Hardware

The Dune: Part Three trailer introduces Robert Pattinson's villainous new character

It's only been two years since Dune: Part Two took over multiplexes, but we already have a trailer for the third installment. The appropriately-named Dune: Part Three is an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah book from 1969. Just like the book, the latest film takes place a number of years after Dune: Part Two . If the first movie was contemplation, a boy exploring a new world, and the second one is a war movie, this one is a thriller, according to The Hollywood Reporter . It is action-packed and tense. More muscular. Despite the time jump, most primary actors are returning. This includes Timothe Chalamet, Zendaya and Javier Bardem. Anya Taylor-Joy, who briefly appeared in the second film, is also coming back. The same goes for Jason Momoa, despite his Duncan Idaho character dying in the first film. Book readers will likely understand what that means. The trailer also highlights the antagonist Scytale, as portrayed by Robert Pattinson. He should be a more nuanced villain than Baron Harkonnen, though that's not exactly a high bar. The release date is coming up fast. Dune: Part Three hits theaters on December 18. That's this year. Villeneuve had intended to take a break after making the second one to focus on a smaller and more personal film, but said that he kept waking in the middle of the night with potential images from the third installment. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-dune-part-three-trailer-introduces-robert-pattinsons-villainous-new-character-173758393.html?src=rss

Arizona attorney general sues Kalshi on illegal gambling charges

Kalshi has been sued by Arizona's attorney general for operating an illegal gambling business in the state and unlawfully allowing people to place bets on elections. Kalshi may brand itself as a 'prediction market,' but what it's actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation and taking bets on Arizona elections, both of which violate Arizona law, the state's Attorney General Kris Mayes said . The company defines itself as a prediction markets platform, where users make bets on the outcomes of events ranging from sporting matches to political actions. Kalshi has claimed that it operates under the auspices of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and shouldn't be faced with the state-level charges of running unlicensed gambling. The case follows a similar action against Kalshi filed in Nevada last month. Kalshi also made headlines this year when an employee of popular YouTuber MrBeast was accused of insider trading on the platform. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/arizona-attorney-general-sues-kalshi-on-illegal-gambling-charges-172006290.html?src=rss

Fortnite will return to Google's Play Store globally on March 19

Now that Epic Games and Google have made up or at least found a way to resolve their long-running disputes everyone with a compatible Android device can get back to the business of playing Fortnite . The game will return to the Play Store globally on March 19, the same day that the next Fortnite season goes live. It previously dropped back onto the Play Store in the US in December. Google pulled Fortnite from the Play Store back in 2020 after Epic tried to bypass the 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases that the storefront too. Apple did the same thing with the App Store version of Fortnite . Epic swiftly sued Google and Apple , kickstarting years-long legal battles with both companies. No matter where you are, weve got you covered. Fortnite is back on Google Play. 3.19.26: https://t.co/8M0MjZcvDI pic.twitter.com/QWyR1TEJzX Fortnite (@Fortnite) March 17, 2026 The dispute with Apple ultimately led to the company having to open up the App Store in certain markets, including the US and EU. Fortnite returned to the App Store in the EU in 2024 and in the US last year . Google and Epic reached a settlement in November. Earlier this month, Google announced that it was lowering the cut it takes of in-app payments from 30 percent to between 10 and 20 percent. At that time, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney (who reportedly agreed not to publicly talk smack about the Play Store until 2032 as part of the settlement) confirmed that Fortnite would return to Google's mobile storefront. Epic recently announced a price increase for the in-game V-Bucks currency. It also confirmed that Fortnite Save the World the game's original mode is going free-to-play in April . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-will-return-to-googles-play-store-globally-on-march-19-170200794.html?src=rss

YouTube and FIFA partner up for the 2026 World Cup

FIFA is turning to streaming platforms to maximize its return on the 2026 World Cup. Two months after announcing a Preferred Platform partnership with TikTok , the organization has now struck a similar deal with YouTube. Broadcasting rights are FIFAs largest revenue stream for the tournament and media companies pay top dollar for that access. So, deals like this with streaming platforms help sweeten the package for broadcasters looking to boost their reach. What does that look like for those watching from home? FIFA says its media partners will have the option of streaming a select number of matches in full on their YouTube channels. They can also live-stream the first 10 minutes of every match, presumably serving as a hook to coax viewers to finish the match on television. In addition, FIFA's media partners will get access to every angle of match footage to craft custom content. As the world's attention turns to the action in Canada, Mexico and the United States, this collaboration with YouTube reinforces our ambition to maximise the tournament's impact across the ever-evolving media landscape, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrm said. He says the partnership will offer fans everywhere easy access to an immersive view of the biggest single-sport event in history. The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19. Matches will take place in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the US. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/youtube-and-fifa-partner-up-for-the-2026-world-cup-170200470.html?src=rss

GPT-5.4 mini brings some of the smarts of OpenAI's latest model to ChatGPT Free and Go users

When OpenAI released GPT-5.4 at the start of March , the company said the new model was designed primarily for professional work like programming and data analysis. Now OpenAI is launching GPT-5.4 mini and nano, and while it is once again highlighting the usefulness of these new systems for tasks like coding, one of the new models is available to Free and Go users . What's more, that model, GPT-5.4 mini, even offers performance that approaches GPT-5.4 in a handful of areas. As a Free or Go user, you can access 5.4 mini by selecting Thinking from ChatGPT's plus menu. For paid users, the model is the new fallback for when you've hit your rate limit with 5.4 proper. OpenAI says 5.4 mini offers better performance than GPT-5.0 mini in a few different key areas, including reasoning, multimodal understanding and tool use. That means 5.4 mini is better at parsing non-text inputs such as images and audio, and has a more nuanced understanding of how to do things like search the web. It does all of this while running more than twice as fast as its predecessor. As for GPT-5.4 nano, OpenAI says it's ideal for tasks such as data classification and extraction where speed and cost-efficiency are top of mind. If you're a ChatGPT user, you won't find the new model in the chatbot. Instead, OpenAI is making it only available through its API service. The company envisions developers using more advanced models to delegate tasks to AI agents running GPT-5.4 nano, and that's reflected in the cost of the new model, which OpenAI has priced starting at $0.20 per million input tokens. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gpt-54-mini-brings-some-of-the-smarts-of-openais-latest-model-to-chatgpt-free-and-go-users-170000585.html?src=rss

Switch 2 software update adds 'Handheld Mode Boost' for your old games

We might not have had a proper Nintendo Direct in 2026 yet, but there have been plenty of Switch and Switch 2-related announcements in the last few weeks, including a release date for the Yoshi and the Mysterious Book , a surprise port of Kena: Bridge of Spirits and the final trailer for the imminent The Super Mario Galaxy Movie . But if youre a Switch 2 owner who prefers to play your library of games in handheld mode, Nintendos latest announcement might be the one that interests you most. The company has released the 22.0.0 system update for its latest console , which brings with it a host of tweaks and improvements, the most notable of which being the introduction of Handheld Mode Boost. If youve played any original Switch games that havent received next-gen patches in handheld mode on Switch 2, you might have noticed that they look a bit blurry and unappealing. Thats because theyre still rendering at 720p on the Switch 2s larger 1080p display, so the image is being stretched to fit a screen it wasnt designed for. Handheld Mode Boost doesnt mean that all unpatched Switch games are now natively running at 1080p on Switch 2, but rather that the console is telling them to run in the original Switchs docked TV mode which was able to output at 1080p on the handheld. Since launch this has seemed like the obvious workaround for Switch games, but it has taken nearly a year for Nintendo to implement it. You should see higher resolution visuals and, in some cases, better performance, as a result. When running original Switch games in Handheld Boost Mode (enabled via a toggle in the system menu) your Switch 2 will treat the attached Joy-Con 2 controllers as if they were a Pro Controller. This disables features like motion controls and touchscreen functionality, meaning some games won't work on the newer hardware with Handheld Boost Mode turned on. Eurogamer names Super Mario Maker 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD as two examples of games that aren't compatible at the moment. There are a number of other updates in version 22.0.0, including a new animation for loading a virtual game card, new GameChat features and more customization options in flight mode. The full list of patch notes can be found here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-2-software-update-adds-handheld-mode-boost-for-your-old-games-165451808.html?src=rss

Starfield is coming to PS5 on April 7

Starfield is officially coming to PS5 , with a launch date set for April 7. Preorders are open right now for both the digital and physical versions. It's long been rumored that Bethesda's sci-fi RPG would be going multiplatform and, well, here we are. The PS5 version will tap into the DualSense controller's capabilities with adaptive triggers that work differently depending on the weapon you're using. The light bar will offer an indication of your character and ship health (if you ever look at it while you're playing, that is). You'll also be able to use the touchpad to switch between points of view and access your map and hand scanner. There will be a standard edition and a premium edition, matching the versions that originally showed up on Xbox consoles. The premium edition includes the base game, the Shattered Space and Terran Armada story expansions, a skin pack, some virtual currency and a digital artbook/soundtrack. The standard edition is $50, and the premium version will run you $70. If you buy the base game and decide later that you want to upgrade to the premium version to access the DLC, there'll be a $25 upgrade available. Other notable former Xbox exclusives have gone multiplatform, including Avowed , Forza Horizon 5 , Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and Sea of Thieves . The PS5 will even be home to a Halo game in the near future. It's been rumored that the Switch 2 would be getting its own Starfield port at some point. If Nintendo's new console can handle Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , another Bethesda release, it can likely run Starfield . As for the Terran Armada DLC, that will be available on April 7 alongside a free update. The latter (which is dubbed Free Lanes) includes an overhaul of the space travel system. You'll be able to fly freely between planets in a star system and enable cruise mode, which enables you to chat with shipmates or decorate your ship while traveling. Points of interest will pop up while you're in cruise mode as well you can switch your destination to one of those instead if there's something that catches your interest. There are more space encounters too. If you run into one of these, your ship will exit cruise mode and you'll have to deal with the situation before continuing. These encounters may or may not feature combat. In some cases, you'll have to explore ship wreckages. The free update also introduces deeper customization for weapons, gear and ships through a collectible item called X-Tech. You'll be able to spend this (and regular credits) on re-rolls for legendary effects for your weapons. Elsewhere, there's a new database system; more side quests; two higher-level quality tiers (superior and exceptional) for your gear; an optimization terminal you can add to your ship to help customize and upgrade your ride; containers from which you'll be access stored gear at any of your outposts; an outpost pet; and much more. In addition, there'll be a way for you to start a New Game+ run with all of the gear you've previously acquired. If you don't have the premium edition of Starfield , you can buy the Terran Armada DLC for $10. This includes a new story questline. You'll face the Terrans, an advanced militant force with their own vision for the Settled Systems. One Terran robot will be available as a new companion. The DLC introduces an Incursion system. This includes battles that form a key part of the DLC storyline. These range from small skirmishes to large-scale infiltrations of Terran vessels where the objectives can vary, Bethesda wrote in a blog post . You'll be able to replay incursions to score extra loot. Via the gameplay options, you can limit how often non-story-required incursions pop up. Terran Armada also adds new gear and ship parts; elite crew members; an outpost pre-build and decorations; and more. Starfield is a huge sci-fi RPG with elements of Mass Effect and Fallout . We were blown away by its graphical beauty , but were initially underwhelmed by the generic story and gameplay. The game has, however, received a fair number of improvements since launch. It's pretty good now, and hopefully the Free Lanes update and DLC will improve things even further. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/starfield-is-coming-to-ps5-on-april-7-162341201.html?src=rss

More Game Pass additions for March include Disco Elysium and Resident Evil 7

Microsoft has revealed the second wave of Game Pass additions for March. Disco Elysium and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard headline the 12-title batch, and several games previously exclusive to the Ultimate tier are also expanding to Premium. DreamWorks Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party kicks off the wave on March 17. South of Midnight , the action-adventure from Xbox studio Compulsion Games, and The Alters both arrive on March 18 on the Premium tier after being Ultimate-only. The Alters , from Frostpunk studio 11 Bit Studios, strands you on a hostile planet where your survival plan involves creating alternate versions of yourself based on different life choices and putting them to work. Disco Elysium arrives on March 19 across all tiers. ZA/UM 's detective RPG casts you as an amnesiac cop tasked with solving a murder, though the game is just as happy to let you become an absolute disaster of a human being. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth , from the series formerly known as Yakuza , hits on March 24. Action packed roguelite Absolum, which we loved , follows on March 25, marking its Xbox debut. Roman city-builder Nova Roma arrives March 26 as a day-one Game Pass release, and survival game The Long Dark joins on March 30. First-person survival epic Resident Evil 7: Biohazard arrives on March 31. Barbie Horse Trails and 2025 Game of the Year Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 both land on April 2, with Clair Obscur coming to the Premium tier after launching as a day-one Game Pass Ultimate title. Final Fantasy IV rounds out the wave on April 7. Peppa Pig World Adventures and Mad Streets leave Game Pass on March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/more-game-pass-additions-for-march-include-disco-elysium-and-resident-evil-7-161050028.html?src=rss

Google makes Gemini personalization available to free users

At the start of the year, Google introduced Personal Intelligence , a Gemini feature that allows the chatbot to pull information from the user's other Google apps and services to generate personalized responses. After making the feature first available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, the company is expanding availability to more users in the US. Google is kicking off the expansion with AI Mode. Starting today, anyone in the US can enable Personal Intelligence inside of the company's dedicated search chatbot . To enable the feature, tap on your profile, select Search personalization, followed by Connected Content Apps. From there, select Connect Workspace and Google Photos. In the coming weeks, Google will start rolling out Personal Intelligence to free users of the Gemini app in the US, with international availability to follow thereafter. The company plans to do the same with Gemini in Chrome , where personalization will first roll out to users in the US before becoming available in other countries. Google suggests a few different use cases for Gemini personalization inside of AI Mode, the Gemini app and Chrome. For instance, say you turn to AI mode for help with planning an upcoming trip. Instead of generating a generic itinerary, the chatbot will pull information from your apps to suggest something more tailored to your interests. It can also help you with troubleshooting in cases where you cant remember the exact make or model of a device youre trying to fix, as long as there are some hints to its origin contained inside of your Gmail account. In each case, Personal Intelligence is disabled by default. Gemini will not personalize its responses unless you enable the new feature. Additionally, personalization is only available to personal accounts and not for Workspace business, enterprise and education users. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-makes-gemini-personalization-available-to-free-users-160000581.html?src=rss

