Science/Tech News

Apple's Studio Display is $230 off right now

Apples Studio Display hasnt been updated since it launched in 2022, but it remains one of the best monitors for the Mac-oriented, and right now you can pick one up for $230 off. This deal applies specifically to the tilt-adjustable model, which means you cant adjust the height of the built-in stand. That might be a deal-breaker for some users, but if not, $1,368 is a near-record low. The Studio Display was a product that Apple devotees had been asking the company to make for years. As well as being a solid 27-inch 5K LED monitor, it also packs in a variety of ports and some surprisingly good speakers. In our 80-scoring review at the time, we praised its bright and color-accurate screen, while bemoaning the fact that it isn't as smooth as Apples many ProMotion-equipped devices. If youre content with what's already on offer, this is a good deal on what has always been a very expensive luxury device, but bear in mind that there are swirling rumors of a next generation Studio Display that could arrive in 2026. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Apple might currently have two new models in the works, though it isnt clear if both will end up making it to retail. Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-studio-display-is-230-off-right-now-152328981.html?src=rss

ChatGPT is Apples most downloaded app of 2025 in the US

This is ChatGPT's first year as the No. 1 app on the U.S. App Store by downloads.

Amazon now offers same-day delivery of perishable groceries in 2,300 US cities

The e-commerce giant says it will expand the service to additional cities in 2026.

MasterClass subscriptions are 40 percent off for the holiday season

If learning a new skill is one of your New Year's resolutions, then you might want to know that MasterClass subscriptions are currently 40 percent off. This brings the top-tier subscription with offline mode and use on up to six devices down from $240 annually to $144. The entry-level plan, which supports just one device and doesn't offer offline viewing, is marked down to $72 from $120. Over the past few years, MasterClass has grown to over 200 classes, sessions and original series. You can learn about entrepreneurship from Richard Branson, screenwriting from Aaron Sorkin, cooking from Gordon Ramsay and heaps more. Each of these offers classes in a one-on-one format with slick instructional videos and often workbooks to accompany them. MasterClass also appears on our list of the best subscription gifts for this Christmas. Loved ones will enjoy superb production quality and a rich library where they are sure to find something that piques their interest. Gift subscriptions can also be scheduled, so you can take advantage of the current sale even for future gifts. If you're buying it for yourself, know that MasterClass offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Whether you're looking to learn about business from Kim Kardashian or basketball skills from Steph Curry, MasterClass can help you expand your horizons in 2026. The Holiday Head Start Offer is available through December 15. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-subscriptions-are-40-percent-off-for-the-holiday-season-150520277.html?src=rss

Oboe raises $16 million from a16z for its AI-powered course generation platform

Oboe has raised $16 million in funding for its learning app. The company now lets users generate unlimited courses for free.

Google launches managed MCP servers that let AI agents simply plug into its tools

Google is rolling out managed MCP servers to make its services agent-ready by design, starting with Maps and BigQuery, aiming to simplify messy integrations and help AI agents use real tools.

Virtusa acquires Bengaluru-based semiconductor design firm SmartSoC Solutions

Virtusa will expand its chip design capabilities through this acquisition, and will add 1,400 engineers.

Dr. Oz tells his federal employees to eat less during the holidays

You dont have to try every cookie on the holiday table, wrote Mehmet Oz in an email to staff.

DGCA to deploy staff inside IndiGo HQ amid tightening oversight of airline

New Delhi: Aviation watchdog DGCA will station its personnel at IndiGos headquarters as it steps up oversight on Indias largest airline, which continues to cancel dozens of flights despite saying operations have stabilised. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has formed an oversight team of eight senior captains, and two of them, along with Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Projectors won us over in 2025

Not long ago, you may have thought of projectors as complicated, unreliable or just too expensive. In 2025, though, consumer sentiment started to flip. Companies like Anker and Valerion made the projector experience more practical and immersive, helping drive consumer interest and, ultimately, sales. This shift has been quite a few years in the making. LG helped kickstart the projector renaissance back at CES 2018 when it introduced its unusual-looking CineBeam HU80K projector that could provide a 150-inch image. The next year at CES saw the dawn of the ultra short-throw (UST) laser projector that could create a similarly large display while sitting just inches from your wall. Another big technological upgrade over the following years was the bright and long-lasting laser light engines that replaced weaker, more fragile bulbs. The timing couldnt have been better for projector manufacturers. When COVID shut down theaters in 2020, consumers were forced to get their entertainment at home. Many wanted something akin to a movie theater experience both indoors and out and thus interest in projectors started to take off. In 2025, though, projectors really entered the zeitgeist thanks to two new products. The first was Ankers SoundCore Nebula X1 , the highest-rated home theater product Engadget reviewed this year. It comes with a triple-laser engine that allows for 3,500 lumens of brightness enough that you can watch it during the day. It also uses liquid cooling to reduce annoying fan noise and offers color-accurate picture quality with support for Dolby Vision HDR. Even better, it can be carried outside easily via the retractable handle and used for movie nights under the stars. If you splurge for the Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro version that comes with huge party speakers, you can even expect excellent sound quality. It also looks sleek and modern, unlike the plasticky models normally aimed at mid-range buyers. However, the most interesting feature which is new for a projector in this price range is the motorized tilting lens that automatically fits the picture to your screen or surface. That allows buyers to set up the Nebula X1 themselves in just a few minutes, rather than hours. That also makes it easy to move the projector around and use in another location. Valerion The other model that captured our imagination was the Valerion VisionMaster Max . This projector shares many traits of the Nebula X1, like Dolby Vision, a triple laser system and automatic setup. Its also a nice-looking, modern product. However, it has two other innovations that made it extra interesting. The first is the dynamic iris and its Enhanced Black Level technology. That had reviewers raving about its deep black levels that were comparable to projectors like JVCs NZ8 that cost twice as much. The other is the so-called anti-rainbow technology, which eliminates most of the rainbow-hued strobing that appears with models using Texas Instruments DLP chips. This resolves a common complaint with mid-range projectors. For a similar price as a good quality TV ($1,500 - $3,000), these models can beam an image double the size. And to install one, you just need to position the projector in front of the screen, roughly center it and hit calibrate to get a perfect image. Both the X1 and VisionMaster Max were first announced on Kickstarter and became the top two projectors ever sold on the site. Plus, several projector models, particularly from Anker/Soundcore, appeared on Googles gadget search trends . All of that is helping the home projector market increase to the point that its, well, projected to nearly double by 2030. As people researched these products, they may have noticed the other advantages. Along with movies, theyre also great for gaming and sports, particularly if you have a big group of people. In fact, they actually take up less room than a TV if both the projector and screen are ceiling mounted. And many models are portable, battery-powered and bright enough to use outside for parties and camping. Steve Dent for Engadget A prime example of a recent projector convert is Engadget editor and cinema podcaster Devindra Hardawar, who explained why he decided to make the leap. I know big TVs have gotten cheaper, but they still can't reach the massive 120-inch screen size of my Formovie ultra-short throw projector, he said. It makes watching anything feel truly cinematic, and not like I'm just staring at another screen. Even though projectors are gaining some ground, they wont replace TVs for most people. Mid-range televisions still cost less at around $1,000. TVs are obviously easier to install and more convenient to use, as all projectors need time to warm up. TVs are much brighter, too: even dim models put out at least 500 nits of brightness, compared to 200 to 300 nits max for very bright projectors. However, even though projector setups are less tricky than before, you still need to buy and install a screen for optimal performance, which adds cost and complexity. How much more can projectors improve? I think theyll continue to get brighter, more color accurate and even easier to install. Another piece of technology with potential to reduce complexity and improve image quality is the roll-up screen . If those come down in price enough, they may convince some buyers to replace their TVs with a projector. Theyre still likely to remain a niche product, but for cinephiles who want a theater-like experience, projectors are now a more compelling option. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/projectors-won-us-over-in-2025-143655492.html?src=rss

