Engadget News

There's a growing sentiment that gadgets have gotten boring. And while I don't fully agree, I understand why people might feel that way. Just think about some of the novel device types that companies have tried to push since the original iPhone came out. 3D TVs were a massive flop and tablets still feel like extra-large smartphones despite Apple's efforts to prop them up as laptop replacements. Meanwhile, even with huge technological advancements over the last decade, VR headsets remain relative

So you want to give someone a gift but you dont have a ton of cash to spare. Dont fret because first, youre not alone, and second, there are tons of options to choose from. Especially if youre looking in the tech space, it can feel especially daunting to find a gadget thats affordable but also worth gifting in other words, not a piece of junk that will eventually take up residence at the bottom of a drawer. But you dont have to drain your wallet to get someone a cool gadget that will both be us

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. Between The Game Awards and showcases like Day of the Devs , Wholesome Snack, Latin American Games and Women-Led Games, theres been a ton of video game news over the last week (I need Control Resonant ASAP, please and thank you, Remedy). And hey, guess what? I've got even more for you to dig into, including info on some new releases that you can play right now. One of those is a game Id been looking forward to since about

My boyfriend texted me those dreaded four words: Is your Spotify down? Sure enough his, mine and thousands of other users' Spotify accounts appear to be down and out at the moment, with Downdetector recording over 10,000 reports from users. Spotify is apparently working on the problem. The account, Spotify Status, shared an update on X at 9:45 AM on Monday, Were aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!About an hour later, the company shared an update saying that the outage was r

Warning: the following contains spoilers for part one of Stranger Things season five With just over a week to go until Netflix releases the next batch of Stranger Things episodes, the company has dropped a trailer for the second part of season five. The clip begins in the aftermath of the action-packed ending to the first bunch of episodes, with bodies and blazes surrounding Will as he says in a voiceover, We failed. We never stood a chance. However, his mother Joyce tells him that, This is not

My boyfriend texted me those dreaded four words: Is your Spotify down? Sure enough his, mine and thousands of other users' Spotify accounts appear to be down and out at the moment, with Downdetector recording over 10,000 reports from users. Spotify is apparently working on the problem. The account, Spotify Status, shared an update on X at 9:45 AM on Monday, Were aware of some issues right now and are checking them out! We're aware of some issues right now and are checking them out! Spotify Stat

If you have a resolution in the new year to get more acquainted with your finances, a good budgeting app can help with that. One of our favorites is a bit cheaper to sign up for right now: Monarch Money is offering 50 percent off annual subscriptions for new users. Use the code MONARCHVIP at checkout to get half off, so you'll pay just $50 for one year of access. Monarch Money was the runner-up in our guide to the best budgeting apps in 2025, and it was definitely a grower. Initially we found th

The Meta Quest 3S is back on sale at its all-time low price of $250. That's $50 off, or a discount of 17 percent, and matches a deal we saw on Cyber Monday. The 3S is the more affordable model in the company's current VR headset lineup . It features the same Snapdragon XR2 processor as the more expensive Meta Quest 3, but with lower resolution per eye and a slightly narrower field of view. In our hands-on review , we gave the Meta Quest 3S a score of 90, noting how impressive the tech was compar

It was a big day in gaming history when Nintendo finally released its Switch sequel. But the Nintendo Switch 2 lacked many options for microSD Express cards. Samsung helped change that this fall, with the release of its P9 Express series of microSD Express cards, and now one of them is on sale. Currently, you can pick up the 256GB Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $33, down from $55. The 40 percent discount brings the microSD down to a new all-time low price. That means your new Ninten

The holiday season is very much upon us and, whether you're traveling or need a last-minute present, noise-canceling headphones are a great purchase for this time of year. This is made all the more true when they're on sale. Take the Bose QuietComfort Headphones , which are down to $170 from $359. The 53 percent discount brings these headphones to a new record-low price even better than their Black Friday deal . Bose released its new QuietComfort Headphones in October and they're an incredible

End-of-year wrap-ups were popularized by Spotify , and these days you can look back on the last 12 months of listening with most of the music streaming apps , as well as your gaming and YouTube viewing habits. The next logical step? A full recap of all of the Uber trips and takeaways youve guiltily ordered this year, of course! Uber is calling its new wrap-up feature, which launches today, YOUBER, and it takes into consideration both your Uber and Uber Eats usage. You can see where you went, how

