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

Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed the rumors that they're pursuing a merger. Both would still operate under their brands but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi also came on board, the combined group would become the world's third-largest automaker by sales volume, with a net worth of up to $50 billion.Nissan and Honda previously announced plans to work together on EV development, but the joint company would be far more integrated. According to the press release, it could include standardizing vehicle platforms, unifying research and development teams, and optimizing manufacturing systems and facilities. This could help cut costs.In the US, Nissan sells large pickup trucks and SUVs that Honda doesn't offer, alongside more experience in EVs and plug-in electric vehicles. On the other side, Honda has relatively stable financials while Nissan has been struggling, particularly at home in Japan.- Mat SmithThe biggest tech stories you missed

Are you tired of feeling safe and happy all the time? Is your daily life overrun by feelings of security, contentment and peace? Do you want an escape from all of the oppressive niceness around you? Well, look no further - these are the games for you.

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has started a probe into China's semiconductor industry, looking for anti-competitive trade practices. According to a White House statement, the USTR is looking into China for acts, policies and practices" that reduced or eliminated competition in the marketplace for semiconductors.The probe is being conducted through Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 to examine trade practices for foundational" semiconductors that are used by the automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, aerospace and defense industries. The White House accused China on Monday of routinely" engaging in non-market policies and practices, as well as industrial targeting, of the semiconductor industry" that caused significant harm to its competition and created dangerous supply chain dependencies," according to the statement.If action is taken as a result of the investigation, Section 301 allows the USTR to impose duties or other import restrictions," withdraw or suspend trade agreement concessions" or enter into an agreement with China to either eliminate the conduct in question...or compensate the US with satisfactory trade benefits," according to the US Trade Act. Those decisions, however, will be left to President Trump's administration and incoming USTR Jamieson Greer.A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that China strongly deplores and firmly opposes" the US investigation. The nation would also take all necessary measures to resolutely defend its rights and interests," according to the New York Times.Tensions between the US and China are already high. President Biden launched an investigation in February into China and other unnamed countries over possible vulnerabilities and threats from connected vehicles. Then in May, the White House announced a significant increase in tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports including semiconductors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/white-house-calls-for-investigation-into-chinas-alleged-anti-competitive-semiconductor-industry-184030356.html?src=rss

If you've found your TV to be too slow to stream its built-in apps, here's a decent deal that can help fix things on the cheap: The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is once again on sale for $29. This offer has been available for much of the holiday season, and it's not an all-time low - the dongle previously fell to $25 toward the end of 2023 - but it does match the largest discount we've tracked this year. For reference, Roku normally sells the device for $50, though in recent months it's often retailed for $34 at third-party retailers like Amazon. Either way, you're saving a bit more than usual. The discount is available at several stores, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Roku.com. If you're hoping to grab the device as a Christmas gift, that'll be more of a hassle: Most listings we could find say that it won't ship until after the holidays, so you'll likely have to order with in-store pickup at Walmart, Best Buy or another retailer with physical locations. We recommend the Streaming Stick 4K in our guide to the best streaming devices. It's not as fast or fluid as a premium set-top box like the Apple TV 4K, but it's still quick to load up apps and menus, and its tiny design plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port. It supports just about all of the major HDR formats and streaming services (Twitch aside), plus it works with Apple's AirPlay 2 protocol, so you can beam content to it from an iPhone. While it can't decode Dolby Atmos audio on its own, it can pass that audio through to a compatible sound system from apps that support the tech. Like other Roku devices, the Streaming Stick 4K is dead-simple to navigate, with a home screen made up from a basic grid of apps. Google's TV Streamer (the top pick in our guide) is much more proactive about recommending content you might like and getting you back to shows you've watched recently, but you might find Roku's interface easier to take in if you don't mind surfing for things to watch yourself. The UI makes a host of free content easily accessible as well, and we found searching to work fine, even if it's not quite as robust as Google's OS. We also like Roku's mobile app, which lets you control the device and listen in privately with a pair of headphones. As with every other streaming player, there are ads scattered throughout the UI, though Roku is at least a little less aggressive about them than Amazon is with its Fire TV devices. A few other Roku devices are still available for their Black Friday prices as well, including the Roku Express 4K+ (which lacks Dolby Vision HDR) for $24 and the Roku Ultra (which has a larger box design, full Atmos support and a more advanced remote) for $79. For most people looking to visit Roku City, though, the Streaming Stick 4K should be the best value. 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-roku-streaming-stick-4k-is-back-on-sale-for-29-175310234.html?src=rss

A group of talented fans have made a native PC port of Star Fox 64, which they are calling Starship. Even better? It's technically legal. Harbour Masters, the team behind the project, used a tool that converts the original game ROM into PC executable code, so it doesn't actually use any proprietary Nintendo code.This is the same method used to create the native PC port of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and that one's still available for download. Members of this crew also ported Majora's Mask and Super Mario 64 using the same conversion tool. There is one major caveat here. You'll need your own legally-sourced Star Fox 64 game ROM to play.

It looks like Meta is preparing to add displays to its popular line of Ray-Ban smart glasses, according to a report by Financial Times. These screens could show up in a future iteration of the device as early as next year. The likely release window is the second half of 2025.According to folks familiar with Meta's plans, the screens will be on the smaller side and will likely be used to display notifications or responses from Meta's AI virtual assistant. It's highly unlikely that the company is planning on making this a full mixed-reality device just yet.For that, Meta has the recently-unveiled Orion AR glasses, which are still several years out. The same report indicates that the positive response to the Orion glasses has likely accelerated development and possibly ensured a commercial release. It was uncertain if those glasses would remain an in-house prototype.The Ray-Ban smart glasses have been a surprise hit for Meta, and it's easy to see why. They look great and perform admirably. The current model includes in-ear speakers, cameras, microphones and access to Meta's virtual assistant.I quite enjoy the simplicity of the current design, particularly when taking photos and videos. My hope is that screens do not get in the way of that simplicity and that they don't come at the expense of, say, improvements to the camera system.Ray-Ban Meta glasses, after all, are the perfect device for snapping quick photos of a pet. Have you ever tried to will an animal to keep still so you can dig your phone out of a bag to take a photo? Those darned cuties never do. The Ray-Bans solve that problem.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-is-reportedly-adding-displays-to-its-ray-ban-smart-glasses-162634427.html?src=rss

Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed rumors that they're pursuing a merger, the companies wrote in a joint press release. Each would continue to operate under its own brand, but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi also came on board, the combined group would become the world's third largest automaker by sales volume and have a net worth of up to $50 billion."Today marks a pivotal moment as we begin discussions on business integration that has the potential to shape our future," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida.Integration talks are still preliminary, but the companies are pressing forward. "We are still at the stage of starting our review and we have not decided on a business integration yet," said Honda director Toshihiro Mibe. However, he added that the companies aim "to find a direction for the possibility of business integration by the end of January 2025." After that, they hope to have a "definitive agreement" concerning business integration by June 2025. Approval must come from each company's shareholders and is subject to Nissan executing a turnaround.Nissan and Honda previously announced plans to work together on EV components and software development, but the joint company would be far more integrated. According to the press release, the plan includes: standardizing vehicle platforms; unifying research and development teams; and optimizing manufacturing systems and facilities. All of that is usually designed to cut costs, so it could spell significant layoffs in Japan and elsewhere.Nissan's Titan pickup lineupNissanThough the two companies sell comparable vehicles like Nissan's Rogue and the Honda CR-V, some synergy seems possible. Nissan sells large pickup trucks and SUVs in the US that Honda doesn't offer and also has more experience in EVs and plug-in electric vehicles. On the other side, Honda has relatively stable financials while Nissan has been struggling in the market, particularly at home.Of course, Nissan is already in the Renault-Nissan-Misubishi Alliance. Nissan and Renault hold a 15 percent voting stake in the other, and all three sold a combined 10.6 million vehicles worldwide in 2017, more than any other light vehicle manufacturer at the time. The Alliance is also one of the largest EV makers in the world, with over 1 million units sold since 2009. If Nissan and Honda merged, it's not clear what would become of the Alliance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/nissan-and-honda-officially-announce-plans-to-merge-143834962.html?src=rss

