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Images of Samsung's rumored smart glasses have leaked
Images and details about Samsung's upcoming smart glasses have leaked, according to a report by Android Headlines. We knew these were coming at some point, but we now have what could be actual photos and they look pretty nifty. The glasses are reportedly being developed under the codename "Jinju" and could cost anywhere from $380 to $500.
These are the first smart glasses from Samsung and look to offer a similar feature set to stuff like Meta Ray-Bans and the forthcoming Google Gemini glasses. Samsung's specs will run on the Android XR wearables platform and will likely feature heavy integration with the Google Gemini chatbot.
It has been reported that these glasses will not feature a display, but that's likely coming with another pair in 2027. The second release is being developed under the codename "Haean" and will reportedly include a micro-LED display, allowing for similar functionality to something like the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. These could cost anywhere from $600 to $900.
We don't know when the Jinju glasses will launch, but later this year is a safe bet. Samsung has a major Unpacked event scheduled for July. We could get some official details at that point, though it's unlikely the smart glasses will launch alongside stuff like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Watch 9.
It's far more likely we'll get a tease at that event, with a launch later in the year. This is what Samsung did with its Galaxy XR virtual reality headset last year.
It's also been reported that the Jinju glasses will include a 12MP camera, a Snapdragon AR1 chip and directional speakers with bone-conduction tech. These specs are, of course, subject to change before launch. It's also highly possible the price will tick up beyond the aforementioned range, thanks to global economic uncertainty and the rising costs of RAM and storage.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/images-of-samsungs-rumored-smart-glasses-have-leaked-184129483.html?src=rssJoby Aviation is demoing 10-minute air taxi flights from JFK to Manhattan for a week
Joby Aviation is kicking off 10 days of electric air taxi demo flights in New York City. Before you try to book one to bypass the city's awful traffic, Joby's aircrafts aren't taking customers yet. Instead, the company is trialing the air taxis in "real flight routes and real environments," as indicated in its press release.
With the first point-to-point flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft completed, Joby said that one of its electric air taxis made it from John F. Kennedy International Airport to NYC's heliports in Lower Manhattan and Midtown in less than 10 minutes. Unlike helicopters, Joby's CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, said this "quiet, zero operating emissions air taxi service" will better serve New Yorkers. These demo flights are part of Joby's participation in the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, the Federal Aviation Administration's program to fast-track the commercial rollout of air taxis.
Joby said it's still in the final stages of securing FAA certification, but this latest campaign in NYC should propel its process forward, especially after having completed piloted demos in the San Francisco Bay Area in March. Joby was previously targeting to launch its air taxi service in 2025, but that goal has since been pushed back. The company's CEO said that Joby is planning to start passenger flights in New York, Texas and Florida as soon as the second half of 2026, according to Bloomberg.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/joby-aviation-is-demoing-10-minute-air-taxi-flights-from-jfk-to-manhattan-for-a-week-180247411.html?src=rssStar Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its penultimate season on July 23
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its fourth season via Paramount Plus on July 23. The ten episodes air weekly until September 24. This is actually the second-to-last batch of episodes, as the show was recently renewed for a fifth and final season.
The streamer has dropped a trailer for season four and it looks promising. The tone looks slightly darker when compared to season three, which was maligned for being a bit too silly and uneven. The trailer is narrated by Anson Mount's Captain Christopher Pike, who discusses the "terror" of space as a planet explodes.
This is still Strange New Worlds, so it won't be all doom and gloom. The trailer shows us a screeching alien dinosaur, which is pretty fun. There have also been reports that season four will feature a puppet episode with involvement from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
This new batch of episodes will lean even heavier into connections to the original Star Trek show from the 1960s. Paul Wesley's version of Captain Kirk features prominently in several scenes, with one looking like a direct callback to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. A younger Scotty also makes an appearance.
For the uninitiated, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to the first show and starts several years before Kirk takes over as captain of the Enterprise. It's been said that the series will end with Kirk taking the big chair. It's also primarily an episodic series, with no real serialized season-long arcs. It's pretty good!
It's also ending in the near future. Season five will presumably premiere next year and will include just six episodes. As a matter of fact, it looks like the modern incarnation of Star Trek is ending in totality. Sets are being taken down and there are currently no new shows in production for the first time in a decade.
This is a bummer, even if I didn't always love some of the newer content. The upcoming second season of Starfleet Academy will be its last, which is exceptionally sad because it was really beginning to fire on all cylinders. It was 12 years between the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise and the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery, which kicked off the modern era. Who knows how long we'll have to wait this time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-returns-for-its-penultimate-season-on-july-23-170946603.html?src=rssValve's Steam Controller costs $99 and arrives May 4
Valve's Steam Controller will hit the market on Monday, May 4, for a going price of $99 in the United States. The Steam Controller does precisely what it says: It communicates with anything running Steam or the Steam Link app, so this includes PCs, Macs, mobile devices and the Steam Deck.
Eventually, the Steam Controller will connect to the new Steam Machine console and Steam Frame VR headset, but neither of these products have solid release dates just yet. They were originally slated to come out in early 2026 alongside the Steam Controller, but we're nearly five months into the year and only a third of that promise is poised to be fulfilled. Valve in March said it hopes to ship in 2026, dropping the "early" bit.
As noted in our review, the Steam Controller is a solid gamepad, especially for the price. It feels and looks a lot like a Steam Deck, complete with two trackpads beneath a pair of TMR thumbsticks and a standard face array. It's reactive, ergonomic, and comes with a cute little charging and connection puck that snaps onto the bottom of the gamepad. Just note that the Steam Controller is not a PC controller: It works with Steam, and only Steam. You'll have to add games with their own launchers like Overwatch, Valorant, Minecraft or Fortnite to your Steam library before playing them with Valve's proprietary controller. How convenient — for Valve, at least.
Worldwide, Steam Controller prices are as follows:
US: $99
Canada: $149 CAD
EU: €99
UK: £85
AUD: 149
PLN: 419
Valve Steam Controller review: A gamepad in search of a console
Don’t mistake the Steam Controller for a PC controller. Even though its main function is to play PC games, Valve’s new gamepad communicates with Steam, and only Steam. This is not a general controller for your PC, Android or iOS devices, and it’s certainly not compatible with any console on the market today, unless you count the handheld Steam Deck. In order to play a game with the Steam Controller, you have to boot it up through Steam. (More on this later).
Valve’s end goal for the Steam Controller is compatibility with the Steam Machine, a console that doesn’t yet have a public release date or price point. The Steam Machine will support 4K gaming at 60 fps with FSR, it’ll come with 512GB or 2TB of SSD storage, and it’ll work with the Steam Frame VR headset, as will the Controller. The new Steam Machine was supposed to drop early this year, fulfilling a long-promised dream of PC gaming by moving your entire Steam library to the couch in a compact but powerful box. Due to the memory shortages plaguing the tech industry, the Machine and Frame aren't here yet, so the Steam Controller is the first step in Valve’s hardware takeover of living room territory. It’s due to come out on May 4, priced at $99.
The Steam Controller represents roughly 13 years of R&D, from its first iteration announced in 2013 to the debut of the Steam Deck in 2022, and the refinement period clearly paid off.
The Steam Controller is a tidy chonker of a gamepad with a broad, Duke-like face holding two square trackpads beneath the standard analog sticks and face buttons. Despite its extra girth, the Steam Controller feels light, slim and balanced, even in my smaller-than-average hands. The grips are slender and have four circular rear buttons, two per side, that are super satisfying to click even when they don’t do anything in-game. The bumpers, triggers, D-pad and face buttons are shiny black plastic, and all of the controller’s edges are rounded, allowing for a smooth glide between the bumpers and triggers especially. The trackpads don’t get in the way when you don’t need them, but in-use, they’re incredibly sensitive and kind of mesmerizing. They look and feel just like the trackpads on the Steam Deck, following the trails of your thumbs with miniature popping bubbles.
The Steam Controller uses tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks, which are a leveled-up version of Hall effect sticks, offering ultimate precision and long-term stability with no chance of drift. After a few days of use across a range of game genres, including competitive first-person shooters, they’ve proven to be reliable and accurate. In terms of stick precision and feel, I find the Steam Controller is comparable to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, my PC gamepad of choice. I otherwise much prefer the swappability, rubberized microswitches and crisp clickiness of Razer’s gamepad — but the Wolverine also costs about $100 more and doesn’t come with trackpad capabilities, so we’ll call it a wash.
One of the neatest aspects of the Steam Controller is its charging and connection puck, which plugs into your PC or Steam Deck through a USB cable and enables stable wireless play. The puck snaps onto the belly of the controller for charging, and when you hover the gamepad’s connection point over it, it jumps up and latches on like a cute little sucker fish. I don’t know if this behavior is an intentional selling point, but it certainly is for me. The Steam Controller also connects to devices via Bluetooth or with a cable, and in all configurations it’s performed without issue for me. Of course, Bluetooth mode has the highest latency, so that’s mainly for phones and Steam Link play. The puck can support two Steam Controllers at once. Swapping between Puck and Bluetooth mode is a simple matter of holding the right bumper and A or B, respectively, when you turn the controller on.
Pressing the power button with the Steam logo wakes up the gamepad, and pressing it twice when you’re connected to a PC launches Steam in Big Picture mode. The Steam Controller feels like a natural extension of Valve’s storefront, and with its matte black finish and bubbled edges, it’ll be familiar to anyone who’s fallen in love with a Steam Deck these past few years.
I tested out the controller on my PC with Steam games and non-Steam games (added to my Steam library first, of course — seriously, more on that later), and in my living room with my Steam Deck acting as a makeshift, low-powered Steam Machine. On PC I played The Seance of Blake Manor, Creature Kitchen and Overwatch, and on Steam Deck I played Blake Manor, Demonschool and Balatro. Whether connected with Bluetooth, the puck or USB, the Steam Controller provided seamless play and no noticeable latency. The distance from my couch to the puck nestled behind my Steam Deck is about eight feet, and I didn’t feel a frame drop while cosplaying as a Steam Machine owner. I also never ran into battery issues, but that’s not shocking considering Valve’s claim that the gamepad has more than 35 hours on a single charge. In my testing, the battery barely registered a drop after multiple hours of playtime, and I was happy to snap on the charging puck whenever I wanted to set the controller down.
Valve notes the battery life may be lower if playing with the Steam Frame. The Steam Controller has infrared LEDs for tracking, which will obviously drain the battery a little faster. Some VR games may have you waving your controller, as there are gyroscopic sensors in there as well. As the Steam Frame isn’t out, I wasn’t able to test some of the controller’s more interesting features.
Even against players using a keyboard and mouse in competitive Overwatch matches, I won games and earned awards, passing my personal ultimate test of a controller’s capabilities. When it comes to Overwatch, I’m mostly comparing the Steam Controller to Sony’s DualSense, and it feels surprisingly similar. I enjoy the Steam Controller’s smooth slide between the bumpers and triggers, though its haptic feedback is more subtle than the DualSense’s, lacking in the analog sticks particularly. Much like with the Steam Deck, I haven’t found a consistent use case for the trackpads on the Steam Controller, but I appreciate their inclusion, the accessibility factor, and the fact that they aren’t otherwise intrusive. Now, just add a Playdate crank and I’m really sold.
The Steam Controller is a clear and unmistakable signal that Valve is joining the console wars, and perhaps by patient and diligent design, it’s appearing at a vulnerable time. Xbox is fumbling the current generation and attempting to redefine its place in the console market amid a significant leadership shakeup, while Sony and Nintendo are carrying on with standard hardware upgrade cycles in a landscape that’s based less on platform exclusivity every day. Right now there’s room for a robust PC-based storefront to stake its claim on couch gaming, and voila, here’s Valve with the Steam Machine and Steam Controller.
Similarly to the way Valve used Half-Life 2 to get people to download Steam in 2004, the Steam Controller pushes players to fully consolidate their PC libraries in its own ecosystem. You’ll have to add games with their own launchers like Overwatch, Valorant, Minecraft and Fortnite to your Steam library before you can play them using Valve’s controller. This is a small inconvenience, since it takes just a few clicks to add a non-Steam game to your profile.
(Welcome to later). However, I don’t enjoy doing it. As I was browsing through files to add Overwatch to my Steam library, I couldn’t help thinking that it would have been pretty easy for Valve to add a switch that would let the Steam Controller communicate with any PC game. Maybe it's a touch of oppositional defiant disorder, but I despise being coerced into behaviors that are designed to serve a corporation’s market control over my own workflow, especially in my personal spaces.
Now more than ever, I value my ability to choose — which businesses I work with, where I store my software, how I play — and the Steam launcher requirement is another small expansion of Valve’s incredible power in the PC games industry. It’s too easy to say, most of my games are already on Steam, no big deal, and use the Controller as an excuse to consolidate them all on Valve’s launcher. Suddenly, Steam is where you begin and end every gaming session, rather than just most. Obviously and especially with the coming rollout of the Steam Machine, this is the reality that Valve wants: a rich industry utterly reliant on its platform of DRM, shitty revenue splits and random opaque censorship. It’s the situation that Microsoft, Apple or Epic also want for themselves, but the main difference is that this future is actually in reach for Valve, and the Steam Controller is a tiny part of the plan. If willing and unforced support of a monopoly makes you bristle as well, feel free to stick with 8BitDo.
Truly though, I get it. The Steam Controller doesn’t come with a PC switch because it’s not a PC controller. It’s for controlling Steam, a service that’s become synonymous with PC and handheld gaming, and is now creeping onto the living-room scene. The Steam Controller is designed to follow you everywhere Steam is, for all your gaming needs across every screen forever and always — and there is something soothing about that idea in a Brave New World Soma kind of way. A PC controller? That’s far too limited, from Valve’s perspective.
