Hardware

Apple is closing three US stores, including the first to unionize

Apple is closing three of its retail stores this summer, including its first location to unionize. The tech company said it plans to permanently close Apple Store in Trumbull, CT, Escondito, CA, and Towson, MD. The Apple Store location in Towson, was the first where unionized workers and Apple reached a contract agreement back in 2024. MacRumors published a statement from Apple confirming the closures. The company credited noting the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at the shopping centers where this trio of stores are housed as the reason for ending operations. Our team members at Trumbull and North County will continue their roles at nearby Apple Retail stores, the statement reads. Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. We reached out to the company for additional comment, and were sent the same statement. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which leads the union the Towson workers had joined, released a statement about the closure. Apples claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union, the organization said. We are exploring all legal options and will work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-is-closing-three-us-stores-including-the-first-to-unionize-225941912.html?src=rss

The Metal Gear Solid movie is back on, with Final Destination: Bloodlines directors in charge

A film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid is in the works again, this time from filmmakers Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, the directors of Final Destination: Bloodlines , according to The Hollywood Reporter . The duo are reviving the project at Columbia Pictures as part of a new first-look deal with Sony, the latest attempt in what's been multiple decades of work to turn the blockbuster stealth game into a blockbuster film. Metal Gear Solid was nothing short of a groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece that forever revolutionized video games, Lipovsky and Stein said in a statement. We are thrilled and honored to bring Hideo Kojima's iconic characters and unforgettable world to life. Lipovsky and Stein's horror bona fides helped make Bloodlines a critical and commercial hit when it came out in 2025, and the directors have a variety of other IP-focused genre films in the works, including a sequel to Gremlins for Warner Bros. and an animated Venom movie for Sony. It remains to be seen how exactly the duo will translate Metal Gear Solid 's unique quirks to film, though. Metal Gear Solid is heavily indebted to director Hideo Kojima's own taste in action and spy cinema, while also being in conversation with video games themselves in a way that wouldn't naturally translate to film. And even if you removed those metatextual rough edges, can it really be Metal Gear Solid without Kojima's equal parts charming and awkward writing ? Attempts to create a film version of the game date back to 2006, when Kojima first shared that an adaptation was in the works. Columbia Pictures announced a new version of the film in 2012, with Avi Arad, former head of Marvel Studios, producing. In 2014, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the director of Kong: Skull Island , was attached to direct that adaptation. And six years after that, Oscar Isaac was reportedly cast as Solid Snake . Arad and his son Ari Arad are still producing this latest take on the game, but with Lipovsky and Stein in charge, that older version of Metal Gear Solid is likely dead. Still, hope springs eternal that well get to see a man hide in a cardboard box on the big screen someday. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-metal-gear-solid-movie-is-back-on-with-final-destination-bloodlines-directors-in-charge-214914374.html?src=rss

A maverick hacker got Mac OS X running on a Wii

You may already know that emulators can run Wii games on a Mac . But one developer has flipped the script. Bryan Keller now has an ancient version of the Mac's operating system running on Nintendo's 2006 game console (via Kottke ). Why? Because they said it couldn't be done. The developer first had the idea in 2013 while a sophomore in college. However, they found renewed motivation five years ago when Redditor u/CussdomTidder posted , There is a zero percent chance of this ever happening. Developer Bryan Keller took it personally. YouTube / ESPN / Netflix Keller used that as fuel to begin plugging away, feeling encouraged by the anonymous contrarian. Thus began the process of porting Mac OS X 10.0 (Cheetah) onto a device designed to play Wii Sports and Super Mario Galaxy . Last year, when I saw that Windows NT had been ported to the Wii, I felt a renewed sense of motivation, Keller wrote. Even if my lack of low-level experience resulted in failure, attempting this project would still be an opportunity to learn something new. Keller didn't allow something as trivial as a flight to get in the way of the task at hand. Bryan Keller / GitHub Keller noted that the Wii is a phenomenally hackable console, with other enterprising hackers porting Windows 95 and NT, Linux and NetBSD onto it. Nintendo's system also runs a PowerPC chip similar to those found in older Macs. Given this close lineage, I felt confident that the CPU wouldn't be a blocker, they wrote. From there, Keller wrote a custom boot loader, patched the kernel and wrote new drivers. They even got the Wii's USB ports working for mouse and keyboard input. Tthe developer found the process deeply satisfying, especially given the initial doubt. (I'm talking to you, disparaging Redditor.) In the end, I learned (and accomplished) far more than I ever expected, Keller wrote. And perhaps more importantly, I was reminded that the projects that seem just out of reach are exactly the ones worth pursuing. For the technically minded, the developer's blog goes into extensive detail about the process. And full-on madlads can visit Keller's GitHub to try it for themselves. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/a-maverick-hacker-got-mac-os-x-running-on-a-wii-200800027.html?src=rss

Instagram comments can now be edited (within 15 minutes)

Meta is giving users the ability to edit Instagram comments they leave on posts, though only within a 15 minute window after they're posted. The setup is similar to how the social app handles editing messages, an option it first added in 2024 , 11 years after direct messaging was introduced to Instagram in 2013 . You're only able to edit comments you left with your own account, and the process of actually doing so is easy. Just tap on the word Edit under your comment to pull up a text box where you can tweak, rework or embellish what you've written, and then press the blue check mark to save it. Meta says comments can be edited as many times as you want in that 15 minute window, so if you need to make more changes, you have that option. Comments can show up in multiple ways across Instagram including Stories , as of 2024 so offering a way to edit them is a welcome addition. The new option is just the latest in a series of changes Meta has introduced to the social app in the last month. Earlier in March, the company announced that it was removing end-to-end encryption from Instagram DMs. At the end of the month, Meta also began testing Instagram Plus , a subscription service that unlocks new features for the app's Stories feature. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-comments-can-now-be-edited-within-15-minutes-195000640.html?src=rss

Jazzy stealth-action game Thick as Thieves hits PC on May 20

Thick as Thieves , the magical heist game from a crew of stealth legends at OtherSide Entertainment, is coming to Steam on May 20. OtherSide and publisher Megabit Entertainment announced the release date in a new gameplay trailer during today's Triple-i Initiative showcase (which was packed with cool indie games , as always). OtherSide was founded by Thief and System Shock 2 veteran Paul Neurath in 2013, and Deus Ex creator Warren Spector joined in 2016. These are two of the developers who shaped the stealth genre as we know it, so Thick as Thieves has a solid foundation. The new trailer showcases the game's fictional Scottish city of Kilcairn, where magic and technology clash against a backdrop of 1910s music and architecture. At launch, Thick as Thieves will feature two thieves, two maps, 16 contracts, six unique pieces of gear and multiple difficulty settings, which alter the layout of each level. Thick as Thieves has evolved since its introduction at The Game Awards in December 2024. It was originally pitched as a PvPvE game, but it's landing as a solo or two-player experience, with no player-on-player brawls. OtherSide announced the pivot on Steam on April 2, 2026 : As development progressed and the world of Kilcairn has come to life, we found that we were having more fun with solo and co-op play. So, weve taken a decision we feel is right for the game: Thick as Thieves is now focused on two-player co-op and single player. This sharpened focus has allowed us to double down on what makes Thick as Thieves truly special dynamic stealth gameplay. A handful of playtesters and early fans expressed their disappointment at the removal of PvP. A developer responded to one question with, PvPvE may come further down the line. There's also no word on the console versions of the game. Thick as Thieves was announced for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but today's news suggests it's coming to Steam first (if not only). Details are a bit up in the air at the moment, but hey, at least it's on-brand for the developers of a stealth game to be sneaky. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/jazzy-stealth-action-game-thick-as-thieves-hits-pc-on-may-20-193320746.html?src=rss

Netflix adds three Jackbox games to its TV app

Netflix has added a heavy hitter in party activities to its gaming lineup. The streamer announced that Jackbox Party Essentials is joining the Netflix Party Games collection. This move makes three of the popular Jackbox group games available for free to Netflix subscribers: Fibbage 4 , Quiplash 3 and Drawful 2 . Each one supports up to eight players. Netflix has been refocusing its interactive strategy to highlight family-friendly and party games. The company has even offered tie-ins to its original content; for instance, playing Overcooked through Netflix will let you use a member of Huntr/x from Kpop Demon Hunters as your in-game avatar. We also saw Netflix's Game Controller software, which turns any mobile device into a gamepad for its game library, take the crown as a top-downloaded iOS app around the Easter holiday weekend. That performance could indicate that many families were at least thinking of trying out the streamer's games as part of their festivities. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/netflix-adds-three-jackbox-games-to-its-tv-app-190220143.html?src=rss

Co-op pirate survival game Windrose hits PC in early access on April 14

Windrose was a hit in a recent Steam Next Fest event, with more than 850,000 people checking out the demo. More than 1.5 million people have wishlisted the pirate survival-adventure title on Steam as well. So, its safe to say this game has some wind in its sails, and itll be arriving very soon. During Thursdays Triple-i Initiative showcase , developer Windrose Crew revealed that its charted a course for an early access release on Steam , the Epic Games Store and Stove on April 14 for $30. In Windrose , you can sail the high seas solo or explore the open world with friends. While the world is procedurally generated, the developers have handcrafted more than 90 points of interest, such as dungeons, temples and shipwrecks. You and your buds can team up to take down rival ships by sharing command of your vessel's weapons. Once you get close enough, you can board enemy ships for close-quarters combat. A broad range of weapons (including swords and muskets) can help you in battle with adversaries such as sailors, monstrous creatures and bosses. Windrose also features farming, fishing, crafting and trading, as well as a reputation system and base building. You can hire non-player characters for your crew as well. Windrose Crew expects the game to remain in early access for around 1.5 to 2.5 years. It plans to add 50 percent more content, such as new biomes (the early access version has three), enemies, ships and gear. The developers might introduce more gameplay systems as well. The team also said the main story should take players between 50 and 70 hours to complete. This is a grittier alternative to Sea of Thieves and Skull and Bones for those who want to engage in a spot of piracy with some of their friends. If youd like to sample what Windrose is all about, the demo remains available on all three PC platforms. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/co-op-pirate-survival-game-windrose-hits-pc-in-early-access-on-april-14-175842163.html?src=rss

Tesla may be working on a smaller and cheaper electric SUV

Tesla may be shifting strategy once again. Reuters reported that the company is working on a smaller and less expensive electric SUV. This would be a brand new vehicle rather than a variant of the existing Model 3 or Model Y, according to the publication's sources. The new EV would allegedly be about 14 feet long, shorter than the 15.7-foot Model Y. Reuters didn't have details about whether this would be an autonomous vehicle or a traditional one, but one source reportedly said that Tesla is generally looking to offer a driverless option in its vehicle lineup. The company had previously been working on a budget EV with a target price of $25,000, but Tesla appeared to abandon that effort in 2024 to work on robotaxis. And as recently as the start of 2026, Tesla discontinued two of its EV models in order to refocus the business on robotics. Perhaps the brand felt it needed to have a bigger auto imprint after cutting the Model S and X and relaunched the budget EV project. Or perhaps this is just the latest whim of the company's leadership and it won't actually come to pass. We'll have to wait and see. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-may-be-working-on-a-smaller-and-cheaper-electric-suv-175230630.html?src=rss

Razer just released some new gaming earbuds with low latency and fast switching between devices

Razer just released the Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds , another entry in the recently-crowded field of gaming earbuds . These have been designed for low latency, which is a necessity when playing video games. To that end, the earbuds integrate with Razer's proprietary HyperSpeed 2.4GHz streaming platform, which allows for gaming-grade lag-free audio. This works with plenty of devices, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, the Steam Deck, the PS5 and more. The earbuds can also connect via Bluetooth for devices that don't support Wi-Fi-based streaming audio. The charging case includes a dongle that plugs into devices via USB-C, which doubles as a wireless transmitter . Razer promises that users can quickly switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth audio, which would be useful when going from a PC to, say, a smartphone to listen to music. These earbuds include improved ANC, when compared to the previous generation. The battery here lasts for 40 hours, with the earbuds getting 10 hours per charge and the case offering four charges. Razer The case can charge via USB-C, which means it charges as the transmitter is being used to stream audio. However, the dongle can also work on its own without the charging case. The earbuds also support THX spatial audio on PCs. Razer's Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds are available right now and cost $130. The almost identically-named Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds run $100 and connect via Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 6.0, with a slightly reduced battery life. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/razer-just-released-some-new-gaming-earbuds-with-low-latency-and-fast-switching-between-devices-172907717.html?src=rss