Infinity Nikki is my favorite new release of 2024. It's a cotton candy confection of an open-world game that offers a lot more depth and variety than I expected to find. I enjoy the fabulous wardrobe, the low-key puzzles and the charming side quests. But the most surprising thing about Infinity Nikki was something that I've been ignoring in games for years: the photo mode.I didn't expect this to become a highlight of the Infinity Nikki experience. In fact, when it came up in the long sequence of tutorials during my first session, my initial reaction was, "Oh good, something I can forget about."Anna Washenko / Infold GamesPhoto mode has become a standard feature in single-player AAA games over the past decade. For those unfamiliar, this feature pauses the gameplay to let you pose your protagonist like an action figure, making them mug with a silly expression or hold up a peace sign. You can slap on a filter or make minute adjustments to the focus, aperture and other details to capture a striking image.Over the years, I've seen people capture Nathan Drake, Ellie and Joel, Aloy and many others striking heroic or hilarious poses. I appreciate those images when they cross my social feeds. And as game graphics become ever more photo-realistic, it makes sense that studios want to give players tools to capture beautiful moments when they happen. But every time I've played a game with a photo mode, I've found that after I take the one picture required by the tutorial, I never open the camera again.Anna Washenko / Infold GamesMy issue isn't that these games aren't gorgeous enough to warrant documenting. It's that when I'm in the middle of playing something like The Last of Us, it doesn't occur to me to stop for a snap because I'm so focused on the other gameplay mechanics and goals. Sure, there might be some calmer moments to breathe, but running for your life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland just isn't a time for casually browsing filters. And in other games, taking pics simply doesn't feel like an activity the character would do. Come on, there's no way Kratos would ever take a selfie.Like all its predecessors, Infinity Nikki is a beautiful game. Miraland comprises picturesque towns and charming landscapes, equally lovely in their sweeping vistas and hidden nooks. Everywhere you look are tons of carefully constructed little interactions that serve no purpose other than encouraging you to stage a cute image. You press a button to take a hot air balloon ride or to blow bubbles at a cafe table. It's a step up from most implementations, where the most you might be able to do is sit on a chair or bench.Anna Washenko / Infold GamesWhat fully hooked me on becoming a shutterbug, though, is a system where players are prompted to take pictures of notable locations around Miraland. The first time I found one, it was a lush green grotto where I directed Nikki to sit on a log by an underground lake. It was a pretty spot, sure, but what most delighted me was that my outfit matched the setting perfectly. So I didn't just grab a photo and move on to a more important task. Taking the time to look great is the most important task.There's no single style point of view in Infinity Nikki. A few special ensembles offer contextual in-game abilities, but most pieces are there just so you can look exactly how you want. Nikki can be an absurd anime character from fantasy land in tulle and sparkles. Or she can look exactly like someone you might see streaming the game on Twitch or TikTok in an oversized hoodie. Or she can pair a top hat with jean shorts and thigh-high knit boots if you want. (And yes, I did want.)Anna Washenko / Infold GamesThis game knows you're there at least partly to play dress-up. It also knows that the obvious thing to do when you play dress-up is to immortalize your best fits with a photo shoot. That's why Infinity Nikki's photo mode feels not just enjoyable, but essential. It's a core part of the game loop. When I assemble a new outfit, I want to find a good setting to snap a pic. When I stumble on a striking location, I think about which poses will best showcase it.Most of the time, cameras and photo modes do little to enhance my love of a game. They're the metaphorical cherry on top of the sundae. With Infinity Nikki, though, the photo mode is the ice cream. And it is delicious.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/in-infinity-nikki-photo-mode-achieves-its-ultimate-form-133033817.html?src=rss

Elon Musk's X has hiked prices for its ad-free Premium+ subscription service to $22 a month, up from $16 before ($168 to $229 annually), TechCrunch reported. That represents a 37.5 percent increase, the largest since Elon Musk purchased the platform previously known as Twitter back in 2022.One stated reason for the hike is that Premium+ is now "completely ads-free," with X claiming that it's a "significant enhancement" to the previous ad-free experience. It also promised a few other features. "Premium+ subscribers will enjoy higher priority support from @Premium, access to new features such as [X's advanced search tool] Radar, and higher limits on our most cutting-edge Grok AI models," the company wrote in a help page article. X also promised that more subscription revenue would be shared with creators.Premium+ prices are also rising by a similar amount in Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia. Existing users on monthly subscriptions will keep their current rates until January 20th, and price for other tiers (Basic and Premium) remain unchanged.X first introduced the Premium+ subscription tier in October 2023, promising an ad-free experience your "for you" and following timelines, along with existing Premium perks like a blue checkmark. However, users quickly noticed that ads appeared elsewhere on X (profiles, replies, Explore and elsewhere). A further update in August 2024 promised to eliminate those too, but X said that users would still see "occasional branded content in less common areas." Now, it seems, those will be vanquished too.X has reportedly lost 2.7 million active users in the last two months, with rival Bluesky gaining nearly the same number over that period. That has likely led to some loss in advertising revenue, which the platform may be hoping to recoup by raising subscription prices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-hikes-ad-free-premium-subscription-price-from-16-to-22-133016526.html?src=rss

Around the world, government organizations are calling out Google for monopolistic practices. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) will reportedly announce Google is in violation of the country's antitrust laws in regards to its search engine, Chrome, and issue a cease and desist letter, Nikkei Asia reported. The watchdog started an investigation into Google's practices last October.The JFTC reportedly accuses Google of requiring smartphone manufacturers to sign a contract stating Chrome will be not only pre-downloaded on all devices, but that it will be placed in a certain spot on the screen. The manufacturers are allegedly forced to do this in order to have the Google Play available on their devices.In the US, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled in November that Google "is a monopolist" in the search engine industry. The Department of Justice (DoJ) then called for Google to sell Chrome as it "will permanently stop Google's control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet." The DoJ also called for Google to cease favoring Chrome on Android. Google recently released a proposal to appease the DoJ, but stated it will appeal the judge's ruling before a hearing scheduled for April.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-could-be-accused-of-antitrust-practices-in-japan-130039793.html?src=rss

Apple is working on the next generation of AirPods Pro, and they may have some new health features, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman - although it's a rumor we heard before, back in 2021.The company has reportedly started testing features like temperature sensing and heart rate monitoring for the earbuds. Apple has found that the Apple Watch still does the latter better, but the AirPods aren't terribly far off" in their readings.The company may have also revived its idea of putting cameras into AirPods, a rumor we've heard a few times over the last year. But it'll still probably be years before any camera-equipped AirPods appear.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

The shipping deadlines have passed and time has (almost) run out for us procrastinators to get gifts for our friends and family. But fear not: it's never been easier to send a gift to someone, including an e-gift card to a store or for a service you know they use. If you're looking for more creative digital gift ideas, we've got you covered. But for those hard-to-shop-for folks in your life, a gift card could do the trick. These are the gift cards that are the most helpful to send as last-minute gifts this year. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-gifts-cards-to-give-this-holiday-season-including-best-buy-apple-amazon-and-others-110032725.html?src=rss

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is still zipping around the sun making history, and it's gearing up for another record-setting approach this week. On December 24 at 6:53AM ET, the spacecraft's orbit will take it just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface, according to the space agency. That'll be the closest it - or any other probe - has ever come to the sun. The milestone will mark the completion of the Parker Solar Probe's 22nd orbit around our star, and the first of the three final closest flybys planned for its mission. The craft, which launched in 2018, is expected to complete a total of 24 orbits.No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory," Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said in a statement on NASA's blog. We're excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the Sun."The Parker Solar Probe will be traveling at about 430,000 miles per hour at the time of its closest-ever pass. It'll ping the team to confirm its health on December 27, when it'll be far enough from the sun to resume communications.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-parker-solar-probe-will-fly-closer-to-the-sun-than-ever-on-christmas-eve-225338918.html?src=rss