Encroaching corporate dystopia aside, the Steam Controller is a sturdy and sleek gamepad that stands up to the competition. It’s for Valve diehards, trackpad fanatics and anyone whose main gaming hub is Steam. Which, to be clear, is a massive market that’s only poised to grow.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/valve-steam-controller-review-a-gamepad-in-search-of-a-console-170054068.html?src=rssA Star Wars expansion is coming to PowerWash Simulator 2
There's something deeply relaxing about chucking on a solid pair of headphones, listening to some good music and cleaning muck off structures and vehicles. Not in real life, though. Heavens, no. PowerWash Simulator 2 lets you do that without having to deal with any actual muck — as long as you're regularly cleaning your keyboard or controller, anyway.
You'll soon be able to carry out powerwashing jobs in six more locations, all of which are in a galaxy far, far away. In the game's upcoming Star Wars expansion, you can visit the likes of Tatooine and Hoth to clean the Lars homestead, an X-wing and a Star Destroyer bridge.
Developer FuturLab has created an exclusive powerwasher for these levels, in which you'll play as a labor droid called P0-W2. You can take on the jobs with up to four friends. Expect a bunch of Easter eggs too.
FuturLab says the expansion is set during the original Star Wars trilogy. You'll first be taking on work for the Galactic Empire before defecting to the Rebel Alliance (so you'll literally be dealing with Rebel scum).
The studio has previously brought other franchises into the fold. Those who own the first PowerWash Simulator can snag the Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider expansions for free before they’re delisted at 10AM ET on May 19. There are also Back to the Future and Shrek expansions for the original game.
The Star Wars expansion is coming to PowerWash Simulator 2 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 this summer. It'll cost $10. In the meantime, spare a thought for those poor contractors whose jobs the P0-W2 droids are taking:
OpenAI breaks out of exclusivity agreements in its partnership with Microsoft
OpenAI is opening up its partnership with Microsoft in the latest amendment to the major multi-year collaboration between the tech giants. The latest changes allow OpenAI to offer its latest AI models to other companies and through other cloud providers, stripping Microsoft of its exclusivity rights.
In a joint announcement posted on OpenAI and Microsoft's websites, Microsoft will still be OpenAI's primary cloud partner with the latest products shipping first on Azure, but OpenAI is now allowed to use any cloud provider. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, posted on X that the company is "now able to make our products and services available across all clouds."
On top of that, Microsoft will still have a license for OpenAI's models and products through to 2032, but the license will no longer be exclusive. On the business side, Microsoft will no longer pay a revenue share to OpenAI, but OpenAI would still make revenue share payments to Microsoft until 2030, which will now be subject to a total cap.
The two companies have worked closely together since announcing a multiyear partnership in 2019. Microsoft and OpenAI have gone through several phases for its collaboration, but the two put out a joint statement in February of this year that still mentioned the exclusivity agreements. However, the latest update confirms that OpenAI can break exclusivity, with the companies arguing these changes are for "flexibility, certainty, and a focus on delivering the benefits of AI broadly."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/openai-breaks-out-of-exclusivity-agreements-in-its-partnership-with-microsoft-162829584.html?src=rssSpotify is now a fitness app too
In its quest to become an all-in-one app, Spotify is now breaking into the fitness app world by offering "guided workout experiences" and on-demand Peloton classes. Premium subscribers will get access to Peloton's library of more than 1,400 classes in the app, while both Free and Premium can browse curated playlists (they're listed under the genre "fitness.")
Spotify said the classes are primarily in English, but there are some options in Spanish and German. Like music and podcasts, Spotify lets you bounce between different devices for its fitness media, so you can start a video workout on your TV and switch to an audio-only version on your phone or smart speaker. Users can even download the classes for offline use.
The fitness category may feel like a sharp turn for Spotify, but the company said that nearly 70 percent of its Premium subscribers work out monthly and that fitness and workout content was one of the top use cases for its Prompted Playlist feature. Spotify has long been expanding its offerings outside of music, with its latest efforts giving users a way to buy physical books or create group chats.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/spotify-is-now-a-fitness-app-too-144037057.html?src=rssOprah brings her podcast to Amazon's streaming services
Amazon has brought another high-profile podcasting name into its fold after agreeing to a multiyear licensing deal with Oprah Winfrey. Her podcast will expand to two episodes a week starting in July and it will be available across the likes of Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV channels and Audible. New episodes will still hit YouTube and other podcast platforms, according to Variety.
Winfrey will stick to the same format she's been using on YouTube since starting a podcast channel there at the end of 2024. It will feature interviews with authors, celebrities and others in the public eye.
In addition, Winfrey will create specials based on her Oprah's Favorite Things and Oprah’s Book Club franchises for Amazon. The company is also licensing all 25 seasons of The Oprah Winfrey Show but Winfrey and Amazon haven't figured out exactly how to repurpose the long-running talk show as yet.
Last year, Amazon split its Wondery podcast company in two, with a team focusing on narrative podcasts merging with Amazon’s Audible team and a crew that handles celebrity-hosted shows forming a new division called Creator Services. That group promotes podcasts like New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard across Amazon's various properties, as The New York Times notes.
Oprah's Book Club will tie into Audible, Kindle, Goodreads and the Amazon storefront. Products featured in the annual Oprah's Favorite Things holiday list will be highlighted on the latter as well. Winfrey and Amazon will split sales and ad revenue.
It’s become common for major media companies to make a play for popular podcasts over the last several years. As video podcasts have grown, the likes of Netflix have gotten in on the action too. Some people play these as background noise and Winfrey's podcast might be particularly appealing to fans of her TV show, which ended in 2011.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/oprah-brings-her-podcast-to-amazons-streaming-services-142846445.html?src=rssThe sequel to the iconic emulator ZSNES is called Super ZSNES, of course
Somehow, ZSNES has returned after laying dormant for 20 years. The developers of the iconic Super Nintendo emulator, which originally debuted in 1997 for DOS (something I distinctly remember trying to install on my ancient Intel 486 Packard Bell), are back with a sequel release dubbed Super ZSNES. And really, what else would they call it?
Developers zsKnight and Demo say that Super ZSNES has been rewritten from scratch with a focus on a GPU-powered “Super Enhancement Engine,” which allows for high resolution playback, overclocking (which could help with games notorious for slowdown), widescreen support, uncompressed audio and 3D height maps for Mode 7 graphics. Purists, of course, can turn all of these extra features off if they want.
Super ZSNES is built on “far more accurate CPU and Audio cores” than the original emulator, according to the developers, as well as the usual fast forward/rewind save states and a higher-resolution version of the original ZSNES UI. And as a cherry on top, they promise there’s “No Vibe Coding.”
There’s no shortage of SNES emulators out there today, but it warms my gaming heart to see ZSNES completely revived. And while I still need to play with its enhancement features to truly judge them, the early footage from Modern Vintage Gamer looks very sharp without losing the SNES charm. There’s no replacement for playing the original console on a CRT, but the GPU upgrades in Super ZSNES seem to do a great job of modernizing classic games like Super Mario World for modern displays.
Super ZSNES is currently available as an early build for Windows, Mac and Android. An iOS release is coming soon, according to the emulator’s website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-sequel-to-the-iconic-emulator-zsnes-is-called-super-zsnes-of-course-135203417.html?src=rssFord's Mustang Cobra Jet sets a new EV quarter mile record at 6.87 seconds
Ford Racing's Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 just ran a quarter mile in 6.87 seconds at 221 mph at an NHRA event in Charlotte, setting a new world record for an EV. The run smashed Ford's own previous EV record of 7.62 seconds, set by the Cobra Jet 1800 last September, by an impressive 0.75 seconds.
As the name suggests, Ford's Cobra Jet 2200 puts a massive 2,200 horsepower to the wheels thanks to a newly designed electric motor and inverter combo. Ford elected to use two motors and inverters instead of four of each as before to reduce complexity and boost efficiency to 98 percent. Overall power is up by 600 horsepower, but the motors and inverters weigh half as much as before. Everything runs on a 900-volt architecture and 32 kWh battery that charges in 20 minutes, easily enough for the NHRA's 45-minute turnaround rule.
It's official: The Ford Racing Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 has clocked a new record time of 6.87 at 221 mph - now the quickest electric car on the planet.#FordRacing pic.twitter.com/drmvH2XRp6
— Ford Racing (@FordRacing) April 25, 2026
The car has some unusual features for an EV like a clutch that lets the driver dump all the power to the road instantly for maximum acceleration. It also uses a multi-speed transmission that allows the car to run in its ideal power band through the duration of the run — reducing the quarter-mile time by up to a second, according to Ford. The battery design also allowed the team to tune weight distribution for optimal traction. Another racing touch is a pyrotechnic circuit breaker that can instantly break the high-voltage connection via a small explosive charge to align with NHRA safety rules.
Some of this tech, like the high-efficiency motors and 900 volt system, could conceivably trickle down to consumer vehicles. Unfortunately, Ford and other US automakers have significantly reduced their investment in BEV technology of late. Ford recently announced that it would reboot the F-150 Lightning as an EREV with a gas generator, while last week GM delayed its next-gen full-size EV pickups and SUVs — all in the face of rapidly rising gasoline prices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fords-mustang-cobra-jet-sets-a-new-ev-quarter-mile-record-at-687-seconds-112259793.html?src=rssForced Windows updates can now be paused forever
No more getting caught by a forced Windows 11 update while you're in the middle of a meeting or a match. Microsoft announced some major changes coming to Windows Update on its blog, including the ability to indefinitely pause Windows updates, 35 days at a time.
To give users more control, Windows Update introduced the option to extend update pauses as much as users want. Once you opted to pause updates for Windows 11, you won't be disturbed for 35 days at a time, but you can now reset this 35-day limit for as long as you want. You should eventually install these updates, as most of them are usually related to security upgrades and only sometimes require emergency fixes, but Microsoft is letting users decide when to do so. Microsoft's Aria Hanson wrote in the blog that these changes were a result of feedback that consistently mentioned "disruption caused by untimely updates and not enough control over when updates happen."
Beyond the update pauses, Microsoft is ensuring Windows 11 users always have the option to shut down or restart their devices without updating. These quality-of-life upgrades build on another recent change that allowed users to skip updates while setting up their new Windows devices. According to Microsoft, the latest Windows Updates features are currently rolling out to those enrolled in the Windows Insider program, specifically users in the Dev and Experimental Channels.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/forced-windows-updates-can-now-be-paused-forever-200338487.html?src=rssCanadian premier wants to ban social media and AI chatbots for kids in Manitoba
Manitoba could be the first province in Canada to establish a social media ban for kids, but the proposal's details aren't very clear yet. The province's premier, Wab Kinew, announced during a fundraiser event on Saturday and on X that Manitoba would put in place a ban for social media and AI chatbots for its youth.
"They're doing these very awful things to kids all in the name of a few likes, all in the name of more engagement, and all in the name of money," Kinew said at the event. "Our kids will never be for sale and their attention and their childhoods should never be profited from."
Kinew didn't elaborate on the ban's crucial details, like the specific age restriction, when it will be introduced nor how it will be enforced. CBC reported that Kinew didn't speak to reporters after his remarks at the fundraiser.
Besides Manitoba, the Liberal Party of Canada recently voted in favor of proposals to restrict both social media and AI chatbot use for anyone under 16 during the party's national convention in Montreal. There are several efforts to restrict social media across Canada. One even seeks to limit those under 14 from accessing these platforms, an even younger cutoff than the ban recently enacted in Australia. However, a recent poll from the Molly Rose Foundation has cast some doubt on the effectiveness of such laws, which other countries have also adopted or are currently considering. The poll showed that a majority of teens still have accounts on banned social media platforms, or have found ways around the ban.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/canadian-premier-wants-to-ban-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-for-kids-in-manitoba-182120933.html?src=rssTrump has terminated several members of the independent National Science Board
As reported by several outlets, the Trump administration dismissed members of the National Science Board (NSB), which is tasked with establishing policies for the National Science Foundation. It's not clear how many members have been dismissed. According to screenshots shared with The Washington Post, board members received a message that their position was "terminated, effective immediately.
The NSB establishes policies for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the independent US agency responsible for apportioning about 25 percent of federal support towards research conducted by the country's colleges and universities. The foundation has existed for over 75 years and has contributed to the development of MRIs and cellphones, among other breakthroughs. Up to 25 active members can head the NSB, however, the current board only has 22 members; the NSF's former director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, abruptly resigned last year.
In response, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren called the latest decision a "real bozo the clown move" in a statement. "This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation," Lofgren, who also serves as the Ranking Member of the House's Science, Space and Technology Committee, added in the statement. "It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the Foundation."
It's unclear if the NSB's next scheduled board meeting for May 5 will take place. When asked about the recent terminations and the next meeting, the NSB referred to the White House for additional details. We've reached out to the Trump administration for confirmation and will update the story when we hear back.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/trump-has-terminated-several-members-of-the-independent-national-science-board-170405205.html?src=rssBYD's next all-electric hypercar is a convertible that's coming to Europe first
BYD may be known for its affordable all-electric cars, but that doesn't mean it won't dabble in the occasional hypercar under one of its subsidiary brands. At the Beijing Auto Show, BYD unveiled the Denza Z, a hypercar that can produce more than 1,000 horsepower with an all-electric motor. According to CarNewsChina, the Denza A can hit 0 to 60 mph in less than two seconds, rivaling the likes of the Rimac Nivera.
BYD first showed off the Denza Z as a concept at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2025. A year later, the Chinese EV maker confirmed its latest hypercar as a four-seater that will come in hard-top, convertible and "track" configurations. BYD hasn't revealed the Denza Z's full specs yet, so we're not sure what differentiates the track edition. So far, the company has shared that it would use its intelligent suspension system, DiSus-M, similar to Chevrolet Corvette's Magnetic Ride Control, and its Flash Charging system. BYD also told AutoExpress that the Denza Z will have some of the features seen with BYD's YangWang U9, like autonomous driving and "tank turning."
