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Google has announced a trio of new AI-powered features for its Google TV platform, after showing off smarter Gemini integration at CES back in January. Google TV can now provide richer visual help when you ask it a question. Request the current sports scores, for example, and Gemini will bring up not only a live updating scorecard, but also where you can watch the game. If youre looking for a recipe, itll pair its results with a video tutorial where possible. If youd rather learn something new t

Apple Maps will soon have ads, Apple confirmed in a blog post announcing the company's new Apple Business platform. Reports that Apple planned to expand its ad business outside of the App Store and Apple News broke as recently as yesterday, but the company has been rumored to be exploring putting ads in its navigation app as far back as 2022 . Ads in Maps, as the new advertising program is called, will allow businesses to create ads that can appear when users search in Maps, at the top of search

Apple TV's long-running sci-fi show For All Mankind has just been renewed for a sixth and final season , ahead of this week's season five premiere . This seems more like the natural endpoint of the story instead of a cancellation, according to remarks made by some of the creators. Getting to explore the For All Mankind universe over six seasons has been an amazing privilege, and were thrilled to have the opportunity to finish the story the way weve always hoped, co-creators and showrunners Matt

iOS and iPadOS 26.4 are here, with a surprising number of new features for a point release. Chief among them is a new AI playlist generator, similar to one Spotify launched in 2024 . Playlist Playground is Apple's branding for the song list generator. It works as you'd expect: Type a prompt, and it spits out tracks that match it. As MacRumors noted , your prompts can relate to mood, feelings, activities and more. Also new in iOS 26.4, an ambient music widget puts background sounds on your home s

The live music discovery platform Bandsintowns partnership with Apple goes way back , but iOS 26.4 brings the deepest integration between the two companies to date. Concert listings from Bandsintown will now appear in Apple Music , allowing you to find out when either a band you already love, or one youre discovering for the first time, is next playing live. Artists who use Bandsintown to advertise their tour dates can promote upcoming shows in a number of ways through Apples app. A new Concerts

Pokmon Champions a battle-focused game along the lines of Pokmon Stadium now has a release date, and it's pretty darn soon. It will hit Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on April 8. A mobile version is in the works with support for cross-play with Nintendo's consoles. Nintendo released a new overview video that shows how the game works. You can recruit Pokmon in the game or transfer those you've found in previous titles and Pokmon Go via Pokmon Home. Then you'll be able to take half a dozen of your

We knew Disney+ was prepping a standalone special for The Punisher, but we didn't know it was coming so soon. The Punisher: One Last Kill premieres on May 12. This is just one week after the season two finale of Daredevil: Born Again , which starts up this week. It's possible The Punisher will be featured in that, so we could be in for eight straight weeks of skull-shirted shenanigans. Frank Castle returns in A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill May 12, only on @

The popular co-op heist franchise Payday is coming to VR. Payday: Aces High will release for the Meta Quest platform and SteamVR later this year. It looks like it has everything people love about the series, but with some of that VR-style immersion. Just like the mainline games, this version tasks players with planning and then pulling off elaborate heists. It offers four-player co-op, with each person filling a particular role within the group. These are your standard heist movie archetypes. Th

Epic Games has announced sweeping layoffs of more than 1,000 employees. The downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 means we're spending significantly more than we're making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded, CEO Tim Sweeney said in a memo to workers on Tuesday. Sweeney wrote that, combined with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles, the layoffs will give Epic more stability. He added that the lay

Samsung has unveiled the budget M70H and M80H Mini LED TVs, promising a bright picture and accurate colors starting at just $400 for the 50-inch and $1,200 for the 85-inch models. The company also revealed a pair of new higher-end TVs with the company's Quantum Mini LED tech, the QN70H and QN80H, that offer precise backlighting and 100 percent color volume. Mini LED TVs have been dropping rapidly in price over the past couple of years while also improving in quality. The M70H and M80H are among

Akai just revealed specs and other details about the MPC Sample after teasing the gadget earlier this month . This is a portable sampler and groovebox that looks eerily similar to Teenage Engineering's EP series . It also resembles some legendary Akai gadgets from decades past, including the MPC3000 and MPC60. In other words, it's easy on the eyes and sort of looks like a Super Famicom. It seems pretty capable. The Sample has 16 velocity-sensitive MPC pads with poly aftertouch, which should plea

At the end of February, Ultrahuman announced its latest smart ring which promises up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge. Sadly, if you were based in the US, you werent able to pre-order the Ring Pro, as the company has been locked in a longstanding legal tussle with ring rivals Oura. Now, however, it appears the situation has been resolved, with the US Customs and Border Protection giving its blessing. Consequently, pre-orders for the Ring Pro are starting today, with the first 1,000

Spotify has started rolling out a feature called SongDNA that can show you the people behind your favorite tracks and give you an insight on how they were created. You can access it by opening the Now Playing view while listening to a specific song and then scrolling down to the SongDNA box. Tracks that support the new feature will show you all the artists, writers, producers and collaborators behind them. Its yet another way to make more music on the platform discoverable, since youll be able t

