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Mr. Resident Evil signs a deal with Mr. Stellar Blade
Resident Evil legend Shinji Mikami's new studio, Unbound Inc., has been acquired by Shift Up, the company behind Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke. Unbound's unannounced games will be fully supported and distributed by South Korean publisher Shift Up, which is led by CEO Hyung-Tae Kim.
Mikami is an icon of Japanese horror as the director of Resident Evil, its 2002 remake and Resident Evil 4, as well as a founder of PlatinumGames and Tango Gameworks. Tango was responsible for The Evil Within series, Ghostwire Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush. Shift Up recently developed the hit action game Stellar Blade, with Kim as director.
Even with an adorably grotesque introduction video, it's unclear exactly what Unbound is working on at the moment, but the studio is targeting the global PC and console market. Its concepts involve plenty of monsters, as is tradition.
Consider even the surface-level possibilities here: The campy horror of Resident Evil blended with the melodramatic beauty of Stellar Blade. The frenzy of Hi-Fi Rush amped up by the anime stylings of Goddess of Victory: Nikke. The Evil Within III, but make it sexy. These are jokes, but the sentiment remains — this partnership makes a lot of sense and it'll be exciting to see what shakes out.
“We believe we can respect each other as creators and make games together,” Mikami said in a Shift Up blog post about the deal. “And I think with Hyung-Tae, we can even enjoy the hard parts.... Seeing my own vision and ideals come into focus like this, and finding someone whose direction aligns so closely is something I’ve rarely experienced before in my career. I hope we keep building together for a long time.”
It's also heartening to see stability for Mikami's new studio. His previous team, Tango Gameworks, was acquired by Microsoft in 2021, and Mikami left in 2023 after the release of Hi-Fi Rush. Microsoft shuttered Tango in 2024 during a period of mass game industry layoffs, and its remaining team was eventually sold to Krafton. Mikami has been quietly building up his own studio since 2022.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mr-resident-evil-signs-a-deal-with-mr-stellar-blade-180158872.html?src=rssWhat’s going on with Donut Lab?
In January, a Finnish-Estonian startup proclaimed it had developed a truly solid state battery, a holy grail for the technology industry. Donut Labs’ cell wasn’t just solid state, however. It claimed it was made from cheap and easily available materials, would charge to full in a few minutes and last for hundreds of years. If real, such a device would change the face of the world, which is why plenty of people don’t think it is. And, as the company makes more effort to demonstrate it is telling the truth, the more holes people are finding to poke their fingers into. So, what the hell is going on with Donut Labs’ battery? After many weeks of research, I’m throwing my hands in the air, tired of the endless dog and pony show the company is putting on.
Solid state batteries
Conventional batteries have improved a lot in the last few decades but remain imperfect in many ways. Cells found in electronics and EVs commonly use liquid or gel polymer as an electrolyte. These electrolytes are the cause of thermal runaway, where the heat of a battery increases exponentially, and can become a primary cause of battery failure and fire. Plus, they’re pretty fussy, requiring a consistent temperature for peak performance and to be treated pretty delicately. It’s why the industry has raced to develop a solid state battery that eliminates the liquid or gel polymer.
Because of their higher energy density, solid state batteries should be lighter and smaller per watt than conventional batteries. These benefits would be enjoyed widely but are vital for an EV where weight and size dictate so much of how it operates. Solid state batteries are at far less risk of thermal runaway, and should work in a much wider temperature window. Now, we are already seeing plenty of semi-solid batteries coming into the market, with fully-solid cells expected in the near future. Chinese battery giant CATL told BatteriesNews at the end of 2025 that its first small-scale production of solid state batteries is anticipated to begin in 2027. However, those first production runs are likely to be limited rather than global rollouts.
Donut Lab
Enter Donut Lab. The startup is a subsidiary of Finnish motorcycle maker Verge Motorcycles, famous for its Tron-style hubless (in-wheel) rear-wheel motor. Verge says it has built the “world’s most powerful electric motor family,” and that it made “all the components needed to build an electric vehicle.” Verge’s motors have since been incorporated into Longbow Motors’ recently announced Speedster EV.
At CES 2026, Donut Lab announced it had built the world’s “first full all-solid-state battery.” It said this wasn’t just a prototype, but was “ready to power up production vehicles now.” In a glossy promotional video, the company said it had solved the issues the whole industry had been working to solve for decades. There was nothing but upside, with none of the trade-offs its competitors had been forced to make while developing their own solid state batteries. And, it was ready to be incorporated into EVs starting today. Verge Motorcycles announced it would add the battery into its TS Pro, with shipments expected to begin Q1 2026.
Donut Labs’ battery
The company’s extensive list of claims begins by saying the cell has an energy density of 400Wh per kilogram, roughly twice the energy density of the best lithium ion battery on the market. Right now, you should expect to get around 1,000 charge and discharge cycles out of any half-decent battery. Donut Labs is promising its cell will last for a whopping 100,000 cycles, even if you’re fast-charging the cell. The company promises users will be able to reach an 80 percent charge from zero in around five minutes, and get to full in under six. Donut said the cell offers a “clay-like” freedom of design, adapting to the specific needs of a specific product, rather than the other way around.
Naturally, pumping all of that power into such a small cell will mean it’ll need a lot of babying, right? Not according to Donut Lab, which says its battery will operate in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) or as hot as 100 degrees Celsius (212 Fahrenheit). And, to top it off, it’s made from common, easily-available and cheap materials which are “geopolitically safe,” rather than from rare-earth minerals sometimes held by rival nations. All of that means the cell will be cheaper to produce than the equivalent lithium ion cell and, best of all, Donut said the battery is ready for scaled production.
A battery that promised some of these features would be world-changing; one offering all of them would be world-shattering. It would upend supply chains, shift the global balance of power, potentially eliminate reliance on so-called rare earth minerals and supercharge EV adoption. But Donut Lab offered no proof for its claims, no hint as to what its process was based upon, and no sign it had the manufacturing capacity to deliver on its promises. Naturally, a lot of people just didn’t believe what they were seeing and hearing, and called BS.
People are suspicious
Yang Hongqin, CEO of Chinese battery maker Svolt, was quoted by CarNewsChina as saying “any person with even a basic understanding of the technology would think it’s a scam.” Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that CATL’s venture capital head Ulderico Ulissi described the matter as “clearly fake.” That comment prompted Donut CEO Marko Lehtimäki to respond on LinkedIn, saying that Ulissi would “regret the arrogance.” Tom Bötticher, CEO of battery startup Litona, posted on LinkedIn his belief Donut’s technology is actually tied to a company Donut invested in, Nordic Nano. Bötticher found a pitch deck, which is no longer available (but is here at the Internet Archive) which described Nordic’s energy storage technology as a supercapacitor.
Some have pointed out that Lehtimäki has a track record of making strong claims about his products. On May 15, 2025, he announced an AI startup, ASILAB, and said in a similarly glossy launch video that his team had created a “synthetic counterpart” to the human brain. Its first product, ASINOID, Lehtimäki said, is a “dynamic self-developing organism designed to grow in capability and in consciousness.” The company said it would open up access to ASINOID, but I’ve been unable to find any evidence that any such access has been granted. ASILAB has not responded to our request for comment.
Similarly salty write-ups can be found in ElectronicDesign, MIT Tech Review, Interesting Engineering, InsideEVs and just about every Reddit, YCombinator and Hacker News thread discussing the technology.
I Donut Believe.com
In response to the minor social media backlash, Donut Labs went on the offensive. It launched the website IDonutBelieve.com promising a weekly drop of so-called evidence to support its claims. In a polished video introduction, Lehtimäki said the criticism comes from parties with vested interests, such as competitors. He addressed the above attack lines directly, saying people have been assembling theories from scraps of online data to create an untrue picture. He also denied claims the battery was a supercapacitor.
In the same video, Lehtimäki said the media has amplified “so-called experts” from the battery industry, taking their opinions at “face value.” Naturally, rival researchers who would stand to gain by taking down a potential challenger have a natural desire to rubbish Donut’s claims. But because many of them are credentialled experts in the field, their authority was elevated above his own.
Crucially, Lehtimäki said Donut didn’t publish validation tests at the time of announcement as it would have been similarly dismissed by those same biased voices. By holding the proof back, he said it forced Donut’s competitors to essentially show their hand, making it easier to refute them. To do so, Donut engaged VTT Finland, a government-owned research organization which offers testing services to third parties. VTT has conducted specific tests on cells supplied by Donut, the results of which the company has released piecemeal over several weeks.
It’s important to note that VTT’s reports don't make any statements which could be seen to support Donut’s claims. For instance, it says it was asked to “conduct independent charging performance tests on the energy storage devices supplied by the customer, which the customer identified as solid-state battery cells.”
The tests
Donut Lab published a test for five weeks, each one each one designed to show off one key feature of the battery. Test One saw VTT fast charge a cell beyond the limit of a regular battery, after which it still had close to 100% of its charge available for use. In Test Two, VTT charged the cell to full, and then discharged it in high-temperature environments. Once that was done, the cell was charged again at a normal temperature, but researchers noted that the pouch lost vacuum. Donut Lab later said the vacuum loss was caused by the packaging materials not being able to withstand the temperature, rather than an issue with the battery itself.
A VTT spokesperson told me “during the final stage of manufacturing, all gases are removed from the cell, and the cell is sealed tightly under vacuum conditions. The cell feels firm. If the cell loses its vacuum, it usually becomes slightly soft and swollen.” Essentially, if a battery loses its vacuum, it means it’s started swelling, which is visible in the photos from the report. Swelling is fatal to a traditional lithium ion battery and, potentially, the device it’s connected to.
Test Three purported to disprove the idea that Donut was secretly selling a supercapacitor, so VTT charged the cell to full and let it sit idle for 10 days. At the end of that time, the charge level of the battery appeared to hold steady, with a small drop commonly seen in all batteries. Which appeared to confirm the cell was a battery, rather than a capacitor which may struggle to hold its charge over longer periods of time. Test Four was conducted by Donut Lab itself, taking a prototype of its battery in a Verge motorcycle to a fast charger. The cell had a rated capacity of 18kWh and it was charged from 9 percent to 80 percent — around 14.5kWh — in 12 minutes.
Test Five focused on the cell from Test Two which lost its vacuum, to prove it was not broken. VTT’s report says it cycled the broken cell 50 times (up to 90 percent of its full charge) to see what happened. VTT’s researchers said it was possible to cycle the cell, but that its capacity began to degrade after the first few, and by the end of the process, it had fallen to nearly half of its original figure. The cell itself had swelled, however, with VTT saying “the cell thickness had increased by 17 percent, and the cell pouch was firm.” Donut Lab boasted that while a lithium ion battery in this condition would likely explode, its own cell still worked.
When contacted, VTT said it did complete an assignment for Donut Lab but declined to make any specific comment on confidential client assignments.
On March 31, Verge Motorcycles posted a video claiming the TS Pro Gen 2, the first to carry Donut’s solid state battery, was ready to ship. Given March 31 is the last day of Q1, it’s the latest possible day the company could announce this and say it has honored its promise. The accompanying write-up said the bike will ship with either a standard-range 20kWh battery with a range of 350km (217 miles) or a long-range 33kWh battery that should run for 600km (372 miles).
April 1
Then, on April 1, the company posted a video beginning with a fakeout scene of Lehtimäki admitting the whole thing had been a scam. One hard cut later, and the clip pivots into a Q&A, with an off-screen interviewer asking why anyone would believe Lehtimäki on April Fools Day. He dryly responded that people don’t believe him the rest of the time, but that the ambiguity provided by the occasion was a benefit. He would be able to speak more freely with less fear of censure, or so he claimed.
Lehtimäki said the series of I Donut Believe tests already published were another part of his “3D chess” strategy to get battery rivals to show their hand. And that the tests undertaken by VTT were on a first-generation battery while the company was already working on the second. He did concede that the claims around cycle life were based on estimates, and that if they wanted to prove it, they would have needed to start testing a decade or more ago. But he batted away questions about energy density, weight and size, saying you “wouldn’t ask a woman her age, and you never ask a battery its weight.” He added those questions would be answered in future, in more episodes of the I Donut Believe “complete multimedia experience.”
Consequently, the weekly video series will continue until the full details of the first generation battery have been revealed. Lehtimäki then teased that this cell would be shipping, and the videos will shift focus to the second-generation cell with far better specs. But producing the I Donut Believe series — which, it’s worth mentioning is a marketing function of the company trying to sell us a new product — was costly, and had run over budget, which has led the company to open its own merch store, including $70 t-shirts and $141 hoodies.
If you’re already facing credible accusations of perpetuating a scam, and your big reveal is to double down on misdirection, it’s not a good look. Lehtimäki ended the video by talking about how much better Donut Labs’ second-generation battery was, with a staged outtake showing a notepad listing the specs for a third-generation battery with 1,000 Wh/kg energy density, 100C charge speed and durability for a million cycles — due to be announced at a future CES.
Analysis
The release of these tests has seen interested parts of the internet engage in a near-Zapruder level of interrogation. People have pored over every facet of the reports and videos trying to work out what exactly is inside Donut Lab’s battery. A number of prominent YouTubers have produced deep dives on the matter, each one claiming the cell is real, or not. There are countless Reddit threads where people are picking apart the voltage graphs and claims in the reports. And it seems every week there is a new revelation about what Donut’s technology is and where it came from. Plenty of people online are chasing down threads tied to energy technology companies like Holyvolt and CT-Coating, or examining the charge graphs against a nickel manganese cobalt cell. I’ll spare you the details (for now). Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti decried the results of the fifth test, saying the cell didn’t lose its vacuum. It quoted Finnish battery expert Juho Heiska, who said the company has just used a traditional cell that is sufficiently hardy to withstand this abuse in the short term.
Even to a non-expert, there’s clearly a gap between what Donut promised and what its tests are showing. For instance, the company said it would be able to fast charge a Verge TS to full in less than 10 minutes. But, in Test Four, it took 12 minutes to get from 9 percent to 80 percent — not a bad charging time, but certainly not as swift as the company pledged. That said, if we take the company’s claims at face value, then being able to fast charge a battery at that sort of speed with just air cooling is noteworthy. At least, it will be if you can do that regularly, and one or two trips to the charger don’t leave you with what Reddit likes to call a Spicy Pillow afterward.
Unfortunately, it’s been difficult to find battery researchers willing to go on the record about Donut Labs. I sought out experts in academia who were not tied to industry backing, and so wouldn’t be accused of having a vested interest in the matter. But all of them refused to go on the record. More than one I contacted said they were well aware of the saga, and had plenty of feelings about the matter. But they were unwilling to expose themselves to the potentially intensive social media scrutiny that comes from weighing in.
I’m Donut skeptical
Personally, I’ve been suspicious of how Donut Labs has gone about demonstrating its technology. After all, if you were actually confident about your product and its technology, you would surely be able to share basic information about it. Table stakes stuff, like the weight and size of the battery cell you handed over for testing. As ElectronicDesign notes, data like that would help us all see if its energy density claims hold water. Instead, the company has engaged in an ornate kabuki which only serves to further undermine its case. You can go a long way on the back of very little trust, but the grander the promises get and the less eager you are to share evidence, the faster that trust evaporates.
And, you know how someone spends a lot of time talking around something, so as to not be caught in a deliberate lie? Donut Labs’ videos can feel a lot like that, since there are so many things it’s intentionally not making clear. Rather than taking the chance to offer even a small amount of substantive evidence to support its initial claims, it has instead moved the goalposts. So, rather than talking about the efficacy of its first-generation product, it’s dangling the second and third in front of us to hopefully distract us.