Unacademys founder says startup is now worth less than $500M, confirms M&A talks

Unacademy's valuation has dropped by over 85% from its pandemic-era peak price tag of $3.5 billion, its founder said.

The best apps hand-picked for your pleasure this week!

Aiming for the audiophile crown?

A premium wireless headphone that sharpens sound quality, customisation and connectivity

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe (3rd Gen) Review (2025)

Amazons latest e-reader and digital notebook combos bring new features, but they may not be enough in a crowded market.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: A very particular set of skills, for a price

In a world where notifications persistently compete for our attention, distraction-free ereaders and writing tablets have found an audience. Putting your phone, laptop or iPad aside and curling up with a Kindle or a reMarkable tablet have become an almost ironic way for the tech-savvy to disconnect from online noise and focus on reading and writing. Its debatable how broad the appeal of these devices is, but even in what appears to be a relatively small slice of the industry, the competition is fierce. Amazon is arguably the biggest name in the space, with its Kindles dominating the ereader market for years. When it introduced the Kindle Scribe in 2022 , the company made a play for the burgeoning E Ink writing tablet category, and just last year it launched its first color ereader with the Kindle Colorsoft. Put all those features reading, writing and color together, and youve got the ingredients for Amazons latest contender: the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. This time, Amazon expanded the Scribe line by releasing three new Scribes at once. The entry-level model is the black-and-white tablet without a front light, which costs $430. For $70 more, youll get the front light, and then the Colorsoft version goes for $630. There are upgrades from last years Scribe across the trio, and for this review well be looking mostly at the Colorsoft, which has all of the new features. Like with previous models of the Scribe, Amazon doesnt indicate the generation number in the name, simply calling this lineup the all-new Kindle Scribe, attaching the word Colorsoft to the edition that renders colors. To avoid confusion, Ill occasionally be referring to this generation of the device as the Scribe 3, and the version from last year as the Scribe 2. Editors note: As I only received the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft on December 7 due to shipping delays, I wont be assigning a score to this device until I have had more time to test it. My colleague Valentina Palladino received the new Kindle Scribe a few days before that, and has contributed testing and impressions to this review. Its also worth noting that some new features, like Send to Alexa+, Story so far and Ask this book arent available to test yet. We will update this review with a score after spending more time with it so we can better gauge things like battery life and the usefulness of some software features. Whats new with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Aside from the obvious, which is that the Colorsoft can now render colors, the latest Kindle Scribes also feature a refined design, improved front light system, updated screen architecture, new quad-core chip, more memory and Oxide display technology. It has a larger 11-inch screen compared to the 10.2-inch display on its predecessor, and still manages to weigh 33 grams less at 400 grams (0.88 pounds). Theres also a revamped Home page that houses a Quick Note for easier access to the writing interface as well as some software and AI tools that arent available to test yet. A lot of the hardware tweaks translated to a snappier, more responsive device overall. In my testing, the Scribe Colorsofts AI summarization and handwriting refinements took a bit less time than the Scribe 2, which I attribute most to the processor, but I also noticed improved fluidity in the writing experience. Drawing on the Scribe Colorsoft brings me right back to my younger days testing out pens at bookstores. Amazons stylus feels like a pen with ink that flows more freely and consistently onto the page than others, and between the nib and the texture of the page there is a lack of resistance and overall smoothness that is very satisfying. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Amazon said that the Premium Pen that comes with the Scribes has been refined with a thicker and more rounded silhouette. With its latest Oxide display, the Scribe Colorsofts screen response rate of 14 milliseconds and the non-Colorsoft Scribe 3s rates of 12ms are both much higher than the 20-21ms for the Scribe 2. Together, this probably is the main reason that the new Scribe feels more responsive in general, and why writing on it seems so smooth. Although, that new front light system might also be contributing to the overall feeling of freshness. Speaking of, I put the Scribe 2 and Scribe Colorsoft side by side in my friends living room and the difference was stark. When I brought both devices next to the window, under direct sunlight, they both seemed similarly bright, with the typical glare-free finish youd expect of ereaders. But when I took them into a darkened bedroom, the auto-adjusting panel on the Colorsoft lit up its screen and made it easier to read. Colors popped, and while I felt that there was a slight blue tinge to the light, it wasnt something I wouldve noticed without a side-by-side comparison. Its not an issue though because you can also adjust the warmth here like you can on other Kindles. One of my complaints in my review of the Scribe 2 was the flimsy attachment method of magnets holding the pen to the tablet. While Amazon hasnt built an onboard slot or holder for the stylus, it did increase the magnetic force on the Scribe 3. This was already noticeable during my hands-on with the device back in October, and in real-world use I appreciated this upgrade in keeping the Premium Pen tightly attached to the Scribe Colorsoft. I would still prefer a more secure approach, since I still do worry about the stylus getting lost in my purse and dont want to have to buy a case just for this purpose. But its a small quibble and my concerns have largely been allayed with the increased magnetism. Cherlynn Low for Engadget I still need to test some software features like Send to Alexa+, Ask This Book and Story So Far, but theyre not available yet. Ive been focusing my testing on the Notebook section and need to spend more time marking up and annotating books to better evaluate that use case. But not much has changed there since Amazon rolled out the collapsible margins in February, and you can read my review of the Scribe 2 for my impressions there. The new home page and AI-powered Notebook search At the moment, I can speak to one of the new features: AI-powered Notebook search. The Search bar at the top of the Scribe can now answer questions about the contents of all your Notebooks (and books). At the time of the Scribes announcement, I thought this would be helpful in pulling together all the tasks Id assigned to specific team members across the to-do lists I drew up for various events. When I asked the Scribe what tasks have I assigned Sam, its results page showed six categories, pulling information from my library, notebooks, the Kindle Store, the Audible Store, Goodreads and text within books. Only the second one had any findings. Under Results in your notebooks, there was a label AI-powered insights followed by a header Sams Assigned Tasks. Below that was a bulleted list, which Ill transcribe and include an image of here: Add content to CES sheet Handle KPBP company set Track Samsung mobile developments Handle OnePlus 13 Review device during CES Attend meetings with: - Dell & ASUS on Thursday, MSI, Razer, HP, Lenovo, Potentially Sony Ateela Work on Sam Qi 2 Best-Sam host responsibilities Cherlynn Low for Engadget I quickly realized that Id need to fine-tune my requests to get results that made more sense, since random tasks divorced from their parent documents made little sense without context. Thankfully, there was a button below the results that prompted me to Ask Notebooks about these insights, or ask something else. However, tapping that only brought me to a different page showing the same list but with a new section to see the notes they were sourced from. Ill also point out that this list of tasks for Sam was not the same result I got from a query about where do I mention Sam? In addition to the two to-do lists that I created in December 2023 and January of this year, the Scribe told me Sam appears on a Christmas shopping list as one of the checked-off friends. Thats fairly impressive, since that list did have Sam under a handwritten header Friends, as opposed to other pages titled Gym or Neighbors. But it appeared to only be able to determine that Sams name was checked off thanks to the template I used for the notebook. Other check marks I made outside the predefined boxes in that background werent deemed as checks and instead misrecognized as dashes. So later when I asked where my friend Michelle appeared in all my notebooks, the Scribe noted an entry for Michelle-scart in a different holiday shopping page. Retrying the same question did yield more accurate results, though, with a subsequent search correctly stating Michelle appears in a list with scarf noted next to her name. And whether its my overly messy handwriting to blame or Amazons technological deficiencies, there were still some words or sentences that it misidentified, like Michelle-callin instead of Michelle Callie. So far, the AI-powered Search feels like a hit-or-miss update. Sometimes, like when I took the bait and asked the questions it suggested, I would get shockingly accurate answers. Try asking which Ariana song is mentioned in the list, the Scribe prompted. Or When is the HOA meeting occurring? For the former, it told me that the song Bang Bang was on a list of karaoke songs, while the latter simply told me the date and time it had found in a note titled Appointments Dec 2022. Ill need more time to think of better ways to use this feature, but for now I cant decide if its actually helpful without some extra work. Cherlynn Low for Engadget I already spent some time testing the Summarize and Refine tools introduced in the last Kindle Scribe, so Ill just say that refining the handwriting of a to-do list on the Scribe Colorsoft was largely the same as before, just a tad faster. I didnt really use either AI tool in the year since I reviewed the Scribe 2, so I was right last year in thinking I wouldnt find much use for them in daily practice. What I thought would be more practical is the redesigned Home screen and the Quick Note that takes up the top left corner of this page. Again, Id need to spend much more time to understand how Id navigate the device over weeks and months, but for the most part I find it easy to just hop in and out of notes I want without first going to the Home section. Id prefer a hardware shortcut like Montblanc offers in its Digital Paper writing tablet. On that device, you can program the buttons on the pen so that a double click starts a new note, adds a blank page or brings you back home. While you can customize the button on Amazons Premium Pen, your options are limited to switching between tools like the highlighter, pen, shader or eraser for use while youre writing. (And yes, like before, you can still use the top of the Premium Pen to erase content no need to push any button.) One last thing to note about the home page (for now) is that seeing the rows of book covers in color is a delight, and though its not something that impacts the function of the device, it certainly adds a layer of visual pleasure. How does the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft compare to the competition? One of the Scribe Colorsofts main competitors is the reMarkable Paper Pro . The latter has a larger 11.8-inch screen and, correspondingly, weighs a lot more at 525 grams (1.16 pounds). Though I prefer the sharp lines of the reMarkable to the rounded edges and corners of the Scribe, I find the Kindles size much more manageable, especially when Im writing for more than five minutes. Importantly, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft simply has a better screen than the reMarkable. It delivers brighter, more saturated colors, and supports more hues, too. Plus, when I placed them next to each other, the Paper Pro seemed to have a yellow cast and a dimmer screen overall (even at maximum brightness). And when I use the highlight function on each, the reMarkable device flashes meaning you have to give it a second for the color to appear in its final form after you put the stylus to the screen. Meanwhile, the color that shows up on the Colorsofts panel as soon as you write on it doesnt change no flashing takes place. Cherlynn Low for Engadget The Scribes other strengths are its superior performance and Amazons ecosystem of books (for those like me who already have large Kindle libraries, anyway). Though it does offer AI features that reMarkable doesnt, Im generally leery of those tools, and, as already detailed in this review, they dont usually help me. However, the reMarkable remains the winner when it comes to writing software. Its way more versatile than Amazon in this respect, especially with its ability to have handwritten and typed text coexist within the same document. You can also edit a note from reMarkables app on your phone, typing in any last-minute additions to your shopping list and bolding, italicizing or formatting them if you like. And if youre a power user, getting your favorite ebooks onto the reMarkable tablet isnt too difficult, provided you have the EPUB files. The main problem for me here is that you'll need to pay $3 a month for its Connect subscription to continue having access to a lot of these features. Ill also shout out companies like Kobo and Boox, who also make color-rendering ereaders that you can write on. Booxs Note Air 5c starts at $530 and includes the stylus and a magnetic case for that price. It supports apps via the Google Play Store, but, as our deputy editor Valentina Palladino cautions, isnt the most beginner-friendly product. Kobo, on the other hand, makes color ereaders like the Libra Color. Although it does support stylus input, it is much smaller with its 7-inch display. And for those who arent too fussed about color, there are plenty of black-and-white E Ink writing tablets, including the $905 Montblanc Digital Paper , which Ive been testing for a few weeks. Im finishing up my review but that one is clearly a luxury product targeted at a much more niche audience than the already limited target market for this category of devices. If your budget is tight, Id recommend skipping the Colorsoft model unless its crucial to your process. $500 is a much easier price to stomach. Who should get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft? I hesitate to recommend anyone buy anything before Ive had enough time to assign a score, since things like battery life take longer to evaluate. And while I continue to test the device to get a better sense for its battery life, Ive already noticed that like the Scribes before it, this version doesnt last as long as other Kindles. Amazon promises weeks of reading and writing per charge, which could be anything between two and ten (or more) weeks. In my experience so far, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft dropped about 20 percent in two days, which, mathematically, means it would struggle to even last a week, not to mention multiple weeks. But because the Scribe 2 showed similar battery drain during my review (with heavier use) and manages to stay charged for at least a month when Im not testing it all day every day, Im willing to believe Amazons promise of greater runtime. Aside from my reservations about battery life, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a competent device that delivers on most of its promises so far. The biggest knock against it is its price. At $500 for the monochrome model and $630 for color, this is one Amazon product that can be more expensive than the competition. But its not without its strengths. Id think of the Kindle Scribe 3 (and Colorsoft) as an E Ink tablet that is more of a notebook than a portal for textbooks you can mark up, with a robust library of Kindle titles to boot. The AI features are not crucial to the experience, but they also stay out of the way. For those looking for a more sophisticated and versatile writing tablet that is less of a book replacement, the reMarkable Paper Pro is the superior device. And for people who dont mind the notifications, apps and alerts that these purpose-driven tablets keep from distracting you, theres always the option of buying an iPad or an Android tablet with a stylus. Just install minimal apps or block all notifications, and you might even save hundreds of dollars in the process. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Wrap-up I hate to admit it, but Amazons devices and services chief Panos Panay was right in calling the Kindle Scribe a 2-in-1 . But the two functions it serves are very specific. I think of the Scribe devices as Kindles first and foremost. That means theyre ereaders, capable of substituting stacks of books thanks to their digital libraries and eye-friendly screens. The second role the Scribe plays well is that of a notebook substitute. It is a place to hold endless slips of digital paper, and its search function can competently help you find what you jotted down in a random note years ago. But Amazon has not yet found a way to deliver on features like annotating and marking up ebooks that feels like pen-and-paper. Trying to mark up a digital textbook on the Scribe still feels unintuitive, involving virtual sticky notes, collapsible margins and inserting boxes within lines of text. And you wont be able to easily edit your notes if youre away from your Scribe, unlike how you can on a reMarkable product. So the Kindle Scribe 3 is not a three- or four-in-one. I dont have a problem with that, especially without the extra cost that comes with the color capabilities. While the Colorsoft model is superior to the competition at the moment, it also comes at a premium. If youre looking for the best color E Ink writing tablet available and are willing to splurge, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is worth consideration. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-colorsoft-review-a-very-particular-set-of-skills-for-a-price-140014961.html?src=rss

