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iPhone 17 Pro, Max and Air: Release dates, colors and everything else you need to know about Apple's new phones

After seeing the changes coming with iOS 26, we're ready to finally see Apple's newest collection of smartphones: the iPhone 17 lineup. While that's still more than a month away — assuming Apple sticks to its usual release schedule — we haven't been left completely in the dark about what the new phones will look like. As with most unreleased iPhone models, rumors and leaks have trickled in about the hardware side ahead of the official introduction. Here's what we're expecting and what we can reasonably assume we'll get from Cupertino in September.

Again, not all iPhone rumors are created equal, and all should be taken with a grain of salt. The latest comes from a MacRumors report which says the internal battery pack of the new superthin iPhone Air (see below) is just 2.49mm thick — half the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The leak was posted on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, where they show the alleged batteries of the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro side by side. The same account claimed the 17 Air's battery capacity was a mere 2,800 mAh, MacRumors notes. (That's below the battery capacity of current iPhone 16 models.) 

Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. It's a little early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut. This family of smartphones may be the last to follow that trend, however. There have been hints that the introduction of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be split into a pro-tier announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement the following spring.

Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an ultra-thin smartphone, likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple's ultralight laptop designation. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple's new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that's what we know for now.

An investor note from Apple analyst Jeff Pu indicated that the Air will have a titanium frame. If his reports are accurate, the lightweight smartphone will be the only entry in the iPhone 17 lineup to use that metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which is oddly a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation had suggested that the Air would use a blend of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement.

Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple shakes up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well. 

The new Pro iPhones are said to have a full-width "camera island" on the rear, which would mark the first time an Apple model opted for that design. This feature can be seen in the the purported iPhone 17 "spotted in the wild." The pics, highlighted on MacRumors, show a black cased iPhone (17 Pro?) with the distinct back panel. Is it the real deal? The dual angles lend a degree of credibility in a social media landscape increasingly polluted with AI-enhanced fakes, but your guess is as good as ours.

The iPhone 17 Air seems primed to take the place of a potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was only just introduced in February at a surprisingly high price point, it seems unlikely that there will be a new addition to that lower end of the spectrum, the models that were previously called SE. 

At the very least, it sounds like the iPhone 17 Air won't take away the charging port and rely only on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg said that while Apple had investigated making the iPhone 17 Air without a single port, the company (fortunately) changed plans. He also says that the rumored phone will have a 6.6-inch screen and include the Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Finally, the price is rumored at $900 — likely more than the standard iPhone 17 but less than the Pro.

We've also gotten what seems to be a reliable look at what the color lineup will be for the new smartphones. Macworld reported that the iPhone 17 will be available in black, white, steel gray, green, purple and light blue. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have four color options: black, white, light blue and light gold. While the Air colors will be less saturated, the visuals for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will go bold. The options for the Pro models are expected to be black, white, gray, dark blue and orange.

On July 30, Tom's Guide highlighted an X post from Sonny Dickson — a longtime and generally reliable leaker of unreleased iPhone information — showing "dummy" iPhone 17 models in the new colors that were the source of the aforementioned Macworld story. While these are literally just mock-ups — not real, leaked iPhones — it's interesting to see how the design and color rumors translate into a real-world look and feel.

Apple upended its numbering conventions with WWDC 2025, and will match the name of each new operating system to the year it's released. So when the next wave of iPhones hits, they'll be running on iOS 26.

On the design side, the smartphone OS introduced during the big developer showcase took a contentious approach dubbed Liquid Glass. Apple has been scaling down the amount of transparency effects in the subsequent beta tests of iOS 26, but it will still have a glass-like visual.

The feature list includes big and small updates. On the more impactful side, the Phone and Photos apps have been redesigned. There will be several features leveraging artificial intelligence, such as live translation capabilities coming to Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Apple is also currently testing a sensitive content warning for child accounts that will freeze FaceTime video if nudity is detected by on-device machine learning tools. And the company is also launching Visual Intelligence, which will use AI to search for elements in an image.

iOS 26 also has a litany of minor, quality of life improvements. Group texts are getting support for polls. And for the slow risers out there, iOS 26 will finally let you escape the tyranny of the nine minute snooze alarm. 

The next iOS is now available as a public beta. Here are our initial impressions of the Liquid Glass design and other new features. iOS 26 is compatible with all models back through iPhone 11.

Update, August 4, 2025, 5:23PM ET: Added latest battery leaks about the iPhone 17 models.

Update, August 1, 2025, 8:15AM ET: Added new photos showing potential iPhone 17 colors.

Update, July 30, 2025, 11:08AM ET: Added latest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17, and updated information on the iOS 26 public beta.

Update, July 17, 2025, 4:40PM ET: Added latest information about iOS 26, possible materials for the Air, and the color options for the different models.

Update, March 17, 2025, 2PM ET: Added details about the rumored price and features of the iPhone 17 Air.

Update, April 11, 2025, 3:45PM ET: Added details from Front Page Tech's new video that claims to reveal details from a leaked iOS 19 build.

Katie Teague contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17-pro-max-and-air-release-dates-colors-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-about-apples-new-phones-153024847.html?src=rss

Perplexity is allegedly scraping websites it's not supposed to, again

Web crawlers deployed by Perplexity to scrape websites are allegedly skirting restrictions, according to a new report from Cloudflare. Specifically, the report claims that the company's bots appear to be "stealth crawling" sites by disguising their identity to get around robots.txt files and firewalls.

Robots.txt is a simple file websites host that lets web crawlers know if they can scrape a websites' content or not. Perplexity's official web crawling bots are "PerplexityBot" and "Perplexity-User." In Cloudflare's tests, Perplexity was still able to display the content of a new, unindexed website, even when those specific bots were blocked by robots.txt. The behavior extended to websites with specific Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that restricted web crawlers, as well.

A flowchart created by Cloudflare to illustrate the different ways Perplexity's web crawlers try to access the content of a website.
Cloudflare

Cloudflare believes that Perplexity is getting around those obstacles by using "a generic browser intended to impersonate Google Chrome on macOS" when robots.txt prohibits its normal bots. In Cloudlfare's tests, the company's undeclared crawler could also rotate through IP addresses not listed in Perplexity's official IP range to get through firewalls. Cloudflare says that Perplexity appears to be doing the same thing with autonomous system numbers (ASNs) — an identifier for IP addresses operated by the same business — writing that it spotted the crawler switching ASNs "across tens of thousands of domains and millions of requests per day."

Engadget has reached out to Perplexity for comment on Cloudflare's report. We'll update this article if we hear back.

Up-to-date information from websites is vital to companies training AI models, especially as service's like Perplexity are used as replacements for search engines. Perplexity has also been caught in the past circumventing the rules to stay up-to-date. Multiple websites reported in 2024 that Perplexity was still accessing their content despite them forbidding it in robots.txt — something the company blamed on the third-party web crawlers it was using at the time. Perplexity later partnered with multiple publishers to share revenue earned from ads displayed alongside their content, seemingly as a make-good for its past behavior.

Stopping companies from scraping content from the web will likely remain a game of whack-a-mole. In the meantime, Cloudflare has removed Perplexity's bots from its list of verified bots and implemented a way to identify and block Perplexity's stealth crawler from accessing its customers' content.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/perplexity-is-allegedly-scraping-websites-its-not-supposed-to-again-211110756.html?src=rss

Apple iOS 26 beta: How to download the update on your iPhone, new features like Liquid Glass and everything else you need to know

new liquid glass display on an iPhone
Liquid Glass is a huge new change coming to iOS 26. (Apple)

You've seen all the changes coming to your iPhone and now you're desperately ready to upgrade to iOS 26 — but it's only August and the operating system won't be here until this fall. But I have good news: you can test out all the features now by downloading and installing Apple's public beta, which CEO Tim Cook says is (along with the other current beta operating systems) "by far the most popular developer betas we’ve had," 9to5Mac reports. You can also take a look at our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release, which shows off the fresh home and lock screen redesign. Called Liquid Glass, the new translucent look will extend across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul is one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest of Apple's software suite, all of which were showcased during the company's WWDC keynote on June 9. 

After overpromising on AI plans last year, Apple kept its iOS roadmap focused more on basic quality of life improvements this year. There are multiple useful additions coming to the Phone and Messages apps on your iPhone, for instance: Apple execs outlined the ability to weed out spam texts or other unknown senders and an option to hold your spot on a phone call when you've been waiting for a representative to pick up. Plus, a treasured feature that we took for granted is coming back (hint: it's in the Photos app).

Siri, meanwhile, is in a holding pattern. Apple has previously specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed until some point "in the coming year," so you shouldn't expect any major changes in the current betas. But there are reports that Apple is aiming to give Siri a bigger brain transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, which could make 2026 a pivotal year. The company is also reportedly working on a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

With each beta, it seems like additional new improvements are popping up, like this FaceTime feature that'll freeze your video if it detects nudity. Most newer iPhone models are eligible to download iOS 26 (both the betas and final version). Want to see the full list of new features coming this fall? Read on.  

The current iPhone operating system is iOS 18, and Apple is still actively updating it — version 18.6 was just recently released. But don't expect to see iOS 19. Instead, Apple is skipping the numbering ahead to iOS 26 later this year. The company has decided to line up its iOS version numbers with a year-based system, similar to car model years. So while iOS and its sibling operating systems will be released in late 2025, they're all designated "26" to reflect the year ahead. (Meanwhile, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)

a list of the new OSes
It's official, we're moving to iOS 26. (Apple)

Let's be honest. Out of everything announced at WWDC this year, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the show. The iPhone's home and lock screens have looked pretty much the same year after year — the last exciting thing (in my opinion) was the option to add your own aesthetic to your home screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the home and lock screens' new facelift is refreshing.

So what exactly is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a "new translucent material" since, well, the apps and widgets are clear. However, the screen can still adapt to dark and light modes, depending on surroundings. You'll also notice buttons with a new floating design in several apps, like Phone and Maps. They're designed to be less distracting than the current buttons, but are still easy to see. While the design overhaul has proven to be controversial since its announcement, some — including Engadget's own Devindra Hardawar — like the new direction, even if it's somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from nearly twenty years ago.

That said, as of the release of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing back the transparency in at least some places. And while it will continue to evolve, Apple users won't be able to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple's OSes more cohesive. Here's a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 on your desktop.

iOS 26 has a laundry list of new features. Among the most worthwhile:

Phone app redesign: You'll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that'll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music and continue on with other tasks.

Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translation will translate your conversation in real time, which results in some stop-and-go interactions in the examples Apple shared during its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Tired of sorting through what seems like hundreds of messages in your group chat? You and your friends will soon be able to create polls in group messages for deciding things like which brunch spot you're eating at or whose car you're taking on a road trip.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you haven't received spam texts about unpaid tolls or other citations, you're lucky. For those of us who have, those annoying messages will soon be filtered away in a separate folder.

Visual Intelligence: Similar to a reverse Google image search, this new feature will allow you to search for anything that's on your iPhone screen. For instance, if you spot a pair of shoes someone is wearing in an Instagram photo, you can screenshot it and use Visual Intelligence to find those shoes (or similar ones) online.

Photos tabs are back: For anyone who's still frustrated with the Photos changes made last year, you'll be happy to know that your tabs are coming back. Library and Collections will have their own separate spaces so you don't have to scroll to infinity to find what you're looking for.

FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature: A newer addition to iOS 26 appears to be the FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The feature appears to be a child safety feature that uses on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privacy issues. 

New Hold Assist being displayed at the wwdc keynote
Apple's Hold Assist will be nifty for those pesky services that put you on hold for 10 or more minutes. (Apple)

A few iPhone models that run the current version of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — won't be compatible with the latest upgrade. But any iPhones released in 2019 or later will be eligible for the iOS 26 update.

Not listed here are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or maybe iPhone 26?) that are all but certain to be announced and released in September. 

The iOS 26 public beta is now available to download via the Apple Beta Software Program. If you're not already a member, you'll need to sign up to try out all the latest features. Just visit beta.apple.com and sign up with your phone number or email address. It's free.

Once you're in, you can install it by going to Settings > General > Software Update and selecting iOS 26 public beta.

A word of caution: Don't sign up with your main iPhone unless you're OK with any risks that occur with using an OS that isn't finalized.

iOS 26 will be released to the public this fall. It usually comes in September, within a week of the Apple iPhone event. Last year, it rolled out to iPhone users on September 16 — exactly one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was announced.

If you're more interested in the Apple Intelligence features coming, here's everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more during WWDC. Also, check out how iOS 26 screenshots could be an intriguing preview of Apple's delayed Siri rework.

Update, August 4: Noted that Apple is reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival.

Update, August 1: Added quote from Tim Cook about iOS 26.

Update, July 31: Noted that iOS 18.6 is now available. 

Update, July 24: Noted the iOS 26 public beta is now available.

Update, July 3: Noted new FaceTime feature found in the developer beta.

Update, June 30: Noted ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reports that Apple is considering additional external LLMs for Siri. 

Update, June 25: Noted changes added in iOS 26 beta 2. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-ios-26-beta-how-to-download-the-update-on-your-iphone-new-features-like-liquid-glass-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-135749293.html?src=rss

Here's a comprehensive list of compatible iPhones that can download the iOS 26 beta today

All the new features iOS 26 has to offer.

If you're a devoted iPhone owner like me, you'll be excited to check out all the exciting new updates coming to Apple's operating system this fall: iOS 26. The coolest change, in my opinion, is the new Liquid Glass design (think Windows Vista, but arguably more thoughtful), which looks to be Apple's largest visual update in years. We spent two weeks test-driving it — you can check out our detailed hands-on iOS 26 preview, or you can try it out yourself by downloading and installing the public beta, available now. (While the beta is open to the public and stable, always remember there's a degree of risk involved with beta software.) Not ready to upgrade your smartphone this year? No worries, we'll help you find out if your phone will be able to run iOS 26.

Last year, Apple didn't nix any iPhones from its eligibility list, but that's not the case for 2025 — a few models are getting cut this time. All iPhone 8 models and the iPhone X were the last to get the boot in 2023, and this year the 2018 models are getting left behind. If you have an ineligible device, you won't be able to download iOS 26 when it becomes available this fall.

We'll get to the bottom of which iPhones will support iOS 26 this year. To see what's coming with the latest OS and more, check out everything announced at Apple's WWDC June 9 event. One thing you shouldn't immediately expect is Apple's updated version of Siri, though the company is reportedly working on a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT.

Unlike last year, several iPhone models won't be eligible to download the newest iOS when it makes its debut this fall. This trio of models first released in 2018 won't be coming to the iOS 26 party:

While we don't yet know the new iPhones Apple will be dropping this fall — though there are iPhone 17 rumors — we do know, per Apple's site, that the phones listed below will be compatible with iOS 26. Basically, if you have an iPhone that was announced in 2019 or later, you're in the clear:

If you want to continue using your older iPhone that isn't supported by iOS 26, that's fine. However, you'll miss out on security updates which could potentially put your phone at risk for malware and other threats. Additionally, some apps may stop working if they require a certain version of iOS or later. And of course, you won't be able to access the latest features iOS 26 offers.

Apple usually rolls out its latest iOS in mid-September, just a few days before the new iPhones hit store shelves. Last year, it released iOS 18 on Monday, Sept. 16. Expect a confirmation of the release date at the iPhone 17 event, expected in early September. 

Liquid Glass design: Your home screen is getting revamped with new app icons, including dark mode and all-clear options. You'll also notice buttons with a new floating design. Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple's OSes more cohesive.