Look, I want to be even-handed, and give the company the fairest shake that I can, and obviously if the cell can deliver on its promises, I’ll be overjoyed. But we’ve all seen scams before, and until Donut Lab starts offering up a lot more data, it hasn’t earned anything close to the benefit of the doubt.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/whats-going-on-with-donut-lab-173007121.html?src=rssApril's PS Plus Monthly Games include Lords of the Fallen and a trio of remastered Tomb Raider ports
Sony just revealed a trio of PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for April and it's a pretty stacked lineup. These will all be playable on April 7 for subscribers on any tier. After downloading, the games will stay in a player's library as long as the subscription remains active.
First up, there's Lords of the Fallen for PS5. This is a sequel to 2014's Lords of the Fallen, despite having the same exact name. The 2023 release boasts a much larger world than the original, but similar fast-paced gameplay. It's an action RPG with nine character classes and hundreds of weapons to choose from. There's also a dual-world mechanic that's (sort of) like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It was generally well-reviewed and a success with players. There's another sequel scheduled for release later this year.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a collection of ports first released back in 2024. These updated versions of old-school PlayStation classics boast updated graphics, with the ability to instantly switch back to the retro polygonal look. There's a new challenge mode that offers players the ability to replay levels with customized modifiers to complete achievements. This is a great entry point for Lara Croft fans who never got to play the originals. The collection is available on PS4 and PS5.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream is a live-service action RPG for PS5 owners with a heavy emphasis on co-op gameplay. Around 20 players can adventure simultaneously in teams of five parties scattered throughout the world. The story is a bit of a mess, pulling in characters from across the franchise's many entries. This approach sort of reminds me of something like Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, which uses narrative trickery to allow characters from multiple games to team up.
As always, the introduction of new titles means that some old games have gotta go. PS Plus members have until April 6 to download March's lineup, which include PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2 and The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/aprils-ps-plus-monthly-games-include-lords-of-the-fallen-and-a-trio-of-remastered-tomb-raider-ports-172105756.html?src=rssThe United app adds airport security wait times after lines return to normal
Here's a feature that would've been a lot more useful before this week. Amid recent hours-long airport lines, United is adding security wait times to its app. However, the feature arrives a few days after security lines began returning to normal. Hey, at least it'll be there for the next shutdown.
At launch, the feature is only available for United's hub airports. That includes Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Houston, LAX, Newark, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. Passengers traveling through any of those locations will find the feature in the Travel section of the United app. It will display separate wait times for standard security and TSA PreCheck lines.
However, timing is everything, and that's where United comes up short. This week, airport security lines finally returned to normal as TSA workers began receiving their first paychecks in over a month. Go figure: That led to better attendance and, therefore, short wait times.
Over 60,000 TSA employees had been working without pay since the partial government shutdown began in February. The DHS shutdown continues, but President Trump belatedly ordered the agency on Friday to begin processing back pay for TSA employees. When asked why he hadn't signed the order much earlier, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt cited an "existential crisis" at airports. (Translation: It contributed to an existential polling crisis for the president.)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-united-app-adds-airport-security-wait-times-after-lines-return-to-normal-164315823.html?src=rssSpaceX has reportedly filed for the biggest IPO in history
SpaceX has reportedly taken the step many onlookers have long expected: filing paperwork to hold an initial public offering (IPO) on the stock market and become a publicly traded company. Rumors had long pointed toward the IPO taking place by July.
The company filed draft IPO registration paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission confidentially, according to Bloomberg. As such, the public won’t get a chance to closely scrutinize SpaceX’s finances just yet. Taking the confidential approach means SpaceX can obtain feedback from the SEC before making the details public and announcing key factors like the price range and number of shares it’s planning to sell at the outset.
SpaceX is said to have designs on holding the largest IPO in history. It’s reportedly looking to raise $75 billion in the offering, which would far exceed the current record held by Saudi Aramco, which pulled in $24 billion in its 2019 IPO.
It’s expected that SpaceX will seek an IPO valuation of $1.75 trillion. When the Elon Musk-led business swallowed up the Elon Musk-led xAI earlier this year (which means SpaceX is now the parent of X and Grok), the entire company was valued at $1.25 trillion.
SpaceX is reportedly planning to use the funds it brings in from its IPO to turbocharge its various ambitions, including its struggling Starship program. The company also has designs on building a base on the moon, going to Mars and putting AI data centers in orbit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/spacex-has-reportedly-filed-for-the-biggest-ipo-in-history-154547537.html?src=rssLucid Motors recalls over 4,000 Gravity SUVs over seat belt defect
Lucid Motors has recalled over 4,000 Gravity SUVs after discovering a problem with seat belts. The company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that some of the anchors for the second-row seat belts weren't welded properly. This means that there's a chance they won't actually hold passengers during a collision.
The company blames the issue on a seat supplier changing its manufacturing process "without notice to or approval by Lucid." It says it has reverted to the original design and that newer models aren't impacted by the recall. Vehicles manufactured after February 14, 2026 are good to go.
Lucid will have to inspect each and every Gravity SUV affected by the recall and potentially install a new bracket or a whole new seat. Owners will receive instructions to bring their vehicles to service centers. The company hasn't reported any injuries related to the defect, which is good news.
4,000 may not sound like a particularly high number, but this isn't Toyota or Ford. The number accounts for nearly every Gravity SUV manufactured since it launched last year, according to The Tech Buzz. It's been reported that the company sold around 15,800 vehicles in 2025, but that accounts for every model in the lineup.
NEWS: Lucid's CEO says he replaced the company's entire software leadership team following the extremely buggy launch of their Gravity SUV.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 12, 2026
"We're working through this. We will be over the hump by end of January, latest, latest, end of March." https://t.co/D9ARNVwA5Q
This isn't the first issue that has popped up regarding Lucid's Gravity SUV. The company had to recall many vehicles due to an issue with the airbags at the tail-end of last year. The model has also been plagued by software issues, though numerous patches seem to have cleared that up. The three-row electric SUV starts at $80,000.
The company has been burning through cash without too much to show for it, according to Autoblog. This would doom other manufacturers, but Lucid has an extremely wealthy benefactor. The majority stakeholder is The Saudi Public Investment Fund, which has invested billions in the company. Lucid's VP of Communications, Nick Twork, says the country "stands behind us as a long-term partner."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/lucid-motors-recalls-over-4000-gravity-suvs-over-seat-belt-defect-155321460.html?src=rssMindsEye will litigate its own launch 'sabotage' controversy in DLC form
MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy remains so convinced that corporate foul play contributed to the disastrous launch of its debut game that it’s now planning to prove it to its audience via in-game content.
In a wide-ranging interview with GamesBeat, BARB CEO and CTO Mark Gerhard said MindsEye will soon receive a multiplayer update, as well as a new mission called Blacklist in which the studio will "share some of the evidence of the sabotage with the community." Gerhard didn’t elaborate further, beyond revealing that the new mission will also introduce a playable female character, but promised further updates to the game in the coming months.
BARB hopes its DLC will inspire the MindsEye community to create their own user-generated content with its Arcadia platform, which was always the long-term plan for the troubled action game. "The end state we want to be at is where the community can make their own [content] and can dream up their own creations, and again, without being a studio or needing to program or anything," Gerhard told GamesBeat. "They can actually make really fun and compelling experiences for themselves and their friends. That’s our mission. And I think that’s going to be more and more evident over the next few months."
MindsEye was riddled with bugs and performance issues when it launched last June, resulting in players demanding refunds and the studio hurriedly attempting to patch things up. Layoffs soon followed, with BARB co-CEO Lezlie Benzies reportedly addressing the remaining staff to reassure them of the game’s future. According to an IGN report, the former president of Rockstar North and GTA producer told employees at the time that saboteurs both external and within the company were to blame for the game’s nightmarish rollout.
In his new interview with GamesBeat, Gerhard took responsibility for the bugs and crashes that led to what he admitted was "without doubt, the worst launch in history," but echoed Benzies’ previous comments about the reputational damage the game suffered. "Obviously, we were kind of caught flat-footed on that," he said. "We didn’t counter the negative narrative. We weren’t sophisticated enough to have done that. But, we’re aware. We’ve called that out. Some of the negativity has been orchestrated around this, and thankfully, as a result, it stopped."
Gerhard said that the studio has collected "very strong evidence" of the alleged leaks following months of "thorough investigations," adding that the case is now in the hands of authorities in the UK and US.
BARB recently parted ways with co-publisher IOI Partners (a subsidiary of Hitman developer IO Interactive), and will be solely responsible for publishing responsibilities on MindsEye going forward. As a result, the planned MindsEye and Hitman crossover event is no longer going ahead.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mindseye-will-litigate-its-own-launch-sabotage-controversy-in-dlc-form-152344593.html?src=rssClaude Code leak suggests Anthropic is working on a 'Proactive' mode for its coding tool
What should have been a routine release has revealed some of the features Anthropic has been working on for Claude Code. As reported by Ars Technica, The Verge and others, after the company released Claude Code's 2.1.88 update on Tuesday, users found it contained a file that exposed the app's source code. Before Anthropic took action to plug the leak, the codebase was uploaded to a public GitHub repository, where it was subsequently copied more than 50,000 times. All told, the entire internet (and Anthropic's competitors) got a chance to examine more than 512,000 lines of code and 2,000 TypeScript files.
In the aftermath, some people claim to have found evidence of upcoming features Anthropic is working to develop. Over on X, Alex Finn, the founder of AI startup Creator Buddy, says he found a flag for a feature called Proactive mode that will see Claude Code work even when the user hasn't prompted it to do something. Finn claims he also found evidence of a crypto-based payment system that could potentially allow AI agents to make autonomous payments. In a Reddit post spotted by The Verge, another person found evidence that Anthropic might have been working on a Tamagotchi-like virtual companion that "reacts to your coding" as a kind of April Fools joke.
"A Claude Code release included some internal source code. No sensitive customer data or credentials were involved or exposed," an Anthropic spokesperson told Bleepingcomputer. "This was a release packaging issue caused by human error, not a security breach. We're rolling out measures to prevent this from happening again."
As with any other leak, it's worth remembering plans can and often do change. Just because a company has written the code to support a feature doesn't mean it will eventually ship said feature.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-code-leak-suggests-anthropic-is-working-on-a-proactive-mode-for-its-coding-tool-150107049.html?src=rssThe AI Doc's director was "scared shitless" by AI, so he made a movie about it
If you're feeling anxious about AI and what it means for the future of humanity, you should watch The AI Doc: Or, How I Became an Apocaloptimist. As I noted in my review, the film aims to deliver some clarity amid all the hype. Now that it's in theaters, we sat down with director Daniel Roher, who won an Oscar for his film Navalny, to dive deeper into his complicated feelings around AI.
The entire topic made him nervous, Roher said, so he decided to team up with similarly anxious colleagues to demystify AI using film. He describes the goal of the project to be a sort of "first date" with AI, a way to hear about its potential benefits from AI boosters, while also taking in the many negatives brought up by critics. It’s probably too late to stop AI entirely, but he thinks we can at least try to find ways to limit the worst impulses of the tech industry.
"I wanted to make this movie because I was scared shitless, that's the crux of it," he said in an interview on the Engadget Podcast. "I didn't understand what AI was. I didn't understand why everyone was talking about it and why it seemed to be this thing that came outta the woodwork and all of a sudden, people were talking about it like it was the apocalypse or like it was gonna be the most optimistic, greatest thing ever."
Ultimately, Roher arrived at the term “apocaloptimist,” which balances the contradictory ideas that AI can both seriously harm society, and that we can still shape the future by criticizing or outright rejecting it. "It's a worldview. It's choosing not to buy into a binary that's asking us to see this as either apocalypse and the end of the world, or through the rose-colored glasses of unvarnished optimism, which is also sort of a fallacy," he said.
On the one hand, he's well aware the major players pushing AI are, at best, flawed. When I mentioned Marc Andreessen’s recent comments about proudly having no inner thoughts, Roher added,” They're just fucking weird. They're just nerds who became billionaires because they were born at the right time and they had the right interests. They're brilliant in their own way and they have abilities, but they don't understand what it is to exist. They don’t know what real human beings navigate and go through.They have a very narrow worldview that's callous and cold and calculated.”
For many, the overnight ubiquity of this largely untested technology and the collective wealth and power of those supporting it means rampant negative externalities are all but guaranteed. But Roher's apocaloptimism (we'll see if the term quite catches on) chafes against cynicism and doomsaying. He points to OpenAI’s Sora video generation app, which was heavily criticized as a tool that could lead to more realistic deepfakes, but was unceremoniously killed last week.
"I think people were [made] uncomfortable by it, and good,” Roher said. “And, shame on OpenAI for releasing this thing without any thoughtfulness. I guess the low bar of like, at least they had the decency to pull back and retract it, but only after public condemnation." He added, "to the cynical people saying we're all fucked, I'm like, no fuck you, we're not. Collective action matters.”
And notably, the entire goal is to think more deeply about the uses of technology than the people actually creating it. "These guys, when you actually sit down with them, they don't have clarity, they can't make you feel better. They don't know themselves. They're just motivated by the unbridled optimism of the greatest profit-making technology in the history of humanity. "
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-ai-docs-director-was-scared-shitless-by-ai-so-he-made-a-movie-about-it-145747961.html?src=rssThe Getaway is Subaru's first three-row electric SUV
Today at the New York International Auto Show, Subaru announced its first three-row electric SUV: the Getaway.
Like Subaru's other EVs, the Getaway is based on Toyota's e-TNGA platform and it shares many features and specs with the 2027 Highlander EV. Initially, all models will come with the company's Symmetrical all-wheel drive system, 420 horsepower and a native NACS-compatible charging port. That said, charging speeds don't look especially impressive as the Getaway's estimated 150kW system is expected to refill its battery from 10 to 80 percent in around 30 minutes.
The first batch of Getaways will arrive late this year as 2027 models featuring a 95.8kWh battery that Subaru says will provide more than 300 miles of range on a single charge and a zero to 60 time of under five seconds. It will also come with preconditioning tech to help maintain charging speeds in cold weather (down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit). Then later in the first half of 2027, Subaru will release a standard-range model with a 77kWh power pack and AWD. The EV SUV offers 8.3 inches of ground clearance while its X-Mode system provides settings for Snow/Dirt, Deep Snow/Mud, Grip control and Downhill Assist along with a tow rating of up to 3,500 pounds.
On the inside, the Getaway will offer seating for up to seven people by way of a second-row bench, though if you don't mind dropping the passenger count to six, you can also opt for two captain's chairs. Its infotainment system is based around a 14-inch touchscreen with support for both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while the driver gets a secondary 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
As you'd expect from a Subaru, the Getaway also comes with a lot of outdoorsy features like ladder-type roof rails on "most" trims, plus the option of 19 or 20-inch wheels and up to 45.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row seats folded down. Heated front seats will also come standard, with the ability to upgrade to ventilated seats in the first two rows and a heated steering wheel on more premium trims.
In the end, while the Getaway might not be the most original EV SUV due to its similarities to Toyota's upcoming Highlander EV, for any Subaru fans with larger families, this vehicle could be just what they need to make the jump from gas to electric.