A new report published by the child safety groups Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action details the alarming presence of inappropriate apps that are rated as suitable for children as young as four years old on Apple's App Store. The groups worked with a researcher to review as many apps as possible in the span of 24 hours, and say they ultimately identified over 200 apps that contained concerning content or features" given the ages they were rated for - including stranger chat and AI girlfriend apps, gaming apps with sexual or violent prompts and imagery, and AI-powered appearance rating apps. Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story upon hearing back.The research focused on apps with assigned age ratings of 4+, 9+ and 12+ in categories considered to be risky": chat (including AI and stranger chat apps), beauty, diet and weight loss, unfiltered internet access (apps for accessing schools' banned sites) and gaming. Among the findings, the report says at least 24 sexual games and 9 stranger chat apps were marked as appropriate for kids in these age groups. The research also identified 40 apps for unfiltered internet access and 75 apps relating to beauty, body image and weight loss carrying these age ratings, along with 28 shooter and crime games. Collectively, the roughly 200 offending apps spotted during the 24-hour investigation have been downloaded over 550 million times, according to Heat Initiative.About 800 apps were reviewed in all, and the research found that some categories were more likely than others to carry apps with inappropriately low age ratings. For stranger chat apps and games, fewer were rated as appropriate for children," the report says. In most cases, they were 17+. But in the categories of weight loss and unfiltered internet access, nearly all apps reviewed were approved for kids 4+." The report calls on Apple to do better when it comes to child safety measures on the App Store, urging the company to use third-party reviewers to verify apps' age ratings before they become available to download, and to make its age rating process transparent to consumers. You can read the full report, Rotten Ratings: 24 Hours in Apple's App Store, here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/inappropriate-apps-rated-as-safe-for-young-children-are-prevalent-in-the-app-store-report-warns-213727965.html?src=rss

Apple is working on the next generation of AirPods Pro, and they may come packing some new health features, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the Power On newsletter this weekend, Gurman reports that Apple has been testing features including temperature sensing and heart rate monitoring for the earbuds. So far, Apple has found that the Apple Watch still does the latter better, but the AirPods aren't terribly far off" in their readings, he writes.The company has also reportedly revived its idea of putting cameras into AirPods, a rumor we've heard a few times over the last year. According to Gurman, Apple now considers it a priority" as it works to bolster its AI services. But, it'd likely be years before any camera-equipped AirPods make their debut. As for heart rate monitoring, that may appear much sooner. Gurman writes, The capability could be ready for the next-generation AirPods Pro, which are in early development."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-next-airpods-pro-could-offer-heart-rate-and-temperature-monitoring-175757188.html?src=rss

Apple is developing a smart doorbell and lock system that would use Face ID to unlock the door for known residents, Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter. The face-scanning doorbell would connect to a smart deadbolt, which could include existing HomeKit-compatible third-party locks, according to Gurman. Or, Apple may [team] up with a specific lock maker to offer a complete system on day one."It'll likely still be a while before we see the doorbell-lock system hit the market, though, if we see it at all. Gurman reports that it's in the early stages of development and wouldn't be ready until at least the end of next year. The doorbell would help Apple compete with the likes of Amazon's Ring and Google Nest, and it's just one of several smart home products Apple is working on, according to Gurman. The company is reportedly also developing a security camera for inside the home, which would work with its rumored smart home hub that's expected to make its debut as soon as next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-a-smart-doorbell-system-that-could-unlock-your-door-with-face-id-161504513.html?src=rss

The US Department of Commerce on Friday announced its awards for Samsung, Texas Instruments and Amkor Technology under the CHIPS Incentives Program, which come to more than $6.75 billion altogether. The program is meant to help expand domestic semiconductor production. Samsung was awarded up to $4.745 billion in direct funding - a smaller amount than the preliminary award of up to $6.4 billion that was announced earlier this year - while Texas Instruments was granted up to $1.61 billion and Amkor up to $407 million.Samsung plans to invest $37 billion over the next few years to ramp up chip development and production in the US, the DOC said. The company will expand its operations in Texas to include two new production facilities and a site for research and development. It also plans to expand an existing facility in Austin. Texas Instruments is working to build three new facilities - two in Texas and one in Utah - which it's said it will invest over $18 billion in through 2029. Amkor is planning a $2 billion investment to create an advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona. According to Reuters, it'll be the country's largest facility of its kind.The Commerce Department says the awards will be doled out as the companies complete certain project milestones. It expects the funding to support the creation of thousands of jobs per project.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/doc-finalizes-semiconductor-awards-totaling-nearly-7-billion-for-samsung-texas-instruments-and-amkor-235749200.html?src=rss

After announcing this week that it furloughed 82 employees, EV startup Canoo emailed remaining workers to inform them they were being placed on a mandatory unpaid break" and would be locked out of the company's systems at the end of the day Friday, TechCrunch reports. The email viewed by TechCrunch reportedly said the break would last at least through the end of the year. Canoo announced on Wednesday that it was idling its Oklahoma factories while it works to finalize securing the capital necessary to move forward with its operations."Canoo has faced financial difficulties, lawsuits and the departure of multiple executives over the last year. It previously announced it was furloughing 30 employees just this fall. Canoo's announcement on Wednesday said that the company is now in advanced discussions with various capital sources." In a statement about the cuts, Canoo said, We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/canoo-put-employees-on-a-mandatory-unpaid-break-after-pausing-work-at-oklahoma-factories-this-week-221912555.html?src=rss

Google has filed a proposal outlining how it would remedy the antitrust violations it's been accused of by the Department of Justice, after the DOJ called for Google to sell off Chrome and face restrictions that would prevent it from favoring its own search engine in Android. Judge Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in August that Google has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and called Google a monopolist." Google said in the proposal filed on Friday night that it disagreed with the ruling but suggested ways to make its contracts with browser companies and Android device makers more flexible.In a blog post summarizing the filing, Google's VP of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the proposal would let browser companies like Apple and Mozilla continue to offer Google Search to their users and earn revenue from that partnership," while allowing them to have multiple default agreements across different platforms (e.g., a different default search engine for iPhones and iPads) and browsing modes." And browsers would be able to change their default search provider every 12 months. The proposal would also give device makers additional flexibility in preloading multiple search engines, and preloading any Google app independently of preloading Search or Chrome."Google said it plans to appeal the judge's decision ahead of a hearing in April, and will submit a revised proposal on March 7. In the blog post, Mulholland called the DOJ's proposal overboard," going on to write that it reflects an interventionist agenda" and goes far beyond what the Court's decision is actually about - our agreements with partners to distribute search."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-proposes-alternative-remedies-for-its-search-monopoly-after-doj-demands-radical-changes-185253526.html?src=rss

We may be a bit technology-obsessed here, but the Engadget team does occasionally get around to low-tech activities, like reading. Well, some of us read on ereaders or our smartphones, but you get the point - books are great, and we read some exceptional ones this year that each deserve a shoutout. These are some of the best books we read in 2024. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/our-favorite-books-we-read-in-2024-151514842.html?src=rss