Phone app redesign: You'll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that'll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music.

Live Translate: iOS 26 is bringing the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translate will translate your conversation in real time. 

Polls feature: Coming to group messages in the Messages app, chat members will be able to create polls. This can help prevent the unwanted 30+ messages when it comes to deciding which restaurant you're meeting at this weekend.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/heres-a-comprehensive-list-of-compatible-iphones-that-can-download-the-ios-26-beta-today-191854632.html?src=rss

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission ends in disappointment

The Lunar Trailblazer mission to the moon officially ended on July 31, but it wasn't a complete journey. NASA said today that its teams lost contact with the satellite shortly after its launch several months prior.

The NASA satellite was part of the IM-2 mission by Intuitive Machines, which took off from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on February 26 at 7:16PM ET. The Lunar Trailblazer successfully separated from the rocket as planned about 48 minutes after launch. Operators in Pasadena, CA established communication with the satellite at 8:13PM ET, but two-way communication was lost the next day and the team was unable to recover the connection. From the limited data ground teams received before the satellite went dark, the craft's solar arrays were not correctly positioned toward the sun, which caused its batteries to drain.

"While it was not the outcome we had hoped for, mission experiences like Lunar Trailblazer help us to learn and reduce the risk for future, low-cost small satellites to do innovative science as we prepare for a sustained human presence on the Moon," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator at NASA Headquarters' Science Mission Directorate. "Thank you to the Lunar Trailblazer team for their dedication in working on and learning from this mission through to the end."

The Lunar Trailblazer mission was one of several commercial spaceflights planned for travel to the moon during 2025. Its goal was to create high-resolution maps of any water on the moon's surface, as well as assessing how much water was present, in what forms and how it may have changed over time. Fingers crossed the remaining missions have better success.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-lunar-trailblazer-mission-ends-in-disappointment-201318932.html?src=rss

Rivian sues Ohio DMV over partial ban on direct car sales

Rivian has filed a lawsuit against Ohio's Department of Motor Vehicles because of the state's partial ban on direct car sales, The Verge reports. The company says that the ban "reduces competition, decreases consumer choice and drives up consumer costs and inconvenience." Rivian believes Ohio's law is particularly unfair because it contains a carveout for the company's competitor Tesla.

Ohio currently requires the state DMV to not provide a dealership license to "a manufacturer, or a parent company, subsidiary, or affiliated entity of a manufacturer, applying for a license to sell or lease new or used motor vehicles at retail." The law keeps car sales in the hands of independently owned car dealerships — except for Tesla. An exception was created for Tesla in 2014, The Columbus Dispatch writes, after the EV maker reached an agreement with the Ohio Dealership Association. Now cars in the state are sold through traditional car dealerships, and three dealerships owned and operated by Tesla.

"Rivian believes that consumers should be able to choose the vehicles they purchase," Rivian's Chief Administrative Officer Mike Callahan shared in a statement. "Consumer choice is a bedrock principle of America's economy. Ohio's archaic prohibition against the direct-sales of vehicles is unconstitutional, irrational and harms Ohioans by reducing competition and choice and driving up costs and inconvenience."

The company's lawsuit does a good job of laying out the illogical situation Ohio has created with its ban. Rivian is allowed to perform repairs on cars in the state and deliver cars purchased out-of-state to Ohioans. "Nonsensically, the thing that Rivian cannot do is actually complete the sale of Rivian vehicles in Ohio," the company writes. "This imposes an extraordinary burden on Ohio consumers and Rivian for no legitimate reason."

As The Verge notes, bans on direct car sales have historically exist to prevent large, established car companies from having a monopoly on the sale of their own cars. Going direct to consumer is one of the ways EV makers have differentiated themselves from older brands, something companies like Tesla and Rivian can't do in states with bans. Rivian could try and strike a deal like Tesla, but filing a federal lawsuit suggests the company could be aiming to win a bigger, more lasting change. Rivian has achieved similar wins in the past. The state of Illinois sued to stop Rivian and Lucid Motors from selling directly to consumers in 2022, but ultimately lost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-sues-ohio-dmv-over-partial-ban-on-direct-car-sales-191259497.html?src=rss

Amazon splits up the Wondery podcast network and lays off about 110 employees

Four years after Amazon’s acquisition of podcast network Wondery, the tech giant is dismantling its $300 million purchase and reorganizing various audio properties into separate teams at the company. As first reported by Bloomberg, this reorg will see the studio lose about 110 employees, and CEO Jen Sargent is departing the company.

Amazon told Bloomberg it will continue to produce podcasts, though their place within the company will be restructured. The more narrative-focused podcasts under the Wondery brand, such as American Scandal and Business Wars, will merge with Amazon’s Audible team. Some of these podcasts will retain Wondery branding, and the Wondery Plus app will remain active. Subscribers to Wondery Plus get early access to some podcast episodes through the app, though it's unclear at this point what functionalities will remain in the app, and which will be absorbed by Audible.

Meanwhile, the celebrity-hosted shows such as New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard will be rolled into a new team that Amazon is calling Creator Services. According to Bloomberg, a main focus of this new team will be selling large sponsorships. These titles are part of a growing trend toward video podcasts that have helped make YouTube the go-to platform for podcast consumption.

Steve Boom, VP for Audio, Twitch and Games at Amazon, addressed the changes in a memo (published by Deadline) sent to Amazon employees. "The podcast landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years. As video podcasting has grown in popularity, we have learned that creator-led, video-integrated shows have different audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and monetization strategies compared with audio-first, narrative series," he wrote.

Employees who were let go as part of these changes were notified Monday, though Amazon spokesperson Alice Zhou told The Verge that "many of the impacted employees" would be moved to "other parts of Amazon."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-splits-up-the-wondery-podcast-network-and-lays-off-about-110-employees-185358357.html?src=rss

Elon Musk says the Vine archive is coming back

Elon Musk recently announced that he's bringing back the Vine archives, after teasing the return of the social platform over the last week or so. The X owner says that the company recently discovered the entire video archive of the once-popular short-form video app and is working to restore user access. Twitter bought Vine all the way back in 2012.

Musk says that X users will be able to post these Vines, but it's just an archive. In other words, this doesn't sound like a renaissance for the actual platform.

It remains unclear as to what Musk's intentions are for the brand, but the announcement about the returning archive was accompanied by an ad for the Grok Imagine video-creation platform. He called the service the "AI Vine." Why expand energy to make short-form content when you can type some words into a prompting field?

There's also the Musk of it all. He doesn't have the best track record when it comes to delivering on promises. We'll just have to wait and see if the Vine video archive actually returns and what happens after that.

For the uninitiated, Vine was sort of like TikTok before TikTok. It was a platform for 6-second looping videos. The app was extremely popular for a while, but Twitter never really capitalized on that after its $30 million purchase. It was shut down in 2016, which ended uploads, and was completely discontinued in 2017.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/elon-musk-says-the-vine-archive-is-coming-back-180935178.html?src=rss

ChatGPT will now remind you to take breaks, following mental health concerns

OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will now remind users to take breaks if they're in a particularly long chat with AI. The new feature is part of OpenAI's ongoing attempts to get users to cultivate a healthier relationship with the frequently compliant and overly-encouraging AI assistant.

The company's announcement suggests the "gentle reminders" will appear as pop-ups in chats that users will have to click or tap through to continue using ChatGPT. "Just Checking In," OpenAI's sample pop-up reads. "You've been chatting for a while — is this a good time for a break?" The system is reminiscent of the reminders some Nintendo Wii and Switch games will show you if you play for an extended period of time, though there's an unfortunately dark context to the ChatGPT feature.

The "yes, and" quality of OpenAI's AI and it's ability to hallucinate factually incorrect or dangerous responses has led users down dark paths, The New York Times reported in June — including suicidal ideation. Some of the users whose delusions ChatGPT indulged already had a history of mental illness, but the chatbot still did a bad job of consistently shutting down unhealthy conversations. OpenAI acknowledges some of those shortcomings in its blog post, and says that ChatGPT will be updated in the future to respond more carefully to "high-stakes personal decisions." Rather than provide a direct answer, the company says the chatbot will help users think through problems, offer up questions and list pros and cons.

OpenAI obviously wants ChatGPT to feel helpful, encouraging and enjoyable to use, but it's not hard to package those qualities into an AI that's sycophantic. The company was forced to rollback an update to ChatGPT in April that lead the chatbot to respond in ways that were annoying and overly-agreeable. Taking breaks from ChatGPT — and having the AI do things without your active participation — will make issues like that less visible. Or, at the very least, it'll give users time to check whether the answers ChatGPT is providing are even correct.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-will-now-remind-you-to-take-breaks-following-mental-health-concerns-180221008.html?src=rss

Spotify is raising prices for international customers

Spotify is raising prices for many international customers. The company just said that Premium subscribers throughout the world will be receiving an email within the next month that outlines the increase.

It hasn't announced which countries will be impacted, but did say that the areas include South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. That's most of the world.

The company didn't provide specific details regarding the price increase, but did post a sample email in a blog post that showed an uptick of around $1 per month. The email notes an increase from €10.99 to €11.99 in an unspecified country. In American dollars, the new cost shakes out to around $13.90. The price for American consumers is still $12 per month.

An email announcing a price increase.
Spotify

Spotify announced this news after a disappointing earnings report in which it missed revenue expectations. This caused the stock to drop by 11 percent and for CEO Daniel Ek to announce that he's "unhappy" with the company's current performance.

The Verge scoured the Internet Archive and found that some countries have already experienced a recent price increase. The new subscription cost has already been applied to users in Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Ek has been branching away from the music and podcast streaming business in recent months. He recently led a $694 million investment in a defense startup called Helsing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/spotify-is-raising-prices-for-international-customers-162540129.html?src=rss

Lyft and Baidu plan to bring their robotaxis to the UK and Germany next year

Lyft and Baidu have shed more light on their plan for a worldwide fleet of autonomous vehicles. After the first rollouts — which are earmarked for Asia and the Middle East later this year — the companies have their designs set on Europe. They're aiming to deploy robotaxis in the UK and Germany in 2026, as long as they get approval from regulators. The goal is to then expand the European fleet to thousands of vehicles across the continent in the following years.

Baidu is using its sixth-generation Apollo Go vehicles for this rollout. Once the robotaxis start operations in a given market, consumers will be able to book rides in them via the Lyft app. 

Lyft says that it will leverage its recent acquisition of taxi company Freenow to speed up deployment of autonomous vehicles, given that platform's established foothold in the UK and Germany. The partnership between Lyft and Baidu, which the pair announced last month, follows Baidu revealing its plans to start testing Apollo Go in Europe later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-and-baidu-plan-to-bring-their-robotaxis-to-the-uk-and-germany-next-year-152132114.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel 9a is $100 off right now

The Google Pixel 10 is just around the corner, so we're starting to see some great deals pop up on the previous generation. The Google Pixel 9a is on sale right now for $100 off its usual price, a 20 percent reduction. If you've been considering your first Pixel, or had your sights set on the Pixel 9a, this sale is a great opportunity.

The Pixel 9a is Google's most affordable model in the Pixel lineup, but that by no means makes it a subpar gadget. We selected the 9a as our best budget Android phone, and we gave it a score of 91 out of 100 in our hands-on review.

This model has design, features and performance you'd be forgiven for confusing with a flagship model. The entire Pixel 9 lineup is powered by the same Tensor G4 processor, with the biggest difference being the Pixel 9a's 8 GB of RAM instead of the 12 GB found on the Pixel 9. Average daily users will almost certainly not notice a difference here, as the extra RAM is more for video editing, gaming or relentlessly switching between apps.

The 48-MP main camera and 13-MP ultra-wide rival cameras on phones that are twice the price, and its 5,100 mAh battery is the largest in the Pixel 9 lineup. The phone's 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 2,700 nits is identical to the Pixel 9. The hardware on the Pixel 9a is simply among the best in its price range.

The Pixel 9a offers excellent value, and at $100 off, the value is even greater.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-google-pixel-9a-is-100-off-right-now-151724954.html?src=rss

Raven Software gets its union contract with Microsoft three years after voting to organize

Employees at Raven Software, known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise, finally have a union contract with Microsoft. This happened nearly years after quality assurance (QA) workers at the company voted to unionize.

Workers voted unanimously to ratify the first contract between the company's Game Workers Alliance-CWA (GWA-CWA) members and Microsoft. This contract includes a guaranteed 10-percent wage increase over two years, along with additional raises through "merit and promotions."

It also eliminates crunch time, with a requirement to give employees seven days' notice for mandatory overtime. There will be no excessive overtime on back-to-back weeks and "no mandatory overtime of any duration for the majority of weeks in a quarter."

The contract also mandates a "fair promotions process" along with expanded disability accommodations. Finally, there are a spate of layoff protections, including severance, recall rights, COBRA subsidies and career transition services.

As previously stated, these workers voted to unionize three years ago. At the time, it was the first union at Activision Blizzard or any major US publisher. This was before Microsoft scooped up Activision.

The past three years have been fraught for Raven's QA workers. An investigation found that Activision had been withholding raises from unionizing workers and the company's top brass were accused of "bad faith bargaining." Workers at ZeniMax, another company owned by Microsoft, secured a contract in June.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/raven-software-gets-its-union-contract-with-microsoft-three-years-after-voting-to-organize-150133353.html?src=rss

The Razer Kishi Ultra controller drops to a new record low of $95

A mobile gaming controller into which you can slot your phone — or even a tablet — is a great option to play your favorite titles on the go without the need for a dedicated console or handheld PC. Razer makes one of the better-known premium options in the form of the Kishi Ultra, and now the controller is back on sale. This time around, it has dropped to $95.

This is a new record-low price for the peripheral, which was available for $100 during Prime Day last month. As it stands, you can score the Razer Kishi Ultra for 37 percent off its regular price of $150.

The Razer Kishi Ultra is compatible with a wide range of devices that have USB-C ports, including Android phones, more recent iPhones and even eight-inch tablets like the iPad Mini. It works with some foldable phones too. There's also the option to plug it into your PC or laptop via USB-C cable.

Being a Razer peripheral, of course the Kishi Ultra has RGB lighting. Other features include advanced haptic feedback, mechanical ABXY face buttons and D-pad, Hall effect triggers, programmable bumpers and customization through the Razer Nexus app. It's a little disappointing that Razer didn't offer Hall effect thumbsticks as well. However the Kishi Ultra's thumbsticks do have anti-friction rings, which should hopefully help with durability.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-razer-kishi-ultra-controller-drops-to-a-new-record-low-of-95-143557380.html?src=rss

Will the UN finally broker a treaty to end plastic pollution?

To tackle what's been called the plastic "epidemic," the UN spun up a committee in 2022 tasked with brokering a legally binding global agreement. This ambitious treaty between UN member states was to address the full life cycle of plastics, from production to disposal: In short, define what counts as plastic pollution and curb the sorts of unchecked production that inevitably leads to it. But across five sessions since, countries have failed to reach a consensus on the text.

What was meant to be the final session ended last year in Busan, South Korea without agreement, and representatives from 175 countries are now set to meet again for part two, this time in Geneva, Switzerland. INC-5.2 will take place from August 5 to 14, during which negotiators will attempt to see eye-to-eye on the points of the draft treaty that have thus far proven most contentious. According to the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), there are over 370 such points.

Production, the use of chemicals of concern (those considered to be a risk due to toxicity and/or other qualities), product design and the financing of treaty implementation are some of the main points of disagreement. These issues have left countries in a deadlock, according to Cate Bonacini, Communications Manager for CIEL. There are countries that argue health should be excluded from the treaty's scope. These topics will be front-and-center going back into the talks, and UN member states have spent the last eight months "working hard in closed-door meetings to find points of agreement," Bonacini said in an email. "We’ll see the fruits of that labor soon."

