Sony has canceled two more live-service games, one from its remake and remaster studio Bluepoint and another from Days Gone developer Bend Studio in Oregon, the company confirmed to Bloomberg. Neither studio will be closed, though the company has yet to say if any layoffs will occur. "We are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects," a spokesperson said.
Bluepoint is the studio that created the much-lauded remakes of Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. The company reportedly helped with God of War Ragnarok from 2022-2022, and following that, was working on the live-service project canceled yesterday, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier said in a post on BlueSky. Bend Studio has been a first-party developer for Sony since 2000, with its most recent project being the action-adventure game Days Gone, released for PS4 in 2019.
The cancelations are the latest failures for Sony in the GaaS (games as a service) arena, following the spectacular flameout of Concord in September 2024. While the company did have a hit with Helldivers II last year, it reportedly canceled several other live-service games in the last several years, including one based on Spider-Man. Sony Interactive Entertainment cut around 1,120 jobs in 2024 across various studios, including Bungie, Naughty Dog and Insomniac — part of an unfortunate trend in the industry.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-axes-two-more-live-service-games-130048000.html?src=rss
So it looks like the TikTok ban may actually be happening, barring a last-minute Supreme Court decision. In this episode, Senior Writer Karissa Bell joins Devindra and Ben to discuss the potential finale of TikTok in America, as well as why some users are finding refuge in RedNote, a Chinese Instagram clone. They also dive into why Meta is giving up on third-party fact checkers, and how this relates to Mark Zuckerberg's descent into the right-wing world. Finally, we explore the tidbits of information from Nintendo's Switch 2 unveiling.
Stay tuned to the end of this episode for Devindra’s chat with Dan Erickson, the creator of Severance, about season two of his hit show.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Meta abandons fact checking, loosens hate speech rules on its platforms – 22:21
We finally have confirmation of the Switch 2, full unveil scheduled for April 2 – 40:57
Pop culture picks – 49:29.187
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Karissa Bell Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/engadget-podcast-the-tiktok-ban-zucks-lost-soul-and-nintendos-switch-2-reveal-123027317.html?src=rss
Cold weather is an especially rough time for keeping track of one’s keys — so many more layers with so many more pockets — really, they could be anywhere. Stick a Bluetooth tracker on your keyring and suddenly finding items is as easy as tapping a button in an app. Of course, these trackers are good for bags, luggage, wallets and even jackets themselves. And if something goes missing out in the city, an anonymous finding network can help lead you to your lost item. We tested out most of the major tracker brands out there, comparing their everyday utility, compatibility, the size of the connected networks and other handy features to help you find the best Bluetooth tracker for you.
What to look for in a Bluetooth tracking device
Bluetooth trackers are small discs or cards that rely on short-range, low-energy wireless signals to communicate with your smartphone. Attach one of these gadgets your stuff and, if it’s in range, your phone can “ring” the chip so you can find it. These tracking devices offer other features like separation alerts to tell you when you’ve left a tagged item behind, or where a lost item was last detected. Some can even tap into a larger network of smartphones to track down your device when you’re out of range. Depending on what you want the tracker to do, there are a few specs to look for when deciding which to get.
Device compatibility
Like most things from the folks in Cupertino, AirTags only work with products in the Apple ecosystem. The company has opened up access to its Find My network to third-party manufacturers, including Chipolo and Pebblebee. Those finders work with Apple's large tracking network, but only pair with Apple devices. Chipolo’s classic trackers will work with either Android or Apple devices, as will Tile trackers. Samsung’s latest fob, the Galaxy SmartTag2, only works with Samsung phones, but new tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee that rely on Google’s new Find My Device network will work with any Android phone (running Android 9 or later).
Finding network
Crowd-sourced finding capabilities are what make headlines, with stories about recovering stolen equipment or tracking lost luggage across the globe. Using anonymous signals that ping other people’s devices, these Bluetooth tracking devices can potentially tell you where a tagged item is, even if your smartphone is out of Bluetooth range.
Apple’s Find My network is the largest, with over a billion iPhones and iPads in service all running Apple’s Find My app by default. So unless an iPhone user opts out, their phone silently acts as a location detector for any nearby AirTags. Apple recently increased the AirTag’s finding power by enabling you to share the location of a lost tag with a third party, like an airline. Chipolo fobs that work on Apple’s network have the same ability.
Now that Google’s Find My Device network is up and running, it’s a close second for the largest in the US. Like Apple, Android users are automatically part of the network, but can opt-out by selecting the Google services option in their phone’s Settings app and toggling the option in the Find My Device menu. Samsung’s SmartTag 2 and related network also defaults to an opt-in status for finding tags and other devices.
Tile offers a large finding grid that includes Tile users, Amazon Sidewalk customers and people running the Life360 network. Life360 acquired Tile in 2021, and, according to the company, the Life360 network has more than 70 million monthly active users.
In our tests, AirTags offered nearly real-time location data and were quickest to find items abandoned in spots around Albuquerque, including a bar, bookstore and coffee shop in Nob Hill, along with various outdoor hangouts on UNM’s campus. Samsung's SmartTags were able to locate our lost items most of the time, though not with the same precision finding accuracy as AirTags. Google’s newish Find My Device network was a little slower than Apple’s network when using the community finding feature, but the accuracy was better than Samsung. In our tests, Tile’s finding network wasn’t able to consistently locate its lost fobs.
Chipolo’s classic trackers, on the other hand, don’t have much of a crowd-sourced network to speak of. Yet as we used the trackers, the size of the finding network started to feel less important in the face of typical, everyday use cases. It was their ability to out-perform in every other way that boosted Chipolo’s classic trackers to the top of our list.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Separation alerts
Here’s where a tracker’s day-to-day utility really shines. A separation alert lets you know when you’ve traveled too far from your tagged items, which is useful if you want to make sure your laptop bag, or jacket or umbrella always comes with you when you leave the house.
These notifications work when you’re out and about too. If you’ve got a Bluetooth tracking device in your wallet and walk out of a restaurant without it, the separation alert should kick in, resulting in fewer lost items. This feature also tells you where your tagged item and phone were last paired, allowing you to retrace your steps if you happen to miss the alert.
Each tracker handles left-behind items differently. Both AirTags and Chipolo include the feature by default. Tile trackers require a yearly subscription to enable the alerts (currently $30 per year). And tags working with the Google Find My Device network don’t offer the feature at all. Both AirTags and Tiles allow you to turn off separation alerts at certain locations, meaning you can set your home as a “safe” place where items can be left behind, but alerts will still trigger elsewhere. Chipolo doesn’t offer safe locations, but you can toggle out-of-range alerts on a per-item basis.
In our tests, the Chipolo sent an alert after we got between 250 and 450 feet away from our tagged item. AirTags alerted us between the 600- and 1,400-foot mark. And Tiles sent a notification after about an average of 1,500 feet. Tile notifications were more consistent when using an Android phone than an iPhone.
Connectivity, volume and design
The feature you may use most often is the key finder function, which makes the tracker ring when you hit a button in the app. With Apple's AirTags, you can say "Hey Siri, where are my keys?" and the assistant will ring the tag (assuming it doesn't mistakenly think you're asking for directions to the Floridian archipelago). Asking Alexa or the Google Assistant to find your keys will work with Chipolo, Tile and Pebblebee trackers linked to your Android device.
The SmartTag2, Tile, Chipolo classic and Pebblebee trackers using the Pebblebee app will also let you double click the device itself to make your phone ring. AirTags and any third party tags running on either the Find My (Apple) or Find My Device (Google) app don’t offer this feature.
The volume of the Bluetooth tracking device may determine whether you can find an item buried in your couch cushions or in a noisy room. AirTags have a reputation for being on the quiet side, and that aligned with what we saw (measuring roughly 65 decibels). All three versions of Chipolo’s keychain-style tags and Tile’s Pro model were the loudest, measuring between 83 and 86 decibels on average.