Specific details on pricing and trim levels are expected closer to the Getaway's official release date in late 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-getaway-is-subarus-first-three-row-electric-suv-142500177.html?src=rssThe new Storm Radar app is a treasure trove of data for weather nerds
The horrible winter of 2026 is behind us in New England; now we’ve moved on to the season where there’s a threat of rain basically every day. Given that, the updated Storm Radar app from The Weather Company (owners of the Weather Channel app) caught my eye. There are tons of good weather apps out there, and I’m the kind of nerd that likes to try them all, and Storm Radar feels pretty unique to me.
The main interface is, as you’d expect, your local radar. Tapping on any point of the map calls up a detailed forecast for that exact point, with data coming via The Weather Company’s “gridded forecast on demand” (FOD) system. The default view is precipitation, but there are multiple other layers you can add including temperature, cloud cover, nearby lighting strikes, wind and so forth. There are also overlays for storm cells being tracked; you can tap on those and see things like the direction, speed and range of the storm.
In addition to that standard radar view, Storm Radar has just added something called high-res single site radar. As the name suggests, it pulls data specifically from a single weather station in much greater detail than the typical radar map; The Weather Company says the standard view is based on its FOD system which uses a variety of sources, including the company’s own APIs.
The single-site radar, on the other hand, includes reflectivity data, which measures the amount of energy returned to a radar receiver from precipitation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says reflectivity is “he most frequently used product by forecasters to indicate where precipitation and severe weather is occurring.” That's a level of specificity I find delightful.
Naturally, there’s some AI baked into the updated app as well. In my testing, it responds pretty clearly to natural language questions like “what’s the best time to go for a run.”There’s a more conversational element to the AI experience that should be rolling out in the coming weeks, as well.
Like the standard Weather Channel app, you can use Storm Radar for free, but its most advanced featuers require a premium subscription. $4 a month or $20 per year unlocks all of Storm Radar’s features; you can also get a Weather Channel Premium Pro subscription for $5 a month or $30 a year which includes Storm Radar as well as removing ads and providing more detailed data (like hourly forecasts for eight days rather than two). That pricing is about in line with what other weather apps are charging for premium features these days. So if the basic iPhone weather app isn’t cutting it, Storm Radar may be worth a look. It’s only on iOS for now, but it’ll eventually come to Android too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-new-storm-radar-app-is-a-treasure-trove-of-data-for-weather-nerds-133646812.html?src=rssKia shows off the 2027 EV3 at the NY Auto Show
A couple of years after its overseas debut, Kia’s EV3 will finally come to the US. The automaker said at the New York International Auto Show that the 2027 edition of the subcompact electric SUV will arrive stateside later this year. Kia won't announce pricing until closer to its sale date, but it has previously said it would target a starting price of $35,000.
The EV3 could be a welcome addition for Americans shopping for a smaller electric SUV. Compact ones that won't break the bank are a relative scarcity in the US, especially after Volvo killed the EX30. The EV3 is close to a 1:1 match with the Kia Sportage, the automaker’s best-selling model, in terms of size and target price.
Kia's SUV will be available in standard-range (58.3 kWh) and long-range (81.4 kWh) options. The former has an advertised range of 220 miles, while the larger one ups that to 320 miles.
The EV3 uses Kia's 400-volt architecture, so it won't charge as quickly as the EV9 and other 800-volt models. Still, Kia says DC fast charging can power the EV9 from 10 to 80 percent in 29 minutes for the standard model or 31 minutes for the long-range tier. The vehicle includes a native NACS charging port on the front passenger side. Meanwhile, Kia's Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) feature, which can provide power to your home during peak usage hours, will be available as a premium option.
As for how much the EV3 will cost, Kia said in 2023 it would target a price range of $35,000 to $50,000. However, the world has changed slightly since then, so we'll have to wait until later this year to confirm. You can learn more on Kia’s website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/kia-shows-off-the-2027-ev3-at-the-ny-auto-show-132500658.html?src=rssRoland Go:Mixer Studio review: Portable, professional and plenty of polish
Way back in 2017, Roland carved out a little niche for itself with the introduction of the Go:Mixer line. The small, portable audio interfaces are a convenient way to connect a mic and multiple musical instruments (or audio sources) to your phone for more professional public performances or on-the-go recording. At this year’s NAMM show, the company unveiled the latest in the family — the Go:Mixer Studio — and it’s the most premium version to date.
The Studio adds a display, multitrack output and onboard effects along with a far more luxurious design. At $300, there’s also a far more luxurious price tag. The Go:Mixer Pro-X was already a capable option, and competing products from Mackie and Zoom are also vying for your hard-earned musical dollars. The big question, then, is can the Studio make a case for itself at this elevated price point?
Right off the bat, in terms of usefulness, the Studio is a solid step up from the Pro-X thanks to the addition of a second XLR port. So if your band is a duo, or you simply need two microphones, each performer can now have their own. This also opens the Studio up for basic podcast situations, too. Technically, you could always connect more microphones through other inputs, but now you can do so without adapters or additional hardware like preamps. The rest of the connectivity remains similar with ¼-inch line-in and guitar ports, headset mic support, a 3.5mm aux input and USB-C for audio from your phone and connecting to the app.
Other headline upgrades include a much higher maximum sample rate of 24bit/192kHz (the Pro-X capped out at 16bit/48kHz) and there’s MIDI connectivity for the first time in the Go:Mixer series. The new effects consist of a compressor, EQ and reverb. EQ and compression are available at the channel level, allowing for a good amount of creative control over your mix, while reverb is global. There’s a decent selection of different types of reverb, too, with enough controls to configure them to your taste. I found some of them to be a bit robotic, or not very musical, but others sounded more traditional and appropriate for my vocals and synthesizers.
The Go:Mixer series was doing just fine without a display up until this point, but the benefits of having one are instantly clear. On the Pro-X, the only visual feedback for your levels was a solitary LED that indicated your audio was in the red. If you had multiple inputs, you might not even know which one was too loud. The first benefit of the Studio’s display, then, is visible VU meters. They’re not huge, and the display only shows information for three tracks at a time. This means you might have to page through a few screens to see the one you want, but it’s infinitely more useful than before.
The next obvious advantage of the screen is being able to control settings on the device via a menu. Navigation is intuitive, with the screen divided into three sections, corresponding to the three knobs just below it. The default screen, for example, shows the channels Mic 1, Mic 2 and Guitar/Bass. Turn the first knob clockwise to change the gain of Mic 1. The second knob for Mic 2 and so on. Click a knob and, where applicable, you’ll enter a sub-menu where those three dials control whatever is shown above them. This dynamic system works pretty well and took seconds before it felt natural.
The main limitation is that you can only see three of the mixer channels on screen at a time and there’s no way to manually reorder them. If you have a microphone connected and USB audio playing at the same time, you can’t see the levels or control both of those things from the same screen. You have to keep paging screens back and forth.
The good news is that Roland’s Go:Mixer Cam mobile app does offer a visual mixer that lets you see more or less every channel on screen at once and adjust levels quickly that way. It’s primarily designed for creating videos of your performance, but it doubles as a remote mixer if needed. There is one caveat with the app, though, which is that you won’t be able to use your phone as a USB audio source — say, for backing tracks — if you want to record video with the Go:Mixer Cam app. That’s something to be mindful of.
The app does have a cool feature, which could also be a lifesaver: You can change the “mix” after recording. If you record a performance, but find that your vocals are a bit low, or your synth is too high in the mix, you can adjust the levels and re-export it with better balance. You have options to export as video or audio only, so you can share one to YouTube and then a version for Soundcloud all from the same app. Small detail, but if you want to use the app and have the mixer sample rate set to something other than 48kHz, it’ll warn you that it needs to revert to 48kHz and restart the device before you can carry on.
If you prefer recording on the desktop, there’s also a GoMixer Editor app for Windows and Mac. It’s actually a much easier way to change settings and see what’s going on thanks to the extra visual real estate. The EQ section for each channel looks like a regular software EQ where you raise or lower points on a frequency chart. The compressor also has visual feedback to show when it’s active, which is lacking on the device itself. Obviously, the Studio has a mobile focus, but the desktop app has two big selling points.
First, if you prefer to set your mix levels, compression amount and so on at home, you can do that more easily with the desktop app and then save it in a memory slot. You can then quickly recall this “Scene” on the device while out at a gig. The second is that, for the first time in the series (according to me at least), the Studio is a viable mixer and audio interface for the desktop. The build quality is solid and weighty, not like the light plastic of previous models. It feels premium and this could just as well be used at home for streaming and podcasting as much as on the go. The desktop app makes it even more useful in this scenario.
In terms of what’s missing, this might be very use-case specific. I enjoy using this for electronic music production or pseudo DJ type performances. As such, I’d love to see at least one fader rather than just knobs, but this is true of every model to date. I’d also love for there to be a way to see all the channels at once on the device’s screen. I know it’d be a bit cramped and there’d be no easy way to adjust the mix at the same time, but as an overview you could drop into, it might be handy. And if we’re out here making wishes for any Studio Pro model, an SD card slot for native recording would really elevate the portability element so you wouldn’t need to connect a phone, just a power bank.
Roland has a few competitors in this space, most notably IK Multemida which makes a few portable interfaces. Perhaps the most similar is the iRig Pro Duo and Quattro. The Duo comes in a little cheaper than the Studio at around $235 but lacks a display and build quality. I also personally find IK Multimedia’s apps, while functional, less user friendly. Mackie has the M Caster Studio ($200) which adds Bluetooth connectivity but has fewer physical ports — that one too is a little older. Zoom’s interfaces often center on their ability to record directly onto the device, but have more of a vocal/spoken word focus. The H5 Studio ($299) has a display, built-in mic and onboard recording, but its mixer functionality and outputs for live performance are secondary features.
For musical performers, Roland continues to dominate this niche, and the Go:Mixer Studio is clearly the company’s most refined interface to date. The connectivity covers most use cases, even podcasting, and the layout of the dials makes it easy to use in live environments. The display is a welcome addition that goes a long way to making this feel both more useful and more premium. Perhaps the biggest selling point this time around is that the Studio no longer feels like an extra interface you bring with you for live gigs. It can easily be your main desktop audio interface too, making that $300 price tag suddenly feel a lot more palatable.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/roland-gomixer-studio-review-portable-professional-and-plenty-of-polish-130000723.html?src=rssRobosen Soundwave review: A childhood dream made real
There's just something magical about a robot that can convert into a car, tank or plane. It seems that Hollywood agrees as there are several major franchises based around that concept. As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, Transformers hold a special place in my heart, despite Michael Bay's best efforts at tarnishing its legacy. I spent countless hours as a kid playing with Hasbro and Takara's plastic figures, but there was one type of toy I always wanted but never got: a robot that could transform on its own just like the ones I watched on TV. That changed a few years ago when Robosen launched its line of officially licensed auto-converting models, and from what I've seen, its latest release featuring Soundwave might be its best yet.
Design: More than meets the eye
As a follow-up to previous bots featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Grimlock and others, Soundwave was a superior choice, and Robosen has done a more than respectable job of bringing him to life. Not only can he spit out classic lines performed by original voice actor Frank Welker, both his robot and alt modes are a vision straight out of the first-generation (G1) cartoon. Everywhere you look, there are a ton of lovingly crafted details like the working eject button for the cassette slot and all sorts of lights. Robosen's head sculpt is spot on, and it even includes additional LEDs for his eyes and shoulder cannon. Granted, there is a bit of kibble (aka what fans call out of place parts leftover from transformation), like hands that don't properly fold away when Soundwave turns into a boombox, but that's really nitpicking. Between his incredibly accurate design, vocoder-powered vocals and an imposing stature that stands at around 14 inches tall, there's no way you can call this rendition of Soundwave uncharismatic.
However, the real magic happens when you turn him on (there's a little button on his back) and say "Hey, Soundwave." From here, you can use more than 50 different voice commands to boss him around like you're the leader of the Decepticons. This includes asking him to say iconic lines, respond to an Autobot attack or just wishing someone a happy birthday. Naturally, the most impressive request is asking him to transform, at which point 28 high-precision servo motors and multiple motion sensors coordinate. This allows Soundwave to convert from boombox mode to robot and back again, complete with the required sound effects. Even as a jaded adult, there's still something incredibly enchanting about watching a Transformer actually transform on its own. But that pales in comparison to the one-of-a-kind reaction my four-year-old son gave me when I repeated the process for him. There was a joy in his face I'm not sure a grown-up can truly express, as he gets to experience this without knowing this bot costs a cool $1,400.
While testing Soundwave's various commands, I did notice that his voice recognition can be somewhat hit or miss. I found that even a little background noise can cause issues. To be consistently heard, you have to speak louder than you think you should. The real key is being very deliberate with a sharp "Hi" or "Hey" to activate Soundwave's wake phrase properly. Alternatively, if you prefer not to yell at your robots, there's also a free companion app that allows you to send commands by simply pressing a button, which was super easy to set up and quickly became my preferred control scheme.
In addition to making it easier to get Soundwave to walk around (it's much more fun to use a virtual D-pad than yell "Walk forward" all the time), the app also provides a more straightforward way of discovering what he can do while reducing the ambiguity of voice commands. There are handy buttons for all his voice lines and poses, plus there’s a toolkit for creating some of your own. You can also download more from the app, though there weren't any for me to test out because Soundwave wasn't officially out yet at the time of writing. There's even a Mini Theatre mode that allows the bot to perform short skits, and if you're lucky enough to own some of Robosen's other Transformers toys, like Megatron, some of these scenes can even be performed in tandem.
One awkward thing about Roboen's more sophisticated approach to toy robots is that Soundwave loses some of his structural integrity when his motors are off. For example, when you power him down in robot mode, he bends over backwards and gets stuck halfway between his humanoid and boombox forms. I assume this is to prevent him from falling over, which is a good thing; it just looks kind of weird. On the flip side, if you pick him up while in stereo mode, his limbs tend to droop. However, perhaps the biggest downside to Soundwave is one inherent to his design. Because his alt mode is a boombox instead of a vehicle like Optimus, Bumblebee and others, he can't pull double duty as a remote control car. But what Soundwave lacks in mobility, he makes up for with his signature acoustic skills.
Audio: Not just a bot, he's a real boombox too
Soundwave turning into a boombox that can't play music just wouldn't make sense. Thankfully, that's not an issue as this bot's buttons aren't just for show. Hitting Play lets you listen to original tracks from the G1 cartoon, complete with the ability to pause or skip to the next track. You can also hold the record button to save a personal message for later, though I found this feature has a bit of a learning curve as Soundwave tends to cut out one or two seconds from the beginning and end of a clip.
Most importantly, if you want Soundwave to play other tunes, you can pair it with your phone or pretty much any other mobile device and use him just like a typical Bluetooth speaker. Now it probably won't be a surprise when I say that Soundwave's audio quality is mediocre at best. With all the various sensors, motors and moving parts, there probably isn't a ton of room for fancy drivers, so things sound tinny and flat. But in a way, that's kind of endearing because the vast majority of portable speakers back in the 80s didn't sound great either. The one thing I wish Robosen had included was a proper cassette player to really capitalize on Soundwave's classic audio capabilities. That said, even though I still have stacks of CDs and DVDs in my house, I don't have any tapes (despite their resurgence), so I get why that feature didn't make it.