"At the heart of the issue," Bonacini said, "there is a large disagreement about what plastic pollution is, and what measures are needed to end plastic pollution." While the commitment focuses on the full life cycle of plastics, there's been much dispute over where that cycle really begins.

"As scientists, we interpret the full life cycle as starting with extraction and production," said Bethanie Carney Almroth, a professor of ecotoxicology at the University of Gothenburg and a member of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. "That would be fossil fuels and raw plastic production all the way through to product, to use, to trade, to transportation, to waste management, mismanagement and environmental pollution, including remediation of existing legacy plastics. All of it."

While over 100 countries last December were in favor of a treaty that would impose production limits, others including Saudi Arabia and Russia opposed the caps. Ahead of that session, the US reportedly also made the decision not to support production caps, despite earlier indications that it would. Unsurprisingly, the countries that have taken issue with the scope of the treaty are also some of the world's top oil producers.

"There are other actors," Carney Almroth said, "that are trying to narrow that scope to go from plastic products, like water bottles, to waste management, so sort of excluding the outer boundaries of how we define the plastics life cycle so that it would, in essence, become more of a waste management treaty."

In addition to representatives from the participating member states, scientists, environmental organizations and industry lobbyists are present for the negotiation sessions. According to Carney Almroth, who has attended every Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting and is now in Geneva for INC-5.2, increasingly it's been lobbyists who take up the most space.

"At the last round of talks, lobbyists for the petrochemical and plastics industries made up the single largest delegation," wrote Bangor University lecturer Winnie Courtene-Jones, who is also a member of the Coalition, in a recent article for The Conversation. CIEL found that "there were three times more fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists than scientists" at the Busan meetings. Bonacini noted that "plastics are 99 percent fossil fuels, and these companies have a vested interest in continuing to generate fossil fuel-based products, including plastics."

Their influence has played a big role in the stalemate. They "have a lot of power, money and influence," Carney Almroth said, "and their lobbying efforts go beyond the walls of the negotiating space…They have access to decision makers in ways that other observers do not."

"They don't want to look at chemicals," Carney Almroth said. "They don't want to look at production." But the science indicates that looking at chemicals (additives, processing aids, etc.) and production is of utmost importance, not only in the context of environmental sustainability but also human health.

In an editorial for the Bulletin of the World Health Organization in July, a group of scientists pointed to the numerous potential health effects that recent studies have linked to plastics, via exposure to hazardous chemicals and from micro- and nanoplastics. That includes an increased risk of "multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, neurodevelopmental harm and infertility" as well as "respiratory, reproductive and gastrointestinal harm, with potential links to lung and colon cancer."

The authors called on delegates to prioritize these concerns in the upcoming negotiations and work toward a treaty that would end production of toxic chemicals in plastics, ban the recycling of plastics containing those chemicals and reduce plastic production overall. Their letter comes alongside a separate study published this summer in the journal Nature that identified over 4,200 chemicals of concern in plastics, out of the 16,325 total known plastic chemicals. The researchers argue that, on top of establishing transparency around the makeup of plastics and removing chemicals of concern, plastics must be simplified if they're going to be made safer.

The many chemicals that go into plastics "can be released throughout the entire plastic life cycle, from feedstock extraction and production to use and waste," the authors write. "Specific end-of-life treatments, such as uncontrolled landfilling or incineration, can further exacerbate chemical releases." The UN has warned that the negative effects at every stage in the life cycle of plastics disproportionately harm vulnerable populations worldwide, including indigenous peoples, low income families and rural communities.

Today, plastic is more or less inescapable — microplastics can even be found in Antarctica now. And research increasingly suggests we aren't fully aware of how bad pollution levels really are.

Global plastic production has more than doubled in the last 25 years, with upwards of 450 million metric tons now estimated to be produced annually. Recycled plastics make up just 6 percent of that total, a figure that's expected to stay the same even as global plastic use and waste generation are projected to rise 70 percent by 2040, according to the international Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). And each year, tens of millions of tons of plastic waste is disposed of in ways considered to be environmentally unsound, ending up in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned openly or accumulating on land and in bodies of water.

A study published this summer, led by researchers from Utrecht University and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, found that there may be far more plastic in the oceans than previously thought when accounting for particles even smaller than microplastics. The team collected water samples from 12 locations across the North Atlantic Ocean and measured the concentration of nanoplastics (plastic particles under 1 micrometer) at different depths. By the researchers' estimate, there could be as much as 27 million metric tons of nanoplastic in the North Atlantic alone. That's in the ballpark of previous global estimates for larger plastic waste across all of the ocean.

In another new study, researchers from France's University of Toulouse found we may be breathing in up to 100 times more microplastic particles indoors than previous estimates, based on measurements of airborne microplastics in the researchers' own apartments and car cabins.

The situation is urgent, especially for vulnerable populations, said Carney Almroth. "The amounts of plastics we're producing today and the amount of plastic in the environment are astronomical," said Carney Almroth. As of a few years ago, "we had twice the mass of plastic on the planet as the mass of all the animals on land, in water, including insects, and we have produced far more plastic since then."

Plastics are "overwhelming any and all of our waste management infrastructure, so we are not able to prevent pollution. We're not able to mitigate harm," Carney Almroth said. "The impacts of plastics in the environment are very large scale, to the point where they're destabilizing vital Earth functions like climate, like nutrient cycling, like biodiversity. And then we have the human health impacts on top of that. It's an acute problem."

But, as the past five sessions have illustrated, reaching an agreement on how to solve that problem isn't going to be easy. The trouble, in part, boils down to how the decisions are being made. So far, it's all being done by consensus rather than voting, Carney Almroth and Bonacini explained. That approach allows "a single country veto power over decisions," Bonacini said.

Petrochemical countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, India and Brazil have reportedly latched onto this, using "obstructionist tactics" to drag out the negotiations. Some have insisted "without legal basis," according to CIEL, "that decisions can only be made by consensus." Consensus, however, isn't the only option.

The draft Rules of Procedure allow for majority voting in the event a consensus can't be reached, but whether that will happen is yet to be seen. "There are opportunities to force that rule," Carney Almroth said. But, a country (or countries) would have to step up and invoke it.

At this stage of the negotiations, there is a risk that countries will compromise on key provisions for time's sake, Bonacini said, which would ultimately weaken the treaty. And once a treaty is finalized, "it can take years, if not decades, to make amendments to the original text," so getting it right the first time is crucial. International agreements that have taken a softer approach to addressing environmental issues, like the Paris Agreement — which lets countries set their own targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions — have been criticized for being insufficient in the face of rapidly rising global temperatures and climate change.

In June at the UN Ocean Conference, representatives for 95 countries that are part of the INC reaffirmed their commitment to a treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, phases out "the most problematic plastic products and chemicals of concern," improves product design to reduce environmental and health impacts and employs effective means of implementation. "A treaty that lacks these elements, only relies on voluntary measures or does not address the full lifecycle of plastics will not be effective to deal with the challenge of plastic pollution," the group — which includes Canada, Australia, Colombia, Zimbabwe, the UK and Germany — wrote in a joint statement. These countries added that "the treaty should provide for the possibility of decision-making, through regular UN procedures if all efforts to reach consensus have been exhausted."

If an agreement isn't reached this time around, there are a number of ways the next steps could play out. The talks could be stretched even further into another meeting, or countries could decide to take the matter somewhere else.

"Many countries are considering alternatives if negotiations fail," Christina Dixon, Ocean Campaign Lead for the Environmental Investigation Agency told Mongabay. "Options include returning to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) to establish a new expanding mandate, creating a convention outside the UN for committed countries to move forward or adopting a protocol under an existing convention." The UNEA meets next in December.

We are, as Courtene-Jones wrote in The Conversation, at "a critical crossroads." That's something advocates for a strong, science-based treaty all seem to agree on. "There are a lot of places where we can really do a lot to make a difference, and make things better," said Carney Almroth. "Countries need to be ambitious, and need to stand up and demand this."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/will-the-un-finally-broker-a-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution-130022025.html?src=rss

The best deals on MacBooks, AirPods, iPads and other Apple gear you can get right now

It’s obvious that Apple products are some of the most sought-after in the tech world — that means sales are fewer and farther between than other gadgets, and they’re often the first things to sell out when discounts do arrive. But it would be a mistake to assume you’re doomed to always pay full price on things like iPads and Apple Watches. Apple deals to exist, if you know where to look.

Engadget keeps track of deals like these on a regular basis, so we can help you there. Below, we’ve collected the best Apple deals you can get right now on items like AirPods, MacBooks, iPads and more. Arguably the biggest caveat to note about Apple sales is that you’re almost never going to see discounts directly at Apple.com. Unless you shop refurbished, you’ll always pay top dollar direct at Apple, and for some things (like iPhones), that might be best. But you’ll find more discounts more often if you’re willing to shop at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target and others.

Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $999 ($200 off): The 15-inch MacBook Air is nearly identical to the smaller version but features more robust speakers and a more spacious trackpad alongside its roomier display. $999 is the lowest price we've tracked.

Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM) for $1,299 ($400 off): The last-gen M3 MacBook Air has officially been discontinued, but it remains a superb laptop while the last bits of stock remain available. We gave this 15-inch model a score of 90 in our review — outside of its slower chip (which is still plenty fast for everyday use), marginally improved camera and inability to power two external displays with the lid open, it's virtually identical to the newer version. This deal applies to the model with the larger 24GB of memory in the Starlight colorway.

Apple iMac 24-inch (M4) for $1,185 (9 percent off): For an all-in-one solution, the M4 iMac is a good pick thanks to its powerful performance, standard 16GB of RAM and improved webcam. Just note that it only comes in the 24-inch screen size option. $1,149 is the lowest price we've tracked, but note that the deal only applies to the Pink model. Other colors are also on sale, but more expensive. 

Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $650 ($149 off): Apple’s most premium smartwatch, the Ultra 2 has a killer 36-hour battery life, a handy Low Power mode for extended use and cellular connectivity by default. It also has a compass app, water temperature gauge and a loud onboard siren that you can trigger in emergencies. This deal applies to the watch with the orange band. $650 is the lowest price we've tracked. 

Apple Watch SE for $169 (32 percent off): We wouldn’t be surprised to see an update to Apple’s budget smartwatch sometime soon (and we have a few suggestions on the matter). But thanks to some serious discounts, the Apple Watch SE has turned out to be the most affordable way to get an iPhone companion for your wrist. Despite the lackluster screen and limited extra features, it handles the basics well. Also available at Walmart.

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $450 ($99 off): If you’re looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. They went as low as $430 for Amazon's Prime Day. 

iPad Pro (M4, 11-inch) for $899 ($100 off): The most powerful iPad is the iPad Pro, and it’s the one to get if you’re even toying with the idea of using your new slab as a laptop replacement. Both the 11- and 13-inch models have gorgeous displays, thinner and lighter designs, a repositioned front camera and the excessively powerful M4 chip inside. Also at B&H Photo.

Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $69 ($10 off): This more affordable Apple Pencil doesn’t support pressure sensitivity, but it still makes for a useful stylus for the basics. If you’re a casual note-taker and can live without wireless charging, you’ll save a few bucks by picking this one up. Also available at Walmart.

Apple Pencil (2nd gen) for $99 ($30 off): The Second gen Pencil both attaches and charges magnetically, supports tilt and pressure sensitivity and allows for tool changes with a tap of the flat edge. It’s an older pencil and isn’t compatible with the latest iPad models. This is the lowest price we’ve tracked this year, but it went as low as $80 for last year’s Black Friday sales.

Read more Apple coverage:

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-apple-deals-150020110.html?src=rss

The best Bluetooth trackers for 2025

Most people think of AirTags when they picture a Bluetooth tracker. And indeed, Apple’s little white discs used to be the most capable option, relying on a vast finding network of nearby iPhones to pinpoint lost tags. But now, both Google and Samsung have implemented finding networks of their own. And other Bluetooth tracker companies, like Chipolo and Pebblebee, now have trackers that pair with either Google or Apple’s network too. In short, you’ve got a lot of options for tagging and tracking your keys, backpacks, luggage and more. So we tested all the major brands out there to see how they work and put together a guide to help you get the most out of your chosen tracker. Here are the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy.

Bluetooth trackers are small discs or cards that rely on short-range, low-energy wireless signals to communicate with your smartphone. Attach one of these gadgets your stuff and, if it’s in range, your phone can “ring” the chip so you can find it. These tracking devices offer other features like separation alerts to tell you when you’ve left a tagged item behind, or where a lost item was last detected. Some can even tap into a larger network of smartphones to track down your device when you’re out of range. Depending on what you want the tracker to do, there are a few specs to look for when deciding which to get.

Like most things from the folks in Cupertino, AirTags only work with products in the Apple ecosystem. Both Apple and Google have opened up access to the Find My and Find Hub networks to third-party manufacturers, including Chipolo and Pebblebee. Those two companies make device-agnostic models that will work with the larger tracking network from either brand, so iPhone and Android users can buy the same tag. Tile trackers work with either Android or Apple devices, but use Tile’s own Life 360 finding network. Samsung’s latest fob, the Galaxy SmartTag2, only works with Samsung phones and taps into a finding system that relies on other Samsung devices to locate lost tags.

Crowd-sourced finding capabilities are what make headlines, with stories about recovering stolen equipment or tracking lost luggage across the globe. Using anonymous signals that ping other people’s devices, these Bluetooth tracking devices can potentially tell you where a tagged item is, even if your smartphone is out of Bluetooth range.

Apple’s Find My network is the largest, with over a billion iPhones and iPads in service all running Apple’s Find My app by default. So unless an iPhone user opts out, their phone silently acts as a location detector for any nearby AirTags. Apple recently increased the AirTag’s finding power by enabling you to share the location of a lost tag with a third party, party, like an airline. Chipolo fobs that work on Apple’s network have the same ability. Google launched its Find My Device network in 2024 and has since renamed it Find Hub, which, like Apple's fining app, combines devices and people finding in one place. That network is now a close second for the largest in the US

Now that Google’s Find Hub network is up and running, it’s a close second for the largest in the US. Like Apple, Android users are automatically part of the network, but can opt-out by selecting the Google services option in their phone’s Settings app and toggling the option in the Find Hub menu. Samsung’s SmartTag 2 and related network also defaults to an opt-in status for finding tags and other devices.

Tile offers a large finding grid that includes Tile users, Amazon Sidewalk customers and people running the Life360 network. Life360 acquired Tile in 2021, and, according to the company, the Life360 network has more than 70 million monthly active users.

In our tests, AirTags and third-party tags using its network, like the Chipolo Pop and Pebblebee Clip Universal, were the fastest to track down lost items. They offered nearly real-time location data in moderately to heavily trafficked spots around Albuquerque, including a bar, bookstore and coffee shops in Nob Hill, along with various outdoor hangouts on UNM’s campus.

Samsung's SmartTags were able to locate our lost items most of the time, though not with the same precision finding accuracy as AirTags. When we tested Google’s Find Hub (then called Find My Device) network right after launch, it was noticeably slower than Apple’s network when using the community finding feature. Testing it again in 2025, the time it took to locate a lost item was considerably improved, taking just a couple minutes for the community to track a fob. In our tests, Tile’s finding network wasn’t able to consistently locate its lost fobs.

