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Fortnite just announced the availability of Chapter 6: Season 2, which has been dubbed Lawless. As the name suggests, this update is all about being a criminal and performing robberies. Fortnite hasn't dabbled in this kind of GTA-esque tomfoolery since Chapter 4: Season 4, which also included heists.Starting today, players will be able to perform all kinds of nefarious activities, like robbing banks, stealing armored cars and breaking into luxury locations. The popular battle royale will even let players rob the train that services the island. Oh yeah. There's also a giant pickle that raps named Big Dill. It has a song on Soundcloud.There are a handful of new locations to accompany this update, including an urban area called Crime City. Other updated game mechanics include gold water that provides stat boosts, black markets for high-end weapons, and a scanner that detects where enemies are. There's also a new in-game crypto currency" called Dill Bits coins, which can be used to buy gear. This automatically makes it more useful than the vast majority of actual crypto coins out there.Players that pick up this season's battle pass will have access to several new playable characters, including the aforementioned vinegar-soaked rapper Big Dill. Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat is also included in this roster for some reason.Epic Games A series of Cowboy Bebop quests will also appear in the game beginning on March 1. To accompany these quests, players will be able to dress like the characters Spike Spiegel and Faye Valentine. Lawless runs from today until May 2.This is just the latest wild and wacky Fortnite update. The game has dabbled with post-apocalyptic locales in the past, in addition to Greek gods, vampires and just about everything else. Most recently, Epic introduced Godzilla as a playable character.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnites-new-season-leans-heavily-on-heist-mechanics-201542184.html?src=rss

Apple is set to give News+ subscribers more than a soupcon of fresh material. When iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 arrive in April, the company will add a Food section to News+.This will include tens of thousands of recipes, along with stories curated by Apple News editors about healthy eating, restaurants, kitchen essentials and so on. Apple says "the world's top food publishers" - including Allrecipes, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Good Food and Serious Eats - will supply the recipes and stories.One notable omission from that list is The New York Times, which has a separate subscription for its famed Cooking app. As such, it seems Apple is trying to go toe-to-toe with one of the country's papers of record on another front after it added games for News+ subscribers. Of course, there are plenty of other places you can go on the web for recipes and cooking tips.Non-News+ subscribers will have access to a limited number of stories and recipes. An appetizer, if you will, to encourage folks to sign up for the full buffet.New recipes will be added to the Recipe Catalog every day. You'll be able to browse, search and filter the library. Apple says the format makes it easy to review the lists of ingredients and directions. There's an option to view step-by-step instructions in full screen mode (which looks a bit like a lyrics screen in Apple Music). You can also save recipes for offline access, which could be useful for meal planning if you like to go off-grid once in a while.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-adding-tens-of-thousands-of-recipes-to-news-194518874.html?src=rss

The General Services Administration plans on shutting down federal EV charging infrastructure in the coming weeks and "offloading" EVs purchased by the previous administration, The Verge reports.Since the GSA oversees government buildings, shutting down chargers will impact personal electric vehicles owned by government employees and government-owned EVs. "As GSA has worked to align with the current administration, we have received direction that all GSA owned charging stations are not mission critical," an email viewed by The Verge reads.There were a a steadily increasing number of federally-owned EVs after President Biden ordered the government agencies to electrify their fleets in 2021. Part of the Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2024 also included funding to build EV chargers for the growing number of vehicles used by the government.The shutdown will take place over the coming weeks and will coincide with the removal of GSA EVs purchased by the Biden Administration, either by selling them or placing them in storage, according to the report. Engadget has reached out to the GSA for confirmation of this plan and will update this article if we hear back.Shutting down federal charging infrastructure fits with both the Trump administration's stance on EVs and the transportation goals of Project 2025, the plan written by The Heritage Foundation that's been guiding recent policy decisions. Since taking office, Trump has reversed Biden's order to electrify government vehicles and cancelled a project to install high-speed EV chargers along highways. It wouldn't be surprising if he signed a bill eliminating the federal EV tax credit entirely, if presented with the chance.While not a magic bullet for global warming, EV adoption has been pushed because of its potential to reduce carbon emissions. Moving from manufacturing gas vehicles to EVs has not been cheap for car companies, though. Imposing tariffs and removing the incentives to buy EVs is one reason automakers are reportedly trying to lobby the Trump administration to reconsider its current stance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/federal-government-reportedly-plans-to-shut-down-its-ev-charging-infrastructure-191314767.html?src=rss

Meta has offered up a lucrative new executive bonus plan, according to a company filing released Thursday. Under the new plan, executives could earn a yearly bonus of 200 percent of their base salary, which is up from 75 percent. This comes just after Meta announced sweeping layoffs impacting five percent of its workforce.A committee for Meta's board of directors approved the change on February 13, on the grounds that the target total cash compensation" for its executives was at or below the 15th percentile of the target total cash compensation of executives holding similar positions" at rival companies. It's worth noting that the new bonus plan doesn't apply to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Don't worry about his bottom line, however, as he's worth nearly $250 billion.Meta has also decided to slash its annual distribution of stock options by around ten percent for thousands of its regular employees, according to a report by The Financial Times. The exact reduction could differ depending on where the employees live and what they do, but Meta hasn't commented further on the decision.As previously noted, Meta is in the process of laying off five percent of its global workforce. This is despite the fact that company shares are up nearly 50 percent over the past year, with a current stock price of around $687 per share. Also, it recently announced that its fourth-quarter revenue grew 21 percent year-over-year to more than $48 billion. The company has cut more than 20,000 jobs in the past couple of years."A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster. People will be more productive, and their work will be more fun and fulfilling," Zuckerberg said at the tail-end of last year. Nothing says fun and fulfilling" more than watching your co-workers get laid off while the executives get massive bonuses.If you're a current or former Meta employee with thoughts on this new executive bonus structure, hit me up on Signal at LawrenceBonk.96. I'll ensure that things are kept anonymous.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-approves-massive-bonuses-executives-183222206.html?src=rss

After creating a stir with the $200 Neo, DJI is back at it with another innovative drone, the Flip. It has a first-of-a-kind folding design and shrouded propellers to keep people safe. It also integrates 3D infrared obstacle detection to track subjects and has a long list of impressive features. With a camera borrowed from the Mini 4 Pro, the Flip can take high-quality 4K 60p video indoors or out with little risk. It comes with vlogger-friendly features like Direction Track and Quickshots for social media. And it can be flown with either DJI's controllers, a smartphone, voice control or the push of a button. There's no need for a permit to fly it, and best of all, it's priced at $439 with an RC-N3 controller included - making it one of the more affordable drones available. To see how well it serves creators, I flew it inside a castle, a 500-year-old house and out in nature. It's not perfect (hello, stiff winds and obstacles), and it has some stiff competition with the HoverAir X1 Pro, but it's one of the most useful creator drones yet. Design The Flip has a clever, user-friendly design. All four propellers fold down and stack below the body like some kind of Star Wars spacecraft. DJI chose this construction so that it could incorporate permanent (rather than detachable) shrouds that protect the props to limit damage or injury in case of a collision. The design also employs large propellers that aid performance and reduce noise. By comparison, DJI's Neo has tiny, fast-spinning propellers that make a high-pitched shrieking noise. DJI kept the takeoff weight including battery and microSD card under 250 grams by using carbon fiber and other lightweight materials. This means the Flip can be flown without special permits. It's still rather bulky though, especially compared to the sleek HoverAir X1 Pro. The Flip has far better battery life than its rival, however. DJI promises up to 34 minutes max flight time (about 27 minutes in real-world conditions), compared to just 16 minutes for the X1 Pro. The batteries can be charged up quickly as well, taking about 35 minutes each with the optional four-battery charger. You'll need a memory card, though, as the Flip only has 2GB of internal storage. The Flip is DJI's first lightweight drone with a 3D infrared sensor for forward obstacle avoidance and it also has a downward vision sensor for landing spot detection and stability. However, unlike the Mini 4 Pro and other DJI drones, it has no side or rear obstacle sensors. One small issue is that the Flip's propellers don't have much clearance, so they can snag even in short grass on takeoffs. Like the Neo, though, it's designed more for takeoffs and landings from your hand. To that end, it has a button on the opposite side of the power switch to select a flight mode and takeoff automatically, just like the Neo. It can also be flown with the app, voice control or manually with a controller - either the DJI RC-N3 controller (which requires a smartphone) or the RC 2 controller with a built-in 5.5-inch display. Features and performance Steve Dent for Engadget The Flip can hum along at up to 26 mph in sport mode, which isn't bad for a light drone, but a good bit slower than the Mini 4 Pro (37 mph). However, the reduced weight and large surface area means it's not the best in high winds. When it flew over the roof of a castle, for example, it got hit by a gust that pushed it nearly backwards. However, the Flip can do things that you'd never attempt with a Mini 4 Pro. The full propeller protection, stability and relatively low noise make it well-suited for flying inside large rooms full of fragile objects and people. That, along with the excellent picture quality, means it's a great choice for event professionals and content creators working in public spaces. It's also perfect for beginners, because like the Neo, you can launch the Flip off your hand at the push of a button. It will then fly a pre-programmed mode and land back where it started. One of those modes, Direction Track, allows the drone to fly backwards and follow you for vlogging. There's also a follow mode for activities like running and hiking, along with social media-friendly flight modes like Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Helix and Boomerang. Note that video in these automatic modes is limited to 4K 30 fps. At the same time, the Flip is easy to fly manually either with a smartphone or the supported controllers. Though not as maneuverable as the Mini 4 Pro, it's easier for novices to fly and makes a stable camera platform. You do need to be careful in areas with untextured floors (painted concrete, for instance), as it can throw off the Flip's sensors and make it unstable. When that happens, your best bet is to switch it into sport mode to disable the vision-based flight stability sensors (and then fly carefully because obstacle detection will also be disabled). Steve Dent for Engadget Oddly, the Flip doesn't work with DJI's Goggles N3 and Motion 3 controller, unlike the much cheaper Neo. That's because DJI sees it predominantly as a camera drone rather than an acrobatic device. If you're hoping to use the Flip to track yourself or others, there's a big issue: It lacks obstacle detection in any direction except forward or down. If you're flying the drone backwards, for instance, you have to make sure there's nothing behind it can crash into. And automatic obstacle avoidance doesn't work at all when you use the Flip's smart features like Direction Track or ActiveTrack, though the drone will stop 10 feet before hitting anything it detects. The lack of that feature is odd, since obstacle avoidance is an important part of subject tracking, and DJI didn't say if it had plans to rectify that issue via a future update. None of this is an issue with the HoverAir X1 Pro, which can track forwards, backwards and even sideways with full obstacle detection enabled. The Flip has excellent range for such a tiny drone at up to eight miles, thanks to DJI's O4 transmission system. At the same time, it can send a high quality 1080p 60 fps video signal that can be recorded to the controller as a backup. However, if you're flying using your smartphone with a Wi-Fi connection, range is limited to just 165 feet. Camera Samuel Dejours for Engadget The cameras are the biggest difference between the Flip and the Neo. The Flip comes with a much larger 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel sensor and a 24mm-equivalent wide angle F/1.7 lens. It's the same as the one on the Mini 4 Pro and provides sharp, noise-free video in good light. You can shoot 4K video at up to 60 fps (100 fps in slow-mo mode), rather than just 30 fps like the Neo. In addition, the Flip supports 10-bit D-LogM video that allows for improved dynamic range in bright lighting, like on ski slopes. You can also capture 12MP or 48MP RAW (DNG) photos. Video quality is noticeably sharper than on the Neo and the Flip is a far better drone for night shoots or dimly lit indoor settings thanks to the lower noise levels. Though the DJI Air 3S and Mavic 4 offer higher quality due to the larger sensors, there isn't a large difference in good light. Since the Flip has just a single camera, video is noticeably more noisy when using the 2x zoom. Note that when shooting in the automated modes (Direction Track, Dronie, etc.) there is no manual control of the camera to adjust exposure, shutter speed and ISO. The HoverAir X1 Pro has the same-sized 1/1.3-inch sensor and offers very similar video quality (with a log mode as well), though I find DJI's colors to be a touch more accurate. The HoverAir has slightly inferior 4K 60p video unless you spend an extra $200 for the Pro Max version to get 8K 30fps and 4K 120fps. With a three-axis gimbal, the Flip shoots silky smooth video even if it's being buffeted by winds. You can choose Follow mode to keep the camera level even when the drone banks, or FPV mode that allows the camera to tilt for a more exciting first-person perspective. Generally, video remains smooth even with sudden maneuvers, while footage from the HoverAir X1 Pro exhibits occasional jolts and janky movements. The Flip's camera doesn't rotate 90 degrees like the one on the Mini 4 Pro, so maximum resolution for vertical video is 2.7K - a step backwards from the 4K 60 fps 9:16 vertical video on the Mini 4 Pro. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The Flip represents a bold change in direction (and design) for DJI. Unlike open prop drones, it gives creators the ability to shoot indoors and around people with relatively high video quality. And it does this for just $439 - much less than the $759 Mini 4 Pro. However, the Flip isn't perfect, with its main flaws being the reduced maneuverability, problems in wind and lack of obstacle avoidance when using smart modes like ActiveTrack. As I mentioned, DJI also has some serious competition in this category, namely the $500 HoverAir X1 Pro. Both offer features like palm takeoff, intelligent flight modes and subject tracking and have similar quality, but the HoverAir X1 Pro offers rear-side active collision detection, a wider lens and more internal storage. It's also about half the size of the Flip. For its part, the Flip has double the flight time and a much longer transmission range. The choice then depends on what you want. If portability, subject tracking and obstacle avoidance are key, the HoverAir X1 Pro is a better option. Others who prioritize battery life, smoother video and a more established company should choose the Flip. In any case, DJI usually dominates all drone categories, so it's nice to see multiple products facing off in this creator-centric space.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-flip-review-a-unique-and-useful-creator-drone-with-a-few-flaws-181507462.html?src=rss