Battery life
Soundwave comes with a built-in 1,650mAh battery which takes about 120 minutes to charge from dead to full while offering a standby time of around 60 minutes. During my testing, I found you can get a solid 20 to 30 minutes of playtime out of him, which felt like plenty. Of course,that depends a ton on how much moving around you tell him to do. And while it certainly isn't period authentic, I really appreciate the inclusion of a USB-C port for charging.
Wrap-up
The funny thing about Robosen's Soundwave is that a toy like this would have been priceless to me as a child. But now that I'm older and I have to attach a value that goes beyond its basic price, things are a lot trickier.
I love Robosen's attention to detail. The figure looks incredible and getting voice lines from the original actor shows there's more than meets the eye to the robot’s design. But most importantly, seeing Soundwave transform on his own and stomp around like he does in the show will never get old.
On the other hand, $1,400 can buy the whole family a nice three-day vacation or more than two dozen regular Transformers toys. That kind of math makes it difficult to add this Cybertronian to the household register. But for anyone who has a budget similar to a Michael Bay movie, this take on Soundwave really does feel like a dream come true. Aside from some of Robosen's other products, this robot is certainly made of sterner stuff.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/robosen-soundwave-review-a-childhood-dream-made-real-120000804.html?src=rssAn immersive 'Black Mirror Experience' is launching in Montreal
Banijay is launching the Black Mirror Experience, starting with Montreal in May with additional locations to be announced in the future. Specifically, it will be produced by Banijay Live Studio, the new subsidiary of the production company that owns Black Mirror, in partnership with VR firm Univrse. The studio describes it as an interactive virtual reality experience that blends “physical space and VR… designed to blur the lines of fiction and reality in which you become the main character.” While it is based on the hit TV show, you apparently don’t need any prior knowledge of the series to be able to enjoy it.
The experience, which will span 60 minutes, can accommodate one person and groups of up to six people. Players 12-years-old and above are welcome to participate. It puts the players in the showroom of a fictional tech giant called Phaethon that’s unveiling the LifeAgent, a robotic AI companion that’s supposed to make their owners’ life easier. LifeAgent does a full-body scan of its owner so it would know their needs before they do. But in true Black Mirror fashion, “once it sees through [their] eyes, it knows exactly how to help… whether [they] asked it to or not.”
You can take part in the event at Infinity Experiences in Montreal, where you’ll be able to play it in French, English and Spanish.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/an-immersive-black-mirror-experience-is-launching-in-montreal-115915992.html?src=rssWhat to expect from WWDC 2026
WWDC 2026, the latest version of Apple's yearly developer conference, runs from June 8-12, and by all appearances the company has some important updates to outline. In comparison to Liquid Glass, the design material Apple introduced last year and now uses across all its operating systems, the new features the company is rumored to announce might not be aesthetic, but they could make just as big of a splash. Namely because Apple might finally be ready to show off its second stab at an overhauled version of Siri.
If you're curious to see the company's new plans for yourself, you can watch Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote live on its website, YouTube channel or the Apple Developer Bilibili channel in China. Apple will also host its Platforms State of the Union stream and individual developer workshops on its developer website if you want to learn even more details about the software updates the company will release later this year. Luckily, we do have some sense of what Apple has in store, and it looks like stability improvements and AI are the company's big focuses for the updates coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS and tvOS this fall.
A Snow Leopard-esque approach to stability and performance
Apple released Mac OS X Snow Leopard in 2009, primarily as a way to clean up the performance and refine the new features the company released with Mac OS X Leopard two years prior. The decision to essentially "take a year off" to focus on making everything about the company's desktop operating system feel better was well-received, and Apple is apparently planning to have iOS 27 serve a similar role.
Bloomberg reports that Apple's upcoming update will be "focused on improving the software’s quality and underlying performance" and that the company's "engineering teams are now combing through Apple's operating systems, hunting for bloat to cut, bugs to eliminate and any opportunity to meaningfully boost performance and overall quality." Those fixes will presumably extend to the company's other operating systems, too.
Some of this effort may also be focused on cleaning up the visual changes introduced in Apple's big switch to Liquid Glass. The design overhaul has been controversial among the company's diehard fans, and Apple has already introduced tweaks in updates that arrived after the release of iOS 26 to make Liquid Glass interfaces more legible. Bloomberg reports the company could go a step further in its next updates and add a system-wide slider that will allow users to adjust the intensity of Liquid Glass (visual effects like translucency and reflectivity) they want in the interface.
The chatbot-ification of Siri
While stability and performance improvements will be a major focus of this year's updates, Apple is also rumored to be making some major changes to Siri. When the company first introduced Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, it promised to launch an updated version of the voice assistant that could use your personal context (like the information securely stored on your iPhone) to act across apps. Apple delayed those features in March 2025 and then announced a partnership with Google in January 2026 to use Gemini models to presumably make them possible.
Those features might finally arrive in this year's updates, but Apple is reportedly also changing how users interact with Siri by making the assistant more like a chatbot, according to Bloomberg. This would make the assistant more interactive and natural to speak to, and could open up other possibilities, like letting users direct Siri to perform two actions at the same time. Developers will reportedly also be able to integrate their own AI assistants with Siri, much like OpenAI has with ChatGPT.
New places to talk to AI
The chatbot version of Siri will be accessible in the usual ways, but also reportedly through a standalone Siri app. The new app will let users prompt the assistant to take care of tasks on their device, search the web and even access news, not unlike current Gemini and ChatGPT apps. Bloomberg writes that the app will also be a way to review past conversations with Siri and receive suggestions of prompts to try with the new chatbot version of the assistant.
Users will also be able to interact with Siri inside Apple's other apps via a new feature called "Ask Siri." This may appear as an option in app menus, and allow you to ask the AI assistant questions about content in the app. It's not clear if this will be as in-depth or capable as Google's Ask Maps or Ask Photos features, but it at least seems like Apple's thinking along the same lines as its partner.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/what-to-expect-from-wwdc-2026-110000086.html?src=rssSlack's upgraded AI can analyze how you work
Salesforce has unveiled the newest version of Slack, which comes with a whole host of new AI features to add to its ever-growing catalog. Naturally, many of these tools are embedded into Slackbot, which the company had already pledged to turn into a “personalized AI companion.” The new features include the stuff you’d expect, such as transcription, note taking and deep research, as well as integrations with the rest of the Salesforce family. But it’ll also get “reusable skills,” which sound a lot like automations, where a team can define a task from start to finish, and then the bot will run it whenever it’s called for.
In fact, there’s a big focus on sharing and co-developing tools within organizations, so if you find a prompt that actually gets useful data out of Slackbot, you can share that with your team. And Slackbot will now analyze how you work as it attempts to discern your preferences, workflows and shortcuts. Which, if you read it in one way, sounds as if it’s actively looking to work out how to do your job so it can just replace you. Of course, that probably won’t happen, right? Right?
Salesforce is also using these new Slack tools as a way to gently upsell small businesses toward its bigger products. New Slackbot is equipped with “native customer management,” reading your channels, learning what goes on, and keeping your “deals, contacts and call notes up to date automatically.” In its release, it even says that growing firms can “start simple inside Slack, scale up to Salesforce when ready.” Similarly, every Salesforce customer will now be getting Slack bundled in, to help ensure all of your relationships and work remain in the same place under Slackbot’s helpful eye.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/slacks-upgraded-ai-can-analyze-how-you-work-103007261.html?src=rssWatch the first crewed Artemis mission take flight
Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the Artemis program, is scheduled to launch today, April 1. NASA is opening a two-hour window for its lift off, starting at 6:24 PM Eastern time, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency said the forecast for launch day “shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions” and that, on March 31, its engineers had finished critical health checks on the Space Launch System rocket that the mission will use.
On the evening of March 31, the engineers shifted the launch system into its final configuration. In the early hours of April 1, they will activate the ground launch sequencer. You can start watching Artemis II’s launch event at 7:45AM ET when the Artemis team will load propellant into the SLS rocket. Full launch coverage begins at 12:50 PM ET on NASA+, Amazon Prime or the YouTube video embedded below.
The Artemis II mission will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day trip around the moon. It will be NASA’s first flight with a crew onboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft system, and it will be humanity’s first foray into deep space since the Apollo program. During their 10-day mission, the astronauts will observe how journeys beyond Earth’s orbit affect human health. Artemis II was supposed to launch in February, but the attempt had failed due to a hydrogen leak. Another attempt in March was delayed yet again due a helium issue. If the launch doesn’t take place today as planned, NASA’s next launch opportunity is on April 6.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/watch-the-first-crewed-artemis-mission-take-flight-092800981.html?src=rssDinosaur Polo Club has released a new co-op game and it's free
Two pieces of good gaming news today. First: Dinosaur Polo Club has shadow dropped a brand new game today. Second, it's available for free on both PC and Mac from Itch.io. The project is called Read the F*cking Manual, or RTFM, and it is a co-op game based on working in tech support.
Dinosaur Polo Club is known for previous games Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. Both are stellar examples of simple, elegant game design, and a small group within the company took this game jam concept from passion project to a fully fledged release.
Per the description, "Players must work together — or not — in this atmospheric game of trust and communication." The premise is that one player, the Troubleshooter, has the manual for the console, while the other player, the Terminal Operator, has to describe what's on their screen, which stays out of the Troubleshooter's sight. The workplace setting seems particularly apropos, because this is the sort of team-building activity you might do on the job that could be really fun or downright torturous depending on how much you like your colleagues. And the whole experience seems to dance around the horror genre, because there seem to be different endings depending on how much each person stretches the truth about what's really happening.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dinosaur-polo-club-has-released-a-new-co-op-game-and-its-free-214638400.html?src=rssThe Backrooms trailer combines creepypasta dread and A24 prestige horror
Against all odds, A24’s adaptation of The Backrooms actually looks like a proper elevated horror movie. Hell, it’s even got Oscar winner Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Serenity) and Cannes favorite Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) onboard. Judging from the film’s fist trailer, which combines The Backrooms creepypasta-born dread around liminal spaces, and A24’s slick horror aesthetic, you couldn’t tell that its director can’t even legally drink in the US yet. Yes folks, Kane Parsons is just 20.
Parsons, AKA Kane Pixels, made a splash four years ago with his original Backrooms shorts, the first of which has amassed over 73 million views on YouTube. Those were relatively simple episodes created in Blender, but they did an admirable job of feeling genuinely creepy. More recently, Parsons has also dabbled in horror shorts with his series The Oldest View.
While Parsons certainly has a ton of internet clout behind him, he also has a strong eye for slow-burn horror. This trailer alone is making me feel uneasy about heading into my dimly lit basement office. He also won’t be the first internet creator to reach cinemas this year. Markiplier’s adaptation of the indie game Iron Lung was particularly notable, since he funded both the production and theatrical distribution on his own.
The Backrooms joins Genki Kawamura’s adaptation of the game Exit 8 as another new horror film about spooky liminal spaces. It’ll be interesting to see how the two compare. The former started as 4chan stories and images around eerily empty buildings, while the latter was a game where you slowly walked through a repetitive Tokyo subway. There’s more room for Parsons to turn The Backrooms into a narrative of his own, whereas Exit 8 is somewhat restricted by the original game.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-backrooms-trailer-combines-creepypasta-dread-and-a24-prestige-horror-213602238.html?src=rssToyota's still trying to make hydrogen fuel cells happen
Toyota is teaming up with Daimler and Volvo to work on fuel cell technology. The Japanese company is signing on to the joint venture cellcentric that Volvo and Daimler launched back in 2020. Once it officially joins, Toyota and cellcentric will collaborate on managing the development and production of fuel cell unit cells.
"We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to soon be joining Daimler Truck and Volvo Group as partners in building a hydrogen society," Toyota President and CEO Koji Sato said. "cellcentric which possess deep expertise in commercial fields together with Toyota ‘s over 30 years of fuel-cell development in the passenger car sector, can combine their strengths to deliver one of the world-leading fuel cell systems for heavy commercial vehicles."
It's a move that runs counter to where the auto industry has been trending. Last year, Stellantis announced that it would end its hydrogen fuel cell development program. That's the company that owns brands including Chrysler, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot. GM also gave up on hydrogen in 2025. Even Toyota had rethought some of its commitment to hydrogen last year, pivoting to emphasize industrial applications rather than commercial ones.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/toyotas-still-trying-to-make-hydrogen-fuel-cells-happen-202237728.html?src=rssTesla's robotaxis are reportedly remotely driven by humans, sometimes
In a letter shared with Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tesla admitted that its robotaxis are sometimes driven remotely by human operators, Wired reports. Competing self-driving car companies sometimes rely on human operators to tell robotaxi software how to get itself unstuck, but letting operators actually drive those cars remotely is more unusual.
"As a redundancy measure in rare cases … [remote assistance operators] are authorized to temporarily assume direct vehicle control as the final escalation maneuver after all other available intervention actions have been exhausted,” Karen Steakley, Tesla’s director of public policy and business development, shared in a letter to Markey. In those situations, operators are reportedly able to take over Tesla's robotaxis when they're moving at speeds around 2mph or less, and then drive the car at up to 10mph if software permits it.
Engadget has contacted Tesla to confirm the details shared in Steakley's letter. We'll update the article if we hear back.
As Wired notes, that's a bit different than how other self-driving car companies handle human intervention. For example, Waymo's Driver software can call on human help — Waymo calls them "fleet response" — to offer context and answer questions to help it navigate complicated driving situations. The company claims these workers never drive the robotaxi themselves, but they are able to see the car's environment through its sensors to help it get unstuck. Self-driving car companies typically avoid remote operation, Wired writes, because technical limitations like latency and the limited perspective of a robotaxi’s sensors can make it hard to drive them easily and safely.
Tesla's approach to self-driving has always cut against the grain, though. Whereas competitors continue to rely on a mix of radar and other sensors to navigate, Tesla has exclusively focused on using cameras for its Full Self Driving (FSD) system. The company has also had to deal with a number of high-profile crashes related to FSD, which prompted a probe by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in October 2025.
The company launched its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas in June 2025, in a limited capacity and with human safety drivers sitting in the driver's seat in case of emergency. Tesla is also reportedly testing rides without safety drivers in the same area, which might be why it has contingencies for remote operators to step in.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/teslas-robotaxis-are-reportedly-remotely-driven-by-humans-sometimes-200639550.html?src=rssTikTok adds in-app Cameo integration for creators
TikTok and Cameo are teaming up to make it easier for TikTok users to request personalized videos. The two companies announced a new integration that makes Cameo accessible directly from TikTok for creators and fans.
With the update, TikTok creators can add Cameo links directly to their videos and viewers can request a personalized clip without leaving the TikTok app. Creators who aren't currently on Cameo can also sign up for the service without having to onboard through Cameo.
Up to now, Cameo has been known for its personalized videos from celebrities, but TikTok stars are "among the fastest-growing talent segments" on the app, according to the company. The new integration should make it easier for those creators to reach fans and promote their presence on Cameo.
It's not surprising that Cameo would see TikTok creators as a potentially large untapped audience for its service. It's not as clear what TikTok is getting out of the arrangement. The company could have created its own Cameo-style feature for personalized shoutouts. The app already has several features that allow fans to interact with creators, including by sending virtual gifts in livestreams. Cameo didn't immediately respond to questions about whether TikTok gets a cut of the transactions made via its app or if there are differences in pricing structure between the two apps.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-adds-in-app-cameo-integration-for-creators-195411895.html?src=rssA Palworld horror-themed dating sim spinoff is on the way
Palworld developer Pocketpair just announced a bizarre spinoff called Palworld: More Than Just Pals. This looks to be a dating sim with horror elements in which you can romance the various Pals from the original game.
