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The longer you use anything - your Mac included - the more cluttered it gets. One solution is to simply upgrade to a new machine, but the more economical (and environmentally-friendly) move is to make what you have work better. To help your computer feel like new, or at least cleaner and less chaotic, we put together this guide with techniques and useful apps that have helped us maintain a more civilized computer. From a physical cleaning to a hard drive spruce-up and tab management ideas, here's how to clean and organize your Mac.How to clean your Mac's screen and bodyWhile there are a lot of products you can buy that are specially made to help you with cleaning your computer, I've found the simplest approach works best - and it's the one Apple recommends. To start, all you'll need is some water in a spray bottle and a clean microfiber cloth. You can use either regular or distilled water. The advantage of the latter is that it's far less likely to leave any residue on your Mac, particularly on the display. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware. Either way, it's more affordable than dedicated cleaning solutions and more versatile. If you don't already own any microfiber cloths, Amazon sells affordable 24-packs you can get for about $14.Two other products I've found that can make the job easier are Whoosh screen cleaner and a Giottos Rocket Blower. I can't say enough good things about the latter. It will save you from buying expensive and wasteful cans of compressed air.As for the process of cleaning your Mac, the most important tip to remember is to start with a clean cloth (that's part of the reason we recommend buying them in bulk). You'll save yourself time and frustration this way. Begin by turning off your computer and unplugging it. If you went out and bought a Rocket Blower, use it now to remove any dust. If not, take a dry microfiber cloth and go over your computer. Take special care around the keys, particularly if you own a Mac with a butterfly keyboard.Next, dampen one side of your cleaning cloth with either water or Whoosh. Never spray any liquid directly on your computer. You'll have more control this way and you'll avoid getting any moisture into your Mac's internals. I always clean the display first since the last thing I want to do is create more work for myself by transferring dirt from some other part of my computer to the screen. The last step is to buff and polish your computer with the dry side of the cloth. Be gentle here as you don't want to scratch the screen or any other part of That's it. Your Mac should be looking clean again.How to organize your hard driveIgor Bonifacic / EngadgetOne of the hardest parts of cleaning your Mac's hard drive is knowing where to start. After all, most of us have apps on our computers we don't even remember installing in the first place. Thankfully, macOS comes with a tool to help you with that exact issue.Navigate to System Settings > General > Storage. Here you'll find a tool that separates your storage into broad categories like Applications, Documents, Music, Photos and so on. Double click on an item in the list, such as Applications, to see the last time you used a program, as well as how much space it's taking up. You can delete the apps from the same window.The section dedicated to applications is particularly helpful since you can see the last time you used a program, as well as if it's no longer supported by the operating system or if it's outdated thanks to a more recent release.Igor Bonifacic / EngadgetYou don't need me to tell you to uninstall programs you don't use, but what you might not know is that there's a better way to erase them than simply dragging them to the trash can. A free program called AppCleaner will help you track down any files and folders that would get left behind if you were just to delete an application.After deleting any apps you don't need, move to the Documents section. The name is somewhat misleading here since you'll find more than just text files and excel spreadsheets. Documents, in this case, turns out to be the tool's catch-all term for a variety of files, including ones that take up a large amount of space. You can also safely delete any DMGs (disc image files with the extension .dmg) for which you've installed the related app. The other sections in the storage space are self-explanatory. The only other thing I'll mention is if you've been using an iPhone for a while, there's a good chance you'll have old iOS backups stored on your computer. You can safely delete those too.Igor Bonifacic / EngadgetBy this point, your hard drive should be in pretty good shape. If you want to take some additional steps to clean it, there are dedicated apps that can help. I like one called CleanMyMac X. It goes for $40 per year, and will save you the time and trouble of doing everything I mentioned above (and then some) on your own. It also doubles as a malware removal tool.Tips and tricks for keeping a neat Desktop and FinderIgor BonifacicLet's start with the menu bar. It may not technically be part of the desktop, but a tidy one can go a long way toward making everything else look less cluttered. My recommendation here is to download a $16 app called Bartender. At first glance, it's a simple program allowing you to hide unwanted menu bar items behind a three dots icon. However, the strength of Bartender is that you get a lot of customization options. For example, you can set a trigger that will automatically move the battery status icon out from hiding when your computer isn't connected to a power outlet.While we're on the subject of the menu bar, take a second to navigate to System Settings > General > Login Items and look at all the apps that launch when you boot up your system. You can speed up your system by paring down this list to only the programs you use frequently.When it comes to the desktop itself, the best advice is less is more. Nothing will make your computer look like a cluttered mess more than a busy desktop. Folders and stacks can help, but, for most people, I suspect part of the problem is they use their desktop as a way to quickly and easily find files that are important to them.If you've ever struggled to find a specific file or folder on your computer, try using your Mac's tagging capabilities instead. Start by opening the Finder Settings menu(command" + ,") and click the Tags" tab. You can use the default ones provided by macOS or make your own. Either way, drag the ones you think you'll use most often to the favorites areas at the bottom of the preferences window. This will make it so that they're easily accessible when you want to use them. To append a tag to a file or folder, click on it while holding the ctrl key and select the one you want from the dropdown menu. You can also tag a file while working on it within an app. Keep in mind you can apply multiple tags to a single file or folder. You can even apply them to applications.Igor Bonifacic / EngadgetWhat makes tags so useful in macOS is that they can appear in the sidebar of the Finder and are easily searchable either directly through the Finder or using Siri. As long as you have a system for organizing your files, even a simple one, you'll find it easier to keep track of them. As one example, I like to apply an Engadget tag to any files related to my work. I'll add an Important" tag if it's something that's critical and I want to find quickly.One tool that can help supercharge your Finder experience is Alfred. It's effectively a more powerful version of Apple's Spotlight feature. Among other things, you can use Alfred to find and launch apps quickly. There's a bit of a learning curve, but once you get a hang of it, Alfred will change how you use your Mac for the better.How to organize your windows and tabsIgor Bonifacic / EngadgetIf you've used both macOS and Windows 10, you'll know that Apple's operating system doesn't come with the best window management tools. You can click and hold on the green full-screen button to tile a window to either the left or right side of your screen, but that's about it and the feature has always felt less precise than its Windows counterpart.My suggestion is to download an app that replicates Windows 10's snapping feature. You have several competing options that more or less offer the same functionality. My go-to is an $5 program called Magnet. If you want a free alternative, check out Rectangle. Another option is BetterSnapTool, which offers more functionality than Magnet but doesn't have as clean of an interface. All three apps give you far more ways to configure your windows than what you get through the built-in tool in macOS. They also come with shortcut support, which means you can quickly set up your windows and get to work.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-clean-your-mac-macbook-cleaning-supplies-digital-organization-153007592.html?src=rss