Engadget has been reviewing the latest devices for over two decades, adding well over 100 in-depth product tests to our tally every year. For 2025, we have compiled a list of the best gear we reviewed this year based on the highest review scores in each category. From Pixel to iPad, and Switch 2 to Sony WH-1000XM6, our reviews team has spent thousands of hours testing new products this year to discover the best of the best. Now its your turn to rediscover the best gadgets of 2025, including expl

Secret Santa gift exchanges can be chaotic in the best way. One minute youre drawing a name from a hat, the next youre scrambling to figure out what theyd actually like. The trick is finding something thats thoughtful, gets a laugh or feels useful without going over budget. Luckily there are plenty of gifts that do exactly that, whether youre shopping for the office exchange, a family swap or a friend group tradition. From clever gadgets to playful desk toys and little luxuries, these ideas prov

iRobot, which brought robotic vacuum cleaners to the masses with its iconic Roomba models, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . The Massachusetts-based company plans to sell all assets to its primary supplier, a Chinese company known as Picea Robotics. If approved by a bankruptcy court, the move would allow iRobot to continueoperating in the ordinary course, pursue its product development roadmap, and maintain its global footprint, iRobot wrote in a press release. The company expects the deal t

Google seems to be cracking down on the use of Disney characters in AI-generated videos on YouTube after it was hit with a cease and desist letter. According to reports by Variety and Deadline , the company removed dozens of videos featuring Deadpool, Moana, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars characters and other Disney IP as of Friday, just days after Disney accused it of infringing Disneys copyrights on a massive scale. The letter, seen by both publications earlier this week, called out Google not just f

In the same month that Grok opted for a second Holocaust over vaporizing Elon Musk's brain, the AI chatbot is on the fritz again. Following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia during a festival to mark the start of Hanukkah, Grok is responding to user requests with inaccurate or completely unrelated info, as first spotted by Gizmodo . Grok's confusion seems to be most apparent with a viral video that shows a 43-year-old bystander, identified as Ahmed al Ahmed , wrestling a gun away from an att

If you're several chapters into a novel and forgot who a character was, Amazon is hoping its new Kindle feature will jog your memory without ever having to put the e-reader down. This feature, called Ask this Book , was announced during Amazon's hardware event in September, but is finally available for US users on the Kindle iOS app. According to Amazon, the feature can currently be found on thousands of English best-selling Kindle titles and only reveals information up to your current reading p

Close enough, welcome back Xperia Play . After releasing a teaser video in early November, Ayaneo fully revealed its first smartphone called the Pocket Play . As suspected, the Ayaneo Pocket Play features a sliding mechanism that transforms it from a chunky smartphone into a gaming handheld. In its gaming configuration, the Pocket Play features a controller setup with a D-pad, ABXY buttons and four shoulder buttons. However, Ayaneo has modernized the Xperia Play design by incorporating two touch

If Alien: Romulus reawakened your appetite for the iconic sci-fi franchise , the good news is that a promising video game could be on the way. According to an Insider Gaming report, a new game for the Alien franchise is back in development. The report's sources mentioned that the single-player game will be set in a decaying space station as an arcade survival horror that can be compared to Shadow of [the] Tomb Raider with Xenomorphs. It's not the first time we heard about this Alien game, which

Half-Life fans are nothing if not patient. For the diehard fans out there, the latest test of patience comes from Insider Gaming Weekly 's podcast , which claimed that the third installment in the Half-Life franchise is set to release with the launch of the Steam Machine sometime in spring 2026. The window I was specifically told was spring 2026 for the Steam Machine, for the Frame, for the Controller, for Half-Life 3, Mike Straw, one of the hosts of the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast and senior

Apple has released iOS 26.2 , bringing a number of new convenience features and security updates. The update includes auto-generated chapters for episodes in the Podcasts app, the option to make AirDrop more secure using verification codes, alarms for Reminders and more. It also introduces new controls for how Liquid Glass appears on the Lock Screen, adding a slider to adjust the transparency level. The drop also includes updates for iPadOS , macOS , watchOS , visionOS and tvOS . What's new in i