A federal judge in California has agreed with WhatsApp that the NSO Group, the Israeli cybersurveillance firm behind the Pegasus spyware, had hacked into its systems by sending malware through its servers to thousands of its users' phones. WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, sued the NSO Group back in 2019 and accused it of spreading malware to 1,400 mobile devices across 20 countries with surveillance as its purpose. They revealed back then some of the targeted phones were owned by journalists, human rights activists, prominent female leaders and political dissidents. The Washington Post reports that District Judge Phyllis Hamilton has granted WhatsApp's motion for summary judgement against NSO and has ruled that it had violated the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).The NSO Group disputed the allegations in the "strongest possible terms" when the lawsuit was filed. It denied that it had a hand in the attacks and told Engadget back then that its sole purpose was to "provide technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime." The company argued that it should not be held liable, because it merely sells its services to government agencies, which are the ones that determine their targets. In 2020, Meta escalated its lawsuit and accused the firm of using US-based servers to stage its Pegasus spyware attacks.Judge Hamilton has ruled that the NSO Group violated the CFAA, because the firm appears to fully acknowledge that the modified WhatsApp program its clients use to target users send messages through legitimate WhatsApp servers. Those messages then allow the Pegasus spyware to be installed on users' devices - the targets don't even have to do anything, such as pick up the phone to take a call or click a link, to be infected. The court has also found that the plaintiff's motion for sanctions must be granted on account of the NSO Group "repeatedly [failing] to produce relevant discovery," most significant of which is the Pegasus source code.WhatsApp spokesperson Carl Woog told The Post that the company believes this is the first court decision agreeing that a major spyware vendor had broken US hacking laws. "We're grateful for today's decision," Woog told the publication. "NSO can no longer avoid accountability for their unlawful attacks on WhatsApp, journalists, human rights activists and civil society. With this ruling, spyware companies should be on notice that their illegal actions will not be tolerated." In her decision, Judge Hamilton wrote that her order resolves all issues regarding the NSO Group's liability and that a trial will only proceed to determine how much the company should pay in damages.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/judge-finds-spyware-maker-nso-group-liable-for-attacks-on-whatsapp-users-140054522.html?src=rss

Another day, another Tesla recall. This time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) informed the owners of almost 700,000 Tesla vehicles warning them of a problem with a warning light for the tire pressure monitoring system as reported by the Associated Press.The recall affects the 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3 and 2020-2025 Model Y Vehicles. The NHTSA says the warning light for the tire pressure monitoring system may not stay illuminated between drives.Tesla says it will send out an over-the-road (OTR) update to vehicles affected by the warning light issue. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Feb. 15, 2025.The past year has seen more than a few Tesla recalls and OTRs. The NHTSA recorded seven recalls in the last year for the Cybertruck to address problems involving the rear-view camera, faulty windshield wipers and loose trunk beds. Tesla issued an over-the-air update in June for 1.8 million vehicles including select 2021-2024 Model 3, S and X vehicles and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles to fix hoods that could come loose during drives if closed improperly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-is-recalling-almost-700000-vehicles-over-a-tire-pressure-monitor-issue-223639361.html?src=rss

Movie icon and super spy James Bond seemed to be on another rise to the top of the box office just a few years ago, but things have been almost as quiet as a shot from a Walther PPK with a silencer ever since then. Daniel Craig took on the role in 2006 with Casino Royale and passed the baton with 2021's No Time to Die in one of the most heart-wrenching endings in Bond's cinematic history (you cried, just admit it).The only thing sadder is the reason why we haven't seen a new Bond movie since then.The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon and Barbara Broccoli, the producer who inherited the franchise from her father and film producer Albert Cubby" Broccoli when he died in 1996, are in the middle of an ugly fight that's halted production on the next Bond film. Apparently, Barbara doesn't trust Amazon with her family's famous film franchise.How bad is it? Well, here's a quote from Barbara to some of her friends explaining how she feels about the people who run Amazon's media empire: These people are f-ing idiots." Man, that's awkward with a capital awk."The stalemate started back in 2021 when Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion and thus acquired the rights to distribute Bond films, according to Variety. The deal seemed like a big move for Amazon to weave its way into Hollywood using one of its most storied and rock solid film franchises.Unfortunately for Amazon, the true power over the James Bond films lies with Broccoli. She supplies the ideas for Bond's big screen adventures and when they go into production, and Broccoli isn't keen on working with Amazon anytime soon. The WSJ spoke to 20 people familiar with the feud who say Broccoli feels Amazon isn't the right place for a Bond movie because its core business is retail and ecommerce.When Amazon purchased MGM, clinching the rights to the Bond franchise was a key part of the deal's value. Broccoli and co-producer Michael Wilson had some reservations but were assured they would still retain creative control. COVID lockdowns were already making it hard to jump into the next Bond film production as well. However, things seemed to be smoothing over between the two parties when Amazon also insisted that its next Bond movie No Time to Die would get a theatrical release.But as soon as the deal closed, Amazon executives started thinking of ways to expand the Bond film franchise to other mediums like a Moneypenny spinoff series for Prime Video or a separate spy film or TV show that took place in the Bond universe. Broccoli refused to let any of these projects go forward. She also took umbrage with Amazon entertainment executive Jennifer Salke's use of the word content" to describe new James Bond projects and any ideas Amazon had for Bond were labeled TBD" in memos. To date, the only Bond property Amazon could get Broccoli to sign off on is a reality series 007: Road to a Million that's entering its second season.Broccoli and her family have been part of the Bond movie franchise for almost as long as she lived so she's fiercely protective of the brand and her father's cinematic legacy. She's also started training Wilson's son Gregg to produce recent installments and possibly prepare him to take over the franchise someday. Even that has led to disagreements over who should play Bond in the next film. That's assuming we get one and it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/james-bond-the-movie-franchise-not-the-spy-may-be-in-deep-jeopardy-211608094.html?src=rss

A little more than a week after announcing Gemini Deep Research, Google is making the tool available to more people. As of today, the feature, part of the company's paid Gemini Advanced suite, is available in every country and language where Google offers Gemini. In practice, that means Gemini Advanced users in more than 100 countries globally can start using Deep Research right now. Previously, it was only available in English.As a refresher, Deep Research takes advantage of Gemini 1.5 Pro's ability to reason through long context windows" to create comprehensive but easy-to-read reports on complex topics. Once you provide the tool a prompt, it will generate a research plan for you to approve and tweak as you see fit. After it has your go-ahead, Gemini 1.5 Pro will search the open web for information related to your query. That process can sometimes take several minutes, but once Gemini is done, you'll have a multi-page report you can export to Google Docs for later viewing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-gemini-deep-research-tool-is-now-available-globally-210151873.html?src=rss

Instagram is still thought of as a feed of algorithmically-suggested photos first and foremost, but the app is also pretty popular for messaging, too. If you want to take some of the stress out of remembering to send a birthday message to a friend, as part of a recent update, you can now schedule Instagram messages in advance. Scheduled messages can't contain media like GIFs, photos or videos, but you can schedule them up to 29 days in advance on both the Android and iOS versions of the app.What are Instagram DMs?If you've stuck to using Instagram as a repository for your smartphone photos, you might have missed out on the introduction of Instagram Direct back in 2013, a direct messaging system integrated right in the Instagram app for sharing photos and videos with friends and family.Meta has changed the look, location, and features of Instagram DMs over the years, hooking it up with Messenger in 2020, and more recently adding location-sharing abilities in November 2024. Adding scheduled messages brings Instagram more line with messaging tools like iMessage and Gmail.How to schedule an Instagram messageYou can access DMs by tapping on the arrow or chat bubble icon in the top right corner of your feed. To schedule a message, choose an existing chat or create a new message by tapping on the new message icon in the top right corner. Then fill out the text box with whatever you want to say, and tap and hold on the blue arrow icon to the right of the text box.Instagram will then pull up a series of dials you can use to set the date and time you want your message to be sent. Once you're happy, tap the blue send button at the bottom of the menu and the message will be scheduled.Ian Carlos Campbell for EngadgetHow to delete a scheduled Instagram messageIf you change your mind about a scheduled message, you can delete them directly from your chat. From inside a chat, tap on the small text that says "scheduled messages" above the text box. Then tap and hold on the message you want to delete. From the dropdown menu that appears, tap on "Delete" to remove the message.How to edit a scheduled Instagram messageIf you want to edit your message instead of deleting it, things get more complicated. It became possible to edit normal Instagram messages in March 2024, but editing a scheduled message currently isn't possible. There is a way to achieve the same effect if you're willing to do some extra work, though.First, open the chat were the scheduled message you want to edit is. Then tap on "scheduled messages" near the bottom of the screen above the text box. Find the message you want to edit, then tap and hold on it. Tap on "Copy" from the menu that menu to copy the text to your clipboard, then repeat the process and tap on "Delete."With your copied message in hand, paste it into the text box of your existing chat or a new message. Edit it however you see fit, then tap and hold on the blue arrow to the right of the text box to schedule it again for your desire date and time. Tap on the send button at the bottom of the menu, and it will be scheduled.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/how-to-schedule-messages-on-instagram-205659294.html?src=rss

