New releases to add to your reading list.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-engrossing-literary-horror-and-a-dark-whimsical-new-comic-series-175906806.html?src=rss

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Apple was apparently developing augmented reality glasses powered by its Mac computers, but it canceled the project before the company could even announce it. According to Bloomberg, Apple scrapped the program this week because the product didn't perform well when executives tested it and the company kept on changing the features it wanted for the device. The glasses, while still powered by visionOS, weren't supposed to be the direct successor to the Vision Pro. They reportedly weren't a headset, but a pair of normal-looking glasses instead. 

Bloomberg says Apple originally wanted the AR glasses to be powered by the iPhone, but the smartphone didn't have the processing capacity to sustain the device's features. They also drained the iPhone's battery. The scrapped AR glasses had built-in displays that can project information, images and video into the user's field of view. They were lighter than the Vision Pro and didn't show the wearer's eyes like the headset can, but they had lenses that could change their tint to show if the user is working on a task or isn't busy and can be approached. Bloomberg compared the canceled product to XReal's One glasses and to the Orion prototype Meta revealed last year. While the Orion needs to be paired with a "wireless compute puck" to work, it doesn't need to be connected to a computer or a phone. 

Apple was developing the glasses as a device people can use every day. One of the issues it's reportedly facing is that people who already own the Vision Pro aren't using it as much as the company expects. However, employees part of the company's vision products group reportedly thought the project suffered from a lack of focus and clear direction. Apple is still working on a successor to the Vision Pro, though, and it's still looking to develop AR glasses in the future. It's also continuing to work on the technologies the scrapped glasses used, such as microLED-type screens, for future projects. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apple-reportedly-shelved-a-mac-connected-ar-glasses-project-160921712.html?src=rss

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© Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

The 2025 NAMM Show is over. Every year music gear manufacturers, ranging from iconic synth brands like Korg, to boutique guitar pedal makers like Walrus Audio, and even companies making fog machines and knobs descend on Anaheim to show off their latest wares. It is chaos in all the ways that you’d expect a convention to be — miles-long lines for coffee, hordes of strangers jockeying for position around new products, food options that range from barely edible to instant heart attack. But NAMM is also a special beast. If you’ve ever wondered what eight out-of-sync drummers, two finger tapping guitar solos, an acoustic slide blues riff and a simple ukulele ditty would all sound like simultaneously vying for your attention, well, this is the only place to experience that particular brand of hell. But, now that my legs and, more importantly, my eardrums have finally started to recover I’ve had a chance to reflect on some of the best things I saw on the show floor. Here are the 10 things that grabbed my attention the most.

Eternal Research Demon Box

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

Eternal Research launched a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign back in September, but this was the first time I was able to see the Demon Box in person. Think of it like a supercharged version of the Soma Labs Ether featured in a handful of our gift guides. The Demon Box doesn’t make any sound on its own, instead it features three pickups that turn EMFs (electromagnetic fields) into music — or at least audible noise. Run a cellphone, power drill or a tuning fork across the top and you’ll get unique whines, hisses, clicks and beeps that only that device could produce. But where the Ether is basically just a microphone, the Demon Box is an instrument designed for live interaction and controlling other devices. In addition to outputting audio, it can also convert those electro magnetic fields into CV (control voltage) for controlling eurorack synths or MIDI for triggering a visual synthesizer, or all three simultaneously. There are tons of options out there if you want a buzzy sawtooth bass, but if you want to turn the invisible radiation emitted by a TV remote into a centerpiece of a multimedia performance, this is basically your only option.