March Madness 2026: How to watch every game of the NCAA basketball tournaments

Its time to lock in those brackets. The 2026 NCAA basketball tournaments, affectionately known as March Madness , begin this week. In fact, some of the action on the mens side starts tonight. Both the mens and womens tournaments are available to stream through various apps and services, but navigating the web of broadcasters and TV channels can be confusing. Weve broken down when all the games are happening, where to watch and the best options for saving some cash doing so. What does March Madness start? The mens NCAA Basketball Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17 with two of the First Four matchups. These are the four games that are used to determine the final four teams in the main 64-team bracket. To some, theyre known as the play-in games although theyve officially been part of the men's tournament since 2011. The first game on March 17 begins at 6:40PM ET with another to follow at 9:15PM ET. The same schedule is expected for the second slate of games on Wednesday, March 19. On the womens side, everything is offset by a day. The first two of the First Four games take place on Wednesday, March 18 at 7PM ET and 9PM ET. The second pair of matchups follows on Thursday, March 19 in the same two time slots. The 64-team bracket kicks off in earnest for the men at 12:15PM ET on Thursday, March 19. For the women, the main action begins at 11:30AM ET on Friday, March 20. Heres the full schedule for each tournament: 2026 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament First Four: March 17-18 First round: March 19-20 Second round: March 21-22 Sweet 16: March 26-27 Elite Eight: March 28-29 Final Four: April 4 Championship game: April 6 2026 Womens NCAA Basketball Tournament First Four: March 18-19 First round: March 20-21 Second round: March 22-23 Sweet 16: March 27-28 Elite Eight: March 29-30 Final Four: April 3 Championship game: April 5 How to stream the 2026 Mens NCAA Tournament Jacob Kupferman via Getty Images CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery share the broadcast rights to the mens tournament, so TV coverage will be spread across four networks. During the course of March Madness, games will air on CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV, with the final rounds and championship game landing on TBS. If you already have a paid TV plan (such as traditional cable), a good way to watch the mens tournament is with the March Madness Live app or website. There's a big catch though: CBS games aren't available in the app. That means this is really only a good option through the Elite Eight. Once you log in with your TV provider credentials, you can watch games on the other networks in one spot with features like multiview (up to four games at once) and a Fast Break stream that covers all the in-progress games in one spot. The app also offers ways to follow your bracket, if you filled it out on MarchMadness.com. And when youre watching on desktop, the crucial Boss Button will throw up a fake work screen to keep your job safe. In addition to your laptop or phone, March Madness Live is also available on Amazon devices, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, macOS, Google Play, LG smart TVs, Roku and Xbox consoles. The most affordable option to watch every game is to actually use two services. Its not ideal, I know, but it will save you a lot of money. HBO Maxs Basic plan is $11/month and gives you access to live games from TNT, TBS and truTV with three-game multiview (46 games total). That includes the Final Four and National Championship as those three games are on TBS this year. If you splurge for a pricier plan ($23/month), you can stream games in Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos surround sound. For the CBS games, youll need a Paramount+ Premium subscription that costs $14/month ($6 for two months for new users). So, with this best price scenario, streaming all of the mens tournaments will cost $25 across two apps. A live TV service like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV is over $80 more per month at full price, but they would offer you all the games in the mens tournament in one place. YouTube TV is currently on sale for $60/month for the first two months after a free 10-day trial. Hulu + Live TV now includes Disney+ and ESPN Select, hence its higher price. How to stream the 2026 Womens NCAA Tournament Joe Buglewicz via Getty Images While Warner Brothers Discovery owns the rights to the mens NCAA Tournament, ESPN has the womens bracket locked down. Every game of the womens tournament will be spread across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS, including the First Four matchups. The Final Four will be on ESPN, but the championship game will air on ABC. All three of those culminating games will stream on ESPN+ (and in the ESPN app) as MegaCast feeds. ESPN says the MegaCasts are available in two options. First, Beyond the Rim provides an aerial camera angle with the main commentary and replays, plus the addition of enhanced stats. On the Rail shows you game action the full length of the floor. This feed will offer natural sound and replays. Since ESPN+ wont get every game, its not an option if you want to watch the entire tournament. However, since last years March Madness, Disney debuted standalone offerings for ESPN. The most affordable option here is ESPN Select which includes womens college basketball and costs $13/month. You could also opt for a live-TV streaming service like Sling , YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV for a comprehensive experience. Sling is the cheapest of these, with the requisite Orange and Sports Extra plan costing $57 (Sling is currently offering a discount on the first month of Orange). YouTube and Hulu live TV options are both more expensive at over $80/month (YouTube TV currently discounted to $60 for the first two months), so its a matter of which set of content and features you like best. YouTube TV offers a handy multiview tool so you can watch up to four games at once, but Hulu + Live TV comes with Disney+ and ESPN Select for that cost. Once you have a TV plan that includes the ESPN family of networks, the ESPN app is the best place to watch the tournament. The mix of scores and info, along with multiview streaming for up to four games at a time on Apple TV and Xbox, make the app a well-equipped conduit for the womens tournament. The March Madness website only shows scores and news for the womens tournament. None of the womens games will be available for streaming live on the website. Are any of the March Madness games available to stream for free? Michael Reaves via Getty Images Without a TV provider login, you can watch all of the games broadcast on CBS on the March Madness website and mobile apps. Sure, its a small sample of the tournament, but its completely free and a good option for casual fans who dont have a paid TV plan they can exploit for more of the action. Its also a good way to watch the first round at work, if your company hasnt blocked streaming sites, or if you can discreetly watch on your phone. For the womens tournament, there arent any games available for free. Unless you have an old-school OTA antenna, that is, in which case you can watch womens games on ABC (and mens games on CBS) without any kind of streaming plan. Of course, as this is a streaming guide published in 2026, Id consider an antenna an extraordinary move. If you were hoping to use a free trial period to watch March Madness, Ive got bad news. None of them will last long enough to cover the entire tournament. Some services dont offer a free trial at all, but the longest is YouTube TV at 10 days. Sadly, that wont even get you through the second weekend. What if I want to stream both the mens and womens tournaments? If youre hoping to stream all of the mens and womens NCAA tournaments, I hope you ordered Samsungs eight-TV bundle . In terms of streaming services, just jump straight to a live-TV option like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. I prefer the former because of its multiview feature. At times when there are multiple games that you want to watch, especially during the first two rounds, youll want multiview in order to keep tabs on all of the action. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/march-madness-2026-how-to-watch-every-game-of-the-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-154903317.html?src=rss

Amazon launches one- and three-hour delivery options in the US

Amazon just launched one-hour and three-hour delivery options in many cities and towns throughout the US. As a matter of fact, the company says three-hour delivery windows are already available in over 2,000 locations, while one-hour windows have launched in hundreds of cities. You can check to see if your area is covered by clicking right here . Just like same-day and next-day delivery, this doesn't cover every available item. Amazon boasts that over 90,000 products are ready for fast, reliable delivery in just a few clicks. There has been a priority placed on the kinds of items typically needed within 60 to 180 minutes. Users can order everyday essentials like pantry items, cleaning supplies, health and beauty items and over-the-counter medications. The new delivery options also cover some fun, but perhaps not essential, items like electronics, toys and clothing. Hey, a Nintendo Switch 2 to play Pokopia could be considered essential to many. Amazon These high-octane delivery methods don't come cheap, even for Prime members. One-hour deliveries cost $10 and three-hour deliveries cost $5. Customers without a Prime membership pay $20 for one-hour deliveries and $10 for three-hour deliveries. The same-day delivery option remains free for Prime members. This isn't Amazon's first foray into ultra-quick delivery windows. The company has been experimenting with this kind of thing for years. It started a program called Amazon Now in the 2010s that handled that sort of thing, which eventually changed to Prime Now. It was sunsetted in 2021 . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/amazon-launches-one--and-three-hour-delivery-options-in-the-us-151536118.html?src=rss

Gamers are right to be disgusted by NVIDIA's DLSS 5

You can sum up the gamer response to NVIDIA's DLSS 5 announcement with the ever-relevant Fallout 4 meme: Everyone disliked that. Across social media and Reddit last night, I couldn't find anyone who's genuinely positive about the potential for DLSS 5, which uses AI to add photorealistic lighting and materials to in-game models and environments. Instead, it's mostly complaints about the feature being another avenue for AI slop. And you know what? I agree. It's not unusual to see gamers being reflexively angry about new technology on the internet, especially when it's being pitched by NVIDIA as the biggest breakthrough in computer graphics since its RTX 20-series GPUs arrived in 2018 with real-time ray tracing. There was plenty of suspicion around DLSS's original AI upscaling model, as well as the fake frames generated by later iterations. But the few demos we've seen of DLSS 5 basically look like yassified AI filters for popular games. Leon and Grace from Resident Evil: Requiem have more distinct facial and hair detail, but they look a bit too slick. There are more wrinkles on an old woman in Hogwarts Legacy . And the face, hair and clothing from a Starfield character gain an uncanny sheen. None of the demos have the immediate impact of the Star Wars real-time ray tracing short ILMxLab produced with NVIDIA seven years ago. That demonstration showed us glorious reflections and lighting effects we'd never seen before in real-time. The DLSS 5 demos, on the other hand, don't look much different from the AI filters that make you look more presentable for Zoom calls. There's no genuine excitement for DLSS 5, just NVIDIA telling us that it's groundbreaking. There's also plenty of concern about DLSS 5 straying from an artist's original intent , as well as a potential homogenization of game visuals if every developer starts using the feature. NVIDIA claims developers will have detailed controls for intensity, color grading and masking, which will help DLSS 5 stay in line with a game's aesthetic. But we don't have any direct developer experience with the feature yet some artists may want far more control than NVIDIA wants to give. The difference between DLSS 5 and earlier versions NVIDIA's upscaling is like the difference between generative AI and more traditional machine learning models. NVIDIA relied on the latter to make low-resolution textures and models appear sharper, and later to insert generated frames to smooth out gameplay and raise your fps count. As Wirecutter and former Polygon editor Arthuer Gies points out , you could argue those features were in service of delivering what developers originally intended. But DLSS 5's neural model applies its concept of photorealism on top of what games are rendering -- it's like watching a Pixar movie that let OpenAI's Sora do a final visual pass. Part of the negative response towards DLSS 5 may stem from a widespread anti-gen AI sentiment, but that doesnt devalue the criticisms either. Similar to AI generated text, images and video, theres a dehumanizing aspect about DLSS 5. It can erase the work of human artists (despite how much control NVIDIA claims they have), and it also feels like a calculated attempt to appeal to gamers who just want shinier graphics. NVIDIA showed off how generative AI could be used to create dialog and voices for NPCs last year at CES, but that was also widely disliked (and I called it a genuine nightmare ). Of course, I cant fully judge DLSS 5 until I see it in action beyond a short demo. But I think the visceral disgust is an important indicator that many gamers arent onboard with the AI-powered future NVIDIA is trying to sell us. And perhaps the idea of chasing photorealism may be a bit of a fools errand. It may be appropriate for some games, but as Nintendo and indie PC devs have shown, you can also make some of the best games of all time without striving for realism. Tears of the Kingdom could use a better framerate and higher resolution textures, but it certainly doesnt need DLSS 5. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gamers-are-right-to-be-disgusted-by-nvidias-dlss-5-151105593.html?src=rss

A PlayStation Portal update is adding a 1080p High Quality mode

Sony is rolling out a firmware update for its PlayStation Portal handheld that introduces a new quality option for both Remote Play and Cloud Streaming. Choosing the 1080p High Quality mode means that youll be able to stream games at a higher bitrate compared with the 1080p Standard option. You can switch to this mode by going to Quick Menu > Max Resolution and picking 1080p High Quality while youre playing a game. Youll need to restart your game session for the change to take effect. Naturally, 1080p High Quality will use more data than the other resolution options. Sony says that more than half of all Portal users are now PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, meaning they can use the Cloud Streaming option on the device. With that in mind, the company is making some Cloud Streaming changes as part of this firmware update. The company says it has refined the search screen from now on, whenever you open this up, the on screen keyboard will pop up immediately. Thats a nice little quality-of-life update that streamlines things a bit. When you pick the stream option on pages for game bundles (i.e. for any title that includes multiple games), youll be able to select a specific game to jump into. Sony Interactive Entertainment There are notification changes too. If you receive a game invite while playing a supported title, youll now see a clear notification on your screen. Trophy notifications should now display properly too, with the trophy name and image showing up. Unlocking a platinum trophy will cause an animated notification to appear. Theres one more tweak to the system with this Portal update as Sony attempts to make the onboarding experience a bit smoother. Those who pick up a Portal but dont already have a PlayStation account will be able to create one and then sign in on the handheld by scanning a QR code on their mobile device. Such folks will still need to have access to a PS5 or sign up for PS Plus Premium to actually get any use out of the Portal, of course. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-playstation-portal-update-is-adding-a-1080p-high-quality-mode-142216189.html?src=rss

Apple and Nike team up for a new Powerbeats Pro 2 colorway

Apple and Nike are at it again. But this time, their collaboration doesn't involve Apple Watch bands or a shoe-tracking iPod . Instead, the companies are launching a new color option for Beats' fitness-focused earphones. Meet the Powerbeats Pro 2 - Nike Special Edition. This isn't just a new colorway, Beats CMI Chris Thorne wrote in a press release. It's a collision of two brands that dene performance, culture and sports the attributes of today's athlete. Okay, cool, but marketing-speak aside, this is, in fact, just a new colorway. However, depending on your taste, it might be one you're into. Nike's Volt palette takes center stage, with its love-it-or-hate-it electric yellow-green motif. The two companies share logo duties, with the Beats b on the left bud and Nike's swoosh on the right. Meanwhile, the charging case takes you to Speckle City, looking like something Jackson Pollock flung a can of leftover shoe paint onto. Apple / Nike Otherwise, these are the same Powerbeats Pro 2 earphones that launched last year. You get heart-rate tracking, decent ANC and Spatial Audio. You can revisit Billy Steele's review for more details on the earphones. To help move the product, Beats and Nike called upon an athlete they both sponsor: a little-known hooper named LeBron James. The Lakers vet stars in a new ad, where he uses the Nike Powerbeats to tune out the noise with a little help from Lionel Ritchie. You can watch the commercial below and order the new colorway from Apples and Nike's respective websites on March 20. The Nike Special Edition Powerbeats Pro costs the same $250 as the standard version. However, this is a limited-edition variant, so there's no guarantee it will be around for long. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-and-nike-team-up-for-a-new-powerbeats-pro-2-colorway-140000882.html?src=rss