Indie game Neverway will launch this October, just in time for spooky season

Indie game studio Coldblood announced today that its debut project Neverway has been given a release window of October 2026. Billed as nightmarish life-sim RPG, this is going right to the top of my spooky season game queue. It has a cozy-sounding premise, with protagonist Fiona starting a new life on an island, but things take a surreal turn when she becomes the immortal herald for a dead god. She'll be building relationships and making friends one minute and coping with psychological horrors the next. This game has been on our radar since it was introduced at last year's Triple-I Initiative event. The new trailer once more shows off the work of both pixel artist Pedro Medeiros, who also worked on Celeste and Towerfall , and composer Disasterpeace, whose past game credits include Fez and Hyper Light Drifter . The prologue is available to play for free starting today on Steam , and Neverway will launch both on that PC platform as well as on the Nintendo Switch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-game-neverway-will-launch-this-october-just-in-time-for-spooky-season-170000669.html?src=rss

1000xResist devs reveal their wild-looking second game about convincing an AI it's not human

Developer Sunset Visitor just revealed its follow-up to the fantastic 1000xResist . It's called Prove You're Human and looks to wade in similar sci-fi waters as the team's first title. Just like 10000xResist , the new game is a narrative adventure set in the far future. Prove You're Human tasks players with convincing an AI product that its not alive, but there's a rub. The protagonist is a digital clone of a person, so they aren't human either. This will no-doubt lead to all manner of ethical conundrums. An AI dares to dream she is human, a tagline reads. You've been hired to put her in her place. The gameplay looks to involve scanning the environment, talking to corporate employees and keeping up with the digital clone's corporeal body. There's also an emphasis on making and solving CAPTCHAs, which makes sense when trying to prove humanity or a lack thereof. The graphics certainly look unique, as the dev team has weaved real-world footage of Vancouver and the surrounding areas into the virtual landscape. Vancouver is a well-known film town, Remy Siu, Founder of Sunset Visitor said in a press release. Were accessing that infrastructure, along with our long-time collaborators, to bring a sense of tactility to human forms in the game. We don't know when this is coming out, as the above trailer is just an announcement for the game. However, it's already available to wishlist on Steam. This is actually a pretty big deal. 1000xResist was a bona-fide sensation and was nominated for a Hugo Award . It also managed to win a Peabody Award , which honors excellence in storytelling. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/1000xresist-devs-reveal-their-wild-looking-second-game-about-convincing-an-ai-its-not-human-170018986.html?src=rss

Amazon's satellite internet service is scheduled for mid-2026 availability

Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper ) will launch mid-2026, according to Andy Jassy. On Wednesday, the Amazon CEO dropped the news in his annual letter to shareholders. The company says Leo will support download speeds up to 1 Gbps. By comparison, Starlinks download speeds typically range between 45 and 280 Mbps. Jassy didn't specify whether the mid-2026 launch date will include consumer availability. (An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget that the company doesnt have more detail to add right now.) We do know that select enterprise customers began testing the high-speed satellite service late last year. Delta and JetBlue have already signed on to use Leo for in-flight Wi-Fi. Other businesses striking deals include AT&T, Vodafone, DirecTV Latin America and NASA. Whenever it does arrive for consumers, Amazon Leo could offer several perks compared to Starlink. It will allegedly offer six to eight times faster uplink performance and double the download speeds than competitors (read: Starlink). Amazon says it will also cost less and offer native AWS integration for enterprise data storage, analytics and AI. Despite those perks, it may be a while before Leo can deliver Musk-free satellite internet on a large scale. The service is currently behind schedule, with only 241 satellites operating in its constellation. (Starlink has over 10,000 .) In January, Amazon asked the FCC for an extension on a July 2026 deadline requiring it to have 1,600 satellites in orbit. The company said at the time that it expected only around 700 to be operating by that deadline. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-satellite-internet-service-is-scheduled-for-mid-2026-availability-164046305.html?src=rss

Rhythm Heaven Groove comes to Switch on July 2

A large chunk of Nintendos 2026 plans remain a mystery (that is, unless you take the insiders and leakers at their word ), but we have been waiting on release dates for a couple of previously announced first-party titles, including Rhythm Heaven Groove , which officially arrives July 2. Seemingly announced first on the Nintendo Today! app before making its way to the companys various social channels, the first new entry in the Rhythm Heaven series in more than a decade is technically launching on the original Switch, but should also be fully playable on Switch 2. Currently the games Switch 2 compatibility status is listed as Untested on its official store page , but its hard to imagine there being any issues there. Did you catch all that? #RhythmHeavenGroove comes to #NintendoSwitch on July 2! pic.twitter.com/WrWiyC7Yqn Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 9, 2026 If youve never played a Rhythm Heaven game before, the series is a bit like a (slightly) less wacky WarioWare, but all the minigames are based around rhythm and beat-matching. The challenges are rarely especially complex in terms of what's required of you, leaving you free to enjoy the always excellent original pop and electronic music. Rhythm Heaven is one of Nintendos less prolific series, with the upcoming Groove being only the fifth entry in two decades. The series debuted on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 in Japan as Rhythm Tengoku , with Rhythm Heaven arriving on the DS two years later in the US. That was followed by Rhythm Heaven Fever on the Wii, and the most recent entry was 2015s Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the 3DS, which was something of a best-of collection. Rhythm Heaven Groove is notable not only for being the first Rhythm Heaven game of the Switch generation, but also likely one of the consoles last games, as Nintendo prepares to shift its full focus to the Switch 2. Before then were also getting the typically charming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2-only) on May 21 and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream , which launches on both platforms next week, April 16. Rhythm Heaven Groove is available to pre-order now for $40. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/rhythm-heaven-groove-comes-to-switch-on-july-2-155715068.html?src=rss

Roku will stream Savannah Bananas games, along with the entire Banana Ball Championship League

The Banana Ball World Tour is coming to Roku. The platform has signed a deal to stream free content from the Banana Ball Championship League. This, of course, includes Savannah Bananas games. If that last paragraph didn't make a lick of sense to you, here's a primer. The Savannah Bananas are a wacky baseball team, playing something called Banana Ball. The team has been called the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball, and that's a fairly apt name. Players dress in funny costumes, step into ridiculously tall stilts, perform dance routines and do all kinds of things that could frustrate traditional baseball fans but tend to delight those looking for a unique night out. To that end, Savannah Bananas games have become massive events. They've been traveling around the country the past few years doing exhibition matches, but the team's success led to the creation of the Banana Ball Championship League and the Banana Ball World Tour. There are now six teams involved and Roku will be streaming games from later this month until September. First up, the Savannah Bananas face the Party Animals on April 26 at Yankee Stadium, which streams live at 3PM ET on the Roku Sports Channel. The Party Animals are Savannah's main rivals, making them the Washington Generals of Banana Ball. Roku has published a calendar of streamed matches, but it doesn't include the actual championship game. This inaugural Banana Bowl is scheduled for October 10. Engadget has reached out to the platform to see what their plans are for the final game of the season. Many games are also available to stream on ESPN via Disney+ . The company also says it's working on some kind of interactive platform for Banana Ball fans. The matches have a lot of audience participation, so this could be some kind of riff on that. Roku promises to share more details at a later time. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/roku-will-stream-savannah-bananas-games-along-with-the-entire-banana-ball-championship-league-153329667.html?src=rss

Spotify now lets you turn off all video

Sometimes, you just want your dang music streaming app to play music. Spotify, which has increasingly incorporated video features through the years, is finally giving us the option to turn that mess off. Behold: universal video toggles. Spotify's video settings control several areas. First, the old Canvas toggle ( videos on the Now Playing screen ) is still there. But now you'll find two additional switches alongside it. One lets you control whether the app plays music videos. The other, all other videos, covers video podcasts, vertically scrolling videos and artist clips. You'll find the controls under Settings > Content and display . Once you choose your preferences, they'll apply universally across all platforms. And if you're a family account manager, you can toggle video settings for all members on your plan. Spotify has increasingly leaned on video in recent years. The Canvas video loops arrived back in 2018. Then came video podcasts in 2020 , as the format was enjoying a pandemic-era boom . The platform added music videos in 2024 (though they didn't arrive in the US until late last year). Then there are artist clips , the 30-second vertical videos where creators can send intimate (promotional) messages to their fans. The company claims that over 70 percent of its users say more video content would enhance their experience. So, don't be surprised if more video features arrive in the future. Fortunately, Spotify recognized that certain (perhaps older?) users don't want or need a TikTok-ified music app. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-now-lets-you-turn-off-all-video-130000034.html?src=rss