Circle Guitar

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

The Circle Guitar is impractical. It costs over $12,000 (insert grimacing emoji). But it’s also just insane fun. Instead of playing it with a pick or finger plucking the strings (though, you can do that if you want), the strings are strummed by movable plectrums you mount inside a spinning wheel. There are sixteen slots allowing you to design your own strumming rhythm, and then there are six sliders under the pickups for controlling the volume of each string individually. This allows you to create complex, robotic rhythms like a drum machine, but on your guitar. And, what’s more, you can sync it to a DAW to make sure you’re in lockstep with your backing track, even when it stutters and pauses. It’s a completely unique creation that has already drawn the attention of artists like Ed O’Brien of Radiohead.

Akai + Native Instruments

One of the biggest announcements out of NAMM wasn’t really a new product, but two titans of the industry joining forces. Several of Native Instruments (NI) Play Series synths and genre-specific Expansion Pack sound kits are being ported over to Akai’s new MPC 3.0 platform. While the availability of some existing soft synths on some existing hardware might not seem like a big deal at first, it greatly expands the sonic palette of the MPC and gives NI another foothold in the world of standalone music hardware after giving it go on its own with the Machine+. The selection of sounds is limited at the moment, with three synths (Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, and Nacht) and just one expansion (Faded Reels) available. But two more synths and four more expansions will be added soon and, if all goes well, I’m sure more will follow.

Korg HandyTraxx Play

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

The HandyTraxx Play is the first and only portable turntable that I know of with built-in effects. It has a DJ filter, a delay and even a simple looper which can, in theory, negate the need for a separate mixer and even a second turntable in some cases. While I can not scratch, I’ve always wanted to learn, and the all-in-one portable nature of the HandyTraxx Play, including a speaker and battery power, is pretty appealing to someone who just wants to dip their toe in and doesn’t want invest a ton of money and space in a separate mixer and dual turntable setup. Plus, Korg designed the Play in conjunction with the late Toshihide Nakama, the founder of Vestax and builder of the original Handy Trax (two words, one x), an icon in the world of portablism.

Donner Essential L1 Synthesizer

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

Over the last few years Chinese music gear maker Donner has started to really expand its offerings, going from mostly digital pianos and some bargain bin guitar pedals, to shockingly decent DSP effects, drum machines and even a pocketable groovebox. The L1 is the latest in its growing line of synths and it has a lot of promise. It’s based in large part on the Roland SH-101, an iconic instrument from the ‘80s that found particular favor among artists like Aphex Twin, Orbital, Depeche Mode, KMFDM, and Boards of Canada.

What makes the L1 particularly intriguing is that it’s the first entry in the company’s new Snap2Connect (S2C) system. The keyboard attaches to the synth magnetically, allowing you to leave it behind if you want, or use it as a separate MIDI controller with your DAW or another synth. But Donner also says it plans on adding other instruments to the S2C system, so you could buy a module based on, say, a Juno-60 one day and just slap it on to the keyboard you already own.

Enjoy Electronics DeFeel

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

The DeFeel is hard to explain. The company calls it a “modular monotony degenerator,” which is both extremely accurate and extremely unhelpful. Basically, you stick this thing between your sequencer and your synthesizer and it mangles the incoming CV to generate fills, stutters, and all manner of barely controlled chaos. In short, it takes that rock-solid sequence you’ve programmed and makes it less monotonous. It can resequence your sequence or add modulation. You can draw modulation curves using the 4.3-inch touchscreen, or even turn it into an X/Y pad for live performance. It’s designed mostly with eurorack synths in mind, but it’s also available as a standalone unit in a classy wooden case.

Melbourne Instruments RotoControl

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

The RotoControl might not seem like the most exciting device at first. It’s a MIDI controller with eight knobs and keys on the right side, and a handful of other buttons on the left for navigating the device. But what makes it special is that those knobs are motorized — if you change a parameter in your DAW or softsynth, that is reflected physically on the controller. That might sound a little gimmicky, but it’s actually incredibly useful.