Surprisingly, BYD is planning to release the Denza Z in Europe first, with an inaugural ride at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in July. The automaker hasn't revealed pricing yet, but it should be more widely available than BYD's other hypercar under its YangWang subsidiary, which is limited to 30 units.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/byds-next-all-electric-hypercar-is-a-convertible-thats-coming-to-europe-first-233050130.html?src=rssOpenAI's Sam Altman apologizes for not reporting ChatGPT account of Tumbler Ridge suspect to police
Two months following the deadly shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, OpenAI's Sam Altman has formally apologized for not informing police of the alarming ChatGPT conversations seen with the suspect's account. Before the incident, OpenAI banned the account belonging to the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, for violating its usage policy due to potential for real-world violence.
"I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June," Altman wrote in the letter. "While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered."
Altman noted in the letter, which was published in full by Tumbler RidgeLines, that he spoke with both Darryl Krakowa, Tumbler Ridge's mayor, and David Eby, the British Columbia premier, and agreed that a "public apology was necessary, but that time was also needed to respect the community as you grieved."
Eby, who also highlighted Altman's letter in his post on X, agreed that the "apology is necessary," but added that it was "grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge." Moving ahead, Altman reaffirmed in the letter that OpenAI would "find ways to prevent tragedies like this in the future" and work with all levels of government to prevent something like this from happening again. Altman's latest commitment builds on the previous letter from OpenAI's vice president of global policy Ann O’Leary, who said the company would notify authorities if it finds "imminent and credible" threats in ChatGPT conversations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-sam-altman-apologizes-for-not-reporting-chatgpt-account-of-tumbler-ridge-suspect-to-police-221400813.html?src=rssNASA's initial takeaways from the Artemis II mission, and more science stories
Now that Artemis II is all wrapped up, NASA has begun its post-game performance analyses of all the systems that worked together to get four astronauts safely to the moon and back earlier this month. In addition to taking humans farther than ever before, Artemis II served as a crucial test flight for upcoming crewed missions that are planned for as soon as 2027 and 2028, the latter being NASA's ambitious target for landing astronauts on the lunar surface. So far, the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket seem to have fared pretty well.
NASA says its initial assessments of the crew capsule show its heat shield "performed as expected, with no unusual conditions identified," and it didn't exhibit as much char loss as seen in the uncrewed Artemis I test. (Navy divers snapped some really cool pictures of the heat shield underwater after splashdown, as seen below). Splashdown went according to plan, with Orion landing 2.9 miles from its targeted landing site, according to NASA, and its entry interface velocity "was within one mile-per-hour of predictions."
NASA says the SLS rocket performed well, too. It still has tests to run, but, "At main engine cutoff, when the core stage’s RS-25 liquid engines shutdown, the spacecraft was traveling at over 18,000 miles per hour, achieving its insertion velocity for orbit, and executing a precise bullseye for its intended location," the space agency noted in a blog post.
One thing that we know did cause some issues, though, was the toilet system. Shortly after launch, the astronauts reported problems with the urine vent line, which mission specialist Christina Koch was able to troubleshoot with help from the ground crew. But, everyone would like to avoid that on the next mission, so NASA now has teams checking out the hardware and data to identify what went wrong and how to prevent it.
Watch the Earthset
The Artemis II astronauts have continued to share glimpses into their journey around the moon, and this week, the mission's commander, Reid Wiseman posted an incredible video of the Earth setting behind the moon, as seen from the Orion spacecraft. Humans haven't seen that phenomenon firsthand in over 50 years, since the last Apollo mission. Read more about that here.
Only one chance in this lifetime…
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) April 19, 2026
Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those… pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c
While ten days might not seem like that long of a time to be in space, it still does things to the body, and returning to Earth has been a bit of an adjustment for the crew. Astronaut Koch last week posted a video of herself struggling through a tandem walk exercise with her eyes closed, taken after her return to Earth. "When people live in microgravity, the systems in our body that have evolved to tell our brains how we’re moving, the vestibular organs, don’t work correctly," she explained in the caption. "Our brains learn to ignore those signals and so when we first get back to gravity, we are heavily reliant on our eyes to orient ourselves visually."
Before you go, be sure to check these stories out too:
Apple, Amazon join push for looser greenhouse emissions reporting
NASA targets a September launch for its next big space telescope
NASA's Curiosity Rover found promising organic chemicals on Mars
Blue Origin landed its recycled New Glenn booster but failed to put payload in orbit
What to read this weekend: Monsters in the Archives dives deep into Stephen King's early works
Need something new for your reading list? Here are two titles we think are worth checking out. This week, we read Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King and the first issue of the Image Comics miniseries, Corpse Knight.
Tesla is giving away one year free Supercharging with Model 3 Premium and Performance purchases
Tesla completely ended its free lifetime Supercharging offer way back in 2018, but it has given customers the perk for certain promotions since then. It brought back free Supercharging for Model S and X a couple of times in 2019, for instance. The automaker’s latest offer is for new purchases for a Model 3 Premium or Performance vehicle in North America. On its website, Tesla has announced that it’s including one year of free supercharging with a Model 3 Premium or Performance, though the offer is “subject to change or end at any time.”
As Electrek notes, this is a nice freebie to have but most likely not a deciding factor for people who charge at home. For those who don’t have access to a home charger, however, this could represent significant savings.
The free Supercharging offer starts at delivery and cannot be postponed or redeemed for cash. Owners will also still have to pay certain fees, such as congestions fees that the automaker adds if a vehicle remains plugged into a Supercharger after its battery reaches 80 percent when a site is busy. The offer doesn’t apply to vehicles used for commercial purposes, such as ridesharing, taxi and delivery services, as well. As for those who traded in their gas vehicles to get the 2,000-mile Supercharging incentive, they can enjoy this freebie first and redeem those miles after their first year of ownership.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-is-giving-away-one-year-free-supercharging-with-model-3-premium-and-performance-purchases-144431817.html?src=rssEngadget review recap: DJI Osmo Pocket 4, Recteq X-Fire Pro and Alienware 27 QD-OLED
Engadget’s hottest review roundup truly has it all this week: a new pocket cam, a 2-in-1 smart grill, a pair of drones and a pricey skinny vac. And that’s before we even get to the highly capable gaming display that will only set you back $350. Read on to catch up on the reviews you might’ve missed over the last two weeks as we prepare for another slate of big events next month.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4
DJI’s Osmo Pocket cameras have become a staple of Engadget’s live event coverage over the last few years. They’re convenient, compact and product high-quality footage when speed matters. Contributing review reporter James Trew recently put the new Osmo Pocket 4 through its paces, concluding that “you’re getting better image quality that will pay you back over time.”
Recteq X-Fire Pro 825
With the X-Fire Pro, Recteq set out to make a pellet grill that would appeal to fans of gas grills. The company has done just that, offering a dual-mode device that imparts wood flavor you don’t inherently get from propane or natural gas. “Recteq has successfully combined the best aspects of pellet grills with a dedicated high-heat mode and separate controls that will be familiar to gas grillers,” I said. “This model offers robust build quality, reliable performance and Wi-Fi connectivity for extended smoking sessions.”
Alienware 27 QD-OLED monitor
Can a $350 gaming monitor offer enough to get the job done? If you’re talking about the Alienware 27 QD-OLED display, that answer is a resounding “yes.”
“The AW2726DM might not have all the fancy features you get on more expensive monitors, but it’s an excellent example of a no frills gadget done right,” senior reporter Sam Rutherford said. “You get just enough ports, a straightforward design and a beautiful QD-OLED panel with a solid resolution and refresh rate — all for just $350.”
DJI Lito drones and a Dyson PencilVac
Like the Osmo Pocket 4, DJI’s latest Drones are unlikely to make it to the US. However, if you live elsewhere, there’s a lot of performance available for under $400. “The Lito series shows that DJI is intent on dominating every drone price range and category, including the bottom end,” contributing reporter Steve Dent said. “Despite their low prices, the new drones don’t skimp on features, offering full obstacle protection, ActiveTrack subject tracking, relatively high speeds and sharp 4K video quality — just like models that cost a lot more.”
If your spring cleaning could still use a jump start, perhaps a fancy, skinny vacuum could do the trick for light duty. “With its minimalist form factor, the PencilVac is still an engineering marvel,” UK bureau chief Mat Smith said. “Its high degree of mobility makes it easy to clean in tight corners and between furniture. I just wish it were slightly more powerful.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-dji-osmo-pocket-4-recteq-x-fire-pro-and-alienware-27-qd-oled-120000428.html?src=rssVampire Crawlers, Peter Molyneux's return and other new indie games worth checking out
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. If you're looking for something new to play this weekend, we've got a bunch of options for you. We've also got some interesting upcoming games to tell you about as well.
In a press release announcing that Playdate Season 3 is coming later this year, Panic included a line that I've been thinking about a lot this week. "Panic is currently relieved and happy that people can make amazing games for Playdate with just 16 megabytes of RAM," it said, a nod toward the ongoing RAM crisis.
The Playdate doesn't exactly have a lot of technical oomph, and I'm frequently delighted by what developers are able to do within its limitations. Restrictions foster creativity — many folks had to get pretty inventive on Twitter back when they only had 140 characters to play with. Here, Panic offered a welcome reminder that you don't necessarily need an ultra-powerful rig or console to have access to more great games than you'll ever actually be able to play.
For instance, my favorite game of the year so far, Titanium Court, works on Macs that are capable of running macOS 11 (the 2020 version of the operating system) or later. On PC, you'll need a graphics card that's compatible with OpenGL or DirectX 9, the latter of which was released in 2002. For what it's worth, the game would also fit on a CD-ROM.
There are tons of other great indie games new and old that'll run just fine on lower-powered machines. Bear that in mind the next time a current-gen console or other gaming system gets a price increase because of the RAM shortage. The DLSS 5 debacle aside, you probably don't need a 50-series NVIDIA GPU either. Maybe just pick up a Playdate instead.
New releases
While many of the weapons, characters and enemies are the same, Vampire Crawlers is a fresh spin on Vampire Survivors. It's a turn-based roguelite deckbuilder. Instead of automatically firing whatever weapons you have at nearby enemies, you'll play cards to conquer the mob that you face in each fight. You can still modify and evolve your weapons and abilities.
Each card has a casting cost, so you’ll need to consider which ones to play in a given moment and the order in which you do so. As such, it’s a slower-paced, more strategic take on the original game, albeit with a similar level of visual chaos should you put together a particularly powerful build.
I've played a ton of Vampire Survivors and the Vampire Crawlers demo lured me in too. Its approach to turn-based battles is working for me. I've only played a little of the full game so far, but there's every chance I could lose days of my life to it.
Vampire Crawlers — from Survivors creator Poncle and co-developer Nosebleed Interactive — is available now on Steam (for PC and Mac), Xbox for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch for $10. It's included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Fable creator Peter Molyneux and his studio 22cans are back with another god game. In Masters of Albion, you can construct and modify settlements as a literal hand of god. You'll design buildings (which are immediately constructed and usable) and manage workers. You can also assume control of a human or animal in the world to take on quests and hunt for treasure.
There's a tower defense element to this as well. You'll need to prepare your towns from nighttime attacks from various creatures. You can fend off these foes as the god or battle them on the ground as a hero. There's a lot going on here, but perhaps my favorite part is this apparent warning in the mature content description section of the Steam page: "Players are also able to use crude, adult hand gestures at will in the game." Yes, that means you can flip the bird while playing as the god hand. Yes, I am very mature.
Masters of Albion is now available in early access on Steam. It typically costs $25, but there's a 10 percent discount until April 29.
Snap & Grab caught our attention at last summer's edition of the Day of the Devs showcase. This is a cartoonish heist game in which you'll carry out your robberies in two parts. You play as Nifty, a famous fashion photographer. In the setup phase, you'll take advantage of your position to take snaps of loot, threats and opportunities and then use those to construct a plan. With the help of some henchman, you'll then try to execute the heist.
The game’s developer No Goblin is taking an episodic approach to Snap & Grab as it's releasing the game in five parts over the course of this year. The first episode is available now on Steam (usually $8, though there's a 10 percent discount until May 1).
Snow Day Software's follow-up to Indoor Kickball is Indoor Baseball. It's an arcade game in which you play baseball inside buildings, funnily enough. You'll play 1v1 matches against the CPU or a friend in local multiplayer. You can also dive into a 14-game season or check out the story mode, in which you'll try to play your way back onto your school's baseball team (and maybe do some chores to make up for smashing too many things at home).
There are several different levels, each of which has a variety of ways for you to make a home run, from smashing a window to landing the ball in a toilet. It seems light and fun and as a burgeoning baseball guy, I dig the idea of this one.
Indoor Baseball is available now on Steam, Xbox for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch. It costs $15.
Upcoming
I love Another Crab's Treasure very much and so I'll always be interested in whatever Aggro Crab is up to. Given that the studio also co-developed the smash hit Peak (alongside Landfall), I imagine many other folks feel the same way.
Crashout Crew is another multiplayer game from Aggro Crab. This one adopts the chaotic co-op formula of games like Overcooked. As a team of forklift drivers, you and your buds will work together to fill orders in warehouses while dealing with obstacles like blackouts, cacti, fire and bees.
It's coming to Steam, Xbox on PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 28. It'll be available on Game Pass on day one.
I'm very much here for slice-of-life games based around soccer (I still need to play Despelote!). Kick is another such title. This is a side-scrolling, anime-inspired game from solo developer nospacelost and publisher Shoreline Games, in which you dribble a ball as you make your way to school.
