Hardware

US soldier arrested for allegedly making over $400,000 on Polymarket with classified Maduro information

United States soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been arrested and charged for placing bets on prediction marketplace Polymarket using classified information he had access to related to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicols Maduro . The US Army Special Forces master sergeant, who was directly involved with the planning and execution of the operation, allegedly made $409,881 in profits. According to the Department of Justice, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025 and made 13 bets related to Maduro from December 27 to January 2. He took the Yes position on several Polymarket wagers, including US Forces in Venezuela by January 31, 2026, Maduro out by January 31, 2026, Will the US invade Venezuela by January 31 and Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by January 31. The US military captured Maduro and his wife on January 3. Van Dyke allegedly bet a total of $33,034 and made over ten times that amount from his winnings. He withdrew his money from Polymarket on the day Maduro was captured and then sent it to a foreign crypto vault before depositing it to a new online brokerage account. Shortly after Maduros capture, reports came out about how an anonymous gambler made almost half a million dollars before it was announced, raising concerns that someone had profited off insider military knowledge. The Justice Department says Van Dyke tried to cover his tracks. After reports about the potential insider bets were published, he allegedly asked Polymarket to delete his account, falsely claiming that he lost access to the email he used. He also changed the email address linked to his crypto account to another one not associated with his name. Van Dyke has been charged with three counts of violation against the Commodity Exchange Act, with each one carrying a max sentence of 10 years in prison. He has also been charged with one count of wire fraud with a max penalty of 20 years in prison, as well as one count of unlawful monetary transaction with a max sentence of 10 years. Prediction marketplaces have been struggling with insider trading problems, and this is far from the first incident. Recently, Kalshi took action against three political candidates, accusing them of insider trading related to their campaigns. Matt Klein of Minnesota and Ezekiel Enriquez of Texas face a fine of less than $1,000 and suspensions of up to five years. Meanwhile Mark Moran of Virginia faces disciplinary action, a five year suspension and a fine of more than $6,000. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/us-soldier-arrested-for-allegedly-making-over-400000-on-polymarket-with-classified-maduro-information-014531367.html?src=rss

Claude can now connect to lifestyle apps like Spotify, Instacart and AllTrails

Anthropic is expanding its directory of connected services for its Claude AI chatbot. The platform can now link up with your accounts on AllTrails, Audible, Booking.com, Instacart, Intuit Credit Karma, Intuit TurboTax, Resy, Spotify, StubHub, Taskrabbit, Thumbtack, TripAdvisor, Uber, Uber Eats and Viator.Additional services will be added in the future. More and more AI companies are trying to up their third-party integrations in a pitch to make their services as useful as possible. The benefit of having multiple apps connected means that a chatbot can theoretically execute more complicated tasks on your behalf. This expansion takes that capability from the professional and educational settings, where Anthropics connectors have been focused for the past year, to a personal one. So, for instance, Claude can now help plan a hike on AllTrails and then pull up a Spotify playlist that will last for the duration of your trek. Anthropic noted that it is also reframing how apps are showing up so that an appropriate service is suggested for the task you want to perform. The apps should appear dynamically within the Claude conversation rather than needing a user to swipe between programs. As with most AI actions, Claude is supposed to check with its user before actually taking any actions like securing a reservation or making a purchase. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-can-now-connect-to-lifestyle-apps-like-spotify-instacart-and-alltrails-225510552.html?src=rss

Microsoft is reportedly offering voluntary buyouts to up to 7 percent of its employees

Microsoft is planning to get rid of more US employees via its first voluntary buyout program, CNBC reports . The buyout program will reportedly be offered to US employees at he senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher, and could cover up to 7 percent of the company's US workforce. With around 125,000 employees in the US as of June 2025 , that could mean up to 8,750 will be offered a paid exit when Microsoft begins its program in May. That's a smaller figure than the 15,000 or so employees the company laid off in May and July of 2025, but still significant, particularly if the majority of employees do take the buyout. Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support, Microsoft's executive vice president and chief people officer Amy Coleman shared in a memo viewed by CNBC . Engadget has contacted Microsoft to confirm the existence of the voluntary buyout program and other details CNBC reported. We'll update this article if we hear back. Microsoft used its 2025 layoffs to streamline layers of management and its video game business, but these new cuts may have a lot more to do with AI. Not necessarily because the company's adoption of AI tools has made employees redundant, but rather because Microsoft continues to aggressively spend on AI infrastructure. The company said it spent $37.5 billion in capital expenditures during Q2 2026, much of which went toward data center buildout. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-reportedly-offering-voluntary-buyouts-to-up-to-7-percent-of-its-employees-200050484.html?src=rss

Meta is downsizing by about 10 percent

Meta is making another steep cut to its staff, this time to the tune of a 10 percent reduction in its workforce. About 8,000 people will be laid off and about 6,000 open jobs will also be eliminated, according to Bloomberg . In an internal memo from Janelle Gale, Meta's head of human resources, the latest cuts are part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments were making. Those other investments are likely in artificial intelligence. Meta is building its own models and apparently training them on its own staff . Its smart glasses are also leveraging ever-more AI capabilities . Today's layoffs likely don't mark the end of Meta's current contraction. A report from March suggested that Meta was planning to downsize by up to 20 percent , although no timeline was given. The company cut hundreds of jobs, primarily in its Reality Labs division, shortly after those claims circulated. It also kicked off 2026 by slashing its metaverse operations with the closure of three VR studios . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-downsizing-by-about-10-percent-192658099.html?src=rss

Titanium Court mashes together genres and cultural references to tell a strange, funny tale

I would love to tell you everything about my favorite game of the year so far. But that would be doing a great disservice to Titanium Court . I'm not even sure I could explain it all, anyway. Titanium Court is a run-based game with elements of permanent progression, so it's technically a roguelite. However, you cannot really break Titanium Court like you can with Balatro . There are multiple ways to win a run, but you have to play by the rules. Gradually learning what those are and how the game suddenly changes them is a big part of what makes this so effective. I can at least break down the core gameplay loop for you. There are two stages to each battle in every run aka a war. The first is a match-three segment (think Candy Crush Saga ), in which you gather resources by lining up wheat fields, rivers, hills and forests. At the same time, you're setting up the terrain and positioning your own tile (the titular court) for the second stage. For instance, water will stop foot soldiers entirely, so you can position yourself behind a barricade of rivers to block them. But you'll need to be careful, since a chain reaction of matches can wipe out your carefully constructed defense. At the same time, you'll be moving around enemy strongholds. You can line up three or more matching enemy bases to eliminate them, but you don't gain any resources from those. Plus, you can only make a limited number of moves in this phase. So that makes for an interesting risk-reward conundrum. A timeline shows you which enemies will attack and when so you can plan accordingly. The second phase is where the tower defense element really takes hold. You'll use what you've collected to recruit soldiers to attack enemies or defend your base, add workers that will gather more resources and maybe deliver magic attacks. You can trade at shops and markets as long as you haven't wiped them from the grid, since they're bonded to terrain tiles. When you're ready to fight, you hit a play button and the battle takes place automatically. Nothings as simple as it might seem at first, because this is a game that will mess with you. I was scolded for trying to buy my way to victory by trading too much, with the game calling that approach boring and closing the shop's doors for the round. Perfectly fair. I chuckled the first time that happened. When I thought I was being clever by using the introspective power of self-reflection (you'll see) to win a boss fight, I was swiftly shut down. Between wars, you'll explore the titular court as its newly anointed queen, trying to figure out what on Earth is going on and, ultimately, how to get home. Here, Titanium Court morphs into a blend of old-school adventure game and bizarre visual novel. This is where much of the magic lies, and where you gradually learn about the story and even how to play the game. AP Thomson/Fellow Traveller Developer AP Thomson's writing is smart and funny. I lost count of the number of jokes I've laughed out loud at. His narrative takes you in startlingly unexpected directions. It feels like a grand performance and Thomson is the master of ceremonies. Its a confidently authored experience that offers further evidence as to why absolutely no one needs a generative AI game platform that seeks to kill the scripted RPG. Titanium Court won the prestigious Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards earlier this year and it's not hard to see why. Thomson and his collaborators have cooked up something really special here. It's a game with dragons and ballet, baseball and bike races, shower thoughts and wormholes. There are road signs in a world in which faeries believe cars are a figment of your imagination. It references Catan, the Civilization series, Jenga and A Midsummer Night's Dream . It skewers capitalism and social inequality. I'll let you discover the details of the job system, which completely upends how you play the game, yourself. I haven't been this engrossed by a game since Ball x Pit . It surprises and delights at almost every turn. Titanium Court is certainly not going to be for everyone (there's so much reading!) and Im going to stop here before I tell you too much about it. You can get a taste by checking out a Steam demo thats available for PC and Mac. The full game arrived today . It usually costs $15, but it's 20 percent off until May 7. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/titanium-court-mashes-together-genres-and-cultural-references-to-tell-a-strange-funny-tale-184750797.html?src=rss

