There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries from Onyx Boox, PocketBook and a couple of smaller companies.

Of course, any smartphone or tablet can act as an ereader, but for our purposes, we focused on devices with paper-like, E Ink screens. After buying, borrowing and reading ebooks using a dozen ereaders, my top recommendation is Kobo’s latest, the Clara Colour. But there are situations where a Kindle might make more sense, and Boox options will satisfy those who want to do more than just read. Here are the best ereaders you can buy, with picks based on more than a year of testing.

Table of contents

• Best ereaders

• What to look for in an ereader

• How to get books for your ereader

• How we test ereaders

• Ereader FAQs

• Recent updates

The best ebook readers for 2025

 

What to look for in an ereader

Plenty of apps, including the Kindle app, will let you download and read digital books on a phone or tablet. But what makes ebook readers different is the screen: nearly all of them use technology from a company called E Ink. It manufactures electronic paper displays (EPD) composed of three sheets: one containing millions of microcapsules filled with black and white ink particles sandwiched between transparent electrode layers. When a charge is applied, either the black or white particles shift to the top, forming letters and the whitespace around them. 

Color ereaders add a color filter array on top of the standard black and white microcapsule layer. The result is two different resolutions on one screen — the color clarity is 150 dpi while black and white images and text are still 300 dpi.

Because these displays are so different from standard backlight LED panels, you can expect most ereaders to do a number of things well. They’ll be easier to stare at for long periods of time and easier to read in direct sunlight. Also, since E Ink displays only require power to rearrange the ink, these devices have much longer battery lives than even the best tablets: we’re talking weeks, not days.

The ereader market is not as saturated as, say, the smartphone market, but there are still plenty of options out there and they do have small but important differences among them. They tend to range from around $100 to more than $400, though usually the higher end options are stylus-enabled read/write E Ink tablets like the Kindle Scribe. Beyond price, you should consider physical properties like buttons, lights, storage and resolution, as well as how the software lets you find and access books.

Reading features

With any ereader, you’ll navigate the OS via taps and swipes, and some add physical page-turn buttons. Most with built-in buttons have an auto-rotating screen so you can press with your right or left hand.

As E Ink technology has advanced, resolution has greatly improved – even the budget Kindle ereader has a 300 ppi display. You can still find models with lower resolution, but we don’t recommend them.

Some ereaders have front LEDs that support light temperature adjustment. That means you can switch to a warmer light after the sun goes down, which will feel easier on the eyes. If you’re concerned about blue light, you should go for a reader with that feature.

Other features

The capabilities of these pocket libraries have advanced considerably since the early days. In addition to storing books, some let you browse the web, run apps and play music. The screen’s frame rate can’t handle gaming, but it’s good enough to show you the Wikipedia entry for Striver’s Row while you read Crook Manifesto.

If you listen to audiobooks, you may want a Bluetooth-enabled ereader capable of playing them. Most of the models we tested have that ability, with the notable exception of the Nook ereader we tried. Keep in mind that audiobook files can take up more space than print files so you'll probably want a device with a higher storage capacity if you plan on doing a lot of listening.

Above all, you should consider where and how you intend to find books to read. Most ereaders make it easiest to shop through their own digital bookstores, but all of them (even Kindles) will now let you download titles from other sources, like libraries, unaffiliated ebook sellers and free public domain sites.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to get books for your ereader

Kindle, Nook and Kobo all have their own stores that you access directly from each brand’s devices. Prices are fairly competitive among the sellers, too – as I write this, the current NYT bestselling fiction ebook is $12 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com and the Kobo store. The top nonfiction release costs $15 at all four.

Amazon offers Kindle Unlimited for $12 per month, and it includes four million titles from which you can pick your next read. It includes audio and ebooks, but you won’t find many big, new releases or older bestsellers. Kobo has a subscription called Kobo Plus with about 1.3 million titles: it goes for $8 per month for ebooks only, $8 for audiobooks only or $10 for both.

Buying a book from a proprietary store instantly delivers it to your device, provided you’re connected to WiFi. It also syncs your reading across devices and apps, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone if you forgot your ereader at home. It truly is the most convenient way to go, but if you don’t want to be locked into one brand’s store, or if you opt for an ereader without its own marketplace, you do have options.

How to upload ePubs onto an ereader

Stores like ebooks.com and Google Play have millions of ebooks for sale as digital rights-managed (DRM) ePub files, which Kobo, Nook and PocketBook readers can read in their native ereader apps. Kindles don’t support DRM ePub files at all and Boox devices require third party apps (of which there are many) to ready those files.

Titles from some publishers like Tor and public domain classics from sites like Project Gutenberg are also sold as ePubs, but without the added DRM. Consequently, Kindles and the Boox Neoreader do support those files. Books you get from third-party sources will look just like ones you bought from a proprietary store, thanks to the flowable, formatted nature of ePub files. While these device-agnostic ebook collections give you extra options for finding your next read, they require a few additional steps to get the files onto your ereader.

To do so, you’ll typically need a computer running a free program called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). After buying and downloading the ePub file, open ADE and plug your ereader into your computer (all readers here have a USB-C port for charging and data transfers). Your device should pop up in the left panel. Drag and drop the ePub file from your downloads folder into the main panel in ADE. The file will display as an image of the book cover. Drag that image onto your device on the left panel. If the file includes digital rights management (which protects against unauthorized copying) you’ll need to authorize your ereader, which requires using or creating a free Adobe ID. Once you’ve finished adding files to upload, eject the reader from your computer to complete the transfer process.

Kindles use a web-based uploader instead of the ADE method. But since Kindle uses its own proprietary DRM technology instead of Adobe's, the only files it can accept from third parties are non-DRM files, such as from Tor Publishing or Project Gutenberg. After downloading a compatible ePub file, drag and drop it into your browser with the Send to Kindle page open. As long as you’re signed into Amazon, this wirelessly transfers the files to your associated device.

Boox also uses a browser uploader called BooxDrop (along with many other methods) to deliver ePubs to the device. Open it from the Boox App menu and you’ll see a device-specific url. Type that into your browser to access a file delivery portal that uploads to your library. Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, also doesn’t support files with DRM, so you won’t be able to read current titles from most publishers using that app. Fortunately, Boox devices run nearly every ereader app out there, Kobo and Kindle included, letting you access ePubs any number of ways.

How to read library books on an ereader

Your local library card lets you borrow audio and ebooks through a program called Overdrive and its companion app Libby. On a Kobo, you have have built-in access to Overdrive in a separate tab. Once you’ve linked your public library card, the search function will include results for titles available from your local library; a few taps will upload your selections to your device for the length of the loan. I personally find it easiest to borrow the title I want through the Libby app on my phone. After that, the book pops up on my Kobo’s home screen once the device syncs.

To read library books on a Kindle, you can either go through the Libby app or the Overdrive section of your library’s website. Once you click Borrow, you’ll see the option to “Read now with Kindle,” which takes you to Amazon’s site to sign in. After that, the book will be delivered to your device the next time it connects to WiFi.