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: Return of the king

Last year, Dell came this close to abdicating its throne as the maker of the best premium Windows laptops when it announced it was killing off the XPS brand . Thankfully, the company regained its wits, admitted its mistake and doubled down on its flagship notebook line by revealing a full redesign for 2026 with super sleek builds, improved performance and helpful tweaks to nearly everything else we loved about its predecessors. The one blemish to Dell's crown jewel is some keyboard issues on early units. But make no mistake, the king of laptops is back. Design and display For this revamp, Dell didn't stray away from the XPS line's typical mix of glass and aluminum. However, this time around, the company streamlined pretty much everything. The XPS 16 now weighs just 3.65 pounds (or 3.85 if you opt for the heavier LCD display), which is almost a full pound lighter than its predecessor (4.56 pounds). That's a massive drop and it makes this system closer in heft to a 15-inch MacBook Air (3.3 pounds) than a 16-inch MacBook Pro (4.7 pounds), despite the latter being XPS's usual rival. It's also noticeably thinner at 0.58 to 0.6 inches (depending on the exact configuration), which is once again a sizable decrease from the previous model (0.75 inches). Honestly, this laptop needs to be held to be truly appreciated. Even after using it for a while, it still feels impossibly sleek every time I pick it up. The optional 3.2K OLED display available on the XPS 16 is simply gorgeous. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Elsewhere, Dell kept important features like the XPS line's up-firing stereo speakers (which sound great), along with a decent mix of ports, including three USB-C jacks that support Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.1 and power delivery. The one thing I wish Dell had included though, is some sort of SD card reader. With the XPS 16 being the largest member of the family, it's often a prime option for people who like to edit photos and videos on the go, so having an easy way to transfer media from a camera to the laptop would be really nice. As for its display, Dell's optional 3.2K tandem OLED panel like the one on our review unit reinforces the laptop's role as a mobile editing platform. It produces vibrant hues and features a variable refresh rate that can go between 20 and 120Hz depending on what's on the screen. Despite having a nominal peak brightness of 400 nits, it looks much brighter in person, so you're getting an excellent viewing experience. Keyboard and touchpad The XPS 16's keyboard looks great, but the lack of an anti-ghosting feature and somewhat shallow key travel aren't ideal. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Perhaps the biggest change to the XPS line is its reworked keyboard and touchpad, which brings some ups and downs. Dell kept the glass deck and seamless touchpad used on previous models, except now there's a faint line going around its perimeter, so you never have to guess where it is. The company also replaced the row of capacitive touch function and media controls from its predecessor with regular keys. As a fan of physical buttons, this is just great. The issue is that for discerning typists, the keyboard seems to be missing anti-ghosting or N-key rollover tech. This means that if you press two keys very quickly one after another, the second press actually gets registered first, which can result in erroneous inputs. We ran into the same problem when testing the XPS 14 . Dell claims this issue only impacts the first batch of systems off the line and that units on sale today have had this issue patched already. Furthermore, the company says it will release an update to address the issue on the remaining units, which should be out sometime in March. Though at the time of publication, I haven't received anything yet. The XPS 16 also features punchy up-firing stereo speakers that don't leave much to complain about. Sam Rutherford for Engadget There is another nitpick about the keyboard. While I don't mind that Dell retained its zero-gap layout instead of going with a more traditional chiclet-style design, the more I type on it the more I wish Dell would offer something with a bit more key travel and heavier actuation. For reasons out of my control, my company-assigned work machine is a Dell Precision 5680 from 2023. I don't like it very much aside from its keyboard, which is significantly bouncier and just generally nicer to use than the one on the XPS 16. Performance A big reason why Dell was able to make the XPS 16 so thin and light is that the company didn't leave room for discrete graphics. That means you can only choose between a handful of Intel's latest Series 3 Core Ultra chips, ranging from the Ultra 5 325 to the Ultra X7 358H, with the latter being the one I tested here. That's not a bad thing though, as the laptop easily handled all the various productivity tasks I threw at it. And even without a proper GPU, the XPS 16 still pumped out 62 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1920 x 1080, using Ultra settings and Intel's XeSS set to Quality. Those kinds of numbers aren't going to make anyone toss out their dedicated gaming rig, but once again, that's not too shabby for a notebook this easy to carry around. Battery life The XPS 16 comes with three USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 which is nice, but sadly it lacks an SD card reader for quickly transferring media from a camera. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Thanks to a larger 99.5Whr battery, the XPS 16 fared better on our rundown test than its smaller sibling. This could be a deciding factor for anyone trying to choose between the two. In PCMark 10's Modern Office battery benchmark, the XPS 16 lasted just shy of 12 hours (11:53), which is more than an hour and a half longer than what we got from the XPS 14 (10:21). As long as you're not going to be gone for more than a day or you're really pushing it, you should be able to leave its power brick at home. Wrap-up Instead of killing the XPS name for good, Dell wisely reconsidered and then doubled down. The result is fantastic new version of the XPS 16. Sam Rutherford for Engadget When Dell decided to bring back the XPS name, COO Jeff Clake said the company was going to get back to its roots. That's the kind of messaging that's easy to stay on a stage, but after testing out the reborn XPS 16, I can confirm it isn't just flimsy rhetoric. This laptop is a shining example of a premium ultraportable Windows laptop done well. It features a super sleek aluminum chassis, strong performance, solid battery life and an excellent display, particularly if you upgrade to the 3.2K OLED option. The connection to the iconic award-winning systems isn't just skin deep. This thing is just as much an XPS as the ones we loved a decade ago and Dell is driving that point home by letting the XPS logo sit front and center on its lid instead of the company's usual branding. At just 3.65 pounds, the 2026 XPS 16 is basically a full pound lighter than its predecessor. Sam Rutherford for Engadget My one complaint is that I wish Dell would bring back the chiclet-style keyboards we got on models from the early 2020s . Though as long as the company can release updated software to fix the ghosting issues I've encountered, what's on there now is more than good enough. Granted, at $2,349 for our review unit, the XPS 16 is a bit pricey, but that's the going rate for a high-end notebook these days. If you snag a discount similar to the one Dell is currently running , suddenly, you're looking at an even more enticing package at $1,900. The biggest reason someone might want to hold off for now is if you do need more powerful graphics, as I'm expecting Dell to release an alternate version of the XPS 16 with room for a discrete GPU (and hopefully an SD card reader) sometime before the end of the year. Despite Dell nearly tossing decades of pedigree in the trash just months ago, the XPS 16 has returned to reclaim its spot at the top. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-xps-16-2026-review-return-of-the-king-130000906.html?src=rss

Aqara's Matter-compatible camera promises easier smart home integration

Smart home company Aqara has launched what it says is the first camera certified for Matter , the open source standard that enables interoperability across brands, like Google and Amazon. The Aqara G350 is an indoor security cam that also functions as a Zigbee and Matter hub in the Aqara Home app, which means the camera will enable you to control various devices across smart home protocols from different brands within one location. The camera itself comes with a 4K wide-angle and a 2.5K telephoto lens, providing both panoramic and closeup views. It also has 9x hybrid zoom and a pan-tilt mechanism that can give you 360-degree coverage of the room its in. The camera uses AI-powered tracking to keep people and pets in frame, as well as to determine which events and sounds are truly meaningful before sending you an alert. The Camera Hub G350 is now available via Aqaras website , Amazon and other retailers for $140. Aqara has also introduced the G400 wired doorbell camera that can connect to the internet either via Ethernet or dual-band Wi-Fi 6. It has a lens with 2K resolution and 165-degree ultra-wide field of view, so that it can capture visitors even when theyre standing close. The camera has on-device detection capabilities to recognize people and motion even without being connected to the internet. Connected, its cloud-based AI features enable it to identify faces, packages, vehicles and animals. You can connect the Aqara G400 doorbell camera to major smart home platforms, such as Apple Home with Homekit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings. Its now available for sale on Aqaras website , Amazon and other retails for $100. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/aqaras-matter-compatible-camera-promises-easier-smart-home-integration-124500865.html?src=rss

How to make your smartphone last longer

Replacing a smartphone every two years is partially why billions of phones go into landfills each year. If stacked flat atop one another, that many handsets would reach farther than the ISS . But weve become accustomed to that 24-month time frame because wireless carriers often push an upgrade on biennial contracts, and many smaller phone makers only offer software support for two years. But now, with longer software commitments from major manufacturers, along with growing right-to-repair legislation, many newer phones can stay in our pockets for closer to seven trips around the sun. Heres how you can extend the lifespan of your smartphone and avoid shelling out hundreds before its absolutely necessary. How to make your smartphone last longer Amy Skorheim for Engadget Use a case Its a flashy move to carry a naked phone around, but the chances of a handset making it through a tumble go up dramatically when you employ extra protection. We recommend a few in our guide to iPhone cases . In my family, weve been happy with Mous cases . Though weve never subjected our phones to the brutality seen in the companys ads , I can say that these cases have seen my partners aging Samsung Galaxy through some pretty gnarly spills and I credit the cases for getting my iPhone 11 to 2025 in working condition. Take care of the built-in battery (or use a power bank) Since a phones battery is often the first thing to show signs of age, its worth it to follow recommendations for extending its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries dont perform well in heat and you should avoid charging them if its hotter than 95 degrees doing so can degrade the battery quickly and even cause them to malfunction. Theyll tolerate cold weather better, but can get sluggish when things get too chilly. If youre storing a phone for a while, its best to do so with the battery at half charge, rather than full or empty. In fact, Li-ion cells last longer when they spend less time being either completely discharged or full thats why battery optimization features in iPhones and Pixel phones delay overnight charging to 100 percent until about an hour before you typically grab your mobile. And while its sometimes necessary to charge a battery quickly, a slower charging method when speed isnt critical will put less stress on the ionic components and help extend the cells life. But over time, any battery will eventually wear down. And if youre traveling, relying heavily on navigation or using the phone as a hotspot, you might need more juice to get through a day. We recommend many options in our best power banks guide but the battery I grab most often is the Anker Laptop Power Bank . Its got built-in USB-C cables and delivers enough charge to give any device (including laptops, extra hours of life). But for something smaller, I like the reliability of Statiks semi-solid state MagSafe battery . If you really want to give your phone a new lease on life, a new internal battery could be the ticket. For Pixel phones, you can go through Googles official channel for either a walk-in or mail-in repair, you can look for an authorized repair partner or you can pick the DIY route with iFixits Pixel repair kits and instructions . For iPhones, you can start with Apples official page , go through Best Buy or other authorized third-parties, or try iFixits methods . Samsung also has an in-house option but both iFixit and Best Buy ended their repair relationships with Samsung in 2024. Depending where you go and the model of your phone, the price for a new battery and installation will likely run you between $60 and $150 still far less than ditching your handset for something brand new. Clean up your phones storage Most advice on how to declutter your phone and make it run faster centers on one thing: freeing up space. Your phones OS will likely have suggestions for clearing up storage space, like automatically offloading unused apps or deleting year-old messages. You can also do things manually by deleting any apps you dont use. Next, consider the photos and videos youre storing locally and either opt to pay for cloud storage or transfer the files to a computer or an external backup device. You can also consider getting rid of any music and movies you may have downloaded for offline use, and deleting old messages and large attachments. A good rule is to keep your storage at around 80 percent capacity. Once youve deleted and transferred what you can, restart your phone to give it a chance to clear up its temporary memory. Why you can (and should) extend the life of your smartphone Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget The e-waste stream grows each year and doesn't do great things for human or planetary health. Smartphone companies are offering better and more consistent trade-in deals, but even some electronic recycling has its faults . Simply hanging onto a device instead of opting for a new one is the most efficient way of cutting back on a phone's environmental impact plus it'll save you money. While every giant phone maker would like you to believe that upgrading annually is critical, its worth noting that new generations of phones often bear strong resemblance to the prior years model. Engadget editors see this time and again with the countless smartphones they review theres a new button, a few new AI tricks, but the technology generally doesnt leap forward each year to create something wildly different than what came before. With only minor hardware upgrades, the more exciting new features come via over-the-air software updates. Starting with the release of the Pixel 8 in 2023, Google promised security and software updates for a full seven years . So those who buy a Pixel 10 in 2026 could still be using the same phone in 2033. Samsungs Galaxy S26 has the same length of promised support. Apple committed to five years of support to comply with EU regulations, but iPhones were already known for their extended support when iOS 26 came out , support was cut for the iPhone XR and earlier, but that meant the 2018 models had enjoyed around seven years of updates from launch. When Apple launched the iPhone 15, the company doubled its estimation for the handsets battery life saying a handset should retain 80 percent of the original full charge after 1,000 cycles. And Apple said the placement of the larger battery in the iPhone 16 makes replacing it easier . Overall, battery technology has improved in capacity over the years, but longevity hasnt gone up across the board, as a study by PhoneArena makes clear. More advancements in battery life spans may be on the horizon particularly as the EV industry grows, which also relies on lithium-ion cells. For now, declining battery health is usually the most noticeable issue affecting older phones. In 2023, the European Council of the European Union adopted new guidelines for battery-powered devices, which includes a mandate to allow consumers to easily remove and replace batteries. That wont go into effect until 2027, and there will be plenty of interpretation as to what easily means. But EU mandates are what made Apple finally ditch Lightning ports on iPhones in favor of USB-C , so this could eventually be a step towards ( once again ) having smartphones with swappable batteries. Right-to-repair bills have been passed or introduced in all 50 states . Some of these laws have already gone into effect , and will require manufacturers to do things like providing repair tools and documentation, and selling components for a certain number of years after the last new model for higher priced devices. Currently, a number of phones have decent repairability scores , according to the online repair community iFixit (The FairPhone 6 gets the highest marks.) Until more companies start making it easier to fix things ourselves, authorized repair is an option, while self-repair remains an option for the more industrious. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-make-your-smartphone-last-longer-120014817.html?src=rss