There are 23 levels with people to dodge and obstacles to overcome. You'll need to avoid damaging anything as you try to pull off tricks by kicking the ball at the correct angle, all while making sure you get to class on time (you can switch off the timer for a more relaxed experience). It looks pretty, and it never hurts a game's prospects to have a pup accompanying the main character.
No release date for Kick has been announced. It's coming to Steam at some point.
Elfie: A Sand Plan is a cozy sandcastle building game from Pressed Elephant and Sol's Atelier. There are more than 180 levels in which you'll build sand sculptures to match what Elfie, a small elephant, has in mind. There are three difficulty levels too.
It looks cute and I adore elephants (oops, I just started fostering another one), so I'm interested in checking it out. Elfie: A Sand Plan is coming to Steam for PC and Mac on May 12. It'll cost $7, and there'll be a 10 percent launch discount.
It took the team at Realmsoft 14 years to bring Clockwork Ambrosia to fruition and if this latest trailer is any indication, that long development cycle could have well been worthwhile. This is a side-scrolling action platformer in which you can customize half a dozen weapons using more than 150 modifiers.
You play as an airship engineer who tries to survive on a steampunk island full of aggressive robots and creatures following a crash. I really dig the art direction here, which features lush hand-drawn pixel art and lovely animations. Realmsoft made the game using a custom engine the team built from scratch.
I'm looking forward to checking out Clockwork Ambrosia. It's coming to Steam on May 12.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-crawlers-peter-molyneuxs-return-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000340.html?src=rssXChat, the standalone app for messaging on X, is available on iOS now
XChat, the standalone app for accessing X's messaging feature, is available to download now for iOS. X first suggested it would be stripping direct messaging from X in 2025, but at least for now, XChat is available in the original X app, the web and this new app.
Based on its launch video, the new XChat app offers many of the elements of modern messaging X had already introduced to its chats feature, like the ability to delete and edit messages, block screenshots and send disappearing messages. The new XChat app also supports video and audio calls, and X claims that all messages sent with XChat are end-to-end encrypted.
XChat will also be expected to be the home of any groups that formed around X's Communities feature. The social platform recently announced that it was retiring Communities at the end of May, and suggested that XChat's support for larger group chats could be a worthwhile alternative. XChat's group chats can currently have 350 participants, but X plans to expand that number in the future.
The everything app, which requires 3 apps to use the core product. pic.twitter.com/1aJF4n2par
— camol (@camolNFT) April 23, 2026
Elon Musk's original pitch after he rebranded Twitter as X, was to turn the platform into an "everything app," where things like an algorithmic feed, messaging, job boards and even payments could exist side-by-side. A standalone messaging app seems like the exact opposite of that, but it might also reflect where X finds itself in 2026. The company is now a subsidiary of xAI, and xAI itself is part of SpaceX. Musk's push into AI appears to be the going concern, and cloning something like WeChat might just be less important.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/xchat-the-standalone-app-for-messaging-on-x-is-available-on-ios-now-214826886.html?src=rssMaine governor vetoes bill temporarily banning large data centers in the state
The governor of Maine, Janet Mills, has vetoed a bill that halts the construction of large data centers in the state until the fall of 2027. While the bill passed both houses of the Maine's legislature on April 14, and Mills has suggested she'd support a temporary moratorium, the governor wanted a bill that would exempt an existing data center project in Jay, Maine.
The bill specifically blocked the construction of data centers that consume 20 megawatts of power or more and directs state agencies and other entities to not issue permits unless proposed projects fall under those energy needs. Passing the bill would also require the creation of a "Maine Data Center Coordination Council" that would "provide strategic input, facilitate coordinated state planning considerations and evaluate policy tools to address data center opportunities and related benefits and risks to the State."
While Mills killed this attempt at data center regulation, she said she would sign an executive order calling for the creation of a council like the one proposed in the bill. She also signed LD 713, a bill that prohibits data centers from participating in Maine’s business development tax incentive programs.
Maine is far from the only state pursuing data center bans or temporary blocks. There are at least 12 other states exploring similar legislation, like New York, where lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would block the construction of new data centers for at least three years. At the federal level, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) endorsed a bill that would not only create a moratorium on new data center construction, but also any upgrades to existing facilities.
Any desire to slow down AI development or the infrastructure that makes it possible runs counter to the demands of tech companies, and the perspective of the Trump administration, who's actively encouraging faster AI buildout in the US. President Donald Trump's recent AI framework even called for the process of building and powering data centers to be streamlined in March.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/maine-governor-vetoes-bill-temporarily-banning-large-data-centers-in-the-state-210407936.html?src=rssA Battlefield movie adaptation is on the way, possibly starring Michael B. Jordan
Have you ever noticed how Walgreens and CVS locations often end up across the street from each other? Well, Call of Duty and Battlefield have a similar thing going on. A mere eight days after the upcoming Call of Duty movie got an official premiere date, lo and behold: There's news from The Hollywood Reporter that a Battlefield movie is on the way.
The project has some heavy-artillery star power attached. Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) is slated to produce and possibly star in the film. Meanwhile, Christopher McQuarrie of Mission Impossible fame is set to write, direct and produce. Naturally, EA will also produce, as the company tries to cash in on the recent wave of Hollywood video game adaptations that don't suck.
The movie's creators are reportedly meeting with studios and streamers as we speak, with an expected bidding war to commence. They're said to have met with Apple and Sony on Thursday. The project's team is reportedly prioritizing a deal that includes a theatrical release.
It's understandable why business types would see the time as right for a Battlefield film adaptation. (And not just because Call of Duty is already doing it.) The latest game in the long-running series, Battlefield 6, was the top-selling game of 2025 — outselling Call of Duty for the first time. After selling over 7 million copies in its first three days, it went on to surpass an estimated 20 million sales before the end of the year. Whichever studio pays big bucks for this project will try to ride that wave.
The Call of Duty movie, meanwhile, is scheduled for release on June 30, 2028. The Paramount project has tapped Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) to co-write the screenplay and produce, with Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) set to direct.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/a-battlefield-movie-adaptation-is-on-the-way-possibly-starring-michael-b-jordan-201906079.html?src=rssThe DOJ is backing xAI in its lawsuit against Colorado
The Department of Justice has announced that it's intervening on the behalf of xAI in the company's recent lawsuit against the state of Colorado. xAI first filed the suit in early April in response to a recent Colorado law that requires developers of "high-risk" AI systems (for example, ones used in healthcare, employment or housing) to both disclose and mitigate the risk of algorithmic discrimination in their systems. The law is set to go into effect in June, and the DOJ is now asking a Colorado District Court to declare it unconstitutional.
In xAI's original argument, Colorado Bill SB24-205 violated the company's First Amendment rights by forcing its developers to change how they create AI products and compelling them to align their products with Colorado's views on diversity and discrimination. The DOJ acknowledges those concerns in its complaint, but specifically focuses its argument on the idea that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
According to the DOJ, because the law relies on demographics and "statistical disparities" as evidence of discrimination, it will essentially require developers to distort an AI system's outputs and "discriminate based on race, sex, religion and other protected characteristics," a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. The department also positions Colorado's law as a risk to "the United States' position as the global AI leader," a title the current administration is committed to protecting.
As both an AI cheerleader and enabler, the Trump administration has been particularly sensitive to the notion of diversity, equity and inclusion being incorporated into AI. President Donald Trump signed several executive orders following the announcement of his "AI Action Plan" in 2025 that specifically called for government agencies to use AI tools that avoid "ideological dogmas such as DEI." He also called for the creation of a task force that could challenge state AI regulation in favor of a federal regulatory framework for AI. The irony is that the DOJ's argument, and the administration's stance in general, are equally idealogical, just in a way that's ahistorical, and ignores the downstream effects of discrimination in the US.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-doj-is-backing-xai-in-its-lawsuit-against-colorado-200500890.html?src=rssWhat you need to know as Elon Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman begins
In a few short days, jury selection will begin in the long-awaited Musk v. Altman case. At the end of that process, an Oakland federal court will task nine regular people with deciding if OpenAI defrauded Elon Musk when it announced, and recently completed, its reorganization to become a more traditional for-profit business. More than just being the venue where two billionaires will air their grievances against one another in public, the trial has the potential to reshape the AI industry.
How did we get here?
Musk first sued OpenAI in 2024, but the seed of the dispute was planted when Sam Altman emailed the billionaire on the evening of May 25, 2015. “Been thinking a lot about whether it’s possible to stop humanity from developing AI. I think the answer is most definitely not,” Altman wrote at the time. “If it’s going to happen anyway, it seems like it would be good for someone other than Google to do it first. Any thoughts on whether it would be good for [Y Combinator] to start a Manhattan Project for AI?”
“Probably worth a conversation,” Musk responded a couple of hours later. That same year, OpenAI announced itself to the world, with Altman and Musk as co-chairs of the new joint venture. “OpenAI is a nonprofit artificial intelligence research company. Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is mostly likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return. Since our research is free from financial obligations, we can better focus on a positive human impact.”
If we’re to believe OpenAI’s telling of the events that followed, by 2017, almost everyone at the company, including Musk, agreed that a for-profit entity “had to be part of the next phase for OpenAI,” due to the enormous amount of investment needed to pursue its original mission. At some point before Musk left OpenAI’s board of directors in February 2018, OpenAI claims he demanded full control of the company, with the intent to eventually merge it with Tesla.
Following Musk’s departure, OpenAI created its for-profit arm in 2019, which at the time was organized under a “capped-profit” structure designed to limit investor returns to 100x, with any excess windfalls flowing to the company’s nonprofit. The idea being that if OpenAI achieved artificial general intelligence, its nonprofit would be the greatest beneficiary. However, after the success of ChatGPT in 2022, that structure became problematic for OpenAI as the company sought to raise ever more capital, and as part of its $6.6 billion funding round in October 2024, it reportedly agreed to a less-than-two-year deadline to free its for-profit from control of the nonprofit.
“At the heart of this trial is that OpenAI began as a non-profit organization, and then decided that it needed to be a for-profit organization in order to raise the enormous sums of money it needed to develop the technology it wanted to create,” explains Professor Michael Dorff, executive director of the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at UCLA. “That is a very troublesome transition under the law.”
Earlier this year, following protracted negotiations with Microsoft (the for-profit’s largest investor) and the state attorneys general of California and Delaware, OpenAI announced the successful reorganization of its corporate structure. As things stand, the for-profit is now a public benefit corporation, making it more appealing to investors looking for an uncomplicated return structure. Meanwhile, the nonprofit — now known as the OpenAI Foundation — holds equity in the for-profit arm, a stake valued at $130 billion at the time the agreement was announced.
At the end of last year, Musk filed an injunction to prevent the reorganization from going through but failed. As an early donor to OpenAI, Musk will not see a single cent of money come his way when the company holds an initial public offering, on account of the fact donations are made with no expectation of any return. Musk has therefore argued OpenAI’s founding group, including CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, defrauded him as a donor.
Determining the exact amount Musk contributed to OpenAI was an early question during pre-trial discovery. You see, Musk has greatly exaggerated his monetary contributions. As recently as March 2023, the billionaire regularly claimed he had donated about $100 million to OpenAI. He later cut that estimate by half, telling CNBC in May 2023: “I’m not sure the exact number but it’s some number on the order of $50 million.” In recent court filings, that number was again revisited to $38 million, and it’s the number that currently stands.
What’s at stake for OpenAI?
In his original complaint, Musk’s legal team tried to “throw the kitchen sink” at OpenAI, says Professor Dorff. In subsequent filings, Musk’s lawyers narrowed down their client’s desired set of outcomes to a handful of remedies. Should the jury rule in his favor, Musk has requested the court force Altman and Brockman to step down, and for OpenAI to restructure as “a bona fide public charity that operates as the nonprofit it was intended to be, consistent with its founding charter and mission.” He's also made the highly unusual request that any monetary damages which would be awarded to him in the verdict be redirected to OpenAI's own nonprofit arm.
According to Professor Dorff, it’s highly unlikely Musk will be able to undo OpenAI’s reorganization. For one, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has already signaled her reluctance to do just that — and it’s her, not the jury, who will get to decide if that’s an appropriate remedy. Effectively, Musk is asking the judge to “unscramble the eggs” of a complicated corporate restructuring.
“There was a moment where that might have been possible, when the attorneys general of Delaware and California intervened and came to the current compromise,” explains Dorff. “Whether you agree or disagree with what the AGs decided to do, I think it's unlikely the court will feel it's appropriate to undo that compromise because of all the high government officials involved who, in theory, had all of the right incentives.” When Musk filed his request for a preliminary injunction to stop OpenAI’s conversion to a for-profit company, the judge said the request was “extraordinary and rarely granted.” The fact Musk is deeply involved with OpenAI's competitor xAI “may also weigh heavily on the judge's mind,” Droff adds.
Far more uncertain is how Musk’s other demands could play out, since the jury will decide if OpenAI is guilty of defrauding him. According to Dorff, most high-stakes business cases end with the two sides settling because of the risk of involving a jury in the outcome. “I just don’t see that happening here given the tenor of the dispute,” he says. “It seems unlikely either side will settle.”
If the case does end in a jury decision, it will then be up to those nine people, with guidance from the judge, to decide on monetary damages. “That will be very difficult to figure out because there is a maximalist version of this, and a minimalist version of this. They’re very different numbers and the result could be anywhere in between the two,” says Dorff. Musk’s legal team is seeking a disgorgement of between $65.5 billion and $109.43 billion from OpenAI (and between $13.3 billion and $25.06 billion from Microsoft, which is a co-defendant in the case). In a worse case scenario, Professor Dorff suggests Altman might lose the confidence of OpenAI’s board, costing him his position as CEO. He might even be forced to write some checks to settle the disgorgements.