For other ereaders, you’ll go through your library’s Overdrive portal and download the ePub after clicking the Borrow button. You can then use the ADE process we described above. Devices that run external apps, like Boox's Page, Go Color 7 or Palma, allow you to read library books via the Libby app, just as you would on a smartphone or iPad.

You can also use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks, but you won’t be able to access them through your ereader. (The exception is an ereader, like a Boox device, that allows external apps). I found it was easier to listen to an audiobook on my phone anyway, regardless of whether I borrowed it through Libby or bought it from Kindle or Kobo.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How we test ereaders

When putting together any guide, the first thing we do is spend hours researching the field. We look at what’s available, what’s new, and what shoppers and professional reviewers have to say. Then we narrow a list to the best candidates for hands-on testing.

Over the course of the past year and a half, I’ve tested just over a dozen ereaders, representing five different brands: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Boox and PocketBook. I bought, borrowed and uploaded books for each device using the methods above. I used each one for between a few days to a few months. I evaluated each one in the areas of book access, ease of reading, extra features and overall value. Here’s everything we tested so far:

• Amazon Kindle (2022)

• Amazon Kindle (2024)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature

• Boox Go Color 7

• Boox Leaf 2

• Boox Page

• Boox Poke 5

• Boox Palma

• Kobo Libra 2

• Kobo Libra Colour

• Kobo Clara 2E

• Kobo Clara Colour

• Kobo Nia

• NOOK GlowLight 4

• PocketBook Era

Other ereaders we tested

Kindle Colorsoft

Amazon’s first color Kindle impressed with its quick page-turns and load times, auto-adjusting front light and, of course, a decently striking color E Ink display. But at $280, it’s more expensive than all of the other color ereaders in its size range, including the Kobo Libra Colour and the Boox Go Color 7.

Also, some Colorsoft owners reported seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their ereader’s display. This issue did not affect our first review unit during the original testing period, but it eventually appeared. An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget: "A small number of customers have reported a yellow band along the bottom of the display. We take the quality of our products seriously—customers who notice this can reach out to our customer service team for a replacement or refund, and we’re making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that new devices will not experience this issue moving forward."

Amazon sent us a new Colorsoft ereader at the end of 2024 and it does appear that the fixes the company made resolved the yellow-band issue. The screen on our second review unit appears warmer overall, but not overly so. It’s more akin to the screen on the Kobo Libra Colour, and that’s a good thing.

Ereader FAQs

Which ereaders can read Kindle books?

Amazon’s Kindle ereaders are the obvious answer, but other devices capable of running apps can also read titles from the Kindle store. For example, you can download the Kindle app on a Boox ereader through Google Play (the store comes standard in the Boox app menu). You can then sign into your Kindle account and access all the books in your library — the same way you’d read Kindle books on your phone or tablet.

Can you buy Kindle books without a Kindle?

Yes. You can buy Kindle books through the Kindle app or through Amazon’s website via a browser. You can read those titles on a Kindle or any device that can run the Kindle app, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. Just be aware that Kindle titles can only be read through one of Amazon’s ereaders or the Kindle app. The company uses proprietary digital rights management on all ebooks it sells that can’t be read by other ereader apps like Kobo or Adobe ADE.

What's the difference between Kindle and Kobo?

Both Kindle and Kobo are brands of dedicated ereaders that support searching, buying, downloading and reading ebooks from their own stores. Both also support borrowing books from your local library via Overdrive and Libby.

The difference is that Kindle is owned by Amazon and uses the Kindle store, whereas Kobo is owned by Rakuten and its books come from the Kobo store. Both stores come pre-loaded as a tab on their respective ereader and both carry most in-print books. Each store also carries their own exclusive ebooks as well, but Amazon’s library of Kindle-only books is much larger than Kobo’s. Amazon also offers Amazon Original stories to read on the Kindle, which are free short fiction and nonfiction reads that are free to Prime members.

Which ereader is best for library books?

Both Kobos and Kindles have simple systems for borrowing library books. Other ereaders, like Boox, let you borrow books after downloading the Libby App. Only Kobo ereaders let you search for and borrow books directly on the ereader, with a dedicated Overdrive tab. Kindles, on the other hand, utilize a convenient “read on Kindle” function from the Libby app or website. You can send a borrowed book to your Kindle just by signing into your account. Both methods are pretty easy, so which is the best for you probably depends on other factors than just the library-book feature.

Recent updates

January 2025: Updated the "Others we tested" section to include impressions of the second Kindle Colorsoft review unit we received.

August 2024: Replaced our Android tablet pick with the new Go Color 7 ereader from Boox. Updated book titles to current examples. Added an FAQ section to explain the difference between Kobo and Kindle ereaders and further detail library-book support on different models. 

November 2024: Following the release of Amazon's new Kindle ereaders, we tested and reviewed the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, the base-model Kindle and Amazon's new color ereader, the Kindle Colorsoft. Accordingly, we updated our budget pick, added a premium pick and noted our experience with the Colorsoft. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ereader-130013808.html?src=rss

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Bluesky experienced explosive growth last year, particularly toward the end, necessitating that the platform ramp up its moderation efforts. In its recently released moderation report for 2024, Bluesky said it grew by about 23 million users, jumping from 2.9 million users to nearly 26 million. And, its moderators received 17 times the number of user reports they got in 2023 — 6.48 million in 2024 compared to 358,000 the previous year. 

The bulk of these reports were related to “harassment, trolling or intolerance,” spam and misleading content (including impersonation and misinformation). The presence of accounts posing as other people has been a known issue in the wake of Bluesky’s popularity spike, and the platform updated its impersonation policy in November with a “more aggressive” approach in an attempt to crack down on it. At the time, it said it had quadrupled its moderation team. The new report says Bluesky’s moderation team has grown to about 100, and hiring is ongoing. “Some moderators specialize in particular policy areas, such as dedicated agents for child safety,” it notes.

Other categories Bluesky says it received a lot of reports about include “illegal and urgent issues” and unwanted sexual content. There were also 726,000 reports marked as “other.” Bluesky says it complied with 146 requests from “law enforcement, governments, legal firms” out of a total of 238 last year.

The platform plans on making some changes to the way reports and appeals are handled this year that it says will “streamline user communication,” like providing users with updates about actions it has taken on content they’ve reported and, further down the line, letting users appeal takedown decisions directly in the app. Moderators took down 66,308 accounts in 2024, while its automated systems took down 35,842 spam and bot profiles. “Looking ahead to 2025, we're investing in stronger proactive detection systems to complement user reporting, as a growing network needs multiple detection methods to rapidly identify and address harmful content,” Bluesky says. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/blueskys-2024-moderation-report-shows-how-quickly-harmful-content-grew-as-new-users-flocked-in-000149354.html?src=rss

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Instagram head Adam Mosseri took to Threads on Sunday with yet another announcement this weekend, the timing of which surely had nothing at all to do with TikTok and other ByteDance-owned apps (briefly) going dark: a new, free video-editing app called Edits is on the way. Instagram's Edits will cater to people who edit videos on their phone, and will offer “a full suite of creative tools.” That includes higher-quality recordings, shareable drafts, trending audio, insights about your Reels’ performance and an “inspiration tab,” on top of the usual editing tools. 

