stack specific damage, and Maelle switches among three fencing stances. Balancing healing, buffs, defensive moves and attacks is a delicate dance in Expedition 33, and the preview really started to sing once I had all three members nicely leveled up, kitted out and slinging various types of elemental damage. Unlike traditional turn-based play, there are real-time prompts embedded in your skill attacks, and executing these delivers bonus damage and effects. The Final Fantasy series has toyed with this idea to mixed success, but in Expedition 33 it's a critical, finely tuned system, and I love the tension it creates. Quick-time elements infuse the familiar turn-based loop with a twitchy kind of clarity, adding a few extra dopamine hits to the classic press-and-wait rhythm. Each QTE prompt is tricky without being punishing, and it's not just offensive moves that get the real-time treatment. Dodging, parrying and jumping are essential skills in Expedition 33, and these mechanics demand your attention with every enemy turn. In short, no, you won't be able to set the controller down during combat in Expedition 33. And, yes, I'm totally here for it. Sandfall Interactive Maybe it's because each character strikes a dramatic pose whenever it's their turn, but combat has a distinct Persona flair (and this is a great thing in my book). Meanwhile, the game's soundtrack has echoes of Nier: Automata and Tetris: Effect, and altogether, even boss battles can be a bit of an emotional experience. In the interest of keeping this preview under 3,000 words, I'm not going to get into the specifics of upgrade trees and resource types, but I will say that I found these systems to be purposeful and responsive. I was pleased with how often my party leveled up, there were ample traits to tweak for each character, and the effects of my stat manipulation were immediately apparent in combat. Rest assured, Expedition 33 is an RPG. Though this is just based on a preview, Expedition 33 seems incredibly polished. Not only does it play seamlessly on a macro level, but it also gets the smallest details right, including voice-acted memories, haptic feedback that kicks in when a grapple point is in range, an opaque text box that's both readable and seamlessly integrated into every scene, and the ability to put a rose in Gustave's hair, even in cutscenes. The entire preview is impressive. Sandfall Interactive That said, I wonder whether Expedition 33 is too impressive, technically speaking. I played the preview at a stable 1080p/60 on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Super, and I didn't encounter any issues, but locking to 60 fps at 1440p was beyond my setup. This feels like a game that's going to break a lot of hearts and PC parts. And it's not just PC - I'm curious to see how Expedition 33 will run on any console that isn't a PlayStation 5 Pro. But, that's a consideration for review time. The final preview for Expedition 33 illuminates why Sandfall Interactive has received so much pre-launch attention and support. Expedition 33 is composed of beautiful contradictions: It's a JRPG but it comes from a Western studio. It's a fantasy RPG built outside the restrictions of Dungeons & Dragons rulesets. It's an indie game that looks, sounds and feels AAA. Most of all, Expedition 33 is refreshing. Expedition 33 is due to hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on April 24. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/clair-obscur-expedition-33-preview-stunning-visuals-innovative-combat-prime-melodrama-140052194.html?src=rss
It didn't take long for wireless earbuds to become ubiquitous. Apple's AirPods launched back in September 2016, joining notable true wireless headphones from Jabra, Sony, Samsung, and others. Shortly after, they became the go-to choice for many of us when listening to music, podcasts and streaming services on our phones and tablets. But wireless earbuds can get very dirty very quickly, because not only are we using them a lot, but we take them everywhere: to work, on public transport, on flights and everywhere in between. This is especially true if you're using them to cancel out noise in a busy office - or are simply working from home at the same time as family or roommates.This means they will come into contact with ear wax, oils and skin cells. Hygiene aside, you should clean your earbuds (and their charging case) because it may result in better-sounding, longer-lasting headphones. Here's how you can do that quickly and efficiently. If you're still a wired headphone holdout (or tempted by DAC-capable buds) most of our cleaning tips hold true - and you don't have to worry about refreshing a charging case. How to clean your wireless earbuds Mat Smith/Engadget The cleaning process differs depending on what kind of buds you have. First, there are wireless earbuds with removable silicone (or plastic) buds, like Samsung's Galaxy Buds, Sony's WF-1000XM5 buds or most Beats buds, and several models with a single solid body, like Apple's AirPods. The main difference is that the detachable tips are easier to deep clean. They are also replaceable and spare tips often come in-box. You can also use soapy water or other mild cleaning products on particularly messy tips without fear of damaging the electrical parts of your headphones. Wipe down the earbuds and removable tips with a