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Ring calls off partnership with police surveillance provider Flock Safety
Ring has canceled its partnership with Flock Safety, after receiving backlash for running a Super Bowl ad touting its Search Party feature. If you’ll recall, Ring revealed back in October 2025 that it was entering a partnership with the surveillance company, which would make it possible for law enforcement to ask smart doorbell owners for videos captured by their devices. In its announcement, the company said that the “planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated.” The decision to call off the partnership was mutual, Ring added, and Flock Safety’s integration was never launched. Apparently, no Ring customer footage was ever sent to Flock.
Under the partnership, law enforcement agencies using Flock's Nova platform or FlockOS would have been able to use Ring’s Community Requests to ask for doorbell videos from users. They would have been asked to specify the location and timeframe of the incident, as well as provide a unique investigation code and the details about what is being investigated. Their requests would then be forwarded to relevant users, who could choose to share footage from their doorbell. Ring said the whole process would have been anonymous and optional.
Ring was known to have shared security cam videos to law enforcement without a court order or the device owner’s consent at least 11 times in the past. In 2024, however, it seemed to have walked back its police-friendly stance and said that it would stop sharing videos with the police without a warrant. This alliance with Flock would have marked a return to police collaboration after the company distanced itself from law enforcement. Flock is known for its automatic license plate readers and for centralizing the information it collects into a database that police can search without a warrant. While law enforcement says the system can help them solve crimes like kidnapping. 404Media reported last year that ICE has been using the database, citing immigration-related reasons.
While Ring’s official reason was that the Flock partnership would need more resources than expected, it’s worth noting that the company recently got flak for its Super Bowl Search Party ad. Ring touted it as a way to find lost dogs by using its cameras’ AI to identify pets running across their field of vision and then pooling feeds together to identify missing pets. While Search Party isn’t new and was announced last year, the ad sparked concerns about surveillance and how the tech could be misused, leading users to disable the feature for their cameras altogether.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ring-calls-off-partnership-with-police-surveillance-provider-flock-safety-031717605.html?src=rssThe PS Plus Game Catalog additions for February include Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
During its State of Play livestream on Thursday, Sony revealed the first PlayStation Plus Game Catalog addition for February and it's a doozy. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5) will finally websling its way onto the Game Catalog on February 17.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was released in October 2023, and Insomniac's third Spidey game is the the best of the bunch. You can play as both Peter Parker and his protégé Miles Morales. Each Spidey has his own skill tree and moveset to master.
Traversing New York (with a lot more of it explorable than in previous entries) has never felt better thanks to the addition of the wingsuit, while the set pieces are frequently breathtaking. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 remains one of the PS5’s flagship games, and with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered and Miles Morales already on the Game Catalog, Extra and Premium subscribers can now play the whole series while they wait for Insomniac's Wolverine game to arrive later this year.
Sony later revealed the full PS Plus Game Catalog lineup for February on the PlayStation Blog. It includes Neva (PS4 and PS5), a stunning 2D platformer that's pretty much an interactive fairytale. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt opened her review of the game by saying she had "absolutely nothing negative to say" about it, which is surely about as effusive as a recommendation can get. (A paid expansion that acts as a prequel is on the way next week too.)
The other titles coming to the PS Plus Game Catalog on February 17 are:
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (PS5)
Season: A Letter to the Future (PS4 and PS5)
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (PS4)
Monster Hunter Stories (PS4)
Venba (PS5)
Echoes of the End: Enhanced Edition (PS5)
Rugby 25 (PS4 and PS5)
PS Plus Premium members will have an extra game to play on PS4 and PS5 in the form of Disney Pixar Wall-E. This version was originally released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2.
Looking further ahead, Tekken Dark Resurrection will be available to Premium subscribers in March. Premium members will be able to play the original Time Crisis on their PS5 with gyro controls in May, which sounds fun. Also, Big Walk, a multiplayer game from Untitled Goose Game developer House House, will be available on all three PS Plus tiers when it debuts later this year.
Update February 12, 6:43PM ET: Added the full list of PS Plus Game Catalog titles for February.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps-plus-game-catalog-additions-for-february-include-marvels-spider-man-2-232459779.html?src=rssGod of War is getting a remake trilogy, and a new retro-inspired action game is out today
Last year marked 20 years since God of War hit the PlayStation 2 and kicked off one of gaming biggest franchises. Now, at the tail end of that 20th anniversary celebration, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio has announced two new project. First, and most significantly, the original God of War trilogy from the PS2 and PS3 is being remade for the modern era.
There’s no footage of it yet — the developer says that they’re “very early in development,” so we likely won’t see or hear much about this for a while. But given renewed interest in God of War thanks to the excellent two Norse games from 2018 and 2022 (not to mention the upcoming Amazon series), it makes sense to revisit these classics.
God of War and God of War II were released for Playstation 2 in 2005 and 2007, respectively, while the third of the Greek trilogy hit PlayStation 3 in 2010. The third game was also remastered for the PS4. But it’s safe to say that while the first two games are classics for their era, they also really show their age in some gameplay spots. Hopefully the remake will smooth out those rough edges. (Who else has nightmares in the Hades level near the end of the first game? Not just me, right?)
While we won’t see the remakes for a while, there is a new God of War-inspired game out right now: God of War Sons of Sparta. It was developed by Mega Cat Studios, a developer known for its love of retro games — it even still releases games for the SNES and Genesis.
Given their pedigree, it’s no surprise that Sons of Sparta has vibes of classic 2D action/platformer games. It’s apparently canon for the series and takes place in Kratos’ youth while he trains with his brother. It obviously looks nothing like the other God of War games — but the combat and monsters shown off in the trailer definitely feel right at home in the series.
Perhaps the most fun part of all this is that it’s available today for $30. While Sons of Sparta looks like a fun curio for God of War fans, it’ll only go so far towards whetting our appetite for that remake series. Might I suggest binging some Valhalla in the meantime?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/god-of-war-is-getting-a-remake-trilogy-and-a-new-retro-inspired-action-game-is-out-today-234056618.html?src=rssSilent Hill: Townfall takes the series' trademark fog to an eerie coastal community
Coming off the success of Slient Hill f, which moved the series’ psychological horror to the Japanese countryside, Konami, Annapurna Interactive and developer Screen Burn Interactive have chosen a foggy island as the setting for Silent Hill: Townfall.
The first gameplay trailer for Townfall, introduced during Sony’s latest State of Play, follows Simon Ordell, a man who keeps mysteriously waking up in the water off the coast of the empty island town of St. Amelia. In the trailer, Simon hides from monsters, peers at a portable television, swings a fire axe, and deals with the psychological turmoil typical of a Silent Hill protagonist, all in first person, one of the unique twists of this new game.
Silent Hill: Townfall was originally announced alongside Silent Hill f and the remake of Silent Hill 2 in 2022. The game is developed by Screen Burn Interactive (formerly known as No Code), the creators of Observation and Stories Untold. Konami will share more details about Townfall’s gameplay and story in an upcoming Silent Hill Transmission presentation later today.
Silent Hill: Townfall is coming to PlayStation 5 in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/silent-hill-townfall-takes-the-series-trademark-fog-to-an-eerie-coastal-community-233324897.html?src=rssThe next Metal Gear Solid remaster collection arrives this summer
Volume two of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection will arrive on August 27, publisher Konami announced today during Sony’s latest State of Play presentation. The bundle will feature 2008’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the HD remaster of 2010’s Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and a selection of bonus content, including Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, which was originally released for Game Boy Color in 2000. All told, that’s a smaller selection of games than Konami made available with Vol. 1 of the Master Collection, but Metal Gear fans will be excited nonetheless, if only for the fact it will mark the first time MGS4 will be officially playable on a platform other than the PlayStation 3.
That it has taken Konami nearly two decades to release the conclusion of Solid Snake’s story on more systems has to do with the nature of the game as a PS3 exclusive. MGS4 took extensive advantage of the console’s unique Cell architecture, a fact that made it difficult (and expensive) proposition to port to more recent x86-based systems. In recent years, it’s been possible to emulate the game on a powerful PC, but not everyone has that kind of hardware.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Update, February 12, 6:30PM ET: This story was updated after publish to add details about Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2’s launch platforms.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-next-metal-gear-solid-remaster-collection-arrives-this-summer-231711005.html?src=rssThe first Control Resonant gameplay trailer shows Dylan defying physics in a sideways NYC
It’s been less than three months since we got our first look at Control Resonant, the sequel to Remedy’s mind-bending, third-person adventure that introduced us to Jesse Faden and the Federal Bureau of Control. At today’s State of Play event, we got to see the first extended bit of gameplay from Control Resonant — and the combat looks as inspired as ever, though the setting is completely new.
As we learned in December, the next Control games doesn’t focus on Jesse Faden; instead, you’ll primarily play as her brother Dylan who Jesse was trying to find for much of the first game. Dylan’s out in a warped version of New York City trying to track the game’s Resonant creatures that are responsible for whatever calamity has taken place. We knew this already, but the change of setting from the Bureau of Control building into the more open city setting should go a long way towards making this game feel fresh.
Dylan’s capabilities are also completely different than what we saw from Jesse in the original. There’s a much bigger emphasis on melee combat, as Dylan has a shapeshifting weapon called the Aberrant. You can switch from hammer to blades to other various forms, much in the way that Jesse’s firearm in the first game could morph between different types of guns.
But the thing that stood out the most to me in the brief preview was the way that NYC completely disobeyed the laws of physics. Buildings and streets would just head into the sky at 90-degree angles — and Dylan’s powers let him completely which surface is the “ground” for him.
There’s still no firm release date for Control Resonant, but that’s not unreasonable — the game was only announced a few months ago. Remedy says they’re still on target to launch in 2026. And, at the end of today’s PlayStation blog post, they promise that “things are going to get weirder.” Just what I was hoping for!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-first-control-resonant-gameplay-trailer-shows-dylan-defying-physics-in-a-sideways-nyc-224746545.html?src=rssMina the Hollower resurfaces with a spring 2026 release window
Sony’s first State of Play stream of the year included an update on Mina the Hollower, the latest title from Shovel Knight studio Yacht Club Games. It’s now slated to arrive sometime this spring. The developer initially planned to release the retro-style action-adventure platformer on Halloween last year, but delayed it to “to apply some final polish and balancing to make the game truly shine.”
While Mina the Hollower didn’t make its original Halloween release date, at least the new demo, which will be available for a limited time, is getting a eerily timed debut. It’ll hit PS5 tomorrow i.e. Friday, February 13. Y’know… Friday the 13th?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/mina-the-hollower-resurfaces-with-a-spring-2026-release-window-224327165.html?src=rssKena: Scars of Kosmora is coming out later this year
When it launched in 2021, Kena: Bridge of Spirits was an early example of the graphical power of the PS5 thanks to its Pixar-adjacent animation and over-the-top effects. Based on a surprise trailer at Sony's latest State of Play, it seems like its sequel, Kena: Scars of Kosmora, could up the ante when it launches later this year.
Scars of Kosmora follows spirit guide Kena to a mysterious island called Kosmora, where a powerful spirit breaks her staff and forces her to embrace a new style of spirit guiding (and presumably a collection of new game mechanics). Like the first game, Scars of Kosmora looks to be filled with lush visuals and cute Spirit Companions, but also a surprising amount of boss battles. Developer Ember Lab's new trailer heavily emphasizes the game's updated combat, which seems like it'll play a big role in the sequel.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, it sounds like manipulating the elements will also be a major focus. "We’ve added new elemental gameplay to bring strategy and depth when facing the threats of Kosmora," developer Ember Lab says. "These new combat skills, elemental infusions and use of your Spirit Companions will be key to overcoming challenging encounters and epic boss fights."
Kena: Scars of Kosmora is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/kena-scars-of-kosmora-is-coming-out-later-this-year-224006963.html?src=rssGhost of Yotei's multiplayer expansion arrives March 10
Ghost of Yotei’s forthcoming Legends multiplayer expansion will arrive early next month, Sony announced today during its latest State of Play presentation. As in Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll be able to play the mode with up to three other people online. Players can each choose from one of four classes — samurai, archer, mercenary and shinobi — who excel in different combat scenarios. All four classes can wield a katana and bow, but then they also have access to special weapons and skills. For example, the samurai can wield the odachi, giving them a sweeping move set against groups of enemies. You’ll need to use teamwork and your class’s abilities to take down demonic versions of the Yotei Six.
The mode will arrive alongside the game’s 1.5 patch, and will be free for all Ghost of Yotei owners. At launch, players can look forward to three different mission types. In survival, you’ll be tasked with fighting off increasingly difficult enemies. In story mode, meanwhile, you and one other player will need to complete a series of 12 missions to unlock the expansion’s incursion mode, which will see you siege a fortress belonging to a member of Yotei Six. At first, there will be four strongholds for players to conquer, with a later April patch adding the final bosses.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ghost-of-yoteis-multiplayer-expansion-arrives-march-10-223842684.html?src=rssThe best wireless earbuds for 2026
Wireless earbuds are now the default option for everyday listening, whether you’re heading out for a commute, fitting in a workout or just watching videos at home. The best wireless earbuds combine reliable connectivity, comfortable fits and sound quality that holds up across music, calls and podcasts, all without the hassle of cables. Most are small enough to disappear into a pocket and pair quickly with phones, tablets and laptops.
What sets one pair apart from another often comes down to priorities. Some earbuds lean heavily on active noise cancellation, while others focus on long battery life, compact charging cases or lower prices. Features like water resistance, customizable controls and app support can also make a real difference day to day. This guide breaks down the best wireless earbuds available now to help you find the right match for how you listen.