There's still time to make 2024 the year you upgrade your streaming capabilities. Doing so is currently more affordable with Elgato's Stream Deck MK.2 down to $130 from $150. The 13 percent discount brings it to just $15 more than its record-low price - but we haven't seen that deal since July Prime Day 2023.The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is one of our must-haves to game-stream like a pro this year. It comes with 15 customizable keys that can complete actions like muting a microphone, changing the lighting and controlling connected accessories. Plus, offers plugins for YouTube, Discord, Spotify, Twitch and more.There's also a sale on Elgato's Stream Deck +, with an 11 percent discount dropping its price to $178 from $200 - just $8 off its all-time low. The Stream Deck + has eight customizable LCD buttons for everything from changing scenes to going live. It also has four knobs to control settings such as audio and video, along with a touch bar. Like the Stream Deck MK.2, it has plugins for Twitch, Spotify and more.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/the-elgato-stream-deck-mk2-is-on-sale-for-130-at-amazon-143940246.html?src=rss

Days after Apple started allowing iOS users in the EU to use third-party app stores, the company has announced more changes related to how developers can distribute their apps. Most significantly, those who meet certain criteria will be able to let users download apps from their websites.The Web Distribution option, which will be available this spring, will effectively let developers bypass the app ecosystem entirely for their own apps. To be eligible, devs will need to opt in to new App Store rules that see them pay a fee for each user install after certain thresholds and be an Apple Developer Program member that's been in good standing for at least two years. They'll need to have an app that had more than one million first annual installs on iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year" among other criteria, per a support document.By setting certain rules for supporting downloads from the web, Apple will be hoping to minimize the risk that users will be installing sketchy apps, such as ones containing malware or those that support piracy. Still, given the criticism levied against the company for seemingly only sticking to the letter of the EU's Digital Markets Act and not its spirit, the fact that the company is exerting control over app downloads from the web may come under scrutiny too.In addition, as 9to5Mac notes, Apple is now allowing developers to run app marketplaces that solely contain their own apps. Previously, they were required to offer apps from other devs. As such, this means the likes of Epic Games, Xbox and Meta can have iOS app marketplaces that only include their own apps and games.Last but not least, developers will have more flexibility over how they can direct users to an external webpage to complete a transaction for digital goods and services. Apple had provided design templates for in-app promotions, discounts and deals, but those are now optional as of today. That means the likes of Spotify and Netflix can now design links out to their websites (and potentially avoid the 30 percent cut Apple takes of subscriptions from app-based signups).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-allow-ios-apps-to-be-distributed-on-websites-in-the-eu-141526111.html?src=rss

