Gadgets

Cash App now supports accounts for kids 6-12

Cash App, the banking and payments app run by Block, has added support for parent-managed kids accounts . The new accounts include key benefits from the service's normal account, with an eye towards teaching financial literacy to younger users ages 6 to 12. Cash App first allowed teenage users on its platform in 2021. As part of the expanded Cash App Families experience, eligible legal guardians and parents can create managed accounts that offer a dedicated place on the platform to send allowances, set aside savings, and track spending for their child, kickstarting their path to financial independence, Cash App says. Adults managing these accounts will be able to set up recurring transfers, see how their child is spending and do things like lock their child's account to prevent transactions. Kids will get a custom debit card and the ability to receive payments from up to five trusted accounts, though notably they won't be able to access Cash App itself. Today, we're launching Cash App accounts for kids age 6-12. Parents manage the accounts. Kids get to learn about safety, start saving for goals, and design and use their own debit card. Next generation banking never looked so good. Proud of the team for this one. pic.twitter.com/jIAcbvsfB9 Kristen Anderson (@FintechKristen) April 21, 2026 Cash App says managed accounts are designed for kids 6 through 12. Once those kids turn 13, Cash App says parents will be able to choose to convert their account to a sponsored account to unlock more features, like the ability to send and receive payments, invest in stocks or trade crypto. Those sponsored accounts are technically still monitored and controlled by a parent or legal guardian, but they do give 13-year-olds more control over how they use their money. A parent-managed account for kids is not a new idea in the fintech space, though Cash App is trying to reach a younger audience than some of its competitors. Venmo rolled out access to its payment platform to teens between the ages of 13 to 17 in 2023. Separately, both Apple and Google also offer their own kids accounts in Google Wallet and Apple Cash Family . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/cash-app-now-supports-accounts-for-kids-6-12-210651025.html?src=rss

YouTube is muting push notifications from channels you don't watch

YouTube notifications can get messy fast, particularly if youre subscribed to a lot of different channels. To address that, today the company will begin muting push notifications from creators that you havent engaged with in the last month. The change to YouTube notifications began as a small trial the company tested out earlier this year. The idea behind it is that if a viewer continually receives notifications about content they don't engage with, this may eventually cause the user to disable YouTube notifications altogether. Now obviously, this is bad for YouTube. Turning off notifications means people will use the platform less, thereby resulting in lower revenue. However, it's also bad for content creators, especially the ones you do like, who will have one fewer avenue to keep you updated about new and upcoming videos. So starting today, for channels that you have subscribed to and have notifications set to all, YouTube will no longer send out push notifications to mobile devices from creators that you haven't interacted with for one month. That said, these notifications will continue to be available inside the YouTube app in your inbox (the little bell icon in the top right). Notably, for those who are clicking on notifications and watching related videos, nothing will change. Additionally, based on info from the test earlier this year, YouTube said channels that upload infrequently will not have their notifications affected. This is a good thing, especially for creators who post long-form content that takes extra time to make, as people probably don't want notifications to go away in case they happen to miss a once-a-month upload. The one thing that's unclear is if you start watching a channel again that you have not interacted with in a while, is if YouTube will automatically restart related push notifications. However, as a way to prevent too many alerts from clogging up your phone, YouTube's new protocol seems like a good way to cut down on the clutter. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-is-muting-push-notifications-from-channels-you-dont-watch-205119228.html?src=rss

AI company deletes the 3 million OKCupid photos it used for facial recognition training

When online platforms violate their own privacy policies to sell your photos, have no fear: They just might have to pay an undisclosed settlement fee 12 years later. (Who says justice is dead?) According to Reuters , AI company Clarifai says it has deleted 3 million profile photos taken from dating site OkCupid in 2014. It follows a settlement reached last month between the FTC and Match Group , OkCupid's owner. The Delaware-based Clarifai reportedly certified the data deletion to the FTC on April 7. The company also confirmed to US Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA) that it deleted any models that trained on the data. Clarifai told the representative's office that it hadn't shared the data with third parties. The FTC opened the investigation in 2019, after The New York Times reported that Clarifai had built a training database using OkCupid dating profile photos. The behavior was a direct violation of OkCupids privacy policy. Court documents reviewed by Reuters reveal that Clarifai asked OkCupid executives for the data in 2014. Apparently, they obliged. Clarifai uses this creepy facial profiling example to sell its services. Clarifai We're collecting data now and just realized that OkCupid must have a HUGE amount of awesome data for this, Clarifai founder Matthew Zeiler wrote in an email to OkCupid co-founder Maxwell Krohn. The AI startup used the dating site's images to build a facial recognition service that can identify a person's age, gender and race. (Another brilliant and totally ethical idea from Clarifai, tapping into unsecured city surveillance cameras without authorization, was reportedly shuttered.) Zeiller suggested to The New York Times in 2019 that people needed to, well, get over it. There has to be some level of trust with tech companies like Clarifai to put powerful technology to good use, and get comfortable with that, the AI founder declared. Some of OkCupid's founders were reportedly investors in Clarifai. As part of the settlement, the FTC permanently prohibited OkCupid from misrepresenting its data collection and privacy controls. TechCrunch notes how strange it is to use that as a penalty, given that FTC rules already bar that behavior. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-company-deletes-the-3-million-okcupid-photos-it-used-for-facial-recognition-training-195223996.html?src=rss

Meta has misled users about scam ads on Facebook and Instagram, lawsuit says

Meta is facing a new lawsuit over its advertising practices. The nonprofit group Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has filed a proposed class-action suit against Meta for failing to protect users from scam ads on Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit, which was first reported by Wired , alleges that Meta has run afoul of consumer protection laws in Washington D.C. for misleading Facebook and Instagram users about scams on its apps and that the company has chased profits rather than protecting its users. The filing includes numerous examples of alleged scam ads that CFA says it found in Meta's ad library. These include ads promoting a free government iPhone, as well as those claiming to offer $1,400 checks to people born in certain years. Many of the ads use AI videos, according to CFA. Some of examples of alleged scam ads CFA includes in its lawsuit. CFA Meta's advertising practices have been in the spotlight since last year when Reuters reported on internal documents that indicated the company was making billions of dollars from ads promoting scams and banned goods. The report also highlighted how Meta's own processes have at times made it harder for its own employees to fight malicious advertisers. Meta claims it is doing all it can to crack down on scam advertising on its platforms, CFA's lawsuit states. But in reality, Meta has knowingly taken steps and adopted policies that pad its bottom line at the expense of its users safety and well-being. In fact, rather than prohibiting advertisers who the company itself has determined pose a higher risk to its users (as other tech companies like Google have), Meta just charges these advertisers more. The perverse result is that the riskier the advertiser, the more money Meta makes. CFA's allegations misrepresent the reality of our work and we will fight them, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. We aggressively combat scams across our platforms to protect people and businesses last year alone, we removed over 159 million scam ads, 92% of which we took down before anyone reported them, and took down 10.9 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram associated with criminal scam centers. We fight scams because they are bad for business people don't want them, advertisers don't want them, and we don't want them either. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-has-misled-users-about-scam-ads-on-facebook-and-instagram-lawsuit-says-193220235.html?src=rss

New York Attorney General sues two prediction markets on illegal gambling allegations

New York is the latest state to take a stand against prediction markets. Attorney General Letitia James has sued Coinbase Financial Markets and Gemini Titan on charges that both are illegally running unlicensed gambling operations. The suit also claims that these prediction markets violate state laws that prevent betting on games involving New York college sports teams. Gambling by another name is still gambling, and it is not exempt from regulation under our state laws and Constitution, James said. Gemini and Coinbases so-called prediction markets are just illegal gambling operations, exposing young people to addictive platforms that lack the necessary guardrails. Multiple states have taken similar actions over the proliferation of prediction markets, but they may face a new roadblock at the federal level. Earlier this month, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued three of the states that have charged prediction markets with running unlicensed gambling. The CFTC claimed that it should be the sole regulator for prediction markets and called the efforts by Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois an overreach of authority. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/new-york-attorney-general-sues-two-prediction-markets-on-illegal-gambling-allegations-192012225.html?src=rss

Florida AG opens criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT

Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier has announced that the state's Office of Statewide Prosecution has opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT. The investigation was opened because the suspect in a mass shooting at Florida State University in 2025 reportedly used ChatGPT in the lead up to the shooting. Per Uthmeier, Florida law states that anyone who aids, abets, or counsels someone in the commission of a crime, and that crime is committed or attempted, may be considered a principal to the crime. That means that the responses provided by ChatGPT to the shooter could be interpreted as the AI assistant aiding and abetting his actions. Or at least that's what Florida seems interested in arguing. OpenAI provided the following statement when asked to comment on the Florida investigation: Last year's mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime. After learning of the incident, we identified a ChatGPT account believed to be associated with the suspect and proactively shared this information with law enforcement. We continue to cooperate with authorities. In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity. ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes. We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise. As part of the investigation, Florida has subpoenaed OpenAI for information on all policies and internal training materials related to how the company handles things like users threatening to harm others, threatening to harm themselves and how OpenAI responds to law enforcement. The state is also asking OpenAI to share its organizational chart and any publicly released statements on the shooting. Florida is leading the way in cracking down on AI's use in criminal behavior, and if ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder, Attorney General James Uthmeier said. This criminal investigation will determine whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for ChatGPT's actions in the shooting at Florida State University last year. Floridas investigation isnt the first time OpenAI has been connected to a mass shooting. Canadian regulators called for OpenAI to change how it approaches threats of harm following a Wall Street Journal report that claimed the company flagged the account of a Canadian shooting suspect in 2025 but failed to bring their threats to law enforcement. The company agreed to new policies around how it works with Canadian law enforcement in March. Separately, OpenAI is still in the midst of a wrongful death lawsuit from 2025 for the role it may have played in the suicide of a teenage user. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/florida-ag-opens-criminal-investigation-into-openai-and-chatgpt-190200227.html?src=rss

Netflix's Devil May Cry animated adaptation returns for a second season on May 12

Netflix's hit animated adaptation of the video game series Devil May Cry is returning for a second season on May 12. The streamer has released a full trailer alongside this announcement, after dropping a short teaser several months back . The new footage promises plenty of action and franchise fans will note that protagonist Dante now looks extremely similar to his counterpart from the games. This tracks with what series creator Adi Shankar said last year , when he promised that season two would show the character embrace more of the iconic badassery fans of the game expect. The show, and the games, follow a half-demon demon hunter as he fights to prevent the gates of Hell from opening. The first season was a gigantic hit for the platform, racking up more than 5 million views in its first four days of release. Showrunner Shankar was heavily involved with the animated Castlevania adaptation , also for Netflix. Studio Mir is once again handling the animation, which is always great to see. This is the studio behind The Legend of Korra , X-Men '97 , Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts and My Adventures with Superman , among others. The first season of Devil May Cry looked gorgeous, so season two should follow suit. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflixs-devil-may-cry-animated-adaptation-returns-for-a-second-season-on-may-12-184003226.html?src=rss

Framework is building an eGPU kit for its Laptop 16

Frameworks Laptop 13 Pro may be the star of todays launch, but it is by no means the only product the company is unveiling. Were also seeing some quality-of-life upgrades for the Laptop 16, a new wireless keyboard and a carrying case. Plus, its addressing something a vast number of its own users have demanded for a while: A 10GB Ethernet expansion card. Laptop 16 Framework The top deck of the Laptop 16 is sufficiently customizable that you can cram in any number of modules alongside the keyboard and trackpad. If you want an area blank, then you can just put in the requisite spacer, but that creates an unintended problem for some users. CEO Nirav Patel admitted the areas where the modules sit side-by-side can trap some peoples arm hairs, leading to some unplanned depilations when they move away from the deck. To solve this, the company is releasing a new all-in-one trackpad and all-in-one keyboard cover. The trackpad has also been updated to the same haptic model found in the 13 Pro. Plus, its now available with a lower-end Ryzen 5 340 mainboard as a more affordable entry level model. OCuLink Dev kit At the back of the Laptop 16 is an expansion module slot that either holds a blank unit or the discrete graphics hardware. Last year, the company launched a module with an RTX 5070 inside and, now, its started thinking about using it for eGPUs as well. The OCuLink Dev Kit (pictured, above) is a prototype board using OCuLink 8i which can connect directly to your mainboard over its native PCIe lanes. If you already own a blank module, you wont need to buy a replacement either. Framework has ensured you can simply drop the OCuLink board into the slots of your existing one. As well as the board, the kit includes an OCuLink Dock thatll let you slot in any off-the-shelf PCIe card including GPUs, 100Gb Ethernet and video capture and run it as if you had your very own desktop. Sadly, its not yet ready for prime time and so far all the company has said is well see more about the hardware later this year. Wireless Touchpad Keyboard Framework Theres one living room keyboard that everyone owns, that Logitech keyboard they havent updated in 15 years, said Patel. Ive got two of them, polled the team, and a bunch of them all have the same keyboard, he added. But Patels frustration drove him and his team to build their own, better model, which has been an idea since development work started on the Framework Desktop . It was only when the team learned that the Desktop was being used as a living room PC, however, that they actually brought it to market. It is, in fact, using the same excellent keyboard hardware as found on the Framework Laptop 12, repackaged for its all-in-one form. Laptop Sleeve Framework Frameworks built a laptop sleeve containing extra pockets for your spare expansion cards and screwdriver. Patel said that the real focus was on ensuring the materials used had as small a carbon footprint as possible. 10Gb Ethernet Expansion Card Framework / WisdPi Rounding out the announcements is a 10Gb Ethernet expansion card for users who want a faster wired internet experience than the current 2.5Gb model. But this isnt a Framework product per-se, but was designed and developed by hardware makers Wisdpi. Patel said the community is so passionate that theyre constantly looking at new chip and hardware announcements. They then head to the companys forums to ask Hey, like, can we get a Framework version of this? he explained. The advent of a slender 10Gb Ethernet chip was enough to inspire one third-party developer to build an Expansion Card module to harness it. Basically, we got in contact with them, said Patel and offered some guidance to help build the module. And once it was finished, Framework is now acting as a reseller to enable the whole community to easily buy it. Patel admitted that a 10Gb Ethernet Card would inevitably cater to a fairly niche customer, but love to see a third party come in and fill that gap. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/framework-is-building-an-egpu-kit-for-its-laptop-16-181516238.html?src=rss