Marshall adds a junior-sized party speaker to its lineup

Marshall is launching a smaller companion for its highly rated Bromley 750 party speaker . The new Bromley 450 retains the larger models guitar-amp motif but comes in a petite, less expensive package. The Bromley 450 carries over its larger siblings 360-degree audio trickery. Like equivalents from other companies , Marshalls True Stereophonic 360-degree sound fools your brain into perceiving more directionality than its form factor allows. Lighting effects (inspired by 70s stage shows) also carry over from the larger model. However, this new speaker lacks the sound character control found in the Bromley 750. Marshall says you can expect over 40 hours of playtime. If your party somehow goes on longer than that, you can swap out its battery on the fly (using the same one found in the Bromley 750). Or, you know, just plug it into a power outlet. And if your event turns into a performance, youre covered with mic and instrument inputs. The Bromley 750 (left) and Bromley 450 Marshall The Bromley 450 measures 360 x 261 x 492mm, making it about 25 percent shorter than its big brother. At just under 27 lbs, it only weighs about half as much. That helps to explain Marshalls decision not to include wheels on this model. (But dont worry, it still has a handle.) The speaker has an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. The Marshall Bromley 450 may be less expensive than its larger counterpart, but it still costs a pretty penny. Itll set you back $800 when it goes on sale on March 31. You can order it on Marshalls website and from select retail partners (including Best Buy, Sweetwater and Crutchfield). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/marshall-adds-a-junior-sized-party-speaker-to-its-lineup-120000871.html?src=rss

Senators tell ByteDance to shut down Seedance 2.0 AI video app 'immediately'

After ByteDance suspended the global rollout of its new Seedance 2.0 AI video generator on the weekend, US senators have now told the company to immediately shut down the app. Seedance 2.0 poses a direct threat to the American intellectual property system and, more broadly, to the constitutional rights and economic livelihoods of our creative community, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch wrote in a letter to the company . The letter reflects an increasing worry in government about AI companies training their apps on copyrighted materials from artists, actors and filmmakers without permission. Responsible global companies follow the law and respect core economic rights, including intellectual propertyand personal likenessprotections, the senators wrote. They cited Seedance AI examples including an AI generated Thanos and Superman battle, a rewritten Stranger Things ending and that famous (fake) Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt battle . After pulling Seedance 2.0, ByteDance said on the weekend that it espects intellectual property rights and that it is aking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users. However, Blackburn and Welch called that pledge a delay tactic to continue to abuse the innovators and profit from their success, adding that its regard for American IP is part of a larger trend of artificial intelligence companies stealing protected work at the expensive of the creative community. Filmmakers have also taken action against Seedance 2.0, including the Motion Picture Association with recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. Yesterday, senators including Blackburn and Welch unveiled a partisan bill to help artists protect their IP by allowing them to access training records used for AI models, among other measures. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/senators-tell-bytedance-to-shut-down-seedance-20-ai-video-app-immediately-112146241.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple's surprise AirPods Max refresh

You may have a little Apple fatigue after last week's barrage of Macs, iPhones and iPads. The company wasn't done, however. Surprise! Here is an updated pair of AirPods Max . It's a predictable surprise, perhaps, but one I wasn't expecting after so many other new devices. It's also the first true update. The AirPods Max 2 look identical to their predecessor, but now have an H2 chip. First, the AirPods Pro 2 improve noise cancellation by 50 percent and add support for Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. It's a much-needed update for headphones that, barring a USB-C option, haven't changed since 2020. They're still priced at $549. In Apple's recent press images for its cheapest MacBook ever, a child was using AirPods Max while working on their $599 MacBook Neo . Love it. The new headphones are up for pre-order on March 25 and will ship in early April. Mat Smith The other big stories (and deals) this morning Samsung ends Galaxy Z TriFold sales three months after launch NVIDIA and Bolt team up for European robotaxis Samsung Galaxy S26 review: The smartphone status quo Firefly is getting rebooted as an animated series NVIDIA claims DLSS 5 will deliver ' photoreal ' image quality with AI this fall MacBook Pro M5 Max 16-inch review Still the pinnacle. Engadget What did I just say? Wrapping up the barrage of reviews of all that new Apple hardware (besides those new AirPods), we test out Apple's most powerful new MacBook. The new Pro has an M5 Max chip, plenty of memory and is a beast. Thankfully, it still has all the ports you'd want. Continue reading. xAI is being sued by teens who say Grok created CSAM using their photos The class action lawsuit says that the lives of three teens have been shattered. xAI is facing a class-action lawsuit in California, after its Grok AI reportedly generated sexualized images of children. Three teenagers filed suit, alleging Grok used their photos to create child exploitation material. One teen was alerted in December that AI-generated, sexually explicit images of her and other minors were being shared in settings with which she was familiar, but morphed into sexually explicit poses. The Center for Countering Digital Hate estimated in January that Grok produced millions of sexualized images, including 23,000 potentially depicting children. Continue reading. Finally, Android tablets and foldables are getting a Chrome bookmark bar Hello, power users. Google is rolling out a new feature for Chrome that will add a bookmark bar to the browser on Android foldables and tablets. Spotted by 9to5Google, this move will make the browsing experience on larger mobile devices more akin to that of laptops and desktops running Chrome. Perfect if you managed to grab Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold before it disappears forever . Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111501781.html?src=rss

Denon's DP-500BT turntable combines premium design with Bluetooth streaming for $899

Denon is addressing an omission in its current turntable lineup: Bluetooth streaming. With the new DP-500BT, the company combines refined design, analog sound and high-resolution wireless connectivity. With its semi-automatic operation and switchable phono preamp, this model has the features to suit beginners and experienced vinyl listeners alike. The DP-500BT has a belt drive system, a balanced S-shaped tonearm and an aluminum die cast platter. Theres also a pre-installed moving magnet (MM) cartridge with a CN-6518 stylus and a built-in preamp that can be disabled in favor of a more robust external unit or powered speakers. Semi-automatic operation combines auto lift with playback stop to simplify the listening process for both novice and advanced vinyl lovers. This feature also protects both the stylus and your records. In terms of design, Denon says it took inspiration from its DP-3000NE turntable for the DP-500BT. The similarities are clear, but more importantly, this decision gives the new $899 model a much more refined look compared to the companys more affordable record players. The DP-3000NE is a $2,799 turntable, after all. Bluetooth streaming is what sets the DP-500BT apart in the Denon lineup. Here, youll have the option of aptX, aptX HD and apt Adaptive when you need to streaming wirelessly to speakers or headphones. This turntable also works with the companys HEOS amplifiers and Home speakers, which allow for multi-room audio while listening to that record collection. The DP-500BT is available today from Denon and other retailers for $899. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/denons-dp-500bt-turntable-combines-premium-design-with-bluetooth-streaming-for-899-080000144.html?src=rss

Boox's new Go E Ink tablet includes a 10-inch display and runs Android 15

There are many E Ink tablets out there , but most of them are basically digital notebooks. They are great for reading and handwriting notes, but not so great for doing all of that regular tablet stuff like checking emails and doomscrolling. Boox, however, has released a number of E Ink tablets that can access the Google Play Store , opening up users to the wide world of traditional smartphone apps. The company's latest product is a refresh of the Go 10.3 tablet, called the Go 10.3 Lumi. This introduces plenty of new features and, as the name suggests, one is a front light. The tablet has been designed for both natural sunlight and low-light environments. The previous model was great, but it turns into a useless paperweight without access to ambient light. Boox Despite the front-facing light, the Go 10.3 Lumi is still lighter than its predecessor, at 12.8 ounces. It's also on the thinner side, with a 4.8mm profile. The basic specs are similar to the Go tablet, with an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It runs on Android 15 , which is a massive improvement for both security and access to apps. The previous iteration ran on Android 12, and Google stopped officially supporting that OS last year . That means no more critical security updates. In addition to beefed up security, Boox promises the upgrade to Android 15 offers users improved memory management, better multitasking and smoother UI interactions. E Ink devices can be sluggish so I'm all for anything that speeds things up. It integrates with external keyboards and boasts integrated speakers, which will certainly come in handy when navigating apps downloaded from the Play Store. Despite the screen technology, this is an Android tablet. It should be able to run just about any app available. However, the E Ink technology will likely run into hiccups with video-based apps and games. It's just not made for that. This could be a great little gadget for emails and text-based social media, but not for something like TikTok. It should be able to handle non-animated games just fine, like crossword puzzles and stuff like that. Boox says the tablet gets substantial battery life and has been optimized for extended usage cycles. The company hasn't announced detailed battery specs, but did say people can work all day without looming battery anxiety. E Ink devices tend to last a good while, so I'm not worried about that. The Boox Go 10.3 Lumi is available to order right now and costs $450. If you want to save a few bucks and have no interest in a front light, there's a stripped down version that also runs Android 15 but costs $420. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/booxs-new-go-e-ink-tablet-includes-a-10-inch-display-and-runs-android-15-020009621.html?src=rss

Sony's enhanced PSSR upscaling arrives on PS5 Pro today

Sony's upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) tech is rolling out as part of the PlayStation 5 Pro system update that's available today. The company had teased last month that this update was in the works. These improvements should be a better reflection of why you might pay a premium price for the more powerful console if you value peak image quality in gaming. For a very surface-level definition, PSSR is Sony's upscaling tech. It uses an AI library for a pixel-by-pixel analysis to display a game with better visuals even while running at a lower resolution. Today's update revamped the algorithm and neural networked in use, which in practice means that image reconstruction is more precise, motion stability is improved, and developers have greater flexibility to balance performance and fidelity on PS5 Pro, according to the latest blog post from the company. For those who want more technical definition, you'll likely be familiar with the folks at Digital Foundry , who have a more detailed analysis with comparisons between the old and new upscaling on four titles. The improved PSSR is only available for supported games, but several familiar Sony partners are already on board. PS5 Pro owners can enable the enhanced PSSR image quality for all supported titles via a toggle in the Screen and Video settings menu. The following games are joining Resident Evil Requiem in offering the better upscaling experience: Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill f Dragon Age: The Veilguard Control Alan Wake 2 Senuas Saga: Hellblade II Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Nioh 3 Rise of the Ronin Monster Hunter Wilds Dragons Dogma 2 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-enhanced-pssr-upscaling-arrives-on-ps5-pro-today-201020423.html?src=rss

xAI is being sued by teens who say Grok created CSAM using their photos

xAI, which is already facing multiple investigations around the world over widespread reports that Grok repeatedly created sexualized images of children, is now facing a class action lawsuit . Three teenagers, who allege that photos of them were used by Grok to generate child exploitation material, have filed a class action lawsuit against xAI in California. According to the lawsuit, one of the teens was alerted last December that someone was sharing AI-generated images and videos of her and other minors in settings with which she was familiar, but morphed into sexually explicit poses. The images and videos were allegedly shared on Discord, Telegram and other platforms and used as a bartering tool for other CSAM imagery. Law enforcement officials who investigated the images told the girls' parents they were created with xAi's Grok, the lawsuit says. The three teens, all of whom live in Tennessee and are identified as Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3, have suffered severe emotional distress, the filing says. Their lives have been shattered by the devastating loss of privacy, dignity, and personal safety that the production and dissemination of this CSAM have caused, lawyers for the teens write in the complaint, which was provided to Engadget. xAIs financial gain through the increased use of its image- and video-making product came at their expense and wellbeing. Plaintiffs will have to spend the rest of their lives knowing that their CSAM images and videos may continue to be trafficked and traded online by child sex predators. Though the lawsuit currently names three individuals, the complaint says that it could cover at least thousands of minors who have also had their photos manipulated by Grok into sexualized images. The lawsuit claims xAI has violated multiple laws, including laws barring the production and distribution of child abuse material. xAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. The company is also facing multiple investigations in the US and Europe over Grok's alleged generation of nonconsensual nudity. Researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimated in January that Grok had produced millions of sexualized images, including 23,000 that appeared to show children. xAI CEO Elon Musk, who previously promoted Grok's spicy abilities, has claimed that he was not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. xAI announced in January it would stop allowing people to use Grok to edit images of real people into bikinis and limit Grok's image-generation feature to paid subscribers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/xai-is-being-sued-by-teens-who-say-grok-created-csam-using-their-photos-200102733.html?src=rss

NVIDIA claims DLSS 5 will deliver 'photoreal' image quality with AI this fall

Just months after announcing DLSS 4.5 at CES, NVIDIA has unveiled its next major upscaling technology, DLSS 5. The company is doubling-down on AI for this next iteration, claiming DLSS 5 infuses pixels with photoreal lighting and materials using a real-time neural rendering model when it arrives this fall. So what does this mean in practice? In an on-stage demo at NVIDIAs GTC 2026 keynote, CEO Jensen Huang showed off the technology with Resident Evil: Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy and Starfield. DLSS 5 adds a noticeable amount of detail to characters hair and skin tone, but it also appears its being compared to those games without any DLSS features turned on. Its unclear how much of a difference it makes compared to DLSS 4.5 with path tracing and all of its features turned on. DLSS 5 takes a games color and motion vectors for each frame as input, and uses an AI model to infuse the scene with photoreal lighting and materials that are anchored to source 3D content and consistent from frame to frame, NVIDIA said in a blog post . The company also notes that the technology runs in real time, and it works at up to 4K. Huang showed off DLSS 5 while running a system with two RTX 5090 GPUs. Eventually, it will be able to run on a single video card (though Id imagine it would have to be almost as powerful as two 5090s). Huang also paints DLSS 5 as a step towards offering Hollywood-like quality for real-time rendering, without the need for the GPU horsepower required by studios. It sounds a bit like a generative AI video model that can be directly controlled by developers, instead of just AI prompts. NVIDIA, never shy from self-aggrandizing, claims DLSS 5 is also the biggest breakthrough in computer graphics since real-time ray tracing arrived in 2018. But given that ray tracing itself hasnt being mainstream for many gamers, itll be interesting to see if theres any interest in NVIDIAs AI-produced pixels. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidia-claims-dlss-5-will-deliver-photoreal-image-quality-with-ai-this-fall-193452088.html?src=rss