The rumors are true: Apple confirmed today that the Vision Pro will get Apple Intelligence features in April with the arrival of visionOS 2.4. A developer beta is also rolling out today for the less patient. As we've seen on other devices, Apple is starting out the Vision Pro's AI rollout with basic features. Those include Writing Tools, which can help you summarize, rewrite and proofread text, as well as generate text with ChatGPT; Image Playground for creating AI imagery; and Genmoji for building custom AI generated emojis and stickers.It really was only a matter of when Apple would bring Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro. It's available on current Macs running the M1 chip, so the spatial headset's M2 hardware is clearly more than capable. Apple Intelligence on VP only supports English for now, but the company says more languages and AI features will be coming throughout the year. As for other minor Apple Intelligence capabilities, the Vision Pro will also be getting Priority Notifications and summaries, Smart Reply in Mail and Messages, and the ability to create Memory Movies in Photos.Arguably more useful to Vision Pro users, Apple is also introducing several apps and tweaks to make the headset a bit more useful. There's a new Spatial Gallery app exclusive to Vision Pro that will highlight spatial videos, photos and panoramas from Apple. Think of it as another way to enjoy the VP's immersive capabilities without waiting for another big budget Immersive Video to drop. The company says the Spatial Galllery app will include "stories and experiences" from brands like Red Bull (which is well known for making 360-degree videos for VR), as well as behind the scenes material from Apple shows like Severance and Shrinking. (Let's hope we can actually sit inside the creepy Lumon offices.)AppleAdditionally, a new Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone will let users better manage their headset experience. They can remotely add apps and games to the Vision Pro, as well as explore content to check out later. The app will also serve as a way to owners you know when new content drops for the Vision Pro (like a new "Arctic Surfing" episode of the Boundless Immersive series, which arrives today), as well as explore other videos for the headset, including a library of nearly 300 3D movies.A standalone mobile Vision Pro app also makes sense, especially since Meta has offered something similar for its headsets for years. It's a sign that Apple is slowly making the Vision Pro platform a bit more consumer friendly, instead of just being a testbed for developers working in spatial computing. I don't think Apple will be lowering the Vision Pro's price anytime soon, but whenever we get a cheaper headset from the company, it'll be helpful to have content discovery features like the Spatial Gallery and the Vision Pro iPhone app.And speaking of user-friendly tweaks, Apple is also improving Guest User mode with visionOS 2.4 Now headset owners will be able to start guest sessions with their iPhone and iPad, remotely choose which apps are available to guests wearing your Vision Pro, and also kick off AirPlay mirroring remotely. Previously, that process involved putting on the Vision Pro first, enabling Guest User mode, and then passing it to someone else to test out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apple-intelligence-is-headed-to-the-vision-pro-in-april-dev-beta-available-today-181014106.html?src=rss

While Apple's new iPhone 16e may be the big tech news of the week, it's one of Google's Pixel phones that leads our latest weekly deal roundup. More specifically, the Pixel 9 Pro - our pick for the best Android handset - is down to $799 at several retailers, a $200 drop that represents the lowest price we've tracked for an unlocked model. If you don't need a new phone, a few other gadgets we recommend are also on sale, including Crucial's X9 Pro portable SSD, Apple's AirTag trackers, ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop and Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom 4 speaker. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today. Spotlight deal The rest of the best tech deals this week

Elon Musk's chainsaw has been swinging through the federal government over the last few weeks, with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chopping down budgets and excising staff at a number of agencies. Among those affected is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is said to be losing about 10 percent of its relatively small headcount through buyouts and firings.According to The Washington Post, between 70 and 80 people are departing the agency, which is responsible for road safety in the US. Those ex-employees are said to have worked in a number of areas, such as safety grant funding and crash test dummies.The DOGE cull also impacted three people from a very small team that was working on the safety of autonomous vehicles, such as those from Alphabet's Waymo, Amazon's Zoox and - hey, look at that! - Elon Musk's Tesla. It's probably just a coincidence that an organization headed by the same person who is CEO of a prominent company that's working on self-driving cars has cut federal employees that are evaluating the safety of such technology. Probably.If the question is, will this affect the federal government's ability to understand the safety case behind Tesla's vehicles, then yes, it will," one of the fired engineers told The Post. The amount of people in the federal government who are able to understand this adequately is very small. Now it's almost nonexistent."The NHTSA expanded from around 600 workers to 800 or so during the Biden administration. The autonomous vehicle oversight team was formed as part of that growth. Since several of its seven or so members were new to the federal government, their employment status was at risk due to a DOGE initiative to cull probationary employees from the federal workforce, as The Post notes. Other agencies that have been impacted include the Federal Aviation Administration, which last week cut around 400 probationary employees.Musk and President Donald Trump pledged in an interview this week that the former, who has been designated as a "special government employee," wouldn't be involved in decisions that would mark a conflict of interest with his businesses.The NHTSA has issued numerous recalls for Tesla vehicles over the years (including a recall of more than 2 million vehicles to fix Autopilot safety controls). In April 2024, the agency released the results of an investigation into 14 deaths linked to driver misuse of the company's Autopilot feature. Last month, Musk said that Tesla will roll out a paid autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin this June.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/elon-musks-doge-reportedly-cuts-staff-at-agency-that-regulates-elon-musks-tesla-173618858.html?src=rss

Apple users in the UK can no longer access one of the company's most powerful data protection tools, as first reported by Bloomberg. The feature, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), allows iPhone users to add optional end-to-end encryption to a variety of iCloud data. The move comes amid an ongoing dispute between Apple and the UK over a government order that would require the company to build a backdoor to allow British security officials to access the encrypted data of users globally."ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices," Apple told Engadget. "We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy."Mathew Smith / Engadget"Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users," a notification explains when users go to enable the feature on their iPhone, iPad or Mac following Apple's decision. If you live in the UK and have ADP enabled, you will need to manually disable the encryption to keep your iCloud account. Apple told Engadgetit will provide customers with a grace period to comply, though the company has yet to say how much time it will give. The company added it would share additional guidance in the future. Due to the nature of end-to-end encryption, Apple cannot automatically disable ADP on behalf of its users.Apple's decision to disable ADP in the UK does not mean the company is removing end-to-end encryption for many of the other services it offers in the country. When it comes to iMessage, passwords, health data and more, those are still protected by end-to-end encryption by default."Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before," Apple said. "Apple remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom. As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will."News of the UK's backdoor request broke last week when The Washington Post reported that government officials issued a "technical capability notice" to the company under the country's Investigatory Powers Act. Last year, the UK government made changes to the law to "ensure the intelligence services and law enforcement have the powers they need to keep pace with a range of evolving threats from terrorists, hostile state actors, child abusers and criminal gangs." The order reportedly demands Apple give security officials the capability to view all of a user's fully encrypted material whenever the government wants and wherever the target is located.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-disables-iclouds-advanced-data-protection-feature-in-the-uk-173016447.html?src=rss

Coinbase says that the SEC has agreed to end an enforcement case that accused it of illegally running an unregistered securities exchange. This could signal a major change in how the US government will enforce the crypto market now that Trump is in office. The lawsuit, which was filed during the Biden administration, has long-been considered an attempt to bring the crypto industry under the same investor-protection rules that govern stocks and other securities.Coinbase had been fighting the lawsuit on the grounds that it didn't run a securities company, likening the commodities it sells to baseball cards. That appeal will soon be moot, assuming the SEC officially votes to dismiss the suit. This should happen next week.It's a great day for Coinbase and for crypto," Paul Grewal, Coinbase's chief legal officer, told The Wall Street Journal. We were committed to defending it to the gates of hell, for as long as it took and for as much money as it took."Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong went on CNBC's Squawk Box and said that the company will not be paying a fine of any kind. He also said the agreement to end the case marks a huge day" for Coinbase and that it will cause a domino effect for the rest of the industry." He also blamed the original suit on a small group of activists in this prior administration."

The most surprising thing about Moroi is its sense of humor. Moroi is a top-down, dual-stick action and puzzle game set in a dungeon of surreal horrors, where each cell contains a unique and grotesque vignette. In the first area of the map, there's a cell containing a sentient meat grinder that craves human flesh. In another, a dead man is strapped to a feeding tube that's still pumping slop into his bulbous, pulsing stomach. The next room over, you meet a talking duck with far too many human teeth in its mouth. One tooth would be too many, but this duck has a full, smiling set. And then he rips them all out for you, leaving behind a bloody, empty bill.And this moment makes me laugh out loud. The gore in Moroi is so ridiculous that it turns the corner into hilarity, tapping into the gruesome absurdity that makes b-horror movies so charming. You don't expect the duck to have human teeth, but what's even more surprising is their sudden removal and the duck's leftover, blood-smeared smile. These shocking moments of levity appear in Moroi at a rapid-fire pace, twisting the vibe from brutality to bizarreness and back until it feels like you're trapped in a Francisco Goya fever dream directed by Sam Raimi. It's pretty awesome.Moroi comes from creator Alex Stanescu and his independent studio, Violet Saint. Though he's now based in Switzerland, Stanescu is Romanian and Moroi is filled with grimdark takes on his homegrown fairy tales. The game's name refers to a vampire in Romanian folklore, even. Stanescu was also inspired by David Lynch, Heironymous Bosch, H.R. Giger and Little Nightmares, with a dash of Robert Sheckley and Douglas Adams for humor. But at its core, Moroi is a completely original world of creepiness, Stanescu explained during a media briefing hosted by the game's publisher, Good Shepherd Entertainment.There's a big pool of things in my subconscious from which I pull," he said. General grotesquery, maybe carnival art, Bosch and early medieval art, and caricature. I always try to find my own style." Stanescu later clarified further, saying, Creepy things. Like, for example, in a puzzle, you have to vomit blood into the mouth of someone else. And you will find reality shifting in some places, like in a room you find someone else than you expect to find, and so on. Let's say dream logic."Violet SaintIt's more like nightmare logic, really. Each of the cells in Moroi is connected - get the severed hand from the autocannibal so the meat grinder can make bone dust, which you can then give to the creepy wizard, who turns it into salt for the witch, who's then devoured by her own potion, and so on. Eventually in the introductory level, you find a sword, break down a door and continue your quest to escape, but the prison only grows more strange. Every now and then, a voice interrupts your progress, whispering for you to find it. The creatures in the cells seem to know who you are, even though you have no memory of this place. There's way more going on in Moroi than meets the eye.I tell a lot of it through the lore and collectibles, so those will carry a lot of storytelling," Stanescu said. The storytelling given by the characters and by the gameplay is pretty cryptic. You have to find and pay attention to what's happening."There are no branching storylines in Moroi, but your choices throughout the game will affect how it ends, according to Stanescu. He said the full experience should take about nine hours to complete, but this can be extended if you hunt down all of the secrets.Violet SaintCombat in Moroi is fast and fun, and heavy metal replaces the game's moody dungeon music at the beginning of each fight, setting an appropriate tone of chaos and carnage. Dungeon guards are the main enemies and they appear in waves of five or so at a time, some with more powerful moves than others. I ended the hour-long demo with an enhanced sword and a gatling gun in my arsenal. With a sword, you have basic and heavy attacks, plus a finishing move that builds up as you deal damage. The gun doesn't require ammo but it runs on a cooldown mechanic, and it has a basic shot and a finisher. Dodge rolls round out your moveset in the early game, and the balance in these battles feels just right. On top of dodging and attacking, there are fiery cores scattered around the environments that you can explode for AOE damage - but be warned, if you're too close to the boom, you'll get hurt, too. The end of each battle is marked by piles of intestines and busted corpses - hopefully not yours - littering the cobblestones.The amount of blood-soaked surrealism, frantic combat and body horror in Moroi's first hour is impressive, and I'm amped to discover all of the secrets in the full game, no matter how many exploded corpses I have to dig through. Or maybe even because of all the exploded corpses.Moroi is due to hit PC pretty soon - early 2025."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/moroi-preview-a-grimdark-action-game-thats-actually-pretty-funny-150009465.html?src=rss

Earlier this week, Apple's cheapest iPhone got a refresh and an unexpected name change. Instead of the widely anticipated iPhone SE 4, the company unveiled the new iPhone 16e, which shifts to a full-screen design with Face ID while putting Apple Intelligence on an entry-level model for the first time. It also sports the Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e are now open, with models starting at $599, and the phone will be more widely available on February 28. Here's everything you need to know about pre-ordering the latest iPhone. The best place to get an unlocked iPhone 16e is, unsurprisingly, direct from Apple. The iPhone 16e comes in only two colors, black and white, with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage configurations to choose from. Ordering an unlocked iPhone means you can take it to nearly any carrier of your choosing. As usual, wireless carriers are also selling the iPhone 16e now, with various perks attached to purchases. Here are all of wireless carrier specials we currently know about for the iPhone 16e.