microfiber cloth. As most wireless buds are stored in a case, you may find that dirt from the tips has shifted to the headphones, too. Apple says you can use 70-percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75-percent ethyl alcohol wipe or disinfectant wipes" to clean the exterior of its wireless headphones, but advises that you shouldn't use wet wipes on the speaker mesh parts of the AirPods. Samsung's guidance sticks to soft dry cloths and cotton swabs. Remove the tips, and gently trace the inside of each bud with cotton swab, or a toothpick if you need something thinner. If any detritus sticks around, upgrade to a metal loop on the end of an earphone cleaning tool, but just go carefully. Metallic objects are more likely to scratch and pierce things. The cleaning tool also has a brush at the other end to pull out any loose dirt. Once clear, wipe the sides of the tips with a slightly damp cloth. The AirPods Pro tips each have a delicate mesh membrane, making it easier to clean than membranes on the headphones themselves, but they're also fragile. Apple itself advises that you can rinse the tips with water, adding you shouldn't use soap or other cleaning products on them. If you do use a damp cloth or rinse them, make sure to set them on a dry cloth and let them dry completely before reattaching them. Apple advises using cotton swabs or a dry cloth for the microphone and speaker mesh parts of the AirPods. You can also use a bulb air blower, which should provide a mild amount of force to dislodge dirt without harming electrics. However, while it might be stronger, don't use canned air. Sony says this can force dust further into the microphone or sound outlet holes. How to clean your wireless earbuds' charging case Mat Smith/Engadget You might find that your charging case is in a worse state than your buds. With deep crevices to pick up dirt from your buds when they're charging, the case can also pick up pocket-lint from being in, well, pockets and your bag. These cases typically use metal contacts to connect to and charge the buds, so any build-up of dirt or earwax can actually affect recharging your headphones. It pays to keep those charging contacts clean. A soft cloth, or a cotton swab for more difficult-to-reach locations, should be able to capture anything blocking your buds from charging. You could also use a bit of air from a bulb air blower - I find the ones with a brush attached are perfect for this. For both the earbuds and the case, you can use a thin toothpick to pull away any grime or wax trapped in the seams of the device. Most earbuds are molded plastic, but some have edges and lines that collect dirt together. If you find your AirPods case or other buds' case is getting a little grubby - or picking up a blue hue from jeans - you could also invest in a case for your case. There are infinite themed and silicone cases for Apple's AirPod family, but plenty of options exist for buds made by Samsung, Sony, Google and other companies. The ubiquity of wireless buds has several companies now offering all-in-one cleaning kits, too. These include established peripheral companies like Belkin, which has a single-use kit that features cleaning fluid to loosen up any tough build-up of wax and grime, and Keybudz, which offers a reusable kit that includes different brush head attachments that can also be used to clean other devices. That said, you may not need an entire kit, but suitable tools will make things easier. You should always use the gentlest cleaning equipment before going ham with rubbing alcohol or a metallic tool. Doing so will reduce the chances of damaging your headphones' often glossy plastic casing and lessen the chances of damaging the delicate membranes that many buds (and some eartips) have. I speak from experience, having perforated two AirPod membranes due to over-enthusiastic cleaning. Even when removing the tips, take care: With Sony's WF-1000XM5, you need to twist and pull them off. Just follow the manufacturers' guidance (we list several guides below), along with our best tips below. How to keep your wireless earbuds clean Now your buds are looking pristine, try to keep them looking that way. If you're using your AirPods or Galaxy Buds during your workouts, wipe them down with a cloth afterward to reduce the chances of moisture getting inside. The more frequently you check on the state of your wireless earbuds, the easier they are to clean. We'll finish this guide with a little bit of digital hygiene: make sure any companion TWE apps are up-to-date. These updates can sometimes add notable new features or improve performance. Your smartphone will usually transmit firmware updates to your earbuds automatically after OS and app updates, so make sure you keep them nearby to your phone. This is especially true with iPhones and AirPods, which will not notify you when firmware updates are available. Check that you've got the latest version of the firmware in iOS settings (you probably do), and if it's not up-to-date, make sure both your iPhone and AirPods are plugged into power and (crucially) near each other. The update should be beamed to the AirPods pretty quickly, but you can also leave the devices next to each other overnight to ensure the update happens.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/how-to-clean-airpods-earbuds-150023325.html?src=rss
