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Since 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover has achieved a number of historic milestones, including sending back the first audio recordings from Mars . Now, nearly five years after landing on the Red Planet , it just achieved another feat. This past December, Perseverance successfully completed a route through a section of the Jezero crater plotted by Anthropic's Claude chatbot , marking the first time NASA has used a large language model to pilot the car-sized robot. Between December 8 and 10, Persev

Americas once-promising EV transition may have taken a U-turn , but at least some in Hollywood are trying to do their part. Rivian partnered with Greys Anatomy to make a custom electric ambulance for the long-running series. The ambulance is a modified version of Rivians Commercial Van . The custom vanbulance serves a dual purpose: preventing on-set exhaust fumes (which could harm the cast and crew) and integrating a green storyline. As an added benefit, the elimination of engine noise brought a

The Sundance documentary Ghost in the Machine boldly declares that the pursuit of artificial intelligence, and Silicon Valley itself, is rooted in eugenics. Director Valerie Veatch makes the case that the rise of techno-fascism from the likes of Elon Musk and Peter Thiel is a feature, not a bug. That may sound hyperbolic, but Ghost in the Machine , which is built around interviews with philosophers, AI researchers, historians and computer scientists, leaves little room for doubt. If you've been

Samsungs 2025 was filled with new foldables , an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google's XR platform . After making some announcements at CES 2026 , the company is expected to host its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year in February to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live, and we'll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung's new smartphones soon after they're announced. While we wait for an official invite, here's everything we expect S

This past summer, Google DeepMind debuted Genie 3 . Its whats known as a world world, an AI system capable of generating images and reacting as the user moves through the environment the software is simulating. At the time, DeepMind positioned Genie 3 as a tool for training AI agents. Now, its making the model available to people outside of Google to try with Project Genie . To start, youll need Googles $250 per month AI Ultra plan to check out Project Genie . Youll also need to live in the US a

Like many other companies during Super Bowl season, Sonos is discounting its home theater gear. Today, you can save $130 on the Beam (Gen 2) soundbar , bringing its price down to $369. You'll also find deals on the flagship Arc Ultra Soundbar, Sonos subwoofers, and more. The Sonos Beam is the company's sub-$500 soundbar. Engadget's pick for the best midrange model , the compact speaker has impressive sound for its size. Part of that is its Dolby Atmos support. Although the soundbar lacks upward-

If you're looking to up your privacy game on the internet in the new year, you can do so for a little less than usual thanks to ExpressVPN's latest deal. Its two-year plans are up to 81 percent off right now: the Advanced tier is on sale for $88 for two years, plus four additional free months. The Basic plan is where you'll see the biggest discount: it's $68 for two years, plus the same four additional free months. Weve consistently liked ExpressVPN because its fast, easy to use and widely avail

When talking about the best VPNs , I frequently warn about the dangers of trusting free VPNs without verifying them. Although there are a few free VPNs worth recommending, many other free providers are ineffective, malicious or looking to profit off their users (or sometimes all three). Even the best free VPNs work a lot better once you subscribe and access their full service. This can be frustrating if you want to enjoy the benefits of a VPN but don't have the budget for yet another subscriptio

Fallout s second season is coming to a close, and its been well worth the wait. But if a reluctance to add yet another subscription to your streaming rotation means you havent watched Amazons surprisingly excellent adaptation yet, you might be interested to know that the company is currently releasing season one for free on the Prime Video YouTube channel. Whether driven by Amazon wanting even more people to watch what has become one of its biggest TV success stories, or a move that speaks to ho

The start of the new year is a great time to get your finances in order, and a good budgeting app can help with that. Instead of laboring over a spreadsheet, you can try one of our favorite budgeting apps for less than usual. Monarch Money is running a sale that gives new users 50 percent off one year of the service, bringing the final cost down to just $50. Just use the code NEWYEAR2026 at checkout to get the discount. Monarch Money makes for a capable and detailed budgeting companion. You can

Whether youre having people over to watch the Patriots and the Seahawks battle it out in Super Bowl 2026 , or youre more interested in the Bad Bunny halftime show, your TV will be an important part of the puzzle of putting together an excellent big-game party. If youve been thinking about upgrading your current TV, nows a decent time to do it. The weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are typically awash with TV deals to consider. Generally, TV prices steadily decrease after a new model comes out.