Operator is now out in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and most places where ChatGPT is also available, OpenAI has announced. The company launched Operator in the US back in January, introducing it as an "agent that can go to the web to perform tasks" for the user. Operator can handle various browser-based tasks for users, such as filling out forms, making restaurant reservations and ordering groceries. At the moment, it's still a research preview in its early stages that comes with limitations, but the company said it hopes to roll out improvements based on user feedback.

Well we didn't get the iPhone SE fourth-gen this week - instead Apple debuted the iPhone 16e, a $599 model based on the iPhone 14's design. It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen and the A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, but should we really consider it a cheap iPhone? In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into the iPhone 16e and how it compares to the rest of the iPhone 16 family.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!

If you couldn't stomach $800 for a new iPhone with Apple Intelligence, don't worry: Apple just announced the iPhone 16e. At $599, it strikes a balance on specs, which is the soft and cosy way to say it doesn't have everything.It has a lot, though. With a 6.1-inch screen, it's a much bigger device than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE, with a notch for FaceID (no more TouchID), USB-C (adios, Lightning) and the company's A18 processor. There's also an action button, which arrived with the iPhone 15 series, but no Camera Control.AppleThat's the same processor as the $800 iPhone 16, so you've got access to what seems to be the full gamut of Apple Intelligence. That includes generative AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration. So yeah, a mixed bag.The notable hardware standout might be the single 48-megapixel Fusion camera, at a time when 'pro' iPhones have three. The last time I tested a single-camera smartphone was the Pixel 4a back in 2020. Oh, and the last iPhone SE.Apple has dropped both wireless charging and MagSafe's magnetic ring for the iPhone 16e too, which is a surprise. I'm not a huge fan of wireless charging. It's slow, inefficient and confusing. Having said that, I hope this isn't the beginning of the end for Apple's wireless charging feature. I love the mag part of MagSafe, which has introduced far more elegant tripods and phone mounts that lock iPhones in place without needing a clamp or a plug. In recent years, we've got unofficial MagSafe cases for other smartphones, so I can do the same with my Android phones.The iPhone 16e lands on February 28 in black and white, but don't worry, there will be fizzy color cases. Even if they don't have MagSafe.(And kudos to this hilariously timed discount on the Pixel 8a, now only $399. I love a good troll deal.)- Mat Smith

We learned in December 2022 that a production company had signed on to turn Sloclap's excellent martial arts game Sifu into a film. Today, the news dropped that Netflix is involved with the project, which seems to have caused some personnel shuffling behind the scenes.The initial announcement saw Story Kitchen, which has since amassed a huge catalog of video game adaptations, securing a treatment of Sifu with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad attached as the writer. Story Kitchen is still working on the film, but Kolstad is no longer serving as the screenwriter and T.S. Nowlin has instead been tapped for that role. Nowlin's past credits include the screenplays for the Maze Runner adaptations and most recently he was a writer for Netflix's splashy Ryan Reynolds vehicle The Adam Project.However, there is still a John Wick connection with Sifu. The director for all four John Wick films, stunt performer Chad Stahelski, has joined the producer team, as have members of Stahelski's 87Eleven Entertainment company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-hops-aboard-sifu-movie-adaptation-assigns-a-screenwriter-225324526.html?src=rss

Samwise Gamgee said, "It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish." But then, he hadn't been exposed to the world of video game development. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, a cozy take on the most idyllic pocket of Middle Earth, has been delayed. The new launch date is July 29. According to a post from the devs at Wt Workshop Game Studio, this delay is about ensuring that all the project's supported platforms "can enjoy the same cozy experience." It is currently slated to launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam and Xbox Series X.

Elon Musk has a problem with Community Notes, the crowdsourced fact-checking feature that started as Birdwatch, and launched at scale after he purchased Twitter."Unfortunately @CommunityNotes is increasingly being gamed by governments & legacy media," Musk posted. "Working to fix this..." Based on the rant his tweet descends in to afterwards, his issue appears to be with how X's Community Notes contributors have been treating misinformation about President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the war in Ukraine. Musk quotes a post from an X account that claims polls showing Zelenskyy has a 57 percent approval rating in Ukraine are "not credible." Information like that being challenged on X doesn't jive with President Trump's description of Zelenskyy as a "dictator" or Musk's desire to use the platform as an unofficial arm of the current administration.

iPhone 15 Pro owners will soon have one less reason to consider upgrading to an iPhone 16 series handset. Visual Intelligence, Apple's equivalent to Google Lens, is coming to the 2023 Pro-series flagships, according to Daring Fireball. Owners of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro can trigger Visual Intelligence with a long press of their dedicated camera button. But like the recently announced iPhone 16e (which also supports the feature), the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max don't have a physical camera button. So, all three phones will have to assign it to the Action button or use a Control Center shortcut, which will arrive in an upcoming software update. Apple hasn't said which iOS version will bring the Apple Intelligence visual search feature to the iPhone 15 Pro series. However, Daring Fireball's John Gruber suspects it will be in iOS 18.4, which could arrive "any day now" for beta testers. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Part of the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features, Visual Intelligence lets you point your camera at something and use AI to analyze it in real time. It does a few things on its own, but it gets more useful with info from its persistent onscreen shortcuts to ChatGPT or Google Image Search. So, say you find a set of towels in your closet with a unique pattern. You really like those dang towels and want to buy more, but you can't remember where you got them. Activate Visual Intelligence, choose the Google search shortcut and see if your beloved rags are among the web results that pop up. Alternatively, you could use ChatGPT to ask it about the product and where to order it. Visual Intelligence can also do a few things without the help of Google or OpenAI. You can interact with text: translate, read aloud and summarize. Or learn about a business you point your phone toward: view its hours, menu and services or buy something from it. So, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners should get a taste of that before long. And perhaps even sooner for those willing to brave the (sometimes rough) waters of beta software. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/an-ios-update-will-give-iphone-15-pro-owners-visual-intelligence-205030298.html?src=rss

ChatGPT has surpassed 400 million weekly active users. "We feel very fortunate to serve 5 percent of the world every week," OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said on X about the new audience stat. This figure is twice the weekly active user count reported by the company in August 2024, which was double the figure it posted in November 2023.The latest milestone for the AI assistant comes after a huge uproar over new rival platform DeepSeek earlier in the year, which raised questions about whether the current crop of leading AI tools was about to be dethroned. OpenAI is on the verge of a move to simplify its ChatGPT offerings so that users won't have to select which reasoning model will respond to an input, and it will make its GPT-4.5 and GPT-5 models available soon in the chat and API clients. With GPT-5 being made available to OpenAI's free users, ChatGPT seems primed to continue expanding its audience base in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-reaches-400m-weekly-active-users-203635884.html?src=rss

The $599 iPhone 16e is many things, but don't you dare call it a budget phone. I hesitate to even call it "cheap." As a successor to the $429 iPhone SE, it's hard not to see the 16e as a disappointment. Sure, it's $200 less than the vanilla iPhone 16 (which I argued was a great deal at launch), and the 16e also packs in the latest A18 chip with support for Apple Intelligence. But it's no longer a small phone, and it pushes Apple's cheaper iPhone option well beyond $500. That's something we'll likely never see again. (And it's potentially terrible news for future iPhone pricing, as well.)Given the sheer amount of new hardware in the iPhone 16e - including a larger 6.1-inch OLED screen, Apple's first in-house "C1" modem and that aforementioned A18 chip - it's easy to make excuses for the price. The 16e is certainly far closer in specs to the iPhone 16 than the third-gen SE was to the iPhone 13. But I'd argue that Apple didn't exactly need an OLED screen for this model, and there are likely other ways to cut down costs. (It's even stranger Apple kept out MagSafe and fast wireless charging, which would have been cheaper to implement, and arguably more useful, than a large OLED display.)AppleAnd while it's nice to have the A18 chip (albeit with one less GPU core) and full Apple Intelligence support, I agree with my colleague Igor Bonifacic that users aren't exactly clamoring for those AI features. If we had to blame one culprit for the iPhone 16e's pricing, though, it's likely Apple Intelligence. After all, Apple is still fighting to prove it isn't too far behind Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. In any other year, Apple might have been able to justify throwing an older chip in the 16e, but that's not possible when it's in the middle of an AI hype war.Mostly, I'm just sad that Apple is once again raising the price of admission to its walled garden without much justification. There's something special - noble, even - about sub-$500 smartphones. They're a reminder of a saner era of smartphones, when prices were being driven down by phones like the Moto G. These days you're left with Android phones like the Pixel 8a (and potentially the upcoming Pixel 9a), as well as the $400 Samsung Galaxy A35 and $499 Galaxy A55.AppleNow that the dream of a sub-$500 iPhone is well and truly dead, it feels like Apple is just setting the stage for future price jumps. A $600 or $650 iPhone 17e will certainly look like a deal compared to a $850 or $900 iPhone 17. And just wait for the inevitable $2,000 iPhone foldable, which could potentially be specced beyond $3,000.Of course, you could be a smart Apple shopper and opt for used or refurbished iPhones. I recently picked up a refurbished iPhone 14 Plus as an early Mothers' Day gift for $420, and Amazon currently has listings for iPhone 14 Pros right under $500. Those devices won't support Apple Intelligence, but I'd argue sticking to the used market is simply a more useful form of intelligence.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/a-599-iphone-16e-is-a-cruel-joke-200507275.html?src=rss

Among Us VR has proven itself to be a major hit since first being released back in 2022. Now, developers Innersloth and Schell Games have announced they are rejiggering the virtual reality title for traditional PC players. Among Us 3D is playable without a headset and will be available via Steam in the near future.This title keeps the core gameplay loop from the original, but shifts to a first-person perspective. It's basically a new way to keep sabotaging your friends and family. Among Us 3D is for four to ten players and includes native proximity voice chat, with no need for a third-party platform. All of the minigames are returning, though there's also some new ones coming down the pike. Innersloth is holding off on those details for now.It features crossplay with Among Us VR, but not with the original game. That's a bummer, but understandable. There will be, however, an expanded costume selection to offer "an endless number of cosmetic customization combinations." There's a new in-game currency called Stardust that will, presumably, be used to purchase some of those outfits.There's no release date yet, other than "soon." However, a demo will be available to US players as part of Steam Next Fest from February 24 to March 3. Preorders for the full game are already live on Steam.This is just the latest cool thing that developer Innersloth has announced. The company recently revealed a publishing arm called Outersloth. There's also an Among Us cartoon coming sometime in the near future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/among-us-vr-is-being-transformed-into-a-traditional-3d-game-for-pc-194545497.html?src=rss