Motorola just announced a couple of new budget-friendly smartphones, which are set to be released in the near future. These are refreshes of the popular Moto G Power and the Moto 5 5G phones. The upcoming handhelds don't reinvent the wheel, as they are iterative updates, but there are some decent specs worth sharing.The 2024 Moto G Power boasts a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers and a 50MP camera system with image stabilization tech. There's a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chipset, 128GB of internal storage with a microSD slot, 8GB of RAM, 5G connectivity and a 5000mAh battery complete with 30W fast-charging. This will certainly get the job done when it comes to streaming media, light gaming and browsing the web.The new Moto G Power even features a fingerprint-resistant back cover made from vegan leather, which the company says provides a stunning, premium design and comfortable feel." This phone is coming to Cricket first, on March 22, before an unlocked version hits traditional retailers on March 29. It'll cost $300.MotorolaThe Moto G 5G includes a slightly smaller 6.6-inch 120Hz display, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers and a 50MP camera system complete with a macro lens. As the name suggests, this is a 5G-capable phone with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor and 4GB of RAM. Just like the G Power, there's a 5000mAh battery with quick-charging. It ships with 128GB of internal storage, but there's an expandable microSD slot.The updated Moto G 5G will be available at T-Mobile and Metro on March 21, with wider availability starting on May 2. It costs just $200. Motorola also recently released a refresh of the G Play smartphone, which is priced at $150. The company sure does love its G series phones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/motorola-just-announced-two-new-budget-phones-the-moto-g-power-and-moto-5-5g-130007027.html?src=rss

April is just around the corner, so if you're not stressed about filing taxes yet, it's likely coming any day now. Thanks to the lovely (read: horrible) tax lobby and the politicians who take their money, the headache taxes bring is as American as apple pie. The IRS is attempting to simplify things a bit with a Direct File tool, a free digital program that provides step-by-step guidance for taxpayers submitting their returns, The Associated Press reports. The IRS first announced this tool was on its way back in October.To clarify, yes, even this development still requires filing your taxes and determining how much you owe (why tell us when we can just guess?), but it should be a more straightforward process and save you some money. However, it's far from open for all. The IRS pilot program is available to residents of 12 states and only those with a simple tax situation - we're talking basic W-2s and standard deductions here. Other potentially eligible reporting includes SSA-1099 Social Security income, the Child Tax Credit and student loan interest. The IRS has a complete list of eligibility requirements and a tool to check if you qualify.Direct File is available to residents of Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Washington, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, and New York. The last four also require state tax returns, so their residents who use Direct File will be directed to tools for filing those once they are finished. Alaska was initially in the mix but has seemingly been dropped since last year's statement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-try-the-irs-alternative-to-turbo-tax-in-12-states-today-125757658.html?src=rss

Airbnb has announced a complete ban on indoor cameras in host properties. Hosts were allowed to have cameras in communal spaces, but they were supposed to be banned from bedrooms and bathrooms. Hosts were also supposed to disclose any cameras in the rental, which may not always have happened. The company says it established the new rules in consultation with our guests, hosts and privacy experts" and that it'll continue to seek feedback.Hosts also have to disclose any outdoor cameras (that can't point indoors or be in areas with a greater expectation of privacy" - think showers and saunas). Because humans can be monstrous. The new rules kick in April 30.Any hosts that violate these new policies could face having their properties banned from Airbnb - and even get their entire account removed.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedApple's AirPods Pro are back to a low of $190The best smartphones to buySamsung's new midrange Galaxy A55 is pretty boringYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!How to find and cancel your unused subscriptionsAnd make the process easier.The FTC wants to compel companies to make cancellation processes easier but, during a hearing on the matter earlier this year, industry lobbyists argued that making things easier would be bad for business. So to make things worse for business (I joke), we've put together a guide with a few tips to help you find exactly what you're paying for and how to cancel things you no longer need. Or perhaps, things that have rocketed in price.Continue reading.What to expect at Microsoft's March 21 eventThe company may brand its next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop as AI PCs.MicrosoftMicrosoft is holding a digital event titled Advancing the new era of work with Copilot on March 21. We're expecting new Surface devices and - given the event's name - a lot more about dovetailing Microsoft's AI ambitions with its hardware and software. Rumors are all over the place: We could see a new Surface Pro with a brighter OLED screen, devices powered by either Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips. And possibly even nothing for consumers and just a barrage of business- and commercial-focused devices. Boo! Engadget will cover all the notable announcements on March 21 at noon ET.Continue reading.NVIDIA being sued over AI copyright infringementThe company may have trained its NeMo AI on a controversial dataset.The latest tech company immersing itself in AI and facing copyright troubles is NVIDIA. Several authors are suing the company over its AI platform NeMo, a language model that allows businesses to create and train their own chatbots. The authors claim NVIDIA trained it on a controversial dataset that illegally used their books without consent. They want a jury trial and are demanding NVIDIA pay damages and destroy all copies of the Books3 dataset used to power NeMo large language models (LLMs). They claim the dataset was copied from a shadow library called Bibliotek, consisting of 196,640 pirated books.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-airbnb-bans-indoor-cameras-111536413.html?src=rss