Judge rules that Krafton must rehire fired Subnautica director

A judge has ruled that publisher Krafton must reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, according to a report by Bloomberg . The company fired Gill and two other co-founders last year as part of a shakeup involving the long-anticipated sequel Subnautica 2 . The Delaware judge said Krafton had violated the terms of its contract with Unknown Worlds when it fired the executives. To remedy these breaches, Gill is reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds with full operational authority over the studio, wrote judge Lori W. Will. A Krafton spokesperson said in a statement that we respectfully disagree with today's ruling and that we are evaluating our options as we determine our path forward. Further litigation over potential damages is still pending. This legal battle has been brewing for a while. Krafton bought Unknown Worlds back in 2021 and the contract stipulated that executives and staff would get to share in a $250 million bonus if they hit certain revenue targets by 2025. Those targets were not reached, and could not be reached, because Krafton delayed Subnautica 2 . According to the pre-trial brief, Krafton CEO Changham Kim allegedly nixed the payout because it would be a professional embarrassment and make him look like a pushover. He reportedly consulted ChatGPT to ask about ways to avoid paying the bonus and, oddly, seemed to consider a hostile takeover by a newly-formed entity. Judge Will dinged the CEO on both counts, saying that Kim regretted committing to the payout and consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate 'takeover' strategy. Engadget reached out to Krafton and the company re-emphasized it was displeased with the ruling but said that it doesn't resolve the ongoing litigation. As for the game, Krafton says Subnautica 2 is coming sooner rather than later. We've heard that one before. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/judge-rules-that-krafton-must-rehire-fired-subnautica-director-184702823.html?src=rss

Samsung ends Galaxy Z TriFold sales three months after launch

Samsung will reportedly end Galaxy Z TriFold sales in South Korea on March 17, three months after the device went on sale, according to South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo . Samsung has not yet confirmed the report, but Engadget has reached out for comment. In the US, where the TriFold arrived in January, the phone will remain available until existing inventory runs out. A unit at retail (if you can find it) will run you almost $3,000 . Samsung seemingly never intended the model for mass production. It sold the device in small batches through its website, with each selling out within minutes. Samsung reportedly moved roughly 3,000 units across the first two allotments and did not send review units to the media. Industry sources told Dong-A Ilbo that the TriFold was a technology showcase rather than a revenue-generating product. Rising costs of components like DRAM and NAND flash have left virtually no profit margin on the device. In South Korea, the phone briefly traded for nearly three times its retail price on the secondary market. In Engadget's limited time with the TriFold, the device felt solid, despite not having been built for a true production run. The original Galaxy Fold had to be delayed in 2019 after multiple review units sent to the press broke within days. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-ends-galaxy-z-trifold-sales-three-months-after-launch-182903503.html?src=rss

Apple acquires popular video editing software company MotionVFX

Apple's latest acquisition could be a hint towards improvements for Final Cut Pro . The tech giant acquired MotionVFX, as seen on the company's website and first reported by MacRumors , which is known for providing plugins, templates, visual effects and more to video editors. MotionVFX currently offers its software for a handful of video-editing apps, like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere, but is also listed as a trusted Apple partner and found in the Final Cut Pro ecosystem of third-party products. Apple hasn't revealed an acquisition price nor details of the deal. On its website announcement, MotionVFX wrote that it's hrilled to embrace similar values seen with Apple products and that it's the eginning of something wonderful. Considering a lot of MotionVFX's tools are designed for Final Cut Pro and Apple's Motion app, we could see native integration of popular visual effects and templates into Apple's app interfaces. It's worth noting that MotionVFX already offers an extension that creates a panel directly in Final Cut Pro for users to browse, download and apply visual effects from its repository. The acquisition could also hint at Apple trying to make its Creator Studio more enticing in the future, since it includes both Final Cut Pro and Motion. However, there hasn't been any clarity on what will happen to MotionVFX's monthly or annual subscription plans, nor its support for competing products. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-acquires-popular-video-editing-software-company-motionvfx-175429480.html?src=rss

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight's release date moves up a week

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a game that a whole bunch of people are looking forward to, and they might be pleased to learn Warner Bros. Games is making the wait a bit shorter. The publisher has moved up the game by a week from its previous release date of May 29 , meaning it will land on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Steam and Epic Games Store on May 22. A Nintendo Switch 2 version will be released later this year. Folks who buy the deluxe edition will still be able to jump in three days early. Everyone who pre-orders the game will get access to a The Dark Knight Returns Batsuit from the jump. TT Games is the team behind Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The studio did a fantastic job of folding nine movies worth of material into the fantastic Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga . Heres hoping it can pull off a similar trick this time it has nearly nine decades of Batman history to work with. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lego-batman-legacy-of-the-dark-knights-release-date-moves-up-a-week-174035977.html?src=rss

Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI for copyright and trademark infringement

OpenAI has been hit with another lawsuit. This time, Encyclopedia Britannica took legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of copyright and trademark infringements, as first reported by Reuters . More specifically, Britannica alleged that OpenAI illegally used its copyrighted content at a massive scale when training its AI models. Not just with training, the encyclopedia company claimed that ChatGPT's responses to user queries sometimes contain full or partial verbatim reproductions of [Britannica's] copyright articles. Along with claims of copyright violations, Britannica argued that OpenAI was also responsible for trademark infringement. According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT generates made-up content or ' hallucinations ' and falsely attributes them to Encyclopedia Britannica. The lawsuit doesn't specify an amount for monetary damages, but Britannica is also seeking an injunction to prevent OpenAI from repeating these accusations. When reached out for comment, a spokesperson for OpenAI told Engadget that, ChatGPT helps enhance human creativity, advance scientific discovery and medical research, and enable hundreds of millions of people to improve their daily lives. Our models empower innovation, and are trained on publicly available data and grounded in fair use. It's not the first time that Britannica has filed a lawsuit against an AI company. In September, the company, which owns Merriam-Webster, also sued Perplexity for similar reasons. On the other side, OpenAI is still embroiled in a legal battle with The New York Times , which also sued the AI giant for copyright infringement. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/encyclopedia-britannica-sues-openai-for-copyright-and-trademark-infringement-164747991.html?src=rss

How to find and cancel your unused subscriptions

Subscriptions are out of control. I can remember a time when the monthly payouts were few: just Netflix, a couple of magazines and a mobile plan. Now we have subscriptions for music, security cameras, cloud gaming, AI chatbots, meal kits, LinkedIn, DoorDash, Uber, Photoshop the list is long. Basically, if theres an app for something, theres likely an associated subscription available, too. This guide was put together to help you locate and cancel the subscriptions that are no longer serving you. That way, you wont end up paying for something you dont use. Every time I go through this process, Im always amazed at what random stuff Ive signed up for and cancelling always feels good. Its true that signing up for something is far easier than canceling thats by design. The FTC tried to pass a rule requiring companies to make cancelling a subscription as easy as it was to sign up for it. But that solution died before it ever went into effect . That means it will still take some effort to get rid of the services you dont use, but there are a couple of tactics that might make your efforts more effective. Heres our advice on finding and cancelling your unneeded subscriptions. First things first: Find out what subscriptions you have Before putting this post together, I had no idea how many subscriptions I was paying for. Surprises included a coding game for my kid (that he no longer plays) and a British streaming app Id gotten for one show (that I finished nearly a year ago). You, too, may not know what subscriptions are stealthily subtracting dollars from your accounts. One of the most comprehensive ways to see what youre paying for is to look at your bank and credit card transactions, generating a search that includes every transaction in the previous full month. It may be a lot to scroll through, but each monthly subscription will appear at least once in that time frame. Annual subscriptions can be tricker to track down. I was able to find most by searching for introductory emails, since most services send out an initial message confirming a new subscription. You can use the advanced search with the words welcome or thank you in the subject field, plus variations on the words annual subscribing and membership in the general or keyword search fields. You should get a decent idea of the things youve signed up for, but may have to wade through lots of promotional emails before you find the services you actually subscribed to. It could save you some time over searching through a year of bank statements. Sometimes its helpful to simply see a list of common subscriptions people pay for (and often forget about). Here are a few: Entertainment YouTube Premium Amazon Prime Video (or Prime in general) Netflix Disney+ Pandora Premium Twitch Subscriber Crunchyroll Peacock Gaming PlayStation Plus Xbox Game Pass Nintendo Switch Online Work/Productivity LinkedIn Premium Adobe Creative Cloud Microsoft 365 ToDo Evernote Dating Tinder Grindr Bumble Hinge Raya Food Hello Fresh Green Chef Blue Apron Doordash DashPass Uber Eats Uber One Monthly coffee, hot sauce and jerky boxes How to cancel subscriptions For the most part, the way you sign up for a subscription is the way youll cancel it. If you signed up for Strava or Minecraft Realms from your iOS device, youll need to cancel it through your Apple account. If you signed up for Netflix through its website, youll cancel there. Sometimes even the device you use matters. For example, if you signed up for Paramount Plus via your Fire TV Stick, youll go through your TV to cancel instead of through the Amazon mobile app. Once youve determined where to go, the cancellation processes will nearly always involve logging in to your account and navigating to your profile, then your account settings so you can view and end your subscription. Here are steps to cancel a few of the most popular subs. From the Apple App Store or Google Play Store When you pay for a subscription through an app store, the transaction will likely be listed as a payment to either Apple or Google, so its harder to see what youre paying for using the banking suggestion above. Heres how to see what youve subscribed to using the two major app marketplaces, plus how to cancel. How to cancel subscriptions through Apples App Store 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. 2. Tap your profile box at the top. 3. Tap on Subscriptions. Here, youll see your active and inactive subscriptions listed. 4. Tap the one you want to cancel and follow the prompts. How to cancel subscriptions through Googles Play Store 1. Open the Google Play app. 2. Tap your profile circle in the upper right. 3. Tap on Payments & Subscriptions. 4. Tap on Subscriptions. 4. Youll see your active subscriptions and can decide which ones you no longer want. How to cancel Amazon Prime Amazon Amazon most recently raised the price of a Prime membership in 2022 , bringing it to $15 per month or $139 per year. A membership gets you things like free shipping and access to Prime Video though as of 2024 , youll pay an additional $3 per month if you want to stream ad-free. If Prime isnt worth it for you any longer, heres how to cancel. Through the Amazon app: 1. Tap the person icon at the bottom of the screen. 2. Tap on the Your Account button at the top of the screen. 3. Scroll down to and tap Memberships and Subscriptions. 4. Youll be taken to a Prime page; tap Manage Membership in the drop-down menu at the top. 5. Select the Update, Cancel and More option, and tap End Membership. Here, you can also opt for a reminder to be sent three days before your next renewal if you dont want to cancel right away. Via a web browser: 1. Sign in to Amazon . 2. Hover over Accounts & Lists to the right of the search bar up top. 3. Click on Memberships & Subscriptions under Your Account. 4. Click the Cancel Subscription button. How to cancel Paramount Plus Paramount Plus is one of the cheaper video streaming subscriptions out there, going for $9 per month for the ad-supported version or $14 monthly for the ad-free version with Showtime. But if you finished Starfleet Academy and want to cancel, heres how. Remember, if you signed up for Paramount Plus through Prime Video or through the App Store, youll need to cancel through the same platform. 1. Log in to your Paramount Plus account on a web browser. 2. Select the username in the upper right corner. 3. Click on Account and scroll down to Cancel Subscription. 4. Click on Cancel Subscription. How to cancel Apple TV Apple Probably the best thing about Apple TV is how lean it is. Sure, you may not want to watch everything on there, but the ratio of really good stuff to so-so fluff is far better than on most other services. But once youve gotten through Severance and Pluribus you may decide to save yourself the $13 per month. Apple TV + requires an Apple ID to sign up, so the easiest way to cancel is through the Settings app on your Apple device. If you didnt sign up through a Mac, iPad or iPhone or dont have an Apple TV box , follow the PC instructions. On an iPhone or iPad : 1. Open the Settings app. 2. Tap your profile box at the top. 3. Tap on Subscriptions. 4. Tap either Apple TV+ or Apple One membership, depending on how you first signed up. 5. Select the subscription you want to cancel, then click the Cancel Subscription button. On a Mac : 1. Open the App Store app. 2. Click on your name and profile image at the bottom left. 3. Click on Account Settings at the top of the screen. 4. In the pop-up window, scroll down to the Manage section and click the Manage link to the right of the word Subscriptions. 5. Select the Edit link next to the subscription you want to cancel, then click the Cancel Subscription button. On an Apple TV box: 1. Open the Settings app from the home page. 2. Click on Users & Accounts. 3. Click on Subscriptions. 4. Find the subscription you want to cancel and follow the prompts. On a PC : 1. Go to tv.apple.com and sign in. 2. Click on the account icon at the top of the page. 3. Click on Settings and scroll down to Subscriptions, then click Manage 4. Choose Cancel Subscription. How to cancel an Audible membership If you downloaded Audible as part of a free trial or grabbed it for a 12-hour road trip but havent used it much since, heres how to stop paying $15 per month. If you didnt sign up via Amazon or Audible and instead went through Apples App Store or Google Play, follow the instructions for how to cancel subscriptions through Apples App Store or Googles Play store above. Through Amazon : 1. Sign in to your Amazon account. 2. Hover over Accounts & Lists to the right of the search bar. 3. Click on Memberships & Subscriptions under YourAccount. 4. Youll see your Audible membership listed; click the Audible Settings button. 5. Scroll down to Membership Options & Help and click on Cancel Membership. Through Audible (on a browser) : 1. Sign in to your Audible account. 2. Hover over the link that says Hi [your name] and select Account Details from the menu. 3. Youll see a box with your membership details; click on Cancel Membership. 4. Answer the reason for canceling question and follow the prompts. How to cancel Spotify Premium Spotify Spotify only gets more expensive . If you just want to go back to the free version, here's how. You can change which tier you pay for through the app. But to cancel, youll need to go through a web browser. You can technically cancel through the app, but that involves deleting your account and all its data. If you want to preserve your playlists and just switch to the free version, do so with a mobile or desktop browser. 1. Head to Spotify on a web browser and log in. 2. If you havent logged in via the web before, youll see a button for Web Player or Account Overview; select Account Overview. 3. If youre already in the Web Player, click either the gear icon (mobile browser) or your profile image (desktop browser) in the upper right corner and select Account. 4. Your subscription will appear in a box labeled Your Plan; click that box or scroll down to Manage Your Plan and click. 5. Youll see your plan details, click the Cancel subscription button. How to cancel YouTube TV Pretty much every live TV streaming service has raised its prices over the past couple years. YouTube TV is no different. After starting at $35 per month at launch, it went up nearly every year to finally land at $83 with the latest price hike in December of 2024 . If thats edging too close to cable pricing, you can always cancel (after all, not requiring a contract is still one of streamings major advantages). And YouTube TV actually lets you cancel through the app. On an Android device: 1. Open the YouTube TV app. 2. Tap your profile circle at the top right. 3. Tap on Settings, then tap on Membership. 4. Under your membership details, tap Manage. 5. Click on Cancel Membership and follow the prompts. Via a web browser: 1. Head to YouTubeTV . 2. Log in and click your profile circle in the top right. 3. Tap on Settings, then tap on Membership. 4. Under your membership details, tap on Manage next to Base Plan. 5. Click on Cancel Membership and follow the prompts. Apps that can help Some finance apps will track and manage your subscriptions for you. We looked into the bigger ones to see how they can help. One of our previous recommendations, Mint, shut down , but ones from Experian and Monarch Money have cropped up to take its pace. We tried out Rocket Money to see how the process works and detailed it below. Just note that these apps cost money to handle subscription cancellation on your behalf and adding another paid service to your life can feel absurd when youre trying to do the opposite. Youll also need to give the apps your banking information and your data may, in turn, be sold or shared with third parties for marketing. A couple of other apps we tried dont ask for your banking info. Instead you manually enter your subscription details. Thats certainly more private, but might not be saving you much effort in the long run. Rocket Money Owned by the same company as Rocket Mortgages, Rocket Money is a finance app that connects with your bank account and offers to help you budget and track your overall spending, in addition to managing your subscriptions. Youll pay for the app using a sliding scale from $3 to $14 per month for the premium version, which includes automated cancellation and other features. To access the free version at sign-up, move the slider to the left until you reach $0. Once youve linked your account, navigating to the Recurring tab gives you an overview of your subscriptions. I liked that you can access this using either the mobile or desktop app. After linking my accounts, it reminded me of an upcoming renewal for a magazine I dont read and hosting fees for a website I no longer need. Canceling both of those would save me nearly $200 in a year. Unfortunately, my monthly Apple One payment and the Max access that I pay for through my Samsung TV didnt show up as recurring subscriptions. That could be due to how my bank lists the transaction, but Id like to have seen those on the list, too. Next to each transaction is a three dot menu, which includes an option to cancel this for me for Premium subscribers. Click and youll see contact methods to handle it yourself or a button to have Rocket Money do it. After you provide your username and password for the service, youll get an email confirmation that tells you the process could take up to ten days to complete. When I had Rocket Money cancel Paramount Plus for me, I got an email later that night saying the cancellation was complete. While its not a magic program that zaps your subscriptions away, Rocket Money could save you a few steps. Seeing (most of) your recurring charges together is also helpful for staying on top of things. Its up to you whether the Premium charge (and taking on another subscription) is worth the cancellation service. Reminder apps There are other apps, like Bobby (iOS) and Tilla (Android), that dont connect with your bank account. Instead, you enter the details of the subscriptions you already have and add new ones as you go. The apps will remind you about upcoming renewals and let you quickly see what youre paying for, all in one place. Both are free to use but limit the number of subscriptions you can track until you upgrade, which costs a flat $4 for Bobby and $2 for Tilla. I feel like if you possess the diligence to keep apps like these up to date, you could just as easily use a spreadsheet or native apps like Apple or Googles Reminders, though these are more colorful. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/how-to-find-and-cancel-your-unused-subscriptions-130036314.html?src=rss