Apple, Amazon join push for looser greenhouse emissions reporting

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol , a widely used international environmental standard for measuring and reporting emissions, is considering changes to how certain types of the emissions are reported. Advocates for the new guidance argue that the current rules make it too easy for businesses to overstate their commitments to environmentally friendly operations, such as being powered by renewable energy or making progress toward net-zero emissions. Today, some major tech companies joined a call pushing back against the new guidance, asking for the new reporting rules to be optional rather than required. The joint statement argued that the proposed policies would reduce investments in sustainability programs and increase electricity prices. Apple and Amazon are among the more than 60 companies that signed the letter, Bloomberg reported. The protocol's three tiers of emissions present a clearer picture about companies' environmental efforts and how impactful they are in reducing emissions. Scope 1 includes emissions from sources directly owned or controlled by a business, while Scope 2 covers how corporations measure emissions from purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heat and cooling. Scope 3 is the catch-all for any other emissions produced within a business' value chain. New proposed changes to the scope 2 guidance would place tighter requirements on how companies use renewable energy certificates to offset their electricity emissions. Rather than purchase clean energy certificates at any point during the year, companies would have to source clean energy that is both geographically close and simultaneously available to their grid-derived power. Any changes adopted by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol could take effect as early as next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-amazon-join-push-for-looser-greenhouse-emissions-reporting-182314690.html?src=rss

Rivian begins production on the R2 electric SUV

Rivian has begun production of its R2 SUV. However, you can't get one just yet: The first customer deliveries (of the most expensive version) aren't expected until later this spring. On Wednesday, CEO RJ Scaringe drove the first electric SUV off the production line at the company's Normal, IL, factory. A storage and logistics building at that factory was damaged by a tornado last weekend, with Wednesday's rollout event seemingly designed to reassure nervous customers and investors. We are really excited to be producing R2 for our customers, Scaringe is quoted as saying in a news release . However, Rivian CFO Claire McDonough told Reuters that customers won't be able to configure their vehicle orders until June. Electrek reports that these first units rolling out now are going to Rivian employees. Rivian If you were drawn to the R2's $45,000 starting price , well, Rivian won't have any of those for a while. First off the line (this spring) is the Launch Package, starting at $57,990. A Premium trim, expected late 2026, will cost $53,990. Then, in the first half of 2027, a Standard (RWD long range) variant arrives at $48,490. And as for that headline-grabbing $45,000 base-model R2, I hope you like waiting. It won't be here until late 2027. The Rivian R2 was revealed in 2024. Smaller and lighter than the flagship R1, the company is positioning the EV as its answer to Teslas best-selling Model Y . All versions of the new two-row SUV are rated for at least 300 miles per charge. Each trim has a native NACS charge port. The vehicle can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 30 minutes when using a DC fast charger. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-begins-production-on-the-r2-electric-suv-171729320.html?src=rss

Five Annapurna Interactive games get Switch 2 releases

If youre a Switch 2 owner itching for something new to play and you happen to be partial to an Annapurna Interactive game, then boy is it your lucky day. The prolific indie publisher has announced that five of its titles are coming to Switch 2 , three in the form of next-gen upgrades and two for the first time on Nintendo platforms. The magnificent Sayonara Wild Hearts and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes are available starting today, complete with 120Hz and 4K upgrades for Nintendos latest console. First-time buyers can grab Sayonara Wild Hearts for $13, while 2024s Lorelei and the Laser Eyes costs $25. The upgrades are free if you already own either game on Switch, and Sayonara Wild Hearts also adds the previously unavailable Remix Arcade mode for the first time. This speeds up gameplay and removes loading as you chase high scores. Next month, May 28, cyberpunk cat adventure Stray is also getting the Switch 2 treatment, sporting improved 4K visuals, a frame rate boost and, fittingly given its feline focus, mouse controls. The Switch 2 port will be available to purchase digitally from the eShop for $30, but its not clear if this will also be a free upgrade for those who bought Stray on Switch. Katamari creator Keita Takahashis charmingly weird puzzle-adventure To a T skipped Nintendo consoles when it launched last year, so its nice to see that one coming to Switch 2 on June 11 (digital-only, $20). A few weeks later on June 23, cozy narrative game Wanderstop arrives on both Switch and Switch 2. Itll cost $25 on the eShop, with no word on a physical version. Annapurna Interactive released a lot of its games on Switch, and that trend happily looks set to continue throughout the Switch 2 generation. The musical turn-based RPG People of Note came to Nintendos latest console at launch earlier this month, with stylish adventure game Mixtape also arriving on Switch 2 on May 7. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/five-annapurna-interactive-games-get-switch-2-releases-164950446.html?src=rss

Someone allegedly used a hairdryer to rig Polymarket weather bets

A hairdryer was allegedly used to rig Polymarket bets on the weather at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, according to a report by The Telegraph . French authorities note that the official temperature readings at the airport spiked twice in the past month, reaching levels much higher than expected. On both occasions, gamblers on Polymarket appear to have walked away with thousands upon thousands of dollars by betting on those temperature fluctuations. The gambling site relies on readings from temperature sensors, and the one at Charles de Gaulle airport is on a public road. This makes it easy to access. The operating theory is that someone snuck in and used a battery-powered hairdryer to bring the recorded temperature up well beyond the actual heat outside. Meanwhile, the Polymarket page indicated less than a one percent chance of the airport exceeding a particular temperature. Successful bets on these fluctuations netted an unknown user around $34,000. holy fuck, a hair dryer at a Paris airport broke Polymarket weather markets & made someone $34,000 richer - polymarket was settling Paris temperature bets on a single Mto France sensor sitting near the Charles de Gaulle runway perimeter - basically unguarded - the guy bought pic.twitter.com/ona2hP3oZc @aaronjmars (@aaronjmars) April 22, 2026 In view of physical findings on one of our instruments and the analysis of sensor data, Mto-France was indeed led to file a complaint for alteration of the operation of an automated data processing system with the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade of Roissy, a spokesperson for France's official weather agency said. There is no indication that Polymarket forced anyone to return their winnings, but the temperature sensor has been moved to a new location. The site is still running bets on the daily temperature in and around Paris. It sucks that someone potentially tricked a temperature sensor with a hairdryer to scam actual gamblers out of potential winnings. However, this sort of thing should be expected when betting money on real-world scenarios like this. If something can be rigged, and there's money to be made, it'll get rigged. Humans are gonna human. This does, however, shine a light on the types of bets that should be allowed on sites like Polymarket and Kalshi. Polymarket, for instance, hosts numerous bets on the outcome of wars , whether or not countries will receive nuclear weapons and potential prison sentences , among many other sensitive topics. What happens when someone uses something much more dangerous than a hairdryer to change the outcome of something for financial gain? This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/someone-allegedly-used-a-hairdryer-to-rig-polymarket-weather-bets-155312411.html?src=rss

Turkey wants to ban social media for kids under 15

The Turkish parliament has voted through a bill that would ban all children under the age of 15 from using social media. As part of the legislation, social media platforms would be required to enforce age-verification measures on their apps, provide parental control tools, and react more quickly to harmful content being posted. As reported by The Associated Press , lawmakers have passed the bill in the wake of two deadly school shootings in Turkey, after which police arrested 162 people accused of sharing footage of the tragedies online. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to accept the bill in order for it to become law, after reportedly saying social media platforms had become cesspools in a televised address to the nation. As well as the major social media platforms, AP reports that online gaming companies would also have to implement their own restrictions on minors, with potential punishments including bandwidth reductions and financial penalties. This isnt the first time Turkey has locked horns with social media and online gaming platforms. Instagram has been blocked in the country before, back in 2024, relating to a dispute over the posting of Hamas-related content. Access was restored around a week later, but in the same time period Turkey also banned Roblox over reports of inappropriate sexual content accused of being explorative to children. At the time, a Turkish official also named the promotion of homosexuality as one reason for the ban. Turkey has also temporarily banned Twitter (now called X) on several occasions, most recently after 2023s devastating earthquakes, though it was not clear at the time why the government may have moved to block the social media platform. The countrys lawmakers moving to ban under-15s from accessing social media is part of an emerging trend in Europe and across the globe. The likes of Greece and Austria have recently introduced similar legislation of their own, following Australia becoming the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from social media last year. The UK has since considered bringing in tighter restrictions too. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/turkey-wants-to-ban-social-media-for-kids-under-15-143053462.html?src=rss

Meta will show parents the topics of their teens' AI conversations

With countries banning social media for kids left and right , Meta is trying different things to convince parents that its platforms are safe for teens. In its latest effort , the company will start showing parents the topics their teens have discussed with Meta AI over the previous seven days. Parents will be able to see the topics their teen has been asking Meta AI about in [Facebook, Messenger or Instagram] over the past week, Meta explained in a blog post. Topics can range from School, Entertainment, and Lifestyle to Travel, Writing, and Health and Wellbeing, among others. For parents overseeing Meta's teen accounts, the feature will appear in a new Insights tab within supervision, both in-app and on web. Parents can tap on a topic to see the different categories within each: for instance, sub-categories within Lifestyle include fashion, food and holidays, while fitness, physical health and mental health are part of the Health and Wellbeing topic. Meta Meta also worked with the Cyberbullying Research Center to develop what it calls conversation starters, or open-ended conversations about their experience with AI. It provides detail about what the questions are designed to address, and can be found on the Family Center website or through a link in the new Insights tab. Finally, Meta revealed more detail about its AI Wellbeing Expert Council, who will provide ongoing input on our AI experience for teens. It will be made up of three existing advisory groups as well as new members with special expertise in responsible and ethical AI, who are affiliated with the National Council of Suicide Prevention and multiple universities. It's worth noting that Meta has a separate oversight board that deals with subjects ranging from AI to moderation. Offboarding moderation chores to busy parents appears to be par for the course for Meta these days. The company has recently cut back on the use of third-party vendors that help with content moderation, shifting responsibility instead to advanced AI systems, according to recent reports . The dangers of AI for teens have been one of multiple reasons countries like Spain have banned social media platforms for kids. One of the most recent and tragic cases was in Canada , where a teen was provided specific details by OpenAI's ChatGPT about how to carry out a school shooting. Another such case is under investigation in Florida, and AI's have been implicated in multiple teen suicides as well. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply dial 988. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-will-show-parents-the-topics-of-their-teens-ai-conversations-123119624.html?src=rss

DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1 drone review: High-quality aerial video at its most affordable

After seeing the runaway success of its Neo lineup , DJI is taking another stab at the budget drone market with the new Lito series. The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are both under $400 and weigh less than 249 grams theyre ideal for beginners. Both are designed to replace DJIs Mini series, but they offer things that those models lacked like LiDAR and 360-degree obstacle avoidance. In terms of video quality, theyre similar to DJIs Neo 2 and Flip drones. Unlike those models, which are safe to use indoors and around people, the open-prop Lito drones are designed to fly outside at high speeds and high altitudes. This makes them well-suited for filming activities like surfing or dirt bike riding. After testing both models, I believe they offer unbeatable value and performance at these prices, by a long shot. Of course, the drawback for American buyers is that neither is expected to launch in the US. Design and features The Lito models are now the entry level open-prop models in DJIs lineup (the Mini series will no longer be updated). Both have identical folding designs, with optional, removable propeller shrouds that offer some additional obstacle protection. Given the light weight, novice pilots can fly them without a permit. Steve Dent for Engadget Both have omni sensors on the top and bottom that protect them from obstacles on all sides. The Lito X1 adds a forward-facing LiDAR sensor for extra tracking precision. That kind of additional accuracy is nice to have and its unusual on drones in this price range. Built-in storage is also rare on cheap drones, but the Lito X1 has that going for it as well. Theres 42GB on tap, along with microSD card support for additional capacity. The Lito 1 only offers a microSD slot and no internal storage. They come with an Intelligent Flight Battery that offers up to 36 minutes of flying time. That can be extended to about 52 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, though that model isnt available in the EU or UK. As with every other DJI drone Ive tested, real-world flight times are about 30 percent less than the company promises. I got about 25 minutes of use on a charge still not bad for a sub-$400 drone. The Lito line has all the FocusTrack features youd expect in a DJI drone, like 360 degree ActiveTrack subject tracking with full manual control and obstacle detection. It also supports DJIs Quickshots including Dronie, Rocket and others, all of which make it easy to capture aerial clips for social media. However, you wont find certain Neo 2 features on the Lito series, like gestures, smartphone control and palm takeoffs. The Lito drones work with multiple controllers, including the RC-N3 that requires a smartphone or the RC 2 with a built-in screen. Both Lito models transmit 1080p 60 fps video to a range of up to 10 miles via DJIs Occusync 4 system. Thats a scary distance for a beginner drone. Luckily, both models also offer DJIs return to home (RTH) with battery warning and other safety features that should prevent lost drones or accidents. Performance Steve Dent for Engadget Both Lito drones are relatively fast at about 26 mph in normal mode with obstacle detection, or 40 mph in sport mode. That kind of speed allows creators to track bikers, skiers or vehicles. Each can also fly in relatively strong winds up to about 21 mph. They lack the maneuverability and acrobatics available on the Neo 2 though, and don't offer an FPV mode with DJIs Goggles. With open propellers that can catch on a twig and cause a crash, the Lito drones depend heavily on obstacle detection for protection. Thats particularly important since the ActiveTrack follow feature is a key selling point for novice creators. With all that in mind, I wanted to put them through their paces tracking me on a bicycle and even while driving a car, forcing the drones to navigate around trees and bamboo with fine branches. To start, I used ActiveTrack and the Trace steering wheel mode to follow me from the front, sides and back. Both Lito models can avoid obstacles using either the braking mode that stops the drone or bypass that simply maneuvers around them. I mostly used bypass mode to see if the drone could continue to track me if something got in the way. When flying forward, the Lito X1 avoided all obstacles using its LiDAR, while swooping smoothly around trees and branches. Only once did it fail to detect a small twig, which caused a slight bobble, but fortunately, no crash. Thanks to that built-in LiDAR, the Lito X1 model is a bit more adept than the Lito 1 at dodging fine obstacles when flying forward. Overall, the X1s avoidance in all directions was shockingly good for a drone under $400. DJI's Lito models offer excellent tracking and obstacle detection for the price. Steve Dent for Engadget The Lito X1s LiDAR is also very helpful when flying in low-light conditions, and even at night. If you go on a long flight and miscalculate the sunset, youll still be able to get the drone back safely in RTH mode without much fear of crashing, as long as you fly forward. It also helps keep the Lito X1 more stable in dim light than the Lito 1. The Lito 1 isnt as adept at following and obstacle detection at night due to the lack of LiDAR, but again, it avoided danger surprisingly well considering the price. Buyers can still be confident that it will stay out of trouble when tracking subjects in most conditions just be careful when flying in forested areas with fine branches. If youre planning on flying far from your location to capture remote aerial views, DJIs Occusync 4 system is highly reliable. I only saw video dropouts when flying the drone behind buildings and out of my line of sight, something that I wouldnt advise anyway. As long as theres nothing between you and the drone, youll maintain a clear video view and full control. As with other drones in the Mini and Mini Pro series, the Lito models are whisper quiet in flight, with noise levels well under 70 db. The pitch is also low and not shrieking like the Neo models, so it shouldnt disturb people or animals. Video and photo quality Video quality is where the Lito 1 and Lito X1 differ the most. The latter is equipped with a 40-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor with f/1.7 aperture (same as the Mini 4 Pro ) and offers up 4K 60 fps video with 4K 100 fps slow-mo along with D-LogM and HDR recording. The Lito 1, meanwhile, has a 48MP 1/2-inch sensor (12MP for video) like the one on the Neo 2, with an f/1.8 aperture, 4K 60 fps video (4K 100 fps slow-mo) and no D-LogM or HDR capabilities. Thats a pretty big gap in specs considering the relatively meager price difference of around $80. As such, the Lito X1 offers significantly better video quality, particularly in low light and high-contrast conditions. The smaller sensor means the Lito 1 has mediocre low-light capability, with pronounced grain at the maximum ISO 12,800 rating. The drop in quality is even noticeable at ISO 3,200. Unlike the $400 Flip, the lack of 10-bit D-LogM capability also means that over- or underexposed video is hard to correct. With those issues, video and photos from the Lito 1 aren't good enough for professional work. However, its excellent for social media users, hobbyists and content creators, delivering smartphone-quality aerial shots and more detail than any other drone at this price (except the Neo 2, of course). The Lito X1, on the other hand, does offer video thats good enough for some professional use. While not as noise-free as the 1-inch sensor-equipped Mini 5 Pro or Micro Four Thirds Mavic 4 Pro , video quality for nighttime cityscapes and other dim scenes is decently clean. In daylight, video is surprisingly sharp and color accurate. The 10-bit D-LogM setting also lets you capture sufficient dynamic range for tricky scenarios like a forest path dappled with sunlight and shadows Stabilization on both models is excellent, so youre sure to capture smooth, cinematic video, even with relatively slow shutter speeds down to 1/30th of a second. Photos are more detailed on the Lito X1 due to the higher resolution, even though both models can capture RAW DNG files to maximize dynamic range. That makes the drones ideal for taking aerial pictures of your property, for instance, or checking a hornets nest or hole on your roof. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The Lito series shows that DJI is intent on dominating every drone price range and category, including the bottom end. Despite their low prices, the new drones dont skimp on features, offering full obstacle protection, ActiveTrack subject tracking, relatively high speeds and sharp 4K video quality just like models that cost a lot more. At these prices, the Lito drones dont have any real rivals other than themselves and other DJI drones, particularly the Neo 2 and Flip. Choose the Lito 1 only if you cant swing the extra money for the Lito X1, as video quality on the latter is significantly higher. Both drones are best for outdoor adventures, including high-altitude aerial shooting, while Neo 2 and Flip excel inside or around people. The Lito 1 and Lito X1 are now available in the UK and EU for 299/309 and 369/379 respectively with one battery and the RC-N3 controller that requires a smartphone. You can also get them in Fly More combos, with the Lito 1 priced at 429/439 with an RC-N3 controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag. The Lito X1 Fly More Combo with an RC 2 screen controller, three batteries, a charger and a shoulder bag is 599/619. The drones arent on sale yet in the US, but may arrive later on. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-lito-1-and-lito-x1-drone-review-high-quality-aerial-video-at-its-most-affordable-120024032.html?src=rss