An assortment of bluetooth trackers arranged in a grid on a wooden background. Trackers include black Tile trackers in various shapes, two silver and white AirTag trackers and a round blue Chipolo tracker attached to a set of keys with a multitool key chain.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Here’s where a tracker’s day-to-day utility really shines. A separation alert lets you know when you’ve traveled too far from your tagged items, which is useful if you want to make sure your laptop bag, or jacket or umbrella always comes with you when you leave the house.

These notifications work when you’re out and about too. If you’ve got a Bluetooth tracking device in your wallet and walk out of a restaurant without it, the separation alert should kick in, resulting in fewer lost items. This feature also tells you where your tagged item and phone were last paired, allowing you to retrace your steps if you happen to miss the alert.

Each tracker handles left-behind items differently. AirTags and third-party fobs using its network (such as from Chipolo or Pebblebee) include the feature by default. Tile trackers require a yearly subscription to enable the alerts (currently $30 annually). Tags working with the Google's Find Hub network don’t offer the feature at all, but Chipolo Pop tags can issue left-behind alerts using its own Android app. Both AirTags and Tiles allow you to turn off separation alerts at certain locations, meaning you can set your home as a “safe” place where items can be left behind, but alerts will still trigger elsewhere.

In our tests, AirTags and others using the Find My network alerted us between the 600- and 1,400-foot mark. Tiles sent a notification after about an average of 1,500 feet and were more consistent when using an Android phone than an iPhone. Chipolo Pop tags paired with an Android phone and using its own app sent an alert when we got around 450 feet away from our tagged item.

The feature you may use most often is the key finder function, which makes the tracker ring when you hit a button in the app. With Apple's AirTags, you can say "Hey Siri, where are my keys?" and the assistant will ring the tag (assuming it doesn't mistakenly think you're asking for directions to the Floridian archipelago). You can also use the Find Item app in your Apple Watch to ring your fob. Asking smart home/personal assistants like Alexa or the Google Assistant to find your keys will work with Chipolo, Tile and Pebblebee trackers linked to your Android device.

If you have your tag but can’t find your phone, some trackers will let you ring them to find your handset. SmartTag2 fobs reliably rang our Galaxy phone when we double-pressed it. Tile trackers have the same feature. Chipolo Pop trackers can ring your phone, but uses the Chipolo app to do so, which can run concurrently with the Find My or Find Hub connection. AirTags and any third-party tags using only Apple or Google’s networks don’t offer this feature.

The volume of the Bluetooth tracking device may determine whether you can find an item buried in your couch cushions or in a noisy room. AirTags have a reputation for being on the quiet side, and that aligned with what we saw (measuring roughly 65 decibels). Chipolo’s Pop tags and Tile’s Pro model measure between 83 and 86 decibels on average. Pebblebee’s new Clip Universal was the loudest of any tag we’ve tested, clocking in at 91 ear-splitting decibels.

Design will determine what you can attach the tracker to. AirTags are small, smooth discs that can’t be secured to anything without accessories, which are numerous, but that is an additional cost to consider. Chipolo, Pebblebee and Tile offer trackers with holes that easily attach to your key ring, and all three companies also offer card-shaped versions designed to fit in your wallet. Pebblebee Clip Universal tags come with a handy carabiner-style key ring.

Batteries are replaceable for AirTag, Tile Pro, SmartTag2 and Chipolo Pop fobs and each should go for at least a year before needing to be swapped. Tile Mate and card-shaped trackers don’t have replaceable batteries, which means you’ll have to replace the entire unit whenever it dies. Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable in both the disc and wallet variety. They’re also the only tags equipped with onboard LEDs.

AirTags have gotten a lot of attention and even prompted some lawsuits for Apple due to bad actors planting them on people in order to stalk them. While this fact may not influence your buying decision, any discussion of Bluetooth trackers should note what steps Apple, Google and Tile have taken to address the issue. Last year, all the major players in the Bluetooth tracker business teamed up to combat misuse and standardize how unauthorized tracking detection and alerts work for iOS and Android.

Last year, Tile launched a feature called Anti-Theft Mode, which enables you to render one of its trackers undetectable by others. That means if someone steals your tagged item, they won’t be able to use the anti-stalking features to find and disable the tracker. That sort of negates one of the major ways potential stalking victims can stay safe, so Tile hopes ID verification and a $1 million penalty will deter misuse. Separately, Tile was hit by a data breach, raising different privacy concerns. The company issued a statement about the event, which it shared with Engadget:

Similar to many other companies, Life360 recently became the victim of a criminal extortion attempt. We received emails from an unknown actor claiming to possess Tile customer information. We promptly initiated an investigation into the potential incident and detected unauthorized access to a Tile customer support platform (but not our Tile service platform). The potentially impacted data consists of information such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Tile device identification numbers. It does not include more sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, passwords or log-in credentials, location data, or government-issued identification numbers, because the Tile customer support platform did not contain these information types.

We believe this incident was limited to the specific Tile customer support data described above and is not more widespread. We take this event and the security of customer information seriously. We have taken and will continue to take steps designed to further protect our systems from bad actors, and we have reported this event and the extortion attempt to law enforcement. We remain committed to keeping families safe online and in the real world.

As a theft deterrent, a Bluetooth tracker may or may not be the best option. Anecdotal stories abound in which people have recovered stolen goods using a tracker — but other tales are more cautionary. Neither Apple nor Google promotes its trackers or finding networks as a way to deal with theft. GPS trackers, on the other hand, are typically marketed for just that purpose.

Before deciding on which trackers to test, we researched the field, looking at user reviews on Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers, along with discussions on sites like Reddit. We also checked out what other publications had to say on the matter before narrowing down our options to Apple AirTag, Tile, and Chipolo trackers. When Samsung's SmartTag 2 came out in October of 2023, we added that to our testing, along with Pebblebee's rechargeable Clip tracker. After Google launched its finding network (now called Find Hub), both Chipolo and Pebblebee released trackers in 2025 that work with either network and we tested the Pop and Universal key fob models and updated our top picks accordingly.

Here’s the full list of every tracker we tested:

After acquiring the trackers, I tested each one over the course of a few weeks using both an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I recreated likely user experiences, such as losing and leaving items behind at home and out in the city. I planted trackers at different spots near downtown Albuquerque, mostly concentrated in and around the University of New Mexico and the surrounding neighborhood of Nob Hill. Later, I conducted tests in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Each test was performed multiple times, both while walking and driving and I used the measure distance feature on Google Maps to track footage for alerts. I paid attention to how easy the app was to use, how reliable the phone-to-tracker connection was and any other perks and drawbacks that came up during regular use.

As new trackers come to market, or as we learn of worthy models to try, I'll test them and add the results to this guide. I'm currently in the process of obtaining Motorola Moto tags and look forward to seeing how they work with an Android phone. 

Tile recently came out with a new suite of trackers, replacing the Tile Mate, Tile Pro, Tile Sticker and Tile Slim with updated models. In addition to fun new colors for the Mate and Slim, Tile added an SOS feature that can send a notification to your Life360 Circle when you triple press the button on the tracker. It’s a clever addition that turns your keys into a panic button, something offered by personal safety companies as standalone devices.

There are a few caveats: You and the people you want to notify in an emergency will need the Life360 app installed on your phones. If you want your Tile to also trigger a call to emergency services, you’ll need a $15-per-month Life360 subscription (that’s in addition to a Tile membership, which starts at $3/month or $30 annually). And enabling the SOS triple-press disables the ability to ring your phone with the fob.

I tested the SOS feature and it did indeed send a text message to my Circle, with the message that I had triggered an SOS and a link to a website that showed my current location. I thought it odd that the link didn’t open the Life360 app (which shows the location of users' phones), but I wasn’t as much concerned with Tile’s personal safety features as I was with the tracking capabilities, which turned out to be less than ideal.

For my tests, I planted Tile trackers in a densely populated area of Seattle (about 15,000 people per square mile). After setting the trackers to “lost” in the Tile app, I waited. After four hours, one of the trackers was not discovered by the finding community, so I went and retrieved it. Another fob I planted alerted me that the tracker had been found by the Tile community after three hours — but the location it gave me was off by a third of a mile. I then decided to plant a tracker in the most populated place I could think of — the dried fruit and nuts aisle of a Trader Joes on a Friday evening before a major holiday. It still took over a half an hour before another Tile user anonymously pinged my lost tracker.

In my tests with Samsung’s trackers and the fobs on Google’s Find Hub network, it took around ten minutes for them to be discovered. AirTags took half that time and all were tested in a far less populated city. Four hours with no ping and over a half hour before getting a hit in a crowded TJs were pretty long stretches.

Our top pick, the classic Chipolo, has virtually no finding network. But if you’re getting a tracker for that feature alone, you should go with AirTags if you have an iPhone or the Google-enabled Chipolo or Pebblebee trackers if you use an Android phone. We prefer the Chipolo because it works with either iOS or Android devices, it rings loud, it’s quick to tell you when you’ve left it behind and it connects nearly instantly when you’re searching for a misplaced tracker around the house.

Tile devices also work with both mobile operating systems and its latest models are indeed louder than they were before. But they aren’t as quick to connect and you need to pay for a membership to activate left-behind alerts. And when you do, those notifications don’t kick in as quickly as they do with competing trackers.

Both the Tile Pro and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 claim a maximum range of around 400 feet, which is longer than the 300-foot claim for Chipolo’s Pop tags. The Pebblebee Clip Universal claims a 500-foot range, though other trackers with a shorter claimed range performed better in our tests. Apple doesn’t make range claims for AirTags. Any Bluetooth signal, of course, is dependent on a few factors. Obstacles like walls and people can block the signal, so a clear line of sight is the only way to achieve the maximum range. Other signals, like Wi-Fi, can also interfere with Bluetooth connections. Even high humidity can have an effect and lessen the distance at which your phone will connect to your tracker.

Remember, when considering the range of Bluetooth trackers, the size of the “finding network” also comes into play. This is the number of nearby phones that can be used to anonymously ping your tracker when your own phone is out of Bluetooth range. As of now, Apple AirTags have the largest network, followed by Google’s Find Hub, Samsung’s finding community and Tile’s Life360 members.

Bluetooth trackers are designed to track small, personal items like keys, jackets, backpacks and the like. All trackers have safeguards to prohibit the tag from being used to stalk people, so most will alert someone if a tracker that does not belong to them is detected following them. That means a car thief may get tipped off that there’s a tracker in the car they’re trying to steal. That said, you’ll see plenty of stories about people finding their car thanks to a Bluetooth tracker. Some police departments have even handed out trackers to combat high rates of carjacking. In most instances, the tracker of choice has been AirTags thanks to their wide finding network. If you’re looking for a tracker for your car, you may want to look into GPS trackers, some of which are designed for just that purpose.

Accuracy for Bluetooth trackers can be looked at in two ways: Finding items nearby and finding items misplaced outside your home. For nearby items, you’ll most often use the ring function on the device to hunt it down. Two tags, Apple’s AirTags and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2, also use ultra-wideband technology, which creates directional navigation on your phone to get you within a foot of the tracker.

Accurately finding lost items outside your home depends on the size of the finding network. Since this relies on the serendipity of a random phone passing within Bluetooth range of your tracker, the more phones on a given network, the better. And since Bluetooth ranges and distance estimates are only precise within about a meter or so, getting pings from more than one phone will help locating items. Here again, it’s worth noting that Apple’s Find My network is the largest, followed by Google, Samsung and Tile (both Chipolo and Pebblebee have fobs that work with the Apple and Google networks).

August 2025: Updated the name of Google's finding network to Find Hub, instead of Find My Device. Added details about Pebblebee's new Alert feature. Added a table of contents. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-bluetooth-tracker-140028377.html?src=rss

The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories for 2025

Now that the Switch 2 is finally here, you may be equally as excited to kit out your new console with the right accessories as you are to dive into Mario Kart World. Not only can the right accessories make it easier and more fun to play all of the games you love, but they can also make your gaming experience better in different environments, be it on the couch, in an airplane or in the car. We're excited to get our hands on some of the newest Switch 2 accessories (more on those below), but plenty of our favorite classics are compatible with the Switch 2 as well as older versions of the console. These are our current favorite Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, and we'll add to this list over time as we test out new gear.

Nintendo announced a bunch of new accessories when it revealed the Switch 2 earlier this year. Key among them are a new Switch 2 Pro controller, Switch 2 camera, an all-in-one carrying case and more. Our staff will be testing out a bunch of these accessories, and we'll keep our favorites list up to date as we do so. If you're interested in picking any of those new Switch 2 accessories up, you can find them at a variety of retailers:

Joy-Con 2 bundle

Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera

Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip

Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2)

Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case

Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/best-nintendo-switch-2-accessories-070011952.html?src=rss

You can watch Pokémon the Movie 2000 for free on YouTube right now

The official Pokémon TV YouTube channel is continuing its summer movie watch party with another classic: Pokémon the Movie 2000. The entire movie is available to watch now for free, for a limited time. It follows Pokémon: The First Movie, which was temporarily released on the channel in July, and next up will be Pokémon 3: The Movie. I have distinct memories of seeing these movies in theaters, so the nostalgia is hitting pretty hard right about now.

In case you need a little refresher on where the second Pokémon movie picks up:

In the Orange Islands, far south of Kanto, a Trainer named Lawrence is on a sinister quest: catching Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, the three Legendary bird Pokémon, in an attempt to awaken Lugia, guardian of the sea! When Ash and friends arrive, the islanders ask him to gather three elemental orbs from different islands—and when the weather across the world goes out of control, this task takes on a new importance, as the capture of the Legendary trio has thrown the environment out of balance! With Lugia’s help, can Ash be the “chosen one” that everyone turns to?

It's not clear how long the movie will stay up on the YouTube channel — The First Movie has already been taken down after its brief run — so if you're interested, you should probably get to it sooner rather than later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/you-can-watch-pokemon-the-movie-2000-for-free-on-youtube-right-now-213303624.html?src=rss

Leak claims the PS6 could have triple the performance as the PS5 for the same price

We're nearly five years out from the release of the original PlayStation 5 and rumors of Sony's next-gen console are starting to bubble up to the surface. In a YouTube video from Moore's Law is Dead, the leaker shares extensive information about the PlayStation 6's possible specs, starting price and release timing. It's always important to take these early leaks with a large grain of salt and Moore's Law is Dead even adds a disclaimer in the video that the info was sourced from a leaked AMD presentation to Sony back in 2023, adding that some of these specs may have changed by now.

While Sony hasn't confirmed anything, the leaks show the company may be prioritizing lower power output and keeping costs in line with previous generations for the upcoming PS6. The video claims the next-gen console will have three times the rasterization, or 3D rendering, performance compared to the base PS5 and roughly two times what's offered by the PS5 Pro. The YouTuber explained that the PS6 is rumored to have PS4 and PS5 backwards compatibility, while potentially releasing with a price tag of $499. That price point could be an indication that Sony wants to tap into the same success the PS4 had, which was partly thanks to its lower price compared to the competition at the time.

Along with the PS6, Sony is reportedly also working on a handheld that will complement the console. According to the leaked info, the PS6 handheld will get a microSD slot, an M.2 SSD slot, a touchscreen, haptic vibration and dual mics. The PS6 handheld rumors detail specs that should beat out the ROG Xbox Ally X and a USB-C port that could offer video out capabilities. According to the leak, the PS6 handheld could have a price range between $400 and $500. For the PS6 and the PS6 handheld, the leaker claims that Sony will start manufacturing both in mid-2027, with a potential release date window between fall 2027 and early 2028.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/leak-claims-the-ps6-could-have-triple-the-performance-as-the-ps5-for-the-same-price-203801615.html?src=rss

BioShock 4 hits a major development snag, and a remake of the original gets put on ice

BioShock fans will have to wait even longer to find out if we're going to Rapture, Columbia or a brand new city since the next game in the franchise may be headed back to the drawing board. According to a report from Bloomberg, the latest BioShock game that's being developed by Cloud Chamber failed a review with executives at 2K Games. Bloomberg's sources explained that the execs wanted improvement with the game's narrative, which "will be revamped in the coming months."

