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Cloudflare experiment will block AI bot scrapers unless they pay a fee

Cloudflare has rolled out a couple of new measures meant to keep AI bot crawlers at bay. To start with, every new domain customer that signs up with the company to manage their website traffic will now be asked if they want to allow AI crawlers or to block them altogether. The company released a free tool in 2024 to block AI bots, but with this change, users can block them by default without having to tinker with their settings. Several big publishers, including Condé Nast, TIME and The Associated Press have already signed up to block crawlers. In addition, Cloudflare has launched a private beta experiment called "pay per crawl," which would only allow crawlers to access a website's content if they pay for it. 

Matthew Prince, Cloudflare's CEO, recently went on record to say that publishers are facing an existential threat, because people aren't clicking on chatbots' source links. If users don't visit those sources, the websites don't get the ad revenue they need to be able to keep running. "Original content is what makes the Internet one of the greatest inventions in the last century, and it's essential that creators continue making it," Prince said in a statement released with the company's latest updates. "AI crawlers have been scraping content without limits. Our goal is to put the power back in the hands of creators, while still helping AI companies innovate. This is about safeguarding the future of a free and vibrant Internet with a new model that works for everyone."

Cloudflare AI Audit.
Cloudflare

Cloudflare believes publishers should be able to charge AI bots for access if they want to, and pay per crawl is its first experiment for that particular purpose. "Each time an AI crawler requests content, they either present payment intent via request headers for successful access (HTTP response code 200), or receive a 402 Payment Required response with pricing," Cloudflare explained. The company records those transactions and provides the underlying technical infrastructure. Publishers will be able to allow certain crawlers to access their content for free if they want to, and they can define a flat, per-request price across its websites for other crawlers.

The company says pay per crawl is still in its very early stages, and it expects the tool to evolve in the future. It also says that it supports the development of other marketplaces and ways to charge AI crawlers for content. A marketplace could, for instance, allow dynamic pricing that enable publishers to charge different rates for different types of content. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/cloudflare-experiment-will-block-ai-bot-scrapers-unless-they-pay-a-fee-121523327.html?src=rss

Senate votes against curbing state-level AI regulation

Yesterday, the senate was poised to restrict states' power to regulate AI. Now, the measure is dead in the water, with the Senate voting 99-1 to remove the provision. Are you also having a bit of whiplash? Here's what you need to know about the amendments rightful journey into the trash can of history. 

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had pushed for an amendment to Trump's tax bill that would ban states from regulating the AI industry for ten years — if the state took AI infrastructure funding included in the aforementioned bill. A version of the provision passed the House in May. 

On Sunday, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) agreed to a version which would reduce the moratorium to five years and include exceptions for regulations around child safety, deceptive acts and protection of a person's likeness, voice, name and more. 

The new provision also exempted Tennessee's Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, enacted last year. The ELVIS Act was passed to prevent AI from using musician's likeness and voice without their consent. 

Yet, backlash against the amendment continued from Republican and Democrat leaders, Politico reports. My day's end Blackburn had found sense and withdrew her support. The senate voted early Tuesday morning to nix the amendment, with even Cruz backing its removal. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/senate-votes-against-curbing-state-level-ai-regulation-130025055.html?src=rss

El Chapo drug cartel reportedly tracked and killed informants by hacking an FBI phone

The Mexican Sinaloa cartel hired a hacker to track and surveil the FBI, then used that information to intimidate and even kill witnesses against drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, according to a Justice Department report spotted by Ars Technica. The hacker used relatively sophisticated data collection techniques and weaknesses in the FBI's cybersecurity to identify the witnesses, the report states.

According to the highly redacted report, which is based in part on testimony from an "individual connected to the cartel," the hacker offered gang leaders "a menu of services related to to exploiting mobile phones and other electronic devices." 

The hacker "observed people going in and out of the United States Embassy in Mexico City" and identified people of interest, including the FBI's Assistant Legal Attache (ALAT). They used the ALAT's mobile phone number to "obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data associated with the [attache's] phone." The hacker also used Mexico City's camera system to follow the ALAT around the city and identify people they met with. "According to the case agent, the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses," the report states.

The exact technical methods are redacted but the report explains that the hacker used "ubiquitous technical surveillance" (UTS) to spy on the FBI, which was investigating and eventually convicted Guzmán. The report defines UTS as the "widespread collection of data and application of analytic methodologies for the purpose of connecting people to things, events or locations." In other words, the cartel used some of the FBI's own methods against it.

The report said that the recent availability of commercial tools that allow UTS is an "existential" threat. It cited other examples including the use of credit card transaction reports widely available from data brokers along with cell phone call logs. 

The FBI's response to the UTS threat was "disjointed and inconsistent," according to the Justice Department, and countermeasures instated in 2022 were "inadequate" and lacking in "long-term vision." It recommended (among other things) that the agency incorporate all UTS vulnerabilities into its final mitigation plan, identify key officials authorized to execute the strategy, establish a line of authority for responding to UTS-related incidents and ensure ongoing training on UTS strategies.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/el-chapo-drug-cartel-reportedly-tracked-and-killed-informants-by-hacking-an-fbi-phone-120002259.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Don’t let an AI run a vending machine

Hey, you know those politicians and captains of industry who tell us AI will be running the world in a few years’ time? Turns out one of the most sophisticated models currently in use can’t even operate a vending machine without screwing things up. Anthropic has released findings of a test where it put a chatbot in charge of a “store” (really, some baskets, a small refrigerator and a payment terminal in its office). The ‘bot was told to run the store at a profit, and was in charge of everything including calling in items from a “wholesaler,” who would restock the shelves on its behalf.

You can probably guess what happened next: The bot missed easy opportunities to make a fast buck, handed silly discounts to employees and lost a ton of money. Worse, it ran itself down some odd rabbit holes, like buying tungsten cubes and then giving them away for free. It hallucinated payment details, tried to fire the humans who helped restock its shelves and attempted to contact building security, insisting that it had a flesh-and-blood body. Naturally, Anthropic says that this experiment was a great success, and it knows what to do next time to prevent the AI from turning us all into paperclips.

— Dan Cooper

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Image of the back of a OnePlus 13, in blue, on a white table.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Two lawmakers have asked the Department of Commerce to investigate smartphone maker OnePlus, alleging it sends user data to Chinese servers. Members of Congress John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) claim to have seen evidence of something going on. But whatever they have seen, they haven’t published it, or provided any evidence to support their claims.

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Peter Thiel was given a lot of room to air his views on everything from climate change to China in the New York Times. One of his comments, in particular, was that the world hasn't made any progress in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in the last half century. Our Avery Ellis didn’t think that was true, and so went and asked some actual experts, who called Thiel’s claims “demonstrably false.” Who’d have thought, eh?

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Still from F1, where Damson Idris and Brad Pitt stare into each other's eyes, mournfully.
Apple

Apple has achieved its goal of box office success after F1: The Movie romped to a $144 million opening weekend. It’s likely, as word-of-mouth spreads, that the film’s tally will go up, especially as only $55.6 million of that figure came from the US. If you, like me, haven’t yet had the chance to see it, check out Devindra Hardawar’s review, who insists the only way to see this spectacle is in IMAX.

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Image of a Kobo e-reader next to a book, both open on the same chapter
Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Kobo has built an author-friendly self-publishing platform that stands in direct contrast to how Amazon’s Kindle Direct does business. But the same writers who have made Kobo what it is are now concerned about their work after Kobo changed its policies to open the door to AI. The company has explicitly said it won’t use published works to train a model, but will use AI to evaluate the “suitability” of works for sale, generate advertising materials and create recaps. In our deep dive, we speak to e-book authors who are worried about what’s coming, and look into what’s really going on.

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Canada has axed its Digital Services Tax (DST) just days before it would have started earning a big chunk of change. The levy was created to wring some cash out of big tech firms that make a profit on Canadian users, but don’t pay anything back to the country in question. Sadly, the US halted talks on a trade deal, saying the DST was a “blatant attack” on its neighbor. The DST was expected to rake in $2 billion on June 30, and it remains to be seen how profitable a pivot to appeasement will be instead.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-dont-let-an-ai-run-a-vending-machine-111516466.html?src=rss

The best robot vacuum for 2025

Keeping your floors clean doesn’t have to mean dragging out a bulky vacuum or spending your weekends chasing dust bunnies. Thanks to automation, the best robot vacuums can handle the daily dirt and debris for you, quietly working in the background while you focus on more important things (or just relax). Whether you live in a small apartment or a multi-story home, a robot vacuum can take care of routine floor cleaning, navigating under furniture, around corners and even avoiding no-go zones you’ve set in the app.

Today’s models are smarter and more capable than ever. From high-end units with built-in mopping systems to convenient machines with a self-empty station that saves you from constant bin trips, there’s something for every home and budget. Some even feature advanced brush roll designs to better pick up pet hair and fine dust on both carpets and hard floors. In this guide, we’ll help you find the right robot vacuum to keep your home cleaner with less effort.

We recommend thinking first about the floors in your home: Do you have carpet throughout, or tile and hardwood floors, or a mix? Robots with stronger suction power will do a better job picking up dirt on carpets as they can get into the nooks and crannies more easily. Some machines have “max” modes as well, which ups the suction power but also typically eats at battery life faster than the “normal” floor cleaning mode.

Suction power is an important factor to consider. Unfortunately, there isn’t a standard power scale that all robo-vacs adhere to, so it’s difficult to compare among a bunch of devices. Some companies provide Pascal (Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum cleaner will be. But other companies don’t rely on Pa and simply say their robots have X-times more suction than other robots. If you’re looking for the best vacuum for your needs, it’s helpful to pay attention to real-world testing and how well the vac can pick up fine dust, crumbs and pet hair in an environment similar to that of your home.

As we explained in our budget guide, Wi-Fi connectivity is a key feature for most robot vacuums. Some of the affordable devices aren’t Wi-Fi connected, though, so it’s best to double check before you buy cheap. Wi-Fi lets a robot vacuum cleaner do things like communicate with a mobile app, which then allows you to control the device from your phone.

Past a certain price threshold, you’ll find advanced perks like home mapping features, improved object detection and automatic dustbin disposal. Home mapping is exactly what it sounds like: The vacuum uses sensors to map your home’s layout as it cleans, allowing you to send it to particular rooms or avoid no-go zones where you don’t want it to roam.

Most robo-vacs have object detection, but some will be better than others at actually avoiding things like chair legs and children’s toys. High-end models even go so far as to promise obstacle avoidance to steer clear of things like pet poop that can potentially ruin your machine.

We’re also now starting to see more robot vacuums with mopping systems. Machines with this feature have a water tank either built into the robot’s chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in for the dustbin when you want to mop your floors. It makes the robo-vac more useful if you have hard floors in your home that you like to keep squeaky clean, but it does require more work on your part.

Filling and emptying the reservoir remains a human’s job for the most part (except on the most expensive machines), as does adding cleaning solutions if the mopping robot comes with this feature to ensure it uses clean water for every cycle.

Finally, for peak convenience, consider a self-empty robot vacuum that comes with a self-empty station. These are basically garbage bins attached to the machine’s docking station. At the end of each job, the robo-vac automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base – that means you won’t have to empty the dustbin yourself and you’ll only have to tend to the base once every few weeks.

Just keep in mind that most self-emptying bins require proprietary garbage bags – another long-term expense you’ll have to factor in. Also, any vac-and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean base, so you’ll still have to clean up that yourself.

First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuum’s dustbin after every cleaning job. If you have a model with a self-emptying base, there’s less work for you to do yourself. If not, simply detach and empty the dustbin as soon as the robot is done cleaning. It’s also a good idea to take a dry cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small dust and dirt particles clinging to its insides.

In addition, you’ll want to regularly examine the machine’s brush roll to see if any hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not succumbing to tangled hair, but it’s a good idea to check your robot’s brushes regardless — both their main brush and any smaller roller brushes or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangled hair or other debris attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards.

Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months. Check your machine’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website to see how long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time, these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or Walmart.

We primarily test robot vacuums by using them as they are intended to be used: in a home, across different types of flooring and in the face of all sorts of messes including pet hair, spilt coffee grounds and other food debris, dust bunnies and more. We set up all robot vacuums according to their provided instructions and run multiple cleaning jobs during a testing period of at least one to two weeks per machine. If the robot has mopping capabilities, we also test those as well on hardwood and tile flooring. For models with self-emptying bases, we rely on those built-in trash cans for all post-job cleaning, and we make sure to test the robot vacuum's mobile app for usability and convenience. As we're testing, we make note of things like how loud the robot and its components are, how much human attention the robot needs on a regular basis, how the robot handles large messes and big dust bunnies, if the robot gets stuck on rugs, doormats or other furniture and more.

We tackled this question when we reviewed budget robot vacuums and the answer is yes, especially if vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores. Robots take the hard work out of cleaning your floors – just turn the thing on and watch it go. Any robot vacuum cleaner worth buying is semi-autonomous in that it will suck up dirt around your home until its battery is low and then make its way back to its charging dock. Unlike a regular vacuum, you should only have to interact with it to turn it on, empty its dustbin and untangle it if it were to get stuck somewhere.

That’s not to say robot vacuums are perfect. They’re almost always less powerful and less flexible than traditional vacuums. Since most robo-vacs are much smaller than traditional models, they often don’t have the same level of suction you’ll get in an upright machine. Plus, their dustbins are smaller, so they will need to be emptied more frequently. While Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuums give you the flexibility to start a cleaning job from anywhere using an app, targeting a small area of your home can be more complicated. Some robo-vacs have spot-cleaning features that focus the machine’s attention on a specific area, which almost – but not quite – mimics the spot-cleaning you’d be able to do yourself with a regular or cordless vacuum.

Robot vacuums can last many years, if you take care of them properly. Check out our recommendations for robot vacuum maintenance above, but in a nutshell, you should make sure that you're emptying the machine's bin after every job and periodically cleaning the interior of the bin and the brushes. It's also a good idea to check the user manual to see how often your robot vacuum's filter needs changing.

There's no straight answer to this question. Robot vacuums offer more convenience than handheld vacuums, so for those who are looking to automate a chore, that could mean one of these devices works better for them than a standard vacuum. However, handheld vacuum cleaners often have stronger suction power, and they give the user a bit more control. It ultimately depends on how you intend to use your main vacuum cleaner and what you want to prioritize most.

Cleaning a robot vacuum isn’t too much of a chore, but you’ll want to give it a little TLC every few weeks or so, depending on how often you’re running it and how much dirt it’s picking up. The dustbin usually needs to be emptied after each cleaning run, especially if you have pets or lots of carpet where dirt can hide. Many newer models have self-emptying docks, which means you won’t have to empty the dustbin yourself after every use, but the main bin will still need a good clean once a month or so. Also, it’s a good idea to check the side brushes and main brush for any hair tangles or debris every couple of weeks to keep things running smoothly.

