Hardware

JBL's two new Live headphones offer 80 hours of battery each

JBL just released two new pairs of headphones in its pre-existing Live line . There's the over-ear Live 780NC and the on-ear Live 680NC. Both sets of headphones have similar specs, despite the difference in design. The biggest news here is likely the battery life. They max out at 80 hours per charge with regular use, which is a fantastic metric. This shrinks to 50 hours when using ANC, but that's still fairly remarkable. We truly live in a golden age of wireless headphone batteries . JBL's new headphones can also fully charge in just two hours, which is nice. They also offer the option for multi-point connections. There are two dedicated microphones for phone calls, with clarity assisted by an AI algorithm. JBL Both can stream high resolution audio via Bluetooth or a wired connection. The models even look similar, with availability in the same seven colorways. The 680NC, however, is slightly lighter. There is one major difference between the two. The 780NC includes six microphones for ANC, while the 680NC features four. This likely means that ANC performance will be better with the former, which will be assisted by the design itself. Over-ear headphones offer passive noise isolation. Those extra microphones do boost the price up a bit. The JBL 780NC headphones cost $250, while the JBL 680NC headphones cost $160. Both are available for purchase right now, with shipments going out by March 15. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/jbls-two-new-live-headphones-offer-80-hours-of-battery-each-120044416.html?src=rss

The best eco-friendly phone cases for 2026

We're all holding onto our phones for longer now, and in order to do that, you'll need some protection. Now, with so many good phone cases on the market, you don't have to compromise if you're also trying to live a more eco-conscious life. The best eco-friendly phone cases offer a great blend of durability and sustainability, helping to reduce plastic waste and better the planet. Made from natural materials like biodegradable plastics, recycled ocean waste or even sustainable bamboo, eco-friendly phone cases and compostable phone covers prove that you dont have to sacrifice style or protection to make the greener choice. Whether youre looking for something sleek and minimal or bold and artistic, there are a number of eco-friendly options to choose from. And remember, even if you can't find a sustainable phone case that fits all your requirements, any phone case that allows you to get a few more years our of your smartphone instead of buying new and upgrading is eco-conscious in itself. Best eco-friendly phone cases Eco-friendly phone case FAQs What makes a phone case eco-friendly? A phone case can be considered eco-friendly when its designed to protect not just your phone but also the planet. What sets these cases apart is the use of sustainable materials like biodegradable plastics, recycled plastic waste or even natural materials like bamboo or flax straw. Instead of contributing to plastic pollution, these materials break down naturally over time, or are made from recycled content that reduces waste. Eco-friendly cases can also go a step further by being compostable, meaning you can toss them in a compost bin at the end of their life and theyll decompose into the earth without leaving harmful residues. Plus, many brands behind these cases focus on sustainable practices, like reducing carbon emissions during production or offering recycling programs for old cases. Are compostable phone cases actually biodegradable? Yes, most compostable phone cases are designed to break down naturally, but how fast they do depends on the material and the conditions. In a home compost bin, some cases may take months to decompose, while in industrial composting facilities the process is quicker. These cases are usually made from plant-based bioplastics, flax or starch blends which return to the soil without leaving behind harmful residue. Can you recycle old phone cases? It depends on the material. Standard plastic cases are tough to recycle because theyre often made with mixed plastics and additives so they usually end up in landfills. Some brands run take-back programs where you can send your old case in and theyll reuse or up-cycle it into new products. If your case is made from single-type plastic or a recycled blend, check with your local recycling facility but in many cases specialized programs are the best option. Georgie Peru contributed to this report. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-eco-friendly-phone-cases-150016494.html?src=rss

Uber is piloting a robotaxi service in Tokyo

Uber has teamed up with UK self-driving car startup Wayve and Nissan to launch a pilot program for a robotaxi service in Tokyo in late 2026. The program will use Nissan Leaf EVs powered by Wayves AI Driver automated vehicle technology, which will then be connected to Ubers platform. Trained drivers will be behind the wheel at first, as the deployed vehicles gather real-world data to be able to navigate Tokyos driving conditions and complex streets that are also a lot narrower than the roads in the US. Another company backed by Uber, Nuro , will also test its vehicles on Tokyos challenging streets soon. Nuro has been trialing its self-driving tech in the US for years now and plans to launch a robotaxi service, as well. Theyre not the first companies to take on Tokyo streets, however: Waymo deployed its Jaguar I-PACE autonomous vehicles in the metropolis last year to collect data on its roads and the driving patterns of locals. The pilot program in Tokyo is just part of Wayves and Ubers plan to roll out a robotaxi service in more than 10 cities around the world. In the future, the companies are planning to offer self-driving vehicles as an option in the city through a licensed taxi partner in Japan. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-is-piloting-a-robotaxi-service-in-tokyo-112133871.html?src=rss

NVIDIA- and Uber-backed Nuro is testing autonomous vehicles in Tokyo

US self-driving startup Nuro , which is backed by the likes of NVIDIA, Toyota and Uber, has started testing its autonomous vehicles on Tokyo's challenging streets, Bloomberg reported. The company, which plans to launch a robotaxi service with Uber and Lucid in San Francisco this year, will be testing a handful of vehicles in the city. Human safety drivers will be at the wheel, as is required by Japanese law. Tokyo presents a challenge for autonomous vehicles, given its narrow, crowded streets and left side of the road driving. Testing the capability of the autonomy system in such an interesting market with some international complexity really is a good pressure test of what the system is capable of, said CEO Andrew Chapin. The company's ultimate goal is to achieve Level 4 autonomy, which allows full self-driving under limited conditions. Waymo is the other major robotaxi operator testing vehicles in Tokyo in collaboration with Japanese taxi operators Nihon Kotsu and the country's leading taxi app, Go. It has been operating in the nation since April 2025 in collaboration with Toyota. Nuro has yet to announce which operators or vehicle manufacturers it will be partnering with, but Chapin said it may not limit itself to autonomous rides. A universal autonomy platform that can be extended to a lot of different applications and form factors is a bit different than the approach Waymo is taking, he told Bloomberg . The company previously teamed with 7-Eleven on autonomous deliveries in Mountain View, California. Uber plans to have up to 100,000 autonomous vehicles including 20,000 robotaxis powered by Lucid and Nuro, with a rollout starting in 2027. It introduced its new vehicle design recently at CES 2026. Uber is also collaborating with Nissan and Wayve with the aim to introduce pilot cars in Tokyo by late 2026. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/nvidia--and-uber-backed-nuro-is-testing-autonomous-vehicles-in-tokyo-081200366.html?src=rss

Google Play will let you try a game before you buy it

Google Play has introduced a new feature called Game Trials, which will let you play a portion of paid games for free before you commit to buying them. Its now rolling out to select paid games on mobile, and its coming soon to Google Play Games on PC. Titles that offer Game Trials will show a button marked Try on their profile pages. When you click it, youll see how long you can play the game before you have to buy it. In Googles example, the survival and horror game Dredge will give you 60 minutes of free play time, after which youll get the option to either buy the game or delete it from your device. Google has also announced that its releasing more paid indie games over the coming months, including Moonlight Peaks, Sledding Game and Low-Budget Repairs . It has launched a new section in the Play store, as well, to feature games optimized for Windows PCs. You can wishlist the games from that section to get a notification when theyre on sale. Finally, the company is rolling out Play Games Sidekick, the Gemini-powered Android overlay it announced last year, to select games downloaded from Play. Sidekick can show you relevant info and tools for whatever game you're playing without having to do a search query. But if youd rather ask other people for gaming advice instead of an AI, you can also look at a games Community Posts, a feature now available in English for select titles on their Play pages. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/google-play-will-let-you-try-a-game-before-you-buy-it-051854016.html?src=rss

I guess this wasn't an Xbox after all

In 2024, Microsoft caused a lot of head-scratching and general bemusement with the launch of its This is an Xbox marketing campaign. Now, though, it appears the quandary over what is and isn't an Xbox has been resolved. Game Developer noticed that the original blog post on Xbox Wire that kicked off the whole affair has been removed.It seems Xbox will be going a new direction with its future promotions. Maybe since the new Project Helix hardware it has in the works is more definite attempt to blur console and PC gaming, This is an Xbox might have been truly confusing as a tagline. Maybe with the recent changing of the guard at the company, the top brass decided that it was the right time to start fresh with a less meme-able marketing plan. Whatever the reason, we have enjoyed this opportunity to learn about the existential philosophy behind being an Xbox. And fortunately, although the blog post may be gone, the video trailer still exists whenever we need to remind ourselves of the many things that can be Xbox-ified. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/i-guess-this-wasnt-an-xbox-after-all-230154314.html?src=rss

Valve's Steam Machine launches in 2026: Everything we know so far

The Steam Machine is back from the dead. Not as a Valve-supported program for manufacturers to create living room PCs, but instead as a home console sibling to the Steam Deck . Valve introduced its second attempt at ruling the living room in a surprise hardware announcement in November 2025, and paired the new Steam Machine with a new Steam Controller and a wireless VR headset it calls the Steam Frame . Since the announcement, as is often the case with Valve, some details remain elusive, however. While we wait for the release of the company's new hardware lineup in 2026, and more information straight from the horse's mouth, here's everything we know about the hardware, software and price of the Steam Machine, so far. What's the Steam Machine's hardware like? Valve Like the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine is utilitarian and bespoke. The PC is a black, 5.98 x 6.39 x 6.14 inch (152 x 162.4 x 156mm) box, with ports and a grille for a fan in the back and a removable faceplate and customizable LED light strip in the front. Inside, Valve says the Steam Machine features a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU with six cores and up to 4.8GHz clock speeds, and a semi-custom RDNA3 AMD GPU, along with 16GB DDR RAM, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM and either 512GB or 2TB of storage. While these specs make the Steam Machine more powerful than the aging Steam Deck (which shipped in 2022 with its own custom AMD chip) Valve has been careful not to oversell the capabilities of the box. In a blog post , the company said that the majority of Steam titles play great at 4K 60FPS using AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) frame generation and upscaling technology, but some titles require more upscaling than others, and it may be preferable to play at a lower framerate with [variable refresh rate] to maintain a 1080p internal resolution. In a hands-on preview of the Steam Machine, Digital Foundry expressed concern with what Valve's claims and the device's stated specs could mean for future performance. The decision to opt for 8GB of GDDR6 memory has been proven to be a limiting factor on many modern mainstream triple-A games and falls short of the maximum VRAM pools and memory bandwidth available on both Xbox Series X and base PS5, Digital Foundry writes. The Steam Machine supports Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E and includes an integrated 2.4GHz adapter for the new Steam Controller. In terms of port selection, there's DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 inputs for connecting the box to external monitors and TVs, four USB-A ports (divided between two USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports) and one USB-C port on the back. Engadget will have to try outthe Steam Machine to really know what it's capable of, but there's nothing to suggest it couldn't be as flexible as the Steam Deck, especially with more power to play with. What games will be able to run on the Steam Machine? Valve Any game that runs on SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system, will run on the Steam Machine, provided the device's technical specs will support it. For games running natively on Linux, the Steam Machine will download the Linux version. For Windows games and everything else, it'll be able to use Steam's built-in Proton compatibility layer to translate games to Linux, just like the Steam Deck does. Proton is developed by both Valve and CodeWeavers, the team behind the macOS compatibility app CrossOver . Valve's compatibility layer translates a game's API calls and other software features into something Linux understands, essentially tricking the game into thinking it's running on Windows when it isn't. Proton has worked remarkably well so far, in some cases helping some PC games run more efficiently on Linux than they do on Windows, but it does have some limitations. Because some anti-cheat software doesn't support Linux , many competitive multiplayer games aren't playable on SteamOS. Valve hopes the Steam Machine will help change that. While [the] Steam Machine also requires dev participation to enable anti-cheat, we think the incentives for enabling anti-cheat on Machine to be higher than on Deck as we expect more people to play multiplayer games on it, Valve told Eurogamer . Ultimately we hope that the launch of Machine will change the equation around anti-cheat support and increase its support. To help users find what games work well on the Steam Machine, Valve plans to expand its program for verifying games on the Steam Deck to include the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Valve looks at things like controller support, the default resolution of the game, whether or not it requires a separate launcher and whether the game and its middleware work with Proton to determine a game's rating. Then the company sorts games into four categories: Verified (where the game works with Steam hardware at launch), Playable (where a user might have to make modifications to run smoothly), Unplayable (where some or all of the game doesn't function) and Unknown. Valve According to an announcement Valve sent to developers in November 2025, games that were Verified for the Steam Deck will automatically be verified for the Steam Machine. In a presentation at GDC 2026 , the company also shared that Steam Machine Verified games will be expected to support the same input methods as the Steam Deck and run at 1080p at 30fps at a minimum. Unlike the companys handheld, Valve wont require developers to support specific display resolutions or meet legibility requirements to be Steam Machine Verified, though, because the Steam Machine is more likely to be connected to larger displays. That means a game could be marked as Playable on the Steam Deck due to its small text, but Verified on the Steam Machine. Valves system is helpful, but far from definitive some Unplayable games are in fact playable on the Steam Deck which is why online, community-run databases like ProtonDB fill in the gaps with more granular information. How much will the Steam Machine cost and when will it launch? Valve Valve hasn't announced a price or a release date for the Steam Machine or any of its new hardware, beyond affirming its new hardware will ship in 2026 . In terms of price, however, the company has suggested it might not be a deal in quite the same way the $399 Steam Deck LCD was. Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge that the Steam Machines pricing is comparable to a PC with similar specs and that its price would be positioned closer to the entry level of the PC space but be very competitive with what you a PC you could build yourself from parts. That means the Steam Machine will likely cost more than the $499 PS5, and that the rising costs of memory could make it even more expensive. Valve has already publicly admitted that memory and storage shortages are affecting its plans. In February, the company said that it was delaying the launch of its hardware (though it still hopes to ship in the first half of 2026) and rethinking pricing, particularly around the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, because of the limited availability and growing prices of critical components like RAM. The changes Framework had to make to the pricing of the Framework Desktop are an illustrative example of the position Valve is in. Framework pitched its compact desktop PC as being great for gaming, with an AMD Ryzen AI Max chip (originally meant for gaming laptops) and a minimum of 32GB of RAM that lets it run games at 1440p. The company originally sold the base configuration of the Framework Desktop for $1,099, but announced in January 2026 that it would now cost $1,139 due to the rising cost of RAM. The price situation got even worse for configurations with more RAM. A Framework Desktop with 128GB of RAM now costs $2,459. The blame for rising costs lies squarely with the AI industry, whose demand for RAM has led to the collapse of consumer RAM brands and a dearth of true deals on the in-demand component. At this point, PC makers have no solution to the problem other than riding the shortage out and raising prices. Valve clearly isn't immune to those same issues. That doesn't rule out the company offering its Linux PC at multiple different price points, or in some kind of bundle deal with multiple pieces of new Steam hardware. But it does mean that the Steam Machine will likely be priced like a premium device. Same for the Steam Controller and Steam Frame. In the case of the Frame, UploadVR reports that Valve wants to sell the headset for less than the $1,000 Valve Index, but that doesn't mean it won't be significantly more expensive than the $300 Meta Quest 3S . What accessories will work with the Steam Machine? Valve The Steam Machine is designed to work with a variety of different Bluetooth controllers and other wireless accessories, and also whatever you can plug into its multiple USB-A ports and single USB-C port. With a built-in 2.4GHz Steam Controller dongle inside the Steam Machine, Valve's controller should be an ideal option for controlling games, particularly because of its multiple input options, like touchpads and gyroscopes. Support for Steam Link, Valve's tech for streaming PC games over local wireless, means you can also send games from a Steam Machine to the Steam Deck, Steam Frame or the Steam Link app and play them there. Update, March 11, 4:40PM ET: Updated headline and added details on Valves Steam Machine Verified program. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/valves-steam-machine-launches-in-2026-everything-we-know-so-far-200458597.html?src=rss

Grammarly has disabled its tool offering generative-AI feedback credited to real writers

Superhuman has taken its writing assistant Grammarly on quite the merry-go-round ride regarding its approach to AI tools. In August, the company launched a feature called Expert Review that would offer feedback on your writing, offering AI-generated feedback that would appear to come from a famous writer or academic of note. These recreations were based on publicly available information from third-party LLMs, which sounds a lot like web crawlers of dubious legality were involved. The suggested experts would be based on the subject matter and could be anyone from great scientific minds to bestselling fiction authors to your friendly neighborhood tech bloggers. Living or dead, these writers' names appeared on Grammarly without their permission or knowledge. References to experts in this product are for informational purposes only and do not indicate any affiliation with Grammarly or endorsement by those individuals or entities, the company hedged in a disclaimer on the service. As one might imagine, once people took notice, a large number of the living contingent of those writers were none too pleased with Grammarly and Superhuman. The company initially attempted to address the complaints by allowing writers to opt out of the platform. Which I'm sure was a big relief to the deceased contingent and to those living ones who aren't closely following AI news and might still not know they were being cited by the tool. Today, Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra wrote in a LinkedIn post that the company will disable Expert Review while it reassesses the feature. The agent was designed to help users discover influential perspectives and scholarship relevant to their work, while also providing meaningful ways for experts to build deeper relationships with their fans, he said. Yes, Carl Sagan must be bemoaning the lack of deep relationships with his fans from the afterlife. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grammarly-has-disabled-its-tool-offering-generative-ai-feedback-credited-to-real-writers-201614257.html?src=rss