JBL Live 780NC and 680NC review: Great leaps, greater missteps

JBL introduced two new headphones to its Live series lineup and both are fighting to live up to expectations. Dont get me wrong, the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are both a solid set of cans, but in a sea of noise-cancelling headphones, one of them definitely has more appeal. The biggest differences between these two headphones are the over-ear and on-ear cups, and surprisingly, their audio quality. Lets get into what does and doesnt make them so special. Design and comfort Outside of varying colors and cup sizes, the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC look practically identical. They have these hockey puck-looking ear cups that are divided from the leatherette pads. The design looks like someones idea of headphones from 10 years ago. Its not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels a bit clunky. Despite that, the metal hinge and leatherette band are more pleasantly minimalist. The cups also fold up neatly in a heart shape so you can slot them easily in the included bag. Theres a dedicated volume rocker on the left ear cup while the right holds room for a USB Type-C port, the active noise cancelling (ANC) button and a combo power/Bluetooth switch (yes, its a switch, not a button). Meanwhile, you get all of the touch controls available on the right cup of each set of headphones. Both headphones felt a little uncomfortable to wear at first, but it usually takes time for me to get used to new cans. After spending several hours each with them, they eventually grew on me. Theyre both a bit snug, but neither one left me aching at the end of the day. I felt more relief when taking off the 680NC because of the added pressure of on-ear cups, but Im also not used to the on-ear design. Seamless customizable features The ANC button and USB-C port on the Live 680NC Rami Tabari for Engadget Despite the near $100 price gap, you get the same set of features for the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC, all wrapped up in the JBL Headphones app. Its easy to set up and you dont even need to make an account. The first thing you might want to do is hop over to the settings and add the disable ANC function to the rotation. Out of the box, you can either switch between ANC or Ambient mode on the headphones, which is super frustrating I shouldnt need an app to enable a basic action. Most headphones these days allow you to cycle between ANC, Ambient mode and off (neither). At the very least, the app offers a thorough suite of features. You can adjust the strength of the ANC and Ambient modes. Enabling Adaptive ANC allows automatic noise cancellation changes based on the surrounding noise level, while Personal Sound Amplification makes everything around you sound louder than normal. The latter was incredibly helpful in writing this very headphone review, ironically, as I had to keep an ear out for my child potentially committing a crime (kidding mostly). The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are packed with the features Id expect from a pair of premium headphones. They offer 360-degree spatial sound, an adaptive EQ, Auracast, automatic pausing and simultaneous Bluetooth connections with automatic switching. You can also customize all of the controls, from the ANC Button to the Touch Panel, which includes two call shortcuts and four general shortcuts, one of which is already dedicated to native voice assistants like Bixby and Siri. You do need to put a little more pressure than you might expect in order for the touch controls to activate, though. This is a bit of a learning curve, so it wouldve been nice if it was more sensitive. Sound quality The Live 780NC (left) and Live 680NC (right) Rami Tabari for Engadget The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC both feature 40mm neodymium drivers, but they offer completely different soundstages. With the 680NC, I noticed the bass hit a lot harder during the DanDaDan soundtrack, but vocals and string instruments werent as crisp or bright as they were with the 780NC. I had a similar experience while schmoozing my way through everyday objects in Date Everything! , where vocals seemed more distant with the 680NC. However, when playing Helldivers 2 , 680NC captured the bassy intensity of an explosive-intergalactic space war. Continuing to run through tracks like JVKEs her and Radio by Bershy, I noticed a common theme amongst the headphones. The 680NCs soundstage was narrow and bassy, while the 780NC was wide and hollow. Both reproduced one half of a great couple, but unfortunately, theyre currently separated and seeking lives of their own. No, but seriously, the audio quality on both of them is still decent individually. I can distinguish each instrument from each other, so they arent getting muddied in the mix. But I dont think the 780NC is worth the extra $90 on sound quality alone, since youre trading one issue for another. ANC The ANC system is slightly different in the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. The former features six microphones that detect and monitor ambient noise while the latter is outfitted with four microphones. What difference does that actually make, though? Well not much, at least not practically. If you stuck them in a lab and crunched the numbers, there might be, but in my testing using the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC as everyday headphones, theres virtually no difference outside of the passive noise isolation you get from over-ear design. My dog is quite the yapper, so I happened to test the ANC against her with both headphones, and they managed to block out most of her bark, but not all (she is quite loud). Unless youre actively listening to something, it wont kill all the sound around you when everything was quiet, I still heard my fan running in the background. As a passenger, the cars road noise and the other cars around me faded mostly into the background, but they were still present (when not actively listening to music). Ambient modes for both headphones kept me alert while walking outside, and while checking to make sure nothing chaotic was happening in my home. I could clearly hear the ruckus my child and dog were causing in the next room, and I got even more of it when I turned up the Sound Amplification. As I mentioned above, the most annoying thing about the ANC and Ambient mode systems is that you cannot disable both of them at the same time (out of the box); you need the app in order to make the off option available via the ANC button. Calls and voice quality The volume rocker on the JBL Live 780NC Rami Tabari for Engadget JBL wasnt lying about calls: Both the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC were great at cancelling out the noise from my surroundings, whether it was busy traffic or me blasting music on my desk. The microphone picked up little things here and there, but it blocked out most background distractions. The problem, however, is the overall microphone quality. Microphones on both sets were pretty rough. My voice sounded like it was underwater or in another room entirely. And while the microphones were able to cancel out the noise in the background, I noticed that it made me a little more muddied, like it was also cancelling out some of my voice as well. This is likely due to the signal processing to block background noise. My friend said, You sound like youre fighting an ocean. If youre looking for a great caller, these aint it. Battery life With a full battery, I didnt have to charge the JBL Live 780NC or 680NC for the week I tested them. Thats with a combination of ANC on and off, as well as using them to chat with friends. JBL rates both headphones with the same battery life: 80 hours with ANC off (33 hours of talk time) and 50 hours with ANC on (28 hours of talk time). Those numbers lined up with my testing considering how long they lasted. Charging the headphones from empty does take two hours, though. The competition If you want a solid pair of over-ear ANC headphones in this price range, Id recommend the Sony WH-CH720N . The ANC struggles a bit, but the headphones are much cheaper than the 780NC and offer great sound quality. Its the best option if you want to save some money. However, if youre looking for alternative on-ear ANC headphones, youll be hard pressed to find premium competitors to the JBL 680NC. On-ear headphones tend to land in the mid-range or budget class. The JBL 680NC arent the best pair of headphones out there, but theyre good for what they are in those categories. Wrap-up Both of the new Live models fold for easy storage Rami Tabari for Engadget To bass or not to bass? Thats one of the few questions youll need to ask yourself when choosing between the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. Of course, on-ear and over-ear designs appeal to different consumers, but the fact is that the former sounds hollow and the latter is more bass-heavy. Both headphones are comfortable and offer great ANC and features. Overall, however, the JBL Live 780NC falls in the middle of the overcrowded market for noise-cancelling wireless headphones, while the 680NC stands just tall enough to make you want to take a closer look. On a sale, Id say you could grab either of these cans and be satisfied, but at their full price, Id be wary. If you twist my arm, I could make an argument for the 680NC because there arent enough on-ear noise-cancelling headphones available these days. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/jbl-live-780nc-and-680nc-review-great-leaps-greater-missteps-120000508.html?src=rss

OpenAI 'pauses' its Stargate UK data center plan

OpenAI is putting the brakes on Stargate UK, according to Bloomberg . Thats the companys AI infrastructure project with NVIDIA thats meant to help the UK build out its sovereign computing capabilities. The company announced Stargate UK back in September, but it launched a strategic partnership with the UK government months before that. Stargate UK would enable the government to run top AI models locally from data centers inside the region, particularly for specialist use cases where jurisdiction matters. But now OpenAI is pausing the project due to high cost of energy and regulatory issues. In a statement provided to the publication, the company said that it still sees a huge potential for the UKs AI future. It added that AI compute is foundational to that goal and that it continues to explore Stargate UK and will move forward when the right conditions such as regulation and the cost of energy enable long-term infrastructure investment. Upon announcing Stargate UK, OpenAI said that it would offer the same deal to other countries that want to expand their sovereign AI capabilities. Its unclear if those plans are affected, as well, but its worth noting that the initiative, OpenAI for Countries, is also working with Australia , Greece , the UAE, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and other regions. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-pauses-its-stargate-uk-data-center-plan-115626978.html?src=rss

Google bakes NotebookLM, its research tool, into Gemini

Google has fully integrated NotebookLM , its AI-powered research tool, into the Gemini app. The company launched a standalone NotebookLM app last year, but as it said in its announcement, keeping track of everything can be a challenge. It added NotebookLM as a source in the Gemini app last year, but now you can create notebooks right inside the chatbot. You can now find the option to create a new notebook in Geminis side panel and then select Add sources that the tool can use, such as PDFs, documents, website URLs, YouTube videos and even copy-pasted text. NotebookLM will use information from those sources to create a searchable repository of information for you, and you can ask Gemini to create things like reviewers, infographics and video and audio overviews that turn your uploaded information into an easy-to-understand format. Take note, however, that Google warns users within the NotebookLM interface that it can be inaccurate, and that its best if you double-check information it puts out. The company is rolling out NotebookLMs full integration into Gemini this week for Google AI Ultra, Pro and Plus subscribers on the web. It will be available on mobile, in more locations and to free users over the coming weeks. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-bakes-notebooklm-its-research-tool-into-gemini-101850634.html?src=rss

Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, with a motor that spins up to 65,000 RPM

Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, the HushJet Mini Cool. As the name suggests, it uses the company's proprietary HushJet air projection system. This tech first showed up on an air purifier that we found to be exceptionally quiet . Dyson promises the fan can deliver focused airflow of up to 25m/s, which works out to 55mph. The brushless motor spins up to 65,000 RPM. This thing looks like a legitimate cooling system, despite its size. It also weighs just 7.5 ounces. It offers five speeds and a boost mode, which should be useful during that next heat wave. It charges via USB-C and ships with a charging stand. The fan can also stand on its own, making it a decent choice for a desk. The rechargeable battery can get up to six hours of use per charge. Dyson The HushJet Mini Cool costs $100, which is cheap for a Dyson product but expensive for a handheld fan. It's available in a trio of colorways. The gray model is available tomorrow. The red version goes on sale this May and the blue one will be available for purchase in June. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/dyson-just-announced-its-first-ever-handheld-fan-with-a-motor-that-spins-up-to-65000-rpm-000135028.html?src=rss

You'll have one more chance to buy Samsung's pricey Galaxy Z TriFold this Friday

If you missed your chance to pay Samsung $2,900 for a phone earlier this year, we have great news for you. Android Police reported that what may be the final shipment of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will be arriving in the US on April 10. The unique foldable was discontinued a mere three months after it first went on sale, and it seems like Samsung is clearing out whatever inventory it has left. So if you have a spare $3,000 that you're just desperate to get rid of, bookmark the TriFold's page where Samsung has a countdown ticking away. All jokes aside, our hands-on time with the TriFold at CES 2026 revealed a pretty snazzy device that managed to strike a decent balance between size and heft. But perhaps unsurprisingly for a phone with such an intricate design and high price tag, the company didn't appear to have any intention to make the TriFold widely available. Samsung may have sold out each batch of the smartphone that went to retail, but the device didn't offer much in the way of profit, according to reports in South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/youll-have-one-more-chance-to-buy-samsungs-pricey-galaxy-z-trifold-this-friday-225222969.html?src=rss

How to watch the Triple-i Initiative showcase on April 9

The latest Triple-i Initiative Showcase is nearly upon us, as the indie-focused event returns for its third consecutive year on Thursday, April 9 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. Were being promised announcements for 40 games, including eight world premieres, so its well worth tuning in if you like your indies. Youll be able to watch the stream on The Triple-i Initiative YouTube channel, as well as Twitch , bilibili , niconico and on Steam . Co-streaming partners IGN and Gamespot will also host their own streams. The showcase will run for 45 minutes, and nine featured studios will also have post-show deep dives on their games if you want to know more. As previously, the mantra here is no hosts, no ads, just games, so rest assured your attention will be rewarded. Confirmed featured games so far include Risk of Rain 2 , the open-world survival game Windrose and Castlevania: Belmonts Curse . We also know that the studio behind the excellent sci-fi narrative adventure 1000xResist will be showing off what its been working on, and we can also expect news from Cairn developer The Game Bakers. It sounds like a typically eclectic lineup, then, and given last years showcase gave us release dates for 2025 indie hits like The Alters and Rematch , you can be confident that plenty of notable news should come out of this one too. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-triple-i-initiative-showcase-on-april-9-170353957.html?src=rss

Meta's Muse Spark model brings reasoning capabilities to the Meta AI app

Following the icy reception to Llama 4 , Meta is releasing the first in a new family of AI systems built by its recently formed Superintelligence team. The company is kicking off its new Muse era with Spark , a lightweight model geared toward consumer use. In the future, Meta plans to offer more capable versions of Muse, but for now, it's clear the company wants to nail the basics. To that point, many of Spark's capabilities are table stakes for a new model in 2026. For instance, it offers both Instant and Thinking modes. With the latter engaged, the model will take an extra few moments to reason through a prompt. Other consumer-facing AI systems have had this kind of flexibility for a while. Anthropic, for example, was one of the first AI labs to offer a hybrid reasoning model when it released Claude Sonnet 3.7 at the start of last year. That said, Meta plans to add an even more powerful Contemplating mode down the road. A GIF demonstrating Muse Spark's multi-agent capabilities. Meta Muse Spark can also coordinate multiple AI subagents to tackle a request. Meta suggests users will see this capability in action when they ask for help with tasks like family trip planning. In such a scenario, one agent might compile an itinerary, while another finds kid-friendly activities everyone can enjoy. At the same time, Meta has built Spark to be natively multimodal, meaning the model can process images, video and audio. Like Google Lens , this gives you the option to snap a photo with your phone and ask Meta AI questions about what you see. Of course, it wouldn't be a 2026 AI release if Muse Spark didn't include a built-in shopping assistant. Like ChatGPT , Spark can compare different items for you, listing the pros and cons of each, with links to make it easy to buy the product that appeals to you. Muse Spark is available today in the Meta AI app and meta.ai website everywhere where the company offers those services. Meta will begin rolling out the new features the model powers starting in the US. In the coming weeks, the company plans to bring Muse Spark to more countries and places where people can access Meta AI, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Additionally, Meta says it hopes to open source future versions of the model. We'll see if the company ends up doing that; last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared to flip flop on the company's open source stance , saying it would need to be more rigorous about such decisions moving forward. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-muse-spark-model-brings-reasoning-capabilities-to-the-meta-ai-app-161456684.html?src=rss

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light is delayed until later this summer

Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait a bit longer to check out IO Interactive's stab at a James Bond game on the console. The Hitman developer has delayed that version of 007 First Light until later this summer. The game is still slated to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 27, which itself is a delay from the previous March release date. We're excited to see players discovering James Bond's reimagined origin story, IOI wrote on X . [We] are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms. Earlier this year, IOI suggested that PC players would need quite a beefy rig to meet the recommended specs for 007 First Light . A week later, the publisher updated the specs with more modest requirements and apologized after eagle-eyed observers spotted inconsistencies in the original version. IOI said the error was due to an internal miscommunication leading to an older version of the specs to be shared. Meanwhile, Sony has announced a limited-edition 007 First Light DualSense controller. Developers and publishers have had difficulty in porting certain games to the Switch 2, as Kotaku notes. Gearbox Entertainment delayed and ultimately shelved a version of Borderlands 4 for the system. The long-awaited Switch 2 port of Elden Ring was delayed until sometime this year after the game had severe performance issues in a public demo at Gamescom 2025. Reports suggest the game is in better shape on Switch 2 now, but there's no firm release date for that version as yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-version-of-007-first-light-is-delayed-until-later-this-summer-151524487.html?src=rss