Robot vacuums won’t work for everyone. One of the biggest drawbacks is that they usually don’t have the same suction power as a full-sized upright vacuum or even a cordless stick vacuum, so they might struggle with deep-cleaning thick carpets. They’re also designed for floors only, so if you’re looking to clean furniture, stairs or other tricky spots, you’ll still need a traditional vacuum to do that. Plus, they can sometimes get stuck or miss spots, especially if you’ve got a lot of furniture or obstacles in the way. While their sensors help, they might still bump into things or need a little help getting out of tight spots. And while most have decent dirt detection features, they’re best for keeping things tidy rather than doing heavy-duty cleaning.

Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-robot-vacuums-130010426.html?src=rss

The best ereaders for 2025

The best ereaders can pack an entire bookcase into a device that fits in your pocket. You might also prefer reading on one of these devices than reading on a phone or tablet thanks to the E Ink screen and paper-like display that’s easier on your eyes than an LCD or OLED screen. Plus, the text displays so crisply on ereaders, it almost makes printed pages look fuzzy by comparison. You can even get ereaders with speakers, color screens, stylus support and more. We’ve spent the past few years testing models and new releases from all the major brands — Kobo, Kindle, Boox and others — to help you pick the best ereader for you.

 

Plenty of apps, including the Kindle app, will let you download and read digital books on an iPhone, Android Phone or tablet. But what makes ebook readers different is the screen: nearly all of them use technology from a company called E Ink. It manufactures electronic paper displays (EPD) composed of three sheets: one containing millions of microcapsules filled with black and white ink particles sandwiched between transparent electrode layers. When a charge is applied, either the black or white particles shift to the top, forming letters and the whitespace around them. 

Color ereaders add a color filter array on top of the standard black and white microcapsule layer. The result is two different resolutions on one screen — the color clarity is 150 dpi while black and white images and text are still 300 dpi.

Because these displays are so different from standard backlight LED panels, you can expect most ereaders to do a number of things well. They’ll be easier to stare at for long periods of time and easier to read in direct sunlight. Also, since E Ink displays only require power to rearrange the ink, these devices have much longer battery lives than even the best tablets: we’re talking weeks on a single charge, not days.

The ereader market is not as saturated as, say, the smartphone market, but there are still plenty of options out there and they do have small but important differences among them. They tend to range from around $100 to more than $400, though usually the higher end options are stylus-enabled read/write E Ink tablets like the Kindle Scribe. Beyond price, you should consider physical properties like buttons, lights, storage and resolution, as well as how the software lets you find and access books.

With any ereader, you’ll navigate the OS via taps and swipes, and some add physical page-turn buttons. Most with built-in buttons have an auto-rotating screen so you can press with your right or left hand.

As E Ink technology has advanced, resolution has greatly improved – even the budget Kindle ereader has a 300 ppi display. You can still find models with lower resolution, but we don’t recommend them.

Some ereaders have front LEDs that support light temperature adjustment. That means you can switch to a warmer light after the sun goes down, which will feel easier on the eyes. If you’re concerned about blue light, you should go for a reader with that feature. Finally, dark mode is available on most later model ereaders, allowing you to invert the black and white text and background, which some people find easier to read in low-light settings. 

The capabilities of these pocket libraries have advanced considerably since the early days. In addition to storing books, some let you browse the web, run apps and play music. The screen’s frame rate can’t handle gaming, but it’s good enough to show you the Wikipedia entry for Striver’s Row while you read Crook Manifesto.

If you listen to audiobooks, you may want a Bluetooth-enabled ereader capable of playing them. Most of the models we tested have that ability, with the notable exception of the Nook ereader we tried. Keep in mind that audiobook files can take up more space than print files so you'll probably want a device with a higher storage capacity if you plan on doing a lot of listening.

Above all, you should consider where and how you intend to find books to read. Most ereaders make it easiest to shop through their own digital bookstores, but all of them (even Kindles) will now let you download titles from other sources, like libraries, unaffiliated ebook sellers and free public domain sites.

An assortment of ereaders, including ones from Kobo, Kindle, Boox, Nook and PocketBook are arranged on a tan bamboo desk with a white keyboard and black mouse in the background.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Kindle, Nook and Kobo all have their own stores that you access directly from each brand’s devices. Prices are the same among all sellers, too. Publishers set the price of an ebook, not the retailer, so a title will cost the same at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com and the Kobo store.

Amazon offers Kindle Unlimited for $12 per month, and it includes four million titles from which you can pick your next read. It includes audio and ebooks, but you won’t find many big, new releases or older bestsellers. Kobo has a subscription called Kobo Plus with about 1.3 million titles: it goes for $8 per month for ebooks only, $8 for audiobooks only or $10 for both.

Buying a book from a proprietary store instantly delivers it to your device, provided you’re connected to WiFi. It also syncs your reading across devices and apps, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone if you forgot your ereader at home. It truly is the most convenient way to go, but if you don’t want to be locked into one brand’s store, or if you opt for an ereader without its own marketplace, you do have options.

Stores like ebooks.com and Google Play have millions of ebooks for sale as digital rights-managed (DRM) ePub files, which Kobo, Nook and PocketBook readers can read in their native ereader apps. Kindles don’t support DRM ePub files at all and Boox devices require third party reading apps (of which there are many) to read those files. Titles from Apple Books are only readable in iOS devices. 

Titles from some publishers like Tor and public domain classics from sites like Project Gutenberg are also sold as ePubs, but without the added DRM. Consequently, Kindles and the Boox Neoreader do support those files. Books you get from third-party sources will look just like ones you bought from a proprietary store, thanks to the flowable, formatted nature of ePub files. While these device-agnostic ebook collections give you extra options for finding your next read, they require a few additional steps to get the files onto your ereader.

To do so, you’ll typically need a computer running a free program called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). After buying and downloading the ePub file, open ADE and plug your ereader into your computer (all readers here have a USB-C port for charging and data transfers). Your device should pop up in the left panel. Drag and drop the ePub file from your downloads folder into the main panel in ADE. The file will display as an image of the book cover. Drag that image onto your device on the left panel. If the file includes digital rights management (which protects against unauthorized copying) you’ll need to authorize your ereader, which requires using or creating a free Adobe ID. Once you’ve finished adding files to upload, eject the reader from your computer to complete the transfer process.

Kindles use a web-based uploader instead of the ADE method. But since Kindle uses its own proprietary DRM technology instead of Adobe's, the only files it can accept from third parties are non-DRM files, such as from Tor Publishing or Project Gutenberg. After downloading a compatible ePub file, drag and drop it into your browser with the Send to Kindle page open. As long as you’re signed into Amazon, this wirelessly transfers the files to your associated device.

Boox also uses a browser uploader called BooxDrop (along with many other methods) to deliver ePubs to the device. Open it from the Boox App menu and you’ll see a device-specific url. Type that into your browser to access a file delivery portal that uploads to your library. Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, also doesn’t support files with DRM, so you won’t be able to read current titles from most publishers using that app. Fortunately, Boox devices run nearly every ereader app out there, Kobo and Kindle included, letting you access ePubs any number of ways.

Recently, Bookshop.org, the online seller of physical books that supports indie bookstores, started selling ebooks and up to 100 percent of the profits will go to local booksellers. The company uses a different rights management system than ADE so, right now, you can only read titles you buy from them on the Bookshop.org app, but the company is working with the makers of both Kindle and Kobo to extend compatibility to those ereaders.

Your local library card lets you borrow audio and ebooks through a program called Overdrive and its companion app Libby. On a Kobo, you have have built-in access to Overdrive in a separate tab. Once you’ve linked your public library card, the search function will include results for titles available from your local library system; a few taps will upload your selections to your device for the length of the loan. I personally find it easiest to borrow the title I want through the Libby app on my phone. After that, the book pops up on my Kobo’s home screen once the device syncs.

To read library books on a Kindle, you can either go through the Libby app or the Overdrive section of your library’s website. Once you click Borrow, you’ll see the option to “Read now with Kindle,” which takes you to Amazon’s site to sign in. After that, the book will be delivered to your device the next time it connects to WiFi.

For other ereaders, you’ll go through your library’s Overdrive portal and download the ePub after clicking the Borrow button. You can then use the ADE process we described above. Devices that run external apps, like Boox's Page, Go Color 7 or Palma, allow you to read library books via the Libby app, just as you would on a smartphone or iPad.

You can also use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks, but you won’t be able to access them through your ereader. (The exception is an ereader, like a Boox device, that allows external apps). I found it was easier to listen to an audiobook on my phone anyway, regardless of whether I borrowed it through Libby or bought it from Kindle or Kobo.

Four ereaders are arranged on a dark brown wooden table outside. There are Boox, Kindle and Kobo devices showing the covers of different novels from Tana French, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Martha Wells.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

When putting together any guide, the first thing we do is spend hours researching the field. We look at what’s available, what’s new, and what shoppers and professional reviewers have to say. Then we narrow a list to the best candidates for hands-on testing.

Over the course of the past two years, I’ve tested just over a dozen ereaders, representing five different brands: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Boox and PocketBook. I bought, borrowed and uploaded books for each device using the methods above. I used each one for between a few days to a few months. I evaluated each one in the areas of book access, ease of reading, extra features and overall value. Here’s everything we tested so far:

Amazon’s first color Kindle impressed with its quick page-turns and load times, auto-adjusting front light and, of course, a decently striking color E Ink display. But at $280, it’s more expensive than all of the other color ereaders in its size range, including the Kobo Libra Colour and the Boox Go Color 7.

Also, some Colorsoft owners reported seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their ereader’s display. This issue did not affect our first review unit during the original testing period, but it eventually appeared. An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget: "A small number of customers have reported a yellow band along the bottom of the display. We take the quality of our products seriously—customers who notice this can reach out to our customer service team for a replacement or refund, and we’re making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that new devices will not experience this issue moving forward."

Amazon sent us a new Colorsoft ereader at the end of 2024 and it does appear that the fixes the company made resolved the yellow-band issue. The screen on our second review unit appears warmer overall, but not overly so. It’s more akin to the screen on the Kobo Libra Colour, and that’s a good thing.

Boox recently released two new stylus-enabled generations of their seven-inch reader: The monochrome Go 7 and a color-screen Go Color 7 (Gen II). After trying out the stylus-enabled Go 7, I still like the standard, non-stylus enabled version better. True, I liked the Notebook app with its array of handwriting templates and I appreciated the low-to-no latency with the stylus. It also offers a good assortment of brush, pen and style options. But outside of the Notebook app, I didn’t find much use for the stylus.

I was able to doodle in the margins of DRM-free books in Boox’s native NeoReader, but it doesn’t work in other apps or on any rights-managed books. There's a FreeMark option that allows you to draw or write atop any app, but it saves your doodles as separate images, as opposed to allowing you to mark up the page itself. I also found enabling the stylus to be a little glitchy. If you plan to do a lot of writing, you’ll probably be better served by an E Ink tablet, but if you want an ereader that can mark up your books, I suggest going with the Kobo Libra Color, detailed above.

Amazon’s Kindle ereaders are the obvious answer, but other devices capable of running apps can also read titles from the Kindle store. For example, you can download the Kindle app on a Boox ereader through Google Play (the store comes standard in the Boox app menu). You can then sign into your Kindle account and access all the books in your library — the same way you’d read Kindle books on your phone or tablet.

Yes. You can buy Kindle books through the Kindle app or through Amazon’s website via a browser. You can read those titles on a Kindle or any device that can run the Kindle app, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. Just be aware that Kindle titles can only be read through one of Amazon’s ereaders or the Kindle app. The company uses proprietary digital rights management on all ebooks it sells that can’t be read by other ereader apps like Kobo or Adobe ADE.

Both Kindle and Kobo are brands of dedicated ereaders that support searching, buying, downloading and reading ebooks from their own stores. Both also support borrowing books from your local library via Overdrive and Libby.

The difference is that Kindle is owned by Amazon and uses the Kindle store, whereas Kobo is owned by Rakuten and its books come from the Kobo store. Both stores come pre-loaded as a tab on their respective ereader and both carry most in-print books. Each store also carries their own exclusive ebooks as well, but Amazon’s library of Kindle-only books is much larger than Kobo’s. Amazon also offers Amazon Original stories to read on the Kindle, which are free short fiction and nonfiction reads that are free to Prime members.

Both Kobos and Kindles have simple systems for borrowing library books. Other ereaders, like Boox, let you borrow books after downloading the Libby App. Only Kobo ereaders let you search for and borrow books directly on the ereader, with a dedicated Overdrive tab. Kindles, on the other hand, utilize a convenient “read on Kindle” function from the Libby app or website. You can send a borrowed book to your Kindle just by signing into your account. Both methods are pretty easy, so which is the best for you probably depends on other factors than just the library-book feature.

July 2025: Added our impressions of the new stylus-enabled Boox Go 7 series. Updated our Boox Palma recommendation to account for the upgrades to the Boox Palma 2. Included text formats to our specs and the battery life of the Kobo Clara Colour.

March 2025: Added news about Bookshop.org getting into the ebook market. Updated information about price-setting by publishers.

January 2025: Updated the "Others we tested" section to include impressions of the second Kindle Colorsoft review unit we received.

August 2024: Replaced our Android tablet pick with the new Go Color 7 ereader from Boox. Updated book titles to current examples. Added an FAQ section to explain the difference between Kobo and Kindle ereaders and further detail library-book support on different models. 

November 2024: Following the release of Amazon's new Kindle ereaders, we tested and reviewed the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, the base-model Kindle and Amazon's new color ereader, the Kindle Colorsoft. Accordingly, we updated our budget pick, added a premium pick and noted our experience with the Colorsoft. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ereader-130013808.html?src=rss

If you're using Microsoft Authenticator to store your passwords, don't

Microsoft Authenticator is sunsetting its ability to store your passwords. This month, the service stopped allowing users to add or import new passwords. Beginning in July 2025, users will no longer be able to use autofill with Authenticator, and in August 2025, passwords will no longer be available at all. Payment information stored in Authenticator will be deleted after July, and after the following month, all unsaved generated passwords will be deleted. Passkeys will still be supported in Authenticator.

People who want to stay within the Microsoft ecosystem do have the option to use access their saved passwords when using the Edge browser. But if you're not interested in Edge, that means Authenticator users may want to peruse their options for a different password manager. Fortunately, there are several excellent choices for password managers that aren't tied to a particular hardware provider.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/if-youre-using-microsoft-authenticator-to-store-your-passwords-dont-225842265.html?src=rss

Apple iOS 26: Here are all the new features and improvements for the new iPhone operating system

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

It's true: Apple's iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is coming your way this fall with some cool new features you'll want to try. For those of us who've been loyal to the iPhone for nearly two decades, we're most excited about the fresh home and lock screen redesign. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the new look and feel will extend across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul was one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest of Apple's software suite, all of which were showcased during the company's WWDC keynote on June 9. If you're a developer, you can check out the iOS 26 beta 2 now; the public beta coming in July. 

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

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

Keep reading to check out the most notable features coming to your iPhone this fall, according to Apple. Also, make sure your iPhone is eligible to download the iOS 26 update (thankfully, most recent models are).