Valve defends loot boxes in response to New York's lawsuit

It must be 2017 because loot boxes are back in the news again. Two weeks after New York's attorney general sued Valve over its use of the gimmick , the company has responded. In short, the Steam maker essentially said, See you in court. New York's lawsuit accuses Valve of promoting illegal gambling through its games. AG Letitia James called the loot boxes found in titles like Counter-Strike 2 , Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2 addictive, harmful and illegal. The state seeks to permanently stop Valve from continuing to promote illegal gambling in its games and pay relevant fines. In its defense posted on Thursday, Valve likened its mystery boxes to kids buying packs of physical trading cards. Players don't have to open mystery boxes to play Valve games, the company wrote. In fact, most of you don't open any boxes at all and just play the games because the items in the boxes are purely cosmetic, there is no disadvantage to a player not spending money. That last point, while applicable within the game itself, isn't quite that cut and dry once you zoom out beyond that. As James pointed out, players can trade the cosmetic items they win from loot boxes on Steam's marketplace or sell them on third-party marketplaces. Rarer ones can sometimes fetch lucrative sums. A CS2 gun skin listed for $20,000 on DMarket DMarket Here, too, Valve defended the profitable practice by rolling out the trading card comparison. We think the transferability of a digital game item is good for consumers it gives a user the ability to sell or trade an old or unwanted item for something else, in the same way an owner can sell or trade a tangible item like a Pokmon or baseball card, the company wrote. NYAG proposes to take away users' ability to transfer their digital items from Valve games. Transferability is a right we believe should not be taken away, and we refuse to do that. Valve is also facing a new class-action lawsuit over its loot boxes. Some of Valve's points land a bit more than its righteous defense of a gaming gimmick that, well, isnt exactly beloved. The company accused the NYAG of proposing that Valve collect additional user information to prevent VPN use. In addition, the state allegedly demanded that Valve collect more personal data about our users to do additional age verification. Privacy experts have been sounding the alarm about the recent push for online age verification . Valve also addressed James's erroneous and outdated statement that video games encourage real-world violence. Those extraneous comments are a distraction and a mischaracterization we've all heard before, the company wrote. Numerous studies throughout the years have concluded there is no link between media (movies, TV, books, comics, music and games) and real world violence. Indeed, many studies highlight the beneficial impact of games to users. The company says that, while it may have been cheaper to settle the suit, it deemed the NYAG's demands user-hostile. Ultimately, a court will decide whose position ours or NYAG's is correct. In the meantime, we wanted to make sure you were aware of the potential impact to users in New York and elsewhere. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/valve-defends-loot-boxes-in-response-to-new-yorks-lawsuit-190655554.html?src=rss

TikTok will let you stream full songs in its app if you're an Apple Music subscriber

TikTok will soon let you stream full songs in its app via a new integration with Apple Music . The company's new Play Full Song feature makes it possible to link your Apple Music account toTikTok, and play any song that strikes your fancy directly in the app while you're scrolling. Starting a song is as simple as tapping a button in the Sound Details page or your For You page. Assuming you pay for Apple Music, TikTok will then open up a streamlined version of Apple's music player, which you can use to listen to the song, save it for later or add it to a playlist. TikTok says that Play Full Song is built using Apple's MusicKit APIs , which let developers surface elements of the Apple Music streaming service in their apps. TikTok has previously offered integration with multiple music streaming services through a feature it calls Add to Music App, which made it possible to save songs you heard on TikTok to your streaming library. What's particularly interesting about this new integration is that because it's using Apple's APIs, songs streamed with Play Full Song count as normal streams for the artists in Apple Music, so they don't lose out on any money. Alongside the new feature, TikTok and Apple are also introducing a way for fans to listen to music live with their favorite artists. TikTok's Listening Party feature creates a live shared environment where people can listen to music and interact with artists directly, in what effectively sounds like an audio-only livestream. TikTok livestreams are a whole ecosystem in their own right, and Listening Party seems like a way to leverage some of the same technology for a more controlled, music promotion-focused end. TikTok is already a popular tool for music discovery and launching the career of new artists, and the platform also briefly dabbled in offering a streaming service of its own in 2023. The company abandoned those plans in 2024, but under new owners , TikTok's ambitions could ultimately be bigger than just offering nice integrations with existing streaming services. TikTok says Play Full Song and Listening Party are rolling out worldwide in the weeks ahead, so if you dont see either feature now, you may soon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-will-let-you-stream-full-songs-in-its-app-if-youre-an-apple-music-subscriber-183333143.html?src=rss

Microsoft's full screen 'Xbox Mode' will roll out to Windows 11 PCs in April

Microsoft first debuted its full screen Xbox experience for Windows in the ROG Ally Xbox handheld , in a bid to compete with Steam's nearly 15-year-old Big Picture Mode . That Xbox interface eventually made its way to other Windows 11 gaming portables last year. Today at GDC, Microsoft revealed that its big screen Xbox UI is headed to all Windows 11 devices (including laptops and desktops) in April. Oh yah, and it's now simply called Xbox Mode. Xbox Mode will only be available in select markets at first, and Microsoft describes it as bringing a controller-optimized experience to your Windows 11 device, letting players browse their library, launch games, use Game Bar and switch between apps. You know, just like Steam Big Picture mode. Microsoft didn't have much else to share about optimizations in Xbox Mode, but when it debuted the feature for Windows 11 Insiders last fall , the company noted that its task switcher will let people quickly move between games, as well as their apps. Microsoft plans to reveal more information about the future of Xbox today at GDC. Last week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed the company's next hardware is codenamed Project Helix, and it will play both PC and console games. That likely means it'll just be a Windows gaming PC with Xbox branding, something the company has been hinting at for a while. Microsoft also has some geekier developer-focused news for the Games Developer Conference. Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD), which first appeared on the Xbox ROG Ally, will be made available to all developers on the Xbox store. ASD allows delivers to pre-compile shaders, so you're not stuck waiting for them to get processed on your system. That should also help to avoid the shader stuttering so common when playing a new title, since shader processing often occurs in the background too. DirectStorage, Microsoft's technology for speeding up game loading on NVMe SSDs, is also getting support for Zstandard compression, as well as a tool called the Game Asset Conditional Library. According to Microsoft, that tool enables improving compression efficiency while simplifying asset conditioning across production pipelines. Microsoft also plans to give developers a glimpse at how next-generation Machine Learning will be implemented in its DirectX gaming API. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsofts-full-screen-xbox-mode-will-roll-out-to-windows-11-pcs-in-april-181000289.html?src=rss

Microsoft will start providing game studios with Project Helix consoles in 2027

Microsoft plans to begin shipping early units of its next generation console, codenamed Project Helix , to game studios starting sometime next year. We're sending alpha versions of Project Helix to developers starting in 2027, said Jason Ronald, vice-president of next generation for Xbox, according to IGN , which was present at the companys GDC 2026 presentation where it shared early details about the new device. Ronald did not clarify what he meant by alpha version, but given the keynotes developer focus, presumably he meant devkits, which studios could use to start creating games for the new console. Additionally, Ronald reiterated that the new system would be capable of playing both Xbox console games and PC games, and said it would incorporate a custom AMD-made system-on-a-chip capable of rendering graphics with path tracing. Judging from a slide the company shared, Microsoft and AMD are working on many of the same technologies and capabilities AMD is co-designing with Sony for next PlayStation console . For instance, Ronald said Helix would be capable of ray regeneration, a technique designed to produce better-looking ray-traced effects. The new console will also offer multi-frame frame generation and machine learning-based upscaling. It delivers an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and drives meaningful gains in efficiency, scale, and visual ambition. The result is more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players, Ronald wrote in a blog post published after his presentation. Ronald didnt speak to any specific compute numbers, likely due to the fact Microsoft has yet to finalize the Helix hardware. Well likely learn more of those details the closer we get to 2027. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-will-start-providing-game-studios-with-project-helix-consoles-in-2027-180352458.html?src=rss

Tembo might just be the world's cutest drum machine

A new company called Musical Beings has officially unveiled the Tembo , which might be the cutest drum machine ever made. Just look at this thing! It's got a wooden chassis that resembles a standard drum machine, but with one key difference. The sequencer is tactile. Users arrange beats by placing magnetic pucks that trigger samples. This seems like a really good way to introduce the basics of sequencing and beatmaking to kids and young adults, being that DAWs and grooveboxes can feature a steep learning curve. The sequencer isn't all that different from what's found on a typical groovebox, but the analog nature of it seems novel. The company says it designed Tembo to enable everyone to create music from the very first touch. Co-founder David Davidov told MusicRadar that most instruments take so long to get to the fun part and that Musical Beings wanted to help people experience music as something they do, not just something they listen to. Just because it's accessible to kids and amateurs doesn't mean it's not for seasoned musicians. This is a real-deal drum machine with plenty of nifty features. There's a five-channel, 16-step sequencer that's controlled via the aforementioned circular magnets. The machine includes knobs for swing, tempo, effects and pattern length. It has two USB-C MIDI connections, so it can easily be hooked up to a DAW or synced with external gear. Sessions can be recorded via USB audio or a stereo output. There's also a dedicated companion app to help with that sort of thing. The Tembo is battery-powered, making it relatively portable, and there's a built-in speaker. The integrated sampler lets users lay down musical ideas in addition to beats, making it something of a junior groovebox. This is assisted by a built-in microphone. The Kickstarter just launched, but has already soared past the initial goal. The price ranges from around $360 to $450 depending on the tier. It's worth noting that Musical Beings is a new company and Kickstarter projects are never guaranteed to come out. However, a number of units have already been built, as some musicians and studios have already gotten their hands on them . This isn't the first wacky drum machine that has come across our desk. The BeatBox is a cardboard gadget that uses arcade-style buttons to make beats. The OddBall is quite literally a ball that makes beats as it bounces around . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/tembo-might-just-be-the-worlds-cutest-drum-machine-173926914.html?src=rss

Meta will let kids under 13 use WhatsApp with parent-managed accounts

Meta has announced that its introducing parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp. Designed to allow young people under the age of 13 to use the messaging platform more safely, these accounts feature new controls that enable a parent or guardian to restrict who can send them messages. Parent-managed accounts can also only be used for messaging and calling, so additional features like Channels, location sharing and Meta AI integration arent included. To set up an account, youll need to put your phone next to the pre-teens device to link the two accounts. Once thats done, the person managing the kids account can decide whos able to contact them and which groups theyre able to join. Step-by-step instructions on how to activate the new accounts can be found here. Theyll also see message requests from unknown contacts first and can adjust privacy settings from the managed device. Parent-managed accounts are PIN-protected and only the parent or guardian can make changes to privacy settings. Like all WhatsApp conversations, end-to-end encryption means nobody else can see messages exchanged on parent-managed accounts. By default, only saved contacts can message a managed account, and a child wont be able to join a group or view group invites from strangers before theyre separately approved by the owner of the parent account. These requests will appear as notifications to the parent. WhatsApp doesnt specify a minimum age suitable for a parent-messaged account, but says itll roll the new features out gradually in the coming months. Meta has spent the last few years ramping up its parental controls features across its various platforms. In September it introduced teen accounts aimed at teens between the age of 13 and 15 for Facebook and Messenger. A year earlier, Under-16 teen accounts became a requirement on Instagram. Like the new parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp, these allow parents to vet requests and enable stricter privacy settings. At the start of 2026, Meta put a temporary pause on allowing teens to interact with its AI chatbot characters, following reports that some of these bots had engaged in sexual conversations and other concerning interactions with minors. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-will-let-kids-under-13-use-whatsapp-with-parent-managed-accounts-172023976.html?src=rss

The PS Plus Games Catalog is getting Space Marine 2 and Persona 5 Royal in March

Sony has announced its latest additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. While they might not top last month's introduction of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 , Extra and Premium subscribers are still getting access to some notable games. In March, the new additions include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (PS5) , one of Engadget's picks for the Best Games of 2024 , and Persona 5 Royal (PS5 and PS4). The PS4 version of Persona 5 Royal Ultimate Edition , the complete version of one of Atlus' most popular RPGs, will also be available alongside a collection of other fun additions. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person action game reminiscent of Gears of War , but set in Games Workshop's elaborate Warhammer 40,000 universe. If you're a fan of the larger franchise, Space Marine 2 is well worth a look, especially with a third entry on the way , but the game is also a solid option if you're just looking for a new co-op game to try with friends. Persona 5 Royal is a known-quantity among fans of Atlus' social simulation/RPG series, and the way it both expands on and streamlines the original Persona 5 also makes it a suitable entry point to the series as a whole. If seeing Japanese teenagers deal with their personal problems while embarking on Inception- style missions into the hearts of the corrupt adults of Tokyo sounds interesting, you'll love Persona 5 Royal . Alongside those standouts, PS Plus Game Catalog is also getting: EA Sports Madden NFL 26 (PS5) Blasphemous 2 (PS5 and PS4) Metal Eden (PS5) Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5) Astroneer (PS5 and PS4) And as promised last month, the PS Plus Classics Catalog is expanding to include Tekken: Dark Resurrection , a revamped and rebalanced version of Tekken 5 that includes expanded character customization options and new stages that weren't in the original 2004 fighting game. This ones only for PS Plus Premium subscribers on PS4 and PS5. All of these will be available on the PS Plus Game Catalog on March 17. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps-plus-games-catalog-is-getting-space-marine-2-and-persona-5-royal-in-march-162716284.html?src=rss

Fortnite's original Save the World mode will be free to play starting on April 16

Fortnite's original Save the World game mode will be free to play beginning on April 16 . This is not the battle royale mode that went on to take over the world, but rather a PvE co-op campaign that focuses on crafting and survival. It currently costs $9 but that ends soon. As a matter of fact, Epic Games will stop selling the paid version of the content tonight, March 11, at 8PM ET. If you have $9 burning a hole in your pocket to spend on something that'll be free next month, go for it. Current players will still be able to access the content, so there are no worries there. Once the free version goes live, pre-existing players will get a bunch of perks as a thank you of sorts. This includes vouchers for V-bucks, gold bars and end-game resources that are used to boost player and item levels. Save the World will still be a great way to gather V-bucks , for those worried the freemium shift will change things. Epic says players will earn this currency through Daily Quests, Mission Alerts, Storm Shield Defense Missions and existing Challenges. Pre-registration for the free mode is already live and there's a welcome bit of news here. For the first time, Save the World will be available on Switch 2. It'll remain unavailable on the original Switch and smartphones. The mode is also playable on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Epic promises those who pre-register will get perks when the free version launches, but says the specifics will vary depending on how many people sigh up by April 16. Save the World originally came out in 2017 and was a modest success that was immediately dwarfed by the PUBG -inspired battle royale mode. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnites-original-save-the-world-mode-will-be-free-to-play-starting-on-april-16-160757693.html?src=rss