2K Games said in a statement to Bloomberg that it currently has a "good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one." As the fourth installment in the hit BioShock franchise, it has to follow up on the success of BioShock Infinite, which was released in 2013 and earned several awards for overall design, gameplay, story and original soundtrack. The latest development hitch also comes along with some major changes in the game studio's leadership. According to Bloomberg, Cloud Chamber's studio head, Kelley Gilmore, left the role, while the studio's creative director, Hogarth de la Plante, was shifted to a publishing position.

While the title isn't confirmed, the game believed to be BioShock 4 was announced in 2019 along with the creation of the Cloud Chamber studio. We still don't have a game six years later and the studio responsible may be at risk of layoffs, as the latest Bloomberg report mentioned a recent all-hands meeting where Cloud Chamber developers were told the company "needs to become more agile and efficient."

The fourth BioShock isn't the only game in the series that seems to be stuck in development hell. According to Bloomberg, the remake of the original BioShock was reportedly shelved earlier this year by 2K Games. The breakout hit that threw players into the unique setting of Rapture came out in 2007 and has since been remastered in 2016 as part of BioShock: The Collection. The remaster was made to support 1080p resolution and higher frame rates, but fans have been waiting for a complete remake that portrays the dystopian underwater city with more modern graphics.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bioshock-4-hits-a-major-development-snag-and-a-remake-of-the-original-gets-put-on-ice-182523192.html?src=rss

Apple reportedly has a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT in the works

Apple has fallen far behind in the competitive market of AI-powered chatbots, but it may have a plan for an in-house option that aligns with the company's "not first, but best" philosophy. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple created a team called "Answers, Knowledge and Information" earlier this year that's tasked with developing a "stripped-down rival to ChatGPT."

Forming this team represents a major change in direction from Apple's earlier stance on artificial intelligence when the company partnered with OpenAI in 2024 to infuse Siri with ChatGPT instead of developing its own AI chatbot. Now, Gurman reported that this new Apple team will instead develop in-house AI services for a "new ChatGPT-like search experience" that can crawl the web to respond to questions. These new capabilities could be a standalone app, as well as support AI capabilities for Apple's Siri, Spotlight and Safari, according to Gurman's sources. The team is reportedly led by Robby Walker, who previously oversaw Siri, and has been advertising job openings that mention wanting experience with search algorithms and engine development.

Beyond the Answers, Knowledge and Information team, Apple has experienced some growing pains when it comes to artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, the company said it would delay the release of the new-and-improved Siri, adding only that it would roll out "in the coming year." However, Apple is aware of the need to accelerate its Apple Intelligence program to stay competitive. In the latest third-quarter earnings call, the company's CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is open to acquisitions to fast-track its AI roadmap.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-reportedly-has-a-stripped-down-ai-chatbot-to-compete-with-chatgpt-in-the-works-164345473.html?src=rss

Prime members can get the DJI Mini 4K drone on sale for $249

Amazon is selling the DJI Mini 4K drone for just $249, which is a discount of $50. The deal is only for Prime members. This is the lowest price we've seen for this particular model since early in the year.

The Mini 4K is a beginner-friendly drone, but it's still got plenty of nifty features. As the name suggests, it can capture 4K video at up to 30 FPS. It can also record 2.7K footage at 60 FPS. There's 2x digital zoom, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. The drone can transmit 1080p video from up to 10km away.

It offers level-5 wind resistance, which is nice, and can fly for up to 31 minutes per charge. The drone allows for one-tap movements and comes with a dedicated remote. Users can also access the companion app for additional controls and to access flight tutorials.

Perhaps the coolest feature here is the size and form factor. The Mini 4K is small enough that it doesn't require FAA registration, so you can take it out immediately after unboxing. It's also foldable, making it easy to store when not in use. This particular model didn't make our list of the best drones, but its more expensive sibling, the Mini 4 Pro, was our very favorite.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-members-can-get-the-dji-mini-4k-drone-on-sale-for-249-150201768.html?src=rss

Apple's MacBook Air M4 drops to a record-low price

If you've put off getting a new MacBook then today is your lucky day. Right now, the 2025 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air M4 are available on Amazon for record-low prices. The 13-inch model is our pick for best MacBook to buy this year.

You can pick up the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 for $799, down from $999 — a 20 percent discount. This model comes with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can upgrade to 512GB SSD for $999, down from $1,199, another all-time low price, or 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $1,199, down from $1,399.

Then there's the 15-inch MacBook Air M4, whose cheapest model is on sale for $999, dropping from $1,199. The 17 percent discount is the best deal we've seen since the pair debuted in March. As with the 13-inch model, the 16GB and 512GB SSD option is also a record-low price, dropping to $1,199 from $1,399. Then there's the 24GB upgrade, which is $1,399, down from $1,599.

We're big fans of the MacBook Air M4, giving it a 92 in our review. Part of that comes from an already lower starting price for the MacBooks than their predecessors. The 2025 models also get a speed boost thanks to the M4 chip and are very thin with a 0.44-inch thickness. Neither the 13- or 15-inch will drag you down, weighing 2.7 pounds and 3.2 pounds, respectively. Plus, they both have excellent battery life, lasting over 18 hours while playing an HD video. 

The big differences in the 15-inch model mostly come down to size. The screen is obviously bigger, as is its trackpad. Other than that, it offers better speakers than its 13-inch sibling. 

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-macbook-air-m4-drops-to-a-record-low-price-123031057.html?src=rss

The HORI Piranha Plant camera for Switch 2 is on sale for only $40

Even though the Switch 2 basically just came out, we're already starting to see discounts on some of its accessories. One of the more charming peripherals, the HORI Piranha Plant camera, is on sale right now for only $40. That's $20 off and a record-low price. It's a good deal for anyone who wants to take advantage of the Switch 2's camera functionality in games like Mario Kart World and that recently-released campfire sim.

This was designed specifically for Nintendo's new console, so it's a plug-and-play affair. It's actually cheaper than the official Switch 2 camera with this sale and it looks a whole lot cooler. It's a Piranha Plant from the Mario franchise. We called it a "work of art" upon encountering the device and that holds true today.

This thing is not only stylish, resembling an Amiibo more than a camera, but it's downright useful. The pot the Piranha Plant sits in functions as both a stand and USB extension for the device. The plant itself detaches from the pot, so the camera can be used in portable mode by popping it into the USB port at the top of the console.

There's also a built-in privacy shutter. Just close the plant's mouth to obscure the lens. The actual camera specs here aren't going to win any awards, with a frame rate of 30FPS and a resolution of 640 x 480p. However, that's more than enough to capture footage of your floating head to accompany your kart as it races through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-hori-piranha-plant-camera-for-switch-2-is-on-sale-for-only-40-145031271.html?src=rss

Darksiders 4 was not on my 2025 bingo card

Darksiders 4 is officially coming. During the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase on Friday, we got a glimpse at the next game in the hack and slash action-adventure franchise, alongside trailers for roughly a dozen other games that are in the works, including Reanimal and The Eternal Life of Goldman. It's been a while since we've seen a new mainline Darksiders title from developer Gunfire Games, and while the fourth entry follows 2019's prequel, Darksiders Genesis, the announcement says it will "continue where the original Darksiders game left off."

Darksiders 4 features all four Horsemen, and you'll get to choose which one to play as. It features "combat, traversal and puzzle solving in a lore rich post apocalyptic world." The teaser doesn't give us much information beyond that and there's no release date just yet, but we do know it'll be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

If you missed the showcase, you can catch up here on everything that was announced (like that new Spongebob game). And according to THQ Nordic, that's only half of what it has up its sleeve. At the end of the showcase, the publisher said a total of 28 games are currently in development, with 15 we still have yet to see.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/darksiders-4-was-not-on-my-2025-bingo-card-204611075.html?src=rss

NASA's latest mission to the ISS features a bacterial experiment

Scientists are sending several strains of disease-causing bacteria to the International Space Station as part of the Crew-11 mission. This experiment isn't the plot to some cheesy horror film, but a scientific investigation from the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and the US-based company Space Tango with the goal of better understanding how bacteria spread and behave under extreme conditions. The experiment includes E. coli, along with bacteria that cause diseases like typhoid fever and the infection commonly known as Salmonella.

After reaching the ISS, the experiment will see the different bacterial species grow before being returned to Earth to be tested against counterparts that were grown simultaneously in an identical lab under normal conditions. The experiment's results will help scientists understand how bacteria respond to zero gravity and could help astronauts, who are more prone to infections during missions due to stress, exposure to radiation and changes in gravity. However, the research could prove useful beyond space missions. With the onset of superbugs that show antibiotic resistance, the experiment could reveal ways to combat more robust bacterial strains.

"This experiment will allow us, for the first time, to systematically and molecularly map how the genetic expression profile of several pathogenic bacteria changes in space," Ohad Gal-Mor, head of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Sheba, said in a press release. 

The medical center previously conducted a test with bacteria in simulated space conditions, which showed a reduced ability to develop antibiotic resistance, but the latest experiment is the first one to take place at the ISS. It's not the first time scientists have studied bacteria's behavior in microgravity conditions, since researchers from the University of Houston tested how E. coli would grow in a simulated space environment back in 2017. More recently, NASA launched an experiment tasking astronauts to swab the interiors of the ISS and test them for evidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-latest-mission-to-the-iss-features-a-bacterial-experiment-195004174.html?src=rss

X has to prove it wasn't negligent when removing CSAM from its site

X isn't off the hook yet when it comes to a significant legal case about child sex abuse content on its platform. On Friday, a circuit judge from the US Court of Appeals ruled that X Corp. has to again face claims that it was negligent in taking down child sex abuse content and didn't have an effective reporting infrastructure for these offenses.

This ruling from Judge Danielle Forrest is the latest step in a lawsuit filed in 2021 against Twitter, before it was rebranded to X. The suit lists two underage boys as the plaintiffs and alleges Twitter, now X, "slow-walked its response to reports about, and did not immediately remove from the platform, pornographic content that a trafficker had coerced plaintiffs into producing."

A previous decision with a three-judge panel unanimously decided that X was legally immune thanks to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which offers wide-reaching protections to online platforms from the content that's posted by its users. This latest decision from Judge Forrest agrees with parts of the previous ruling, but claims that X was negligent in this case and has to defend itself against the lawsuit's claims that the platform makes it "too difficult to report child pornography that is posted on Twitter."

The case revolves around a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old boy who were tricked by online sex traffickers into sending sexually explicit photos, according to the lawsuit. The illegal content was then posted to Twitter, and the 13-year-old filed a report against it through Twitter's content reporting interface, as detailed in the suit. The boy's mother also filed a report, didn't receive anything but an automated response, and had to follow up before receiving a response that Twitter didn't find any policy violations and wouldn't take further action, according to the lawsuit. The suit claimed that Twitter eventually removed the post nine days after the initial report, suspended the poster's account and reported the content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is required by federal law. The lawsuit could set a major precedent in how social media platforms operate, especially if it makes it to the Supreme Court, but X will first have to defend itself against these claims again in district court thanks to this latest decision.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/x-has-to-prove-it-wasnt-negligent-when-removing-csam-from-its-site-173645506.html?src=rss

YouTube is testing Instagram-style collabs

YouTube has started testing a new collaboration feature, similar to Instagram's and TikTok's. A Google employee explained on YouTube Help that it will allow creators to add collaborators to a video so that they can be recommended to each other's audiences. The test is only available to a small group of creators for now, but it sounds like YouTube has plans to expand its availability in the future. Lindsey Gamble, an influencer marketing consultant and advisor, has posted a screenshot showing how the experimental feature works on Threads.

As you can see in the image Gamble posted, adding collaborators would show their names next to the creators on their channel. If there are too many, at least on mobile, the collaborators would show as "...and more" next to the creator's name. Tapping on it would bring up the list of people involved in the project, with the Subscribe button next to their name. 

On Instagram and TikTok, the creator who uploads the content will have to invite another account as a collaborator, who'll then have to approve the invitation. That'll most likely be the case here, as well, in order to ensure that creators don't randomly add other users to their videos. It's not clear, however, whether the collaborators can see details typically reserved for the uploader's eyes. As with any experimental YouTube and Google product, the company will be taking the testers' feedback into account before deciding if it'll give the feature a wide release.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-is-testing-instagram-style-collabs-153046187.html?src=rss

Instagram public accounts with less than 1,000 followers can no longer go live

Instagram is no longer allowing public accounts to go live if they have less than 1,000 followers. Users have been reporting over the past few days that their accounts aren't eligible for Live broadcast on the app anymore. "We changed the requirements to use this feature," reads the notice that pops up when people try to host a livestream broadcast to their followers. "Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos." Now Meta has confirmed the new eligibility requirement to Engadget.

The company told us that it started implementing the new rule in order to ensure that it's providing the best experience for creators that host Live broadcasts and that it's driving improvements in the feature's overall usage experience. It didn't clarify why Instagram won't be able to provide the best experience if users with below 1,000 followers can livestream, as well. 

Meta also told us that the new requirement applies not just to public, but also to private accounts. However, the change has only started rolling out to private accounts, which is likely why its notice states that only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more can go Live for now. That likely means Instagram is killing the ability to do livestreams for up to three close friends only, which was a feature the platform launched in 2024. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/instagram-public-accounts-with-less-than-1000-followers-can-no-longer-go-live-133049758.html?src=rss

Engadget review recap: Samsung Z Flip 7, Oakley Meta glasses, DJI Osmo 360 and more

Whew, it's been a crazy few weeks for us at Engadget. School may still be out, but there's no summer break for the steady stream of new gadgets coming across our desks. I'll forgive you if you missed a review or two over the last few weeks — we've been busy. Here's a quick rundown of what we've been up to, just in time for you to catch up over the weekend. 

Alongside the Z Fold 7, Samsung debuted an updated version of its more compact foldable, the Z Flip 7. UK bureau chief Mat Smith noted that the company managed to provide a substantial overhaul, but there are some areas that were left untouched. "Certain aspects of the Flip 7 are lacking, most notably the cameras, which haven’t been changed since last year," he said. "Samsung also needs to put more work into its Flex Window."

Meta's first non-Ray-Ban smart glasses have arrived. While we wait for a more affordable version to get here, senior editor Karissa Bell put the white and gold option through its paces. "While I don't love the style of the Oakley Meta HSTN frames, Meta has shown that it's been consistently able to improve its glasses," she wrote. "The upgrades that come with the new Oakley frames aren't major leaps, but they deliver improvements to core features."

Reporter Steve Dent argued that DJI is finally giving Insta360 some competition in the 360-degree action cam space. The design and performance of the Osmo 360 are great, but the problem comes when it's time to edit. "The all-new DJI Studio app also needs some work," he explained. "For a first effort, though, the Osmo 360 is a surprisingly solid rival to Insta360’s X5."

Nothing's first "true flagship" phone has arrived, ready to take on the likes of the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25. Despite the company's lofty chatter, Mat argued the Nothing Phone 3 is hampered by a lower-power chip and disappointing cameras. "While I want Nothing to continue experimenting with its phones, it should probably prioritize shoring up the camera performance first," he said.