Best wireless earbuds of 2026
What to look for in the best wireless earbuds
When it comes to shopping for earphones, the first thing to consider is design or wear style. Do you prefer a semi-open fit like AirPods or do you want something that completely closes off your ears? If you’re shopping for earbuds with active noise cancellation, you'll want the latter, but a case can be made for the former if you want to wear them all day or frequent places where you need to be tuned in to the ambient sounds. The overall shape of earbuds can determine whether you get a comfortable fit, so can the size and weight, so you’ll want to consider all that before deciding. And remember: audio companies aren’t perfect, so despite lots of research, the earbud shape they decided on may not fit you well. Don’t be afraid to return ill-fitting earbuds for something that’s more comfortable.
As wireless earbuds have become the norm, they’re now more reliable for basic things like consistent Bluetooth connectivity. Companies are still in a race to pack as much as they can into increasingly smaller designs. This typically means a longer list of features on the more premium sets of earbuds with basic functionality on the cheapest models. Carefully consider what you can’t live without when selecting your next earbuds, and make sure key items like automatic pausing and multipoint connectivity are on the spec sheet. You’ll also want to investigate the volume and touch controls as you’ll often have to sacrifice access to something else to make that adjustment via on-board taps or swipes. Some earbuds even offer app settings to tweak the audio profiles or firmware updates to improve performance over time.
For those in the Apple ecosystem, features like auto-pairing with devices, especially with AirPods Pro 3, can be an added advantage, while Android users may want to look for models that offer similar cross-device functionality.
When it comes to battery life, the average set of earbuds lasts about five hours on a single charge. You can find sets that last longer, but this is likely enough to get you through a work day if you’re docking the buds during lunch or the occasional meeting. You’ll want to check on how many extra charges are available via the case and if it supports wireless charging.
Companies will also make lofty claims about call quality on wireless earbuds. Despite lots of promises, the reality is most earbuds still leave you sounding like you’re on speakerphone. There are some sets that deliver, but don’t get your hopes up unless reviews confirm the claims.
Sound can be subjective, so we recommend trying before you buy if at all possible. This is especially true if you're an audiophile. We understand this isn’t easy when most of us do a lot of shopping online, but trying on a set of earbuds and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from an expensive case of buyer's remorse. If a store doesn’t allow a quick demo, most retailers have return policies that will let you take earbuds back you don’t like. Of course, you have to be willing to temporarily part with funds in order to do this.
We also recommend paying attention to things like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio and other immersive formats. Not all earbuds support them, so you’ll want to make sure a perspective pair does if that sort of thing excites you, especially if you plan to use them for playback of high-quality audio.
How we test wireless earbuds
The primary way we test earbuds is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one- to two-week period, but sometimes embargoes don’t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for earbuds is typically less than a full day, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent).
To judge audio quality, we listen to a range of genres, noting any differences in the sound profile across the styles. We also test at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. To assess call quality, we’ll record audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones as well as have third parties call us.
When it comes to features, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the earbuds we’re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older buds. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of earbuds that we review.
Other wireless Bluetooth earbuds we tested
Sony WF-1000XM6
Since we established this best wireless earbuds guide, Sony’s current 1000X model has consistently been the top pick. However, with the WF-1000XM6, there are two key areas where the company’s latest flagship set doesn’t measure up well versus the competition. Overall ANC performance lags behind Bose, and even Sony’s own WF-1000XM5. Speaking of the M5, the company did well there to address the issues I had with fit when it switched to foam ear tips on the WF-1000XM4, but it regressed in that area on the M6. There’s still plenty to like in terms of features and sound quality, but there are also caveats to consider now that could be dealbreakers.
Sony WF-C710N
The WF-C710N is a set of compact and comfy earbuds that offer several of Sony’s best features. While the ANC performance is above average for this price ($120), sound quality isn’t as good as the company’s slightly more expensive options. Battery life fell below stated figures and call performance isn’t good enough to use these buds for work.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
The newest version of the Powerbeats Pro have an improved, comfortable design, balanced bass and new H2 chips and a heart rate sensor inside. But heart rate support is currently limited on iOS.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
The Galaxy Buds 3 combine ANC with an open-type design, which renders the noise-blocking abilities of the earbuds mostly useless. Still, there’s great low-end tone with ample bass when a track demands it. There are also lots of handy features, most of which require a Samsung phone. But at this price, there are better options from Google, Beats and Sony
Sennheiser Momentum Sport
I really like the overall shape of the Momentum Sport earbuds. They’re more comfortable than the Momentum True Wireless 4 and fit in my ears better. What’s more, the body temperature and heart rate sensors work well, sending those stats to a variety of apps. However, that sport-tracking feature works best with Polar’s app and devices, so there’s that consideration. Also, the audio quality and ANC performance isn’t as good as the MTW4, and these earbuds are pricey.
Beats Solo Buds
There’s a lot to like about the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the primary perk is they’re very comfortable to wear for long periods of time thanks to some thoughtful design considerations. You only get the basics here in terms of features and, as expected, the overall sound quality isn’t as good as the pricier models in the Beats lineup. You will get 18 hours of battery life though, since the company nixed the battery in the case and beefed up the listening time in the buds themselves.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Bose created something very unique for this set of earbuds that allows you to stay in-tune with the world while listening to audio content. The clip-on design is very comfortable, but sound quality suffers due to the open-type fit, especially when it comes to bass and spatial audio.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7
These stick buds have a compact design that’s comfortable to wear and the warm sound profile is great at times. However, overall audio performance is inconsistent and there’s no automatic pausing.
Master & Dynamic MW09
Retooled audio, better ambient sound mode and reliable multipoint Bluetooth are the best things the MW09 has to offer. They’re expensive though, and you can find better ANC performance elsewhere.
Wireless earbud FAQs
What is considered good battery life for true wireless earbuds?
Most wireless earbuds will last five hours on a single charge, at the least. You can find some pairs that have even better battery life, lasting between six and eight hours before they need more juice. All of the best wireless earbuds come with a charging case, which will provide additional hours of battery life — but you'll have to return each bud to the case in order to charge them up.
Is sound quality better on headphones or earbuds?
Comparing sound quality on earbuds and headphones is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. There are a lot of variables to consider and the differences in components make a direct comparison difficult. Personally, I prefer the audio quality from over-ear headphones, but I can tell you the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 is also outstanding.
Which wireless earbuds have the longest battery life?
With new models coming out all the time, tracking the hours of battery life for each this can be difficult to keep tabs on. The longest-lasting earbuds we’ve reviewed are Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS5TW. The company states they last 15 hours, but the app was still showing 40 percent at that mark during our tests. The only downside is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and both technology and features have improved since. In terms of current models, Master & Dynamic’s MW08 offers 12 hours of use on a charge with ANC off (10 with ANC on) and JBL has multiple options with 10-hour batteries.
What wireless earbuds are waterproof?
There are plenty of options these days when it comes to increased water resistance. To determine the level of protection, you’ll want to look for an IP (ingress protection) rating. The first number indicates intrusion protection from things like dust. The second number is the level of moisture protection and you’ll want to make sure that figure is 7 or higher. At this water-resistance rating, earbuds can withstand full immersion for up to 30 minutes in depths up to one meter (3.28 feet). If either of the IP numbers is an X, that means it doesn’t have any special protection. For example, a pair of wireless earbuds that are IPX7 wouldn’t be built to avoid dust intrusion, but they would be ok if you dropped them in shallow water.
Which earbuds stay in ears the best?
A secure fit can vary wildly from person to person. All of our ears are different, so audio companies are designing their products to fit the most people they can with a single shape. This is why AirPods will easily fall out for some but stay put for others. Design touches like wing tips or fins typically come on fitness models and those elements can help keep things in place. You’ll likely just have to try earbuds on, and if they don’t fit well return them.
What wireless earbuds work with PS5?
PlayStation 5 doesn’t support Bluetooth audio without an adapter or dongle. Even Sony’s own gaming headsets come with a transmitter that connects to the console. There are universal options that allow you to use any headphones, headset or earbuds with a PS5. Once you have one, plug it into a USB port on the console and pair your earbuds with it.
Recent updates
February 2026: Updated to include new top picks.
January 2026: Updated to ensure our top picks have remained the same.
September 2025: Updated to add AirPods Pro 3 to our top picks.
May 2025: Updated to ensure top picks and buying advice remain accurate.
March 2025: Updated the top pick for the best sounding wireless earbuds - runner up.
January 2025: Updated the top pick for best sounding wireless earbuds.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-wireless-earbuds-120058222.html?src=rssEU reportedly opens another probe into Google's ads pricing
The European Commission has opened a new probe into Google, this time focused on the company's massive online advertising business, Bloomberg reports. European Union regulators have already fined Google billions for violating the Digital Markets Act, and being found guilty of anticompetitive behavior in online advertising could add to that total.
While the Commission has yet to announce a formal investigation, Bloomberg writes that it has started contacting Google's customers and competitors for information about its dominance across multiple online advertising markets. Regulators are particularly concerned that Google could be "artificially increasing the clearing price" of ad auctions "to the detriment of advertisers." If the company is found to be violating the EU's competition rules, Google could be fined 10 percent of its global annual sales.
Google's approach to advertising to minors was reportedly already under investigation by the EU as of December 2024, and besides fines, regulators have ordered the company to open up Android to competing AI assistants and share search data with rivals. In the US, there's also precedent for finding Google's approach to online advertising anticompetitive.
A US federal judge found that Google is a monopolist in online advertising in April 2025, the conclusion of a legal battle that started with a Department of Justice lawsuit accusing the company of dominating the ad market and using its control to charge more and keep a larger portion of ad sales. The DOJ ultimately wants Google to sell its ad tech business, but a final decision hasn't been reached as to how the company's anticompetitive behavior should be remedied.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/eu-reportedly-opens-another-probe-into-googles-ads-pricing-194435095.html?src=rssAntitrust head overseeing Netflix-Warner merger resigns
The head of the antitrust division is out at the US Department of Justice. Gail Slater, a former JD Vance adviser and Fox Corp VP, reportedly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Their longstanding feud is said to have centered around Slater's skepticism of corporate mergers.
"It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as [Assistant Attorney General] for Antitrust today," Slater posted on X. "It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role."
Although Slater technically resigned, The Guardian reports that she was forced out. The fallout was said to be over her differences with Bondi (who just yesterday yelled, insulted and deflected her way through a hearing over the DOJ's stonewalling of the Epstein files). In recent weeks, Bondi reportedly reiterated to the White House that Slater's views on the antitrust division's direction made the pair's relationship irreconcilable.
The tensions reportedly began simmering last summer, when Slater sought to block the merger between Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks. She opposed the deal out of concerns that it would create a duopoly in cloud computing and wireless networking. In addition, Slater reportedly told Bondi that US intelligence hadn't raised any concerns about blocking the merger. However, CIA Director John Ratcliffe later claimed that blocking it would pose national security risks because it could lead to the loss of business to China. The Trump administration's merger-friendly DOJ ultimately approved the deal.
Alongside Bondi, Slater was overseeing the DOJ's review of Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. In December, Trump said he would be involved in the regulatory review. That followed intense lobbying by Netflix and Paramount, the latter of which launched a hostile takeover bid. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the department was investigating whether Netflix was involved in anticompetitive practices during the process.
Slater's ousting also comes weeks ahead of the DOJ's antitrust trial against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation. The department's lawsuit was filed during the Biden administration. It claims that Live Nation is operating as a monopoly, harming competition, fans, industry promoters and artists.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/antitrust-head-overseeing-netflix-warner-merger-resigns-192854114.html?src=rssSurfshark VPN is offering up to 87 percent off two-year plans
Surfshark’s One plan is heavily discounted right now, with an 87-percent discount on the two-year package, plus three extra months. The promo price comes out to $2.29 per month, or $62 for the first 27 months.
We’ve generally liked Surfshark as a straightforward, speedy service for everyday use, and it’s one of the picks in our guide to the best VPNs. In our Surfshark review, we found it delivered excellent speeds overall and reliably unblocked Netflix across most of our test servers, which makes this long-term deal worth a look if you want a VPN deal that also includes extras like antivirus, breach alerts and private search.
In our Surfshark review, the VPN stood out for its excellent performance and approachable design, especially for people who want strong protection without constantly tweaking settings. During testing, it delivered some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen from a major VPN, with average download speeds dropping by just over five percent worldwide. Upload speeds also held up well, making it a solid option for streaming, browsing and everyday use. We gave Surfshark an overall score of 87 out of 100 and called it one of the best VPNs for casual users.
This deal focuses on the Surfshark One plan, which bundles the VPN with a suite of extra security tools. In addition to the VPN itself, you get Alternative ID for masking your email and personal details, antivirus protection, breach monitoring through Surfshark Alert and a private search engine. It also supports unlimited simultaneous device connections, so you can protect all of your devices with a single subscription.
Right now, the Surfshark One plan is discounted by 86 percent, bringing the price down to $67 total for two years plus three extra months. That works out to $2.49 per month for the first 27 months, billed upfront, with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind.
If you want to compare it against other top services before committing, you can also check out our full Surfshark VPN review and our best VPN guide to see how it stacks up. We’ll be keeping our best VPN deals roundup updated regularly, too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/surfshark-vpn-is-offering-up-to-87-percent-off-two-year-plans-123000279.html?src=rss1,200 Ubisoft workers strike in response to layoffs
At the end of last month, Ubisoft workers in the publisher’s native France threatened to strike in the wake of sweeping layoffs and cost-cutting measures. This week, they made good on those threats. According to GamesIndustry.biz, union members confirmed that at least 1,200 staff participated in the three-day strike, which was due to run from February 10 to February 12.