When Intel debuted its first Arc video cards two years ago, I was more than a little skeptical. Could a company that famously gave up on its last major desktop GPU project in 2009 actually make a dent in a market dominated by NVIDIA and AMD? Well, when I reviewed them in 2022, the Arc A750 and A770 turned out better than I thought, though they were also held back by Intel's poor drivers. But it seems Intel has learned from its mistakes. The new $250 Arc B580 performs better than AMD's low-end Radeon 7600, and it can even tangle a bit with NVIDIA when it comes to budget ray tracing. The only question is if it's worth investing in an Intel video card given its rocky corporate outlook. But for such a cheap video card, with a price that harkens back to the early 2000s, the risk may be worth it. The B580 marks the debut of Intel's second-generation Arc Xe2 GPUs, and it'll be joined by the $219 B570 next month. Based on their specs alone, it's easy to see why they're compelling for budget games. The B580 features 20 Xe cores, 20 ray tracing units and a faster clock speed than the previous Arc cards. Most importantly, though, it's rocking 12GB of VRAM with a 192-bit memory interface, giving it more than enough room to pump out 1440p gameplay. The $299 NVIDIA RTX 4060, in comparison, is stuck with 8GB of VRAM and a far more limited 128-bit interface. Even the RTX 4060 Ti sports that meager amount of VRAM, limiting both of those GPUs mostly to 1080p gameplay (especially if you wanted a bit of ray tracing). AMD's Radeon RX 7600, which goes for around $269, is also burdened with 8GB of RAM and weaker ray tracing performance than NVIDIA and Intel's cards. While Intel has a clear hardware advantage, timing is once again a major concern. The Arc B580 launched as we're preparing for CES 2025, where both NVIDIA and AMD are expected to show off new desktop GPUs. Given NVIDIA's ever-increasing prices, I wouldn't bet on seeing an RTX 5060 around $250, but AMD is another story. It's been trying to make an impact in the low- and mid-range GPU market for years, and that's reportedly still the case with its RDNA 4 cards. There's a good chance we'll eventually see some sort of inexpensive next-gen GPU from AMD. Intel If you need to build a budget gaming rig in the next few months or so, though, the Arc B580 will serve you well. In my testing, it scored slightly higher than the RTX 4060 Ti in 3DMark's Timespy Extreme Benchmark, and it was also noticeably faster than the Radeon 7600. The B580 shone even brighter with ray tracing. I hit a 58 fps average in the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark running at 1080p with Ultra graphics settings and mid-range ray tracing. The Radeon 7600, on the other hand, sometimes struggled to stay above 40 fps with similar settings. GPU Timespy Extreme 3Dmark Speedway Port Royal Ray Tracing Intel Arc B580 7,287 2,443 7,872 Intel Arc A770 6,718 N/A 6,960 NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti 6,599 3,217 8,170 AMD Radeon 7600 5,526 1,969 5,478 I was genuinely surprised by how well the Arc B580 tackled 1440p gaming. In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I hit 70 fps on average with high graphics settings, mid-range ray tracing and Intel's XeSS upscaling flipped on. That's better performance than you'll see on the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro (though admittedly, Sony's PSSR AI upscaling might look better to your eyes). I also hit 85 fps on average while playing Halo Infinite in 1440p with maxed out graphics, which was slightly better than the 4060 Ti. While we're used to budget cards being mainly limited to 1080p gaming, the Arc B580's additional memory clearly makes it well suitedfor 1440p. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Still, there are benefits that the competition offers. NVIDIA's RTX GPUs can also work with its specialized apps, like NVIDIA Broadcaster, which can clean up your audio and video for streams and recordings. Additionally, NVIDIA's DLSS 3 upscaling is available on over 500 games, while Intel's XeSS just cracked 200. And then there's the driver issue: NVIDIA has decades of experience crafting solid GPU software, whereas Intel is still recovering from its recent driver missteps. At least the XeSS 2 AI upscaling seems more useful than AMD's FSR 3 (FidelityFX Super Resolution), as Intel's tech looks dramatically better and can often increase a game's performance by 30 percent or more. The Arc B580 also survived several hours of benchmarking and gaming without any hardware or driver issues. When I first tested the Arc A750 and A770, they would often crash within an hour of testing. Intel's software has clearly made some progress. The B580 reference model I tested also stayed relatively cool under load, and it never surpassed 64 degrees celsius (which also kept its two large fans from ever making much noise). While there will be third-party cards available, I was also impressed by Intel's reference design: The B580 feels premium and sturdy, not cheap and plasticky like many other budget GPUs. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget At this point, it seems like Intel is already having trouble keeping the Arc B580 in stock, a rare good problem for the beleaguered chip giant. It's easy to see why gamers are smitten: It delivers solid 1080p and 1440p performance for most new titles, even with a bit of ray tracing. Finally, there's a viable $250 GPU that doesn't make you feel like you're desperately behind the pack. It's a clear win for Intel - at least until we see what's new from AMD.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/intel-arc-b580-review-the-new-king-of-250-gpus-for-now-200047482.html?src=rss

Hisense has officially unveiled its new HT Saturn audio system just ahead of CES, and it's a doozy. This five-piece surround system includes four identical satellite units and a single 6.5-inch subwoofer. All told, it ships with 13 speakers spread across the five units, each of them wireless.The company says this system has been purpose-built to complement" extra-large screens, with Hisense announcing its the perfect companion to its own TVs that are 85-inches or bigger. The HT Saturn is especially feature-rich, as it's compatible with both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technology.HisenseIt also includes a room calibration system, to ensure the best possible audio, and can use the TV's onboard speaker as an additional component. The system features plenty of useful connection options, including HDMI eARC, optical and Bluetooth 5.3. Everything is wall-mountable, which is great because it can be tough to find space for five cube-shaped speakers.The system also features five unique EQ modes that optimize sound for movies, music, games and more. We don't know the cost or when it'll come out. The Hisense HT Saturn wireless audio system will officially debut at CES 2025, so we'll likely get pricing and availability details early next year. If you have an immediate hankering for a new entertainment-based sound system, Sony put out some good stuff this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/hisenses-ht-saturn-speakers-feature-wireless-dolby-atmos-and-room-calibration-192952302.html?src=rss

