Viktor Antonov, best known for his work as art lead on Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, has reportedly died at age 52. Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw broke the news in an Instagram Story, and other former colleagues have since taken to social media to pay tribute as well. I didn't want to say much till I felt it was confirmed, but I learned today that Viktor Antonov, our visionary art lead on HL2, has died," Laidla wrote in the now-expired post, which was reshared by LambdaGeneration on Saturday night.Antonov got his start in video games working on Redneck Rampage, and in addition to serving as art director for Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, he went on to consult on titles including Doom (2016) and Fallout 4. The Bulgarian artist just recently appeared in a documentary celebrating the 20th anniversary of Half-life 2 this past November.RIP Viktor Antonov. I wish I told you how much admiration I had for you but we get caught in our lives until a surprise like this hits us," Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and Wolfeye Studios, wrote on Bluesky. You were instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, also a friend with whom I have many fond memories." In another post, game designer Harvey Smith added, All this about his impact and talent is true, but I will also always remember how much he made me laugh, with his dry, devastating wit. RIP."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/viktor-antonov-art-director-for-half-life-2-and-dishonored-has-died-according-to-colleagues-203219167.html?src=rss
Apple Vision Pro may soon get an update bringing Apple Intelligence to the headset, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The first Apple Intelligence features started rolling out to iPhone, iPad and Mac in the fall, bringing features like notification summaries, ChatGPT integration for Siri and Genmoji over the last few months. But Apple's AI hasn't yet made it to the Vision Pro. According to Mark Gurman, that may change with the visionOS 2.4 update, which sources said may arrive in April with Apple Intelligence and a new app for viewing spatial media like 3D images and panoramas.The first Apple Intelligence features to come to Vision Pro will reportedly include Writing Tools, Genmoji and Image Playground. Gurman reports that developers may get access to these features in beta as soon as this week." Don't expect any major changes to Siri on Vision Pro just yet, though. According to Gurman, a major AI overhaul" the company had been planning for the assistant has been delayed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/vision-pro-will-reportedly-get-apple-intelligence-as-soon-as-april-180751381.html?src=rss
YouTube TV has reached a deal with Paramount to avoid cutting off subscribers' access to certain channels, including CBS, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon. Earlier this week, YouTube TV announced in a blog post that Paramount content would be removed from its platform after February 13 because the two had failed to reach a fair agreement" that would keep those channels available. On Friday, that deadline was extended, and YouTube TV said in an update on Saturday night that a deal had been reached and access would now go on uninterrupted.We're happy to share that we've reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount channels, including CBS, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon and more," YouTube TV wrote in a blog post and on X. With this agreement, YouTube TV will continue to offer 100+ channels and add-ons including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and will enable more user choice in the future. To our subscribers, we appreciate your patience while we negotiated on your behalf." BET+ will also remain available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/youtube-tv-has-reached-a-deal-with-paramount-to-keep-carrying-cbs-cbs-sports-and-other-channels-154245757.html?src=rss
In a blog post on Friday, Perplexity introduced a new tool called Deep Research that it says can conduct in-depth research and analysis" to deliver detailed reports in response to your questions, and it's free for limited use. It comes just a couple of weeks after OpenAI announced its own Deep Research feature for ChatGPT Pro users... which itself followed Google's December announcement of Deep Research for Gemini. Perplexity's tool is available only on the web to start, but it will hit the iOS, Android and Mac apps soon too.
New releases we picked up this week that belong on your reading list. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-ali-smith-gliff-dystopian-fiction-horror-comics-creepshow-160016239.html?src=rss
Uber is suing DoorDash, accusing the biggest food delivery provider in the US of putting pressure on restaurants to exclusively use its services. According to The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, Uber filed the lawsuit in California on February 14. Uber said it filed the lawsuit after hearing from "restaurants across the country" that were left with no choice but to "cave to [DoorDash's] demands or pay the price."Both DoorDash and Uber Eats offer their delivery services to restaurants, even for customers who buy from an establishment's own website or app. At the same time, they also offer advertising within their apps for those that want to promote their businesses. DoorDash has a significantly larger share of the market than Uber Eats and had previously said that 90 percent of major restaurants in the US is available on its platform.DoorDash allegedly threatened to charge higher commission rates for handling orders made through its marketplace if the restaurant is also on Uber Eats. In its complaint, Uber said that that in one instance, the company threatened to raise a restaurant's commission rate by 30 percent per order placed. The lawsuit stated another instance wherein DoorDash allegedly told a restaurant that it would cost them millions of dollars in additional fees if it also teamed up with Uber. In 2024, a large restaurant group scrapped long-running plans to launch on Uber after threats from DoorDash to increase its commission rates, Uber said. In addition, DoorDash allegedly threatened to demote restaurants also available on Uber within its app.Uber is now asking the court to compel DoorDash to change its business practices. Meanwhile, DoorDash denied all accusations. "Uber's case has no merit," the company said in a statement. "Their claims are unfounded and based on their inability to offer merchants, consumers, or couriers a quality alternative."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-accuses-doordash-of-anti-competitive-practices-in-a-lawsuit-130032964.html?src=rss
TikTok is once again available in Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Google's stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban took effect. Briefly.What will ultimately happen to TikTok remains unclear. President Trump wants to strike a deal" that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company.You know who's probably furious? Every other social media company.- Mat SmithGet this delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed
Newly restored pages on the websites of government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) now include a disclaimer rejecting "gender ideology," as spotted by 404 Media. The move allows agencies to comply with a recent court order to restore missing webpages, while continuing to push the Trump administration anti-trans executive order that led them to delete those pages in the first place.You can see the disclaimer - which lifts language directly from President Trump's order - on the FDA's guidance document on the "Study of Sex Differences in the Clinical Evaluation of Medical Products" and a page linking to results from SAHMSA's report on "Behavioral Health of Adolescents across Sexual Identities." Like a lot of the current administration's slapdash attempts to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion, the disclaimer doesn't appear everywhere. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page on "Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines" doesn't include it, for example.The contents of the disclaimer are reproduced below:
Elon Musk launched a $97.4 billion bid to take control of OpenAI. The Wall Street Journalreported a group of investors led by Musk's xAI submitted an unsolicited offer to the company's board of directors on Monday. The group wants to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI's for-profit arm.When asked for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson pointed Engadget to an X post from CEO Sam Altman. "No thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want," Altman wrote on the social media platform Musk owns.On Friday, OpenAI's board of directors officially rejected Musk's bid. "OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk's latest attempt to disrupt his competition," the company said in a response attributed to Bret Taylor, the chair of OpenAI's board of directors. "Any potential reorganization of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity."Taylor, incidentally, was the chairman of Twitter's board before Musk bought the social media platform for $44 billion in 2022.
You could soon pay to access certain subreddits, according to comments shared by Reddit CEO Steve Huffman during a taped video AMA (Ask Me Anything). Huffman has suggested the company might experiment with some kind of Reddit paywall before, and now its apparently happening.When asked if he could share information about the development of paid subreddits, Huffman said that "It's a work in progress right now, so that one's coming." To a follow up question about new features coming to Reddit in 2025, Huffman said "Paid subreddits? Yes," confirming they're on the list.Unfortunately there's little detail as to how paid subreddits will actually work when they do launch. It might make sense for only Reddit Premium subscribers to be able to access paid subreddits, for example. As Ars Technica notes, Reddit does offer an exclusive subreddit for subscribers called r/lounge. The company also currently pays some users for posting via the Reddit Contributor Program. The pieces for a paywall are there, but you have to fill in more than a few blanks to get them to fit together.However they happen, paid subreddits continue Reddit's goal of monetizing as much of its user-generated content as possible after going public in 2024. The company has signed licensing deals with both OpenAI and Google, and is currently pulling on users' posts to answer questions with its Reddit Answers chatbot, all in an attempt to squeeze as much value out of the content it already has. A paywall is maybe a blunter way to make that happen, but it's not surprising.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-ceo-says-paid-subreddits-are-coming-this-year-203823936.html?src=rss
If you look at your Roomba with disgust, thinking about what a far cry it is from the Jetsons' Rosey the Robot, help is on the way. Bloomberg reported on Friday that Meta plans to leverage its advances in AI and augmented reality to build a platform for futuristic humanoid robots that can help with household chores like folding laundry.Meta is reportedly creating a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division, which handles Quest VR headsets and the long-term Orion AR glasses project. Although it will build robot hardware during development, Meta's long-term goal is more like Android, where Google makes the software platform that almost all of the industry (outside of Apple) uses. Meta would make the underlying sensors, AI and software for other companies to put inside their hardware. In other words, it wants to be the Android of androids.Like The Jetsons' Rosey the Robot, Meta's version would help with household chores.Warner Bros. / YouTubeAt least initially, Meta plans to make household chores the project's central focus. Bloomberg lists folding laundry, carrying glasses of water, putting dinnerware in the dishwasher and other home chores as examples to build excitement around what could be an unsettling product category for many people. (For examples of why those concerns may be warranted, look no further than the Unitree G1 robot that ran full-speed at Engadget's Karissa Bell at CES, momentarily pinning her against the onlooking crowd.)Speaking of Unitree, Meta has reportedly held early discussions with the Chinese robotics company, which also makes a quadruped "robot dog" that can run around, climb stairs and sit on its hind legs like a good girl. Meta is also said to have discussed its plans with California-based humanoid robot maker Figure AI, which can count OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Intel and Jeff Bezos among its investors.Karissa Bell for EngadgetToday's humanoid robots aren't advanced enough to pitch in around the house like Rosey, but Meta believes all the resources it's sinking into AI and XR are paving a road to that destination. Although the company thinks it will be a few years before useful humanoid robots are widely available, Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth reportedly views the company's progress in hand tracking, low-bandwidth computing and always-on sensors as advantages."The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Bosworth reportedly wrote in a memo. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs."Meta isn't alone in raising its eyebrows at the prospect of home robots for (likely rich) consumers. Last year, news broke that Apple was working on robotics. Ditto for Google. Both companies have published research papers on their robotics work. Flying cars may have to wait, but Rosey is looking a lot less like a pipe dream.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-working-on-humanoid-robots-that-help-with-chores-192453416.html?src=rss
Instagram is testing a new dislike button, which the company has signaled is a way for users to effectively downvote a distasteful or irrelevant comment. The dislike button is only for comments, and not the actual content itself. The platform is testing this with both Reels and Feed posts.The service will not show a dislike count, though Instagram head Adam Mosseri says that dislikes will eventually contribute to comment ranking. In other words, this feature is most like the Reddit downvote button.