If all that reminds you of CapCut, TikTok’s sister app for video editing, you’re not alone. In response to the immediate comparisons, Mosseri called Edits “CapCut, but more for creators than casual video makers.”

Edits isn’t available yet, but you can pre-order it on the App Store if you’re an iOS user and Mosseri says an Android version is “coming soon.” While he puts the release sometime in February, the App Store page says March 13. And don’t expect anything too polished when it arrives. “The first version is going to be incomplete, so please be patient, but I’m really excited to put this in all your hands,” Mosseri said.

Edits/App Store

The announcement came shortly after TikTok said its app was coming back online in the US, a mere 12 hours or so after it shut down. CapCut hasn’t come back yet, but it’s expected to follow suit. Trump said on social media that he would announce an executive order after he’s sworn in that would extend ByteDance’s time to sort out TikTok’s future.

While Threads users have been calling Instagram out for the timing of the announcement, Mosseri said the app has been in development for months, “and I think it'll end up pretty different than CapCut.” On that note, he said, “Edits will have a much broader range of creative tools and probably a smaller addressable audience. Think a place to track all your ideas instead of templates. Think AI video editing tools on a per clip or per video basis. Think new insights on why your videos are succeeding or struggling.” 

One way it appears Edits may have a leg up on CapCut, at least, is the App Store page says videos won’t have a watermark when they’re exported. While the free version of CapCut has long added the easily removable ending logo to videos at the time of export, it recently started adding a corner watermark too. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-rushing-out-a-new-video-editing-app-that-sure-sounds-a-lot-like-capcut-205054034.html?src=rss

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It hasn't even been a full day since ByteDance shut down TikTok in the US, and now it says the app is coming back. In a statement posted on X Sunday afternoon, TikTok wrote, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.” 

The statement also thanked Trump, who will be sworn in on Monday and who previously said he was considering giving TikTok an extension amid reports of potential bidders (though ByteDance has expressed no interest in selling). “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” TikTok said.

At the time of this writing, the TikTok app is once again up and running for me despite previously showing a message saying I “can't use TikTok for now.” Phew, what an agonizing — checks watch — 12 hours that was without it. TikTok doesn't yet seem to be back in the App Store or Google Play Store, though, so if you deleted the app from your phone, you'll probably have to wait a little longer to get it back. CapCut, one of the other ByteDance-owned apps affected by the ban, also isn't available. 

While the law banning TikTok was set to go into effect today, January 19, the outgoing administration has expressed that it would not be enforcing it in Biden’s final hours as president. MSNBC reported on Saturday that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat to go dark “a stunt,” saying “we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday.” But TikTok maintained that it couldn’t stay online without assurance that service providers would not be punished.

Trump chimed in on Sunday morning, writing on Truth Social, “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”

He also outlined a vague plan for how he envisions TikTok’s future in the US. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say [sic] up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok.”

According to NPR's Bobby Allyn, who spoke to a person close to the matter, Trump's statement was reassuring enough for TikTok's web providers Oracle and Akamai to restore service. But Apple and Google “still have not agreed to let TikTok return,” Allyn reports. Providers that don't comply with the TikTok ban law have been threatened with penalties that could amount to billions of dollars, so it's no surprise we aren't seeing TikTok back in the App Store or Google Play Store just yet. Apple has already said of its decision to pull TikTok and other ByteDance apps that it “is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.”

I sure hope you aren’t already exhausted by the back and forth ridiculousness of this situation because, my friends, it’s not over.

Update, January 19 2025, 5:20PM ET: This story has been updated to add additional information from NPR on the providers that have restored service to TikTok. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-says-its-restoring-service-in-the-us-175440013.html?src=rss

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Update, January 19 2025, 2:06PM ET: After shutting down its app and being delisted from various app stores about 12 hours ago, TikTok is now in the process of restoring services in the US. This story addresses more recent changes to this evolving situation; below is the original text of this report.

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It’s been unclear in the leadup to the TikTok ban what the fate of parent company ByteDance’s other apps would be, but now we know: they’ve gone dark in the US too. At the same time TikTok went offline this weekend, so did other apps ByteDance has developed or is affiliated with, including the popular video-editing tool CapCut, the social media platform Lemon8 and Marvel Snap. All are now displaying messages to US users that their services are unavailable. Ben Brode, Chief Development Officer for Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner, wrote on Threads that getting caught up in the ban “was a surprise to us” and that the team is working on getting it back online. 

Second Dinner echoed this on X and in its in-app message to users, adding, “MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere.” While Marvel Snap was created by the US-based developer, its publisher Nuverse Games is a ByteDance subsidiary. Other Nuverse games appear to be affected too.

CapCut and Lemon8 may be less surprising casualties, both having been developed by ByteDance, but given the law’s focus on TikTok alone as its target, their shutdown is still sure to come as a shock to many users. CapCut is widely used for video editing, especially among social media creators. And many TikTok users looking for an alternative in light of the ban flocked to Lemon8; just a few days ago, Lemon8 was the second most-popular app on the App Store.

On a new support page listing some of the affected apps, Apple notes, “If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible.” These apps also won’t receive updates. 

Along with TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 and Marvel Snap, Apple names Lark, Hypic — an AI photo editing tool — and Gauth: AI Study Companion as apps that have been pulled as a result of the ban. But there are many others that aren’t listed that may be swept up in it too.

“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” Apple said in a statement on the support page. “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/marvel-snap-capcut-lemon8-and-other-bytedance-apps-have-also-shut-down-in-the-us-alongside-tiktok-153002137.html?src=rss

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Update, January 19 2025, 1:17PM ET: After shutting down its app and being delisted from various app stores about 12 hours ago, TikTok is now in the process of restoring services in the US. This story addresses more recent changes to this evolving situation; below is the original text of this report.

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The switch has flipped on the US TikTok ban. TikTok's app stoped working and was removed from the App Store and Google Play on Saturday night, just hours before the January 19 ban was expected to take effect.

People who have previously installed the app are instead greeted with a pop-up. "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now," it says. "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that president Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned."

The notice gives the option to close the app or "learn more," which directs users to TikTok's website, which has similar language. Existing users can also download their data from the website. ByteDance's popular video editing app, CapCut, is also no longer available within the US, along with a slew of other apps. 

Following the passage of the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Apps Act" by President Biden, TikTok had six months to divest itself from Chinese parent company ByteDance. The company opted to fight the law, bringing a case to the Supreme Court claiming that its First Amendment rights were violated by the measure. The high court, with a limited amount of time to consider the case, ruled unanimously against the app.

As part of the ban, Apple's App Store, Google's Play Store and any other app marketplace must remove TikTok or be subject to a fine of $5,000 for every user in the US that downloads the app. White House officials said earlier in the week that the ban would not be enforced during President Joe Biden's final hours in office, but TikTok said that the government had "failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok's availability to over 170 million Americans." 

In a statement on its support page about the ban, Apple confirmed that TikTok and other ByteDance apps would no longer be available from the App Store in the US as of January 19. "Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," the company wrote.