While the strike action primarily took place in France, GamesIndustry.biz was told that Ubisoft’s Milan office also took part. The union Solidaires Informatique, which represents French workers from a number of companies in the video game sector, including Blizzard and Ubisoft, had previously called for strikes to take place on January 27. Their demands included a 10 percent increase on all salaries and the implementation of a 4-day work week.
Some striking employees held up signs outside Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters, with one (pictured) wearing a Rabbids mask to hide their face. Their grievances are wide-ranging. As well as reportedly laying off hundreds of employees already in 2026, Ubisoft also introduced a mandate for its staff to return to work on site for five days a week. One employee who publicly voiced their disapproval of the new policy was reportedly fired for doing so.
Ubisoft has had a rocky start to 2026 on the software side too. The long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was among six games canceled by the struggling publisher last month, when it also confirmed several studio closures as part of the company’s organizational restructuring.
Update, Feb. 12 2026, 12:39PM ET: "We understand these changes, particularly those affecting work organization, are generating strong feelings," Ubisoft wrote in a statement shared with Engadget. "Since the announcement, we have held a series of discussions and information sessions at multiple levels to help teams better understand the new organization and to give them the opportunity to share their questions and concerns." The company added that it "remains committed to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with employees and employee representatives.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/1200-ubisoft-workers-went-on-strike-in-response-to-company-restructuring-and-mandatory-return-to-work-policy-163714986.html?src=rssHow to get F1TV with your Apple TV subscription
Last year Apple secured the exclusive rights to broadcast Formula 1 racing in the United States from 2026 to 2030. Apple TV subscribers can now watch every practice and qualifying session as well as every sprint and Grand Prix of a race weekend on the F1TV app by linking their Apple account.
Right now, those with an existing F1TV subscription will still see an active status in their "my subscription" page on desktop that shows the plan's renewal date. However, after logging in via Apple with an Apple TV subscription, a second active F1TV subscription appears with an Apple TV logo and the label "Official U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1." Users are advised to cancel the duplicate subscription they had directly with F1TV, which can be done in the F1TV app.
For those that don't have an existing F1TV account, simply create one and activate it using your Apple account. Users who don't pay for Apple TV can still view "select races" and practice sessions throughout the season.
Apple has yet to release precise details on what content will be viewable from within the Apple TV app compared to the F1TV app, where users are accustomed to features like multi-view, onboard cameras, live team radios and live timing and telemetry. With the first race of the F1 season kicking off March 7 in Australia, we should have these answers soon.
Fans can currently check out preseason testing taking place in Bahrain this week and next through the F1TV app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-get-f1tv-with-your-apple-tv-subscription-171534300.html?src=rssApple Vision Pro finally gets a YouTube app today
Apple’s Vision Pro is a curious product — it initially wowed me two years ago, but it was hard to ignore that the visionOS platform felt incomplete without dedicated apps for YouTube and Netflix. Well, it seems that Google has finally decided to take the Vision Pro seriously, as it’s launching a YouTube app on the platform today. Previously, you could only view YouTube videos via Safari, or through third-party apps like Tubular Pro.
According to an Apple representative, the YouTube Vision Pro app features every video on on the service, including shorts, 360, 3D and VR 180 content. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but it certainly couldn’t be worse than trying to navigate through YouTube’s desktop app via finger gestures. Now that Google is spinning up its Android XR ecosystem, the company probably couldn’t avoid the Vision Pro for long. And don’t forget, we may also see a cheaper Vision Air next year.
Your move, Netflix.
Highguard studio lays off 'most' of its team just weeks after the game went live
Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind Highguard, has laid off many staffers. Level designer Alex Graner wrote in a LinkedIn post that the layoffs impacted "most of the team." The company says it's keeping a "core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game." That sounds like a skeleton crew.
Today we made an incredibly difficult decision to part ways with a number of our team members while keeping a core group of developers to continue innovating on and supporting the game.
— Wildlight Entertainment (@WildlightEnt) February 12, 2026
We're proud of the team, talent, and the product we've created together. We're also grateful…
Highguard is an arena shooter with an impressive pedigree. The team included many Apex Legends and Titanfall developers. The title was first announced as a "one more thing" surprise during the 2025 Game Awards, which was met with a lukewarm response by those looking for something a bit more exciting to close out the show.
The game was released at the end of January, but the response to the final game was also a bit tepid. However, Wildlight proved quick to make adjustments based on player feedback. That's not always the case.
Despite the company's efforts, the concurrent player count on Steam quickly dropped from around 100,000 to under 3,000 (where it sits right now.) It looks like that dwindling player count has now translated to massive layoffs just weeks after the initial release. Wildlight says it's "grateful for players who gave the game a shot, and those who continue to be a part of our community."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/highguard-studio-lays-off-most-of-its-team-just-weeks-after-the-game-went-live-165919815.html?src=rssHow to watch PlayStation's hour-long State of Play and what to expect
PlayStation’s first State of Play of the year is shaping up to be quite newsworthy. While Sony hasn’t revealed too much about what it will show off (with one notable exception), the stream is slated to last for over an hour, so there should be at least some interesting stuff. The showcase will get underway at 5PM ET on February 12. You can click the play button on the YouTube video above to watch the State of Play in English when the time is right.
The PlayStation YouTube channel is hosting alternative versions of the stream. One has English subtitles and the other is in Japanese. Otherwise, you can react to all the reveals live in Twitch chat.
The showcase will include “news, gameplay updates and announcements from game studios across the globe,” Sony said. It will “spotlight eye-catching third-party and indie games headed to PS5, along with the latest from teams at PlayStation Studios.”
Sony’s slate of first-party games has been relatively slim over the last few years, but the company is preparing to release a trio of them over the next couple of months. It’s likely that all three of those (Saros, Marathon and MLB The Show 26) will make appearances during the State of Play. Bungie has confirmed that Marathon will definitely be in the mix, though it dispelled rumors that another playtest for the extraction shooter will take place this weekend.
There are positive signs for news on the Silent Hill front as well. Konami has scheduled a Silent Hill Transmission presentation for 7PM on Thursday, which is soon after the State of Play wraps up. That stream will include new information about Silent Hill: Townfall, which was announced all the way back in 2022, but we could get a peek at that game during the State of Play too.
Elsewhere, we may get an update on Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, a nifty looking tag-fighting game from Arc System Works that Sony is publishing. That’s slated to arrive this year on PS5 and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). A recent update to the game’s Steam page — which was quickly reverted — revealed that the game will have 20 fighters at the outset, with more to come. The timing of the leak suggests that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls may well show up during the State of Play.
However, Marvel’s Wolverine, which is set to arrive this fall, may not be featured during this particular State of Play. Developer Insomniac Games indicated on X that it would reveal more details about the game this spring. However, that doesn’t entirely preclude Sony from featuring the game at Thursday’s showcase. Perhaps we’ll get even a release date, given that GTA VI (a game that most publishers will want to stay very far away from) now actually seems to be on track to arrive in November.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/how-to-watch-playstations-hour-long-state-of-play-and-what-to-expect-162128585.html?src=rssGet two years of Proton VPN for 70 percent off right now
Proton VPN is offering a steep discount on its Proton VPN Plus subscription, with the two-year plan currently priced at $2.99 per month. You’ll pay $72 upfront for 24 months of service, which amounts to 70 percent off the usual monthly rate and brings the long-term cost well below what many premium VPNs typically charge.
We’ve consistently been impressed by Proton VPN’s focus on privacy, its nonprofit ownership structure and the way it balances security features with strong real-world speeds. It’s a top pick in our best VPN guide, and this promotion also appears in our running list of the best VPN deals. If you’re planning to commit to a VPN for the long haul, this pricing makes Proton VPN Plus one of the more compelling options available right now.
In our Proton VPN review, the service impressed us with consistently fast performance and strong privacy protections. We measured average download speeds at 88 percent of our unprotected connection and upload speeds at 98 percent, which is more than enough for 4K streaming, gaming and torrenting. It also unblocked Netflix in every region we tested, and while its Mac and iOS apps aren’t quite as polished as the Windows and Android versions, the service is still easy to install and largely set-it-and-forget-it across platforms. We gave Proton VPN a score of 90 out of 100.
Proton VPN Plus is the company’s premium tier and includes access to its full server network, which now spans more than 15,000 servers across 120-plus countries. A single subscription covers up to 10 devices at once and unlocks features like NetShield ad and malware blocking, Secure Core “double hop” connections, split tunneling, custom DNS controls and priority customer support. Proton VPN Plus also supports fast P2P traffic on nearly all paid servers and includes VPN Accelerator, which helps maintain high speeds over long-distance connections.
Right now, Proton VPN Plus is discounted to $2.99 per month when you commit to two years, billed as $72 upfront for the first 24 months. After that, the plan renews annually at $83.88. That’s a 70 percent discount compared to the standard monthly rate. As with Proton’s other paid plans, the subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free if you’re not ready to lock in long term.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-two-years-of-proton-vpn-for-70-percent-off-right-now-123000652.html?src=rssSony WF-1000XM6 review: Facing tougher competition
Sony’s 1000X earbuds have been at the top of Engadget’s best wireless earbuds list since we first published it. With each new generation, the company managed to retain its crown, primarily thanks to a massive collection of features and an effective mix of sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) performance. Today, Sony revealed the latest entry in the series, the WF-1000XM6, delivering yet another redesign both inside and out. The company’s tried and true formula of features and audio performance remains, but it may no longer be enough to elevate the M6 above the competition.
Design
For the third time in a row, Sony overhauled the 1000X earbuds’ design. While the WF-1000XM5 was a clear revision of the WF-1000XM4, the M6 is a departure from both of them. The company managed to reduce overall size even further by using a rounder, pill-shaped enclosure for the earbuds’ main housing. I certainly applaud Sony for making these as tiny as possible, but I’m still not a fan of the company’s foam ear tips.
Sony introduced foam ear tips on the 1000XM4 earbuds and that led to an unstable fit during my testing. In fact, I ended up switching to the silicone M3 tips for a better feel. Things were slightly better on the M5, but the company regressed here on the M6. I tried every size of ear tips in the box and the fit test in the Sound Connect app only ever confirmed an air-tight seal in my right ear. This can impact sound quality and ANC performance, and the earbuds don’t feel like they’re sitting far enough inside my ears. I never got used to the fit in my three weeks of testing.
The exterior panel of the WF-1000XM6 is still touch sensitive, accepting a variety of taps for playback controls, calls, noise settings and more. Sony also included a repeated tapping gesture that’s used for volume control. Keep tapping on the right earbud to raise the volume and do so on the left to lower it. My disdain for touch controls is well-documented at this point, but the M6 reliably and quickly responded without me having to repeat a tap sequence.
WF-1000XM6 features
As is typically the case with its 1000X earbuds, Sony has loaded the M6 with features. Nearly all of these are holdovers from previous models, including Adaptive Sound Control that can automatically adjust settings based on your activity or location. Speak-to-Chat still pauses audio and activates ambient sound when you start talking, but it’s also still easily duped by coughs or clearing your throat. A quick access feature can put Amazon Music, Apple Music, Endel, Spotify and YouTube Music two or three taps away, depending on how you configure it.
The M6 earbuds also allow you to accept and reject calls with head gestures and you’ll have the option to pipe in your own voice during a call. Sony retained its existing option of operating the earbuds with voice commands: If you say “Assistant,” you can then ask it to play, pause, skip and replay songs. It will also adjust the volume for you, but that’s the extent of its abilities.
Sony included some handy power management features as well. First, there’s an Auto Power Save mode that will disable any custom EQ settings, DSEE Extreme upscaling, Speak-to-Chat and voice control/voice assistant to reduce power consumption when the M6 hits 20 percent battery remaining. A Battery Care tool will extend the life of the earbuds’ battery by stopping charging before it reaches 100 percent. Lastly, Automatic Power Off will turn the earbuds off when they’re outside of the case and haven’t been worn for some time.
Basic conveniences like multipoint Bluetooth, wireless charging and IPX4 water resistance are also here. Wear detection is onboard and you can use Sony’s EQ presets to alter the sound profile, or make your own and save them for future use. The Sound Connect app puts the battery levels of the individual earbuds and the case front and center, and you can edit the main screen to hide the features displayed there if you don’t need them.
Sound quality and ANC performance
If Sony’s long list of features is its top advantage over the competition, overall sound quality is number two. For the WF-1000XM6, the company built new drivers with soft edges for deeper bass and a more rigid, lightweight dome for clearer treble. There are also notches around the edges for “clearer and smoother” sound quality overall, according to Sony. And of course, DSEE Extreme upscaling helps to recover details lost to compression while 360 Reality Audio and Spatial Sound Optimization are available for more immersive listening.
I found the M6 earbuds at their best with the stock EQ and DSEE Extreme active, much like I have on previous 1000X models. The sound is deep and warm, with thick bass that’s adequate without ever overpowering the mix. Highs cut through and there’s ample midrange, keeping those finer details from getting lost. Erika de Casier’s atmospheric Lifetime is a great example of what the WF-1000XM6 can do. Vocals seem to float over the top of the bassline and drums, with percussive piano chopping though and subtle synth details popping up throughout. When strings arrive on “Seasons,” the M6 ushers them into a prominent position rather than relegating them behind the beat.
On the WF-1000XM6, the chaos of Spiritbox’s “Holy Roller” doesn’t get condensed to a messy heavy metal roar either. And there’s plenty of texture in the synth-driven noise of Nine Inch Nails’ “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” Even more straightforward rock tracks like Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American” have ample punch, with a wide soundstage that never feels claustrophobic or sounds compressed. Overall, the WF-1000XM6 holds its own against the best-sounding earbuds you can buy right now, though some of the competition, like Technics, have an edge in the way they handle the subtlest of nuances in songs.
