X is using Grok to publish AI-generated summaries of news and other topics that trend on the platform. The feature, which is currently only available to premium subscribers, is called Stories on X, according to a post from the companys engineering account. According to X, Grok relies on users posts to generate the text snippets. Some seem to be more news-focused, while others are summaries of conversations happening on the platform itself. One user posted a screenshot that showed stories about A

Nintendo sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator , which the Zelda maker previously described as enabling piracy at a colossal scale. The sweeping takedown comes two months after Yuzus creators quickly settled a lawsuit with Nintendo and its notoriously trigger-happy legal team for $2.4 million. GamesIndustry.biz first reported on the DMCA notice, affecting 8,535 GitHub repos. Redacted entities representi

Linking to a random third-party account when you just want to play a video game you paid for is truly annoying and, honestly, keeps me from even launching certain games by certain publishers who shall remain nameless. Helldivers 2 players are experiencing this frustration right now, as the PC version of the massively popular third-person shooter will soon require a link to a PlayStation account . New players will be required to link both accounts on May 6, but pre-existing players have until Jun

As Microsoft tries to beef up its in-house Xbox studios , it may want to be more careful about leaving a trail of broken promises when things dont go as planned. A year after the hyped vampire shooter Redfall landed with a thud, a Kotaku report highlights how players are still waiting for the advertised post-launch DLC they already paid for. Redfalls Bite Back Edition is a $100 collectors variant (or $30 add-on ) that includes, among other content, a pass for two future heroes to complement the

Instagram just announced some new features coming to Stories , including a suite of interactive stickers. The music one is perhaps the most interesting, as it's an extension of the pre-existing Add Yours feature . The Add Yours Music sticker lets users share their favorite songs, along with a prompt for followers to get in on the fun by sharing their own related tracks. Of course, the song has to already be in Instagrams music library to work. To that end, Instagram has partnered with Dua Li

Apex Legends will soon offer a Solos mode for the first time since 2019 , even though developer Respawn Entertainment said earlier this year it had no plans to let players run amok in the battle by themselves again. When the next season starts, Solos will replace the Duos mode for six weeks. The game is designed and tuned for squads of three, but Respawn recently told reporters that it wanted to acknowledge the growing interest in Solos from our players, many of whom were looking for new ways to

We recommend Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 in our Bluetooth tracker buying guide to Galaxy phone owners who want an AirTags-style device that can keep tabs on their keys, luggage and other sensitive items. If that describes you, here's a quick PSA: A four-pack of the little oblong devices is currently $30 off and down to $70 at Amazon. This discount has popped up periodically since Samsung released the tracker last October, but it nevertheless matches the four-pack's lowest price to date. If you'd

New research conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that current carbon removal plans will not be enough to comply with Paris treaty goals to limit global warming to 1.5C, as reported in a study published by Nature . Scientists came to this conclusion by measuring the emissions gap between various national climate protection plans and what is actually needed to reach that goal. This first-of-its-kind study found a gap of up to 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) between c

I hate the Rabbit R1 . It's yet another sign that standalone AI gadgets, like the Humane AI Pin , are fundamentally useless devices meant to attract hype and VC funding without benefitting users at all. It's like trying to build a skyscraper on quicksand: Today's AI models are great for parlor tricks, but they're ultimately untrustworthy. How do you create a device around that? The Rabbit R1's big selling point has been its large action model, or LAM, which can supposedly und

Boeings Starliner crew capsule, which has been plagued by years of setbacks and cost overruns amounting to roughly $1.5 billion, is about to take its first flight with humans on board. Boeing was chosen 10 years ago alongside SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that could ferry astronauts from US soil to the International Space Station (ISS), thus allowing NASA to end its reliance on Russia for crewed flights. The companies were each awarded a fixed-price contract under NASAs Commercial Crew Program:

Epic Games won its antitrust lawsuit against Google in December when a federal jury found that the latter violated US antitrust laws with regards to how it runs the Play Store. A few months later, the gaming developer submitted its list of demands, which if implemented will blow the Play Store wide open . Now, Google has filed an injunction telling the court that no, it will not give Epic what it wants without a fight, because the company's asks stray far beyond the trial record. The remedie

Boom's supersonic XB-1 test jet has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly past Mach 1, the company announced . Tests are slated to take place later this year at the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, CA, and the results could help prove the feasibility of the design in areas like fuel consumption, speeds and flight characteristics. Following XB-1s successful first flight, Im looking forward to its historic first supersonic flight, said Boom Supersonic foun

Peloton had a great pandemic. Its a weird thing to say, but the companys premium exercise equipment (expanding from bikes to treadmills and even weight-training tech) were the hot workout-from-home products. That boom made some people (not normal, sensible people) suggest we were never going back to bricks-and-mortar gyms once the world reopened. But we went back. Now, Pelotons latest financial numbers and statements are not great , and further cuts, nips and tucks are now on the cards. Its shar

The Rabbit R1 is finally here, and it's yet another useless AI gadget. Sure, at $199 with no monthly fee, it's a lot cheaper than the $699 Humane AI Pin. But the R1 is slow, hard to use, and doesn't actually do much. The much-promised Large Action Model mostly powers things you can easily do on your phone. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget's Sam Rutherford chat with CNET's Lisa Eadicicco about the Rabbit R1 and whether AI devices are necessary at all. Just like cameras, the best AI device i

When were logging into our online accounts, it's usually with a purpose. We want to get in as quickly as possible to scroll social media or check a bank statement without interruption. Its easy to become impatient and let login security slip by using the same passwords for everything think the usual suspects like streets you've lived on or your kids' or pets' names. But thats a security nightmare: With just one leak , a malicious actor can access some of your most sensitive accounts. Password m

Tom Clancy's XDefiant is almost upon us. Ubisoft is releasing the free-to-play first-person shooter on May 21 for the Xbox Series X|S, the PS5 and PC through Ubisoft Connect. The developer is kicking things off with the preseason version of the game, which is scheduled to last for six weeks before XDefiant's first season officially starts. Ubisoft announced the game way back in 2021, promising team-based matches with a focus on gunplay that will include elements from other games in the T

Elon Musk has made no secret that hes not a fan of the block button. Now, X is changing how blocks work on its platform, though its (for now) stopping short of Musks wish of nuking the feature entirely. Instead, X is tweaking the visibility of replies in the context of a block. Previously, a user could block someone on X and still reply to their posts. And the person who was blocked wouldnt be able to view that reply or know the person who had blocked them was engaging with their posts. Thats no

Microsoft says the April security updates for Windows may break your VPN . (Oops!) Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update (KB5036893) or the April 2024 non-security preview update, the company wrote in a status update. Its working on a fix. Bleeping Computer first reported the issue, which affects Windows 11 , Windows 10 and Windows Server 2008 and later. User reports on Reddit are mixed, with some commenters saying their VPNs still wor

Audible is testing a cheaper subscription tier in Australia that sounds like an answer to Spotifys audiobook push . Like the more expensive plan, the new Standard membership gives you one free title per month. But, similar to gaming services like PlayStation Plus , you lose access to the books you claimed under the plan if you cancel. As reported by Bloomberg , the Audible Standard plan costs AUD 8.99 (US$5.90) per month, significantly lower than the AUD 16.45 monthly cost of the Premium Plus pl

Some of the best and brightest Anker power banks are on sale via Amazon and directly from the company . These deals include the 20,000mAh Prime portable charge, which is down to $90 from its usual price of $130. Thats a discount of 31 percent and matches a previous record low . Anker products are all over our list of the best power banks , and we named the Prime charger as the best ultra-premium product on the market. Unfortunately, ultra-premium also means ultra-expensive, though $90 is a whole