Multiple attempts have been made to ban TikTok in the US over concerns of spying, but this is the first time one has stuck, at least temporarily. President-elect Donald Trump was a major supporter of a ban during his first term in office and, ironically, is TikTok's only hope of surviving after his second inauguration. Earlier on Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he would "most likely" grant a 90-day extension to the company after taking office.

Should an extension come, it's not clear what kind of arrangement the company may work out to remain in the US after all. Perplexity AI has reportedly submitted a bid to merge with TikTok's stateside operations, CNBC reported. Others, including investor Kevin O'Leary (of Shark Tank fame) have also made proposals or expressed interest in buying the service. 

Additional reporting by Karissa Bell.

Update, January 19 2025, 11:20AM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Apple's support page addressing the ban. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-no-longer-available-in-the-us-040204115.html?src=rss

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Canoo said on Friday night that it has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and “will cease operations effective immediately,” after failing to secure enough funding to keep it going. The writing was on the wall for the EV startup leading up to the announcement; the company has lost multiple executives in recent months, announced furloughs and reported to the SEC in November that it had just $700,000 in the bank, per TechCrunch.

In a press release announcing the filing, Canoo said it was unable to get funding from the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office or from “foreign sources of capital” that executives had been in talks with. “In light of the fact that these efforts were unsuccessful, the Board has made the difficult decision to file for insolvency,” it said. Canoo owes a total of over $164 million to hundreds creditors, and has about $126 million in assets, according to TechCrunch. Under the filing in Delaware, Canoo’s assets will be liquidated and the proceeds will be distributed to its creditors. In a statement, CEO Tony Aquila said, “We are truly disappointed that things turned out as they did.”

Canoo made a few electric vans for NASA and a prototype for the US Army, and had deals for larger fleets with the likes of USPS and Walmart, but only a small number of its vans appear to have ever materialized.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ev-startup-canoo-has-filed-for-bankruptcy-and-stopped-all-operations-232719895.html?src=rss

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Kids and younger teens might soon be unable to play Genshin Impact's gachas. The developer behind the game has agreed to block players under 16 years old from making in-game purchases without parental consent in order to settle a complaint from the Federal Trade Commission. It has also agreed to pay a $20 million penalty. Samuel Levine, the director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said "Genshin Impact deceived children, teens, and other players into spending hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning."

The developer's marketing actively targeted children, the commission said in its complaint, and the company also violated COPPA by collecting personal info from kids under 13. HoYoverse, the developer's US entity, allegedly deceives players "about the odds of winning" its rarer loot box prizes and uses a confusing virtual currency system that's unfair to kids and younger teens. The FTC says this misleads players on how much they actually have to spend to be able to get rarer prizes. Genshin Impact uses a gacha system instead of a traditional loot box mechanic, wherein players can "pull" on banners to win a random item or character. 

Under the FTC's proposed order, it wants to prohibit Genshin Impact from selling loot boxes using virtual currency unless it also provides an option to purchase them directly with real money. It wants to prohibit the developer from misrepresenting loot box odds and processes, and it wants to require the company to disclose gachas' odds and the virtual currency exchange rate. The commission wants to order HoYoverse to delete personal information collected from kids until 13 unless it was obtained with parental consent, as well. A federal judge still has to approve the proposed order with all these requirements, though, so they won't be enforced immediately. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ftc-orders-genshin-impacts-developer-to-block-young-teens-from-making-in-game-purchases-221532729.html?src=rss

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Just one day before TikTok is expected to shut down in the US, startup Perplexity AI has submitted a bid to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance proposing a merger that would allow it to continue operating, CNBC reports. Citing an anonymous source, CNBC reports that the proposed merger would “create a new entity combining Perplexity, TikTok US and New Capital Partners.” It comes after the Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously to uphold a law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or it will be banned in the US. The company has so far resisted the idea of a sale.

According to CNBC’s source, Perplexity — which currently offers an AI-powered search engine and is being sued by news organizations for copyright infringement — is hoping a merger rather than a sale will be more appealing to ByteDance. “The new structure would allow for most of ByteDance’s existing investors to retain their equity stakes and would bring more video to Perplexity,” CNBC reports. If ByteDance were to accept the proposal, there’s a chance the company would be given a 90-day extension by Trump to work out a deal, which he told NBC News' Kristen Welker that he would “most likely” do when he takes office on Monday. But there is as yet no indication that ByteDance will go this route.  

Despite rampant speculation about potential buyers, TikTok said it will “be forced to go dark on January 19” when the law takes effect unless “the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement.” The outgoing administration, however, reportedly says it’s leaving all that for the Trump team to deal with. Per MSNBC, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s claim about shutting down “a stunt,” and said “we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday.”

“We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration,” Jean-Pierre said, according to MSNBC. “So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/perplexity-ai-has-reportedly-submitted-an-11th-hour-bid-to-save-tiktok-in-the-us-215012514.html?src=rss

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© REUTERS / Reuters

Instagram is rolling out a bunch of changes this weekend that will conveniently make it look a lot more like TikTok, which could go dark in the US on Sunday now that the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the law banning the app if parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell it. Those changes include extending Reels to three minutes long and changing the longstanding square grid on your profile to a rectangular layout, as Adam Mosseri announced in an Instagram post and on his Story, respectively. Considering how some users have crafted a specific look for their pages around the square grid, the latter isn’t likely to go over well with everyone.

Nor is the third thing: there’s now a tab in your Reels feed that shows you videos your friends have liked or added Notes to, Mosseri shared on Threads. Which means, of course, that your friends can more easily see what you’ve been liking and interacting with, too. Didn’t we already agree this was kind of invasive back when Instagram had — and eventually removed — a whole feed dedicated to seeing the activity of the people you follow? In any case, the changes have already begun rolling out. You'll now see a button showing your friends' activity at the top right of the Reels tab, which will bring you to the new feed.

Addressing the switch from the square grid in his Stories, Mosserri chalked it up to aligning with users’ posting habits. “I know some of you really like your squares, and square photos are kind of the heritage of Instagram, but at this point most of what’s uploaded — both photos and videos — are vertical in their orientation, so portrait versus landscape or square, and it just is a bummer to overly crop them,” he said. “So I know it’s a change, I know it’s a bit of a pain, but I think it’s a transitional pain.” He went on to say, “I think that people will over the long run be excited” not to have their posts appear “aggressively cropped.”

Instagram already had offered a somewhat TikTok-like view of users’ profiles under the Reels tab, but the latest move gives photos on the main grid the rectangular treatment too (only on the grid though, they’ll expand to normal size when you click them individually). On making Reels longer, Mosseri said in a separate post that while Instagram has long focused on short-form video, “we’ve heard the feedback that this is just too short for those who want to share longer stories.” Instagram previously only allowed Reels of up to 90-seconds long, though you could work around this by sharing a longer video as a non-Reel post.