Framework launches the Laptop 13 Pro with Intel's new Panther Lake chips

Frameworks lineup of modular, repairable laptops has seen the company grow from a niche to the mainstream. Now, the company is launching a pro version of its 13-inch laptop, but its still held close to all of its principles. Because while this all-new version has plenty of bells and whistles, almost all of its components are still instantly compatible with the rest of the range. You can take a part from this new 13 Pro, and install it into the first-generation 13 launched back in 2021 without much fuss. Framework Laptop 13 Pro is touted as a ground up redesign of the existing 13, taking into account feedback from its dedicated and passionate users. That includes a far bigger battery, new chassis, new memory, haptic trackpad and a custom touch display. It also comes in black and, even in the press images, its immediately clear its a better color for the companys austere industrial design. CEO Nirav Patel smiled knowingly when I said its immediately evocative of a ThinkPad, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Framework The biggest change has been to boost the battery to 74Wh to address gripes about longevity. Its the second time Framework has boosted the cell size, which started at 55Wh and presently runs to 61Wh. To make the battery fit, the bottom of the chassis has been redesigned, filling out the chamfers present on the existing 13. Framework says the Pros lifespan will hit 20 hours of uptime while streaming Netflix in 4K, and says itll post the videos to YouTube to prove it. Given the redesigned lower chassis, the new battery is the one part you cant simply drop into an older machine. Youll need the new bottom cover to fit, explained Patel, but because weve also increased the thickness of the battery, you have to switch over to the new input cover that has the haptic trackpad. Patel added while you may need to pair up some parts from upgrades, theres no component that you cant retrofit. The new chassis means the speakers are now side-firing, and are now Dolby Atmos-certified. The bigger battery is working in tandem with Intels new Core Ultra Series 3 chips which promise to be incredibly efficient. Both Intel and Framework are sure the Panther Lake silicon is going to sip at that beefy battery, but with enough grunt to play AAA games. Users will get the pick of a Core Ultra 5, X7 or X9, with the promise all of them will be able to eat a game like Cyberpunk 2077 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the same time, the Pro will also launch with an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series mainboard option, which are the same mainboards found on the 2025 Laptop 13. Framework The last major shift has been in the RAM, going from regular SO-DIMMs to LPCAMM2. The newer hardware design enables the use of LPDDR5X RAM with its better power efficiency and faster memory bandwidth. And its not soldered to the board, so you can add in more at some unspecified future date. Which is important if, I dunno, for some reason the global RAM market suddenly crunches and you need to mortgage a kidney for a single stick. Naturally, I wanted to know how this would impact the laptops thermals, Frameworks weak spot. Patel said the mainboards cooling has been tweaked (once again), this time with some extra help from Intel. He added the Pro he was using to run our call hadnt spun up its fans in half an hour which, for a Framework, is a big deal. As always, Ill reserve judgment until Ive seen the thing in person. The Pro is also a way for Patel to fix some of the compromises the company had to make at its genesis. As a startup six years ago, we just didnt have access, said Patel, when we go to a display vendor [now] and say we want a custom panel they say okay, lets talk specs rather than who are you? The 13 Pro ships with a 13.5-inch, 3:2, 2,880 x 1,920 touch display with a variable refresh rate between 30 and 120Hz. Its backlight pushes all the way to 700nits, it has a 1800:1 contrast ratio and per-unit color calibration. I was surprised the 13 Pro has touch given its still a 13-inch productivity notebook without a wraparound hinge. All the way back in 2021, when we first launched, we were getting asked for touch support, said Patel. But the company was naturally resistant, assuming touch was an unnecessary addition for a machine of this class. It was only when building the Laptop 12 did the team find it to be quite useful. It was a slam dunk. We know people want it, we used it on the 12, we like it and it doesnt actually cost that much. Lets just add it in, said Patel. Framework Framework knows touchpads are a weak spot for Windows laptops when compared to those made by Apple. Consequently, the Pro 13 has a haptic touchpad with four piezo elements that, its hoped, will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a MacBook Pro. The new input cover keeps the came keyboard and fingerprint sensor, wisely not touching a feature that isnt broken and doesnt need fixing. What is cool, however, is the more punky gray and black aesthetic on the keyboard that splits the difference between a ThinkPad and a cyberdeck. A big part of this goes back to the idea to build the ultimate developer laptop, said Patel. Existing Framework owners may be concerned about how this will affect their machines longevity. The company might not like me saying, but to me, the Pro name is only meaningful if youre buying a new machine off the shelf with the new features in one package. Theres nothing stopping you from upgrading your existing machine to match the pro in one go, or as your needs evolve. Thats fundamentally the companys greatest strength, since it has committed to bringing every single one of its existing users along. But doesnt make for the splashiest headlines when it comes to debut a new product. Framework Laptop 13 Pro is available to pre-order today, with the first shipments due to start in June. The base-model pre-built Windows system will start at $1,699, while the DIY model will set you back $1,199. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/framework-launches-the-laptop-13-pro-with-intels-new-panther-lake-chips-181503934.html?src=rss

Monterey Park, California has banned any data centers within its city limits

Monterey Park's city council has moved to ban construction of any data centers within its borders. The California city's leaders placed a permanent ban on these buildings, labelling them a public nuisance. A proposed plan to construct a 250,000 square foot data center was stopped after residents and advocates pushed back against the project. Tech journalist Brian Merchant reported on the public comment phase of the city council meeting where residents spoke decisively about data centers. I can tell you that this issue has brought left, right and center together. Its a quality of life issue, one commenter said. Dont let the rich steal our future. Monterey Park may be the first US city to lay down the law blocking data center projects, but others are primed to follow suit. New York's state leadership is working on legislation that would prevent data center construction for three years . Maine has a similar bill that has already made it to the governor's desk. At the federal level, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have proposed a ban on building new data centers until there are more guardrails in place for AI development and environmental security. Existing facilities have also faced some pushback. For instance, the NAACP is suing xAI for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its data center in South Memphis. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/monterey-park-california-has-banned-any-data-centers-within-its-city-limits-180426656.html?src=rss

NASA's Curiosity Rover found promising organic chemicals on Mars

The search for signs of life on Mars continues to yield promising data. Afirst-of-its-kind wet chemistry experiment, published Tuesday in Nature , confirmed the presence of essential ingredients of life preserved in ancient Martian sandstones. The molecules were found inside 3.5-billion-year-old sandstone. NASA's Curiosity rover collected the clay-filled rocks from an area called Glen Torridon, inside Mars' enormous Gale Crater. The rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) mobile instrument suite analyzed the data. The experiment was unique as the first off-Earth study to use the chemical tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The reagent allows Curiosity to break down larger organic molecules on the Martian surface, reducing them to something the rover's instruments can read. It revealed the presence of over 20 different organic molecules. Among the data was confirmation of naphthalene and benzothiophene, some of the largest and most complex organic compounds discovered on the Red Planet. The experiment also yielded the first detection of a possible N-heterocycles, which DNA and RNA are built upon. NASA That detection is pretty profound because these structures can be chemical precursors to more complex nitrogen-bearing molecules, the papers lead author, Amy Williams, wrote in NASAs announcement . Nitrogen heterocycles have never been found before on the Martian surface or confirmed in Martian meteorites. As with previous discoveries of organic material on Mars , this one is not yet the smoking gun we've been waiting for. But it adds to a growing body of evidence that, at a minimum, the foundations of life as we know it were present on an ancient version of the planet. The study also confirms that organic material can survive on Mars for billions of years, which will encourage future experiments. The paper's authors say the data will help NASA to optimize its second (and final) TMAH experiment on Curiosity. It also opens the door to future TMAH tests on the Rosalind Franklin Mars rover and the Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon, Titan . Both missions are scheduled for 2028 at the earliest. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-curiosity-rover-found-promising-organic-chemicals-on-mars-174514375.html?src=rss

Silo's season 3 trailer takes us back to how it all began

The relatively long wait for the third season of Silo is nearly over. Apple TV just announced the dystopian sci-fi hit returns on July 3 , with episodes airing each Friday until September 4. We have long championed this show , calling it another gem for the platform. The streamer has dropped a short teaser for the upcoming season and it confirms rumors of an increased focus on the efore times via a storyline that was introduced in the finale of season two. The trailer depicts scenes from both time periods, as protagonist Juliette, played by Rebecca Ferguson, speaks in voiceover. Before we can know why were here. Before we can know everything is as it is. Before we know how it all will end, we need to understand how it all began, she says, alluding to the creation of the various bunkers littered throughout the post-apocalyptic wasteland. For the uninitiated, Silo is an adaptation of Hugh Howey's Wool series of books. It's primarily set in the titular silo, a society of around 10,000 people living deep underground. The show is sort of like Fallout , but without the radioactive monsters and nihilistic sense of humor. Silo stars Ferguson, along with Tim Robbins, Common and Steve Zahn. Cast members joining the show for season three include Colin Hanks, Jessica Henwick and Ashley Zukerman. The show has already been renewed for a fourth and final season . This is a busy summer for sci-fi on Apple TV. The second season of Dark Matter premieres on August 28, which is uncharted territory as the first season was based on a book that doesn't have a sequel. Star City , a spinoff of For All Mankind , premieres on May 29 . This is the same day that For All Mankind concludes its fifth and penultimate season. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/silos-season-3-trailer-takes-us-back-to-how-it-all-began-171033410.html?src=rss