Grammy winner Bad Bunny, seen here accepting his award for Best Msica Urbana Album for Un Verano Sin Ti in 2023, is nominated again this year. (Timothy Norris/FilmMagic) Timothy Norris via Getty Images The 2026 Grammy Awards honor music's biggest achievements of the year, and some of the biggest stars on the planet are nominated this year. Kendrick Lamar leads the way with nine nominations, including for Record and Song of the Year for luther, his collaboration with SZA. Other top nominees this

Somehow, we live in a world where people can bet on practically anything using sites like Polymarket and Kalshi. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell dive into the world of prediction markets. How did we get here? And is endless betting having an effect on the real world? Also, we chat about the new American version of TikTok, which stumbled during its first weekend with a litany of errors and reported censorship. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Goo

If you're looking to expand the storage on your Switch 2, the 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card is on sale right now for 33 percent off, marked down to $80 from $120. With component prices skyrocketing these days, it's getting increasingly rare to see good storage on sale, and 512GB for $80 is a much better deal than you'll currently find directly from Nintendo . The P9 boasts transfer speeds of up to 800MB/s, making moving games to the card that much faster. As for load times, in our testin

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 a

With the spring approaching, it's time to start thinking about how you'll file your taxes. Unfortunately, with the recent demise of Direct File , there isn't a free, government-provided alternative to TurboTax in 2026, and you'll need to look to other federal programs, including IRS Free File , to file your paperwork. If you don't qualify for Free File, chances are you'll need to dish out cash for Intuit's software. And while we hate to suggest you give money to a company that has spent decades

Anker rolled out a bunch of new chargers and other gear at CES 2026 , including a cute one that's already on sale. The new Nano charger with smart display, which is an upgrade to the existing Nano charger in Anker's lineup, is on sale for $30 right now when you clip an on-page coupon on Amazon. That's $10 off the regular price. The 45W charger includes a smart display that shows real-time data like power flow, temperature and charging status. It also features fun animations to keep things cheerf

The Chinese government has given DeepSeek its approval to purchase NVIDIAs H200 AI chips, according to Reuters . ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have also reportedly received permission from Beijing to buy a total of 400,000 H200 GPUs. Reuters says Chinese authorities are still finalizing the conditions theyre imposing on the companies to be able to proceed with their orders, so it may take a while before theyre able to receive their shipments. In addition, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang told reporters

Sony A7 series camera launches are eagerly anticipated by camera lovers, as those models are typically a showcase for the companys latest imaging tech. The new A7 V is a great example of that: its equipped with Sony's new 33-megapixel partially-stacked sensor the most advanced in any midrange full-frame mirrorless model. The A7 Vs resolution is higher than rivals like Panasonics S1 II and the Nikon Z6 III in this category while matching Canons R6 III . However, Sony trumps the latter with a fas

Apple has yet to announce a foldable iPhone, but after years of speculation, the outlines of whats often referred to as the iPhone Fold are starting to come into focus. Multiple analysts and leakers now agree that Apple is targeting a late-2026 launch window for its first foldable phone, positioning it as a premium flagship rather than a niche experiment. As with all pre-launch Apple products, nothing here is official. Plans can change, features can be dropped and timelines can slip. Still, rece

You might not have heard of the Nex Playground , but its a tiny gaming system built entirely around Kinect-like games. With its camera and computer vision processing, the $249 Nex Playground can track up to four players as effectively as Microsofts old Xbox motion tracker, according to Engadgets Devindra Hardawar. NEX NEX The hardware is cute and well-designed, there are plenty of games, and it works offline. The only issue is the ongoing subscription needed to access most games. Check out our f

To find the best power bank out there, I tested more than 60 portable chargers and batteries from big brands like Anker, Belkin, UGreen and Mophie as well as from smaller players such as Biolite, Nimble and Satechi. I tested the batteries on a number of devices including iPhones, Galaxy phones, an iPad, a MacBook and even my ereader and a PlayStation controller. If you just want a brick that can charge anything, go for Ankers 25kmAh Laptop Power bank . It has two built-in USB-C cables, a massiv

Managing your finances doesnt have to be a headache especially with the right budgeting app at your fingertips. Whether youre trying to track everyday spending, save for a big purchase or just keep a closer eye on your subscriptions, theres an app that can help. With Mint shutting down, plenty of users have been looking for the best budget apps to replace it, and luckily there are plenty of solid alternatives. From AI-powered spending trackers to apps that break down your expenses into easy-to-

Apple shared its latest quarterly financial results today and the news is once again very, very good for the Cupertino company. The quarter ending December 27, 2025 marked the best-ever quarter for iPhones, which generated a record high revenue of nearly $85.27 billion for the business. Apple doesn't disclose the number of devices sold any more, but even with the prices for many of its latest generation of smartphones surpassing $1,000 a pop, that's still got to be a heck of a lot of iPhones. Th

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it received more than 1 million reports of AI-related child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in 2025. The vast majority of that content was reported by Amazon, which found the material in its training data, according to an investigation by Bloomberg . In addition, Amazon said only that it obtained the inappropriate content from external sources used to train its AI services and claimed it could not provide any further details about where th