Hey, gamers! Do you like Rayman? Do you like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon? Do you wish they'd make a new Rayman or Blood Dragon game? Well, you got your wish (sort of) if you're willing to give your wish a lot of leeway and a bit of money. Journalist Stephen Totilo's Game File newsletter reported that Ubisoft secretly released a new Web3 game with NFTs featuring Captain Laserhawk from the Blood Dragon animated series spinoff on Netflix and Rayman (who hasn't appeared in a proper new adventure in years).Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E. looks like a generic top down shooter set in the bright neon futureworld of the Blood Dragon universe. You compete in an arena-style bloodsport where getting the most kills gets you the win. Totilo describes it as the most basic top-down shooter imaginable."You'll need a Niji Warrior NFT to play the game. Totilo reported that Ubisoft offered 10,000 of the special NFTs for free with some Web3 transaction fees earlier this month. The Niji Warrior NFT serves as a kind of ID card, and if you missed your chance to snag one for free, you'll have to fork over a minimum of $14.38 (0.0022 in ethereum, according to Coinbase) just to get in the game.Then to add digital insult to injury, Rayman serves as the announcer for these gladiatorial deathmatches of the future. Rayman appears in the game but you don't even get to play as the wily, cartoon-ish game hero. He's forced to be the Marv Albert of this bloodthirsty cryptocash grab.There's only one compelling reason to play the game: You won't need to exert much effort to get on the leaderboard. Totilo said he got into the top 10 of the global leaderboard - on a leaderboard that showed less than 100 players. I wouldn't call the game a runaway hit just yet.This isn't the first time that Ubisoft has quietly pushed out a Web3-based game to cash in on the NFT craze that petered out of popularity years ago. Ubisoft Quartz released the tactical RPG Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles in October in which players could buy NFTs for as much as $6,300.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ubisoft-quietly-squeezes-out-another-nft-game-featuring-rayman-blood-dragon-192102438.html?src=rss

After nearly two weeks of announcements, OpenAI capped off its 12 Days of OpenAI livestream series with a preview of its next-generation frontier model. Out of respect for friends at Telefonica (owner of the O2 cellular network in Europe), and in the grand tradition of OpenAI being really, truly bad at names, it's called o3," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told those watching the announcement on YouTube.The new model isn't ready for public use just yet. Instead, OpenAI is first making o3 available to researchers who want help with safety testing. OpenAI also announced the existence of o3-mini. Altman said the company plans to launch that model around the end of January," with o3 following shortly after that."As you might expect, o3 offers improved performance over its predecessor, but just how much better it is than o1 is the headline feature here. For example, when put through this year's American Invitational Mathematics Examination, o3 achieved an accuracy score of 96.7 percent. By contrast, o1 earned a more modest 83.3 percent rating. What this signifies is that o3 often misses just one question," said Mark Chen, senior vice president of research at OpenAI. In fact, o3 did so well on the usual suite of benchmarks OpenAI puts its models through that the company had to find more challenging tests to benchmark it against.ARC AGIOne of those is ARC-AGI, a benchmark that tests an AI algorithm's ability to intuite and learn on the spot. According to the test's creator, the non-profit ARC Prize, an AI system that could successfully beat ARC-AGI would represent "an important milestone toward artificial general intelligence." Since its debut in 2019, no AI model has beaten ARC-AGI. The test consists of input-output questions that most people can figure out intuitively. For instance, in the example above, the correct answer would be to create squares out of the four polyominos using dark blue blocks.On its low-compute setting, o3 scored 75.7 percent on the test. With additional processing power, the model achieved a rating of 87.5 percent. "Human performance is comparable at 85 percent threshold, so being above this is a major milestone," according to Greg Kamradt, president of ARC Prize Foundation.OpenAIOpenAI also showed off o3-mini. The new model uses OpenAI's recently announced Adaptive Thinking Time API to offer three different reasoning modes: Low, Medium and High. In practice, this allows users to adjust how long the software "thinks" about a problem before delivering an answer. As you can see from the above graph, o3-mini can achieve results comparable to OpenAI's current o1 reasoning model, but at a fraction of the compute cost. As mentioned, o3-mini will arrive for public use ahead of o3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-next-generation-o3-model-will-arrive-early-next-year-191707632.html?src=rss

On Friday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued four financial companies involved with Zelle. The CFPB's lawsuit (via CNBC) accuses Zelle's operator (Early Warning Services) and three of the service's partner banks - JPMorgan Chase, Bank Of America and Wells Fargo - of failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment system.The CFPB says customers of those three banks have lost over $870 million during Zelle's seven years as a payment service. The suit claims hundreds of thousands of customers who filed fraud complaints were denied meaningful assistance, with some being told to contact the fraudsters directly to recover their money." (Pro tip: Don't do that.)The nation's largest banks felt threatened by competing payment apps, so they rushed to put out Zelle," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra wrote in a statement. By their failing to put in place proper safeguards, Zelle became a gold mine for fraudsters, while often leaving victims to fend for themselves."The CFPB says one of the system's loopholes is that its tokens" (linked US phone numbers or email addresses) can be used and reassigned across different banks. The agency claims fraudsters can exploit this by connecting a victim's number or email to the perpetrator's deposit account, causing payments meant for the consumer to go to the scammer's account instead.The suit accuses Zelle and the banks of allowing repeat offenders to bounce between financial institutions with impunity. Banks did not share information about known fraudulent transactions with other banks on the network," the CFPB wrote. As a result, bad actors could carry out repeated fraud schemes across multiple institutions before being detected, if they were detected at all."The CFPB also claims the defendant banks didn't heed red flags to prevent further fraud, report incidents consistently or on time, properly investigate customer complaints or take appropriate action.On Friday, Zelle framed the government's lawsuit as a political hit that would help criminals and force them to charge fees. The CFPB's attacks on Zelle are legally and factually flawed, and the timing of this lawsuit appears to be driven by political factors unrelated to Zelle," Jane Khodos, Zelle spokesperson, wrote in a statement. Zelle leads the fight against scams and fraud and has industry-leading reimbursement policies that go above and beyond the law. The CFPB's misguided attacks will embolden criminals, cost consumers more in fees, stifle small businesses and make it harder for thousands of community banks and credit unions to compete."In September, JPMorgan Chase wrote in a quarterly filing (via CNBC) that it would consider counter-litigation if the CFPB took action against the bank for its role with Zelle.Last month, The Washington Post reported that President-elect Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans plan to limit the CFPB's funding and powers, aligning with the agendas of large financial institutions. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his government efficiency" advisors, have said they want to eliminate the agency, which was established in 2011 in response to the 2007-08 financial crisis and resulting recession.Killing the agency would require a congressional vote that wouldn't likely pass, given Republicans' thin majorities. But they could do what Trump did in his first term: appoint a new director to slow or stop regulatory actions, effectively kneecapping the agency as long as they're in charge.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-us-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-sues-zelle-and-four-of-its-partner-banks-175714692.html?src=rss

Netflix has inked a deal with FIFA to snag exclusive US broadcasting rights to the next two Women's World Cup tournaments, according to a report by ESPN. This contract covers both the 2027 and 2031 events.Neither entity has described the financial value of the deal, but it has been reported to be the most significant contract that FIFA has ever signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino called it a landmark moment for sports media rights and a truly historic day for broadcasting and for women's football."This happened because FIFA unbundled the media rights for the women's event for the very first time, which goes into effect after Fox airs the next Men's World Cup in 2026. The 2027 Women's World Cup is being held in Brazil. The 2031 event doesn't have a home yet, but the US is expected to make a bid.This is a fairly big deal for Netflix, given that FIFA reported that a full 1.12 billion people watched the 2019 Women's World Cup, which the US won. This is a global number, of course, but the 2023 tournament recorded the highest-ever US domestic viewership. The sport is certainly catching on over on this side of the pond.Netflix has been making big moves into the world of live sporting events as of late. There was that utterly ridiculous Jake Paul/Mike Tyson fight, but the platform will soon be home to the weekly WWE Monday Night Raw broadcast.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-scores-the-broadcasting-rights-to-the-fifa-womens-world-cup-174017963.html?src=rss

We're less than a week from Christmas, and if you haven't finished your holiday shopping, well, you should probably get on that. While it's likely too late to get most items shipped by Wednesday morning, there are still tons of decent tech deals available for those you're seeing after the holiday - or if you just want to treat yourself. For one, Sony's WF-1000XM5, our pick for the best wireless earbuds, is down to an all-time low of $198, while the 10th-gen iPad is back at its best-ever price at $250. Several other gadgets we recommend are similarly discounted, including the PlayStation 5, Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Apple AirTags. Here are the best tech deals from this week you can still get today.