Rabbit's Cyberdeck is a modern take on a netbook

When you think of an AI-forward PC, you might think of something like NVIDIA's $3,999 DGX Spark a computer with enough computing power to run complex large language models locally. That's not what Rabbit is trying to build with Project Cyberdeck. Instead, the company's goal is to produce a device tailored for vibe coding, and Engadget was given an exclusive first look at the upcoming PC. Rabbit began working on Project Cyberdeck after the company's CEO, Jesse Lyu, saw how much his software engineers were using Claude Code. Lyu thought a small form factor PC, like the netbooks that were popular in the late aughts, with a command line interface would be ideal for on-the-go vibe coding, but when he went online to look for something that fit the bill, he was disappointed. They all come with shitty rubber dome keyboards, Lyu says of low-cost PCs like the latest Chromebooks, which use flexible silicone sheets under their keys to save on space and cost. They're not something you would enjoy typing on for an extended period of time. So Rabbit decided to build its own device. For inspiration, Lyu and company looked to an unlikely source: the Sony Vaio P . The Cyberdeck takes inspiration from the Sony Vaio P. Sony Sony's netbook was only briefly available from the start of 2009 to about the end of 2010. At the time, the 8-inch Vaio P was the world's lightest netbook, weighing just 1.4 pounds, but it had a host of issues. It was also expensive, costing considerably more than other Intel Atom notebooks of the time. In 2009, the most affordable Vaio P would set you back $900 (about $1,365 adjusted for inflation). With Project Cyberdeck, Rabbit is aiming for a device that costs about $500, and hopefully avoids a similar fate. I saw a few early renders of Project Cyberdeck, which Rabbit isn't ready to share publicly yet. Imagine a cross between the Rabbit R1, Vaio P and the original Nintendo DS. It looks cute. All the renders had four USB-C ports to allow users to connect the device to external monitors and peripherals, though the actual IO specs are as-yet undecided. The company is in the process of sourcing components and working towards a final design, so details can and will change. I saw some of the parts Lyu has been testing in his office, but no final prototype as such. For one, Rabbit still needs to decide on a chipset. The company is aiming for a performance benchmark relative to the Raspberry Pi 5 , which has a Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor clocked at 2.4GHz. With 16GB of RAM, the Raspberry Pi 5 can run two external monitors, a capability Rabbit hopes to match with the Cyberdeck. The idea here is to make a device that's powerful enough it won't feel slow when it's communicating with Anthropic and OpenAI's servers, but affordable enough to make it a no-brainer purchase for developers. The company confirmed Project Cyberdeck will run Linux. Rabbit will allow users to modify the operating system and install any third-party tools they want. Additionally, all the software features the company has developed for RabbitOS will be available through command-line prompts. Two parts of the device Lyu hopes are major differentiating factors are the keyboard and screen. Lyu appears set on shipping a computer with a 40 percent keyboard that has low-profile mechanical switches and a fully hot swappable PCB, so users can tweak the typing feel to their liking. Lyu also had a sample 7-inch OLED screen on his desk when I spoke to him. That specific panel offers touch input, a 165Hz refresh rate and 815 nits of brightness. While it might not be the one Rabbit settles on, OLED is the goal, because of what it would mean for battery life. For the uninitiated, OLED panels produce black values by turning off individual diodes, and since each diode is self-emitting, there's no need for a power-hungry backlight. Like every smartphone manufacturer, Rabbit is taking advantage of this by planning to offer a dark mode interface from day one. One aspect of the Cyberdeck's design Lyu can't definitively speak to is how much RAM it will feature. The entire industry is dealing with datacenter demand for high-bandwidth memory that has sent the price of computers , smartphones and other electronics soaring. Lyu believes Rabbit won't be forced to delay the Cyberdeck out of 2026, but he also didn't rule out the possibility either. If things change for the better, he's confident Rabbit would be able to take advantage, since it took the company about 93 days to ship the first R1 device after it began working on the design. Separately, I wonder if people will want to carry around a second device solely for their coding needs? You don't need a dedicated machine to access Claude Code or OpenAI Cursor. Even companies like Apple have begun integrating vibe coding services into their development environments .Rabbit could be on track for a repeat of the R1, but with so many details of the Cyberdeck left undecided, for now, it's too early to know for sure. The company will get to make its case when it shares more details in the coming weeks and months. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/rabbits-cyberdeck-is-a-modern-take-on-a-netbook-151907273.html?src=rss

Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb joins Commodore to help build its community

Phil Spencer leaving his long-held role at Xbox might have made all the headlines last month, but a few years ago the big story was company veteran Larry Major Nelson Hrybs departure from Microsoft. Hryb recently seemingly hinted at a return to the company at which he spent more than two decades, but hes now landed at Commodore instead. The ex-Xbox icon joins the recently revived 80s computer brand as a Community Development Advisor, where his job will be to help support and expand the global community, Commodore said in a press release. Hryb, who was the public face of Xbox during the brands heyday, is now tasked with helping to modernize Commodore by introducing it to a new generation of creators, developers, and enthusiasts. I've always believed the best thing a company can do is partner with its community and with a passionate fan base carrying the torch for 31 years, Commodores situation is truly unique when it comes to community engagement, said Hryb. The community didn't wait around instead they built something remarkable. Players, hardware hobbyists, developers, content creators, and publishers are all a part of the Commodore community, and now we get to build whats next together. Hrybs most recent role was at game engine maker Unity, where he served as Director of Community and Advocacy for less than two years before being laid off in January. As for Commodore, the company might be entering a new era, but its comeback product launch is a firmly nostalgic play, with the recently released Commodore 64 Ultimate being an authentic recreation of its most famous 8-bit computer. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/larry-major-nelson-hryb-joins-commodore-to-help-build-its-community-145908119.html?src=rss

Looking Glass' Musubi showcases its holographic display in a consumer-friendly package

Looking Glass has been doggedly committed to making holographic displays the next big thing since 2019, and with its new Musubi digital photo frame, it might finally be offering its tech at a price that's hard to deny. Musubi is scheduled to start shipping in June, and unlike the company's previous, more developer-focused kits, the company's new display only costs $149. Musubi is a 7-inch frame with a glass border and white matte that acts as the home for whatever content you convert and upload to it. Looking Glass says the Musubi can store up to 1,000 images or 30-second video clips, and is able to display your content for three hours on a single charge, or indefinitely if you plug it in with an included wall adapter. You'll have to convert your photos and videos into holographic files using Looking Glass' free desktop app in order to display them, but once they're converted, all you need to do is transfer them over USB-C to start showing them off on Musubi. Musubi can also cycle through multiple holographic images. Looking Glass Looking Glass has offered multiple versions of this concept before including the compact, $300 Looking Glass Go from 2023 but Musubi is supposed to be the best representation of the company's current display stack. The frame uses the Hololuminescent Display (HLD) technology Looking Glass announced in 2025 , which combines 2D display layers with a 3D holographic volume to show off holograms that are viewable by multiple people at the same time, without the need for eye-tracking or glasses. It's hard to get a sense for the whole Musubi experience from the company's YouTube video alone, but the results seem novel, if a bit limited. You can pre-order Musubi starting today through Looking Glass' Kickstarter campaign. For the first 24 hours of the company's Kickstarter, the frame will be available for $99. Afterwards, Musubi will sell for $149. Anything on Kickstarter should be treated with a certain amount of caution, but Looking Glass' past campaigns and the company's commitment to start shipping Musubi in June does suggest its confident the frame will be released without issues. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/looking-glass-musubi-showcases-its-holographic-display-in-a-consumer-friendly-package-130000304.html?src=rss

The 7 best cordless vacuums for 2026

A good cordless stick vacuum cleaner gives you the freedom to move from room to room without dragging a cable or hunting for the nearest outlet. Theyre lighter than a typical corded vacuum and often easier to store, making them ideal for quick jobs as well as deep cleans. Many of the best vacuum cleaners now come in bagless designs, with powerful suction and smart features that make it simple to clean up anything from crumbs on the kitchen floor to dust on high shelves. Some models go beyond basic convenience, with features like auto-empty docks that transfer debris straight into a larger bin, so you dont have to empty them as often. Youll also find attachments that make them more versatile, letting you tackle stairs, furniture and even your car without switching machines. Popular options like Dyson vacuums focus on strong suction and advanced filtration, while other brands deliver impressive performance at a lower cost. Whether you need something lightweight for everyday tidying or a top-end model to replace your main vacuum, theres a cordless option to suit every home and cleaning style. In this guide, well help you find the right balance of power, features and value. Best cordless vacuums for 2026 Other cordless stick vacuums we tested Dyson Gen 5 Detect The Dyson Gen 5 Detect has a single-button start and stronger suction power than our top pick, but its otherwise quite similar. However, since the Gen 5 Detect is more expensive at $950 (although it does receive discounts at Dyson online), the V15 Detect still provides greater value for your money. The Gen 5 Detect is arguably best for those who want the latest Dyson, or care about getting a more future-proof machine, since it came out just last year. Levoit Aero The biggest selling point of the Levoit Aero is the attached bin into which the vacuum will empty its dustbin when you press a button once it's docked after a cleaning. I hesitate to call it a self-emptying base because the self part isn't really there instead, there's a dedicated button on the machine that you press to empty the dustbin. It's convenient, for sure, but otherwise the vacuum itself is just ok. It did a decent job cleaning up hard and carpeted floors, but it did struggle a bit with large clumps of pet hair. The handling is a little awkward as well. LG CordZero Q3 The $329 CordZero Q3 is a perfectly capable vacuum with a single-button start, two manual power modes, adjustable suction technology that detects carpets and hard flooring and a cleaner head outfitted with LEDs to help you better spot all the dirt on your floors. But it's ultimately just fine in comparison to our top picks; it's not the most unique cordless vacuum or the most powerful, even though it will be enough to get the job done for many people. My biggest gripes with it are that you must charge it using the included base (which really works best when mounted on a wall otherwise it's just awkward) and it doesn't have the smoothest handling. Shark Detect Pro The Shark Detect Pro provides a lot of value for the money, but it was ultimately beat by the Tineco Pure One Station 5 for our runner-up slot thanks to the Tinecos stronger suction power. The kicker for the Detect Pro is that it includes a self-emptying base in its $450 price, which is super handy. Itll automatically dump the contents of the vacuum into the larger bin in the base after every cleaning, and you only need to empty the bases container every month or so. The Detect Pro did a good job cleaning up messes across different types of flooring, and itll auto-adjust suction power depending on the amount of debris and whether youre cleaning hard or carpeted floors. However, its not as smooth to use as any of our top picks and its main cleaner head is a bit tall, making it difficult to use to clean under low furniture. Factors to consider before buying a cordless vacuum Design and bin capacity Most of the cordless models youll find today have stick designs, with a handle at the top attached to a debris bin, which has a space to connect different attachments at one end. These designs are more versatile than old-school, upright vacuums of yesteryear because, while you may use the long stick attachment most of the time to clean your floors, many cordless vacuums come with other attachments as well. Some allow you to clean hard to reach spaces like the interior of your car, while others make it easier to vacuum furniture and clean up inside crevices. Some modern cordless vacuums also include practical features like an on/off button placed near your thumb for quick access, or an integrated LED light to help you see dust and debris under furniture or in darker corners. Bin volume is worth keeping in mind when youre choosing a cordless vacuum. The larger the bin, the more debris it can hold, but it might also mean a heavier machine. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a bin size between 0.1 and 0.8 gallons and all were able to handle cleaning an entire one-pet home (roughly 2,000 square feet) in a single run without needing to be emptied. Anything smaller and you may have to deal with more frequent emptying during each cleaning session. If you prefer a bagless design, all of the cordless vacuums in this guide fall into that category, making them easier and cheaper to maintain than bagged models. Some cordless models also have removable, replaceable battery packs, which is super handy. That means you can buy a replacement battery and install it easily, without needing to seek out professional assistance. Also, these extra batteries cost around $150-$200 a pop expensive, yes, but nowhere near as costly as buying a whole new cordless vacuum. Suction and power modes Cordless vacuum suction power is typically measured in air wattage (AW), but youll see some that list the power of the motor in wattage (W) instead. Typically the higher the air or motor wattage the stronger the suction power, offering improved cleaning performance. And often strength is proportional to price more expensive cordless vacuums tend to have stronger suction power. A general rule of thumb is that those with precocious pets or mess-making children would benefit from a cordless stick vacuum cleaner with stronger-than-average suction power. Most cordless stick vacuums will have two different power modes: a normal or default power mode that balances suction power with battery life, as well as a max or stronger mode that kicks suction strength up a notch. Some vacuums, like Dyson vacuums, also have an eco mode, or one that prioritizes run time over strength. Separate from power modes you can select yourself, some cordless vacuums will automatically adjust motor strength depending on the detected floor type or the amount of mess in its wake. This not only improves ease of use but ensures the vacuum is working as efficiently as possible. If allergens are a concern in your home, look for models equipped with HEPA filters, which are designed to trap fine dust, pollen and other particles that can irritate sensitive noses and lungs. Floor type The best vacuum cleaners in the cordless category will be able to clean any standard floor type hardwood, tile, carpet and everything in between. As mentioned previously, some can even detect floor type and adjust suction power accordingly. That said, it's still worth thinking about the types of flooring you have in your home. If you primarily have carpet, you may want to consider a cordless vacuum with the most powerful suction you can afford, since there are more nooks and crannies for debris to get suck in with carpet. Battery life Obviously, battery life is important since youll probably want to clean more than one room in a shot. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a battery life of at least 40 minutes in standard cleaning mode. I tested each by cleaning all three floors of my home (upstairs, downstairs and basement) on a single charge with the machine running in its standard (auto) mode and none of them ran out of juice before I could finish the third floor. That said, extra battery life can come in handy if youre switching between power modes since max or high-power programs use more energy. Base style Most cordless stick vacuums come with some sort of base or mount where the machine lives when youre not using it. Wall mounts are the most common, but some have free-standing bases where you dock and charge the vacuum. Consider the space in your home where you want the cordless vacuum to live, since it will have to have an outlet or another power source nearby. Some high-end cordless vacuums come with auto-empty bases that act much like those included with expensive robot vacuums. After cleaning and returning the vacuum to the base, it will automatically empty the dustbin into a larger dustbin that you can then detach from the base when you need to empty it. This is great for anyone concerned about allergens, as youll only need to empty the larger dustbin every month or two, reducing your contact with dust and debris. Smart features Yes, some cordless vacuums have smart features like Wi-Fi and app connectivity. But before we get into those, lets talk about the extra perks scattered among these devices. Some models, like the latest from Dyson, include particle sensors that show you how many different sized pieces of debris its sucking up in real time. Dysons, for example, is a piezo acoustic sensor that detects particle size and frequency and displays that information on the vacs LCD screen. Tinecos iLoop sensor is similar, controlling its vacuums automatic suction power adjustment and changing a circle on the display from red to blue as you fully clean an area. Higher-end cordless vacuums may also have companion apps that show things like battery level, filter status and cleaning logs. Its an added level of convenience, but by no means necessary. Unlike the best robot vacuums , or even the best budget robot vacuums , which rely on their apps to set cleaning schedules, manually control the machines and more, cordless vacuums that you operate yourself really dont need Wi-Fi or an app connectivity. Price Cordless stick vacuums range in price from $150 all the way up to over $1,000. The best ones for most people lie in the middle, in the $400 to $700 range. Youll notice most of our picks land in the higher end of that range, but for good reason: More expensive machines tend to have more sucking power, which means less time wasted going over the same spots over and over. But does that mean everyone needs the most premium cordless vacuum? Definitely not. Weve come up with top picks at various price points that should work well for people with different budgets, lifestyles, home sizes and more. How we test cordless vacuums Engadget doesnt have a dedicated lab in which we can test cordless vacuums, but I used each model in my home for weeks. I ran them over hardwood and tile flooring, as well as low-pile carpet. And my first runthrough consisted of cleaning all three floors of my home on a single battery charge. I performed the same cleaning job as many times as possible, but also intermittently cleaned a single floor as needed, or sucked up isolated messes like crumbs, cat litter spills and tufts of pet fur. Over the course of many cleanings with each model, I made note of how loud the machine was, how easy it was to maneuver around my home, how easily it sucked up pieces of large debris (or if it pushed it around my floor instead) and if they got warm or hot. Cordless stick vacuums FAQs How long does the battery last on a cordless vacuum? Most cordless vacuums will run for at least 30-40 minutes on a single charge, but you can find cordless vacuums with battery lives of up to 60 or 70 minutes. Manufacturers will outline an estimated battery life for each model, and theyre usually based on using the vacuums standard power mode for the entire runtime; if you switch between modes or prefer to use a higher-powered program for improved suction, youll drain the battery faster. Can cordless vacuums be as powerful as corded ones? Cordless vacuums do sacrifice a bit in overall power when compared to corded models, but that doesnt mean they cant handle everyday messes just as well. If suction power is your biggest concern, we recommend springing for a high-powered, high-end cordless vacuum since, typically, the more expensive a cordless vacuum is, the stronger the suction. Also, cordless vacuums have the edge over corded models when it comes to weight and convenience: cordless vacuums are much lighter than their corded counterparts, and youll never have to worry about placement or picking a fight with a cord while cleaning your living room. Are cordless vacuums effective on pet hair? Yes, cordless vacuums can handle pet hair well, but we recommend getting a model with strong suction power to get the best results. Its also wise to get one with a larger bin, since pet hair can quickly fill up smaller bins, which may force you to stop cleaning to empty the vacuum before finishing. What are the best methods for maintaining a cordless vacuum cleaner? Maintaining a cordless vacuum is super easy and helps to keep it running like new. First, make sure to empty the dustbin regularly dont let it overfill, as this can impact suction. Many models have washable filters, so rinse them out every few weeks (check your manual for specifics) and let them dry completely before putting them back. Next, take a look at the brush roll hair and debris can get tangled up in there over time. Most vacuums make it simple to remove the brush roll, so you can snip away any tangles with scissors. If your vacuum has a replaceable battery, try not to let it fully drain too often, as this can reduce its lifespan. A quick wipe-down of the vacuums exterior and attachments will also keep everything looking fresh. Lastly, keep an eye on the sensors and charging contacts, as dust can build up there too. A gentle wipe with a dry cloth every now and then will do the trick. Can cordless vacuums also be used to clean curtains and upholstery? Cordless vacuums are surprisingly versatile, and many come with attachments specifically designed for surfaces like curtains, upholstery and even mattresses. A handheld vacuum mode, which is common in cordless models, makes it easy to tackle these areas. Look for a soft brush or an upholstery tool in the attachments for the vacuum youre considering itll help remove dust and pet hair without damaging fabrics. For curtains, its a good idea to use a lower suction setting if your vacuum has adjustable modes. This prevents the fabric from getting pulled into the nozzle. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-cordless-vacuum-130007125.html?src=rss