Even though Nintendo made some serious upgrades with the Joy-Con 2 , you still might end up ditching them for CRKD's Nitro Deck 2. After winning over Nintendo Switch owners with its first Nitro Deck , CRKD followed it up with an improved design that works for both the original Switch and the Switch 2 . To refine the original design, CRKD added several upgrades to the Nitro Deck 2 based on community feedback. The new-and-improved accessory features the company's CaptiStick Technology, which preve

John Cena began his WWE retirement tour back in January, and it's coming to an end this weekend when the wrestling legend headlines WWE Saturday Night's Main Event . For the last fight of his career, Cena has been matched up with The Ring General Gunther on the night's fight card, which also features matches between Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi, a tag team match featuring AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Je'Von Evans & Leon Slater, and a women's matchup between Bayley and Sol Ruca. This show starts at 8 p

Amazon has responded to viewers catching errors in its AI-generated season recaps by apparently pulling them from Prime Video. The company announced its new Video Recaps feature in November as a way to make it easier to jump into a new season of a show, but the feature had issues: A recap created for Fallout included factual errors about the plot and the setting of the show. On Prime Video, recaps can be played in the Extras section if you're watching on the web, or via a dedicated recap button

IKEA's revamp of its smart home products doesn't end with Matter support. The furniture and home goods company also has a line of new Qi wireless chargers, the best of which, the VSTMRKE wireless charger , combines the functionality of a PopSockets-style phone grip with cable storage. The $10 VSTMRKE wireless charger is reminiscent of a bagel or donut, if you could take the top half of those ring-shaped foods and turn them inside out to create a cozy grip for your fingers. That same red silicone

Sandfall Interactive, the developer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , knows how to ride the wave. Right after the visually stunning RPG finished dominating The Game Awards, the team dropped a free Thank You content update for fans. This is no minor patch. It adds a playable environment and new boss battles for late-game players. The Thank You update also adds new music tracks, a Photo Mode and new text and UI localizations. On top of that, you'll find quality-of-life tweaks, including improved pe

While its probably tempting to go all-out and give a loved one their most desired gadget this year, doing so could put a big dent in your budget. And it would be wrong to assume that you have to spend hundreds to get a good tech gift that anyone will appreciate. There are plenty of gadgets and accessories out there that dont cost an arm and a leg and that will also make good additions to their kits. Here are some of our favorite tech gift ideas that come in at $50 or less. Best stocking stuffers

Google is rolling out new Gemini-assisted functionality to Search and its Translate app. It says its AI can now provide more natural and accurate text translations for phrases that have more nuanced meanings. Translate will now take slang terms and colloquial expressions into consideration rather than provide sometimes unhelpful direct translations. The latest update to its text translation feature is rolling out first in the US and India, translating between English and just under 20 other lang

Id Software, the company behind Doom, has voted in favor of forming a wall-to-wall union. The term wall-to-wall refers to a union that includes every employee, regardless of duties. The vote wasn't unanimous, with 165 of 185 total employees in favor of the union. The union will work in conjunction with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which is the same organization involved with parent company ZeniMax's recent unionization efforts . Microsoft, who owns ZeniMax, has already recognized

We generally consider Apples iPads to be the best tablets for most people, but they usually dont come cheap. To help those looking to grab one get the most value possible, were keeping an eye on sale prices and rounding up the best iPad deals we can find each week. This weeks highlights include both versions of the latest iPad Air for $150 off at Amazon, matching the all-time lows we last saw around Black Friday. The iPad mini and iPad Pro are each $100 off as well. Beyond iPads, both the AirPod

Engadget staffers spend the entire year poking, prodding and otherwise testing the latest tech gadgets. So weve got a pretty good handle on whats unique and interesting right now. We put together this list for anyone looking for a good gift for that tech-obsessed person on their gift list. Some of these are devices weve tested for our reviews and guides, others are items we bought for ourselves (or wish someone would buy for us). Weve got more than 35 picks here, from nearly every member of the