Oppo announces the Find X9 Ultra with a 50MP 10x optical zoom telephoto camera

Elbowing for attention alongside Vivo and Xiaomi, Oppo has finally launched its long-teased ultra version of its flagship smartphone. The Find X9 Ultra is another camera-first smartphone from Oppo, with an even more impressive spec sheet and a new array of accessories. Were not even halfway through 2026 and weve been spoiled with choices, whether its the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (with or without Leica livery) or Vivos X300 Ultra. The Find X9 Pro was already a powerful, capable camera phone. So, whats changed with the Ultra? Weve had the base device for over a week, but were waiting on the upgraded telephoto converter kit to land before we tackle a more in-depth review. There are several design changes, starting with the two color options. Canyon Orange looks similar to Oppos recent flagship phones, with a subtle etched finish meant to replicate the Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, Hasselblad fans might prefer the other option: a woodland-themed Tundra Umber, inspired by the camera makers X2D. Oppo says this colorway channels Scandinavian minimalism and the raw elegance of glaciers. Together at last. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Perhaps due to all the camera hardware, its a big, thick phone with the camera unit protruding noticeably from the back. The camera array on the Ultra now has a subtle hexagonal design, apparently a nod to camera history and that Hasselblad partnership. That area has a circular, metal frame, like many of Oppos rivals. The edges of the camera unit are knurled, which helps you to grip the device when taking photos. Unlike Xiaomis recent Ultra phone , the ring doesnt act as a zoom control, but Oppo and Hasselblads Earth Explorer Kit for the Find X9 Ultra adds a very understated camera grip with a zoom lever. Putting last years Find X9 Pro next to the X9 Ultra, the Ultra model looks more modern, more advanced and more powerful. And it is. The Ultra has Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, a notable step up from the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip found on last years Find 9 Pro. Theres also a 7,050mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 100W SUPERVOOC charging. Oppo says it has included the industrys first encapsulated thermal unit to keep temperatures under control when pushing the device hard, such as recording high-resolution video for extended periods. The display screams expensive Android flagship, too. The 6.82-inch 144Hz display can reach up to 3,600 nits of peak HDR brightness and drop to 1 nit in low-lit situations. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Its all about the cameras, however. The Find X9 Ultras main camera is a 200-megapixel sensor. At 1/1.12 inches, Oppo says its the largest 200MP sensor in a phone yet. It has a low f/1.5 aperture, too. This was my main camera when I first started taking the X9 Ultra out to shoot sample photos. After all, bigger sensors mean more detail, and more ability to crop for tighter zoomed shots. With a mixture of streetlights, neon signs and more, I was impressed by the color accuracy. Oppo has embedded a new True Color Camera into the Find X9 Ultras camera module, which works across stills and video. Still, if youre demanding punchy, high-contrast images, theres an array of Hasselblad filters and effects for playing with, too. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Theres also a 3x Telephoto camera, with another (different!) 200MP sensor and f/2.2 aperture. This is the camera that the new teleconverter lens attaches to. Theres something appealing about having an instant 3x zoom camera, even though it gets a little lost among the cropped focal-length equivalents in the camera app. In fact, Oppo claims that the Find X9 Ultra offers the equivalent of eight focal lengths. Sadly, I noticed some differences in color temperature and light sensitivity as the Find X9 Ultra hopped between all those camera sensors while I tested different zoom levels. Images by Mat Smith for Engadget The next camera is another telephoto, with an impressive 10x zoom with a 50 megapixel sensor. Weve seen 10x zoom on phones before, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but never at such high resolution. Oppo added support for its Portrait mode here, even at full zoom. You can also crop in for a 20x zoom, but the results didnt blow me away in early testing. At 10x zoom, though, I was impressed. Thats a lot of zoom before even thinking about attaching a teleconverter. Oppo isnt going quite as hard on video as its rival (and distant corporate relative) Vivo, but the Find X9 Ultra can capture 4K 60 fps video with Dolby Vision. Its also the first Oppo smartphone capable of recording 8K video at 30 fps. For those looking to dig into video detail, Oppo has launched a new log profile, O-Log2. The company says this will help reveal greater shadow detail and reduce image smearing its something else Im itching to try once the teleconverter lands. Images by Mat Smith for Engadget Like Vivo's X300 Ultra, Oppos newest phone is certified for the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), so videographers can integrate its footage into professional workflows. You can also load third-party LUTs (look-up tables) directly onto the device to monitor custom color grades in real time and see how they look in the on-device preview. As is often the case with Chinese phone makers, theres a lavish accessory kit to build on the smartphones shooting talents. Oppos Hasselblad Explorer case adds a two-stage focus button and the aforementioned zoom controls. The case has the same muted black and clay colors as the Tundra Umber edition of the Find X9 Ultra. Then theres the new Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter. The magnification ratio of the teleconverter has been increased from 3.28x on Find X9 Pro to around 4.3x on the Find X9 Ultra. The lens mounts directly onto the 200-megapixel 3x telephoto lens, upgrading it to a heady 13x optical zoom. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget This is also the biggest smartphone telephoto lens yet, dwarfing both the Find X9 Pros add-on and Vivos not-petite 400mm teleconverter. The companies chose different combinations of camera sensors and lenses, making spec sheet comparisons a little trickier, but Oppos latest accessory is certainly the largest thus far. I cant wait to see how the Find X9 Ultras photos fare against images from the Vivo X300 Ultra, though. In the Find X9 Ultras favor, it has an iPhone 17 Pro-like touch-sensitive button for quickly launching the camera, something I missed on Vivos new flagship. Unfortunately, there is no cross-compatibility among previous Oppo teleconverters and phones. The company says this is to ensure optimal image quality, but itll disappoint faithful Oppo fans hoping to carry over the expensive camera accessories from previous years. The company has learned some lessons from the Find X9 Pro, with a new telephoto adapter that can be left mounted on the phone without obscuring the other camera lenses. On first impression, the Find X9 Ultra is shaping up to be another powerful camera phone, with another hard-to-actually-buy caveat. The Find X9 Ultra will arrive in parts of Asia and Europe. In the UK, its set to launch on May 8th, priced at 1,449 (roughly $1,959). While theres no US release planned, well update this story when we hear more details on the global launch. Once the telephoto add-on arrives, Im excited to put it through its paces. Ive got its rival from Vivo too, so its time for the battle of the teleconverters. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/oppo-find-x9-ultra--50mp-10x-optical-zoom-telephoto-release-date-price-170052539.html?src=rss

Xbox cuts Game Pass prices but new Call of Duty games will no longer hit the service on day one

Xbox is cutting the prices of both Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, effective immediately, but theres one big caveat. First, the good news: Game Pass Ultimate now costs $23 per month, down from $30. PC Game Pass will now run you $14 a month instead of $16.50. The Xbox team noted in a blog post that prices may vary by region. Thats a smart, much-needed decision. In a memo that leaked last week, new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma expressed concern over the high price of Game Pass, stating that it has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around. Sharma reiterated that publicly in a post on X . Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players. Starting today, were dropping the price from $29.99 to $22.99/month. Future Call of Duty titles will no longer join Game Pass Ultimate on day one. They will join this tier the following holiday after launch (about Asha (@asha_shar) April 21, 2026 In October, Microsoft increased Game Pass Ultimate to $30 per month, which was a 50 percent price hike. It was the second time in 15 months that the company had jacked up the monthly fee, making it an unjustifiable expense for many . The price of a PC Game Pass subscription also rose by $4.50 per month, and now Microsoft is bringing that back down a bit too. Our players cover a wide breadth of geographies, preferences, and tastes, so while thereisnta single modelthatsbest for everyone, this change responds to a lot of feedbackwevegotten so far, the Xbox team wrote. Wellcontinue to listen and learn. There is one giant tradeoff here: new Call of Duty games will no longer be available on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on day one. Theyll eventually hit those tiers about a year later, during the following holiday season. That means Call of Duty titles will be the only first-party Xbox games that dont hit Game Pass on their release date. This, of course, is an attempt to generate more revenue from one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world. Call of Duty is a major reason why Microsoft shelled out $68.7 billion to buy Activision Blizzard a few years back. While Call of Duty fans on PlayStation still had to pay full price for the last few annual releases to play them as soon as possible, Xbox and PC players have been able to hop in to them via Game Pass . (Theres still no sign of Call of Duty on Switch or Switch 2 as yet!) There had been rumors that Microsoft would carve out Call of Duty from the current versions of Game Pass and give those tiers a price cut. Chatter suggests that the company may introduce yet another, higher-level Game Pass tier (or an add-on) that will include day-one Call of Duty games, but theres no official word of that as yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-cuts-game-pass-prices-but-new-call-of-duty-games-will-no-longer-hit-the-service-on-day-one-163636536.html?src=rss

Google now lets you have full conversations with Gemini for Home

Google announced today that it is upgrading the Gemini for Home service with a continued conversations feature. Continued conversation allows a user to have a natural discussion with the Gemini platform without prefacing every follow-up request with the Hey Google prompt. The microphone will remain active on a smart device for a few seconds after the Gemini AI assistant provides its reply. During that window, the lights on the hardware will pulse or glow, indicating that you can keep chatting normally with the chatbot without needing a wake word. Gemini should retain the context as the conversation progresses, which should allow it to provide the desired information faster without the need for a user to repeat key details. The feature is rolling out today for all Gemini for Home voice assistant languages and in all supported regions. Continued conversations have to be manually enabled in the Google Home app through the settings menu under Gemini for Home voice assistant. Google said that Gemini should be able to distinguish between follow-up questions addressed to the chatbot and other conversations happening in a room, but it should be interesting to track how successful that is given the past history of voice assistants unintentionally eavesdropping. Continued conversation was an option under the Google Assistant platform, but it had more limited availability. Google has been preparing Gemini for Home as a replacement for Google Assistant platform since the fall. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/google-now-lets-you-have-full-conversations-with-gemini-for-home-160000511.html?src=rss

Samsung brings SmartThings integration to IKEA's Matter devices

Samsung is expanding the SmartThings connectivity platform to include many IKEA products . The company promises seamless integration with the furniture giant's Matter-over-Thread devices , which include stuff like smart lights , air quality sensors, remote controls and smart plugs. This is great news for IKEA fans who want to bark orders at a smart assistant to turn the lights off and on, as Samsung says users will be able to effortlessly incorporate these gadgets into daily life. The SmartThings platform allows for advanced home automation routines . Samsung Samsung says it uilt enhanced integrations for IKEA's devices and that the two companies conducted multiple rounds of validation to enhance connectivity stability and implemented a dedicated user experience within the SmartThings app for full compatibility. This should translate into a plug-and-play experience with minimal frustration. The caveat here is that Matter is already supposed to offer a plug-and-play experience, without the need for this kind of intensive platform-specific work to get things going. IKEA customers have had serious problems connecting the company's Matter devices to networks . Matter is supposed to offer a comprehensive smart home integration solution to manufacturers, but that doesn't look to be working out . Samsung has steadily been improving the SmartThings platform. It recently integrated Siri voice commands . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/samsung-brings-smartthings-integration-to-ikeas-matter-devices-151819629.html?src=rss

Splatoon Raiders lands on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23

Nintendo has padded out the Switch 2 release slate for this summer by revealing that Splatoon Raiders is coming to the console on July 23. This is the first spinoff in the series and while it's a single-player-focused Splatoon game, there is a multiplayer element. Nintendo announced Splatoon Raiders (the title of which is a soft pun on Tomb Raider) last June. You play as a mechanic and after customizing your character's appearance, you'll go hunting for treasure across the Spirhalite Islands. You'll be working with Deep Cut a fictional band that appeared in Splatoon 3 and upgrading your weapons as you take on enemy sea creatures. The colorful, inky action and wacky weapons in the latest trailer remind me a bit of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart . You can mount Deep Cut member Big Man (a manta ray) as you venture into battle and it seems as though you'll be able to cut through swarms of bad guys by firing a shark at them. Alongside Splatoon Raiders , Nintendo will release an Amiibo pack featuring the three members of Deep Cut. The company also confirmed there's a multiplayer mode in Splatoon Raiders . You'll be able to team up with as many as three friends locally or online to take on raids together. Dont abandon the squad just yet #SplatoonRaiders also lets you invite up to three friends to join you on raids via local wireless or online multiplayer! pic.twitter.com/lpmGMHtHv0 Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) April 21, 2026 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/splatoon-raiders-lands-on-nintendo-switch-2-on-july-23-140447901.html?src=rss

Chipolo and Secrid team up for a new trackable wallet

Chipolo has built a name for itself as the independent tracking company which happily integrates its products with both Apple and Googles item-finding networks . Today, its announcing a partnership with wallet maker Secrid that, if you havent guessed already, sees the pair launch a compatible miniwallet. The Chipolo x Secrid Miniwallet Trackable is tailor-made to suit Chipolos Card tracker and accentuate all of its positives. For instance, the tracker sits on the back of the wallet, with the Find button accessible from the outside to make it easier to find your phone. If you misplace your device, you can simply press the button and follow the noise back to whichever couch cushions it slid between. Even better, the wallet is designed to amplify the Cards speaker, ensuring youll never not hear it when it goes off. The pair claim that the unit will boost the sound by up to 3dB, for the far more likely these days event you misplace your wallet. The pair are also buffing the hardwares sustainability credentials, made in the EU from responsibly sourced materials. And the tracker itself is made from 50 percent recycled plastic and has a wirelessly rechargeable battery thatll regain all of its mojo after just two hours sat on a Qi pad. If any, or all of that, appeals, then you can order it from today for $140, 120 or 120, depending on your local currency. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/chipolo-and-secrid-team-up-for-a-new-trackable-wallet-130035324.html?src=rss

Amazon allegedly pressured companies to raise product prices with other retailers

Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, has released an unredacted copy of a legal document that the state filed in relation to its lawsuit against Amazon, containing details of the companys alleged price fixing scheme. In it, the state of California accuses the e-commerce company of reaching out to brands and asking them to fix the retail prices of their products on competitors websites. Due to Amazons overwhelming bargaining leverage and out of fear of punishment, the brands agree to raise their products prices on other retailers like Walmart and Target or to remove them altogether, the filing reads. California filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing Amazon of price fixing back in 2022. It said the company prevented sellers from offering lower prices on other sites and that vendors risked losing buy buttons and prominent listings if they defied Amazon. In February this year, Bonta filed for a preliminary injunction, asking the court to put a stop to Amazons illegal conduct while the states lawsuit is ongoing and waiting to go to trial next year. In the unredacted filing, California said that Amazon instructs vendors and brands to increase their prices on other retailers and threatens them with significant penalties for failure to comply. State officials gave several examples in the filing, including one incident wherein Amazon allegedly emailed security systems provider Arlo . The company talked to Arlo about external price matching, along with a screenshot of one of its cameras on Walmart, noting that its price of $549.93 did not go back up. Arlo reportedly responded that it would get it addressed, and Amazon told the company to get [it] corrected by EOD. Afterward, Arlo sent Amazon a screenshot, showing the same Walmart page now listing the cameras price at $649.99. Amazon ended the conversation by thanking Arlo for its quick action. Other samples include Amazon asking Levis to resolve the lower prices of its khaki pants on Walmart and Hanes to increase the prices of its clothing items on Walmart and Target. Amazon shrugged off the filings release and called Californias case against the company weak. The Attorney Generals motion is a transparent attempt to distract from the weakness of its case, coming more than three years after filing its complaint and based on supposedly new evidence it has had for years, an Amazon spokesperson told Engadget. Amazon is consistently identified as Americas lowest-priced online retailer, and were proud of the low prices customers find when shopping in our store. Amazon looks forward to responding in court at the appropriate time. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-allegedly-pressured-companies-to-raise-product-prices-with-other-retailers-115302642.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The next CEO of Apple will be hardware exec John Ternus