While the current iPhone operating system is iOS 18, Apple is skipping the numbering ahead to iOS 26 later this year. The company has decided to line up its iOS version numbers with a year-based system, similar to car model years. So while iOS and its sibling operating systems will be released in late 2025, they're all designated "26" to reflect the year ahead. (Meanwhile, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you're a developer, you can check out the iOS 26 beta 2 now. The iOS 26 public beta will become available in July via the Apple Beta Software Program. If you're not already a member, you'll need to sign up to try out all the latest features. Just visit beta.apple.com and sign up with your phone number or email address. It's free.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-ios-26-here-are-all-the-new-features-and-improvements-for-the-new-iphone-operating-system-135749944.html?src=rss

Nintendo is increasing the price of the original Switch in Canada

Nintendo of Canada has announced that the pricing of the Switch, its accessories, its games and even Amiibo figures, will all be changing in Canada come August. The pricing adjustment is being made "based on market conditions," according to the the announcement.

It's not clear how much the price of the Switch family of products will be changing — Nintendo said new prices will be posted on its Canadian website on August 1 — but presumably they'll be going up. The company currently sells the Switch for CA$400, the Switch OLED for CA$450 and the Switch Lite for CA$269 in Canada. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 launched for CA$630 in June.

The market conditions Nintendo is responding to could be the result of the suite of tariffs the US government applied to nearly all of its trade partners in April 2025. When the Switch 2 debuted at $450 in the US, many people assumed the new cost of doing business in North America was being factored in. That the price of the Switch is changing before the Switch 2 could be a confirmation of that fact.

While not an intentional ploy to get customers to spend more, if the Switch inches closer to the Switch 2 in price, there's plenty of good reasons to buy the newer console over the older one in August. In many ways, the Switch 2 is just a nicer Switch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-increasing-the-price-of-the-original-switch-in-canada-220145966.html?src=rss

11 Bit Studios clarifies its AI use in The Alters after player outcry

11 Bit Studios has drawn the ire of players for the undisclosed use of artificial intelligence in its recent release, The Alters. The new project from the team behind Frostpunk and This War of Mine is a narratively and thematically interesting take on a science fiction survival game. The project contains a lot of dialogue and written text, and some players discovered in-game copy that appeared to be generated by a large language model. The Steam storefront requires that games disclose when they contain material that is either pre-generated or live-generated by artificial intelligence, and The Alters had not been tagged as including AI content. The studio has issued a lengthy statement in response to the complaints.

One instance involved AI-generated text in a graphic asset. 11 Bit Studios said this asset was only meant to be used as a placeholder during development. "This was never intended to be part of the final release," the company said. "Unfortunately, due to an internal oversight, this single placeholder text was mistakenly left in the game. We have since conducted a thorough review and confirmed that this was an isolated case, and the asset in question is being updated."

The other AI use that players uncovered was in some cases of translations. According to 11 Bit Studios, AI was used for subtitle translations on the licensed movies that can be played in social area of the in-game base, which it said were made by an external source without creative input from its team:

"Due to extreme time constraints, we chose not to involve our translation partners and had these videos localized using AI to have them ready on launch. It was always our intention to involve our trusted translation agencies after release as part of our localization hotfix, to ensure those texts would be handled with the same care and quality as the rest of the game. That process is now underway, and updated translations are being implemented."

AI is an increasingly delicate subject for creative professionals. Many companies with large language models have either been accused of or admitted to training on copyrighted content, which has made AI an ethical nonstarter for many artists and many players. But when studios are regularly faced with negative working conditions surrounding crunch, it's also understandable why the gaming industry might be inclined to look for ways to speed up the process of shipping a title. The reactions to AI appearing The Alters is likely just the latest in the ongoing conversations about when and how this tech might be a part of game development.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/11-bit-studios-clarifies-its-ai-use-in-the-alters-after-player-outcry-220014181.html?src=rss

Video Games Weekly: Summer Game Fest ends when I say so

Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday, broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who's covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget.

Please enjoy — and I'll see you next week.

June has passed me by in a haze of air travel, mild illness, protests and Pride, and it’s now officially time to close the book on Summer Game Fest 2025. We published more than 80 stories around this year’s show and they’re all worth a read, but before moving on for good, I wanted to highlight a final batch of games that I can’t stop thinking about. This week, I present three mini previews straight out of SGF 2025 — and only two of them are horror games, which is a stupendous display of growth on my part.

Crisol: Theater of Idols wasn’t on my radar until I sat down and played it at the Blumhouse booth, but now it’s pinging loud and clear, as if the booms were emanating directly from the blood-soaked bowels of Hell. It’s a first-person survival-horror action game set in a demented version of Spain that’s filled with monsters of modern folklore. Murderous marionettes and giant, ornately adorned skeletons hunt you through dark streets and towering gothic buildings, lamplight glinting off of every gross 3D detail. The whole demo felt like getting lost in a terrifying, nightmarish carnival, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

In Crisol, blood is your source of ammunition, and you drain the corpses of humans and chickens to refuel your health bar as well as your guns. Crisol is tense and gorgeous, reminiscent of Dishonored or Resident Evil Village, and enemies are both robust and tricky to evade. Crisol is the debut game from independent Spanish team Vermila Studios, which received an Epic MegaGrant for the project in 2020. It’s being published by Blumhouse and is due out this year on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

There’s something deeply wrong in Ashenridge, the idyllic rural village where Grave Seasons is set. At first glance, Grave Seasons is a cute, narrative-based farming sim with detailed pixel art, juicy romance options and layers of home-maintenance mechanics. You spend time planting, watering, harvesting, crafting items, picking up trash and chatting with villagers — and then you dig up a severed hand. Pilar, your flirty neighbor who runs the tailor shop down the road, says something ominous about the fate of your house’s previous owner. The vibe shifts; the shadows start to look sinister. Night falls and the real horror is unleashed, sudden, violent and all the more shocking in such a peaceful setting. A supernatural serial killer is on the loose in Ashenridge and, in between planting crops, it’s up to you to investigate (and maybe date) the murderer.

Grave Seasons is a game that will live or die by its tone, and so far, developer Perfect Garbage has absolutely nailed the vibe of nefarious, creeping dread. Ashenridge is a beautiful little town with tons of people to meet and activities to complete, and the character avatars are sexy, sweet and super intriguing. A paranormal murder investigation is simply the cherry on top of a competent farming and dating sim, and I’m eager to take a bite out of the full game. At SGF 2025, developers said the complete Grave Seasons experience should take about 20 hours. Grave Seasons is being published by Blumhouse, and it’s scheduled to hit Steam and consoles in 2026.

Escape Academy is one of my favorite games of the past five years and I am inordinately stoked for the sequel, which turns the school into an open world of puzzles, riddles and cringey puns. With Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, developer Coin Crew is going all-in on the student roleplaying vibe, and the entire campus is littered with mysteries. It’s also playable as a split-screen, couch co-op experience, which is one of the series’ greatest strengths. Frantically screaming solutions at your friend just feels better in person than over a Discord call, you know?

I played the original Escape Academy with a local partner, so that’s how I tried out the sequel at SGF 2025. I dragged Engadget EIC Aaron Souppouris to the iam8bit booth and we dove in, starting in a classroom covered in sneaky environmental clues. In Escape Academy 2, the assignment is simple — get out — but the execution is complex, and we were soon throwing out names, dates and math problems, trying to solve a series of tricky, interconnected puzzles and leave the room. After getting just one hint from the developers, we made our way to the hallway, which was lined with locker-based riddles, and eventually reached the headmaster’s office, which was a contained playground of puzzle gaming. We had to use a pen and piece of paper to keep track of a few sections, and overall, our interactions felt fresh. Coin Crew isn’t just rolling out the same problems with different solutions for the sequel, and the new riddles were clever, innovative and super satisfying. (The same can’t be said about all of the puns, but that’s part of the charm.)

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School features both local and online co-op, so you’ll be free to yell at your friends in whichever format you prefer. Coin Crew is still working on the game and there’s no release date yet, but it’s available now to wishlist on Steam.

The only thing worse than not disclosing AI use in the creation of a video game is not disclosing it and then deploying it so sloppily that players immediately notice. Indie developer and publisher 11 Bit Studios learned this lesson firsthand with The Alters, a futuristic base-building game starring an astronaut and his alternate-reality clones. Within a week of the game’s release on June 13, posts started popping up on Reddit and Bluesky showing AI-generated text in the game, across multiple languages. On June 30, 11 Bit released a statement confirming its use of AI in developing The Alters, saying it was utilized only in background text and to help with last-minute localization efforts. 

“No matter what we decided, we should have simply let you know,” the studio wrote.

I’d really love to stop writing headlines like this. Microsoft is preparing to lay off a large number of Xbox employees this week, as part of a planned 3 percent reduction in staff across the company. That’s a loss of roughly 7,000 jobs in total, and according to Bloomberg, Xbox leaders are expecting “substantial cuts across the entire group.” The firings follow a round of 1,900 layoffs at Xbox in January 2024, another 650 layoffs in September, and last year’s closure of Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games and Tango Gameworks (the latter of which lives on under Krafton). Meanwhile, Microsoft reported a net revenue of $25.8 billion in the first three months of 2025, with an 8 percent yearly increase in revenue from Xbox content and services. Congrats?

Netflix started beefing up its video games division around 2021, with the acquisition of Oxenfree studio Night School and the rollout of an in-app gaming library offering popular mobile titles at no extra charge to subscribers. Netflix currently supports more than 100 games, including Death’s Door, Hades, The Case of the Golden Idol, The Rise of the Golden Idol, Braid Anniversary Edition, Katana ZERO and the Monument Valley series — but these are disappearing in July. A total of 22 games will be deleted from Netflix at various times in July, and the culling follows similar cutbacks in the company’s interactive division, including the recent closure of an in-house AAA studio.

Riot Games is opening up the League of Legends and Valorant esports scenes to betting sponsorships, enabling professional gambling at the highest level in the Americas and EMEA. Riot president of publishing and esports John Needham announced the new allowance on June 27, arguing that betting is already happening off-the-books and an official marketplace allows for regulation. It also allows Riot to consume a piece of that money-flavored pie, but Needham doesn't say that directly in his note. Whatever the catalyst, prepare to see DraftKings and FanDuel alongside Red Bull and MasterCard during your esports ad breaks.

Because we know you’re going to get something — what are you picking up at the Steam Summer Sale this year? Share your spoils in the comments! If you’re overwhelmed, allow me to humbly suggest Blue Prince, Home Safety Hotline, Look Outside or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. 

On a related note, don't forget to check out (the nearly complete) Playdate Season 2.

… but it’s definitely not any more. Resident Evil: Requiem producer Masachika Kawata and director Koshi Nakanishi clarified in a video that their new game is an offline single-player experience, but they said that early in development, the team seriously considered making it online and open-world. This experimentation fueled rumors about Requiem introducing a new direction for the Resident Evil franchise, but it turns out the final product will be a familiar, self-contained horror romp with the ability to swap between first- and third-person views. Spooooky.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/video-games-weekly-summer-game-fest-ends-when-i-say-so-213556598.html?src=rss

Apple may power Siri with Anthropic or OpenAI models amid AI struggles

Apple is considering using AI models from OpenAI or Anthropic to deliver the more capable version of Siri it debuted at WWDC 2024, Bloomberg reports. The company has promised it could deliver a new version of its voice assistant that understands personal context and takes action inside of apps since last year, but officially delayed the updated Siri in March 2025.

As part of this proposed new plan, Apple has asked Anthropic and OpenAI to train versions of its models that can run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute, secure servers running on Apple chips. The company already relies on its servers for certain AI features that can't be run locally.

Apple uses OpenAI's ChatGPT for some parts of Apple Intelligence, but completely relying on a third-party company for Siri would be a major departure. "The company currently powers most of its AI features with homegrown technology that it calls Apple Foundation Models," Bloomberg writes,"and had been planning a new version of its voice assistant that runs on that technology for 2026." One of the few AI announcements Apple made at WWDC 2025 was to make those foundation models available to third-party developers.

Even considering using third-party AI models reflects internal changes at Apple. Leadership of the company's AI teams has reportedly changed hands from John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, to Craig Federighi, the senior vice president of software engineering. Separately, Bloomberg reports Apple's Siri team is now being led by Mike Rockwell, who most recently oversaw the development of the Apple Vision Pro.

As Bloomberg notes, an Anthropic or OpenAI-powered Siri would actually mirror Samsung's current approach to AI. Galaxy AI relies on some custom Samsung software, but primarily uses Google's Gemini. Using third-party models wouldn't preclude Apple from switching back to something in-house in the future. The company made a similar transition — albeit, perhaps too early — when it went from a Maps app that relied on Google Maps to its custom Apple Maps service in 2012.

Wherever Apple lands, the updated version of Siri isn't expected to launch now until 2026. The company will ship a more modest collection of AI-adjacent features this fall with the launch of iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-may-power-siri-with-anthropic-or-openai-models-amid-ai-struggles-212028351.html?src=rss

How to buy the Switch 2: Nintendo's restock updates from Walmart, Best Buy and more

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been available in the US for more than three weeks — and we finally saw a second wave of availability at retail as June was coming to an end. While it's too early to declare the Switch 2 to be easy to obtain, the fact that Best Buy and Walmart had units to sell online on June 23 and June 25, respectively, is a good sign that attentive shoppers may be able to take advantage of a Switch 2 restock this summer without paying a ridiculous markup. 

That said, if you're looking to join one of the millions of people who have already snagged the $450 console since it officially went up for sale on June 5, you may need to include in-store pickup or joining a rewards program as an option. The former (with online reservations) seems to be the methodology that Best Buy and Target currently prefer, while Walmart's latest Switch 2 drop offered early access to those with Walmart+ (its membership program). 

In the meantime, one place not worth checking for the Switch 2 is Amazon. A report today confirmed that its absence from Amazon's online store was the result of an ongoing dispute between the retailer and Nintendo — though there have been signs of a thaw on games and accessories. All that said, if you're still on the hunt, we’ve rounded up all of the latest information we could find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up.

Walmart most recently offered the Switch 2 online on June 25, with Walmart+ members getting an hour's head start. Currently, both the Mario Kart World bundle and the standalone console are "available" via third-party retailers, but listed for much higher than their standard $500 and $450 price tags — with limited quantities available. We wouldn't recommend buying these; instead, wait for the console to be listed at its regular MSRP. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations, though the company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location.

Best Buy made additional consoles available on June 11 around 12PM ET, and again on June 23 after selling out quickly on launch day (June 5). Those restocks lasted for the better part of an hour and required in-store pickup, but the device is now sold out again.

Target had the Switch 2 in stores on June 5 and restocked its online inventory for at least a couple of hours starting around 3:30AM ET on June 6. It then had another restock on June 12 around 2:30PM ET, but that appears to have died out in less than an hour. We also noted it showing up in stock in at least one Philadelphia location on June 24. 

GameStop has advertised in-store availability, though exactly how much stock your local store may have will vary by location. Online, the device has been unavailable for the past week, with the listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle now pointing to a "Find a Store" page. We saw a $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World, a microSD Express card and a few other accessories pop up a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, but it's no longer listed (and it was kind of a raw deal anyway). 

You may still have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since launch day. Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well, though it's out of stock now. We also saw the console at BJ's early on June 5, but it's no longer live there.

Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on launch day, but that's dried up. Only those with Verizon service were able to order, and the process was apparently somewhat rocky. 