Design will determine what you can attach the tracker to. AirTags are small, smooth discs that can’t be secured to anything without accessories, which are numerous, but that is an additional cost to consider. Chipolo, Pebblebee and Tile offer trackers with holes that easily attach to your key ring, and all three companies also offer card-shaped versions designed to fit in your wallet.
Batteries are replaceable for AirTags, Tile Pro and Chipolo One; the first two have a one-year battery life and the Chipolo can go up to two years. Tile Mate and all card-shaped trackers don’t have replaceable batteries, which means you’ll have to replace the entire unit whenever it dies. Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable and come in both a key fob and wallet variety.
Stalking, theft and data privacy
AirTags have gotten a lot of attention and even prompted some lawsuits for Apple due to bad actors planting them on people in order to stalk them. While this fact may not influence your buying decision, any discussion of Bluetooth trackers should note what steps Apple, Google and Tile have taken to address the issue. Last year, all the major players in the Bluetooth tracker business teamed up to combat misuse and standardize how unauthorized tracking detection and alerts work for iOS and Android.
Last year, Tile launched a feature called Anti-Theft Mode, which enables you to render one of its trackers undetectable by others. That means if someone steals your tagged item, they won’t be able to use the anti-stalking features to find and disable the tracker. That sort of negates one of the major ways potential stalking victims can stay safe, so Tile hopes ID verification and a $1 million penalty will deter misuse. Separately, Tile was recently hit by a data breach, raising different privacy concerns. The company issued a statement about the event, which it shared with Engadget:
Similar to many other companies, Life360 recently became the victim of a criminal extortion attempt. We received emails from an unknown actor claiming to possess Tile customer information. We promptly initiated an investigation into the potential incident and detected unauthorized access to a Tile customer support platform (but not our Tile service platform). The potentially impacted data consists of information such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Tile device identification numbers. It does not include more sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, passwords or log-in credentials, location data, or government-issued identification numbers, because the Tile customer support platform did not contain these information types.
We believe this incident was limited to the specific Tile customer support data described above and is not more widespread. We take this event and the security of customer information seriously. We have taken and will continue to take steps designed to further protect our systems from bad actors, and we have reported this event and the extortion attempt to law enforcement. We remain committed to keeping families safe online and in the real world.
As a theft deterrent, a Bluetooth tracker may or may not be the best option. Anecdotal stories abound in which people have recovered stolen goods using a tracker — but other tales are more cautionary. Neither Apple nor Google promotes its trackers or finding networks as a way to deal with theft. GPS trackers, on the other hand, are typically marketed for just that purpose.
How we tested
Before deciding on which trackers to test, we researched the field, looking at user reviews on Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers, along with discussions on sites like Reddit. We also checked out what other publications had to say on the matter before narrowing down our picks to Apple AirTag, Tile and Chipolo trackers. When Samsung's SmartTag 2 came out in October of 2023, we added that to our testing, along with Pebblebee's rechargeable Chip tracker. After Google launched its Find My Device network we added compatible fobs from Chipolo and Pebblebee to the mix.
After acquiring the trackers, I tested each one over the course of a few weeks using both an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I recreated likely user experiences, such as losing and leaving items behind at home and out in the city. I planted trackers at different spots near downtown Albuquerque, mostly concentrated in and around the University of New Mexico and the surrounding neighborhood of Nob Hill. Later, I conducted tests in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Each test was performed multiple times, both while walking and driving and I used the measure distance feature on Google Maps to track footage for alerts. I paid attention to how easy the app was to use, how reliable the phone-to-tracker connection was and any other perks and drawbacks that came up during regular use.
Other trackers we tested
Tile Pro and Tile Mate (2024)
Tile recently came out with a new suite of trackers, replacing the Tile Mate, Tile Pro, Tile Sticker and Tile Slim with updated models. In addition to fun new colors for the Mate and Slim, Tile added an SOS feature that can send a notification to your Life360 Circle when you triple press the button on the tracker. It’s a clever addition that turns your keys into a panic button, something offered by personal safety companies as standalone devices.
There are a few caveats: You and the people you want to notify in an emergency will need the Life360 app installed on your phones. If you want your Tile to also trigger a call to emergency services, you’ll need a $15-per-month Life360 subscription (that’s in addition to a Tile membership, which starts at $3/month or $30 annually). And enabling the SOS triple-press disables the ability to ring your phone with the fob.
I tested the SOS feature and it did indeed send a text message to my Circle, with the message that I had triggered an SOS and a link to a website that showed my current location. I thought it odd that the link didn’t open the Life360 app (which shows the location of users' phones), but I wasn’t as much concerned with Tile’s personal safety features as I was with the tracking capabilities, which turned out to be less than ideal.
For my tests, I planted Tile trackers in a densely populated area of Seattle (about 15,000 people per square mile). After setting the trackers to “lost” in the Tile app, I waited. After four hours, one of the trackers was not discovered by the finding community, so I went and retrieved it. Another fob I planted alerted me that the tracker had been found by the Tile community after three hours — but the location it gave me was off by a third of a mile. I then decided to plant a tracker in the most populated place I could think of — the dried fruit and nuts aisle of a Trader Joes on a Friday evening before a major holiday. It still took over a half an hour before another Tile user anonymously pinged my lost tracker.
In my tests with Samsung’s trackers and the fobs on Google’s Find My Device network, it took around ten minutes for them to be discovered. AirTags took half that time and all were tested in a far less populated city. Four hours with no ping and over a half hour before getting a hit in a crowded TJs were pretty long stretches.
Our top pick, the classic Chipolo, has virtually no finding network. But if you’re getting a tracker for that feature alone, you should go with AirTags if you have an iPhone or the Google-enabled Chipolo or Pebblebee trackers if you use an Android phone. We prefer the Chipolo because it works with either iOS or Android devices, it rings loud, it’s quick to tell you when you’ve left it behind and it connects nearly instantly when you’re searching for a misplaced tracker around the house.
Tile devices also work with both mobile operating systems and its latest models are indeed louder than they were before. But they aren’t as quick to connect and you need to pay for a membership to activate left-behind alerts. And when you do, those notifications don’t kick in as quickly as they do with competing trackers.
Bluetooth tracker FAQs
Which Bluetooth tracker has the longest range?
Both the Tile Pro and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 claim a maximum range of around 400 feet, which is longer than the 200-foot claim for most of Chipolo’s tags. Apple doesn’t make similar claims for AirTags. Any Bluetooth signal, however, is dependent on a few factors. Obstacles like walls and people can block the signal, so a clear line of sight is the only way to achieve the maximum range. Other signals, like Wi-Fi, can also interfere with Bluetooth connections. Even high humidity can have an effect and lessen the distance at which your phone will connect to your tracker.
Remember, when considering the range of Bluetooth trackers, the size of the “finding network” also comes into play. This is the number of nearby phones that can be used to anonymously ping your tracker when your own phone is out of Bluetooth range. As of now, Apple AirTags have the largest network, followed by Google’s Find My Device, Samsung’s finding community, Tile’s Life360 members and finally Chipolo’s own network.
What is the best Bluetooth tracker for a car?
Bluetooth trackers are designed to track small, personal items like keys, jackets, backpacks and the like. All trackers have safeguards to prohibit the tag from being used to stalk people, so most will alert someone if a tracker that does not belong to them is detected following them. That means a car thief may get tipped off that there’s a tracker in the car they’re trying to steal. That said, you’ll see plenty of stories about people finding their car thanks to a Bluetooth tracker. Some policedepartments have even handed out trackers to combat high rates of carjacking. In most instances, the tracker of choice has been AirTags thanks to their wide finding network.