Chinese tech giant Huawei has been secretly funding research in America despite being blacklisted, as reported by Bloomberg . The cutting-edge research is happening at universities, including Harvard, and the money is being funneled through an independent Washington-based research foundation, along with a competition for scientists. Bloomberg found that Huawei was the sole funder of a research competition that has awarded millions of dollars since 2022 and attracted hundreds of proposals from sc

Continuing the long American tradition of wealthy corporate overlords making union-busting comments, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy went on a media blitz in 2022 to warn of the workplace-altering terrors of labor unions. (Surely, its an unfortunate happenstance that his urgent PSA coincided with an uptick in organizing efforts at Amazon .) Sadly for Mr. Jassy, the US still has a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and CNBC reports that the board ruled Wednesday that his anti-union comments broke feder

Microsoft is celebrating World Password Day (IT folks deserve holidays, too!) by helping to kill them. The company has finally rolled out consumer passkey support for Microsoft accounts, nearly two years after Apple and Google . Once you set it up, the passkey lets you sign into your Microsoft account using your face, fingerprint or device PIN. It works not only on Windows but also on Apple and Googles mobile and desktop platforms. Passkeys are an easier and more secure way to access your accoun

The pandemic sucked. Four years ago we were all stuck at home, and would continue being stuck at home for months on end. With all of us trapped in our houses, some products experienced a serious COVID-19 bump. Grocery delivery services absolutely blew up, as did Zoom and the perfectly-timed Animal Crossing: New Horizons . The same goes for Peloton and its line of exercise equipment. People were buying bikes and treadmills in droves, ballooning the companys market cap from $6 billion to $50 billi

Whether its blocking the noises of your daily train ride, trying to be productive at a coffee shop or just needing to tune out the world for a while, noise-canceling earbuds can provide solace. But, as is the case with all audio gear, the effectiveness of active noise cancellation (ANC) can vary greatly from model to model, even with products from the same company. We test dozens of sets of wireless earbuds every year, and Ive shortlisted a selection of the absolute best in terms of pure ANC per

Facebook is a hotbed for conspiracy theories and dangerous organizing at critical moments, like the 650,000-plus posts arguing against President Biden's victory between the 2020 general election and the January 6 insurrection. Some users scattered following the latter and subsequent prosecutions, but a new report first published by Wired shows a resurgence, identifying about 200 groups and profiles across the platform organizing militia activity nationwide. The research, conducted by the Tech T

You can get an MLS Season Pass for Apple TV at a discount if you haven't paid for one yet and want to watch the league's upcoming games these coming months. Apple is now selling the pass, which typically costs $99, for $69 for the remainder of the 2024 season. If you're an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can get an additional $10 discount and only pay $59 for it. The company occasionally launches promotional offers for the MLS Season Pass meant to drum up interest in its sports streaming package. Last

Bose may be best known for its noise-canceling headphones , but the company makes solid portable Bluetooth speakers too. In fact, the company's SoundLink Flex made our best Bluetooth speakers list as a great option among contenders in its price range. Today, the company is adding to the SoundLink lineup with its largest portable Bluetooth speaker yet: the SoundLink Max ($399) . While the overall design is similar to previous Bose devices, this model packs bigger sound and longer battery life int

Audible is testing a new category of book recommendations based on what a user watched recently on Prime Video. Which, as the name suggests, will show you audiobooks based on what you watch on the Amazon-owned service, TechCrunch reports . The new carousel should appear on mobile and web apps for about half of users who have Amazon Prime Video and Audible subscriptions. You might see recommendations as straightforward as the book a movie you watched is based on or titles with storylines or autho

Your first apartment after graduation is probably not your forever home, but you can make it something youre proud of with gadgets that do your bidding. You can automate your lights, keep an eye on your pets and clean up your floors more efficiently with relatively affordable devices that wont eat up too much of your paycheck. Weve tried out a lot of smart home tech over the years and heres what we recommend for newbies and those with tight budgets This article originally appeared on Engadget at