Dorff suspects OpenAI “would love” the minimalist version where Musk is rewarded his $38 million donation back. Should some other disgruntled donors emerge to sue OpenAI for fraud, the Musk v. Altman case would make it easier to litigate those cases, given “the map has been drawn as to which legal claims are likely to succeed,” says Dorff. However, those would amount to “traffic tickets” for OpenAI.
Whatever happens next, it should be an eventful trial. With public testimonies from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former OpenAI board member and Musk confidant Shivon Zilis and even Altman himself a likelihood, we'll at the very least be treated to a wealth of formerly private communications — and some new piece of vocabulary — between some of the richest people in the tech space.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/what-you-need-to-know-as-elon-musks-lawsuit-against-sam-altman-begins-191500726.html?src=rssGoogle plans to invest even more money into Anthropic
Google plans to invest up to $40 billion into Anthropic in what could be viewed as a circular deal with the AI startup (and frequent competitor), Bloomberg reports. The search giant has invested in Anthropic at multiple points in the past, but this new investment comes after an announcement that the AI startup had signed a joint agreement with Google and Broadcom for "multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity."
According to Anthropic, Google is committing $10 billion now at the company's current valuation, with an additional $30 billion on offer if Anthropic meets specific performance milestones. Through Anthropic's existing commitment to use Google's TPUs (tensor processing units) and servers, Anthropic says Google will also provide 5 gigawatts of computing capacity in 2027.
If the structure of the deal and business relationship between Google and Anthropic sounds familiar, it might be because the AI startup recently announced something similar with Amazon. Earlier in April, Amazon announced that it would invest $5 billion in Anthropic, with an additional $20 billion in payments available if certain milestones were met. Anthropic also agreed to use Amazon's Trainium chips for its AI models.
The deals are another example of Anthropic's ability to burn through money — the company only just raised $30 billion in its most recent round of funding. They could also serve as an example of the AI industry's love of circular deals. Anthropic agreeing to use Google and Amazon's silicon and servers, receiving investment from both companies and then presumably spending some of that investment on more silicon and servers, is a pattern seen in the relationship between OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft and plenty of other players in the AI race.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-plans-to-invest-even-more-money-into-anthropic-185000776.html?src=rssSingapore police arrest alleged The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender leaker
People aren't thrilled with Paramount these days. After all, corporate consolidation and the transformation of CBS News into state media tend to do that. But here's someone who may not have chosen the… wisest form of protest. The Straits Times reports (via Gizmodo) that Singapore police have arrested a 26-year-old man for leaking Paramount's The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.
The film, part of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, was initially scheduled for a theatrical release. But after two delays, it was later moved to Paramount+, where it’s set to debut later this year. Naturally, hardcore fans of the franchise bristled at the prospect of the highly anticipated entry skipping theaters. Paramount's scant marketing apparently didn't help either.
However, many have already seen the movie, allegedly thanks to the unnamed 26-year-old in question. Singapore police said he gained remote access to a server and downloaded the film. He then posted parts of it online. After the leak, Paramount changed the movie's name to Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender — perhaps to try to prevent casual fans' searches from turning up info about the leak.
The man is being investigated for unauthorized access to computer material. He could face a maximum of seven years in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both.
Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the X account holder @ImStillDissin, who posted the clips. (Although we can speculate that this may be the man currently in custody, that’s unconfirmed.) The interview revealed a rather, shall we say, blasé approach to the incident. He said he figured posting clips from the movie was no biggie since the film is a streaming-only release. "I saw it's just a Paramount+ thing, so I decided I'd troll a little bit," the leaker said.
The leaked clips spread rapidly. Despite pleas from 4Chan posters to share the entire film, @ImStillDissin resisted. However, someone else shared the full movie by April 13. Naturally, that file has since circulated far and wide.
So, good luck with that official October 9 streaming release, Paramount. You're gonna need it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/singapore-police-arrest-alleged-the-legend-of-aang-the-last-airbender-leaker-183954803.html?src=rssThe MacBook Neo is a glimpse into John Ternus's Apple
John Ternus was unavoidable when Apple debuted the Macbook Neo. He kicked off an intimate media event for the Neo, introducing it as a transformative machine for Apple thanks to its low $599 cost ($499 for education customers) and premium build quality. He was interviewed on Good Morning America, the sort of prominent media feature CEO Tim Cook typically handles. And when I asked Apple workers about the Neo at its launch event, they almost always brought up Ternus’ vision of the laptop.
For all intents and purposes, Ternus was Apple’s frontman for the MacBook Neo.
Ternus is slated for his coronation as Apple's CEO on September 1, and the Neo is not only a feather in his cap, but a likely indication of the company's approach to products going forward. It’s a sign that Apple is getting more comfortable taking risks.
Apple lives and dies on its own premium image. It completely gave up on making cheap iPhones like the SE and 5C, and the $599 iPhone 16e and 17e are more expensive than typical mid-range Android phones (though the $249 Apple Watch SE is admittedly one of the cheaper smartwatches around.). It was risky to shove a mobile processor into a full-fledged computer, which could have made it too weak. And it was a gamble to stick with a meager 8GB of RAM, practically sacrilegious within the Apple pantheon. It's not breaking new ground for product categories, but the Neo, in being a budget laptop at all, is surprisingly un-Apple.
And yet, thanks to Ternus's hardware leadership and Apple's command of its software, the MacBook Neo has been a resounding success. It has the best build quality, screen, keyboard, speakers and trackpad that I've ever seen in a $600 laptop. As I wrote in my review, "every Windows PC maker, including Microsoft, should be ashamed."
While we don’t know the full build cost for the Neo, Apple’s margins for selling it will undoubtedly be far slimmer than the MacBook Air or Pro. But the Neo is more than a profit maker. It’s a device that can serve as a gateway to the Apple ecosystem for kids and students. Even better, it could easily tempt over Windows users.
We can't give Ternus all the credit for the Neo, of course, there's an entire team of product managers and engineers below him doing the actual design work. But it's hard to deny the flex of building a $600 laptop that doesn't feel like total garbage. The MacBook Neo surprised me, a jaded technology reporter, on practically every level. And its existence makes me wonder how a Ternus-led Apple could continue to iterate without compromising quality or Apple's signature attention to detail.
Ternus is the rare Apple engineer who has played a role in almost all of its existing products — in his 25 year tenure, he’s taken charge of building the Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch. That gives him a unique perspective of where the company could go next, as well as how Apple could stretch its own capabilities. And based on what I’ve seen of the MacBook Neo, it’ll be interesting to see how Apple reshapes itself for the future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-macbook-neo-is-a-glimpse-into-john-ternuss-apple-170000842.html?src=rssEngadget Podcast: Tim Cook’s Apple era and what lies ahead for John Ternus
The Apple rumors were true, once again. This week, the company announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down from his CEO role on September 1. Replacing him will be John Ternus, who currently serves as Apple's SVP of hardware engineering. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget's Nathan Ingraham discuss Cook's legacy as Apple's CEO, and pontificate about how Ternus may change things. We're going from Apple being led by a logistics guru, to Apple being driven by a product and engineering wizard. Surely, that will have some impact on future products.
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Topic
Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years, John Ternus will take his place on September 1 – 1:22
Palantir woke up last Saturday morning and posted a comic book villain manifesto on X – 26:01
DHS wants to make facial recognition smart glasses for ICE – 31:53
A lot of people panic bought PCs to avoid RAMageddon – 36:25
Meta faces a new lawsuit over running ads for outright scams –
Employees at Meta will have they keystrokes and mouse moves recorded for AI training – 40:10
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price goes down, but it won’t include Call of Duty – 44:55
Around Engadget: a great (expensive) Dyson vac with a silly name – 49:15
Working on – 51:58
Pop culture picks – 52:55
Credits
Hosts : Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
DeepSeek promises its new AI model has 'world-class' reasoning
DeepSeek has released its latest AI models, the V4 Pro and Flash versions, a bit over a year after it went viral and became the top rated free app on Apple's App Store in the US. “Welcome to the era of cost-effective 1 million context length,” DeepSeek said in its announcement. Context length is what you call the maximum number of tokens that an AI model can remember, so the bigger it is, the more coherent and consistent an AI is when it comes to extended conversations. OpenAI’s recently announced GPT‑5.5 has a context window ranging from 400,000 to 1 million, for instance.
The new model is still open-source, allowing users to download its code and modify it if they want. DeepSeek says V4 Pro has enhanced agentic capabilities and claims that it rivals top closed-source models when it comes to reasoning. It also says that it trails only Gemini-3.1-Pro in rich world knowledge. Meanwhile, V4 Flash isn’t quite as powerful as the V4 Pro, but it has faster response times. Still, its reasoning abilities closely approach V4 Pro, DeepSeek says, and it performs on par with with the Pro version on simple Agent tasks.
Shortly after DeepSeek topped the App Store charts, it was banned for use by US federal agencies and on government-owned devices. Authorities believed it was a national security risk and posed a threat to US AI stocks. South Korea also paused downloads of its app over privacy concerns.
🚀 DeepSeek-V4 Preview is officially live & open-sourced! Welcome to the era of cost-effective 1M context length.
— DeepSeek (@deepseek_ai) April 24, 2026
🔹 DeepSeek-V4-Pro: 1.6T total / 49B active params. Performance rivaling the world's top closed-source models.
🔹 DeepSeek-V4-Flash: 284B total / 13B active params.… pic.twitter.com/n1AgwMIymu
The Morning After: Polymarket and a hairdryer
Although it’s one of the more inoffensive topics on Polymarket, this news typifies the Wild West of prediction markets and betting sites. A hairdryer was allegedly used to rig Polymarket bets on temperatures at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, according to a report by The Telegraph. French authorities noted that the official temperature readings at the airport spiked twice in the past month. On both occasions, gamblers betting on those temperature fluctuations on Polymarket appear to have walked away with thousands upon thousands of dollars.
There is no indication that Polymarket forced anyone to return winnings, but the temperature sensor has been moved to a new location. The site is also still running bets on the daily temperature in and around Paris.
In a more serious development, a US soldier was arrested for allegedly making over $400,000 on Polymarket using information he had about the plans to capture the former Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke was arrested and charged with using classified military information to place bets on the prediction marketplace Polymarket. Van Dyke created a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025, and made 13 bets related to Maduro from December 27 to January 2.
The soldier has also been charged with one count of wire fraud, carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of unlawful monetary transaction, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. It’s a lot heavier than hairdryer shenanigans.
— Mat Smith
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
Hey Meta workers, are you getting paid for those keystrokes?
Apple TV’s upcoming For All Mankind spinoff Star City oozes Cold War-era paranoia
DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1 drone review
High-quality aerial video at its most affordable.
DJI is taking another stab at the budget drone market with the new Lito series. The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are both under $400 and weigh less than 249 grams — they’re ideal for beginners. Both replace DJI’s Mini series, but they offer things those models lacked, like LiDAR and 360-degree obstacle avoidance. After testing both models, I believe they offer unbeatable value and performance at these prices, by a long shot. However, due to DJI’s standing in the US, you might not see either.
Xbox cuts Game Pass prices
But new Call of Duty games will no longer hit the service at launch.
As suggested by recent comments by the new boss of Xbox, Microsoft’s gaming arm is cutting the prices of both Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, effective immediately, but there’s one big caveat. New Call of Duty games will no longer be available on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on day one. They’ll eventually hit those tiers about a year later, during the following holiday season.
Accessory maker Anker made its own AI chip
Of course it did.
Anker, of battery-pack and cable fame, has announced its own AI chip that it will integrate into its future headphones and other devices. The company is planning to debut the chip, called Thus, on a new model of headphones to be unveiled at its Anker Day event in May.
Anker’s Thus chip integrates computing power directly into NOR flash memory cells, which offer faster read speeds than NAND. Anker says headphones are a particularly challenging environment to demonstrate what a new chip can do because “hardly any other device places higher demands on an AI chip.” Anker announced one particular feature to showcase its silicon. Clear Calls will cancel noise “with a large neural network running entirely on the device, supported by eight MEMS microphones and two bone conduction sensors.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-112802570.html?src=rssPorsche's new Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric can do 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds
Porsche has announced an electric version of its popular Cayenne Coupé and it could be the company's most powerful vehicle ever — either ICE or electric. Mechanically, the Cayenne Coupé Electric is nearly identical to the Cayenne Electric but the body is substantially sleeker for improved range and performance.
While the front end of the Coupé looks much the same as the Cayenne Electric, the back is giving off BMW X-series vibes in a big way. Porsche says that bulbous rear makes the new model more aerodynamic and thus efficient, with a drag coefficient of just 0.23. It also sits nearly an inch lower than the standard SUV for a more race-ready look. It can haul four adults and comes with a 3.2 cubic foot frunk.
There are three versions: the Cayenne Coupé Electric, Cayenne S Coupé Electric and Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric. All use the same 800-volt architecture that allows charging speeds up to 400 kW, for a 10-80 percent recharge in 16 minutes under ideal conditions. With a 113 kWh battery, range is estimated at 415 miles in the WLTP cycle, which equates to about 350 miles under EPA conditions.
The main difference between the models is power. The base Cayenne Electric model produces a mere 408 hp (442 hp with overboost), while the Cayenne S takes that up to 544 hp (666 hp with overboost). However, the Cayenne Turbo Electric cranks things up to deranged with 857 hp (1,156 hp overboosted), letting you bring three guests and their cargo from 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 162 mph.
The interior is bound to have a bit less room than the regular Cayenne Electric due to the sloping roofline, but Porsche made things comfortable and high-tech. It comes with an optional electrochromic panoramic roof with adjustable tint and power operated doors, along with a choice of trims including leather upholstery. Physical controls are married with digital interfaces and a screen that stretches from the left edge of the middle console to the passenger side vent. As with other recent lux vehicles, it offers customizable graphics, an AR heads-up display and personalized app integration.