Its coming. Apples Worldwide Developers Conference ( WWDC ) will take place from June 8-12. Going on past timings, CEO Tim Cook will take the stage for the keynote on June 8, most likely at 1 PM ET. WWDC is a software-focused affair, so expect to see the upcoming 27 operating systems, now that the new naming convention has settled. Apple will likely cover iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27 and macOS 27. However, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman is suggesting that WWDC will be a fairly

Snapchat users are sending a staggering number of snaps to each other, according to newly released data from Snap. In 2025, Snapchat users created close to 2 trillion snaps, the company said in an update. That works out to about 5.5 billion distinct snaps per day and about 63,000 each second, according to the company. When you consider that Snapchat has about 474 million daily users, that averages to more than 11 snaps per user each day. In a blog post, the company called it a reflection of how

If the Sonos app saga still has you down, Denon has three new multi-room speakers that give you some fresh alternatives. The companys Home 200, Home 400 and Home 600 offer audio flexibility with other HEOS-enabled products. These new devices were also designed so that they blend in with home decor better than most speakers, coming in stone and charcoal color options for that purpose. As you progress up in number, the speakers not only get physically larger, but their sonic output is also more ro

The Federal Communications Commission has released a notice today designating any consumer routers manufactured outside the US as a security risk. The rule states that new foreign-made product models for network routers will land on the Covered List, a set of communications equipment seen as having an unacceptable risk to national security. Previously purchased routers can still be used and retailers can still sell models that were approved by the prior FCC policies. In an exception to the usual

Anthropic announced today that its Claude Code and Claude Cowork tools are being updated to accomplish tasks using your computer. The latest update will see these AI resources become capable of opening files, using the browser and running dev tools. When enabled, the Claude AI chatbot will first prioritize connectors to supported services such as the Google workplace suite or Slack, but if a connector isn't available, it will be able to still execute an assigned task. Claude should ask for permi

EA has put another game on the chopping block, or at least the console versions of it. The company says it will delist the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Battlefield Hardline from digital storefronts on May 22, and shut down the online services on June 22. The single-player campaign will remain playable for those who own the game. The PC version of Battlefield Hardline isnt affected by these changes. In its announcement on X, EA didn't explain exactly why it's ceasing support for the game on PS4 a

Apple is reportedly planning on inserting ads into the Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman . An announcement could come as soon as this month, with the ads themselves appearing on iPhones this summer. This will likely work similarly to ads in Google Maps and Yelp, which lets retailers and brands bid for coverage with particular search queries. I've personally never found the ads in Google Maps to be that annoying, so let's hope Apple's implementation is similar. This potential ad reve

Wing's drone deliveries are coming full circle after adding Bay Area to its service locations . The drone delivery startup has been rapidly expanding to metro areas across the US, but is now targeting the tech-friendly Silicon Valley region. Going back to its inaugural deliveries, Wing ferried office supplies across Google's Mountain View campus in the Bay Area with its automated drones. It was still a startup out of Google's X, The Moonshot Factory incubator at the time, but early users were al

Apple announced that this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place from June 8-12. The company tends to be consistent with event timing, so it's no surprise that CEO Tim Cook will take the stage for the keynote on June 8, most likely at 1PM ET. Much of WWDC will take place online and will be free to attend, though there will be an in-person component for select developers, students and media at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. You'll be able to take in WWDC via the Apple

Polymarket announced that it's taking insider trading more seriously. Seen in its latest press release , the prediction market updated its market integrity rules, specifically those concerning insider trading and market manipulation. While Polymarket is taking the initiative to update its rules, it's likely a response to the rise in suspicious bets, whether it's about the US capture of Nicols Maduro or the release of a new product from OpenAI . As first reported on by Bloomberg , Polymarket is t

Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of OnlyFans, has died. He passed peacefully after a long battle with cancer at age 43, according to a statement from the platform published by Forbes . He was born in Ukraine, but grew up in Chicago. Radvinsky didn't create OnlyFans. He purchased it back in 2018, though is largely credited with transforming it from a niche website to a gigantic porn empire . The platform became so huge that reports have indicated that Radvinsky personally made nearly $2 mi

The premise seems simple enough. LG promises that you can set its Sound Suite speakers anywhere and Dolbys home theater tech will make them perform well. The soundbar, subwoofer and speakers dont have to go in prescribed locations for the best results, which means you can place them where you need to and move them as you see fit. Of course, this all hinges on the reliability of the underlying tech and LGs ability to make individual speakers that actually sound good. Like most premium soundbars a

When the Uber Black isn't premium enough, New Yorkers now have the option to call for a Wheely instead. Whimsical name aside, the London-based company is breaking into the US market by offering its chauffeur-hailing services to residents of New York City first, as first reported by Bloomberg . Think of it like Uber, but for business executives and VIPs who prefer better service and riding in Cadillacs and Mercedes. New York has long been requested by our customers, whether that be New Yorkers wh