The gameplay description suggests it's set at a mysterious school, and players can not only fall in love with these creatures, but also "dismantle and eat them." The original game already let you eat Pals, but the ability to romance the gun-toting animals is new.
🚨Love is in the air!
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) March 31, 2026
A special announcement video about Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~
An unbelievable reveal that will shock Pal Tamers around the world!
Wishlist today!
(This is NOT an #AprilFoolsDay) pic.twitter.com/NALIhnuQdO
We don't know too much about the specifics of gameplay, though there is a trailer. Developer Pocketpair insists this is not an April Fool's Day joke, despite today's date. There's an active Steam page complete with system requirements, for whatever that's worth. We don't have a release date or price for this one just yet.
This isn't the first Palworld spinoff. The company recently announced Palworld: Palfarm, which is a farming sim where players can punish Pals that aren't working hard enough. There's no release date for that one yet either.
The original Palworld has proven to be a huge hit. It's a cheeky and violent take on Pokémon that has attracted plenty of negative attention from Nintendo. There's no way to date or eat Pokémon in any of Nintendo's games, though Pokopia lets players move in with the creatures and sleep next to them. Many people are particularly fond of turning Machoke into a house husband, who is basically just a big and buff man.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-palworld-horror-themed-dating-sim-spinoff-is-on-the-way-185429664.html?src=rssIran threatens imminent attacks on US tech companies in the Middle East
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's armed forces, has threatened to target US tech companies' operations in the Middle East. It told employees of 18 companies — including Apple, Google, Meta and NVIDIA — “to leave their workplaces immediately to save their lives,” as CBS News reported. Those living close to the companies' facilities in the region were instructed to evacuate immediately as well. Microsoft, Oracle, Tesla, HP, Intel, Palantir, Boeing, Dell, Cisco and IBM are also among the companies that the IRGC named.
"Since the main element in designing and tracking terror targets are American [information and communications technology] and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions effective in terrorist operations will be our legitimate targets," the IRGC said in a statement. The military force warned it will start targeting the companies on Wednesday evening if more Iranian leaders are killed.
Iran previously pledged to attack companies and banks tied to the US and Israel, though the warning it issued on Tuesday had a specific deadline. Earlier this month, Iranian drones struck Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, disrupting Amazon Web Services operations in the region.
The US reportedly used Anthropic's AI in its initial airstrikes against Iran at the onset of the war in late February. Israel has been using a new AI platform of its own to help it track the movements of Iranian officials.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/iran-threatens-imminent-attacks-on-us-tech-companies-in-the-middle-east-184841155.html?src=rssGoogle's 'Performance Advisor' Steph Curry teases probable new wearable
Basketball player Stephen Curry has long collaborated with Google, and last year took on the role of “Performance Advisor” at the company as part of a multi-year partnership. It appears the first product of this union is “coming soon,” based on a video posted to Curry’s Instagram account. The 15-second clip shows shots of Curry playing with a basketball, and a gray-and-orange band sits conspicuously on his left wrist. Interspersed are the words “A new relationship with your health coming soon,” and the video ends on the Google logo.
We reached out to Google for comment and details, and the company said “Our Performance Advisor has been working with the team to cook up something special 👀. More to share soon.”
In a voiceover in the video, Curry says, “I’m excited for what this is going to mean for the world, for health, for wellness. It’s the first of its kind in a way. I won’t spoil it — you kind of have to see it for yourself.”
Based on what we see in footage, the band seems to resemble a Whoop wearable, although a screen or any module is never shown. It’s unclear how Google’s product would be different, although it wouldn’t be a stretch to guess that AI might feature somehow.
Whoop was started in 2012, and announced today that it had raised $575 million with a valuation of $10 billion. Whoop’s investors include athletes like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other celebrities.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/googles-performance-advisor-steph-curry-teases-probable-new-wearable-183612209.html?src=rssThe UK's antitrust regulator is looking into Microsoft's possible monopoly power
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is once more turning its lens on Microsoft. The tech company will be the focus of an investigation by the regulator to see if it can be assigned strategic market status (SMS). The CMA already has "a major concern" with Microsoft's alleged limiting of competition in the cloud space via productivity software like Word and Excel, chat app Teams, AI companion Copilot and even Windows itself. The SMS designation "would allow the CMA to act" against the company. The investigation will begin in May.
In addition, the UK regulator is also following up on an inquiry into Microsoft and Amazon from 2025, where it sought to exert more control over the domestic cloud services market. As a result of that action, the CMA said Amazon and Microsoft have agreed to a plan involving egress fees and interoperability around cloud services. "These changes will reduce expense and effort for UK customers when using more than one cloud provider," the CMA bulletin states.
The CMA has frequently had Microsoft in its sights. The company sparked an investigation in 2023 for its relationship with OpenAI and in 2024 for its actions hiring staff from Inflection AI.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-uks-antitrust-regulator-is-looking-into-microsofts-possible-monopoly-power-182221704.html?src=rssMeta will "substantially reduce" describing Instagram teen accounts as PG-13
Meta has agreed to "substantially reduce” its use of the PG-13 ratings system in relation to its Teen Accounts on Instagram starting April 15.
Last year, the Motion Picture Association objected to Meta directly referencing its movie content rating, which cautions parents against letting their pre-teens engage with certain media. In a cease-and-desist letter seen by The Wall Street Journal at the time, the MPA said that Meta claiming its teen accounts were comparable to PG-13 ratings was "literally false and highly misleading."
The MPA argued that its guidelines for the established movie-ratings system and Meta’s own explanation of the revamped accounts for minors did not align, and that drawing a link could have a detrimental effect on the MPA’s public image by association. It also said that Meta’s system seemingly relies heavily on AI to determine what younger users see on the social media platform.
When introducing the changes in 2025, Meta said that the risk of seeing "suggestive content" or hearing certain language in a movie rated 13+ was a good way of framing something similar happening on an Instagram teen account. It added that it was doing all it could to keep such instances to a minimum.
Meta has now updated that initial blog post about the changes after coming to an agreement with the MPA, adding a lengthy disclaimer that reads, in part, "there are lots of differences between social media and movies. We didn’t work with the MPA when updating our content settings, they’re not rating any content on Instagram, and they’re not endorsing or approving our content settings in any way."
Meta goes on to explain that it drew "inspiration" from the MPA guidance given its familiarity with parents, as well as feedback it had received from parents, and will continue to do so. The difference is that it won’t make the connection so explicitly in its communications going forward.
"Today’s agreement clearly distinguishes the MPA’s film ratings from Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools," said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA. "While we welcome efforts to protect kids from content that may not be appropriate for them, this agreement helps ensure that parents do not conflate the two systems – which operate in very different contexts. The MPA is proud of the trust we have built with parents for nearly sixty years with our film rating system, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect that trust."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-substantially-reduce-describing-instagram-teen-accounts-as-pg-13-175912683.html?src=rssThe Super Mario Bros. cartoon is back, but looks really weird and AI might be to blame
Adults of a certain age will no doubt remember The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, a cartoon from 1989 that starred our favorite sibling plumbers decades before they would take over multiplexes with an animated film franchise. The broadcast channel MeTV Toons has begun airing old episodes of the show, likely to trade on the buzz emanating from the pending theatrical release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. There's just one problem. The episodes seem to have been sloppified by an AI upscaling algorithm, according to a report by Kotaku.
The Super Mario Super Show has started airing on MEtv using some kind of AI upscaling ,and the results are as good as you'd expect pic.twitter.com/WrdFbOe2iW
— Super Mario Wiki (@SMWikiOfficial) March 31, 2026
The original series wasn't exactly a visual delight. It was a cash grab cartoon from the 1980s. However, it looks even worse now. MeTV seems to have run the footage through a bargain bin AI upscaler and the results are, in a word, weird.
Everything looks smoothed over in an off-putting way, with some characters looking markedly different from the original footage. Many of the episodes are available on YouTube, so it's easy to do your own comparisons.
The upscaler also seems to have changed the title card to "The Suele Mario Bros. Super Show." These AI tools have never been great with visual representations of written text, but you'd think someone at the station would have given things a look over. Engadget has reached out to MeTV to ask what happened and we'll update this post when we find out.
For the uninitiated, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show ran for just a single season. But this was 1989, so a full 65 episodes aired throughout the year. Seasons didn't mess around back then. It was famous for its live-action segments that starred professional wrestler "Captain" Lou Albano as Mario. It also turned into a Legend of Zelda cartoon every Friday. There's where the famous "well, excuse me princess" meme comes from.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-super-mario-bros-cartoon-is-back-but-looks-really-weird-thanks-to-ai-171536332.html?src=rssDoorDash partners with Rivian spinoff Also for autonomous delivery vehicles
DoorDash's autonomous delivery plans will get an assist from the Rivian spinoff Also. On Tuesday, the companies announced a strategic partnership in which the delivery company will invest in Also. They intend to "develop and accelerate deployment of autonomous delivery at scale."
The companies didn't specify which micromobility vehicles will be used. Also, which Rivian spun off as a separate company in 2025, is currently focused on models that combine pedals and motorized assist.
Also's first consumer product is the $3,500 TM-B e-bike with a virtual drivetrain. Seemingly more tailored to DoorDash's needs is the TM-Q. This four-wheeled EV is designed to haul cargo while still fitting in bike lanes. (Have fun with that, cyclists!) The larger (commercial) version, pictured below, looks like it could haul quite a few food orders at once.
In a statement, Also co-founder and president Chris Yu said the partnership will deploy autonomous vehicles in "areas not yet fully solved for." These include "the intersection of roadways, bike lanes, and road adjacent spaces." In October, Amazon agreed to buy thousands of TM-Q vehicles for last-mile deliveries.
As part of the deal, DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang will join Also as a board observer. TechCrunch reports that the partnership boosts Also's valuation to above $1 billion.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/doordash-partners-with-rivian-spinoff-also-for-autonomous-delivery-vehicles-163240124.html?src=rssRec Room, a Roblox-style VR game, is shutting down
The Roblox-like VR title Rec Room is shutting down after operating for a decade. The free-to-play social game is closing its doors because the developers "never quite figured out" how to make it profitable, despite attracting 150 million players.
"We spent a long time trying to find a way to make the numbers work," the team wrote in a blog post. "But with the recent shift in the VR market, along with broader headwinds in gaming, the path to profitability has gotten tough enough that we’ve made the difficult decision to shut things down."
The shut down officially happens on June 1, but the platform is already making serious changes. Starting today, users will no longer be able to make friends, create new accounts or subscribe to the premium service. However, many features locked behind that subscription paywall will be free from now until June.
The devs are also allowing users to download some of the assets connected to rooms they created. This could, in theory, let them port their creations to other platforms in the future. Snapchat owner Snap has already bought up a bunch of Rec Room's assets and some employees will join the social media company, according to a report by GeekWire.
Rec Room first appeared all the way back in 2016, years before the standalone Meta Quest entered the VR scene. It was a massive hit on the PSVR platform before being ported to other hardware. There's even a traditional version of the game available for non-VR platforms. Just like Roblox, it lets folks design their own spaces to hang out in.
VR is in a tough spot right now. Meta was an industry leader, but the company has been laying off hundreds of people from its Reality Labs division. This is the team that makes VR/AR hardware and software. It's been reported that, instead, the company has been funneling more money into ongoing AI efforts. Sony's PSVR2 was also not a gigantic hit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/rec-room-a-roblox-style-vr-game-is-shutting-down-154350384.html?src=rssDelta picks Amazon Leo for in-flight Wi-Fi starting in 2028
In-flight Wi-Fi on Delta flights will be provided by Amazon Leo beginning in 2028, the two companies have announced. In a blow to Elon Musk’s Starlink, Amazon’s deal with Delta will see its satellite internet service installed on 500 Delta aircraft initially, each equipped with its own Leo antenna.
Amazon promises low-latency Wi-Fi with download speeds up to 1Gbps and upload speeds up to 400Mbps, allowing passengers to stream movies and TV shows, play games and work as if they were on the ground. If you’re a Delta SkyMiles member you’ll be able to use Leo-powered Wi-Fi for free when traveling to any of the more than 300 locations Delta flies to.
Amazon currently has around 200 satellites in low Earth orbit, and plans to aggressively accelerate production this year. Delta already uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its reservation systems and applications, 600 of which have been migrated to the cloud since 2020.
Amazon rebranded its satellite network to Amazon Leo (an acronym for low Earth orbit) last year, as it looks to take the battle for in-flight Wi-Fi supremacy to the more established Starlink. SpaceX has struck deals with Alaska Air, United and British Airways among others in the last few years, so Amazon is playing catch-up with its not yet operational network.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/delta-picks-amazon-leo-for-in-flight-wi-fi-starting-in-2028-153024212.html?src=rssAll Google users in the US can now change their Gmail address
As of April 1, Gmail will have been around for 22 years. Many of us have a poorly chosen email address that's laced with regret, but we're now stuck with it. We've perhaps had it for longer than most college students have been alive and that's how others get in touch with us. Google is now giving us a chance to move on and change our Gmail address to something more appropriate.
All users in the US can now change their Google Account username — the bit before the @ in your Gmail address. Google said in December that it was gradually rolling out this option to all users.
To change your Google Account username, go to the email settings page. From there, click or tap on Personal info > Email > Google Account email. If the ability to alter your username has been enabled on your account, you'll see a Change Google Account email option. Click on this to start modifying your username.
You'll only be able to change your username once every 12 months. If you do change the address, Gmail will retain all of your previous emails. Handily, your former Gmail name will remain as an alternate email address. As such, people will be able to get in touch with you via either address. You can also sign into Google services using both email addresses.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/all-google-users-in-the-us-can-now-change-their-gmail-address-141818676.html?src=rssNVIDIA's DLSS 4.5 Multi Frame Generation tech is now available to boost your Hz
After releasing DLSS 4.5's Super Resolution feature earlier this year, NVIDIA has released an update with DLSS 4.5 features designed to boost frame rates on RTX 50 series cards. Those include DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation and DLSS 4.5 Multi Frame Generation 6X. With those, NVIDIA is promising the "smoothest path-traced gaming yet" to unlock the potential for high-refresh 4K 240Hz OLED gaming displays, or 1080p and 1440p monitors at 360Hz and beyond.
The first feature, DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, is like an "automatic transmission" for your RTX 50 series card, NVIDIA said. Rather than multiplying the frame rate by a fixed amount, the AI-powered feature changes it dynamically to strike a balance between refresh rate, image quality and responsiveness. To optimize computing power, it ensures that a game's frame rate doesn't exceed your monitor's native refresh rate, so you won't play at 240 fps on a 120Hz monitor.
The other key feature, Multi Frame Generation 6X, is designed to deliver even higher levels of performance. Based on NVIDIA's second-gen transformer model, along with frame pacing and image quality improvements, the feature boosts the maximum multiplier to 6X, generating up to five extra frames for every natively rendered frame on GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs. That will boost 4K frame rates up to 35 percent "with minimal impact to responsiveness," NVIDIA wrote.
As with Super Resolution, the native frame rate of a game is not accelerated by these features. Rather, the DLSS 4.5 feature uses AI to create interpolated intermediate frames the machine "thinks" should be there. Normally this works fine, but the scheme can create odd artifacts in certain types of scenes, particularly with fine details like rain, hair and phone wires.