Apples current SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over as the new CEO when Tim Cook steps down this September . Cook said in a statement: It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. Following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, Cook led the charge for Apples post-iPhone and iPad era, launching the AirPods, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. He also turned the company into a service provider with the launch of Apple TV, Apple Music and several other subscription services. Cook will transition to a new role as executive chairman of Apples Board of Directors. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and became VP of hardware engineering in 2013, later transitioning to a senior executive role in 2021. You might have spotted Ternus being prominently featured at the MacBook Neo launch a few months ago. Expect to see a lot more of him. Mat Smith The other big stories this morning DaVinci Resolve 21 hands-on: A viable Lightroom alternative for casual users The Mandalorian and Grogu director used Apple Vision Pro to preview the film in IMAX Palantir posted a manifesto that reads like the ramblings of a comic book villain Meta is testing a WhatsApp Plus subscription Artemis II commander shares a view of Earth vanishing behind the Moon Who else has seen an Earthset? Apollo 17. NASA Weve seen a few beautiful moments from the Artemis II crews history-making trip around the Moon. Now, Reid Wiseman, the missions commander, has something to share. While mission specialist Christina Koch was using a Nikon camera to snap stunning still images of the Earthset, Wiseman used an iPhone 17 Pro Max to film the moment. I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window, but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view. This was the first time that human eyes had witnessed an Earthset in 54 years, since the Apollo 17 mission. Continue reading. Beijing's robot half-marathon is back for its second year And far less embarrassing results. This year's edition of the robot half-marathon hosted more than 100 competitors, with first place going to Honor and its red-clad robot named Lightning. Last year's event featured many bipedal robots receiving assistance from human operators who ran alongside them, along with some comical mishaps. According to the BBC , around 40 percent of the robots competed autonomously this year, while the rest were remote-controlled. Continue reading. Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review Almost the perfect floor cleaner for tiny apartments. Engadget The PencilVac is light, mobile and easy to use, making it great for smaller living spaces and quick clean-ups. However, it struggles with thicker carpet and rugs. It could be perfect for a future-forward witch costume next Halloween, though. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111546149.html?src=rss

Yelp's AI chatbot can now make your dinner reservation

Every business seems to think that its customers want more AI. Yelp is the latest to add more artificial intelligence tools. The review site has upgraded its Yelp Assistant, an agentic AI chatbot, to work across all of Yelp's categories. Yelp Assistant was initially launched in 2024 with a limited scope and then expanded in 2025. With the latest update to its chatbot, Yelp Assistant can handle natural language queries for finding a specific local business. It can also be used to take some additional actions, such as making a restaurant reservation or ordering takeout. Yelp's spring product updates introduced new third-party integrations with Vagaro, ZocDoc and Calendly. Yelp Assistant can also use these integrated services for booking appointments in related fields.The chatbot now has a dedicated Assistant tab in the iOS and Android apps, and it can also be accessed directly from business pages for certain fields, such as restaurants and retail shops. Support for all business types and a desktop version are planned for later in 2026. Other AI features coming to Yelp include a personalized home page on mobile and extra photo discovery tools. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/yelps-ai-chatbot-can-now-make-your-dinner-reservation-110000661.html?src=rss

Homeland Security reportedly wants to develop smart glasses for ICE

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly developing smart glasses that could be used to collect intelligence on immigrants and US citizens, journalist Ken Klippenstein reported. The devices would help ICE agents identify illegal aliens from a distance by capturing video and comparing it to biometric data like facial recognition and walking gait, according to budget documents seen by Klippenstein. The DHS wants to deploy the ICE Glasses by September 2027. The project will deliver innovative hardware, such as operational prototypes of smart glasses, to equip agents with real-time access to information and biometric identification capabilities in the field, the document states. The glasses could allow agents to compare observed subjects against existing biometric databases and identify them in real time during interactions. Such devices could help make surveillance of US residents ubiquitous, according to the report. It might be portrayed as seeking to identify illegal aliens on the streets, but the reality is that a push in this direction affects all Americans, particularly protestors, a DHS lawyer speaking on the condition of anonymity told Klippenstein. The deployment of such devices is worrying to civil liberty groups, particularly in light of recent law enforcement activities under the Trump administration. The FBI was reportedly directed by the Department of Justice to compile a list of groups or entities who demonstrate anti-Americanism, according to a previous Klippenstein investigation . It's not the first time smart glasses have come up in reports about the DHS. An investigation by The Independent last month found that ICE and Border Patrol agents in six states were using Meta's AI smart glasses of their own accord, in possible violation of DHS rules. Congress has reportedly been notified of the DHS's Ice Glasses project but has yet to comment publicly. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/homeland-security-reportedly-wants-to-develop-smart-glasses-for-ice-093449347.html?src=rss

Instagram says a bug turned your photos black and white

If Instagram has been turning your color photo posts into black and white recently, dont worry, theres no problem with your camera or your account. The Meta-owned app has confirmed to Engadget that the issue is caused by a bug thats affecting HDR photos in particular. Earlier today, a technical issue caused some HDR photos to appear incorrectly as black-and-white for a subset of accounts, Instagram has told us. However, we see complaints dated April 18 and 19, so the issue has been going on a bit longer for some people. Regardless of when the bug started causing problems, the Instagram team said it has since corrected the issue. If your posts are still showing up in black and white, Instagram said the fix will automatically turn your affected photo posts back to their original state over the next few hours. We apologize for any inconvenience, they added. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/instagram-says-a-bug-turned-your-photos-black-and-white-061802389.html?src=rss

Amazon will invest up to $25 billion in Anthropic in a broad deal

Amazon and Anthropic are strengthening their ties once again, with steep financial commitments made on both sides. Today, Amazon announced that it will invest $5 billion in the AI company, along with as much as $20 billion in additional payments if certain milestones are met. This news follows the initial $4 billion investment Amazon made in Anthropic in 2023 and a second $4 billion round from 2024 . On Anthropic's side, it has committed to continued use of Amazon's custom Trainium silicon for its AI models. The latest agreement will see Anthropic promising to spend more than $100 billion on AWS technologies over the coming decade. It will secure up to 5 gigawatts of current and future chip capacity for training and powering its models. Their partnership is also bringing Anthropic's Claude platform to Amazon Web Services customers within the AWS portal, removing the need for additional credentials. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-will-invest-up-to-25-billion-in-anthropic-in-a-broad-deal-225239302.html?src=rss

Google brings Gemini in Chrome to users in Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea

After debuting in the US, Gemini in Chrome is making its way to more markets. Starting today, Google is rolling out Chrome's built-in chatbot to users in countries in East Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. The expansion comes after Google earlier this year made Gemini in Chrome available to people in Canada, India and New Zealand . With the exception of Japan, where Google isn't making the new suite available on iOS just yet, everyone else in the countries mentioned above can access Gemini in Chrome through Chrome's desktop browser, and the app on their iPhone or iPad. To get started, just tap the Ask Gemini icon at the top right of the screen. It will open a new sidebar Google introduced at the start of the year where you can chat with Gemini across every open tab. From there, you can also access Google's in-house image generator, Nano Banana 2 . As you would expect, the suite offers integrations with Google's other apps, allowing you, for instance, to add events to Calendar without leaving the interface. If you don't want to use Gemini, you can right click on the shortcut to unpin it from the top of the interface. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-gemini-in-chrome-to-users-in-australia-japan-singapore-and-south-korea-220000474.html?src=rss

John Ternus will be CEO of Apple when Tim Cook steps down this fall

Apple CEO Tim Cook is officially stepping down from his role on September 1, the company announced today , while current SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over as the new CEO. Cook will transition to a new role as executive chairman of Apples Board of Directors. The company says the move was approved unanimously by Apples Board, and that Cook will work on transitioning his duties over the summer. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company, Cook said in a statement. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world. Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011 following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, and he led the charge for Apples post-iPhone and iPad era by launching the AirPods, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. He also pushed the company into being more of a service provider with the launch of Apple TV and Apple Music. While hes had a strong reputation as a logistics-oriented executive, Cook has been criticized for lacking the product vision that Jobs was known for. Ternus, on the other hand, has been focused on product design since joining Apple in 2001. He became VP of hardware engineering in 2013, and later transitioned to a senior executive role in 2021. Ternus was also prominently featured at the MacBook Neo launch a few months ago, where Apple announced a low-cost yet high-quality notebook that encapsulates its unique place in the PC industry. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apples mission forward, Ternus said in a statement. Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor. It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. Cook published a community letter timed for the announcement, which weve included below: To the Apple community: For the past 15 years Ive started just about every morning the same way. I open my email and I read notes I received the day before from Apples users all over the world. You share little pieces of your lives with me and tell me things you want me to know about how Apple has touched you. About the moment your mom was saved by her Apple Watch. About the perfect selfie you captured at the summit of a mountain that seemed impossible to climb. You thank me for the ways Mac has changed what you can do at work and sometimes give me a hard time because something you care about isnt working like it should. In every one of those emails I feel the beating heart of our shared humanity. I feel a sense of deepening obligation to work harder and push further. But most of all, I feel a gratitude that I cannot put into words, that I somehow got to be the person on the other end of those emails, the leader of a company that ignites imaginations and enriches lives in such profound ways it defies description. What an honor and a privilege it has been. Today we announced that Im taking the next step in my journey at Apple. Over the coming months I will be transitioning into a new role, leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apples executive chairman. A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful. He is the perfect person for the job. John cares so much about who we are at Apple, what we do at Apple, who we reach at Apple, and he has the heart and character to lead with extraordinary integrity. I am so proud to call him Apples next CEO. This company will reach such incredible heights under his leadership, and you will feel his impact in every bit of delight and discovery that grows out of the products and services to come. I cant wait for you to get to know him like I do. This is not goodbye. But at this moment of transition, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you. Not on behalf of the company, this time, though there is a wellspring of gratitude for you that overflows inside our walls. But simply on behalf of me. Tim. A person who grew up in a rural place in a different time and, for these magical moments, got to be the CEO of the greatest company in the world. Thank you for the confidence and kindness youve shown me. Thank you for saying hi to me on the street and in our stores. Thank you for cheering alongside me when we unveiled a new product or service. Thank you, most of all, for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. Every day we get up and think about what we can do to make your life a little bit better. And every day, youve made mine the best I could have asked for. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/tim-cook-will-step-down-as-204959434.html?src=rss

Mastodon was hit by a 'major' DDoS attack that briefly took down parts of the service

Mastodon seems to be recovering after a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that took down its primary mastodon.social instance. As TechCrunch notes , the platform began reporting issues early Monday morning as much of the Mastodon-operated server became inaccessible. It's not clear who might be behind the attack, but Mastodon's head of communications Andy Piper described it as a major incident. A couple hours later, Mastodon shared on a status page that it had implemented countermeasures and that users should be able to access mastodon.social once again. Piper said that some ongoing instability is a possibility as the site recovered. It's unclear if any other instances of the service were also targeted; mastodon.social is run directly by the nonprofit and is the largest server on the federated platform. Mastodon is the second decentralized platform to be targeted with a DDoS in recent days. Last week, Bluesky also dealt with a significant DDoS incident that took parts of the service offline for several hours. The company posted what it said was its final update Monday morning, saying that its service had remained stable and that there was no evidence of unauthorized access to private user data. A few hours later, however, it seemed Bluesky was once again experiencing some issues, though the cause was unclear. Its official status page was down, and a post from its server status account indicated that there were elevated errors and timeouts on some Bluesky-hosted services. Bluesky said it was investigating. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mastodon-was-hit-by-a-major-ddos-attack-that-briefly-took-down-parts-of-the-service-204823221.html?src=rss

Sony will require age checks in the UK and Ireland to access PlayStation communication features