After being rumored to be in the early stages of the project last year, Meta confirmed today that it's building "Project Waterworth," an over 50,000 km subsea cable that will connect five continents. The company has partnered on other cable projects previously, but this would be the first piece of subsea infrastructure it owns outright.The project touches land in the US, Brazil, India, and South Africa, and is apparently breaking new ground technically, too. Meta claims Waterworth is the longest 24 fiber pair cable project in the world, and the company is using "first-of-its-kind routing" to place the cables as deep as possible, "at depths of up to 7,000 meters." If cables aren't deep enough, undersea hazards, like boats dropping and dragging their anchors, can cause permanent damage, disrupting service.MetaMeta's announcement doesn't go into detail about how the cable will be used, beyond noting that subsea cables enable "digital communication, video experiences, online transactions and more," and that high-speed connectivity is a necessity for "AI innovation." On their own, Meta services and platforms are said to account for about 10 percent of global fixed internet usage and 22 percent of mobile traffic, so at the very least the company's existing businesses stand to benefit from a stable connection.A United States-India joint statement released after Prime Minister Modi visited the US "welcomed" the announcement. It also notes that India itends to help to finance, maintain and repair undersea cables in the Indian Ocean. A Meta spokesperson clarified that India is not involved in the financing of Project Waterworth.Update, February 14, 5:30PM ET: This article was modified after publish to clarify that India is not involved financially with Project Waterworth. We regret the error.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-confirms-its-building-its-own-subsea-cable-190153227.html?src=rss
Amazon is holding an event on February 26 at 10AM ET, and that's unusually early in the year for the company, which typically has its launches in the fall like the rest of its peers. However, considering the last time Amazon had a "devices and services" showcase was in September 2023, this one is overdue. (Yes, there was a Kindle launch in October last year, but that doesn't really count.) While we don't exactly know what the company plans on showing off, we certainly have some educated guesses. Let's get into it.First of all, the company's hardware chief, Panos Panay, and his devices and services team will be on hand. This indicates the presence of new gadgets at the event. However, the main focus will likely be more information on the long-promised next-gen Alexa.
You may no longer have access to CBS and CBS Sports, along with Paramount's other channels, through YouTube TV after today, February 13. In an announcement, YouTube has revealed that it's in the middle of negotiations with the company to be able to continue offering its channels. YouTube says it's "fighting for an agreement that avoids passing along additional costs" to you, which indicates that they can't agree on a financial deal that works for both of them, as well as one that gives you "more flexibility in how you watch your favorite sports and shows."In addition to CBS and CBS Sports, the channels affected include Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, MTV and VH1. Several add-ons for YouTube TV, such as Paramount+ with Showtime, will no longer be available, as well. YouTube started adding Paramount's channels to its lineup in 2020, when YouTube TV still cost $50 a month. Today, the live TV streaming service will set you back $70 a month for the first half year and then $83 a month going forward.YouTube says that if it can't reach a deal with Paramount, and the company's content becomes unavailable for "an extended period of time," it will give you $8 in credit. Surprisingly, YouTube is advising viewers who want continued access to the networks shows to sign up for the Paramount+ streaming service, which costs at least $8 a month.Paramount has also started warning subscribers that they won't be able to access its stations through YouTube TV for now and has even published a website informing them about it. The company wrote on the website that it has made a "series of fair offers" to keep the channels on the service. "YouTube TV is attempting to pressure Paramount to agree to one-sided terms, and these non-market demands may lead to an avoidable loss of Paramount's networks on YouTube TV, in addition to the removal of Paramount+ and BET+ from YouTube's Primetime Channels, on February 13," a Paramount spokesperson told Engadget. "Paramount has a long track record of successfully and amicably renewing partnerships with every major distributor, including several in recent months, and we will continue our efforts to reach a new agreement with YouTube TV," they also said.Update, February 14, 2025, 12:08 AM ET: This story has been updated to add Paramount's statement.Update, February 14, 2025, 11:33 AM ET: Variety reports that YouTube and Paramount have extended their deadline, though for how long is not clear. In a Tweet, YouTube TV wrote that "We've reached a short-term extension with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. Subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS. We appreciate your patience as we continue to negotiate on your behalf."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-tv-is-removing-cbs-nickelodeon-and-other-paramount-channels-143010075.html?src=rss
If you're on the market for a new pair of wireless earbuds, the latest sale on the AirPods Pro 2 is a good one to consider. As part of Apple Presidents' Day deals, they're down to $169 at the moment, which is 32 percent off their regular price. While not quite as low as we saw them during the holiday shopping season last year ($154), this is the best price they've been in 2025 so far. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 came out in 2022 and yet we still rate them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone. At the time, we gave them a score of 88 thanks to big improvements from their predecessor, including fantastic sound and an amazing transparency mode. They'll last you six hours at a time with ANC on or seven hours without it. Notably, Apple's newest generation of earbuds are also on sale. The AirPods 4 are down to a new all-time low price of $100, from $129, thanks to a 22 percent discount. We also gave the AirPods 4 an 88 in our review, noting their improved fit, comfort and sound quality. Their biggest drawback is the lack of ANC but, if you don't need that, then this is a great deal. 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/apple-presidents-day-sales-include-the-airpods-pro-2-for-32-percent-off-140656141.html?src=rss
I really hate vacuuming and put it off as long as possible. But, my budget isn't very robot vacuum friendly, so, alas I have no choice. However, that might change, as our favorite budget robot vacuum for 2025 is currently 48 percent off thanks to the Amazon Presidents' Day sale. The iRobot Roomba Vac Robot Vacuum (Q0120) is down to $119 from $250 - a new all-time-low price. There's a reason iRobot's Roomba Vac robot vacuum is across all our best lists (check it out alongside our top smart home gadgets). It's an easy to use, high-performance robot vacuum that's not going to break the bank. For starters, you can control the entire device with iRobot's very easy to use app. All that's required of you is connecting the Roomba to your home Wi-Fi network. The Roomba Vac robot vacuum also offers features like Clean While I'm Away, cleaning schedules and up to two hours of cleaning on one charge - it automatically heads back to its charging station when on low battery. Plus, you can get a Clean Map report to see exactly where it cleaned. 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/our-favorite-budget-roomba-drops-to-a-new-record-low-price-in-amazon-presidents-day-sale-152501507.html?src=rss
According to researchers, anyone who knows where to look can spray digital graffiti on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website. Two web development experts said the site doesn't seem to be hosted on government servers and that the database it pulls from can be modified by those who locate it. At the time of writing, a message reading these experts' left their database open - roro" is still visible on the DOGE site.DOGE chief and President Trump consigliere Elon Musk said on Tuesday that his team would be as transparent as possible, with updates on its actions shared to an X account and website. As 404 Media notes, the DOGE website was pretty much blank at the time. Since then, it's been hurriedly assembled to show a feed of posts from the entity's X account, along with details about the federal workforce.The researchers told 404 that the site appeared to be built on Cloudflare Pages instead of government servers. After looking at the site's architecture and API endpoints, one was able to locate the database containing stats on government employees. They made changes to database entries that were reflected on the DOGE website.It's not the first time that a federal website operating under the Trump administration has appeared to have been slapped together. Just this week, the waste.gov was locked after it was reported that the site displayed a dummy WordPress page, complete with placeholder text.DOGE does acknowledge that there are possible issues with its web presence. This is DOGE's effort to create a comprehensive, government-wide org chart," a footnote on the DOGE website reads. This is an enormous effort, and there are likely some errors or omissions. We will continue to strive for maximum accuracy over time."However, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that a team tasked with making sweeping cuts to government spending and allegedly barging its way into federal systems that contain sensitive data on federal employees and citizens can't secure its own website. Perhaps gutting the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency wasn't the wisest idea.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-doge-website-is-seemingly-so-insecure-it-can-be-edited-by-anyone-160612228.html?src=rss
Presidents' Day Apple deals can be few and far between - truthfully, Presidents' Day has never been a boon for tech deals in general. But each year there are a few standout discounts, and this time one of them is on the iPad mini 7. You can grab it for $100 off right now, bringing it down to $499, which is close to its record-low price. Apple's latest and greatest diminutive tablet easily found a place on our list of the best iPads. It's a solid refresh without any real tradeoffs when compared to the full-sized tablet. It supports the Apple Pencil Pro, the A17 Pro chip is plenty powerful and the overall design is comfortable to hold. It's an iPad mini. We called it a solid and necessary update to the best small tablet on the market" in our official review. We came away impressed by the stereo speakers, which sound much better than one would expect. The display is nice, despite maxing out at a 60Hz refresh rate, and the camera array takes surprisingly decent shots, even in low light. It's great for everyday computing tasks and, of course, for playing mobile games like Balatro. This model doesn't include an M-series chip, though the A17 Pro is plenty powerful. Also, the battery life isn't going to be winning any awards. We struggled to squeeze ten hours of it. This model also lacks Face ID, which could be an issue for some users. Beyond these minor nitpicks, however, this is a near-perfect teensy tablet. 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/presidents-day-apple-deals-include-the-ipad-mini-7-for-100-off-162536618.html?src=rss
The Guardian Media Group, owner of The Guardian and The Observer newspapers, is partnering with OpenAI. The deal will see reporting from The Guardian appear as a news source within ChatGPT, alongside article extracts and short summaries. In return, OpenAI will provide the Guardian Media Group with access to ChatGPT Enterprise, which the company says it will use to develop new products, features and tools."This new partnership with OpenAI reflects the intellectual property rights and value associated with our award-winning journalism, expanding our reach and impact to new audiences and innovative platform services," said Keith Underwood, chief financial and operating officer of the Guardian Media Group.The Guardian Media Group joins a growing list of news publishers that are now working with OpenAI after an initial period of uncertainty over the company and its business model. What started as a trickle with The Associated Press in 2023 has since become a flood, with many of the English-speaking world's leading publishers inking deals with the AI startup.In some ways, The Guardian has been more proactive than others. In 2023, the newspaper publish an article detailing its approach to generative AI. A year later, it announced a partnership with ProRata, a company that built a platform that allows AI platforms to attribute search results and share revenue with content owners. Today's announcement also comes after a major coalition of publishers, including The Guardian, announced a lawsuit against Cohere, a Canadian startup they allege improperly used more than 4,000 copyrighted works to train its AI models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-guardian-is-the-latest-news-organization-to-partner-with-openai-155555243.html?src=rss
If you're eager to binge-watch shows like Poker Face, revisit classics like The Office or catch the upcoming SNL 50th anniversary special, Peacock is the place for all of that. Presidents' Day streaming deals have made it a bit more affordable to stream Peacock content right now: through February 18, you can snag one year of Peacock Premium for only $30. To recap, we saw the same subscription drop to $20 during the holiday shopping season last year, and this is the best discount since then. Just use the code WINTERSAVINGS at checkout if you don't see the deal price immediately. It's important to note that, despite the name, this isn't the actual premium tier. It includes ads, which could be a dealbreaker for some. However, there's plenty to watch on this platform for those okay with the occasional long and harrowing commercial about random pharmaceuticals. Peacock, after all, easily made our list of the best streaming services. The platform is home to all kinds of original content, from Rian Johnson's Poker Face to that surprisingly fun Twisted Metal adaptation. It's also the only place to watch the dearly-departed AI-centric sci-fi romp Mrs. Davis. During its early years, Peacock invested heavily in scripted comedy and a lot of that stuff is still on the platform. This includes shows like Rutherford Falls, Bust Down and MacGruber. More recently, the streamer has found success with shows like Ted, Hysteria! and Laid. It also has all kinds of reality TV shows, if that's your bag, as NBC owns Bravo. If this deal interests you, get on it quick. The aforementioned coupon code stops working on February 18. Also, this deal is only for new subscribers. As for more Presidents' Day streaming deals, you can save on Apple Music, NBA League Pass and more. These are some of the best Presidents' Day streaming deals we found this year.