Lenovo is showing business laptops lovers some attention by announcing several new ThinkPads at Mobile World Congress 2025, including a new form factor for the T-series line, and updated internals across the business laptop lineup.The ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 is by far the most interesting of the bunch, with a new convertible body that's similar to Lenovo's Yoga laptops, and supports the magnetic Yoga Pen stylus. The laptop comes with up to a 14-inch, 400-nit WUXGA touch display, and inside, you can get up to a Intel Core Ultra 7 H or U 200 series chip, 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB of storage. If you're looking for an option without a 360-degree hinge, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 will also now come with either Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI Pro chips, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage.LenovoLenovo describes the new ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 as "one of the lightest ThinkPad designs ever," at only 2.05 lbs, but that light weight doesn't mean the laptop misses out on the latest internals. The X13 Gen 6 comes with either a Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI Pro chip, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM and your choice of a 41Wh or 54.7Wh battery. The new ThinkPad can also support Wi-Fi 7 and an optional 5G connection, if you want to take it on the go.Chip updates round out the remaining ThinkPads, with the ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 and E16 Gen 3 gaining support for up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 U or H 200 series chip and up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 4 is caps out at 32GB of RAM.Lenovo is making the majority of its new ThinkPads available this summer, with the ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1, ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 arriving in June 2025 for $1,719, $1,674 and $1,139, respectively. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 and ThinkPad T16 Gen 4 are launching a little earlier in May for $1,359 and $1,623. And rounding things out, the ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 and E16 Gen 3 are coming in "Q2 2025" for $849 and $859.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovo-is-updating-its-thinkpad-lineup-with-new-chips-and-form-factors-at-mwc-2025-230055977.html?src=rss
Lenovo hasn't even released its futuristic laptop with a rollable screen. But that hasn't stopped the company from taking that notebook's core components and remixing it into a whole new thing at MWC 2025.Officially called the ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC Proof of concept (yes, that is its official name and it's a real mouthful), the laptop uses the same flexible OLED featured in its rollable sibling, except this time instead of disappearing inside its chassis, the display folds outwards. This allows what is normally a 13-inch panel to double in size to 18.1 inches at a moment's notice. Notably, because the Flip's screen bends instead of sliding in and out of the bottom half of the system, Lenovo can utilize the panel's full area unlike the ThinkBook Rollable, which can only extend up to 16.7 inches.In its vertical mode, this provides a ton of extra space for documents or multitasking. However, the screen can also be folded back into tablet mode or something akin to a 2-in-1's tent mode for times when you might want to share your display with someone on the other side of the table.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetSomewhat impressively, a fancy monitor isn't the only trick the Flip has. Down below, Lenovo created what it calls a Smart ForcePad, which features a three-layer illuminated dashboard that adds customizable controls and icons to its surface. It's a neat trick that expands what a basic touchpad can do, though it's not exactly a huge leap from what we've seen on rival machines from Acer and others. Finally, on the inside, the Flip should have solid performance thanks to the inclusion of an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM and PCIe SSD storage.As a fan of anything with a flexible screen, it's fascinating to see how quickly Lenovo was able to take the components used in the ThinkBook Plus Gen6 Rollable and turn them into something else. That said, as this was a very early prototype (a Lenovo representative said it was only one of two in the world at the time), there are some obvious issues that need to be ironed out before this thing ever gets close to an official release.The first is that for a system with a screen this tall, its hinge wasn't fully up to the task of keeping everything stable, as even a light tap would cause the whole panel to sway back and forth in a disconcerting way. The model I used also lacked that kickstand that appears in some of Lenovo's promotional images, which would have further increased its sturdiness.However, the biggest potential problem with the Flip may be difficult to address because it's inherent to its core design. When the laptop is collapsed down into a clamshell for traveling, the way its screen folds exposes the flexible display to items that might scratch it. And while it's possible to get around this by using a form-fitting laptop sleeve, that seems a bit too dangerous, even for someone like me who's been using foldable phones for half a decade. Upon further consideration, I wouldn't be surprised if this design challenge is a big reason Lenovo decided to bring the ThinkBook Rollable to market instead of the Flip.Currently, Lenovo has no plans to bring the Flip to full production, but even so, it's nice seeing what a company can come up with when it's not scared to show off unfinished devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-codename-flip-is-another-wild-take-on-a-flexible-screen-laptop-230051495.html?src=rss