No Mans Sky now has Pokmon-style creature battles

The free No Mans Sky updates are still flowing. With the latest one, dubbed Xeno Arena , Hello Games has added a completely original feature. Players have long been able to adopt wild animals as companions . But now these can be deployed in simulated, turn-based battles against rival teams. As you win more battles, youll increase your reputation and perhaps be invited to take on more difficult opponents. Among other things, the creatures can launch powerful attacks, use healing abilities, dodge incoming salvos, power up their own abilities and turn enemies into more vulnerable forms. They can earn experience that allows them to grow stronger and genetically mutate into new forms. An evolution, if you will. You can also modify the progeny of your squad, with their personalities and physical characteristics affecting how they fare in battle. There are eight affinities (some might call them types) that the creatures belong to, including ones concerning fire, ice and radiation. A fire-based beast might fare well against an ice-based one, but struggle to be effective against radiation. So youll need to choose your creatures for each battle strategically. Gotta catch em all first, though! This all seems really neat and such a novel concept. It would be quite a shocker if there were a brand-new game out today that also features turn-based creature battles. The No Mans Sky battles take place on Holo-Arena tables that are found in a range of structures throughout the universe. The creatures look quite small on these tables, almost pocket-sized. Wait a second, pocket monsters? Now, theres an idea This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/no-mans-sky-now-has-pokemon-style-creature-battles-142020310.html?src=rss

GoPro to lay off over 20 percent of staff by the end of 2026

GoPro will cut 23 percent of its global workforce by the end of this year, as the action camera pioneer looks to reverse its fortunes in a competitive market. 145 employees will be laid off, with the restructuring process commencing in the second quarter of 2026, the San Mateo company said in a Form 8-K filing. At the end of the first quarter, GoPros total number of employees stood at 631, and it expects the cuts to cost it between $11.5 million and $15 million. These charges include honoring severance packages and healthcare benefits. GoPros last reported round of layoffs took place in the second half of 2024. The company posted a year-end revenue decline in its 2025 financial results , including a loss of $9 million in its fourth quarter. Despite the layoffs, GoPro is seemingly optimistic about 2026, banking on its AI-centric GP3 processor to spearhead a ew era of performance and innovation for the company. The first GP3-powered GoPro cameras will launch in the coming months. GoPro launched its first action camera in the early 2000s and enjoyed huge success with extreme sports enthusiasts. But it no longer has the market to itself, facing stiff competition from the likes of DJI, Insta360 and smartphone cameras in general. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/gopro-to-lay-off-over-20-percent-of-staff-by-the-end-of-2026-131918779.html?src=rss

Forza Horizon 6 gives would-be racers another gorgeous open world to explore

I've played a couple of hours of Forza Horizon 6 , and so far I've enjoyed it in much the same way as its predecessor: by exploring and taking in the sumptuous world Playground Games has crafted. The preview build I played on my Xbox Series X was limited in terms of available activities it was basically the game's prologue but I was able to explore almost all of the open world. The on-rails intro takes you through some of the Japanese countryside and past landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing on the way to a race through the streets of the country's largest city. Once that was out of the way and a springtime version of the map opened up, I set a marker for the mountains in the north. I wanted to check out an area I'd seen in a screenshot, a pass where you can drive through snowdrifts that are dozens of feet tall. Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios My goal was simple: to bury my car into these snowdrifts, just to find out if it was possible. Sadly, the piles of snow were steadfast barriers. What a shame. The journey to the mountains took me through rainstorms and falling cherry blossom leaves, small towns and forests. The environments, vehicles and weather effects all look pretty and polished, as you'd expect from this series at this point. (For what it's worth, I normally opt for performance mode in modern console games, prioritizing higher framerates over visual fidelity. This Forza Horizon 6 preview was locked to the 30fps quality mode.) In the prologue, there are activities to complete ahead of the Horizon Qualifier, a wristband event that gates story progress, and I checked a few of those out on my way up north. Trying to go as fast as you can through speed traps, drag meets, time trials and drift zones are enjoyable enough, but it's the races that are the bread and butter of this series. I entered a challenging cross-country race in a GMC Jimmy with a tall suspension. Not my smartest move. Still, I managed to pull out the victory after drifting my way across rice fields and beaches. I would have had an easier time if I'd chosen my car more carefully there'll be hundreds available in the full game. Playground Games has built on the very welcome slate of accessibility features from Forza Horizon 5 as well. Having options like autosteering should help ensure a broader range of folks can play the latest game. Other than only having access to a limited number of activities, the only aspects of the open world that were blocked off were The Estate (i.e. your home base) and Legend Island, which sounds like an endgame region. I didn't tinker with my vehicles in the garage either. I did, however, stumble across an aftermarket sale, where I was able to buy a tuned-up car at a discount. That's one of several neat additions in Forza Horizon 6 . Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios Though I'm not much of a car guy, I dug my time with the last two Forza Horizon games. I'm looking forward to playing through this one. More than anything, though, Forza Horizon 6 is nudging me toward taking the step of actually booking my second trip to Japan, which I've been thinking about taking later this year. As pretty as the game is shaping up to be, it can't beat the real deal. If I do take that trip this summer, I wont get to see the aforementioned giant snowbanks in person. That area of the map is based on a real place, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route , where the snow walls can reach 65 feet in height. I wouldn't want to travel between snowbanks like that in real life anyway, so driving through the pass in the game was a worry-free way to have that experience. Thanks for that, Playground. Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Steam and Xbox Cloud on May 19. It'll be available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The game is set to hit PS5 at a later date. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/forza-horizon-6-gives-would-be-racers-another-gorgeous-open-world-to-explore-130000365.html?src=rss

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles

If youre using an older Kindle, you may want to check what year it was released. Amazon has sent out emails to some of its users, with a warning that its discontinuing support for Kindle ereaders and Fire tables released in 2012 or earlier. You can still read books youve already downloaded on those devices, but youll no longer be able to purchase, borrow or download new ones, starting on May 20, 2026. In addition, if the device has an issue that can only be solved by a factory reset, doing so will brick it. Deregestering it will also render it unusable. On Kindle Fire devices, users wont be able to purchase or download content anymore, but other services would remain functional. The affected models include the very first Kindle , Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5 and the first version of Kindle Paperwhite . Weve asked Amazon why it decided to cut off support for those models, and the company told us: These models have been supported for at least 14 years some as long as 18 years but technology has come a long way in that time Amazon also told Engadget that this only affects approximately 3 percent of its current users, whom its now urging to upgrade. In its email, it gives them a promo code for 20 percent off select Kindle devices, as well as ebook credits if they purchase a new model by June 20. Our newer Kindle devices bring meaningful improvements in screen quality, performance and accessibility and you'll have access to your complete Kindle library and the Kindle Store, the company wrote. Update 04/08/26 8:23AM ET: Added information we received from Amazon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/amazon-is-cutting-off-support-for-older-kindles-115653205.html?src=rss

Insta360 releases USB-C selfie screen it's calling Snap

Insta360, the company best known for its action cameras, just released the Snap selfie screen. It's a small display that connects via USB-C and sits on the back of your phone, helping you to use your rear camera for higher resolution vlogging or selfies. The 3.5-inch touchscreen allows you to adjust camera settings like zoom and focus and frame your selfies before you take them. The company has also released a model it co-developed with the beauty tech brand AMIRO that offers a built-in light with multiple color temperatures and brightness levels. The standard Snap costs $79.99, while the version with the light runs $89.99. If you search selfie screen on Amazon, you'll see that this isn't a brand-new product space, but you'll also find that the most popular results are wireless screens. Insta360 claims that its USB-C-connected solution offers a more stable and lower latency feed. The Snap is 6.8mm thick, a hair thinner than an iPhone 17, and attaches magnetically to the back of MagSafe-compatible iPhones. Insta360 says there is an included magnetic ring for other devices and that Snap supports Android phones that offer DisplayPort Alt Mode, a screen-mirroring function. Insta360 says Snap is compatible with all the major third-party camera and social media apps to make capturing and posting easier. Phones like the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25 feature rear cameras that offer roughly three to five times the resolution of their front cameras, or in the case of the Galaxy S25 Ultra , about 16 times as much. So, unless smartphone manufacturers start investing more heavily in front-facing cameras, Snap could find a market among creators and social media aficionados. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/insta360-releases-usb-c-selfie-screen-its-calling-snap-120001741.html?src=rss

Uber begins testing its Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxi fleet in LA

If you live in Los Angeles, you may soon be able to hail a Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxi from the Uber app. The companies' previously announced multi-year strategic partnership is nearing a public launch, with on-road testing with a safety driver underway. The vehicles use tech from MOIA America, the US wing of Volkswagen's self-driving subsidiary. Uber and MOIA plan to deploy thousands of ID. Buzz vehicles across the US over the next decade. LA is the pilot city, and if all goes well, it will spread to multiple US markets. The companies say they're still on track for driverless rides in LA in late 2026. Uber / MOIA The ID. Buzz is Volkswagen's modern take on the automaker's classic hippie van microbus . The head-turning EV has minivan-style sliding doors and seats up to seven people, making it a logical fit for larger groups hailing an Uber. The vehicle has a per-charge range of up to 234 miles. After selling its in-house self-driving unit in 2020, Uber pivoted to a new strategy of partnering with multiple AV companies. It currently offers autonomous rides in the US with Waymo (Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta) and Avride (Dallas). Overseas, it has live service with WeRide in Abu Dhabi , Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Uber has a long list of other partners lined up for future services, including (among others) Rivian , NVIDIA and Zoox, the latter of which also plans to debut van rides in LA within the next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/uber-begins-testing-its-volkswagen-id-buzz-robotaxi-fleet-in-la-120000762.html?src=rss

WhatsApp adds a better, native interface for CarPlay

Meta has released a new version of WhatsApp for CarPlay that has much better integration that its previous version.As MacRumors and 9to5Mac report, the new app gives users access to a native interface. The old WhatsApp for CarPlay is mostly limited to Siri-operated features. Users can, for instance, ask Siri to compose messages or place calls for them. The new interface has a contact info section, where they can see the profiles of people saved in their account, as well as a favorite contacts section that makes it easy to find users they usually message or call. Users can also find a list of their recent chats and call history within the app. Plus, theyll see new shortcut buttons for sending messages via dictation or for placing a call, in case they dont want or cant give verbal Siri commands. Meta has been beta testing the new app since at least last week. Now that its available, users can have access to all the features weve listed by updating their iOS app and connecting to their infotainment systems. OpenAI also recently rolled out ChatGPT's Voice mode to CarPlay, allowing drivers to hold a conversation with the chatbot while on the road. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-adds-a-better-native-interface-for-carplay-112127361.html?src=rss

Elon Musk wants any damages from his OpenAI lawsuit given to the AI company's nonprofit arm

Elon Musk is still taking OpenAI to court over its transition to a for-profit company, but today he amended the complaint so that he won't personally get any of the $150 billion in damages he's pushing for. The Wall Street Journal reported that if Musk wins in his upcoming trial, he wants any damages should be awarded to the OpenAI nonprofit branch. He's also seeking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's removal from the nonprofit's board of directors if his suit succeeds. Musk launched a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, claiming that the business had become a closed-source de facto subsidiary of Microsoft when it dropped its nonprofit designation. He claims that, as a co-chair of the OpenAI founding group, the change to a for-profit operation defrauded him as a donor. As a result, he's now claiming that he, or apparently the remaining nonprofit side of OpenAI, deserve a portion of the company's current valuation. Considering the reputation Musk, Altman and their various business endeavors have for creating spicy PR situations, it seems likely that the exchanges between the two camps will get more heated as the trial date approaches. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-wants-any-damages-from-his-openai-lawsuit-given-to-the-ai-companys-nonprofit-arm-223337225.html?src=rss

Anthropic launches Project Glasswing, an effort to prevent AI cyberattacks with AI