The recipients of the US government's CHIPS and Science Act awards may not get the amount that they were initially promised. According to Reuters, the Trump administration is looking to assess and change the CHIPS Act's current requirements. After that, it's set to renegotiate some of the deals awarded by the Biden administration. It has also indicated a delay in some of the disbursements that are already scheduled, Reuters said. A spokesperson for Taiwan-based GlobalWafers said the company was notified by the program's office that CHIPS Act policies are under review because certain conditions do not align with Trump's executive orders. GlobalWafers is one of the program's awardees that was set to receive $406 million in grants.Former president Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law in 2022 to boost semiconductor production in the US. While each awardee has different milestones they need to achieve in order to get grants, the goal is to get them to build new foundries and upgrade existing ones in the country. The Trump administration is reportedly concerned with many of the previous administration's requirements for recipients. They include clauses added into contracts by Biden's team, the news organization's sources said, including requirements to use unionized labor when building factories and to provide factory workers with affordable childcare. The White House also isn't happy that some of the companies, such as Intel, announced expansion plans in China after being chosen as a recipient.The US government has yet to formally announce any changes to CHIPS Act policies, so it's not yet clear how extensive they will be and how previous deals will be affected. Bloomberg reported last year that the Biden administration rushed to finalize deals with recipients after Donald Trump won the presidential elections. Trump vocally criticized the program in the past, calling it "bad" and arguing that increasing tariffs would attract chip companies without the government having to award any grants.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/trump-administration-reportedly-eyes-renegotiating-chips-act-awards-143035924.html?src=rss
Wellbots is offering multiple of iRobot's Roomba Combo vacuum and mop machines for 40 percent off, and in one case, over 50 percent off as an early President's Day sale. You can even get the new Roomba Combo 10 Max and its Autowash Dock, which can empty and cleans your robot, for $789, around $410 off its normal $1,199 price. That's a good bit cheaper than the last time it was on sale. The Roomba Combo 10 Max + Autowash Dock is a newer addition to iRobot's lineup, and an important one. Besides combining the ability to vacuum and mop your floors, the inclusion of the robot's Autowash Dock means you now have an automated way to clean and sanitize the Combo 10 Max's mop brush. Combine that with its ability to empty itself, and you go a long way to towards doing away with some of the most annoying parts of owning a robot vacuum. The Autowash Dock can hold 60 days worth of dust and only seven days worth of dirty mop water, so you will need to check on it occasionally, but that might be worth it for this deal. You can get the Roomba Combo 10 Max + Autowash Dock for $789, and save $410 with code ENGAD410. The Roomba Combo j5 doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Combo 10 Max, but it does start at a much more approachable $449. The robot can both vacuum and mop your floors, and adapt its cleaning patterns based on the layout of your room. It can even identify high traffic areas of your home and give them extra attention so no dirt gets overlooked. The robot's dock is sold separately, so you won't benefit from its ability to empty itself, but it should be relatively simple to upgrade down the road if you want. The Roomba Combo j5 is available for over 50 percent off, knocking a good $210 off if you use code ENGAD210. The Roomba Combo i5 is a little bit older than the Combo 10 Max and Combo j5, but it's still a competent helper when you need your floor vacuumed and mopped. Like iRobot's other options, the Combo i5 maps your home to determine the best way to clean it, and can be completely controlled with a companion phone app if you want. This model is also technically compatible with a self-emptying base, but it doesn't come included, so you'll want to buy it separately if you want to automate your cleaning process even further. You can lower the Roomba Combo i5 from its $349 starting price to $189, a savings of $160, with code ENGAD160. 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/irobots-roomba-combo-vacuum-and-mop-machines-are-more-than-50-percent-off-right-now-140049700.html?src=rss
Apple's artificial intelligence features for iPhones could be available in China as early as May, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly established several teams in China and the US to make that happen, and it's also teaming up with local companies for its generative AI needs in the country. Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group's Chairman, recently confirmed that Apple will use his company's generative AI technology for Chinese iPhones during an event. Tsai didn't say when Apple intends to roll out the AI features that use Alibaba's tech, butThe Information previously reported that the companies had already submitted them for approval to the country's regulators.Bloomberg says Apple will use Alibaba's technology for its on-device AI models, specifically as a layer on top that can censor certain materials and information for the Chinese government. Alibaba will be able to ask Apple to make updates to its AI models if China's government asks, and Apple will apparently disable outdated AI features on a user's phone until they update their device to remove any content that's been prohibited. These will only apply for iPhones meant for sale within China and not for devices purchased elsewhere. However, Apple Intelligence will not work in the country even on devices meant for sale in other regions once the user changes their location to mainland China.Tsai said during an event that Apple talked to several companies in the region for its AI needs, including DeepSeek. While Alibaba will be its primary AI partner in China, Bloomberg says Apple will also work with Baidu for certain features like Visual Intelligence, which lets users find information online by scanning items on their phone. For AI features that need additional power and have to be processed through external servers, Apple will likely have to work with a local partner, as well.As Bloomberg notes, bringing Apple Intelligence to Chinese iPhones is a critical goal for the company. China is Apple's second biggest market, but the company's sales are on the decline as customers turn to local brands that offer AI features on their devices. In the last three months of 2024, Apple's sales in the country dropped by 11.1 percent, putting Apple in third place in the country's smartphone market after Huawei and Xiaomi.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-could-roll-out-ai-features-for-iphones-in-china-as-early-as-may-133036284.html?src=rss
Chip designer Arm plans to unveil its own processor this year with Meta as the launch customer, The Financial Times reported. The chip would be a CPU designed for servers in data centers and would have the potential to be customized for clients. Manufacturing would be outsourced to a contract fab plant like TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) and the first in-house chip could be revealed as early as this summer, according to the FT's sources.Last month, Arm parent Softbank announced the Stargate project, a partnership with OpenAI to build up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure. Arm, along with Microsoft and NVIDIA, is a key technology partner for the project. Arm's chip could now play a role in that project, and also in Jony Ive's mysterious AI-powered personal device, reportedly being developed in collaboration with OpenAI's Sam Altman, according to the report.Arm's designs power nearly every smartphone and mobile device in the world, along with Apple Mac and Qualcomm-powered Windows PCs. They generally use less power for the same level of compute as Intel and AMD chips, so they've become desirable for data farms that power AI applications as well.The move would put Arm in direct competition with many of its own customers like NVIDIA, which manufacturers its own Arm-based server CPUs. To date, Arm has never made its own chips - instead, it licenses its technology and patents to major companies like Apple. Those companies then customize the designs for their own needs and use a contract manufacturer like TSMC or Samsung to build the chips.UK-based Arm is currently embroiled in a testy legal battle with Qualcomm over licensing terms. Meanwhile, parent SoftBank is reportedly close to purchasing Ampere, a server chip designer. That deal will be "central to Arm's own chipmaking project," according to FT's inside sources.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/arm-is-reportedly-developing-its-own-in-house-chip-130026316.html?src=rss
We joked about "President Musk" shortly after Donald Trump took office, but it turns out that wasn't far from the truth. Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk and his DOGE team wasted no time in trying to dismantle the American administrative state. They've illegally accessed the Treasury Department's federal payment system, pushed for USAID to be dismantled, and have also infiltrated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In this episode, we chat with 404 Media's Jason Koebler about what Musk and his young tech cronies are up to, and how it ties into Silicon Valley's approach to the new Trump administration.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!
TikTok is once again available in Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store in the United States. The app disappeared from both Apple and Google's stores January 19, 2025, as a nationwide ban briefly took effect. But though the app's service was quickly restored after President Donald Trump promised not to enforce the ban, the app had remained unavailable for download in US app stores.Apple has now reversed course. Bloomberg reported the company made the decision after a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump previously told the Justice Department in an executive order to delay enforcing a ban for 75 days. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok is now also officially available in Google's Play Store, after the company encouraged Android users to sideload the app. According to Axios, Google was assured by the Justice Department that restoring people's access to TikTok wouldn't violate the law.It's still not clear what will ultimately happen to TikTok longterm. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to strike a deal" that will allow the company to remain operational in the US, including arrangements that would give the US government a stake in the company. A number of investors and companies have also proposed offers to take over some aspect of TikTok, though the company hasn't indicated which bids it might be taking seriously.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-back-in-apples-app-store-in-the-us-014013369.html?src=rss
Google is making Gemini just a bit better. Starting today, the company's chatbot will recall past conversations in an effort to provide more useful responses. "That means no more starting over from scratch or having to search for a previous conversation thread," Google explains. "Plus, you can build on top of previous conversations or projects you've already started."Google notes Gemini "may" indicate if it referenced a past conversation to formulate a response. If the idea of a chatbot recalling information about you makes you feel uncomfortable, Google says users can "easily review, delete or decide how long" Gemini retains their chat history. Additionally, it's possible to disable this feature altogether from the My Activity panel.Gemini is not the first chatbot to include a memory feature. ChatGPT will "remember" things about you in certain contexts. For example, I recently asked OpenAI's chatbot a question about Jeff Buckley's vocal range, to which it later asked me if I was a fan of his music. When I said yes, a notification appeared stating "memory updated."More broadly, building chatbots with long, reliable memories is part of the "agentic" AI future many companies, including Google and OpenAI, are building towards. At I/O 2024, for instance, Google debuted Project Astra, which featured a built-in memory, though it was limited to a relatively short window of time and could "mis-remember" things.Gemini's new memory feature has begun rolling out in English to Gemini Advanced subscribers. It will become available in more languages over the coming weeks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-advanced-can-now-recall-your-past-conversations-to-inform-its-responses-222407226.html?src=rss