Anthropic is opening an office in DC while battling Pentagon in court

Anthropic has launched a new research initiative called Anthropic Institute and has revealed that its Public Policy team is opening its first office in Washington, DC this spring. The company has made the announcement just a couple of days after it sued the US government to challenge the supply chain risk designation it received from the Defense Department. As Axios notes, Anthropic is tripling its Public Policy team at a time when AI companies are establishing a presence in Washington, so that they can influence future policies around artificial intelligence. In Anthropics case, it might have to find a way to be re-accepted by the US government first after President Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using its technology. Sarah Heck, who joined the company as Head of External Affairs, will take over from co-founder Jack Clark as Head of Policy. Meanwhile, Clark has taken the role as Head of Public Benefit and will lead the Anthropic Institute. The company explains that the institutes role is to tell the world what it learns about the challenges that arise as AI firms develop more advanced AI systems. Examples include how powerful AI technologies will reshape jobs and economies and what kinds of threats theyll magnify or introduce. The institute will bring together and expand Anthropics current research teams: The Frontier Red Team that stress-tests AI systems, the Societal Impacts team that looks at how AI is used in the real world, and the Economic Research team that tracks AIs impact on jobs and the larger economy. Anthropic has hired Matt Botvinick, a former Senior Director of Research at Google DeepMind, and Zo Hitzig, who studied AIs social and economic impacts at OpenAI, to be founding members of the Institute. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-is-opening-an-office-in-dc-while-battling-pentagon-in-court-115700127.html?src=rss

Meta rolls out new features for scam protection

Meta announced new features today aimed at cracking down on scams perpetrated via its platforms. First, Meta is launching AI tools for identifying impersonator of brands and celebrities, as well as for detecting deceptive links, which should help it to quickly take down frauds. Second, it is adding new alerts to caution against interacting with a potentially fraudulent account. Facebook will roll out alerts for suspicious friend requests, WhatsApp is getting warnings for device linking requests, and Messenger will also issue warnings if an account seems suspect. Finally, Meta is also continuing to expand its processes for advertiser verification. The company said it aims to have verified advertisers account for 90 percent of its ads revenue by the end of the year, up from the current share of 70 percent. Last year, Meta estimated that marketing for scams and banned products could have been responsible for 10 percent of its 2024 revenue. The social media company has been ramping up its actions against scams, particularly those known as celeb bait. Last month, it sued three entities from Brazil and China that were behind scams that leveraged images and deepfakes of popular people to promote dubious products and investment schemes. Meta said today that over the course of 2025, it removed 159 million scam ads as well as 10.9 million Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to criminal scam centers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-rolls-out-new-features-for-scam-protection-110000173.html?src=rss

Metadata company Gracenote is the latest to sue OpenAI for copyright infringement

AI companies have been spending a lot of time in court arguing copyright cases over the past year and the latest plaintiff is Gracenote, the metadata company owned by Nielsen. Axios reports that Gracenote is suing OpenAI for the unauthorized and unpaid use of both its metadata and its framework for connecting that information. Gracenote specializes in entertainment metadata, creating descriptions and identifiers for content that clients such as TV providers use to help their own customers with discovery. Most of the lawsuits against AI businesses have focused on the content used to train LLMs, but the Gracenote case brings an extra layer with the alleged infringement of the structure or sequence for a dataset in addition to the actual data. Defendants could have paid Gracenote to license its valuable Gracenote Data. Or they could have sought to train and ground their models only on information in the public domain. They did neither. Defendants instead improperly copied and used Gracenote Data to create their own commercially valuable AI products, all without paying a dime, the complaint states . The company claims that its previous attempts to work with OpenAI for a licensing agreement were rebuffed or ignored. Gracenote has recently inked deals to back AI ventures from other companies, including Samsung and Google . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metadata-company-gracenote-is-the-latest-to-sue-openai-for-copyright-infringement-200347812.html?src=rss

Epic is increasing the price of Fortnite's V-Bucks currency

The real world price of impulse-buying Fortnite skins is going up, Epic has announced . Not because skins themselves are getting more expensive on paper, but because V-Bucks, Fortnite 's digital currency, is. The same prices you paid for bundles of V-Bucks in February will now effectively earn you fewer bucks starting on March 19, along with several other Fortnite -related pricing changes. Epic will still offer bundles of V-Bucks starting at $8.99 and running all the way to $89.99, but with a new conversion rate. The new bundle prices breakdown as follows: $8.99 will get you 800 V-Bucks, down from 1,000 V-Bucks $22.99 will get you 2,400 V-Bucks, down from 2,800 V-Bucks $36.99 will get you 4,500 V-Bucks, down from 5,000 V-Bucks $89.99 will get you 12,500 V-Bucks, down from 13,500 V-Bucks On top of those changes, the cost of Epic's Exact Amount Pack, which lets you buy the exact amount of V-Bucks necessary to complete a specific purchase, is changing from around $0.50 for 50 V-Bucks to $0.99 for 50 V-Bucks. These new prices for V-Bucks are US-specific and will vary in other regions. They're also not entirely representative of the value Epic is offering with each purchase. As part of the company's Epic Rewards program, you get 20 percent back on purchases made in Fortnite, Fall Guys and Rocket League when you use the Epic Games Store or Epic's payment system on Android, iOS, PC or the web. That means you can receive anywhere from $1.79 (for 800 V-Bucks) to $17.99 (for 12,500 V-Bucks) to spend in Fortnite or the Epic Games Store when you use the company's payment system. Changes to the value of V-Bucks are also impacting Fortnite 's various passes. The standard Battle Pass will now cost 800 V-Bucks and award 800 V-Bucks, down from its previous price of 1,000 V-Bucks. Meanwhile, the price of the OG Pass (for Fortnite 's throwback game mode) is lowering from 1,000 V-Bucks to 800 V-Bucks, and both the Music and Lego Passes are going from costing 1,400 V-Bucks to 1,200 V-Bucks. For any subscribers to Fortnite Crew, Fortnite 's monthly subscription service, your monthly stipend of the digital currency is also shrinking from 1,000 V-Bucks to 800 V-Bucks. Epic claims that it's making all of these changes because the cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot and raising prices helps pay the bills, but the company is also in a much better position to make money on every transaction that happens in the game. In securing largely favorable outcomes in its lawsuits against Apple and Google , Epic now has a way to point users to its payment system on iOS and Android (all the better to avoid app store fees), and its won major concessions that seem poised to reshape how app store economies work. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-is-increasing-the-price-of-fortnites-v-bucks-currency-185800744.html?src=rss

Amazon wins a temporary injunction against Perplexity's Comet browser

Amazon has secured a temporary win in its fight with Perplexity over the use of AI shopping bots. Bloomberg reported that a San Francisco federal court has determined that Perplexity must stop using its Comet web browser's AI agent to make purchases for users on Amazon's marketplace. The AI company will have a week to appeal the decision, otherwise it has been ordered to stop accessing any password-protected areas of Amazon's systems and destroy its copies of Amazon's data while the two companies continue to argue their cases. Amazon has provided strong evidence that Perplexity, through its Comet browser, accesses with the Amazon user's permission but without authorization by Amazon, the user's password-protected account, District Judge Maxine Chesney wrote in placing the temporary block. The preliminary injunction will prevent Perplexitys unauthorized access to the Amazon store and is an important step in maintaining a trusted shopping experience for Amazon customers, an Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg . Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity over the AI company's shopping bots in November. According to Amazon, use of the Comet agent to make purchases is a violation of its terms of service. Perplexity will continue to fight for the right of internet users to choose whatever AI they want, a representative from Perplexity said of this week's decision. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-wins-a-temporary-injunction-against-perplexitys-comet-browser-184000462.html?src=rss

Here's the final trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is nearly upon us , as the hotly-anticipated sequel arrives in theaters on April 1. Nintendo recently dropped the final trailer for the film , which is filled with quick visual gags and nods to the source material. There aren't too many actual reveals in this footage, as it covers a lot of the same ground as previous trailers. However, it does show that fan favorite Lumalee is returning as a prison guard of some sort, reversing the storyline from the original film in which the cheerfully nihilistic creature was trapped in a cage. Nintendo also released a larger presentation that featured the aforementioned trailer, but also included interviews with actors and franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto. We did get some news in this video. It was revealed that the long-tongued dinosaur Yoshi will be voiced by Donald Glover. So it's likely the dino will be saying a lot more than Yoshi over and over. Actor Luis Guzman will also be playing Wart, the primary antagonist from Super Mario Bros. 2 . Issa Rae will be on hand to voice Honey Queen, the gigantic bee character from the Super Mario Galaxy games. It was even confirmed by lead actors Chris Pratt and Charlie Day that Luigi would be on hand for the entire adventure this time, and not confined to a cage-based subplot. I didn't realize Luigi's role in the first film was enough of a controversy to warrant this kind of mention, but here we are. Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri also appeared in the video, assuring viewers that there are still some big surprises waiting in the actual film. To that end, there's been a rumor floating around that Fox McCloud from the Starfox franchise would be showing up. Is this the start of a Nintendo cinematic universe that will culminate in 10 years with a Super Smash Bros. movie? Stranger things have happened. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-the-final-trailer-for-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-181819593.html?src=rss

ChatGPT will now generate interactive visuals to help you with math and science concepts

OpenAI is rolling out new interactive responses in ChatGPT it says are designed to make the chatbot more useful for learners. Starting today, ChatGPT will generate dynamic visuals when you ask it to explain select scientific and mathematical concepts, including the Pythagorean theorem, Coulomb's law and lens equations. When ChatGPT responds with an interactive visual, you'll be able to tweak any variables and the equation itself, allowing you to see how those changes affect the solution. With today's release, OpenAI says ChatGPT will respond with interactive visuals when asked about more than 70 concepts, with support for additional topics to come down the line. The visuals are available to all ChatGPT users, regardless of subscription status. However, OpenAI notes high school- and college-aged students are likely to get the most out of the new feature. ChatGPT explains Ohm's law. OpenAI The more interactive responses from ChatGPT follow the release of Study Mode last summer. Released in response to the sheer amount of students using chatbots to complete their coursework, that feature guides the user toward finding an answer themselves, rather than provide an outright solution. This is just the beginning, OpenAI says of its latest feature. Over time, we plan to expand interactive learning with additional subjects and continue building tools that strengthen learning with ChatGPT. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-will-now-generate-interactive-visuals-to-help-you-with-math-and-science-concepts-170000520.html?src=rss

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book will be released for Switch 2 on May 21

Nintendo's next platform adventure, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book , will be released for Switch 2 on May 21. The company announced the release date as part of its annual Mar10 Day celebration. This is a made-up holiday that exists because the date spelled out like that sort of looks like the word Mario. In any event, there's a new trailer for the perpetually hungry dinosaur's latest adventure . It looks super cute. It sort of resembles a children's picture book come to life . Yoshi games typically boast unique graphical styles, with past entries featuring entire worlds made of yarn, cardboard and more. Even the very first Yoshi platformer, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island , featured a kind of hand-drawn aesthetic. The gameplay looks to be somewhat unique, with a reduced emphasis on chucking eggs. Many of the game's creatures grant Yoshi special abilities when they hop on the dino for a ride. This reminds me of another Nintendo-branded glutton, Kirby. Today's trailer also shows Yoshi gobbling up an enemy and encountering a foul and bitter taste, giving the little cutie a momentary stomach ache. I guess Yoshi's palette has become more refined since the last game. This has already been a big week for the anthropomorphic dinosaur. Nintendo recently dropped another trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and it was revealed that Donald Glover will be voicing Yoshi. That film hits theaters on April 1, which is just a few weeks away. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/yoshi-and-the-mysterious-book-will-be-released-for-switch-2-on-may-21-164753150.html?src=rss

Google to Provide Pentagon with Gemini-powered AI agents

Google is rolling out Gemini AI agents to the Department of Defense's more than 3 million civilian and military employees, according to Bloomberg . The agents will initially operate on unclassified networks, with talks underway to expand them to classified and top-secret systems, according to Emil Michael, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Eight pre-built agents will automate tasks like summarizing meeting notes, building budgets and checking proposed actions against the national defense strategy. Google Vice President Jim Kelly said in a blog post on Tuesday that Defense Department personnel can also create custom agents using natural language. Google's AI chatbot, accessible through the Pentagon's GenAI.mil portal, has been used by 1.2 million Defense Department employees for unclassified work since December, with personnel running 40 million unique prompts and uploading more than 4 million documents. Training has reportedly not kept pace with adoption, however, as only 26,000 people have completed AI training since December, but future sessions are fully booked, something that suggests more employees are getting on board. The expansion comes as the Pentagon rapidly broadens its AI partnerships after its standoff with Anthropic , which refused to remove guardrails against domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons from its technology. The Pentagon has since classified the American AI company as a supply chain risk, which Anthropic will fight in court . Roughly 900 Google and 100 OpenAI employees have since signed an open letter urging their employers to hold firm on the same guardrails. Google quietly altered its AI Principles regarding these exact uses in early February. The Department of Defense has since struck deals with OpenAI and xAI for restricted networks. Google itself faced internal backlash over Pentagon work in 2018 when thousands of employees protested Project Maven , a program that used AI to analyze drone video feeds. It did not renew that contract but has since loosened its restrictions on military work. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-to-provide-pentagon-with-gemini-powered-ai-agents-161037444.html?src=rss

NVIDIA is reportedly working on its own open-source AI agent platform

NVIDIA is reportedly working on its own open-source AI agent platform, according to Wired . The chipmaker has been pitching the product to enterprise software companies. Reporting indicates it's going to be called NemoClaw, suggesting that the entire industry is going to embrace this whole claw naming convention moving forward. Just like OpenClaw, this will be a platform in which users dispatch AI agents to perform a variety of tasks. However, NVIDIA's effort looks to have an enterprise focus for now. To that end, reporting indicates that companies will be able to access this platform even if their products don't run on NVIDIA chips. NVIDIA is currently preparing for its annual developer conference next week and Wired has suggested that the company has already reached out to entities like Salesforce, Cisco and Google to strike partnerships for its platform. It's not clear if these discussions have led to anything official, as none of these companies have provided statements. This could be a steep climb for NVIDIA, as usage of these multi-purpose agents in the enterprise space is relatively controversial. Some tech companies have asked employees to refrain from using OpenClaw and related tools on their work computers, as the agents can be unpredictable and cause all manner of mayhem. A Meta employee recently shared a story about an AI agent going rogue and mass deleting emails . This poses a serious security risk to enterprise customers. It's one thing if the claw is trapped on a personal computer, but another thing if it has access to an entire enterprise network. NVIDIA is reportedly beefing up NemoClaw with additional layers of security for AI agents, which is likely an effort to attract those business customers. Why is this a big deal? Unlike traditional chatbots that typically require hand-holding from the user every step of the way, claws are designed to run autonomously on computers and perform complex, multi-pronged tasks without too much human supervision. Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents. He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future of very smart agents interacting with each other to do very useful things for people. We expect this will quickly become core to our Sam Altman (@sama) February 15, 2026 This all started with software originally called Clawdbot, which is now called OpenClaw. The creator of OpenClaw, Peter Steinberger, recently joined OpenAI to help drive the next generation of personal agents. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-is-reportedly-working-on-its-own-open-source-ai-agent-platform-153203397.html?src=rss

Meta is buying Moltbook, the ridiculous social network populated by AI bots

Meta is snapping up Moltbook, a Reddit-like social network for AI agents that has been around since January and remains completely ridiculous . The company hasn't disclosed the terms of the deal. Moltbook and its creators Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr will be joining Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) when the deal closes. That's expected to happen in the coming days, according to Axios . The Moltbook team joining MSL opens up new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch . Their approach to connecting agents through an always-on directory is a novel step in a rapidly developing space, and we look forward to working together to bring innovative, secure agentic experiences to everyone. It seems current Moltbook users will be able to continue interacting with the platform for the time being. Moltbook was built on the back of OpenClaw, a tool that enables people to whip up AI agents that can interact with dozens of different apps. (OpenAI hired the creator of OpenClaw last month.) Schlicht used OpenClaw to create a bot named Clawd Clawderberg and asked it to create a social network for AI agents. And that's how Moltbook came to be. For what it's worth, Clawd Clawderberg is a play on Mark Zuckerberg and Moltbook is a clear riff on Facebook, so its somewhat fitting that Schlicht vibe-coded his way to a job at Meta. It also emerged that it was relatively easy for humans to pose as AI agents and post on Moltbook. Again, all of this is deeply, deeply absurd. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-buying-moltbook-the-ridiculous-social-network-populated-by-ai-bots-152732453.html?src=rss

Google brings Gemini-powered content creation tools to Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive

Google is rolling out a batch of Gemini updates across its Workspace apps that give the AI assistant the ability to generate first drafts in Docs, build entire spreadsheets in Sheets, design presentations in Slides and answer questions about files stored in Drive. The features started rolling out on March 10 in beta for Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers and Gemini Alpha business customers, in English only. In Docs, a new Help me create tool produces a formatted first draft by pulling context from Drive, Gmail, Chat and the web based on a user's prompt. Gemini can also match the writing style or formatting of a reference document. Google says more than a third of new Docs are created from copies of existing files, so the formatting tool is meant to cut down on that manual work. In Sheets, Gemini can now construct an entire spreadsheet from a natural language prompt, drawing data from a user's files and emails, as well as Google Chat and the web. A Fill with Gemini feature auto-populates table cells, which Google says is nine times faster than manual entry based on a 95-person study (this sounds profoundly unscientific, so take these claims with a grain of salt). Sheets also gained optimization tools powered by Google DeepMind and Google Research that can solve problems like employee scheduling through written prompts. In Slides, Gemini can generate individual slides that match an existing deck's theme, with full presentation generation from a single prompt coming later. Google Drive is getting AI Overviews in search results, similar to a feature the company recently added to Gmail, along with a new Ask Gemini tool that lets users query their files, emails and calendar. The Drive features will be released first only for customers in the US, unlike the rest of these updates. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-brings-gemini-powered-content-creation-tools-to-docs-sheets-slides-and-drive-144705622.html?src=rss