Lenovo has announced new laptops with generative AI features for this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), including the Yoga Pro 9i Aura edition. Lenovo's Aura edition branding is the result of a partnership with Intel to create a set of "distinct software, hardware and AI features" that make "computing a more personalized, productive, and protected experience." The Yoga Pro 9i Aura edition is powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor and ships with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, which is the company's most affordable model in the RTX 50 series.It has a 16-inch 3.2K PureSight Pro display with a double layer of OLED pixels that increases its overall brightness to 1600nits peak, as well as boosts its power efficiency. The display also supports 100 percent sRGB, P3 and Adobe RGB color gamut that provide true-to-life color accuracy. Like the previous versions of the Yoga Pro 9i, the Aura edition comes with the Lenovo Creator Zone, an on-device AI suite that can make third-party video, photo and music applications for creators easier to use. Lenovo's Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition will be available starting in the second quarter of 2025, with prices starting at $1,799.The company has also introduced the 15-inch IdeaPad Slim 3x, a Copilot+ PC that runs on Snapdragon X chip, Qualcomm's new platform designed to put Copilot+ PCs within reach for more people. IdeaPad Slim 3x can also process AI tasks on device and comes with a dedicated key for Microsoft's Copilot assistant. One more interesting feature is the device's open SSD slot that can fit an extra SSD for those who want to expand the laptop's storage capacity. The model will be available starting this month for at least $649.LenovoThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-new-ai-laptops-for-mwc-include-the-yoga-pro-9i-aura-edition-and-the-ideapad-slim-3x-230024761.html?src=rss
You might be surprised to learn that the first laptop with built-in solar panels is nearly 15 years old. But to me, the bigger shock is that with all the recent advancements in photovoltaic cells, manufacturers haven't revisited this idea more often. But at MWC 2025, Lenovo is changing that with its Yoga Solar PC Concept.Weighing 2.6 pounds and measuring less than 0.6 inches thick, the Yoga Solar PC Concept is essentially the same size as a standard 14-inch clamshell. And because its underlying design isn't all that different from Lenovo's standard Yoga family, it doesn't skimp on specs either. It features an OLED display, up to 32GB of RAM, a decent-sized 50.2 WHr battery and even a 2MP IR webcam for use with Windows Hello.However, all those components aren't nearly as important as the solar cells embedded in its lid. Lenovo says the panels use Back Contact Cell technology so that its mounting brackets and gridlines can be placed on the rear of the cells. This allows the panels to offer up to 24 percent solar energy conversion, which is pretty good as that matches the efficiency you get from many high-end home solar systems. Furthermore, the PC also supports Dynamic Solar Tracking to automatically adjust the cells' settings to maximize the amount of energy they can gather.Lenovo says this means the Yoga Solar PC can generate enough juice to play an hour of videos after only 20 minutes in the sun. But what might be more impressive is that even when the laptop is indoors, it can still harvest power from as little as 0.3 watts of light to help top off its battery. Finally, to help you understand how much power it's gathering, Lenovo created a bespoke app to track how much light the panels absorb.Unfortunately, Lenovo doesn't have any plans to turn this concept into a full commercial device. But after playing around with it, I was pleasantly surprised to see how solid and sturdy its chassis felt. Unlike a lot of prototype devices, the Yoga Solar PC Concept doesn't feel like that much of a stretch technologically compared to other notebooks on sale today. Its PV cells sit safely behind a sheet of glass (or possibly plastic, Lenovo wouldn't confirm which one) while also adding a bit of distinctive visual flair.However, the biggest hurdle (and possibly a big reason why we haven't seen more laptops like this) is that for people who want to use solar panels to charge their devices, it's probably easier and more versatile to rely on a standalone solar array instead of something built-in to the gadget itself. Regardless, Lenovo's Yoga Solar PC is a surprisingly polished concept that I'd love to see get more attention in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-lenovo-solar-pc-concept-feels-like-a-device-whose-time-has-come-230022723.html?src=rss
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