AI startup Tavus founder says users talk to its AI Santa for hours per day

Tavus has launched a new experience where you can chat with an AI Santa that asks personal questions and remembers your interests.

Figma launches new AI-powered object removal and image extension

Figma is launching a new image editing toolbar to bring all its features in one place.

Petco takes down Vetco website after exposing customers personal information

TechCrunch found Petco's veterinary clinics were spilling customers' personal information and medical histories of their pets to the open web.

EU pledges 90 percent cut to carbon emissions by 2040

The European Union has provisionally agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent (based on 1990 levels) by 2040, the EU parliament announced in a press release . That goes beyond the goals of most other major economies, including China, but falls short of the original one recommended by the EU's climate science advisors. The target delivers on the need for climate action while safeguarding our competitiveness and security, said Denmark's minister Lars Aagaard, who helped negotiate the deal. The new accord a vital step in the bloc's long-term goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 was a political compromise months in the making. On one hand, countries like Poland and Hungary argued that deeper cuts would be too onerous for industries already facing high energy costs. And on the other, members including Spain and Sweden said action was needed to help blunt extreme weather events and allow the EU to catch up with China in green tech manufacturing. To achieve the target, European industries will need to reduce emissions by 85 percent and sell carbon credits to developing nations to make up the balance. The EU also agreed on an option to use additional international carbon credits (up to five percent) to soften the impact on industry and to delay a carbon tax for fuel by a year to 2028. Even with the reduced targets Europe is more committed than all other major polluters, having already cut emissions 37 percent from 1990 levels. During the same period, the US has only managed a reduction of about 7 percent, according to Statista . And under the Trump administration, the US has once again pulled out of the Paris climate accord, scrubbed references to climate change from government sites and promoted polluting energy sectors like coal and gas. The deal must still be ratified by the EU parliament and individual countries to become law. Normally, though, that's a formality for such pre-agreed deals. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/eu-pledges-90-percent-cut-to-carbon-emissions-by-2040-133919256.html?src=rss

Uolo raises $7M in pre-Series B round to expand AI adoption in Indian schools

Before this round, Uolo had raised $22.5 million in a Series A round led by Winter Capital in 2022, following a $3 million pre-Series A round led by Blume Ventures.

Google launches sub-$5 AI Plus plan in India to compete with ChatGPT Go

For new users in India, Google is offering an AI Plus subscription for 199 ($2.21) for the first six months, after which you'll have to pay 399 ($4.44).

Instagrams new Your Algorithm tool gives you more control over the Reels you see

You can select which topics you want to see more or less of, and your recommendations will adapt accordingly.

Apple's AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale for an all-time-low price

If you haven't yet upgraded to Apple's AirPods Pro 3 , you can pick up the company's latest model at a discount through a deal on Amazon right now. The AirPods Pro 3, which came out in September, are currently down from $249 to $220 their Cyber Monday all-time low price. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple made some big improvements, including better battery life and sound quality, and introduced useful new features, such as Live Translation. The AirPods Pro 3 are the best AirPods available today, with Apple's H2 chip, and earned a score of 90 out of 100 in Engadget's review this fall. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is one of the biggest selling points of the AirPods Pro, and Apple has made the experience even better with the AirPods Pro 3. They sport new foam-infused ear tips that create a better seal to improve passive noise isolation, and as Engadget's Billy Steele wrote in his review, Ultra-low-noise microphones combine with advanced computational audio to silence even more background noise. In testing, they had no problem blocking out the chatter of people nearby or otherwise noisy environments. With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple introduced heart-rate sensing, so you'll be able to see your heart rate data from the earbuds in the Fitness app and other workout apps. The AirPods Pro 3 also boast Live Translation, which you can activate via controls on the earbuds themselves. As long as you have an Apple Intelligence-capable device, you'll be able to translate in-person conversations in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin). Also on sale in the world of AirPods are the AirPods 4 with ANC , which are down to $100 again the same price we saw during Black Friday. You can even pick them up with AppleCare+ for $119. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-pro-3-are-back-on-sale-for-an-all-time-low-price-222806313.html?src=rss

Microsoft to integrate AI features in welfare schemes for informal workers

Microsoft will integrate advanced AI features into e-Shram and National Career Service (NCS), platforms of Labour Ministry to streamline benefits to informal workers.

Wakefit IPO gets subscribed 2.52X on last bidding day, driven by QIBs and retail investors

Wakefits Rs 1,288 crore IPO was subscribed 2.52 times, driven by strong retail demand and moderate institutional interest. The company had raised Rs 580 crore from anchor investors ahead of the issue, which is priced at Rs 185195 per share.