The Action button is available on nearly every iPhone Apple sells, offering a quick way to access a feature, app or shortcut on your phone, just by pushing a button. It can be a flashlight, activate a smart home routine or let you access any number of custom shortcuts without having to unlock your phone and pick through apps.Apple added the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro as a replacement for the iPhone's original Ring / Silent switch, and it was an acknowledgement of sorts that lots of people keep their phones on silent anyway. Having a reassignable button was pitched as a "Pro" feature at the time, but much like the Dynamic Island, it came to all of Apple's other phones in short order, even the entry-level iPhone 16e.How to use the Action ButtonAppleYou can use the Action Button for yourself on an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e just by pressing or holding down the small button above the volume up and down buttons on the left side of your phone. By default, the Action Button will mute or unmute your text and ringtones. This fills the same role as the old Ring / Silent switch. Heading into the Settings app will let you reassign it to another task and you can silence your phone via the Control Center.How to reassign the Action Button to FlashlightIan Carlos Campbell for EngadgetOut of the box, Apple lets you assign the Action button to several different controls: Silent Mode (Ring / Silent), Focus (either a specific Focus or a menu that lets you pick each time), Camera (a specific mode like Photo or Video), Flashlight, Voice Memo, Recognize Music, Translate, Magnifier, Controls (a specific control from Control Center like Airplane Mode), Shortcut, Accessibility (toggling a specific accessibility feature) or do nothing at all.If you wanted to switch from the default, Silent Mode, to the Flashlight, you need to first unlock your phone. Then:

The Amazon Appstore will no longer be available on Android as of August 20, 2025. After that date, apps from the digital storefront "are not guaranteed to operate" on Android hardware; however, they can continue to be used on devices like the Fire TV and Fire Tablets. The Coins program, Amazon's virtual currency for some Appstore app and in-app purchases, will also end on that same date. Coins will no longer be available for purchase beginning today. The Appstore was Amazon's effort to get in on the app distribution game for Android. Third-party app stores have been a hot topic for the business world in recent years, with the owners of walled gardens insisting that everything is fair while the companies trying to get a share of the action for themselves insist that it's not. There have been mixed moves to address the question in the US government, while regions such as the EU have taken more decisive steps to increase competition. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-shutting-down-its-third-party-android-app-store-192047953.html?src=rss

After announcing its plan to end third-party fact-checking in January 2025, Meta's crowdsourced replacement is finally starting to take shape. You can now join a waitlist to be a Community Notes contributor on Facebook, Instagram and Threads when the feature rolls out in the coming months.Contributors are expect to provide context via a note when a post on one of Meta's platforms "might be inaccurate or confusing," according to the company's sign-up page. Community Notes will be able to be added to "most public content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads" and must be 500 characters or fewer. Any note is also subject to Meta's Community Standards and the judgment of other contributors. Meta expects contributors to rate notes so that the correct context gets displayed under posts.To sign-up, you need to be based in the US, be over the age of 18, have a Meta account that's more than six months old and in good standing and have either a verified phone number or two-factor authentication. Meta says contributors will start to be taken off the waitlist once the Community Notes beta launches. The company hasn't given a hard date for the launch, but does mention that Community Notes will be phased in "over the next few months."Meta started testing Community Notes on Threads a little over a month ago. The feature, in name and basic functionality, is inspired by X's Community Notes, which originally launched in 2022 when the company was still known as Twitter. Community Notes and other crowdsourced pseudo-fact checks have been tested on Google platforms like YouTube and Search as well, and they all have the same general weakness. A crowdsourced answer doesn't come with the same guarantee of accuracy as one provided by someone whose sole job it is to be an impartial fact-checker.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-sign-up-to-be-a-contributor-to-metas-community-notes-feature-190814234.html?src=rss

A day after it was reported that Denis Villeneuve's third Dune movie starts shooting this summer, developer Funcom announced that its open-world MMO Dune: Awakening arrives on May 20 for PC. You can even get a jump on your journey through Arrakis with a character creator that's available today. Dune: Awakening draws inspiration from Frank Herbert's novels and the 2020s films. (Sorry, no speedo-clad Sting in this one.) However, it takes some detours from the established canon. In the game's version of Dune's world, the Fremen have vanished, Paul Atreides was never born and Lady Jessica obeyed the Bene Gesserit's instructions to give birth to a girl. (In other words, she's a total square.) So, in addition to being a bit of a "What If?" version of the Duniverse, it gives the developers freedom to use familiar environments and characters without having to tread too closely to the lore of the books and films. Handy! Funcom Funcom says you start as a prisoner sent to Arrakis to investigate the Fremen's disappearance. "Following in the footsteps of the mysterious desert tribe, you will learn the true meaning of desert power as you rise from a nameless survivor to becoming an agent of the Atreides or the Harkonnen," the game blurb reads. The character creator you can tinker with today lets you tweak your hero's looks and choose their home planet, caste and mentor (Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Mentat or Trooper). True to Dune form, your protagonist will have to put their hand in the box and take the dreaded Gom Jabbar test. (Fortunately, your hand will be on a keyboard or controller, not inside a sci-fi torture test.) You can use your custom character when the full game launches. The tool also includes a benchmark mode, so you'll know whether you need to invest in new PC hardware to play the survival game when it arrives. Dune: Awakening launches on May 20 on Steam. It costs $50, and pre-orders will open soon. The game is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but there's no release date for the console versions yet. You can check out the latest trailer below. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/dune-awakening-will-spice-things-up-on-may-20-184552623.html?src=rss

It's been ten long years since Avatar: The Legend of Korra aired its final episode and over 15 years since Avatar: The Last Airbender bowed out. Now, finally, Nickelodeon has greenlit a sequel series and it sounds pretty awesome. Deadline reports that Avatar: Seven Havens will be a 2D animated 26-episode followup that chronicles the rise of the next Avatar after Korra.Franchise creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are developing the series, so we know it's in good hands. The plot sounds pretty dark. It seems the world has fallen into chaos following a cataclysmic event of some kind. The titular "seven havens" refer to a handful of small civilizations that have managed to weather the storm.Also, the next Avatar will be a female Earthbender. In this world, however, the Avatar is reviled and seen as a harbinger of doom instead of a hero. That's an interesting twist."This new incarnation of the Avatarverse is full of fantasy, mystery and a whole new cast of amazing characters. Get ready to take another epic and emotional adventure," DiMartino and Konietzko said in a statement.The premiere date and casting information will be released later in the year. We do know that the 26 episodes will be split into two books, or seasons, which is similar to how the original shows handled things. It remains to be seen if the series will cap out at 26 episodes or if that's just the first two chapters. Personally, I wonder if any aged Korra characters will show up.The announcement of Avatar: Seven Havens is just the latest news from the franchise. DiMartino and Konietzko are also working on a trilogy of animated movies, with the first one centering on an adult Aang and friends. That one hits theaters on January 30, 2026. Of course, the Netflix live-action adaptation of the original series still has two more seasons to go.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/theres-a-new-avatar-the-last-airbender-cartoon-coming-to-nickelodeon-182956881.html?src=rss

Time (and perhaps a large check or two) heals all wounds. Amazon and the longtime producers and custodians of the James Bond movies have finally agreed on a way forward for the series. Amazon MGM Studios will form a joint venture with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli that will hold the intellectual property rights and ensure they remain co-owners of the franchise. However, Wilson and Broccoli will be stepping back to focus on other projects, with Amazon gaining full creative control.The company bought MGM in 2022 for $8.45 billion to get its hands on a renowned film studio with a vast library of film and TV episodes. Co-ownership of the Bond series was a big part of that. However, production of Bond movies had been on hold amid reports of a power struggle between Amazon and Broccoli, who is said to have felt that an ecommerce giant was not the right fit for her family's franchise (she inherited the series from her father, Albert Cubby" Broccoli, who died in 1996).Until now, Broccoli and her half-brother Wilson had retained creative control. She and her family have been very protective of the series and its legacy. Broccoli reportedly rebuffed most of Amazon's attempts to develop spinoffs, save for the reality competition series 007: Road to a Million. But that's about to change with Amazon seemingly eager to propel the series forward before Ian Fleming's Bond novels fully enter the public domain in a decade - allowing anyone to publish their own adaptations of them."My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," Broccoli said in a statement. "I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects."On one hand, the series will be exiting the limbo it's been in since Daniel Craig stepped away from the role after 2021's No Time To Die. We might finally learn who the next James Bond is in the near future. On the other, there's no telling how Amazon might dilute the prestige quality of the franchise with spinoffs and more projects like the game show Brian Cox didn't realize he was signing up to host.The movies have a tradition of product placement from luxury brands, and we could see Amazon replacing the likes of LG monitorswith, say, Echo Show displays. And if ever there was an opportunity for Amazon to create and market its own smartwatch...This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/amazon-will-take-full-creative-control-of-the-james-bond-franchise-174255959.html?src=rss

The Pokemon Company is hosting a morning livestream on February 27 at 9AM ET to share the "latest news and updates" from Pikachu and pals. You can stream it via the official YouTube channel. This is the yearly Pokemon Presents event that typically provides info on what's coming to empty our wallets throughout the year (and beyond.)So what can we expect this year? Both The Pokemon Company and Nintendo remain tight-lipped, but we can make some educated guesses. Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the follow-up to the open-world Pokemon Legends: Arceus, was announced in early 2024. It's high time we got some more details on the upcoming game.The title was originally advertised as a Switch exclusive, but now that the Switch 2 is on our radar, maybe it'll be a dual-release or something. We could get that information, along with an announcement regarding the game's trio of starter Pokemon.There's a new Pokemon TGC set arriving in May. It's called Destined Rivals, so we can expect a detailed look at this update. We might even get a tease for another set down the line. Pokemon cards, both digital and physical, are still very much a big deal. To that end, we could get details regarding new features for TGC Pocket.Pokemon GO's next season starts on March 4, which is just a few days after the stream. We'll most definitely get a trailer for that, along with some updates on any new features. Beyond that, it's a guessing game. Hope springs eternal that we'll finally get those remakes of Pokemon Black and White. In any event, February 27 is right around the corner.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/theres-a-pokemon-presents-livestream-scheduled-for-february-27-171813096.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel 8a mid-tier smartphone is back on sale for $399 via Amazon. This is close to a record-low price and represents a discount of 20 percent. Even better? The sale applies to multiple colorways, including mint green, light blue and white. This deal is for the 128GB model. This device topped our list of the best mid-range smartphones, and with good reason. It's a well-designed phone that gets the job done. It features a powerful Tensor G3 chip, offers support for Google Gemini AI tools and includes an excellent camera system. The 120Hz OLED display is gorgeous and the battery life is on point. We called the Pixel 8a one of the best values of any phone on sale today" in our official review, and that was at the original $499 asking price. It's especially well-valued with today's sale. We even enjoyed gaming with this device, which isn't always the case with mid-range phones. The 8a also comes with IP67 dust and water resistance and 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging. There aren't any major downsides to this phone, though we do have a couple of nitpicks. The wireless charging, while convenient, is pretty slow. The display bezels are also on the thicker side, so you lose some precious screen real estate. Other than that, this is a near-perfect mid-range phone. It's also a full $200 cheaper than Apple's just-announced budget" smartphone, the iPhone 16e. 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/googles-pixel-8a-drops-to-399-at-amazon-163059224.html?src=rss

While there's a new iPhone that's surely soaking up the attention of many Apple fans, it's often worth keeping an eye on the company's other products as you might find a decent deal. If you've been on the lookout for a discount on the latest Mac mini, you're in luck. The M4 Mac mini is back on sale as it has dropped to $549. The deal is for the base model with 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of SSD storage. It's not the lowest price we've seen for this Mac mini - it was $100 off during the Black Friday period. But with a $50 discount, this is the best price we've seen so far this year. If you'd like more built-in storage, you might want to opt for a configuration with a 512GB SSD. That'll currently run you $719, which is $80 off the regular price. However, it's worth bearing in mind that you can connect an external SSD to your Mac mini if Apple's internal storage upgrade prices are too pricey for you to justify. We gave the Mac mini (albeit one equipped with a more powerful M4 Pro chipset) a score of 90 in our review. That said, the base M4 model should be zippy enough for most people's needs. For instance, those who like to play games on Mac should find that the GPU is fast enough to support 60 fps gameplay at a resolution of 1080p on many titles. 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/apples-m4-mac-mini-is-back-on-sale-for-549-161512511.html?src=rss