Tech companies are teaming up to combat scammers

A coalition of Big Tech companies is working on a more comprehensive solution to combat online scams . As first reported by Axios , Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Adobe and Match Group announced the signing of the Online Services Accord Against Scams. The new agreement is meant to put up a united industry-wide front against online fraud and scams, particularly those from sophisticated criminal networks that use multiple platforms. According to the Axios report, the measures will include adding fraud detection tools, introducing new user security features, and requiring more robust verification for financial transactions. The agreement will also set up best practices for scam detection, prevention and reporting, while encouraging the sharing of information between companies and law enforcement. On the policy side, the coalition will call on the governments to declare scam prevention a national priority, according to Axios . While these measures are extensive, the report noted that they're all voluntary since the accord doesn't mention any penalties if the companies don't follow through. Many of the companies involved in the new accord already have experience in dealing with scams found on their own platforms. Earlier this month, Meta announced several new features across Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp that would alert users about suspicious friend requests or accounts. Last year, LinkedIn introduced a new verification requirement for company recruiters or executives to address scams targeting job seekers on its platform. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/tech-companies-are-teaming-up-to-combat-scammers-144616545.html?src=rss

Apple announces the AirPods Max 2 with improved noise cancelation and H2 chip

The AirPods Max 2 are almost here . Apple announced this morning that the first true update to its over-hear phones are up for pre-order on March 25 and will be shipping in early April. They look identical to the predecessor, with large, colorful earcups and a matching headband. But inside is the H2 chip that Apple first introduced with the AirPods Pro 2, which enables a host of new features. Chief among those is improved noise cancelation Apple says with the H2 and improved audio algorithms, the AirPods Max 2 are 1.5 times more effective at reducing noise than the old model. From an audio perspective, theres a new amplifier on board here as well for clearer music and improved spatial audio performance. If you want lossless music, you can get that by using the included USB-C cable. There are also a host of new features for the AirPods Max 2 enabled by the H2. These include an Adaptive Audio mode that balances between transparency and ANC modes depending on the environment so you can hear things when you need to while still blocking extraneous noise. Similarly, the conversation awareness features lower the volume of your content and increase transparency when youre speaking. Live Translation comes to the AirPods Max 2 as well, a feature that uses your AirPods and iPhone to translate incoming speech to and from the language of your choosing. Apple AirPods Max 2 colors Apple Essentially, the AirPods Max 2 now have almost all the features youll find in the AirPods Pro 3 , just in an over-ear design. What hasnt changed is the price AirPods Max 2 still cost $549, notably more than most of the competition. Despite the high price, the first AirPods Max did sound exceptional theyve just been hard to recommend for years because of the aging feature set and cost. Given that the first AirPods Max were released in 2020, these new headphones are long overdue and are probably what we should have got in 2024 when Apple added USB-C but otherwise didnt change anything besides refreshing the colors. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-announces-the-airpods-max-2-with-improved-noise-cancelation-and-h2-chip-133319594.html?src=rss

Firefly is getting rebooted as an animated series

Firefly aired for just one season in 2002 before Fox canceled it. In the 24 years since, the sci-fi show has skyrocketed in popularity and now fans are finally getting more. Nathan Fillion has announced that an animated Firefly series is currently in advanced development, Deadline first reported . Fillion shared the news at AwesomeCon during a live taping of his podcast Once We Were Spacemen with his Firefly co-stars Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Jewel Staite and Alan Tudyk. Tudyk co-hosts the podcast, in which the duo look back at their careers and interview past coworkers. Each of the actors present at AwesomeCon are expected to voice the animated versions of their characters. This isn't one of those maybe one day it will happen announcements, with many steps already being taken. The animated reboot is under the direction of showrunners Tara Butters ( Agent Carter, Reaper ) and Marc Guggenheim (DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow ) original creator Joss Whedon is not involved, but has given his blessing. It has early concept art from ShadowMachine, an Oscar- and Emmy-winning animation studio. Fillion is producing the show through Collision33, his production company, and with 20th Television Animation. There's even already a script in place. According to Fillion, the one thing left is a home for the series. He and his co-stars took to Once We Were Spacemen 's Instagram to provide more details and implore FireFly fans to show demand for the reboot. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Once We Were Spacemen (@oncewewerespacemen) Firefly took place in 2517, centuries after a universal civil war. It followed a group of people living aboard a transport ship, Serenity, flying through the galaxy. In 2005, the show got a sequel in the form of a movie, Serenity . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/firefly-is-getting-rebooted-as-an-animated-series-120604649.html?src=rss

How and where to buy refurbished tech online

In good news for our wallets and the environment at large, many electronic devices like phones and tablets last longer now than they once did. That means refurbished gadgets can have more life than ever before. There are no laws governing the terms, but refurbished or renewed devices tend to be a level above just plain used. At minimum, refurbished tech should have undergone cleaning and diagnostic testing. Some sellers also replace components like batteries and screens. Once ready for sale, these devices should operate as if they were new, with only minor scuffs indicating their history. Refurbished devices not only save you a bit of cash, they have a drastically lower carbon footprint since most environmental impact comes from manufacturing. Its more efficient than recycling and helps keep e-waste out of landfills. But there are better places to shop refurbished tech than others. Weve gathered /a few recommendations, along with our advice on what to look for when you start shopping for refurbished gear. What to consider when buying refurbished devices Refurbished vs used Refurbished is not the same as used. Used items tend to be sold as-is,'' which means youre simply inheriting whatever mileage and quirks a device had when the previous owner said goodbye to it. Its true that most refurbished items were previously owned, and many are a result of the growing trend of trading in your old device when you upgrade. But others were hardly used at all and are one of the millions of returns generated each year. Either way, a properly refurbished item has undergone testing to verify that it works, along with cleaning, repairs and parts replacement as needed. Since there are no government regulations for renewed items, its up to the sellers to define what steps they take to ready a device for sale. And its up to the buyer to find out what those steps are before taking the plunge. The processes for refurbishing devices from Apple , Bose , Microsoft , Google Pixels and Samsung , for example, include cleaning, inspection, parts replacement as needed and shipment in a new box with the originally supplied accessories. They also all provide a one-year warranty. Warranties and returns A refurbished device should perform as well as its new counterpart, but the only way to guarantee thats the case is to make sure it comes with a warranty. All of the sites we recommend below include a warranty with the products they sell. If you see something labeled as refurbished, but doesnt include some sort of guarantee as to its reliability shop elsewhere. Also, a good return policy will let you send the item back (preferably with the same free shipping a new item gets) for any reason including that you just changed your mind. That way if a refurbished product doesnt look as good as you thought it would, you can send it back without having to prove theres something wrong with it. Sanitation Most refurbished tech was used before it made its way back on the market. And while renewed items are cleaned, youll still need to consider your comfort with sanitation issues when buying things like headphones and earbuds . Polina Lebed via Getty Images Where to buy refurbished tech We recommend going directly to the manufacturer whenever possible, especially for more technical items like smartphones and laptops. If you need a new MacBook, check out Apples refurbished stock first; if you want a new Galaxy phone, hit up Samsung before anyone else. Repairs will be handled using genuine parts and youre far more likely to get items that were properly unpaired from the original owner and all data wiped. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy are decent options if youre on a tighter budget or if youre looking for gadgets from a manufacturer that may not have its own refurbished outlet. Refurbished marketplaces like BackMarket can be useful if youre looking for older, more specific items, or if price is the number one factor for your purchase. Other retailers Some smaller manufacturers like Dyson , Vitamix , Nintendo and JBL offer their own refurbished products, but for many other brands, you may need to head to a retailer. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/where-to-buy-refurbished-tech-140028700.html?src=rss