It's getting hard to keep up with copyright lawsuits against generative AI, with a new proposed class action hitting the courts last week. This time, authors are suing NVIDIA over its AI platform NeMo, a language model that allows businesses to create and train their own chatbots, Ars Technica reported. They claim the company trained it on a controversial dataset that illegally used their books without consent.Authors Abdi Nazemian, Brian Keene and Stewart O'Nan demanded a jury trial and asked Nvidia to pay damages and destroy all copies of the Books3 dataset used to power NeMo large language models (LLMs). They claim that dataset copied a shadow library called Bibliotek consisting of 196,640 pirated books."In sum, NVIDIA has admitted training its NeMo Megatron models on a copy of The Pile dataset," the claim states. "Therefore, NVIDIA necessarily also trained its NeMo Megatron models on a copy of Books3, because Books3 is part of The Pile. Certain books written by Plaintiffs are part of Books3- including the Infringed Works-and thus NVIDIA necessarily trained its NeMo Megatron models on one or more copies of the Infringed Works, thereby directly infringing the copyrights of the Plaintiffs.In response, NVIDIA told The Wall Street Journal that "we respect the rights of all content creators and believe we created NeMo in full compliance with copyright law."Last year, OpenAI and Microsoft were hit with a copyright lawsuit from nonfiction authors, claiming the companies made money off their works but refused to pay them. A similar lawsuit was launched earlier this year. That's on top of a lawsuit from news organizations like The Intercept and Raw Story, and of course, the legal action that kicked all of this off from The New York Times.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/now-its-nvidia-being-sued-over-ai-copyright-infringement-083407300.html?src=rss

"There is no Founding Agreement, or any agreement at all with Musk," OpenAI said in a court filing as a defendant in Elon Musk's lawsuit. We're, of course, talking about the lawsuit Musk filed against OpenAI, which accuses it of violating its status as a non-profit, as well as of violating a founding agreement promising the organization would never operate for profit and would release its AI publicly. The company said the billionaire's claims are based on "convoluted - often incoherent - factual premises." It called that founding agreement "a fiction Musk has conjured to lay unearned claim to the fruits of an enterprise he initially supported, then abandoned, then watched succeed without him."If the case goes to discovery, there's evidence that would show that Musk supported OpenAI's transition into a for-profit structure, "to be controlled by Musk himself," OpenAI continued. Further, the billionaire allegedly ceased supporting the project when his ideas weren't followed. That statement echoes the company's blog post from earlier this month, wherein it published purported emails to and from Musk from when he was still involved with the organization. Based on those exchanges, Musk knew and was in favor of turning OpenAI into a for-profit entity. He even wanted full control of it as CEO and to have majority equity. Musk also agreed with a suggestion to attach the organization to Tesla, so that the automaker could provide its funding. In the end, the parties didn't come to agreement, and Musk ended his involvement."Seeing the remarkable technological advances OpenAI has achieved, Musk now wants that success for himself," OpenAI wrote in its filing. "Musk purports to bring this suit for humanity, when the truth - evident even from the face of Musk's contradictory pleading - is that he brings it to advance his own commercial interests."Musk introduced his own artificial intelligence company called xAI last year, with the rather lofty goal of understanding "the true nature of the universe." A few days after OpenAI published its blog post wherein it claimed that Musk knew it never intended to open source its technology, the billionaire announced that xAI was going to open source its Grok chatbot. While it could very well be a dig at OpenAI, open sourcing Grok could also get his company feedback from the developer community, which xAI could then use to improve its technology.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-says-elon-musks-lawsuit-allegations-are-incoherent-070056403.html?src=rss

AI-powered visual search features arrived to Ray-Ban's Meta sunglasses last year with some impressive (and worrying) capabilities - but a new one in the latest beta looks quite useful. It identifies landmarks in various locations and tells you more about them, acting as a sort of tour guide for travelers, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth wrote in a Threads post.Bosworth showed off a couple of sample images explaining why the Golden Gate Bridge is orange (easier to see in fog), a history of the "painted ladies" houses in San Francisco and more. For those, the descriptions appeared as text below the images. On top of that, Mark Zuckerberg used Instagram to show off the new capabilities via a few videos taken in Montana. This time, the glasses use audio to provide a verbal description of Big Sky Mountain and the history of the Roosevelt Arch, while explaining (like a caveman) how snow is formed.