Sony is adopting new age verification policies for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland. The company isn't making this a blanket requirement, but steps to confirm age will be needed to access communication, broadcasting, and certain in-game features beginning in June 2026. That includes essentials for online and social gamers, such as joining a party, voice chatting, text messaging or using third-party chat programs such as Discord. Some in-game communication tools, like chats or sharing user-generated content, will also only be available after an age check is completed. Although the new requirements will not be enforced until summer, users are already being prompted to get the verification process squared away. Several states and countries began adopting this type of legislation in 2025, pushing restrictions as a way to protect children and teens from inappropriate content. It seems the trend will be continuing into this year, despite the concerns about privacy risks and new questions about whether these restrictive laws are even effective at their stated goals, but companies have still been moving to comply. Discord was one of the more notable gaming-centric services to begin age verification policies last year, although the company did walk back some of its initial plans at the start of 2026 in order to better protect users' personal data and their anonymity. Roblox also began requiring age checks and those results were not great . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-will-require-age-checks-in-the-uk-and-ireland-to-access-playstation-communication-features-194916442.html?src=rss

Ubisoft will officially reveal the Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake on April 23

It's happening. Ubisoft has scheduled a livestream for April 23 at 12PM ET to discuss the long-awaited Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake. The showcase will be available to watch on the company's YouTube and Twitch pages. It's officially called Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and has been rumored to be in development for years . Ubisoft ended speculation by announcing the game last month . We don't know anything about how the game will play or look, as Ubisoft has only dropped some promotional art featuring protagonist Edward Kenway lounging on a boat. The livestream should feature a trailer that will answer many burning questions. For instance, rumors have been swirling that this is a total top-to-bottom remake and not a simple port. That makes sense given the continued popularity of Black Flag . It's also been rumored that this new version will cut out all of the modern day gameplay sections , with a total focus on pirate-themed action. We don't have that long to find out. Maybe the livestream will also give us some information about that upcoming mainline franchise entry, which is currently being developed under the moniker Codename Hexe . Ubisoft has promised it will be a unique, darker, narrative-driven Assassin's Creed experience. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-will-officially-reveal-the-assassins-creed-black-flag-remake-on-april-23-184729772.html?src=rss

LinkedIn's new Crosscheck feature lets premium subscribers test competing AI models for free

You can now use LinkedIn to test out some of the latest AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and other companies without having to worry about token limits or paying for an extra subscription. The professional network is experimenting with a new feature that allows people to test AI platforms' latest offerings within LinkedIn. Its called Crosscheck , and it's rolling out now to anyone with a LinkedIn Premium subscription in the United States. The feature is meant to be a kind of blind taste test for AI models, according to the company's Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan. Users start with a prompt and get two answers, each of which is provided by a different model. It's only after choosing which model you like better that you can see the underlying models behind each. Srinivasan says that Crosscheck is still an early product from LinkedIn Labs and that theres work to do to make it faster and add more models and question types. But it already seems to support a fairly wide range of models. In my initial tests of the feature I saw multiple answers generated by Anthropic models, as well as those from Google, MoonshotAI, Mistral and Amazon. Crosscheck will also have its own leaderboard that tracks how people in different industries are rating the various models. After you choose an answer you like better, LinkedIn will show which model provided each answer. LinkedIn Screenshot Crosscheck only supports text-based prompts, so you can't generate images, upload files or use some of the more advanced tools that would be available natively on the AI platforms themselves. But there are no limits on the number of text-based chats you can have, so you don't have to worry about token limits or signing up for a pricey subscription if you find a model that's helpful. LinkedIn is, however, sharing data back to the respective AI companies who will presumably use information gleaned from LinkedIn usage to improve their products. Anonymized data is shared with model builders to help them understand how their models are performing amongst different occupations, the company explains . No personally identifiable information is shared with model builders. While Crosscheck is initially only available to LinkedIn Premium subscribers in the United States, the company plans to expand the the feature to more countries and free users soon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/linkedins-crosscheck-feature-lets-premium-subscribers-test-ai-models-for-free-183949210.html?src=rss

The FAA grounds Blue Origin New Glenn rocket after failure to put payload in orbit

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket following an incident during Sunday's launch from Cape Canaveral, according to reporting by Orlando Sentinel and others. The rocket looked good on the way up but was ultimately unable to put its payload into the correct orbit . The FAA is calling the incident a mishap and is beginning an investigation to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again. The organization said in a statement that a return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. The company hasn't provided any information as to what happened with New Glenn that made it mess up the positioning. It was supposed to position a satellite into a 285 mile orbit after completing two burns, but telemetry data shows that the satellite only reached a 95 mile orbit, which is not sustainable. This was New Glenn's third mission, and not the first time the rocket has been grounded by the FAA. Blue Origin was unable to land it after the debut launch and it wasn't allowed to fly again for nearly three months . The agency hasn't announced when the rocket will be cleared to fly this time, so we don't know if it will put a crimp in Blue Origin's plans to launch a bunch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites. That mission is currently scheduled for later this year and will use the New Glenn rocket. The FAA has grounded several rockets due to mishaps in recent years, including the smaller Blue Origin New Shepard . It has also grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-faa-grounds-blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-after-failure-to-put-payload-in-orbit-173016117.html?src=rss

Ball x Pit's next update adds 11 more balls to the fray on April 27

It's been a whole month since I've played some Ball x Pit after the mobile versions went live in March , but I'll surely be jumping back in again next week. The latest update will arrive on April 27, bringing a host of goodies to the wonderful brick-busting roguelite, which was one of Engadget's favorite games of 2025 . Designer Kenny Sun spilled most of the beans about the update on the PlayStation Blog , revealing that it will add two new characters, 11 more balls with special powers, four passive upgrades and a new building. If you opt to play as The Tiptoer, you'll be able to get close to enemies without fear of them attacking you, but you'll have lower health and damage. She could be a good partner for The Shieldbearer, so you can right in front of bosses to rapidly bounce back balls and ramp up the damage in no time at all. As for The Tunneller, that character fires balls that wrap around the edge of the screen and return from the other side. The latest balls and evolutions include Venom, which slows down targets and can paralyze them in place after hitting them enough times. Other new time-based balls can freeze enemies too. Erosion saps away a percentage of a target's health, which could weaken bosses very quickly, and the Warp ball jumps to a random place and increases in speed every time it hits an enemy. I can't wait to see how effective these are after merging them with area-of-effect abilities or ones that spawn more balls with the same powers. The Sniper ball sounds interesting too. That will reward precision as it cuts through every enemy in a straight line until it hits a boundary. I prefer a more chaotic approach, though. As such, the Full Metal Rapier passive ability seems like one I'll want. It scales up the damage of each ball depending on how many enemies and baby balls (i.e. ones that don't inherently have special abilities) are on screen. The Arrow of Fate passive is intriguing as well, as it turns every enemy projectile that hits you into a smattering of baby balls. I smell some synergy between those two. On top of that, the new Guildhall building that you can place in the citybuilder side of the game allows you to change upgrades that you've already chosen for your character. Looking forward to seeing how that plays out in practice. This is the second of three free updates that Sun and publisher Devolver Digital have announced for Ball x Pit . The first one, which introduced more upgrades and an endless mode, dropped in January . The third one is expected in July. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ball-x-pits-next-update-adds-11-more-balls-to-the-fray-on-april-27-170929983.html?src=rss

Deezer says AI-made songs make up 44 percent of daily uploads

AI-generated music is spreading like wildfire, according to Deezer, who reported receiving nearly 75,000 uploads of AI-made tracks a day on its platform. The alternative music streaming service based in Paris published a report revealing that 44 percent of its daily uploads are AI-generated songs, accumulating to around 2 million flagged songs a month. If that figure doesn't alarm you, Deezer said that more than 13.4 million songs were detected and flagged as AI-generated across 2025. Those statistics are made possible with Deezer's patent-pending AI music detection tool, which was launched in January 2025. A few months following the release, Deezer announced that it saw around 20,000 AI-generated tracks uploaded a day, which made up roughly 18 percent of its overall uploads. Despite the swell of AI music on its platform, Deezer said that only about 1 to 3 percent of total streams on the platform involve AI-generated music and that a majority of these streams are marked as fraudulent and demonetized. Deezer said its proprietary tool can detect AI-generated music, particularly from two of the most popular offerings right now: Suno and Udio. Despite these two AI music tools getting hit with lawsuits in their early days, some major record labels have had a change of heart and later struck deals with the startups. On the other hand, other music streaming platforms are employing their own verification tools to fortify the floodgates holding back music made by AI. Similar to Deezer, Coda Music uses AI Artist labels and even let users flag suspicious artists. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/deezer-says-ai-made-songs-make-up-44-percent-of-daily-uploads-163642921.html?src=rss

DaVinci Resolve 21 hands-on: A viable Lightroom alternative for casual users

Blackmagic Designs DaVinci Resolve is a highly capable free color grading tool with a history dating way back to the 80s, but it has never been thought of as a rival to Adobes Lightroom due to its video origins. Now, Blackmagic Design has released a new version in beta that may change peoples minds about that. The new Photo page lets you import RAW images then adjust them using Resolves powerful color grading tools. You even get access to advanced VFX and AI features not found in Lightroom. When I saw the new feature, I immediately wondered if I could cancel my $20 per month Adobe Photography subscription (with Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC). Apparently, I'm not alone . After trying it out, I believe that I could do so because photos are secondary to video for me. However, photographers whove used Lightroom for a long time would likely find it too painful to switch at least, for now. The Photo page and Albums I tested the new Photo page functions and many of Resolves new filter effects, but beware that the first beta is still buggy. I used it inside the $295 DaVinci Resolve Studio app (which includes free updates for life), because it has a few extra features not found in the free version. With that said, DaVinci Resolve 21 now supports RAW photos from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony, with other brands to follow. Blackmagic has pledged to support RAW files for new cameras shortly after theyre released like Adobe does with Lightroom. It also supports TIFFs, JPEGs, HEIFs and other photo file formats. Steve Dent for Engadget To organize files, you can think of Resolves Projects as equivalent to Lightroom Catalogs. You import photos into a Project just as you do video, by dragging and dropping photos or folders into the media pool or using the import function. Resolves dedicated Media file management page also supports RAW photos. I find Resolves import system to be easier and more logical than Lightrooms, with less steps required. You can import a full or partial Lightroom catalog into Resolve as well. Once your photos are in the media pool, you can select and organize them by file name, rating, colors, favorites and other tags. DaVinci Resolve Studio also offers a new feature called AI IntelliSearch that lets you visually identify photos based on their content using terms like cats or dancing. Photos can then be moved from the media pool into Albums, a new feature thats similar to Lightrooms Collections. Albums activate several photo-specific features in the Color and Edit pages. In Edit, Albums appear as simplified, single-track timelines, with each photo shown as a two second clip. That way, you can work with photos in the Color and Fusion pages just as you do with video. You can reframe and crop images inside Photo (either by typing in the size or dragging) and make basic RAW-style adjustments for settings like exposure, highlights and shadows. For more advanced grading (like you may do in Lightrooms Develop), you need to jump into the Color page. Color and Fusion On the Color page, you get the same functions for photos as video: primary and log color correction, curves, qualifiers, power windows, noise reduction and sharpening. You can also employ Resolves class-leading scopes, including parades, waveforms, vectorscopes and histograms. Once youve created an Album, you can select it at the top of the Color page viewer, just as you would a video timeline. You can also label and sort photos as you do in the Photo page. Steve Dent for Engadget Resolve's node-based workflow really shines for photo editing. You can add nodes in series or parallel to build complex grades, then save and apply those grades to multiple images or an entire photo album. Resolves system for doing this via stills that show your grade is more visual and powerful than the one in Lightroom. You also get support for Resolves functions used for video like Look-Up Tables (LUTs) and the new Film Look Creator effect. All of Resolves filter-style effects like Vignette, Lens Blur and Film Damage are available directly from the Photo page. Those include some of DaVinci Resolve Studios new AI effects (not available in the free version) like AI CineFocus, AI Face Age Transformer and AI Ultrafocus. This gives the app a leg up over Lightroom, which only offers comparable features via third-party plugins. If you want even more advanced effects, the Fusion page is Resolves equivalent to After Effects. There, youll find tools like warping, lights and Paint, which lets you do Photoshop-like cloning. Resolve 21 now includes the Krokodove filters with features like warping and text animation. This raises the question of whether you can do multi-image compositing in the Photo page like you can in Photoshop or After Effects. In short, its not possible as Photo only supports one image at a time. However, once youve adjusted a RAW image, you can drop it into a video timeline where your color adjustments and other tweaks will carry over. Then, you can stack multiple images and use any of Resolves compositing tools from the Edit or Fusion pages. This is pretty clunky compared to using Photoshop, but its the only way to combine multiple images for now. DaVinci's Resolve 21's updated export page for photos Steve Dent for Engadget Once youve finished grading and adjusting images, there are two ways to export them. One is by the Quick Export function that provides minimal settings like file type, name and resolution. The better method is via Resolves Deliver page, which now has dedicated photo functions when youre working with an Album. There, you can control size parameters like short and long side, width and height or percentage. You can also change the file type, resolution and quality. This function is severely lacking compared to Lightroom though, which offers advanced settings missing from Resolve, like content credentials, watermarking and post-processing. Finally, another new dedicated feature within the Resolve Photo page is Capture Live View for camera tethering, which only supports Canon and Sony cameras for now. It allows you to connect a camera to your PC via USB-C and control aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation directly from the app. You can also view your images using Resolves scopes and tweak RAW settings like white balance, temperature, shadows, highlights and more. Wrap-up DaVinci Resolves new Photo page can do most of what Lightroom does in terms of image adjustments, while adding powerful effects tools that its Adobe counterpart lacks. Its not yet a substitute for Photoshop, though, as it lacks the organizing, exporting, compositing and pixel-level editing tools found in that app. For now, the Photo page is ideal for filmmakers who dabble in photo editing, along with hobbyists and power users familiar with Resolves formidable grading tools. However, professional photographers may want to stick with Lightroom, because Resolve still lacks certain advanced features, particularly around organization and exporting. The new DaVinci Resolve Photo page only just launched and is bound to improve greatly over time. If youre on the fence, download the free version and see if it works for you. A lot of video editors made the same switch from Premiere and have never looked back. Given the current grumbling about Adobes subscriptions, I could see many people making the same move from Lightroom to Resolve. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/davinci-resolve-21-hands-on-a-viable-lightroom-alternative-for-casual-users-160520123.html?src=rss

Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review: Almost the perfect floor cleaner for tiny apartments

The big deal with Dysons new vacuum is how small it is. While pencil is certainly an ambitious noun to compare a floor vacuum to, the slender body of the PencilVac Fluffycones ($600) brings to mind mops and brooms rather than hulking cyclone-suction tech and connected cleaning. As we described it last year, its the company's most stick-like stick vacuum yet. Dyson has been repurposing its engine tech into smaller form factors for years, such as its hair dryers. However, this is the first time its been utilized for floor cleaning. Dyson recently launched the PencilVac Fluffy, with a more traditional dual-roller system, but Im focusing on the Fluffycones iteration and will call it simply the PencilVac for brevity. It combines several delightful design features, and while surprisingly potent, its predictably not quite able to match the power of its bigger brothers. The entire vacuum weighs under four pounds, which adds to its ease of use. That said, its heavier than it looks, as the rod shape holds everything inside. With a 40mm-diameter (almost 1.6-inch) handle, its usable even with a single hand, if you want to be extra casual in your cleaning habits. Its also a delight to use. As with several previous Dysons, like the OmniGlide, the dual-roller system seems to help the PencilVac glide across hard floors. It can be pulled and coaxed around furniture, table legs, under low-profile credenzas and more. When at rest, the PencilVac sits on four central wheels, but once you start cleaning, the suction creates a sort of floating effect. Those four Fluffycone heads are designed to resist hair tangles, with any captured hair bundled like yarn at the tips of each cone for easier cleaning at the center of the PencilVac. The tips of each cone mean the vacuum can reach the edges of my flooring, too. The Fluffycones arent really able to dig into the pile, meaning that while they can certainly pull and lift a layer of dirt and dust, anything deeper will stay there. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget That said, the PencilVac is a dedicated hard floor cleaner. If your home is entirely hardwood or has lots of tile, then its not an issue. But if you have carpeted rooms (or large rugs), you might want to consider other models. Also, at higher suction levels, the PencilVacs rollers would occasionally cut out while vacuuming carpets and rugs. The PencilVac is also equipped with front and back Dyson Detect lasers, making it easier to see where youve missed (and how terrible your floor cleaning habits are). Compared to bigger, more powerful models like the V15 Detect, the PencilVac had a greater tendency to spit out dirt when overwhelmed by larger amounts of debris. This only happened for me when I pushed the limits of what the PencilVac could handle: a handful of garden soil on my hardwood floor. Because its 2026, of course, its a connected vacuum, too. When I put together and charged the PencilVac, the first thing it does is project a QR code for pairing. A quick firmware update later and it was ready for use. The only feature in the MyDyson app that you might find useful is maintenance reminders (i.e., when to clean the filter). Everything else, including a battery readout, is built into the handle. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Everything else is built into the handle. Compared to Dysons other stick vacs, there is no removable dust canister or battery block. The collection bin is cleverly integrated, drawing in dirt and using the same suction to compact it with force. When you need to empty the compartment which holds a surprising amount (0.8 liters, according to Dyson) you remove the cleaning head, point the body at your garbage can and slide the dust (compacting it further in the process) into your trash can. The collection area is also see-through, so you can see everything youre pulling into the PencilVac build up like a sort of gauge. When emptying the stick vac, I also noticed it doesnt produce the dust cloud you often get with vacuums, which is another nice improvement. Unlike its other stick vacuums, Dysons PencilVac comes with a free-standing charging dock, instead of a wall mount. This makes storage a little more versatile. If youre a renter, theres no need for any drilling. I think this also speaks to how its meant to be used: briefly, in bursts. To that point, battery life seemed to be around 20 minutes, depending on the power level used and how dirty the surfaces were. Running entirely on boost, I got under 10 minutes of use. This weakness is exacerbated by a sluggish charging time of over three hours. For smaller spaces and not-too-messy lives, thats more than enough clean time, though. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget The PencilVac also comes with that Dyson premium, too, priced at $600. Thats still less than the companys other recent stick vacuums. For example, thats $50 less than the aforementioned V15 Detect. If your home has a lot of carpeting or rugs to clean, the bigger, more powerful models might be a better choice. The newer PencilVac Fluffy has a more traditional dual-roller system and it's also $150 cheaper. With its minimalist form factor, the PencilVac is still an engineering marvel. Its high degree of mobility makes it easy to clean in tight corners and between furniture. I just wish it were slightly more powerful. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/dyson-pencilvac-fluffycones-review-almost-the-perfect-floor-cleaner-for-tiny-apartments-154550089.html?src=rss

The Elden Ring movie hits theaters on March 3, 2028

Bandai Namco and A24 have announced that the Elden Ring movie will hit theaters on March 3, 2028 . Filming is set to begin in the next several weeks. The movie was first revealed over a year ago , so this is a welcome update. We also got a full cast announcement, though the companies haven't said who or what everyone is portraying. The cast includes Kit Connor from Heartstopper , Ben Whishaw from the beloved Paddington movies and Cailee Spaeny from Alien: Romulus . Peter Serafinowicz, Jonathan Pryce, Nick Offerman and Sonoya Mizuno will also appear in the film. Elden Ring will be written and directed by Alex Garland, fresh off the harrowing Civil War . Garland has directed plenty of sci-fi, with credits like Ex Machina , Annihilation and the woefully underrated TV show Devs . He hasn't, however, made any legit fantasy, so we'll have to see how he handles the magic-filled continent known as The Lands Between. In any event, we have nearly two years before finding out. By that time, theaters will have already experienced two new Avengers and Star Wars films. Elden Ring , the game, is getting some new DLC content this year with armor sets, weapons and skins. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-elden-ring-movie-hits-theaters-on-march-3-2028-154411670.html?src=rss

Artemis II commander shares a remarkable video of Earth vanishing behind the Moon

Weve seen some astonishing photos of an Earthset the Earth setting behind the Moon from the Artemis II crews history-making trip around our planets closest neighbor. Now, Reid Wiseman, the missions commander, has shared a remarkable video of that same phenomenon. While mission specialist Christina Koch was using a Nikon camera to snap stunning still images of the Earthset, Wiseman used an iPhone 17 Pro Max to film the moment. I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view This is uncropped, uncut with 8x zoom which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye, he wrote on X . Only one chance in this lifetime Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldnt resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) April 19, 2026 This was the first time that human eyes had witnessed an Earthset in 54 years since the Apollo 17 mission. The Artemis II crew flew more than 5,000 miles beyond the Moon as they travelled more than a quarter of a million miles away from Earth the furthest any humans have ever been from terra firma . I, like many people, overuse the word awesome. It should only really be used when something actually inspires awe. This video absolutely meets that mark. Its genuinely awesome. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/artemis-ii-commander-shares-a-remarkable-video-of-earth-vanishing-behind-the-moon-152036403.html?src=rss

Apple could be fined up to $38 billion by Indian antitrust regulator

Apple's refusal to provide financial data to an Indian regulatory agency as part of an antitrust case will culminate in a final hearing on May 21, as first reported by Reuters . According to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Apple still hasn't submitted information about its financials and its views on an antitrust investigation that started in October 2024. The case revolves around the CCI accusing Apple of exploiting its dominant position with the App Store , arguing that developers are forced to use Apple's proprietary system for in-app purchases. Apple countered that Android was the more dominant smartphone operating system in India and that iPhones held a smaller market share in India. However, Apple has slowly been gaining momentum with its share of the Indian smartphone market, hitting nine percent in 2025, according to data from Counterpoint Research. Reuters reported that the latest CCI order said that Apple had plenty of opportunities to file objections or suggestions, but added that the company still hadn't submitted the equisite financial information, which is used to determine the amount of a potential penalty. Apple argued that the penalties could be up to $38 billion and responded to the order by citing a separate case where the tech giant challenged the country's antitrust penalty law. It's not the first time Apple has butted heads with the Indian government, as it previously refused to pre-install a state-owned app called Sanchar Saathi onto its smartphones. The Indian government later decided to withdraw its mandate requiring smartphone makers to install the app, but it's much less willing to budge on this antitrust case. According to Reuters , the CCI offered Apple two more weeks to file any responses before the final hearing date next month. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-could-be-fined-up-to-38-billion-by-indian-antitrust-regulator-150821172.html?src=rss

GoPros Mission 1 camera series will start at $600

We heard all about GoPro's new action camera series last week, but the company is now unveiling the pricing across its Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 Pro ILS cameras. The entry-level Mission 1 ($600) features GoPro's new 50-megapixel 1-inch sensor, which the company says will offer a major leap in image quality and low-light performance over the Hero 13 line. While largely looking the same as the Hero series (and still waterproof), the Mission 1 can record 8K video at 30fps and 4K at 120fps. It lacks the higher frame rates of the other Mission 1 cameras, but supports 10-bit GP-Log2 color and 32-bit float audio. The Mission 1 Pro ($700) is the flagship fixed-lens model this year, aimed at the professional (or semi-pro) videographer. It has upgraded frame-rate capture to 8K at 60 fps and 4K at 240 fps, along with an extreme burst slow-motion mode that hits 960 fps at 1080p. It also captures 4:3 Open Gate recordings at 8K/30fps and 4K/120fps, covering the entire sensor area, enabling more versatile editing and cropping across different screen sizes, including vertical video. Steve Dent for Engadget Then there's the beastly Mission 1 Pro ILS (Interchangeable Lens System). It swaps the standard GoPro lens for a Micro Four Thirds ( MFT ) mount lens. It otherwise shares the same 1-inch sensor and high-speed 8K/60fps video specs as the Pro model. It also matches the Pro model's $700 price, with an additional $100 discount for GoPro subscribers. However, it won't be launching until Q3 2026. All of the Mission 1 Series accessories will be available on a rolling basis beginning May 28, with GoPro's own wireless mic system (take note, Rode and DJI) priced at $160. If you preorder a Mission 1 or Mission 1 Pro directly from GoPro now, you'll get the point-and-shoot grip bundled for free. The company still doesn't have an official release date for the cameras. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/gopros-mission-1-camera-series-will-start-at-600-130044898.html?src=rss

Blue Origin landed its recycled New Glenn booster but failed to put payload in orbit

Blue Origin has successfully reused its first-stage New Glenn booster for the first time after it landed in a cloud of smoke and fire on a recovery ship. It marks the second flight and reuse of Never Tell me the Odds , after the booster was recovered from New Glenn's previous launch in November last year . However, the rocket company's first commercial mission was marred by a failure to place the communications satellite payload into orbit. The launch went smoothly to start with, with the first-stage GS1 booster separating from New Glenn after three minutes and landing smoothly 10 minutes after launch following two braking burns, as shown in a post on X from Blue Origin's owner, Jeff Bezos. pic.twitter.com/0WzaWjjjL9 Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 19, 2026 However, several hours later the Blue Origin team and satellite manufacturer, AST SpaceMobile, announced that the payload had failed to reach orbit. We have confirmed payload separation, Blue Origin announced on X . AST SpaceMobile has confirmed the satellite has powered on. The payload was placed into an off-nominal orbit. We are currently assessing and will update when we have more detailed information. Later on in a press release , AST SpaceMobile revealed that the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, [but] the altitude [was] too low to sustain operations with its on-board thruster technology and will de-orbited. The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the companys insurance policy. The upper stage was supposed to position the satellite into a 285 mile orbit after completing two burns. It would have then unfolded a 2,400 square-foot antenna and linked with six other satellites in a test for AST's high-speed direct-to-cell network. However, early telemetry data showed that the satellite only reached 95 miles, well below a sustainable orbit. It's not yet clear how the failure occurred. Despite that, Blue Origin can take some solace in its successful first-stage reuse, particularly since it happened on just the third New Glenn mission (NG-3). It took SpaceX, by comparison, 32 flights before its first successful reflight of a previously flown orbital-class booster. Blue Origin will definitely want to solve the upper stage issue soon. Its next flight is the first New Glenn launch of Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) broadband satellites. It plans to put 48 of those into orbit to significantly expand the Starlink rival's constellation, which currently sits at 241 satellites. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/blue-origin-landed-its-recycled-new-glenn-booster-but-failed-to-put-payload-in-orbit-055846419.html?src=rss