Reddit has filed a lawsuit in Australia's High Court aiming to overturn the country's under-16 social media ban , Reuters reported. The forum platform called the law contrary to Australia's constitution as it intrudes on free political discourse. It also argued that Reddit shouldn't have been included in the ban since it isn't a social media site, based on the law's definition. The action is likely to set in motion a protracted legal battle, given Reddit's resources and its popularity in Austral

If you're still on the hunt for gifts, or simply good holiday deals for yourself, you can find them on the internet. Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday have ended doesn't mean the deals have dried up. One of the best deals available that we're tracking is on the latest Apple Watch Series 11 , which you can get for a record low of $299. We gave the Apple Watch Series 11 a score of 90 when it came out in September. That's thanks, in part, to an upgraded 24 hours of battery life which last

F1: The Movie , the cinematic love letter to Formula One and quite possibly even more so consumer products made by Apple, is finally available to stream on Apple TV if youre a subscriber. It follows the sports thrillers long theatrical run, during which it raked in more than $630 million globally, comfortably making it Apples most successful original film. Directed by Joseph Kosinski ( Top Gun: Maverick , Tron: Legacy ), F1: The Movie follows the washed-up former F1 prodigy Sonny Hayes (Brad P

Last week, Netflix surprised us all when it announced plans for an $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., a move that would fundamentally reshape the world of streaming video and Hollywood. But Paramount isn't giving up on WB this week it launched a $108 billion hostile takeover effort. In this episode, we discuss why everyone is fighting for WB, and why Netflix may be the best worst option for the storied movie studio. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics

If you want to learn a new skill in the new year or brush up on some skills you already have, MasterClass could be a good option for you. It's even more accessible now that the company is running a holiday promotion that knocks 40 percent off subscriptions. For the top-tier Premium plan, which includes offline mode and use on up to six devices, you'll pay $144 for the year instead of the usual $240. The entry-level plan, which supports just one device and doesn't offer offline viewing, is marked

Honestly, compiling the biggest losers for Engadget is more fun than talking up the winners . While we reviewed nothing as atrocious as those ill-fated AI assistant gadgets from 2024, AI companies and services straddled both the winner and loser podiums. The losers might be you, the American consumer. (Sorry.) In the US, anyone wanting a drone will have to find something that isnt made by DJI. The company has been targeted by regulators since 2017 over concerns its products could spy on sensitiv

E Ink tablets have always been intriguing to me because Im a longtime lover of pen and paper. Ive had probably hundreds of notebooks over the years, serving as repositories for my story ideas, to-do lists, meeting notes and everything in between. However, I turned away from physical notebooks at a certain point because it was just easier to store everything digitally so I always had my most important information at my fingertips. E Ink tablets seem to provide the best of both worlds: the tactile

This year at The Game Awards, if your game wasnt melodramatic, mechanically innovative, beautifully presented and aggressively French, it didnt stand a chance. The Game Awards 2025 wrapped up on the evening of Thursday, December 11 with a record-breaking showing by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive. The game received the most nominations and wins in the shows 12-year history. But, we know thats not really why youre here. Between the award presentations and musical numbers, th

PlayStation had said on X that it would have news about Saros at The Game Awards, and unfortunately, fans excited for the new Housemarque project will need to wait a little longer to get their hands on it. The game has been delayed from its planned March release. But there's only a short time until the new date of April 30, and pre-orders are open now. Star Rahul Kohli appeared at The Game Awards to introduce the newest trailer for the game. I'm glad we won't be waiting too much longer, because

The next game from Left 4 Dead designer Mike Booth is putting a sci-fi spin on his last game's co-op action, based on a trailer Booth and producer JJ Abrams shared at The Game Awards 2025. The new game is called 4:LOOP , and it's the first project entirely developed by Bad Robot Games , film production company Bad Robot's game studio. 4:LOOP combines the four-player co-op action of Left 4 Dead , with roguelike elements enabled by what seems like a time loop mechanic. Based on the trailer, player

Why have one Star Wars game announcement at an edition of The Game Awards when you can have two? Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a podracing (and speeder racing) game from Fuse Games , a studio established in 2023 by former Burnout and Need for Speed developers. It's scheduled to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2026. The action here is set after the fall of the Empire. With the galaxy in rebuild mode after dealing with that whole mess, an unsanctioned, underground racing circuit called the Galac