Microsoft is holding a digital event titled Advancing the new era of work with Copilot" on March 21. Among the possible announcements are new Surface devices, potentially the first branded as AI PCs. It will already be the second Windows hardware event - and first mainline Surface Pro launch - without former chief product officer and longtime keynote presenter Panos Panay, who left for Amazon last year. Here's everything we could see at the company's first launch event of 2024.The company describes the event as breaking down the latest in scaling AI in your environment with Copilot, Windows, and Surface." There are conflicting reports about exactly what we'll see in late March.Windows Central claims an OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will headline the event, with their upgraded processors enabling huge performance and efficiency gains" over their predecessors. However, a report from The Verge suggests this month's event will only cover the business and commercial-focused versions of the devices - with much subtler upgrades than the consumer versions. The outlet claims the consumer variants with a larger redesign" will follow later this spring.The new devices will allegedly be powered by Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite silicon with next-generation neural processing units (NPUs) for advanced AI tasks. The Intel variants are expected to launch in April, while the Arm-based Snapdragon ones will reportedly arrive several months later in June. If the reports are accurate, this would be the first time the Surface Laptop line has included an Arm-based version.At least in the consumer models, the Surface Pro 10 is rumored to switch from LCD to an anti-reflective OLED screen. The device would be brighter than the Surface Pro 9's screen and support HDR content. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 6 is rumored to include thinner display bezels (with rounded corners) and a haptic touchpad. Its updated port selection is said to include two USB-C and one USB-A on its left side.The commercial / business models (which may be all we see at this month's event) are rumored to include a built-in Common Access Card (CAC) reader and options with up to 64GB of RAM.MicrosoftWhether at this month's event or later, the new consumer-facing Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are expected to kick off Microsoft's push for Windows 11-running AI PCs. They'll reportedly be among the first to include an on-device version of Copilot. Other rumored AI features include real-time captioning and translation, upscaling and frame-rate smoothing for games, upgraded Windows Studio Effects and a feature called AI Explorer. Both devices will reportedly include a dedicated Copilot key.AI Explorer is rumored to include a built-in timeline that's searchable using natural language. Perhaps similar to the third-party Rewind AI app for macOS, the feature will allegedly log everything you do and see on your device, letting you sift through it with Copilot. It would let you ask the assistant things like, Find me that thing about dinosaurs," and see every moment in your PC's history relating to them. (It could be a privacy nightmare if not handled properly, but expect Microsoft to offer security assurances like encryption and entirely on-device processing.)The feature would also allegedly understand context, help jumpstart projects or workflows, and even suggest tasks based on what's currently on screen." Other rumored features include the ability to tell Copilot to remove the backgrounds of onscreen images from third-party apps in the Photos app.The AI features, which aren't expected to be exclusive to the Surface devices, will reportedly arrive in this year's annual feature update for Windows 11 (version 24H2), expected in the fall. Windows Central noted it isn't clear whether Microsoft will discuss the features during the March event.Engadget will have full coverage of Microsoft's announcements on March 21 at noon ET.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-to-expect-at-microsofts-march-21-event-204559003.html?src=rss

Samsung has launched its 2024 midrange phone lineup, which combines weaker specs and feature sets with more alluring prices than its flagship handsets. The Galaxy A55 and A35 have 6.6-inch Super AMOLED displays. For the first time in its budget handsets, the company included Knox Vault, a walled-off security section that debuted in the Galaxy S21.Both Android 14-running phones have FHD+ (2220x1080) displays (374 pixels per inch) and variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. Like last year's Galaxy A54, both include Samsung's Vision Booster feature, which adjusts the screen's tone mapping based on ambient lighting conditions. Their 6.6-inch diagonal measurements (not accounting for rounded corners) are a slight bump up from the A54's 6.4 inches.Samsung's official materials didn't list the phones' processors, but Android Police reports the A55 uses an Exynos 1480, while the A35 settles for a slower Exynos 1380. RAM comes in different configurations: 8GB or 12GB in the A55 and 6GB or 8GB in the cheaper A35. Your storage options are 128GB or 256GB in each handset, but only the A55 has a microSD card slot.Galaxy A35SamsungIn addition to performance, cameras will be one of the primary differences between the two phones. The pair has three rear cameras, each with a 50MP main camera and a 5MP macro lens. But the more expensive A55 uses a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, while the A35 has a more pedestrian 8MP ultra-wide lens. In addition, the A55 has a 32MP front-facing camera, compared to the A35's 13MP front shooter. Both use optical image stabilization (OIS) and video digital image stabilization (VDIS) to offset camera shake.Unsurprisingly, neither phone appears to include the generative AI features Samsung uses to differentiate the Galaxy S24 series (and older flagships, via software updates). The closest you may get in this price range is the company's advanced AI Image Signal Processing (ISP)" for better photography in low-light conditions, included only on the A55.Samsung didn't list the phones' build material in its press release and official specs, but Android Police says the A55 is the company's first midrange phone with a metal frame. (Last year's Galaxy A54 used plastic.) Engadget reached out to Samsung to clarify, and we'll update this article if we hear back.The handsets each have a 5,000mAh battery. Samsung estimates two days of battery life, but this could vary greatly depending on usage.US pricing and launch dates aren't yet available. However, Samsung says the A55 will start at 439 (US$562) in the UK, while the A35 will begin at 339 ($434). Samsung lists a March 20 release date for both handsets in the UK.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-midrange-galaxy-a55-has-a-bigger-screen-and-new-security-features-170916895.html?src=rss