The NSA is reportedly using Anthropic's new model Mythos

Despite the months-long feud between Anthropic and the Pentagon, the National Security Agency is using the AI company's new Mythos Preview, according to Axios , which spoke to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic announced Mythos Preview at the beginning of April, describing it as a general-purpose language model that is strikingly capable at computer security tasks. But back in February, Trump ordered all government agencies to stop using Anthropic's services after the company refused to budge on certain safeguards for military uses during contract talks. The news comes days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other officials, reportedly to discuss Mythos. The White House later said the meeting on Friday was productive and constructive, though President Trump said he had o idea about it when asked by reporters, Reuters reports. According to Axios' sources, the NSA is one of the roughly 40 organizations Anthropic gave access to Mythos Preview, and one said it's eing used more widely within the department too. The company is still embroiled in a legal battle with the US government. Anthropic filed lawsuits against the Department of Defense in two courts in March after the Trump administration labeled it a supply chain risk, and the Pentagon filed a response shortly after. While Anthropic was granted a preliminary injunction by one court to temporarily block this designation, federal judges in the other denied its motion to lift the label. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-nsa-is-reportedly-using-anthropics-new-model-mythos-211502787.html?src=rss

Beijing's robot half-marathon is back for its second year with far less embarassing results

To make up for an incredibly laughable inaugural event , Beijing is running back its humanoid robot half-marathon. Fortunately, the event that pits humanoid robots made by Chinese companies against each other across 13 miles went a lot smoother this year. This year's half-marathon hosted more than 100 competitors, with first place going to Honor, better known for its smartphones , and its red-clad robot named Lightning. Living up to the name, the gold medalist finished the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. That's several minutes faster than the human record that was recently set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo last month. Honor swept the other podium spots, with the important caveat that they all navigated the course autonomously, according to the state-sponsored television news agency CCTV. That's a massive improvement over last year, where the fastest time among 21 robots was achieved by Tiangong Ultra with a record of two hours and 40 minutes. Last year's event saw many of the bipedal robots receiving assistance from human operators who ran alongside them, as well as some comical mishaps, like falling at the starting line. However, the BBC reported that around 40 percent of the robots competed autonomously this year, while the rest were remote-controlled. Despite the rapid improvements, this year's event still had its fair share of crashes , even from Honor's robots. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/beijings-robot-half-marathon-is-back-for-its-second-year-with-far-less-embarassing-results-191308396.html?src=rss

Palantir posted a manifesto that reads like the ramblings of a comic book villain

In case you haven't gotten around to reading Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska's 2025 book, The Technological Republic, (because why would you do that to yourself?), the company best known for supplying AI-driven defense and surveillance software to the likes of the US Army, ICE and NYPD shared a 1,000-word X post this weekend covering its main points. The entire thing is both bizarre and deeply concerning.The ability of free and democratic societies to prevail requires something more than moral appeal, one of the 22 points states. It requires hard power, and hard power in this century will be built on software. The book is billed as a passionate call for the West to wake up to our new reality, and other excerpts in the social media post include assertions such as: Free email is not enough. The decadence of a culture or civilization, and indeed its ruling class, will be forgiven only if that culture is capable of delivering economic growth and security for the public; National service should be a universal duty; The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone; and Some cultures have produced vital advances; others remain dysfunctional and regressive. The statement criticizes the Wests resistance to defining national cultures in the name of inclusivity, as well as the treatment of billionaires and the ruthless exposure of the private lives of public figures. It's a lot to take in, and it should make crystal clear what Palantir stands for to anyone who somehow didn't already know. Here's the post, in full: Because we get asked a lot. The Technological Republic , in brief. 1. Silicon Valley owes a moral debt to the country that made its rise possible. The engineering elite of Silicon Valley has an affirmative obligation to participate in the defense of the nation. 2. We must rebel against the tyranny of the apps. Is the iPhone our greatest creative if not crowning achievement as a civilization? The object has changed our lives, but it may also now be limiting and constraining our sense of the possible. 3. Free email is not enough. The decadence of a culture or civilization, and indeed its ruling class, will be forgiven only if that culture is capable of delivering economic growth and security for the public. 4. The limits of soft power, of soaring rhetoric alone, have been exposed. The ability of free and democratic societies to prevail requires something more than moral appeal. It requires hard power, and hard power in this century will be built on software. 5. The question is not whether A.I. weapons will be built; it is who will build them and for what purpose. Our adversaries will not pause to indulge in theatrical debates about the merits of developing technologies with critical military and national security applications. They will proceed. 6. National service should be a universal duty. We should, as a society, seriously consider moving away from an all-volunteer force and only fight the next war if everyone shares in the risk and the cost. 7. If a U.S. Marine asks for a better rifle, we should build it; and the same goes for software. We should as a country be capable of continuing a debate about the appropriateness of military action abroad while remaining unflinching in our commitment to those we have asked to step into harms way. 8. Public servants need not be our priests. Any business that compensated its employees in the way that the federal government compensates public servants would struggle to survive. 9. We should show far more grace towards those who have subjected themselves to public life. The eradication of any space for forgivenessa jettisoning of any tolerance for the complexities and contradictions of the human psychemay leave us with a cast of characters at the helm we will grow to regret. 10. The psychologization of modern politics is leading us astray. Those who look to the political arena to nourish their soul and sense of self, who rely too heavily on their internal life finding expression in people they may never meet, will be left disappointed. 11. Our society has grown too eager to hasten, and is often gleeful at, the demise of its enemies. The vanquishing of an opponent is a moment to pause, not rejoice. 12. The atomic age is ending. One age of deterrence, the atomic age, is ending, and a new era of deterrence built on A.I. is set to begin. 13. No other country in the history of the world has advanced progressive values more than this one. The United States is far from perfect. But it is easy to forget how much more opportunity exists in this country for those who are not hereditary elites than in any other nation on the planet. 14. American power has made possible an extraordinarily long peace. Too many have forgotten or perhaps take for granted that nearly a century of some version of peace has prevailed in the world without a great power military conflict. At least three generations billions of people and their children and now grandchildren have never known a world war. 15. The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone. The defanging of Germany was an overcorrection for which Europe is now paying a heavy price. A similar and highly theatrical commitment to Japanese pacifism will, if maintained, also threaten to shift the balance of power in Asia. 16. We should applaud those who attempt to build where the market has failed to act. The culture almost snickers at Musks interest in grand narrative, as if billionaires ought to simply stay in their lane of enriching themselves . . . . Any curiosity or genuine interest in the value of what he has created is essentially dismissed, or perhaps lurks from beneath a thinly veiled scorn. 17. Silicon Valley must play a role in addressing violent crime. Many politicians across the United States have essentially shrugged when it comes to violent crime, abandoning any serious efforts to address the problem or take on any risk with their constituencies or donors in coming up with solutions and experiments in what should be a desperate bid to save lives. 18. The ruthless exposure of the private lives of public figures drives far too much talent away from government service. The public arenaand the shallow and petty assaults against those who dare to do something other than enrich themselveshas become so unforgiving that the republic is left with a significant roster of ineffectual, empty vessels whose ambition one would forgive if there were any genuine belief structure lurking within. 19. The caution in public life that we unwittingly encourage is corrosive. Those who say nothing wrong often say nothing much at all. 20. The pervasive intolerance of religious belief in certain circles must be resisted. The elites intolerance of religious belief is perhaps one of the most telling signs that its political project constitutes a less open intellectual movement than many within it would claim. 21. Some cultures have produced vital advances; others remain dysfunctional and regressive. All cultures are now equal. Criticism and value judgments are forbidden. Yet this new dogma glosses over the fact that certain cultures and indeed subcultures . . . have produced wonders. Others have proven middling, and worse, regressive and harmful. 22. We must resist the shallow temptation of a vacant and hollow pluralism. We, in America and more broadly the West, have for the past half century resisted defining national cultures in the name of inclusivity. But inclusion into what? Excerpts from the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West , by Alexander C. Karp & Nicholas W. Zamiska This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/palantir-posted-a-manifesto-that-reads-like-the-ramblings-of-a-comic-book-villain-181947361.html?src=rss

The next Mac Studio and MacBook Pro releases could be postponed by several months

Anyone looking to upgrade to the next Mac Studio or MacBook Pro might have to wait a little longer, thanks to the ongoing global memory shortage . As reported by Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman, at least two of the company's upcoming machines ... could debut a little later than the company initially planned, referencing the refreshes to Apple's desktop and its laptop that's expected to get a touchscreen . Bloomberg reported that the upcoming Mac Studio, which follows up the current lineup in the M4 Max and M3 Ultra configurations, was first expected to release in the middle of the year. However, Apple is already dealing with shortages of its existing Mac Studio stock, likely due to the device being a popular choice for anyone running local AI models. With no stop to the shortage in sight, Gurman predicted that the refreshed Mac Studio's release could be postponed to around October instead. It's not just Apple's desktop offerings being affected. Gurman also reported that the release of the next MacBook Pro could be delayed. While Gurman said the release timeline of the touchscreen MacBook Pro could be between the end of 2026 to early 2027, he's now predicting that it would arrive toward the later end of that timeline. Of course, Apple isn't the only consumer tech company heavily affected by the RAM shortage. However, Apple can at least take advantage of its successful MacBook Neo release amidst the memory shortage crisis affecting all laptop makers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-next-mac-studio-and-macbook-pro-releases-could-be-postponed-by-several-months-173120187.html?src=rss

Tesla is rolling out its Robotaxi service to Dallas and Houston

Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi footprint across Texas by introducing availability in both Dallas and Houston. As announced in a post on X , the EV maker is rolling out its Robotaxis to small sections of the Texas cities, as detailed by two maps of its new service areas. The first Robotaxi rides started in Austin, Texas where Tesla is headquartered, but the service's launch was paired with a Tesla Safety Monitor, or a supervising human in the passenger seat. Earlier this year, Tesla began to transition away from including safety monitors, leaving its Robotaxis to operate unsupervised and fully autonomous. In the latest announcement on X, Tesla also showed off a 360-degree panning shot with no safety monitor, but the company hasn't stated if its Dallas and Houston service will have in-car human supervision. It's worth nothing that Tesla previously admitted that some of its Robotaxis are sometimes driven remotely by human operators . With the Robotaxi expansion into Dallas and Houston, Tesla is encroaching on Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service that entered the same markets in February of this year. Looking ahead, Tesla is also targeting the Bay Area market in California for its Robotaxi expansion. While the company has received approvals to operate a ride-hailing service in California, it still doesn't have authorization for autonomous taxis in the state yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-is-rolling-out-its-robotaxi-service-to-dallas-and-houston-160742941.html?src=rss

SNK's Neo Geo console remake works with original cartridges and HDMI

Not everyone had the money for the original Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System when it released in the '90s, but there's still a chance to experience it as an adult with disposable income. SNK and Plaion Replai, who is also behind the all-black remake of the Commodore 64 , announced a faithful remake of the high-end retro console, called the Neo Geo AES+ . To bring the original console into the modern day, the collaborating companies added HDMI compatibility for resolutions up to 1080p and DIP switches on the bottom of the console to allow for language selection, overclocking and switching display modes. Rounding out the upgrades, SNK and Plaion Replai included a permanent way to retain high scores on a memory card and a low-power usage mode. For the purists out there, the Neo Geo AES+ still works on those chunky CRT displays since it has the original AV output. Preorders are currently open for two versions of the Neo Geo AES+, including an all-white 35th anniversary edition bundle that includes an Arcade Stick, a limited-edition Metal Slug game cartridge and a memory card, for $349.99. The standard edition in classic black will only come with an arcade stick, but will be available for $249.99. Coinciding with the console release, Replai Plaion will release 10 modernized game cartridges, including Metal Slug, The King of Fighters 2002 and other classics, for $89.99 each. If you think those prices are high, don't forget the original Neo Geo AES' release price was $649.99. The Neo Geo AES+ is set to start shipping on November 12. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/snks-neo-geo-console-remake-works-with-original-cartridges-and-hdmi-194509442.html?src=rss

Apple avoids a second import ban for its redesigned smartwatches in latest court ruling