How accurate are Bluetooth trackers?
Accuracy for Bluetooth trackers can be looked at in two ways: Finding items nearby and finding items misplaced outside your home. For nearby items, you’ll most often use the ring function on the device to hunt it down. Two tags, Apple’s AirTags and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2, also use ultra-wideband technology, which creates directional navigation on your phone to get you within a foot of the tracker.
Accurately finding lost items outside your home depends on the size of the finding network. Since this relies on the serendipity of a random phone passing within Bluetooth range of your tracker, the more phones on a given network, the better. And since Bluetooth ranges and distance estimates are only precise within about a meter or so, getting pings from more than one phone will help locating items. Here again, it’s worth noting that Apple’s Find My network is the largest, followed by Google, Samsung, Tile and Chipolo (both Chipolo and Pebblebee have fobs that work with the Apple and Google networks).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-bluetooth-tracker-140028377.html?src=rss
The Starship's seventh test flight ended in an explosion when the vehicle's upper stage "experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn" over the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX chief Elon Musk posted a video of the event, with debris streaking across and lighting up the sky. During the company's webcast, Dan Huot from SpaceX's communications team said they "saw engines dropping out on telemetry" by the end of the ascent burn and that they ultimately lost contact with the Ship, which is what the company calls the vehicle's upper stage. SpaceX said in a tweet that it will continue reviewing data from the test to understand the explosion's root cause.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory for pilots after the incident, warning them about falling debris in certain areas. SpaceX said before the test that it's meant to "launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades" and it was supposed to conduct Starship's first payload deployment test with the help of 10 Starlink simulators.
Despite the Starship's upper stage burning up, the test was still partially a success. The Ship's Raptor engines fired up during the ascent burn before the ground team lost contact with it around 8 minutes into the flight. SpaceX was also able to retrieve the Super Heavy booster, catching the vehicle's first stage with the mechanical arms on its Starbase launch tower.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-starship-explodes-during-ascent-in-its-seventh-test-flight-034440913.html?src=rss
Sony announced the collection earlier this month and the new accessories join the already-available Midnight Black standard Dual Sense controller ($75) and PS5 console cover ($55). Like PlayStation's 30th Anniversary collection, the Midnight Black accessories let you add a bit of personalized flair to your gaming setup, but these are far more sleek and brooding. If previous PlayStation releases are any indicator, there's a chance these new accessories will sell out before everyone gets one, so if Midnight Black feels as sexy to you as the video makes it look, you might want to start adding things to your cart.
Pre-order the DualSense Edge wireless controller for $200: Compared to the standard DualSense controller, the Edge model gives you a few more features and options for customization. Buttons below the sticks change button assignments while switches adjust the triggers' pull length. It comes with two sets of rear paddles as well as extra joysticks, all magnetically swappable. A matching case is also included. Also direct from PlayStation.
Pre-order the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds for $200: The earbuds connect both via Bluetooth and Sony's own PlayStation Link tech, that promises ultra-low latency connection to a PS5, PC, Mac and the Portal remote player. AI-powered noise rejection technology will make sure your banter is heard clearly. A Midnight Black charging case is included. Also direct from PlayStation.
Pre-order the Pulse Elite wireless headset $150: The Elite headset comes with a headset charging stand so you can show off your new accessory properly, while making sure it's ready for next time (and yes, the stand is the same late-night hue). These have the same dual-connection tech and AI-powered noise cancellation as the earbuds. Also direct from PlayStation.
Most of the accessories are limited to one per customer from Sony's site.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/heres-how-to-pre-order-the-ps5-midnight-black-accessories-012150262.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against General Motors and OnStar for allegedly sharing details about drivers to third parties without their consent. The agency launched an investigation into the automotive company after The New York Timesfound that GM had collected data about customers' vehicle use and sold it to third-party platforms used by insurance companies.
The information came from the OnStar Smart Driver program, which customers with GM vehicles were encouraged to participate in or didn't realize they had agreed to join. The program gathered data about behaviors such as hard braking, late night driving and speeding and reportedly sold the information to LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, which in turn sold that data to insurance companies. Shortly after the Times report, GM said it had stopped sharing the sensitive information with the two data brokers.
Today, the FTC proposed a settlement that will see both GM and OnStar banned from disclosing consumers’ geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. These companies will also be ordered to take additional steps to increase the transparency and choice for customers surrounding the information they collect and share.
"GM monitored and sold people’s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds," FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said. "With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans’ privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance."
Update, Jan 17, 4:14am ET: In a statement, GM said its Smart Driver program was ended last year due to customer feedback and ended its relationships with third-party platforms. It added it would also seek affirmative customer consent to collect and use connected vehicle data. In addition, it has pledged to give drivers "more transparency and control," allowing affected users the chance to access their personal information and request its deletion.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/ftc-bans-general-motors-from-selling-driver-data-for-five-years-000019615.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: The GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo
With a TikTok ban seemingly imminent, TikTok users have spent the last few days fleeing to Chinese social media app “RedNote,” trying to learn Mandarin, and bidding heartfelt farewells to their “Chinese spy.” But it’s looking increasingly unlikely that TikTok will actually disappear on January 19.
Most Supreme Court watchers expect the court to uphold the law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US business or face a ban on January 19. But it seems there’s little appetite to actually enforce the law that was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last year. Incoming President Donald Trump, who formally asked the Supreme Court to delay the ban, has said he wants to “save” the app.
Yesterday, The Washington Postreported that Trump was “considering” signing an executive order shortly after taking office on January 20, “that would suspend enforcement of the TikTok ban-or-sale law for 60 to 90 days.” Now, NBC Newsreports that unnamed “White House officials” are saying they don’t want TikTok to be banned on their watch, either.
“The administration has decided to defer implementation of the law banning TikTok in the U.S. to the incoming Trump administration, the officials said, effectively not enforcing it during the final 36 hours of President Joe Biden’s term in office.
“Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement,” a White House official said.
Where does that leave TikTok? I have no idea.
Under the law, Apple and Google are required to remove the app from their stores or face billions of dollars in penalties. That unnamed Biden Administration officials are now saying they won’t enforce it on their way out the door, doesn’t mean that the two, generally risk-adverse, companies would opt to ignore federal law. Particularly when the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sent letters to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook just one month ago pointedly reminding them of their obligation to comply with that same law.
Even if Apple and Google do remove the app from their stores, TikTok could still theoretically function for the millions of people who have already downloaded it. But, a report earlier this week in The Information indicated that TikTok planned to make the app inaccessible on Sunday if the Supreme Court upholds the law. Neither Apple, Google nor TikTok — all of whom are presumably waiting for the actual Supreme Court ruling — have responded to questions or publicly commented on any of these scenarios.
But the desire to disappear TikTok off Americans’ phones seems to be rapidly evaporating. Senator Ed Markey, who voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last year, introduced a bill this week that would extend the deadline for banning the app. In a statement, he said that the “ban was rushed through without sufficient consideration of the profound consequences it would have on the 170 million Americans who use the platform.” Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden, who also voted for the bill last April, joined him in calling for an extension, as did Representative Rho Khanna (who did not back the original bill).
Should TikTok get some kind of reprieve, there have been a number of options floated for keeping the app online in the US. These include finding an American buyer, reviving Project Texas or simply getting Trump to instruct DoJ officials to just ignore the law altogether.