As part of World Password Day ( yes, that's a thing ), Google is hyping up its security achievements and sharing updates on its latest endeavors. The company revealed passkey adoption metrics for the first time and said they have been used more than one billion times by 400 million Google accounts. Since launching, passkeys have proven to be faster than passwords, since they only require users to simply unlock their device using a fingerprint, face scan or pin to log in, Google wrote. The co

Emails from the Department of Justices antitrust case against Google revealed how Microsoft executives were alarmed by and even envious of Googles AI lead . In an email thread, CTO Kevin Scott wrote he was very, very worried about Googles rapidly growing AI capabilities. He said he initially dismissed the companys game-playing stunts, likely referring to Googles AlphaGo models. The emails reference Gmails autocomplete features, which execs called scary good. Microsoft struggled to copy Googles B

Crunchyroll, like many other streaming services recently, is raising its subscription prices . The anime streaming service has announced its first price hike since it was acquired by Funimation in 2020. Subscribers in Argentina, Colombia, France, Portugal, the United States and select additional countries will now have to pay $12 for the Mega Fan tier, up $2 from $10. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Fan tier will now be $1 more expensive at $16 a month. Both options give subscribers access to offline vi

TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a deal that will allow Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and other artists to return to the platform, the companies announced in a press release . Universal pulled songs from its roster of performers back in February and with some exceptions, its music hasn't been there since. Both sides are now working expeditiously to get content back on the platform that's home to a billion-plus users. A key part of the deal is artist protectio

It used to be difficult to find cheap wireless earbuds that weren't trash. Today, though, it's much less of a struggle to get something good enough without spending triple digits. And with headphone jacks all but extinct on most new smartphones , that should be the case. Still, some models are better than others. If youre looking to upgrade, weve researched and tested more than a dozen wireless earbuds that cost less than $100 and sorted out our top picks below. While none of them beat o

Over a year after announcing it would acquire Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 billion, T-Mobile has closed the deal. With the Un-Carrier's purchase of parent Ka'ena Corporation, it will not only get Mint, but internationally focused prepaid operator Ultra Mobile and wholesale wireless provider Plum. T-Mobile also promised to keep Mint Mobile's $15 per month/5GB offering that's among the least costly in the US. Mint Mobile is backed by Ryan Reynolds, who is believed to own 20 to 25 percent of the com

Anthropic is making its Claude AI easier to access on mobile. The company has released a Claude mobile app for iOS that any user can download for free. Similar to the mobile web version of the chatbot, the app syncs users' conversations with Claude across devices, allowing them to jump from a computer to the app (or vice versa) without losing their chat history. Users will also be able to upload files and images straight from their iPhone's gallery or take a photo on the spot if they n

This one's a bummer. Mega-publisher Take-Two Interactive is shuttering Rollerdrome studio Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 team Intercept Games, according to paperwork seen by Bloomberg . Roll7 is based in London, and was founded in 2008 by lifelong friends Tom Hegarty and Simon Bennett. Roll7 is the studio behind OlliOlli , OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome , all fantastic games with wheel-based mechanics. OlliOlli was a Vita hit in 2014 and World landed in early 2022 they're both great,

Snapchat will finally join most of its messaging app peers and allow users to edit their chats. The feature, which will be rolling out soon, will initially be limited to Snapchat+ subscribers, the company said. With the change, Snapchat users will have a five-minute window to rephrase their message, fix typos or otherwise edit their chats. Messages that have been edited will have a label indicating the text has been changed. The company didnt say when the feature might be available to more of it

Facebooks News Feed algorithm has long been at the center of debates about some of Metas biggest problems. Its also been a near constant source of complaints from users. But, if a newly filed lawsuit is successful, Facebook users may be able to use the social network with a vastly different feed. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is suing Meta on behalf of a researcher who wants to release a browser extension that would allow people to effectively turn off their algorit