Apple has secured a major victory for its redesigned smartwatches as per the latest decision from the US International Trade Commission. The federal agency ruled against reinstating an import ban on Apple Watches, allowing the tech giant to continue selling its devices with a reworked blood-oxygen monitoring technology. The ITC decided to terminate the case and refer to a preliminary ruling from one of its judges in March that claimed that Apple's redesigned smartwatches don't infringe on patents held by Masimo, the medical tech company that has long been embroiled in lawsuits surrounding the Apple Watch . Apple thanked the ITC in a statement, adding that Masimo has waged a relentless legal campaign against Apple and nearly all of its claims have been rejected. We reached out to Masimo for comment and will update the story when we hear back. The latest decision could offer some closure to the longstanding legal feud between Masimo and Apple. The patent battle dates back to 2021 with Masimo's first filing against Apple that requested an import ban on Apple Watches. The ITC ended up ruling that Apple violated Masimo's patents, resulting in the previous import ban and the Apple Watch maker redesigning the blood-oxygen reading feature in certain models. However, Masimo wasn't satisfied with this conclusion and sought another import ban on the updated Apple Watch models. Now that the ITC has ruled against that, Masimo is left with the option to appeal the decision with the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. While Masimo may currently be on the losing side of this legal battle, it's confronting Apple on multiple fronts. In November, a federal jury sided with Masimo and ruled that Apple has to pay $634 million in a separate patent infringement case. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-avoids-a-second-import-ban-for-its-redesigned-smartwatches-in-latest-court-ruling-175600668.html?src=rss

A comet gets destroyed by the sun, data centers endanger the Potomac River, and more science news

The Artemis II astronauts are settling back into life on Earth, but we're not quite tired yet of hearing about their amazing journey. There's a new PBS documentary now streaming on YouTube that dives into the Artemis program and the latest efforts to send humans to the moon again. Also this week, NASA shared some awesome images of a comet flying into the sun, the nonprofit American Rivers released its annual report on the most endangered rivers in the US and ESA posted a throwback image of Mars to highlight some interesting changes down on the surface. Here are the science stories that caught our attention this week. A comet grazes too close to the sun Earlier this month, a recently discovered comet made a close approach to the sun but it couldn't handle the heat. NASA has shared incredible images of the encounter that took place on April 4, showing the comet exploding into dust as it swings around our star. As NASA notes in a social media post, this was its first and last observed flyby of the Sun. The comet, C/2026 A1 (also known as MAPS) was first spotted on January 13 of this year. As it neared the sun, it was observed by a slew of instruments: NASA and ESA's SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft, NASA's STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) and NASA's PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere). This allowed for views of its passage from multiple angles. Seen in a narrow-field coronagraph view captured by SOHO, the comet appears to plunge directly into the sun. But, the wide view from NASA's STEREO shows it actually swinging closely around the sun before breaking apart. 2/4 This close-up coronagraph view from NASA/ESAs SOHO spacecraft shows comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) approaching the Sun on April 4. After the comet passes behind the disk, only a cloud of dust emerges. pic.twitter.com/PbkzqPnZ5F NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) April 16, 2026 MAPS was one of a family of comets aptly called Kreutz sungrazing comets, and according to Karl Battams, the principal investigator for SOHOs coronagraph, its destruction occurred likely several hours before what would have been its closest approach. Potomac named most endangered river in the US The nonprofit conservation organization American Rivers has released its 2026 report on the most endangered rivers in the country, and data centers play a major role in the status of its top pick. According to American Rivers, the Potomac River is the most endangered in the US due both to the threat of sewage pollution from aging pipe systems and the unprecedented surge in data center development in its vicinity. The Potomac River basin spans parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC. In January, the catastrophic failure of the Potomac Interceptor wastewater pipe in Montgomery County, Maryland dumped hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, causing bacteria levels to hit over 4,000 times the safe recreational limit at sites closest to the incident, according to the report. The Potomac Interceptor is over 60 years old, and is just one of many in the region that is at or past the 50-year service life, American Rivers notes. On top of that, data center development in places like Virginia and Maryland has skyrocketed, which could put a strain on local water and energy sources . Data centers also have potential to cause further pollution to the river. The region currently has over 300 data centers and is on track to have a total of about 1,000 centers occupying roughly 200 million square feet of buildings enough to cover 3,472 football fields on an estimated 20,000 acres of land, the report explains. These facilities pose a significant and growing threat to both water quality and water quantity, yet are being approved without meaningful transparency, regulatory review, and assessment of cumulative impacts. The organization is calling for Congress to reauthorize infrastructure funding bills so aging systems can be upgraded, and for regulators in these states to require transparency about data centers' resource use, along with comprehensive environmental assessments before development plans are approved. Mars ash: then vs now ESA/DLR/FU Berlin The European Space Agency this week shared a look at how a region on Mars has changed since it was observed by NASAs Viking orbiters way back in 1976. New images captured by ESA's Mars Express spacecraft show how dark volcanic ash has encroached upon a swath of land in an area known as the Utopia Planitia basin. If you visit the blog post , you'll find a side by side comparison of images from the two time periods. It's a rare example of an observable change on the surface of the red planet that's occurred over such a short period of time, ESA notes. The agency explains, The spread of the ash over the last 50 years has two possible explanations: either it has been picked up and moved about by martian winds, or the ochre dust that previously covered the dark ash has been blown away. Before you go, be sure to check these stories out too: The PBS Artemis II documentary is streaming on YouTube NAACP sues xAI over data center pollution There's yet another study about how bad AI is for our brains This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/a-comet-gets-destroyed-by-the-sun-data-centers-endanger-the-potomac-river-and-more-science-news-160000714.html?src=rss

Cyberpunk platformers, gallivanting geckos and other new indie games worth checking out

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. Once again, there are some neat new games for you to check out this weekend. We've got a bunch of updates and announcements for upcoming titles to tell you about too. There have been a bunch of solid indie showcases lately (and highlights from another one to tell you about below). If you want to learn about a ton of other games ASAP, you might want to set your alarm pretty early on April 25. Starting at 5AM ET that day, the latest edition of Indie Life Expo takes place on YouTube , Twitch , TikTok , Bilibili and elsewhere. This one will feature more than 200 games! A rapid-fire Indie Waves segment will power through 160 of them. Organizers received 1,100 submissions for this installment, so hats off to them for featuring a sizable percentage of those. Before that, you can check out another showcase on April 21. Top Hat Studios Presents: Spring Showcase 2026 will start at noon ET on the publisher's YouTube and Twitch channels. The stream will feature Motorslice, Well Dweller and survival horror game Becrowned , as well premieres and other Top Hat games. I've been looking forward to Motorslice, which has a May release window. I wager we'll get a precise release date for that during this stream. Meanwhile, there's an interesting Steam event taking place soon. InterfaceX26 will run from April 27 until May 4. This one is focused on games that deal with made-up operating systems and other custom interfaces. Organizers have brought together more than 150 developers and publishers, who are asking Valve to introduce an official Fake OS tag for games on Steam. Some neat games will be included in a sale and a showcase on May 2, including Blippo+ , TR-49 and The Roottrees are Dead . Expect demos and relevant new releases too. Speaking of which... New releases We've been waiting a very long time for Replaced. This cyberpunk adventure from Sad Cat Studios and publisher Thunderful finally landed this week on Steam , GOG , Xbox on PC and Xbox Series X/S . It's on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Otherwise, the base game costs $20. A supporter edition that includes the soundtrack is $25. It'll hit the Epic Games Store at a later date. The game was initially supposed to arrive in 2022. It certainly didn't help that Sad Cat Studios was forced to relocate from Belarus to Cyprus after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the game is finally here and it debuted to generally positive reviews. Replaced is a 2.5D action platformer set in an alternate version of 1980s America, in which you play as an AI trapped in a human body that may or may not dream of electric sheep. I haven't yet had a chance to properly jump into this gorgeous-looking game, but I'm hoping to do so this weekend. Speaking of games I've long had on my wishlist, Gecko Gods arrived this week. I think I first clapped eyes on this around 2022. Various trailers charmed me with the idea of a puzzle exploration platformer that casts you in the role of a gecko that's able to run along walls and ceilings. I've played around 90 minutes of this one so far. I dig the look and the gecko is very cute (being able to customize its appearance is a nice touch). I love that you collect different types of bugs by eating them. It's a fairly relaxing game, which is broadly what I need at the minute. I think there are some issues here, though. I've explored two of the main five islands in the open world and it feels a bit sparse so far. The joy of being able to clamber up and around any object complicates things when it comes to more precise platforming sections. While the sailing sections are pretty, the boat is clunky to control on the choppy water. I ran into some mild technical issues as well on PS5 with occasional framerate dips and objects popping in. Hopefully, that's something the developers at Inresin are able to address. Gecko Gods from publishers Super Rare Originals and Gamersky Games is available now on Steam , PS5 and Nintendo Switch . It's normally $20, but there's a 10 percent launch discount until April 30 (on PS5, this only applies to PlayStation Plus members) Another highly anticipated game landed this week in the form of Mouse: PI for Hire . We've had our eyes on this first-person shooter/detective game with sumptuous rubberhose-style animation for quite some time. Reviews have been generally positive so far, and it seems that there's enough substance here to live up to those stellar visuals. Mouse: PI for Hire from Fumi Games and publisher PlaySide is out now for $30. It's available on PC , Nintendo Switch 2 , PS5 and Xbox Series X/S . Thirsty Suitors developer Outerloop Games and co-publisher Outersloth served up the cooking-themed Dosa Divas this week. It tells the story of two sisters who set out on a journey with their mech to take down a fast food empire and reconnect communities through cooking. It caught my eye when I saw it during a showcase a while back and it has a great concept, though I don't exactly love turn-based combat. I've read a few lukewarm reviews of the game, and the consensus seems to be that the cooking mechanics and combat perhaps needed some more time to simmer. If you'd like to try Dosa Divas yourself, you can pick it up on Steam , Xbox Series X/S , PS5 , Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 . It'll usually run you $20, but there's a 10 percent launch discount until April 28. If you're looking for a puzzle game that can be relaxing or rather dark, depending on your mood, it might be worth checking out A Storied Life: Tabitha . As you pack up the home of a late loved one, you'll need to decide which items to keep in the limited storage space you have and discard the rest. You'll need to wrap fragile items in bubble wrap and vacuum pack soft items to save room in the boxes. As you save items, you'll unlock words that you can use to fill in the blanks of your loved one's life and tell their story, Mad Libs-style. Given that you'll find items like a blackmail letter and a shirt with lipstick on the collar, it seems like there's a lot of variety to the kinds of stories you can tell. A Storied Life: Tabitha is available on Steam now. It'll normally run you $15, but you can save 10 percent if you buy it before April 28. To round out this section, Ill quickly note that Hades 2 is out now on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S for $30, with a 20 percent launch discount. It's on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass too. I bought Hades 2 when Supergiant Games brought it to Steam early access two years ago, telling myself I'd wait until the full game was out. But I still haven't gotten around to it yet. There are always too many games tugging at my fragile attention span and Hades 2 faded into the background for me. I really ought to play it, I know! Upcoming I'm keeping an eye out for Agefield High: Rock the School from Refugium Games. This spiritual successor to Rockstar's Bully is set to arrive this summer on Steam . It emerged this week that it will hit PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later in the year. It's a coming-of-age adventure in which you play as Sam, a young lad who has moved to a new school in the early 2000s. He wants to make his last few months of high school a time to remember. There's a branching narrative with multiple endings here you can opt to go to classes and be a good student, or skip school and cause trouble. As a mostly rule-abiding student way back when, I'd be tempted to go for the latter. This seems like a bit of a life sim with a broad array of activities and ways to get into bother. Im looking forward to it. The latest edition of the Galaxies Showcase yet another indie spotlight event took place this week and The Backworld caught my attention. This is a Mother -inspired RPG from Numor Games and publisher Top Hat with charming art direction (yes, I did see that one character doing a Naruto run), an intriguing mix of characters and... Oh no, why did the music stop? Why did it get so dark all of a sudden? What are these horrifying beasts that are chasing my character? Yup, there's a heavy horror element here. Numor took inspiration from The Backrooms as well. The Backworld will be released later this year. A demo just hit Steam . A Study in Blue, from Relate Games, was another highlight of the Galaxies Showcase, thanks in large part to that impressive animation. This is a point-and-click adventure in which you play as two characters with complex pasts: private detective Kenneth and runaway Blue. You'll explore a semi-open world and solve crimes by collecting clues and calling out characters' lies. There are three intertwined story acts and multiple endings. A Steam demo featuring a side quest from the main game that'll take around two hours to complete is available now. I'm always going to be interested in any game that riffs on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . On the face of this trailer, Elementallis developer AnKae Games seems to borrow quite a bit of the design language and other ideas from the SNES classic. Still, if you're going to crib from anything, it may as well be the best game of all time. This 2D action RPG, which is also published by Top Hat and has a heavier focus on elemental powers than A Link to the Past , looks very much like my kind of jam. It's coming to Steam , GOG , Switch , PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on April 28. Per the eShop listing, it'll cost $18. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cyberpunk-platformers-gallivanting-geckos-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000924.html?src=rss

A third of our sales happen in non-metro cities, DailyObjects CEO says

The company started with smartphone cases and then went deeper into charging solutions, power banks, cables, and bags