If you were hoping for knock-out ANC abilities, I must report that the WF-1000XM6 isn’t the noise-canceling powerhouse that is Bose’s QC Ultra Earbuds. The M6 struggles mightily with human voices. While that’s the downfall of many ANC earbuds, you’ll want to keep it in mind if you plan to wear these in the office. I found I could also still hear constant noise sources like fans and white noise machines when wearing the M6 — items that the QC Ultra Earbuds combat effectively.
Using the WF-1000XM6 for calls
For calls, Sony says the M6 uses AI for both background noise reduction and voice capture with the beamforming microphones. What’s more, the earbuds are equipped with eight total mics for ANC and calls, plus bone conduction tech for improved voice pickup. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t lead to stellar performance during calls. While the WF-1000XM6 is perfectly usable for voice and video calls, the overall quality is far from pristine. To make matters worse, the earbuds make you sound overly processed when you encounter significant background noise. Since the company prided itself on the upgrades here, the results are disappointing.
Battery life
Sony says the WF-1000XM6 will last up to eight hours on a charge or 24 hours when you factor in the full longevity of the charging case. During a battery test that I mostly ran with ANC active, I had no trouble hitting that single-charge figure. That’s with the volume around 75-80 percent and includes calls and virtual meetings where I switched over to ambient sound mode.
It’s worth noting that I had DSEE Extreme upscaling active the entire time, which can impact battery life. Plus, if you use the aforementioned Auto Power Save mode, you can extend play time when you have about a quarter of a tank left. Going without some of the M6’s best features in the interest of having tunes for a workout or commute is a fair trade in my book.
The competition
When sizing up the competition for the WF-1000XM6, you have to choose your priorities. Simply put, no other company offers the comprehensive suite of features that Sony does. That’s been true for a while now and it continues with this model. If you want the strongest active noise cancellation, that will be Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. If the best sound quality is your goal, the Technics AZ100 is your best bet in this price range. I’ll also mention Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4 which offers great sound quality, respectable ANC and a comfier fit than the M6, but that set is almost two years old at this point.
Wrap-up
Sony continues its run of great earbuds with the WF-1000XM6, but this model isn’t the polished package that some of its predecessors were. The two most obvious places the company is lagging behind the competition is ANC performance and overall voice quality, not to mention my continued dissatisfaction with the fit that Sony’s foam tips provide. The M6 is also more expensive than the previous version was at launch, which makes it even harder to overlook any flaws. What you will get on the WF-1000XM6 is a ton of features, great sound quality and reliable touch controls in a smaller package. And for some, that might be enough to make you forget about the rest.
The WF-1000XM6 is available today in silver and black for $330.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-wf-1000xm6-review-facing-tougher-competition-160000652.html?src=rssPresidents' Day sales 2026: The best tech deals to shop this week from Apple, Sony, Samsung and others
Presidents’ Day is a great time to buy appliances, mattresses and furniture as they are often on sale for the holiday. Tech also gets discounted around this time, but you have to do a bit more digging to find actually good deals. And this year, Presidents’ Day comes right after Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl 2026, which means there are some overlapping sales to consider. If you don’t want to sort through the mess of bad deals out there, Engadget has you covered. We’re curating the best President Day sales on tech we can find right here. We’ll update this post through the holiday as more deals become available.
Presidents’ Day deals under $50
Disney+ and Hulu bundle (one month) for $10 ($3 off): You can get one month of Disney+ and Hulu access for only $10 right now. That represents a small savings over the standard $13-per-month price for the bundle, but a 58-percent discount when you compare it to the price of paying for both services separately. It’s a good way to test out the bundle without paying too much before you decide if you want to subscribe for the long haul.
Anker Nano 45W USB-C charger for $30 ($10 off): Anker’s latest 45W charger has a small smart display on it that can show you real-time charging stats. It’s compact design is great for travel, as are its foldable prongs.
Waterpik cordless rechargeable water flosser for $40 (20 percent off): A water flosser like this one can make it easier (and less painful in some cases) to floss your teeth on the regular. This model from Waterpik includes two interchangeable tips and has two pressure settings. Its battery life should last up to four weeks with regular use as well.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 ($20 off): Amazon’s most premium streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6E. You may even be able to get it for $10 less than the sale price listed, for a final price of $30, when using the code MAX4KFTV at checkout.
Blink Mini 2K+ — 2 cameras for $45 (50 percent off): Blink’s latest plug-in security cameras support 2K video and improved audio quality. Like previous versions, these cameras have two-way talk, motion alerts and support for Alexa voice commands.
Anker Nano 5K ultra-slim magnetic power bank for $46 (16 percent off): This Qi2 power bank measures less than a half inch thick and snaps onto the backs of the latest iPhones for wireless charging. Its 5K capacity will be enough to top up your phone when it’s close to empty, preventing you from searching for a charger or outlet.
Presidents’ Day deals on Apple devices
Apple iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack for $79 (20 percent off): This magnetic power bank will add up to 65 percent additional battery charge to the iPhone Air, but note that it only works with Apple’s new, ultra-slim smartphone. We’ve tested plenty of others that also work with other iPhone and smartphone models.
Apple Magic Mouse for $68 (14 percent off): Apple’s sleek wireless mouse has a multi-touch surface that supports gesture control, and its battery should last about a month in between charges. And yes, it has a USB-C port.
Apple Watch Series 11 for $299 ($100 off): The latest flagship Apple Watch has excellent performance, a boosted battery life and a lightweight design that you can comfortably wear all day long — and even into the night to track sleep.
iPad mini (A17 Pro ) for $399 ($100 off): The updated iPad mini runs on the A17 Pro chip for improved performance, plus it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a 12MP ultra wide camera with Center Stage, USB-C charging and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro.
Beats Studio Pro for $170 (51 percent off): Beats updated these cans to have improved sound quality, and you can really hear the difference from models that came before it. These headphones also have solid Transparency mode, good voice performance and USB-C audio.
Beats Solo 4 headphones for $130 (35 percent off): These on-ear headphones support spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, and they have up to 50 hours of battery life. The “fast fuel” feature allows them to get up to five hours of playback time with just a quick 10-minute power-up.
Beats Studio Buds+ for $100 (41 percent off): These tiny buds have both active noise cancellation and transparency mode, and they’ll work just as well with either Apple or Android devices.
More Presidents’ Day deals on tech
Ring Battery Doorbell for $60 (40 percent off)
Logitech MX Master 3S for $80 (20 percent off)
Levoit Core 300-P air purifier for $85 (15 percent off)
Sony WH-CH720N wireless headphones for $94 (48 percent off)
MasterClass Premium (one year) for $120 (50 percent off)
Shark Steam & Scrub steam mop for $125 (22 percent off)
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds for $179 (22 percent off)
Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar for $369 ($130 off)
Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini-LED 4K smart TV for $548 (16 percent off)
DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo drone bundle for $575 (20 percent off)
Breville Barista Touch espresso machine for $800 ($200 off)
Motorola Razer Ultra (2025) for $800 (38 percent off)
Google Pixel 10 Pro for $849 (23 percent off)
Apple Presidents' Day sales: Get the Apple Watch Series 11 for $299, plus more deals
If you need a little help with your New Year's resolution to be more active, you can save on the latest Apple Watch right now. The Apple Watch Series 11 is on sale for $299 for Presidents' Day, which is $100 off and the lowest price we've seen. A number of other Apple devices are on sale for the holiday as well.
We named the Apple Watch Series 11 as our choice for best smartwatch overall. It scored a 90 in our review thanks to its 24 hours-plus of battery life and a thin, light design that's easy to wear. It also offers new health metrics, including Apple's hypertension alerts system and Sleep Score.
The Apple Watch Series 11 deal is available on the 42mm case with a small/medium band. It also only includes GPS and four colorways: the Jet Black and Space Gray aluminum cases with a Black sport band, the Rose Gold aluminum case with a Light Blush sport band and the Silver aluminum case with a Purple Fog sport band.
Among the other Presidents' Day Apple deals are mostly accessories: there are solid deals on AirPods, AirTags (the first-gen trackers, not the new, second-gen ones), the iPhone Air battery pack and even Apple's new crossbody straps that attach to the company's iPhone cases so you can essentially "wear" your iPhone like a bag. As with most Apple first-party accessories, you can find plenty of more affordable, third-party versions of them as alternatives. But if you're keen on outfitting your phone with Apple's own gear, it's best to wait for discounts like these. We've collected the best Presidents' Day sales on Apple gear below so you don't have to go searching for them.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-presidents-day-sales-get-the-apple-watch-series-11-for-299-plus-more-deals-151616971.html?src=rssOur favorite wireless headphones are down to a record-low price
Now's a great time to consider upgrading your wireless headphones since you can get our favorites at their best price yet. The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are down to $398, which is $62 off and the best discount we've seen since their debut. The sale applies to all three colorways.
These easily topped our list of the best wireless headphones. They are, in a word, fantastic. The headphones are packed with premium features, like advanced ANC. There are a whopping 12 ANC microphones throughout and a brand-new chip to power the feature. The end result? It successfully blocks background noise at medium and high frequencies, including the human voice.
The sound quality is extremely pleasing to the ears, thanks to new audio drivers and a team of mastering engineers that assisted with tuning. There are perforations in the driver's voice coil, which extends high frequency reproduction.
The design has been upgraded from the previous iteration and we found them extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time, which is important with headphones. The battery gets around 30 hours, which is a fairly standard metric for this type of thing.
The only real major nitpick here is the original asking price. It's tough to recommend any pair of headphones for $460, but a bit easier at under $400.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-wireless-headphones-are-down-to-a-record-low-price-175038190.html?src=rssThe Disney+ Hulu bundle is down to only $10 for one month
You have the best chance to save on streaming services during the holiday shopping season, but throughout the year, the occasional deal pops up that's worth considering. Case in point: this new Disney+ deal. New and eligible returning subscribers can sign up for the Disney+ Hulu bundle (with ads) for $10 for one month of access. That's $3 off the usual price of the bundle for one month, and more than 58 percent off if you consider the cost of each service individually (Disney+ at $12 per month and, separately, Hulu also at $12 per month).
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that this isn't quite as good as the Black Friday deal we saw last year, which offered the same bundle for $5 per month for one year. However, if you missed that offer or just want to try out Disney+ and Hulu for a brief period of time, this is a good way to do so.
Disney+ and Hulu make one of the most balanced streaming pairs available, blending family-friendly favorites with acclaimed originals and network TV staples. Disney+ brings a vast library of animated classics, blockbuster franchises and exclusive content from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic. It’s the place to stream nearly every Star Wars film and series, plus the full Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup and Disney’s most recent theatrical releases.
Hulu balances things out with a more adult-oriented lineup of current TV shows, next-day network episodes and a growing roster of award-winning originals. The platform hosts series like The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building, alongside comedies, thrillers and documentaries that regularly feature in awards conversations. It’s also the home for next-day streaming of ABC and FX shows, making it especially useful if you’ve already cut the cable cord but still want to keep up with primetime TV.
The Duo Basic bundle ties these two services together under a single subscription, offering a simple way to expand your library without juggling multiple accounts. This tier includes ads on both platforms, but the trade-off is significant savings compared with paying for each service separately. For many households, that’s an acceptable compromise when it means access to such a wide range of content.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-disney-hulu-bundle-is-down-to-only-10-for-one-month-192814350.html?src=rssAmazon's Send to Alexa+ feature arrives on Kindle Scribe and Scribe Colorsoft
Amazon is launching a feature that will add a new artificial intelligence layer to its writing tablets. "Send to Alexa+" is rolling out to the current generation of Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft devices. This concept was announced when Amazon first debuted the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft last fall, but the company said that the feature wouldn't be available until this year.
As the name implies, “Send to Alexa+” lets users share their notebooks and documents from their supported Kindle with the Alexa+ AI assistant, making their information accessible on other Amazon platforms, including Alexa.com and the Alexa app. Prime members and Alexa+ subscribers will also be able to reach their Kindle documents on Echo and Fire TV devices. Alexa+ will be able to perform additional tasks such as summarizing notes, creating to-do lists and adding either calendar items or reminders.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/amazons-send-to-alexa-feature-arrives-on-kindle-scribe-and-scribe-colorsoft-140000093.html?src=rssNVIDIA's GeForce Now app lands on Amazon Fire TV sticks
NVIDIA's cloud gaming service, GeForce Now, has expanded to another platform. Starting today, folks with select Amazon Fire TV sticks can install a native GeForce Now app. While it was already possible to access GeForce Now through the Fire TV platform, you won't necessarily need to sideload an Android app to do so anymore.
At the outset, the new app is compatible with the second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max (running Fire OS 8.1.6.0 and later). It also works with the original Fire TV Stick 4K Max if you're running Fire OS 7.7.1.1 or later.
On the Fire TV platform, GeForce Now streaming quality tops out at a resolution of 1080p and a frame rate of 60 fps, with SDR visuals, H.264 video encoding and stereo audio. So you won't necessarily get the best GeForce Now experience here as the service has support for up to 5K resolution and up to 360 fps, along with HDR10 and 7.1 audio at the highest tier. But it's not a bad option if you already have the right hardware. You'll need a controller too, of course.
NVIDIA announced the GeForce Now app for Fire TV during CES last month. It joins other cloud gaming services on the Fire TV platform, including Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC Game Pass titles are available on GeForce Now as well) and Amazon's own Luna.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nvidias-geforce-now-app-lands-on-amazon-fire-tv-sticks-140000516.html?src=rssGet Elevation Lab's 10-year extended battery case for AirTag for only $16 for Presidents' Day
AirTags are basically an essential accessory for iPhone users who want to keep track of things like their keys, wallet and backpack. While it's easy enough to replace the battery in both versions of the AirTag, you may not want to have to rush to do so at the end of the battery's roughly two-year lifespan. That's where Elevation Lab's extended battery case for the AirTag comes in, and it's heavily discounted right now: it's 30 percent off and down to $16.