The 10 best last-minute Christmas gifts for the 2025 holiday season

The holidays are nearly here and if youre a bit behind on your gift shopping, youre not alone. The holidays can truly sneak up on you, and this year thats been more true than ever. Between wrapping things up at work before some well-deserved time off and making sure you have everything you need to host family and friends, it can be hard to find the time to go to a store to pick out presents. And when you do finally get there, you may be met with half-empty shelves. But this is where the internet comes in handy: you still have time to buy holiday gifts online. At this point, we recommend picking up small, affordable gifts that will ship quickly from retailers like Amazon , Walmart and Target so you have plenty of time to wrap them up nicely and make it look like you had everything well-planned from the start. Here are the best last-minute Christmas gifts you can get right now and still have in time before the holidays. Best last-minute Christmas gifts Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10-best-last-minute-christmas-gifts-for-the-2025-holiday-season-140037254.html?src=rss

The best things Engadget editors bought in 2025

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Adobe brings Photoshop, Acrobat and Adobe Express to ChatGPT

Back in October, OpenAI announced apps like Spotify and Canva would be accessible in ChatGPT. At the time, the company said more software was on the way, and now one of the most popular professional applications is available through the chatbot. Starting today, you can access Photoshop, Acrobat and Adobe Express inside of ChatGPT. All the apps are free to use through OpenAIs website, though before you can begin generating PDFs and illustrations using Acrobat and Adobe Express, you'll need to sign into your Adobe account.To use any of the apps in ChatGPT, either name them in your prompt or select them from the plus menu. Of the three apps, the way OpenAI's chatbot connects to Photoshop is probably the most interesting. Depending on the prompt, the interface will change to display the sliders most relevant to your request. For example, if you want to brighten an image, you'll see one slider allowing you to adjust the exposure, alongside other ones for the shadows and highlights. By comparison, if you want to add an effect to an image, ChatGPT might display options related to dithering and tri-tone, among others. What's interesting about all this is the way ChatGPT is interacting with Adobe's tools, through an MCP server , to offer a slice of the company's apps. I don't know about you, but Ive always found Adobe software to be far too complicated, with often one too many ways to accomplish the same task. Granted, what I saw was a hands-off demo, but the routing Adobe created worked well. A ChatGPT user asks the chatbot to create a dance party invitation. Adobe We build the Lego blocks, which are the MCP tools, and we create detailed instructions, and then ChatGPT figures out what it wants to do, Aubrey Cattell, vice-president of developer platform and partner ecosystem at Adobe, explains. Sometimes it does what we want it, and sometimes it doesn't. That's the nature of it being non-deterministic, and we're continuing to hone as much as we can from users' intent and natural language to give them the result that they're looking for. Of course, if you ever want more control, the web versions of Photoshop, Acrobat and Adobe Express are a click away. For OpenAI, this is easily the biggest coup to date of its push to reshape ChatGPT into an operating system for all the apps its more than 800 million users depend on daily. For Adobe, it feels like the company is partnering with an entity out to eat its lunch. After all, OpenAI offers its own image generation . However, Cattell said Adobe doesn't see it that way. A couple weeks back, OpenAI dropped Apps SDK as a new paradigm for accessing ChatGPT, we saw there was a natural fit in the work we were doing with our applications, he said. Essentially, they gave us an operating system we were able to leverage to bring our applications to their surface. There's a lot of natural affinity there between the workflows OpenAI is trying to enable and Adobe's best in class capabilities. Cattell promised Adobe would continue to explore what it could offer inside of ChatGPT, but added the company's apps will continue to be the place users can go if they want more power, precision and control. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-brings-photoshop-acrobat-and-adobe-express-to-chatgpt-130000389.html?src=rss

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The best mesh Wi-Fi systems of 2025