Debuting at this year's Beijing Auto Show, the Cayenne Coupé Electric starts at $113,800 (minus the $2,350 delivery fee), while the base Cayenne S Coupe Electric is $131,200 and the Cayenne Turbo Coupe Electric costs $168,000. For a luxury sport electric SUV with 350 miles of range and 1,156 hp, that's actually... not bad? After all, you can easily pay six figures for a kitted-out Ford F-150 these days.
US soldier arrested for allegedly making over $400,000 on Polymarket with classified Maduro information
United States soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been arrested and charged for placing bets on prediction marketplace Polymarket using classified information he had access to related to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The US Army Special Forces master sergeant, who was directly involved with the planning and execution of the operation, allegedly made $409,881 in profits.
According to the Department of Justice, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025 and made 13 bets related to Maduro from December 27 to January 2. He took the “Yes” position on several Polymarket wagers, including “US Forces in Venezuela… by January 31, 2026,” “Maduro out by… January 31, 2026, “Will the US invade Venezuela by January 31” and “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by… January 31.” The US military captured Maduro and his wife on January 3.
Van Dyke allegedly bet a total of $33,034 and made over ten times that amount from his winnings. He withdrew his money from Polymarket on the day Maduro was captured and then sent it to a foreign crypto vault before depositing it to a new online brokerage account.
Shortly after Maduro’s capture, reports came out about how an anonymous gambler made almost half a million dollars before it was announced, raising concerns that someone had profited off insider military knowledge. The Justice Department says Van Dyke tried to cover his tracks. After reports about the potential insider bets were published, he allegedly asked Polymarket to delete his account, falsely claiming that he lost access to the email he used. He also changed the email address linked to his crypto account to another one not associated with his name.
Van Dyke has been charged with three counts of violation against the Commodity Exchange Act, with each one carrying a max sentence of 10 years in prison. He has also been charged with one count of wire fraud with a max penalty of 20 years in prison, as well as one count of unlawful monetary transaction with a max sentence of 10 years.
Prediction marketplaces have been struggling with insider trading problems, and this is far from the first incident. Recently, Kalshi took action against three political candidates, accusing them of insider trading related to their campaigns. Matt Klein of Minnesota and Ezekiel Enriquez of Texas face a fine of less than $1,000 and suspensions of up to five years. Meanwhile Mark Moran of Virginia faces disciplinary action, a five year suspension and a fine of more than $6,000.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/us-soldier-arrested-for-allegedly-making-over-400000-on-polymarket-with-classified-maduro-information-014531367.html?src=rssClaude can now connect to lifestyle apps like Spotify, Instacart and AllTrails
Anthropic is expanding its directory of connected services for its Claude AI chatbot. The platform can now link up with your accounts on AllTrails, Audible, Booking.com, Instacart, Intuit Credit Karma, Intuit TurboTax, Resy, Spotify, StubHub, Taskrabbit, Thumbtack, TripAdvisor, Uber, Uber Eats and Viator. Additional services will be added in the future.
More and more AI companies are trying to up their third-party integrations in a pitch to make their services as useful as possible. The benefit of having multiple apps connected means that a chatbot can theoretically execute more complicated tasks on your behalf. This expansion takes that capability from the professional and educational settings, where Anthropic’s connectors have been focused for the past year, to a personal one. So, for instance, Claude can now help plan a hike on AllTrails and then pull up a Spotify playlist that will last for the duration of your trek.
Anthropic noted that it is also reframing how apps are showing up so that an appropriate service is suggested for the task you want to perform. The apps should appear dynamically within the Claude conversation rather than needing a user to swipe between programs. As with most AI actions, Claude is supposed to check with its user before actually taking any actions like securing a reservation or making a purchase.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-can-now-connect-to-lifestyle-apps-like-spotify-instacart-and-alltrails-225510552.html?src=rssMicrosoft is reportedly offering voluntary buyouts to up to 7 percent of its employees
Microsoft is planning to get rid of more US employees via its first voluntary buyout program, CNBC reports. The buyout program will reportedly be offered to US employees at "the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher," and could cover up to 7 percent of the company's US workforce.
With around 125,000 employees in the US as of June 2025, that could mean up to 8,750 will be offered a paid exit when Microsoft begins its program in May. That's a smaller figure than the 15,000 or so employees the company laid off in May and July of 2025, but still significant, particularly if the majority of employees do take the buyout.
"Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support," Microsoft's executive vice president and chief people officer Amy Coleman shared in a memo viewed by CNBC.
Engadget has contacted Microsoft to confirm the existence of the voluntary buyout program and other details CNBC reported. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Microsoft used its 2025 layoffs to streamline layers of management and its video game business, but these new cuts may have a lot more to do with AI. Not necessarily because the company's adoption of AI tools has made employees redundant, but rather because Microsoft continues to aggressively spend on AI infrastructure. The company said it spent $37.5 billion in capital expenditures during Q2 2026, much of which went toward data center buildout.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-reportedly-offering-voluntary-buyouts-to-up-to-7-percent-of-its-employees-200050484.html?src=rssMeta is downsizing by about 10 percent
Meta is making another steep cut to its staff, this time to the tune of a 10 percent reduction in its workforce. About 8,000 people will be laid off and about 6,000 open jobs will also be eliminated, according to Bloomberg.
In an internal memo from Janelle Gale, Meta's head of human resources, the latest cuts are "part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making." Those "other investments" are likely in artificial intelligence. Meta is building its own models and apparently training them on its own staff. Its smart glasses are also leveraging ever-more AI capabilities.
Today's layoffs likely don't mark the end of Meta's current contraction. A report from March suggested that Meta was planning to downsize by up to 20 percent, although no timeline was given. The company cut hundreds of jobs, primarily in its Reality Labs division, shortly after those claims circulated. It also kicked off 2026 by slashing its metaverse operations with the closure of three VR studios.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-downsizing-by-about-10-percent-192658099.html?src=rssTitanium Court mashes together genres and cultural references to tell a strange, funny tale
I would love to tell you everything about my favorite game of the year so far. But that would be doing a great disservice to Titanium Court. I'm not even sure I could explain it all, anyway.
Titanium Court is a run-based game with elements of permanent progression, so it's technically a roguelite. However, you cannot really break Titanium Court like you can with Balatro. There are multiple ways to win a run, but you have to play by the rules. Gradually learning what those are — and how the game suddenly changes them — is a big part of what makes this so effective.
I can at least break down the core gameplay loop for you. There are two stages to each battle in every run aka a "war." The first is a match-three segment (think Candy Crush Saga), in which you gather resources by lining up wheat fields, rivers, hills and forests. At the same time, you're setting up the terrain and positioning your own tile (the titular court) for the second stage. For instance, water will stop foot soldiers entirely, so you can position yourself behind a barricade of rivers to block them. But you'll need to be careful, since a chain reaction of matches can wipe out your carefully constructed defense.
At the same time, you'll be moving around enemy strongholds. You can line up three or more matching enemy bases to eliminate them, but you don't gain any resources from those. Plus, you can only make a limited number of moves in this phase. So that makes for an interesting risk-reward conundrum. A timeline shows you which enemies will attack and when so you can plan accordingly.
The second phase is where the tower defense element really takes hold. You'll use what you've collected to recruit soldiers to attack enemies or defend your base, add workers that will gather more resources and maybe deliver magic attacks. You can trade at shops and markets as long as you haven't wiped them from the grid, since they're bonded to terrain tiles. When you're ready to fight, you hit a play button and the battle takes place automatically.
Nothing’s as simple as it might seem at first, because this is a game that will mess with you. I was scolded for trying to buy my way to victory by trading too much, with the game calling that approach "boring" and closing the shop's doors for the round. Perfectly fair. I chuckled the first time that happened. When I thought I was being clever by using the introspective power of self-reflection (you'll see) to win a boss fight, I was swiftly shut down.
Between wars, you'll explore the titular court as its newly anointed queen, trying to figure out what on Earth is going on and, ultimately, how to get home. Here, Titanium Court morphs into a blend of old-school adventure game and bizarre visual novel. This is where much of the magic lies, and where you gradually learn about the story and even how to play the game.
Developer AP Thomson's writing is smart and funny. I lost count of the number of jokes I've laughed out loud at. His narrative takes you in startlingly unexpected directions. It feels like a grand performance and Thomson is the master of ceremonies. It’s a confidently authored experience that offers further evidence as to why absolutely no one needs a generative AI game platform that seeks to “kill the scripted RPG.”
Titanium Court won the prestigious Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards earlier this year and it's not hard to see why. Thomson and his collaborators have cooked up something really special here.
It's a game with dragons and ballet, baseball and bike races, shower thoughts and wormholes. There are road signs in a world in which faeries believe cars are a figment of your imagination. It references Catan, the Civilization series, Jenga and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It skewers capitalism and social inequality. I'll let you discover the details of the job system, which completely upends how you play the game, yourself. I haven't been this engrossed by a game since Ball x Pit. It surprises and delights at almost every turn.
Titanium Court is certainly not going to be for everyone (there's so much reading!) and I’m going to stop here before I tell you too much about it. You can get a taste by checking out a Steam demo that’s available for PC and Mac. The full game arrived today. It usually costs $15, but it's 20 percent off until May 7.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/titanium-court-mashes-together-genres-and-cultural-references-to-tell-a-strange-funny-tale-184750797.html?src=rssX is shutting down its Communities feature
X is closing its Communities feature in May, X Head of Product Nikita Bier has announced. Communities were introduced before Twitter was acquired and rebranded by Elon Musk, and act as a way for users to create, join and moderate public groups focused on a particular interest. Communities make it possible to follow a feed made up of only the people or subject matter you care about, but they haven't been used at the scale the social platform wanted.
"Communities had a great vision, but they were used by less than 0.4% of users — yet contributed to 80% of spam reports, financial scams, and malware on X," Bier said in a separate post. "It occupied half the team's time some weeks, while the rest of the app suffered." And while some real people did use groups to organize around niche topics, the most active groups were "user-acquisition channels for Kick or compensated clipper communities," according to Bier, not really the intended uses for the feature in the first place.
Today we're announcing two product changes for organizing communities on X:
— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 22, 2026
1. XChat now supports joinable links for groupchats. Create a public link & share direct to Timeline. With support for 350 members per chat (and growing), Groupchat Links are the fastest way to bring… pic.twitter.com/GNcRB99Opc
X's proposed replacement for Communities is its new XChat app, which can currently host group chats of up to 350 people, and will be expanded to support group chats of up to 1,000 people in the future, Bier says. Moderators are able to pin links in their Communities so members can join a group chat before the Communities feature is fully retired on May 30, an extension to the previously proposed deadline of May 6.
While that could keep groups together, a live group chat is fairly different from the asynchronous, separate-timeline-of-posts experience that Communities offered. Group chats are typically active and demand your attention in a way a separate feed doesn't. To get a timeline of posts focused on an interest, users will now have to turn to X's new custom timelines feature, which uses Grok to automatically organize posts into feeds focused on topics like food, art or photography.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-shutting-down-its-communities-feature-182843958.html?src=rssApple, Amazon join push for looser greenhouse emissions reporting
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a widely used international environmental standard for measuring and reporting emissions, is considering changes to how certain types of the emissions are reported. Advocates for the new guidance argue that the current rules make it too easy for businesses to overstate their commitments to environmentally friendly operations, such as being powered by renewable energy or making progress toward net-zero emissions.
Today, some major tech companies joined a call pushing back against the new guidance, asking for the new reporting rules to be optional rather than required. The joint statement argued that the proposed policies would reduce investments in sustainability programs and increase electricity prices. Apple and Amazon are among the more than 60 companies that signed the letter, Bloomberg reported.
The protocol's three tiers of emissions present a clearer picture about companies' environmental efforts and how impactful they are in reducing emissions. Scope 1 includes emissions from sources directly owned or controlled by a business, while Scope 2 covers "how corporations measure emissions from purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heat and cooling." Scope 3 is the catch-all for any other emissions produced within a business' value chain. New proposed changes to the scope 2 guidance would place tighter requirements on how companies use renewable energy certificates to offset their electricity emissions. Rather than purchase clean energy certificates at any point during the year, companies would have to source clean energy that is both geographically close and simultaneously available to their grid-derived power. Any changes adopted by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol could take effect as early as next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-amazon-join-push-for-looser-greenhouse-emissions-reporting-182314690.html?src=rssApple TV's upcoming For All Mankind spinoff Star City oozes Cold War-era paranoia
Apple TV just dropped a real-deal trailer for Star City, after releasing a short teaser earlier this year. It's a spinoff of For All Mankind, but this new show examines the alt-history space race from the Soviet perspective.
In other words, this is a trailer steeped in Cold War-era paranoia. Secret photos are snapped, phones are tapped and characters are disappeared, all set against the backdrop of space exploration. The vibe looks decidedly different from For All Mankind, despite the parent show occasionally dabbling in Russia-based espionage.
The vibe isn't the only shift here. Star City isn't doing time jumps, which is a hallmark of For All Mankind. The original show started in 1969 and season five is set in 2012. The spinoff "lives in the 1970s" and is "its own genre." This is according to showrunners Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi.
For the uninitiated, For All Mankind begins with Russia beating us to the Moon in the 1960s. This creates a butterfly effect that changes history in ways both big and small. Star City looks like it'll focus on how Russia managed to land astronauts on the Moon before America and what happened to the space program in the immediate aftermath. It stars Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O’Casey and Alice Englert.
Star City premieres on May 29 with two episodes. That's the same day season five of For All Mankind concludes. The original show was recently renewed for a sixth and final season.