See, knobs on a controller or synth generally come in two flavors: pots and encoders. A pot, or potentiometer, has a beginning and end. So, if you change a preset or switch instruments, it may no longer reflect the actual setting in question. Encoders have no beginning or end. Since they don’t point to a concrete position in space, there’s no need to worry about a disagreement between knob position and an actual parameter value. But they’re also less than ideal for live performance. Judging how far you need to turn to get that filter sweep just right is difficult, and encoders generally have a less smooth response than a pot. Melbourne solves this by just moving the pots to where they’re supposed to be.

Roli Piano & Airwave

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

I’ve been saying for a few years that I’m going to finally learn how to play piano. But, I’m a busy dad of two, a part-time bartender and a full-time freelancer. I don’t really have the time or disposable income, frankly, to treat myself to piano lessons. And the app-based or video options I’ve tried have been a bit underwhelming. I don’t know that the Roli Piano and Airwave are for sure more effective than Melodics or Duolingo at teaching how to play, but it seems like there’s more potential there. Where most music education apps are basically glorified versions of Guitar Hero, Roli uses the Airwave’s camera to track your whole hand, letting you know if you’re out of position, if your wrists are at the wrong angle or if you’re using the wrong fingers. It’s probably not as good as having a real professional teaching you the ropes, but it’s probably better than a repurposed video game bolted on to some rudimentary music theory lesson.

Oh, and once you feel comfortable enough with your playing, the Roli Piano and Airwave combine to create what is probably the most extensive MPE controller on the market.

Entropy & Sons Recursion Studio

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

Video synthesizers are not new, but they’re also not the most common things on the planet. And the Recursion Studio from Entropy & Sons is probably one of the most capable I’ve ever seen. For one, this is not some simple visualizer where a basic clip of animation is manipulated, all of the visuals are generated live, algorithmically. In addition it can process incoming video, distort images and react to incoming audio, it even has multiple oscilloscope modes builtin.

For those that like to get their hands dirty there are over 300 modules that can be combined to create custom visual patches. But there are also about a 1,000 presets on board so you can quickly get some visuals up immediately to go with your synth jam. And the company is constantly updating the device and adding new features.

SoundToys SpaceBlender

Terrence O'Brien for Engadget

SoundToys is one of the biggest names in effect plugins out there. They’re used by everyone from Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad to Kenny Beats and Trent Reznor. The company’s Decapitator saturation plugin is one of the best things to ever happen to drums and EchoBoy is a must have delay. But, it doesn’t introduce new effects terribly often. SuperPlate was added to the roster in mid 2023, but that was the first new addition since Little Plate in November of 2017 — the company takes its time.

SpaceBlender is SoundToys’ take on an ambient granular reverb. It’s not really a straight granular plugin, that chops up your audio and spits it back out in little bits, instead it’s a bunch of delays that get combined and smeared into something ethereal. It even has an interactive envelope designer that you can manipulate to not only hone the shape of your reverb, but even has potential as a live performance tool. SpaceBlender isn’t quite ready for release just yet, but even in this early sneak peek it sounded phenomenal and seemed pretty stable.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/the-10-best-things-i-saw-at-namm-140044601.html?src=rss

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© National Association of Music Merchants

When Wuthering Waves launched about half a year ago on iOS, Android and Windows, there were serious issues on day one. While some can be forgiving when a game launches, especially a live-service game that will get lots of updates, the errors that many experienced were catastrophic. However, developer Kuro Games didn’t give up on the title, and it has more than recovered from its launch, even becoming a nominee at The Games Awards last year.

For those who aren’t familiar with Wuthering Waves, it’s an open-world, free-to-play action RPG similar to Genshin Impact in many ways. However, its combat is more focused on spectacular combos, perfectly-timed parries and dodge counters after avoiding attacks at the right moment. Some players say that the combat is inspired by Devil May Cry games. Heck, there's even a reference to Vergil's (modded) chair in the game.