The winter solstice is upon us, which means that Christmas is next up - and that the clock for timely gift-giving is nearly expired. If you're gifting for a tech fan, something from Apple, Google, Samsung or another big brand is always at the top of the list. But be prepared for sticker shock once you look at the price tags for their latest and greatest devices. Thankfully, you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a gift for someone that has all the cachet of a brand they know and love.

The courageous story of Afghanistan's first all-girls robotics team is coming to a theater near you.Rule Breakers is based on the true story of The Afghan Girls Robotics Team, who grabbed the world's attention when they were denied member visas by the United States in 2017 while attempting to compete at the First Global Challenge international robotics competition. Fifty three members of Congress signed a petition and President Donald Trump intervened to give the girls travel documents on special humanitarian grounds allowing them to enter the US and compete in the robotics games, according to a New York Times profile.The story of the team's struggle to compete in the robotics competition goes much deeper than their attempts to enter the US. First Global founder Dean Kamen, who is best known for designing the Segway, put together his competitive robotics league as a way to spark interest in science and technology among high schoolers. He invited and enlisted Afghan tech entrepreneur and Digital Citizen Fund (DCF) founder Roya Mahboob to put together an all-girls robotics team for the competition nicknamed the Afghan Dreamers. A dozen girls made the cut forming the first team and worked on their robotic creation in Mahboob's parents' basement using whatever they could find for tools along with parts donated by Kamen, according to the Times.The movie tells the story of the team's deep and perilous struggle to compete and pursue their passions. The Taliban's return to power in 2021 reversed years of gender equality and strife for freedom by forbidding women from receiving an education in science and technology, forcing some of the team members to flee their country for their own safety and the right to pursue their future on their terms. Team member Sadaf Hamidi, who fled for Qatar in 2021, told NBC News last year that one of her sisters had to give up her dream of going to medical school saying This is heartbreaking for me and for them."Rule Breakers is directed by two-time Academy Award winner Bill Guttentag and stars Nikohl Boosheri as Mahboob and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film hits theaters on March 7, 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/trailer-rule-breakers-will-bring-afghanistans-first-ever-girls-robotics-team-to-the-big-screen-on-march-7-170049854.html?src=rss

Bluesky has rolled out an update that fixes one important issue that could lead to impersonation on the decentralized social network. Now, when you verify your identity on the platform with your own domain, Bluesky will no longer free up your old .bsky.social username. In the past, going through the authentication process will make your original .bsky.social name available again, which means you'll have to sign up again to secure your old handle if you don't want impersonators to scoop it up.The social network has been trying to fix its verification issues, which became a significant problem after the service welcomed an influx of new users in recent months. A third-party entity from Cornell Tech who analyzed the app's userbase previously found that 44 percent of Bluesky's 100 most-followed accounts have a doppelganger. As a response, Bluesky adopted a more aggressive impersonation policy and required parody, satire or fan accounts to label themselves as such in both their handles and their bio in late November. It also explicitly prohibited identity churning, in which users would start off as impersonators to gain followers and then switch their identity later to avoid enforcement action.In addition to reserving your old handle, the updated Bluesky app adds a "Mentions" tab in notifications, making it much easier to find replies to your posts. As The Verge notes, it also has a new button that lets you choose how replies show up, so you can choose to see them in a linear order or in threaded discussions. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/blueskys-latest-update-addresses-an-important-verification-problem-140055367.html?src=rss

Clickbait videos have always been annoying, but there are times when they can be downright harmful. YouTube has vowed to strengthen its enforcement efforts when it comes to dealing with "egregious clickbait" on its website, particularly those that cover - or pretend to cover - breaking news and current events. The website describes egregious clickbait as "videos where the title or thumbnail promises viewers something that the video doesn't deliver."YouTube says these videos leave viewers "feeling tricked, frustrated, or even misled" if they come to the website looking for truthful and timely information on important issues. If you've ever watched a clickbait video, you'd know that's definitely true. You may have trained yourself on being able to spot and skip them over the years, but some people might still not know the difference between clickbait and legitimate content.One example of egregious clickbait, according to YouTube, is if a video says "the president resigned!" without actually addressing the president's resignation. Misleading thumbails are considered egregious clickbait, as well. If a thumbnail reads "top political news" and the video doesn't contain any political news, then it will also be subjected to YouTube's enforcement action.The website will start cracking down on clickbait videos in India - it didn't say how it will expand from there, but we've asked it for more information. For now, it will delete any video that violates this policy without issuing strikes. After it goes through old videos, it will then prioritize new uploads, presumably so that they don't reach more people that they should.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-will-crack-down-on-egregious-clickbait-starting-in-india-130010064.html?src=rss

We at Engadget are in the unique position to test out many more gadgets than we actually use on a regular basis. It just comes with the territory of reviewing the newest smartphones or testing out dozens of power banks to find the best ones. But we still have to buy things for ourselves, and there are winners and losers just like there are when we test things out for professional purposes only. And similar to when we find a new top-tier tablet or VR headset, we like to sing the praises of the tech we bought ourselves to anyone who will listen. These are the best things Engadget staffers purchased this year that will continue to get lots of use in 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-tech-we-bought-in-2024-130006482.html?src=rss

This week, we're looking back at our hellish 2024 and trying to figure out where to go from here. We began the year with enormous hype around artificial intelligence, but that's cooled off after seeing how useless many AI features have been. It's also clear that many companies, including Microsoft and Apple, are trying to push half-baked AI concepts onto users. Looking forward, we're expecting a rough few years for the tech industry (not to mention the world as a whole).Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Subscribe!

Last week, Google allegedly instructed contract workers evaluating Gemini not to skip any prompts, regardless of their expertise, TechCrunch reports based on internal guidance it viewed.Now, contractors have allegedly been instructed not to skip prompts that require specialized domain knowledge" and to rate the parts of the prompt you understand," adding a note that it's not an area they have knowledge in. Apparently, the only times contractors can skip now are if a big chunk of the information is missing or if it has harmful content.Google filed a statement to Engadget, saying its raters perform a wide range of tasks across many different Google products and platforms. They provide valuable feedback on more than just the content of the answers, but also on the style, format and other factors."- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has reached a settlement with Amazon about alleged hazardous workplace conditions at ten of the tech giant's facilities. Under the terms of the settlement, Amazon will pay a penalty of $145,000 and must implement "corporate-wide ergonomic measures" to reduce the risk of worker injuries. OSHA will also continue inspecting the facilities for the next two years. On the government side of the agreement, OSHA is withdrawing nine of its ten ergonomic citations against the company.Ergonomic injuries are also known as musculoskeletal disorders. These can include sprains and strains experienced on the job.A rep from the Department of Labor told ABC News that this settlement is the "largest of its kind" and "will resolve all outstanding ergonomic litigation" against Amazon. However, it will not impact a separate investigation into Amazon allegedly concealing workplace injuries that is currently underway at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Amazon has denied those charges.Amazon's workforce also made news this week as strikes began at multiple facilities in California, Georgia, Illinois and New York. Members of the Teamsters union organized the effort, with several union chapters voting yesterday to take action against the company. The Teamsters had called on Amazon to negotiate around working conditions, wages and benefits, asking the company to agree to bargaining dates for a contract by December 15. Local journalists from Hell Gate captured footage of the first day of strikes in Queens, NY, showing a peaceful picket line being broken by local police, who reportedly erected barricades to allow contractors to enter and leave the Amazon distribution center.If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a statement from the organization. "We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-to-pay-osha-145000-in-workplace-safety-settlement-230933629.html?src=rss