The spiritual successor to Life is Strange is heading to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog as a day-one freebie. The first installment of Don't Nod's Lost Records: Bloom & Rage hits Sony's subscription service later this month, along with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and immersive tennis in TopSpin 2K25. In addition, Sony previewed a couple of other cool-looking day-one titles heading to the service before long: Blue Prince and Abiotic Factor.Lost Records: Bloom & Rage tells the story of four high school friends (and punk rockers!) living in a deceptively picturesque Michigan town in 1995. The narrative adventure jumps between that era and 2022 as we gradually peel back the layers of, well, some freaky-ass stuff the girls uncovered.Don't NodEach timeline gives you more of a glimpse into the life-changing secrets" they stumbled upon back when Blues Traveler was on the charts - and why they're reuniting 27 years later. If you were into the Life is Strange series, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage should be right up your alley.PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members can claim the game on its February 18 release date. And if you get sucked into the world, you won't have long to wait for the next chapter: It arrives in the April 15 batch of Sony's catalog.EA / RespawnThat's also when Extra and Premium subscribers can claim Respawn's Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. The follow-up to Jedi: Fallen Order puts you back in the boots of Cal Kestis as he tries to fend off the Empire and rebuild the Jedi Order. In our 2023 preview, Engadget's Igor Bonifacic found it to be a bigger and better (if perhaps a bit too safe) sequel with larger worlds and new Force abilities to explore, as well as a handy grappling hook to kick it like Bionic Commando.Arriving a bit later is Blue Prince, Dogubomb's clever title that takes the escape room concept and expands it into an entire mansion. Set in 1993, you inherit Mount Holly Estate, a sprawling building with a layout that changes daily. You get to choose its room configurations. The mansion has 45 rooms; your challenge is to find the 46th before all of your allotted movements expire.Each door is a decision," the developer promises. And each room you pick adds another layer of strategy, puzzles and exploration to your adventure." PS Plus subscribers can step into the mysterious world of Blue Prince on its release date this spring."Playstack / Deep Field GamesAnother day-one Plus title, Abiotic Factor is a six-player survival crafting game. Deep Field Games' creepy title has throwback graphics and a survival crafting vibe. Up to six players (but you can play solo, too) take on the roles of scientists stranded miles underground in a strange research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade and chaos from a dozen realms, the world's greatest minds must survive against the universe's biggest threats," the game blurb reads. It arrives as a day-one Game Catalog release this summer.Other titles available for Premium and Extra members on February 18 include Hangar 13's TopSpin 2K25, where you can play as (among others) Serena Williams, Roger Federer or even throwbacks like Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe. The 2021 remake of the 1998 RPG SaGa Frontier is also on tap, as well as narrative sci-fi adventure Somerville, puzzle game Tin Hearts and the medieval slash-'em-up Mordhau.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/lost-records-and-blue-prince-are-coming-to-the-playstation-game-catalog-at-launch-213659797.html?src=rss
Meta's Oversight Board is coming under new pressure to respond to the company's recent policy changes on fact-checking and moderation, which were made without input from the advisory group. A coalition of civil society organizations has published an open letter to the Oversight Board saying the group should resign en masse as recent developments make it clear that the company has abandoned any pretense of oversight and acts with no regard as to the consequences."The letter, which was first reported by The Washington Post, comes from the Global Coalition for Tech Justice, which is made up of more than 250 human and digital rights advocates, fact-checking organizations and other civil society groups from around the world.A mass resignation would be a historic act of conscience - one that makes clear Meta's reckless disregard for human rights cannot be excused, ignored, or concealed behind the curtains of an oversight board that has no real power," the letter says. By stepping down collectively, you would show solidarity with all those communities impacted by Meta's unconscionable actions, increase public pressure on Meta and demonstrate that true accountability cannot exist within a system designed to suppress it."Last month, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would end its long-running fact-checking programs and roll back content moderation standards that protected immigrants and LGBT people on its platform. The Meta CEO, who upon creating the board said that Facebook should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own," reportedly decided to make the changes following a visit with then President-elect Donald Trump last year and consulted only a handful" of people at Meta.The Oversight Board's co-chair later said that these changes came as a surprise" to the group, which was created to help shape platform-wide policy but was not consulted ahead of time in this instance.The Global Coalition for Tech Justice isn't the first group to question the Oversight Board's role in the wake of Zuckerberg's sweeping policy changes. Members of Congress also recently raised the issue in a letter addressed to the Meta CEO. The Oversight Board, once touted as a beacon of accountability, is rendered toothless when Meta itself refuses to adhere to the principles of trust and safety,'" they wrote.One member of the Global Coalition for Tech Justice has been even more direct. If the Oversight Board has no role (even consultory) in the single biggest change in content moderation since their founding, clearly the experiment has failed," the Real Facebook Oversight Board," a group of longtime Oversight Board critics, said in a statement last month.Meanwhile, the Oversight Board's response to Meta's changes has so far been muted. The group published a statement shortly after Zuckerberg's announcement, saying that it would engage with Meta" on its plan to implement community notes. It later added a brief update that said it would be reviewing the implications of the various changes" that go beyond fact-checking."Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the Oversight Board's co-chairs said that "the Board has been closely assessing Meta's policy changes and investigating their impact" on its current cases. "As always, we will undertake a rigorous and judicious evaluation of these policies, issue binding decisions, and put forward nuanced policy recommendations that Meta must respond to-ensuring transparency for users and civil society on how these changes affect them."Update, February 13, 2025, 3:48 PM PT: Added a statement from the Oversight Board.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/civil-society-groups-urge-metas-oversight-board-to-resign-in-protest-211134922.html?src=rss
Blue Origin, the SpaceX competitor founded and funded by Jeff Bezos, is cutting 10 percent of its employees or about 1,400 people, according to The Seattle Timesand CNN. Staff were informed of the news by Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, in an email reviewed by Engadget, who claims the layoffs are an attempt to address a lack of focus and an excessive amount of bureaucracy at the company.The areas of the business primarily impacted by the cuts are program and project management, research and development and engineering. Blue Origin is making these changes as it finalizes its annual operating plan, CNN notes, which is focused on increasing manufacturing and the pace at which the company launches rockets. For example, Blue Origin is one of several space companies with commercial moon missions planned for 2025.The company has been on a bit of a hot streak as of late. Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn orbital rocket in January, and retrieved the rocket's second stage when it landed back on the launch platform. That's a trick that took SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket a few years to master. In December 2024, Blue Origin also returned to space tourism, launching six paying customers into space.Despite the progress, the company is still seen as lagging behind SpaceX, at the very least because Elon Musk's space company has spent more time actually launching rockets into space. Reducing staff doesn't change that, but it may save Blue Origin money, something that's been a goal of Bezos' for a while now, according to Ars Technica.Dave Limp's full email is reproduced below:
The next major expansion for Diablo IV won't come out until 2026, according to remarks made by franchise general manager Rod Fergusson at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday. This isn't too surprising, given that the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, didn't release until the game had been out for 17 months.Fergusson announced that Blizzard will drop a 2025 roadmap just ahead of Season 8, but that it won't include any details on the next major expansion. Additionally, he didn't say when in 2026 it was likely to drop, nor did he provide any details. Blizzard's original plan was to put out a new expansion every year, similar to how Destiny 2 handled things in its early run. That idea went out the window when Vessel of Hatred missed the release window by nearly six months. There were bugs that needed to be fixed and community feedback to incorporate. It's tough maintaining a live-service game.In any event, I would prefer a polished expansion with plenty of new gameplay mechanics instead of a rushed effort to meet a yearly release quota. The next season of Diablo IV is currently set to go live in April, so we can expect that 2025 roadmap sometime ahead of that. It's also highly likely we'll start to get teases for the next expansion later in the year. The hype machine surrounding Vessel of Hatred started up in 2023.We called Diablo IV one of the best games" that Blizzard had released in a decade in our official review. The dungeon-crawling mechanics are just about perfect, though we thought the world-building felt a little flat. Vessel of Hatred added a new class and a new area to explore.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/diablo-iv-wont-get-another-expansion-until-2026-194245537.html?src=rss
Those who are in the market for a new game controller that works with pretty much any device outside of a PlayStation or Xbox could do a lot worse than consider the options from 8BitDo. The brand's Pro 2 controller is certainly worth your attention, not least because it's on sale. The black version of the peripheral has dropped from $50 to $38.39. That's a record low price. The other two colorways - G Classic and Gray - have been discounted as well, but the deals aren't quite as generous there. Those versions have each dropped by $10 to $40, which is still a solid offer. These discounts are for variants of the Pro 2 with Hall Effect thumbsticks. These should prevent stick drift (an issue that had emerged with Nintendo's own Joy-Con controllers for the Switch) and help you to aim more precisely. In fact, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is among our picks for the best Switch controllers. Along with the Switch, the Pro 2 controller is compatible with Apple devices (i.e. those running iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and macOS), Android devices, Windows PC, Steam Deck and Raspberry Pi. The controller is deeply programmable, thanks to 8BitDo's Ultimate software, which you can even use to set up macros for the controller. 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/8bitdos-pro-2-controller-with-hall-effect-thumbsticks-drops-to-38-193028015.html?src=rss
Sony is giving Days Gone the remaster treatment. Nestled in Sony's latest State of Play event, the company announced that Days Gone Remastered is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC on April 25, 2025, with updated graphics and new content in tow.Days Gone Remastered features "improved graphical fidelity, increased foliage draw distance, improved shadow and lighting quality" and support for the PS5's 3D audio and haptics-stuffed Dualsense controller. You'll be able to play through the zombie survival story of "former outlaw biker" Deacon St. John as it was originally conceived, and also enjoy a new permadeath mode, a "Horde Assault" mode, accessibility features and some point after the launch of the game, a speedrun mode.Remastering another PlayStation game isn't out of the ordinary. Sony's done it to Horizon Zero Dawn and technically multiple times to The Last of Us. It's just that of all the PS4 games demanding some graphical spit-and-shine, and more importantly, a revisit from players, Days Gone doesn't rank high. The game was fine, the large zombie hordes were impressive, it's the story that left most reviewers wanting. And increased foliage draw distance doesn't fix that.The vast majority of people would prefer a Bloodborneremaster, and now nearly 10 years from that game's original release, it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. Sony has been, on the other hand, at least somewhat invested in Days Gone. The game was brought to PC, there's this remaster and the company was reportedly working to adapt the game to film in 2022, the ultimate fate of most of its franchises. Maybe Days Gone Remastered is just the start of a Days Gone renaissance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sony-is-actually-remastering-days-gone-before-bloodborne-191411680.html?src=rss
The OnePlus Open was a surprisingly good device, especially considering that it was the company's first attempt at making a foldable phone. Unfortunately, in a community note published today, OnePlus announced that a proper follow-up to the Open won't be arriving in 2025.In the post, OnePlus Open product manager Vale G. said that the company has "carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year." That's definitely a bummer, particularly for fans of devices with flexible displays in the US, who aren't able to easily buy handsets from Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus' parent company Oppo. It's also a bit of a shock considering that the Open hit the shelves more than a year and a half ago in late 2023, so it was due for an update.The one positive takeaway from this is that while the OnePlus Open 2 isn't happening this year, the company isn't giving up on foldables forever, saying "This is not a step back, it's a recalibration. Our commitment to innovation is stronger than ever, and we're excited to bring you fresh, unique experiences that truly Never Settle." For owners of the Open, OnePlus also noted that the phone will continue to receive regular software and security updates as scheduled.Unfortunately, this means that for the US market, there are only two main manufacturers still making big foldable phones: Samsung and Google, who we expect to announce refreshed models sometime later this summer. What's worse is that when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold line, the recent lack of competition feels like it has allowed Samsung to slack off, with the Z Fold 6 only offering middling improvements over previous generations. So here's hoping OnePlus can rejoin the fray soon to help spur competition between the handful of phone makers still trying to innovate with a small but slowly growing niche.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-oneplus-open-2-isnt-happening-this-year-184514367.html?src=rss