Apple TV really has become the best streamer for sci-fi. This summer sees not just the premiere of Star City, but the second season of the multiverse-based thriller Dark Matter and season three of the dystopian adventure Silo. The platform is also home to shows like Pluribus, Severance and Foundation, among many others.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/apple-tvs-upcoming-for-all-mankind-spinoff-star-city-oozes-cold-war-era-paranoia-180429809.html?src=rssRivian begins production on the R2 electric SUV
Rivian has begun production of its R2 SUV. However, you can't get one just yet: The first customer deliveries (of the most expensive version) aren't expected until later this spring.
On Wednesday, CEO RJ Scaringe drove the first electric SUV off the production line at the company's Normal, IL, factory. A storage and logistics building at that factory was damaged by a tornado last weekend, with Wednesday's rollout event seemingly designed to reassure nervous customers and investors.
"We are really excited to be producing R2 for our customers," Scaringe is quoted as saying in a news release. However, Rivian CFO Claire McDonough told Reuters that customers won't be able to configure their vehicle orders until June. Electrek reports that these first units rolling out now are going to Rivian employees.
If you were drawn to the R2's $45,000 starting price, well, Rivian won't have any of those for a while. First off the line (this spring) is the Launch Package, starting at $57,990. A Premium trim, expected late 2026, will cost $53,990. Then, in the first half of 2027, a Standard (RWD long range) variant arrives at $48,490. And as for that headline-grabbing $45,000 base-model R2, I hope you like waiting. It won't be here until late 2027.
The Rivian R2 was revealed in 2024. Smaller and lighter than the flagship R1, the company is positioning the EV as its answer to Tesla’s best-selling Model Y. All versions of the new two-row SUV are rated for at least 300 miles per charge. Each trim has a native NACS charge port. The vehicle can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 30 minutes when using a DC fast charger.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-begins-production-on-the-r2-electric-suv-171729320.html?src=rssFive Annapurna Interactive games get Switch 2 releases
If you’re a Switch 2 owner itching for something new to play and you happen to be partial to an Annapurna Interactive game, then boy is it your lucky day. The prolific indie publisher has announced that five of its titles are coming to Switch 2, three in the form of next-gen upgrades and two for the first time on Nintendo platforms.
The magnificent Sayonara Wild Hearts and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes are available starting today, complete with 120Hz and 4K upgrades for Nintendo’s latest console. First-time buyers can grab Sayonara Wild Hearts for $13, while 2024’s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes costs $25. The upgrades are free if you already own either game on Switch, and Sayonara Wild Hearts also adds the previously unavailable Remix Arcade mode for the first time. This speeds up gameplay and removes loading as you chase high scores.
Next month, May 28, cyberpunk cat adventure Stray is also getting the Switch 2 treatment, sporting improved 4K visuals, a frame rate boost and, fittingly given its feline focus, mouse controls. The Switch 2 port will be available to purchase digitally from the eShop for $30, but it’s not clear if this will also be a free upgrade for those who bought Stray on Switch.
Katamari creator Keita Takahashi’s charmingly weird puzzle-adventure To a T skipped Nintendo consoles when it launched last year, so it’s nice to see that one coming to Switch 2 on June 11 (digital-only, $20). A few weeks later on June 23, cozy narrative game Wanderstop arrives on both Switch and Switch 2. It’ll cost $25 on the eShop, with no word on a physical version.
Annapurna Interactive released a lot of its games on Switch, and that trend happily looks set to continue throughout the Switch 2 generation. The musical turn-based RPG People of Note came to Nintendo’s latest console at launch earlier this month, with stylish adventure game Mixtape also arriving on Switch 2 on May 7.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/five-annapurna-interactive-games-get-switch-2-releases-164950446.html?src=rssUbisoft has finally dropped a trailer for that Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake
Ubisoft has finally given us some real details about Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, after confirming the remake earlier this year. It's set to release on July 9 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
There's a trailer and it looks absolutely gorgeous, with graphics resembling recent entries like Assassin's Creed Shadows. This is a real-deal remake, and not a port. This version seems to feature a fair amount of new content, but still stars protagonist Edward Kenway.
There's a new weather system and an upgraded underwater exploration system. Combat has been refined to closer match new entries and, thankfully, the stealth mechanics have been updated. Getting spotted doesn't always end the mission, like the original. The remake even has new crew members, including a cat, that accompany you during the exploration segments.
Here's one interesting tidbit. The trailer only shows scenes set in the Caribbean during the 1700s, and none of the modern day segments. This tracks with rumors that the remake would scrap the Montreal bits entirely. We'll have to wait and play the game to see if this ends up being true.
The original Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is considered one of the most beloved entries in the franchise. Here's hoping the remake does it justice.
We're still waiting on news regarding the next mainline entry in the franchise. Ubisoft is currently developing it under the name Codename Hexe and it's being described as "a unique, darker, narrative-driven Assassin's Creed experience set during a pivotal moment in history."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-has-finally-dropped-a-trailer-for-that-assassins-creed-black-flag-remake-162610745.html?src=rssSomeone allegedly used a hairdryer to rig Polymarket weather bets
A hairdryer was allegedly used to rig Polymarket bets on the weather at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, according to a report by The Telegraph. French authorities note that the official temperature readings at the airport spiked twice in the past month, reaching levels much higher than expected. On both occasions, gamblers on Polymarket appear to have walked away with thousands upon thousands of dollars by betting on those temperature fluctuations.
The gambling site relies on readings from temperature sensors, and the one at Charles de Gaulle airport is on a public road. This makes it easy to access. The operating theory is that someone snuck in and used a battery-powered hairdryer to bring the recorded temperature up well beyond the actual heat outside.
Meanwhile, the Polymarket page indicated less than a one percent chance of the airport exceeding a particular temperature. Successful bets on these fluctuations netted an unknown user around $34,000.
holy fuck, a hair dryer at a Paris airport broke Polymarket weather markets & made someone $34,000 richer
— @aaronjmars (@aaronjmars) April 22, 2026
- polymarket was settling Paris temperature bets on a single Météo France sensor sitting near the Charles de Gaulle runway perimeter - basically unguarded
- the guy bought… pic.twitter.com/ona2hP3oZc
“In view of physical findings on one of our instruments and the analysis of sensor data, Météo-France was indeed led to file a complaint for alteration of the operation of an automated data processing system with the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade of Roissy,” a spokesperson for France's official weather agency said.
There is no indication that Polymarket forced anyone to return their winnings, but the temperature sensor has been moved to a new location. The site is still running bets on the daily temperature in and around Paris.
It sucks that someone potentially tricked a temperature sensor with a hairdryer to scam actual gamblers out of potential winnings. However, this sort of thing should be expected when betting money on real-world scenarios like this. If something can be rigged, and there's money to be made, it'll get rigged. Humans are gonna human.
This does, however, shine a light on the types of bets that should be allowed on sites like Polymarket and Kalshi. Polymarket, for instance, hosts numerous bets on the outcome of wars, whether or not countries will receive nuclear weapons and potential prison sentences, among many other sensitive topics. What happens when someone uses something much more dangerous than a hairdryer to change the outcome of something for financial gain?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/someone-allegedly-used-a-hairdryer-to-rig-polymarket-weather-bets-155312411.html?src=rssTurkey wants to ban social media for kids under 15
The Turkish parliament has voted through a bill that would ban all children under the age of 15 from using social media. As part of the legislation, social media platforms would be required to enforce age-verification measures on their apps, provide parental control tools, and react more quickly to harmful content being posted.
As reported by The Associated Press, lawmakers have passed the bill in the wake of two deadly school shootings in Turkey, after which police arrested 162 people accused of sharing footage of the tragedies online.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to accept the bill in order for it to become law, after reportedly saying social media platforms had become "cesspools" in a televised address to the nation.
As well as the major social media platforms, AP reports that online gaming companies would also have to implement their own restrictions on minors, with potential punishments including bandwidth reductions and financial penalties.
This isn’t the first time Turkey has locked horns with social media and online gaming platforms. Instagram has been blocked in the country before, back in 2024, relating to a dispute over the posting of Hamas-related content. Access was restored around a week later, but in the same time period Turkey also banned Roblox over reports of inappropriate sexual content accused of being explorative to children. At the time, a Turkish official also named the "promotion of homosexuality" as one reason for the ban.
Turkey has also temporarily banned Twitter (now called X) on several occasions, most recently after 2023’s devastating earthquakes, though it was not clear at the time why the government may have moved to block the social media platform.
The country’s lawmakers moving to ban under-15s from accessing social media is part of an emerging trend in Europe and across the globe. The likes of Greece and Austria have recently introduced similar legislation of their own, following Australia becoming the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from social media last year. The UK has since considered bringing in tighter restrictions too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/turkey-wants-to-ban-social-media-for-kids-under-15-143053462.html?src=rssMeta will show parents the topics of their teens' AI conversations
With countries banning social media for kids left and right, Meta is trying different things to convince parents that its platforms are safe for teens. In its latest effort, the company will start showing parents the topics their teens have discussed with Meta AI over the previous seven days.
"Parents will be able to see the topics their teen has been asking Meta AI about in [Facebook, Messenger or Instagram] over the past week," Meta explained in a blog post. "Topics can range from School, Entertainment, and Lifestyle to Travel, Writing, and Health and Wellbeing, among others."
For parents overseeing Meta's teen accounts, the feature will appear in a new Insights tab within supervision, both in-app and on web. Parents can tap on a topic to see the different categories within each: for instance, sub-categories within Lifestyle include fashion, food and holidays, while fitness, physical health and mental health are part of the Health and Wellbeing topic.
Meta also worked with the Cyberbullying Research Center to develop what it calls "conversation starters," or open-ended conversations about their experience with AI. It provides detail about what the questions are designed to address, and can be found on the Family Center website or through a link in the new Insights tab.
Finally, Meta revealed more detail about its AI Wellbeing Expert Council, who will provide "ongoing input on our AI experience for teens." It will be made up of three existing advisory groups as well as new members with special expertise in responsible and ethical AI, who are affiliated with the National Council of Suicide Prevention and multiple universities. It's worth noting that Meta has a separate oversight board that deals with subjects ranging from AI to moderation.
Offboarding moderation chores to busy parents appears to be par for the course for Meta these days. The company has recently cut back on the use of third-party vendors that help with content moderation, shifting responsibility instead to advanced AI systems, according to recent reports.
The dangers of AI for teens have been one of multiple reasons countries like Spain have banned social media platforms for kids. One of the most recent and tragic cases was in Canada, where a teen was provided specific details by OpenAI's ChatGPT about how to carry out a school shooting. Another such case is under investigation in Florida, and AI's have been implicated in multiple teen suicides as well.
In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply dial 988. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-show-parents-the-topics-of-their-teens-ai-conversations-123119624.html?src=rss2027 BMW i7 first look: A fantastically techy car for the 1 percent
Big, fancy executive sedans are a dying breed, especially when it comes to EVs. With the Tesla Model S and Mercedes' EQ line on their way out, pickings are slim. Aside from the upcoming S-Class, there's the Lucid Air, Cadillac Celestiq and maybe the Porsche Taycan, depending on how far you're willing to stretch the definition. But as the market leader in luxury sedans, BMW isn't giving up yet. With the arrival of the new 7-series, the company has made a car — with a complete range of gas, hybrid and fully electric options — that truly embraces modern gadgetry.
Overview
Because we're EV enthusiasts here at Engadget, we're primarily going to talk about the new i7, which is the battery-powered version of the new 7 series. Unfortunately, due to building regulations at Grand Central Station in NYC where BMW's reveal was held, the company was only allowed to showcase a gas-powered car, so this story features photos of the 740. However, company representatives told me that there are mostly only minor cosmetic differences between the ICE and EV models (powertrains aside), so feel free to compare my shots with the official press images to see if you can spot any changes.
As for the i7 itself, it will be available in three main trims: the i750 xDrive, the i760 xDrive and the i7 M70 xDrive, the latter of which is the fastest and most powerful of the bunch. Pricing starts at $105,750 for the i750 and $126,250 for the i760, both of which will be available at launch sometime later this year. The i7 M70 will come later, most likely in 2027, with pricing still TBD.
Every model will come standard with a dual-motor AWD drivetrain with the base i750 offering 455 horsepower or 544hp on the i760, before going all the way up to a whopping 680hp on the i7 M70. Compared to the outgoing models, the new 2027 i7 also features a significantly larger power pack (112.4kWh, up from 105.7kWh) composed of BMW's new sixth-gen battery cells. This helps support faster charging speeds of 250kW (up from 195kW) along with a native NACS port and a 400-volt architecture, which is good enough to take the car from 10 to 80 percent in around 28 minutes. The upgraded batteries should also translate into longer range, with BMW claiming the i760 will deliver more than 350 miles on a single charge, based on internal metrics using EPA testing procedures.
Finally, as we're still waiting for the iX3 to make its official debut in the US market, the new 7-series is also BMW's first car for the States to feature the company's Neue Klasse design language, which features a massively upgraded collection of tech on the inside. More on that when we get to the interior.
Exterior
One of the most interesting things about the new 7-series is that it was designed to have essentially the same exterior regardless of which powertrain each individual model has. BMW claims this not only makes it easier for customers to choose if they want a gas, hybrid or electric car, it also presents a more unified look across the family. That said, there are a number of features like the grille and recessed door handles that make BMW's latest luxury sedan look more like an electric car than a traditional ICE vehicle. I even noticed that on the gas-powered 740 BMW had on display, its tail pipes were pointed down and hidden away behind the car's rear bumper, which plays into the various models' shared identity. That said, on M Sport models and the M Performance variant due out next year, things like tailpipes will be much more prominent to help assuage the kind of enthusiasts who aren't ready for the transition to electrification.
Up front, BMW ditched the stacked headlights found on the previous model in favor of a new razor-thin design that features 24 crystal LEDs that create a neat gem-like appearance. Meanwhile, the company's signature kidney-shaped grille has been given a thoroughly futuristic update, complete with built-in lighting (including programmable Welcome and Goodbye patterns) and active aero. Around back, the 7-series' taillights have been extended to nearly the entire width of the vehicle, creating a more distinctive look.