Samsung debuted a big update to its Galaxy Watch line when it unveiled the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. Senior buying advice reporter Amy Skorheim spent two weeks testing the new wearable, which impressed her so much she declared it was "Samsung's best smartwatch in years." You can read her in-depth review here.

Here are the rest of the reviews you might have missed:

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-samsung-z-flip-7-oakley-meta-glasses-dji-osmo-360-and-more-130012194.html?src=rss

A terrific 2D Ninja Gaiden, housefly bucket lists and other new indie games worth checking out

Welcome to our latest recap of what's going on in the indie game space. A bunch of new games dropped this week that are more than worthy of your attention, including a modern take on an old-school Ninja Gaiden side-scroller and a joyful (perhaps even profound) puzzler about the life of a housefly.

By far the biggest story in indie games over the last few weeks concerns payment processors pressuring the likes of Steam owner Valve and Itch to remove or de-index games that feature adult, NSFW and LGBTQIA+ themes. Under the guise of helping to protect women and children, an conservative activist group in Australia has taken credit for the delistings, as well as stricter rules regarding adult-themed games that Steam and Itch have implemented. But some affected developers suggest this is a smokescreen to push forward an agenda of anti-LGBTQIA+ censorship.

This week, Engadget senior editor Jess Conditt spoke with solo developer Cara Cadaver of Final Girl Games about the impact of the censorship campaign. Valve permanently banned Cadaver's new game, VILE: Exhumed, from Steam for allegedly depicting "sexual content with depictions of real people," though the developer says that assessment is inaccurate. While Cadaver and publisher DreadXP are working on alternative distribution for VILE: Exhumed, Steam is the go-to marketplace for many PC gamers and the ban cuts off what surely would have been a critical source of revenue for the game.

For its part, Itch has started reindexing free adult-themed games on its platform. The company has relied on Stripe and Paypal for processing payments. It has suspended payments via Stripe for 18+ content and it's talking to other potential payment partners "that are more willing to work with this kind of content." In any case, payment processors should not be the arbiters of morality, and they certainly should not be helping activists restrict access to perfectly above-board works of art.

One other piece of news that caught my eye this week is about a game jam that's taking place this month. Participants will have just over three weeks to make games based on real-life investigative reporting. According to Global Game Jam, the teams will gain access to exclusive reporting on organized crime and corruption from around the world and be able to ask journalists behind those stories questions about their work. It's a fascinating idea, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the developers that get involved come up with.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is what I like to call a “hell yeah" game. There are few purer joys than getting about 15-20 minutes into a new game and thinking “hell yeah, this rules.” Even better, that feeling lasted through the other four hours or so I spent with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.

This is a throwback 2D hack-and-slash platformer from The Game Kitchen — the studio behind the Blasphemous series — and publisher Dotemu, which is building quite the reputation for itself as a purveyor of retro-style games (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, the upcoming Marvel Cosmic Invasion). Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound looks and sounds sumptuous, with gorgeous pixel art and stellar level, character and audio design. It’s got combat that's somehow both sticky and slick, and it’s challenging without being too frustrating.

I've had a tremendous time with this one, which, if memory serves me correct, is the first Ninja Gaiden game I’ve played. I can’t really find any notable faults with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It’s well worth checking out. It’s out now on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

Here’s another “hell yeah" game. I’ve been looking forward to Time Flies ever since I clapped eyes on it during a Day of the Devs showcase a couple of years ago. You play as a fly and the goal is to check off a bucket list of items before the insect perishes (their lifespan equates to the average life expectancy of a country of your choosing but in seconds).

It’s a clever, funny and slightly rude — in a playful, Thank Goodness You’re Here sort of way — blend of exploration and puzzle game that makes a strong case as to why we should make the most of our limited time. It’s a short game, as it took me about 90 minutes to roll credits. That's pretty much the ideal length for this one.

The controls are simple (only a D-pad, pause button and a way to call up the bucket list are required) and the aesthetic, which features hand-drawn art, is delightfully low-key too. In fact, this would be a perfect fit for the Playdate, which just happens to come from Panic, the publisher of Time Flies. For now, though, you can check out this lovely little game from the team at Playables on Steam, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Whatnot Games released the 1.0 version Star Racer on Steam this week after over a year of early access. This is a retro racer very much in the vein of the F-Zero series that features local multiplayer (here's hoping for online multiplayer at some point) and music from Grant Kirkhope of Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 fame. You can also create your own tracks and share them with others online.

I love the launch trailer for Star Racer, which blends gameplay with '80s-style animation. I also adore that — per Rock Paper Shotgun — one of the characters is a "detective-looking fella called Thrash Whiplash." If that's not in the running for the best video game character name of the 2020s, we're all going to need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

We have yet another flavor of pretty, retro-tinged pixel art this week thanks to developers Ancient Corporation and Bitwave Games, as well as publisher Limited Run Games. Their 16 bit-style shoot-'em-up Earthion landed on Steam this week.

It features music from legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, ActRaiser, Shenmue and many more games). That probably should not come as a huge shock given that he co-founded Ancient. 

Earthion is also slated to hit consoles starting in September. Being a Limited Run title, physical editions are of course on the way for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch. Expect those later this year. A physical version is also expected for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 2026.

Surgent Studios went in a completely different direction for its follow-up to its well-received Metroidvania from last year, Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Its latest project (released with the help of the publishing arm of Palworld creator Pocketpair), Dead Take, is a first-person psychological horror about an actor who is looking for a friend who has vanished after a Hollywood party.

There's top-tier videogame acting talent here, with Neil Newbon (Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3) and Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI) taking on the lead roles, and a litany of other well-known performers — from Laura Bailey to Sam Lake — also making appearances. That cast alone makes this worthy of attention. Dead Take is out now on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

It feels like we've been waiting forever for Hobbit life sim Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game to drop and, following some delays, it's now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Steam. (This is now technically an indie game because Take-Two sold off publisher Private Division last year.)

I love games that tell you exactly what they're about in their title and A Game About Digging A Hole sure is one of those. You dig a hole, find buried goodies, and sell them to help you buy better gear. 

Developer DoubleBee and publishers Rokaplay and Headup brought this exploration game to iOS and Android this week after a hugely successful debut on Steam earlier this year. A Game About Digging A Hole has now sold more than 1 million copies.

Perhaps you're looking for a different digging game to check out this weekend. In that case, Mashina may be worth considering. The titular character is a robot that searches for valuable minerals to help repair and expand her community. Mashina can also use the minerals to build machines that can help with her digs, while she can use items she stumbles upon for base decoration.

Developers Jack King-Spooner and Talha Kaya (who previously released Judero) used traditional stop-motion techniques to animate Mashina. This charming-looking puzzle/exploration game is now available on Steam.

Let's wrap up this section with a short, experimental game about anxiety. A Dream About Parking Lots has been out on Steam for a few months and the aptly named Interactive Dreams (with the help of Take It Studio!) brought it to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch this week. It's said to be based on real dreams and will see you looking for your car among parking lots and mazes while chatting with a therapist. 

Wander Stars — from Paper Castle Games and publisher Fellow Traveller — was supposed to be arriving this week, but the developers have pushed the release date back until September 19. The team wants to carry out some changes to improve the game following feedback from an open beta.

I really like the look of this one, and though turn-based combat isn't usually my cup of tea, I'm very intrigued by the system that's in use here. You'll find and combine words into phrases that convert into devastating attacks. There are more than 200 words and they have cooldowns, so combining them in smart ways will be a key to success. Using words "with honor" can seemingly help you unlock more useful phrases too. Very curious to see how all of that works in practice. We'll get a better idea next month, when Wander Stars lands on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Speaking of games with a killer look, a gameplay trailer for I Hate This Place hooked me in this week. This is an isometric survival horror game that pulls from the visual stylings of its comic book origins. Crafting is vital here, both in terms of your arsenal and strengthening your shelter before nightfall. This stylish title from Rock Square Thunder and publisher Broken Mirror Games is bound for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-terrific-2d-ninja-gaiden-housefly-bucket-lists-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110005806.html?src=rss

Tesla found partially liable for a deadly 2019 crash

A jury in Florida has found Tesla partially liable for a 2019 crash involving the company's Autopilot self-driving feature, The Washington Post reports. As a result, the company will have to pay $43 million in compensatory damages and even more in punitive damages.

Autopilot comes pre-installed on Tesla's cars and handles things like collision detection and emergency braking. Tesla has mostly avoided taking responsibility for crashes involving cars with the Autopilot enabled, but the Florida case played out differently. The jury ultimately decided that the self-driving tech enabled driver George McGee to take his eyes off the road and hit a couple, Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo, ultimately killing one and severely injuring the other. 

During the case, Tesla's lawyers argued that McGee's decision to take his eyes off the road to reach for his phone was the cause of the crash, and that Autopilot shouldn't be considered. The plaintiffs, Angulo and Benevides Leon's family, argued that the way Tesla and Elon Musk talked about the feature ultimately created the illusion that Autopilot was safer than it really was. "My concept was that it would assist me should I have a failure … or should I make a mistake," McGee said on the stand. "And in that case I feel like it failed me." The jury ultimately assigned two-thirds of the responsibility to McGee and a third to Tesla, according to NBC News.

When reached for comment, Tesla said it would appeal the decision and gave the following statement: 

Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology. We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial. Even though this jury found that the driver was overwhelmingly responsible for this tragic accident in 2019, the evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault because he was speeding, with his foot on the accelerator – which overrode Autopilot – as he rummaged for his dropped phone without his eyes on the road. To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs’ lawyers blaming the car when the driver – from day one – admitted and accepted responsibility. 

In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation of Autopilot from 2024, crashes were blamed on driver misuse of Tesla's system and not the system itself. The NHTSA also found that Autopilot was overly permissive and "did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task," which lines up with the 2019 Florida crash.

While Autopilot is only one component of Tesla's larger collection of self-driving driving features, selling the idea that the company's cars could safely driving on their own is a key part of its future. Elon Musk has claimed that Full Self-Driving (FSD), the paid upgrade to Autopilot, is "safer than human driving." Tesla's Robotaxi service relies on FSD being able to function with no or minimal supervision, something that produced mixed results in the first few days the service was available. 

Update, August 1, 6:05PM ET: This story was updated after publication to include Tesla's statement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-found-partially-liable-for-a-deadly-2019-crash-193612682.html?src=rss

GOG is giving away a selection of adult games to protest censorship

In partnership with developers, game marketplace GOG (Good Old Games) has launched a new website called FreedomtoBuy.games that'll let you download select "adult" games for free. GOG believes the website takes a stand "against the quiet erasure of creative works from digital shelves," a response of sorts to recent decisions from Steam and Itch to delist certain violent and sexuality-explicit games from their respective platforms.

GOG is currently offering 13 games for free for the next 48 hours, some with well-known scandals and others that seem to fall into the "NSFW visual novel" bucket that makes up the majority of sexually-explicit games on digital storefronts. The titles available to download are:

POSTAL 2, a graphically violent open-world game, is a notable inclusion because it was banned in New Zealand in 2004 and delisted from the German version of Steam in 2016. HuniePop, one of several "adult-only" games Twitch streamers are explicitly forbidden to stream, makes sense on the list, too. GOG has made a concerted effort to preserve games of all types, including maintaining them so that they run on current hardware. The point of making these games available to download is as much about preservation as it is about highlighting how apparently easy it is to pressure digital storefronts to remove content, though.

Valve's decision to delist titles from Steam was chalked up to a new rule that requires games to abide by the standards set by the payment processors that work with Steam. Itch offered a similar explanation for the delistings on its storefront, pointing to pressure payment processors were receiving from a nonprofit called Collective Shout. In the process, indie games like VILE: Exhumed have been delisted, primarily for depicting things that might make a certain group of people uncomfortable. 

Itch, for its part, seems to be trying to bring back as many games to its storefront as it can. The platform is restoring free NSFW games, and says it's still in talks with its payment partners about restoring paid games to its storefront.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gog-is-giving-away-a-selection-of-adult-games-to-protest-censorship-215048233.html?src=rss

T-Mobile now officially owns UScellular

T-Mobile has sealed the deal on its UScellular acquisition. In exchange for $4.3 billion, T-Mobile gets UScellular’s customers, stores and 30 percent of its spectrum.

If you’re a UScellular customer, you don’t have to do anything. "UScellular customers stay on their existing plans with no changes for now," the carrier said. You can continue to manage your account through UScellular’s website. You can also still turn to the T-Mobile-owned carrier for customer support.

The $4.3 billion wasn’t the only price T-Mobile had to pay. To gain the approval of Trump's FCC, the carrier agreed to gut its DEI programs. That followed Verizon doing the same for its Frontier acquisition. The president has used merger approvals as a cudgel to push his agenda (including getting lawsuits settled) in the private sector.

UScellular will now exist only as an infrastructure company. It can now generate revenue from licensing its remaining spectrum and towers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/t-mobile-now-officially-owns-uscellular-204509780.html?src=rss

Microsoft is killing its failed ChromeOS competitor, Windows 11 SE

Microsoft is ending support for its ChromeOS competitor Windows 11 SE. The company will officially stop providing "software updates, technical assistance and security fixes" in October 2026, according to an updated support document spotted by NeoWin. 

When it was announced in 2021, Windows 11 SE was pitched as a simplified, lightweight version of Microsoft's operating system for the classroom. Chromebooks and ChromeOS devices are widely used in schools around the world, so it made sense that Microsoft would want to offer something competitive. Windows 11 SE, and the Surface Laptop SE that launched alongside it, were the company's latest attempt to do just that.

Clearly the plan didn't work, as evidenced by Microsoft's decision to shutdown Windows 11 SE just five years later. The operating system was available on other low-cost devices, but it doesn't appear that it acquired nearly the same-sized audience as ChromeOS. If it had, Microsoft likely wouldn't be dumping it so unceremoniously.

Windows 11 SE isn't the first time Microsoft has tried to spin-off a more efficient version of Windows, though it did seem like the most thought out. For example, the company has also tried Windows 10 S (which lives on as "S Mode" in Windows 11) and the never-launched Windows 10X, a streamlined version of Windows for dual-screen devices. 

While Windows 11 SE devices will work after Microsoft's October 2026 cut-off, the company recommends "transitioning to a device that supports another edition of Windows 11 to ensure continued support and security."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-is-killing-its-failed-chromeos-competitor-windows-11-se-200050553.html?src=rss

OpenAI is removing ChatGPT conversations from Google

OpenAI has removed a feature that made shared ChatGPT conversations appear in search results. The "short-lived experiment" was based on the chatbot's link creation option. After complaints, OpenAI's chief information security officer, Dane Stuckey, said the company is working to remove the chats from search engines.

The public outrage stems from a Fast Company article from earlier this week (via Ars Technica). Fast Company said it found thousands of ChatGPT conversations in Google search results. The indexed chats didn't explicitly include identifying information. But in some cases, their contents reportedly contained specific details that could point to the source.

To be clear, this wasn't a hack or leak. It was tied to a box users could tick when creating a shareable URL directing to a chat. In the pop-up for creating a public link, the option to "Make this chat discoverable" appeared. The more direct explanation ("allows it to be shown in web searches") appeared in a smaller, grayer font below. Users had to tick that box to make the chat indexed.

You may wonder why people creating a public link to a chat would have a problem with its contents being public. But Fast Company noted that people could have made the URLs to share in messaging apps or as an easy way to revisit the chats later. Regardless, the public discoverability option is gone now.