The UK's shockingly intrusive order for Apple to create a backdoor into users' encrypted iCloud data doesn't only affect Brits; it could be used to access the private data of any Apple account holder in the world, including Americans. Less than a week after security experts sounded the alarm on the report, US Congress is trying to do something about it.The Washington Post reported on Thursday that, in a rare show of modern Capitol Hill bipartisanship, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) wrote to the new National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, asking her to take measures to thwart the UK's surveillance order - including limiting cooperation and intelligence sharing if the country refuses to comply.If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans' phones, tablets and computers, undermining the security of Americans' data, as well as of the countless federal, state and local government agencies that entrust sensitive data to Apple products," Biggs and Wyden reportedly wrote. The US government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means."The pair told Gabbard that if the UK doesn't retract its order, she should reevaluate US-UK cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as US intelligence sharing with the UK." Wyden sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Biggs is on the House Judiciary Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.Wyden reportedly began circulating a draft bill that, if passed, could at least make the process harder for UK authorities. The proposed modification to the 2018 CLOUD Act would make information requests to US-based companies by foreign entities more onerous by requiring them to first obtain a judge's order in their home country. In addition, it would forbid other countries (like, oh, say... the UK) from demanding changes in encryption protocols to the products or services of companies in the US. Request challenges would also be given jurisdiction in US rather than foreign courts.AppleThe UK order, first reported by The Washington Post, requires Apple to create a backdoor into its Advanced Data Protection, a feature introduced in iOS 16.2 in 2022. Advanced Data Protection applies end-to-end encryption to many types of iCloud data, including device backups, Messages content, notes and photos, making them inaccessible even to Apple. The order demands a blanket ability to access a user's fully encrypted data whenever and wherever the target is located.The order was issued under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act 2016, known (not so affectionately) as the Snooper's Charter," which expanded the electronic surveillance powers of British intelligence agencies and law enforcement. It would be a criminal offense for Apple to publicly confirm receiving the order, so the company hasn't commented on the matter. Security experts warn that implementing this backdoor would needlessly expose anyone with an Apple Account to foreign spying, hackers and adversarial countries.Apple reportedly received a draft of the order last year when UK officials debated the changes. In a written submission protesting them, the company said the planned order could be used to force a company like Apple, that would never build a back door into its products, to publicly withdraw critical security features from the UK market." The company can appeal the notice but can't use the appeal to delay compliance.Most experts in the democratic world agree that what the UK is proposing would weaken digital security for everyone, not just in the UK but worldwide," Ciaran Martin, former chief executive of the UK's National Cyber Security Center, told The Washington Post.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/us-lawmakers-respond-to-the-uks-apple-encryption-backdoor-request-182423656.html?src=rss
Peacock's adaptation of the PlayStation classic Twisted Metal was surprisingly fun and I was fairly excited when it got a season two renewal. Now we have an actual trailer for the new batch of episodes and, lo and behold, it focuses almost entirely on the titular tournament.The first season had a lot going for it. Co-leads Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz were charming and the episodes were short, focused and fun. One thing fans were left waiting on, however, was the actual Twisted Metal demolition derby. After all, that's the whole point of the games. The show's creators, which include folks behind Cobra Kai and Deadpool, have fixed this glaring omission, as season two looks to focus exclusively on tournament-based vehicular combat.In other words, we can expect a truckload of off-the-wall nonsense when the second season premieres this summer. The trailer shows off plenty of new faces, many of which are culled from the games, and even spotlights the iconic host Calypso (played by Anthony Carrigan from Barry.) The franchise's mascot, killer clown Sweet Tooth, also returns, still voiced by Will Arnett and performed by the wrestler Samoa Joe.For the uninitiated, the first season took place in a post-apocalyptic version of the US and involved a cross-country trip. Despite the dystopian setting, the show managed to be goofy and not grimdark. I would classify it as an action-comedy. Twisted Metal joins other modern TV adaptations of video games, like Knuckles, The Last of Us, Arcane and Castlevania: Nocturne.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-twisted-metal-season-two-trailer-finally-shows-off-the-titular-tournament-180609928.html?src=rss
Major publishers, including Politico and Vox, and their parent companies are suing the AI startup Cohere for copyright and trademark infringement, according to the Wall Street Journal. This is another salvo in the ongoing war between the people that make stuff and the AI algorithms that mimic the stuff that people make.The various publishers, which also include The Atlantic and The Guardian, have accused Cohere of improperly using more than 4,000 copyrighted works to train its large language model. Additionally, the startup has been accused of passing off large segments of entire articles to its users without proper attribution.Rather than create their own content, they're stealing ours to compete with us without our permission, without compensation, and undermining our very business that feeds their machines in the first place," said Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News Media Alliance, which organized the lawsuit on behalf of its members. That's theft."The suit also says the company has engaged in trademark infringement, suggesting that the algorithm would send articles to users with proper attribution, using the publisher's name, but the article itself would be filled with hallucinated and incorrect information. One example given in the suit involves a piece that The Guardian published about Hamas's attack on the Nova music festival in Israel, only the AI conflated the terror attack with a 2020 shooting in Nova Scotia, Canada.
It seems Apple is ready to show off something new. In a tweet on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook told Apple aficionados to "get ready to meet the newest member of the family." What that product is remains a slight mystery, though we won't have to wait too long to find out what Apple has up its sleeve. The reveal will take place on Wednesday, February 19. In case there was any ambiguity, Cook's tweet included an #AppleLaunch hashtag.Cook's tweet also featured an animated image of a shimmering Apple logo on what appears to be the outline of an AirTag. It's been rumored for a while that Apple would introduce a second-gen tracker sometime this year. The purported AirTag 2 is expected to have a longer range and a speaker that's more difficult to remove, as well as Apple Vision Pro integration.
Amid stiff competition, Baidu says it's making its AI chatbot free to use. Starting on April 1, ERNIE Bot will be available to users at no cost. Baidu says it will also issue refunds to users in some cases. The company cited reduced costs and tech improvements as reasons for making ERNIE Bot free across desktop and mobile.Moreover, Baidu plans to roll out an advanced search function on the same day, per Reuters. This will also be available for free and is said to include upgraded reasoning capability.Baidu started offering premium features in its search engine in late 2023. Those were powered by advanced AI models such as ERNIE 4.0. The company charged around $8 per month (59.9 yuan) for those features.While Baidu was one of the first major Chinese companies to deploy its own AI chatbot amid the rise of ChatGPT, ERNIE is said to have struggled to find widespread adoption. By contrast, Reuters reports that domestic rivals such as the Doubao chatbot from ByteDance and upstart DeepSeek (which offers its AI assistant for free) have seen stronger user adoption, according to a third-party data tracker.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/baidu-is-making-its-ai-assistant-ernie-bot-free-to-use-starting-on-april-1-153320140.html?src=rss
A new investigation from The Markup claims the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid and other dating apps turns a blind eye to allegedly abusive users on its platforms. The 18-month investigation found instances in which users who were repeatedly reported for drugging or assaulting their dates remained on the apps.One such case involves a Colorado-based cardiologist named Stephen Matthews. Over several years, multiple women on Match's platforms reported him for drugging or raping them. Despite these reports, his Tinder profile was at one point given Standout status, reserved for popular profiles and often requiring in-app currency to interact with. Matthews wasn't removed from the platform until two months after one survivor went to the police. Match Group subsequently dragged its feet when Hinge received a search warrant, complying after seven months. He was eventually sentenced to 158 years to life in prison.How was something like this allowed to happen? According to internal company documents cited in the investigation, since 2016, Match Group has been aware of which users were reported for assaulting, drugging or raping their dates. In 2019, Match Group's central database, Sentinel, began recording each user reported for either assault or rape on any of its apps. Company insiders reported that, three years later, the system registered hundreds of incidents weekly. But the system was reportedly ineffective and easy to game.Not only could users easily evade bans by signing up with different contact information, but "internal company documents show information on IP addresses, photos, and birthdate were not used to ban a user if they appear on another Match dating app." A Tinder user banned for reports of rape could simply jump ship to Hinge without issue. There are reportedly many tutorials online for methods to evade bans on Match-owned apps requiring little to no technical expertise, and The Markup was able to validate three of them.But it wasn't just a poorly designed technical system that's to blame. In 2020, Match Group stated it would release a transparency report to demonstrate harm conducted in relation to its platforms - that report has still not been released. That same year, 11 members of congress requested information about Match Group's process after receiving sexual violence reports. Three years later, two representatives followed up after being promoted by this report's researchers - still no data has been provided.In 2021, Match Group made public promises about increasing safety but company insiders told the researchers that it hasn't improved. That same year, the report claims a presentation shown to employees on multiple occasions asked questions such as, "Do we publish only where we are required by law?" and "Do we push back on how much we are required to reveal, or do we try to go beyond what is required?"By 2022 Match group entered a major partnership with background check company Garbo; the very next year that partnership dissolved, with Garbo writing publicly that "It's become clear that most online platforms aren't legitimately committed to trust and safety for their users." In 2024, Match Group cut its remaining central trust-and-safety team Match Group employees, outsourcing the positions overseas who the company's former head of safety described as working under strenuous quotas and with little training.The report claims that at least one employee at the time was worried about the potential dangers of focusing too much on metrics. They asked their bosses: "How much would you personally pay to stop just one person being sexually assaulted by a date, one child being trafficked or one vulnerable person being driven to suicide by a predator?' I feel that if I asked members of our staff that question individually, they would put a high value of their own money on it - But as a group nobody is ready to hear that yet."We recognize our role in fostering safer communities and promoting authentic and respectful connections worldwide," Kayla Whaling, senior director of communications at Match, said in a statement to The Markup. We will always work to invest in and improve our systems, and search for ways to help our users stay safe, both online and when they connect in real life." The company did not dispute the investigation's findings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/investigation-finds-match-group-failed-to-act-on-reports-of-sexual-assault-151556608.html?src=rss
Apple will use Alibaba's generative AI to power artificial intelligence features for iPhones meant for sale in the Chinese market. Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group's Chairman, has confirmed the companies' partnership at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. He revealed that Apple talked to a number of other companies in China for a potential partnership, but it decided to team up with Alibaba in the end. Apple Intelligence features are not accessible in China at the moment, and even those who purchased their iPhones outside the country will not be able to use those features once they change their region to mainland China.As CNBC explains, the country has strict regulations surrounding AI, including requiring large language models to get approval for commercial use. Companies providing generative AI technologies in the region are also responsible for taking down illegal content. The Information reported about the partnership between Alibaba and Apple before Tsai confirmed it. The publication said that the companies had already submitted the AI features Apple plans to roll out to the country's regulators for approval.A previous report said that Apple tried to work with Baidu for its AI needs last year, but the models for Apple Intelligence that the Chinese company was developing were unable to meet its standards. Apple also reportedly talked to other Chinese companies, including Tencent and DeepSeek, but Apple deemed the latter to be lacking in experience and manpower to be able to handle a massive customer base. The DeepSeek AI assistant, if you'll recall, recently went viral and became the top free iPhone app in the US.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-will-use-alibabas-generative-ai-for-its-iphones-in-china-150008901.html?src=rss