Spotty Wi-Fi can make even simple tasks feel harder than they should. If youve ever had a video call freeze in one room or watched a stream buffer in another, a mesh Wi-Fi system can fix those frustrations. Instead of relying on a single router tucked in a corner, a mesh setup uses multiple units that work together to spread a strong, consistent signal throughout your home. Modern mesh systems are built for busy households. They keep dozens of devices connected at once, manage traffic intelligently and often include helpful app features that make troubleshooting or adjusting settings much easier. Many support the latest Wi-Fi standards and faster internet plans too, so you can upgrade your network without replacing everything else. Weve tested a range of mesh Wi-Fi systems to find the ones that deliver the best mix of speed, coverage and reliability. Whether you live in a small apartment or a multi-floor home, these picks can help you stay connected wherever you are. Table of contents Best mesh Wi-Fi systems for 2025 What to look for in a mesh Wi-Fi system Other mesh Wi-Fi router systems we tested How we test Wi-Fi routers Mesh Wi-Fi system FAQs Best mesh Wi-Fi systems for 2025 What to look for in a mesh Wi-Fi system Linksys CEO Jonathan Bettino told Engadget why mesh systems are an advancement in Wi-Fi technology over buying a single point router. With one transmitter, the signal can degrade the further away from the router you go, or the local environment isnt ideal. You can have a small [home], but theres thick walls [...] or things in the way that just interfere with your wireless signal, he said. Historically, the solution to a homes Wi-Fi dead zone was to buy a Wi-Fi extender but Bettino said the hardware has both a terrible user experience and one of the highest return rates of any consumer electronics product. Mesh Wi-Fi, by comparison, offers multiple nodes that can be placed anywhere in your home, says Bettino, resulting in ubiquitous Wi-Fi that feels as if you have a router in every room. Rather than having one main router in your home, having a router in every room is the biggest selling point for mesh Wi-Fi given how reliant we all are on the internet. Each node is in constant contact with each other, broadcasting a single, seamless network to all of your connected devices. Theres no separate network for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, just a single name that you connect to. Its a good time to buy a mesh Wi-Fi system since the latest standard, Wi-Fi 6E, represents a big leap in the technology. Matt MacPherson, Cisco's Chief Technology Officer for Wireless, said Wi-Fi 6E is a big inflection point, using much more of the wireless spectrum than its predecessors. If youre using that spectrum with a Wi-Fi 6 [device], he said, youre going to get significant gains [in speed.] MacPherson added Wi-Fi 6E will likely carry you for a long time thanks to the fact its top throughputs now typically exceed what people can actually connect their home to. In short, with a top theoretical per-stream speed of 1.2 Gbps, Wi-Fi 6E is fast enough to outrun all but the fastest internet service. What do all these Wi-Fi numbers and letters mean? Im sorry folks, we need to get boringly technical for one paragraph, but I promise you its worth it. Wi-Fi is governed by International Standard IEEE 802.11, and every few years a letter gets added onto that name when the technology evolves and improves. Until 2019, routers were sold under their IEEE name, leaving users to pick through the word soup of a product labeled 802.11 b/g/a/n/ac and so on. Mercifully, wiser heads opted to rebrand the letters as numbers, so rather than 802.11 b/g/a/n/ac, we have Wi-Fi 1, 2, 3 4 and 5. Right now, were in the middle of one of those Wi-Fi generations, with most of the gear on sale right now supporting either Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E. Whats the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E? Wi-Fi uses chunks of the radio frequency spectrum, with Wi-Fi 6 using the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to pump data around. In fact, back in the old days, it was likely your home router would offer you the choice of the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz network, as separate bands to access. These days, all of the spectrums are tied together as one thing, and Wi-Fi 6E has the added ability to use the 6GHz band as well. Thats a big chunk of extra wireless real estate that isnt as cluttered up as the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. Youre going to talk about wireless frequencies now, arent you. Each Wi-Fi band had tradeoffs, because the slower radio frequencies have greater range but less speed. 2.4GHz signals will travel a long way in your home but arent quick, while 6GHz is blisteringly fast but can be defeated by a sturdy brick wall. A lot of Wi-Fi-enabled gear you own, like smart home products, only use the 2.4GHz band because the range is better and its a lot cheaper. But it means that the band is also overcrowded and slow, making it great for your doorbell and robovac, but lackluster for Twitch streaming. So, what am I looking for? Right now, the market is full of mature Wi-Fi 6 and 6E devices, and most new systems available to buy are capable of taking advantage of the faster speeds they offer. This guide focuses on Wi-Fi 6E gear since its what we think its more than enough to satisfy almost everyones at-home Wi-Fi needs. What about Wi-Fi 7? Were now seeing the first generation of Wi-Fi 7 devices available to buy, but we dont recommend you do so immediately. The Wi-Fi 7 standard is still so new that theres little to no reason for you to rush out and buy one for your home. The hardware is tremendously expensive and while Wi-Fi 7 will, eventually, offer some great benefits over 6E, its not as transformative an upgrade as 6E. Not to mention, Wi-Fi 7 is so new that almost none of your homes devices will be able to take advantage of its big-ticket features. Id estimate you wont need to worry about upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 for at least five years, if not longer. Range and speed All Wi-Fi routers boast a theoretical broadcast range and a theoretical top speed, and in some cases external antennas to boost signal directionality but these figures dont mean much. After all, manufacturers cant control your ISPs real speed, the materials and layout of your home or where you put your Wi-Fi gear. Raw speed isnt everything, either, and you likely need a lot less than the internet speeds your provider is advertising. What matters more is how consistent your connection is between rooms and across devices.. After all, Netflix needs just 15 Mbps to push a single 4K video stream to your home. As cool as it is to say youve got all these hundreds of Mbps, factors like latency and reliability are far more crucial to a happy internet life. And unless you have Gigabit internet that can reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps, you wont need a mesh router that offers that spec. Backhaul Mesh Wi-Fi systems work by connecting every hardware node to a single wireless network, letting them all communicate with each other. Imagine four people in a busy, noisy restaurant all trying to order their dinner from a weary staff member, all at once. Now imagine, while this is going on, that four more people at that same table are also trying to tell a funny anecdote. Its no surprise that it might take a long time for the right information to reach its intended destination. To combat this, higher-end mesh routers offer dedicated wireless backhaul; a slice of the spectrum for node-to-node communication. So rather than everyone talking at once in the same space, the conversations are essentially separated, reducing the invisible clutter in the air. Because theres less confusing cross-chatter, everything moves faster, offering a significant performance boost to those systems. Connectivity These days, even your washing machine can have a wireless connection, but that doesnt mean you should ignore the joys of wired internet. No matter how fast Wi-Fi is, a hard line will always be faster, and some gear, like Philips Hue bridge, still needs an ethernet connection. Plenty of routers can also use these hard connections as backhaul, eliminating further wireless clutter. Its convenient for spread-out systems and power users, but it will mean running more wires through your home. The most common standard is Cat 5e, or gigabit ethernet which, unsurprisingly, has a top speed of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps). Since Ethernet cables are backward compatible, you should be able to easily find one that works with your system. However, to get the most out of your mesh routers, its worth investing in an Ethernet cable that meets the standard your router uses if its Cat 5e, use a Cat 5e cable. You can check your routers specs via the manufacturers website to be sure. Flexibility and scalability Mesh routers enable you to add (or subtract) modules from your home network to suit your needs. D-Links Alan Jones said users should check how scalable the prospective product is before you buy. This sense of scale doesnt just apply to the number of nodes on the network, but how many simultaneous connections it can handle. Its also worth looking at ASUS AiMesh products, which can combine mesh Wi-Fi gear and its standard