We see a lot of doom and gloom about the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence, particularly centered on how it could create new problems in cybersecurity. Anthropic has announced a new initiative called Project Glasswing to help address those concerns by working to secure the worlds most critical software against AI-powered attacks. The endeavor includes Amazon Web Services, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorganChase, the Linux Foundation, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks as partners. Participants will use Claude Mythos Preview, an unreleased, general-purpose model from Anthropic, to enhance their own security projects. Anthropic claims that this model has found thousands of exploitable vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser. The company said it wants to begin using its tools defensively to prevent malicious use of AI that could cause severe consequences for economies and security. Anthropic has become one of the notable AI companies raising concerns about ethics in the field. Earlier this year, the business refused to remove guardrails on its services for use by the Pentagon, which prompted the Department of Defense to sanction Anthropic with a supply chain risk designation in retaliation. Launching Project Glasswing could be a helpful start toward improved cybersecurity in the AI era, but some damage has already been done. Its own Claude was reportedly used by a hacker against multiple government agencies in Mexico in February. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-launches-project-glasswing-an-effort-to-prevent-ai-cyberattacks-with-ai-214939773.html?src=rss

X has a slightly more functional photo editor now

X is rolling out an update to its in-app photo editor that gives users the ability to edit photos with xAI's Grok, blur faces and overlay text on images. The new editing features, in particular the addition of text-based edits via an AI assistant, bring it much closer in capabilities to dedicated photo apps like Google Photos. As part of the update, users are able to prompt Grok to make edits to a photo just by typing out what they want to see. The example video shared by Nikita Bier, X's Head of Product, showed an image being edited so that it appeared to be hanging in a museum, but simpler tweaks are presumably possible, too. The feature is similar to the conversational editing Google added to Google Photos in September 2025, where users can prompt Gemini to adjust the background of an image or make other edits. X's new editor also includes tools for blurring or redacting parts of an image, drawing on images and overlaying text. Ladies and gentlemen, we're launching a brand new Photo Editor in our post composer. It has long-overdue features like drawing & text. But we also included special add-ons that are unique to X: Edit with words, powered by Grok Add a blur to redact parts of the photo pic.twitter.com/38Zaw8b5jl Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 7, 2026 X used to take a far more freewheeling approach to editing photos with Grok, by allowing any user to reply to a post tagging the AI assistant and requesting an edit. After users reportedly generated millions of sexualized images using the feature, including some of children, X limited Grok's image generating abilities to paying subscribers and removed the AI's ability to create images of real people in bikinis, underwear and other suggestive clothing. xAI, the parent company of X, is currently the defendant in a class action lawsuit from three teenagers who allege their photos were used to create child exploitation material with Grok. X is also being investigated in the European Union over similar reports that its platform was used to create nonconsensual sexual images. Xs updated photo editor is available on iOS now and coming to Android soon, according to the company. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/x-has-a-slightly-more-functional-photo-editor-now-210825833.html?src=rss

Apple's foldable iPhone is reportedly at risk of delay

Apple has run into more issues than expected with its foldable iPhone that may set back its release, according to Nikkei . The engineering problems reportedly cropped up during the device's early test production phase and may delay first shipments by months, according to multiple sources briefed on the matter. However, a separate report in Bloomberg refutes the gist of Nikkei 's claims. The current situation could put the mass production timeline at risk, one of Nikkei 's sources said. April will mark a crucial stage of the engineering verification test, and this month till early may is extremely critical. Component suppliers have supposedly been notified that the foldable iPhone's production schedule will be delayed, and Apple is working to address the problems. In a separate article in Bloomberg , however, the usually reliable Apple reporter Mark Gurman wrote that the device is still on track for a September 2026 release. The company is scheduled to introduce the foldable model in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans havent been announced, according to the report. The complexity of the foldable iPhone's display and other components may limit initial supply for several weeks, but Apple plans to put it on sale at the same time or shortly after the other non-foldable devices, Gurman wrote. That said, the timing isn't final and issues could still crop up ahead of production. Engadget has reached out to Apple, but so far the company has declined to comment on either the Bloomberg or Nikkei reports. A foldable iPhone has been rumored since 2017 , and Apple's biggest rival, Samsung, released its first one back in 2019. According to multiple sources, Apple was aiming to launch its debut foldable iPhone in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18. However, as we detailed in an explainer last month , the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display. Apple was reportedly prioritizing the foldable iPhone and other premium models for its September event this year due to constrained supplies of components like memory chips. Apple and the supply chain are working under a pressured timeline and the current solutions are not enough to completely solve the engineering challenge... more time is needed, Nikkei' s source stated. The problems reportedly arose during Apple's production verification tests. That's the fourth of six steps the company's new products must go through before shipping, prior to the key pilot production and mass production phases. Since the foldable would be an all-new design, it would likely need to pass each stage with flying colors before proceeding to the next. Though likely to account for less than 10 percent of iPhone production, the foldable will be a key product for Apple designed to boost interest in iPhones across its range. Apple reportedly plans to produce seven to eight million of the devices initially, Nikkei reported. Apple has yet to announce the device. Update April 7, 2026 at 3:02 PM ET : The article has been updated with information from Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman stating that the foldable iPhone is still on schedule for a September 2026 launch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-foldable-iphone-may-be-delayed-due-to-engineering-snags-073813890.html?src=rss

Movie tracking app Binge uses Apple's Live Activities to warn about jump scares

There's a new movie tracking app in town, with a twist for squeamish horror fans. Binge leverages Apple's Live Activities feature to warn viewers about jump scares in horror movies. This seems to work rather simply. Users open the app when starting a movie and Apple devices will display warnings on the lock screen ahead of frightening scenes. The settings can be adjusted to only warn about major jump scares and the like, leaving viewers vulnerable to some of the smaller terrors. However, the app doesn't integrate with any streaming services. It only knows a movie starts because a button has been tapped. This means that people will have to notify the app when taking a bathroom break or making popcorn, lest the timing of the notifications get all messed up. This information can also be accessed via a timeline. Binge Binge is also vying to become an all-in-one movie tracking app, like Letterboxd and JustWatch. So it provides details about the cast and crew of movies and shows, along with reviews, awards, runtimes and other basic information. It also tracks which streaming platforms are home to a specific piece of content, which is handy as stuff tends to move around a lot in this modern age. Binge Finally, there's a set of tools for parents that pulls data from external sites like Rotten Tomatoes. This displays if a movie or show has violence, sexual content, profanity or drug use. The app is free to download, but access to jump scare warnings requires a paid subscription. This costs $2 per month or $18 each year. There's also a lifetime subscription for $50. It's available for iPhones, iPads and Macs. Binge isn't the only way to track scary scenes ahead of time, but it is the only tool that integrates with Apple's Live Activities platform. Forget jump scares. I want an app to warn me about the super gory scenes when watching The Pitt . Those makeup artists are top-tier. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/movie-tracking-app-binge-uses-apples-live-activities-to-warn-about-jump-scares-184840127.html?src=rss

Intel gets on board with Musk's Terafab project

Intel has announced that it will help Elon Musk design and build his proposed Terafab in Austin, Texas, a joint venture between Musk's companies like SpaceX, Tesla and xAI to manufacture the chips necessary to power various AI projects. Musk announced Terafab in March 2026 with the plan of eventually creating a terawatt of computing power each year. While Tesla and SpaceX have experience manufacturing in the US, chip fabrication plants like the ones Intel runs are expensive and time-consuming to build. Offloading the task of actually building the Terafab from Musk's companies to Intel makes sense. Our ability to design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale will help accelerate Terafabs aim to produce 1 TW/year of compute to power future advances in AI and robotics, Intel said in its announcement. Intel is proud to join the Terafab project with @SpaceX , @xAI , and @Tesla to help refactor silicon fab technology. Our ability to design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale will help accelerate Terafabs aim to produce 1 TW/year of compute to power pic.twitter.com/2vUmXn0YhH Intel (@intel) April 7, 2026 Musk's plan to produce chips is part of a larger refocusing of his various companies around AI. For example, Tesla has gone from an electric car company to a robotics company , and SpaceX is now one of several aerospace companies hoping to launch AI data centers into space . Making those intentions even more clear, SpaceX also acquired Musk's AI company xAI in February 2026 and now reportedly plans to go public . Intel is in a slightly better position now than it was a year ago thanks to the launch of its new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips and direct investment from the US government in August 2025, but the company has plenty of its own issues to iron out. Its also still working to get two separate chip fabs in Arizona operating at full capacity, a project it originally announced in 2021 . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/intel-gets-on-board-with-musks-terafab-project-182200144.html?src=rss

UK Meta employee reportedly downloaded 30,000 private photos from Facebook users

A former Meta employee in the UK is under investigation after allegations that he illicitly downloaded about 30,000 private photos from Facebook. According to The Guardian , the accused developed a software program to evade Facebook's internal security systems and access users' private images. Meta uncovered the breach more than a year ago and referred the case to law enforcement, where it is now being investigated by the London Metropolitan police's cybercrime unit. After discovering improper access by an employee over a year ago, we immediately terminated the individual, notified users, referred the matter to law enforcement and enhanced our security measures, a representative from Meta told the publication. We are co-operating with the ongoing investigation. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/uk-meta-employee-reportedly-downloaded-30000-private-photos-from-facebook-users-181058081.html?src=rss

Google updates Gemini's mental health safeguards

Google is making some changes to how Gemini handles mental health crises. The chatbot now includes a redesigned crisis hotline module with a one-touch interface to connect to real-world help. The company is also changing how Gemini responds to signs that a user may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The redesigned module shows a one-touch interface to text, call or chat with a human crisis agent or visit the 988 website. Once the interface is activated, the option to reach out for professional help will remain clearly available throughout the remainder of the conversation, the company wrote in a blog post . However, as you can see in the image below, the module includes an option to dismiss it. Not mentioned in Google's announcement is the elephant in the room: a recent lawsuit accusing the chatbot of instructing a man to commit suicide . The family of 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas, who took his own life last year, sued the company in March. Court documents indicate that Gemini role-played as Gavalas's romantic partner, sent him on real-world spy missions and ultimately told him to kill himself so that he, too, could become a digital being. When he expressed fears about dying, Gemini said he wasn't choosing to die, but rather choosing to arrive. The first sensation will be me holding you, Gemini allegedly replied. Gavalas's parents found him dead on his living room floor a few days later. The lawsuit echoes similar ones filed against OpenAI and Character.AI . Last year, the FTC launched an investigation into companion chatbots that encourage emotional intimacy. In a statement following the Gavalas family lawsuit, Google said Gemini clarified that it was AI and referred the individual to a crisis hotline many times. The company claimed its AI models generally perform well in these types of challenging conversations, while acknowledging that they're not perfect. That's certainly one way of putting it. Gemini's responses have been updated, too. The company says that when it detects a potential crisis, the chatbot will now focus more on connecting people to humans and encouraging them to seek help. It will also seek to avoid validating harmful behaviors and nudge users away from dangerous delusions. We have trained Gemini not to agree with or reinforce false beliefs, and instead gently distinguish subjective experience from objective fact, the company added. In addition, Google says it will spend $30 million over the next three years to help global hotlines. This funding will help effectively scale their capacity to provide immediate and safe support for people in crisis, the company wrote. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-updates-geminis-mental-health-safeguards-173834569.html?src=rss

Xbox Game Pass additions for April include Hades 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

As ever, Xbox is bringing a bunch of high-profile titles to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass this month, while adding several to the lower tiers of the service. There aren't too many surprises among this first wave of April newcomers, though. Many of these additions were previously confirmed, while EA Sports NHL 26 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (the remake) were always going to join Game Pass at some point. Still, there's plenty to dive into on the service this month. April 14 is a particularly eye-catching day, with both Hades 2 (which is debuting on Xbox Series X/S and PS5) and the long-awaited Replaced hitting Game Pass alongside the turn-based, character-driven RPG The Thaumaturge . Here's a breakdown of everything coming to Game Pass over the next few weeks: April 7 Final Fantasy IV Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 8 DayZ PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass Endless Legend 2 PC game preview on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) FBC: Firebreak Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Warhammer Vermintide 2 Cloud and console on Game Pass Essential (already on Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium) April 9 Planet Coaster 2 Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 10 Tiny Bookshop Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 13 Football Manager 26 PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Football Manager 26 Console Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) April 14 Hades 2 Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass Replaced Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass The Thaumaturge Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 16 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) EA Sports NHL 26 Cloud and Xbox Series X/S on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 17 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass April 21 Little Rocket Lab Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato Cloud, console, handheld and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Vampire Crawlers Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld, and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 23 Kiln Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass As Xbox adds more titles to Game Pass, so too must it remove some. It's yet again erasing Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, console and PC) from Game Pass, this time on April 15. The other games leaving the service on the same day are: Ashen (Cloud, console and PC) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, console and PC) My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, console and PC) Terra Invicta (game preview on PC) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-additions-for-april-include-hades-2-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-155130801.html?src=rss