TikTok, which also began with a focus on short-form, extended its post length to three minutes several years ago, and later upped this to 10 minutes in 2022. If TikTok really does shut down, users are going to be looking for a new home for that type of content.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-swoops-in-with-3-minute-reels-and-rectangular-profile-grids-as-the-tiktok-ban-gets-real-201316339.html?src=rss

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Bang & Olufsen announced its new $499 premium earbuds, the Beoplay Eleven, back in November, touting among other things their replaceable batteries “for sustainability” and alignment with the EU’s impending device repairability requirements. But an iFixit teardown tells a more complicated story about actually replacing those batteries, describing the process of just getting the case open as “a very onerous and labor intensive task… even for a trained technician.” And inside, the battery is affixed to other components in ways that require heat to remove it, which in itself wouldn't comply with the EU's upcoming rules. Given all the work involved, the earbuds scored an abysmal 1/10 on iFixit’s repairability scorecard.

Bang & Olufsen said the earbuds’ design “allows for battery replacement by service,” which, as iFixit notes, suggests that this isn’t meant to be a repair you can do yourself at home. It did ultimately turn out to be possible to take one of the earbuds apart without damaging any of the electronics inside, but the laborious teardown calls into question how feasible — and sustainable — battery replacement would be even when carried out at a B&O service center. After opening up the case and finding “a plastic weld mark barring access to the battery,” iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari notes in the video that, “at a minimum, any battery replacement service would need to dispose of the plastic housing completely.”

“I’d love to see B&O’s process for changing these batteries out,” Mokhtari wrote in the blog post. “I’m willing to bet it’s neither cheap nor waste-free but I would love to be proven wrong.” The teardown also revealed the Beoplay Eleven to be a “carbon copy” of the 2022 Beoplay EX internally. “Even the peel-away film on the rear of each earbud says ‘Beoplay EX’ — not ‘Beoplay Eleven,’” Mokhtari wrote. Yikes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bang-and-olufsens-new-earbuds-with-replaceable-batteries-dont-seem-to-be-very-repairable-174949894.html?src=rss

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Amazon's drones won't be making any deliveries in the foreseeable future. According to Bloomberg, the company has paused all commercial drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona after a previously undisclosed event in which two of Amazon's MK30 drones had crashed at the Pendleton, Oregon airport it uses for testing. MK30 is the company's next-gen drone model, which is lighter and has a longer range than its predecessor, the MK27. The incidents took place in December, with one of the drones even catching fire after it fell. Amazon reportedly determined that its drones crashed due a software issue that's linked to the light rain drizzling at the time the tests were being conducted. 

The company said, however, that the crashes weren't the "primary reason" why it's putting its drone deliveries on hold. Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told Bloomberg that it's "currently in the process of making software changes to the drone" and that the operational pause is voluntary. After the updates are completed, Amazon still has to secure an approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before it can resume its operations. "Employees at the drone sites, who were told of the action Friday, will continue to be paid during the pause," Stephenson added. 

In addition to the crashes in December, two MK30 drones collided during another test a few months earlier. Stephenson explained that Amazon expects to see incidents like these during testing and that they help the company improve the service's safety. Amazon has been sending out non-medical shipments via drones in Texas since 2022 before adding prescription medication a year later. In 2024, Amazon halted drone deliveries in California, but it also launched the service in Phoenix, Arizona. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-puts-its-drone-deliveries-on-hold-following-two-crash-incidents-140026835.html?src=rss

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The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into what caused the company's Starship rocket to explode mid-flight on January 16. Until the FAA approves SpaceX's investigation reported, the company won't be allowed to proceed with future Starship missions.

SpaceX's launch seemed to be going as planned prior to the explosion. Starship successfully made it off the launch pad and SpaceX was even able to catch the ship's boosters. But then, only eight and a half minutes after taking off, the Starship spacecraft exploded, according to SpaceX's post-launch blog post. In response to the sudden explosion, the FAA activated a "Debris Response Area" and slowed or diverted nearby flights to prevent further accidents, severely delaying flights from multiple airlines, according to CNBC.

The FAA's statement says that no one was injured by the falling debris but that its working "to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos." The mishap investigation SpaceX performs will have to determine not only what caused the explosion, but also what corrective actions the company needs to take to prevent it from happening again. "Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship," SpaceX says.

This isn't the first time Starship has met an explosive end. Multiple Starship launches have ended with either SpaceX's boosters, the Starship spacecraft or both exploding. The company does appear to be getting better at catching and reusing its Super Heavy boosters, however. The successful catch that preceded the January 16 explosion is only the second time SpaceX has pulled it off. Its first successful Super Heavy catch was in October 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-faa-is-grounding-spacexs-starship-after-its-latest-explosion-223535001.html?src=rss

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On Thursday, The New York Times published a lengthy story about the rise in power of Stephen Miller, a longtime loyalist of Donald Trump known for his hardline views on immigration. Normally, a story like that wouldn’t get much attention in the tech press. But the piece opened with an anecdote about Mark Zuckerberg that immediately raised eyebrows.

The story detailed a recent meeting Miller had with Zuckerberg when the Meta CEO traveled to Mar-a-Lago last year. According to The Times, Zuckerberg — who would soon renounce Meta’s prior fact checking efforts and ditch corporate diversity programs — “blamed his former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, for an inclusivity initiative at Facebook that encouraged employees’ self-expression in the workplace.”

That line set off a fresh round of speculation (and some outrage) in tech circles. Sandberg, who left Meta in 2022 and rose to fame after authoring her women in the workplace manifesto Lean In, was known for her once close partnership with Zuckerberg at the top of Facebook. That Zuckerberg would blame his former top lieutenant for fostering “inclusivity” at his company, raised eyebrows even among longtime observers of the company.

“She always knew who Mark Zuckerberg and covered for him,” New York Times reporter Sheera Frankel, who co-wrote a book about Facebook’s dominance, observed on Bluesky. “ The question is whether she will continue to do so when he so blatantly throws her under the (Trump) bus.” Journalist and longtime tech pundit Kara Swisher likewise noted that “folks I talked to tonight from the Mark/Sheryl Facebook era are shocked but not surprised by his blaming her.”

I also weighed in on my Threads account, sharing a link to a Business Insider story from February that quoted an interview in which Zuckerberg said that Sandberg had raised him “like a parent.” I joked that the comment hadn’t aged well.

But on Friday, Zuckerberg decided to let me (and I guess everyone else) know that he and Sandberg are still cool, after all. “Sheryl did amazing work at Meta and will forever be a legend in the industry,” he wrote in a reply to my post. “She built one of the greatest businesses of all time and taught me much of what I know.”

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A few minutes later, Sandberg jumped in to helpfully let me know there are no hard feelings on her side, either. “Thank you, @zuck. I will always be grateful for the many years we spent building a great business together - and for your friendship that got me through some of the hardest times of my life and continues to this day.”

Zuckerberg responded with a single heart emoji.

I asked Zuckerberg if he felt Sandberg was too focused on DEI initiatives at Meta, or whether she took away from the “masculine energy” he recently told Joe Rogan corporations should embody. Notably, he has not denied The Times’ reporting about his comments regarding Sandberg, though he claimed they are being misconstrued.

"I answered a question about where the phrase 'bring your whole self to work' came from, and now there's a whole bogus narrative saying I blamed Sheryl for a bunch of stuff that I never did and never will," he said. (Bringing your "whole self" to work is a slogan popularized by Sandberg in Lean In. Similar language often appeared on Meta's careers site when the company highlighted diversity among its employees. "Being your authentic self is the foundation of who we are as a company," Meta wrote on a since-deleted page of its corporate website where it shared its internal diversity reports.) 