The case usually sells for $23, so that's a 30 percent discount. It's not the first time we've seen this deal, but it's a pretty decent one all the same.
This is arguably one of the more useful AirTag accessories around for certain use cases. It won't exactly be helpful for an AirTag that you put in a wallet or attach to your keys, as it's too bulky for such a purpose — and it doesn't have a hole for a keyring anyway. Still, if you're looking for an AirTag case that you can place in a suitcase or backpack and not have to touch for years, this could be the ticket.
Elevation Lab says that, when you place a couple of AA batteries in the case, it can extend the tracker's battery life to as much as 10 years (the brand recommends using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries for best results). The AirTag is slated to run for over a year on its standard CR2032 button cell.
The case gives the AirTag more protection as well. It's sealed with four screws and it has a IP69 waterproof rating. What's more, it doesn't ostensibly look like an AirTag case, so someone who steals an item with one inside is perhaps less likely to realize that the object they pilfered is being tracked.
There are some other downsides, though. Since the AirTag is locked inside a case, the sound it emits will be muffled. Elevation Lab says the device's volume will be about two-thirds the level of a case-free AirTag. However, the second-gen AirTag is louder than its predecessor, which should mitigate that issue somewhat.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-elevation-labs-10-year-extended-battery-case-for-airtag-for-only-16-for-presidents-day-151215232.html?src=rssMasterClass deal: Get half off subscriptions ahead of Presidents' Day
MasterClass is offering 50 percent off its annual memberships right now, cutting the cost of its plans in half for a limited time. That brings the Premium tier down to $10 per month when billed yearly, while the Plus and Standard plans are also discounted to $8 monthly and $5 monthly, respectively. Each tier unlocks the full catalog of classes, with the main differences coming down to how many devices can stream at once and whether offline viewing is included.
There are more than 200 classes on MasterClass now, and many are led by big names at the top of their fields. Depending on your interests, you might pick up cooking tips from Gordon Ramsay, learn storytelling from Margaret Atwood, explore business strategy with Richard Branson or get insights into performance and mindset from athletes and entertainers. The catalog spans everything from film and TV to wellness, music, science, leadership and photography, so it’s easy to dip in and find something that holds your attention.
Over the years, MasterClass has expanded into a broad learning platform that feels like part streaming service and part educational library. The catalog spans categories like food, film, music, wellness, sports and entrepreneurship, with lessons designed to be short and easy to follow. Since every plan includes access to the full course library, the choice mostly comes down to convenience. The Standard tier supports one device and doesn’t include offline mode, the Plus plan allows streaming on two devices with downloads, and the Premium tier increases that to six devices with offline access as well.
Classes are structured to be approachable whether you want to learn a new skill or just explore a topic out of curiosity. Lessons are broken into bite-sized segments, so it’s easy to watch one or two at a time on a commute or in the evening. Members also get access to a global community, occasional newsletters and the ability to switch between video and audio listening on supported classes.
If you’ve been considering trying MasterClass, this deal makes it a more affordable way to see if it works for you. A subscription can also double as a thoughtful gift, which is one reason it has appeared in Engadget’s roundup of the best subscription gifts to send to loved ones. With the current 50 percent discount applied across all tiers, it’s a relatively low-cost way to get access to a large library of professionally produced courses that you can watch at your own pace throughout the year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-get-half-off-subscriptions-ahead-of-presidents-day-130500563.html?src=rssApple's Siri relaunch is reportedly behind schedule
Apple’s long-delayed AI-powered Siri redesign may not be rolling out this year, at least in the way the company had planned. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple found problems with its software upon testing, such as the virtual assistant taking too long to accomplish tasks or even not processing queries properly altogether. Siri’s new version was also reportedly so sluggish during testing that its developers believed Apple would have to push back its launch by months. Instead of releasing the redesigned assistant in March as was previously reported, Gurman says Apple will roll out its capabilities piecemeal over future software updates.
The company originally unveiled the redesigned Siri back in 2024, promising an AI-powered assistant that can do tasks for you, such as finding specific photos or tracking details, adding information to contact cards, editing photos and sharing note summaries to be sent as emails. It was slated to make its way to iOS users in 2025, but Apple announced that year that it was going to be delayed. “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year,” the company said. Bloomberg reported back then that the new AI-infused Siri was going to be included in a planned iOS 26.4 update due in March instead. Based on this latest report, however, we might only get a portion of Siri’s new capabilities next month. More capabilities could be released with iOS 26.5 in May and with iOS 27 later this year.
In January this year, Apple confirmed reports that Google’s Gemini models will help power the new Siri. “After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the company said in a statement. The revamped assistant is expected to behave like an AI chatbot, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, when it does become available.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-siri-relaunch-is-reportedly-behind-schedule-125347471.html?src=rssWhatsApp is now fully blocked in Russia
After warnings from lawmakers last year, WhatsApp has been blocked in Russia for as many as 100 million users, the Financial Times reported. Russian authorities removed the app from an online directory, effectively wiping it from Russia's internet. The government has previously said that it wants users to switch to an app called Max, an unencrypted WeChat clone.
"Today the Russian government has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive users to a state-owned surveillance app," Meta told the FT in a statement. "Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia."
The Russian government deleted WhatsApp rival Telegram yesterday, while also erasing Meta apps Facebook and Instagram. YouTube access was also reportedly degraded, though it's not clear if the app has been completely removed.
In July 2025, a Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said it's very likely that WhatsApp would be placed on a list of restricted software. Parent Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia, and last year Vladimir Putin issued a directive for the nation to further restrict communication apps originating from "unfriendly countries" that have sanctioned Russia.
The state has said that an in-house app would protect citizens from fraud and terrorism, given the large number of scammers on WhatsApp in the nation. However, restrictions on Telegram haven't gone over well domestically, even among Putin's allies, as residents along Ukraine's borders have relied on it for drone and missile alerts. "I am concerned that slowing Telegram could affect the flow of information, if the situation deteriorates," said the governor of one of those regions.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/whatsapp-is-now-fully-blocked-in-russia-110953485.html?src=rssThe best record players for 2026
Vinyl records are firmly back in rotation, but getting started does not have to mean spending a fortune or building a complicated hi-fi stack from day one. Whether you want a simple, all-in-one setup with built-in speakers or you are piecing together a more traditional system with a separate amplifier, the best record player is the one that fits how you listen at home.
For this guide, we focused on high-quality turntables under $600 that deliver a satisfying listening experience without unnecessary complexity. These picks cover everything from beginner-friendly automatic models to more audiophile-leaning decks that prioritize sound quality and upgrade potential, proving you do not need to jump into the high-end to enjoy vinyl properly.
Best record players for 2026
Other record players we tested
Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT
This is about as basic as it gets, unless you opt for the AT-LP60X which ditches the Bluetooth connectivity. This is a perfectly decent option for someone just getting into vinyl, but if you spend a little more for the AT-LP70X, you won’t be in quite as big of a hurry to upgrade once you surrender to the obsession.
Cambridge Audio Alva ST
The Alva ST has a refined design that made me want to keep it out in my living room longer than many of the models on this list. The controls are limited on the top to power and individual options for 33 and 45 RPM speeds. Everything else is on the back panel, including Bluetooth pairing and preamp buttons. To complete the look, Cambridge Audio opted for a 1mm aluminium top plate, which sits on an MDF plinth with a layer of EVA to absorb vibrations in between.
While the overall audio performance on the Alva ST is warm and inviting, there is a lack of detail across genres. I’ve noticed albums don’t have a particularly wide soundstage, and songs lack their normal punch at times, so some sound compressed compared to when they’re played on other turntables. Additionally, the free swinging tone arm needs more resistance so it’s not so prone to dropping on a record immediately if it slips out of your fingers when you have the cueing lever down. Since this turntable is fully manual operation, I felt a bit of peril every time I went to lower the needle. (The price increased during testing for this guide.)
Denon DP-300F
Denon’s DP-300F is a mixed bag. On one hand, you get the convenience of fully automatic operation, dedicated speed and record size buttons and somewhat refined design. There are also some confounding decisions though, like the permanently affixed cables, the preamp switch being under the platter and the overall midrange build quality for a $500 turntable. The sound from the preamp and Denon’s cartridge has a clear lack of depth and detail that almost any model at this price should offer.
How to shop for a turntable
The first question you’ll need to ask yourself when looking for a turntable is how you plan to use it. Are you into vinyl for the ritual? If you simply like the concept of physical media, having to flip a record to finish it or the need to intentionally swap out an album when it’s done, that’s just fine. You probably can make do with a more affordable turntable since overall sound quality may not be a main concern. If you crave the warmth of analog sound, and you want the collection you’ve invested in to sound its best, you’ll need to consider something with better specs.
You’ll also need to account for where and how you’re going to listen to vinyl. Are you planning to connect this turntable to headphones or Bluetooth speakers? Do you have shelf or tower speakers you’re going to use? Are you willing to invest in a dedicated preamp or would you rather a new turntable come with one built in? All of these questions will impact your buying decision — even the Bluetooth codecs, if you’re going the wireless route.
Automatic, semi-auto and manual operation
If you’re just getting into vinyl, an automatic turntable will save you a lot of stress. These are the models that place the stylus for you — all you have to do is push a button. When you get to the end of the record, the turntable will also return the tonearm to its resting spot automatically. Or, if you need to stop your session mid-side, there’s a button for that too.
Some turntables have semi-automatic operation. Maybe they can’t place the needle for you, but they do have an automatic stop when a side of a record is complete. This auto stop, which sometimes comes with an on/off switch, can prevent unnecessary wear on your stylus and vinyl. Plus, many turntables with automatic operation allow you to take control if you need to drop the stylus in a certain place (that’s not the beginning of the record) or if you have a die-cut vinyl (like the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack).
Then there’s the fully manual option. Here, you’re solely responsible for placing the tonearm and taking it off when the music stops. A lot of turntables have a cue lever to assist with the process, and a lot of tonearms have a mechanism that lowers them slowly rather than violently dropping them on a record. This adds one more step to the ritual, and it’s one many purists prefer.
Preamp
The biggest decision you’ll need to make in terms of a preamp is to decide if you want one built into your turntable or if you’d rather use a separate one. It can be very convenient, especially for beginners, to use a built-in component to amplify the signal from the turntable before it hits any speakers or headphones. The downside is that you’re left with what the company provides from the factory, so if you’re looking to upgrade, you’ll have to disable the preamp inside. On most turntables, there’s a switch that allows you to do this, so it’s no trouble. But, opting to skip the preamp on some models could save you money that could be invested elsewhere.
A dedicated preamp typically uses higher-quality components and reduces noise by keeping internal parts properly separated. More robust models may even provide controls for things like tone or multiple inputs, while the basic options will simply allow you to plug in, play and forget it. If you’re after the best possible clarity and realism from your record collection, we’d recommend a dedicated preamp right from the start.
Removable cartridge/headshell
The next item you’ll want to consider is if the turntable you’re eyeing can be upgraded in the future. The best way to do this is by swapping out the cartridge. Most turntables allow you to do this but there are some that don’t, so you’ll need to pay attention to this detail. Upgrading the cartridge down the road is a great way to improve overall sound quality without having to buy a new turntable, new speakers or a new amp.
Belt drive vs. direct drive
There are two main types of turntables: belt drive and direct drive. All of the models we tested for this guide are belt drive, which means there’s a thin belt that connects the platter to the motor to make the thing spin. Direct drive turntables are widely used by DJs and Technics was the first to make them. Here, the motor is directly under the platter and connected to it directly so the setup is less prone to wearing out. This is especially key when you’re doing things like scratching. Direct-drive turntables tend to be more expensive than their belt-driven counterparts.
Counterweight and anti-skate control
Most turntables will include a counterweight on the tonearm and some form of anti-skate control. Both of these help keep the stylus in place with the correct amount of pressure, all to ensure proper operation with minimal wear on your records. Sometimes the anti-skate elements are built into the tonearm while other models offer a dedicated dial on the surface of the plinth. The ability to adjust both of these can help you fine-tune the performance of your turntable over time, which may be necessary after upgrading the cartridge or other components.
Other components to consider
Some final items you’ll want to evaluate on a prospective turntable purchase include the materials used for the base (plinth), platter and even the feet. Cheaper turntables may be mostly plastic affairs while more expensive models can use solid MDF (medium-density fibreboard) for the plinth. A lot of turntables have aluminum platters with a felt pad while others may feature a thick acrylic version. And while entry-level turntables may have small, plastic feet, premium models come with larger, adjustable, rubberized feet for better vibration isolation. While some of these come down to personal preference — a frosted acrylic platter looks really nice — there are some performance boosts to be gained depending on how the company uses the components.
How we test turntables
Since most turntables under $600 meet the criteria for entry-level through midrange, we tested every model with a set of Audio-Technica AT-SP3X powered speakers. These offer balanced sound for turntables with a 1.1-inch tweeter and 3-inch woofer in each unit. And at $269, they won’t break the bank if you need speakers for your new turntable and they’ll provide ample sound performance even if you spend more than our budget on a new deck.
For all of our test units that didn’t have a built-in preamp, we used the Fluance PA-10. At $100, it’s an affordable upgrade if you’re looking to bypass a turntable’s included components or if you’re looking to go more analog with your turntable purchase. There are no buttons or controls, just connect your turntable, speakers and ground wire (if you’re using one) and you’re ready to go. It’s simple, straightforward and inexpensive, so it’s a great option for beginners and more experienced vinyl collectors alike.