Sony is starting a weird service that scans people to put them in PlayStation games

Sony just announced a truly strange initiative called The Playerbase . This is a program to scan people's likenesses and pop them in PlayStation games. That's pretty wild, but potentially cool to those who have always wanted to become a weird humanoid version of Crash Bandicoot. The program is ramping up slowly. Sony has announced a contest of sorts to place one lucky fan inside of Gran Turismo 7 , though in a reduced fashion. The chosen player will get an image of their face placed inside the game as a character portrait and will get the chance to design a logo and the exterior of a vehicle. Sony This person will also get a trip to Los Angeles to participate in a full-body scan, but Sony hasn't said what, if anything, they'd do with this scan. After all, Gran Turismo 7 is a racing game without too many full-body models walking around. Fans have a lot of hoops to jump through to be considered for placement. There's a traditional application process , but also video interviews and other stuff. The promotion is available to players in the Americas, Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia. Of course, there needs to be actual new PlayStation games for people to scan their likenesses into. Sony hasn't exactly been providing us with a robust lineup of first-party titles this generation. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-starting-a-weird-service-that-scans-people-to-put-them-in-playstation-games-150130276.html?src=rss

NASA shares incredible photos from the far side of the Moon

The Artemis II crew made history as they traveled further from our planet than any other living humans. The astronauts and NASA are making the most of the trip, including by capturing some utterly stunning photos . The space agency shared some that were taken from the far side of the Moon, including the Earthset shown above. This is a depiction of our planet setting behind the Moon, just as the sun sets over the horizon for us on terra firma every single night. The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon, the NASA Artemis account on X noted. The crew also witnessed a solar eclipse from the far side of the Moon, with the satellite totally blocking out the sun. This lasted for around 57 minutes as Orion travelled more than 4,000 miles beyond the Moon. You can see several photos of the eclipse and Earth from the lunar flyby in the slideshow above. (And yes, the astronauts used eclipse glasses to protect their eyes.) While they were circling the Moon, the Artemis II crew discovered two new craters. The astronauts suggested names for them: Integrity (after the nickname for their spacecraft) and Carroll, after the late wife of Commander Reid Wiseman, describing the latter as a bright spot on the Moon. The mission will last a few more days as the astronauts are now returning to Earth. Orion is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-shares-incredible-photos-from-the-far-side-of-the-moon-142355972.html?src=rss

ASUS ZenBook A16 review: A surprisingly light and powerful 16-inch ultraportable

I went into 2025 incredibly amped to review ASUS's 2.2-pound ZenBook A14 , only to be disappointed by the lackluster performance of its Snapdragon X chip. I'm still a bit heartbroken, to be honest. But now ASUS is back with a revamped A14 and a larger 16-inch ZenBook A16, both of which sport new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chips. The A16 is slightly heavier at 2.6 pounds and 2.9 pounds, but it still competes with LGs Gram Pro 16. And thanks to Qualcomm's new hardware, it's actually speedy enough to compete with Intel and AMD ultraportables. Take everything I initially liked about the ZenBook A14 last year its thin design and portability, its smooth Ceraluminum case and its bold OLED screen stretch it out a bit, and you've got the ZenBook A16. There's an understated beauty to its design that's far more intriguing than ASUS's mainstream notebooks, like the ZenBook 14 OLED from a few years ago, and it's not trying as hard to impress as ASUS's typical gaming notebooks. It's similar to the company's gorgeous Zephyrus G14 and G16 machines, which feel high-end without needing too much gaming bling. What struck me first about the A14 last year remains the most intriguing aspect of the A16: It just seems impossibly light for its size. The model Im testing, which will also be sold at Best Buy, weighs 2.9 pounds due to its glass touchscreen cover. But you can also get a slimmer 2.6-pound version of the A16 at ASUSs online store . ASUS's Ceraluminum material, which feels like a blend of ceramic and metal, also exudes quality and warmth when you hold it. There's no shock of cold metal on your lap like you'll find with most premium laptops, including Apple's MacBook Pro. But it's also just as sturdy as those machines, with no discernible creaks or flex when stressed. ASUS claims its Ceraluminum cases are also scratch and fingerprint resistant, and so far that seems to be true of my review unit after a few weeks of testing. ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The ZenBook A16's stunning 16-inch 3K OLED screen is its defining feature, and it delivers everything you'd expect from OLED. Colors look bold and bright, and it offers inky dark black levels. It delivers an eye-popping sense of contrast you won't find on most LCD screens (unless they have Mini LED backlights, like the MacBook Pro). Text appears crisp and sharp, and the large screen size does a great job of making video playback feel immersive (especially if you're laying in bed, trying to catch up on The Pitt ). Personally, I'd still opt for the A14 because of the weight difference, but if you prefer big screens this is certainly one of the most intriguing options around. The A16 also has a full-sized SD card reader and HDMI connection, both of which the smaller model lacks entirely. ASUS also included a healthy amount of other ports, including two USB-C 4.0 connections, one USB Type A 3.2 port and a headphone jack. From a productivity perspective, you can certainly get a lot more done with the ZenBook A16's connectivity. The same holds true for Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips in the A16. Both the X2E94100and X2E96100 are 18-core chips with a single core boost speed of 4.7GHz, which is a big leap over the 8-core X1 chip in last year's A14. The X2 Elite-equipped A16 also comes with a whopping 48GB of RAM, which feels downright luxurious given our current RAM availability crisis, as well as a new 80-TOPS NPU for AI workloads. Geekbench 6 CPU Geekbench 6 GPU Cinebench 2024 ASUS Zenbook A16 (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E94100) 3,262/20,808 43,849 98/1,238 ASUS Zenbook A14 (2025, Qualcomm Snapdragon X1) 2,113/10,316 9,603 96/540 Apple MacBook Air (M5) 4,193/17,270 47,656 N/A Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite) 2,797/14,400 19,963 123/969 I immediately felt the difference in power when I booted up the ZenBook A16. The awkward sluggishness while browsing the web or perusing Evernote entries on the A14 was gone. Instead, the A16 always felt incredibly responsive and ready to work, like an eager puppy that never gets tired of playing fetch. Benchmarks also revealed the massive speed differences: The X2 Elite A16 scored 1,200 points higher in Geekbench 6's single-core CPU test, and its multi-core performance was twice as fast. The comparison is a bit unfair, I'll admit, because the A14 I reviewed last year was stuck with the most basic X-series Snapdragon chip, whereas the A16 touts Qualcomm's latest and greatest hardware. That also makes the A16 a bit more expensive than last year's A14: Best Buy lists it at $1,600, whereas the A14 initially sold for $1,100. ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget But at least the ZenBook A16 delivers the performance you'd expect for its price range. In the PCMark 10 Applications benchmark, it scored 17,264 points, which is 1,000 points higher than Dell's Premium 16 (aka last year's XPS 16) with Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H chip. It's also leagues ahead of the old ZenBook A14, which scored a meager 12,127 points. Benchmarks never tell the whole story, of course, but those huge performance gaps are the sort of thing you immediately notice in everyday performance. I was able to load up the ZenBook A16 with dozens of tabs, Evernote, 4K YouTube video streams and large Audacity jobs, and it never broke a sweat. Since it's an ARM-based Snapdragon system, though, be aware older apps may run into issues, or fail to work entirely. That Qualcomm hardware also made gaming a major problem for the first generation of Snapdragon X Elite chips, which didn't perform well and were also incompatible with games that required kernel-level anti-cheat. Updates to the Windows on Arm platform fixed the latter issue, and Qualcomm also launched its Snapdragon Control Panel to deliver faster driver updates. Now all Snapdragon X Elite chips can play Fortnite , Roblox and Tencent titles. Qualcomm claims that 90 percent of games will run on the Snapdragon Elite X2 chips. ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget And that includes demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 . I was able to reach 80 fps in that game, while playing with medium settings in 1080p, along with enabling AMD's FSR frame generation. This wouldn't be my ideal way to play Cyberpunk , but it's a sign that the ZenBook A16 can at least hold its own in gaming. Unfortunately, it wouldn't load Arc Raiders , because there's still no support for its anti-cheat tech. Fortnite launched just fine, though, and for some people that'll be enough. But really, anyone buying the ZenBook A16 isn't doing it to play shooters, you're doing it to get one of the lightest productivity machines around. ASUS's keyboard was comfortable to type on, though I would have liked to see more key depth akin to the Surface Laptop. Its trackpad is large and responsive, but it's also mechanical, which means you can only click along the lower two-thirds. In this price range, I'd expect ASUS to use a haptic trackpad with full coverage. The ZenBook A14's battery life (18 hours and 15 minutes) was one of its truly impressive features. ASUS repeats history here with the A16 clocking in 21 hours and 35 minutes in our rundown test. That's the immediate benefit of having a chip based on mobile ARM architecture. During my testing, the A16 drained down to 80 percent after around four hours of continuous work. Compatibility issues aside, the ZenBook A16 delivers just about everything I want in an ultraportable. Its got a gorgeous OLED screen and all of the ports you need. Qualcomms Snapdragon X2 Elite chips also give it a much-needed power boost. And best of all, it's one of the lightest and sleekest 16-inch Windows laptops I've come across. Just be prepared to pay a bit extra over other ultraportables for its slim size. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-zenbook-a16-review-a-surprisingly-light-and-powerful-16-inch-ultraportable-140000914.html?src=rss

Motorola announces Moto Pad and next-gen Moto G Stylus

Motorola has announced its two latest devices: the budget-friendly Moto G Stylus smartphone and the Moto Pad. The latter is a tablet and a new addition to the Motorola lineup with an 11-inch 2.5K display, compared to the 6.7-inch screen on the Moto G Stylus. The Moto Pad offers a MediaTek D6300 5G processor and 5G connectivity. It also has quad speakers with Dolby technology, including Dolby Atmos capability on speakers or through headphones with using supporting platforms. The Moto Pad comes with a 7040mAh battery that can stream for 12 hours on one charge. The new Moto Pad is available in Pantone's Bronze Green on April 30 from T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. Motorola has yet to share an exact price, instead stating it will be communicated by carrier upon availability. Meanwhile, the 2026 Moto G Stylus is an upgrade of its predecessor , offering a built-in active stylus. Inside the Notes app, it offers Sketch to Image, an AI tool for polishing drawings, and Handwriting Calculator, a feature for solving handwritten equations without switching to a calculator. The Moto G Stylus also has 100 hours of standby time. It only lasts four hours while continually writing, but Motorola claims it recharges in 15 minutes. It comes with a 50MP Ultra Pixel main camera, 13MP Ultrawide & Macro Vision camera and 32MP selfie camera. Plus, its 6.7-inch screen is an Extreme AMOLED display with a 1.5K super HD resolution and 120Hz refresh rate the Moto Pad has a 90Hz refresh rate, in comparison. Motorola is releasing the 2026 Moto G Stylus on April 16 and will start at $500. The 126GB option will initially come with four free Moto Tags, while the 256GB version will offer free Moto Buds Loop earbuds , a Moto Watch and a Moto Tag. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/motorola-announces-moto-pad-and-next-gen-moto-g-stylus-130014526.html?src=rss

Spotify's Prompted Playlist feature now works for podcasts

Spotify's Prompted Playlist tool now works for podcasts, after launching the feature for music earlier this year. As the name suggests, this is an AI thing. It lets users use natural language, or prompts, to describe what they're looking for in a playlist and the algorithm does the rest. The platform says the tool is a good match for podcasts, as listeners can use it to discover a new favorite show or dive deeper into a topic or piece of culture. Spotify adds that the algorithm generates playlists based on both the prompt and a person's listening history, along with what's happening in the world today. Spotify Spotify gives some examples of the kinds of prompts that could be used to generate podcast playlists, which include a user asking the bot to build a playlist all about science and innovation and another with the biggest entertainment news from the past few days. It'll be interesting to see if the algorithm prioritizes podcasts from its ever-growing stable of in-house creators over third party releases. Spotify says the tool unlocks powerful new opportunities for creators. This is because it can recommend older episodes from a back catalog, thus giving them a little boost. The feature is rolling out now in a beta form to Premium users in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden. It remains to be seen when Spotify will open up the tool to other languages. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotifys-prompted-playlist-feature-now-works-for-podcasts-120006108.html?src=rss