On the Friday after Christmas, OpenAI published a blog post titled "Why OpenAI's structure must evolve to advance our mission." In it, the company detailed a plan to reorganize its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC). In the weeks since that announcement, I've spoken to some of the country's leading corporate law experts to gain a better understanding of OpenAI's plan, and, more importantly, what it might mean for its mission to build safe artificial general intelligence (AGI).What is a public benefit corporation?"Public benefit corporations are a relatively recent addition to the universe of business entity types," says Jens Dammann, professor of corporate law at the University of Texas School of Law. Depending on who you ask, you may get a different history of PBCs, but in the dominant narrative, they came out of a certification program created by a nonprofit called B Lab. Companies that complete a self-assessment and pay an annual fee to B Lab can carry the B Lab logo on their products and websites and call themselves B-Corps. Critically, B Corp status isn't a designation with the weight of law, or even an industry-wide group, behind it - it's a stamp of approval from this specific nonprofit.As a result, B Lab eventually felt the certification program "was not enough," says Professor Michael Dorff, executive director of the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at UCLA. "They wanted something more permanent and more rooted in the law." So the organization began working with legal experts to create a model statute for what would become the benefit corporation. B Lab lobbied state legislatures to pass laws recognizing benefit corporations as legal entities, and in 2010, Maryland became the first state to do so. In 2013, Delaware enacted its own version of the law. To make things somewhat confusing, the state went with a different name: the public benefit corporation.Delaware is arguably the most important state for corporate law in the US, thanks to the Delaware Chancery Court and its body of business-friendly case law. As of 2022, 68.2 percent of all Fortune 500 companies, including many tech giants, are incorporated in the state despite largely operating elsewhere. Delaware is also the state where OpenAI plans to reincorporate its for-profit as a PBC.The basic idea behind public benefit corporations is that they're business entities that impose a constraint on their board to balance profit maximization, a public benefit that's stated in the charter of the company, and the concerns of people impacted by its conduct."It's a bit of a paradigm shift," says Professor Dammann, but don't confuse a PBC with a nonprofit. "The key characteristic of a nonprofit is what we call a non-distribution constraint, meaning if a nonprofit makes a profit, they can't distribute it to their shareholders," Professor Dammann says. "If you form a public benefit corporation, there's no such non-distribution constraint. At its heart, a PBC is still a for-profit corporation."Why is OpenAI pursuing a PBC structure?First and foremost, a PBC structure - whether it's private or selling share on the open market - would get OpenAI out from under that non-distribution constraint. But there are likely some other considerations at play.OpenAI hasn't publicly said this, but it appears some of its employees believe a PBC structure could protect the company from a hostile takeover if it were to go public. In a recent Financial Times report, a source within the company said a PBC structure would give OpenAI a "safe harbor" if a rival firm were to try to buy the company. It "gives you even more flexibility to say 'thanks for calling and have a nice day'," the person said.The specific threat OpenAI likely wants safe harbor from is what's known as the Revlon doctrine, which is named after a 1986 Delaware Supreme Court case involving the cosmetics company Revlon Inc. and now defunct supermarket chain Pantry Pride, then led by CEO Ronald Perelman. "The Revlon doctrine holds that if you're a publicly traded corporation [incorporated in Delaware] and somebody stages a takeover attempt, then under certain conditions, you have to sell to the highest bidder," says Professor Dammann.The underlying rationale behind Revlon is that a for-profit company's sole function is to generate profits, so the board is forced to make whatever choice will return the most money to shareholders."We don't know for sure, but we're fairly confident that the Revlon doctrine doesn't apply to public benefit corporations," says Professor Dammann. Theoretically, PBC boards may have the flexibility to reject a takeover bid if they believe a buyer won't adhere to the social values the company was founded on. However, because "none of this has been litigated," according to Professor Dorff, it remains a purely hypothetical defense.Moreover, it's unclear if reorganizing as a PBC would offer OpenAI more protection against a hostile takeover attempt than what it already has as a nonprofit. "I don't think this has been tested with this particular kind of structure, but my sense is that the nonprofit would not be obligated to sell even in a Revlon moment," says Professor Dorff."We need to raise more capital"OpenAIPublicly, OpenAI has said it needs to secure more investment, and that its current structure is holding it back. "We once again need to raise more capital than we'd imagined," OpenAI wrote in December, two months after securing $6 billion in new venture funding. "Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness."Unpacking what the company likely means by "structural bespokeness" requires a short history lesson. In 2019, when OpenAI originally created its for-profit arm, it organized the company using a unique "capped-profit" structure. The company said it would limit investor returns to 100x, with excess returns going to the nonprofit. "We expect this multiple to be lower for future rounds as we make further progress," OpenAI added.It's fair to be critical of the company's claims. "You'd have to ask the investors, but I have to say that 100x is an exceptional rate or return, so the idea that you cannot get investment because of a 100x cap seems rich to me," says Professor Dorff. In fact, there are suggestions OpenAI was already making itself more attractive to investors before announcing its reorganization plan in December. In 2023, The Economist reported that the company changed its cap to increase (and not decrease as OpenAI had originally said it would) by 20 percent per year starting in 2025. At this time, OpenAI does not expect to be profitable until 2029, and racked up about $5 billion in losses last year."We want to increase our ability to raise capital while still serving our mission, and no pre-existing structure we know of strikes the right balance," OpenAI said in 2019. At that point, Delaware's PBC legislation had been law for nearly six years. However, the company is now arguing that a PBC structure would "enable us to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms like others in this space."In OpenAI's defense, calling its current structure convoluted would be an understatement. As you can see from the company's own org chart, there are two other entities under the OpenAI umbrella, including a holding company that's an intermediary between the nonprofit and for-profit. Engadget was able to find at least 11 different Delaware companies registered to OpenAI. George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult and other members of the Author's Guild probably described it best in their copyright lawsuit against the company, calling OpenAI "a tangled thicket of interlocking entities that generally keep from the public what the precise relationships among them are and what function each entity serves within the larger corporate structure."OpenAI did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Engadget."A stronger nonprofit supported by the for-profit's success"ReutersOpenAI's nonprofit arm does essentially two things: controls the for-profit side's business, and exists as a "vehicle" to develop "safe and broadly beneficial AGI" (artificial general intelligence).According to the company, its current structure does not allow its nonprofit arm to "easily do more than control the for-profit." If it were freed of that responsibility - by say, handing it off to investors - OpenAI suggests its nonprofit could focus its resources on charitable initiatives, all while becoming "one of the best-resourced nonprofits in history."To remedy the situation, OpenAI's board says the nonprofit should give up absolute control over the for-profit and take whatever degree of control comes with the amount of stock it's granted through the reorganization process. "The nonprofit's significant interest in the existing for-profit would take the form of shares in the PBC at a fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors," OpenAI says of this part of its plan.Professor Dorff argues who controls OpenAI is critical to the company maintaining its mission. The move to reorganize the for-profit as a PBC is not controversial. "Companies do it all the time; there's a straightforward and clear process to do that," he tells me. "What is controversial is what they're trying to do to change the nature of the nonprofit's ownership interest in the for-profit."At the risk of oversimplifying things, OpenAI's board of directors wants to divest the company's nonprofit of two of its most important assets: control of the for-profit and its rights to the profits from AGI. "You can't just do that," says Professor Dorff. "The assets of the nonprofit must remain dedicated to the purpose of the nonprofit." There are rules that allow nonprofits to modify their purpose if their original one is made defunct, but those won't apply to OpenAI since we're not living in a world with safe (or any) AGI.Think of it this way, what is the value of artificial general intelligence? It's not a traditional asset like real estate or the EVs sold by Tesla. AGI, as defined by OpenAI, doesn't yet and may never exist. "One could imagine it's worth all the labor of the economy because it could eventually replace human labor," says Professor Dorff. Whatever the eventual value of the technology, Professor Dorff says he's unsure "any number would enable the nonprofit to do what it's supposed to do without control."No matter how OpenAI spins it, any version of this plan would result in a massive loss of control for the current nonprofit entity and its board.One more thingSomething the experts I spoke to agreed on was that the laws governing PBCs aren't very effective at ensuring companies stick to their social purpose. "The legal constraints aren't very strict," Professor Dammann says, adding, "the problem with a very broad public benefit is that it's not so constraining anymore. If you're dedicated to a very broad version of the public good, then you can always defend every decision, right?""The dual goal of profit and public purpose doesn't really tell you how a company is going to manage those objectives," says Jill Fisch, professor of Business Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "To the extent that public purpose sacrifices profits, and it doesn't have to, but to the extent that it does, how much of a sacrifice is contemplated?""What matters a lot in PBC governance is what the private arrangements are," Professor Dorff adds. "That is, what do the documents say?" A company's certificate of incorporation, shareholder agreements and bylaws can provide "very robust" (or very few) mechanisms to ensure it sticks to its social purpose. As Professor Dorff points out, OpenAI's blog post said "nothing about those."Contrast that with when OpenAI announced its "capped profit" plan. It gave us a glimpse of some of its paperwork, sharing a clause it said was at the start of all of its employee and investor agreements. That snippet made it clear OpenAI was under no obligation to generate a profit. Right now, there's a lot we don't know about its restructuring plan. If the company is still serious about its mission of "ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity" it owes the public more transparency.What happens next?ReutersElon Musk's recent $97.4 billion bid to buy the nonprofit's assets complicates OpenAI's plan. In this situation, the nonprofit isn't obligated to sell its assets to Musk under Revlon or anything else - the company simply is not for sale. However, as part of OpenAI's reorganization plan, the for-profit will need to compensate the nonprofit for its independence. Musk's bid likely an attempt to inflate the price of this transaction to one higher than what Sam Altman and the rest of OpenAI's board of directors had in mind. To say Musk and Altman have had a contentious relationship since the former left OpenAI would be an understatement on a grand scale, and having an enemy who not only has the most money of any human on the planet, but also broad and largely unchecked control of the United States' executive branch data, may frustrate plans.OpenAI also faces a ticking clock. According to documents seen by The New York Times, the company has, under the terms of its latest investment round, less than two years to free its for-profit from control of the nonprofit. If it fails to do so, the $6.6 billion it raised in new funding will become debt.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/why-openai-is-trying-to-untangle-its-bespoke-corporate-structure-160028589.html?src=rss

Twitch is putting a cap on how much storage a streamer can take up for their uploads and highlight videos. The streaming service has announced that starting on April 19, all uploads and highlights will count towards a new 100-hour storage limit for each streamer, whether the videos are published or not. To note, the cap doesn't apply to past broadcasts, which are previous livestreams saved to a streamer's account for on-demand viewing, or clips, which are minute-long segments that can be shared to social networks. Highlights can be longer than clips and can be made of several key moments from a video, which means they could take up more storage space.The service explained that it originally launched highlights to drive discovery and engagement for streamers, but the feature apparently hasn't been as effective clips and the mobile discovery feed. Storage is costly, and limiting highlights and uploads will allow the service to support the videos users want to keep on their accounts while also investing in improvements for features like Clips and mobile feed.Twitch said less than 0.5 percent of active streamers has gone over the 100-hour limit, and those who have will be notified directly. To make it easier for streamers to choose which videos they want to keep, Twitch has rolled out filters for Video Producer that will allow them to sort their content based on length, view count and date created. The service will be deleting videos for users that go beyond the 100-hour cap on April 19 and will be limiting uploads and highlights going forward.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/twitch-streamers-uploads-and-highlights-can-no-longer-exceed-100-hours-143018464.html?src=rss

If there's one downside to the sheer number of security cameras Ring makes, it's the sheer darn volume of them. Joining the mob today is the Outdoor Cam Plus, packing a new high-quality lens and 2K imaging sensor promising a clear, colorful view even in near dark conditions." It's clad in a weather-resistant body and can run from mains power, via a rechargeable battery or with one of Ring's custom solar panels. The company adds the Plus is just as comfortable working indoors as out in the open, and ships with a new mount that will even hold the camera in place on ceilings. Unfortunately you might have to spend some time poring through the specs to work out where this one will sit in Ring's camera firmament. After all, there's already the Stick Up Cam, Stick Up Cam Pro and Stick Up Cam Elite available to buy in the US, and that's before you get to the models with built-in floodlights. Not to mention the Stick Up Cam Pro, with 3D motion detection and Bird's Eye Zones, is arguably a better product than the Elite which costs almost a hundred dollars more. Perhaps it's time for Ring to trim down the excesses in its line up to make everything a lot cleaner for consumers. Ring's new Outdoor Cam Plus is available for pre-order today from Ring and Amazon for $100 and is shipping on March 26. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-beefs-up-the-image-quality-on-its-new-outdoor-cam-plus-140049128.html?src=rss