After announcing initial plans two years ago, Formula E is finally ready to deploy its fast-charging pit stops in an official race. At the Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia this weekend, the all-electric series will debut Pit Boost, a mandatory 34-second stop what will add 10 percent additional energy (3.85kWh) via a 30-second charge. No more than two crew members can work on the car during this process, with a third dedicated to stopping and releasing the car with visual cues to the driver.Pit Boost is independent of Attack Mode, an in-race power increase which Formula E has been using in races for years to heighten the strategic aspects of its events. Attack Mode is currently deployed twice during each E-Prix when a driver activates the added energy by driving over a certain area of the track. This area is typically off the main racing line, so drivers usually sacrifice position in favor of Attack Mode.There's no doubt Pit Boost will give teams yet another major race element to manage. Plus, teams can only bring in one car at a time as the Formula 1-style "double stack" is against the regulations laid out by Formula E and the series' governing body, the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). And not only is there the process of making pit stop to manage, but teams also have to account for the fact that it takes 34 seconds. That's an eternity in auto racing, especially when you compare with a sub-three-second stops in F1. Formula E says the FIA will determine the Pit Boost window for each event, and that info will be shared with teams 21 days before the race.DS Penske's Maximilian Gunther walks down the pit lane lined with Pit Boost chargers during practice at the Mexico E-Prix in January.Joe Portlock/Getty ImagesFormula E hasn't had pit stops in seven years. Back in those days, drivers had to swap cars during races to make it to the end of an E-Prix. EV battery technology advanced to the point that awkward change was no longer needed. In the seasons since, a mid-race pit stop was only done to change a flat tire or fix damage to the body work. It typically doomed any chance of a decent finishing position. This season was the debut of the Gen3 Evo car for the series, an updated racer with more power and all-wheel drive. The new EV has already made for more entertaining E-Prix, including Jaguar's Mitch Evans winning from the back of the grid in Sao Paulo.As The Race reports, Formula E first started planning energy-boosting pit stops in 2019 during the development of the Gen3 car. When it came time for the Gen3 cars to hit the track in 2023, it was immediately apparent that the quick-charging technology wasn't even close to being ready for race action. Pit Boost was then pushed to the 2024 season, but even with the delay, Formula E and its suppliers couldn't remedy every fault in the hardware and its deployment.There's a two-race double-header in Jeddah this weekend, but Formula E only plans to use Pit Boost in Friday's E-Prix. If all goes well, the series hopes to do the same at other double-header events this season. Those are scheduled for Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/formula-e-will-finally-debut-its-fast-charging-pit-stops-this-weekend-144235800.html?src=rss
Sorry, beefcakes, but this review isn't for you. All the fighters and rangers out there will still get a sense of how phenomenal Avowed is, the lushness of its environments, the clarity of its combat systems and the depth of its conversation trees - but at its core, this is the review for Avowed players who want to spend their time in the Living Lands learning how to become a master of mushroom-powered magic. This is the Avowed review for wizards. And, sure, all of their friends. To be clear, I would happily play Avowed as any mixture of classes, and I'm likely going to boot up a new campaign and do exactly this very soon. But in my first runthrough, I wanted to see if the game would let me live out my fantastical spell-slinging dreams, and it absolutely did. Avowed is a first-person, open-world RPG from Obsidian and it's a spin-off of the studio's Pillars of Eternity series, but it introduces an entirely fresh storyline and map, and doesn't require any existing knowledge of that universe. You are the envoy to the powerful Aedyran empire and you've just landed on the shores of the Living Lands, a lawless region occupied by outcasts, criminals and refugees from the wider world. Aedyr and its goon squad, the Steele Garrote, are making inroads in this land and attempting to wrest control of its settlements in the name of law and order. You know, classic colonizer shit. However, that's not why you're here - you're on a mission to uncover the source of the Dreamscourge, a rapidly spreading illness that consumes the minds of people and animals, covering their bodies in bright fungal growths and turning them into rabid killing machines. It's kind of like cordyceps in The Last of Us, but with rainbow face mushrooms and rambling spiritual breakdowns preceding the full zombie phase. The Dreamscourge's growths look eerily similar to markings on your own face, but you've carried yours since birth and they signify you as a godlike, someone who's been touched by one of the many deities of this world. This is a rare and special status, and part of your journey involves uncovering the identity of your god, a mystery that's haunted your entire life. What's more, as you interact with aquamarine pillars of spiritual power called adra, a booming voice interrupts your thoughts and dreams, begging you to trust it and claiming it can help cleanse the world. Obsidian Entertainment This complex foundation forms a tapestry of twisting, interlocking narrative threads that span politics, military strategy, religion, occultism, science, trust, relationships, duty and identity over 45 hours of playtime. That's for a fairly focused run, too - I skipped plenty of sidequests in the interest of finishing the game before my deadline, and a full, leisurely playthrough could easily have tacked on 20 more hours and oodles of narrative intrigue. The lore runs deep in Avowed and each of its storylines is handled with supreme care, as are all of the notes, letters, poems and plaques scattered across the Living Lands. There are thousands of completely optional pieces of writing to find here, and each one is delivered in its own voice, serving its own purpose. Avowed is full of life and its history was written with a deft hand. After creating my character with purple and pink hair, yellow freckles and big coral mushroom paddles across my eyes, I chose to be a Court Augur - the most mystical option - and started building out my interpersonal and mana-generating stats. Mana in this game is called essence, and you also have health and stamina gauges. Leveling up certain characteristics unlocks their associated dialogue options in conversations, and throughout my playthrough, I focused on Perception, Intellect and Resolve because I hate being made to look a fool. Also, as the game progressed, I realized I needed as much stamina and essence as I could get. The Living Lands comprise four main regions: Dawnshore, Emerald Stair, Shatterscarp and Galawain's Tusks. Their landscapes range from lush, water-logged forests dotted with iridescent fog and glowing mushrooms, to blackened, craggy spires and bone-like structures in a hellish volcanic wasteland. Each area is gorgeous in its own way and packed with people to help, bounties to secure, secrets to unravel and so very many shiny items to pick up. As someone who absolutely can't resist a glowing outline or the tinkling of a nearby lockbox, Avowed is a buffet of delight. The game encourages you to pick up absolutely everything in sight, and though there is an encumbrance limit, it's generous and never caused me any real problems. There also seems to be no such thing as stealing" with your character, no matter how destitute or hostile the surrounding NPCs may be. Obsidian Entertainment The dialogue system offers ample opportunity to forge a distinct personality and apply it to every scenario, whether you want to be a hardline government simp, religious zealot, socialist vigilante or some combination of all three. The choices you make in conversations with townsfolk, your companions and the voice in your head ripple across the campaign, altering the outcomes of major narrative points in tangible ways. Treat each decision as if it really matters, because in this game, it probably does. Avowed let me live out my anti-colonization, pro-contraceptive, magical underground rebellion fantasy, but I found it just as enjoyable to talk to kith - the humanoid creatures of the Living Lands - just for the sake of talking. My favorite dialogue moments happened while standing around the fire of my party camp, learning more about the lives of my companions, shaping my own personality and swapping scary stories. Also, the way the firelight glints off of the slick turquoise scales of my companion Kai's chest is endlessly mesmerizing. Ahem, speaking of - there is no romance in Avowed and I have to say, I didn't miss it. Horny characters abound in the Living Lands, so there's no shortage of flirty dialogue options if you care to partake, but there's enough happening at all times that a roll in the hay never feels like top priority. Your party maxes out with four companions: the aforementioned Rauataian nomad Kai, the mountain dwarf and tracker Marius, the defiant animancer human Giatta, and the talented wizard-in-training Yatzli, a hearth orlan with pink hair and big, fluffy ears. I know who I would start a romance with - Giatta and I had some lovely fireside chats - but more than anything, I'm happy to have these characters as my friends and reinforcements throughout the game. Obsidian Entertainment Some of Avowed's best storylines are sidequests about your companions' lives, fleshing out their personal demons, helping them find closure, and providing context for their behaviors and beliefs. Kai's sidequest involving his old friend, Tama, stands out as a particularly moving vignette. Play it when you see it. You can take two companions at a time on your adventures, and the campaign touches on their backstories in turn, making certain party members more useful in specific missions. Kai is a tank with a fire-starting gun; Marius has a bow and shadow-step assassin ability; Giatta heals, shields and buffs; and Yatzli uses magic to control crowds and deal devastating damage. Once I realized that playing as a wizard meant I didn't have to use a grimoire to cast spells, I was completely committed to maxing out that class tree, ignoring the fighter and ranger skills entirely. There's also a godlike ability tree that fills up as you discover memories of your past lives in hidden locations around the Living Lands. Godlike moves include things like passive boosts, area-of-effect spells and attacks. Finding one of these is a treat, because it triggers a moment of introspection between your character and the voice in their head: A beautiful, hand-drawn image of an ancient event fills the screen and the voice asks how you acted in past moments of extreme tragedy and triumph. These conversations nurture your relationship with the voice and help establish your personal history, and they're quietly, deeply satisfying. Obsidian Entertainment In combat, I ended up with two main loadouts: A wand and one-handed staff as my main, and a flaming sword and pirate-y gun in the other. Every now and then I swapped my secondary loadout for a bow, which takes two hands to fire but never runs out of arrows, and I had a lot of fun landing headshots from afar. I upgraded my chosen weapons and armor at the party camp throughout my adventure, and added enhancements to the objects that could handle them. Upgrading and enhancing is its own little game, and this feature made me feel less insane as I ran in the opposite direction of my waypoint marker, compulsively picking up every single shiny thing on screen. This is for upgrades, I whispered to myself while gathering my 166th twig. Yes, yes, upgrades. The action wheel was also a critical tool. Opening it during combat pauses the scene, allowing you to browse consumables, godlike abilities and, most importantly for a young wizard, spells. I mapped health and three spells to the D-pad, but the rest of my magic abilities were added to the wheel as I unlocked them. It became second nature in the heat of battle to pull up the wheel, down some wild mushroom stew and then pick a spell to fling at incoming enemies, whether ice, fire, lightning or pure magic damage, laser-focused or area-of-effect. And then, I'd watch my foes fry. Truly, I loved being a wizard. Managing my stamina bar, essence meter and health gauge was the trickiest part of combat, but I quickly fell into a groove of stabbing, dodging and spell-slinging that worked against a range of enemy types. My overall combat tip is simple: Kill the healers first. By the end of the campaign, I really did feel godlike. Obsidian Entertainment Enemies in Avowed don't level up relative to your own experience. This means those level one lizard bros in Dawnshore will always be level one, and the level five beetles in Galawain's Tusks will always be level five. I appreciate this approach because it's immediately clear when you need to spend some time grinding, and it's easy to plan future raids and sidequest runs. That said, I'm a fan of grinding (hey-o), so this choice plays into my open-world RPG preferences nicely. My time in the Living Lands wasn't without bugs, of course, and I'm not talking about the giant spiders. I played on Xbox Series X and experienced four hard crashes in 45 hours, and three of these were in the same area, which happened to be a big boss fight, so that definitely wasn't ideal. I restarted the game each time and didn't lose any real progress. There were also consistent animation issues with close-up dialogue scenes, where it seemed like the game had trouble rendering characters based on how much hair they had - Yatzli was particularly stuttery from a visual standpoint. The flame animation on my Fan of Flames also cut out sometimes, but the damage kept spewing out, so this wasn't a huge deal. None of these issues ruined the game and none of them are above further optimization from Obsidian, hopefully in a day-one patch. But honestly, by the time the end credits rolled, I'd forgotten that any of these things had happened. I simply felt warm and fulfilled, like I'd just completed a fantastic game. The third line in my review notes says, I would like to be a mushroom witch pls," and Avowed let me be exactly that. I played the game as a kind and self-righteous chaos demon, but if I'd wanted, I could've been a staid enforcer of colonial expansion, a hubristic wannabe king or something in between. The Living Lands easily support all of these realities, thanks to a universe filled with fabulous writing, exciting secrets, breathtaking views, intriguing characters and smooth mechanics. Though Avowed is set in the world of an existing franchise and it's yet another entry in the stacked genre of open-world fantasy RPGs, it feels like the start of something new. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/avowed-review-elder-scrolls-i-dont-know-her-140057830.html?src=rss