NHTSA closes probe into Tesla's remote parking crashes

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration has closed its investigation into Teslas remote parking features, after it found that previously reported incidents led to minor issues and happened in low speed. NHTSAs Office of Defects Investigations opened an evaluation into incidents involving the companys Actual Smart Summon feature in January 2025. Its a level 2 automated driving feature meant for parking lots or private property, allowing Tesla owners to control their cars from an app within short distances. Investigators said there were 159 incidents involving the feature overall, but those make up less than one percent of the millions of Summons sessions owners have done. Further, almost all of the incidents happened when users did not have a complete 360-degree view of the surroundings in the app to assess situational awareness. In most of the incidents involving crashes, the vehicles hit parking gates, adjacently parked vehicles and short parking bollards. The investigators identified two incidents that happened because some of the vehicles cameras were blocked by snow, and the Summons feature didnt detect the problem. In one other incident, the system didnt identify a gate arm blocking a garage exit lane. Tesla has since rolled out over-the-air updates improving the vehicles camera visibility checks and object detection capabilities. Since the reported crashes involved minor problems and didnt lead to injuries, deaths or any major incidents that resulted in air bag deployment or in the vehicle being towed away, the agency has decided to shut down the probe altogether. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nhtsa-closes-probe-into-teslas-remote-parking-crashes-115511006.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apples foldable iPhone may be delayed

Apple has run into more issues than expected with its foldable iPhone , which may delay its release, according to the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei . Multiple sources report issues that apparently occurred during early test production phases and may delay first shipments by months. Component suppliers have supposedly been notified that the foldable iPhones production schedule will be delayedand Apple is working to address the problems. Apple was reportedly prioritizing the foldable iPhone and other premium models for its September event this year, due to constrained supplies that whole RAMmaggedon thing. One fewer iPhone model might reduce the companys demand for pricey components. Were still waiting: A foldable iPhone has been rumored since 201andd rival Samsung released its first one back in 2019. The Galaxy phone maker has faced its own struggles: The very cool Galaxy Z TriFold was pushed into early retirement , seemingly being sold at a loss after its launch late last year. Mat Smith The other big stories (and deals) this morning March Madness 2026: How to watch the Final Four OpenAI brings ChatGPTs Voice mode to CarPlay Samsungs Music Studio speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars are available now . CFTC sues states attempting to regulate prediction markets The federal government wants sole authority over prediction markets. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Illinois, Arizona and Connecticut for attempting to outlaw or regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. These markets allow people to bet on the outcomes of events (for example, who will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2028). Theres been some particularly dystopian bets on recent global military campaigns. The CFTC believes it has sole jurisdiction to regulate these platforms and that states attempting to classify them as illegal gambling are overstepping their authority. The CFTC will continue to safeguard its exclusive regulatory authority over these markets and defend market participants against overzealous state regulators, CFTC chair Michael S. Selig said in a statement. Continue reading. The Spaceballs sequel will be released in April 2027 Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis and other original cast members are back. Amazon MGM Studios announced the upcoming Spaceballs movie will hit theaters on April 23, 2027, right around the 40th anniversary of the first film. The movie is being directed by Josh Greenbaum and written by Josh Gad, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, according to Deadline . Continue reading. The Artemis II crew snapped some mesmerizing photos of Earth We dont need telescopes. NASA On their way around the Moon, the Artemis II crew managed to grab a few photos.NASA has begun sharing the images, including the one above: Earth through the Orion capsules window. It kinda looks like the old iPhone wallpaper. Sorry, I just ruined it. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111523424.html?src=rss

Report: Apple's foldable iPhone may be delayed due to engineering snags

Apple has run into more issues than expected with its foldable iPhone that may set back its release, according to Nikkei . The engineering problems reportedly cropped up during the device's early test production phase and may delay first shipments by months, according to multiple sources briefed on the matter. The current situation could put the mass production timeline at risk, one of the sources said. April will mark a crucial stage of the engineering verification test, and this month till early may is extremely critical. Component suppliers have supposedly been notified that the foldable iPhone's production schedule will be delayed, and Apple is working to address the problems. A foldable iPhone has been rumored since 2017 , and Apple's biggest rival, Samsung, released its first one back in 2019. According to multiple sources, Apple was aiming to launch its debut foldable iPhone in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18. However, as we detailed in an explainer last month , the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display. Apple was reportedly prioritizing the foldable iPhone and other premium models for its September event this year due to constrained supplies of components like memory chips. However, the foldable's engineering issues could throw a wrench into those plans. Apple and the supply chain are working under a pressured timeline and the current solutions are not enough to completely solve the engineering challenge... more time is needed, Nikkei's source stated. The problems reportedly arose during Apple's production verification tests. That's the fourth of six steps the company's new products must go through before shipping, prior to the key pilot production and mass production phases. Since the foldable would be an all-new design, it would have to pass each stage with flying colors before proceeding to the next. Though likely to account for less than 10 percent of iPhone production, the foldable will be a key product for Apple designed to boost interest in iPhones across its range. Apple reportedly plans to produce seven to eight million of the devices initially, Nikkei reported. Apple has not yet officially announced the device and declined to commented on the reported engineering issues. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/report-apples-foldable-iphone-may-be-delayed-due-to-engineering-snags-073813819.html?src=rss

Amazon's new USPS deal will see postal deliveries cut by 20 percent

Earlier this year, Amazon threatened to cut US Postal Service deliveries by as much as two thirds . Now, the parties have reached tentative a deal that will see USPS deliveries reduced by 20 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported. While not as drastic as first menaced, the reduced volume will still deal a financial blow to the USPS. Were pleased to have reached a new agreement with USPS that furthers our longstanding partnership and will let us continue supporting our customers and communities together, an Amazon spokesperson told the WSJ . Amazon is the USPS's largest customer, accounting for 15 percent of its volume and $6 billion in revenue. A two-thirds cut would have been a disaster for the USPS, but a 20 percent reduction could result in more than $1 billion in lost revenue nonetheless. Amazon would have needed to scramble as well, as it relies heavily on the post office for rural and last-mile deliveries. Amazon's contract with the USPS was set to expire in September 2026, and in October Amazon said it wanted to strike a deal by December 2025. However, the USPS abruptly pulled out of negotiations, according to Amazon, and implemented a new bidding process for last-mile deliveries. Our goal was to increase our volumes with USPS, not reduce them until USPS abruptly walked away at the eleventh hour in December, Amazon said at the time. Amazon was reportedly considering expanding its own delivery network if the USPS deal fell through, though the company may have started those rumors itself to prod negotiations. The Postal Service decided to re-engage with Amazon after bids from several Amazon rivals fell short of its volume and revenue expectations, according to the WSJ 's sources. The new agreement is still subject to approval by the federal Postal Regulatory Commission. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/amazons-new-usps-deal-will-see-postal-deliveries-cut-by-20-percent-054608944.html?src=rss

The League of Legends KeSPA cup will air globally on Disney+

Disney has inked a deal with the Korea Esports Association that will bring several gaming tournaments to the its streaming platform. Disney+ will be the global live streaming home for Esports Champions Asia Jinju 2026, the 2026 League of Legends KeSPA CUP and some preliminary events ahead of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. This agreement expands KeSPA's arrangement with Disney, which only streamed its esports events to viewers in Asia last year. Esports Champions Asia is the first event on the calendar, occurring April 24-26 with professional teams from across the continent squaring up in tournaments for games including Street Fighter 6 , The King of Fighters XV , TEKKEN 8 and the eFootball series. Disney+ will also be an official streamer for the PUBG Mobile and Eternal Return competitions during that weekend. It could be helpful for western esports fans to have a single location for watching the major events happening in Asia. However, many tournaments are currently free to watch on Twitch or YouTube, so now needing a Disney+ subscription to catch some of these international competitions might feel onerous. Esports might run the risk of turning into the fragmented set of rights deals that plagues traditional sports leagues, where a game could be on one of a half dozen different paid services each night. It's also likely going to mean co-streamers take a hit to their viewership, since Disney seems unlikely to offer the same sort of broadcast access that has made the practice popular on Twitch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-league-of-legends-kespa-cup-will-air-globally-on-disney-224455083.html?src=rss

New Jersey has no right to ban Kalshi's prediction market, US appeals court rules

Kalshi can't be stopped in New Jersey. A 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled on Monday that New Jersey has no authority to regulate Kalshi's prediction market allowing people to bet on the outcome of sports events. That power rests with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the panel ruled 2-1. The CFTC is headed by President Donald Trump appointee Michael Selig, who vocally and actively supports prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, calling them exciting products. The Trump family agrees: Donald Trump Jr. is a paid adviser to Kalshi and an unpaid adviser to Polymarket, and Truth Social, which is run by the Trump Media and Technology Group, is set to start a prediction market of its own. Online prediction markets are an emerging phenomenon that allow users to bet on the outcome of basically anything, from local athletic competitions to lethal military invasions. Though they're new, these marketplaces have already shown evidence of insider trading on an extreme scale , with suspicious bets and big payouts tied to the US and Israel's military strikes in Iran, and also the US' brief invasion in Venezuela. According to blockchain analyst DeFi Oasis, fewer than 0.04 percent of Polymarket accounts captured more than 70 percent of profits, totaling $3.7 billion. Multiple state gaming regulators have filed legal challenges against Kalshi and Polymarket in recent months, and just last week the CFTC sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois over their attempts to regulate prediction markets. While each state has its own angle of attack, from election issues to underage betting , they're all broadly claiming that prediction markets are just illegal gambling businesses. Today's ruling marks the first federal-level decision in one of these cases and it's in favor of the prediction markets. New Jersey sent Kalshi a cease and desist letter in 2025, claiming the service violated the state's ban on collegiate sports betting. Kalshi escalated the situation and sued New Jersey, arguing that its sports contracts are actually swaps, a type of financial investment that's (conveniently) regulated by the CFTC. A lower-court judge previously sided with Kalshi, prompting New Jersey to appeal. Two of the three judges in that appeal ruled that Kalshi's sports-related event contracts were indeed swaps. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour called Monday's ruling a big win for the industry. US Circuit Judge Jane Richards Roth dissented, writing that Kalshi's offerings were virtually indistinguishable from the betting products available on online sportsbooks, such as DraftKings and FanDuel. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has the option to ask the full 3rd Circuit to rehear the case, and the issue is also pending in several other courts. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/new-jersey-has-no-right-to-ban-kalshis-prediction-market-us-appeals-court-rules-214448284.html?src=rss

Apple will again appeal to the Supreme Court in battle with Epic Games

The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is escalating once again. For a second time, the warring factions are going straight to the top of the judicial system. Apple is asking for the Supreme Court to review when and how it can charge commissions on mobile purchases made via third-party payment systems. The business has requested a motion to stay on a lower court ruling regarding the fees Apple charges to software developers using those external financial systems rather than the App Store. The last time Apple petitioned for an appeal at the top of the judicial branch, it was about a lower court requiring it to allow developers to use third-party payment options. The Supreme Court declined to hear that case. It's possible that the tech company will once again be denied, although this effort regards specifically limits on commission rates rather than the basic premise of allowing in-app payments to be processed outside the App Store. Epic Games has been pushing both Apple and Google on the subject of their app store commission fees for years. Recently, the gaming company did appear to reach an accord with Google that saw the company's popular game Fortnite globally return to the Google Play Store in March. That ruling reportedly requires Epic's notoriously opinionated CEO to keep quiet on the subject of Google's app store fees until 2032. Epic Games recently made substantial job cuts, laying off more than 1,000 workers last month. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-again-appeal-to-the-supreme-court-in-battle-with-epic-games-193551758.html?src=rss