Waymo's fleet of driverless vehicles are operating in more cities and a study indicates that may reduce crashes on roadways. The study, a non-paid partnership between Waymo itself and reinsurer Swiss Re, indicated Waymo's cars result in fewer insurance claims than those operated by people.Swiss Re analyzed liability claims from collisions covering 25.3 million miles driven by Waymo's autonomous cars. The study also compared Waymo's liability claims to human driver baselines based on data from over 500,000 claims and over 200 billion driving miles. The results found that Waymo Driver demonstrated better safety performance when compared to human-driver vehicles.".The study found cars operated by Alphabet's Waymo Driver resulted in 88 percent fewer property damage claims and 92 percent fewer bodily injury claims.Swiss Re also invented a new metric to compare Waymo Driver against only newer vehicles with advanced safety tech, like driver assistance, automated emergency braking and blind spot warning systems, instead of against the whole corpus of those 200 billion driving miles. In this comparison, Waymo still came out ahead with an 86 percent reduction in property damage claims and a 90 percent reduction on bodily damage claims.Of course, there are two glaring issues. First is that Waymo currently only operates in cities, which, yes, account for the bulk of crashes in the US, but rural areas account for a much higher number of crashes (especially fatal ones) proportional to their population. (The study, incidentally, states that having exurban data included in the baseline metrics actually cuts against Waymo's true safety numbers.) Second: Waymo simply hasn't been around that long. It's very hard to get an accurate measure of the system when its real-world testing period has been so relatively short.The numbers may look good for Waymo Driver in studies but they aren't perfect by any stretch. Waymo issued its second recall over the summer when one of its robotaxis hit a street level telephone pole at 8 mph in Phoenix. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Waymo and found 24 incidents that involved crashes or traffic violations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymos-driverless-cars-are-apparently-an-insurance-companys-dream-220746643.html?src=rss

It's here! The Steam Winter Sale is underway now and runs through January 2. That leaves you plenty of time to internally debate whether you really need to buy yet more games and ultimately convince yourself that yes, in fact, you do.Several notable titles from the Summer Sale are once again seeing similar discounts this season. Baldur's Gate 3 is 20 percent off and you can buy it for $48. At $27, Cyberpunk 2077 is half off and Elden Ring is $36, which is 40 percent off.If you've already had your fill of Elden Ring, you can save 40 percent on a different Souls-like. Lies of P takes the familiar gameplay in a dark retelling of the Pinocchio fairy tale and you can grab it for $36. There's also a 60 percent discount on No Man's Sky, which is still getting regular content patches; soar into infinite space for $24. Another great deal is for the original Cities: Skylines, which is a calmer and more stable experience than the game's troubled sequel has been. The simulator is 70 percent off, costing just $9.Steam sales are always a great time to fill up on indie hits. We here at Engadget are bonkers for Balatro, which you can save a dollar on at only ten percent off, but there are many steeper sales to explore. Feline-focused Stray is $18, or you can play a more sinister critter in Cult of the Lamb for under $13. For $14, you can fish and roll sushi to your heart's content in the quirky Dave the Diver. Slay the Spire is just over $6 and the perennial favorite Stardew Valley is down to $8.A bunch of classic titles are up to 90 percent off. Stellar first-person shooter Titanfall 2 is a mere $3. Go nuclear in Fallout 4 for $8. The trio of games in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition can all be yours for $5. Divinity Original Sin, the sprawling RPG that helped prove Larian Studios was the right team to make Baldur's Gate 3, is $4.That's just scratching the surface of what's included in this season's Steam sale. Take a look over your wishlist and see what else you might want to buy. Happy holidays!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/tis-the-season-for-the-steam-winter-sale-to-take-all-your-money-202852825.html?src=rss

It looks like Lenovo's next ThinkBook Plus laptop is going to have a rolling screen. According to images shared by prolific leaker Evan Blass, Lenovo's sixth-generation ThinkBook Plus will have an extendable, rolling display that builds on the rollable" laptop concept the company first introduced in 2022.The leaked images show a laptop with a traditional, if slightly taller than average display, that can extend and unroll until you effectively have two screens stacked on top of each other. Lenovo's images show a video call open on the top part of the display, and what looks like a PowerPoint presentation on the bottom, but one imagines the possibilities for what you can use the extra screen space for are pretty limitless. Blass didn't share any other technical details about the new ThinkBook Plus, but with CES 2025 weeks away in January, it seems highly likely the new laptop could make an official appearance soon.Lenovo's been toying with the concept of a rollable laptop for a few years at this point, and this new ThinkBook Plus seems like a direct descendant of the company's earlier concept device. Lenovo is no stranger to making weird laptops, either. The Lenovo Auto Twist from CES 2024 featured a display that could rotate and fold on its own, and the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i from 2023 joined two separate touchscreen displays to give owners even more screen space to play with.Evan BlassUp until this point, rollable displays have mostly existed in smartphone concepts and expensive televisions, so if Lenovo can sell a laptop with a unique screen at an approachable price, and guarantee it won't suffer from hardware issues, it might have a hit on its hands. Then again, the previous fifth-generation ThinkBook Plus - a Windows computer when you attached a keyboard and an Android tablet when you didn't - started at $2,000, so it might be wrong to expect affordability.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-extendable-thinkbook-plus-laptop-accidentally-unrolled-early-193056769.html?src=rss

Earlier this year, Meta previewed Movie Gen, an AI video editing tool that looked impressively realistic (at least in the sample clips it released). At the time, though, Meta said it was still a research project with no immediate plans to make the features available to users.But it now seems that Movie Gen could arrive on Instagram sooner than later. Instagram's top exec Adam Mosseri posted a short video previewing the kind of seamless AI edits that will eventually be possible, saying that the company is hoping to bring this to Instagram next year."In the clip, Mosseri says that Meta is working on some really exciting AI tools" for video creators. You should be able to do anything you want with your videos," he says. "You should be able to change your outfit, or change the context in which you're sitting, or add a chain - whatever you can think of."

Paramount Pictures is hoping to spin-dash to success for a fourth time. The studio has confirmed that it is working on Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and is targeting a theatrical release of spring 2027 for the movie. No details have leaked about the plot, but it's likely that the project will see actors Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey reprising their roles as Sonic and Dr. Robotnik.The recent film adaptations of Sega's famous game franchise have become a consistent hit for Paramount. The first film secured the biggest opening weekend in history for a video game movie, only to be dethroned in 2022 by its own sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which adds Keanu Reeves to the already star-studded cast of the series, releases tomorrow. Variety is currently projecting the third entry to fall short of the financial bar set by Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but anything could happen. The movies have also received a television spin-off on Paramount+ due to air next spring. The show will delve into the backstory of Sonic's echidna ally Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-movie-confirmed-by-paramount-190234137.html?src=rss

SpaceX's satellite-to-cell Starlink texting service can now operate throughout New Zealand, thanks to the telecommunications company One NZ. The New Zealand-based provider says this is the first time that a nationwide satellite text messaging service has been powered by Starlink. T-Mobile has been making a lot of noise about getting this going, but it looks like One NZ beat it to the punch.What's the benefit here for New Zealand residents? It's a country with many rural areas without access to mobile towers, resulting in weak or no signals. This should even the playing field for people who don't live near big cities.Now onto the caveats, and there are a couple of big ones. Starlink texting is incredibly slow when compared to traditional methods. One NZ says that most messages should be sent and received within three minutes during the initial rollout, but admits that timeframe could increase to 10 minutes or longer." It is for this reason that the company continues to urge folks to carry a personal locator beacon when traveling to a remote area.The service is also only supported by four smartphone models, which includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and OPPO Find X8 Pro. This list of eligible devices is expected to grow next year. The company also intends to eventually expand the service to include voice calling and data.The satellite service is free for existing One NZ customers on paid-monthly plans, but we don't know the pricing scheme for new customers or for those signed up for other types of contracts. Starlink has partnered with other telecommunications companies to bring comprehensive coverage to Japan, Peru, Switzerland and Chile. As previously mentioned, it's also working with T-Mobile to do something similar in the US.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/starlinks-first-nationwide-satellite-texting-service-goes-live-in-new-zealand-182343142.html?src=rss