Musk pledges to fix 2019-2023 Teslas that can't fully self drive

Tesla still doesnt have a solid pathway for how to give Hardware 3 cars Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities, based on what Elon Musk said during the companys latest earnings call . The automaker has known for quite a while that its vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 arent capable of unsupervised FSD, even though the company built the system specifically to give its cars the ability . Tesla used Hardware 3 on cars manufactured from 2019 until early 2023 before Hardware 4 shipped. During an earlier earnings call back in January 2025, Musk admitted that the company was going to have to upgrade peoples Hardware 3 computer for those that have bought Full Self-Driving. At Teslas latest earnings call, Musk said that Hardware 3 simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD. Tesla thought it would be able to at one point, but Hardware 3 apparently has 1/8th the memory bandwidth of Hardware 4. Musk explained that memory bandwidth is one of the key elements needed for unsupervised FSD. Tesla will be offering to upgrade and replace the computers and cameras on older vehicles, but it doesnt have a concrete plan in place yet. I do think over time its going to make sense for us to convert all Hardware 3 cars to Hardware 4, he said. To do so at service centers would be extremely slow, Musk has admitted. Around 4 million cars or so have Hardware 3, though not everyone has paid for FSD. Still, to be able to replace its vehicles hardware efficiently, Musk said Tesla is going to have to set up microfactories or small factories in major metropolitan areas. He didnt give any indication that Tesla has already started building those microfactories, though, or even that construction is already scheduled to begin. He did say that in the meantime, the company is going to be releasing FSD version 14 for Hardware 3 around the end of June. Musk also said during the same earnings call that Teslas Fremont factory will start manufacturing the companys humanoid Optimus robots in late July or August. The Tesla CEO is known for announcing highly optimistic and aggressive timelines. Tesla made the decision to kill off its Model X and S cars earlier this year, so that it can convert its Fremont facility into an Optimus factory. The last Model S and X vehicles will be rolling off the production line in May, which gives the company just a few months to dismantle the facilitys current equipment and put new ones in place. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/musk-pledges-to-fix-2019-2023-teslas-that-cant-fully-self-drive-095002120.html?src=rss

Kalshi suspended three political candidates from its platform for insider trading

Prediction market Kalshi has taken action against three political candidates, alleging that each was engaged with insider trading of information about their campaigns. The company implemented new rules last month aimed at preventing politicians and athletes from placing bets on events they can control, and it said those guardrails helped to flag this trio of cases. The three candidates are Mark Moran of Virginia, Matt Klein of Minnesota and Ezekiel Enriquez of Texas. Kalshi reached settlements with Klein and Enriquez , both of whom cooperated in the platform's investigations. Each will face a fine of less than $1,000 and suspensions of up to five years. Moran's case has resulted in a disciplinary action , with a five year suspension and a fine of more than $6,000. He posted on X about the situation and claimed this was essentially a stunt to see if he'd be caught and to highlight how this company is destroying young men. Kalshi and other prediction markets have been the subject of several lawsuits by state attorneys general that are attempting to regulate the sector as gambling. Nevada , Arizona and New York have cases underway, but the state-level attempts are not looking promising. An appeals court ruled against New Jersey's effort to govern this industry, and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has launched a lawsuit of its own in an effort to ensure it will be the only party to regulate prediction markets. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/kalshi-suspended-three-political-candidates-from-its-platform-for-insider-trading-222433937.html?src=rss

NASA targets a September launch for its next big space telescope

NASA's next eye into the cosmos is due to leave our planet later this year. The agency says it's targeting an early September launch for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Roman (for short) has a field of view 100 times larger than Hubble's. The September date is the earliest possible launch for Roman. NASA says it will go up (aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket ) no later than May 2027. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA's first chief astronomer and mother of Hubble , was introduced in 2016. (Back then, it was known as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, or WFIRST .) The telescope's mirror is roughly the same size as Hubble's, but it can capture sections of the sky at least 100 times larger than its predecessor. NASA Roman will work in tandem with NASA observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory , which are designed to zoom in on rare transient objects once they've been identified, but seldom if ever discover them, Julie McEnery, Roman's senior project scientist, said in 2023. Roman's much larger field of view will reveal many such objects that were previously unknown. And since we've never had an observatory like this scanning the cosmos before, we could even find entirely new classes of objects and events. After leaving our atmosphere, Roman will set course for a vantage point nearly 1 million miles from Earth. There, it will rely on a pair of instruments to study space. The first is a 300.8-megapixel camera that captures light from visible to near-infrared. There's also a high-contrast coronagraph that will allow it to capture exoplanets that would otherwise be blocked by starlight. Romans mission: to settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets and astrophysics. Despite decades of study, astronomers know surprisingly little about dark energy , which makes up about 68 percent of the universes contents. And while scientific discoveries are cool and all, youll be pleased to know that Roman is also sure to beam back more dazzling pictures of our cosmos . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-targets-a-september-launch-for-its-next-big-space-telescope-204140176.html?src=rss

France's national agency for managing IDs and passports suffered a data breach last week

The French government confirmed that France Titres, also known as Agence nationale des titres scuriss (ANTS), experienced a security breach last week. France Titres disclosed that it detected a data breach on April 15. The next day, a hacker claimed responsibility for the breach and claimed to have up to 19 million records that they are attempting to sell. According to Bleeping Computer , the data does not appear to have been widely leaked yet. France Titres is responsible for the country's identification and registration materials, including drivers licenses, national ID cards, passports and immigration documents. The compromised data includes full names, email addresses, dates of birth, account identifiers, login IDs, phone numbers and mailing addresses. The department said that while the breach did not permit access to its portals, the exposed information could be used for phishing attacks or other illicit actions. The announcement advised caution regarding any suspicious communications claiming to be from the agency. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/frances-national-agency-for-managing-ids-and-passports-suffered-a-data-breach-last-week-201432189.html?src=rss

Apple rolls out iOS 26.4.2 to fix a flaw that allowed the FBI to access push notifications

Apple's latest iOS update fixes a flaw in its notification database that made it possible for law enforcement to view deleted push notifications on a person's iPhone or iPad. The security flaw was one way law enforcement agencies like the FBI could circumvent Apple's strict stance towards user privacy, the Electronic Frontier Foundation writes , particularly since the company has required a court order to share notification data since 2023. According to Apple's update notes, iOS 26.4.2 introduces improved data redaction to address an issue where otifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device. The update is available now on iPhone 11 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 8th generation and later and iPad mini 5th generation and later, Apple says. The FBI's use of this particular iOS notification flaw was first reported on by 404 Media , who learned the agency used a tool to access Signal notification data stored locally on an iPhone even after it was deleted. Signal CEO Meredith Whitaker later acknowledged the issue on Bluesky , writing that otifications for deleted [messages] shouldn't remain in any OS notification database, and we've asked Apple to address this. At the time, Whitaker directed Signal users to adjust their settings so that push notifications from the app didnt include the name of the messenger or message content. The privacy of your notifications is vulnerable in at least two places, according to the EFF. In the cloud, where they get routed through a company's servers and likely partially logged in metadata, and on the local storage of the phone where they're received. Apple's update should ideally make deleted notifications appropriately inaccessible, but limiting what's actually visible in notifications in the first place is also worth considering. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/apple-rolls-out-ios-2642-to-fix-a-flaw-that-allowed-the-fbi-to-access-push-notifications-201153603.html?src=rss

LG's first RGB TV starts at $5,000 and is available to pre-order today

LG has announced the pricing and availability of its Micro RGB evo , the company's first take on a TV display trend that kicked off in earnest at CES 2026. The LG Micro RGB evo is available to pre-order today starting at $5,000, and follows the recent release of the ultra-thin LG Wallpaper . The Micro RGB evo represents the top of the line of a new class of display at LG that directly builds on the company's work with Mini LED technology. The new TV features LG's Micro RGB panel and its Alpha A11 AI processor, which runs the TV's webOS software, and perhaps more importantly, powers the Micro RGB Engine that controls the TVs individual LEDs. LG says the Micro RGB evo offers full gamut coverage across DCI-P3, BT.2020 and Adobe RGB, along with enhanced contrast and refined detail from the TV's over a thousand dimming zones. While Micro RGB should offer better color representation than OLED, LG's OLED TVs still have their share of benefits, especially in things like contrast and dimming. Micro RGB panels are similar to the company's Mini LED ones, but rather than using all blue or white LEDs, the Micro RGB evo has individually controlled red, green and blue LEDs. The new style of display is also being explored by companies like TCL and Samsung , and at least for now, it's not as affordable as some QD-OLED or OLED TVs can be. The LG Micro RGB evo is available to pre-order today from LG's website in 75, 86 and 100-inch screen sizes. The TV starts at $5,000 for the smallest 75-inch model and goes up from there. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lgs-first-rgb-tv-starts-at-5000-and-is-available-to-pre-order-today-185159193.html?src=rss

Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is opening more studios and has over 15 games in the works

Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has big plans for the future, according to an interview The Game Business conducted with the company's chief strategy officer Matteo Sapio. It's opening two new studios in Japan and Italy and has over 15 games in active development. That's a lot of action for a company primarily known for one franchise. Sapio says the company is developing three basic types of games. There are spinoffs to Vampire Survivors , like this week's deckbuilder Vampire Crawlers . Poncle is also making original IPs and says there are two games set in new universes coming down the pike. Finally, it's working on some roguelites with similar mechanics to Vampire Survivors , but using other IPs. We already know about one of these, a roguelite set in the Warhammer 40K universe called Warhammer Survivors . It's set to land on Steam sometime this year. To assist with these plans, Poncle has developed an engine that can turn pre-existing IPs into games that play like Vampire Survivors . If you're wondering if there are enough fans for multiple top-down roguelites with simple controls and bullet hell mechanics, let me point you to Halls of Torment , Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and Soulstone Survivors , among many others. This has become a popular genre in recent years, likely due to the continued success of Vampire Survivors . To that end, the original game has surpassed 27 million players . Poncle has, however, paused all of its third-party publishing plans after releasing a couple of games last year. It was a learning experience, Sapio said. But we found that we werent able to give the right support. The company could revisit third-party publishing in the future. This is great news for Poncle and fans of the Vampire Survivors franchise, but there's always risk when a company tries to grow like this. Remember Embracer Group? It went on a massive buying spree beginning in 2019, before having to sell off and close a number of studios . However, this isn't a AAA game development studio. Poncle makes indie titles and the new studios will be lean operations, with little teams of people. Sapio said this organizational structure will help keep the company agile and flexible. I personally have high hopes for this endeavor. This is because the just-released spinoff Vampire Crawlers is so very good, which proves to me that Poncle isn't a one-trick pony. It plays like a mix of Slay the Spire with a first-person dungeon crawler like Etrian Odyssey, all while successfully capturing the vibe of Vampire Survivors . If Poncle can keep up this level of quality, gamers could be in for a long-term treat. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-survivors-developer-poncle-is-opening-more-studios-and-has-over-15-games-in-the-works-174022348.html?src=rss