So, I guess that settles it. Nothing to see here, folks. Mark and Sheryl are definitely still friends. They may not work at the same company anymore, but they are still able to come together to head off a potential PR crisis. What could be more inspiring than that?

Update, January 17, 2025, 4PM PT: This post was updated to reflect an additional comment from Zuckerberg.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mark-zuckerberg-and-sheryl-sandberg-want-you-to-know-theyre-still-friends-and-definitely-not-mad-at-each-other-222145203.html?src=rss

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Greta Gerwig's follow-up to Barbie, an adaptation of one of C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books, will be exclusively viewable in theaters for four weeks before it hits Netflix on Christmas, according to a new report from Puck. Netflix is historically anti-theater, but it seems like it can set that aside for the right filmmaker.

Theaters will have a four-week exclusive window on the film globally — longer than the week Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery got — but it will only be available to watch on IMAX screens to start. IMAX is guaranteeing the film will be shown in the format for two weeks, according to Puck, and is willing to add another week if there's demand. After that, the film could come to non-IMAX theaters, too. 

Netflix, while owning a few theaters itself, is philosophically-opposed to theatrical exclusivity. It'll put Netflix movies in theaters for the amount of time required to qualify for awards season, but otherwise avoids them like the plague. That might be nice for subscribers who've become accustomed to watching everything at home, but most filmmakers want their films to be seen on the big screen. For example, Netflix reportedly lost the chance to distribute Saltburn director Emerald Fennel's next film, an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, because it refused to give the film time in theaters, according to The New York Times.

Rumors circulated that IMAX, Gerwig, and Netflix were discussing a deal in October 2024, and it seems the director got her way. It's strange to have to fight tooth and nail for what could be a blockbuster movie to be seen by a paying audience. There's plenty of evidence that putting films in theaters makes money, but it's a lesson that even company's like Disney have had to relearn after the streaming boom. Moana 2 started as a Disney+ filler before it was tweaked and turned into a theatrical release that made over $200 million in December 2024. 

It's impossible to say if this decision signals a longterm change at Netflix, but future filmmakers working with the company now have interesting precedent to point to for their own theatrical deals.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/greta-gerwigs-narnia-movie-will-get-up-to-four-weeks-in-theaters-203920581.html?src=rss

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The seven-year wait is finally over. Nintendo has officially revealed its next console, the Switch 2. Now that the reveal has actually happened, after months of speculation, we can all move onto something else, right? Not so fast. The short introduction video actually created more questions than answers. There’s a whole lot we don’t know about Nintendo’s forthcoming hybrid console, so let’s get into it.

When will it come out?

We don’t know! Nintendo has a Direct livestream planned for April 2, in which we’ll probably get that information. It’ll be sometime after that, but during 2025. Maybe they’ll do a quick turnaround and have it ready for sale by the end of April, but a summer release is far more likely. It’s also possible the company will wait until the beginning of the lucrative holiday season. Folks will be able to play it in the near future, however, as Nintendo is holding in-person events throughout the world in April through June.

What are the internal specs?

This is another mystery. The introduction video merely showed the exterior of the console, along with the updated controllers. There was no mention of internal specs. Of course, there are plenty of rumors regarding the power of Nintendo’s next console, but nothing concrete. Some analysts predict the console will include an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage, while others say it’ll be powered by an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Most people seem to agree that the system will include some version of NVIDIA’s DLSS “deep learning supersampling" upscaling tech.

What about the screen?

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We’ve seen the screen in action, likely running some version of an upcoming Mario Kart game. The video gave us some insight into the size of the display, as it looks to be around 30 percent larger than the current model. This tracks with rumors indicating an 8-inch screen. However, we don’t know the type of display that accompanies the console. Rumors vary here. Some analysts predict a Mini-LED screen, while others expect a traditional LCD. It probably won’t be an OLED, as the company will likely save that for a future upgrade.

What’s the battery life?

There aren’t even any credible rumors on this one, but there was some speculation last year regarding the company’s adoption of a performance mode feature with the Switch 2. Nintendo likes to hit that mass market sweet spot, so I’d be very surprised if the battery life didn’t match the Switch OLED’s 4.5 to nine hours of playtime per charge. The console will be more powerful than the OG Switch, certainly, but it’s also bigger. That extra room can house a beefy battery.

How much will it cost?

This is yet another unknown. Nintendo will likely reveal pricing information on April 2. The original Switch launched at $300, as did the Wii U. However, inflation is real and supply chains are rickety. Rumors have been circulating that the price could shoot up to $400, or even higher. Nintendo does tend to increase base level console prices every couple of generations. The GameCube originally cost $200 and the Wii was $250.

Do the controllers feature optical sensors?

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There’s been a long-standing rumor that the Switch 2 will incorporate mouse-like functionality via optical sensors on the Joy-Cons. We don’t have exact confirmation on that, but the introduction video sure seems to imply it. Eagle-eyed viewers probably spotted a segment that featured the Pixar-like controllers moving around a table like, well, two computer mice. If true, Nintendo will likely develop some wacky software that combines mouse and controller inputs. In any event, this addition will certainly make stuff like Civilization VI easier to play. It could also hint at a new Mario Paint.

What’s that unmarked button on the right side?

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Viewers also likely spotted a new button on the bottom of the right Joy-Con. This was previously rumored to be a “C” button, but it's unmarked in the introduction video. We don’t know what it does, so your guess is as good as ours. Maybe it calibrates controllers or initiates voice chat. We’ll probably find out on April 2.

What’s the deal with backwards compatibility?

Nintendo

Yes, the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games. This is fantastic news, but the intro video did note that "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2." We don’t exactly know what that means or how many titles it will impact. It’s a fair bet that it refers to some of the wackier stuff from the previous generation, like Nintendo Labo or Mario Kart: Home Circuit.

Will stick drift be a problem?

We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but the reveal video did take some time out to show a joystick doing cute little full circles. Previous leaks have indicated that Nintendo has learned its lesson regarding stick-drift and the new console will include Hall effect joysticks. We sure hope so.

What will the UI be like?

The Switch’s user interface, for better or worse, is extremely minimal and bare-bones. This carries over to the online shopping experience. We don’t know if the Switch 2 will incorporate some Nintendo-grade wackiness when it comes to the UI. My hope is that it brings back its long-forgotten social network Miiverse. It was silly and fun. Modern social media apps are a lot of things, but I wouldn’t exactly call them silly or fun.

Will there be any Nintendo weirdness?

From the headache-inducing 3DS to the, well, equally headache-inducing Virtual Boy, Nintendo has always marched to the beat of its own drum. The Switch 2, however, seems to be an extremely conservative release for the company. It's a more powerful and slightly bigger Switch.  

Will there be any of that Nintendo weirdness that saved the company in the age of the Wii and nearly ruined it during the Wii U era? We don't know yet. It's entirely possible the aforementioned optical sensors or "C" button could lead to wild and wacky gameplay experiences. It's also possible that there are features yet to be announced. This is Nintendo we are talking about here. 