spider Wi-Fi routers. If youve got a tricky part of your home, you can bolt on an ultra-power standalone Wi-Fi router to a compatible mesh. Placement Mesh networks replace one big piece of hardware with a series of identical nodes that you scatter around your home. You connect one to your modem (usually over ethernet), and then scatter the rest around the place for the best coverage. A good rule of thumb is to place each node no more than two rooms away from the last one, rather than sticking them at the far ends of your home. Bear in mind, every physical obstacle between a Wi-Fi node, its siblings and your devices will hurt your overall performance. You should aim to place them, at the very least, at waist height on furniture in open air, without too many obstructions. The reason many mesh Wi-Fi products are designed to look like an inoffensive white doodad is so you dont feel compelled to hide them behind your TV. Other mesh Wi-Fi router systems we tested Amazon Eero Pro 7 Eero built its reputation on easy to use yet powerful mesh systems that offer a lot of good in a relatively small and affordable package. Setup is effortless, the app running things is clean and simple, and you get the added benefit of backwards compatibility with older hardware. Sadly, the issue with every Eero system is that so many basic management features, like parental controls, are paywalled behind the companys Eero Plus subscription for $100 a year. Amazon Eero 6E Eero Pro 6E is an easy device, the sort a total novice can set up on their own and thrive with for years on end. Theres little brainwork required to get things set up, and the app has a clean UI with plenty of hand-holding. But, as with the Eero Pro 7, the fact that so many basic management tools are paywalled irks me, especially since you can get plenty of them for free with Googles rival offering. Netgear Orbi 960 The Orbi 96T0 (RBKE963) is Netgears flagship mesh Wi-Fi product, which the company calls the worlds most powerful Wi-Fi 6E system. Its also one of the most expensive consumer-level kits on the market, setting you back $1,499.99 for a three pack. It's a fantastic piece of gear, but it's worth saying that the subset of people who could, would or should buy it remains far smaller than you might expect. Ultimately, I feel that if youre paying luxury prices, you should expect a luxury product. There were plenty of times during testing that I went looking for a feature that was either only available via the web client, or behind a paywall. While, yes, much of your cash is going to the superlative hardware, but for this sort of money, the fact you have to pay extra for some table-stakes features is insulting. If youre looking for a new Wi-Fi system and arent prepared to spend almost $1,500, its worth considering our other top picks for the best Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems. How we test Wi-Fi routers My home covers around 2,200 square feet across three stories with the office on the third floor. Its relatively long and thin, with the living room at the front of the house, the kitchen at the back and the three bedrooms on the first floor. Its age means there are a lot of solid brick walls, old-school lathe and plaster as well as aluminum foil-backed insulation boards to help with energy efficiency. There are two major Wi-Fi dead zones in the house: The bathroom and the third bedroom behind it, since theres lots of old and new pipework in the walls and floors. For mesh routers with two nodes, I place the first in my living room, connected via ethernet to my cable modem with the second on the first floor landing in the (ostensible) center of the house. For three-node sets, the third goes in my kitchen, which Ive found is the optimal layout to get the bulk of my house covered in Wi-Fi. Fundamentally, my home poses enough challenges that if it succeeds here, it stands a very good chance of succeeding in your place. Each mesh is judged on ease of setup, Wi-Fi coverage, reliability, speed and any additional features that it advertises. I look at how user-friendly each companion app is from the perspective of a novice rather than an expert given you shouldnt need to be a network engineer to do this sort of thing. Tests I do include checking for dead zones, moving from room to room to measure consistency of connectivity and streaming multiple videos at once to replicate common usage patterns. Mesh Wi-Fi system FAQs This is the section of our mesh Wi-Fi buyers guide where we talk about the stuff that most people just glide past. If youre not familiar with technology, it can be intimidating if people talk about these things as if youre expected to already know. So heres a very simple, very basic rundown of some of the stuff you might have missed in very basic terms. Whats the difference between a Wi-Fi router and a mesh router? A Wi-Fi router is a box that usually sits close to wherever the internet comes into your home and pumps out information over radio waves. A mesh router, meanwhile, is a set of smaller devices, one of which sits next to your internet connection while the rest are scattered around your home. A single Wi-Fi router is great if your home is small, your needs arent too demanding, or if your home doesnt have many radio-blocking obstructions that mean those signals cant reach every corner of your home. But, much like standing next to a radio transmitter and then walking away from it in a straight line, after a while, the signal will degrade. Thats the problem a mesh system is designed to solve, since it will take the signal from your modem and pump to the other mesh devices, known as nodes, in your home. That way, instead of having one big router in one part of your home, you have several small ones that ensure you have good Wi-Fi connectivity all over. It also helps ensure that theres no risk of dropping your connection as you move around a mesh router system makes it easy to, for instance, walk from room to room watching Netflix and know you wont miss a single frame. What's the difference between a Wi-Fi extender and a mesh system? Oh boy. Wi-Fi extenders, or repeaters, are small devices designed to push Wi-Fi a little further than your Wi-Fi router can stretch. Theyre cheap, compact and often come in the form of little boxes that sit on your plug sockets with the hope of pushing Wi-Fi to a signal-sparse corner of your home. They are, and I cant put this delicately enough, often a big pile of rubbish and are often not worth your time . Especially since the price of mesh routers has fallen to within most peoples budgets. What is a wireless backhaul? As we explained above, mesh Wi-Fi systems work by connecting every hardware node to a single wireless network, letting them all communicate with each other. Imagine four people in a busy, noisy restaurant all trying to order their dinner from a weary staff member, all at once. Now imagine, while this is going on, that four more people at that same table are also trying to tell a funny anecdote. Its no surprise that it might take a long time for the right information to reach its intended destination. To combat this, higher-end mesh routers offer dedicated wireless backhaul; a slice of the spectrum for node-to-node communication. So rather than everyone talking at once in the same space, the conversations are essentially separated, reducing the invisible clutter in the air. Because theres less confusing cross-chatter, everything moves faster, offering a significant performance boost to those systems. Is it better to hard wire instead of using a mesh Wi-Fi system? This is a great question that doesnt have a simple answer. It is (almost) always preferable to connect devices with a wire, in this case Ethernet, than to use Wi-Fi. The speeds are faster, its more reliable and your data is less vulnerable to the slings and arrows of the laws of physics. Hell, I spent about a year trying to work out how to build an iPhone to Ethernet connector back in the bad old days of Wi-Fi. But your ability to do so depends on your level of DIY skills and / or how much money you want to spend on contractors. Wiring your home for Ethernet if you dont have the infrastructure already can be a costly and time-consuming process. Particularly if you dont want ugly wires running along your baseboards and under your carpets or across your hardwood floors. If youre building your own home or can do some serious DIY, then hard wiring is a fantastic thing to have. It goes wonderfully hand-in-glove with mesh networks too, since youll be able to hook up your nodes to the network for even better speeds. But if Im honest, advances in Wi-Fi technology mean Id only go for hard wiring if I really believed I needed the sort of speed it offers. Unless youre a Twitch streamer running your own 24/7 content studio, its probably overkill. When we started renovating our 140-year-old home, I had Ethernet installed in the living room, the master and second bedroom and in my office, all at the front of the house. I cant use it for my mesh since Id need to put the wiring through the middle of the house. If I ever had the wiring done again, I would do so as I know Ill instantly see a meaningful improvement in both my connection speed and reliability. But I wouldnt spend several thousand pounds to have it done just for the sake of it. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-mesh-wifi-system-130028701.html?src=rss