Two Elon Musk companies are reportedly planning to merge. On Thursday, Reuters reported that SpaceX and xAI are holding merger talks ahead of a planned IPO. Part of their plan is to launch AI data centers into space (but unfortunately, only as far as Earth's orbit). Last week, it was reported that Musk planned to take SpaceX public despite having once said it wouldnt happen until the company had a presence on Mars. Now, the IPO could happen as early as this year. Shares of xAI would reportedly b

The Internet Archive has often been a valuable resource for journalists, from it's finding records of deleted tweets or providing academic texts for background research. However, the advent of AI has created a new tension between the parties. A few major publications have begun blocking the nonprofit digital library's access to their content based on concerns that AI companies' bots are using the Internet Archive's collections to indirectly scrape their articles. A lot of these AI businesses are

Apple has acquired Israel-based startup Q.ai, a move that could provide a much-needed boost to the tech giant's capabilities in artificial intelligence. Although Apple has not disclosed terms of the deal, sources told Financial Times that the arrangement is reportedly valued at nearly $2 billion. If that figure is accurate, the Q.ai acquisition marks Apple's second largest acquisition to date, followed by its purchase of Beats for $3 billion back in 2014. Johny Srouji, Apples senior vice preside

A group of music publishers led by Concord Music Group and Universal Music Group are suing Anthropic, according to a report by Reuters . The suit accuses the AI company of illegally downloading more than 20,000 copyrighted songs, including sheet music, lyrics and compositions. These songs were then allegedly fed into the chatbot Claude for training purposes. There are some iconic tunes named by Universal in the suit, including tracks by The Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond and Elton John, among many

This past summer, Google DeepMind debuted Genie 3 . Its whats known as a world world, an AI system capable of generating images and reacting as the user moves through the environment the software is simulating. At the time, DeepMind positioned Genie 3 as a tool for training AI agents. Now, its making the model available to people outside of Google to try with Project Genie . To start, youll need Googles $250 per month AI Ultra plan to check out Project Genie . Youll also need to live in the US a

The New England Patriots are headed to the 2026 Super Bowl. (Lauren Leigh Bacho via Getty Images) Lauren Leigh Bacho via Getty Images Drake Maye and the New England Patriots face Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX , which will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA this year. For those of you who don't have your calendars blocked off already, the game is on February 8, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Like all other Sunday Night Football games this season, the ch

Maingear is back with another nostalgia-fueled gaming PC. The Retro98 may look like it's made for playing Quake while you wait for The Phantom Menace trailer to drop. But on the inside, the beige box is powerful enough to slay today's most demanding AAA games. You're not going to find this PC at your local Radio Shack, Maingear promises. If you're at least middle-aged, the Retro98's exterior is instantly familiar. The hand-built tower includes an LED fan-speed display, a working turbo button and

Spotify is adding group chats to the messaging service it premiered last year. In an addendum to the original blog post introducing Messages, the company announced that users can initiate chats with up to 10 of their friends to share the podcasts, playlists and songs they are listening to. The in-app messaging feature, which was released last August, works to keep users on the app instead of navigating to another platform to share content with friends. Since its introduction, Spotify has added f

Waymo said one of its robotaxis struck a child, who sustained minor injuries. The incident took place in Santa Monica, California, on January 23. The company reported it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has opened an investigation . The agency said the incident occurred close to a school within regular drop-off hours, with other children and a crossing guard nearby. The child ran from behind a double-parked SUV into the path of a Waymo Driver. Waymo said its v

Honda and DriveOhio have teamed up on a new road safety initiative in which Honda vehicles are being used to collect real-time data that can advise about potential issues and road deficiencies before they become a problem. Hondas Proactive Roadway Maintenance System, which has been in prototyping since 2021, uses advanced vision and LiDAR sensors to identify issues such as worn or obstructed road signs, damaged guardrails, rough roads and emerging potholes. During the pilot, members of the Ohio

Apple's AirPods 4 have a ton of improvements over the previous generation, but the version with active noise cancellation takes things up a notch. With them, you can get noise-cancelling power without the in-ear design of the AirPods Pro 3 that may bother some folks. They're even more enticing when they're on sale, like right now. The AirPods 4 with ANC are down to $119 at the moment, or $60 less than their usual price. While we've seen the ANC model as low as $99, the $119 price tag is the best

Google has agreed to a preliminary $135 million settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by Android users who accused it of harvesting their data without consent. The suit alleged that since November 12, 2017, Google has been illegally collecting cellular data from phones purchased through carriers, even when apps were closed or location features were disabled. As reported by Reuters , the affected users believed Google using their data for marketing and product development meant it was guil

AirPods Pro 3 have returned to an all-time-low price. You can pick them up for $199 right now, which is $50 off and the best discount we've seen since the earbuds came out at the end of last year. We gave these AirPods a score of 90 out of 100 in our review and we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. The third generation model is a substantial update to an already impressive product, bringing new features like live translation to the table. The AirPods Pro 3 also offer heart