Lenovo has already teased the second-gen version of its flagship gaming handheld. But that won't be out until much later this year, so in the meantime, it's come out with the Legion Go S, a slightly sturdier and more portable way to frag while you're out and about. Now the tricky thing about this device is that it will be available in a bunch of different configurations including one that comes pre-installed with SteamOS - a first for any portable PC not made by Valve. Frankly, that's the version we're most interested in. However, the one running Windows 11 is out now, so it's a good time to get familiar with it and see if it's worth the money or if you should just wait for the variant that comes with Valve's OS instead.Design and display: A mid-cycle streamliningRegardless of what platform they're based on, both models feature the same design with the only difference being that the Windows 11 version comes in white while the SteamOS variant features a dark purple shell. However, unlike the original Legion Go, the Go S doesn't have detachable controllers. But aside from that, many of the highlight features from its predecessor are still there. It sports a 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 120Hz refresh rate. At 8 inches, that's larger than most handhelds, though it is a slight downgrade from the 8.8-inch panel on its predecessor. You also get joysticks with precise Hall effect sensors, an assortment of face and shoulder buttons, dual USB 4 ports (which both support power and data), 3.5mm audio and a microSD card reader.Another small tweak is that instead of four paddles in back, you only get two, with Lenovo trading out the second pair for a set of toggle switches that let you adjust how deep you want the handheld's triggers to go. It's a nice touch for people who enjoy things like racing games where a bit of extra analog sensitivity can go a long way, but still want the freedom to have a shorter pull when playing stuff like fighting games, where longer triggers hurt more than they help. And while the touchpad on the Legion Go S is much smaller than the one on the original, I'm really glad Lenovo didn't axe it altogether as it makes navigating through settings and menus in Windows so much easier than relying strictly on the joysticks or touch support.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetThe one feature I wish Lenovo had included is an onboard fingerprint sensor. Without it, you need to use a PIN or password to get into Windows 11. On a system without a keyboard, that means every time you pick up the system, you have to shift your hands away from the joysticks and tap the middle of the touchscreen, because the tiny touchpad doesn't even work for this. Frankly, it's just kind of awkward and could have been avoided entirely if Lenovo had opted for a power button with a built-in finger scanner like many of the Legion Go's rivals including the ROG Ally X and the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Finally, while the Go S does have a built-in rumble motor, the vibrations it puts out are hilariously one-note, especially when it's set to buzz anytime you use the touchpad. So I ended up turning it off entirely.Performance: Not as fast as you might expectThe Legion Go S will eventually support a handful of processors and configurations, but right now it comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip along with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. And if you're comparing it to its predecessor, you might think this thing would offer better performance. After all, the original Legion Go has less RAM and an older Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, and two is higher than one, right? Well not so fast, because the Z1 Extreme features a base clock of 3.3GHz with eight cores and 16 threads compared to the Z2 Go's base clock of 3GHz with just four cores and eight threads. Furthermore, the older Z1 Extreme also has a GPU based on AMD's newer RDNA 3 architecture compared to RDNA 2 for the Z2 Go. So in actuality, the Legion Go S with this chip is about 10 to 15 percent less powerful than the model that came before it.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetThis becomes a lot more obvious when looking at benchmarks where the Legion Go S delivered 45 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 800p and medium settings with FSR upscaling set to performance, while the original Legion Go hit 51 fps with both systems set to the same 15-watt performance mode. Meanwhile in Returnal, we saw a similar pattern with the Go S reaching 23 fps on medium graphics at 800p compared to 34 fps for the older Legion Go, once again with both devices set to 15 watts.Seeing poorer performance on the new model might set off alarms for some people, but before anyone panics, consider this: The Legion Go S is supposed to be a more streamlined and affordable take on the original, so in some respects not being able to achieve the same or higher framerates is to be expected. To me, the real issue is that 32GB of RAM is sort of overkill for this chip, which means you're paying more for memory that can't be fully utilized. And remember, while the Go S' launch config comes with a Z2 Go, there are other versions that are expected to get a Z1 Extreme and possibly a vanilla Z2 at some point in the future.Of course, if you want higher framerates, you can always adjust how much power you're sending to its processor. Lenovo's default balanced setting uses 15 watts, while performance mode pumps things up to 30. But if you want more precise control, the custom mode can go from as little as 5 watts all the way up to 40, though you'll want or need to be plugged into the wall to utilize its full TDP (thermal design power).Battery life: Good enoughNaturally, whatever performance mode you choose will ultimately impact your battery life. I found that when playing Metal Slug Tactics using the 15-watt balanced setting, the Legion Go S lasted for around two and a half hours, which is pretty solid. When playing more demanding titles, longevity wasn't quite as good, with runtimes closer to an hour and a half. Though, with the Go S featuring a 55.5WHr battery compared to something like the 80WHr pack in the ROG Ally X, that kind of discrepancy isn't entirely unexpected.Software: Better, but still clunkySam Rutherford for EngadgetLenovo has done a lot to improve the Legion Space app since it came out a couple years ago. Not only is it much better as a general place to launch games from, it's a lot easier to adjust settings or download new drivers or software updates. Even the UI is more spacious and intuitive. However, at the end of the day, the handoff between Legion Space and the rest of Windows 11 still feels awkward. Depending on what you're trying to tweak, you have to jump between menus from Lenovo and Microsoft while switching between joystick and touchpad to navigate. I also noticed some bugs like when trying to install Steam from the Legion Space app. It failed every time, which meant I had to download the app directly from Valve and do things manually. In a lot of respects, this is where Windows-based handhelds lag behind the most, so it's a shame it'll be another few months before the SteamOS model goes on sale sometime in May.Wrap-upThe Legion Go S has all the makings of a solid portable gaming PC. It's got a straightforward design with good ergonomics, Hall effect joysticks and a sensible button layout. Lenovo also includes some nice perks like dual USB-C ports, a decent-sized battery and a handy little touchpad for navigating Windows. I just wish there was a built-in fingerprint scanner too. And while its 8-inch OLED display is a touch smaller than the one on its predecessor, there's not much to dislike about it. You even get more storage (1TB) than a base Legion Go (512GB).Sam Rutherford for EngadgetThe hard thing to come to terms with is that right now a Legion Go S costs $730 for worse performance, no detachable controllers and the lack of bonuses like an included carrying case or vertical mouse functionality like on the original Legion Go, which can be had for $30 less ($700). Normally, that would be a death sentence for a new system because that value proposition simply doesn't make sense.But in this case, the issue is that Lenovo hasn't fully rolled out all of its variations. I still think 32GB of RAM on this device is excessive; not even the ROG Ally X has that much. But more importantly, the Legion Go S' other configs aren't available yet. So even if you aren't holding out for the SteamOS variant, you'd be silly not to wait for less expensive versions to come out with starting prices closer to $600 (or even $500 for the one with Valve's platform), which will instantly make this handheld a lot more attractive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lenovo-legion-go-s-review-windows-version-not-so-fast-140002828.html?src=rss

If you're constantly losing your keys, wallet and other important stuff, Bluetooth trackers could be a big help. Attach them onto your things and you can monitor their location directly from your phone. Our current favorites are the Chipolo One trackers, and right now you can snag a pack of four for just under $68. Chipolo's having a sale that brings the pack down to $75, but you can use the code ENGADGET10 at checkout to get an extra 10 percent off and bring the price down to $67.50. That code works across Chipolo's site as well, giving you an additional 10 percent off anything else you want to purchase. This gadget not only made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers, but it's our favorite release in the product category. The One is a near-perfect tracker. The battery lasts two full years, it works great with both Android and iOS devices and the ringer is incredibly loud. This is great news for those who tend to misplace items under mountains of linens or between couch cushions. There's also no perceptible lag between pressing the Ring to Find button and hearing the trill. This isn't true of many rival trackers. It even has a handy hole for attaching to keychains and the like. This may seem like an obvious design element, but Apple AirTags lack this hole. The only downside involves the finding network. Chipolo isn't a big name like Apple or Samsung, so there are fewer people on the network. This could be an issue if you don't live in a major metropolitan area. Basically, the One is perfect for looking for lost items in or near the home, but not as useful when searching for misplaced stuff (like luggage at an airport) out in the wild. And don't forget: remember that coupon code from before? It works across the entire site, so feel free to grab a ten percent discount on everything else Chipolo makes using the code ENGADGET10. This includes wallet trackers that are shaped like credit cards and smaller tracking rings. 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/a-four-pack-of-chipolo-one-bluetooth-trackers-is-on-sale-for-32-percent-off-130015389.html?src=rss

Shortly after introducing subject tracking with its latest smartphone gimbal, DJI has done the same with its new lightweight camera gimbal. The RS4 Mini is now available with DJI's RS Intelligent Tracking Module to keep a human subject in frame and also offers the latest features from its flagship RS4 gimbals like auto-axis locks and 4th-gen stabilization. The RS4 Mini is a major redesign from the previous RS3 Mini and is slightly heavier (2 pounds compared to 1.8 pounds) to accommodate some of the new features. It boasts the same 4.4 pound payload as before, meaning it can carry nearly every mirrorless camera on the market and many lightweight cinema cameras to boot. DJI An important new feature for ease of use is the addition of automatic axis locks absent on the previous model. And in fact, the RS4 Mini is the first of DJI's gimbals to use 2nd-Gen axis lock tech that can unlock the gimbal in just one second. It also has DJI's 3rd-Gen Native Vertical Switch that that offers the fastest switch experience to date in the RS series. Another new addition is Teflon interlayers and a fine tuning knob that allows "more precise millimeter balancing" when installing a camera. DJI also introduced a new Responsive mode (alongside the regular Smooth mode) that allows the gimbal to react better to fast hand movements. DJI For solo vloggers, the coolest new feature is the DJI RS Intelligent Tracking Module (included in the RS 4 Mini Combo), that's much like the "Multifunctional Module" on the Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal, minus the fill light. When attached to the gimbal, the tiny device enables ActiveTrack on any phone or camera, keeping a human subject in frame within 33 feet. Tracking can be enabled with a pull of the trigger or an open palm visual command. The RS 4 Mini also has DJI's latest 4th-Gen Stabilization that strikes a better balance between stabilization strength and tactile feel, promising an "enhanced user experience" and improved stability for vertical shooting. Other improvements include 30 percent better battery life (now up to 13 hours) and charging speeds, a next-gen RS Briefcase Handle and a quick-release magnetic mount. The RS4 Mini is now available for $369 by itself or $459 in the Combo package, which includes the RS Intelligent Tracking Module and RS Briefcase Handle. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-rs4-mini-stabilizer-can-now-track-subjects-automatically-134045771.html?src=rss

You can now access xAI's most advanced large language model, Grok 3, even if you don't pay for a subscription on X. Grok 3 is available for free "for a short time," according to xAI founder Elon Musk, though the company didn't say until what "short time" means exactly. When you go to Grok on X or the web, and when you launch the standalone app, you'll now see new "Think" and "DeepSearch" options that are only available with xAI's latest LLM family. Just make sure you're using Grok 3 instead of Grok 2 in the chatbot interface's drop-drown menu. If you're paying for X Premium+, which now costs $40 a month, or the chatbot's standalone $30-per-month SuperGrok plan, you'll get "increased access" to Grok 3's features, as well as early access to advanced features like Voice Mode.