Threads introduces 'live chats' for following live events

Meta has introduced a new live chats feature to Threads, enabling people on the platform to participate in real-time conversations about live events theyre interested in. Live chats can be hosted within Threads communities, the topic-specific social spaces that Meta introduced last year. The new feature sounds a bit like Threads take on Instagrams broadcast channels, but the latter only allows for one-way messaging. Live chats can be hosted by select creators, including Community Champions users highly engaged within specific communities and media personalities. Once a chat is launched or scheduled, the host chooses who is invited to contribute and can then share the link publicly. You can post photos, videos, links and emoji reactions as well as text-based messages. If youre unable to send messages in a live chat that is at capacity, you can still watch it, react to others messages and vote in polls. Live chats remain open to view after theyve ended, and you dont need to be part of a community to join. Meta is debuting its new social feature in the NBAThreads Community during the Playoffs, with Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, Trysta Krick, David Rushing and Lexis Mickens named as hosts. Live chats will appear at the top of the NBAThreads Community feed, and can also be shared in a post that might appear on your main feed in Threads. Youll also see a red ring around a hosts profile photo when theyre live. Meta says live chats will gradually be rolled out to more communities on Threads, with features like co-hosting, lock screen widgets and the ability to quote and share messages from a chat on your feed coming soon. Meta has been steadily expanding its X rivals features since it launched in 2023. It started small with searchable topics (note: not hashtags) and custom feeds , before rolling out communities last year. It also started testing long-form text posts and just this week gave Threads a long-overdue facelift on web. Back in October, the company announced that its text-based social media platform now has 150 million daily users. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-introduces-live-chats-for-following-live-events-170007658.html?src=rss

Control: Ultimate Edition is out for the iPhone and iPad

Control is one of my favorite adventure games of the last decade or so, a mind-bending trip through an ever-changing building where you get to use telekinesis to battle some pretty freaky enemies. It was a graphically-demanding game when it was released in 2019, but a lot can change in less than six years: Control: Ultimate Edition is now available on the iPhone and iPad for a mere $5, following its announcement last October . Its a universal purchase, which means if you buy it itll work on the iPad, iPhone and Mac as well. Developer Remedy promises that its the full Control experience, with the DLC episodes included. Remedy rebuilt the UI and controls to make it work on touchscreen devices; the company says that it has tweaked aiming and the various puzzles to make them work better for the iPad and iPhone. But naturally, the game also works with controllers. If youre serious about having the best experience with the game, finding a way to play with physical controls is probably a good idea. The game will run on iPhones with at least an A17 Pro chip. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well all of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series. Plenty of iPad models can run the game, as well any iPad with an M-series chip or the A17 Pro will work. That means the current basic iPad, with its A16 processor, is left out of the fun. But any iPad Air or Pro from the last four years or so should be good to go. I tried a test version of Control when I reviewed the new iPad Air recently and, unsurprisingly, the tablets M4 chip was more than powerful enough to make for a smooth experience. My main gripe is that when sprinting, you have to hold down the L3 button the entire time youre running rather than just click it once, which is how it works on other platforms. Otherwise it looks and plays smoothly, though I cant vouch for how itll perform on hardware older than the M4 from 2024. Control marks the latest AAA title to hit the iPad and iPhone. Apple has aggressively courted developers for its platforms in recent years, and while most games dont hit the Mac or iOS when they launch, more and more are showing up eventually. There are multiple recent Resident Evil titles for the iPad, and other games like Death Stranding and Assassins Creed Mirage have been ported recently as well. There are others on the Mac as well, including demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Lies of P . Apples platforms arent going to be an avid gamers first stop still, but having high-profile games to supplement the many indie titles available helps round out the options for Apple users. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/control-ultimate-edition-is-out-for-the-iphone-and-ipad-150532940.html?src=rss

Heres to the stable ones: In praise of Tim Cook

Tim Cooks tenure as Apple CEO ends September 1 when he takes the role of executive chair. He will be replaced by John Ternus , a 25-year Apple veteran and head of its hardware engineering division. I get the sense Cooks professional obituaries will focus on his steady hand, execution success and lack of intra-company drama. All of those are virtues but I suspect the media, ever in love with a narrative of its own concoction, will use them as cudgels. Consider this an attempt to balance the record ahead of Cooks damning with the faintest of praise. Cook is quiet and private, making it easy to paint him as a bland managerialist who coasted on the success of the iPhone. In Ternus, Apple once again has a product guy at its helm, a term loaded with enough subtext to sink a battleship. You can feel the implication that its only product guys who have the vision, taste and knowledge to innovate. By extension, Cook was never a real nerd, but an empty finance guy that never understood what makes Apple tick. If theres one thing Silicon Valley loves more than money, its a mercurial genius upon whom they can rest their dreams. Figures with a capital-V vision who invent new product categories with a flick of a wrist, captains of industry who inspire awe and devotion. And making enough money that even a Rockefeller would start thinking gosh, thats a bit much. The Jobsian myth-making obscures his talents and minimizes the number of misses he had along the way. Jobs first tenure at Apple ended in failure and NeXT, for all its innovation, didnt survive as a standalone hardware maker. Many of his ideas were too big and ambitious to succeed and his refusal to compromise made them sink. His time in the wilderness made him a better manager, and a far better storyteller. But to suggest Jobs was gifted with Midas touch is wrong, since for all his vision and taste, he needed strong execution. Kimberly White via Getty Images It doesnt help that Jobs is the ur-example of Silicon Valleys tech genius founder which means so many there have never stopped looking for his successor. The title of the next Steve Jobs has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness at this point given the list of nominees. Those include Elizabeth Holmes , Elon Musk, Adam Neumann , Trevor Milton , Sam Altman and Travis Kalanick . Given that sort of company, Im sure Cook is delighted when people say hes no Steve Jobs. I suspect, in part, Cook was seen as a mere employee (derogatory) rather than a startup founder who built something himself. That obscures his success, first at IBM and Intelligent Electronics where he took up a COO role at 34. Even in an industry that treasures youth, I doubt these companies would elevate someone as young as Cook unless he was damn good. And when he got to Apple in 1998, his role was to make the wheels of the company turn. We may laud Jobs and Ive for dreaming up the products but, to quote Jobs himself, real artists ship. By that metric, Cook was the real artist. When Cook took over as Apple CEO, it was just weeks before Jobs passed away, in what must have been a very hard time. Holding the company together after such a shock while grieving for your own loss must have been an enormous challenge. And while Cook had Jobs army of lieutenants around him, it was upon Cook to actually lead that team. That he then took Apple to the outrageous success it is today is proof of his ability to actually make things happen. Think about how it was Cook that used Apples initial success to make good deals with manufacturers that wound up boxing out so many of its rivals. Im sure Cook lacks the taste and vision of a Jobs or an Ive, and instead relies upon the skill of his team. Im not sure why that would be painted as a bad thing given the roster of people Apple pays to have such taste. If Cook is lacking in taste, hes not lacking in humility, and clearly knows well enough to not meddle in things. Friends, thats not the sign of a bad leader, its the sign of a good one, who makes his team feel trusted, respected, and listened to. Think about how rapidly Cook democratized the Apple keynotes, making stars of many of its senior executives, rather than trying to put on a Steve Jobs tribute act. His tenure as CEO wasnt flawless: Hiring John Browett to replace Ron Johnson at Retail was an early error but one that Cook was smart enough to correct just six months later. The power struggles with Scott Forstall could be a miss given Ives instincts around user interface design . On the product front, we had the embarrassment of AirPower, the stop-start work on the Mac Pro and the muted rollout of the Vision Pro . The lack of proactive management of the App Store and the opacity of its workings counts as a big strike, too. Im sure well get some chatter about the Apple Car project from people who thought that was ever a good idea. As for the Trump Stuff(), I have some sympathy for Cook, who probably didnt expect to play diplomat when he took the job. His ties to the current administration have tainted his reputation, even if his engagement seems finely calibrated. As CEO of Apple, hes responsible for around 170,000 people and has legal obligations as the head of a public company. As much as he may wish to flick the bird at the Commander in Chief, he has to tread a fine line. And it will be for him to wrestle with his own conscience to decide if he did the right thing down the line. One of the pitfalls of a sustained period of success is that people lose sight of how things were in the bad old days. You can anticipate the editorials saying Cook failed on AI because he wisely avoided not launching head-first into a boondoggle. Failed on launching a new product category in the post-Jobs world, even though the Apple Watch and AirPods are, on their own, a bigger business than some major corporations. Failed by building a subscription and services business despite every single hardware company in the world doing the same thing. I'd say Cook's judgment was far better than anyone has given him credit for, and he's made plenty of earth-shattering changes of his own. Think about Apple Silicon and how it has upended the order of things in the chip world, almost inadvertently taking a wrecking ball to Intel's dominance. A technology transition that was so seamless, so undramatic, and yet with so many dividends, that the idea of Apple using other people's chips in its hardware feels like ancient history. To all of those people, Id say look look! with your own stupid eyes at the MacBook Neo. Look at a company that found a way to produce hardware like that , with performance like that , for that sort of price! The MacBook Neo is so good and so cheap that its made the rest of the consumer electronics industry look like incompetents. It may not be a shiny new gadget you can show off to the envy of your early adopter friends, but its going to make a meaningful difference for countless people. We can all agree that no kid is going to hang a poster of Tim Cook on their bedroom wall in the same way they might with Jobs, or even Musk. I dont think thats a bad thing, because Cooks legacy isnt in headlines or fawning biopics, its in a legacy of actually getting things done. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/heres-to-the-stable-ones-in-praise-of-tim-cook-144850435.html?src=rss

Hey Meta workers, are you getting paid for those keystrokes?