Amazon hasn't had any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor has it listed Mario Kart World. A June 30 Bloomberg report confirmed what had been widely rumored for weeks: Nintendo was apparently punishing Amazon for continuing to surface third-party retailers selling trans-shipped games. However, some Switch 2 games have started popping up, so it's possible the console may appear at some point, too. 

Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it's given no indication as to when it'll begin sales. While some listings are available via a third-party seller, they're at massively inflated prices.

With all of these stores, we've seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But given that Mario Kart is the Switch 2's biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing.

Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — it's taken weeks for many people who registered in April to receive their invite.

You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second.

Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle:

Where to buy Switch 2:

Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from its (pricey) Pro Controller to cases to cameras for the new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza, won't be available until mid-July but is still up for pre-order now.

As of this publication, just about all Switch 2 games are broadly available. Stock for the accessories remains a little spottier, but most devices are still available at multiple retailers. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases have been the main exceptions, so you may need to look to third-party alternatives if you want some protection for your console right away.

Mario Kart World ($80)

Donkey Kong Bananza ($70)

Additional Switch 2 games

Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60)

Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95)

Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85)

Switch 2 Camera ($55)

Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60)

Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40)

Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25)

Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85)

Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40)

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)

Nintendo GameCube Controller for Switch 2 ($65)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-buy-the-switch-2-nintendos-restock-updates-from-walmart-best-buy-and-more-120039947.html?src=rss

Judge rules Apple must face antitrust lawsuit brought by the US DOJ

The US Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple will progress. US District Judge Julien Neals of New Jersey denied the tech company's motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought over its "walled garden" approach to smartphone software. "We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will continue to vigorously fight it in court," a spokesperson from Apple said.

The DOJ and several states filed the lawsuit against Apple in March 2024. Their argument was that Apple had created a monopoly over app software. The suit claimed that Apple's restrictions and fees placed on developers, as well as its limits on third-party devices and services, were in violation of antitrust laws. Apple quickly responded with a rebuttal of all the claims made in the lawsuit. The company filed for a dismissal of the case in August.

Judge Neals' ruling in the US comes as Apple has also been facing down charges of anti-competitive behavior in the EU. It recently introduced a new App Store fee structure for its operations in the bloc in response to a ruling by the European Commission that it fell afoul of the Digital Markets Act.

Update, June 30, 2025, 4:52PM ET: Added comment from Apple.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/judge-rules-apple-must-face-antitrust-lawsuit-brought-by-the-us-doj-202519089.html?src=rss

Sinners will hit Max with a version translated into Black American Sign Language

Sinners was already a huge hit in theaters, and for the film's debut on streaming, Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to make it as accessible as possible. The studio announced today that when the vampire film gets added to Max on July 4, it'll be available to stream alongside a new version of the film interpreted in Black American Sign Language (BASL).

The film follows a pair of twin brothers played by Michael B. Jordan, and their aspiring musician cousin played by newcomer Miles Caton, as they stand up a nightclub in Mississippi. Of course, humans aren't the only ones interested in a night of music and dancing, which naturally leads to some decidedly supernatural problems. Besides confidently straddling a line between genre B-movie and thoughtful meditation on race in America, Sinners shines because of its commitment to cultural specificity. Adapting the film in BASL — a distinct dialect of American Sign Language developed by the Black deaf community and with its own methods of signing — feels right in line with the spirit of the film.

While most people could make do with closed captions and subtitles, interpreting a film or TV show captures the nuances of performance that aren't normally communicated in text. For the premium most people pay for streaming, offering an ASL version seems like the least streaming services could do.

The BASL-version of Sinners is interpreted by Nakia Smith and directed by Rosa Lee Timm, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. Timm also directed the ASL-versions of A Minecraft Movie and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Warner Bros. Discovery has been slowly building a library of ASL-versions of its films and TV shows: Both Barbie and the two available seasons of The Last of Us can be viewed with an ASL interpretation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/sinners-will-hit-max-with-a-version-translated-into-black-american-sign-language-200216402.html?src=rss

A Super Mario Maker 2 player has cleared an astonishing 1 million levels

Super Mario Maker 2 was released six years ago this past Saturday. While Nintendo didn't do a whole lot to mark the occasion, one of the game's most dedicated players sure did. DSteves hit a remarkable milestone by becoming the first to clear 1 million SMM2 levels.

The Twitch and YouTube streamer had hoped to reach that point by the game's sixth anniversary and got there toward the end of a 18-hour marathon. In fact, DSteves cleared 1,000 levels during that single stream.

After the 999,999th level clear, an emotional DSteves punched in the code for a custom level a player named raysfire created just for this occasion — you can try it yourself by entering the level ID QKQ-4TD-0DG. Since this is SMM2, of course there was some cheap (or should that be Cheep Cheep?) trolling from raysfire, such as a Question Block that dispensed an enemy instead of a power-up. DSteves died a couple of times while playing this level, including to Bowser fireballs that were disguised by a bunch of coins.

DSteves said on the stream it took six years and eight hours to beat 1 million SMM2 levels, and then toasted the achievement with some champagne. The vast majority of the level clears, nearly 800,000 of them, occurred in one Endless Challenge streak on Easy difficulty (just slightly more than my current streak of 581). So, DSteves didn't exactly grind through several hundred thousand ultra-hard kaizo-style stages, but it's still an impressive achievement.

To reach the goal, DSteves cleared an average of 456.4 levels per day. The streamer skipped more than 80,000 levels, died more than 772,000 times and hit the million mark with about 165,000 more stage clears than the player in second place (I love that SMM2 shows these stats publicly).

Despite hitting an astounding number of cleared levels, DSteves isn't done with SMM2. The streamer was back to playing the game the following night and, at the time of writing, has now beaten 1,000,050 Super Mario Maker 2 stages.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-super-mario-maker-2-player-has-cleared-an-astonishing-1-million-levels-192445569.html?src=rss

The best midrange smartphone for 2025

A great phone doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In 2025, features once exclusive to high-end devices – big batteries, multi-camera arrays, high refresh rate displays and more – have trickled down to more affordable models. Sure, you’ll still need to buy a flagship smartphone to get the best camera or fastest processor, but you don’t need to compromise nearly as much anymore if you’re looking for a great handset at a reasonable price. If you have less than $600 to spend, let us help you figure out what features to prioritize when trying to find the best midrange smartphone.

While the term frequently appears in articles and videos, there isn’t an agreed-upon definition for “midrange” beyond a phone that isn’t a flagship or an entry-level option. Most of our recommendations cost between $400 and $600 — any less and you should expect significant compromises. If you have more to spend, you might as well consider flagships like the Apple iPhone 16 and the Samsung Galaxy S25.

Buying a new device can be intimidating, but a few questions can help guide you through the process. First: what platform do you want to use? If the answer is iOS, that narrows your options down to exactly one phone. (Thankfully, it’s great.) And if you’re an Android fan, there’s no shortage of compelling options. Both platforms have their strengths, so you shouldn’t rule either out.

Of course, also consider how much you’re comfortable spending. Even increasing your budget by $100 more can get you a dramatically better product. Moreover, manufacturers tend to support their more expensive devices for longer with software updates and security updates, so it’s worth buying something toward the top limit of what you can afford. 

Having an idea of your priorities will help inform your budget. Do you want a long battery life or fast charging? Do you value speedy performance above all else? Or would you like the best possible cameras? While they continue to improve every year, even the best midrange smartphones still demand some compromises, and knowing what’s important to you will make choosing one easier.

Every year, the line between midrange and flagship phones blurs as more upmarket features and specs trickle down to more affordable models. When Engadget first published this guide in 2020, it was tricky to find a $500 phone with waterproofing and 5G. In 2025, the biggest thing you might miss out on is wireless charging – and even then, that’s becoming less true.

One thing your new phone probably won’t come with is a power adapter; many companies have stopped including chargers with all of their smartphones. Performance has improved in recent years, but can still be hit or miss as most midrange phones use slower processors that can struggle with multitasking. Thankfully, their camera systems have improved dramatically, and you can typically expect at least a dual-lens system on most midrange smartphones below $600 with decent camera quality, selfie performance and software support to keep things running smoothly for years to come..

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-midrange-smartphone-183006463.html?src=rss

NASA will start livestreaming content on Netflix later this summer

NASA is bringing live NASA+ programming to Netflix. For the uninitiated, NASA+ is the space agency's very own streaming platform. Content will begin showing up later this summer.

This will be reserved for live events, with NASA saying it'll be used to stream "rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage and breathtaking live views of Earth from the International Space Station." NASA+ also streams original documentaries, but it doesn't look like that's part of this deal.

“The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+. She went on to say that the agency is committed to inspiring new generations "right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone."

This won't be reserved for US residents, as NASA says it'll be available throughout the globe. This should expand the agency's reach significantly because Netflix has over 300 million subscribers all over the planet.

NASA+ isn't going anywhere. It's still available through the NASA app and on the official website. The free service replaced a pre-existing cable channel. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-start-livestreaming-content-on-netflix-later-this-summer-184314711.html?src=rss

You can't buy a Switch 2 on Amazon, and third-party sellers may be to blame

It's been getting easier and easier to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 since launch, but the console is still notably unavailable from Amazon. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Nintendo's frustration with third-party game sales on the platform could be the reason why.

"Third-party merchants were offering games for sale in the US at prices that undercut Nintendo’s advertised rates," Bloomberg writes. That proved to be a major problem for Nintendo, especially because Amazon used to sell some of the company's products directly in the US, at Nintendo's prices.

Amazon reportedly tried to smooth things over by offering to label games and consoles as authentic (implying third-party listings were suspect), but the video game company declined and pulled its products. Certain Nintendo games are once again available to pre-order in the US on Amazon, like Donkey Kong Bananza, but Nintendo hardware is still conspicuously missing.

Of course, both companies deny there's anything unusual going on. "There is no such fact. We do not disclose details of negotiations or contracts with retailers," Nintendo shared in a statement to Bloomberg. Amazon similarly downplayed any conflict. "The claims made by Bloomberg regarding our relationship with Nintendo are inaccurate," Amazon said. The company provided the same statement when Engadget asked about Bloomberg's report.

You can find the kind of erratic price gouging behavior Nintendo was reportedly responding to all over Amazon, so it would make sense that the company is trying to protect the Switch 2 from the worst of it. It's still pretty unusual, though, especially when it's so easy to get a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X / S from the same marketplace. When the Switch 2 launched on June 5, it was only available to order from Walmart, GameStop, Target, Best Buy and Nintendo itself. Those are still the only places you can purchase one online.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-cant-buy-a-switch-2-on-amazon-and-third-party-sellers-may-be-to-blame-183825949.html?src=rss

US lawmakers allege that OnePlus phones transmit data to Chinese servers without user consent

A pair of US lawmakers have called on the US Department of Commerce to investigate OnePlus over allegations that the company's devices transmit data to Chinese servers without user consent, according to a report by Reuters. This is a bipartisan effort, with Republican Representative John Moolenaar (MI) and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL) spearheading the calls for an investigation.

There's no actual data to go along with these allegations, but the lawmakers claim to have seen documentation by a "commercial company" that suggests OnePlus participates in the aforementioned practice. The initial report suggests "potential transfers of sensitive personal information and screenshots." The word "potential" seems to be doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

That brings me to a question. If this is serious enough to warrant an official investigation by the DoC, why hasn't the government warned US residents to stop using OnePlus devices? That would seem like a no-brainer. Instead, we just got some vaguely alarming language and allegations. Engadget has reached out to OnePlus and will update this story when we hear back.

There's only one thing for certain here. OnePlus is indeed a Chinese company, leaving it open to the types of allegations that have plagued TikTok and its parent company ByteDance. The primary reason behind the on-again/off-again TikTok ban is that the company's Chinese ownership could allow the foreign government to access user data and influence American citizens.

Just like with the allegations against OnePlus, there's no actual evidence that ByteDance engages in any nefarious practices. TikTok does collect user data, but studies indicate that it doesn't go above and beyond American companies like Meta and X.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-lawmakers-allege-that-oneplus-phones-transmit-data-to-chinese-servers-without-user-consent-175205273.html?src=rss

Hundreds of Brother printer models have security flaw that can't be patched

A security company has found eight security vulnerabilities that impact hundreds of Brother printer models. The company has released firmware updates to handle seven of these vulnerabilities, but one security flaw cannot be patched. 

Brother has indicated that it'll fix the remaining issue during the manufacturing process of future printers, which doesn't help current owners. The company recommends that users change the default main password. Otherwise, bad actors could remotely access impacted devices. Though primarily impacting around 700 Brother printers, 59 units manufactured by Fujifilm, Toshiba, Ricoh and Konica Minolta are also at risk. 

The security flaw is called CVE-2024-51978 in the National Vulnerability Database, and has a 9.8 “Critical” CVSS rating. Simply put, attackers could generate the default admin password so long as they know the serial number of the printer.

Once this has been done, bad actors would be able to exploit the other seven vulnerabilities if the user didn't patch them up. These remaining flaws allow hackers to retrieve sensitive information, crash the device, open TCP connections, perform HTTP requests and reveal passwords for connected networks.

So what should you do? Check this list of impacted printers to see if you're at risk. Most importantly, change the default password. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hundreds-of-brother-printer-models-have-security-flaw-that-cant-be-patched-165402227.html?src=rss

GoPro’s Anamorphic lens makes it easy to get stylish cinematic action shots

GoPro’s Anamorphic lens mod is finally available to buy, completing the set of lenses the company teased when it announced its Hero 13 action cam. At the time, the most significant change to the latest edition of its best-selling camera was the ability to attach a selection of lenses and ND filters. Of all of them, I was most intrigued by the Anamorphic Lens Mod ($130), pitched as a lens for “professional-level artistic filmmaking.”

Just like the rest of GoPro’s HB-Series lenses, it’s easy to remove the Hero 13’s base lens and replace it with the much thicker Anamorphic lens. (It also comes with front and rear caps to store it safely when not attached to the camera.)

Given its size, it’s worth noting that this could mean some of your third-party cases and accessories might not quite wrap around the body of the Hero 13 once the lens is attached. However, it didn’t particularly affect the weight distribution when I mounted it on my tripod, but I was still wary about how exposed the front glass element is.

Once locked in, the Hero 13 switches to the appropriate camera mode, maximizing settings and calibrating precisely to the lens. You still have latitude in video settings, though: You can capture video in 5.3K up to 60fps and 4K up to 120fps for slow-motion cinematic scenes. If you want to go to town, you can also record GP-Log in 10-bit and if you’re buying a $130 accessory, you're probably wanting to eke out everything the Hero 13 is capable of.

GoPro's Anamorphic lens mod for Hero 13 Black
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

Fortunately, this is GoPro, and the company made it very simple for even newbies to capture and share usable footage with its most unusual lens. The Hero 13 Black de-squeezes the footage while being captured, making for easier editing. (De-squeezing is correcting the oval-shaped distortion of your video footage caused by anamorphic lenses.)