After much anticipation, Apple finally announced the iPhone 16e yesterday. Looking at its position in the company's lineup, the 16e is a headscratcher. My colleague Ian Carlos Campbell already wrote about how strange it is that the phone is missing MagSafe, a feature universally loved by Apple users. However, the omission that stands out the most to me is that the iPhone 16e doesn't come with more than a single rear camera, and no, 2x telephoto cropping doesn't count.Sure, if you put the 16e against its predecessor, the 2022 iPhone SE, it's not a surprising omission - but when you consider today's broader smartphone market, it's a glaring weakness. At $599, the 16e is $100 more than the Pixel 8a, a device with two amazing rear cameras and an AI-capable processor (more on that in a moment). The 8a is also frequently on sale for as little as $399. Some people hate the Pixel comparison, so I'll give you another one. Last spring, Nothing released the $349 Phone 2a. Like the 8a, it has two rear cameras. Oh, and a fresh design that's not borrowed from 2020. At almost $200 more than the phone it replaces, the 16e is very much not a midrange device.I know what you're thinking: what's wrong with one camera, as long as that camera is great? In the case of the 16e, I think the problem is that Apple is misreading the market and what people want from their next phone. All consumer devices are a compromise in some way. Those become more pronounced as you move down the market.For most people, their phone is their primary camera and how they document their lives and memories. Think about what was the first thing you tested when you upgraded to your current phone. I bet it was the cameras. In that context, more are better, because they make it easier to capture moments that are important to you.For a device some outlets are describing as "low-end," the iPhone 16e features a state-of-the-art chip. It might be cut down with one less GPU core, but the 16e's A18 is still a 3nm chip with 8GB of RAM to support the processor. Apple clearly felt the A18 was necessary to get its AI suite running on the 16e. But that means the rest of the phone had to suffer as a result, starting with the camera package.I don't know about you, but if I were in the market for a new phone, I would want the most bang for my buck. The SE line had its share of drawbacks, including a dated design and a lackluster screen, but at $429, they made sense. For all its faults, the SE still felt like a bargain in 2022 because you were getting a modern chip, access to iOS and all the great apps that come with it and Apple's excellent track record of software support. With the iPhone 16e, you're not saving nearly as much off the price of a regular iPhone. Yes, everything I said about the SE's strengths is still true of the 16e and it even builds on that phone with additions like a better battery and an OLED screen, but the smartphone market has evolved so much in the last three years.Again, I know people hate the Pixel comparison, but the 8a makes far fewer compromises. Not only does it feature a more versatile camera system, but it also comes with a high refresh rate OLED. The 8a's Tensor G3 chip is also fully capable of running Google's latest AI features.I know offering the best hardware features for the price has never been Apple's approach, but that approach only made sense when the company had the best software experience. We can all agree Apple Intelligence has not met its usual quality standards. Just look at notification summaries, one of the main selling points of Apple Intelligence. Apple recently paused all news and entertainment alerts generated by the system to address their poor quality.Right now, Apple Intelligence is not a compelling reason to buy a new iPhone, and its inclusion on the 16e at the expense of other features feels, at best, a cynical attempt to boost adoption numbers. If the 16e was $100 cheaper, maybe I would be less critical, but right now it feels like Apple missed the mark.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/great-cameras-not-apple-intelligence-is-what-people-want-from-an-iphone-16e-130041307.html?src=rss

Oppo is back with a new foldable, and the Find N5 is a technically impressive balance of thinness and power. Skipping over the whole unlucky number four thing (this is technically the fourth iteration of the Find foldable), the company claims its latest book-style foldable is the world's thinnest at 8.92mm. That's not a lot thicker than a typical flagship phone. Despite that, the Find N5 has a 6.62-inch outer display and an 8.12-inch inner screen which, Oppo says, features multiple durability improvements, flanked by a new titanium hinge.For the sake of clarity: While you may not have bought, used or even seen an Oppo phone, this company is under the same corporate owner as OnePlus. Last year's Find N3 foldable ended up in the US as the OnePlus Open, so you may see the Find N5 similarly rebadged. If that's the case, and this is eventually the Open 2, you won't see it this year. OnePlus announced that its follow-up foldable will not land until 2025.At an early briefing, my first impression of the Find N5 was that it was a very thin, premium foldable. Unfolded, one side is just 4.21mm - thinner than a headphone jack. (That's a great excuse for the lack of one.) It's so slender that Oppo had to reinforce and beef up the edges of the Find N5's USB-C port, which has only a razor-thin border around it. The ring camera array - which still looks a bit much - has also been shaved down 20 percent.Mat Smith for EngadgetIn addition to that thinner profile, which seems to be the 2025 trend for phones, the Find N5 weighs just 229 grams (8.07 ounces). That's only two more grams than the single-screen iPhone 16 Pro Max and 10 grams less than the N5's main rival - the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It's even more impressive when you consider that the Find N5 has a bigger internal screen than all the other foldables.In fact, using its external screen when closed it feels like any other non-foldable phone, due to its sharp profile and light weight. A 6.62-inch screen is larger than most phones I use regularly, so browsing and watching things before I've even unfolded the N5 feels like a treat.Despite its thickness (or lack thereof), Oppo has ensured it is suitably powerful, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a 5,600mAh battery. (For comparison, Samsung's latest Galaxy Fold has a 4,400mAh cell.) Unlike the OnePlus Open, the Find N5 is compatible with wireless chargers and if you have Oppo's own wireless fast charger, it tops out at 50W AIRVOOC.Using the included fast charger, you get an impressive and swift 80W wired charging speed. I could completely recharge the Find N5 in less than an hour. However, like many other recent Android phones, this device is not Qi2-ready. Oppo argued that its proprietary wireless charging tech is faster, and added that a magnetic case will be on sale when the device launches. (Oppo does include a non-magnetic case to cover the device's rear with the phone.)With its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Find N5 is the first foldable to pack Qualcomm's most powerful mobile chip, with substantial power efficiency gains alongside performance boosts compared to older Snapdragon 8 silicon. We've been amazed by battery life improvements on Samsung and OnePlus devices with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and Oppo continues that trend. Combined with that massive battery, this foldable typically lasted almost two days in my testing before needing to charge.One of the biggest challenges to foldables is durability, and to address this, Oppo has upgraded the Find N5's hinge and screen toughness. The hinge is now made from titanium alloy, 3D-printed to maintain the material strength while shrinking the hinge's size by 26 percent. At a press briefing in London, the company decided to showcase the hinge strength by suspending a 44-pound kettlebell from its new foldable, which spanned two tables. I'm not sure this translates to real-world toughness, but it was an impressive spectacle. Next time, put your newest thousand-dollar-plus device somewhere near a three-year-old - let's see how tough it really is.Mat Smith for EngadgetOppo says the smaller external screen is made of nanocrystal glass, which includes an outer layer of ceramic to improve scratch and drop resistance. The company also says the inner screen has been strengthened with a new anti-shock film that can absorb impact, improving shock resistance by 70 percent.The Find N5 also comes with a literal list of water resistances: IPX6 (resistant to powerful water jets), IPX8 (resistant to being submersed in water deeper than 1 meter) and IPX9 (resistant to powerful, high-temperature water jets). If you think at least one of those must be redundant, I agree.The Find N5 is the first foldable to claim all that protection. However, there's no dust-resistance rating, which might concern existing foldable users who have been grappling with that lil' bit of dust lodged in their years-old smartphone screen.Camera improvements are focused on the periscope telephoto shooter, which is upgraded to 50MP sensor from the 32MP one found on the Find N3. The Find N5 can now punch into 3X optical zoom, up from 2X on its predecessor. There's a lossless 6X zoom that taps into AI to sharpen detail, but as usual, your mileage may vary here. I find the lossless options on most phones often a little too smooth (and turn most zoomed-in faces into nightmares), but at least it's an option.The periscope telephoto camera can also utilize a macro mode, meaning you can zoom in closer and still maintain crisp focus and detail. Macro photography with a typical smartphone doesn't always work. Your phone will cast a shadow on your subject, or perhaps you can't get your camera close enough. On the Find N5, a four-inch focal distance makes this less of an issue, and early images are promising. It's not the first time we've seen the feature (both the Huawei P60 Pro and vivo X100 Ultra have telephoto macros) but it's rare in most devices that make it to the west. We usually have to make do with a macro mode on the ultrawide camera, and hope for the best.Mat Smith for EngadgetThe camera has many familiar features, too: portrait mode (with some Hasselblad assistance) and Lightning Snap burst shooting. The latter is augmented by Oppo's take on AI unblurring and sharpening. Fold in an AI eraser and reflection remover and it goes toe-to-toe with recent Samsung and Google flagships.Multitasking is similar to the OnePlus Open, with some improvements. Oppo's version is called Boundless View, with several features now accessible from a triple-dot icon, where you can shift second and even third apps into shrinkable windows. By tapping the top bar above one app, you can automatically widen it, but leave a sliver of the other app in view, making it easier to switch between them.One smart touch is that the Find N5 will gauge your multitasking, offering a prompt when switching between two apps to use them in split screen mode. As someone who doesn't use book-style foldables, I find it a nice reminder of the utility of this form factor.Another software addition is the O+ app, where you can manage files on your phone and even sling them across to your Mac. At the briefing, an Oppo exec showed how easy it was to transfer a photo across devices, which was pretty unremarkable. (Think of all the cloud options we have in 2025)Mat Smith for EngadgetBut it was the Remote Mac Control that surprised me. With the Find N5 propped up and half-folded, the Oppo spokesperson used the onscreen trackpad and keyboard to interact with their Mac. This feature works with both Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs, so I was able to test it out with my aging Intel MacBook Pro. Does anyone remember and pine for that VAIO laptop that could slip into your jeans pocket? No? Just me? Just me. Anyway, it felt like using that. You're not going to work daily from it, but if there are files, or certain simple tasks you need to accomplish in Photoshop or other PC programs, it's functional and impressive.It's not quite as effortless or seamless as Apple's own Continuity feature, since you have to install apps on the Find N6 and your Mac. Oppo promises a future update allowing you to transfer files to your Mac from Find N5's native Files app without dabbling in Remote Mac Control.Wrap-upMat Smith for EngadgetWith the Find N5, Oppo went to town on hardware. It feels and looks more premium than the company's previous foldables but with substantial spec bumps at a time when many smartphones seem a little iterative. (Yes, Samsung, you.) The intriguing part is, if the OnePlus Open 2 isn't happening in 2025, will this device make it to the US at all? And if it does appear next year, will all these upgrades be as impressive?The Find N5 launches globally today, with Oppo so far only announcing official pricing in Singapore: 2,499 Singapore Dollars. That equates to just below 1,500 in the UK, where it will go on sale, or shy of $1,900. That would put it at the same price point as the leading foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, it's much more interesting (and impressive) than Samsung's latest foldable.However, without US availability, this is just an exercise in currency conversion for now.We'll update this story when we get more precise availability.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-oppo-find-n5-hands-on-release-date-price-120058154.html?src=rss

While graphics cards have been getting almost ludicrously more powerful over the years, it's also been increasingly difficult to actually buy one. In an effort to address this problem, NVIDIA has introduced a plan it's calling Verified Priority Access for its recently released GeForce RTX 50 series of GPUs. Verified Priority Access offers an unspecified number of people the chance to buy either a GeForce RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 Founders Edition graphics card direct from the company.This "opportunity" will only be available to US customers with an NVIDIA account that was created on or before January 30 at 9AM ET/6AM PT. Interested parties can sign up on a form and invites will be sent starting next week.NVIDIA took a similar approach to dealing with shortages of its 4090 card, although that was an invite-only pilot. This system could help keep more of the products away from scalpers or crypto operations in favor of legitimate customers. But considering how long GPU access has been an issue, it would be nice to see more robust responses coming from the manufacturers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/you-can-now-apply-for-the-opportunity-to-purchase-an-rtx-5090-or-5080-from-nvidia-235549765.html?src=rss

Attention audiophiles: the archive of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is being made available to the public for the first name. This department was founded in the 1950s as a laboratory that could invent original music and sound effects for BBC radio, and later television, programming. Over the years, its roster of innovative musicians and composers created audio for iconic BBC productions of the 1950s and 1960s such as Doctor Who, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Goon Show and Blake's 7. In addition to developing those signature sounds, members' work also laid early foundations for creating electronic music and sampling. In the words of Radiophonic Workshop archivist Mark Ayres, the department "was purely for making bonkers noises."Now, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop library is being offered to today's creators to sample through a collaboration between Spitfire Audio and BBC Studios. This library includes sounds from the studio's original tapes as well as new recordings and content from the Workshop's members and associates. The collection has subheadings for topics such as found sounds, junk percussion and synths, so there's a lot of fascinating stuff to explore. It is available at an introductory price of $159 (119/143) until March 6; afterwards, the standard price will by $199 (149/179).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/the-bbc-radiophonic-workshops-archive-is-now-available-to-sample-223100146.html?src=rss

Breaking: Someone made an oopsie. On Thursday, word spread online that some of Netflix's content began appearing in the Apple TV app. The lack of an official announcement (and extremely buggy nature) of the integration was enough to cast doubt on the news. But that didn't stop users from rejoicing and sharing "FINALLY!" GIFs on social media. Unfortunately, your triumphant festivities weren't warranted, as the company has said it was unintentional.A Netflix spokesperson told The Verge on Friday that the Apple TV app integration was an error that has been rolled back. Indeed, Redditors who had been tracking the forbidden fruit with unbridled glee confirmed that all signs of Netflix content had since vanished from Apple's streaming hub.While the boo-boo was still active, PC World reported it let you add Netflix originals like Stranger Things, Cobra Kai and The Crown but lacked licensed shows and movies. Even the available content was a buggy mess. For example, only season five of The Crown was available, leaving you to wonder what hijinks Liz and the gang had gotten into before or after the grunge era. The "Add to Watchlist" and "Continue Watching" features were also said to be spotty.It's easy to speculate that such a glitch was tied to internal testing accidentally made public, but there's no reason to assume that's anything but wishful thinking. A Netflix spokesperson told Engadget that the bug was on Apple's end, putting even more of a damper on that prospect. So, at least for now, you'll have to watch Netflix content in the Netflix app, leaving Apple's for a well-earned rewatch of The Sopranos (via Max), The Bear (via Hulu) and Apple's own Silo.Update, February 19, 2025, 5:16PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that the mistake was a bug on Apple's end, not Netflix's.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-accidentally-made-its-content-show-up-in-the-apple-tv-app-212851906.html?src=rss