MacBook Pro M5 Max 16-inch review: Still the pinnacle

We've loved Apple's 2021-era MacBook Pro design from the start, and the M5 Max edition is once again the professional notebook to beat. But it's hard to deny that the star of Apple's recent laptop rollout wasn't its most powerful Pro systems all eyes were on the $599 MacBook Neo . The MacBook Pro's next time to shine is likely this fall, when Apple is expected to finally deliver OLED models and a dynamic touchscreen interface . (Ive argued before that, at this point, Apple has no excuse not to give us touchscreen Macs .) This generation of MacBook Pro might just be the last gasp of the 2021 remodel. It's still an incredibly powerful machine that's been honed to near-perfection, but if you're looking for something that feels truly new, it may be worth waiting several months. It's not too surprising to see the M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros be relatively low-key efforts. Apple launched the M5 14-inch MacBook last fall with a mere press release. But at least that model delivered a noticeable leap in graphics performance. The new M5 Pro and Max chips are a bit faster than before, but they don't really have any major features to call out. (Unless you're super excited about Neural Accelerators for AI work.) I don't want to sound like I'm complaining too much, though. The 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro I'm reviewing is still a gorgeous laptop, with an overall design that most premium Windows PC makers are still trying to copy. Apple's unibody metal frame design still feels rock solid. There's a generous amount of ports, including three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C connections, HDMI, a headphone jack and a SD card reader. Its 16-inch Liquid RetinaXDR screen also looks incredible, thanks to its bright Mini LED backlighting, and there's once again a nano-texture option to reduce glare. What else could you want in a laptop? I suppose there's the lingering feeling that an OLED screen would look better, with sharper contrast and pure black levels. But you'd be hard pressed to find much else to complain about with the MacBook Pro's screen. I'm also intrigued to see how Apple implements a touchscreen interface alongside macOS in upcoming MacBook Pros, but I'll admit, I haven't really been compelled to touch this laptop's display much. Touchscreens always seemed like a quixotic effort for laptops they're nice to have, but Microsoft has been trying to shove them into PCs for 15 years now . The addition of touchscreens really didn't improve the overall Windows experience much. So I wasn't surprised to see Apple take its time bringing the technology to macOS if you really want to swipe around screens, just get an iPad. MacBook Pro 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) keyboard and trackpad Devindra Hardawar for Engadget But back to this MacBook Pro: I still love everything about Apple's current design. Sure, the keyboard could have a bit more depth, but it withstood my furious typing like a champ. (Unlike Dell's XPS 14 , which tried so hard to be a MacBook Pro-killer.) And the MacBook Pro's glass touchpad is still one of the best I've ever seen in a laptop. Our review unit was also equipped with 32GB of RAM, a 4TB SSD, a 40-core GPU and Apples $150 nano-texture display upgrade, bringing the total for this M5 Max system to a whopping $6,149. That may seem excessive to most consumers, but for creative professionals who actually need the power of the M5 Max chip, its not that unusual. You can also save over $1,000 by opting for the M5 Pro chip instead. So what does the M5 Max bring to the party? Obviously, it's speedier than the M4 Max. Our review unit was 30 percent faster than the M4 Max-equipped MacBook Studio in the Geekbench 6 multi-threaded CPU benchmark. It's only 10 percent faster in Geekbench's single-threaded test, but that still gives Apple room to claim that it has the fastest chip core around. If you've got an M4 Max machine, you certainly don't need to dump it for this lineup. But if you've been hammering on an M1 Max or M2 Max system for years, you'll see some meaningful benefits from upgrading now. Computer Geekbench 6 Geekbench 6 GPU Cinebench 2024 Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Max, 2026) 4,338/ 29,261 145,309 192/2,150 | GPU: 22,374 Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) 4,310/18,003 48,840 197/1,034 | GPU: 6,143 Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2026) 3,925/22,456 70,197 178/1,689 GPU 9,295 Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2024) 3,202/21,312 92,344 143/1,686 GPU 13,182 Apple says this new line of MacBook Pros also feature its latest SSD technology, which is up to twice as fast as before. Our review unit reached 13.8 GB/s write speeds and 13 GB/s read speeds in the ATTO disk speed test, whereas previous MacBook Pros hovered around 6 GB/s for read/write speeds. If you're working with huge data files every day, you'll likely notice the difference. Another benefit to the new hardware? Apple is now equipping every MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage by default. All of the M5 chips feature faster GPUs than before, but that's less noticeable on the M5 Max. I've never had trouble running a high-end game like Lies of P on the M2, M3 or M4 Max hardware, and once again it still runs incredibly well with the M5 Max in its native resolution, and with all of the graphics settings cranked up. All I'm looking for is a smooth 60 fps frame rate, and the MacBook Pros have delivered on that for years. macOS isn't the sort of platform where you'll be playing many high fps games, but the MacBook Pro's 120Hz refresh rate is equipped to handle them. MacBook Pro 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) on a doorstep. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Beyond raw performance, the MacBook Pro continues to be a joy to use. Its screen is gloriously bright, and its smooth refresh rate makes scrolling through documents and websites easy on the eyes. Its six-speaker setup remains the best audio experience I've ever heard on a laptop, allowing for crisp, detailed and surprisingly dynamic bass. When I'm too lazy to cast music to my Sonos speakers, I can still have a decent jam session on the MacBook Pro's built-in setup. It's hard to improve much on the 30 hours and 16 minutes of battery life we saw on last year's 16-inch MacBook Pro, but the M5 Max model managed to beat that by 30 minutes. Realistically, it means you can likely use the MacBook Pro for a few days without needing to recharge, assuming you're not doing heavy-duty work the entire time. MacBook Pro 16-inch (2026, M5 Max) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget You don't need me to sell you on the MacBook Pro; all you need to know is that the M5 Max actually delivers. Given how well the standard M5 14-inch MacBook Pro performed, I'd also expect a decent speed bump from the M5 Pro model. The only downside to the M5 systems is that they'll feel out of date quickly if the rumored OLED and touchscreen models arrive later this year. But if you need the best performance now, it's hard to go wrong with any MacBook Pro. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-pro-m5-max-16-inch-review-still-the-pinnacle-120000325.html?src=rss

Warner Bros. dominates Oscars with 11 wins ahead of its acquisition by Paramount

Ahead of its acquisition by Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. dominated the 2026 Oscars with 11 wins primarily for Ryan Coogler's Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. Netflix also put in a strong showing with seven Academy Awards, including two for KPop Demon Hunters and three for Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein . All told, dedicated streaming services chalked up eight awards, but were shut out of the major prizes. Frankenstein took the trophies for for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling, while KPop Demon Hunters took Best Animated Feature and Best original Song. Netflix also took prizes for All The Empty Rooms (Best Documentary Short Film) and The Singers (Best Live Action Short Film). Apple TV garnered the other streaming service Oscar for F1 (Best Sound). Warner Bros. dominated the more prestigious awards. The studio took its first Oscar for Best Picture ( One Battle After Another) since Argo won in 2012, while also winning Anderson the prizes for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, and giving Sean Penn the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Sinners , meanwhile, won for Best Cinematography, giving Autumn Durald Arkapaw the first ever win for a woman and woman of color in that category. Michael B. Jordan took the Best Actor prize for that film, while Director Ryan Coogler won for Best Original Screenplay. Other notable acting prizes were won by Jessie Buckley (Best Actress, Hamnet) and Amy Madigan (Best Support Actress, Weapons). Host Conan O'Brien joked that it was the first time in a theater for Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. It remains to be seen, however, whether Netflix losing out to Paramount Skydance on the Warner Bros. acquisition will be to the film industry's benefit or detriment. One clear loser of late is broadcast television as the 2026 Oscars will be the third-to-last aired by Walt Disney's ABC, with YouTube set to stream the ceremony exclusively starting in 2029 . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/warner-bros-dominates-oscars-with-11-wins-ahead-of-its-acquisition-by-paramount-093916527.html?src=rss

Playdate games to check out before the Catalog's 3-year anniversary sale ends

If your Playdate wishlist is anything like mine (endless), here's a good excuse to actually go ahead and free some of those games from limbo: Panic is running a sale across the Playdate Catalog to celebrate its three-year anniversary. Sure, the majority of Playdate games are pretty cheap as is, but they can still add up when you're on a wild purchasing spree. Ask me how I know! The sale started on March 5 and goes until March 19 at 1PM ET (10AM PT), so take advantage of the discounts while you can. There are 423 games available in the Catalog now, according to Panic, so if you're having trouble deciding on which you should go for, I've got you covered with a few recommendations right here. Season Two If $39 felt like too much to drop on Season Two when it came out last summer, now's the time to get it. Playdate's second season had only half the number of games as its first, but it still felt like a much stronger collection. Each of its 12 games is really solid, and there's plenty of variety in terms of genre and style, from puzzles and hours-long adventures to fast-paced action games that are great for bursts of intense play. And, it comes with Blippo+ an oddball cable TV simulator that's unlike anything out there right now. All of these games are worth playing, but there were definitely some standouts from the bunch: The Whiteout , a post-apocalyptic adventure that'll surely hit even harder now considering the winter we've had; the puzzle platformer Taria & Como ; the arcade action game Fulcrum Defender ; the climbing adventure, Tiny Turnip . I also really enjoyed Dig! Dig! Dino! for something on the chiller side. Outside Parties I have not been able to shut up about this game since it came out. It's unique, it's creepy, it's completely engrossing and it really pushes the limits of what the Playdate can do. Outside Parties is a horror scavenger hunt, presenting you with one massive picture to scrutinize and find hidden scenes within, using the crank to adjust the brightness constantly so you can find anything that may be buried in shadow. As you find these targets, more and more of the game's story comes to light through eerie audio clips. It is such a cool experience and the atmosphere of it all is incredible. You'll get many hours of playtime out of this one too, with over 150 targets to find and lots of lore to uncover. Crankstone A full-blown western for the Playdate! Crankstone is a gallery shooter with minigames mixed throughout, and between the aesthetic, the music and the activities, it's a lot of fun. You can choose the story mode to get right into the shooting and defending the town from outlaws, or head to the saloon to pick from the handful of mini games individually, including some fast-paced spot the correct card deck shuffling games and a few mimicry games involving the crank. It's like a wild west theme park crammed into the Playdate, which is to say, it's wonderful. Echo: The Oracle's Scroll This is one of my all-time favorite Playdate games. Echo: The Oracle's Scroll is a metroidvania without the usual combat, focusing entirely on exploration and puzzle-solving in a vast network of subterranean kingdoms. In this game, the Blight has forced civilization underground, and you play as a child who has been sent on a mission to deliver a scroll from the bottom-most territory, where the humans live, up to The Archives. There are all sorts of treacherous environments underground, including magma lakes and areas filled with hostile vegetation, making for what is at times a challenging platformer that requires lots of creativity to make your way through. The tone is a bit somber, but quirky characters like a frog prince with a bouncy belly keep things from getting too dark. Carte Blanche This one's for lovers of classic card games. There are six games in this virtual card game parlor (which is run by a bird named Blanche): Cribbage, Gin Rummy, Spades, Cassino and Spite & Malice. It's great for if you already know what you're doing, but I found Carte Blanche to be a really good introduction to these games for absolute beginners too, thanks to the easy-to-follow tutorials. When you win games, you'll be rewarded with coins that you can spend at Blanche's slot machine, which is stocked with little trinkets she's collected. Castle Kellmore Castle Kellmore absolutely rules. This first-person action game puts you in a series of mazes where you have to fight off floating-head-style monsters as you hunt around for keys and try to find the doors and portals to your escape. There are sixteen levels, and upon finishing each one you'll get a little summary of how long it took you to complete that area and what percentage of the level's enemies you killed. I also really get a kick out of the sounds in this game. The enemies slurp and squelch, and your character will let out a hilariously passionless, Ah or Ooeuugh after picking up a health boost or getting injured. Great for fans of dungeons! Pia Rollada If you've ever played any of the Super Monkey Ball games, the gist of this one should be pretty familiar: roll the ball through the course and collect all of the fruits before reaching the exit. Don't fall off the edge, and do it all in as little time as possible. Pia Rollada makes use of the Playdate's accelerometer, which means you control the ball's movement by tilting the console (there is also the option to use the D-pad instead). The courses start getting tricky pretty much right away, with thin paths that don't have any guardrails, obstacles to avoid and moving platforms. And, just going near the exit will result in the ball getting sucked in, so you have to keep that in mind as you collect any surrounding fruits if you don't want the level to end prematurely. This is another one of those games that is both frustrating (in the fun way) and totally addicting. Expect to yell a lot. Other games to try These are just the games I've been enjoying lately, but there are tons of other Playdate games worth checking out during the sale, like these cheese games and Spilled Mushrooms . And if you need even more recommendations, take a look through our list of the best Playdate games , where you'll find gems like Summit and Bwirds . There are quite a few I'm planning to finally spring from my wishlist too, including The Shape That Waits . Update, March 15 2026, 7:15 PM ET: This story has been updated to include additional game recommendations. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-games-to-check-out-before-the-catalogs-3-year-anniversary-sale-ends-181500370.html?src=rss

Anthropic is doubling Claude's usage limits during off-peak hours for the next two weeks

To capitalize on Claude's recent spike in popularity, Anthropic is offering a limited-time promotion that doubles usage limits for anyone using its AI chatbot during off-peak hours. From March 13 to March 27, users on Free, Pro, Max, and Team plans will get double the usage limits in a five-hour window when using Claude outside weekday hours between 8 AM and 2 PM ET. According to Anthropic, the promotion is automatic, and users don't have to enable anything to get the benefits. A small thank you to everyone using Claude: Were doubling usage outside our peak hours for the next two weeks. pic.twitter.com/W7TEBPditq Claude (@claudeai) March 14, 2026 Anthropic said that this promotion applies to anyone using Claude on web, desktop or mobile, but also with Cowork, Claude Code, Claude for Excel and Claude for PowerPoint. Previously, Anthropic offered a similar event from December 25 to December 31, doubling usage limits for Pro, Max 5x or Max 20x subscribers. However, Anthropic is targeting an even wider audience with its latest promotion since only Enterprise users are excluded this time around. Anthropic is marketing the promotion as a small thank you to everyone using Claude, but it's likely tied to its ongoing battle with the Department of Defense. After refusing to remove certain AI safeguards for the Department of Defense, Anthropic was listed as a supply chain risk and lost its contract with the federal agency. In turn, OpenAI signed a deal with the Department of Defense, leading to many users deciding to boycott ChatGPT in favor of Claude and other AI chatbot options. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-is-doubling-claudes-usage-limits-during-off-peak-hours-for-the-next-two-weeks-163645928.html?src=rss

ByteDance has reportedly suspended the global rollout of its new AI video generator

A month after Seedance 2.0's launch in China sparked cease-and-desist letters from Disney and Paramount Skydance over its use of copyrighted materials, its developer ByteDance has reportedly hit pause on the release of the AI video tool in other regions. According to The Information , which spoke to two anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter, ByteDance has suspended Seedance 2.0's global rollout. Engadget has reached out to ByteDance for comment and will update this story if we hear back with more information. Seedance 2.0 caught heat from Hollywood studios almost immediately upon its release, after user-generated videos including a viral AI clip of Brad Pitt fighting Tom Cruise sparked concerns that copyrighted works were used in training the model. In February, ByteDance told the BBC that it is aking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users. It's unclear when exactly ByteDance planned to release the tool more widely. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/bytedance-has-reportedly-suspended-the-global-rollout-of-its-new-ai-video-generator-212326112.html?src=rss

Spotifys new Taste Profile feature lets users fine-tune their algorithms recommendations