If all that seems confusing, it’s because it is. Officials in both parties have spent months issuing dire warnings about the mostly theoretical national security threat posed by TikTok. But, now that a ban is seemingly just days away, no one wants to be blamed for being the ones to actually take it away.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/everyone-suddenly-has-cold-feet-about-banning-tiktok-232152569.html?src=rss
FILE - A man carries a Free TikTok sign in front of the courthouse where the hush-money trial of Donald Trump was underway on April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
Awesome Games Done Quick has already wrapped up for 2025 (with a cool $2.5 million raised for the Prevent Cancer Foundation), but the philanthropic group has other programs year-round that raise money for worthy causes. Two of those are hosted by the Frame Fatales, a community for women and femmes in speedrunning under the GDQ umbrella. The group's Frost Fatales event runs from March 9-16 and will raise money for the National Women's Law Center. The schedule just dropped today and here are a few of the highlights.
The event starts with a pair of my personal favorite games to watch: the punishing 2D platformer Cuphead followed by the wahoos of Super Mario Odyssey. I'm also amused that Lanaruse will run Coffee Caravan, but with the category "Any% No Coffee." That kicks of the show on March 13 at 1 PM ET. The March 14 lineup looks particularly exciting, with Jaypeg tackling Snufkin: Melody of Moomin-valley, GretaIceVixen and Corvimae showing off Pókemon Sword & Shield, and Bloupeuh playing Undertale Yellow. Frost Fatales is set to close out with SawaYoshi tackling a one-handed run of Celeste, which sounds like required viewing.
And if you can't wait until March to see some excellent gamer philanthropy, then be sure to tune in during Back to Black, GDQ's event highlighting Black speedrunners. This year, the showcase will be raising money for Race Forward, a racial justice nonprofit, from February 6-9.
It's only a few days long, but Back to Black has a bunch of great talent in the lineup. Bobbeigh running any Castlevania game is a must-watch, and he'll play Rondo of Blood on Feb. 6 at 7:08 PM ET. Super Smash Bros. pro-turned-speedrunner Ryan Ford is on the schedule twice, with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX on Feb. 8 at 4:05 PM ET and Super Metroid on Feb. 9 at 8:04 PM ET. Check out the full Back to Black schedule of games, runners and hosts here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/agdq-just-ended-but-theres-already-a-schedule-for-frost-fatales-and-it-owns-212907587.html?src=rss
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced today that's it's ordering Block, the creator of Cash App and parent company of Square, to pay up to $120 million in "refunds and other redress to consumers" and a $55 million fine over how the company handled fraud on its payment platform.
Per the CFPB, Cash App's Terms of Service at one point claimed that any bank linked to an account for transferring funds was responsible for addressing disputes around fraudulent charges, something that's not generally true under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Block would use that claim to avoid assuming responsibility, and when it would investigate a complaint, it relied on "intentionally shoddy investigation practices to close reports of unauthorized transactions in the company’s favor," CFPB's statement explains.
Accessing any kind of customer service for Cash App was a challenge, too, according to the CFPB. Block included a customer service number on Cash App cards and in the app's Terms of Service, but calling it would it ultimately lead users to "a pre-recorded message directing consumers to contact customer support through the app." And reaching out to the company through the app or physical mail often led to delayed or confusing responses.
Besides the up to $175 million in fees Block owes, the CFPB is also directing the company to set up a live 24/7 customer support line. Block has agreed to comply with the order. "While we strongly disagree with the CFPB’s mischaracterizations," the company shared on its blog, "we made the decision to settle this matter in the interest of putting it behind us and focusing on what’s best for our customers and our business."
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken an increasingly aggressive approach towards regulating payment apps and digital wallets in the last year of the Biden Administration. The CFPB expanded its purview from just banks to wallets and payments apps in November 2024, and came after the payment app Zelle not even a month later.
These attempts at regulation are facing pushback, too. NetChoice, a trade association for online companies, and TechNet, "a bipartisan network of technology CEOs," are both suing the CFPB over its efforts to clean up digital payments, with familiar claims of government overreach and that the CFPB failed to explain the risks it was addressing when it decided to regulate payment apps in the first place.
Update, January 16, 5:36PM ET: This story was updated after publishing to clarify that the cost of Block's combined CFPB fine is up to $175 million, rather than $175 million.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/cfpb-fines-block-175m-over-cash-apps-lax-fraud-controls-210749768.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
Google has told the EU it will not comply with a forthcoming fact-checking law, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Axios. The company states that it will not be adding fact checks to search results or YouTube videos and will not use fact-checking data when ranking or removing content.
It’s important to note that Google has never really participated in fact-checking as part of its content moderation policies. The company did, however, invest in a European fact-checking database ahead of recent EU elections.
The upcoming fact-checking requirement was originally implemented by the European Commission’s new Code of Practice on Disinformation. It started as a voluntary set of “self-regulatory standards to fight disinformation” but will soon become mandatory.
Google's global affairs president Kent Walker said the fact-checking integration "simply isn't appropriate or effective for our services" in a letter to the European Commission. The company also touted its current approach to content moderation, suggesting it did a bang-up job during last year’s “unprecedented cycle of global elections.”
Google also points to a new feature added to YouTube last year that enables certain users to add contextual notes to videos, saying that it “has significant potential.” This program is similar to X’s Community Notes and, likely, whatever fresh hell Meta is cooking up.
Walker went on to say that Google will continue to invest in current content moderation technologies, like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube. We have no idea what the EU will do in response to Google once digital fact-checking practices become law.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-decides-it-wont-comply-with-eu-fact-checking-law-201514781.html?src=rss
Some significant changes are coming to Apple Intelligence notification summaries. With the latest slate of developer previews for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3, Apple has suspended the system's aggregated notifications, specifically from news and entertainment apps, while it works on improvements to the alerts.
The company has also added a new disclosure that appears when users first enable notification summaries. It states that the notifications are a beta feature and that they may produce unexpected results. Separately, the betas add a new option that allows users to decide from the lock screen whether they want notifications from an app summarized. Lastly, the AI-generated alerts use italicized text to further distinguish them from their non-summarized counterparts.
Last week, Apple told Engadget it was working on an update to notification summaries. "Apple Intelligence features are in beta and we are continuously making improvements with the help of user feedback," Apple said. "A software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence. We encourage users to report a concern if they view an unexpected notification summary.”
Notification summaries are one of the features that arrived alongside the initial release of Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Shortly after rolling out to regular users, they quickly led to bad press for Apple. Notably, the BBC published multiple reports accusing the blurbs of spreading misinformation. One especially unflattering example saw a summary claim that Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-pauses-ai-notification-summaries-of-news-alerts-in-latest-ios-beta-195900023.html?src=rss
Austrian privacy advocate NOYB has launched its first GDPR complaints against Chinese businesses. The organization has filed complaints against TikTok, Xiaomi, Shein, AliExpress, Temu and WeChat, alleging that these companies unlawfully shared information about European users with parties in China. The group is seeking suspension of data transfers to China as well as fines of up to four percent of a firm's global revenue. NOYB is an acronym for "none of your business" and is led by activist Max Schrems, known for his campaigns against Facebook.
The General Data Protection Regulation is a rule covering information privacy in the EU. Under that regulation, data transfers outside of the EU are only allowed if the destination country doesn't undermine data protection. Calling China an "authoritarian surveillance state," NOYB is arguing that data transfers should not be allowed to the country.
"According to their privacy policy, AliExpress, SHEIN, TikTok and Xiaomi transfer data to China," NOYB said in a release announcing the action. "Temu and WeChat mention transfers to third countries. According to Temu and WeChat’s corporate structure, this most likely includes China."
NOYB has previously filed complaints against American big tech firms, including Apple and Meta, for potential GDPR violations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-temu-and-more-face-complaints-alleging-gdpr-violations-in-eu-195115567.html?src=rss
China's national flag flutters on Pingtan island, the closest point in China to Taiwan's main island, in southeast China's Fujian province on December 11, 2024. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP) (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images)
If you're a cinephile who misses the old Apple TV app for movie trailers, MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes knows your pain. So he decided to build a trailer app of his own, one that could easily help viewers keep track of upcoming films. But the MoviePass Screening Room isn't heading to Apple TV devices and set-top boxes — instead, Spikes quietly launched it in VR for the Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro.