Interior
For tech enthusiasts, the inside of the new 7-series is a real marvel of engineering and gadgetry, headlined by BMW's Neue Klasse design language. Depending on how you're counting, there are between five and seven different displays. In the center, there's the 17.9-inch main screen (which supports both Android Auto and CarPlay), plus the company's Panoramic Vision (which is actually a projector) that adds another thin display across the entire bottom of the windshield. Panoramic Vision also provides a more traditional 3D HUD for things like turn-by-turn navigation while driving.
For the driver, BMW also updated the i7's steering wheel with what the company is calling "shy tech." This means controls are only illuminated when a specific feature is available, while also providing haptic feedback for additional tactile response. And although I didn't get to drive the car myself, BMW reps told me that the car's assisted driving tech has been updated so that it's more accommodating to small, manual adjustments. On other cars, this might disable hands-free driving entirely or force you to wrestle with a robo-controlled steering wheel.
For the first time on any of its vehicles, BMW is including a 14.6-inch Passenger Screen that can be used to stream movies, music and more, completely independent of what's on the main display. Then there are two small panels mounted on the doors for rear seat passengers to control things like climate settings and more. And with a Bowers and Wilkins sound system comprising 36 speakers and 4,000 watts of output, audio certainly hasn't been neglected.
However, the real showpiece of the entire vehicle is arguably the optional 31-inch 8K Theater Screen, which BMW claims is the largest display in any production car today. It's mounted on a motorized frame that lowers itself down from the ceiling and it's simply massive. Gadget nerds will appreciate that it comes with an onboard webcam, so you can use it for video calls. And when you're not working, you can even pair accessories like Bluetooth controllers with the screen to play games. There are even woofers mounted below the rear seat to provide what BMW says is a 4D sound experience.
My favorite part of this ensemble is the full-size HDMI jack that’s located next to the USB-C port on the back of the center console. This will allow you to hook up pretty much anything you want and enjoy it on that huge 31-inch display. And similar to previous 7-series models, the i7 still features BMW's executive seating mode, which pushes the front passenger seat up an extra 20cm while reclining the rear, providing a truly luxurious way to enjoy a car ride (there's even a little built-in footrest). Another small thing that potential buyers will surely appreciate is that BMW is also providing four years of data and access to its Digital Premium service as standard on every vehicle.
Initial thoughts
With all of these changes, BMW is calling this the new 7-series, but it's actually closer to a mid-cycle refresh following a total overhaul back in 2023. For people who can never get enough screen space, the i7 and its gas-powered siblings are practically overflowing with displays. Plus, I really love BMW's attention to detail that allows users to pair peripherals like game controllers to the onboard displays or plug in external devices via HDMI. As someone who likes the more futuristic, streamlined exterior you see on a lot of EVs, I think BMW has done a great job of striking a middle ground that works for both gas and electric powertrains.
Even the i7’s base specs have gotten some big bumps, both in terms of range and charging speeds, though at some point, BMW will need to upgrade its 400-volt architecture to something beefier. In a lot of ways, i7's starting price of $105,750 is its biggest hurdle, because for tech lovers, it feels like BMW has covered all the bases and then some. On the bright side, if you can afford one, you can probably also afford to hire a driver every now and then so you can take advantage of the 7-series' executive seating mode.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/2027-bmw-i7-first-look-a-fantastically-techy-car-for-the-1-percent-123000364.html?src=rssDJI Lito 1 and Lito X1 drone review: High-quality aerial video at its most affordable
After seeing the runaway success of its Neo lineup, DJI is taking another stab at the budget drone market with the new Lito series. The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are both under $400 and weigh less than 249 grams — they’re ideal for beginners. Both are designed to replace DJI’s Mini series, but they offer things that those models lacked like LiDAR and 360-degree obstacle avoidance.
In terms of video quality, they’re similar to DJI’s Neo 2 and Flip drones. Unlike those models, which are safe to use indoors and around people, the open-prop Lito drones are designed to fly outside at high speeds and high altitudes. This makes them well-suited for filming activities like surfing or dirt bike riding. After testing both models, I believe they offer unbeatable value and performance at these prices, by a long shot. Of course, the drawback for American buyers is that neither is expected to launch in the US.
Design and features
The Lito models are now the entry level open-prop models in DJI’s lineup (the Mini series will no longer be updated). Both have identical folding designs, with optional, removable propeller shrouds that offer some additional obstacle protection. Given the light weight, novice pilots can fly them without a permit.
Both have omni sensors on the top and bottom that protect them from obstacles on all sides. The Lito X1 adds a forward-facing LiDAR sensor for extra tracking precision. That kind of additional accuracy is nice to have and it’s unusual on drones in this price range. Built-in storage is also rare on cheap drones, but the Lito X1 has that going for it as well. There’s 42GB on tap, along with microSD card support for additional capacity. The Lito 1 only offers a microSD slot and no internal storage.
They come with an Intelligent Flight Battery that offers up to 36 minutes of flying time. That can be extended to about 52 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, though that model isn’t available in the EU or UK. As with every other DJI drone I’ve tested, real-world flight times are about 30 percent less than the company promises. I got about 25 minutes of use on a charge — still not bad for a sub-$400 drone.
The Lito line has all the FocusTrack features you’d expect in a DJI drone, like 360 degree ActiveTrack subject tracking with full manual control and obstacle detection. It also supports DJI’s Quickshots including Dronie, Rocket and others, all of which make it easy to capture aerial clips for social media. However, you won’t find certain Neo 2 features on the Lito series, like gestures, smartphone control and palm takeoffs.
The Lito drones work with multiple controllers, including the RC-N3 that requires a smartphone or the RC 2 with a built-in screen. Both Lito models transmit 1080p 60 fps video to a range of up to 10 miles via DJI’s Occusync 4 system. That’s a scary distance for a beginner drone. Luckily, both models also offer DJI’s return to home (RTH) with battery warning and other safety features that should prevent lost drones or accidents.
Performance
Both Lito drones are relatively fast at about 26 mph in normal mode with obstacle detection, or 40 mph in sport mode. That kind of speed allows creators to track bikers, skiers or vehicles. Each can also fly in relatively strong winds up to about 21 mph. They lack the maneuverability and acrobatics available on the Neo 2 though, and don't offer an FPV mode with DJI’s Goggles.
With open propellers that can catch on a twig and cause a crash, the Lito drones depend heavily on obstacle detection for protection. That’s particularly important since the ActiveTrack follow feature is a key selling point for novice creators. With all that in mind, I wanted to put them through their paces tracking me on a bicycle and even while driving a car, forcing the drones to navigate around trees and bamboo with fine branches.
To start, I used ActiveTrack and the Trace “steering wheel” mode to follow me from the front, sides and back. Both Lito models can avoid obstacles using either the “braking” mode that stops the drone or “bypass” that simply maneuvers around them. I mostly used bypass mode to see if the drone could continue to track me if something got in the way.
When flying forward, the Lito X1 avoided all obstacles using its LiDAR, while swooping smoothly around trees and branches. Only once did it fail to detect a small twig, which caused a slight bobble, but fortunately, no crash. Thanks to that built-in LiDAR, the Lito X1 model is a bit more adept than the Lito 1 at dodging fine obstacles when flying forward. Overall, the X1’s avoidance in all directions was shockingly good for a drone under $400.
The Lito X1’s LiDAR is also very helpful when flying in low-light conditions, and even at night. If you go on a long flight and miscalculate the sunset, you’ll still be able to get the drone back safely in RTH mode without much fear of crashing, as long as you fly forward. It also helps keep the Lito X1 more stable in dim light than the Lito 1.
The Lito 1 isn’t as adept at following and obstacle detection at night due to the lack of LiDAR, but again, it avoided danger surprisingly well considering the price. Buyers can still be confident that it will stay out of trouble when tracking subjects in most conditions — just be careful when flying in forested areas with fine branches.
If you’re planning on flying far from your location to capture remote aerial views, DJI’s Occusync 4 system is highly reliable. I only saw video dropouts when flying the drone behind buildings and out of my line of sight, something that I wouldn’t advise anyway. As long as there’s nothing between you and the drone, you’ll maintain a clear video view and full control.
As with other drones in the Mini and Mini Pro series, the Lito models are whisper quiet in flight, with noise levels well under 70 db. The pitch is also low and not shrieking like the Neo models, so it shouldn’t disturb people or animals.
Video and photo quality
Video quality is where the Lito 1 and Lito X1 differ the most. The latter is equipped with a 40-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor with f/1.7 aperture (same as the Mini 4 Pro) and offers up 4K 60 fps video with 4K 100 fps slow-mo along with D-LogM and HDR recording. The Lito 1, meanwhile, has a 48MP 1/2-inch sensor (12MP for video) like the one on the Neo 2, with an f/1.8 aperture, 4K 60 fps video (4K 100 fps slow-mo) and no D-LogM or HDR capabilities.
That’s a pretty big gap in specs considering the relatively meager price difference of around $80. As such, the Lito X1 offers significantly better video quality, particularly in low light and high-contrast conditions.
The smaller sensor means the Lito 1 has mediocre low-light capability, with pronounced grain at the maximum ISO 12,800 rating. The drop in quality is even noticeable at ISO 3,200. Unlike the $400 Flip, the lack of 10-bit D-LogM capability also means that over- or underexposed video is hard to correct.
With those issues, video and photos from the Lito 1 aren't good enough for professional work. However, it’s excellent for social media users, hobbyists and content creators, delivering smartphone-quality aerial shots and more detail than any other drone at this price (except the Neo 2, of course).
The Lito X1, on the other hand, does offer video that’s good enough for some professional use. While not as noise-free as the 1-inch sensor-equipped Mini 5 Pro or Micro Four Thirds Mavic 4 Pro, video quality for nighttime cityscapes and other dim scenes is decently clean. In daylight, video is surprisingly sharp and color accurate. The 10-bit D-LogM setting also lets you capture sufficient dynamic range for tricky scenarios like a forest path dappled with sunlight and shadows
Stabilization on both models is excellent, so you’re sure to capture smooth, cinematic video, even with relatively slow shutter speeds down to 1/30th of a second. Photos are more detailed on the Lito X1 due to the higher resolution, even though both models can capture RAW DNG files to maximize dynamic range. That makes the drones ideal for taking aerial pictures of your property, for instance, or checking a hornet’s nest or hole on your roof.
Wrap-up
The Lito series shows that DJI is intent on dominating every drone price range and category, including the bottom end. Despite their low prices, the new drones don’t skimp on features, offering full obstacle protection, ActiveTrack subject tracking, relatively high speeds and sharp 4K video quality — just like models that cost a lot more.
At these prices, the Lito drones don’t have any real rivals other than themselves and other DJI drones, particularly the Neo 2 and Flip. Choose the Lito 1 only if you can’t swing the extra money for the Lito X1, as video quality on the latter is significantly higher. Both drones are best for outdoor adventures, including high-altitude aerial shooting, while Neo 2 and Flip excel inside or around people.
The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are now available in the UK and EU for £299/€309 and £369/€379 respectively with one battery and the RC-N3 controller that requires a smartphone. You can also get them in Fly More combos, with the Lito 1 priced at £429/€439 with an RC-N3 controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag. The Lito X1 Fly More Combo with an RC 2 screen controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag is £599/€619. The drones aren’t on sale yet in the US, but may arrive later on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-lito-1-and-lito-x1-drone-review-high-quality-aerial-video-at-its-most-affordable-120024032.html?src=rssMusk pledges to fix 2019-2023 Teslas that can't fully self drive
Tesla still doesn’t have a solid pathway for how to give Hardware 3 cars Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities, based on what Elon Musk said during the company’s latest earnings call. The automaker has known for quite a while that its vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 aren’t capable of unsupervised FSD, even though the company built the system specifically to give its cars the ability. Tesla used Hardware 3 on cars manufactured from 2019 until early 2023 before Hardware 4 shipped.
During an earlier earnings call back in January 2025, Musk admitted that the company was “going to have to upgrade people’s Hardware 3 computer for those that have bought Full Self-Driving.” At Tesla’s latest earnings call, Musk said that Hardware 3 “simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD.” Tesla thought it would be able to at one point, but Hardware 3 apparently has 1/8th the memory bandwidth of Hardware 4. Musk explained that memory bandwidth is “one of the key elements” needed for unsupervised FSD.
Tesla will be offering to upgrade and replace the computers and cameras on older vehicles, but it doesn’t have a concrete plan in place yet. “I do think over time it’s going to make sense for us to convert all Hardware 3 cars to Hardware 4,” he said. To do so at service centers would be extremely slow, Musk has admitted. Around 4 million cars or so have Hardware 3, though not everyone has paid for FSD. Still, to be able to replace its vehicles’ hardware efficiently, Musk said Tesla is going to have to set up “microfactories or small factories in major metropolitan areas.” He didn’t give any indication that Tesla has already started building those microfactories, though, or even that construction is already scheduled to begin. He did say that in the meantime, the company is going to be releasing FSD version 14 for Hardware 3 around the end of June.
Musk also said during the same earnings call that Tesla’s Fremont factory will start manufacturing the company’s humanoid Optimus robots in late July or August. The Tesla CEO is known for announcing highly optimistic and aggressive timelines. Tesla made the decision to kill off its Model X and S cars earlier this year, so that it can convert its Fremont facility into an Optimus factory. The last Model S and X vehicles will be rolling off the production line in May, which gives the company just a few months to dismantle the facility’s current equipment and put new ones in place.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/musk-pledges-to-fix-2019-2023-teslas-that-cant-fully-self-drive-095002120.html?src=rss