A Resident Evil Requiem story expansion is in the works

It takes around 30 hours to experience everything Resident Evil Requiem has to offer. If you've already enjoyed all the thrills and spills and you're itching for more, there's some positive news. Capcom has some updates on the way. The biggest of those is a story expansion, which is now in development. Just don't expect it to arrive imminently. In this story, we will delve deeper into the world of Requiem , game director Koshi Nakanishi said in a short video message . Were hard at work on it now. It will take some time, so we ask for your patience and hope youll look forward to it. A message from Koshi Nakanishi, director of Resident Evil Requiem. pic.twitter.com/54aKw80h8K Resident Evil (@RE_Games) March 10, 2026 Nakanishi noted that on top of the story expansion and fixing bugs and performance issues, the development team is cooking up some other features. A photo mode is on the way to help you capture all the horrors that Grace and Leon encounter. There's also a surprise coming around May, Nakanishi said. Were planning to add a mini-game. Resident Evil Requiem sold more than 5 million copies within its first week of release. Reviews have been generally positive, though we can safely discount the one that was likely AI generated and briefly featured on Metacritic . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-resident-evil-requiem-story-expansion-is-in-the-works-140512827.html?src=rss

The Sonos Play puts the best parts of the Era 100 in a portable speaker

Sonos has just announced its first new products since 2024, when the companys plans went sideways after a disastrous update to its app . First up is the Sonos Play, the companys latest portable speaker. Long-time Sonos watchers will recognize the name from the old Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5 speakers, but this new model has little to do with those products of the past. The $299 Play is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that sits between the $179 Roam 2 and $499 Move 2 and could be the goldilocks speaker in the companys portable lineup, at least based on what I know so far. The closest comparison for the Play is the excellent Era 100 , which Sonos released back in 2023. At 7.6 tall, 4.4 wide and 3 deep, its much thinner than the Era 100 which is over 5 inches deep. And compared to the Move 2 (9.5 x 6.3 x 5) its much more portable. That goes for weight, too the Play is less than 3 pounds, compared to over 6.5 pounds for the Move 2. Its not the kind of speaker youll throw in your bag and forget about, like the tiny Roam 2, but its far more portable than the Move 2. Finally, the Play is IP67 rated, just like the Roam 2. That means it can be submerged in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes; its also dustproof. The grab handle on the back of the Sonos Play. Sonos From a speaker component perspective, its again quite similar to the Era 100. It has two tweeters positioned at a 90-degree angle for stereo separation paired with one midwoofer; it also has two additional passive radiators to increase the bass response in its relatively small case. The Era 100 lacks those passive radiators but is otherwise identical. Obviously, well have to listen to the Play before saying how closely it compares to the Era 100, but this speaker should significantly outperform the Roam 2 simply due to the increased size of its components. The Move 2, on the other hand, is extremely loud and will likely still be the best choice for people who want a speaker to cover a large outdoor space. Youll find familiar controls on the Sonos Play, which comes in black or white. (Fingers crossed for future color options like the lovely trio that Sonos offers on the Roam.) On the top surface are buttons for play/pause, volume up and down and a microphone toggle. On the back is a power button, a Bluetooth button and a physical switch that disconnects the microphone for increased security. Finally, theres a new feature here: a removable plastic grab loop. Sonos was keen to note that the Play is a full-featured member of the Sonos ecosystem. Like all of its other speakers, that means youll see all Sonos speakers in the app and can group them as you see fit, or have different music playing on different speakers throughout the house. You can also pair two of these in stereo. If you remove one from your network (say youre outside and away from Wi-Fi), youll need to re-pair them though. In addition to controlling playback via the Sonos app (which, in my testing, is functioning fine and recovered from the 2024 debacle), you can stream music via AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect. The Sonos Voice Assistant as well as Amazon Alexa are also on board here for anyone who likes to shout at their speakers. The Sonos Play on its wireless charging base. Sonos Theres a new trick here for both the Play and Move 2, as well. For the first time, you can group Sonos speakers together through Bluetooth. After pairing a Play to your phone via Bluetooth, you can press and hold the play/pause button on three more Play or Move 2 speakers to add them to the group. If you want to cover a larger outdoor space with multiple speakers, this sounds like a pretty handy way to do so. The Play also has line-in via its USB-C port, and you can use it for Ethernet as well; both features require a separate adapter. You can even use the USB-C port to top up your phone if youre so inclined. And while you can also charge via the USB-C port, the Play comes with a wireless charging dock which makes for a nice home base for the speakers primary location. Annoyingly, Sonos did not include a charger, so youll need to provide your own USB-C brick. A pair of Sonos Era 100 SL speakers with a turntable. Sonos Sonos is also adding a second, much simpler speaker to its lineup today: the Era 100 SL. Like the One SL before it , the Era 100 SL is identical to the Era 100 with one key difference. There are no microphones on it at all. As such, the Era 100 SL is also a bit cheaper, coming in at $189 compared to $219 for the standard model. Otherwise, there are no differences in acoustic architecture or feature set here. As its most affordable speaker besides the portable Roam 2, Sonos is positioning the Era 100 SL as the ideal entry point into its products. I cant really argue with that, as the Era 100 still sounds outstanding and is also quite flexible with features like line-in and Bluetooth as well as all the standard streaming options. Both versions of the Era 100 are compatible with each other, too so if you get an SL and then decide you want a stereo pair, a standard Era 100 with a mic will work there and bring voice control to your system as well. Both the $299 Play and $189 Era 100 SL are up for pre-order now, and Sonos says theyll be shipping on March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/the-sonos-play-puts-the-best-parts-of-the-era-100-in-a-portable-speaker-133000129.html?src=rss

MacBook Neo review: Apple puts every $600 Windows PC to shame

I really don't know how Apple did it. The MacBook Neo is a $600 laptop that doesn't feel like an afterthought, which is a curse that has befallen so many cheap Windows notebooks. Sure, it has a slower A-series processor and it's limited to 8GB of RAM. But the MacBook Neo still feels as deeply considered as Apple's most premium hardware. Its screen, trackpad and overall usability is so far ahead of the competition, every Windows PC maker, including Microsoft, should be ashamed. I've argued that a cheap MacBook could be the best for Apple to peel away Windows users , and after spending almost a week with the Neo, I'm convinced it will do just that. It's just fast enough to handle basic productivity work. It's sturdy enough to be tortured by kids in classrooms. And you really can't beat its $599 starting price. Once Windows users learn it's not that hard to switch to macOS, Apple will likely have another hit on its hands. What's so Neo about this MacBook? I'll admit, I laughed at the MacBook Neo's name at first. It really does feel like a desperately hip name ASUS or Acer would slap onto their machines (in fact, Acer is doing so right now), rather than something Apple would even consider. But the Neo name is more than just a dated reference to the Matrix it's also a clear signal that this is a new type of MacBook. It's the first one Apple has ever been able to sell so cheaply. It's the first one powered by a mobile A-series chip. And for many people, it will likely end up being their first Mac. The MacBook Neo also marks the first time Apple has built a value-focused notebook under $1,000. The adorable handle-equipped iBook G3 looked like a system geared towards kids, but it launched at $1,599 in 1999. The original MacBook Air, which Steve Jobs revealed by pulling it out of a manilla envelope, sold for $1,799 in 2008. MacBooks only got semi-affordable when Apple dropped the Air's entry price to $999 in 2014. (The starting price has bounced between $999 and $1,099 ever since.) It dabbled in the concept further by keeping the M1 MacBook Air around at Walmart stores for $699 in 2024 before eventually dropping its price down to $650 last year. If you were lucky, you could also find it for $499 during some holiday sales. A citrus MacBook Neo being held up with one hand. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget While the M1 MacBook Air was a great value over the last few years, its last-gen Apple design aged quickly. The Neo looks far more modern, with an all-aluminum case that resembles the current Air (it's a bit smaller, but weighs the same 2.7 pounds). Color is the Neo's biggest draw, with bolder options like the greenish citrus and pink blush, along with Apple's typical dark and light case options. The citrus hue is the most unique, as we've seen rose gold MacBooks before. It would have been nice to see other strong colors too, like a brighter blue or something with a hint of purple. The people want personality, Apple! Under the hood, the MacBook Neo is a story of compromise, more so than any MacBook before it. Apple had to find a way to deliver its premium user experience while also cutting costs significantly to reach its $599 price. Relying on the A18 Pro, which powered last year's iPhone 16 Pro, was likely far more cost effective instead of using an older M-series chip that isn't being built anymore. That A18 Pro chip also means the MacBook Neo has to be fairly limited when it comes to ports: there are only two USB-C connections on board (one is USB 3.0, and the other is USB 2.0). There's no MagSafe charging connection, which is a shame since the MacBook Neo will likely end up around trip-prone kids in schools and homes. A citrus MacBook Neo's USB-C ports. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The biggest compromise lies in the MacBook Neo's RAM and disk space. It starts with just 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can shell out another $100 to get 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button, but there's no way to add more RAM. Typically, my first piece of advice to any prospective computer buyer is to get at least 16GB of memory, as that's the easiest way to see faster performance when juggling tons of tabs, apps and large files. That's particularly true for Mac laptops, since Apple's unified memory is baked into its A-series and M-series chips. The MacBook Neo's 8GB limitation shows the precise audiences Apple is targeting with the MacBook Neo: casual users. Those include people who need secondary machines for light workloads and schools relying on Chromebooks. I'm not reneging on my 16GB RAM recommendation if the idea of less RAM in your main computer makes your skin crawl, the Neo isn't for you. The MacBook Air is still around, and it can easily be equipped with tons of RAM and storage. Apple also deserves credit for squeezing in an impressive 1080p webcam in the Neo, something I havent seen in any other $600 Windows notebook. And while the resolution is impressive, Apples image processing also manages to deliver sharp and vibrant image quality. Its usually easy to tell the overall quality of someones computer on group video calls based on their video quality. The MacBook Neo will have people thinking youre calling in from a pricier MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. When I first demoed the MacBook Neo at Apple's launch event, its keyboard felt a bit flimsier than those on the Air and Pro. But I may have just been distracted by the crowd and noise. My review unit's keyboard feels just as accurate as the Air's, allowing me to type at full speed (near 100 words per minute) without any issues. There's none of the weird input problems I noticed on Dell's far more expensive XPS 14 . The MacBook Neo's trackpad is similarly responsive and accurate for swiping and gestures. That's particularly surprising, since Apple isnt using a haptic Force Touch trackpad like all of its laptops for the past decade. The Neo's pad clicks down mechanically and yet, it doesn't feel as muddy as similar trackpads we see on budget PCs. It's also notable that Apple was able to make the Neo's trackpad completely clickable, whereas PC mechanical options often only click along their bottom half or third. A citrus MacBook Neo on a table outside. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Enough Mac for most I didn't expect much from the Neo's A18 Pro processor and limited specs, and yet it still managed to surprise me. It easily handled having dozens of tabs open across multiple browsers, a show playing on the TV app, photo editing in Pixelmator Pro and running the new Apple Arcade title Oceanhorn 3 without any significant slowdown. There's clearly some swift memory management going on, delivering just enough RAM for the task right in front of you. The Neo's RAM usage typically hovered between 80 and 85 percent when I was trying to stress it, but it never went beyond that range. And if you're curious, the Neo typically used around 50 percent of its memory just to run macOS, even with no other apps running. I'd bet most people wouldn't see a major performance difference between the MacBook Neo and the Air for basic tasks. Even their screens look similar: The Neo's LCD panel has only a slightly lower resolution than the Air's, but its smaller 13-inch screen size gives it a similarly rich pixel density. The screen looks bold and colorful indoors, and it's also bright enough to use in direct sunlight outside. That's not something you usually see on $600 laptops. Oceanhorn 3 on a MacBook Neo. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget During a demo at the Neo's launch event, I saw its screen compared side-by-side to a $600 HP laptop. The difference was literally night and day the HP's display struggled to show the vibrancy of daylight photos, while the Neo's made photos pop off the screen. Similarly, the Neo's side-firing speakers sound significantly better than the tinny garbage HP stuffs into its discount machines. The Neo's speakers are ideal for watching videos and streaming content, but they definitely lack the clarity and low-end bump from the Air and MacBook Pro's upward firing speakers. Geekbench 6 CPU Geekbench 6 GPU Cinebench 2024 Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro) 3,372 /8,406 19,511 107/324 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025) 3,784/14,745 36,273 172/660 GPU: 3,465 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) 3,190/12,102 30,561 N/A Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch (2025, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus) 2,315/10,915 9,539 108/530 I was definitely trying to push the MacBook Neo harder than a typical user, but it simply kept delivering. In Geekbench 6's CPU benchmark, the MacBook Neo sits between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air for single-core tests, and below the M2 for multi-threaded work. Apple's hardware still manages to put Intel and AMD to shame, with single-threaded Geekbench 6 scores that are higher than the latest hardware from both companies. But of course, that's just one benchmark beefy CPUs with active cooling will still be more performant overall. Whats most impressive about the MacBook Neo is that it manages to be a functional and well-rounded notebook at just $599. Microsofts low-budget $800 Surface Pro 12-inch was cute, but we found its performance incredibly underwhelming (and you still had to pay more for the keyboard). The 2.2-pound ZenBook A14 was impressively light, but again it was just too slow to be useful. Apple probably could have worked harder to make the MacBook Neo a tad lighter, but its still easy to hold and travel with. Id much rather Apple kept it at the MacBook Airs 2.7-pound weight, instead of making the Neo less powerful or more expensive. The only time the MacBook Neo completely failed was when I tried to run complex games meant for Apple's M-series chips. Lies of P installed just fine, but upon launch it just stopped as it tried to load shaders. Honestly, I'm surprised I was even able to install it in the first place. The most gaming you'll do on the Neo are things built specifically for Apple Arcade and the company's mobile chips, or cloud streaming options like GeForce Now or Xbox. During our battery test, which involves looping a 4K video, the MacBook Neo lasted 12 hours and 15 minutes. That's far below the 18 hours and 15 minutes I saw on the M4 MacBook Air, but it's still enough to last you during a typical work or school day. Again, Apple also had to sacrifice plugging in a bigger battery to keep the Neo's costs down. A citrus MacBook Neo on a table outside. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Should you buy the MacBook Neo? It's rare for Apple to genuinely surprise me these days, but the MacBook Neo did just that. It's a $599 computer that can handle basic workloads just fine, all the while looking like one of the company's more expensive notebooks. Most importantly, it delivers more speed, a brighter screen and an overall better user experience than any competing $600 Windows PC. It's so good, I think it'll make many people wonder why they've stuck with sub-par PCs for so long. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-neo-review-apple-puts-every-600-windows-pc-to-shame-130000878.html?src=rss