We called 2023's Galaxy Watch 6 a modest upgrade" from the Galaxy Watch 5, which itself also got described as very similar" to its predecessor, the Watch 4. So it's perhaps not surprising that Samsung's latest smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 7, represents yet another minor improvement over the last generation. That's just the nature of a yearly update cycle for a device that is already doing most things right. Samsung released the Galaxy Watch 7 in late July of 2024 and I started testing the watch in October. A series of events (Black Friday, the holidays, CES) pushed this review onto the back burner, which means I spent a lot of time with the watch in a less formal capacity, wearing it on and off for around three months before formally evaluating it for this review. Design and hardware Samsung stuck with a flat, round face and super thin aluminum bezels that give the Galaxy Watch 7 a more classic timepiece vibe than the square I'm a computer" Apple Watch or the futuristic orb that is the Google Pixel Watch 3. The Watch 7 retains the curved case design introduced with the Watch 5, which is supposed to allow better contact between the sensors and your wrist. Unfortunately, the sensor node sticks out from the underside quite a bit. It took about a week of wearing the watch before it felt comfortable, and the first night I attempted to sleep with it, I was so bothered by it that I wrenched it off in the middle of the night. That convex sensor node now houses 13 heart rate sensor LEDs, compared to just four on the Watch 6. We didn't find anything lacking with the heart rate detection on the previous model and, when comparing the same workout on my personal Apple Watch Series 9 with the Galaxy Watch 7, I saw nearly the same beats-per-minute (bpm) readings. Performing a heart rate check manually on each watch gave the same result as well. Just like last year, the watch is available in a 40mm or 44mm case, which have a 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch screen, respectively. I tested the smaller model and was impressed with how readable I found it. Personally, I use a 45mm Apple Watch because the 41mm version is too hard to read, but despite being seemingly smaller, the Galaxy's screen was nearly as easy. Holding the two side by side, I saw why: across the middle (where the bulk of text is displayed) the 40mm Samsung watch is actually wider than the 45mm Apple wearable. That's because rectangular screens are measured on the diagonal, but the diameter of a circle is the same length from any angle. The Galaxy Watch has a thicker bezel, but running your finger along it is one way of interacting with the screen, so it's helpful to have extra space for that. Two new colors, green and cream, add to the silver hue from last year. My silver review model is classy and the updated sport band has a scalloped texture (very reminiscent of the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band, but much less bulky). Four pops of color thread just past the attachment points add a little personality. You can also customize the heck out of the watch faces, from background colors to clock fonts and complications. I was a fan of the new Ultra Info Board face and, overall, I felt like I had more appealing options in the faces gallery than with the Apple Watch - even before heading to the Play Store to look for more options. Amy Skorheim for Engadget The upgraded processor in the Galaxy Watch 7, Samsung's own Exynos W1000, has one main CPU core and four smaller efficiency cores to run and switch between apps faster. We didn't find the Watch 6 to be particularly slow, and I found the Watch 7 to be impressively fast when skimming through notifications, controlling Spotify, starting a workout and haphazardly opening and closing apps as I got to know the interface. RAM is the same at 2GB, but storage has doubled to 32GB (with 21GB available out of the box). I didn't have long enough with the watch to put the capacity to the test, but the RAM seemed to keep the watch zipping along. There are two new components on the Watch 7: a dual-band GPS receiver and a sensor that measures your advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) index. The AGEs index is assessed as you sleep and gauges your metabolic health by detecting accumulated sugar/lipid compounds in your skin. Higher levels are associated with faster aging and adverse health conditions. Instead of a number, the result is a dot on a spectrum. Mine was just to the high side of the middle, and suggestions for improving my levels included eating vegetables, limiting processed foods, getting more sleep and being more active. Yes, little watch, I know. As for the GPS, it took a little effort to get it working the way I wanted. I was getting reliably accurate cadence and distance measurements (as checked against my Apple Watch and just looking at a map) but the mapping component was missing when I looked at the workout on my phone. After some research (thank you, Reddit) I learned that precise mapping is off by default. To turn it on, you need to first turn on Location Information in Samsung Health Settings on your phone. Then, in the Wear app, tap Watch Settings, Samsung Health settings, turn on Activities to detect, then tap Precise Location under the workout type you want to track. After that fix, I saw accurate routes in the workout details section. y. Sleep tracking I am happy to report I (probably) do not have sleep apnea. After setting up the sleep apnea detection feature, you only have to wear your watch to bed for two nights for it to log signs of the condition. Sleep apnea detection is a new feature that debuted with the Watch 7, but Samsung has said it will roll out to earlier compatible models in the future. After the watch tracks seven nights of sleep, it'll award you one of eight sleep animals," which come with a description of the type of sleeper you are. This has been a feature since the Watch 4 and something the Pixel Watch does as well. I enjoyed finding out that I'm a lion (that's the best sleeper and I will take a win wherever I can find it). Those who rate lower" on the sleep animal food chain, can find sleep coaching tips within the Health app on ways to improve their sleep. Not surprisingly, this involves reminding you to keep a consistent bedtime while limiting distractions, alcohol and caffeine before sleep. For the sake of science, I slept for three nights in a row wearing both the Galaxy Watch 7 and my Apple Watch Series 9 so I could compare what they tracked. The two seemed to log the same patterns of awakeness and sleep, but Samsung was much more generous, telling me I got an average of about 45 more minutes of sleep and about three times as much deep sleep. I know much of our feelings about health are a matter of perspective, so I have to say I prefer the Galaxy Watch's assessments. Though, I wish Samsung would call the light sleep stage core" sleep like Apple does - that makes it feel more beneficial. After testing the Watch 7, however, I don't think I'd wear it (or any watch, really) to bed voluntarily again. The dimmest the screen gets is 5 nits, which is much brighter than the single nit the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch can hit. When you go into sleep mode, the watch face stays off until you tap it, but the LED sensors underneath are also much brighter than the competition and were enough to wake me. One night, I turned on sleep mode early because the screen was too bright as I was putting my kid to bed at around 8PM. I kept sleep mode on as I watched TV then went to bed a few hours later. At four in the morning, I got a congratulatory vibration that woke me up to tell me I'd met my sleep goal. Of course, I couldn't get back to sleep after that and I was, to put it mildly, displeased. That didn't happen again, despite leaving sleep mode on for longer than eight hours on a few occasions, so either it was a fluke or the January 2025 software update fixed the flaw. Health and activity tracking One of the new health features for the Galaxy Watch 7 is a daily Energy Score, which is calculated in the Samsung Health app, but readily available on the watch. The score considers sleep metrics and yesterday's activity levels to tell you how to approach the day ahead. On mornings when I got a higher number, the watch suggested I push myself by increasing the intensity of my workouts or trying something new. On days with a lower score, I was able to see why. This feature is nothing new in the industry, of course. Garmin has its Training Readiness score and Fitbit has been giving people Daily Readiness scores for years (and it's finally free). Amy Skorheim for Engadget The measurement, along with other insights and commentary within the Health app, is where Samsung has put most of the AI-powered tricks for the Galaxy Watch 7. I saw various tips such as a suggestion to lower my activity goals (so I could actually reach them) after a few days of being a bit of a slug. All of the workout and health features from the previous models are here - our review of the Galaxy Watch 6 goes into those in depth. But in short, like any fitness tracker, the Galaxy Watch records your overall activity levels using different metrics. In this case, it's three things: steps, active time (how many minutes in which you move with an elevated heart rate) and activity calories (those you burn in addition to the energy used from just existing). You can adjust your goals and decide whether you want the watch to nudge you to meet them. There are around 90 workouts the watch can track and it can auto-detect a few of those including walking, running, bike riding, high-intensity interval training and swimming. Overall, I found the activity tracking to be accurate and I appreciated how much quicker the Galaxy Watch was at detecting I was out on a walk compared to my Apple Watch. Also, unlike the Apple Watch, which will ask me whether I wanted to track my exercise, the Galaxy Watch just goes ahead and automatically tracks it. The Galaxy Watch is on par with the Pixel Watch 3 in terms of how quickly it assumes I'm on a walk but, like the Apple Watch, the Pixel wants me to confirm I want the workout tracked. So if I'm on a walk with the dog and have gloves on, I have to do some finagling to tap the start button before seeing my stats. Galaxy's screen on the other hand (literally) just goes ahead and displays duration, steps and heart rate details. Samsung's wearable is also quicker to give me credit for getting up and walking around after it prompts me to get moving. All activity and health tracking runs through the Samsung Health app, which is colorful and intuitive - I actually found it more enjoyable to browse than Apple's Health app. I spotted a medication widget that not only reminded me to take a pill at the same time each day, it also told me about potential drug and allergy interactions. When it's time to take the med, the watch buzzes and lets me mark it as taken without pulling out my phone. Samsung introduced the feature at the end of 2023 and, as it turns out, Apple came out with its version a full year earlier, but I credit the more navigable interface of Samsung Health for allowing me to actually find and use it - I'd just never noticed it in Apple's app. Instead of a separate app, like Fitness from Apple (in which you'll also find the company's subscription-based workouts), there's simply a tab (also called Fitness) within Samsung Health. There are dozens of videos to try for free on your phone, from providers like Zumba, Pocket Gym, FitOn and more. And when you play the videos from here, heart rate metrics from your watch will show up on your phone's screen, just like Fitness+ workouts with the Apple Watch and Fitbit Premium classes with the Pixel Watch. Eventually, you'd need to pay to access all the videos a given provider offers, but it's nice to have a little free content you can dip into as needed. One thing I have to point out is that even if the watch is on silent, by default it will still audibly coach you when you hit or approach certain metrics after you start a workout. The first time I tracked a yoga workout, the watch started blurting out calories burned and goals achieved while the entire class was silently lying in shavasana. I was even more red-faced than usual. Save yourself the embarrassment and disable audio guides in the settings when you start a workout. Performance and use The Watch 7 was the first to run Google's new Wear OS 5 - before the Pixel Watch 3, even. Samsung layers its own One UI over Google's software so the experience is a little different from the Pixel Watch. For example, you can either swipe from the left or right edge of the screen to pull up notifications or tiles (respectively) or you can drag your finger around the screen's bezel, a movement meant to complement the physical spinning bezel of the Galaxy Watch Classic variant. On a screen-only interface, I found my finger was often in the way of what I was trying to look at, so I ended up just swiping, as on a Pixel or Apple Watch. Back in 2023, Samsung introduced gesture controls to the Galaxy Watch through an update to One UI 5, but the feature, which started as an accessibility aid, didn't get much attention until Apple highlighted and expanded such functions with the release of the Series 9. The double tap feature on the Galaxy Watch 7 works similarly to how it does on the Apple Watch, performing simple functions like pausing timers, answering calls and so on. Both watches performed the same in terms of detecting when I was making the gesture but I actually used the gesture more often with the Galaxy Watch