Still, the tech allows for smoother gaming with a minimal increase on your GPU's burden. It's now available for NVIDIA RTX 50 series cards, and as NVIDIA announced earlier, there are a number of games supporting the MFG features. Those include 007 First Light (May 27th), CONTROL Resonant, Directive 8020 (May 12th) and Tides of Annihilation.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-dlss-45-multi-frame-generation-tech-is-now-available-to-boost-your-hz-130035249.html?src=rssThe latest Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are more customizable and expensive
The latest iteration of Meta's smart glasses has arrived and, as rumored, they are more customizable, particularly for people who need prescription lenses. Meta and Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica revealed two new styles of frames: the Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics, which will start at $499 a pair.
The latest glasses are still considered to be part of the "Gen 2" Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but they do come with a few upgrades that make it easier to get a personalized fit. According to EssilorLuxottica, both styles have somewhat slimmer frames, swappable nosepads and adjustable temple tips so wearers can get a better fit. And, as the "optics" branding implies, the new frame styles are also compatible with a wider variety of prescription lenses, including progressive lenses and transition lenses.
The Blayzer style frames are more square, similar to the existing Wayfarer glasses, while the Scriber version is a little more rounded, like the "Headliner" style frames. Both come in a variety of colors including some translucent styles and are available now for pre-order on Meta's website and will be on sale April 14. The "optics" lineup will also be sold at more physical retail stores, including LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Salmoiraghi & Viganò, Apollo, Grand Vision Optical, Vision Express and other locations that are part of EssilorLuxottica's distribution network.
The new lineup of glasses is also more expensive, with a starting price of $499, compared with Meta's standard Wayfarer Gen 2 model, which starts at $379. That price doesn't include prescription lenses either, which can easily run $200-$300 or more, depending on your setup.
One benefit of that investment, though, is that Meta has consistently added new features to its smart glasses. And with the latest frames, the company is bringing some additional capabilities to all users. These include new translation support for Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic; as well as Meta AI-enabled food and nutrition tracking. Meta AI can also summarize longer message threads rather than simply reciting a long string of messages in a given chat.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-latest-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-are-more-customizable-and-expensive-130000553.html?src=rssThe RAM crisis is Apple's best chance in decades to capture the PC market
In the current RAM crisis, no company is better positioned to not only weather the storm but turn it to its advantage like Apple. It proved that when it released the MacBook Neo in early March. Despite only including 8GB of RAM, the Neo doesn't feel compromised, a testament to the company's silicon and software engineering. For Apple, it may be tempting to treat its latest MacBook as a one-off. That would be a mistake, because at this moment, the business decisions that made the Neo possible represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a bigger player in the PC market.
If you read Engadget, there's a good chance you know the contours of the global memory shortage, but it's worth repeating just how bad things have become in recent months. Just three companies — SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron — produce more than 90 percent of the world's memory chips. At the end of last year, Micron announced it would end its consumer-facing business to focus on providing RAM and other components to AI customers.
Citing data from TrendForce, The Wall Street Journal reported in January that data centers would consume 70 percent of the high-end memory produced in 2026. As the Big Three shift more of their production to meet enterprise demand, they're allocating fewer wafers for consumer products, leading to dramatic price increases in that market segment. According to data from Counterpoint Research, the price of memory — including consumer RAM kits and SSDs, as well as LPDDR5X memory for smartphones — increased by 50 percent during the final quarter of 2025. Before the end of the current quarter, the firm predicts prices will increase by another 40 to 50 percent, and the CEO of SK Hynix recently warned shortages could last until 2030.
Since nearly all consumer electronics need some amount of RAM and storage, the trickle-down effects have come fast and hard. In December, before the situation got as bad as it is now, TrendForce warned that most of the major PC manufacturers were either considering, if not already planning, price hikes. This month, the firm warned laptop prices could increase by as much as 40 percent if manufacturers and retailers moved to protect their margins. Such a scenario would send the cost of a $900 model to about $1,260.
Amid all that, Apple added another point of pressure: the $600 MacBook Neo. During a recent investor call, Nick Wu, the chief financial officer of ASUS, described the Neo as "a shock to the entire market," adding "all PC vendors, including upstream vendors like Microsoft, Intel and AMD" are taking the cute device "very seriously." Wu warned ASUS would "need more time" before it could ready a response.
For ASUS and other Windows manufacturers, any response realistically may take a year or more to formulate. That's because the Neo represents both a technical and logistical hurdle.
To start, it's a fundamentally different machine from the one most Windows OEMs are making right now. It has the advantage of using "unified memory" instead of a set of traditional RAM modules. The 8GB of RAM the Neo has is shared between the A18 Pro's CPU and GPU, meaning it can more efficiently use the RAM that it does have. That's part of the reason the Neo doesn't feel like a Windows PC with 8GB of RAM. Apple didn't get to the A18 Pro and the MacBook Neo by accident. It has spent more than a decade designing its own chips.
Since 2024, Microsoft has mandated 16GB of RAM — and 256GB of solid-state storage — for PCs that are part of its Copilot+ AI program. That branding effort may not have amounted to much, with Copilot+ AI PCs accounting for just 1.9 percent of all computers sold in the first quarter of 2025, but it did push OEMs, including ASUS, Dell and others to make more capable machines. It also saw Microsoft rework Windows to better support ARM-based processors from Qualcomm. Still, it's hard to see how Windows manufacturers can challenge Apple by going back to existing or older x86 chips with with less RAM.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors could offer a potential response, but there are question marks there too. At CES 2026, the company announced the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a pared down version of its X2 Elite chipset with a six-core CPU. On paper, it should offer similar performance to the A18 Pro, but it doesn't seem Qualcomm has produced the chip at scale or that Windows OEMs have shown much interest in it. As of the writing of this story, the company's website lists just four X2 Plus-equipped models. I was only able to find one of those in stock, the $1,050 HP Omnibook 5. It has an OLED screen and more RAM than the Neo. Could HP repurpose something like the Omnibook 5 to take on the Neo? Maybe, but I'm not sure there's getting around the need for 16GB to get Windows 11 running decently.
Even if the Snapdragon X2 Plus offers a stopgap measure, no company operates a supply chain quite like Apple. It has spent billions of dollars to make itself independent of companies like Qualcomm by designing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, for example. It also doesn't need to pay Microsoft a licensing fee to use a bloated Windows 11. Those are all factors that lead to OEMs like ASUS and Lenovo operating on razor thin margins.
Per Statista, Apple earned a nearly 36.8 percent gross profit margin on its products in 2025. That's almost exactly half as much as the gross margin it made on services, which grew to a record 75.4 percent last year. For comparison, ASUS has seen its profit margins erode to about 15.3 percent in recent quarters, or less than a third of Apple's 2025 average of 46.9 percent. For ASUS and other Windows OEMs, the short-term outlook isn’t good. HP recently told investors RAM now accounts for more than a third of the cost of its PCs. And if memory shortages continue, many of them will be forced to raise their prices to protect their margins.
Apple is in no such position. The iPhone recently had its best quarter ever, contributing $85.27 billion to the company's Q1 revenue. The fact that Mac revenue declined from $8.9 billion to $8.3 billion year-over-year didn't make a dent to Apple's bottom line. For the companies that must now compete against the Neo, it's not a fair playing field. To Lenovo, Dell, HP and ASUS, PC sales are almost everything to their business. For Apple, it's a side hustle.
As the company prepares to kick off its 51st year, it should consider it may never be in a better position to claw ahead in the market where it all started for the company. In both the PC and smartphone segments, Apple's market share has always been a distant second (and sometimes third and forth) to Windows and Android, in part because commoditization has consistently worked against the company. But when a single part now accounts for a third of the cost of a new PC, the regular rules don't apply.
It's not just that the company is better insulated than nearly every other player against runaway RAM costs, it's that it also has a technological edge and the profit margins to compete on price at the same time. In recent quarters, the company's share of the PC market has hovered around the 9 to 10 percent mark, meaning it's consistently been about the fourth largest manufacturer.
For as long as the RAM shortage continues, Apple should seriously consider sacrificing some of its PC profits to become a bigger player. So far, the company has moved to protect the margins on its more expensive devices. For example, it increased the price of the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro by $100. The company doubled the amount of base storage to make up for the hike.
Moving forward, it should do everything it can to maintain, and maybe even lower the price of its computers to a point where its competitors can't meet it. If the Lenovos and HPs of the world can't compete on either price or performance, consumers will move to Mac computers. As Apple looks to the next 50 years, it may not get another opportunity like the one it has right now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-ram-crisis-is-apples-best-chance-in-decades-to-capture-the-pc-market-130000672.html?src=rssApple AirPods Max 2 review: Better late than never
I’m honestly shocked the AirPods Max 2 even exists. After Apple only added a USB-C port and a few new colors to its over-ear headphones in 2024, I thought it had given up on delivering a proper upgrade to its priciest AirPods model. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case.
The AirPods Max 2 is certainly an updated version of Apple’s headphones, but the company is also catching it up to the AirPods Pro 3. The headphones now carry the company’s powerful H2 audio chip, the component that enables features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. The USB-C AirPods Max may have barely been an update, but the AirPods Max 2 is worthy of the new numeral in its name. The price is still $549, due in part to the fact that Apple’s products are exempt from Trump’s tariffs, yet these remain some of the most expensive headphones I’ve reviewed. Are the AirPods Max still worth it?
What’s new on the AirPods Max 2?
All of the AirPods Max 2’s major new features are here thanks to the upgrade to the H2 chip. It was baffling that Apple didn’t swap out the H1 when it made the switch to USB-C, choosing instead to saddle its pricey headphones with very outdated silicon for another 16 months. So, in a lot of ways, the AirPods Max 2 is a lot more about getting up to date with the rest of the lineup, which means a host of new tools await.
Thanks to the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 has Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Siri Interactions (head gestures) and Live Translation. Adaptive Audio blends active noise cancellation (ANC) with transparency mode and automatically adjusts the mix based on your surroundings. Conversation Awareness can tell when you’re talking and automatically lowers the volume and enables transparency mode for quick chats.
Voice Isolation helps improve your voice quality for calls when the AirPods Max 2 is used with compatible apps on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, and I think we’re all well-aware of what Live Translation is. Lastly, Personalized Volume takes notes on your listening preferences over time and applies automatic adjustments based on those and your surroundings.
Unsurprisingly, these features all work as well as they do on the AirPods Pro 3. Of course, there will be some that you use often and others that you might not touch at all. For me, I don’t like contending with unwanted volume changes due to Conversation Awareness, so I turn that one off. It’s not as easily triggered as Sony’s version, but I did trick it with an unexpectedly loud burp. I also don’t use the Siri head gestures, although they work very well. I frequently use Adaptive Audio around the house, which allows me to enable transparency mode to hear what I need to while letting the headphones apply ANC if I encounter unwanted noise. Voice Isolation is also a big improvement to normal voice performance and Live Translation is certainly nice to have.
Two additional H2 features that I do use often on the AirPods Pro, and will do so on the AirPods Max 2 because they work well here, are studio-quality audio recording and Camera Remote. The first is self-explanatory, but it does offer a boost to clips recorded in Voice Memos and the Camera app (my main two uses). Meanwhile, Camera Remote allows you to use the Digital Crown to take a photo or start/stop a video recording without reaching for your iPhone.
Et tu, hearing health?
Apple’s hearing health features are some of the most important tools on the AirPods Pro. However, you won’t find them on the AirPods Max 2, despite the new H2 chip. While the headphones do offer loud sound reduction, the hearing test, hearing aid and automatic conversation boost tools are absent. There are several reasons for this, the primary one being that the cushions on the over-ear headphones don’t seal off your ears the way the AirPods Pro ear tips do.
Still, loud sound reduction isn’t nothing. This prevents exposure to loud ambient noise while making adjustments to keep the audio sounding good. It’s particularly useful when you encounter blaring construction sounds during a commute or similar inconveniences.
Design: More of the same
One thing that hasn’t changed on the AirPods Max 2 is the design. For better or worse, Apple has kept the same look that it debuted in 2020. Aside from new colors and the switch from Lightning to USB-C in 2024, there are no other visible differences between this version and the original. I would argue it’s time for the company to change things up, but I can also understand why it hasn’t.
First, let’s discuss what’s great about the AirPods Max’s design. It’s unique, especially the mesh headband, solid aluminum ear cups and fabric ear pads. The punches of color are nice too, and if you prefer something more subtle, the black and gold, er… Midnight and Starlight options fit that bill. From the start, I’ve loved the simple controls that are comprised of the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown and the lone additional button for listening modes (a press and hold will activate Live Translation). The controls are in a great location, and it’s so satisfying to spin the Digital Crown for volume adjustments.
So, why hasn’t Apple redesigned the outside of the AirPods Max? I’d argue it doesn’t think it needs to yet. The AirPods Pro is still largely the same as it has been from the first version, and the regular AirPods only got its first big design overhaul in 2024. The original AirPods debuted in 2016, so if Apple keeps a similar timeline for aesthetic changes to both the Pro and Max lines, we might not see those until 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Sound quality, ANC and calls
Besides the H2 chip, the other big upgrade to the AirPods Max’s internal components is a new high dynamic range amplifier. This improves overall sound quality by allowing you to listen at higher volumes with low distortion and excellent clarity. Apple also overhauled the digital signal processing (DSP) for better bass response and to enhance the locations of instruments in the mix.
Those tweaks don’t equate to a huge leap in audio performance on the AirPods Max 2, but the gains are noticeable. Sound quality wasn’t an issue before, but you can definitely hear the improved instrument localization and enhanced bass performance across nearly all genres. On Ruston Kelly’s “Waiting to Love You (Piano Version/Live From Salt Lick Sessions),” the singer’s unique voice and the keys completely fill your head. It’s like a barrage of balladry in the best way. You get the texture of the vocals, the reverb of the piano and all the dynamics of the stripped-down live performance.
Jump to something a bit more energetic, like aya’s “navel gazer,” and the AirPods Max 2 deftly manages the vocals, synths and whatever else is happening in the mix (seriously, it’s a lot). And there’s still the sonic deluge that hexed! hits you with. Even with the multi-genre mash-up metal of Bilmuri, these headphones keep the vocals, guitars, drums and subtle sounds separate. There are a lot of delicate details in the artist’s latest tracks — like “More Than Hate,” for example — and the AirPods Max 2 ensures you’ll catch them all. A screeching eagle? Hell yeah, brother.
While wireless listening remains excellent, the AirPods Max 2 still offers lossless audio over USB-C. If you opt for wired use, you can get up to 24-bit/48kHz quality from compatible streaming services or locally stored files. This is the same functionality that Apple delivered in 2025. As expected, it still works well and provides enhanced listening when needed. Personally, I like to use it when I’m sitting at my desk. What’s more, the wired USB-C connection can be used for low-latency audio — which is great when you’re playing a game or mixing/editing audio projects. I should note the rest of the AirPods Max features (Siri, Adaptive Audio, etc.) still work over Bluetooth in wired mode, and there’s also a low-latency Game Mode for wireless use with a Mac, iPhone or iPad.
In terms of ANC, Apple says the H2 unlocks up to 1.5x stronger performance than the previous generation. The company combined the audio chip with new computational audio algorithms to reduce more external sounds — like airplane engines, trains and the roar of a coffee shop. That difference is certainly noticeable, as I found constant sources of noise around my house (fans, white noise machines, HVAC system, etc.) were much less apparent when I had the AirPods Max 2 on. Plus, Adaptive Audio uses the ANC system to pick up any changes and make the necessary adjustments to keep your music, podcast or movie coming through clearly.