It's been a busy several few months for fighting game fans between the likes of Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 arriving. Another game is entering (or more accurately re-entering) the fray as Warner Bros' platform fighter MultiVersus will return on May 28. It will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Steam and the Epic Games Store.MutliVersus is Warner Bros' take on the Super Smash Bros. series. The aim is to weaken enemies enough to knock them off of a platform. Instead of controlling the likes of Mario, Link, Pikachu and Sephiroth, the roster is made up of characters from across WB properties, including DC Comics, its movies (hence the inclusion of LeBron James from Space Jam: A New Legacy) and even HBO. It's an enjoyable two vs. two take on the format.The free-to-play game debuted in open beta in July 2022 and it was an instant hit. It brought in 20 million players in its first month. However, the player count dwindled quickly (at least on PC) amid complaints of a lack of updates and new characters. Developer Player First Games said last March that it would take the servers offline in June so it could work on the game ahead of its full release this year. One aspect of this that angered some fans was the fact many spent money on the game to unlock characters and cosmetics, only for it to go offline for what turned out to be another 10 months.Along with the full release date, game director Tony Hyunh announced some of the updates to MultiVersus. There will, of course, be new characters. Hyunh didn't reveal any of the fresh faces, but I have my fingers crossed for a couple of names from Succession and The Last of Us showing up, just because. You can also expect more stages and fresh attacks for each character. We'll learn more details in the lead up to the release date.Player First Games rebuilt the game from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 to improve character lighting and the visuals. Hyunh says the team incorporated new rollback netcode to minimize lag for online play and to ensure consistent performance. There will also be a player versus environment mode that will allow you to play the game without having to square off against other players.MultiVersus is returning just after Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to focus more on live-service, mobile and free-to-play games with a long-tail rather than single-player experiences. That's despite the disappointing performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (a live-service title) and colossal commercial success of Hogwarts Legacy, which sold 22 million copies last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/smash-bros-esque-fighting-game-multiversus-is-returning-on-may-28-164706013.html?src=rss

The Anova Precision Cooker Nano sous vide machine is on sale for just $60, which is a record low price for the cooking gadget. This amounts to a discount of 60 percent, as the MSRP for this thing is $150. In other words, there's no better time to dip your toes into the temperature-controlled water bath that is sous vide cooking.The Nano is an entry-level sous vide machine, so there aren't too many bells and whistles. It does, however, feature a reliable and fairly portable heating mechanism. This heating element weighs just 1.7 pounds and is small enough to fit inside a utensil drawer.It plugs right into a standard wall outlet and includes Bluetooth, so culinary wizards can monitor cooking progress from a smartphone. Don't let the photos fool you. The Nano doesn't come with a dedicated container or any resealable bags. The good news? It works with just about any pot and store-bought bags.The Nano's larger sibling, the Precision Cooker 3.0, topped our list of the best sous vide machines on the market, so this is a well-regarded company. The Nano and the 3.0 share many similarities, from the overall design language to an easy-to-use temperature adjustment panel. The Nano lacks the adjustable clamp that accompanies the 3.0 and it swapped out Wi-Fi for Bluetooth, but is otherwise a capable stand-in. Thanks to this deal, it's also a fraction of the price.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/the-anova-precision-cooker-nano-sous-vide-machine-drops-to-a-record-low-of-60-151347686.html?src=rss