In terms of performance testing, we play a variety of genres on each turntable to evaluate sound quality. We also carefully examine the overall experience of putting a record on, setting the speed, placing the tonearm and more, which allows us to judge how well each turntable will work for users at different experience levels. Lastly, we take notes on design and components, comparing those elements from each turntable with our other test subjects to make our recommendations.
Apple acquires Severance and will produce future seasons in-house
Apple’s in-house studio will be producing the future seasons of Severance, according to Deadline. The company has reportedly acquired the show’s IP and all rights from its original studio, Fifth Season, back in December in a deal that was worth approximately $70 million. Fifth Season will remain as an executive producer, but Apple Studios will now be in charge of the show. Severance will be one of Apple’s marquee titles, alongside other shows like Owen Wilson’s Stick and Kristen Wiig’s Palm Royale. Apple also previously acquired sci-fi dystopian series Silo after its first season.
Deadline reports that the show’s production costs were going beyond what Fifth Season could afford. The studio had already asked Apple for advances in the past and was considering moving the production from New York to Canada for bigger tax rebates. Apple has also apparently been helping Fifth Season not just with its budget, but also with securing advertisers.
Seeing as the second season of Severance became the streamer’s most watched series, and Apple definitely has the money to keep the show going, the company decided to take over the series completely. It will allow Severance’s production to stay in New York without having to worry about budget constraints. Deadline says the series is expected to have four seasons, with the spinoffs showrunner Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller are open to now being in the realm of possibility.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-acquires-severance-and-will-produce-future-seasons-in-house-092405747.html?src=rssThe best budgeting apps for 2026
As a former Mint user, I had to find a new budgeting app not too long ago. Intuit, parent company of Mint, shut down the service in March 2024, and prompted users to transition to its other financial app, Credit Karma. However, after testing Credit Karma myself, I found it to be a poor Mint replacement — that meant I needed to branch out and look elsewhere for a trusted app to track all of my financial accounts, monitor my credit score, follow a monthly spending plan and set goals like building a rainy-day fund and paying down my mortgage faster.
I tried out Mint's top competitors in the hopes that I'd be able to find a new budgeting app that could handle all of my financial needs. Hopefully my journey can help you find the best budgeting app for you and your money as well.
Best budget apps of 2026
Other budgeting apps we tested
PocketGuard
PocketGuard used to be a solid free budget tracker, but the company has since limited its “free” version to just a free seven-day trial. Now, you’ll have to choose between two plans once the trial is over: a $13 monthly plan or a $75 annual plan. When I first tested it, I found it to be more restricted than NerdWallet, but still a decent option. The main overview screen shows you your net worth, total assets and debts; net income and total spending for the month; upcoming bills; a handy reminder of when your next paycheck lands; any debt payoff plan you have; and any goals. Like some other apps, including Quicken Simplifi, PocketGuard promotes an “after bills” approach, where you enter all of your recurring bills, and then PocketGuard shows you what’s left, and that’s what you’re supposed to be budgeting: your disposable income.
Although PocketGuard’s UI is easy enough to understand, it lacks polish. The “accounts” tab is a little busy, and doesn’t show totals for categories like cash or investments. Seemingly small details like weirdly phrased or punctuated copy occasionally make the app feel janky. More than once, it prompted me to update the app when no updates were available. The web version, meanwhile, feels like the mobile app blown up to a larger format and doesn’t take advantage of the extra screen real estate. Ultimately, now that the free tier is gone, it just doesn’t present the same value proposition as it once did.
How we test budgeting apps
Before I dove in and started testing out budgeting apps, I had to do some research. To find a list of apps to try out, I consulted trusty ol’ Google (and even trustier Reddit); read reviews of popular apps on the App Store; and also asked friends and colleagues what budget tracking apps (or other budgeting methods) they might be using for money management. Some of the apps I found were free and these, of course, show loads of ads (excuse me, “offers”) to stay in business. But most of the available apps require paid subscriptions, with prices typically topping out around $100 a year, or $15 a month. (Spoiler: My top pick is cheaper than that.)
All of the services I chose to test needed to do several things: import all of your account data into one place; offer budgeting tools; and track your spending, net worth and credit score. Except where noted, all of these apps are available for iOS, Android and on the web.
Once I had my shortlist of six apps, I got to work setting them up. For the sake of thoroughly testing these apps, I made a point of adding every account to every budgeting app, no matter how small or immaterial the balance. What ensued was a veritable Groundhog Day of two-factor authentication. Just hours of entering passwords and one-time passcodes, for the same banks half a dozen times over. Hopefully, you only have to do this once.
Budgeting app FAQs
What is Plaid and how does it work?
Each of the apps I tested uses the same underlying network, called Plaid, to pull in financial data, so it’s worth explaining what it is and how it works. Plaid was founded as a fintech startup in 2013 and is today the industry standard in connecting banks with third-party apps. Plaid works with over 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada and Europe. Additionally, more than 8,000 third-party apps and services rely on Plaid, the company claims.
To be clear, you don’t need a dedicated Plaid app to use it; the technology is baked into a wide array of apps, including all of the budgeting apps listed in this guide. Once you find the “add an account” option in whichever one you’re using, you’ll see a menu of commonly used banks. There’s also a search field you can use to look yours up directly. Once you find yours, you’ll be prompted to enter your login credentials. If you have two-factor authentication set up, you’ll need to enter a one-time passcode as well.
As the middleman, Plaid is a passthrough for information that may include your account balances, transaction history, account type and routing or account number. Plaid uses encryption, and says it has a policy of not selling or renting customer data to other companies. However, I would not be doing my job if I didn’t note that in 2022 Plaid was forced to pay $58 million to consumers in a class action suit for collecting “more financial data than was needed.” As part of the settlement, Plaid was compelled to change some of its business practices.
In a statement provided to Engadget, a Plaid spokesperson said the company continues to deny the allegations underpinning the lawsuit and that “the crux of the non-financial terms in the settlement are focused on us accelerating workstreams already underway related to giving people more transparency into Plaid’s role in connecting their accounts, and ensuring that our workstreams around data minimization remain on track.”
Why did Mint shut down?
When parent company Intuit announced in December 2023 that it would shut down Mint, it did not provide a reason why it made the decision to do so. It did say that Mint's millions of users would be funneled over to its other finance app, Credit Karma. "Credit Karma is thrilled to invite all Minters to continue their financial journey on Credit Karma, where they will have access to Credit Karma’s suite of features, products, tools and services, including some of Mint’s most popular features," Mint wrote on its product blog. In our testing, we found that Credit Karma isn't an exact replacement for Mint — so if you're still looking for a Mint alternative, you have some decent options.
What about Rocket Money?
Rocket Money is another free financial app that tracks spending and supports things like balance alerts and account linking. If you pay for the premium tier, the service can also help you cancel unwanted subscriptions. We did not test it for this guide, but we'll consider it in future updates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/best-budgeting-apps-120036303.html?src=rssDiablo II: Resurrected is adding warlock as a brand new player class
Blizzard announced today that it is introducing the Warlock as a playable character to Diablo II: Resurrected. It brings the first new class in 25 years to this remaster of the original RPG. It’s part of the Reign of the Warlock DLC, which is available today and will run you $25. It also includes some other updates to the base game, including new items and a new pinnacle boss encounter against the Colossal Ancients. For those players who don’t already own the base game, you can also pick up the Infernal Edition of D2R for $40, which includes the new content.
When D2R launched in 2021, it was an impressively faithful recreation of the game that so many Blizzard fans continued to adore over the years. Bringing in a whole new player class is a big win for those players who have stuck with the game in its contemporary era.
If D2R isn't your jam, though, Warlock is also being added to both Diablo 4 in its upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion this April and to Diablo Immortal. So aside from Diablo 3 not getting much love, just about all fans of the franchise will have a chance to get into the demon-summoning groove. Blizzard's 30th anniversary showcase video has all the details about what the other Diablo titles have in store during this year.
Blizzard has been keeping the news and updates rolling over the past few weeks in honor of the company's 35th anniversary. One of the more notable updates came for team hero shooter Overwatch, which lost the 2 in its name, but gained five more heroes in its big update yesterday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/diablo-ii-resurrected-is-adding-warlock-as-a-brand-new-player-class-000130003.html?src=rssThe great RAMaggedon of 2026 might have just claimed the Steam Deck
Less than a week after Valve admitted that the current shortage (and growing prices) of RAM were affecting its hardware plans, the Steam Deck is completely sold out. The Steam Deck has gone in and out of stock in the past, but as Kotaku notes, the timing does raise the question whether Valve's RAM issues could also be impacting its Linux handheld.
The 256GB Steam Deck LCD, and both the 512GB and 1TB models of the Steam Deck OLED, are completely sold out on Steam. Valve announced that it was discontinuing the LCD versions of its handheld and selling through its remaining inventory in December 2025, so the fact that the 256GB Steam Deck model is currently sold out isn't surprising. That both OLED versions are also unavailable at the same time, though, is a bit more unusual.
Engadget has contacted Valve for more information about the availability of the Steam Deck. We'll update this article if we hear back.
When Valve announced the Steam Machine, Steam Controller and Steam Frame, the company notably left pricing and availability off the table, presumably because tariffs and access to RAM were leaving those details in flux. The company's announcement last week that the memory and storage shortage had pushed back its plans and would likely impact prices more or less confirmed that. At no point did Valve mention that the Steam Deck would be similarly affected, but maybe it should have.
The rising cost of RAM has already forced other PC makers to adjust the pricing of their computers. Framework announced in January that it was raising the price of its Framework Desktop by as much as $460. Some analysts assume that the memory shortage driven by the AI industry could lead to higher prices and even an economic downturn in the wider PC industry. Ideally, the Steam Deck being out of stock is a temporary issue rather than a sign that Valve is doing something drastic. If things continue as they are, however, changes to the Steam Deck likely won't be off the table.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-great-ramaggedon-of-2026-might-have-just-claimed-the-steam-deck-211958306.html?src=rssGet up to 81 percent off ExpressVPN two-year plans
ExpressVPN is back on sale again, and its two-year plans are up to 81 percent off right now. You can get the Advanced tier for $88 for 28 months. This is marked down from the $392 that this time frame normally costs. On a per-month basis, it works out to roughly $3.14 for the promo period.
We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it's our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves that issue.
In our review we were able to get fast download and upload speeds, losing only 7 percent in the former and 2 percent in the latter worldwide. We found that it could unblock Netflix anywhere, and its mobile and desktop apps were simple to operate. We gave ExpressVPN an overall score of 85 out of 100.
The virtual private network service now has three tiers. Basic is cheaper with fewer features, while Pro costs more and adds extra perks like support for 14 simultaneous devices and a password manager. Advanced sits in the middle and includes the password manager but only supports 12 devices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-up-to-81-percent-off-expressvpn-two-year-plans-180602916.html?src=rssHow to cancel Mullvad VPN
This is going to be one of the shortest articles in my series on how to cancel your subscriptions to the best VPNs. Unlike most providers, Mullvad VPN does not automatically renew an expired subscription unless you tell it to. Thanks to its unique pricing approach, cancelling Mullvad is the default option.
When you sign up for Mullvad, you pay for as many months upfront as you want at the constant rate of 5 Euro per month (varying with exchange rates). Each month, Mullvad takes 5 Euro out of your account until there's nothing left. If you're no longer satisfied with Mullvad, all you have to do is stop putting money in.
If you happen to have originally signed up for Mullvad earlier than the middle of 2022, you may have an auto-renewal account grandfathered in. Mid-2022 is when Mullvad stopped auto-renewing subscriptions and got rid of PayPal integration altogether, but people who had signed up before then had the option to leave auto-renewal on.
If you're in this group, cancelling is simple. Just sign into your account page, click on the word Subscriptions, then click Unsubscribe.
How to cancel Mullvad if you subscribed through an app store
There's one more exception to the usual method of cancelling Mullvad. If you got your subscription through an app store instead of Mullvad's website or app, the app store is the one processing your money. You'll need to cancel through them instead.
On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, whose icon shows gray gears. Tap your name at the top of the screen to reach your Apple ID page, then tab Subscriptions. Scroll down until you find your Mullvad subscription, tap it, then hit Cancel Subscription.
On an Android phone, open the Google Play Store, whose icon is a triangle in the Google colors. At the top-right, tap the circle with the first letter of your username in it. Hit Payments & Subscriptions, scroll down to find Mullvad, then tap it and hit Cancel Subscription.
How to delete your Mullvad account
You can go the extra mile and delete your account if you're sure you'll never want to use Mullvad again. Send an email to support@mullvadvpn.net, provide your account number and request that the account be terminated. You'll get a reply confirming deletion.
How to get a refund from Mullvad
Mullvad offers refunds on any purchase within 14 days. To start a refund request, send an email to support@mullvadvpn.net, including your Mullvad account number and your payment token. If you aren't sure what your payment token is, find the charge for Mullvad on your bank statement and look for something in the format VPN*(10-digit number).
Payments made in cash can't be refunded, apparently because that's considered a form of money laundering in Sweden. If you got Mullvad through a voucher, request your refund through the store the voucher came from.
Best Mullvad alternatives
Mullvad is one of the best VPNs, especially in terms of privacy. However, I've found it to be a bit slow at times, with a somewhat limited server network. Luckily, Proton VPN is almost as private as Mullvad — the only thing it's missing is the ability to sign up without an email. It's also got a larger server network and better overall download speeds.
Windscribe is another privacy-optimized VPN with a better record than Mullvad in my unblocking tests. Surfshark is the fastest VPN of them all, while ExpressVPN is ideal for beginners. If you liked Mullvad's cheap pricing, CyberGhost is a highly affordable alternative.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-cancel-mullvad-vpn-200000516.html?src=rssAnthropic beefs up Claude's free tier as OpenAI prepares to stuff ads into ChatGPT's
Anthropic is upgrading Claude's free tier, apparently to capitalize on OpenAI's planned integration of ads into ChatGPT. On Wednesday, Anthropic said free Claude users can now create files, connect to external services, use skills and more.