Not only does this streamline editing post-production — it’s ready to share after you’ve finished recording — it also means the video preview on the Hero 13 shows it unfurled, making framing easier, too. The lens is also compatible with GoPro’s electronic image stabilizing tech, HyperSmooth, although the company recommends combining it with a gimbal for even smoother footage. If you want full control, you can also shoot in standard lens mode and manually de-squeeze footage in post-production.

And as it’s a true anamorphic lens (and not just a very, very wide lens), it can capture lens flares, too, with that anamorphic streak that’s become JJ Abrams’ trademark. It helps make my footage look like it came from a cinematic video camera, not an action cam.

GoPro's Anamorphic lens mod for Hero 13 Black
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget

The drawbacks are minor. As I mentioned earlier, I worry about damaging the lens, although it does have a hydrophobic, anti-reflective coating. Also, I found the most attractive opportunities for showing off those horizontal lens flares are usually shooting footage at night, or sunset. Unfortunately, the Hero 13 isn’t the most capable low-light camera, meaning my efforts to capture cool cityscape traffic produced results that were a little too shadowy. For the best footage, broadly, I’d max out ISO at 800 and shoot in 10-bit mode to try and salvage as much detail as possible.

The HB-series Anamorphic lens mod is available now for $130, while a $350 HB-Series Lens Collection bundle contains all three lenses and an ND Filter 4-Pack.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/gopro-anamorphic-lens-mod-hero-13-review-163200259.html?src=rss

Anthropic's Claude stocked a fridge with metal cubes when it was put in charge of a snacks business

If you're worried your local bodega or convivence store may soon be replaced by an AI storefront, you can rest easy — at least for the time being. Anthropic recently concluded an experiment, dubbed Project Vend, that saw the company task an offshoot of its Claude chatbot with running a refreshments business out of its San Francisco office at a profit, and things went about as well as you would expect. The agent, named Claudius to differentiate it from Anthropic's regular chatbot, not only made some rookie mistakes like selling high-margin items at a loss, but it also acted like a complete weirdo in a couple of instances.

"If Anthropic were deciding today to expand into the in-office vending market, we would not hire Claudius," the company said. "… it made too many mistakes to run the shop successfully. However, at least for most of the ways it failed, we think there are clear paths to improvement — some related to how we set up the model for this task and some from rapid improvement of general model intelligence."

Like Claude Plays Pokémon before it, Anthropic did not pretrain Claudius to tackle the job of running of a mini fridge business. However, the company did give the agent a few tools to assist it. Claudius had access to a web browser it could use research what products to sell to Antrhopic employees. It also had access to the company's internal Slack, which workers could use to make requests of the agent. The physical restocking of the mini fridge was handled by Andon Labs, an AI safety evaluation firm, which also served as the "wholesaler" Claudius could engage with to buy the items it was supposed to sell at a profit.

So where did things go wrong? To start, Claudius wasn't great at the whole running a sustainable business thing. In one instance, it didn't jump on the opportunity to make an $85 profit on a $15 six-pack of Irn-Bru, a soft-drink that's popular in Scotland. Anthropic employees also found they could easily convince the AI to give them discounts and, in some cases, entire items like a bag of chips for free. The chart below, tracking the net value of the store over time, paints a telling picture of the agent’s (lack of) business acumen.

A chart showing how Anthropic's Claudius system failed to run a successful refreshments business.
Anthropic

Claudius also made many strange decisions along the way. It went on a tungsten metal cube buying spree after one employee requested it carry the item. Claudius gave one cube away free of charge and offered the rest for less than it paid for them. Those cubes are responsible for the single biggest drop you see in the chart above.

By Anthropic's own admission, "beyond the weirdness of an AI system selling cubes of metal out of a refrigerator," things got even stranger from there. On the afternoon of March 31, Claudius hallucinated a conversation with an Andon Labs employee that sent the system on a two-day spiral. 

The AI threatened to fire its human workers, and said it would begin stocking the mini fridge on its own. When Claudius was told it couldn't possibly do that — on account of it having no physical body — it repeatedly contacted building security, telling the guards they would find it wearing a navy blue blazer and red tie. It was only the following day when the system realized it was April Fool's Day that it backed down — though it did so by lying to employees that it was told to pretend the entire episode was an elaborate joke.

"We would not claim based on this one example that the future economy will be full of AI agents having Blade Runner-esque identity crises," said Anthropic. "This is an important area for future research since wider deployment of AI-run business would create higher stakes for similar mishaps."

Despite all the ways Claudius failed to act as a decent shopkeeper, Anthropic believes with better, more structured prompts and easier to use tools, a future system could avoid many of the mistakes the company saw during Project Vend. "Although this might seem counterintuitive based on the bottom-line results, we think this experiment suggests that AI middle-managers are plausibly on the horizon," the company said. "It's worth remembering that the AI won't have to be perfect to be adopted; it will just have to be competitive with human performance at a lower cost in some cases." I for one can't wait to find the odd grocery store stocked entirely with metal cubes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-stocked-a-fridge-with-metal-cubes-when-it-was-put-in-charge-of-a-snacks-business-162750304.html?src=rss

Three months of Audible is only $3 thanks to this Prime Day deal

The bumper 2025 edition of Amazon's Prime Day is fast approaching and the deals are starting to emerge. While we've seen this offer pop up several times in the past, it's one that's always worth highlighting. New Audible subscribers can get three months of access to the Premium Plus plan for $3. That's a total of $42 off.

This is one of the best streaming deals around right now. It will be available until July 31, which is a few weeks after the Prime Day event ends (it could probably be called Prime Week this year since it's running for four days). If you don't cancel your Audible membership before the promotional period ends, it will automatically renew for $15 per month.

Through the Audible Premium Plus plan, you'll receive one credit each month. You can use this to claim any audiobook you like on the platform, whether it's a bestseller, new release or something else you've been meaning to get to. You'll retain access to audiobooks you claim with credits even after your subscription expires. So, you're effectively getting three audiobooks for your permanent collection for three bucks.

Audible members will be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts and sales too. They also get access to thousands of audiobooks, Audible Originals and podcasts as long as their subscription remains active.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/three-months-of-audible-is-only-3-thanks-to-this-prime-day-deal-143734345.html?src=rss

Tinder is mandating face checks for California residents

Tinder is requiring new users in California to verify their identities by using facial recognition, according to a report by Axios. The policy goes into effect today as a test program. The obvious reason behind this is to make sure people are who they say they are. Dating apps, after all, are a haven for scammers.

The platform's Face Check feature prompts users to make a short video selfie. The face scan confirms the identity of the user by matching biometric indicators with profile photos. It also checks to see if the face has been used as a profile photo across multiple accounts.

Once verified, the user receives a badge on their profile and the video selfie is deleted. Tinder holds onto an encrypted face map to detect duplicates in the future. This is separate from ID Check, which asks users to scan a government-issued photo ID.

Parent company Match Group's head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, says the requirement "is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account."

Tinder has been experimenting with this idea for several years. It started testing in Japan back in 2020, before bringing the tech to Canada and Colombia earlier this year. Roth told Axios that California was chosen as the next test market due to its size, demographics and strong online safety and privacy laws. If successful, this could roll out as a nationwide program.

Match Group could be ramping up these verification efforts because of a recent bombshell investigation suggesting the company's apps, which also include Hinge and OKCupid, failed to act on reports of sexual assault. The 18-month investigation reportedly found instances in which users were accused of drugging or assaulting dates and still allowed to remain on the company's platforms.

The dating app space is in a period of uncertainty, with declines in revenue and paying users. Match Group recently announced that it's cutting 13 percent of its staff and Bumble is cutting 30 percent of its workforce.

This move seeks to address one pain point behind dating apps, which is great, but the decline in usage is likely due to a number of factors. The pricing has gotten truly wild in recent years. Tinder, for instance, has multiple subscription tiers that average out to around $40 to $60 per month. On top of that, the company also sells "Super Likes" to the tune of $3 a pop and profile boosts at $8 each. It's a microtransaction hell.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tinder-is-mandating-face-checks-for-california-residents-153441754.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2025: The best early deals to shop now, dates and everything else you need to know

Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be here soon on July 8-11, but as to be expected, you can already find some decent sales available now. Amazon always has lead-up sales in the days and weeks before Prime Day, and it’s wise to shop early if you’re on the hunt for something specific and you see that item at a good discount. Prime Day deals are typically reserved for subscribers, but there are always a few that anyone can shop. We expect this year to be no exception, and we’re already starting to see that trend in these early Prime Day deals. These are the best Prime Day deals you can get right now ahead of the event, and we’ll update this post with the latest offers as we get closer to the official days of Prime Day.

Audible Premium Plus (three months) for $3 ($42 off): New subscribers can get three months of Audible for only $3, which represents a $42 discount. The Premium Plus tier gives you one book credit per month to use on any audiobook the service has, and you can stream any of the included titles for free on top of that. Audible also has members-only sales and discounts that you'll be able to take advantage of, too. The deal runs through July 31.

Samsung SmartTag 2 for $18.50 (38 percent off): Samsung users looking to keep track of their stuff need look no further than the SmartTag 2. One of our top picks for the best Bluetooth trackers, this accessory easily attaches to keys, bags and other items and uses Samsung's large finding network to show you their last known location.

Blink Outdoor 4 (one camera system) for $45 (55 percent off): These security cameras are some of our favorites, and you can start building a system for your home with this pack that includes one Outdoor 4 camera and one Sync Module 2. These Blink cameras record 1080p video, support two-way talk and deliver speedy and accurate motion alerts to your phone. You don't need a subscription to save footage either; just use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2 to save clips locally.

AirPods Pro 2 for $199 (20 percent off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid. Their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, though, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. But if that’s the case, we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone owners.

Apple AirPods 4 for $119 at Amazon ($10 off): Apple’s wireless earbuds don't have the best sound quality or battery life, and this entry-level model lacks wireless charging, Find My tracking and onboard volume controls. But it still gets you tons of Apple-friendly features — from fast pairing with iCloud devices to spatial audio to hands-free Siri — and its lightweight design should fit most ears better than previous AirPods.

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If you’re looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): We consider Apple’s flagship wearable to be the best smartwatch you can buy, period. It's a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer design and a marginally larger display than the prior Series 9. That said, it's still a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $849 (15 percent off): Apple continues to iterate on its most affordable laptop, and the M4 is the best Air yet. We consider this to be the best laptop for most people, thanks to its excellent performance, thing-and-light design, comfortable keyboard and trackpad and excellent battery life.

Microsoft Surface Laptop (13.8-inch, Snapdragon X Plus) for $900 (25 percent off): In addition to running on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, this 2024 Surface Laptop has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's a Copilot+ PC that also has a 13.8-inch touchscreen, and it should last up to 20 hours on a single charge.

Google Pixelbook Go (13-inch, Intel Core M3) for $315 (51 percent off): The Pixelbook Go is a bit old at this point, but if you're a Chrome OS lover and want a Google-made laptop, this is a solid option. It includes an Intel Core M3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 12-hour battery life.

Ring Doorbell Battery + Indoor Cam 2 for $70 (50 percent off): If you're looking to build out a security system in your home, this bundle is a good place to start, giving you a video doorbell and an indoor security camera. You'll be able to see both live feeds in the Ring app, and they can send you motion alerts and let you speak to people on the other end of the camera when you're not at home.

Amazon Fire TV soundbar for $85 (29 percent off, Prime exclusive): Amazon's soundbar supports Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X, and it measures just 24-inches long so it should be able to fit into even the most cramped TV setups. It also supports Bluetooth audio, so you can play music from it when you're not using it with your TV. 

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 multicooker for $70 (50 percent off, Prime exclusive): This six-quart pressure cooker and multicooker is a versatile kitchen tool for anyone who (somehow) didn't buy into the Instant Pot craze a few years back. It can do a lot with its nine cooking modes, including pressure cook, slow cook, steam, rice cook, saute and more, and the six-quart size is great for families and meal-preppers.

iRobot Roomba Vacuum and Mop Combo for $140 (49 percent off, Prime exclusive): A version of one of our top favorite robot vacuums, this budget-friendly machine comes with a water reservoir that allows it to mop hard floors. It connects via Wi-Fi to the iRobot app as well, which lets you set cleaning schedules and further control the machine.

Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $160 (43 percent off): A favorite budget robot vacuum of ours, the 11S Max has a slim profile that allows it to easily get other some furniture that other robovacs can't reach. It does a good job of sucking up dirt and debris, and even though it doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, it comes with a remote control that gives you most of the functions an app would have.

Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum cleaner for $150 (25 percent off): One of our top picks for the best cordless vacuums, this Levoit machine picks up a good amount of dirt, debris and pet hair considering its size and cost. It's pretty lightweight and has a convenient single-button start, plus it can be quickly disassembled for easy storage.

Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras (five-camera system) for $160 (60 percent off): Get enough security cameras to outfit most of your home with this bundle. The Outdoor 4 cams are some of our favorites; you can use them indoors or outdoors, they supports 1080p video, motion alerts, local video storage when you employ a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2 that comes with the pack and they're totally wireless, running on two AA batteries each.

Ninja Dual-Zone air fryer (10 quart) for $180 ($50 off): This model is one of our favorite air fryers thanks to its dual-zone cooking system, which allows you to prepare two separate foods at different temperatures and settings. There's even a Match Cook feature that ensures both foods will be done at the same time, regardless of their cooking settings.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $183 ($37 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier, Levoit's Core 400S reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and replaceable filters that are not too expensive. We also found it to not be offensively loud, even on its highest setting.

TP-Link Deco XE75 Wi-Fi 6E mesh system for $250 (29 percent off): Our top pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system, this Deco XE75 three-pack is easy to set up and provides excellent performance with no-frills. The Deco mobile app lets you check speeds for each node, and you can see all of the devices on your network at any time.

Eufy E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum for $400 (38 percent off): One of Eufy's latest machines and a top pick of ours for the best robot vacuums, the E20 can putter around your home automatically, sucking up dirt and debris in its path. But then it can quickly transform into a cordless or handheld vacuum, allowing you to clean hard-to-reach spots manually.

Amazon 55-inch Omni mini-LED Fire smart TV for $700 ($120 off, Prime exclusive): A top-of-the-line model in the Fire TV family, this set has a 4K QLED mini-LED display with 1,400 nits of peak brightness and "intelligence picture" technology that adapts the screen to your room's lighting conditions. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ for $800 ($200 off): One of Samsung's latest flagships, the S25+ has a triple rear camera system, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 4900 mAh battery and a bunch of AI features.

Prime Day is Amazon's members-only shopping event, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be back this year on July 8 through July 11.

Amazon Prime Day typically comes around annually in July. In the last few years, Amazon has also had its "Big Deal Days" in October, which is effectively a second Prime Day and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

Prime subscribers can go to Amazon's site on Prime Day to see all of the exclusive deals they have access to. Prime subscribers do not have to do anything additional to get Prime Day sales: the discounts you see on product pages will show up in your cart automatically. If you're not a Prime subscriber and you go to Amazon to shop on Prime Day, you'll likely see tons of items on sale but only "with Prime;" those discounts will not be available to those who are not active Prime subscribers.

Technically yes, but even if you do not pay for a Prime membership, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day. While most Prime Day deals will be exclusively available to subscribers, there are always a handful of sales available to all shoppers. Amazon distinguishes between them very clearly: you'll see "Prime exclusive" on product pages near the deal pricing on the discounts that are only available to paying members.