"I'm in VR all the time," Spikes told Engadget in an interview. "And when I saw how beautiful the imagery was in the Vision Pro, and I know Meta is going to catch up pretty quick on optics, I just said 'This is a great way to watch movie trailers.'"
When he tried to actually watch trailers in VR, though, it involved searching through YouTube and hoping he actually landed on a high quality version of what he was looking for. So why not launch a trailer app of his own? One that could help everyone keep tabs on upcoming films, as well as eventually make it easier for MoviePass subscribers to book tickets. "We wanted to be top of mind," Spikes said, as people determined which films to watch.
MoviePass
In its current form on the Vision Pro, the MoviePass Screening Room is fairly straightforward. Once you launch the app, you're presented with a list of trailers for recent and upcoming films like Sonic 3 and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Select a title, and it begins playing almost instantly. Spikes says he acquires trailers from Nielsen, directly from studios and from the marketing agency PaperAirplane. The goal is to get the highest quality possible — in many cases that's just 1080p, but some studios offer 4K options.
After perusing several trailers, I noticed that the bitrate and encoding quality looked better than most YouTube offerings (it's particularly easy to see when you're blowing screens up to the size of cinemas in VR). Mostly, though, I just appreciated having a single place to go to find high quality trailers. Exploring YouTube on the Vision Pro is still a clunky browser-based affair, and it's also filled with tons of low-quality videos and fan edits.
MoviePass
When I asked if there's some sort of data collection play with this app, especially since Nielsen is a source, Spikes replied, "We do not intend to go down that path. We see it much more as expanding our own ecosystem. And, you know, when you get into the data world, you're really getting into the advertising world. And that's not the space that we're headed into."
Watching trailers has always been a way for me to wind down after a long day. The best of them are more than just ads, they give us a brief glimpse of cinematic magic coming on the horizon. Spikes himself admits that he used to check the Apple TV trailer app "religiously," so it's not a huge surprise he essentially wants to replicate that experience. While the MoviePass Screening Room is only available on the Vision Pro and Meta Quest at the moment, Spikes says he intends to retool it for the Apple TV, Roku and other platforms eventually, as well as add trailers directly into the MoviePass app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/moviepass-made-a-film-trailer-app-for-the-oculus-quest-and-apple-vision-pro-190822710.html?src=rss
The US Treasury Department announced in a letter back in December that it had been the victim of a security breach, attributing it to a “China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat actor.” Now we know more about the extent of the hack, thanks to reporting by Bloomberg.
The hacking group got into more than 400 laptop and desktop computers, many of which were linked to senior leaders focused on “sanctions, international affairs and intelligence.” They also accessed employee usernames and passwords, in addition to more than 3,000 files on unclassified personal computers. These documents included travel data, organizational charts, sanction materials and foreign investment metrics.
An agency report indicates that the perpetrators likely stole a whole lot of this data, but were unable to get into the Treasury’s classified or email systems. The hackers did access materials regarding investigations run by the Committee on Foreign Investment. This committee reviews security implications surrounding real estate purchases and foreign investments in the US.
The agency report also notes that there wasn’t any evidence to suggest that the hackers tried to hide in the Treasury’s systems for the purpose of long-term intelligence gathering, and they didn’t leave behind any malware.
Investigators have attributed the intrusion to a notorious Chinese state-sponsored hacking group called Silk Typhoon, Halfnium or UNC5221. It has been suggested that they performed the hack outside of normal working hours to avoid detection. Last month, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry called the accusation that the attack was state-sponsored “unwarranted and groundless.”
Counterintelligence officials are still in the midst of a “comprehensive damage assessment” but Treasury employees are set to brief the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on the matter this week.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/china-linked-hackers-accessed-over-400-us-treasury-computers-182420268.html?src=rss
If your gaming plans for this weekend somehow don't involve stomping around as Godzilla in Fortnite, I don't know what to tell you. The legendary titan is dropping onto the island for a limited time starting on January 17, and you even might get the opportunity to take control of him.
According to developer Epic Games, there's a small chance that a portal will pop up on the map during Battle Royale matches. The first player to locate and jump into it will emerge as the magnificent beast. Godzilla can use a roar ability to reveal nearby players, use a stomp attack to send 'em flying and tear through buildings with a heat ray.
Godzilla is also a de facto boss for other players. They can attack weak spots to deliver extra damage and chip off collectible fragments that provide a health boost and dash charges. Epic has also brought the rail gun back into the game to help players take down the colossal critter. It appears that the event will run until the current season ends on February 21.
It wouldn't be Fortnite if there weren't a bunch of cosmetics that tie into the event. Players who have the current battle pass can unlock a reactive Godzilla skin by completing quests. The outfit will start glowing after you secure your first kill in a match and grow brighter after each elimination — so it might actually punish you for playing too well if you become more visible to enemies.
There's also a Kong and Mechagodzilla outfit bundle coming to the shop. The latter glows when you attack enemy players. The unveiling of that outfit in the event trailer is very funny, with Mechagodzilla stomping buildings until the camera zooms out to reveal a miniature city. I truly hope that's part of a new emote.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-will-let-you-play-as-godzilla-if-youre-lucky-170615837.html?src=rss
Leica has unveiled its latest full-frame mirrorless camera, the 24-megapixel SL3-S with improved performance and video compared to its predecessor, the SL2-S. It largely resembles the photo-centric 60-megapixel SL3 unveiled in March last year, but is geared toward hybrid users who shoot both stills and video. Spec-wise, it resembles Panasonic's $2,200 S5 IIX mirrorless camera and may use a similar sensor.
The L-mount SL3-S has a much chunkier body than the Leica rangefinder cameras you may be used to. It does offer front and rear dials to control key functions, along with a pair of mode dials, a joystick and several more buttons. However, it lacks some controls found on models like the S5 IIX — so you may need to wade into the menus to change some settings.
Leica
Luckily, the rear touchscreen is large and very high in resolution (5.7-million dots), though it only tilts and doesn't fully articulate which is unfortunate for a hybrid camera. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) offers 5.76-million dots of resolution, which is solid but a bit low compared to similarly priced rivals.
A key improvement is faster autofocus, thanks to the updated 24-megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor. That allows burst shooting at up to 30fps with continuous phase-detect AF, with fairly long capture times thanks to support for fast CFexpress Type B memory cards. The company is also promising 15 stops of dynamic range that should allow for fine adjustments when shooting RAW files.
Leica
Another key new feature is on the video side, with 6K 3:2 "open-gate" capture (5,952 x 3,968 to be exact) recording, or 5,888 x 3,312 RAW 10-bit (to an external recorder), along with 4K 60p. The SL3-S also supports ProRes recording to a USB-C device or CFexpress B cards. (It's not clear if internal RAW video recording is supported, though a spec sheet from B&H Photo Video shows that to be the case.) Those video specs line up closely with Panasonic's S5 IIX, though the latter lacks a CFexpress card slot.
The main benefit of a Leica camera is Leica's sharp (and expensive) lenses, though the SL3-S can also use glass from L-Mount partners, Panasonic and Sigma. The only big advantage over the S5 IIx is the addition of a CFexpress card slot, but otherwise the two models have similar specs — so whether that red Leica dot is worth an extra $3,100 is up to buyers to decide. Leica's SL3-S is now on sale for $5,295 at B&H Photo Video and elsewhere.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/leicas-sl3-s-mirrorless-cameras-boasts-6k-prores-video-and-faster-autofocus-164600817.html?src=rss
If you’re in the market for a power bank, one of our favorite models is back down to its Black Friday price. Amazon has discounted Anker’s 20,000mAh Prime Power Bank — with optional base included — to $110 or 41 percent off its regular $185 price. As mentioned, the last time the Anker Prime was $110, its current all-time low price, was during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Anker Prime is Engadget’s favorite premium power bank. Outside of its sleek design, the primary reason to consider the Prime over other, more affordable models is the ease of use you get when you pair the power bank with its optional base. The accessory features magnets that make it easy to align the charging pins, so you never need to fiddle around with a cable to start the recharging process. What’s more, the base, with one USB-A and two USB-C connections, doubles the number of ports the Anker Prime offers.