The subscription model is here to stay, and many of us have signed up for far more services than we actually use on a regular basis. If you've ever felt it's somehow harder to cancel something than it is to sign up for it, you're not wrong. The FTC wants to compel companies to make cancellation processes easier but, during a hearing on the matter in January, cable and other industry lobbyists argued that making things easier to cancel is bad for business. We put together this guide with a few tips to help you find exactly what you're paying for and cancel the things you no longer use or need.First things first: Find out what subscriptions you haveBefore putting this post together, I had no idea how many subscriptions I was paying for. Surprises included a coding game for my kid (that he no longer plays) and a British streaming app I'd gotten for one show (that I finished nearly a year ago). You, too, may not know what subscriptions are quietly subtracting dollars from your accounts. One of the most comprehensive ways to see what you're paying for is to look at your bank and credit card transactions, performing a search for every transaction in the previous full month. It may be a lot to scroll through, but each monthly subscription will appear at least once in that time frame.Another approach is to search for welcome and thank you emails, since most services send out an initial message confirming your new subscription. Using the advanced search function in your email, enter the words welcome" or thank you" in the subject field, and variations on the words annual" subscribing" and membership" in the general or keyword search fields. You should get a decent idea of the things you've signed up for, but may have to wade through lots of promotional emails before you find the services you actually subscribed to. This method isn't as comprehensive as going through your banking statements, but it could help you find annual subscriptions that won't show up in a month's worth of transactions.Sometimes it's helpful to simply see a list of common subscriptions people pay for (and often forget about). Here are a few:Entertainment

Have you ever wondered if your visit to an Airbnb included being on candid camera? Well, there's good news for you and your stress levels because you really shouldn't have to worry about it soon. Airbnb has announced new privacy policies that entirely ban the use of indoor cameras.Previously, the company allowed hosts to keep cameras in communal spaces but banned them in areas like bedrooms and bathrooms. Hosts were technically supposed to disclose any cameras in the rental location, but this shift removes any ambiguity (or issues for most of us who don't read the entire listing description).In addition to banning indoor cameras, Airbnb has also limited the use of outdoor ones. Hosts have to disclose any outdoor cameras on the property and these cameras can't point indoors or be in areas with a "greater expectation of privacy," like outdoor showers or saunas. They can also use doorbell cameras and noise decibel monitors. However, the latter also requires disclosure and can only assess decibel levels, not record or send sounds. Airbnb hosts can only place these in common spaces.Any host found to violate these policies can have their listing or entire account removed by Airbnb. If you have spring travels planned, remember to read your listing thoroughly to find out about any cameras - the new rules don't go into effect until April 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/airbnb-to-hosts-please-stop-filming-the-guests-144537408.html?src=rss

According to Elon Musk, xAI will open source its Grok chatbot. The founder of the company, whose AI assistant is available to Premium+ subscribers on X, hasn't revealed any other details about the decision, which is slated to take effect this week.It's hardly the first time a Musk company has opened up access to its knowhow. Tesla open sourced its patents a decade ago, and now practically every major car manufacturer has adopted its electric vehicle charging connector. X, meanwhile, published the code that powers its "For You" algorithmic feed last year, though we didn't learn much from it.As The Wall Street Journal points out, Musk may be hoping that, by letting third-party developers and researchers dig into Grok's code, there could could be an increased uptake of the model. The developer community may also provide feedback that could be used to improve Grok.Open sourcing Grok may also be seen as a dig at OpenAI. Earlier this month, Musk sued the ChatGPT maker, a company he co-founded, for allegedly prioritizing profits and ditching its original not-for-profit mission. The suit described OpenAI as a closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion into OpenAI and has a 49 percent stake. OpenAI bit back at Musk by claiming that he wanted to merge the company with Tesla and become its CEO.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-says-xai-will-open-source-its-grok-chatbot-this-week-141615678.html?src=rss

Spring is coming, and with it comes many opportunities to put your earbuds in and go on a sunny walk reminiscent of a movie montage. If you're looking for an updated pair that won't cost too much, there's good news: The second-generation Apple AirPods Pro are currently on sale for $190, down from $249. The 24 percent discount brings these earbuds back to their record-low price.Apple released its second-gen AirPods Pro in late 2022, and while they're certainly not a budget wireless earbud, they offer a lot for under $200. We gave them an 88 in our initial review thanks to several internal updates from their predecessor, such as the ability to swipe for volume control (handy if your device isn't nearby). Apple also added Adaptive Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio and an H2 chip that improves noise canceling. Externally, Apple shrunk the ear tip for a better fit.Even the case got an upgrade, with a built-in speaker that will ping if you need to find it and a hook for a lanyard (of course, the string is available separately). Speaking of locating it, the second-gen AirPods Pro case also got a U1 chip that powers Precision Finding in Find My.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/apples-airpods-pro-are-back-to-a-low-of-190-124757007.html?src=rss