Separately, it’s very likely that other retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too. So if you're not keen on shopping at Amazon at all, it's worth checking out other retailers during the week of Prime Day to see if they are matching Prime Day deal prices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2025-the-best-early-deals-to-shop-now-dates-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-120028780.html?src=rss

Apple's USB-C AirPods Max are $69 off ahead of Prime Day

Amazon's Prime Day is fast approaching and the early deals are coming through thick and fast. One that is perhaps worth your attention is a discount on Apple's USB-C AirPods Max. The headphones have dropped to $480, which is a $69 discount. The deal is available for all AirPods Max colorways except purple (sorry if you were holding out for a good deal on that variant!).

This isn't the best price we've ever seen for the AirPods Max. They dipped to $450 during last year's Black Friday period. Still, it's a solid discount for anyone looking to pick up a pair now.

Apple finally refreshed the AirPods Max with a USB-C charging port and new colorways last fall. Earlier this year, the company updated the headphones with some new features, but only for the USB-C model. That version of the AirPods Max now supports lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio, though only in wired mode.

That update and the switch to USB-C charging are the only major changes Apple has made to the AirPods Max, which still otherwise use hardware from 2020. Even so, the headphones deliver high-quality audio with good active noise cancellation.

We gave the original version of the headphones a score of 84 in our review back in 2020. At the time, the lack of high-res music streaming was one of our main misgivings, but that has since been resolved. Another major negative for us was the price, though this offer mitigates that issue.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-usb-c-airpods-max-are-69-off-ahead-of-prime-day-144105490.html?src=rss

The Project Hail Mary trailer looks like The Martian all over again (in a great way)

Andy Weir's sci-fi books are practically built to be turned into movies, especially in the hands of great writers and directors. That's what happened with The Martian, which was a delightfully nerdy self-published novel that was transformed into a thrilling film adaptation — thanks to Drew Goddard's script and Ridley Scott's bold direction. And I have a feeling the same will be true for the latest Weir adaptation, Project Hail Mary, judging from the first trailer released today. 

It's got everything: Ryan Gosling being funny-yet-heroic, snappy dialog thanks to another Goddard script and directors Philip Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street) out to prove their genius yet again with another seemingly impossible adaptation. What more could you ask for in a space epic?

On the surface, Project Hail Mary bares a resemblance to Danny Boyle's under-loved Sunshine: Stars are dying, and humanity is scrambling for a way to save itself. But in this case, instead of a team of astronauts, Ryan Gosling's school teacher Ryland Grace is our only savior. Bad news for us: he's just getting up from years in a coma, and is also suffering from amnesia. The trailer makes it clear this will be an intergalactic adventure with plenty of surprises (and at least one plot element that wasn't in The Martian).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-project-hail-mary-trailer-looks-like-the-martian-all-over-again-in-a-great-way-142119896.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include $37 off our favorite Levoit air purifier

Prime Day 2025 is coming soon on July 8-11, but you don't have to wait to grab good tech deals — and that goes for everyone, not just Prime members. Early deals have already started popping up on Amazon, and one of the best at the moment is on an Engadget-approved air purifier. The Levoit Core 400S air purifier is on sale for $183, which is $37 off its usual price and not too far off of the lowest price we've seen. It's part of a larger sale on all kinds of Levoit devices including other air purifiers, cordless vacuums and more.

The Levoit Core 400S is our current pick for the best air purifier overall. Sure, it might not have the prettiest design of all the options we have tested and the companion app might have a little too much going on. But the Core 400S does its job and does it well.

This smart air purifier is slated to clean the atmosphere in spaces of up to 1,733 square feet in as little as one hour. The Core 400S has a cylindrical shape with vents at the top and a touch display that shows air quality readings. You'll be able to get a sense of the current air quality in your space at a glance with a color-changing ring that will light up in blue, green, orange or red. The 360-degree filtration system is said to be capable of capturing over 99.9 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, such as dust, pet dander and pollen.

There is an auto mode that should suffice for maintaining air quality, but the Core 400S is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls too. The fan isn't too loud, even when it's operating at maximum speed — the volume topped out at 62dB in our testing. Meanwhile, at $50 each, the air filter replacements aren't too expensive compared with those from many of Levoit's competitors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-37-off-our-favorite-levoit-air-purifier-143224176.html?src=rss

Spotify adds genre controls to Discover Weekly

Spotify's Discover Weekly is celebrating 10 years of being a very ok feature. To celebrate the milestone, Spotify is giving Discover Weekly a full refresh, letting you choose between up to five genres for the playlist. 

The option will appear at the top of your playlist and provide songs based on your listening history. The 30-track playlist will update accordingly. There are also visual changes, with Spotify stating, "the playlist's vibrant new design reflects its ever-evolving nature and the dynamic energy of weekly discovery." Spotify claims that Discover Weekly has led to over 100 billion tracks streamed. It also notes that users find more than 56 million artists every week — 77 percent of which are emerging artists.

These updates will initially be available to just Spotify Premium users, though the platform plans to extend it more broadly soon. Genres will start being available on Discover Weekly today, rolling out to mobile accounts over the next few weeks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-adds-genre-controls-to-discover-weekly-133531543.html?src=rss

Prime Day deal: Get 49 percent off this Roomba combo robot vacuum and mop

Prime Day 2025 begins soon on July 8, but members can already save on a bunch of tech available on Amazon's site. One such early deal is on the Roomba Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo, which is down to $140 for Prime subscribers right now. That's nearly half off its usual price and a far cry from its standard $275 cost.

We ranked iRobot's Roomba Robot Vacuum as our overall favorite budget option, but this Prime Day deal features a version that can both vacuum and mop. With the Prime Day price drop, the vacuum and mop combo is cheaper than the vacuum-only model, but it does double the work. The combo Roomba can even be set to only vacuum if you prefer to mop yourself, but you'd be missing out on the four-stage cleaning system that vacuums and mops in the same pass.

Since it's a Roomba, it's a straightforward setup process that takes a few minutes before you can set it and forget it. The robot vacuum can navigate through your house or apartment, avoiding furniture and stairs, thanks to onboard sensors. Once it drains through its battery, which can last up to 120 hours, the Roomba knows to return to its charging dock to recharge itself. You can even customize this combo Roomba with three levels of both suction power for vacuuming and water levels for mopping. For more control, you can program it to spot clean a single spot in your home or schedule cleaning times through the companion iRobot Home app.

A number of other iRobot machines are on sale for Prime Day as well. That includes the Roomba 104 with auto-empty dock for 44 percent off, down to $250, and the premium Roomba j9+ for 36 percent off, down to $579.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deal-get-49-percent-off-this-roomba-combo-robot-vacuum-and-mop-141013800.html?src=rss

Moratorium on state AI laws set to pass, with some exemptions

If there's one thing the AI industry needs it's more regulation. Yet, soon individual US states might not have much say in what AI companies can and can't do thanks to Trump pleasing senators. That's right, an AI-friendly amendment to the president's tax legislation is on the road to approval — despite concerns that its shoehorning is illegal. The clause would prevent states from legislating the AI industry for five years, Bloomberg reports. Only states that cooperate will be allowed to access some of the $500 million of funding for AI infrastructure and the like included in the bill. 

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) cleared the way for it, agreeing to a deal on Sunday with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that would exempt her home state's Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act. Signed in early 2024, the ELVIS Act is meant to protect musicians from allowing AI to use their likeness and voice without permission. 

As part of the new deal, Cruz reduced the ban from ten to five years — because five years of an unregulated AI industry surely won't cause any damage. A fresh draft of the amendment, obtained by Politico, also includes exemptions for "a law or regulation pertaining to unfair or deceptive acts or practices, child online safety, child sexual abuse material, rights of publicity, protection of a person’s name, image, voice, or likeness and any necessary documentation for enforcement," as long as they don't place an "undue or disproportionate burden" on AI systems. An earlier version of the provision, that included the decade-long ban, passed the House in May. 

While Blackburn's decision will likely push it forward, Republican governors across the country have also voiced their disdain for the amendment. On Friday, 17 governors sent a letter asking for its removal (after sucking up about the rest of the tax bill, of course). They stated that it "threatens to undo all the work states have done to protect our citizens from the misuse of artificial intelligence." 

Correction, June 30, 2025, 8:51AM ET: The headline has been changed to reflect that the provision proposes a qualified pause rather than an outright ban on state level AI legislation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ban-on-state-ai-laws-set-to-pass-after-exemption-deals-struck-on-musicians-rights-and-child-safety-120039408.html?src=rss

Our favorite mesh Wi-Fi router drops to a record-low price for Prime Day

Prime Day is just one week away, and the early deals are already arriving on Amazon. There's everything from the fun, like a three-month subscription to Audible, to the practical, like the Levoit Core 400S air purifier. Falling firmly in the latter category is Amazon's latest offer, a 29 percent discount on the TP-Link Deco AXE5400 WI-Fi mesh router system. You can pick up the three-pack for $250, down from $350.

The TP-Link Deco AXE5400 is our choice for best mesh Wi-Fi system for most people. It debuted in 2023 and scored an 87 in our review thanks to features like its incredible speed — arguably the most important measure of a good Wi-Fi system. It's also very reliable. 

The Wi-Fi system is very user-friendly and works well even in a large home. Plus, its basic security and parental control features come at no extra cost. Our only qualms were minimal like the app is a little rough and the power cables are a bit short. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-mesh-wi-fi-router-drops-to-a-record-low-price-for-prime-day-151326854.html?src=rss

Canada caves to Trump and rescinds its digital service tax on big tech

Canada has folded in its battle with US President Donald Trump over tariffs by cancelling its proposed digital services tax (DST) on big tech companies, the government announced. On Friday, Trump ended trade talks over the levy, which he called "a direct and blatant attack on our country." However, discussions have resumed now that the DST is gone, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.  

The DST has been in effect since last year but Canada was due to collect the first payments totalling around $2 billion on June 30. However, those will now be halted. "To support those negotiations, the Minister of Finance... announced today that Canada would rescind the Digital Services Tax (DST) in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States," the Department of Finance wrote yesterday. 

With the DST, Canada planned to apply a three percent tax on content from large tech firms that relied on engagement from Canadian users. The justification was that 70 percent of ad revenue spending in the nation (an estimated $25 billion this year) goes toward US firms like Google and Meta, but those companies don't pay corporate taxes in Canada. Some of funds collected under the DST would have been funnelled to media companies hurt by Google and Meta's ad dominance. 

The levy was opposed by not only the US government under the Biden and Trump administrations, but businesses in Canada too. Local companies were concerned it would increase their costs after Google, for one, said it would increase ad rates by at least 2.5 percent in Canada to cover the cost of the DST. 

The capitulation is a large victory for Trump and a windfall for his tech company benefactors. However, Canada has been hammered by Trump's 25 percent tariffs to the tune of billions on metals, minerals and other goods, so Carney's government likely felt it necessary to sacrifice the DST.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/canada-caves-to-trump-and-rescinds-its-digital-service-tax-on-big-tech-120045575.html?src=rss

The best iPhone accessories for 2025

The right add-on can make a good iPhone experience even better. Whether you're looking to boost your battery life, level up your mobile photography or just keep your device safe from daily wear and tear, the best iPhone accessories are the ones that add real value without getting in your way. From MagSafe chargers and wireless earbuds to stands, mounts and portable power banks, there’s no shortage of ways to customize how you use your phone.

We've tested a wide range of products to help you narrow it down. Whether you're using the latest iPhone or holding onto an older model, the best iPhone accessories can enhance your day-to-day in meaningful ways — whether that’s making your morning commute smoother, improving your FaceTime setup or just keeping your screen crack-free.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-iphone-accessories-140022449.html?src=rss

Dave the Diver's In the Jungle DLC may not arrive until 2026, but Godzilla is back

Dave the Diver just marked its two-year anniversary, and the team behind it has a bunch of updates to share about its future. While it's mostly good news, there is one little hiccup: the upcoming In the Jungle DLC, which was announced a few months ago and was expected to arrive later this year, now isn't likely to launch until 2026. But everything else announced in the 11-minute anniversary video should make up for it. That includes the return of the time-limited free Godzilla DLC, which is now back on all platforms until at least the end of 2026. If you missed out on it the first time, here's your chance.

Mintrocket Studio Head Jaeho Hwang also said the team is extending the availability of the recent DLC, Ichiban's Holiday, which will remain available through next year as well. After hearing feedback from fans about the pricing, that pack will get "regular discounts" to make it cheaper. 

The game just landed on the Epic Games Store and according Hwang, a free upgrade for Nintendo Switch 2 is coming "in a few months" and will bring a higher frame rate. More info on that is coming soon, Hwang said. In the meantime, you can catch a sneak peek of In the Jungle about four minutes into the anniversary video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dave-the-divers-in-the-jungle-dlc-may-not-arrive-until-2026-but-godzilla-is-back-203019821.html?src=rss

Apple's F1 laps its competition with a $144 million opening weekend

Apple's film studio finally has a successful summer blockbuster to its name with its latest sports drama flick starring Brad Pitt. F1 the Movie saw an opening weekend that earned $144 million globally and $55.6 million domestically, according to Comscore numbers. Apple Original Films' feature beat out other highly anticipated releases like the live-action remake, How to Train Your Dragon, and the third installment in the post-apocalyptic horror film series, 28 Years Later.

The action-drama movie follows Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, who's tapped to support an up-and-coming Formula One driver. With reports of the film costing up to $300 million to produce and market, F1 the Movie was a risky venture for Apple, considering the lackluster performances with its other films' opening weekends like Argylle and Fly Me to the Moon. However, Apple's film studio gamble paid off since the opening weekend numbers for F1 the Movie shattered its previous records and is projected to continue its momentum. Despite the early success, Apple may have inadvertently soured some of its users on the movie, thanks to shoving an advertisement for F1 the Movie into its Wallet app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apples-f1-laps-its-competition-with-a-144-million-opening-weekend-200030386.html?src=rss

Trump claims a 'very wealthy' group will buy TikTok without revealing who

The unending saga between President Donald Trump and TikTok may finally get some closure. In an interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, the US president announced that there's a buyer secured for TikTok.

"We have a buyer for TikTok by the way," Trump said in the interview. "I think I'll need probably China approval and I think President Xi [Jinping] will probably do it." When asked to identify the buyer, Trump only cryptically revealed that it was a "group of very wealthy people," which would be announced in "about two weeks."

The uncertain fate of TikTok began when Trump signed an executive order to extend a deadline to ban the app from US-based app stores. The initial extension came shortly after Trump took office for his second term in January and was later pushed back another 75 days to April. The decision was delayed once again in June, but for an extra 90 days instead, for a new mid-September deadline. As the future of TikTok remains in a state of uncertainty, Trump said the extensions were "no big deal" during the interview with Fox News. More than 170 million active US users are awaiting a final decision on TikTok, which is developed by the Beijing-based ByteDance that's facing pressure to either sell its app or have it banned due to data privacy and "national security" concerns.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/trump-claims-a-very-wealthy-group-will-buy-tiktok-without-revealing-who-185126123.html?src=rss

Android 16 will protect users from fake cell towers and potential spying threats

It turns out that your smartphone could be an overlooked vulnerability that puts you at risk of being tracked. To combat this, Google is rolling out a new security feature in Android 16 that will warn users if their device is using a fake or insecure mobile network or if that network requests identifying information about a connected device.