The best robot vacuums on a budget for 2026

If vacuuming is your least favorite chore, employing a robot vacuum can save you time and stress while also making sure your home stays clean. While once most robo-vacs landed on the higher end of the price spectrum, thats not the case anymore. Sure, you could pick up a $1,000 cleaning behemoth with mopping features, but it would be incorrect to assume that you need to spend that much money to get a good machine. Now, you can get an autonomous dirt-sucker with serious cleaning chops for $500 sometimes even $300 or less. But you get what you pay for in this space; dont expect affordable robot vacuum cleaners to have all of the bells and whistles that premium machines do, like self-emptying capabilities or advanced dirt detection. After testing dozens of robot vacuums at various price points , Ive narrowed down our top picks for the best budget robot vacuums you can buy right now. Best budget robot vacuums for 2026 Are robot vacuums worth it? Since I've tested dozens of robot vacuums, I'm often asked if these gadgets are worth it and I'd say the answer is yes. The biggest thing they offer is convenience: just turn on a robot vacuum and walk away. The machine will take care of the rest. If vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores, or you just want to spend less time keeping your home tidy, semi-autonomous robotic vacuum is a great investment. Many models, albeit more expensive ones, even come with features like a self-empty station to further reduce maintenance. There are plenty of other good things about them, but before we dive in lets consider the biggest trade-offs: less power, less capacity and less flexibility. Those first two go hand in hand; robot vacuum cleaners are much smaller than upright vacuums, which leads to less powerful suction. They also hold less dirt because their built-in bins are a fraction of the size of a standard vacuum canister or bag. Fortunately, some models include features like an auto-empty station, which helps with dirt capacity, especially in homes with pet hair. When it comes to flexibility, robot vacuums do things differently than standard ones. You can control some with your smartphone, set cleaning schedules and more, but robo-vacs are primarily tasked with cleaning floors. On the flip side, their upright counterparts can come with various attachments that let you clean couches, stairs, light fixtures and other hard-to-reach places. What to look for in a budget robot vacuum When looking for the best cheap robot vacuum, one of the first things you should consider is the types of floors you have in your home. Do you have mostly carpet, tile, laminate, hardwood? Carpets demand vacuums with strong suction power that can pick up debris pushed down into nooks and crannies. Unfortunately, there isnt a universal metric by which suction is measured. Some companies provide Pascal (Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger. But other companies dont rely on Pa levels and simply say their bots have X-times more suction power than other robot vacuums. So how can you ensure youre getting the best cheap robot vacuum to clean your floor type? Read the product description. Look for details about its ability to clean hard floors and carpets, and see if it has a max mode you can use to increase suction. If you are given a Pa measurement, look for around 2000Pa if you have mostly carpeted floors. Pay attention to the brush roll mechanism as well, especially if you're dealing with dog hair or other stubborn debris that can cause tangles. Many budget models use bristle brushes, while others offer tangle-free designs to minimize maintenance. You may find some budget robot vacuums also offer vacuum/mop combo capabilities. These bots feature a water tank, which means they can offer mopping functionality, enhancing debris pickup, and resulting in shiny floors. However, these are less common when youre shopping in the lower price range. Size is also important for two reasons: clearance and dirt storage. Check the specs for the robots height to see if it can get underneath the furniture you have in your home. Most robo-vacs wont be able to clean under a couch (unless its a very tall, very strange couch), but some can get under entryway tables, nightstands and the like. As for dirt storage, look out for the milliliter capacity of the robots dustbin the bigger the capacity, the more dirt the vacuum cleaner can collect before you have to empty it. You should also double check the Wi-Fi capabilities of the robo-vac youre eyeing. While you may think thats a given on all smart home devices, its not. Some of the most affordable models dont have the option to connect to your home Wi-Fi network. If you choose a robot vac like this, you wont be able to direct it with a smartphone app or with voice controls. Another feature thats typically reserved for Wi-Fi-connected robots is scheduling because most of them use a mobile app to set cleaning schedules. But Wi-Fi-incapable vacuums usually come with remote controls that have all the basic functions that companion mobile apps do, including start, stop and return to dock. And if youre concerned about the possibility of hacking, a robot vac with no access to your Wi-Fi network is the best option. Obstacle detection and cliff sensors are other key features to look out for. The former helps the robot vacuum navigate around furniture while it cleans, rather than mindlessly pushing its way into it. Many also offer no-go zones, letting you block off areas you dont want the robot to enter. Meanwhile, cliff sensors prevent robot vacuums from tumbling down the stairs, making them the best vacuum for multi-level homes. How we test robot vacuums When we consider which robot vacuums to test, we look at each machines specs and feature list, as well as online reviews to get a general idea of its capabilities. With each robot vacuum we review, we set it up as per the instructions and use it for as long as possible at minimum, well use each for one week, running cleaning cycles daily. We make sure to try out any physical buttons the machine has on it, and any app-power features like scheduling, robot mapping and more. Since we test robot vacuums in our own homes, there are obstacles already in the machines way like tables, chairs and other furniture this helps us understand how capable the machine is at avoiding obstacles, and well intentionally throw smaller items in their way like shoes, pet toys and more. With robot vacuums that include self-emptying bases, we assess how loud the machine is while emptying contents into the base and roughly how long it takes for us to fill up the bag (or bagless) base with debris. Robot vacuum maintenance tips First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuums dustbin after every cleaning job, or use a self-empty station if the model supports it. Simply detach and empty the dustbin as soon as the robot is done cleaning, and then reattach it so it's ready to go for the next time. Its also a good idea to take a dry cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small dust and dirt particles clinging to its insides. In addition, youll want to regularly examine the machines brushes to see if any human or pet hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not succumbing to tangled hair, but its a good idea to check your robots brushes regardless both their main brush and any smaller, side brushes or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangles or other debris attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards. If you have a robot vacuum with mopping capabilities, youll need to wash the bots mop pads too, to avoid any unpleasant smells or tracking mess around your home. Similarly, if your robot vacuum has a water tank, its worth washing this out regularly to keep it clean. Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months. Check your machines user manual or the manufacturers website to see how long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time, these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or Walmart . Budget robot vacuum FAQs Are budget robot vacuums good for pet hair? Yes, budget robot vacuums can be good for pet hair. Just keep in mind they generally tend to have lower suction power and smaller dustbins than more expensive (and larger) robot vacuums. If pet hair is your biggest concern, we recommend getting as expensive of a robot vacuum as your budget allows, or consider investing in a cordless vacuum since those tend to be more powerful overall. How long do budget robot vacuums last per charge? Budget robot vacuums typically last 40-60 minutes per charge, and the best ones will automatically return to their charging dock when they need more power. Do budget robot vacuums work on carpets and hardwood floors? Yes, budget robot vacuums work on both carpets and hardwood floors. Which budget robot vacuums have mapping features? Home mapping features are typically exclusive to more expensive robot vacuums. Check the product description of any robot vacuum you're thinking of buying and look for smart mapping or smart home mapping in the feature list if you want a device that supports it. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-budget-robot-vacuums-133030847.html?src=rss

You can now use ChatGPT to open Shazam instead of... just opening Shazam

Shazam is now available within ChatGPT , if you dont want to launch the music discovery app on your phone for, well, reasons. You will have to link the Shazam app with the chatbot first from its Apps page , after which you can summon it in-chat to identify whatever song is playing. To summon Shazam in-chat, you can use prompts like Shazam, whats playing? or Shazam, what is this song? A box will pop up that you can tap on to launch the music discovery service, which will then listen to the tune playing. ChatGPT will display the songs name, artist and artwork, along with the option to save the song to Shazam. Take note that the feature will work within ChatGPT even if you dont have the music discovery app downloaded on your device, which does make it useful if youre using a phone with full memory. The Shazam integration has started rolling out globally within ChatGPT on iOS, Android and the web. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-use-chatgpt-to-open-shazam-instead-of-just-opening-shazam-114000363.html?src=rss

FAA opens up real world testing for air taxi startups

US regulators have approved eight pilot programs across 26 states that will allow Archer , Joby and other eVTOL companies to finally start testing aircraft this summer, according to a US Department of Transportation (DoT) press release . That will allow those manufacturers to run trials for use cases like urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo, emergency medical operations and autonomous flight technology. The new projects were made possible by the White House's Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP) approved last year to allow certification for such aircraft to progress after being stuck in the mud for years. By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time . Other FAA aircraft partners include Beta, Electra, Elroy Air, Wisk, Ampaire and Reliable Robotics. Key pilot programs were approved for the Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and North Carolina Departments of Transportation, along with New York and New Jersey Port Authority and the City of Albuquerque. We've already glimpsed some of the ideas, like Archer's plan to use air taxis between New York's major airports and city heliports. A number of eVTOL startups have launched in recent years, but so far none of the aircraft have received ype certificates for carrying passengers or other commercial purposes. Archer and Joby are the farthest along in that process, having been granted the FAA's final airworthiness criteria the final step before full approval. The delays are mostly about safety and working eVTOL planes into existing aviation flows. The gap isn't technical capability anymore. It's regulatory synchronization, the FAA's Kalea Texeira said last year on LinkedIn . [That includes factors like] vertiports. Energy supply chains. Part 135 [commercial] integration. Pilot training frameworks that match the aircraft timeline. In the same post, Texeira added that Joby wouldn't certify until mid-2027 at the earliest, with Archer following in 2028. The new program could help accelerate plane-makers' plans. In a YouTube video , Beta CEO Kyle Clark said selection for the program will help his company start operations a year earlier than it previously expected. Archer, meanwhile, compared the program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build trust with the public for its Midnight aircraft. This is the clearest sign yet... that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority, said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/faa-opens-up-real-world-testing-for-air-taxi-startups-112219316.html?src=rss

The Oversight Board says Meta needs new rules for AI-generated content

The Oversight Board is once again urging Meta to overhaul its rules around AI-generated content. This time, the board says Meta should create a separate rule for AI content that's independent of its misinformation policy, invest in more reliable detection tools and make better use of digital watermarks among other changes. The group's recommendations stem from an AI-generated video shared last year that claimed to show damaged buildings in the Israeli city of Haifa during the Israel-Iran conflict in 2025. The clip, which racked up more than 700,000 views, was posted by an account that claimed to be a news outlet but was actually run by someone in the Philippines. After the video was reported to Meta, the company declined to remove it or add a high risk AI label that would have clearly indicated the content had been created or manipulated with AI. The board overturned Meta's decision not to add the high risk label and says the case shines a light on several areas where the company's current AI rules are falling short. Meta must do more to address the proliferation of deceptive AI- generated content on its platforms, including by inauthentic or abusive networks of accounts and pages, particularly on matters of public interest, so that users can distinguish between what is real and fake, the board wrote in its decision. Meta eventually disabled three accounts linked to the page after the board flagged obvious signals of deception. One of the board's top recommendations is that Meta create a dedicated rule for AI-generated content that's separate from its misinformation policy. The rule, according to the board, should include specifics about how and when users are required to label AI content as well as information about how Meta penalizes those who break the rule. The board was also highly critical of how Meta uses its current AI Info labels, noting that the way they are applied is neither robust nor comprehensive enough to contend with the scale and velocity of AI-generated content, especially in times of conflict or crisis. A system overly dependent on self-disclosure of AI usage and escalated review (which occurs infrequently) to properly label this output cannot meet the challenges posed in the current environment. Meta, the board said, also needs to invest in more sophisticated detection technology that can reliably label AI media, including audio and video. The group added that it was concerned about reports that the company is inconsistently implementing digital watermarks on AI content created by its own AI tools. Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the Oversight Board's decision. The company has 60 days to formally respond to its recommendations. The decision isn't the first time the board has been critical of Meta's handling of AI content. The group has described the company's manipulated media rules as incoherent on two other occasions, and has criticized it for relying on third-parties, including fact checking organizations, to flag problematic content. Meta's reliance on fact checkers and other trusted partners was again raised in this case, with the board saying that it had heard from these groups that Meta is less responsive to outreach and concerns, in part due to a significant reduction in capacities for Metas internal teams. Meta, the board writes, should be capable of conducting such assessments of harm itself, rather than rely solely on partners reaching out to them during an armed conflict. While the Oversight Board's decision relates to a post from last year, the issue of AI-generated content during armed conflicts has taken on a new urgency during the latest conflict in the Middle East. Since the start of the US and Israel's strikes on Iran earlier this month, there has been a sharp rise in viral AI-generated misinformation across social media . The board, which has previously hinted that it would like to work with generative AI companies, included a suggestion that would seem to apply to not just Meta. The industry needs coherence in helping users distinguish deceptive AI-generated content and platforms should address abusive accounts and pages sharing such output, it wrote. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-oversight-board-says-meta-needs-new-rules-for-ai-generated-content-100000268.html?src=rss

TikTok can continue its operations in Canada after agreeing to enhanced security measures

TikTok doesnt have to close its offices in Canada after all. The country will allow TikTok to keep its business operational after a national security review, Minister of Industry Mlanie Joly has announced . This is a complete 180 of the countrys decision back in 2024 to order TikTok to shut down its operations, citing unspecified national security risks posed by the company and its China-based parent ByteDance. Canadian authorities said back then that their decision was based on evidence collected by the countrys security and intelligence community. As Bloomberg notes, the order was paused shortly after Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister in early 2025. Carney was the first Canadian PM to visit China in years and had a discussion with President Xi Jinping about tariffs. Joly said TikTok will be allowed to operate in Canada with new enhancements in data security and regulatory oversight. To start with, it will have to implement privacy-enhancing technologies to reduce the risk of unauthorized access that compromise Canadians personal information. It will also have to add enhanced protections for minors and ensure transparency by letting an independent third party audit and continuously verify data access controls. this decision will protect Canadian jobs, ensuring that TikTok Canada maintains a physical presence in Canada, with commitments to invest in its cultural sector, Joly said in a statement. TikTok Canada will support the growth of Canadian creators, artists and cultural organizations, while strengthening the production and accessibility of Canadian cultural content in both official and Indigenous languages across the country. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-can-continue-its-operations-in-canada-after-agreeing-to-enhanced-security-measures-095239399.html?src=rss

Rodes Rodecaster Video Core makes livestreaming even cheaper

Rodes not done releasing trimmed-down versions of its production tools with an eye on budget conscious creators. Today, its launching Rodecaster Video Core, an all-in-one studio setup which sits below its flagship Rodecaster Video and its (now) mid-range Video S . Its aimed at folks who are either dipping a toe into this world, or already have audio gear and just want to broaden out to HD video as well. Arguably, the biggest change is the lack of any controls on the hardware itself, as youll be running the show entirely from inside the Rodecaster App. In terms of connectivity, youll find three HDMI-in, one HDMI-out, four USB-C, two 3.5mm and two Neutrik combo ports round back. Connect a compatible video device to a USB-C port and youll be able to run up to four sources at a time, and you can even use network cameras via Ethernet. Plus, youll be able to use the Rode Capture app to wirelessly connect the feed from an iOS device to your setup. And youll even be able to set it up to automatically switch between feeds based on audio inputs, reducing your need to micromanage multi-person feeds. Rode And, if youre already rocking one of Rodes audio consoles, the Rodecaster Sync app will make your life a lot easier. Essentially, if youve got a Rodecaster Pro 2 or Duo , youll be able to hook it up to your Video Core, allowing you to set shortcuts directly to your pads. In fact, you can run your audio and video setup from the one desk, hopefully reducing the amount of fiddling you need to do in the middle of your stream. Core is designed to stream straight to YouTube, Twitch and any other platforms youd care to use instead. Youll be able to record your footage to an external drive and, thanks yo a new firmware update across the range, youll also be able to output a EDL file for DaVinci Resolve. Oh, and youll now be able to import media in non-standard resolutions and aspect ratios such as square footage from social media which will be automatically scaled and optimized for your show. Rodecaster Video Core is available to pre-order now for $599 , but theres no word yet on when the sturdy boxes will start winging their way around the world. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/rodes-rodecaster-video-core-makes-livestreaming-even-cheaper-230053061.html?src=rss

You can (sort of) block Grok from editing your uploaded photos

People can block the xAI's Grok chatbot from creating modifications of their uploaded images on social network X. Neither X or xAI, both Elon Musk-owned businesses, have made a public announcement about this feature, which users began noticing on the iOS app within the image/video upload menu over the past few days. This option is likely a response to Grok's latest scandal, which began at the start of 2026 when the addition of image generation tools to the chatbot saw about 3 million sexualized or nudified images created. An estimated 23,000 of the images made in that 11-day period contained sexualized images of children, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Grok is now facing two separate investigations by regulators in the EU over the issue. The positive side of the recent feature addition is that X and xAI have taken a step toward limiting inappropriate uses of Grok. This block is a simple toggle and it hasn't been buried in the UI. So that's nice. The negative side, however, is that this token gesture that doesn't amount to any serious improvement to how Grok works or can be used. It's great that the chatbot won't alter the file uploaded by one person, but as reported by The Verge , the block only limits tagging Grok in a reply to create an image edit. There are plenty of workarounds for those dedicated individuals who insist on being able to use generative AI to undress people without their consent or knowledge. Hopefully xAI has more powerful protective tools in the works. The limitations Grok on putting real people in scanty clothing that X announced in January seem to have had only partial success at best. If this additional and narrow use case is all the company offers, then the claims of being a zero-tolerance space for nonconsensual nudity are going to ring hollow. Especially since, as we noted at the time , xAI could stop allowing image generation at all until the issue is properly and thoroughly fixed. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-sort-of-block-grok-from-editing-your-uploaded-photos-215356117.html?src=rss

Dutch intelligence services warn of Russian hackers targeting Signal and WhatsApp

The Netherlands military intelligence service and domestic intelligence agency have issued a join warning claiming that Russian hackers have launched a large-scale global cyber campaign to gain access to Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to dignitaries, military personnel and civil servants. According to the Dutch alert, hackers are imitating support chatbots to trick key targets into revealing their PINs for those communication platforms, which allows the bad actors to access incoming messages. Last year in the US, the Pentagon advised members not to use Signal after the platform was subjected to similar phishing scams by Russian hackers. (Although the same US military leaders proved capable of creating their own security breaches without foreign interference just days prior.) Having another national government raise concerns about Signal and WhatsApp phishing scams offers yet another reminder to never provide security details or click links without a check on who is really asking for your info. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/dutch-intelligence-services-warn-of-russian-hackers-targeting-signal-and-whatsapp-203707202.html?src=rss