As for charging speeds, they’re in line with what you can expect from other 20,000mAh power banks. In our testing, the Prime charged an iPhone 11 from dead to 75 percent in 47 minutes and to full in an hour and 48 minutes. With a phone that features a 3,110mAh capacity like the iPhone 11, you can expect the Prime to fully charge your device three to four times before it needs a recharge of its own.
The one downside of the Anker Prime is how expensive it is at its regular price. At $110, it’s a much better purchase.
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/ankers-20k-power-bank-with-charging-base-is-down-to-a-record-low-price-163833147.html?src=rss
The game is known for permadeath, as any of the eight main characters can die and the narrative will just barrel along without them. The movie, however, takes a different approach. When these characters die, they wake up to start the night over again. This is like Groundhog Day, sure, but also Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day and more Star Trek episodes than you can shake a stick at. Time loops are fun!
Sony says that the movie will connect to the game universe, despite the differing storytelling mechanic. For instance, Peter Stormare voices Dr. Hill in the game, but shows up in the trailer working at a gas station. The film will “delve into his character’s involvement in the events of the game, raising questions for fans to explore.”
The film’s directed by David F. Sandberg, who also helmed Shazam! and Lights Out. It’s written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler. Dauberman is best known for writing films in The Conjuring universe, like Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun and Annabelle Comes Home.
Until Dawn stars the aforementioned Peter Stormare, but also younger actors like Ella Rubin, Ji-young Yoo, Michael Cimino and Maia Mitchell. It hits theaters on April 25. In the meantime, a remake of the game arrived on PS5 and PC in October.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/until-dawn-trailer-shows-the-movies-groundhog-day-style-gimmick-in-action-162626389.html?src=rss
Well, it finally happened. After years of waiting and requests, Amazon debuted the $280 Kindle Colorsoft, its first ereader with a color display. The company’s ereaders have dominated this space since the original Kindle came out 17 years ago, but in this case, it feels like Amazon is playing catch-up. Color E Ink displays aren’t novel: we’ve tested and reviewed a number of color ereaders and E Ink tablets from Kobo, Boox and reMarkable in recent years. But Amazon is essentially trying to pull an Apple with the Colorsoft: with claims that color E Ink technology just wasn’t good enough to put into a Kindle until now, Amazon’s promising the Colorsoft gets this implementation right thanks in part to the custom tweaks it made to the display. And, unsurprisingly, Amazon’s ready to charge you a premium for it. So is it all it’s cracked up to be? As you might suspect, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
Update 1/16/25: Following the multiple reports of Kindle Colorsoft owners seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their ereader’s display (myself included), I reached out to Amazon to receive a new review unit. I did so after the company stated publicly that it would make “appropriate adjustments” to resolve the issue.
Amazon sent me a second Colorsoft review unit at the end of 2024 and, in short, the new one did not have the yellow-band issue and the display appeared warmer overall. An Amazon spokesperson told me that a combination of “software and display adjustments” was implemented to fix the yellow-band issue, and those are the only differences between my original review unit’s display and that of the new one.
The difference in warmth between the Kobo Libra Colour’s screen and the Kindle Colorsoft’s screen was dramatically reduced on my second review unit. That’s a good thing for the Colorsoft because its screen now better mimics the look of actual, physical book pages. I've adjusted our pros and cons list to reflect my experience with the new review unit, and what follows is our original review.
Update 11/5/24: There have been multiple reports of Kindle Colorsoft owners seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their ereader’s display. My review unit was not affected during the time I spent testing the Colorsoft, but upon checking on the morning of November 4, 2024, it appeared for me, too. Upon reaching out to Amazon for comment, a 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." In the meantime, we've removed our score and recommended labeling until we're able to get a replacement Colorsoft and test it for a longer period of time to ensure this issue has been fully resolved.
Screen technology and comparisons
Let’s get the tech details squared away first. The Kindle Colorsoft’s seven-inch screen is based on E Ink Kaleido 3 technology, but a representative from the Kindle team explained to me that they developed a custom display stack for this device. That means they made quite a few changes to the tech in order to achieve things like higher-contrast pigments and improved speeds overall. The Colorsoft’s custom oxide backplane uses 24 driving volts to move pigments around more quickly and it helps those pigments appear with better contrast. Nitride LEDs enhance colors and brightness, and a custom coating in between the display’s layers helps focus light through each pigment so there’s less color mixing. Some of the same tech helps make page-turns quicker and supposedly reduces excessively noticeable screen refreshing when you go from one color page to another, or pinch-and-zoom on an image.
That’s all to say that Amazon would like you to believe that this E Ink Kaleido 3 screen is not like the other girls in this space, and while I do not doubt the Kindle team’s efforts, the differences are not as dramatic as the story would suggest. Until Kobo updates the Sage with color, the closest competitor to the $280 Kindle Colorsoft is the $220 Kobo Libra Colour (in size, platform and overall experience), so I did a lot of side-by-side comparisons of the two.
The biggest difference I saw was that the Kobo’s screen skews warmer than the Kindle’s; I kicked the brightness up to the maximum and turned all warm/natural light settings down to zero on both devices and the difference was noticeable, regardless of if the displays were showing color images, black-and-white text or a mix of the two. This would suggest that the Kindle will show more accurate colors more often since there’s less of a warm lean to its display.
But on the flip side, the Kindle screen’s blue tint was just as noticeable, particularly in low-light situations (like a dark office or a dimly lit living room). At max brightness with warmth down to zero, the Kindle’s screen was borderline uncomfortable to read in those environments — but all it took was a slight adjustment to warmth level four (out of 24) to get it to match the Kobo’s display in warmth almost exactly (at least to my eyes). That made it more comfortable to stare at in dark spaces. I also compared the Colorsoft’s screen to my personal Kindle Paperwhite (previous generation) and the blue skew was noticeable there too.
Ultimately, how much warm or cool light you prefer while reading is up to personal taste. My preferences would lead me to adjust the warmth on the Kindle to be a bit higher than zero, mimicking that of the Kobo. In an unscientific poll of the Engadget staff, both in person and with device photos, everybody preferred the screen on the Kobo. I think the slight added warmth in Kobo’s screen makes colors appear a bit more saturated and more inviting overall. It also gets close to mimicking the look of actual physical pages (as much as one of these devices could, at least), and that’s the experience I’m going for when I read pretty much anything. But I could understand why some hardcore comic fans would want to start off with the most color-accurate baseline as possible, and then adjust from there to fit their preferences.
In addition to adjusting the warm light, the Kindle Colorsoft has vivid mode, which “enhances color in less saturated images.” For the sake of efficacy, most of my time was spent in standard mode when testing the Colorsoft. But in trying out vivid mode, I noticed that its enhanced saturation was most noticeable in warm-toned images: reds appeared ever-so-slightly more striking, while oranges and yellows had a more bronze effect and the like. But I had to turn vivid mode on and off a few times to clock the effect because it’s quite subtle.
Then there’s the question of actually reading words on the Colorsoft. Even the Kindle team representative I spoke with acknowledged that, due to the extra physical layer in the screen that enables color, one might notice a bit less sharpness and contrast in black-and-white text on the Colorsoft’s screen. That’s not unique to this particular Kindle — every color ereader will have this issue to some degree.