No longer content to subsume recognizable intellectual properties , the majority of the i ndexed internet and books ( basically all of them ), AI will apparently now begin devouring its own workforce. A report in Reuters alleged that the keystrokes, mouse movements and clicks of Meta's workforce are to be captured for the purposes of training AI something the company's communications department was happy to confirmed as accurate! In a cheery missive, a company spokesperson told Engadget that If we're building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them [...] were launching an internal tool that will capture these kinds of inputs on certain applications to help us train our models. All this leads one to ask the obvious question: hey, what the fuck? The nature of at-will employment in the United States is such that your boss basically never needs to explain why your job duties change, but it's rarely so sweeping, so brazen or so unavoidably tied to the reminder that you are being surveilled at a frighteningly granular level. Gross! Installing keyloggers on someone else's computer in a non-work setting can often constitute a criminal offense (hello CFAA !) and it's frankly weird we allow this sort of thing to happen in the workplace at all. But in this case, there's at least some possibility this data may eventually be used to replace the exact people currently strongarmed into making those clicks and clacking those keys or as a thin excuse to lay a lot of them off . It's not as though the data underpinning large language models is worthless. Ill-gotten information has been the subject of exorbitant settlements and many pending court cases with considerable sums riding on their eventual judgements. If Meta thought it could obtain this sort of data from its estimated 3.5 billion combined users instead of its comparably paltry body of employees without it immediately reading as the single most invasive chapter in a laughably long history of move fast, break things, and never admit to the mess, wouldn't it just... do that? Technology has progressed so far, yet people continue to really hate feeling taken advantage of. And that sort of thing is still bad for business . In a fragile economy floated by rampant self-dealing and the shifting moods of a few very rich weirdos, even the mere mention of AI's relentless forward march to annihilate its own creators can make a shoe company's stock pop, however briefly . Maybe that's why Meta was delighted to confirm the broad details of the Reuters story, yet declined multiple requests to comment on if workers can opt out of this surveillance, or if they are being compensated in any way for their data. I, for one, would still love to know! Do you work at Meta and want to talk confidentially? I'm @amarae.60 on Signal. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/hey-meta-workers-are-you-getting-paid-for-those-keystrokes-131934881.html?src=rss

BMW's new i7 xDrive EVs will offer longer range and faster charging

BMW just announced its 7-series lineup for 2027 promising the most extensive model update ever undertaken by the Bavarian automaker. The series includes a pair of i7 EVs, a plug-in hybrid, two ICE models and a V8-powered M model all running on BMW's Neue Klasse technology and flaunting all-new design language. BMW describes its updated luxury segment design language as monolithic, touting the minimalist crystal headlights and (divisive) light-up kidney Iconic Glow grille . The body form includes a new character line that lends an almost boat-tail-like aesthetic to the three-quarter view, according to the company. BMW also hyped its new Individual Dual-Finish paint that pairs a matte finish in the lower area of the vehicle with a manually-applied metallic finish in the upper section for a discrete but supremely elegant look. The 7-series offers some shiny new interior tech as well, with an extensive upgrade for its 31.3-inch 8K BMW Theater Screen that gives back seat passengers 8K streaming, gaming and Zoom calls. If you get BMW's Digital Premium package (which includes 5G data), you'll also gain access to a TiVo powered video app, select games and the BMW Drive Recorder that gathers exterior footage in case of an accident. Naturally, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as standard. The new lineup also offers special welcome and goodbye animations for when you approach and walk away from the vehicles, in Relaxed, Balanced and Excited modes. Part of that animation is the Ceremonial Light Carpet that projects a dynamic graphic light pattern onto the ground near the door. With two new i7 electric sedans the i7 50 xDrive and i7 60 xDrive BMW has far from given up on EVs. Both promise reduced sound levels thanks to their sound-isolated electric motors, along with instantaneous power delivery, passenger comfort and a luxurious ambience. BMW's new 7 series (the gas powered version) at Grand Central. The electric version were not allowed inside the terminal,. Sam Rutherford Both come with all-new cylindrical battery packs with 20 percent higher energy density and capacities up to 112.5 kWh. Combined with increased drive system efficiency, they'll power the BMW i7 60 xDrive up to an EPA-estimated 350 miles on a charge. You'll also be able to charge them quicker thanks to the higher 250 kW charging rate. The company claims they'll go from 10 to 80 percent in just 28 minutes with a compatible charger. The i7 50 xDrive's dual motors offer up to 449 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, allowing acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds with a 130 mph top speed. The i7 60 xDrive, meanwhile, packs 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 mph time of just 4.6 seconds and a top speed (electronically limited) of 149 mph. They'll also feature a new adaptive recuperation system that takes traffic lights into account and can automatically brake. Drivers can choose from high, medium or low brake energy recuperation, with the high setting offering a one-pedal feeling. BMW also introduced AI-powered charging optimized route planning to include charging stops if a destination is outside the vehicle's range. It can even precondition the battery to an ideal temperature to increase the charging rate as soon as the vehicle is plugged in. The i7 50 xDrive and i7 60 xDrive are debuting today at Auto China 2026 in Beijing and at a special New York City event at Grand Central Terminal. Production begins in July 2026 and they'll be priced starting at $106,200 and $124,700 (plus $1,550 destination and handling) respectively. BMW is also introducing the 750e xDrive PHEV arriving in 2027, which pairs a 308 hp six cylinder inline engine with a 194 hp electric motor for a combined peak 483 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. No electric-only range was specified, but the top speed on all-electric power will be limited to 87 mph. That model will start production in Q4 2026, with no price yet announced. Finally, BMW's 740 and 740 xDrive ICE vehicles will offer up to 394 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, offering sub-five second 0 to 60 mph sprint times and 155 mph top speeds. They'll arrive later this year at $99,800 and $102,800 respectively. All of the new 7-series models and drivetrain variants, including EVs, will be built on a single production line at BMW's Group Plant in Dingolfing. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/bmws-new-i7-xdrive-evs-will-offer-longer-range-and-faster-charging-131059423.html?src=rss

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book preview: A choose-your-own-adventure even adults can love

Yoshi's solo titles have always been a product of contrasts: lovingly crafted art styles belying somewhat thin gameplay meant to appeal to a younger audience. But after getting the chance to preview Yoshi and the Mysterious Book , it feels like Nintendo has created a cozy side-scroller that retains the accessibility of earlier titles while adding extra depth and replayability for gamers of all ages. As you'd expect from Nintendo's lovable green dino, Yoshi's moveset consists of familiar techniques like his signature ground pound, egg toss, extendable tongue and jumping flutter kicks, the latter of which now last longer than ever before. Seriously, if you get enough height, you can float across entire levels. However, one new mechanic is that Yoshi now also possesses a tail flick that allows him to toss certain enemies onto his back. Not only is this a nice twist after years of often being treated as a beast of burden by Mario and co., it also allows Yoshi to use whoever he's carrying to interact with other elements in the stage. By flicking a Crayzee Dayzee (one of the new flower characters) into his saddle, Yoshi can make plants bloom to earn stars and uncover secrets, for example. Instead of selecting a stage based on its location, in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book you choose new levels by picking which character you'd like to meet next. Nintendo Instead of simply remixing the gorgeous textile-inspired visuals we saw in Yoshi's Woolly World and Yoshi's Crafted World , Nintendo opted for a treatment that looks like a children's bedtime story. The game looks hand-drawn, while also featuring a cell-shaded effect that adds extra depth and impact to characters and backgrounds. Animations have a sort of hitch (which I initially mistook for a bug) that gives them a stop-motion effect, as if you're seeing the pages of a flipbook whiz by instead of frames being refreshed on a digital display. But the biggest change in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is that it's not a traditional side-scrolling format. In many ways, this title plays like a mix between an adventure game and a platformer. Instead of just running to the right as fast as possible, the game encourages you to explore, experiment, backtrack and see what kind of new hijinks Yoshi can discover. Don't do what I did and mindlessly run around and eat up every enemy you see, because there's a good chance they are more valuable alive instead of being turned into an egg. It's almost like Nintendo applied a similar approach to subverting expectations in Super Mario Bros. Wonder , but builds on that style of gameplay even more here. Now Yoshi is in control of who gets to ride on his back. Nintendo To really drive home the children's storybook conceit, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book gives you greater control over how you unlock and explore new levels. Instead of linearly moving from one stage to the next, you actually select stages by moving a magnifying glass over a new character, allowing you to learn who they are experientially. Collect enough stars from quests and you can decide where you'll go and who you'll meet next, while spending tokens found throughout each level allows you to reveal hints about how to find and complete specific objectives. Then, once you finish a stage, Mr E. (who is both the titular book and acts as the game's narrator), allows you to name each new character whatever you like. Instead of fighting, sometimes Yoshi just needs to help out Shy Guys by flicking them on his back and bringing them back home. Nintendo The one thing that may rub old-school sidescroller fans the wrong way though is that Yoshi doesn't take damage for all intents and purposes, he's invincible. This is great for kids because they don't need to worry about running out of lives or looking for coins to heal. But after playing through a couple of chapters, I found that the game can still be quite challenging the learning process is just a bit more forgiving. One objective required me to bounce off the heads of a series of Croakaokes (the chubby amphibians that make sounds when you jump on them) to the tune of Mary had a little lamb while trying to reach a high-up platform. If you play a note out of order or miss a jump, it's not game over, but you will need to start over from the bottom. And even without damage, enemies like Bunchabees will still chase you around and disrupt your adventuring if you try to ignore them. Croakaokes love to sing when Yoshi jumps on their head. Nintendo Yoshi's latest adventure might not be a super traditional side-scrolling platformer, but it offers a fresh take on the genre while also providing a new level of exploration and adventure for gamers of all ages. But I suppose the real test will be if it gets my own kid's seal of approval. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is available for pre-order now for the Switch 2 before official sales begin on May 21 ($70 for a physical copy or $60 for a digital download). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/yoshi-and-the-mysterious-book-preview-a-choose-your-own-adventure-even-adults-can-love-130000507.html?src=rss