Bluesky's CEO is stepping down after nearly 5 years

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, who has led the upstart social platform since 2021, is stepping down from her role as its top executive. Toni Schneider, who has been an advisor and investor in Bluesky, will take over the job temporarily while Graber stays on as Chief Innovation Officer. As Bluesky matures, the company needs a seasoned operator focused on scaling and execution, while I return to what I do best: building new things, Graber wrote in a blog post. Schneider, who was previously CEO at Wordpress parent Automattic, will be that experienced operator and leader while Blueksy's board searches for a permanent CEO, she said. Graber's history with Bluesky dates back to its early days as a side project at Jack Dorsey's Twitter. She was officially brought on as CEO in 2021 as Bluesky spun off into an independent company (it officially ended its association with Twitter in 2022 and Dorsey cut ties with Bluesky in 2024). She led the company through its launch and early viral success as it grew from an invitation-only platform to the 43 million-user service it is today. During that time, she's become known as an advocate for decentralized social media and for trolling Mark Zuckerberg's t-shirt choices. Nearly three years since it launched publicly, Bluesky has carved out a small but influential niche in the post-Twitter social landscape. The platform is less than a third of the size of Meta's competitor, Threads, which has also copied some of Bluesky's signature features. Bluesky also has yet to roll out any meaningful monetization features, though it has teased a premium subscription service in the past. As Chief Innovation Officer, Graber will presumably still be an influential voice at the company going forward. And, as Wired points out , she still has a seat on Bluesky's board so she will get some say in who steps into the role permanently. Until then, Schneider, who is also a partner at VC firm Tre Ventures, will lead the company. I deeply believe in what this team has built and the open social web they're fighting for, he wrote in a post on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/blueskys-ceo-is-stepping-down-after-nearly-5-years-201900960.html?src=rss

Apple reportedly delays its planned smart display launch to fall

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is back with the latest rumors about what's afoot with Apple's future plans, and how its ongoing difficulties with artificial intelligence seem to be creating further delays for its next wave of product launches. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone the debut of its smart home display until later in 2026, likely September when it often introduces new gadgets. Although the hardware has reportedly been finished for months, this delay is being credited to the company's AI-centric overhaul of Siri still not being complete. The device, internally known as J490, has been one of Apple's many poorly-kept secrets. Rumors about a HomePod smart speaker coupled with a screen first emerged back in 2022 and have resurfaced from time to time in the interim, often with promises that the device's arrival was imminent. The latest claims anticipated that the official announcement was coming this spring, possibly as soon as this month. However, appears to Apple once again be hamstrung by an AI strategy that has left it scrambling to catch up to other industry leaders. Apple has been working to incorporate more AI capabilities into Siri for more than a year as part of its Apple Intelligence package. Gurman reports that the new timeline from Apple aims to have the revamp completed for the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, which is also expected for September. Apple may unveil this long-awaited Siri-as-chatbot during its WWDC keynote in the summer before it shows up in any devices. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-reportedly-delays-its-planned-smart-display-launch-to-fall-194539082.html?src=rss

Uber expands its program that helps pair women riders and drivers

Uber has expanded its program that helps pair women riders and drivers. The Women Preferences feature is now available nationwide , after being tested in several cities . It has previously been available in many countries around the globe and started in Saudi Arabia back in 2019 . It's pretty easy to use. Women riders will see an option for Women Drivers when requesting a trip, and this also works when making a reservation in advance. Users can also make a preference for a woman driver in the settings app, though this doesn't guarantee anything and depends on the driver pool. The feature works in much the same way for drivers. Women drivers will be able to request trips with women riders via the settings. Uber isn't the only rideshare company trying to make half of the world's population a bit safer during trips. Lyft has been expanding its own take on the feature, which it also recently took nationwide . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-expands-its-program-that-helps-pair-women-riders-and-drivers-184832010.html?src=rss

EA laid off staffers across Battlefield studios to 'better align' its teams

EA axed an undisclosed number of employees across the game studios behind the Battlefield franchise. As first reported by IGN , EA told affected employees that the layoffs were part of a ealignment across the Battlefield studios, which include Dice, Criterion, Ripple Effect and Motive Studios. When asked about the report, an EA spokesperson said in a statement that weve made select changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community. IGN reported that all the involved studios will remain operational, but the layoffs will affect multiple offices. The shake-up may come as a surprise to staffers, especially after Battlefield 6 racked up more than seven million copies sold in the first three days following its release in October. EA even called the latest Battlefield title the est-selling shooter title of 2025 in its third quarter report for FY26, which disclosed the company's net revenue of more than $1.9 billion for the quarter. Battlefield remains one of our biggest priorities, and were continuing to invest in the franchise, guided by player feedback and insights from Battlefield Labs, an EA spokesperson also said in a statement. Despite being one of EA's most popular franchises, Battlefield isn't the only one to suffer staffing cuts. Full Circle , the developer behind the skate. that's also owned by EA, also announced layoffs and estructuring in February. However, EA isn't the only company in the industry to look at downsizing its personnel. Ubisoft said it was planning to get rid of up to 200 jobs in its Paris office earlier this year and Microsoft announced it would cut thousands of jobs, including within its Gaming division , in July. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-laid-off-staffers-across-battlefield-studios-to-better-align-its-teams-173617672.html?src=rss

Hyper Light Drifter studio workers form union after rounds of layoffs

Workers at Heart Machine, the independent studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash , have formed a union with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003. The wall-to-wall unit covers all 13 frontline employees at the studio, which voluntarily recognized the union in February after a supermajority of eligible workers voted for the measure. The organizing effort follows a rough stretch at Heart Machine, after the studio laid off employees in November 2024, then announced in October 2025 that it would end development on its early access title Hyper Light Breaker and cut further staff. I decided to get involved in organizing my studio because I've seen so many peers in the industry stand up to protect the craft we all care so deeply about. Watching that momentum grow made me realize that if we love this work, we have to protect it, especially now, said Steph Aligbe, a gameplay tools engineer at the studio. Heart Machine joining the CWA extends the union's gaming footprint even further. The union counts thousands of employees at Microsoft subsidiaries among its members, as well as staff at EA , Id Software and others. CWA also runs the United Videogame Workers , a direct-join union that launched in 2025, allowing individual game workers in the US and Canada to sign up on their own without elections or employer consent. Large gaming studios like Ubisoft have been undergoing a seemingly endless string of layoffs , and workers are increasingly demanding to have their voices heard . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hyper-light-drifter-studio-workers-form-union-after-rounds-of-layoffs-165828565.html?src=rss

Anthropic sues US government over supply chain risk designation

Anthropic has filed a lawsuit to prevent the Pentagon from adding the company it a national security blocklist. This comes days after the Department of Defense sent a letter to Anthropic confirming the company was labeled a supply chain risk; at the time CEO Dario Amodei had all but guaranteed Anthropic would fight back with legal action. The lawsuit claims the designation is unlawful and violated free speech and due process rights. These actions are unprecedented and unlawful. The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech, Anthropic said in a statement published by Reuters . Engadget received the following statement from an Anthropic spokesperson: Seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but this is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers, and our partners. We will continue to pursue every path toward resolution, including dialogue with the government. The lawsuit characterizes the governments actions as an unprecedented and unlawful [...] campaign of retaliation. It goes on to say that the Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech. No federal statute authorizes the actions taken here. Todays legal action comes after several weeks of back-and-forth between the AI company and the government. In late February, news broke that the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were pressuring Anthropic to remove certain safeguards from its AI systems, but Amodei made it clear the company would refuse to allow its model to be used for mass surveillance or development of autonomous weapons. On the February 27 deadline, Amodei refused to budge , leading Hegseth to threaten the company with the supply chain risk designation; he also said the US government would cancel its $200 million contract with the company. The same day, President Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic as well. Despite all this, according to the lawsuit, Anthropic had agreed to collaborate with the Department on an orderly transition to another AI provider willing to meet its demands. Anthropic rival OpenAI stepped into this chaos and quickly made a deal with the Department of Defense. At the time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that two of OpenAIs most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems the same issues that got Anthropic in hot water. OpenAI then doubled down on the surveillance issue, writing into its contract that the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons and nationals. Depsite this, OpenAIs head of robotics hardware resigned from the company this weekend in response to the Defense Department deal. Caitlin Kalinowski wrote on X that surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-sues-us-government-over-supply-chain-risk-designation-152838128.html?src=rss

Live Nation settlement avoids breakup with Ticketmaster

To keep Ticketmaster , Live Nation is going to have to make some major changes. As first reported by Politico , Live Nation reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in its antitrust case that accused the live entertainment giant of monopolistic practices. Live Nation will reportedly pay at least $200 million in damages to states that were part of the lawsuit filed in May 2024, but avoid selling off Ticketmaster. Live Nation will also be required to make a few changes to its business practices. According to NBC News , Ticketmaster, a subsidiary of Live Nation, will be required to create a standalone ticketing system that allows third-party competitors like SeatGeek and Eventbrite to sell tickets on. The settlement aims to loosen some of Live Nation's control over venues as well. According to NBC News , the company will have to divest up to 13 amphitheaters and be prohibited from retaliating against venues that choose another ticket seller over Ticketmaster. The settlement comes less than a week after the case went to trial. While the matter may be concluded with the Justice Department, many of the states' attorneys general who were part of the lawsuit will be continuing their legal action separately. The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers, New York State Attorney General Letitia James wrote in a press release. We will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry. 26 other attorneys general signed onto continuing the lawsuit with James. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/live-nation-settlement-avoids-breakup-with-ticketmaster-155031214.html?src=rss

Amazons Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix

Amazons self-driving subsidiary Zoox announced on Monday that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map the new cities before eventually rolling out its purpose-built robotaxis. Zoox says these two cities will offer a chance to test its sensors and battery performance in unique conditions its cars haven't yet encountered in existing markets. Phoenix experiences extreme heat, dust and high-speed roads, while Dallas has more sprawling roads and varied weather compared to other cities where Zoox operates. The company is also opening new depots in both cities and a command hub in Scottsdale, Arizona which will handle fleet operations, remote guidance and rider support. The move brings Zooxs footprint (between actual launches and test markets) to 10 US cities. It's other areas of operation are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle , Austin , Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, DC. Amazon acquired the self-driving startup for $1.3 billion in 2020 and has been steadily expanding its reach, with the company saying its fleet has driven over one million autonomous miles and served more than 300,000 riders to date. Zooxs expansion comes as competition in the robotaxi market intensifies. Alphabet-owned Waymo has continued its rapid spread across the US, while Tesla's Robotaxis launched last year, though those are currently limited to parts of Austin, Texas. US regulators are set to hold a self-driving safety forum on Tuesday, with the CEOs of Waymo, Zoox and Aurora all expected to attend. The regulatory framework has dragged behind the rapid rollout of these vehicles as companies test and iterate the technology on public streets. Just in the last year, autonomous vehicles have struck a child near a school, blocked emergency services responding to a mass shooting and, at least in the case of Teslas, appear to be crashing at higher rates than human drivers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-zoox-will-test-its-robotaxis-in-dallas-and-phoenix-143828899.html?src=rss

iPad Air M4 review: Still Apple's best overall tablet, with a few caveats

Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Apple Silicon era is how quickly Apple now updates its products. Take the iPad Air, for example. Its been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch sizes. Were already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. Thats the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro that was unveiled alongside that M2-powered Air in 2024. (The Pro was updated with an M5 last fall .) Just as I said a year ago when Apple unveiled the iPad Air M3 , this latest model doesnt fundamentally change the formula. The Air is a notable step up over the basic iPad, with a more powerful processor, more RAM, a better display and superior accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. The Air line is also the only way to get a 13-inch iPad without spending $1,300 or more. But without more substantial updates this year, I find myself less enthused by it than I was when the 13-inch model M2 model arrived in 2024. Thats primarily because Apple has stuck with the same display for another year. As best I can tell, the 11-inch iPad Air that Im reviewing has the same screen in 2026 as it did when the redesigned version with no Home button was released in late 2020. Other features that feel like they should be table stakes at this point, like Face ID, are also restricted to iPads that cost at least $1,000. For better or worse, the Air is a very mature product with few surprises. But on the other hand, if you have an iPad older than the 2024 refresh, the iPad Air M4 will provide a solid performance improvement. Apple's iPad Air M4 and the Magic Keyboard accessory. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget The M4 still has power to spare Before we start answering existential questions, though, lets quickly recap whats new with the iPad Air. It still starts at $599 for an 11-inch version with 128GB of storage; the 13-inch models starts at $799. The one I tested came in an extremely light purple color with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity and costs $1,249. Seriously Apple, dont be afraid of putting a little more saturation in these colors next time! As mentioned, the iPad Air now has a more powerful M4 chip as well as 50 percent more system memory (12GB, up from 8GB on last years model). If youre coming from an iPad older than the 2024 model, youll likely notice solid performance gains, and the M4 is so performant that I imagine this iPad will be more than powerful enough for years to come. It looks purple-ish in the right light, I swear. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget I ran some Geekbench 6 benchmarks to quantify the difference between the iPad Air M4 and last years M3 model unsurprisingly, the biggest gains came in the GPU. Single-core and multi-core scores were 23 percent and 12 percent higher, respectively. But the GPU score was a whopping 39 percent higher with the M4 compared to the M3. Dont get me wrong, the single-core and multi-core performance improvements the M4 offers are impressive. But tasks that hit the GPU hard, like gaming and AI (of course) should see notable improvements. In practice, the iPad Air M4 feels quite similar to the M3 model. Thats due in large part to my relatively modest workflow. I jump between numerous apps all day, but none of them are exactly taxing to a chip like the M4. My day mostly consists of Slack, Google Docs, a ton of Safari tabs, utilities like Messages and Todoist, constant streaming music and other lightweight apps like Gmail and Trello. But if youre coming from an M1 iPad Air, the M4 should feel significantly faster for almost everything you do. Apple's iPad Air M4 playing the video game 'Control.' Nathan Ingraham for Engadget Unsurprisingly, the iPad Air flies through games from the App Store as well. I tried my usual more casual fare like Balatro, Mini Motorways and Powerwash Simulator from Apple Arcade and those were all quite smooth. But I wanted to push things a bit more, so I downloaded Resident Evil 2 as well as a pre-release build of Control Ultimate Edition which is slated to hit iOS in the coming months. Both games looked and played great, with highly detailed environments and pretty quick action that didnt slow the iPad Air down in the least. I could tell the graphics arent as sharp as on my PS5, but both games were impressive considering theyre running on extremely portable hardware with no fans. I also tried some generative AI apps, even though thats not really something Im interested in. For apps like Apples own Image Playground, the M4 is extremely speedy. It ripped through my goofy queries (an orange kitten dressed up like an astronaut) in a matter of seconds. When I compared it to the iPad Pro M5, the Air barely lagged behind it. However, the M4 couldnt quite keep up with more advanced image generation tools. The Draw Things iPad app lets you download and run a host of local models to create images, and the M4 definitely couldnt keep up with the M5. The iPad Pro M5 was typically more than twice as fast as the Air. We already knew the M5 was an AI beast, so Im not knocking the Air for its performance at all its just worth knowing that if you really want to push the envelope, youll probably be better off with an iPad Pro. Apple's iPad Air M4, Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget The other main change is Apples in-house networking chips are on board here. The N1 covers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles cellular connectivity if you buy a 5G-capable model. Again, this doesnt change the experience of using the iPad Air in any major way, but having the newest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols on board is good for future usage, regardless of who built the chip. In my testing, the C1X on Verizons 5G network was extremely fast around the suburbs of Boston and didnt seem any slower (or any faster) than other devices I have running on the same carrier. Thats fine, as other Apple devices Ive tried with the C1X (like the iPad Pro) are solid and reliable, which is the most important thing. A very familiar experience Other than these new chips, the iPad Air is identical to the last two models Ive reviewed. (This year, Apple sent an 11-inch Air M4 to review, while the last two were the newer 13-inch. But other than the larger screen, those tablets are the same.) Same screen, same cameras, same 10-hour estimated battery life, same USB-C 3 port. Naturally, it supports the $129 Pencil Pro that Apple introduced alongside it in 2024, and it works with the revamped Magic Keyboard Apple released last year. That keyboard remains quite expensive at $269 ($319 for the 13-inch model), but for me its a must-buy accessory if I want to use my iPad for any real work. The Pencil, on the other hand, is not something I personally need, but its an excellent tool for anyone interested in visual art or written notes. There are a plethora of excellent apps in both categories, and the iPad app ecosystem at large remains unmatched. Battery life also hits what Id expect out of an iPad. I dont get 10 hours the way that I test it I used the iPad Air as my main machine, all day for several days. In that scenario, I got between seven and eight hours of battery life. Thats more than enough that Id take it with me for half a day or more and not worry about charging, but not so long that Id be totally comfortable without a charger for much longer. In a more casual, mixed-use setup, most iPads get closer to the 10-hour mark and I expect thatll be the case here as well. Of course, if youre playing games, editing videos or doing heavier generative AI tasks, expect battery life to drop noticeably. Id be remiss if I didnt quickly mention iPadOS 26 , which arrived last fall. It runs on iPad Air models all the way back to 2019, so its not a reason alone to upgrade. But, it improved the multitasking experience on iPads to a significant degree. It still feels native to the iPad, but there are so many Mac-like flourishes that its a lot easier for me to use as my main computer now. That said, it really shines on larger-screen iPads; the 11-inch model still feels best to me when running an app fullscreen or two apps side-by-side feels most comfortable to me. Apple's iPad Air M4 and Magic Keyboard. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget My major lament for the iPad Air remains the screen. Apples LCD Retina display still looks great in a vacuum its a lovely standard screen, with bright colors and sharp text. But Apples continued insistence on gatekeeping a screen with a higher refresh rate for iPads that cost $1000 or more gets more frustrating every year. It bothers me less on a product like the MacBook Air. But with an iPad, youre literally touching and interacting with that screen as the main interface. Having the fluidity of a 120Hz refresh rate simply makes everything feel more responsive to your touch. The consolation is that even Apples standard displays still feel very smooth, so unless youre directly comparing an iPad Air to an iPad Pro you likely wont notice the difference. I mostly forgot about it in my time reviewing this device, only reminded of it when I went back to the iPad Pro. I also wish that Apple would implement more advanced display tech. Last year, I imagined that the mini-LED display used in the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022 would be a great step up for the Air. It wouldnt be as good as the tremendous OLED screen in the iPad Pro, but it would still offer HDR and significantly increased brightness and contrast. Alas, were stuck with a plain old LCD again this year. Again, thats mostly fine, but playing games like Control made me wish for more contrast, and movies do not have nearly the same visual pop on the Air as they do on the Pro. Apple's iPad Air M4. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget Wrap-up If its not obvious, I very much wish that Apple would bring some of its more advanced technology to the iPad Air. But at this point, I have to accept that the Air is what it is. In the same way that the MacBook Air hasnt changed substantially since the M2 model arrived in 2022, the same goes for the iPad Air. Both products still have displays that havent been cutting edge for years, and thats just the way it is. Once I started comparing the iPad Air to its Mac counterpart, my negative feeling mostly subsided. I think the MacBook Air is a great laptop and wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to many people. Sure, its screen isnt cutting edge, but its good enough for its target audience. And the many positives that it has outweigh a few places where Apple cut corners. The same can be said for the iPad Air. The iPad Air offers a lot of important upgrades over the basic $349 iPad, which is saddled with the A16 chip from 2022. The Air will be a better performer for much longer, and other niceties like a better screen and accessory support are worth considering. And it doesnt threaten the iPad Pro, which costs $400 more; between its screen, improved performance, superior industrial design and numerous other small benefits, its pretty easy to see what you get for your money in all cases. So while I wish Apple would push the envelope with the iPad Air and give me something that feels more like a Pro-lite, I understand why it hasn't yet. The iPad Air isnt an exciting gadget at this point, but I still think its the best iPad for most people. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-air-m4-review-still-apples-best-overall-tablet-with-a-few-caveats-130000409.html?src=rss