Anthropic added the ability for paid users to create files in September. Starting today, free users of the chatbot can also create and edit Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Word docs and PDFs. Claude's file creation abilities are powered by Sonnet 4.5.
Meanwhile, Connectors allow free users to link Claude to third-party services. There's a long list of available ones, including Canva, Slack, Notion, Zapier and PayPal.
Skills, on the other hand, let you teach Claude to "complete specific tasks in repeatable ways." In short, the chatbot loads folders of instructions, scripts and other resources when performing relevant tasks. Other upgrades to the free tier include longer conversations, interactive responses and improved voice and image search.
Claude's free-tier upgrades appear to be a direct response to ChatGPT's planned introduction of ads for its free users. Anthropic's announcement today ended with the tag line, "No ads in sight." This follows the company's promise last week that Claude will remain ad-free. Anthropic even poked fun at OpenAI's cash-seeking move in a Super Bowl ad (below), which also took a swipe at GPT-4o's penchant for kissing ass.
Apple just released iOS 26.3 alongside updates for the Mac, iPad and Apple Watch
Apple has released the software update 26.3 for its various platforms. This includes the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. In other words, don't be surprised when your iPhone notifies you of a pending update.
Unfortunately, there isn't all that much to talk about here. Consider this a minor update that focuses primarily on bug fixes, which is important but not exactly fun. It is worth noting that the new iOS and iPadOS has an especially long list of fixes. There are 37 security issues addressed by the update, according to a report by 9to5Mac.
iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 do include a new tool for transitioning from an Apple device to an Android device, which is handy. It transfers photos, notes, messages, apps and other data to an Android phone but doesn't do anything with health data, protected notes or photos. There's also a new option to forward notifications from an iPhone or iPad to another device, but only for users in the EU.
The update to macOS Tahoe 26.3 is just bug fixes and security enhancements. The same goes for watchOS 26.3.
Why the small fries update? Rumors have been swirling that Apple is saving the big guns for the next release. Insiders have suggested that software update 26.4 will include the long-awaited Siri refresh and new emoji functionality.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-just-released-ios-263-alongside-updates-for-the-mac-ipad-and-apple-watch-193532483.html?src=rssAmazon's same-day prescription deliveries are coming to even more cities
Amazon has announced that it will bring its same-day prescription delivery service to 4,500 new cities and towns by the end of 2026. The company originally launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020 with a two-day delivery option, and has continued to increase the availability and delivery speed of the service in the years that followed, including expanding access to nearly half of all US residents in 2024.
The company's announcement doesn't break down all the new cities same-day deliveries will be available in, but does note that the delivery option is coming to Idaho and Massachusetts for the first time. In the past, access to same-day deliveries has been determined by where Amazon has fulfillment centers that it can open pharmacies in. Amazon Pharmacy also offers next-day delivery and in some cities, the ability to pick up prescriptions from Amazon's OneMedical offices.
Amazon reportedly applied for Amazon Pharmacy trademarks in the UK, Canada and Australia in 2020, but has yet to expand its prescription delivery service to those regions. In 2023, Amazon launched RxPass, a separate $5 per month subscription that lets Amazon Prime customers order from a collection over 50 common medications for a flat fee. Amazon began letting Medicare recipients access the subscription in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-same-day-prescription-deliveries-are-coming-to-even-more-cities-192221224.html?src=rssThe Helldivers movie will star Jason Momoa and hits theaters on November 10, 2027
Jason Momoa will be playing the lead in the forthcoming film adaptation of the Helldivers gaming franchise, according to a report by Variety. The games don't have a story-driven protagonist, so Momoa is likely to play a currently unnamed soldier.
We also have a release date for the Helldivers film. It comes out on November 10, 2027. That's a while from now, but at least it gives fans something to look forward to. The movie is being directed by Justin Lin, who is best known for helming several entries in the Fast & Furious franchise. However, he also directed Star Trek Beyond, proving he can do sci-fi.
Gary Dauberman is penning the script. He wrote both It and It Chapter Two, in addition to the horror film Annabelle and its follow-ups. Dauberman is mostly a horror guy, so we'll have to see how he handles high-octane science fiction.
For the uninitiated, Helldivers is a co-op shooter franchise that's heavily inspired by the movie Starship Troopers. The games are set in a hyper-patriotic dystopia called Super Earth. Helldivers 2 dropped back in 2024, though was recently released for Xbox.
Sony hasn't announced any other actors who will be joining Momoa. We'll keep you updated when more casting news drops.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-helldivers-movie-will-star-jason-momoa-and-hits-theaters-on-november-10-2027-183445038.html?src=rssMeta turned Threads algorithm complaints into an official feature
Threads users have been complaining about its recommendation algorithm pretty much since the beginning of the platform. At some point, this turned into a meme, with users writing posts jokingly addressed to the algorithm in which they requested to see more posts about the topics they're actually interested in.
Now, Meta is turning those "Dear algorithm" posts into an official feature that it says will allow Threads users to tune their recommendations in real time. With the change, users can write a post that begins with "dear algo" to adjust their preferences. For example, you could write "dear algo, show me more posts about cute cats." You can also ask to see fewer posts about topics you don't want to see, like "dear algo, stop showing me posts about sick pets."
You can track your requests to the algorithm in the app's settings in order to revisit them or remove them. You can also retweet other users' "dear algo" posts to have those topics reflected in your feed. Importantly, "dear algo" requests are temporary and only last for three days at a time, which Meta says is meant to keep the algorithm feel fresher and more flexible.
The rollout of the feature follows a limited test late last year. Now, "dear algo" posts will work for Threads users in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand with more countries coming "soon."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-turned-threads-algorithm-complaints-into-an-official-feature-180000236.html?src=rssNordVPN deal: Get two years of the Complete plan for 70 percent off
NordVPN is offering a significant discount on its two-year plans, with 70 percent off its Complete tier and up to 78 percent off overall. For the Complete tier, the deal brings the total cost down to $130 for 24 months.
NordVPN regularly appears on Engadget’s list of the best VPN services thanks to its wide server network, strong security tools and consistent performance across devices. NordVPN’s latest promotion puts one of its most comprehensive plans at a price that undercuts many competing premium VPN subscriptions.
The Complete tier includes full access to NordVPN’s core VPN service, which encrypts internet traffic and masks a user’s IP address to help protect online activity on public Wi-Fi networks and at home. Subscribers can use the service on multiple devices, including phones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs, with apps available for major operating systems. It also includes access to NordPass (more on that below), an ad blocker and 1TB of cloud storage. You’ll find similar discounts on all of NordVPN’s other plans: Basic, Plus and Prime.
Beyond the basics, NordVPN offers features like threat protection to help block malicious websites and trackers, as well as specialty servers designed for added privacy or faster performance in specific scenarios. In our NordVPN review, the service was praised for its evolving feature set and overall reliability, even as the VPN market becomes increasingly competitive.
Engadget regularly tracks VPN pricing trends and this offer compares favorably with other current promotions. It also appears alongside NordVPN deals featured in Engadget’s ongoing roundup of the best VPN discounts available right now, which compares offers from multiple major providers.
Those looking for additional security tools may also want to note that NordVPN’s Complete plan bundles in extra services beyond the VPN itself. One of those is NordPass, the company’s password management app. NordPass is also discounted as part of a separate promotion, if you’re primarily looking for a password manager rather than a VPN. The Premium tier is currently 50 percent off, bringing the price down to $36 for two years. NordPass Premium adds features such as cross-device password syncing, secure password sharing and breach monitoring, which alerts users if stored credentials appear in known data leaks.
Both offers are available for a limited time, though Nord has not specified an end date for the promotion. If you’re still unsure whether NordVPN is right for you, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can change your mind and get a full refund.
TikTok US launches a local feed that leverages a user's exact location
TikTok US just launched a local feed for users to "get the inside scoop on must-try restaurants, shops, museums and events." This is done by leveraging the exact location of people that are using the app and comes after a change in the platform's terms of service that says the app can do just that. The platform's terms of service used to note that it could collect approximate locations, but the sale to US investors looks to have changed that to precise locations.
This is an opt-in feature, despite the app potentially collecting this data whether the feed is activated or not. The feed is set to "off" by default, but can be changed via a trip to settings.
The local feed doesn't show your neighbors or people you might vibe with to help solve that pesky loneliness epidemic. Instead, it prioritizes local businesses and will highlight nearby events, shopping suggestions and restaurants to try.
This looks to be part of a broader push to attract small businesses to the app, both as content producers and as advertisers. As TechCrunch notes, this could also help insulate the company from future regulation and increased scrutiny, as it could point to the many small businesses that rely on its services.
TikTok states that over 7.5 million businesses use the platform in the US to reach customers. However, this data is sourced from an Oxford Economics report from before a group of investors finalized a deal for the US version of the app.
Supporting local businesses is a noble goal, but users will have to consider whether or not the value of a dedicated feed is worth the privacy risk. Oracle is a prominent investor in the new American TikTok, and company founder Larry Ellison once said "citizens will be on their best behavior" when they are being constantly surveilled.
This local feed isn't exactly a new idea. TikTok has been trying something similar in Europe since the tail-end of last year. It has shown up in the UK, France, Italy and Germany.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-us-launches-a-local-feed-that-leverages-a-users-exact-location-170651916.html?src=rssNetflix is reportedly filming the Stranger Things Broadway show this week
Though the original series is very much done, Netflix is going to squeeze as much juice out of Stranger Things as it can. The company is said to be filming the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow so it can offer up a recording on its streaming service.
Several public performances were canceled this week to accommodate filming, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They'll recommence on February 15. Filming is taking place before the original Broadway cast leaves the production next month.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened in New York City last year after debuting in London in 2023. It’s been a critical and commercial success, and it has won multiple Tony Awards. The play is a canonical prequel to Stranger Things and it fills in more of the backstory of Henry Creel, who becomes Vecna. The show's final season digs into his past too.
Netflix hasn't indicated when it will start streaming a recording of the play. This was inevitably going to happen at some point, though. Netflix has been busy expanding the Stranger Things universe with spin-off shows, such as the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 (which will start streaming on April 23). A documentary that shows how Stranger Things: The First Shadow came together hit the streaming service last year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-is-reportedly-filming-the-stranger-things-broadway-show-this-week-165243046.html?src=rssThe best VPN service for 2026
As frustrating as it is that governments and businesses are running roughshod over our online freedoms, at least we have plenty of good VPNs to keep us protected online. There are so many fast, intelligently designed, full-featured and affordable services on the market that the biggest problem is picking one. For any use case, you can bet at least two providers will be neck-and-neck for first place.
On the other hand, the VPN world is still the Wild West in some ways. It's easy enough to slap a cheap VPN together that the market is flooded with low-quality apps that put more money into advertising than infrastructure. They may look good, but it's all styrofoam under the hood.
I built this list of the best VPNs after intensive testing to help you reorient your focus on the providers that actually deserve your time and money. Which one truly fits your needs is dependent on who you are and what you do online, but if you pick any of my seven recommendations, you can't go too far wrong. If you're interested in a service you can use without paying, head over to my list of the best free VPNs — and if you're willing to pay but want to save money, I keep a list of the best VPN deals updated weekly.
For each VPN on this list, I've shared which platforms it works on, how much it cuts into your download speed, where it offers servers, what other features are included and how much the best available deal costs. At the end, I'll list some honorable and dishonorable mentions, then answer some of the most common questions I hear about VPNs.
Editor's note: This list is up-to-date as of February 2026. We intend to revisit this list every three months at a minimum, at which time our picks may be adjusted based on changes in pricing, features, testing results and other factors.
Table of contents
Best VPNs for 2026
Other VPNs we tested
The VPNs in this section didn't crack our top list above, but we're summarizing them here so you can see their positives and negatives as of the time of our evaluation.
Windscribe
Windscribe is another well-known free VPN supported by paid subscriptions. In many ways, it takes the best from both Mullvad and Proton VPN, with the former's no-nonsense privacy and the latter's healthy free plan. Without paying, you can connect to 10 of Windscribe's server locations on an unlimited number of devices at once. We've just published a full Windscribe review that can tell you more.
Unfortunately, Windscribe didn't copy the most important part of Proton VPN's free plan — the unlimited data. You're only allowed to use 10GB per month, which isn't enough for regular streaming. It's also committed to a cramped and headache-inducing user interface that stands out from the crowd in all the worst ways.
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) has a deeply annoying name — I assume whoever invented it also likes to hop in their Toyota Forward Motion to grab a gallon of Sustaining Cow Extract from the grocery store — but it's a worthwhile VPN whose pricing provides incredible value. Its monthly and yearly plans are good enough, but its three-year plan is the clincher. Not only is it longer than average, but you can continue to renew at the three-year level, so you won't see an unpleasant price jump the first time you re-up.
PIA's apps have a dark UI reminiscent of Proton VPN, which is always a good thing. It also supports port forwarding, custom DNS and the use of a SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks proxy as a second step in the VPN connection. You can even set the maximum data packet size to help out a struggling connection, as I cover in my full PIA VPN review.
The downside is that your connection will struggle a lot. While well-designed, PIA's apps have a tendency to lag. In my most recent battery of tests, it dragged oddly on my internet in ways that weren't directly reflected in the speed tests. It's also not always capable of unblocking streaming services in other countries, and while its server network offers 152 IP address options in 84 countries, it's heavily bulked out by virtual locations.