The second major update to Hades II adds a mysterious "final confrontation," an updated Altar of Ashes and the return of the god of war... Ares. (Were you expecting someone else?) And there's more to come: In addition to Wednesday's Warsong Update, developer Supergiant Games says its third big one is in the pipeline for "some months from now." Although Supergiant is staying mum about who is involved, it teased a "Final Confrontation on the surface" as the headlining feature of today's update. "Discover what lies beyond the Guardian of Olympus... if you dare!" The sinister and demonic voice in the video below suggests it might not have the best of intentions. Also new (in the sequel, anyway) is Ares, the god of war. He has "varied and vicious" Boons on offer, as one would expect from a bloodthirsty God of Olympus. Supergiant also updated the Altar of Ashes with new art and reworked Arcana effects, a new Animal Familiar and other changes. The Warsong Update is free and an automatic download. Of course, Hades II is still in early access. Given that the first game stayed there for nearly two years, you probably shouldn't hold your breath for an imminent public release. Regardless, you can check out the sequel's new content on Windows and macOS via Steam or Epic. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hades-iis-second-major-update-adds-a-final-confrontation-and-more-220401973.html?src=rss

The second season of The Last of Us now has a firm premiere date. HBO has announced that its adaptation of Naughty Dog's games will hit the network and Max on April 13. "Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind," HBO said in a press release. Ominous!Warner Bros. Discovery had already confirmed that the latest batch of episodes would arrive this April, in large part to make sure that the season is eligible for next year's Primetime Emmy Awards. Given that the third season of The White Lotus premiered this week, a mid-April start date makes sense for TLOU. There are only seven episodes this time around in any case, and they'll all air before the Emmy eligibility window closes on May 31.The second season of the series is based on The Last of Us Part 2, but it won't take us through all of the events of the second game. It'll take at least two seasons to retell the story of that terrific, if overly lengthy misery simulator.In the meantime, if you haven't played the sequel yet, you'll soon be able to do just that on PC. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will hit Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 3. Meanwhile, the game's developer, Naughty Dog, recently revealed its tasty-looking first entry in a brand-new sci-fi franchise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-2-premieres-on-hbo-and-max-on-april-13-211022032.html?src=rss

After three years, Apple has finally unveiled its next entry-level iPhone. The iPhone 16e takes over for the iPhone SE in the company's lineup. It borrows the blueprint of the iPhone 14 and spices it up with (among other changes) an updated processor that's ready for Apple Intelligence. At $599, it's the cheapest AI-equipped iPhone by $200. As leaks suggested, the fourth-generation iPhone 16e resembles the iPhone 14, the company's 2023 standard (non-Pro) model. This is the first entry-level model to adopt the iPhone's modern full-screen design. That means it's also the first with Face ID. At 6.1 inches, this is the biggest screen yet on an entry-level model. (The 2022 iPhone SE is only 4.7 inches.) But like Apple's 2017 to 2022 flagships, it has the notch at the top of the display, so you'll still have to pay for a more expensive model to get Dynamic Island. Some external details differ from those of the iPhone 14. It has a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and like older iPhone SE models, it has only a single camera lens on the back. However, it's a 48MP "2-in-1" with integrated 2x zoom capabilities, which is quite an upgrade over the last SE. Apple It also gets the Action button, the customizable physical shortcut button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. On the other hand, it lacks the MagSafe charging found on Apple's more expensive handsets: It only supports Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W. That aligns with the iPhone SE it replaces, but it could still be a big drawback for some buyers. One of the biggest differences is inside, where you'll find the A18 chip. It's the same one powering the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, though it only has four GPU cores, compared to the five in the 16 and 16 plus and six in the iPhone 16 Pro models. It's also the first iPhone with an in-house modem, which Apple is calling C1. Recent iPhones have all used Qualcomm modems, and with the switch away the iPhone 16e loses out on the ultra-wideband 5G and Wi-Fi 7 support that the rest of the 16 series has. The iPhone 16e still plays nice with sub-6GHz 5G and Wi-Fi 6, both of which are currently far more prevalent than their faster cousins. In addition to fast and smooth performance, the A18 enables Apple Intelligence, which the company recently began activating by default during onboarding. (You can still turn it off in Settings.) You get Apple's generative AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, ChatGPT integration and the recently tweaked notification summaries - all in a sub-$600 iPhone. Not bad if you're into those things. The new iPhone 16e comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage tiers. You can order it in black and white finishes. At $599, the 2025 iPhone 16e is priced somewhat comparably to Google's $499 Pixel 8a and Samsung's $400 Galaxy A35 for those wanting flagship-esque features in a more affordable handset. You can pre-order the new iPhone 16e starting on February 21 at 8AM ET, ahead of its February 28 ship date. Correction, Feb 19 2025, 3:50PM ET: This story originally stated that the iPhone 16e was the cheapest iPhone with Apple Intelligence by $300. The gulf between it and the iPhone 16 is actually $200. We apologize for the error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-announces-the-iphone-16e-with-apple-intelligence-for-599-161435140.html?src=rss

Indie horror game Mouthwashing is making the leap to consoles. Developer Wrong Organ shared today that its creepy creation will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch later this year. As well as appearing in the digital storefronts, the console versions will get a physical release and additional merch courtesy of Fangamer.This is one of many truly excellent horror games that debuted in 2024. Mouthwashing harkens back to the low-poly look of games from the early 2000s, the type you would have found cutting edge at the time and which still retains a nostalgic appeal for many players. But rather than cultivating any warm fuzzies, Mouthwashing tells the tale of the doomed space ship's crew as they turn on each other, lose their minds and die.Wrong Organ also announced that the game has reached 500,000 sales to date on Steam, which is a solid performance for a team that specializes in surreal, story-driven games and is only on its third release.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/horror-game-mouthwashing-will-land-on-consoles-later-this-year-204817692.html?src=rss

The fallout continues from the recent WhatsApp hacking campaign (by a still-unconfirmed entity) that targeted nearly 100 journalists and activists. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that a collection of Italian media groups has filed a criminal complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office. They hope to discover who installed the zero-click spyware, which was made by the Israeli-founded Paragon Solutions.According to Bloomberg, the complaint describes the spyware as an "intolerable intrusion into the personal and professional dimension of journalists," exposing them and their sources "to enormous and still persistent risks for their individual safety." It alleges that those responsible violated Italy's laws banning the "illicit installation" of eavesdropping equipment.WhatsApp said it reached out privately to notify the victims of the hack, which reportedly took place in December and targeted users across Europe. Three Italian victims have come forward, including Francesco Cancellato (a journalist and head of Fanpage.it) and activists Beppe Caccia and Luca Casarini. The latter two focus on charity with the group Mediterranea Saving Humans.WhatsApp said the zero-click hack used malicious PDFs sent to groups on the platform. The company has since released a fix to prevent future uses of the exploit.Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking in Parliament in Rome.ANDREAS SOLARO via Getty ImagesThe scandal is putting pressure on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party. Earlier this month, the government confirmed that at least seven Italian phones were involved in the campaign and that its National Cybersecurity Agency was investigating. Arturo Di Corinto, a spokesman for the agency, told Bloomberg this week that the investigation was ongoing.The Italian government has denied involvement in the hacks, but speculation abounds. Last week, Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani confirmed in parliament that the government had a long-standing contract with Paragon to assist with intelligence and national security-related issues. However, he insisted the law was "rigorously respected."The Guardian reported that Paragon recently suspended a contract with Italy after the spyware attack became public. However, Ciriani said the intelligence services contract with Paragon is still active, which suggests there was a second agreement. Indeed, Israel's Haaretz reported that Paragon had two contracts with Italy to use its military-grade Graphite software, which WhatsApp has said was used to infect the victims' devices.Paragon, essentially a professional spyware company, has a policy of only doing business with democratic governments. It recently entered into a controversial $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department. Paragon was acquired in December by American private equity company AE Industrial Partners. The company hasn't yet commented on the hacking.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/italian-media-groups-file-criminal-complaint-over-the-whatsapp-hack-on-journalists-203150860.html?src=rss

The iPhone 16e, Apple's replacement for the iPhone SE, has plenty of features that make it a good deal, from its A18 chip to the fact that it actually comes with an OLED screen. But one glaring omission in its spec sheet makes no sense: Why doesn't this $599 phone have MagSafe?Despite looking a lot like an iPhone 14, and using components that are similar to the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e doesn't support MagSafe or fast wireless charging. Apple expects iPhone 16e owners to be happy with the same wireless charging speeds as an iPhone SE released in 2022, and the slight advantage of using a USB-C port rather than a Lighting port.The iPhone 16e's missing MagSafe feels particularly strange because the feature has been a given for years at this point. Apple introduced MagSafe to its smartphones with the iPhone 12 as a magnetic accessory and charging standard, and has included it in every phone since. MagSafe borrows the name of the magnetic connectors on Apple's laptops, but with some key differences. MagSafe on an iPhone means you have strong built-in magnets that let your phone attaches to cases, mounts, wallets and stands, without any extra fiddly pieces. When you charge over MagSafe, you also get faster charging speeds, bumping things from 7.5W charging to up to 25W charging with the right charging brick.Chris Velazco for EngadgetMore importantly, using magnets to directly guide a charger to charging coils largely eliminates the possibility of a phone being on a charger but not actually getting charged. It's likely one of the main reasons why MagSafe was adopted into the wider Qi2 wireless charging standard - it just makes the whole thing a lot more convenient.That doesn't really explain why Apple would leave it out of the iPhone 16e, though. The company's definition of what makes a "Pro" feature is always in flux, and it will often will leave features or components out to justify a lower price. But Apple and its partners likely sell a lot of MagSafe accessories, doesn't Apple want to sell those to iPhone 16e owners, too?The interesting wrinkle in all of this is Qi2, which has been available for phone makers to use since 2023, but hasn't seen widespread adoption outside of Apple's phones. Samsung, a company that should have more than enough money to work Qi2 into its flagships, instead offers a case you can buy if you want to use Qi2 charging on the Galaxy S25. Other Android makers are no better: you won't find Qi2 on the Pixel 9, Motorola Razr+ or Galaxy Z Flip and Fold 6. It's possible Qi2 or MagSafe is more expensive (or difficult) to include than it appears, and Apple has been "generous" all this time. That might make the decision to not support the standard make more sense. But that doesn't change the fact that the iPhone 16e's lack of MagSafe is very annoying.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-16es-lack-of-magsafe-doesnt-make-sense-202101406.html?src=rss

Twitch has rolled out a number of changes to its violation enforcement system. The biggest change is that now infractions will disappear from an account after a set amount of time." This is great news for long-time creators, as minor violations stacked. This led to folks getting suspended as these smaller infractions piled up.The platform says that most minor infractions, like cheating in an online game, will expire after 90 days. More serious violations, like participating in hateful conduct, will remain on an account for one to two years. The worst behavior will still result in an immediate suspension. Also, if a user is indefinitely suspended due to the accumulation of multiple violations, they can apply for reinstatement after six months.TwitchThis isn't any type of get out of jail free" card. Twitch is also upping the consequences for repeatedly violating the rules in the same policy category. Each time a similar infraction occurs, the length of a suspension will increase. This will be true even if the severity of the offense hasn't gone up. The platform says this new rule is to help people understand the importance of adhering to our Community Guidelines without needing to resort to an indefinite suspension."Finally, Twitch is making good on its promise for increased transparency regarding policy violations. For most policy violations, users will now get a detailed email regarding the reasoning behind any suspension decision. This data will soon include specific chat messages or stream snippets. The information will also reside in the Appeals Portal. This starts with chat messages, with video clips coming later on.Most of these changes are rolling out right now. Twitch recently added something called Enforcement Notes that inform users if certain trends violate one of its policies. It also publishes notes to alleviate widespread community confusion" and alert folks as to which behaviors are and aren't out of bounds."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/twitch-community-guideline-violations-will-now-disappear-from-accounts-after-a-set-time-195122034.html?src=rss