because a little pinch animation displayed over icons that the gesture could control. The Galaxy Watch 7 also supports a knock knock" feature, in which you dip your fist downward twice like you're rapping on a table and it'll open an app you designate in the Buttons and Gestures menu from the Wear app's watch settings. I set it to open the timer app and, later, the Google Assistant, which I found pretty convenient. Speaking of the Google Assistant, since the Galaxy Watch 4, users have been able to swap the default assistant to Google's instead of Bixby. I recommend doing that. Asking Bixby a question (like, perhaps, What's the capital of Finland?") directed me to look at my phone. When I posed the same query to Google Assistant, the word Helsinki appeared across the watch screen. None of these are brand new features - previous models allowed you to swap the assistant and gestures started with the Galaxy Watch 4. But the better processor and new sensors on the Galaxy Watch 7 have no doubt helped boost the accuracy and responsiveness. Notifications could use some work, however. Often, I'd feel a vibration, but when I lifted my wrist to check what it was, I'd just see the regular watch face. I could swipe to see what had triggered the ping, but I would prefer to just see it immediately. Battery and recharging I was surprised to see how many people complained about the Galaxy Watch 7's battery life when I read users' impressions at other review sites and on Reddit. At first, I found I was getting through a whole day and night, plus partway into the next day before needing a recharge. That was on par with my Apple Watch Series 9 (both have around a 300mAh battery). But I didn't have the always-on display (AOD) enabled on the Galaxy Watch. Once I turned that on, the battery's capacity steadily dove towards empty. One Sunday, I left the house around noon with the watch at 40 percent. I walked for 20 minutes, hung out at a coffee shop and played with a few features on the watch and the paired Galaxy phone. By the time I headed home at 3PM, the watch's battery had dropped to four percent, prompting it to suggest I turn on watch-only mode. After that, I only used the watch with the AOD off. That said, using the watch without AOD isn't terribly inconvenient. When I lift my wrist, the display wakes quickly. I remember being frustrated at how ridiculously hard it was to check the time on my Apple Watch Series 4, feeling dumb as I lifted my arm three or four times before the face lit up (I know I could tap to wake it, but it was the principle of the thing). If you plan to use the watch as a sleep tracker and also want to use the AOD, you may need to set aside time at the end of the day to recharge your watch before heading off to dreamland (or toss-and-turn land, depending on your sleep animal). The good news is that the watch recharges relatively quickly. I clocked it going from 4 percent to 75 percent in under 40 minutes. Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Pixel Watch 3 have been shown to recharge faster in other tests, but I didn't find the Galaxy Watch to take unreasonably long. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (middle) compared to the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 (right) and 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3 (left) Amy Skorheim for Engadget Price One positive carry-over from last year is price. Like the Watch 6 at launch, the Watch 7 starts at $300 for the 40mm model. That's $49 cheaper than the base price for the Pixel Watch 3 and $99 cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 10. The Garmin Forerunner 165, our top pick for a running smartwatch, is $250. There's no spinning-bezel Classic variant of the Galaxy Watch 7 (there wasn't a Galaxy Watch 5 Classic, either). Instead, when announcing the seventh gen watch, Samsung also launched the $650 Watch Ultra and $400 Galaxy Ring - both of which make the flagship watch feel like a bargain. Of course, if you're after a true budget smartwatch by Samsung, there's the Galaxy Watch FE with a slightly smaller display, less powerful processor and fewer sensors. Wrap-up While the Galaxy Watch 7 may look nearly identical to its predecessor, a couple of internal improvements and software additions (and yes, some AI stuff) make it an appealing companion for a Samsung phone. It even does a few things better than the Apple Watch Series 10 (our current pick for the best overall smartwatch). As with most new releases, you probably don't need to upgrade if you already have the prior model. But if you're a fan of Samsung's handsets and are looking for an attractive accessory with solid sleep insights, helpful fitness tools and surprisingly approachable health data, this could be it. For a long time, the Galaxy Watch was our pick for the best Android watch you could buy. But with the release of the Pixel Watch 3, Samsung's wearable was knocked off its podium. The Galaxy Watch 7 does many things right and its classic looks and customizable watch faces will be a favorite for some, me included. Samsung also seems to be steadily improving the Health app - I was especially excited about the beta Meditation and Mood-tracking features, and hope they make their way from the phone to the watch. The effort the company has put into the Health app is only making the Galaxy Watch more useful and Samsung has developed an effective set of wearable sensors that can provide more advanced health metrics like AGEs index, EKGs and body composition. The heart rate and distance accuracy was on par with my Apple Watch Series 9 but the Galaxy Watch was actually quicker to detect I was out on a walk - it also automatically logged the workout for me. But if an always-on display is important to you and you want to use the watch for sleep tracking, you may want to look elsewhere. Still, this is a capable watch that makes a fun companion for an Android phone, particularly Samsung handsets, and I was sad to take it off when the review was over. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/samsung-galaxy-watch-7-review-incrementally-better-than-its-predecessoragain-133038627.html?src=rss
Sony just had its best holiday season ever in terms of PlayStation 5 console sales with 9.5 million sold over the last three months (2024 Q3), the company announced in its earnings release. That's 1.3 million more than it sold in the same quarter last year (its previous best holiday quarter) and raises all-time PS5 sales to 74.9 million. The launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro last fall likely provided a boost for the quarter, but Sony didn't break out numbers for that console specifically. The record quarter means that the PS5 is just 1.5 million units behind where the PS4 was at the same time in its sales life cycle. It also propelled Sony to a higher-than-expected 469.3 billion yen ($3.05 billion) profit (all divisions included). The company also saw a boost in game sales, up to 95.9 million units sold in Q3 2024 compared to 89.7 million the previous quarter, despite a hefty drop in first party sales. That boosted game software revenue to 784 billion yen ($5.1 billion), compared to 733 billion yen in Q3 2023. On its webcast, Sony shouted out the success of Astro Bot and Helldivers 2, affirming its intention to expand its family and live service game offerings (despite axing recent games in the latter category). Meanwhile, PlayStation Network (PSN) monthly active users rose from 123 to 129 million. Looking ahead, Sony said it had "high expectations" game sales this year, including first-party titles Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei, both set to release in 2025. We'll also see some big third-party launches, particularly Grand Theft Auto 6 set to arrive in fall 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-has-sold-749-million-playstation-5s-130021792.html?src=rss
Nissan and Honda have officially called off their plans to merge into a single automaker, less than two months after they confirmed the rumors that they were indeed looking to join forces. In an announcement, the companies said that they'd "agreed to terminate" the memorandum of understanding (MOU) they signed in December 2024. If they'd gone through with it and also brought Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi on board, the new entity would've had a net worth of around $50 billion.The automakers said that their CEOs and other members of their management teams have discussed what they wanted to achieve with the merger, as well the structures they wanted in place after the integration. They explained that they considered various options when it comes to the final structure of the merged entity. Honda proposed several options, including establishing a joint holding company, wherein the automaker would be the one appointing the CEO and majority of directors. However, it also proposed a structure wherein Honda would be the parent company, whereas Nissan would be the subsidiary.The Financial Times reported in early February that Honda presented the structure that would make Nissan its subsidiary as a "take it or leave it" offer. Majority of Nissan's board members reportedly rejected the deal back then during a meeting, but Nissan chose to wait until mid-February to make a formal announcement. The automakers said that they chose to cease their discussions "to prioritize speed of decision-making and execution of management measures in an increasingly volatile market environment heading into the era of electrification." They also said that they still have plans to collaborate "within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at the era of intelligence and electrified vehicles."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/honda-and-nissan-have-ended-their-merger-plans-075501432.html?src=rss
X has reached a settlement with President Donald Trump in a lawsuit over the president's 2021 suspension from Twitter. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Elon Musk-owned company has agreed to pay about $10 million" to settle the long-running case.Trump sued Twitter, along with Meta and YouTube, more than three years ago after the companies booted him off their platforms following the riots on January 6, 2021. His lawyers claimed that the suspensions were a violation of his First Amendment rights. The lawsuit against Twitter was dismissed by a judge in 2022, but Trump's lawyers appealed that decision.X's settlement comes shortly after Meta also reached an agreement with Trump. The company paid $25 million, much of which will go toward building Trump's presidential library, the company confirmed. The Wall Street Journal reports that the president's lawyers are also expected to pursue a settlement with Google." X didn't respond to a request for comment.The settlement with X is particularly notable given Elon Musk's close relationship with Trump. The owner of X reinstated Trump's Twitter account soon after taking over the company in 2022 and spent at least $250 million on Trump's campaign in 2024. The president's lawyers reportedly considered letting the lawsuit fizzle out" ahead of the settlement.Since Trump took office less than a month ago, Musk has used his perch at the top of the department of government efficiency" to wreak havoc across the federal government, in a series of moves that have prompted multiple lawsuits and growing concerns about a constitutional crisis.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-will-pay-about-10-million-to-settle-lawsuit-over-donald-trumps-twitter-suspension-234757817.html?src=rss
Other than a Days Gone remaster, Sony's first State of Play stream of the year was fairly light on first-party games. At least that was the case until the very end of the showcase.The company announced the long-awaited next game from Returnal developer Housemarque. The third-person action title is called Saros, and it stars the always-delightful Rahul Kohli. The actor plays Arjun Devraj, "a powerful Soltari Enforcer searching for answers on a lost off-world colony," per the trailer's YouTube description.The clip shows Arjun waking up on a beach with a gun by his side. "Every time the sun dies, madness reigns," he says as an ominous eclipse occurs. Moments later, a giant being with eight arms and a broken, pointy headpiece emerges from the depths. The creature summons balls of fire in its hands as Arjun readies himself to battle it.Housemarque/PlayStation StudiosHousemarque says Saros is a new game, but it's one that builds on the roguelite foundations of Returnal and its repeatable runs - just in case Arjun saying "After every death, I always come back stronger" in the trailer wasn't clear enough. In this game, your resources and progression persist after each run. You'll have an "evolving set of weapons and suit upgrades" to help upgrade your loadout, though as in Returnal, the world will change after every death.One other major difference between Saros and Housemarque's last game is that Arjun isn't alone on this planet. Details about other characters in the ensemble cast, the story and gameplay will be revealed later.Sony liked Returnal enough to buy Housemarque and add the developer to its stable of PlayStation Studios, so it'll likely have high hopes for this one. Saros is slated to arrive on PS5 in 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/saros-is-the-next-game-from-housemarque-coming-to-ps5-in-2026-232243078.html?src=rss
Borderlands 4 is coming this fall. Developer Gearbox revealed that the latest entry in the Borderlands series is launching on September 23, 2025 at Sony's latest State of Play event, and the game will receive a standalone State of Play this spring where you can get an in-depth look at it in action.Like past Borderlands games, Borderlands 4 has shooting and looting, though with much looser and faster-paced movement. You'll be able to double jump, dodge and grapple your way through the game, and play as four new vault hunters looking to make their fortune.Borderlands 4 was originally announced during Gamescom in 2024, and Gearbox showed off a first glimpse of gameplay during the Game Awards. Other than those tweaks to traversal, it looks like more Borderlands. Considering its been about six years since Borderlands 3 was released in 2019, that might not be a bad thing, but hopefully Gearbox still has something up its sleeve to justify another dip into the post-apocalyptic shooter well.Borderlands 4 is launching on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 23, 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/borderlands-4-is-launching-on-september-23-225358207.html?src=rss
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