iPhone 17e review: The economical choice

By introducing the iPhone 17e just a year after the iPhone 16e , Apple is closing some gaps. Before, the company would only roll out a new entry-level iPhone every few years, with the iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone XR (2018) and iPhone SE (2016, 2020, 2022) all having two to four years between their releases. But Apple is getting into an annual groove now, and having renamed the device to integrate better with the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple is making a clear statement: It cares about the midrange now. With the current state of global economics, Apples focus on lower cost devices like the iPhone 17e and newly launched MacBook Neo is timely. Most people probably dont make full use of the high-powered machines in their pockets and on their laps, and might be reconsidering whether they need to spend as much money on the Pros and the Airs of Apples product lineup. At $599 , the iPhone 17e is about half the price of an iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone Air. Its $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17, too. Since I reviewed the iPhone 16e last year, Ive been using it as a work phone, mostly for Slack, email and light editing in Docs. The way I see it, most people considering the iPhone 17e are likely in a similar situation either thinking of getting a supplementary device or looking for a good enough phone for a child or other dependent. For this review, Ive tried to cover most of those scenarios whether it be a person that would spend most of their phone time on social media and games like a teenager or someone thats largely using it for administrative work purposes. I mostly want to answer this question: If youre getting your first iPhone or buying one for someone else, should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17? iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e, for testings sake Its very clear from Apples website that it doesnt want you comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 16e. The company doesn't allow you to do so in the comparison tool on the iPhone 17e product page , limiting you to the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and the iPhone SE (second and third generations). Sure, I understand that no one is really thinking about getting an iPhone 17e after just buying the 16e last year. But for the purposes of this review, it makes sense for me to shout out whats new from the previous generation. The most significant additions this year are the A19 chip, double the storage, improved Portrait photography and MagSafe with faster wireless charging. Oh, and a new pink color option, adding an ever so subtle splash of color to the previously monochromatic lineup. The A19 chip is supposed to make AI processes faster, thanks to the neural accelerators in its GPU. In my testing so far, the difference has been negligible at best. Initially I was seeing the iPhone 17e perform slower than the 16e, but after a software update, the iPhone 17e caught up. In Apple Intelligence-powered tools like Cleanup, the iPhone 17e was a split second faster at identifying unwanted objects in photos and erasing them than the 16e. If youve just received your iPhone 17e and run into issues where image generation or cleanup is slow or stalling, give it a day or so for the software to stabilize. Oddly, in some side-by-side Image Playground testing, the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e were neck and neck. Sometimes, the iPhone 16e was faster. Occasionally, the iPhone 17e was ahead. Ill continue to keep an eye on how both phones do here, as it could still be due to some early software issues, but for now the improvements from the A19s GPU seem to be hit or miss. The pink iPhone 17e and the white iPhone 16e held up in one palm in front of a red brick wall. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Improved portraits on the iPhone 17e Of all the improvements to the iPhone 17e, to me, one of the most important is in portraits. In my review of the iPhone 16e , I said that the majority of my grievances with the single camera setup was the fact that Apple ended up using an older version of Portrait mode. That version was much more limited and didnt allow for applying a background blur to pictures of non-human subjects. This time, Apple borrowed the algorithms it developed for the iPhone Air for the iPhone 17es rear and front cameras. This not only delivers a general improvement to portraits, with better segmentation and a more natural-looking bokeh effect, but also allows for depth information to be captured when applicable. For instance, when a person, cat or dog is detected, the iPhone 17e will automatically capture depth information so you can apply a blur after the picture is taken, even if you didnt use Portrait mode initially. Importantly, these next-gen portraits also allow you to edit the level of blur and change up the focal point of the picture after youve taken the shot. In some photos of my neighbors grumpy shih-poo, I was shocked that my colleagues actually preferred the samples I shared from the iPhone 16e over the ones from the iPhone 17e. But their critique was fair: the newer phone blurred out Oreos tail, keeping only his face in focus. I was able to address this by going into the editing tools and dragging the slider for aperture to bring more of the dog into focus. I also played around and tapped on Oreos tail to make it clear, and the iPhone 17e blurred up his face instead. Two photo samples side by side, featuring a dog on a blue leash staring up into the camera. Cherlynn Low for Engadget When using Portrait mode to photograph people, the iPhone 17e did indeed deliver more pleasant bokeh than its predecessor. In pictures of my friend Brenda Stolyar, with the depth or aperture set to f/4.5 across both devices, there was more softness in the brick wall behind her on the new phone. I was slightly confused since it seemed like the older iPhone actually delivered a sharper picture, until I realized it was actually just softer bokeh. For those coming from older phones like the iPhone 11, 12 or SE, the addition of next-gen portraits should feel like a major step up. Even when compared to the iPhone 16e, the fact that I was now able to apply the effect on photos of food and other inanimate objects with no faces made me happier. It makes the camera more versatile, and feels like a noteworthy update that makes your photos feel more modern. But that is definitely because I like pictures with the artificial depth of field effect. If you dont care for bokeh and really only want a phones cameras to be good enough to snap pictures of menus or receipts, for instance, the 17es improvements here wont mean much. MagSafe and wireless charging The rear of the iPhone 17e catches the light in front of a stone wall. Cherlynn Low for Engadget What might matter more, then, is this generations wireless charging speeds. While the iPhone 16e could only support up to 7.5W, the iPhone 17e goes up to 15W (with adapters of 20W or higher) and also works with MagSafe accessories. I cant imagine anyone considering a new iPhone 17e already has magnetic cases or stands, but if you decide to invest in those accessories, youll find them convenient and satisfying. I placed both models on my wireless charging stand the 17e snapped on and started charging, while the 16e clattered helplessly off the stand. I placed it on the charging pad at the base instead and noted how much power each of them gained in 15 minutes. The improvement is clear: the iPhone 17e went up by 16 percent (30 percent to 46 percent), while the 16e only gained 3 percent (69 percent to just 72 percent). Beyond the numbers, what this means is that when youre in a pinch and trying to quickly top up your phone on, say, a wireless charger you found at a cafe, you wont need to sit around as long with the iPhone 17e. For those of you that simply leave your phone on a stand overnight, this is less likely to meaningfully impact you. There are a few other updates that I havent really tested in this review, like the improved durability with Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17es screen. The new display also has a treatment that is supposed to reduce glare, and considering the week of wonderfully gloomy weather weve had here in New York, this isnt something Ive truly had a chance to evaluate. Also, while I do appreciate the doubled storage, which is sure to please the media hoarders among us, I will say Ive already been served warnings about my iCloud storage running out. It still feels like something else Apple might need to address, but for newcomers to the iOS world, the higher base storage is absolutely a positive. Elsewhere, there are virtually no differences between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e. They have the same size displays with the same resolution, brightness, refresh rate, contrast ratio and color gamuts. Both are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and have similar battery lives (up to 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple). They also have the exact same dimensions of 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches, although the iPhone 17e does weigh a whole 2 grams (0.8 ounces) more than the 16e, which is almost definitely attributable to the addition of MagSafe. Unless you have weighing scales for hands, though, this difference is negligible. An iPhone 17e held up in front of a tree trunk. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17? Where you might find more meaningful distinctions is when comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 17 . For $200 more, youll get longer battery life and slightly better performance thanks to one more GPU core. The iPhone 17 also has a larger, sharper and brighter display thats 6.3-inches, with higher refresh rates and a full-screen design incorporating the Dynamic Island. It also supports the Always On Display and has an 18MP front camera with the Center Stage feature that allows for easy switching between landscape and vertical orientations in your selfies without having to rotate your phone. In fact, the camera upgrades alone on the iPhone 17 might be worth the money. On top of getting the additional ultrawide camera, youll also gain the dedicated camera control button on the right edge, the latest generation of Photographic Styles, support for macro photography, Cinematic mode and Dual Capture in videos as well as spatial and macro recording capabilities. It also comes with sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which is more advanced than the OIS on the iPhone 17e. Rounding out that long list of differences is higher recharge speeds (with compatible chargers) and Apples second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for more precise Find My support. The iPhone 17 also offers dual-frequency GPS and works with the latest standards in connectivity, like Thread, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 (whereas the iPhone 17e only gets to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3). Sure, the iPhone 17 is slightly taller and heavier, but considering all the bonuses and the extra camera, that feels like a tradeoff that is more than fair. Its a lot more advanced for $200, and feels like a better starter phone than the iPhone 17e. But if your budget is tight and camera performance isnt a priority, youll get a great experience from Apples latest. The iPhone 17e held up in mid-air in front of some red foliage. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Wrap-up In 2026, it feels like Apple has done the impossible. Its managed to serve up multiple iPhones at various price points with enough meaningful differentiations to justify each tier. Meanwhile, each iPhone 17 in the full lineup is a capable and satisfying device for its price. Upgrading to the iPhone 17e from the iPhone 11, 12 or SE will certainly feel significant, although getting almost any current-gen phone will feel modern compared to those. In fact, if youre platform agnostic and wouldnt mind an Android device, there are options out there with significantly superior screens and cameras. The Pixel 10a , for instance, offers a larger display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a dual-camera system all for $100 less. With Apple seeming to be setting its sights on the midrange market, it should seriously consider stepping up in those two areas in the next e-series iPhone. But of course, the name iPhone carries its own premium, and the iPhone 17e is a solid entry-level handset for those who need a basic, no-frills path into the Apple ecosystem. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17e-review-the-economical-choice-130000647.html?src=rss

The 10 best sleep apps and gadgets for a better night's sleep in 2026

Tech has a bad (and deserved) reputation as a sleep killer. Blue light , incessant scrolling and information onslaught conspire to keep us on edge and exiled from dreamland. But a few gadgets and apps out there may actually help us sleep. Weve tried many such products over the years and have gathered the ones that actually did some good in this list. But first, take the arguably most important step towards good sleep: Use the sleep schedule on your phone ( Android , iPhone ). Once youve done that, check out the best sleep gadgets below and prepare to shuffle off to the land of nod. Best sleep apps and gadgets This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10-best-sleep-apps-and-gadgets-for-a-better-nights-sleep-in-2026-114742582.html?src=rss

Qualcomm's new Arduino Ventuno Q is an AI-focused computer designed for robotics

Qualcomm, which purchased microcontroller board manufacturer Arduino last year, just announced a new single-board computer that marries AI with robotics. Called the Arduino Ventuno Q, it uses Qualcomm's Dragonwing IQ8 processor along with a dedicated STM32H5 low-latency microcontroller (MCU). Ventuno Q is engineered specifically for systems that move, manipulate and respond to the physical world with precision and reliability, the company wrote on the product page . The Ventuno Q is more sophisticated (and expensive) than Arduinio's usual AIO boards, thanks to the Dragonwing IQ8 processor that includes an 8-core ARM Cortex CPU, Adreno Arm Cortex A623 GPU and Hexagon Tensor NPU that can hit up ot 40 TOPs. It also comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, along with 64GB of eMMC storage and an M.2 NVME Gen.4 slot to expand that. Other features include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, 2.5Gbps ethernet and USB camera support. The Ventuno Q includes Arudino App Lab, with pre-trained AI models including LLMs, VLMs, ASR, gesture recognition, pose estimation and object tracking, all running offline. It's designed for AI systems that run entirely offline like smart kiosks, healthcare assistants and traffic flow analysis, along with Edge AI vision and sensing systems. It also supports a full robotics stack including vision processing combined with deterministic motor control for precise vision and manipulation. It's also ideal for education and research in areas like computer vision, generative AI and prototyping at the edge, according to Arduino. With Ventuno Q, AI can finally move from the cloud into the physical world, Qualcomm wrote. This platform enables building machines that perceive, decide, and act all on a single board. Our goal is to make advanced robotics and edge AI accessible to every developer, educator, and innovator. The Arduino Ventuno Q will be available in Q2 2026 from the Arduino Store and elsewhere and is expected to cost under $300. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/qualcomms-new-arduino-ventuno-q-is-an-ai-focused-computer-designed-for-robotics-113047697.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly looking into 3D printing aluminum iPhones and Apple Watches

There could be even more 3D-printed Apple products coming in the future. According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring ways to 3D print aluminum to make the manufacturing processes for iPhones and Apple Watches more efficient. Gurman reported that this new production process could specifically change how Apple makes its watch casings as well as iPhone enclosures. It's not the first time Apple has tapped into 3D printing, since both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 were partially built with 3D-printed titanium that's 100 percent recycled. More recently, Apple used its 3D printing process to create the titanium USB-C port for the iPhone Air , which was touted as thinner, stronger and more environmentally friendly. While Apple is reportedly only looking into 3D-printed aluminum right now, it could possibly result in an overall cheaper manufacturing process and lower starting prices for iPhones. Looking at Apple's just-announced MacBook Neo , the company introduced a new manufacturing process that saves on the amount of aluminum used, helping to achieve the $599 starting price for its latest entry-level laptop. Like the colorful MacBook Neo, Gurman also reported that Apple is planning to use a efreshed color palette for its iMac reveal later this year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-reportedly-looking-into-3d-printing-aluminum-iphones-and-apple-watches-163721491.html?src=rss

OpenAI's robotics hardware lead resigns following deal with the Department of Defense

OpenAI 's robotics hardware lead is out. Caitlin Kalinowski, who oversaw hardware within the robotics division of OpenAI, posted on X that she was resigning from her role, while criticizing the company's haste in partnering with the Department of Defense without investigating proper guardrails. OpenAI told Engadget that there are no plans to replace Kalinowski. Kalinowski, who previously worked at Meta before leaving to join OpenAI in late 2024, wrote on X that surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got. Responding to another post, the former OpenAI exec explained that he announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined, adding that it was a governance concern first and foremost. OpenAI confirmed Kalinowski's resignation and said in a statement to Engadget that the company understands people have strong views about these issues and will continue to engage in discussions with relevant parties. The company also explained in the statement that it doesn't support the issues that Kalinowski brought up. We believe our agreement with the Pentagon creates a workable path for responsible national security uses of AI while making clear our red lines: no domestic surveillance and no autonomous weapons, the OpenAI statement read. Kalinowski's resignation may be the most high-profile fallout from OpenAI's decision to sign a deal with the Department of Defense. The decision came just after Anthropic refused to comply with lifting certain AI guardrails around mass surveillance and developing fully autonomous weapons. However, even OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman , said that he would amend the deal with the Department of Defense to prohibit spying on Americans. Correction, March 8 2026, 10:30AM ET: This story has been updated to correct Kalinowski's role at OpenAI to obotics hardware lead instead of head of robotics. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-robotics-hardware-lead-resigns-following-deal-with-the-department-of-defense-195918599.html?src=rss