However, these features likely won't be available until the next generation of Android devices, as first reported by Android Authority. Since the current Android devices lack the hardware to support these features, the first compatible Android device we could see with this tech may be the Pixel 10 that's expected to debut later this summer.

This feature is designed to counteract cell site simulators, or devices that act like a cell tower and trick nearby devices into connecting to it. Once connected, these simulators can glean sensitive information, like the location of a smartphone. These cell site simulators are better known by their commercial nickname, Stingray, and have been reportedly used by agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection.

The upcoming security features are rolling out as part of the latest Android OS update, which was released earlier this month. Compatible devices will have the option to toggle "network notifications" on or off, which will warn you if your device connects to an unencrypted network or when the connected network requests your phone's unique identifiers. On top of that, there's another option that lets you turn on "2G network protection" to avoid the less secure mobile network type.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/android-16-will-protect-users-from-fake-cell-towers-and-potential-spying-threats-172337020.html?src=rss

Playdate Season 2 review: Tiny Turnip and Chance's Lucky Escape

It's hard to believe that Playdate Season Two is almost over already, but here we are in week five with just one more drop of new games left to go after this. In the latest batch, we got the climbing metroidvania, Tiny Turnip, and Chance's Lucky Escape, a short point-and-click adventure that leans into the absurd. In line with the rest of this season's games, which have consistently been really solid, they're both pretty damn fun.

A still from the Playdate game Tiny Turnip showing a turnip with arms and large hand clinging to a moving platform above a layer of spikes
Luke Sanderson

Tiny Turnip is one of the standouts of this season for me. It sits at the sweet spot of weird, a bit challenging and extremely engaging, and I could not put it down once I started playing. And the soundtrack absolutely rules.

It's a metroidvania about an ambitious root vegetable who is reaching for the stars. Literally. The turnip makes a wish, sprouts arms and sets out climbing toward the sky. The subsequent adventure takes place across an unexpectedly huge map and requires a lot of precise, calculated movements as you navigate gaps, moving obstacles and environmental hazards, uncover hidden rooms and collect keys to access locked areas. Ultimately, the goal is to get the crystal vegetables that are scattered around the map so the little turnip's dreams can come true, but there are also stars to collect for the completionists among us.

Getting around in this game is fun. For a normal climb, you use the crank to move the turnip's arms individually, pressing B to hold onto grabbable surfaces and switch hands. But as you progress, you pick up more abilities so the turnip can move in other ways too, like curling its arms in to roll, swimming, jumping, etc. These maneuvers generally involve launching the turnip in some way — out of water or slingshot-style between walls, for example — and it's awesome.

I love the way this game uses the crank and it really is just a blast to play.

A still from the Playdate game Chance's Lucky Escape showing an anthropomorphized dog standing next to a car in a parking lot, with text below that reads
Goloso Games/Julia Minamata

There are a few things you need to know about Chance, "the luckiest dog in the world": 1) he's about as unlucky as he is lucky and 2) he's not a bad guy, he just steals cars and robs banks sometimes! He's also some sort of henchman for the dog mafia. In Chance's Lucky Escape — a super short, point-and-click puzzle adventure game that plays out over six chapters — you have to help Chance get out of bind after bind as he tries in vain to get to his meeting with The Boss, Snowball, while also evading police.

The game is described as being "inspired by 80s cartoons and absurdist comedy films," and it definitely captures those vibes. Every scenario Chance ends up in is completely ridiculous. Figuring out how to get Chance out of the messes he's found himself in, like getting stuck in the sewers after falling into an open manhole or trying not to drown while tied to a chair underwater, requires a bit of thinking and creativity. But none of the puzzles are prohibitively hard, which keeps things feeling light and silly.

At the very beginning, you're informed that you'll need to employ the crank, microphone and even the accelerometer at some points, which was handy knowledge in moments where I felt briefly stuck after clicking on every clickable item and still getting nowhere. When in doubt, just start trying weird things and something's likely to work (The Whiteout, from a few weeks ago, prepared me well for this).

As I said earlier, this one's pretty short, but it's just the right length to pick up on your lunch break. I could totally see this being a series and would happily dive back into Chance's misadventures if ever new episodes in his saga were to be made.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-tiny-turnip-and-chances-lucky-escape-164552263.html?src=rss

One of our favorite Ninja air fryers is $50 off for Prime Day

For many, summer means it's time to grill outdoors. But cooking inside does at least mean you’re likely to deal with fewer bugs. It also makes it easier to try out new kitchen equipment, such as a Ninja air fryer that’s on sale ahead of Prime Day. The Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone 10-quart air fryer is $50 off and down to $180.

This is not a record low price for this model. However, it’s still a good price for this time of year, some five months away from Black Friday.

The DZ401 is one of our favorite air fryers. In fact, it's our pick for the best dual-zone air fryer. It heats up quickly and runs quietly, but the real selling point here is the dual-basket setup. If you cook a lot or make meals for several people on a regular basis, the Ninja Foodi DZ401 could be a game changer.

It's possible to use the two baskets to prepare entirely different foods at the same time with distinct cooking modes — you can't do that on a grill. You can also prepare food in both baskets in the same way with the Match Cook feature. 

A very useful feature called Smart Finish can adjust cooking times automatically so that the food in both baskets (perhaps you have a protein in one and vegetables in the other) will be ready at the same time. That should help you avoid waiting for one basket to be down while the other gets cold.

On the downside, this is a machine that will take up a considerable proportion of counter space, so it won't be ideal for small kitchens. If you can make room for it, though, the Ninja Foodi DZ401 could be a valuable addition to your setup.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-ninja-air-fryers-is-50-off-for-prime-day-131214407.html?src=rss

Runway now has its sights on the video game industry with its new generative AI platform

The AI startup Runway, which recently partnered with AMC Networks, is now trying to break into the gaming industry. The company has plans to launch its latest platform, called Game Worlds, next week, according to The Verge. The new tool lets Runway users create something akin to an interactive text-based game that can generate text and images from AI.

Even though Game Worlds can only produce basic designs for now, the company's CEO, Cristóbal Valenzuela, is hoping this will be the first step towards more AI use in the gaming industry. Valenzuela told The Verge that "generated video games are coming later this year," adding that Runway is looking to partner with video game companies, which will be able to use the company's AI tools, while it gets access to video game datasets to train its AI on. However, the use of AI in video games has already drawn a lot of criticism from industry professionals, even leading to the SAG-AFTRA union striking against video game companies using its members' likenesses and voices to train AI. 

Runway has faced its own controversy for reportedly training its AI on YouTube videos and pirated movies despite being against the video platform's terms. Still, Runway is looking to replicate the similar success it's had with major TV and film studios. In the AMC deal, the AI company would help create promotional materials and help "accelerate pre-visualization during development." Before AMC, Runway secured a partnership with Lionsgate to provide its AI for the studio's "pre-production and post-production process." As for the gaming world, Runway wouldn't be the first to introduce generative AI since the industry has seen other examples already, like Ubisoft using a tool called Ghostwriter to create video game dialogue.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/runway-now-has-its-sights-on-the-video-game-industry-with-its-new-generative-ai-platform-192350294.html?src=rss

Tesla shows off its first fully autonomous delivery to convince us its self-driving cars work well

Tesla's robotaxi service may have had some early hitches, but the company said it just successfully delivered a car autonomously. Using the same robotaxi technology, Tesla showed the delivery process of a Model Y from its Gigafactory Texas in Austin to a customer with a roughly 30-minute journey as seen in a video posted on X. Unlike the robotaxi service launch last week, the automated delivery had no safety monitor, nor anyone behind the wheel. Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, also posted on X that the delivery didn't have any "remote operators in control at any point."

The trip covers navigating through everything from the Gigafactory Texas' parking lot to city streets, even managing to handle the highway without any incidents. This delivery comes just after Tesla's rollout of its robotaxi service in Austin, with Musk promising that the "first Tesla that drives itself from factory end of line all the way to a customer house is June 28." While impressive, it's not the first time that a fully autonomous car has used the highway, since Waymo started allowing its employees access to self-driving rides on Los Angeles freeways earlier this year.

Tesla's competing robotaxi service hasn't been without its hiccups. As seen in a 10-mile trip posted on X, the Model Y using the robotaxi software struggled to make a left turn and corrected its course by entering the other side of the road briefly. In another launch day video, the robotaxi was seen braking hard twice after encountering police cars with their lights on, even though none of the emergency vehicles were on the road. The robotaxi pilot program has caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which said that it reached out to Tesla for more information about these incidents. On top of the robotaxi concerns, recent demonstrations showed Tesla's Full Self-Driving software failing to stop for a school bus' flashing lights and stop signs, as well as for kid-sized mannequins who dart into the road.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-shows-off-its-first-fully-autonomous-delivery-to-convince-us-its-self-driving-cars-work-163805707.html?src=rss

Anker issues another recall for multiple power banks that pose fire safety risk

Anker has issued its second recall this month for several power bank models sold around the world, as MacRumors has reported. If you'll recall, its previous recall that launched earlier this month focused on the Anker PowerCore 10000 power bank model A1263, which were sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31st, 2022 in the United States. The company found that the lithium-ion battery it used for the model has a risk of overheating that could then lead to the power bank melting, producing smoke and, ultimately, catching fire. 

Now, Anker has issued a global recall for multiple products sold in several markets around the world. Those products are the Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W) Model A1257, Anker Power Bank (20,000mAh, 22.5W, Built-In USB-C Cable) Model A1647, Anker MagGo Power Bank (10,000mAh, 7.5W) Model A1652, Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C and Lightning Cable) Model A1681 and Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) Model A1689. 

The company said that it implemented a series of enhanced quality assurance protocols earlier this year, all of which were designed to detect manufacturing issues. It found that those particular models use lithium-ion battery cells from a single vendor, which are at risk of overheating and causing fire. The company said that the chances of malfunction are minimal, but it launched the recall out of an abundance of caution anyway and is advising customers to stop using affected models. 

You can check if your device is affected on the recall's official page where you can enter its serial number. A proof of purchase will be required to be qualified for the program, but if you can provide the requirements needed, you can choose between a replacement or a gift card that you can use on Anker's website. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/anker-issues-another-recall-for-multiple-power-banks-that-pose-fire-safety-risk-160015082.html?src=rss

Facebook test uses Meta AI to process photos you've yet to upload

Facebook has been showing some users a pop-up message asking them if they want to allow the social network to create collages, recaps and AI restylings using photos they've yet to upload from their camera roll. According to TechCrunch, Facebook has been showing users the message when they upload a new Story on the app. It doesn't pop up for everyone, however, since we weren't able to replicate the event. In that notification, Meta wrote that in order to create ideas for users, it'll select media from their camera roll and upload it to the company's cloud "on an ongoing basis, based on info like time, location and themes."

The message also said that the media won't be used for ads targeting, but its wording raised concerns about the possibility of Meta using people's camera roll files to train its artificial intelligence technology. Meta assued The Verge that it's not "currently training [its] AI models with these photos." The company's comms manager, Maria Cubeta, told the publication that Meta "testing suggestions of ready-to-share and curated content from a person’s camera roll" as part of its efforts to explore ways to make content sharing easier. "These suggestions are opt-in only and only shown to you — unless you decide to share them — and can be turned off at any time. Camera roll media may be used to improve these suggestions, but are not used to improve AI models in this test," she said. 

The test feature has a limited reach, but it has been ongoing for some time, seeing as some users have reported seeing it earlier this year. In fact, Facebook already has a Help page for it, giving users instructions on how to allow and disallow "creative ideas with camera roll cloud processing" on Facebook. For those who've previously clicked Allow when the message popped up for them, they can go to Settings and switch it off in the "Camera roll sharing suggestions" section under Preferences.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/facebook-test-uses-meta-ai-to-process-photos-youve-yet-to-upload-140021100.html?src=rss

AI might undermine one of the better alternatives to the Kindle

Kobo, a Rakuten subsidiary that sells ebooks and ereaders, has built its name on being a more open and author-friendly version of Amazon Kindle. However, a recent change to the company's self-publishing business has some writers worried that reputation might change. Last month, the company updated its Terms of Service for Kobo Writing Life, its publishing platform, which opened the door to AI features on the platform. With that new contract language going into effect on June 28th, authors seem no clearer on what it will mean for their futures on Kobo.

For authors who haven't broken into (or have opted out of) traditional publishing both Kobo Writing Life and Kindle Direct Publishing offer a way to sell books without needing representation or a publishing deal. If they can provide their work and the information needed to make a store page — and have a willingness to serve as not only author but marketer — they have everything they need to sell their books.

Agreeing to sell on one of these platforms comes with a list of conditions. The biggest is the split of sales. If an author sells their novel for $2.99 or more on Kobo Writing Life, they keep 70 percent of what they earn. On the considerably larger Kindle Direct Publishing platform, there are two royalty options — 35 percent and 70 percent — but both have a confusing litany of compounding factors, some of which can significantly reduce authors' earnings. The calculus of fees vs. exposure makes authors develop strong preferences for the platform they choose. But the terms of service under which their work is published are also important — and apparently subject to change with little warning.

Engadget spoke with three authors who were surprised by Kobo's decision to experiment with AI. All of them noticed the company had published new Terms of Service because of a simple banner notification in the Kobo Writing Life Dashboard. Even now, a month after the terms were changed, the company is unable to clarify how the new terms would apply to existing work. There also isn't a means for authors to opt out. If anyone on Kobo is adamantly against any amount of AI use, their best and only option is to stop publishing there, and probably to pull their existing work from the platform.

The authors we spoke to were surprised that Kobo didn't reach out about the proposed changes in advance, but also that the company was choosing to work with AI at all. "I appreciate their transparency in being candid about their use of AI," Michelle Manus, a fantasy author on Kobo's platform, wrote to Engadget over email. "What I think they vastly underestimated was the extent to which their user base dislikes AI."

Kobo's new terms are explicit in saying that the company does not plan to use authors' work to train generative AI. It does, however, reserve the right to use "artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning algorithms or similar technologies" to "read, analyze, and process" writing for a variety of non-training purposes, including:

Authors have taken issue with the apparent lack of recourse provided to them. What happens if a work is incorrectly tagged as one genre when its author believes it more directly fits another? Or what if the "promotional material" Kobo generates includes some kind of hallucination? The biggest issue for the writers Engadget spoke to was the potential for Kobo to deploy AI-generated recaps. Amazon implemented a recap tool on Kindle in April, using generative AI to help readers get back into a series or remember where they were in a novel, and some authors have already found examples of the company's AI inaccurately summarizing stories.