Every AirPods model that has ANC is also equipped with transparency mode. Since the debut of the first AirPods Pro, I’ve been continually amazed by the natural sound of this feature. No other audio company comes close to matching the clarity of the ambient sound here, nearly making you forget you're wearing earbuds or headphones. This has a tremendous impact on calls, as you can hear yourself very well, so you never feel the need to speak loudly. Plus, Voice Isolation combines the AirPods Max 2’s H2 chip with an iPhone, iPad or Mac to further improve your voice and reduce background noise. Most headphones offer average voice performance at best, but like it has in the past, Apple actually delivers.
Battery life
One of the areas I was hoping for an additional boost on the AirPods Max 2 is battery life. Sadly, I was headed for disappointment. This model offers the same 20-hour longevity as its predecessors, a figure that includes ANC and/or Spatial Audio. While it’s certainly enough to get you through a couple of work days or a trans-Atlantic flight, that number falls well short of the 30-50 hours much of the over-ear competition can muster these days.
I haven’t had the AirPods Max 2 long enough to do a full battery test; I chose to focus on the new features instead. However, based on the performance that I’ve seen so far, I have no reason to doubt Apple’s claims here. The company has a solid track record on battery life, and all indications are that it continues on the AirPods Max 2. I’ll update this review when this test is complete.
The competition
If you’re thoroughly invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the AirPods Max 2 is worth considering. Most of the features are reserved for the iOS, iPadOS and masOS faithful, so it doesn’t really make sense for Android users or Windows devotees to splurge on the $549 headphones. If you’re still balking at that price tag, Sony’s WH-1000XM6 is my current top pick on our best headphones list. While those headphones are $460 at full price, you can currently find them for $400. Sony continues to mix great sound with capable ANC and a list of features few rivals can compete with. Plus, those handy tools are available to both iOS and Android users.
Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra headphones are another solid option. They offer powerful ANC, great sound quality and excellent comfort for $449, but you can currently snag them for around $400. If noise cancellation performance is your primary concern, this is your pick. Lastly, if money is no object, a personal favorite is the Px8 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins. They’re pure luxury right down to the $799 price tag, and they exude grandeur. The company’s combo of leather and aluminum screams high end and it made some design tweaks for this model to refresh the overall look. Battery life and sound quality are the big attractions here, but just know you’ll have to forgo the advanced features much of the (more affordable) competition provides — like all of those H2-powered tools on the AirPods Max 2.
Wrap-up
The AirPods Max 2 is an obvious upgrade over the previous version. And no, I don’t count the USB-C swap-in as a separate model. Simply put, the H2 chip brings Apple’s over-ear headphones on par with the rest of the AirPods lineup, namely the AirPods Pro 3. And since I don’t expect Apple to announce new earbuds this year, that parity should remain for a while.
These headphones are still expensive though, and the more affordable AirPods Pro offer handy hearing health features that are nice to have in your pocket. I could also understand why prospective buyers would want some design changes before making such a big investment. Sure, the AirPods Max 2 looks the same as its predecessor, possibly leaving those who own the previous version with a difficult decision to make. But Apple kept the price the same and brought better sound and more features, so there’s no denying these headphones outperform the original.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-max-2-review-better-late-than-never-130000982.html?src=rssAmazon adds dynamic food delivery ordering to Alexa+
Amazon announced that it is adding new capabilities for ordering food delivery with its Alexa+ artificial intelligence assistant. Users will be able to place orders using natural language on Alexa+ through the GrubHub or Uber Eats platforms, provided they have an Amazon device with a large screen. First, you'll need to connect an account for those delivery services to use the feature. You can ask to see restaurants with a specific cuisine or tell the assistant to go right to a favorite spot. Once you start an order, Alexa+ will also support natural language requests and, if you ask for something generic, the assistant will match it to the most similar item on the menu. It should also support more detailed queries like "what are kid-friendly options?" and be able to submit special requests like "no onions."
To start, this ordering capability will be available for Alexa+ customers using the Echo Show 8 or larger devices. The screen should reflect your order, with any changes shown in real time. Amazon made the Alexa+ subscription available to all US customers earlier this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-adds-dynamic-food-delivery-ordering-to-alexa-130000065.html?src=rssThe Shark BlastBoss is basically a leaf blower that can be used indoors
Shark just introduced a new product called the BlastBoss that's basically a leaf blower rated for both indoor and outdoor use. This means it can actually be used to blow leaves around in the yard, but is also handy for tidying up debris in the house.
It offers adjustable airflow up to 190 mph, making it a "versatile solution for the garage, patio, car, inside the home and beyond." I imagine this would also make it the bane of every dog and cat in the neighborhood.
It's pretty light, at under 1.5 pounds, and cordless. The BlastBoss ships with several attachments, including an extension wand and precision nozzle for getting into tight spots like under appliances or between couch seams. The adjustable airflow means that the power can be dialed down for dusting and other less-intensive cleaning tasks.
It also comes with an attachment called the BlastBroom, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is a broom attachment that blows out air, which can be used to "loosen, lift and clear debris in one pass." The company says this is "ideal for patios, garages and walkways."
The BlastBoss is available to purchase right now and costs $150. It's available in a bunch of different colors, which is a bit odd for a leaf blower but cool for those who like to accessorize.
Shark has been pumping out some pretty wild products lately. There's a personal cooling device called the ChillPill and a skin-care gadget that performs aqua peels.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/the-shark-blastboss-is-a-leaf-blower-that-can-be-used-indoors-123011878.html?src=rssProton adds a secure video conferencing service called Meet to its toolbox
We’ve written about the Swiss company Proton’s moves to take on Google and Microsoft with an expanding variety of privacy-focused internet services, and the company is announcing yet another new tool today. Proton Meet, as the name suggests, is a video-calling service that sounds comparable to Zoom, Microsoft Teams and, naturally, Google Meet.
As with everything Proton does, Meet is end-to-end encrypted, but the company is taking extra steps towards security and anonymity here. You don’t need a Proton account to join a Meet call, which should help service gain traction — you can use Proton and not totally throw off everyone else who’s still using other systems. Proton says that Meet can be used anonymously and no logs are kept. The company even says that a Proton account isn’t needed to host a meeting. If you visit the Proton Meet site, you can start an anonymous call with up to four participants for free.
Proton says that anyone with an account (even a free one) can start Meet call with up to 50 participants for up to one hour, but it is also offering a dedicated Meet Professional plan for $8 a month with fewer restrictions (though we don’t have the specifics yet).
Meet joins the other core Proton tools including Mail, Calendar, VPN, Drive and a password manager. Drive in particular has gotten some notable upgrades recently — it offers collaborative documents and spreadsheets, just like Google. With the addition of Meet, Proton has most of the core services that Google offers covered. There’s even a little AI bot if that’s your thing.
Proton is using this launch as an opportunity to rebrand its services, gathering them all under the new Proton Workspace (another name pulled directly from Google’s offerings). In addition to the dedicated Meet Professional plan, Proton is offering Workplace Standard for $13 per month (billed annually) or $15 a month (billed monthly). That includes the aforementioned tools and 500GB of space by default. There’s also a Premium plan ($20/month annually or $25/month billed monthly) that adds more storage, access to the Lumo chatbot, expanded Meet participant limits and a few other tidbits.
The company says it’ll continue offering its other plans, including a Mail-only option that costs $36 a year as well as other bundles for an individual, two users or a whole family. But Proton is obviously looking to expand its business client base with Meet in addition to growing its user base (currently more than 100 million). Proton says it has about 100,000 enterprise customers, and adding a tool like Meet to its portfolio should make it easier to court companies as well as individuals.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/proton-adds-a-secure-video-conferencing-service-called-meet-to-its-toolbox-121729143.html?src=rssSpaceX loses contact with one of its Starlink satellites
SpaceX has lost contact with Starlink satellite 34343 after it suffered an unspecified anomaly on March 29 while it was in orbit, the company has announced on X. The event happened while the satellite was approximately 348 miles above our planet. Since that is a relatively low altitude, SpaceX’s analysis showed that the remains of the satellite pose no risk to the International Space Station or the upcoming launch of the Artemis II mission. It also won’t affect the company’s Transporter-16 mission, which launched with small satellites from its clients on March 30.
In its statement, SpaceX also said that it will monitor any trackable debris, indicating that the satellite is no longer in one piece. LeoLabs, an American company tracking satellites in Low Earth Orbit, said it detected a “fragment creation event” involving Starlink 34343 on March 29. It also mentioned that this event is similar to another incident that happened on December 17, 2025. SpaceX had lost Starlink satellites to events like geomagnetic storms in the past, but it doesn’t seem like these two recent incidents were caused by external factors. The company has yet to announce what led to the anomalies, but LeoLabs believes that both of them were “likely caused by an internal energetic source rather than a collision with space debris or another object.”
At the moment, the Starlink team is still working on determining the root cause of the incidents. SpaceX said that once it has come to a conclusion, the company will “rapidly implement any necessary corrective actions.”
On Sunday, March 29, Starlink satellite 34343 experienced an anomaly on-orbit, resulting in loss of communications with the satellite at ~560 km above Earth.
— Starlink (@Starlink) March 30, 2026
Latest analysis shows the event poses no new risk to the @Space_Station, its crew, or to the upcoming launch of NASA’s…
The Morning After: Meta tests Instagram Plus subscription service
Screenshots promoting "Instagram Plus" have been spotted by users in the Philippines and Mexico in recent days. According to social media consultant Matt Navarra, a subscription to Instagram Plus includes several Story-focused features not otherwise available to Instagram users. This includes the ability to create multiple audiences for Stories posts, search the list of people who have viewed your Story, extend Stories longer than 24 hours and create "spotlight" Stories. It also mentions something called “super hearts” for reacting to Stories.
A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test to Engadget, saying that Instagram Plus is currently available in “a few countries.” The spokesperson added that “preview” would allow people to see some of another user’s Story without “showing up as a viewer”. There’s nothing quite like paying to be sneakier on social media.
The idea, as we’ve seen so far, seems closely modeled after Snapchat+, which also offers bonus features to the app's power users. Launched in 2022, the service has now become a significant driver of non-advertising revenue for the company.
– Mat Smith
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
This Frankenstein PlayStation PCB reads games from microSD and has HDMI output
How to use Apple's Playlist Playground to make AI-generated mixes
Beat-based dungeon crawlers, card-battling soccer sims and other new indie games worth checking out
Project Hail Mary is already Amazon MGM's highest-grossing film ever
50 years of Apple: Pushing tech forward (for better or worse)
RIP headphone jack.
Apple has been around for fifty years. It reimagined personal computers, catalyzed the era of the smartphone, enlarged an iPhone and called it the iPad and garnered a strong position in wearable tech through its Watch series and its AirPods. It also popularized software and services like its App Store, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessages and many more.
However, Apple gives and it takes away. For the MacBook Air to exist, the disk drive had to go; ditching the home button led to edge-to-edge iPhone screens. The weight of Apple's influence has led to entire product categories following suit. Or, more typically, there's resistance, complaining and (eventually) following suit.
Meta's next AI glasses are reportedly designed for prescription lenses
Bloomberg says this isn't the next generation of Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses, though.
Two new models of Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses are on the wayand they're going to be catered to those who use prescription lenses, according to a Bloomberg report. While these are supposed to be announced next week, the report noted that these won't be a "new generation" of Meta's smart glasses.
You can already add prescription lenses to Meta Ray-Ban's AI glasses, so who cares? Well, the upcoming models will come in rectangular and rounded styles and will be sold through traditional prescription eyewear channels. It seems like a way to get Meta’s wearables in front of a new group of prospective customers.
The White House app is just weird
When you don’t want to escape from the chaotic news cycle.
Now available on the App Store and Google Play Store, the official White House App claims to give Americans "a direct line to the White House." According to the press release, the app provides "unfiltered, real-time upgrades straight from the source." The White House App's News tab features a carousel of about 35 articles that seem suspiciously cherry-picked, favoring the Trump administration. As Engadget’s Jackson Chen notes, in the Affordability window, the app points out year-over-year price drops for items like eggs, milk and bread, but conveniently omits the recent surge in gas prices.
In the Social tab, there's even a button to "Text President Trump," which auto-populates a new text with "Greatest President Ever!"
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111408830.html?src=rssAT&T now offers a single subscription for both wireless service and home internet
AT&T just announced OneConnect, a new service that lets customers sign up for both wireless service and fiber home internet under a single subscription. Pricing starts at $90. This could end up saving some serious bucks, especially for those who are paying around $100 per month for each from separate providers.
These plans offer unlimited mobile data, which is great. The home internet speed caps at 1Gbps, which is a decent enough metric.
Pricing starts at $90 per month, which includes a single phone line, unlimited data. This plan also covers mobile data for three devices of the user's choosing, like smartwatches and tablets.
Family plans shoot all the way up to $225 per month, but the pricier subscriptions increase the number of covered mobile devices to ten and allow up to ten concurrent phone lines. This could be a huge money-saving opportunity for large families.
The company hasn't said anything about throttling users once they reach a certain cap on mobile data, which should please customers. This is similar to how T-Mobile handles its Magenta Max plan. Taxes and fees are included in the quoted prices, which means there shouldn't be any surprises when the bill comes around.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/att-now-offers-a-single-subscription-for-both-wireless-service-and-home-internet-091501503.html?src=rssBOXROOM lets you build a cozy game room for your Steam library
Your game collection says a lot about you. With a cute new game, you can also give your collection a space that's just as personalized. BOXROOM is a building sim where the whole purpose is creating a space to show off your game library. You can select furniture, paint and lighting, then you choose games from your Steam library to display on your virtual shelves. Titles appear in game boxes, giving it a throwback feel to the days where a game collection had to be physical. Once complete, the room serves as a launcher, allowing you to boot up a title from the game box. The demo is available now, and the team said that BOXROOM will launch in early access soon.
This is a fun idea, although it's unlikely that you'd fit your entire collection into even this virtual space if your Steam library starts to number in the hundreds, or even thousands, of games. As with an IRL space, you'd need a warehouse rather than a cute, cozy room. But if you wanted to have a curated selection of your go-to titles in a customized virtual space, this might be a fun addition to your already sizable collection. Or, if you want a virtual reality take on a similar idea, EmuVR might be worth a look.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/boxroom-lets-you-build-a-cozy-game-room-for-your-steam-library-215349560.html?src=rssThis Frankenstein PlayStation PCB reads games from microSD and outputs video over HDMI
We're living in the golden age of retro console modding. If you have an old Game Boy Advance lying around, it's possible to give it a new lease on life with aftermarket parts like an IPS display and USB-C charging. But as amazing as those mods are, most still require an original GBA motherboard with a working processor and RAM. That's what makes the PlayStation Hybrid from YouTuber Secret Hobbyist so cool. Over the past couple of months, they've been working to design, prototype and build the ultimate PlayStation PCB, one that incorporates the best parts of different model revisions while adding a couple of modern conveniences.
The specific motherboards Secret Hobbyist's PCB pulls parts from are the PM-41 v2 and the PU18, with the former being a PSOne board while the latter was sourced from a "phat" model. The decision to incorporate parts from different PlayStation variants makes a lot of sense if you know something about the history of the console. Between the release of the PlayStation in 1994 and the smaller PSOne in 2000, Sony made multiple revisions to the original design to address hardware issues and eke out cost savings.