Anker's 'Thus' chip brings AI to its headphones and other products

Anker has announced its own chip that can give its small, wearable products AI capabilities that run locally on device. The company is planning to debut the chip called Thus on a new model of headphones, slated to be unveiled at its Anker Day event on May 21. Anker calls Thus the first Compute-in-Memory (CIM) AI audio chip with neural networks. The company explains that Thus is inspired by the workings of the human brain in that the storage and processing of information takes place in one location instead of keeping them separate, similar to how it works on modern chips for computers. Thus integrates computing power directly into NOR flash memory cells, which provide faster read speeds than NAND memory. A NOR-based CIM system requires only a tiny space inside devices, which makes it an ideal option for small products like headphones. Anker says headphones are a particularly challenging environment to demonstrate what a new chip can do, because hardly any other device places higher demands on an AI chip. They have a tiny space allotted for components and operate with just a few milliwatts of power, even though they have to consistently provide noise cancellation. If the model delivers, it could be a huge advertisement for Thus, which Anker plans to put in other mobile accessories and IoT devices, as well. While the company has yet to reveal all its upcoming headphones AI-powered capabilities, it did announce one particular feature. Clear Calls, as its called, will cancel noise with a large neural network running entirely on the device, supported by eight MEMS microphones and two bone conduction sensors. Anker says it will enable significantly clearer conversations even in environments that are challenging for conventional noise cancellation. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ankers-thus-chip-brings-ai-to-its-headphones-and-other-products-122142552.html?src=rss

X finally adds custom timelines

Nikita Bier, Xs head of product, has announced the launch of custom timelines, which lets you curate what you see on your feed based on your topics of interest. He called the update one of the biggest changes to X and a huge undertaking that took the team many months to develop. The feature lets you pin specific topics to your home tab, so you can switch from one to the other to see the latest discussions about your interests and hobbies. Bier said that Xs custom timelines is powered by Grok's understanding of every post with the algorithm's personalization. You have 75 topics to choose from, including food, art, photography, business, finance, movies and TV. As youd expect, the personalization aspect of the feature works better if its a topic you already engage with regularly. Xs new feature is similar to Blueskys and Threads custom feeds, which also allow you to pin topic-based timelines to the home screens of the apps, and which their users have been enjoying since 2023 and 2024, respectively. At the moment, Xs custom timelines is still in its early access phase and is only available to Premium subscribers on iOS. It will be rolling out to Premium users on Android very soon, as well. Bier has also announced that X has released a tool to snooze topics on the For You tab. With the tool, youll be able to hide certain topics, such as politics or sports, for 24 hours from your feed. Its now available for Premium users on iOS and the web. Ladies and gentlemen, today we're launching one of our biggest changes to Introducing Custom Timelines This feature allows you to pin a specific topic to your home tab. With support for over 75 topics, you can dive deep into your favorite niche on X. It's powered by Grok's pic.twitter.com/9jkIEXvubj Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 21, 2026 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-finally-adds-custom-timelines-103130966.html?src=rss

Anthropic is investigating 'unauthorized access' of its Mythos cybersecurity tool

Anthropic is investigating potential unauthorized access to its Claude Mythos model that has been touted for its ability to find cybersecurity flaws, the company told Bloomberg . A group gained access to the model through a third-party contractor portal and by using internet sleuthing tools, according to the report. However, the group is only interested in trying the models and not using them maliciously, according to a person familiar with the matter. We're investigating a report claiming unauthorized access to Claude Mythos Previous through one of our third-party vendor environments, Anthropic said in a statement. The Claude Mythos Preview arrived earlier this month as part of Project Glasswing with significant fanfare. Anthropic limited the preview release to a small number of trusted test companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Cisco. Another was Mozilla, which said the model helped it find and patch 271 Firefox vulnerabilities . A growing number of banks and government agencies have been seeking access as well in order to safeguard their own systems. However, several unauthorized users (who reportedly have a private chat on Discord), supposedly gained access to Mythos through a developer portal and by making an educated guess as to where the model might be located. That same group may also have access to other unreleased Anthropic models, according to the report. The new Mythos model has gained notoriety of late for its supposed ability to sniff out security flaws in operating systems and internet browsers. This has prompted some skepticism among security researchers but also fear that AI-generated cyber attacks could become a eal threat, CTO of cloud security firm Edera Alex Zenla recently told Wired . Anthropic was recently designated as a supply chain risk by the US Department of Defense, but has been in talks with the Trump administration of late to have that label removed. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-is-investigating-unauthorized-access-of-its-mythos-cybersecurity-tool-091017168.html?src=rss

SpaceX and Cursor strike partnership that might end in a $60 billion acquisition

SpaceX and AI company Cursor have struck a new partnership that could see the owner of X buy the AI company for $60 billion later this year. SpaceXAI and @cursor_ai are now working closely together to create the worlds best coding and knowledge work AI, SpaceX wrote in a post on X. SpaceXAI and @cursor_ai are now working closely together to create the worlds best coding and knowledge work AI. The combination of Cursors leading product and distribution to expert software engineers with SpaceXs million H100 equivalent Colossus training supercomputer will SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 21, 2026 According to SpaceX, the deal allows for it to either invest $10 billion into the company known for its AI coding tool, or acquire it entirely later this year for $60 billion. If an acquisition were to happen, it's not clear at what point Cursor could officially join the fold of Elon Musk's rapidly expanding and increasingly enmeshed web of companies. SpaceX bought xAI, the billionaire's AI company that also controls X , earlier this year . SpaceX is currently getting ready to go public this summer in what will likely be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) in history. Cursor, which has reportedly been in talks to raise its own $2 billion round of funding, is known for its AI coding tool of the same name that's become the vibe coding platform of choice for many developers. It allows people to use either its own models or those from other leading AI companies, including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and xAI. In a statement , Cursor said its partnership with SpaceX will accelerate our model training efforts while addressing infrastructure-related issues that have slowed it down in the past. We've wanted to push our training efforts much further, but we've been bottlenecked by compute, the company said. With this partnership, our team will leverage xAI's Colossus infrastructure to dramatically scale up the intelligence of our models for coding and beyond. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/spacex-and-cursor-strike-partnership-that-might-end-in-a-60-billion-acquisition-232131487.html?src=rss

Mozilla says it patched 271 Firefox vulnerabilities thanks to Anthropic's Claude Mythos

Anthropic's buzzy announcement about using AI to improve cybersecurity earlier this month was met with plenty of skepticism. However, Mozilla shared some details that support use of the company's special Claude Mythos Preview model as a way to protect critical services. Using Mythos helped Mozilla's team find and patch 271 vulnerabilities in the latest release of the Firefox browser. So far weve found no category or complexity of vulnerability that humans can find that this model cant, the foundation said. The blog post from Mozilla feels like a positive sign for Anthropic's Project Glasswing. Obviously the AI company would want to put itself in the best possible light while presenting its own initiative, but there's something encouraging about hearing the benefits from a third party. Mozilla also noted that in its time with Claude Mythos, the AI wasn't able to turn up any bugs that a human wouldn't have been able to find, given enough time and resources, which indicates that AI isn't presently able to do more to crack cybersecurity protections than a person can. An organizaion successfully using AI for good is certainly a refreshing change of pace in tech news. And for those Firefox users who aren't personally interested in applying any generative AI in their browsing, Mozilla has given the option to turn it all off for the past several months. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/mozilla-says-it-patched-271-firefox-vulnerabilities-thanks-to-anthropics-claude-mythos-224330023.html?src=rss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Florida AG opens criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT

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

ChatGPT Images 2.0 is better at rendering non-Latin text

A little more than a year after OpenAI gave ChatGPT users the option to create images and designs directly from its chatbot , it's now releasing ChatGPT Images 2.0 . OpenAI describes the new system as a step change for image generation models, particularly when it comes to the tools ability to follow instructions in detail, render dense text and place and relate objects in a scene. For the first time, OpenAI has also built an image model with reasoning capabilities, giving the system the ability to do things like search the web and verify its outputs. According to the company, those capabilities should translate to a tool that's more reliable when accuracy, consistency and visual cohesion are essential. An example of ChatGPT's new non-Latin rendering abilities. OpenAI OpenAI says it has also put in a lot of work to make Images 2.0 better at understanding and rendering non-Latin text, with significant gains when it comes to the model's ability to handle Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi and Bengali. At the same time, the company claims the new model is better at faithfully recreating the specific characteristics of different visual languages. On this point, OpenAI says that makes Images 2.0 more useful for tasks like game prototyping and storyboarding.Outside of those features, the new model is more flexible when it comes to aspect ratios, allowing it to generate images that are as wide as 3:1 and as tall as 1:3. It can also produce designs at resolutions of up to 2K, and even generate up to eight outputs in one go. A tortoiseshell cat in the style of Pokemon's third generation of games. ChatGPT I got a chance to preview Images 2.0 ahead of its public release. For my first prompt, I asked ChatGPT to generate an image of a tortoiseshell cat in the pixel art style of Pokmon's third generation. I thought this would be a good test because AI models typically struggle with pixel art, and the Game Boy Advance Pokmon games are iconic for their art style, so much so that if ChatGPT merely approximated that style, it wouldn't do. The result is the image you see above, and I think ChatGPT did a commendable job there. I then tasked the new model with converting that image into a transparent PNG. For one last test, I asked ChatGPT to create a four-page manga about my cat enjoying a sunny day by an idyllic city stream. Notice how the cat isn't render exactly like the one above it. ChatGPT Of those three tests, ChatGPT spent the most time on the second one and the output there was slightly different from the first image it generated, which I felt deviated from my prompt. Still, it managed to generate a proper transparent image, which is something other image models can struggle to do properly.Once more people have a chance to put the model through its paces, well have a better idea of how it compares to Googles Nano Banana 2 , and where OpenAI can make additional improvements. A manga generated by ChatGPT about a cat enjoying a sunny day. ChatGPT Images 2.0 is available starting today for all ChatGPT users, including those on the company's Free and Go tiers . Plus and Pro subscribers get access to more advanced outputs. OpenAI is also making the model available through its API service and Codex coding app , which just last week it updated to offer built-in image generation . Notably, Images 2.0 arrives just days after Anthropic waded into the visual design market with its own design assistant . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-images-20-is-better-at-rendering-non-latin-text-190000153.html?src=rss

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

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

Framework is building an eGPU kit for its Laptop 16

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

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

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

NASA's Curiosity Rover found promising organic chemicals on Mars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LG's super-thin Wallpaper OLED TV starts at $5,500

The single most impressive piece of technology I saw at CES this year was LGs revamped Wallpaper TV , AKA the OLED evo w6 . Its about as thin as a typical pencil, its completely wireless and it packs in all of LGs latest OLED technology, giving it incredibly rich colors and anti-reflective capabilities. We ended up giving the Wallpaper set our best TV of CES 2026 award, simply because it looked so damn good. Now, we finally know how much it costs: LG announced the 77-inch evo w6 will go for $5,500, while the 83-inch model will sell for $7,500. Both sets are a $1,000 premium over the OLED evo G6 models, which are LGs highest-end TVs without the companys super-thin Wallpaper tech. While the thicker sets are obviously a better deal, theres still something inherently impressive about the Wallpaper models. For many people, the simple wow factor of the evo W6s design will be worth the extra $1,000. If that all sounds too rich for your blood, LGs mainstream OLED sets are far cheaper , starting at $1,399 for the 43-inch C6 set. And if you dont need the latest OLED panels around, its worth keeping an eye out for deals around older models. Ive seen 65-inch C5 sets for near $1,000, and 77-inch TVs for around $1,500 . Those older sets will be a bit less bright, and probably show more reflections, but in a dim room theyll still have all the benefits of OLED: Incredibly high contrast, and ridiculously dark black levels. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/lgs-super-thin-wallpaper-oled-tv-starts-at-5500-163415130.html?src=rss

Google now lets you have full conversations with Gemini for Home

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

Samsung brings SmartThings integration to IKEA's Matter devices

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

Chipolo and Secrid team up for a new trackable wallet

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

Amazon allegedly pressured companies to raise product prices with other retailers

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

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

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

Yelp's AI chatbot can now make your dinner reservation

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

Homeland Security reportedly wants to develop smart glasses for ICE

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

Sennheiser launches HD 480 Pro, the closed-back headphones fans have been waiting for

Sennheiser has introduced a new high-end headphone set for audio professionals. The HD 480 Pro is essentially a closed-back reimagining of the company's popular HD 490 Pro headset. Both headphones are designed for audio professionals, aiming to fit both a studio or a live performance setting. The company is positioning this product as a versatile option that can handle recording, monitoring, producing or mixing. The HD 480 Pro aims to address two complaints for closed-back headsets: comfort for long wearing sessions and accurate bass reproduction. Sennheiser uses what it dubs a Vibration Attenuation System to prevent distortions or reflections in the audio signal. The cable can be detached and used on the left or right side in order to accommodate different setups. To address comfort, the HD 480 Pro uses some of the same proprietary fit features as the HD 490 Pro, including cushioned pads at the temples for people also wearing glasses and a design that maintains equal contact pressure for any head shape. The headphones will retail for $479 and the set comes with recording earpads, a 9-foot coiled cable and a carrying bag. A travel case is available for $15. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sennheiser-launches-hd-480-pro-the-closed-back-headphones-fans-have-been-waiting-for-080000727.html?src=rss

Instagram says a bug turned your photos black and white

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meta is testing a WhatsApp Plus subscription that mostly focuses on cosmetic upgrades

Meta is testing out a premium version of its messaging app, called WhatsApp Plus, that will include several paywalled features. As first spotted by WABetaInfo , Meta is currently rolling out a paid version of WhatsApp, which features mostly cosmetic upgrades. According to the Help Center page , WhatsApp Plus subscribers will get access to premium stickers that can have special effects and the ability to personalize the app's themes and icons. Beyond the decorative elements, WhatsApp Plus users can pin up to 20 chats, set a premium ringtone for certain contacts and further customize chat lists with alerts, ringtones and themes. According to WABetaInfo , WhatsApp is exploring more features for its premium plan , but there's no exact pricing announced yet. Subscription costs currently range from 229 Pakistani Rupees, or less than $1, to 2.49, or around $3, according to WABetaInfo . Meta isn't paywalling any of WhatsApp's basic functions, so the ability to send messages, make voice calls and take advantage of end-to-end encryption remains free. However, the introduction of WhatsApp Plus follows Meta also trialing Instagram Plus , which previewed premium features like Stories that last longer than 24 hours and sending super hearts. The prices haven't been announced for Instagram Plus either, but WABetaInfo reported that Meta may offer one-month trials for any interested users of WhatsApp Plus. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/meta-is-testing-a-whatsapp-plus-subscription-that-mostly-focuses-on-cosmetic-upgrades-175452371.html?src=rss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Elden Ring movie hits theaters on March 3, 2028

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

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

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

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

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

The Mandalorian and Grogu director used Apple Vision Pro to preview the film in IMAX

Director Jon Favreau ( Iron Man , The Jungle Book ) hasn't been shy about embracing new technology for filmmaking. While producing The Mandalorian for Disney+, he was one of the first filmmakers to use ILM's massive LED screens , AKA The Volume, to produce more realistic lighting and backgrounds on studio sets. For the feature film The Mandalorian and Grogu , which hits theaters May 22, Favreau recently revealed that he had Disney build an Apple Vision Pro app to preview its full IMAX scope during filming. So I'm making an IMAX movie, and I'm looking at a TV screen, and no matter how big your TV screen is it's not an IMAX screen, Favreau said in a recent episode of The Town podcast . We built software so that I can pop on my Apple Vision Pro and be sitting in an IMAX movie theater and see the full aspect ratio when we're lining a shot up. And I can watch that take and see what people will see. Favreau isn't the first director to use the Apple Vision Pro Wicked filmmaker Jon Chu also used it to handle post-production work but he's the first to specifically mention using the headset for IMAX production. That's still a relatively limited use case for the Apple Vision Pro, but it's one that could be useful to future filmmakers. With its large field of view and sharp micro-OLED screens, the Apple Vision Pro is one of the only ways to replicate the experience of watching a large IMAX screen at home. (The Meta Quest 3 comes in as a close second.) In general, Favreau says he's more excited about using existing consumer technology in the filmmaking process than AI. He mentions using the Unreal Engine to previsualize special effects on The Mandalorian and his previous films, and he believes the quality from game engines could be good enough to make it into final productions down the line. This is what the animation industry has understood from the beginning, he said. Get it right before you ever paint a cel. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-director-used-apple-vision-pro-to-preview-the-film-in-imax-140331311.html?src=rss

GoPros Mission 1 camera series will start at $600

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

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

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