You're responsible for your own Spotify algorithm now. On stage at SXSW, Spotify's co-CEO, Gustav Sderstrm, announced the Taste Profile feature, which allows users to personally customize exactly what they want to listen to, whether it's music, audiobooks or podcasts. This AI-powered feature is still in beta, and it will be available to Premium users in New Zealand in the coming weeks. From its short video demo, Spotify's Taste Profile feature will show you a summary of your listening habits and offer a Tell us more prompt at the bottom. With the new prompt, users can inform the AI what they want to see more of or if they want to get rid of a genre that keeps popping up in their algorithm. Spotify said that the Taste Profile will take into consideration more ambiguous prompts, too, like if you're training for a marathon and want upbeat music or want to listen to news podcasts during your commute to work. Spotify added that Taste Profile is an optional feature, and unwilling users can leave it and enjoy Spotify as usual. With Taste Profile, Spotify is continuing its momentum of offering AI features , like the Prompted Playlist feature that was made available last month. Unlike the existing AI Playlist feature, Prompted Playlist lets you put in specific requests to generate a playlist, like only including songs from a specific TV show. Like Taste Profile, the Prompted Playlist feature saw beta testing in New Zealand first, before expanding to US and Canadian users a month later. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotifys-new-taste-profile-feature-lets-users-fine-tune-their-algorithms-recommendations-191104626.html?src=rss

Trump administration will reportedly get $10 billion for brokering the TikTok deal

There may have been some extra incentive for the Trump administration to get the TikTok US deal done. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal , the Trump administration is set to receive a total of $10 billion in the deal that allowed TikTok to remain in the US. The new investors who acquired stakes in the US entity of TikTok already paid a $2.5 billion fee to the administration when the deal closed in January, but WSJ 's latest report noted that the group of investors would continue to make payments until the total hits $10 billion. After a group of investors, which includes Oracle along with the Silver Lake and MGX investment firms, acquired stakes in the US-based TikTok entity called TikTok USDS Joint Venture, the WSJ previously reported that the administration would receive a multibillion-dollar fee for its work on the deal. To better contextualize the recently-revealed $10 billion fee the Trump administration is receiving, the US entity of TikTok was valued at $14 billion by Vice President JD Vance. The Trump administration has previously involved itself in major deals with other US corporations. Last year, the administration invested $8.9 billion into Intel and received a nearly 9 percent equity stake. In terms of unprecedented windfalls, the Trump administration also received a Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the Qatari government in May. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-administration-will-reportedly-get-10-billion-for-brokering-the-tiktok-deal-180954979.html?src=rss

What to read this weekend: Locked in with The Iron Garden Sutra

Need something new for your reading list? This week, we recommend A.D. Sui's The Iron Garden Sutra, a meditative horror sci-fi/fantasy and murder mystery. I don't typically gravitate toward locked room mysteries, but the description of this book ticked all the right boxes to win me over: a death monk and a team of researchers trapped onboard a spaceship of the dead encounter something beyond human understanding. It has all the makings of a compelling murder mystery, which is fine on its own, but thanks to the philosophical musings of its main character, Vessel Iris, and a setting that almost demands existential contemplation, it becomes something much deeper. Vessel Iris is a monk some time in the far future whose mission is to perform funeral rites for the dead so their souls may reach their ultimate destination, according to the beliefs of his religion, the Starlit Order. Vessels like Iris share their mind with an AI companion, which creates a really interesting dynamic for the reader, as there is a constant dialogue going on between the two from the start (carrying a tone that sometimes verges on old married couple, which I quite enjoyed). Iris shows up to an ancient ship called the Counsel of Nicaea expecting to perform his duties for the long-deceased on board and instead finds himself facing a group of researchers who are very much not dead and a jumbled mess of bones from the hundreds of bodies they disturbed by moving, which he'll have to sort in order to properly bless. Despite being a ghost ship in most respects, it turns out the Nicaea is alive with vegetation and gardens that would have once supported the humans that lived there. And, there's seemingly something else, as Iris' AI begins to pick up strange pings from a presence on the ship, and one by one the team of researchers starts getting picked off. As everything unravels, Iris begins to question his faith and his purpose. This was such a great read, and I was excited to learn it's the first in a two-book series, The Cosmic Wheel series. Fans of horror sci-fi/sci-fantasy should definitely check this one out. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-locked-in-with-the-iron-garden-sutra-172342019.html?src=rss

Meta is reportedly planning to cut up to 20 percent of its staff in upcoming layoffs

Meta could be preparing for one of the largest layoffs in its history, according to a Reuters report. The tech giant is planning to cut about 20 percent of its workforce, according to the outlet's sources. According to the report, neither a date nor the exact number of layoffs has been finalized yet. However, Reuters reported that Meta's top executives have told other senior leaders to start planning how to pare back. In its latest financial report , the company's employee headcount was 78,865 as of December 31, 2025, while revenue reached nearly $60 billion for the fourth quarter and more than $200 billion for the entire year. A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that this was speculative reporting about theoretical approaches. Meta is no stranger to major layoffs. Earlier this year, Meta targeted about 1,000 employees in its layoffs with the Reality Labs division that's responsible for the company's virtual reality and metaverse efforts. Early last year, Meta laid off about five percent of its workforce, following a smaller round of firings that same month. Meanwhile, the company has been spending heavily to acquire AI startups, like Moltbook , a social network designed for AI agents, and Manus , a startup focused on AI agents for task automation. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-planning-to-cut-up-to-20-percent-of-its-staff-in-upcoming-layoffs-160812304.html?src=rss

Digg shuts down for a 'hard reset' because it was flooded with bots

Digg has shut down, for now, just a few months after its open beta launched. Justin Mezzell, the companys CEO, has explained on the home page that it noticed hours after the beta launched that it was already being targeted by SEO spammers. The internet is now populated, in meaningful part, by sophisticated AI agents and automated accounts, he wrote. Apparently, the Digg team wasnt ready for the scale and the speed at which bots found and started flooding the website. Mezzell said Digg banned thousands of accounts and deployed both internal tools and external solutions, but they werent enough. He admitted that the votes and the comments on the website couldnt be trusted due to the amount of bot activity it got. While Digg has decided to significantly downsize its team, a small number of staff members has stayed to rebuild it completely. He said it wasnt enough to present Digg as an alternative to current social networks and community-based websites. What comes next needs to be genuinely different, he added. The CEO didnt explain how Digg will reinvent itself, but he did announce that its founder, Kevin Rose, is joining the company full time. Rose bought back Digg last year in partnership with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Back then, they said they had a fresh vision to restore the spirit of discovery and genuine community that made the early web a fun and exciting place to be. Based on what happened to Digg, thats now harder to achieve with the state of the internet today. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/digg-shuts-down-for-a-hard-reset-because-it-was-flooded-with-bots-153848094.html?src=rss

Ball x Pit on mobile, Piece by Piece x2 and other new indie games worth checking out

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. A bunch of intriguing games arrived this week, including a mobile port of one of the most absorbing things Ive played in years and two completely different titles with the same name. Lets get things started with a look at a few projects that were featured in the latest edition of the Future Games Show . Hyperwired (from SidralGames and publisher SelectaPlay) is a 2D roguelike shooter with an interesting resource-management twist. To recharge your weapons and systems, you have to plug a cable that trails behind your spaceship into a socket. While you're plugged in, your movement is restricted by the length of the tether, but you gain more firepower. There are a whole bunch of upgrades and bullet modifiers to play around with here, including a slow-motion system you can activate at almost any time. Hyperwired is slated to hit Steam , PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch this summer. In Clean Up Earth, you and other players can work together to restore polluted environments. You can play solo if you like, but on the larger maps you'll need to team up with others to handle large bits of junk. One particularly neat aspect of Clean Up Earth is that in-game actions will automatically trigger micro-donations from developer Magic Pockets and its partners to environmental organizations. Clean Up Earth is coming to Steam , Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on April 2. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is on the way in the future. There's a demo available on Steam as well. Mr. Magpies Harmless Card Game is a minesweeper-style riff on the likes of Inscryption and Buckshot Roulette . As with some other roguelike deckbuilders , you're trapped in a creepy situation and the only way to escape alive is to gamble and earn enough money in time to meet quotas. To do that, you'll need to twist the odds in your favor by building multipliers and synergies. You can boost your deck with powerful cards you can buy from a shop. However, there are dangerous JERRY cards on the board that could spell doom if you flip them over. You can use hints and strategies to try to figure out where those cards are and avoid them. There's no release date as yet for Mr. Magpies Harmless Card Game , which is from Giant Light Studios. However, you can request access to a playtest on Steam . A press release described Herdles as Spyro meets Breath of the Wild , with a dog. I'm immediately sold. Playing as a magical version of creative director Christian Hbels own dog, Snoopy, you'll estore balance to a fracturing world in this open-world platformer. On your journey, you'll rescue Herdles, or corrupted creatures. Doing so will unlock new powers, such as being able to glide, bust through walls and swim up waterfalls. There's no combat or death in this game, which seems to be largely about solving puzzles, experimenting with physics-based abilities and exploring. It's said to have deep accessibility and customization options too. Fire Sword Studios and One More Journey are behind Herdles , which does not have a release window, though the Steam page is live. New releases I took an earlier-than-usual lunch break on Thursday to check out the mobile version of Ball x Pit (from Kenny Sun and friends and publisher Devolver Digital) as soon as it was released. I adore this game. I'm happy it runs smoothly on my iPhone 16, because that should give me more reason to avoid doomscrolling. It's the same Ball x Pit . It's still fantastic. The touchscreen dual-stick controls work well enough, especially when the auto-fire option is enabled. Still, a mobile controller like OhSnap's MCON or the Backbone Pro works better for me. A bunch more people will be able to enjoy Ball x Pit now that it's on iOS and Android . You can play the first level for free and it costs $10 to unlock the full game. It's a pretty good week for folks who are into brick-breaking roguelites, because here's another one. ITER-8 (from fluckyMachine and publisher Fireshine Games) blends mining and tower defense. It's a bit like Dome Keeper . You're tasked with acquiring resources from an enormous monolith that's above your base. You'll need to drag these items back to your base so you can upgrade your character, ship, shield and weapon. There are relics to find and you can swap these for installations like lasers, barriers and cannons. There are also puzzle-based sections that sees your character leave their ship for some in-person mining and upgrade collecting, temporarily switching from 2D to 3D action. After a while, the monolith starts to thrum with an ominous sound. That means it's time to race back to base (with the help of a fast-travel system) to fend off waves of alien enemies. The two sides of ITER-8 work fairly well together and I've enjoyed my time with it so far. I actually find it pretty relaxing overall, though the tower-defense aspect could have been designed a bit more elegantly. Switching aim from one side of the base to the other doesnt feel snappy enough. ITER-8 is available on Steam for $13. There's a 25 percent launch discount available until March 23. Piece by Piece is billed as a cozy repair shop game from Gamkat and publisher No More Robots. It looks cute! You can decorate your shop and make it homely by cleaning, keeping the log fire burning and making sure the cookie jar is full. Of course, you'll be fixing up heirlooms and antiques for customers too. It's out now on Steam for $12, with a 20 percent discount until March 25. Piece by Piece is a puzzle platformer in the most literal sense. You manipulate levels by moving puzzle pieces around. It's a great idea from Neon Polygons and I'm keen to check this one out on Steam . It typically costs $13, but there's a 15 percent discount until March 27. Wait a second here... Two games called Piece by Piece that were released in the same week? That's a heck of a coincidence. Thankfully, the teams behind both games saw the funny side. They've even created a bundle of both games so you can buy them both for an extra 10 percent off. Here's another puzzle-forward game, albeit one that's more of an adventure. In Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times , you'll discover and combine spells in creative ways to solve riddles in similar fashion to games like Baba Is You . There are said to be more than a million ways to combine the magical keywords. Since every spell works on any object in the game, there are more than 102 million possible configurations. Neat! Solo developer Alice Jarratt from SlugGlove spent three years making Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times and drew more than 10,000 frames of animation for it. The game is available on Steam for $15, with a 20 percent launch discount until March 26. A demo is available too. Upcoming I've had Hoa on my wishlist for forever, so it's probably time for me to check out that puzzle platformer before the sequel arrives later this year. Hoa 2 (from Skrollcat Studio and publisher PM Studios) sticks with the hand-painted art of the original game but its a 3D game this time. It begins a long, long time after the end of Hoa , with the eponymous fairy returning to a world that's been transformed by time. But many of her old friends have passed away, so Hoa seeks a new purpose. Along with platforming and spatial puzzles, Hoa 2 features secrets and mini-games. It's coming to Steam , PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. I dig what I've seen of MotorSlice , which seems to have Mirror's Edge -style parkour action but in a much grittier-looking world. The developers also took inspiration from the Prince of Persia series and Shadow of the Colossus here perhaps not too surprising in the latter case given that you'll be scaling huge bosses. This action adventure sees you on a mission to destroy every piece of machinery inside a ruined megastructure. MotorSlice is coming to Steam this spring. A demo for this game from Regular Studio and publisher Top Hat Studios is available now. Being a lifelong soccer fan is a curse that's punctuated with infrequent moments of the most intense joy you'll ever feel. Plus, every few years, I lose about a month of my life to the most recent version of Football Manager (I gave up on the last one after winning every possible trophy with Borussia Mnchengladbach for three seasons in a row). So, it's safe to say that a game focused on perhaps the least glamourous job in soccer is up my alley. Kitman a job you might know of as equipment manager is a sports management game with co-op for up to four people in which you take care of things behind the scenes of a soccer team. You'll clean locker rooms, polish boots, make sure players have the right uniforms and so on, while taking care of details on the fly on match days. There's a fun twist here in that you can secretly take on some of the manager's duties, such as scouting players and adjusting formations. Maybe that explains what's been happening with Tottenham Hotspur lately. Kitman , from Outlier, is coming to Steam later this year. In the meantime, you can sign up to take part in a playtest. If, like me, you adore Astro Bot , here's something to keep an eye on. Astrolander is a 2.5D platformer with lovely-looking 3D environments. As a robot named Feedback, you set out on a journey with a rocket-powered sidekick named Haptic (heh) to save bots known as the Most Valuable Programs, or MVPs. A second player can join in and help take control of Feedback. Astrolander is from 16-year-old Max Trest of Lost Cartridge Creations. The PlayStation team (including its then-head of indie games Shuhei Yoshida) tried Astrolander at an event a few years back and offered Trest the chance to bring his game to PS5. Astrolander is also coming to Steam . It's set to arrive later this year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ball-x-pit-on-mobile-piece-by-piece-x2-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000319.html?src=rss