Microsoft has locked in its second games showcase of the year. A Xbox Partner Preview stream will take place on March 26 at 1PM ET. It'll be available on the Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels. There'll be dedicated Twitch and YouTube streams with ASL interpretation, another featuring British Sign Language and one with audio descriptions in English on the main Xbox YouTube channel. The YouTube stream will be in 4K at 60fps (other channels are limited to 1080p) and have subtitle support for nearly

As Google promised, Apple AirDrop sharing is expanding to more Android devices. Samsung announced today that its Galaxy S26 Series is getting AirDrop support through the Quick Share feature. Google first introduced the Quick Share feature on its Pixel 10 phones last year and, in February, shared plans to increase the number of devices included. The setting allows Android users to send and receive photos and files from an Apple device, much like two Apple users do with AirDrop. To get media from

The developer behind the open-world RPG Crimson Desert has issued an official apology after players discovered several instances of AI-generated art in the game. Pearl Abyss posted on X that it released the game with some 2D visual props that were made with experimental AI generative tools and forgot to replace them before launch. We would like to address questions regarding the use of AI in Crimson Desert. During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration us

Elon Musk has announced the Terafab project, a joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, to build the largest chip manufacturing facility ever. In his usual grandiose fashion, Musk claims Terafab is the next step towards harnessing the power of the sun and creating a galactic civilization. Musk, CEO of all three companies, announced plans for the Terafab in a livestream on X . As the name implies, the project's ultimate goal is to produce a terawatt of computing power each year so that it can

There could be one more step required before creating an account and posting on Reddit in the future. According to Reddit's CEO, Steve Huffman , the social media platform is exploring different ways to verify a user is human and not a bot. When asked by the TBPN podcast how to confirm that it's a human using Reddit, Huffman responded with several verification methods with varying degrees of heavy-handedness. RDDT requiring Face ID was not something I had on my bingo card but something has got to

Need something new for your reading list? Here are two titles we think are worth checking out. This week, we've got Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary and The Thing on the Doorstep, an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation for Image Comics. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-revisiting-project-hail-mary-and-the-thing-on-the-doorstep-190000250.html?src=rss

A legal feud between the co-founders of Lux Optics, the developer behind the Halide camera app, revealed that Apple was close to acquiring the company. As first reported by The Information , Apple held acquisition talks for Lux Optics, which also developed the Kino, Spectre and Orion apps, in the summer of 2025. According to The Information , the deal eventually fell through in September of that year, but the potential acquisition could've provided Apple with the third-party software to improve

The best-selling game of all time is moving from the virtual to the physical. Minecraft World, a permanent Greater London theme park based on the game, is scheduled to open in 2027. The announcement came during Minecraft Live 2026. It will be a new section in Chessington World of Adventures, a theme park with a built-in zoo. The resort is a 35-minute train ride from London's Waterloo station. Details are still fairly light on the park. But we know it will include a roller coaster, interactive ad

While other tech companies have been laying off employees year after year, OpenAI is doing the opposite. According to a report from the Financial Times , the AI giant is looking to expand its workforce to 8,000 employees by the end of 2026, nearly doubling staff from its current headcount of 4,500. The FT reported that the new hires will be across several departments, including product development, engineering, research and sales. OpenAI's hiring spree will also include specialists for echnical

It doesnt sound like Crimson Desert , the recently released prequel to Black Desert Online , will support Intel Arc GPUs anytime soon, if at all. On the games FAQ page , its developer Pearl Abyss advised players expecting Arc support to apply for a refund. If you purchased the game expecting Intel Arc support, please refer to the refund policy of the platform where the game was purchased for available options, the company wrote. Apparently, though, its not from lack of guidance from Intel. The c

Remember when Japan sent a spacecraft to an asteroid 180 million miles away to scoop some dirt off the surface? Six years on from its arrival to Earth, that sample has yielded some insights about what may have seeded life on our planet. Read on to learn more about the latest findings, and other science news we found interesting this week. DNA ingredients on Ryugu In 2020, a capsule from the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 returned to Earth with samples collected from the surface of asteroid Ryugu

Twitter is officially 20 years old. In another reality, that might make me kind of nostalgic. I've been lurking and scrolling and tweeting for 16 years; most of my adult life. There was a time when Twitter was a place where some internet strangers became my IRL friends, when I was excited to live-tweet. When my infinitely more well-adjusted friends would send me memes, I would smugly say I saw that on Twitter days ago. Twitter stopped being that place a long time ago, but I don't have any nostal

Apple already announced a lot of new devices in 2026 and weve been busy reviewing them all. In this installment of our bi-weekly roundup, we revisit the MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e and more, in addition to the regular Galaxy S26 and Dell XPS 16. Theres even more than those gadget to catch up on, so sit back, relax and cozy up to some fresh reviews . Apple MacBook Neo The main attraction for Apples early device deluge was the $599 MacBook Neo . The company is finally giving us something weve been beg

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There are a whole bunch of neat new games out this week, as well as updates on some interesting upcoming projects. In case you missed it, the Steam Spring Sale is under way. There are lots of solid deals here, and my credit card is already screaming at me. I've picked up a bunch of games from my wishlist. For instance, at just $3, I couldn't resist snagging Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Meanwhile, over on