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Oracle's OpenAI reliance faces scrutiny as debt-fueled AI buildout raises worries

Oracle this year staked claim as one of the bigger providers of the rented computing power essential for generative AI thanks to its tie-up with ChatGPT-creator OpenAI

Science quiz: Fighting back against diseases

3I/ATLAS is carrying 'key' ingredients to life, NASA scientist finds

Ever since interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS entered view in July, its strange behaviour, shifting colours, erratic motion, a puzzling 16.16-hour heartbeat, has fuelled both scientific curiosity and speculation. Now, NASA astrochemist Martin Cordiners team has detected unusually abundant methanol and hydrogen cyanide in its plume, chemicals linked to lifes origins. Harvards Avi Loeb says the new data only deepens the mystery.

Swiggy fuels quick commerce wars; Prontos on-demand household services

Swiggy shareholders cleared a Rs 10,000-crore QIP. Pronto's on-demand household services platform helps with tasks like cleaning and meal prep. Laws offer clear, enforceable tools to ensure safety and dignity for women in all spheres of life.

Meta says Australia pushing teens to 'less regulated' platforms

Lesser known chat and image sharing apps Lemon8 and yope, which are not currently listed in the social media ban, have shot up the download charts in Australia

Silicon Valley Is All About the Hard Sell These Days

Sam Altmans appearance on The Tonight Show is part of a larger charm offensive currently being waged by the tech establishment.

Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a proud day for families and cast the law as proof that policymakers can curb online harms that have outpaced traditional safeguards

Coreweave CEO defends AI circular deals as working together

The CEO of the AI data center provider, which has Nvidia as an investor and a supplier, described the environment as a violent change in demand.

Unconventional AI confirms its massive $475M seed round

Led by Naveen Rao, the former head of AI at Databricks, the new hardware startup is valued at $4.5 billion.