When comparing the text-only experience of the Kindle Colorsoft to that of the Kobo Libra Colour, I found both to be quite good and comparable to one another. Where there’s a bigger possibility for discrepancies is in a comparison of the Colorsoft to, say, the new Kindle Paperwhite. I did not have the latter device to compare to, but I did have my personal, previous-generation Paperwhite, and the difference was ever so slight, with the standard Paperwhite having the (small) upper hand in the contrast and sharpness departments.
Reading experience
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
The color screen is the most consequential thing about the Kindle Colorsoft, and chances are if you’ve had a Kindle in the past, the reading experience on this new device will feel quite familiar. The Kindle UI hasn’t changed much, still dividing the main screen into Home and Library options. The former is basically a space for Amazon to serve you personalized book recommendations and promote new Kindle releases, while the latter shows your entire digital library including books, documents, Audible audiobooks and library loans. The Library page is striking in color and there is something undeniably satisfying about seeing all of your title covers in full-color glory.
While reading a book, you can still customize and save different themes with fonts, font sizes and page layouts that best suit your preferences. You still have the option to quickly navigate within a title by page, location, chapter and even popular highlights. Page turns are speedy and will likely be an improvement for anyone coming from an older Kindle or other ereader.
Annotations and your own highlights are collected in the same place for easy reference, and with the latter, you can filter by highlight color as well. You have four colors to choose from on the Colorsoft — orange, yellow, blue and pink — so if you use the yellow highlighter to mark favorite quotes, you can then filter by just that color. Note that all highlighting and note-taking must be done with your fingers because, unlike the Kindle Scribe, the Colorsoft has no stylus support.
The pinch-to-zoom feature on the Colorsoft is good for those who read a lot of graphic novels and comics. Amazon developed a custom algorithm to make this motion as smooth as possible, and it’s a pretty good experience, albeit not a unique one. You can also pinch to zoom on the Kobo Libra Colour, which mostly helps get in closer to comic panels to read small text or better see minute details.
On both devices, there are full-screen refreshes when you pinch to zoom on color images and the speed of completion is roughly the same. I also found image quality to be quite similar as well, and it’s worth noting that art style can skew your impression of an image’s quality. A comic that employs clean, distinct lines compared to one that’s more grungy and watercolor-like will always come off more crisp.
The Colorsoft, like the regular Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, also has an auto-adjusting front light that promises to illuminate the display just right depending on if you’re reading outside on a sunny day, in the dark cabin of an airplane or anywhere else. It’s a nice hardware perk to have and, with the feature turned on, removes much of manual fiddling that some might find annoying to do when they take their Kindle into different environments.
The competition
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
While we already went through the screen comparisons for the $280 Kindle Colorsoft and the $220 Kobo Libra Colour, there are plenty of other differences between the two that you should consider when picking your next ereader. I’ve added a spec list below to break down the basics, and the most consequential to me are the fact that the Kobo has page-turn buttons and stylus support.
The former is really a matter of preference — you either love physical buttons or you find no use for them — but the latter is pure added value even if you do have to purchase the $70 Kobo stylus separately. It essentially allows you to turn the Libra Colour into a makeshift Kobo Sage or Kindle Scribe, which could be useful for anyone in academia (students and educators alike) or anyone who just loves the feeling of putting pen to “paper.” Meanwhile, the Kindle has the upper hand in its wireless charging capabilities and its slightly cleaner flush-front design.
When it comes to actual content available on Kindle and Kobo devices, the libraries you can purchase from on both are vast: both have ebooks and audiobooks available, and both the Colorsoft and Libra Colour support Bluetooth, so you can listen to audiobooks directly from the device with your wireless headphones. At the time of writing this review, all of the top five New York Times bestseller titles were available on both platforms at the same prices, with the only discrepancies being one that was on sale as a Kindle ebook and one that was available to read for free for Kindle Unlimited and Kobo Plus subscribers. Both of those monthly subscriptions give you unlimited reading access to thousands of titles, but I would give the advantage to Amazon on this one since Kindle Unlimited has been around for much longer. Amazon also has Prime Reading and Kids+ subscriptions that work with Kindle devices and provide even more content to paying subscribers.
As far as borrowing ebooks from your local library goes, it might be a draw. Kobo integrates elegantly with Overdrive, making it nearly seamless to get borrowed books on your ereader. Simply connect your Overdrive account and library card in the settings menu and you can then either browse your library’s offerings directly on device, or use the Libby mobile app to borrow titles and those will appear automatically on your Kobo. My only gripe with this system is that it works best if you have just one library card, since you can only connect one at a time. I’m a unique case where I have at least three library cards and I switch among them in Libby depending on which has the title I’m looking for.
Those like me might prefer the “send to Kindle” option in Libby, which just takes a couple more clicks to get any book from any library network to your Kindle device. The biggest downside here is that my Colorsoft review unit did not show all of my library book covers in full-color glory on the lock screen. After troubleshooting with a representative from Amazon, it was determined to be a title-specific issue. According to Amazon: "For library books, the lock screen is taken from the designated marketing cover for the book used by the library, which may not be the same as the actual book cover." So just know that if you get most of your reading material from your local library, there's a chance some of the covers may not display properly on the Colorsoft.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the $250 Boox Go Color 7, which earned a spot in our best ereaders guide after my colleague Amy Skorheim tested it. First, it’s imperative to know that Boox devices require a bit more tech-savvy than a Kindle or a Kobo, as well as a willingness to experiment. They are full-blown Android tablets after all, and that might be exactly what you’re looking for if you get your reading material from many different sources, since it offers access to the Google Play Store and all of its apps. As for specs, the Go Color 7 has a seven-inch Kaleido 3 display with 300 ppi in black and white and 150 ppi in color (similar to the Colorsoft), along with a warm light, page-turn buttons, a splash-resistant design and 64GB of storage (and a microSD card slot for more space!). It’s even more similar to the Kobo Libra Colour in feature set and price, so it’s another option for anyone willing to think a bit outside the standard ereader box.
The decision between Kindle, Kobo and Boox is infinitely more complicated than choosing between the Colorsoft or the standard Kindle Paperwhite — and that’s precisely because of the stark price difference. The Colorsoft is $120 more than the regular Kindle Paperwhite ($100 more if you pay to remove the lock screen ads from the Paperwhite, and $80 more than the Signature Edition) and aside from the color panel, it only adds wireless charging, the auto-adjusting front light sensor and doubles the storage. Remove color from the equation, and arguably the most useful of all of those is the extra storage but, make no mistake, 16GB of space on the Kindle Paperwhite is nothing to scoff at and will be just fine for most people. Unless you’re 100-percent certain that color will make a huge difference in your day-to-day reading experience, the standard Paperwhite is the better value.
Wrap-up
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
While it’s very late to the color E Ink party, the Kindle Colorsoft is a solid premium ereader that provides an excellent experience both in color and black and white. I focused a lot on comparisons in this review because most people will not have the opportunity to have the Colorsoft and any of its contemporaries side by side (unless you’re my dad, who buys almost every ereader and small tablet under the sun). But to be clear, the Colorsoft is a good Kindle, and in many ways, Amazon did pull an Apple here. If you’re already heavily entrenched in the Kindle ecosystem and have been holding out for a color ereader, this is the device to get — just be prepared to pay a premium for it.