One component that you can find on older models, but not the PSOne, is an Asahi Kasei-made digital-to-analog audio converter (DAC). Over the years, this DAC has gained something of a cult following among audiophiles, with some of the earliest models like the SCPH-1000 and SCPH-3000 being particularly sought after as CD players because they also came with RCA outputs, a feature Sony later cut from subsequent revisions. As for the PU18, it has a part that makes it compatible with the X Station, a CD replacement that allows a modded PlayStation to read games from a microSD card.
From the PSOne, Secret Hobbyist sourced the console's GPU and CPU, which are more power efficient than the ones found on its older siblings. Lastly, they incorporated an FPGA chip from a Hispeedido mod kit to make their hybrid PlayStation capable of outputting video over HDMI.
The final result is a custom PCB that is even smaller than the PSOne's PM-41 v2, draws less than two watts of power and works with modern displays. That power draw means the Hybrid PlayStation could be engineered to be a handheld. Secret Hobbyist still has yet to design an enclosure for their new Frankenstein console, but judging from the comments on their video, people are excited to see the final result. In the meantime, be sure to watch the full video to learn more about the project and see some incredible soldering work.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/this-frankenstein-playstation-pcb-reads-games-from-microsd-and-outputs-video-over-hdmi-211002114.html?src=rssDeus Ex game studio Eidos Montreal cuts 124 jobs
Another day, another announcement of game industry job cuts. The latest restructuring is happening at Eidos Montreal, which stated that 124 people are being laid off. As with so many similar cuts, the studio's LinkedIn post credited the downsizing to "a result of changing project needs and impacts across production and support teams." The company is also parting ways with its studio head, David Anfossi.
Eidos Montreal has worked on titles within the Deus Ex and Tomb Raider franchises, as well as Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel's Avengers games. It is one of the many companies owned by Embracer Group, which snapped up a bunch of studios but has been stuck in a downsizing in a loop following an expensive restructuring of its own gaming empire during 2023 and 2024. That activity reportedly included axing a planned new Deus Ex game that Eidos Montreal was working on.
The post from Eidos Montreal didn't specify what projects it is currently active on, although it has said it is involved with the upcoming Grounded 2 from Obsidian Entertainment and the reimagined Fable from Playground Games.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/deus-ex-game-studio-eidos-montreal-cuts-124-jobs-205057796.html?src=rssMeta is testing an Instagram Plus subscription service with exclusive features
Meta is testing a new subscription service for Instagram that offers users "exclusive" features like the ability to post Stories for longer than 24 hours. Screenshots promoting "Instagram Plus" have been spotted by users in the Philippines and Mexico in recent days.
According to screenshots shared by social media consultant Matt Navarra, a subscription to Instagram Plus comes with a number of Story-focused features not otherwise available to Instagram users. This includes the ability to create multiple "audiences" for Stories posts, see info about who has rewatched your Story, search the list of people who have viewed your Story, preview Stories posts, extend Stories longer than 24 hours and create "spotlight" Stories. It also mentions something called “super hearts” for reacting to Stories.
A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test to Engadget, saying that Instagram Plus is currently available in “a few countries,” but didn’t say which. A dedicated help page on Meta's website says that this feature is not available to everyone right now.” The spokesperson confirmed the feature list shown below, and added that “preview” would allow people to see some of another user’s Story without “showing up as a viewer” and that Stories posts could be extended for an additional 24 hours. “Our hope from these tests is to understand what’s most valuable to people in a premium feature set,” the spokesperson said.
It seems that early versions of the service are priced fairly cheaply, with the prices in the Philippines landing at 65 PHP (about $1.07 in USD) a month and in Mexico at $39 MXN (about $2.15 in USD) a month. Meta is also offering prospective users a free one-month trial of the service.
The idea seems to be closely modeled after Snapchat+, which also offers bonus features to the app's power users. Launched in 2022, the service has racked up more millions of subscribers and has become a significant driver of non-advertising revenue for the company.
Now, Meta is looking to boost its subscription revenue too. The company said earlier this year it would test new types of subscriptions, including those focused on AI features. Elsewhere, Meta has also been pushing its Meta Verified subscriptions more aggressively. Over the last several weeks, I've repeatedly seen promotions for discounted Meta Verified plans with an initial one-month trial starting at $1 (the cheapest Meta Verified plans typically start at $14.99/month). The company has also recently tested link-sharing features in Instagram captions for subscribers and limits on link-sharing on Facebook for non-subscribers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-testing-an-instagram-plus-subscription-service-with-exclusive-features-181215180.html?src=rssOkCupid settles FTC case on alleged misuse of its users' personal data
Match Group and its subsidiary OkCupid has finally settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission that dates back to its alleged sharing of user data back in 2014. According to the lawsuit, the FTC accused OkCupid of inappropriately sharing personal user data that includes photos and location info with a third party company, Clarifai, which offers AI-powered software for uses like facial recognition and content moderation.
According to the FTC, OkCupid's privacy policy at the time noted that the company wouldn't share a user's personal information with others, except for some cases including "service providers, business partners, other entities within its family of businesses." However, the lawsuit accused OkCupid of sharing three million photos of its users to Clarifai, which the FTC claims is a "unrelated third party" that didn't fall under the allowed entities. On top of that, the lawsuit alleged that OkCupid didn't inform its users of this data sharing, nor give them a chance to opt out.
"While we do not admit any wrongdoing, we have settled this matter with the FTC with no monetary penalty to resolve an issue from 2014 and move forward," an OkCupid spokesperson told Engadget, adding that the allegations don't reflect how OkCupid operates today. "Over the years, we have further strengthened our privacy practices and data governance to ensure we meet the expectations of our users."
Moving forward, the settlement would "permanently prohibit" Match Group, which owns OkCupid, and Humor Rainbow, which operates OkCupid, from misrepresenting what kind of personal information it collects, the purpose for collecting the data and any consumer choices to prevent data collection. Even after the 2014 incident, OkCupid was found with security flaws that could've exposed user account info but, which were quickly patched in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/okcupid-settles-ftc-case-on-alleged-misuse-of-its-users-personal-data-175159228.html?src=rss50 years of Apple pushing tech forward, for better or worse
Over the last 50 years, Apple reimagined personal computers, catalyzed the era of the smartphone, enlarged an iPhone and called it the iPad and garnered a strong position in wearable tech through its Watch series and its AirPods. It also popularized software and services like its App Store, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessages and many more. For a lot of us, the first time we pinched-to-zoom on a photo was likely on an iPhone.
However, Apple gives and it takes away. Things have had to change, be removed and consumers have to move on to whatever's new. For better or worse, the weight of Apple's influence has led to entire product categories following suit. Or, more typically, there's resistance, complaining and then… following suit. With the benefit of hindsight, most of these cases are examples of Apple seeing where technology was going and getting ahead of a transition that would have been inevitable. Often, these transitions have caused short-term pain for some, but time has proven Apple (mostly) correct about dropping older tech.
As Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch once said: murder your darlings. Here are some of the darlings we’ve lost over the years.
The death of the disk drive (1998)
This is a two-parter. The iMac G3 marked Steve Jobs' return. The colorful all-in-one Mac was a new start in many ways. In 1998, Apple ditched the standard ports and myriad cable types of personal computers, going all in on USB and a little-known thing called the internet. (In fact, that’s what the ‘i’ in iMac stands for.)
In doing so, it also ditched the 3.5-inch floppy disk drive — although it did have a read-only optical disk drive. Even with sluggish internet and USB transfer speeds at the time, the convenience was plain to see and it led to a decade of thumb drives of ever-increasing storage limits. High-capacity alternatives to the floppy disk, like the Zip disk and even Minidisc, attempted to bridge the gap, but never gained the widespread traction and adoption of the original disk drive. But flash drives and, later, internet-based file storage quickly made them obsolete anyway. Apple was just a little early with its dismissal.
Portable music players (2007)
Despite Apple’s iPod being the de facto music player at the time, it was supplanted by the company’s own biggest hit: the iPhone. At its peak, the iPod made Apple the zeitgeisty tech company it is today. It dominated the MP3 player market, and by 2006, iPods were responsible for 40 percent of the company’s revenue. And that was before the era of Apple including a free U2 album with every iTunes account.
When the iPhone launched in June 2007, it was swiftly followed by the iPod Touch in September. This was the iPhone without the phone part — indicating how the company saw the future of music listening. You didn’t need an iPod if you already had an iPhone in your pocket. It’s the best example of Apple cannibalizing a product that defined a decade with something far more impressive and, eventually, more successful.
It was a slow death. Ignoring the countless MP3-playing rivals, (RIP Zune), Apple dropped the classic iPod in 2014. It soon did the same to the tiny iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017. Finally, the company discontinued the iPod Touch in May 2022.
The physical smartphone keyboard (2007 plus change)
When the iPhone’s capacitive screen and touch keyboard landed, there was a learning curve. Moving from physical keys (whether it was a 9-key alphanumeric version or the BlackBerry’s QWERTY experience) to a touch screen, especially on the tiny 3.5-inch panel of the first iPhone, wasn’t easy.
But it was the future. Physical keyboards took up physical space on devices — especially as those screens grew and grew. The adoption of touch keyboards sped up, thanks to third-party keyboard apps on Android, like Swype, SwiftKey and many others, introducing different input methods, smarter predictive text, typing algorithms and even touch heatmaps. Software keyboards were intrinsically more versatile, supporting multiple languages, infinite key arrangements and eventually emoji galleries. A colon-ellipsis smiley soon didn’t hit the same.
The death of the disk drive, part 2 (2008)
The MacBook Air, introduced by Steve Jobs in 2008, was famously pulled from a manila envelope to demonstrate its ultraportable design. To achieve that slimness, it had to ditch the internal optical drive entirely, making it the first MacBook without one. That move kickstarted an era of ultraportable laptops.
It was a major break from what laptop users were used to, and Apple tried to offer people some options. Apple introduced "Remote Disc," a feature which allowed the Air to wirelessly use the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC, and offered an external USB SuperDrive as an optional accessory. (I've used mine exactly once since I bought it in 2013.)
While it was considered underpowered compared to Windows competitors, the original MacBook Air set a new design standard for the industry. It positioned Apple’s Macs for a future of App Store software installations, faster internet connectivity, and the rise of streaming media, cloud storage, and the rest. Apple’s MacBook Pro and MacBooks eventually followed suit, ditching optical drives in 2012.
Adobe Flash (2010)
In the early days of the iPhone, Apple famously refused to support Adobe Flash. This was in the early 2000s, too, when much of the web was built with Flash for animations and video support. The iPhone and iPad notably lacked support, creating a fractured browsing experience for years.
In April 2010, just as the first iPad arrived, Steve Jobs published his "Thoughts on Flash" open letter, criticizing its poor security and a lack of touch-friendliness. Many Flash games and interfaces interacted with the mouse cursor's precise position, something that was invisible on the touchscreen iPhone.
It was also a calculated move. By denying Adobe access to the rapidly growing iOS user base, Apple forced developers to choose between sticking with the aging Flash or embracing open standards like HTML5. Also, by making Flash-based games and tools incompatible, it nudged those developers (and iPhone users) toward the App Store for those very games and tools (and more). There, Apple could curate and monetize those creations.
It was a slow death: Adobe finally discontinued Flash in 2020.
The headphone jack (2016)
In a move described by Apple marketing executive Phil Schiller as "courage,” nixing the headphone socket ended up becoming the biggest headline to come from the iPhone 7 launch in 2016. Every flagship iPhone since has lacked the jack, with the most recent iPhone to include it being the original iPhone SE.
To make the change more palatable, Apple bundled a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter (expect more dongle chat later) with the iPhone 7, 8 and X. In-box headphones also swapped from the typical jack to Lightning. Naturally, this meant you couldn’t charge the phone while you listened to music, unless you already had a pair of wireless headphones.
Of course, this move was ultimately instrumental in making true wireless earbuds ubiquitous. While Apple wasn’t remotely the first company to introduce wireless earbuds (and then headphones), the removal of the headphone jack undoubtedly sped up adoption. Pour one out for the Bragi Dash, the Jabras, the Jaybirds of this world.
Conveniently, alongside the aforementioned iPhone 7, Apple announced the AirPods. Features like one-tap setup and automatic pairing brought the convenience people expected of Apple and put it into a tiny white case.
Despite early resistance and "bragging" from rivals who clung onto the headphone jack, at this point, the socket is mostly confined to cheaper smartphones or phones aimed at audiophiles (hi, Sony) or mobile gamers (ASUS ROG).
Eventually, the iPad Pro also lost its headphone jack, and the rest of the company's tablets followed. The only non-Mac device to keep the jack? The iPod Touch, which had one until its discontinuation in 2022.
Bespoke ports (2016)
2016 was the year of donglegate. Apple’s MacBook Pro redesign that year was another drastic shift in the laptop's history. Chasing ever-thinner profiles and less port fuss, Apple stripped away nearly every legacy connector that professionals relied on. This was particularly jarring after the previous-generation MacBook Pro (2015) was often cited as the peak of utility, with a MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, two USB-A ports, not to mention a full-size HDMI port and an SD card slot.
Those were replaced with four (or on the cheapest 13-inch MBP only two!) Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and a headphone jack. For power users (like some Engadget editors), it demanded dongles (possibly multiple ones) in order to connect your USB-A thumb drive, wired internet, SD cards, external screens and well, at that point, pretty much everything. Many were particularly furious with the loss of the MagSafe charging connector. Of course, this also meant that one of those USB-C ports would be used primarily to charge the MBP. This sped up the availability of USB-C peripherals and accessories — perhaps because everyone was sick of carrying around so many dongles and hubs — but we still have USB-A devices. HDMI is everywhere. I still have SD Cards.
Eventually, Apple course-corrected itself. The 2021 MacBook Pro redesign reintroduced the SD card reader and HDMI port, and even MagSafe returned, freeing up a USB-C port.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/50-years-of-apple-pushing-tech-forward-for-better-or-worse-170025862.html?src=rssUber to acquire Berlin-based chauffeur hailing app to ramp up its luxury travel efforts
Uber has acquired Blacklane, a Berlin-based startup that offers chauffeur services and bookings through its app, with plans to expand further into the luxury travel industry. Blacklane, founded in 2011, acts as a liaison between independent local chauffeur services and travelers looking for a more premium ride. According to Uber, the deal is subject to regulatory approvals but is expected to close by the end of 2026.
"This partnership marks a significant milestone in Blacklane’s next chapter and is a powerful step-change in introducing our service to new markets globally," Jens Wohltorf, founder and CEO of Blacklane said in a press release. Uber didn't disclose the acquisition details and it's not clear if Uber Elite and Blacklane will compete against each other.
Currently, Blacklane is available in at least 500 cities across more than 60 countries. Besides on-demand chauffeur hailing, the startup offers long-distance rides from city to city, airport pickup with flight tracking, and by-the-hour bookings. Uber's acquisition of Blacklane comes several weeks after it launched Uber Elite as an invite-only service for its "luxury ride experience." Besides Uber Elite and Blacklane, another luxury hailing service has recently entered the US market. Earlier this month, Wheely announced its US debut with New York City as its first location, with five others to be announced in the coming years. Blacklane also currently operates in New York City, along with several dozen other cities in the US.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-to-acquire-berlin-based-chauffeur-hailing-app-to-ramp-up-its-luxury-travel-efforts-163855603.html?src=rss