Repair iconic 2000s-era gadgets in upcoming indie game ReStory

We love a little nostalgia mixed in with our cozy gaming, and ReStory looks like a perfect blend of those two. In this upcoming indie game, you play the owner of a Tokyo electronics repair shop in the mid 2000s. The trailer that dropped today shows you tinkering with some very familiar gadgets from the era, such as renamed riffs on a Tamagotchi, a Nokia brick phone, a PSP and a Walkman. You clean and repair these devices for customers, and it looks like your conversations with them might have as much impact on their lives as your official work does. The whole thing looks exceedingly charming and chill. It's nice to see a game like ReStory as a counterpart to something with a similar premise but wildly different tone like Kaizen , which was a highlight during the Steam Automation Fest over the summer. ReStory is being developed by Mandragora, and it is currently playtesting ahead of a planned 2026 release. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/repair-iconic-2000s-era-gadgets-in-upcoming-indie-game-restory-233445848.html?src=rss

Intel Takes Major Step in Plan to Acquire Chip Startup SambaNova

The two chip companies have signed a term sheet, according to sources with direct knowledge of the agreement.

The Best Down Comforter Deals for Winter Nights (2025)

Weve used all of these down comforter picks on our own beds, and theyre excellent for winter (or year-round).

Fal nabs $140M in fresh funding led by Sequoia, tripling valuation to $4.5B

The round, which was Fals third fundraise this year, also included a secondary sale for early investors, sources tell us.

Cashew Research is going after the $90B market research industry with AI

Cashew Research uses AI to automate the market research process while still collecting real-world data from humans.

Uber is installing kiosks for booking rides without the mobile app

Uber is rolling out kiosks for travelers to book rideshares without using the mobile app. The company is pitching the service as a convenience for international travelers who may not have a data plan, but it could also be a lifesaver if your phone runs out of juice and you don't have a way to recharge it. A passenger can use the kiosk to enter their destination and desired ride type, then will receive a printed receipt with the details about their booked ride. The first kiosk will debut in Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, but Uber said it would have additional locations in airports, hotels and ports over the coming months. In airport situations, these kiosks make Uber even more of a direct competitor to traditional taxis. With the removal of the app, the kiosk can essentially stand in as the dispatcher and a passenger can decide how to travel based on their preferences (or on wait times) for a rideshare versus a yellow cab. Uber also used LaGuardia as the starting point for its shuttle bus service in New York, with $18 rides between the airport and Manhattan transit hubs in October 2024; it later rolled out the shuttles to John F. Kennedy Airport in March 2025. Today, Uber said it is bringing the shuttle bus option to Newark Liberty International Airport, so all major NYC airports now have access to the service. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-is-installing-kiosks-for-booking-rides-without-the-mobile-app-220904106.html?src=rss

Instagram is generating SEO-bait headlines for its users' posts

It looks like Meta has decided to turn Instagram users into unwitting SEO spam pawns. On Tuesday, 404 Media reported that the platform is generating sensational, likely AI-generated headlines and descriptions for user posts without their knowledge or explicit consent. An Engadget editor has also noticed this on their posts. The headlines are found in the pages code and are only visible in search results. The scheme appears to be an effort to boost the Google search ranking of Instagram content. An Instagram post by Engadgets Sam Chapman, about a board game he created, received an unwanted generated description. Floramino is a cozy puzzle game where you arrange gardens as a traveling florist, the generated text reads. The demo looks fun, with charming visuals and strategic elements. In this case, theres a significant factual error. The board game is called Bloomhunter. Floramino , which the generated text referenced, is a puzzle game on Steam. In an example cited by 404 Media , author Jeff VanderMeer's untitled video about a bunny eating a banana received a generic, SEO-style title. Meet the Bunny Who Loves Eating Bananas, A Nutritious Snack For Your Pet, it reads. That indeed reads like the work of an LLM. A Massachusetts library's post promoting a reading of a VanderMeer book got the same treatment. Join Jeff VanderMeer on a Thrilling Beachside Adventure with Mesta , the headline reads. Multiple cosplayers also found their posts gaining strange titles. I would not write mediocre text like that, and it sounds as if it was auto-generated at scale with an LLM, cosplayer Brian Dang told 404 Media . This becomes problematic when the headline or description advertises someone in a way that is not how they would personally describe themselves. The headlines appear in the posts code, as confirmed by Google's Rich Result Test tool. (They're found in the tags for the post. The descriptions appear in the text: section) The spammy headlines differ from the page's alt text, which Instagram generates for people with low vision. You might want to search for your recent content to see if youre affected. Engadget reached out to Meta for confirmation and a statement. We'll update this story if we hear back. Update, December 9, 2026 at 5:07 PM ET: The story was updated to include more detail about a post from Engadgets Sam Chapman receiving a generated description. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-generating-seo-bait-headlines-for-its-users-posts-213702800.html?src=rss

Slack's CEO is joining OpenAI to find the money to pay for all those data centers

OpenAI has announced that Denise Dresser, the current CEO of Slack, will be the company's new Chief Revenue Officer. Dresser will oversee the company's revenue strategy across enterprise and customer success, according to OpenAI's announcement, and will presumably play a key role in leading the company towards profitability now that it's reorganized as a public benefit corporation . We're on a path to put AI tools into the hands of millions of workers, across every industry, Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Products said in the announcement. Denise has led that kind of shift before, and her experience will help us make AI useful, reliable, and accessible for businesses everywhere. Simo joined OpenAI in May of this year, after serving as CEO of Instacart, and before that, the head of Facebook at Meta. Hiring Simo and Dresser could be a good indication of how OpenAI plans to approach ChatGPT going forward. Which is to say, the company is taking a very Silicon Valley approach to growing its chatbot business and focusing on scale and monetizing as many AI interactions as possible. It's not a mistake that Simo helped establish Meta's ads business and OpenAI is reportedly planning to introduce ads into chats with its AI models. Even with the possibility of ad revenue, Dresser will still have to overcome what OpenAI continues to spend to offer its various AI products. OpenAI pays for multiple partnerships for data center access and has commitments to both buy and build server components for those data centers. Add in the cost of just processing a ChatGPT query itself, and growing the companys revenue seems like a tall order. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/slacks-ceo-is-joining-openai-to-find-the-money-to-pay-for-all-those-data-centers-220411962.html?src=rss

50% Off Verizon Promo Codes | December 2025

Save with Verizon coupon codes for $1,100 off Galaxy S25 phones, free iPhone 17 Pros, and up to 50% off plans.

SpaceX reportedly planning 2026 IPO with $1.5B valuation target

The company is looking to raise $30 billion, which would make it the biggest IPO ever, just ahead of Saudi Aramco's in 2019.

B Capital founding partner Kabir Narang leaves to launch new investment platform

Kabir Narang is laying the groundwork for a new investment platform slated for 2026.