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have been household technology for a while now, but there's still a lot of uncertainty around them. This is partly due to the fact that they can conceal online activity that local or national governments deem illegal up to and including, say, circumventing ID checks for age verification . Consumers aren't helped by the sheer amount of duds sold in app stores right next to the best VPNs , especially when they're purposefully exploiting moments that have people rus

Brandon Sanderson, a popular author of high-fantasy and science fiction books, has signed a deal with Apple TV to adapt his works set in the Cosmere fictional universe into films and TV shows. Sanderson said last year at Celsius 232, Spains annual sci-fi and fantasy convention, that his ultimate dream project is a really good Mistborn film. Apple TV is making that come true: Some of the first projects to come out of the deal are feature film adaptations of the Mistborn books and a TV show based

DJI just revealed the RS 5 camera gimbal, a new entry in its long-standing Ronan Series. The RS 5 is lightweight, at around three pounds, with a maximum payload of nearly seven pounds. This gimbal offers what DJI calls enhanced intelligent subject tracking. The tracking was already impressive with some of the company's older offerings, so any improvement will be icing on the cake. A new tracking module lets videographers frame live footage and follow subjects directly from an included touchscree

Color is the buzziest feature in ereaders right now, but is it necessary? It makes the covers more fun, and readers of comics and graphic novels will appreciate the added hues (though they may be happier with an E Ink tablet for better image detail). Color is just one factor to consider when picking out the best ereader. The lights, screen quality, housing and buttons make a difference too. Then theres the software: Do you want to stay in the Kindle ecosystem or get a device that can handle lots

Tesla will basically stop the production of its Model S and X electric vehicles next quarter, CEO Elon Musk has announced at the automakers earnings call for the 2025 fiscal year. Its time to bring the Model S and X program to a end with an honorable discharge, because were really moving into a future thats based on autonomy, Musk said. You can still buy the vehicles as long as there are units to be sold, and Tesla promises to support them for as long as people have them. Once theyre gone, thoug

Apple picked up an intriguing new member for its design team today in Sebastiaan de With, co-founder of the iPhone camera app Halide. He announced the move today on Threads, adding, So excited to work with the very best team in the world on my favorite products. The Halide app has caught our eye at Engadget at several points over the years. de With also is co-founder of Lux, which is Halide's parent company. The other Lux apps also have an emphasis on photography and videography, particularly on

Mark Zuckerberg says there's an end in sight to Reality Labs' years of multibillion-dollar losses following the company's layoffs to the metaverse division earlier this year. The CEO said he expects to gradually reduce how much money the company is losing as it doubles down on AI glasses and shifts away from virtual reality. Speaking during Meta's fourth-quarter earnings call, Zuckerberg was clear that the changes won't happen soon, but sounded optimistic about the division that lost more than $

Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found a galaxy that is offering new data about the early stages of the universe's existence. The latest discovery shared by astronomers is about a bright galaxy dubbed MoM-z14. According to the team, this galaxy existed 280 million years after the Big Bang. The sounds like a long time, but in the context of the universe's estimated 13.8 billion years of existence, that's actually one of the closest examples astronomers have found to the Big B

Weve somehow almost reached the end of January already, which means its time for Sony to divulge the list of PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for February . They are Undisputed , Subnautica: Below Zero, Ultros and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown . If you have a PS Plus subscription on any tier, you can claim these starting on February 3. After claiming them, these games will stay in your library as long as your PS Plus plan remains active. Undisputed (PS5) is a 2024 boxing game with dozens of licensed

Patreon creators will need to make some changes soon, thanks to Apple. On Wednesday, Patreon said Apple has renewed its requirement that all Patreon creators must move to subscription billing. The deadline to do so is November 1, 2026. Patreon's blog post announcing the change made it clear that it had no other choice. We strongly disagree with this decision, the company wrote. Creators need consistency and clarity in order to build healthy, long-term businesses. Instead, creators using legacy b

Music hardware and software manufacturer Native Instruments has entered into preliminary insolvency proceedings, according to a report by Create Digital Music . This is the company behind iconic software like Massive, Traktor and Kontakt and hardware like Maschine+. Native Instruments also owns the brands iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. We don't have many specifics as to what this entails and what the future of the company will look like. We do know that an administrator has been appoint

Following its recent AI makeover of Gmail , Google is bringing more Gemini-powered tools to Chrome . Starting today, a host of new features are rolling out for the browser, with more to come over the next few months. The first of the new features is a sidebar. Available to all Gemini in Chrome users , the interface allows you to chat with Gemini and keep a conversation going across multiple tabs. Google suggests the sidebar is useful for multitaskers.Our testers have been using it for all sorts