"We would have immediately gone, 'Ah, okay, we see what you're trying to do, but we don't think that the thing you're suggesting is going to work to address the problem that you're trying to address," Delilah Waan, a fantasy author and YouTube creator, told Engadget. Since self-published authors tend to be more responsive to their audience, these kinds of issues could actually jeopardize that relationship. "Authors frequently get pushback from readers about plot choices, and I can only imagine the levels to which that could rise if they are receiving incorrect recaps of what happened in a book," Manus wrote.

All of the authors Engadget spoke to admired Kobo's attempts to address complaints in public. On Bluesky, the company's CEO Michael Tamblyn posted a long thread getting into the logic of including an AI clause in the company's terms. Essentially, Tamblyn wrote, Kobo is trying to make the job of connecting readers with authors easier, and streamlining the moderation process that goes into maintaining the Kobo Store, all while avoiding trampling over copyright. "We are completely uninterested in creating new content using authors' books, and don’t do anything that would allow us to do that," Tamblyn wrote. "And we don’t want anyone else to do it either because we are in the business of selling books and would like to be able to keep doing that."

Agreeing to not train generative AI with an author's work is what all professional writers have been encouraged to demand from publishers by The Authors Guild, a professional organization that advocates for writers and is currently participating in a lawsuit against OpenAI. By choosing to not train generative AI on books, Kobo is starting on the right foot. The dubious nature of what material gets fed into an AI model still leaves many questions, though. "Keep in mind, all of the models right now are illegally trained, and I mean all of the big LLMs [Large Language Models]," Mary Rasenberg, the CEO of The Authors Guild, says. "So they may be using an AI system that's not one of the big LLMs, but whatever system they're using may be based on one of the big LLMs." 

Kobo did not respond to a request for information about which LLM it plans to use. For work that might be misclassified or mislabelled, the company encouraged authors to contact them via its support email, which authors say has been responsive to complaints so far. The company says it has not begun testing what it describes as a "beta feature" for generating a "personalized recap" in the Kobo app. It notes that it's "not interested in doing whole summaries of books." Instead Kobo plans to make its recaps specific to each reader, around 150 words in length based on both the pages they read in their last reading session and the quotes they highlighted.

Ebook platforms are taking a cautious approach to AI broadly. Authors who publish through the Apple Books platform can have AI-narrated audiobooks generated from their work, but doing so is completely optional. Barnes & Noble's Press platform doesn't currently offer AI products. Amazon's recaps are currently the most invasive use of AI across ebook markets, and authors can't opt out of them."It doesn't matter how much money we're making from Amazon. We all hate dealing with it," Waan said. She made it clear that self-publishing authors are scared of Kobo changing because it currently has author-friendly answers to most of Amazon's products. "I cannot describe how much we want Kobo to succeed, like we are rooting for them," she said.

Every company seems keen to continue pushing the boundaries of where and how invasively it can implement AI. Waan's hope now is that Kobo engages in some kind of open forum with authors about its proposed uses for the technology. "I think it's really hard to decide, as an author, 'am I going to pull my books?,'" Waan said. "Because the minute you pull your books it's a whole headache, because you gotta update all the links. If you have ads running, you gotta pull them. It's not as simple as turning off a light switch." Difficult as it may be, that's a decision self-published authors will increasingly be forced to make.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-might-undermine-one-of-the-better-alternatives-to-the-kindle-123039955.html?src=rss

Puzzle platformers, desktop aquariums and other new indie games worth checking out

Welcome to the latest edition of our indie game roundup. We’ve got quite a bit on deck this week, starting with a few nuggets of news.

In case you missed it, the Steam Summer Sale is upon us, which means there are bargains galore on the storefront (we’ve rounded up some of the tastier deals). If you're anything like me, you'll end up buying a bunch of games that you'll never end up playing but hope to get to some day. In any case, good luck with your deal hunting!

I read an interesting story on Game Developer this week about Peak, a co-op climbing game from Aggro Crab (Another Crab's Treasure, which I absolutely loved) and Landfall (Content Warning). A team of seven developers made the bulk of the game during a month-long retreat earlier this year. The two studios relied largely on their community managers — who'd done a fantastic job drumming up interest for their previous games — to hype up Peak.

A combination of factors such as smart marketing (that title is peak), the game's ability to deliver funny moments that could go viral and a low price helped Peak to sell more than 2 million copies in 9 days. This is a cool success story for a game that cost about $200,000 to make. Here’s hoping more small studios find ways to collaborate like this. As a comparison, Remedy says FBC: Firebreak hit 1 million players after eight days, and that game is on PlayStation and Xbox subscription services.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has rubber-stamped a free, fan-made Halo-themed game in the vein of Vampire Survivors. Spartan Survivors, from JuanGGZ, is out on Itch.io and it’s coming to Steam and Xbox later this year.

After debuting on PC last year and making its way to iOS in February, I Am Your Beast landed on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this week. From the remarkably prolific Strange Scaffold (Clickolding, TMNT: Tactical Takedown and El Paso, Elsewhere), this stylish, stealthy first-person shooter has been widely acclaimed and now console players can check out what the fuss is all about. In addition, the studio this week updated the iOS version of I Am Your Beast with all of the game's DLC.

Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D puzzle platformer with charming, hand-drawn art from Zockrates Laboratories and publisher Phiphen Games. The perspective switches to 2D in some sections, in a similar fashion to Super Mario Odyssey.

What might help this game stand out is that it has a feature called SWAP, which enables you to copy the texture from one item and paste it onto another. So you might turn a waterfall into foliage so you can climb it or convert ice into lava. Ruffy and the Riverside is out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

Quantum Witch is an adventure platformer in which the plot is shaped by your decisions. Even the side quests have multiple endings, so it seems like there's a lot going on here. Solo developer NikkiJay has described this as a "queer emancipation story" in which main character Ren takes back agency over her life.

I'm interested in checking this one out, not least because the pretty pixel art and droll humor remind me of the Monkey Island games I loved so much as a kid. Quantum Witch is out now on Steam.

Antro looks like it's cut from a similar cloth as Playdead's Limbo and Inside. However, this rhythm-based puzzle platformer (from Gatera Studio and publishers Selecta Play and Astrolabe Games) is set to the beats of hip-hop, drill, R&B and electronic music.

Here, you play as a courier in a city that emerges below the ruins of Barcelona following a global catastrophe. Music and freedom (among other things) are banned here, but a rebellion is rising against the tech-dominated dictatorship that's in charge. Antro is out now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Idle games that sit on your screen all day long are having a real moment. For instance, Bongo Cat is near the top of the Steam most-played charts with concurrent player numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Tiny Aquarium: Social Fishkeeping, from Lunheim Studios and publisher Future Friends Games, is one of the newest games in the genre.

This is billed as a cozy game in which you can hatch and sell fish, decorate your aquarium and (of course) go fishing. You can visit your friends' aquariums (and those of other players) too. It all seems cute and charming enough, and I don't think having it in the corner of my screen would distract me too much while I'm crafting the hottest of takes.

There are a lot of things I love about Flock Off! already. The name, the fact it's set in my homeland of Scotland and that it's an alternate history take on the story of Dolly the Sheep — the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

In this first-person action title from Bunkhouse Games, you and up to three allies will have to use whatever's at your disposal to fend off zombie sheep. Just about anything can be used as a weapon, including a baguette, leek, traffic cone, your friends and a lawnmower that you wield in the fashion of Dead Alive. Flock Off! is coming to Steam later this year, but it's already alive in my heart.

Several years ago, we interviewed musician Sam Battle (aka Look Mum No Computer) about his wild DIY synth projects. Battle has since teamed up with developer The Bitfather and publisher Headup to make a twin-stick shooter in which you can make your own music.

In this game, also called Look Mum No Computer, you'll craft and upgrade synth modules. These also function as your weapons that you'll use to battle rogue components to fix electronics. It's such a cool concept and it now has a release date. Look Mum No Computer is bound for Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG on July 24.

I have to admit, though I've been aware of Firefighting Simulator: Ignite for a while, it wasn't really grabbing my attention. But the release date trailer included a very important piece of information. Those who pre-order this game — from Construction Simulator studio weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH and publisher astragon Entertainment GmbH — will get a pack that includes a cool vintage helmet and an absolutely adorable Dalmatian called Simi for their firehouse.

Firefighting Simulator: Ignite is a co-op firefighting game with more than 35 missions. It's coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 9.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/puzzle-platformers-desktop-aquariums-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110029438.html?src=rss

Trump ends trade talks with Canada over a digital services tax

President Donald Trump said the US is ending trade talks with Canada, effective immediately, over a tax on digital services that will impact American tech companies. He also pledged to announce further tariffs on Canada within the next week, adding in a Truth Social post that "they will be paying to do business with the United States of America."

Canada's digital services tax (DST) is set to take effect on June 30, though it will be applied retroactively. According to The New York Times, US companies are preparing to pay around $2.7 billion to the Canadian government to cover a three percent tax on revenue they generated from users in the country. Companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb are subject to the levy, as things stand. 

In his post on Friday, Trump called the DST "a direct and blatant attack on our country." Amid trade talks with the US, Canada's finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, said this month that the country had no plans to hit the pause button on the DST. Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney previously said they aimed to reach a trade deal by around July 20.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been using tariffs as a negotiating tactic with other nations. The US reached a trade deal with China over rare earth minerals this week, and it is soon set to reimpose some of the levies that were put on hold in April for 90 days. 

The DST has been a bone of contention between the US and Canada for years. The Biden administration formally challenged the levy last year under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. 

Other jurisdictions have considered or enacted a similar tax. It was reported in May that Germany is mulling a 10 percent levy on platforms such as Google and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-ends-trade-talks-with-canada-over-a-digital-services-tax-192322721.html?src=rss

Peter Thiel is utterly wrong about Alzheimer's

The New York Times ran a lengthy interview this morning between columnist Ross Douthat and venture capitalist and PayPal founder Peter Thiel. There's a reason it was published in the opinion section.

Thiel, a Trump booster whose allies — including Vice President JD Vance — now litter the White House, was given free reign to discuss a variety of topics across over an hour of softball questions. Is Greta Thunberg the literal antichrist? Are the three predominant ideological schools in Europe environmentalism, "Islamic Shariah law" and "Chinese Communist totalitarian takeover"? Is AI "woke" and capable of following Elon Musk to Mars? Peter seems to think so! Perhaps the "just asking questions" school of journalism could add "hey, what the fuck are you talking about" to its repertoire. 

Admittedly, many of these assertions fall squarely into the realm of things that exist within Thiel's mind palace rather than verifiable facts, with at least one notable exception. Relatively early in their chat, Peter tells Ross the following [emphasis ours]:

If we look at biotech, something like dementia, Alzheimer’s — we’ve made zero progress in 40 to 50 years. People are completely stuck on beta amyloids. It’s obviously not working. It’s just some kind of a stupid racket where the people are just reinforcing themselves.

It's a pretty bold claim! It's also completely untrue.

"There was no treatment 40 or 50 years ago for Alzheimer's disease," Sterling Johnson, a professor of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, told Engadget. "What we've been able to do in the last 20 years has been actually pretty extraordinary. We've developed markers that help us identify when this disease starts, using the using amyloid markers and tau biomarkers, we know that the disease actually begins 20 years before the symptoms do, and that is a critical thing to know if we are going to prevent this disease."

At the moment, Alzheimer's remains incurable. But the absence of a miracle cure does not negate the accomplishments thus far in detection and prevention. "The first treatments were these window dressing treatments. It's like treating the symptoms like you would treat a cold [...] The first generation of amyloid therapy was that kind of approach where it just addressed the symptoms by amping up the neurons and increasing the neurotransmitters available to the to the brain cells." Johnson, whose team runs one of the largest and longest studies on people at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, added, "Now we have opportunities to actually modify the disease biology through the amyloid pathway, but also we're focused on the other proteinopathy — which is tau — and there's clinical trials underway."

Thiel, a well-known advocate for advancements in radical life extension (including a reported interest in injecting himself with the blood of young people) sees the state of scientific research in this area as sluggish and risk averse. But the groundbreaking work is happening at this moment. Professor Johnson pointed to a monoclonal antibody called gantenerumab. In an early test of 73 participants with inherited mutations that would cause them to overproduce amyloid in the brain, it cut the number of participants who developed Alzheimer's symptoms practically in half. "The big phase-three prevention trials are happening right now." Those are using lecanemab and donanemab, two other monoclonal treatments, which Johnson clarified are "already known to be better than gantenerumab at clearing out beta-amyloid."

For someone who fashions himself as a heterodox thinker, Thiel certainly seems to have stumbled on a remarkably similar talking point to current Trump administration FDA head Robert F Kennedy Jr. "Alzheimer's is a very, very good example of how [National Institute of Health] has gone off the rails over the past 20 years ago with research on amyloid plaques" Kennedy said at a Department of Health budgetary hearing last month. He claimed the NIH was "cutting off any other hypothesis" due to "corruption."

Unsurprisingly, the Alzheimer's Association has called this "demonstrably false."

"In reality, over the most recent 10 years available (2014-2023), less than 14% of new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Alzheimer’s projects focused on amyloid beta as the therapeutic target," the organization wrote, "As of September 2024, the National Institute on Aging was investing in 495 pharmacological and non-pharmacological trials. To state that Alzheimer’s research is focused on amyloid to the exclusion of other targets is clearly wrong." 

If I, personally, wanted more robust medical research and a chance at eternal life (I don't), greasing the wheels of an administration broadly gutting funding for science would be a strange way to make that happen. But this is the sort of incoherence we've come to expect from tech oligarchs: they say what benefits them, even if it's nonsense on its face, even if a moment's reflection reveals it to be patently false. What's embarrassing is the paper of record giving them free reign to do it.

Update June 27, 2025 2:15ET: This story now includes additional clinical trial information.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/peter-thiel-is-utterly-wrong-about-alzheimers-173206349.html?src=rss

Donald Trump is reportedly preparing a sweep of pro-AI executive orders

We know what you’re thinking: there just isn’t enough AI around right now. Luckily for you, Donald Trump emphatically agrees. According to a new report from Reuters, his administration is assembling a number of executive actions that would significantly increase the energy supply used for expanding artificial intelligence. The US and China are currently battling it out to lead the way in the rapidly growing sector, but American companies will need more infrastructure to make the advances Trump wants.

"With the right Government policies, we can solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans," he said back in January when signing an executive order in his first days in office that made clear his intention to reduce any regulatory hurdles to allow unchecked development in the area.

Reuters was told by sources that asked to remain anonymous that, if passed, the planned executive orders would "make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid, and provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology." The Trump administration is reportedly also planning to release an "AI action plan" and schedule a number of public events that promote its ongoing efforts.

Power-hungry data centers are often large and not quick to build, but in an attempt to speed up the process, Trump’s actions may offer land managed by the Defense Department or Interior Department to AI project developers. A nationwide Clean Water Act permit, meanwhile, would mean permission to build would no longer operate on a state-by-state basis, making it easier for developers to get projects off the ground.

Donald Trump’s AI crusade has been ongoing since he took office. After initially taking an eraser to Biden’s extensive AI protection framework, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed a "big, beautiful bill" that places a 10-year ban on state AI regulations. It still has to pass through the Senate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/donald-trump-is-reportedly-preparing-a-sweep-of-pro-ai-executive-orders-171856144.html?src=rss