In Fast Company's report, Stuckey defended the feature's labeling as "sufficiently clear." But after the outcry grew, OpenAI relented. "Ultimately, we think this feature introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn't intend to, so we're removing the option," Stuckey announced on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-removing-chatgpt-conversations-from-google-194735704.html?src=rss

Some goo.gl URLs will live to fight another day

Google's shortened URLs are the horror movie monster of the Google Graveyard: They keep finding a way to stay alive. On Friday, the company said goo.gl links that don't show the above warning will work for the foreseeable future. 

In 2018, Google cut off the ability to create new shortened links. But it kept existing URLs active as a courtesy to those who relied on them. Then, a year ago, the company said its bit.ly rival would shut down completely on August 25, 2025. That appeared to be the final nail in the coffin. Not so fast.

That brings us to Google's change of heart today. "We understand these links are embedded in countless documents, videos, posts and more, and we appreciate the input received," the company explained.

You'll know yours is shutting down if it currently shows a warning message. ("This link will no longer work in the near future.") If it redirects to the destination without that detour, it will live to fight another day. Google says the survivors were chosen based on whether they showed activity in late 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/some-googl-urls-will-live-to-fight-another-day-183508123.html?src=rss

Reddit puts its plans for paid subreddits on hold

Reddit is reversing course on its plans to put some subreddits behind a paywall, at least for now. CEO Steve Huffman said the company is "shifting resources away" from the effort as it doubles down on search.

During the company's recent earnings call, Huffman said that Reddit was "deprioritizing" its work on "user economy" initiatives in order to put more resources into turning the site into a "go-to search engine." In a follow-up AMA on Reddit, he confirmed this includes pausing work on paid subreddits.

"To stay focused on what matters most, we’re shifting resources away from a few areas, such as work on the user economy," he wrote. "This includes what some have referred to as paid subreddits." Though Huffman added that "it's still an opportunity we believe in," it's a notable departure from comments he made in February, when he said such features would be rolling out in 2025.

Reddit's priorities have apparently changed considerably since then. While paid communities were meant to appeal to Reddit power users, the company still very much needs to grow its user base, according to Huffman. "The folks previously working on user economy will join our efforts to improve the core app, including onboarding and personalization," the CEO explained in another AMA response. "That gets at our most important need today, which is logged-in core user growth."

While Huffman has spent the last year hinting at paid features, it's not hard to understand why Reddit would now be shifting away from that model. Advertising is still very much the most important part of the company's business, as Huffman explained. And adding more core users to the platform will be key to growing that business. To put this in perspective, during the last quarter, Reddit pulled in $465 million in ad revenue and just $35 million from "other" sources, like data licensing and Reddit premium. Even if paywalled subreddits could substantially increase that "other" number, it would still be a small fraction of what the company is making from advertisers.

So while paid subreddits may still be on the company's roadmap, users shouldn't expect to see them any time soon. They can, however, probably expect to see more ads in more places on Reddit over time. For example, Huffman said that the company sees "ads on search return pages … as a future opportunity."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-puts-its-plans-for-paid-subreddits-on-hold-181455933.html?src=rss

The original Nintendo Switch is about to get more expensive in the US

Nintendo has announced that the price of the original Nintendo Switch will change in the United States, citing “market conditions” as the reason for its decision. The new pricing will apply from August 3, and will affect the regular Switch, the Switch Lite and the Switch OLED, as well as select accessories for the console. Amiibo and the Alarmo alarm clock will also see price increases.

The Switch 2 is not affected, nor are the prices of any games or Nintendo Switch Online memberships for Switch or Switch 2. Nintendo doesn’t rule out more wide-ranging price adjustments in the future, though. The company has not yet announced any of the new prices, but Target appeared to briefly update its pricing (since removed), listing the Switch at $340, the Switch Lite at $230 and the Switch OLED at $400. The original Switch is currently priced at $300, the Switch Lite at $200, and the Switch OLED at $350, so these would represent pretty significant increases all round if accurate.

The news follows the Switch price increases in Canada that came into effect today. The console is now $20 CAD more expensive than it was previously, with Nintendo also blaming market conditions (that it still isn’t directly attributing to tariffs in its official messaging) for that adjustment when it announced it back in June.

It looks like the Switch price changes in the US at least won’t be quite as severe as those Microsoft recently announced for the Xbox Series S and Series X. The consoles now start at $380 and $550, respectively, which is an $80 increase for the former and a whopping $100 bump for the flagship Series X.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-original-nintendo-switch-is-about-to-get-more-expensive-in-the-us-170646701.html?src=rss

Nintendo has sold over 6 million Switch 2s but still can't keep up with demand

Nintendo sold 5.82 million Switch 2s in less than four weeks and is on pace to hit its target of 15 million units by April 2026, the company said in its latest earnings report. If that pans out, the Switch 2 would easily outsell the original Switch, which took a full year to hit that same 15 million sales number — making it a rare bright spot in today's gaming world.  

Despite those superb sales figures, Nintendo says demand is outstripping supply in many regions and promises to boost production as soon as possible. There's some insight into Nintendo's available inventory elsewhere in the earnings report. The 5.82 million number counts sales up to June 30, and the company says that as of July 25, it had sold through "more than 6 million" consoles. That's not the clearest figure, but it definitely shows sales cratered in July despite consistent demand.

Switch 2 software sales were also strong with 8.67 million units sold, thanks in large part to the company's Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle along with Donkey Kong Bananza and games from outside publishers (Nintendo also just announced a bunch of new third-party games coming soon). The company also sold 24.4 million games designed for the original Switch, largely because the new console is backwards compatible with previous Switch titles, it said. 

All of that meant that Nintendo had a very good quarter, more than doubling revenue over last year to 572.3 billion yen ($3.8 billion) with a 56.9 billion yen profit ($378 million). The company still expects to bring in 1.9 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) for its fiscal year. 

Update, July 1, 12PM ET: This story has been updated after publish. The headline and article initially mistated the period in which Nintendo sold 5.82 million Switch 2 consoles as 7 weeks. That period relates to Nintendo's claim of "more than 6 million" sales, rather than the 5.82 million figure. The headline and article now accurately reflect the sales figures, and we regret the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-has-sold-over-6-million-switch-2s-but-still-cant-keep-up-with-demand-120011674.html?src=rss

Apple's USB-C Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is $20 off right now

Apple's first-party USB-C Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is on sale for $179 right now via Amazon. That's a discount of $20, as the typical price is $199. This deal applies to both the white and black versions of this accessory.

This keyboard has been specifically designed by the company to work with Apple Silicon computers. As previously mentioned, it includes a Touch ID sensor, for authentication, and an extended layout. It also has full-size arrow keys, which is great for gaming. Apple computers have been getting some big titles lately.

Like most modern Apple accessories, it's wireless. The keyboard includes a replaceable battery that can go for around a month between charges. The overall design here is sleek and the keypad is responsive and comfortable.

This model didn't make our list of the best keyboards, as there's one major downside: It's so very expensive. It's tough to recommend any keyboard at $199, even if it is a first-party Apple product. It's a bit easier to recommend at $179.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-usb-c-magic-keyboard-with-touch-id-is-20-off-right-now-162039291.html?src=rss

Nothing Phone 3 review: Not quite a flagship

Nothing did things differently with its third generation of phones. First came the midrange Nothing Phone 3a (and 3a Pro), which combined stylish hardware with a competitive price. Now, the company has launched the Nothing Phone 3, which it's calling its first "true flagship." At $799, it's Nothing's most expensive phone yet, featuring a bigger screen, four 50-megapixel cameras and a major redesign of the company’s signature Glyph interface, which has evolved into the more compact Glyph Matrix.

Nothing's hardware design is what truly sets its phones apart from the established players, and the 2025 model is more elaborate and complex than ever. At this price, however, it faces stiff competition from entry-level flagships like the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16. Beyond the innovations and occasional gimmicks, has Nothing nailed the fundamentals enough to compete?

Nothing Phone 3 review
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Once again, Nothing has made a phone that commands attention like no other. Everywhere I go, people are curious when they see me using the Phone 3, and the Glyph Matrix seems to both confuse and delight them.

Unlike the protruding camera unit on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the Phone 3’s three cameras are separately lodged in the back and jut out a fraction of a millimeter. The see-through exterior returns, displaying screws and hardware modules organized into three vertical rows. This time, it’s more apparent that this is a design flourish rather than a genuine glimpse into the phone’s components. For example, a curious semi-circle of frosted glass beneath the flash doesn't seem to have a purpose (beyond an aesthetic one).

Elsewhere, a red square next to the ultrawide camera now acts as a recording light. It's another charming touch that can be disabled in the settings if you find it distracting. The off-center telephoto camera lens might also irk symmetry fans, but it's a choice that I don't particularly mind. The Phone 3 is 18 percent thinner than the Phone 2 and, without the camera bump of the 3a Pro, it looks and feels a step above its predecessors.

The main attraction is the Glyph Matrix: a circular dot-matrix display made of 489 LEDs that shows simple notifications, the time and battery level. While some loyal fans might miss the bold light show of previous models, this iteration is far more useful. Instead of a barrage of flashing lights, the Matrix can tell you who is calling through unique patterns and, with future updates, custom art assigned to your contacts.

Nothing continues to lean into its retro tech design inspiration, and I'll admit I'm a sucker for it. The dot-matrix text and numbers align perfectly with Nothing's Android skin, making the entire device feel cohesive. A capacitive haptic Glyph button beneath the Matrix lets you cycle through notifications and tools. Interactions are simple: a short press to switch modes or a long press to start tools like the stopwatch.

Nothing Phone 3 review
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Fortunately, you can use the Phone 3’s settings menu to assign Glyph Matrix tools and "toys." Most of them are playful and frivolous, like Spin The Bottle and Magic 8 Ball, and Nothing is tapping into its community to create new Matrix widgets. Hopefully, functionality will expand as more users get involved. Some tools are less useful though, like a level that uses the phone’s accelerometer for a pixelated readout. It just seems a little imprecise; how much accuracy can you derive from less than 500 pixels? Others are quite slick, like a pixelated camera readout for framing selfies.

With Essential Notifications, you can assign specific app notifications or contacts to a unique pattern or a pixelated photo. However, it's challenging to create anything that doesn't look like a blurry mess. The same settings menu allows you to adjust the Matrix's brightness and how long the notifications persist.

The front of the Phone 3 is all display, with a 6.67-inch screen and a resolution of 2,800 x 1,260. If you prefer a large screen, this is probably its biggest advantage over the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25. It’s also Nothing’s brightest phone yet, reaching up to 4,500 nits for HDR content — noticeably brighter than the Nothing Phone 3a. It supports HDR 10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate, all protected by Gorilla Glass 7.

Nothing Phone 3 review
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Nothing has the fundamentals covered with the Phone 3’s cameras. The triple-camera system includes a 50-megapixel f/1.7 main sensor with optical image stabilization, a 50MP ultrawide and a new 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.

As we noted in our Nothing Phone 3a review, telephoto cameras are rare on more affordable smartphones. On the Phone 3, there’s a periscope zoom, keeping the camera unit svelte and barely protruding from the device. It’s also impressive to see a 3x zoom paired with a high-resolution 50-megapixel sensor, which allows you to crop into images while retaining fidelity. Nothing even added a 6x zoom button in the camera app that crops the image further. The app also uses pixel-binning for more accurate color and better low-light pictures by default, which results in them being saved as 12-megapixel images.

Overall, the camera system can be a little inconsistent. During a vacation in Amsterdam, the Phone 3 captured crisp images of wildlife and architecture. Its Action mode was particularly impressive, effortlessly adding motion blur to shots while keeping the subject sharp. However, at other times, what should have been vibrant cityscape shots and street art came out muted and grainy. For example, psychedelic cat artwork that was incredibly vibrant in person looked flat in the photos. The metadata revealed the phone had cranked up the ISO, a setting I haven't had to manually adjust on a smartphone in years.While some color variation between the three lenses is expected, images often looked as if they were taken on different phones, something that was especially evident in scenes with blue skies.

Nothing Phone 3 sample images
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

The telephoto camera is the standout feature on the Phone 3. I love the ability to play with zoom, and the 3x optical zoom (plus the additional crop) makes this a more useful camera than those on the iPhone 16 or Pixel 9, which top out at 2x zoom. It’s also an excellent macro camera, using the zoom to prevent the phone from casting a shadow on the subject.

Nothing Phone 3 review
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Nothing once again outfits its phone with its own distinctive Android skin. The aesthetic is all monochrome, serif fonts and dot-matrix touches. I immediately chose this skin when setting up the phone for the first time, though finding some app icons can be more challenging without their original colors.

Essential Space, with its dedicated hardware button, remains Nothing’s most interesting software addition. Since launching on the Nothing Phone 3a, it can now add events to your Google Calendar, remind you of tasks and summarize audio recordings. My biggest issue, however, is accidentally hitting the power button instead of the Essential Key, or vice versa. The keys need to be a different size or at least have a more distinct feel.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, the Phone 3 performs solidly, but it’s not as snappy as a device with true flagship silicon, like the Snapdragon 8 Elite or Apple A18. Some might argue that the Phone 3 isn't a "true flagship" because its processor can be found in sub-$400 devices, but the chip is still powerful enough for most tasks and games, and can even deliver ray-traced graphics.

Nothing opted for a 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery, making it one of the first phones we’ve tested with this new technology. It can store more lithium ions than traditional lithium-ion batteries, which Nothing claims adds a 10 percent boost in energy density compared to its predecessor. I didn’t feel any notable difference of the Phone 3 running cooler, however. In our battery rundown test, the Phone 3 was able to play a video file for just over 23 hours. That falls slightly shy of the Phone 2, but that has a smaller screen.

The Phone 3 also gets flagship-level charging speeds, supporting 65W wired charging that gets the device from empty to full in under an hour (with a compatible charger). It also supports 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging for earbuds. However, the lack of Qi2 support seems like an oversight for a "true flagship."

Nothing Phone 3 review
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

How does Nothing’s flagship phone stack up against similarly priced smartphones? The Phone 3 offers a big 6.67-inch screen, a large battery with fast charging and 256GB of storage — double the amount found in the base Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25.

However, a less-than-flagship chipset and inconsistent camera performance detract from the appeal of an otherwise intriguing phone with slick software and a unique design. The Glyph Matrix is much more useful than the flashing lights of the Phone 3’s predecessors, even if the design isn’t quite as bold. I just hope the company continues to evolve the tools available on it.

The Phone 3 is a much better phone than the two-year-old Nothing Phone 2, but it's also $200 more expensive, making any shortcomings more apparent. While I want Nothing to continue experimenting with its phones, it should probably prioritize shoring up the camera performance first.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/nothing-phone-3-review-143006151.html?src=rss

Itch.io starts reindexing free NSFW content

Digital storefront Itch.io is reindexing its free adult games, and is talking to its partnered payment processors about plans to gradually reintroduce paid NSFW content. In a new Developer Update, the company said the decision will ensure it can "confidently support the widest range of creators in the long term."

Itch.io has instructed developers and creators who want their games back on the store to tick a “no payments” box that sits in the pricing section of a game’s edit page. It adds that any game that uses "individually priced files” will have those files converted into free content by checking the box. The company is also introducing a new content warnings system for NSFW-tagged pages, which it says all page owners are required to update accordingly before being reindexed.

Itch.io says it has talked to one of its long-standing payment processors, Stripe, about its policies on explicit adult content, and said it will no longer be able to take payments for games deemed to be "designed for sexual gratification" via the platform. This is due to new restrictions enforced by Stripe’s banking partners. In a statement included in the Itch.io update, Stripe said it hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of being able to support adult content again in the future. In the meantime, Itch.io says it is talking to its other payment partners about accepting the card payments Stripe is currently no longer able to process.