It turns out the lay of todays AI landscape can be traced back to what do you know fear, jealousy and intense capitalist ambition. Emails revealed in the Department of Justices antitrust case against Google , first reported by Business Insider , show Microsoft executives expressing alarm and envy over Googles AI lead. That spurred an urgency that led to the Windows makers initial billion-dollar investment in its now-indispensable partner, OpenAI. In a heavily redacted 2019 email thread titled T

Starfield , the excellent Digipick puzzle game surrounded by 80 hours of sci-fi mediocrity, is getting a performance update on Xbox Series X that unlocks frame rates above 30 fps. Starfield 's May update adds the option to target 30 fps, 40 fps, 60 fps or an uncapped frame rate for displays that support VRR running at 120hz. Displays without VRR will have the choice of 30 fps or 60 fps. The May update also includes the ability to prioritize visuals or performance at each frame rate target.

Block appears to be squarely in the governments sights. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are reportedly probing extensive compliance lapses at the parent company of Square and Cash App. NBC News says a former Block employee has handed over documents to federal authorities, painting a picture of how the company failed to gather required risk-assessment information from customers and subsequently processed illegal transactions. The documents allegedly show that Block greenlit mul

The bad news? Its the beginning of the month, so rent is due. The good news? Sony just revealed the PlayStation Plus games lineup for May , and there are some serious standouts. The lineup includes Ghostrunner 2 , Tunic , Destiny 2: Lightfall and EA Sports FC 24 . Most of these games are available for both PS4 and PS5, except Ghostrunner 2 which is only for PS5 players. So lets start with Ghostrunner 2 . Its a brutally difficult, yet consistently engaging , first-person slasher with a fast-paced

For better or (mostly) worse, the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Three and a half years into the consoles' lives, there remain only two official solutions: Seagate's Storage Expansion Card and the WD Black C50 . It's a limiting situation, but if you're tired of deleting and reinstalling games to create space, versions of each card are at least a little cheaper than usual right now. The 1TB WD Black C50 is on sale for $125 at A

One of the main reasons it has been difficult to recommend the $500 Quest 3 VR headset over the $200 Quest 2 is a lack of exclusive titles, as most games have to support both models. This means we havent really seen the power of the Quest 3 yet , but the tides are turning. Meta just announced Batman: Arkham Shadow , which is fully exclusive to the companys newest headset. It looks like this title is actually set in the pre-existing Arkham universe , but it's not being developed by franchise stew

Another day, another company tests Apple's resolve. This time, it's TikTok allegedly violating the company's rules for apps, with the video platform seemingly allowing some users to purchase its coins directly from its website. TikTok has apparently given some iOS users the option to Try recharging on tiktok.com to avoid in-app service fees namely Apple's 30 percent commission on purchases. According to photos shared on X (formerly Twitter) by David Tesler , co-founder of the ap

LinkedIn, the professional network known for job listings and unsolicited career advice, is jumping into gaming. The platform is officially introducing a set of Wordle-style puzzle games, weeks after they were first spotted in the app. The company is starting with three games: Pinpoint, a word game where players must guess the theme that ties a series of words together; Queens, a puzzle game thats a bit like a cross between Sudoku and Minesweeper; and Crossclimb, a trivia game that involves gues

Ring makes a camera for pretty much every corner of your home but, until now, has never gone near one with a motorized base . That changes today with the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam that, as the name implies, lets you spin the unit around 360 degrees to keep up with whats going on. The new unit has a tilt range of 169-degrees and offers color HD video no matter the lighting conditions. Youll get all of the usual features with a standard indoor cam, including motion alerts and two-walk talk, plus th

The Rabbit R1 , a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood and is powered by a single app, according to Android Authority . Apparently, the publication was able to install the R1 APK on a Pixel 6a and made it run as if it were the $199 gadget, bobbing bunny head on the screen and all. If you already have a phone and aren't quite intrigued by specialized devices or keen on being an early adopter, you probably didn't see merit in getting the R1 (or its competit