What are the launch games?

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This is a total unknown, though fans hoping for a new Mario Kart certainly got a jolt by that reveal video. It included a fair amount of footage from what looked to be a brand-new Mario Kart, complete with revamped character designs and the potential for 24-person races.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/everything-were-still-dying-to-know-about-the-nintendo-switch-2-195606756.html?src=rss

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With CES behind us and Samsung's Unpacked ahead, the Engadget crew had a quick chance this week to catch its collective breath. But we still kept one eye on the deals machine to see what tech sales are worth your dollars. Right now, we're seeing a few good Apple deals — one on the latest iPad mini and another on the new 15-inch MacBook Air — as well as a first-time discount on the Kindle Colorsoft ereader. There's a couple of Bluetooth tracker discounts to help you keep tabs on your keys and bags. And Best Buy is still running a promotion for three free months of Apple TV+ so you can start watching the just-dropped season two of Severance. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.  

• Anker Prime Power Bank 20,000mAh Portable Charger with charging base for $110 ($75 off): This matches the price this set hit for Black Friday. This is our current favorite premium power bank thanks to the sleek design, easy-to-read display and fast charging capabilities. But what really sets it apart is the charging base. Magnets align the base with the battery so it's easy to plonk down and recharge. The base also provides extra USB ports so you can charge other stuff at the same time.

• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2024, M3, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM) for $1,249 ($250 off): All four colors are currently on sale at Amazon for the latest MacBook Air. We gave the laptop a positive review last year, with plenty of performance for both productive work and casual play. The keyboard and trackpad are great, making the laptop a joy to use. We currently recommend the M3 MacBook Air as the best MacBook for most people. 

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32 GB) $230 ($50 off with Prime): If you're a Prime member, you can save $50 on the recently released Colorsoft Kindle, aka the first Kindle with color. This is the first discount we've seen since this model's debut. We experienced the "yellow band" issue with our review unit, but subsequently received an updated reader, to which Amazon made the “appropriate adjustments” to resolve the issue. The software and display adjustments the company implemented worked — and we actually liked the overall effect better. Check out our review for the full story. 

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

• Chipolo One Point (4-pack) for $63 ($49 off): The Chipolo One point came out shortly after Google launched its Find My Device feature, the crowd-sourced finding network that relies on other Android phones to track down your missing stuff (sort of like Apple's Find My function). This is currently our favorite Bluetooth tracker for Android. We liked how easy it was to set up and how loud it rings. Plus, unlike AirTags, it comes with a hole in it so attaching the tracker to a key ring is simple. Also at Amazon. Chipolo is also selling a pack combining its wallet and two standard One trackers for $52.  

• Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $70 ($29 off): A new model of AirTags may arrive later this year, but as it stands, we consider Apple's current AirTag to be the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhone owners. This isn't quite an all-time low, but it beats the going rate of $73 the four-pack has hit over the last few months. Also at Best Buy.

• EcoFlow Delta Ultra inverter and battery set for $5,199 ($899 off): It's no casual investment, but if you're in the market for an all-in-one home battery, you can save around $900 on a 6.1kWh single battery and inverter set. We checked out the EcoFlow Delta Ultra at last year's CES (this year we checked out the brand's dapper solar hat). The battery can fill up from solar panels or the grid and feed power back to your house on demand or when there's an outage. 

• JBL Clip 5 for $50 ($30 off): Those in the market for a decent-sounding but highly portable music box may want to check out this sale on the JBL Clip 5. This model isn't on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, but many other JBL options are. This waterproof unit has an integrated carabiner, goes for 12 hours on a charge and can pair with other Clip speakers via the Auracast feature in the JBL app.  

• Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Gaming Controller for $98 ($32 off): The Core version of the Elite Series 2 controller is one of our top picks for Xbox accessories. It gives you some of the key features of the $180 Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for a more approachable price. The Core has a rubberized grip and sturdier triggers, joysticks and directional pad. It also has up to 40 hours of battery life on a charge. It doesn't come with the different joysticks, directional pads and back paddles that the full-priced Elite controller does, but you can buy those separately later down the road. 

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

• Meta Quest 3S 256G for $349 ($51 off): Here's the lowest price yet on our favorite cheap VR headset. It also comes with a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month free trial of Meta Quest+. Both freebies have a combined value of $70. A Meta Quest+ subscription grants access to around 25 games, as well as multiplayer support for some titles. Also at Walmart

• Apple iPad Mini (7th generation) for $399 ($100 off): The iPad mini got a refresh last October with upgraded internals and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. This configuration has 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM and Apple's A17 Pro chip. It's our pick for the best compact iPad — of course it's the only compact iPad but we found it to be an excellent way to play lots and lots of Balatro. We gave it a score of 83 in our review. Also at Best Buy.

• Anker Nano Power Bank with Built-in USB-C for $20 ($10 off): This super small battery has a built-in USB-C so you don't need to remember a cable to give your phone an emergency refill. We named it the best portable charger for Android devices (though it's also great for the USB-C-enabled iPhone 15 and 16). In our tests, the 5,000mAh battery had enough juice to charge a Galaxy S23 Ultra to 65 percent in about an hour. 

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

• Soundcore by Anker Space A40 earbuds for $45 ($35 off): These earbuds are our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds you can buy. You can customize the sound via the Soundcore app and the buds can swap between connect to two devices. The active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks out background noises and is surprisingly effective, particularly for headphones in this at this price range.

• Dyson Digital Slim Cordless Vacuum for $250 ($250 off): In our guide to the best cordless vacuums, we recommend a number of Dyson vacs. The Digital Slim isn't on the list, but it's still worth considering, particularly since it's half price (that's not a record low, it went for $230 over Black Friday). It has a 40 minute run time and is 30 percent lighter than the Dyson V11, which should make it easy to move around your floors. Also at Amazon and Dyson directly.

• Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $3 at Amazon ($30 off, new and returning users only): From now through January 21, new and returning customers can get three months of Audible Premium Plus for a dollar a month, or $3 total. After that, it will automatically renew at the standard $15 per month. This is Audible's highest tier that lets you listen to anything in the Audible Plus library and lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. 

• Corsair MP600 Mini (1TB) M.2 2230 SSD for $80 at Amazon ($30 off): The MP600 Mini is a small-size SSD you can pop into gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck or devices like Microsoft's Surface notebooks. It's not that different from the M.2 2230 drive we recommend in our SSD buying guide, but this one is $20 cheaper right now, which matches its all-time low. Also at Corsair.

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• Apple TV+ (3-month) for free at Best Buy ($30 off, new and select returning users only): Even if you just get this deal to watch the first season of Severance, followed by the first episodes of the just-released second season, it'll be more than worth your time. Slow Horses, Ted Lasso and Silo are worth checking out too. The service usually goes for $10 monthly after a seven-day trial. And, as with all free subscriptions, this will auto-renew at full price so remember to cancel before then if you don't want to get charged.