The future of adult content on Itch.io appears to be uncertain. It was only last week that all NSFW games on the platform were deindexed and hidden, following the new payment processor policies. The sudden and frustratingly vague rules Steam and Itch.io introduced to remain in compliance with those payment processors have resulted in unjust casualties. This week, solo developer Cara Cadaver told Engadget that her game, VILE: Exhumed, has been removed from and banned by Steam on the basis of it having scenes of "sexual content with depictions of real people," a description she says is not accurate. VILE: Exhumed is a mainly text-based game, and has been well received in previews, landing a spot on Six One Indie’s Best of PAX East roundup back in May. Steam’s decision to remove the game is not eligible for appeal.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/itchio-starts-reindexing-free-nsfw-content-152431716.html?src=rss

Google rolls out its most powerful Gemini model yet

Google AI Ultra subscribers now have access to Deep Think, Google’s most advanced reasoning model yet for Gemini 2.5. The new model was first unveiled at Google I/O, and after feedback from "early trusted testers," is now being rolled out to a wider audience. For now, access is limited to the highest-tier AI subscription Google offers, which will run you a cool $250 per month.

The public version of Deep Think is a variation of the model that recently achieved a gold-medal standard at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Google says the version available today would achieve a bronze-medal standard at the same competition according to internal testing, and is faster and better suited for daily use. The gold-medal model will still be tested further and is being shared with a small group of mathematicians and academics for research.

Deep Think works by leveraging what Google describes as parallel thinking techniques. This approach allows Gemini to generate multiple ideas at once and consider them simultaneously. Deep Think is also multi-modal, meaning it can take in different types of data including text, images and sound.

Deep Think was tested against various AI benchmarks, such as Humanity’s Last Exam and LiveCodeBench and outscored OpenAI’s o3, xAI’s Grok 4 and Gemini 2.5 Pro, according to Google.

AI Ultra subscribers can begin using Deep Think within the Gemini app today, though they will be limited to a fixed number of prompts per day. Google did not share exactly how many prompts will be allowed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-rolls-out-its-most-powerful-gemini-model-yet-151205875.html?src=rss

The best live TV streaming services to cut cable in 2025

We still think getting a live TV streaming service is a better deal than paying for cable — but the gulf between the two options is narrowing. Now that many of the major providers go for more than $80 per month, it’s not the amazing deal it once was. Still, live TV streaming plans have no contract, offer relatively simpler pricing and need no special equipment beyond a smart TV and an internet connection.

After testing all the major players, we found YouTube TV to be the most well-rounded. But other services have their advantages, too, and there are plenty of free services as well. Here are the best live TV streaming services we tested, along with our advice on how to stream and what to look for.

Editor’s note: We are still waiting to see launch date and pricing details for ESPN’s upcoming standalone streaming service. In the meantime, we’ve learned that customers paying for any DirecTV Signature Package or the MySports Genre Pack will gain access to the Unlimited version of ESPN's service at no extra charge once it’s live. DirecTV customers with a Gemini device will also get access to the Disney+ and Hulu basic bundle. The announcement stems from a distribution agreement DirecTV reached with Disney (owner of ESPN) last September. 

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There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels.

The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage. 

But for a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree, and Fubo Free lets customers with a lapsed subscription keep watching some content. Here's the best of the live TV streaming services we tried:

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Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.

When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.

Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.

When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.

But local channel access is another area where traditional streaming services, like Netflix, are bleeding into broadcast territory. For example, you can watch your local NBC station with a Peacock subscription and you can tune into your area’s CBS station through your Paramount+ subscription. Netflix is even getting into the mix with a recently announced deal with one of France’s broadcast companies, TF1. The streaming service will now air TF1's live TV channels and on-demand content inside the Netflix app. No word if the concept will expand to other regions, but it’s an interesting move to anyone interested in the future of streaming.

One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.

That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.

I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi. While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want.

And if sports is all you’re after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper, too. The promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year. But in May, ESPN confirmed it will launch its own streaming service that will include all ESPN channels, though a start date hasn’t been confirmed. DirecTV recently announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you're an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it's more expensive).

Traditional cable networks

Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.

Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.

Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.

Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.

Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.

Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.

Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.

Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.

Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you're using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device.

Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. You’ll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan.

Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution.

Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.

I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.

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When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.

I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.

I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.

All live TV streaming services we’ve tested:

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Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.

Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.

FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.

Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.

A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.

No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.

YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024's letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling’s customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million.

You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.

But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.

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January 31, 2025: Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubi’s free option. Updated Fubo’s pricing. Added details about DirectTV Stream’s sports-only package and Comcast’s sports and news bundle.

January 16, 2025: Included higher prices for Sling’s Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTV’s new sports package.

December 31, 2024: Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazon’s Freevee service and the addition of DirecTV’s free service.

August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN's new sports-only streaming service, Venu. 

June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-live-tv-streaming-service-133000410.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Is Zuckerberg reassessing Meta’s approach to open-source AI?

Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg published a memo outlining his vision to build AI "superintelligence." Citing "safety concerns," he wrote that Meta would need to be "rigorous" about what it open sources and what it doesn't. The line stood out, as Zuckerberg has made open source pretty central to Meta's approach to AI.

In fact, his comments differ from what he wrote almost exactly a year ago in a different memo titled "Open Source AI is the Path Forward." In that, he said that open source is crucial for both Meta and developers.

The new memo is pretty meandering, and Zuckerberg followed up with comments on Meta’s Q2 earnings call, saying that nothing had particularly changed. He said the company had always “open-sourced some of our models and not open-sourced everything that we've done.” 

This Friday, we've got a barrage of reviews with more coming later today. Are Meta's Oakley glasses worth the extra money? Should Insta360 be scared of DJI's new camera? Read on!

— Mat Smith

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Find My Skechers is a new line of children's shoes that encourages parents to hide an Apple AirTag under the heel. A commercial for the new line of shoes describes the "clever secure hidden compartment" where parents can hide the AirTag and notes that your child won't be able to feel it in their shoes. 

AirTags and distrust sold separately.

Continue reading.

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DJI is finally taking on rising rival Insta360 with its first panoramic action camera. The company has tried to one-up the competition with a new sensor design, up to 8K 50 fps 10-bit log recording and a smaller, lighter body. It also matches or beats its rival in other areas, with similar battery life and superior low-light capability. However, the editing app still needs some work.

Continue reading.

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Meta’s newest smartglasses collaboration taps Oakley instead of Ray-Ban. Some solid upgrades here will appeal to serious athletes and power users, but with a starting price of nearly $400, are those upgrades worth an extra $100 - $200 compared to the Ray-Ban iteration? Maybe not. We know that Meta will add displays and, eventually, full augmented reality capabilities to its wearable glasses. They are also likely to cost significantly more than these.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111516821.html?src=rss

Google is bringing image and PDF uploads to AI Mode

Google is updating AI Mode on desktop this week with the ability to process images, so you can ask it detailed questions about the pictures like you already can on mobile. In the coming weeks, the company is also adding support for PDF uploads on desktop, which could help you digest lengthy course or work materials. You can ask AI Mode to summarize the documents for you and ask follow-up questions that it will then answer by cross-referencing the materials you uploaded with information available on the web. Google says AI Mode's responses will also include links to its references that you can visit in order to dig deeper. AI Mode will support additional file types for upload, including ones straight from your Google Drive, in the coming months as well. 

In addition to PDF upload support, Google is also rolling out a new Canvas feature that you can access if you're enrolled in the AI Mode Labs experiment in the US. You can use Canvas to consolidate all relevant information about a specific topic or for a specific purpose in a side panel that updates as you ask AI Mode more follow-up questions. If you're traveling, for instance, you can ask AI Mode to make you an itinerary and click the Create Canvas button. You'll be able to keep refining the itinerary with more questions, and you can always leave it alone for a while and come back to it later. 

AI Mode's Search Live is also getting video input on mobile this week, a feature Google announced at I/O 2025, after voice input arrived in June. To be able to access video input, you'll have to open Lens in the Google app and tap the Live icon before asking questions on what the camera sees. When Google revealed the feature during its annual developers' event, it said you could point the camera at a math problem, for example, and ask Search to help you solve it or to explain a concept you're having trouble understanding. 

Finally, with Lens in Chrome, you'll be able to ask AI Mode what's on your desktop screen. The company will roll out an "Ask Google about this page" dropdown option in the address bar "soon." When you click on it, AI Mode will create an overview with key information on what's being shown on your screen on the side panel, whether it's a web page or a PDF. That side panel will also contain a new "Dive Deeper" button that gives you a way to ask AI Mode specific questions about you've selected on your screen with Lens on desktop. 

Updated August 1, 2025 5:45AM ET: This story has been updated to add information on "Dive Deeper."

Update, July 29 2025, 12:29PM ET: This story has been updated, as Google shared after the article was published that the image and PDF upload features will be available wherever AI Mode is available, not just in the US. That means those uploads will come to the US, India and the UK.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-is-bringing-image-and-pdf-uploads-to-ai-mode-160050646.html?src=rss

The best iPad cases for 2025

Your new iPad is sleek, powerful and ready to tackle everything from binge-watching to serious productivity — but without the right protection, it’s also one drop away from disaster. One of the most important iPad accessories is a solid case. Whether you want something rugged to handle everyday wear and tear, a slim case that keeps things lightweight or a keyboard cover to turn your tablet into a mini laptop, there are plenty of options to suit your needs.

Some cases go beyond basic protection, offering adjustable stands for better viewing angles, built-in storage for your Apple Pencil or even added durability for clumsy moments. We’ve rounded up the best iPad accessories to keep your new iPad safe and functional.

It’s almost always a good idea to keep your iPad in a case so it’s protected against hazards and accidents. The best iPads are expensive — even the most affordable model will set you back at least $300 — so you’ll want to safeguard your gear as much as possible.

All iPad covers are cases, but not all iPad cases are covers — yes, it’s a bit confusing, but allow us to explain. Most iPad covers are cases that surround the back of your tablet and have a flap that covers the screen, so it provides protection for the body as well as its display. Plenty of iPad cases also have screen covers, but you don’t have to get one with that feature. Instead, you could just get a case that hugs the back of the tablet and nothing else. Those accessories will be marginally thinner and lighter than their cover-toting counterparts, and give your iPad a more svelte profile.

How often you charge your iPad will depend on how often you use it. Most iPads will last at least a regular work day with frequent usage, which is one of the reasons why many have opted to use their iPads as laptop replacements. But with heavy usage, like constant video streaming or gaming, will come more rapid battery drain. A good rule of thumb is to charge your iPad when you go to sleep each night, that way you’ll have a topped-up device waiting for you in the morning.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-ipad-cases-to-protect-your-tablet-130033533.html?src=rss

The best streaming deals: Save on HBO Max, Disney+, YouTube TV and others

Whether you’re a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it drops, everyone’s on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anymore.

We at Engadget still think so, for many reasons, but you can (and should) be smart with your money at the same time. Streaming deals are an option, even if they don’t come around with the same regularity as discounts on AirPods do. If you’re looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another streaming service.

True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they’ll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, we’ll see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while you’ll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing.

If you’re able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. You’ll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that you’re fine paying full price for it — that’s the ideal situation. But if you’re not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to cancel at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now.

YouTube TV (two months) for $120 ($46 off): You can get two months of our favorite live TV streaming service for $60 per month which works out to $46 less than paying the full $83 each month. And right now, the service is free for the first 21 days. That should give you a decent chunk of time to see if the service is right for you. The discount and trial are only open to new subscribers to YouTube TV’s base plan, which includes access to over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space and six household accounts with the ability to stream on three devices at once. 

Sling Orange for $23/month for the first month (50 percent off): New customers can get Sling Orange or Sling Blue for half off the usual price for the first month, bringing the final prices to $23/month and $25.50/month, respectively. Orange is likely best for sports fans, with eight exclusive sports and family channels, while Blue includes 19 exclusive news and entertainment channels. You can get both Orange and Blue access also for half off for one month, or $33 total.

Fubo Pro for $65/month for the first month ($20 off): Fubo has introductory discounts on most of its packages, and the Pro package is the least expensive plan currently listed. It offers access to 224 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. It even includes regional sports content from the NHL, MLB and NBA.

Spotify Premium Individual (1 month) for $0 ($12 off): This is our favorite music streaming service for podcasts and social features. Right now, users who have not signed up for Spotify's Premium service before are eligible to get one month for free. The Premium Individual plan lets you listen ad-free and skip songs at will. You can also organize your listening queue and download content for offline listening. Just be aware, your subscription will auto-renew at the end of the trial period. So if you don't want to be on the hook for the $12 monthly fee, set a reminder to cancel and go back to the free version.

HBO Max student discount — subscribe for $5/month (50 percent off): HBO Max offers their ad-supported tier to students for half off the usual rate. You’ll just have to verify that you’re a student through Unidays, and make note that this offer is only good for up to 12 months of service.

Hulu student discount — subscribe for $2/month (75 percent off): Those with a valid student ID can get Hulu’s ad-supported tier for 75 percent off the typical rate. They’ll keep the same sale price for as long as they’re a student as well.

Spotify student discount — Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off): Spotify’s student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulu’s ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, you’d pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up.

NBA League Pass student discount — one year for $120 (40 percent off): Students can get one year of League Pass for only $10 per month, which includes access to NBA TV and the ability to watch classic and archive games on-demand. On the NBA League Pass website, look for the student discount banner at the top and follow the instructions to verify your student status.

Peacock first responders discount — one year for $48 (50 percent off): Medical professionals and first responders can save 50 percent each year of Peacock. The deal requires annual verification and is open to those who work for either private or public institutions. Peacock has some great stuff to watch, including Poker Face and Killing It and more.

There’s more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, you’ll spend less overall by just paying for the single service.

Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on HBO Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option. Here are some of the best streaming bundles you can get right now.

Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle with ads for $17/month: Ad-supported HBO Max is included here, along with full, ad-supported access to Disney+ and Hulu. You’ll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for all three services individually.

Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium for $20/month: Disney and Hulu offer a few different bundles, which you can view in the drop-down lists under Choose Your Plan. This bundle removes the ads from both Disney+ and Hulu (with the exception of select live and linear content) and allows you to download content for offline viewing. You’ll save 42 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for both ad-free tiers individually.

Paramount+ with Showtime for $13/month or $120/year: This includes everything in Paramount+’s Essential plan, except the ads, and also provides access to Showtime content, live CBS streams and download features.

Sling TV + HBO Max starting at $53/month: Sling TV and HBO Max have partnered on a discount that gives new subscribers 50 percent off their first month of Sling TV, plus $5 off monthly when you subscribe to the Sling TV + HBO Max bundle. The standard price for the Sling Blue + HBO Max duo is roughly $58/month, so you'll get a monthly discount of $5 off that. In addition, for the first month only, you'll get half off the price of the bundle. The promotion also applies to the Sling Orange & Blue + HBO Max package, which has a standard price of $73/month.

Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $96/month: This streaming bundle amalgamation is a bit confusing but it does offer a lot: you get live TV streaming via Hulu’s service plus access to the following VOD services: Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Out of those three, only ESPN+ will have ads.

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic for $17/month: You get full access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ content with this package, albeit with ads across the board. This bundle price is 46 percent off the total price of all three separate subscriptions.

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium for $27/month: Similarly to the Duo bundles, the Premium version of the Trio removes ads from most content in Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, and you can download content for offline viewing. This price represents a 43-percent savings when compared to paying for all three ad-free tiers separately.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-streaming-service-deals-133028980.html?src=rss