Also, like Apple and its various operating systems, there’s something to be said about the convenience and ubiquity of the Kindle ecosystem. The library is seemingly endless (with discounts galore), supplemented by Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited, so it’s easy to get sucked in when you’re already shopping on Amazon for household goods and holiday gifts. But when it comes to value for your money (and a pure spec breakdown), you can get more from Kobo and Boox devices. Kindle isn’t the only name in town anymore for ereaders, and it hasn’t been for a long time, and that seems to be a more pronounced fact now with the introduction of the Colorsoft. If nothing else, Amazon has finally filled a glaring hole in its ereader lineup with this device.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs. the competition
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
Kobo Libra Colour
Boox Go Color 7
Price
$280
$220
$250
Display size
7-inch color E Ink Kalaido 3 (with custom display stack)
7-inch color E Ink Kalaido 3
7-inch color E Ink Kalaido 3
Pixel density
300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (color content)
300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (color content)
300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (color content)
Storage
32GB
32GB
64GB
Battery life
Up to 8 weeks
Up to 6 weeks
2,300 mAh capacity; "long-lasting" battery life
Page-turn buttons
No
Yes
Yes
Adjustable warm light
Yes
Yes
Yes
Auto brightness adjustments
Yes
No
No
Auto warm light adjustments
No
Yes
No
Waterproof rating
IPX8
IPX8
Not provided
Pinch-to-zoom support
Yes
Yes
Not provided
Stylus support
No
Yes
No
Audiobook support
Yes, Audible audiobooks
Yes, Kobo audiobooks
Yes, via Android apps
Library support
Yes, via Overdrive's "Send to Kindle" option
Yes, via built-in Overdrive integration
Yes, via Android apps
Wireless charging
Yes
No
No
USB-C charging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Yes
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-colorsoft-review-the-missing-link-in-amazons-ereader-lineup-131529685.html?src=rss
Grill companies are taking a different approach in 2025. Instead of refining premium smart pellet models and adding even more features, they’re aiming to provide a solid outdoor cooking experience for less money than usual. Weber did so with the Smoque earlier this week and now Traeger is following suit. With the Woodridge series, Traeger offers an all-new look and simplified controls, and even the most affordable option is equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity. Plus, you can upgrade them all with additional accessories.
The regular Woodridge is the cheapest option of the new trio. At $800, it’s the same price as the smallest Pro series model, the Pro 575, and $1,000 less than the mid-range Ironwood grill. The entire Woodridge series has a novel design that differs from the pricier Timberline and Ironwood grills, and Traeger ditched the touchscreen for a simplified setup. But don’t let the price fool you, the company didn’t cut many corners to keep costs down. The Woodridge is a workhorse, and in some ways it’s better to cook on than Traeger’s more expensive grills.
Design
The first thing I noticed about the Woodridge is that Traeger got rid of the touchscreen controls. I don’t doubt that component was expensive, and in my opinion it was unnecessary. Instead, there’s a simple set of buttons for timers, food probes, ignition and menu. Next to them is a multi-color display with large numbers that make temperature, time and other stats easy to see, even from a distance. On the far right of the panel, a single knob allows you to scroll through and adjust temperature settings and more.
Like other Traeger models, the controller is installed on the pellet hopper, which doubles as a small side shelf. On the Woodridge, the hopper has a 24 pound capacity, more than enough for most low-and-slow smoke sessions. These new grills also have Traeger’s Pop-And-Lock (PAL) rail system around the outside. These allow you to customize your grills with things like shelves, paper towel holders and condiment baskets. There’s also ample rack storage built in, with spots to store both the longer top rack and the smaller bottom ones, too.
The Woodridge is the most basic of the new grills, and it doesn’t have any kind of shelf or cabinet underneath. Instead, there’s just an X-shaped bracket that keeps the legs snug and tight. On the hopper end, there are two wheels with rubber tread and two legs on the other. There’s no handle to lift the grill to move it, so you have to use the side-mounted PAL rail. On the underbelly, you’ll get Traeger’s so-called EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg that collects all the waste from the cook chamber for easy removal.
Even the lid and cook box on the Woodridge have a new shape. The lid is flatter and looks more like a gas grill than the oval tops of the Timberline, Ironwood and Pro series. You still get two levels of grates inside covering 860 square inches of cooking area, but there’s less vertical space to stack food. Traeger redesigned the components under the cooking surface too, installing handles on the drip tray for easy removal and a cover for the grease keg. The path for grease is now more enclosed, so errant embers should be less of a concern.
Overall, I’m impressed with the build quality on the entry-level Woodridge. It would’ve been easy for Traeger to use cheap materials to reduce cost, but the grill is sturdy and should last for years. The legs are rock solid and everything feels hefty and strong, which is a welcome surprise compared to other budget friendly options.
Cooking with the Woodridge
Billy Steele for Engadget
If you’re looking for a straightforward pellet grill that gets the job done, the Woodridge is a great option. It isn’t loaded down with features you might not use, but does everything from low-and-slow barbecue to high-heat searing with a temperature range of 180-500 degrees Fahrenheit. I typically use pellet grills for smoking, so most of my testing focused on that, but I can vouch for the Woodridge’s ability to maintain temperatures of 500 (and slightly above).
The Woodridge doesn’t have Traeger’s signature Super Smoke mode, but the grill still imparts lots of smoke into your food. I particularly enjoyed the layered flavor on a double-smoked, glazed ham over the holidays. The convection air flow inside the cooking chamber moves smoke around to blanket your food with the nuance of the wood pellets. Even at higher “smoking” temperatures of 300 degrees and above, the grill was still producing significant amounts of smoke.
A big feature on the Woodridge is Traeger’s WiFire tech. This Wi-Fi connectivity sends vital cooking stats to the company’s app on your phone, allowing you to keep tabs on the process from anywhere. For the Woodridge, this means you can see data from wired or wireless food probes, adjust grill temperature, set timers, activate Keep Warm mode and shut down the grill on your phone. As always, the Traeger app has a wealth of recipes when you need some inspiration, complete with guidance for beginners. The app is one of the best tools on Traeger’s grills, so it’s nice to see the core features from the software are available on this base model.
Other Woodridge options
The regular Woodridge is the base model in the new trio with the Woodridge Pro and the Woodridge Elite above it. The Pro has 970 square inches of cooking space, Super Smoke mode, a folding side shelf and a bottom storage shelf. It also offers an upgraded controller with a pellet-monitoring sensor inside the hopper. Those upgrades cost $200, as the Woodridge Pro is $1,000.
On the Woodridge Elite, you get some of the best aspects of Traeger’s most expensive grills — the Timberline and Timberline XL. Those conveniences include insulated construction for better heat retention, a 1,100-watt infrared side burner and an enclosed cabinet base. The additions come on top of the 970-square-inch cooking area and other key specs from the Woodridge Pro. You’ll pay a lot more for this grill, though, as the Elite is $1,600. So, it’s much less attractive than the other Woodridge options.
The Woodridge, Woodridge Pro and Woodridge Elite were just announced today, but the first two are available now at Traeger’s website or from retailers in the US and Canada.
Final thoughts on the Woodridge
After Traeger went even more premium with its Ironwood makeover in 2023, the company had a big gap between its most affordable models and its more expensive ones. The original Ironwood was a nice bridge between the Pro series and the Timberline, but all of those upgrades killed that value proposition. The new Woodridge series reclaims some of that territory, and even the base trim gives you everything you’d want in a basic pellet grill. In fact, I’d argue it goes beyond that. The Woodridge and Woodridge Pro are massive upgrades compared to the Pro 575 and Pro 780.
Every time I use the Woodridge I’m amazed by the sturdy build quality Traeger delivered while keeping the cost down. The new look is certainly a departure from the company’s other grills, so it’ll take some getting used to. But, when you’re using it, that doesn't matter. I prefer the new simplified controls to Traeger’s affinity for a touchscreen and the Woodridge performed well every time I cooked on it. If you think most of Traeger’s lineup is too expensive, and that the Pro series has been around too long to invest in one, the Woodridge might be right for you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/traeger-woodridge-review-a-big-upgrade-for-the-entry-level-pellet-grill-160010591.html?src=rss