• Samsung The Frame (2024) 55-inch QLED TV for $868 at Woot ($630 off): Looks like there's still some time left to pick up the art-when-its-off Frame TV set. Samsung showed off a new "Frame Pro" model at CES last week with improved contrast and brightness, and support for a wireless connection. But that one isn't likely to go on sale when it is launched. The picture quality isn't the best you can get for the price, but if having a TV that looks like a framed piece of art is appealing, you may like what you get. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-anker-prime-battery-with-a-charging-base-is-40-percent-off-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-183037062.html?src=rss

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© Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Amazon expanded its ereader lineup a few months back with the Kindle Colorsoft, its first model with a color display. However, at $280, it was certainly on the pricier end — especially compared with similar devices from competitors. That equation has changed a bit, at least for Amazon Prime members. They're currently able to pick up the Kindle Colorsoft for $230.

That equates to a discount of 18 percent. It's the first time that Amazon has reduced the price of the Colorsoft, though you do need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the deal.

There were some teething issues with the Colorsoft, with reports that some customers were seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their display. That issue emerged on our review unit as well. Amazon offered refunds or replacements for affected devices. 

The company sent us a second review unit on which the yellow band wasn't present. The display seemed warmer in general too, which makes it look more like physical book pages. We have removed the score from our review until we've been able to test the replacement unit for a longer period and made sure the yellow-band problem doesn't reoccur.

Page turns are swift on the seven-inch display, which has a 300 pixel-per-inch (ppi) density for black-and-white material and 150 ppi for color content. The device has 32GB of built-in storage and it supports Audible audiobooks. The Kindle Colorsoft will run for up to eight weeks on a single charge and you can top up the battery wirelessly or via USB-C.

The ereader has an IPX8 rating. That means it can withstand immersion in up to two meters of freshwater for up to 60 minutes and 0.25 meters of seawater for three minutes, according to Amazon. So, you can take the Kindle Colorsoft to the pool or beach without worrying too much about it getting wet.

There's a pinch-to-zoom feature that should be helpful for those who read graphic novels on the Colorsoft. The auto-adjusting front light is handy too. Another major positive is that, unlike other Kindle models, the Colorsoft doesn't feature lock screen ads by default.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-members-can-now-get-50-off-the-kindle-colorsoft-173501943.html?src=rss

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© Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

UK EV startup Charge Cars has been acquired by a group of private investors. The company will continue development of the ‘67, which is an all-electric replica of the iconic 1967 Ford Mustang.

CEO Paul Abercrombie said in a statement that the acquisition will allow “final development at our new global HQ” in the UK and that the company will be “rapidly delivering this exciting luxury vehicle to consumers.” He also noted that more details would be forthcoming.

The ‘67 is hand-crafted, with a body licensed by Ford. It will include central floor-mounted batteries, for an optimized center of gravity, with quad-motor technology that offers 400kW of peak power and 1,520 Nm of torque. The company promises the “highest standards of safety and vehicle dynamics.”

The car will boast an “all-new fully bespoke digital touchscreen interface,” which is the first time I’ve ever read the word “bespoke” in reference to a touchscreen. The infotainment system will offer Apple and Android compatibility.

Charge Cars started this project all the way back in 2016, but has run into a series of hiccups along the way. The company has long-been linked to the EV company Arrival, sharing a founder in Denis Sverdlov and certain technologies. Arrival had a promising start, inking a deal with UPS to supply delivery trucks throughout the US and Europe.

Unfortunately, Arrival went belly up. Charge Cars struggled on, but the reliance on Arrival’s tech and components became a real problem. It looks like this cash injection will solve that particular issue. Charge originally planned on making around 500 of the ‘67 replica EV, but we don’t know if it plans on sticking to that. The company says that further news will be “revealed imminently.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/charge-cars-rescued-by-private-investors-so-bring-on-that-electric-67-mustang-replica-171205211.html?src=rss

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official, and while we still don't know when anyone will be able to own the new console, we do know when some lucky people will get to try one for themselves. Nintendo is holding hands-on events starting on April 4 and running through June where you'll be able to try the Switch 2 for yourself in select cities in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

You can register for a "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience" event starting today, January 17 from 3PM ET / 12PM PT through January 26 at 11:59PM local time for each event location. If you're planning on registering, you'll need to be 18 years or older and have either a free Nintendo Account, or a Nintendo Account Family Group if you're planning on going with a group. There's no need for any kind of paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and you don't have to worry about family members under six having an account as long as they're accompanied by an adult that does.

Nintendo says the hands-on event should last two hours and 20 minutes, but didn't share what ticket holders will actually get to try during the experience. Maybe some Mario Kart?

It's important to also stress, heading to Nintendo's website and registering for tickets doesn't mean you'll actually get to attend. Nintendo refers to the process as a drawing because attendees or groups of attendees will be chosen randomly. Signing up early doesn't guarantee you'll have a better chance of getting in.

Where Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events are being held

Nintendo is hosting its Switch 2 events for around three days in each city, though it's only announced hands-on locations in the first three cities. 

In North America, you'll be able to register for a hands-on in:

• New York, April 4-6, 2025 at Center415

• Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025 at Television City

• Dallas, April 25-27, 2025 at Embarcadero Building at Fair Park

• Toronto, April 25-27

For the events in Europe, you'll be able to pick from:

• Paris, April 4-6, 2025

• London, April 11-13, 2025

• Milan, April 25-27, 2025

• Berlin, April 25-27, 2025

• Madrid, May 9-11, 2025

• Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025

In Oceania, there's only one event location:

• Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025

Finally, in Asia, you'll be able to choose from:

• Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025

• Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025

• Hong Kong, To be announced

• Taipei, To be announced

How to sign up for a Nintendo Account

Nintendo

If you want to register to try the Switch 2, you'll need to have an a Nintendo Account, and if you don't already have one, they're pretty easy to set up. 

Head to the Nintendo Account website to get started. Then click on "Create a new Nintendo Account." From there, enter in your date of birth and decide if you want to create your account using an existing Google or Apple account, or by entering in your information from scratch.

If you choose the latter, enter in a nickname, an email address, your date of birth, country of residence and timezone. Then agree to Nintendo's User Agreement and Privacy Policy by checking their respective boxes and hit "Submit." You'll receive a verification code via email that you should then enter into the empty verification code field and click "Verify." Once you do, you'll be all set up.

The process is similar if you use an Apple or Google account. Nintendo will ask you to enter a nickname, date of birth, country of residence and timezone. You'll also have to agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, and submit a verification code. The key difference is once you do, you'll be able to use your Apple or Google account to log in instead of an email.

How to add a child to your Nintendo Family Account Group

If you plan on checking out the Switch 2 with younger friends or family who aren't old enough to have a Nintendo Account of their own, you can create one for them under a Nintendo Family Account Group. 

To start, you'll need to log in to your own Nintendo Account. Then click on "Family group" and then "Add a member." From there you can select "Create an account for a child." Enter the child's date of birth, and then enter your Nintendo Account password and click on "OK."

You'll then have to enter a nickname, a child account sign-in ID (a username, essentially) and a sign-in password. Agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, then click "Submit, and then "OK" to create the account.

Update, January 17, 2:20PM ET: Added details on the duration of the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-sign-up-for-the-nintendo-switch-2-experience-170052140.html?src=rss

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