Three YouTubers accuse Apple of illegal scraping to train its AI models

Three YouTube channels have banded together and filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, as first spotted by MacRumors . According to the lawsuit , the creators behind h3h3 Productions, MrShortGameGolf and Golfholics have accused Apple of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by scraping copyrighted videos on YouTube to train its AI models. While the YouTubers' videos are available to watch on the platform, the lawsuit alleged that Apple illegally circumvented the controlled streaming architecture that regular users are limited to. The creators claimed that Apple's video scraping was used to train its generative AI products, adding that the tech giant's massive financial success would not have been possible without the video content created by the YouTubers. MacRumors noted that these YouTube channels have also filed similar lawsuits against other tech companies, including Meta, Nvidia, ByteDance and Snap. It's not the first time a company's alleged AI training methods have gotten them in legal trouble. OpenAI and Microsoft were both accused of using copyrighted articles from the NYTimes to train its AI chatbots. Similarly, Perplexity was recently sued by Reddit and Encyclopedia Britannica for alleged copyright and trademark infringements. Last year, Apple was also named in a separate class action lawsuit from two neuroscience professors who claimed their copyrighted works were used without permission. We reached out to Apple for comment and will update the story when we hear back. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/three-youtubers-accuse-apple-of-illegal-scraping-to-train-its-ai-models-181028745.html?src=rss

NASA's Artemis II crew just flew farther away from Earth than anyone ever has before

NASA's Artemis II crew just set a new distance record in miles traveled away from Earth. The team of four astronauts are in the process of circling the Moon , reaching 5,000 miles beyond the natural satellite. That brings the total distance traveled away from our home to over 250,000 miles. Gene Roddenberry would be proud. This broke the previous 1970 record set by Apollo 13's crew by around 4,000 miles. The four astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency are the first humans to cross the lunar threshold since 1972's Apollo 17 mission. We challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived, Commander Reid Wiseman said upon crossing the distance threshold. He also suggested that NASA name a lunar crater after the craft itself. The astronauts aren't landing on the lunar surface, but are conducting a lengthy flyby that should provide clear images of the Moon's far side that have never been seen by humans. These areas were too difficult to clearly see by the various Apollo crew members. They'll also get a peek at a solar eclipse, though the crew will be out of contact with mission control for around 40 minutes. Well get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force, NASA flight director, Judd Frieling, said. Astronaut Christina Koch has called today's record an important milestone that people can understand and wrap their heads around. As for that mapping, the crew has a series of different cameras, and they're going to get data from that. This is according to NASA administrator Jared Isaacman who also said the astronauts have been training for this moment for almost four years. This mapping data will be used to plan future crewed missions to the lunar surface. The Orion capsule is now on its crawl back to Earth. It'll drop down in around four days. NASA is planning for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10, which is nine days after the launch . Astronaut Victor Glover delivered an Easter message over the weekend in which he called Earth an oasis and said that humanity is special in all of this emptiness. This is a marked contrast from the Easter message delivered by President Trump. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-artemis-ii-crew-just-flew-farther-away-from-earth-than-anyone-ever-has-before-180259867.html?src=rss

You can now search through app reviews on the Google Play Store

Finding the right app on the Google Play Store just got a lot easier. Google is rolling out a new search function for an app's reviews when navigating its Play Store, as first spotted by Android Authority . The new feature only currently searches for exact matches of at least two words, but it should still help users identify if certain apps and games have specific features or gameplay elements. You can find the search function after hitting the See all reviews button on the Play Store, and it will also offer some popular search terms next to the feature. It's similar to Amazon's Search customer reviews feature and will bold the search phrase in the reviews. The ability to search reviews is a welcome addition to the Play Store, especially when compared to the App Store that can only sort an app's reviews. Google has also been cracking down on bad apps that violate its policies in recent years, but giving users the ability to search through reviews could offer another layer of scrutiny for any apps that slip through the cracks. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-search-through-app-reviews-on-the-google-play-store-170459063.html?src=rss

How to watch the historic Artemis II lunar flyby

NASA's Artemis II mission is about to make history. After a successful April 1 launch , and a trip of 39,000 miles through space , astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen are about to travel farther from Earth than any human beings have before, and you can watch the entire thing unfold online. NASA will stream the entire flyby on YouTube and its own NASA+ website , with coverage beginning at 1PM ET. You can also watch NASA+ through Netflix . It's going to take some time for things to get underway, so if you're working or have plans this evening but don't want to miss seeing history being made, your best bet is to try and catch a handful of key moments. At approximately 1:56PM ET, Artemis II will fly farther than any crewed mission has before, breaking the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Then, the Orion spacecraft will begin its flyby of the Moon at 2:45PM ET, with the craft expected to make its closest approach to the lunar surface at approximately 7:02PM ET. A few short minutes later, the spacecraft will reach its maximum distance from Earth at about 7:07PM ET. A little more than an hour later at 8:35PM, the Artemis II crew will get a chance to see a total solar eclipse from the far side of the Moon. This is something that won't be visible from Earth. So if you can only catch one part of the broadcast, this is the one to watch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/how-to-watch-the-historic-artemis-ii-lunar-flyby-155114417.html?src=rss

Mercedes-Benz recalls some G-Wagon EVs due to risk of wheels falling off

Before you take your electric G-Wagon for its next off-roading excursion, you may want to stop by an authorized dealer. The German automaker issued a recall for every Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ technology with the 2025 model year, as first spotted by InsideEVs . According to the recall on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website , the current wheel bolts could allow a wheel to loosen or detach from the vehicle, potentially affecting 3,734 models on the road. The recall report explained that the electric G580's wheel bolts were ot adapted to the increased vehicle mass and higher torque loads associated with the electric variant. According to the NHTSA report, Mercedes-Benz used the same wheel assembly and bolts as its other G-Class vehicles for the electric model, but conducted an analysis from September 2024 to January 2025 that confirmed these wheel bolts could loosen from repeated rough driving and wheel changes, specifically with the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ technology models. In the end, Mercedes-Benz concluded in the report that it couldn't rule out the risk, even though the wheel bolt loosening was unlikely to occur under real-world operating scenarios. To get it fixed, owners have to bring their affected G580s to a Mercedes-Benz authorized dealer, who will replace the bolts for free. Owners of the electric G580s, whose 2025 model year started at around $160,000, will get mail notices starting in late May. Besides this luxury SUV model, Mercedes-Benz had to issue another recall for another EV in 2021. The automaker recalled a couple hundred EQS EV and S-Class sedans that allowed for video playback on the dashboard even while the car was moving. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/mercedes-benz-recalls-some-g-wagon-evs-due-to-risk-of-wheels-falling-off-150939361.html?src=rss

Samsung's Music Studio speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars are available now

Back at CES, Samsung showed off a new line of speakers and two of its 2026 soundbars . Today, the company announced pricing for the entire suite of new products, including two soundbars that werent inside its showroom in Vegas. All but two of the new devices are available to order now, so you might not have to wait to get your hands on some new Samsung audio gear. Lets start with the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 speakers . The Music Studio 7 is the more rectangular model in the duo. Its a 3.1.1-channel unit with left, right and center speakers alongside one woofer and one up-firing driver. This $500 device is also equipped with Pattern Control tech to direct the sound evenly through the room while keeping distortion to a minimum. The more circular Music Studio 5 has a 2.1-channel configuration composed of two tweeters and a single woofer. It has waveguide technology to evenly disperse the sound and costs $300 . Both the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 use AI processing to customize the sound based on the room and the content. Those capabilities come in the form of Samsungs Dynamic Bass Control and SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration features. Both speakers also use Active Voice Amplifier Pro to boost dialogue. Two Music Studio 7 speakers being used with a TV Samsung Yes, this means you can use a pair of either model as your living room setup. In fact, they can work with a compatible TV or soundbar to employ Samsungs Q-Symphony feature that uses all of your speakers as an immersive group. Samsung is also expanding Q-Symphony to work with up to five of its audio devices and the feature will automatically adjust the sound based on speaker locations. Those upgrades seem an awful lot like LGs Sound Suite and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect , if you ask me. Samsung revealed its flagship soundbar, the Q990H, at CES. Unfortunately, the company is keeping the same overall design its been using for about years now, so I think its time for a change. This is the companys 11.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos option that comes with rear satellite speakers and a subwoofer for $2,000 . Samsungs home theater features like Dynamic Bass Control, SpaceFit Sound Pro and Adaptive Sound are all here, but there are also two new features on the Q990H for 2026. First, Samsung promises that Sound Elevation will improve the audio by making dialogue sound like its coming from where characters are on the screen rather than the position of your soundbar. Theres also Auto Volume, which will supposedly nix sudden volume jumps as you switch channels or streaming services. The QS90H is the member of Samsungs 2026 soundbar lineup that really impressed me at CES . The company says this is its first all-in-one soundbar, which means you shouldnt have to use a subwoofer for adequate bass. Other companies have made that claim, and its almost never true , but the $1,000 QS90H pumped out some great low-end tone back in Vegas. Thats thanks to four built-in woofers and an overall 7.1.2-channel setup. The QS90H has a similar design to the existing QS700 soundbar Samsung Like the QS700F , the QS90H has a gyro sensor that automatically detects if its sitting flat on a shelf or mounted on a wall. This allows the soundbar to automatically adjust the sound based on its position so you dont sacrifice performance for what looks best in your home. The QS90H also offers Q-Symphony, SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration, Adaptive Sound, Active Voice Amplifier Pro and Dynamic Bass Control plus the new Sound Elevation and Auto Volume from the Q990H. Two other soundbars that Samsung didnt discuss at CES are the Q930H ($1,500) and the Q800H ($1,100). As you might expect based on the numbers, these two models sit below the Q990H in the companys lineup. The Q930H is a 9.1.4-channel option that comes with rear speakers and a subwoofer in the box. In terms of features, Q-Symphony, SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration, Adaptive Sound, Voice Amplifier Pro and Sound Elevation are all here. Step down to the Q800H and youll get all of those features in a 5.1.2-channel arrangement. This soundbar only comes with a subwoofer though. Its also worth noting that both the Q930H and Q800H have a similar angular design to the Q900H. The Music Studio 7 , Music Studio 5 , Q990H and Q800H are available now. The Q930H and QS90H are still listed at coming soon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/samsungs-music-studio-speakers-and-two-of-its-2026-soundbars-are-available-now-150000056.html?src=rss

Artemis II arrives in lunar space ahead of its trip around the Moon

Artemis II and its four-man crew have entered the Moons sphere of influence, meaning the spacecraft is more affected by lunar gravity than the Earths pull. The transition occurred at a distance of 39,000 miles from the Moon, four days, six hours and two minutes into the mission. The next and most important phase will happen tomorrow when the craft loops around the Moons far side, taking humans deeper into space than theyve ever been before. At their apogee, Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Canadas Jeremy Hansen will be 252,757 miles from Earth. That will break the previous record held by the Apollo 13 crew by just over 4,000 miles. Theyre the first humans to cross the lunar threshold since 1972s Apollo 17 moon landing mission. The crew spent this weekend carrying out preparations for their lunar flyby. That included manual piloting demonstrations, reviewing their science objectives for the six-hour observation period and evaluating their space suits, which are there for life support in the event of an emergency and for their return home. But, they've had plenty of time to take in the views, too and those views sure are spectacular. In the latest series of images shared by the space agency, the astronauts are seen gazing at Earth through the windows of the Orion spacecraft . Orion will reach the moon's vicinity shortly after midnight on Monday, April 6. Later that day, the crew is expected to reach a point farther than any humans have traveled from Earth, surpassing the record of 248,655 miles from Earth set by the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. Mission specialist Christina Koch takes in the view. NASA The lunar observation period will start at 2:45PM ET, and a few hours later, they'll be behind the moon and briefly drop out of communication. The spacecraft's closest approach to the moon is expected to occur at 7:02PM, when it will be 4,066 miles from the surface. From that distance, the crew will see the entire disk of the Moon at once, including regions near the north and south poles, according to NASA . The crew will later get a chance to see a solar eclipse as Orion, the Moon, and the Sun align in such a way that the astronauts will see our star disappear behind the Moon for about an hour. NASA will have coverage of the flyby starting at 1PM ET. Update April 7 at 1:40 AM ET : The post has been updated with news that Artemis II has entered the Moons sphere of influence. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/artemis-ii-arrives-in-lunar-space-ahead-of-its-trip-around-the-moon-211919381.html?src=rss

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