Apple has reversed its decision to ban Epic Games' developer account after it emerged that European Union officials were investigating the issue. And the EU is currently fining Apple for almost two billion dollars, so it's probably wise to pay attention.This means Epic can bring its own app store to iPhones and iPads in the EU. Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA [Digital Markets Act] policies," an Apple spokesperson told Engadget.Earlier last week, Apple killed Epic's developer account, claiming Epic was unlikely to abide by contractual agreements and even describing Epic as verifiably untrustworthy." Now, nearly four years after its disappearance, the publisher can more easily bring Fortnite back to those devices in the bloc.Yes, Fortnite was last (officially) on iOS four years ago.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedWhy the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is the bestMacBook Air M3 13-inch and 15-inch reviewsULTROS and the palette of surreal sci-fiYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Another Super Mario Bros. movie is coming in 2026And the first is coming back to theaters this summer.Nintendo and Illumination are releasing a second animated film for the Super Mario franchise, and it's expected to come out April 3, 2026. The news comes from series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, who tweeted it from the Nintendo of America X account on Sunday as part of the ongoing Mario Day shopping push celebrations. Based on his description, it doesn't seem like it will be a direct sequel to the first, though. To kill time until 2026, you can play some Mario game remakes and make Mario Kart Lego sets.Continue reading.Oppenheimer ruled at the 2024 OscarsApple and Netflix were nearly shut out.Despite combining for 32 nominations, Netflix and Apple TV+ were nearly shut out of the 2024 Oscars, with Netflix winning just a single award for Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Best Live Action Short Film). Netflix scored six prizes last year. The big surprise was Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+) not gaining a single award. Oppenheimer claimed prizes for Best Picture, Best Director, editing, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Original Score and Cinematography.Continue reading.Marilyn Monroe gets digitally resurrected as AIThanks to a company that owns the rights to her likeness.ABGAt SXSW on Friday, Soul Machines unveiled Digital Marilyn, an AI chatbot designed to look and talk just like Marilyn Monroe. It was made in a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, which owns the rights to Monroe's likeness and those of numerous other dead and living celebrities, including Elvis Presley and Shaq.Soul Machines introduced its Marilyn Monroe AI to the public in an International Women's Day Instagram post. Notably, all of the other AI celebrities the company currently offers chats with are men who are alive, and who can weigh in on their inclusion.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-reinstates-fortnite-creators-developer-account-after-two-day-ban-114505117.html?src=rss

Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X) in October 2022, he has thrown a lot of things at the wall and hoped they stuck (read: make money). Now, he's taking a page from YouTube and launching a video streaming service on the platform, SamMobile reports. Musk announced that the feature was "Coming soon" in a quote tweet from the DogeDesigner's account: "You can soon watch your favorite X long form videos directly on your SmartTVs."X will launch a dedicated app that allows users to watch these videos on Samsung TV and Amazon's Fire TV. Musk recently said X would be a "video-first" platform moving forward, and this development shows that this will translate beyond the small content boxes typically available on feeds to a bigger screen. At the time, Musk also claims that eight out of ten times a person visits X, they're watching videos.

Despite combining for 32 nominations, Netflix and Apple TV+ were nearly shut out of of the 2024 Oscars, with Netflix winning a single award for Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Best Live Action Short Film). The big surprise was Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+) not gaining a single statue, notably Lily Gladstone losing the Best Actress prize to Poor Things' Emma Stone.Universal was the big winner with Oppenheimer (Best Picture, Best Director, editing, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, original score, cinematography) while Poor Things (Disney's Searchlight Pictures) garnered four prizes. The other half of "Barbenheimer," (Barbie, ofc) took just a single prize for best song with Billy Eilish's What Was I Made For (and not I'm Just Ken, sung live at the ceremony by supporting actor nominee Ryan Gosling).The gala was a letdown for Netflix, which scored six prizes last year. Netflix has won 23 Oscars since 2017, but has yet to win in the Best Picture or Best Actor/Actress categories. That's despite four nominations this year for Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Colman Domingo for Rustin and Annette Bening for Nyad.Lily Gladstone was perhaps slightly favored over Stone to win for Killers of the Flower Moon and she also would have been the first Indigenous American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor or Actress. The studio was also up for Best Supporting Actor with nominee Robert De Niro and Best Director for Scorsese. Apart from Gladstone's loss, though, awards were distributed largely as anticipated.This year, it couldn't be said that judges were swayed by a lack of theatrical presence from streamers. Killers of the Flower Moon had a fairly wide release in cinemas, while Maestro stayed in theaters for a month prior to its Netflix release. Both chalked up decent box office numbers.The ceremony itself appears to have been watchable, with Deadline proclaiming that producers "finally made an Academy Awards ceremony for the 21st century" and The Hollywood Reporter calling it "busy and eclectic." USA Today did describe it as "boring," but every Oscars for the past 20 years has gotten the same knock.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oppenheimer-ruled-2024-oscars-as-apple-tv-and-netflix-were-nearly-shut-out-052543094.html?src=rss