TunnelBear
TunnelBear has a decent interface, which its target audience of VPN beginners will find very easy to use. Its speeds are perfectly good too, and I appreciate the depth and breadth of its transparency reports. But it's far too limited overall, with few extra features, less than 50 server locations and a free plan that caps data at 2GB per month.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN often flies under the radar, but it has some of the best apps in the business and a very good security record (there was a breach in 2023, but it didn't crack the VPN encryption itself). It's also got a verified privacy policy, a solid jurisdiction and runs every connection through an in-house DNS to prevent leaks.
Despite all that, it didn't make the top seven because its connection speeds aren't up to scratch — you'll likely notice a bigger slowdown than average. It also has a troubling history of wild, seemingly experimental swings in its pricing and simultaneous connection limits.
Norton VPN
Norton VPN is part of the Norton 360 package that includes the well-known antivirus software and other security apps. It's a nice bonus if you use Norton already, but as a standalone VPN, it falls short. My tests repeatedly showed it dropping encryption and revealing my IP address whenever I switched servers, and not all of its locations managed to unblock Netflix.
This isn't to say Norton VPN is terrible. It has a fairly large server network, user-friendly apps and some cool features like an IP rotator. It also recently revamped its OpenVPN infrastructure to improve speeds on Windows. But you probably won't find those things sufficient to balance out significant speed drops on other platforms or poorly written FAQs. I especially advise against Norton VPN for Apple users, as its Mac and iPhone apps are much more limited than their Windows and Android counterparts.
What to look for in a VPN
Choosing a VPN can quickly get you mired in analysis paralysis. We're here to help, but since only you know your particular needs, you should know the major red and green flags so you can make the final call yourself. Every reputable VPN provider offers a free trial or refund guarantee you can use to run the tests below. For more advice and dangers to look for, check out my article on how to tell if your VPN is working.
Compatibility: First, make sure your VPN works on all the platforms you plan to use it on. Most VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, but those apps aren't always created equal — check that the app for your chosen OS is user-friendly and has all the features you need.
Speed: Use a speed testing app to see how fast your internet is before and after connecting to the VPN (I use Ookla's speedtest.net). To check security, look up your IP address while connected to a VPN server and see if it's actually changed your virtual location. Be sure it's using expert-vetted protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2. Try connecting to streaming services and seeing whether the VPN changes the available content.
Background: Do some outside research into the VPN's origins, especially its parent company, privacy policy and any past incidents. It's a dealbreaker if you can't figure out where the VPN is headquartered (which indicates a lax approach to transparency) or if it seems to have never passed a real third-party audit.
Server network: Look at the server network to make sure the VPN has locations near you and in any countries where you'll want an IP address — e.g. if you need a VPN to unblock Canadian Netflix, look for multiple server locations in Canada.
Customer Service: I also advise testing the customer support options by looking for the answer to a straightforward question. If phone support (versus email and chat) is important to you, make sure to prioritize that — and make sure it's available at convenient times in your timezone.
Pricing: Finally, check prices. See if the VPN is affordable and decide whether you're comfortable taking a long-term subscription for better savings. If you do get a multi-year plan, check what price it will renew at, since many of the cheapest subscriptions are only introductory deals.
VPN FAQs
To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions we get about VPNs. Feel free to get in touch if you have a query I don't cover here.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for virtual private network. There are a few different types of VPNs, including corporate VPNs like Cisco AnyConnect, Perimeter81 and NordLayer, which are used to access a single network securely. For this list, though, we're talking about commercial services that let individual users access the internet with an assumed identity.
Whenever you get online, you're assigned an IP address — a digital nametag that tells websites where to send the information you request. For an IP address to work, it needs to be unique, which means it's possible to create a record of what an individual does online.
When you use a VPN, all the data you send to the internet goes through one of the VPN's servers before heading to its final destination. The VPN encrypts the connection between your computer and its server so the data won't trace back to you. Any website, ISP or third party that cares to look will only see the VPN's IP address, not yours. If you're interested in more detail, I've written a whole article on how a VPN works.
What are some things VPNs are used for?
The three main use cases for a commercial VPN are security, privacy and entertainment. Using a VPN conceals your real IP address from anyone who might want to use it for nefarious purposes like cyberstalking, DDoS attacks or deducing your real location. It also keeps your ISP from profiling you for ads based on where you live or what you do online.
One side effect of borrowing a VPN's IP address is that you can make it appear as though your connection is coming from another country. You can use this to access streaming content and platforms that are only available in certain regions due to copyright. Changing your location can even get you better prices when shopping online.
Location spoofing can also be used to get online in countries that censor internet access, like China and Russia, as well as certain US states or countries — like the UK — that are adding barriers like age-gating to previously unfettered online access. All you have to do is connect to a neighboring country (or locality) where the internet isn't blocked. If you plan to do this while traveling, make sure you have the VPN downloaded before you go, as some nations prevent you from even loading a VPN's homepage. Make sure you check with local laws regarding the legality of VPN use as well — just because your VPN traffic is encrypted doesn't mean that authorities can't detect that it's being used in a given location.
Are VPNs worth it?
Whether a VPN is worth the price depends on how much you value those three use cases above. It's no secret that your personal information is profitable for a lot of people, from illicit hackers to corporations to law enforcement. A VPN will not make you completely anonymous, nor is it a license to commit crimes (see the next question) but it will give you a lot more control over what you transmit to the world.
With entertainment, the value is even clearer. You can use a VPN to fight back against streaming balkanization by getting more shows and movies out of a single platform — for example, a lot of shows that have been kicked off American Netflix are still on Netflix in other countries.
What information does a VPN hide?
A VPN does not make it impossible for you to be unmasked or taken advantage of online. It prevents you from passively leaking information, keeps your IP address undiscoverable on public wi-fi networks and gets you around online censorship.
However, if you share personal information of your own volition, there's nothing the VPN can do. If you reveal your password in a social media post or click a link in a phishing email, that information bypasses the VPN. Likewise, if you do anything sensitive while logged into an account, the account holder will have that information even if you're using a VPN.
A VPN is a critical part of your online security, but it can't do the whole job by itself. Healthy passwords, malware scanners, private search engines and common sense all have roles to play. Never forget, too, that using a VPN means trusting the VPN provider with access to information that's concealed from everyone else — make sure you trust the privacy policy before signing up.
Are VPNs safe?
As far as we can determine, all the VPNs recommended in this story are safe to use. As with anything you subscribe to online, due diligence is important, but there's very little inherent risk; generally, the worst thing a bad VPN will do is fail to work, leaving you no worse off than before.
All that said, there are some VPNs (usually offered for free) that transmit malware, and others that pretend to be independent services while all secretly working off the same backend. Always make sure to look up any complaints or warnings about a service before you download it.
Can you get a VPN on your phone?
Absolutely — almost every VPN has apps for both desktop and mobile devices. A good VPN will redesign its app to be mobile-friendly without dropping too many features. Both iOS and Android natively support VPN connections, so you're free to choose whichever provider you like.
What about Google's One VPN?
Google One VPN was, as you might expect, a VPN provided by Google. It was launched in 2020 for Google One subscribers and discontinued in 2024 due to lack of use. If you really want a Google VPN, you can still get one if you have certain Pixel models or if you're a Google Fi subscriber.
That said, I don't recommend using a VPN from Google even if you do still have access to one. Google is one of the worst big tech companies at protecting user privacy. While its VPN might not leak, I wouldn't trust it to guard your sensitive information.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html?src=rssA four-pack of Apple's first-gen AirTags is on sale for $64
Good deals on Apple products aren’t as frequent as we’d like them to be, but if there’s one of the company’s products that does seem to enjoy pretty regular price cuts, it’s the AirTag. Right now you can pick up a four-pack of Apple’s diminutive first-generation Bluetooth trackers for $64, which translates to 35 percent off and a near record low price.
Bear in mind that this deal brings the price per AirTag down to about $16 if you were to buy them individually, and when not on sale they usually cost $29.
If you use Apple devices and consider yourself to be a serial thing-misplacer, AirTags are extremely useful. Adding one to your account takes a single tap, and with Apple’s Find My network so well established, locating missing items has never been easier.
Using your iPhone you can trigger a sound from the AirTag’s built-in speaker, or alternatively Precision Finding can be used to pinpoint its location via Find My. You just follow the instructions on your iPhone, paying attention to the vibrations that signal you’re getting closer.
A reminder again that the above deals apply to the first-generation AirTag only. Apple introduced a refreshed tracker with greater range and a louder speaker last month, which retails at the same price as its predecessor. For deals on the new AirTag, you may have to wait a bit.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-apples-first-gen-airtags-is-on-sale-for-64-163619222.html?src=rssThe best VPN deals: Up to 87 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
Whether it's the Seahawks' commanding Super Bowl victory or the fast-paced action of the Milan Winter Olympics, there's a lot of sportsball happening right now. It's a great time to get ahold of a virtual private network (VPN) and enjoy worldwide streaming adventures while improving your cybersecurity. By connecting to a VPN every time you get online, you can keep your activity hidden from your ISP and anyone to whom it may sell that data — while streaming sporting events and TV dramas from across the globe.
We strongly recommend using a VPN, but shopping for one takes some care. If you jump on the very first deal you see, you might get stuck with a substandard app. It's also easy to end up paying more than you meant to, since otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be.
Even with all those conditions, there are some great bargains on the table. Many of the best VPNs — including our top pick, Proton VPN — have deals that save you anywhere from 70 to 87 percent on annual subscriptions. If you can believe it, there are even Valentine's Day sales running right now, because nothing is more romantic than taking care of your online privacy.
Best VPN deals
ExpressVPN Basic — $68.40 for a two-year subscription with four months free (81 percent off): This is one of the best VPNs, especially for new users, who will find its apps and website headache-free on all platforms. In tests for my ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 81 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.
ExpressVPN Advanced — $88.00 for a two-year subscription with four months free (77 percent off): ExpressVPN recently split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.
NordVPN Basic — $81.36 for a two-year subscription (70 percent off): NordVPN gets the most important parts of a VPN right. It's fast, it doesn't leak any of your data and it's great at changing your virtual location. I noted in my NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This deal gives you 70 percent off the two-year plan, but note that it renews at $139.08 per year.
NordVPN Plus — $93.36 for a two-year subscription (74 percent off): NordVPN has taken 74 percent off its Plus subscription. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information. When this plan renews, you'll be paying $179.88 per year.
Surfshark Starter — $53.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): This is the "basic" level of Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
Surfshark One — $61.83 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features. If you bump up to Surfshark One+, you'll also get data removal through Incogni, but the price jumps enough that it's not quite worthwhile in my eyes.
CyberGhost — $56.94 for a two-year subscription with four months free (84 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers — I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites. Currently, you can get 28 months of CyberGhost for 79 percent off the usual price, but it'll renew at $56.94 per year.
hide.me — $69.99 for a two-year subscription with four months free (75 percent off): Hide.me is an excellent free VPN — in fact, it's my favorite on the market, even with EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for. It also comes with a guarantee that it'll renew at exactly the same length and pricing.
Windscribe — $69 for a one-year subscription (32 percent off): It's not nearly as steep a discount as some of the others on this list, but Windscribe was cheap to begin with, so 32 percent off its monthly price is a bigger savings than it might seem. As I just covered in a detailed Windscribe review, it's worth upgrading from the free service to get full access to Windscribe's all-real server network (and remove the free plan's data cap).
Private Internet Access — $79 for a three-year subscription with four months free (83 percent off): With this deal, you can get 40 months of Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. You can also get a shorter one-year subscription for $40 ($3.33 per month). Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
What makes a good VPN deal
Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-87-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056484.html?src=rssPick up Apple's Magic Mouse while it's on sale for $68
Amazon has a rare discount on Apple's USB-C Magic Mouse right now. You can grab the white version for $68, which is 14 percent off its usual price.
The multi-touch mouse was first released in 2009 with a modest refresh released in 2015 and the addition of a USB-C port in 2024. The rechargeable mouse features gesture controls and automatically pairs with your Mac when connected via USB. The Magic Mouse can also be used with an iPad via Bluetooth, or with a Windows PC, though in that case, functionality would be limited.
Famously, Jony Ive's design of the Magic Mouse sees its charge port on the underside of the body, rendering it unusable while charging. In 2024 there were rumors of a more comprehensive redesign coming but nothing has materialized since.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-apples-magic-mouse-while-its-on-sale-for-68-152708776.html?src=rssUber Eats’ new Cart Assistant feature is an AI hack for your grocery shopping
If there’s any area of your life that you might be willing to introduce more AI into, it’s likely something as mundane as grocery shopping. That’s what Uber is betting on with its new AI-powered feature in the Uber Eats app.
Cart Assistant lets you "build grocery baskets faster and with less effort" by using AI to automatically fill your basket with items included on your shopping list. To use it, you search for a supported grocery store on the home screen of the app and tap the new Cart Assistant icon that appears at the top of the screen.
From there, you can either manually type out a shopping list or upload a photo of a handwritten one, and Cart Assistant will fetch your requested items and add them to your basket. A screenshot of ingredients needed for a recipe will also suffice.
Uber says its AI assistant will factor in availability before selecting an item and will also display prices and any available promotions. If you don’t want something it recommends, you can delete or swap it for something else. Anything you forgot to add in the original list can be added later, and if you’ve purchased something in the past, these familiar items will be prioritized so you’re less likely to need to make changes. Uber advises users that the new shopping feature is in beta right now, so might not perform perfectly.
Cart Assistant is the latest development in the gradual AI-ification of Uber Eats. Last summer, Uber added a suite of new features to the app, including AI-enhanced food images, AI menu descriptions and AI summaries or restaurant reviews.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uber-eats-new-cart-assistant-feature-is-an-ai-hack-for-your-grocery-shopping-145733478.html?src=rss