Screenshot by @deviltakoyaki on X

Wuthering Waves suffered from a disastrous launch. Many people had performance issues, experienced crashes and dialog text was often cut off. It wasn’t uncommon to see people complaining that they couldn’t play at all despite being excited about its graphics. Some also criticized the voice acting, which reminded me of ASMR-style vocals and didn't fit the usual video game voice acting direction. Fortunately, Kuro Games apologized quickly and promised to make things right.

In fact, someone took a picture of Kuro Games’ Guangdong, China office between 10 and 11PM. The lights were on, and the company seemed to be taking its vow to improve the game seriously.

Over the next few months, Kuro Games would work hard at fixing the most pressing issues while also introducing much-needed quality-of-life fixes. The first highlight of this improvement process was giving all players another free standard banner 5-star character and 5-star standard banner weapon box. After that, they even let users get a limited 5-star character, Xiangli Yao, for free when they played an event to a certain point. The game even has 120FPS mode on PC, something all other games made by direct competitor miHoYo don’t have, except Zenless Zone Zero.

Plus, as of the 2.0 update, it has come to PS5. Limited character Camellya finally became playable during November, much to the delight of many after months of waiting. Wuthering Waves made it to the final rounds of The Game Awards' best mobile game category but didn’t win, losing to Balatro.

Kuro Games

Kuro Games also released the drip marketing for a new area Rinascita early on to build hype, and many gamers were excited to visit it. Kuro Games’ early efforts to fix things paid off, as even the latest character teasers looked better and even provided crucial information like character roles, playstyles and materials. These teasers allowed players to farm resources ahead of time if they wanted, instead of relying on leaks.

I play the game in Mandarin Chinese dub and text, so I didn’t catch this detail. But an upcoming character, Zani, actually speaks in an Italian accent (with some Spanish and Greek influence, apparently) if you choose the English dub. When the game first launched, the English voices sounded incredibly forced since some of the voice actors were British but were forced to adopt American accents. Zani’s Italian accent is a major improvement in voice acting direction, and now I’m more willing to give the English dub another chance.

(Zani also recommends you eat pineapple pizza, though. But don’t judge me, because I like that stuff. Sorry, not sorry.)

Now that the 2.0 update is out, I saw some players calling it a wonderful experience. As for me, I’m definitely enjoying the update and have been farming for my characters. I haven’t finished the available story missions yet, but I do think Kuro Games has improved its writing compared to the first chapters. I noticed the tendency to show more than what I’ve experienced playing Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, both games that often utilize black screens with text. Wuthering Waves tends to stay away from those. I admit that the story isn’t completely riveting, but I’m still having fun exploring Solaris-3. The word salad from the first chapters has been reduced, allowing me to take in the story without being overloaded by too many new terms.

Kuro Games

I also play Genshin Impact and can appreciate the differences between them, as Wuthering Waves’s combat system satisfies an itch Genshin Impact’s doesn’t. Farming is quick, and the story is improving. The events are fun, except for the Tower of Adversity endgame mode and the Pincer Maneuver event series that comes back once in a while. Maybe it’s a skill issue, but I find these modes rather challenging if you don’t have the latest featured character or a featured recommended element. The Depths of Illusive Realm roguelike mode needs some more variety, but I suspect that’s in the works as it rotates back in soon.

Despite any faults, I still play Wuthering Waves daily on Windows and look forward to future content; It’s good enough that I’m taking any faults in stride. Earlier this month, Kuro Games CEO Solon Lee released a letter in Chinese thanking fans and revealing that Wuthering Waves reached its highest single-day revenue when version 2.0 was released. I felt encouraged by the letter, and I can confidently say I’m glad I gave the game a chance last year. Whatever the company has in store, I’m all for it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/im-glad-i-gave-wuthering-waves-a-chance-even-with-a-disastrous-launch-150051043.html?src=rss

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We're so used to seeing virtual reality depicted nefariously in films like The Matrix, Virtuousity (a forgotten '90s classic) and The Lawnmower Man, it's genuinely surprising to see something that treats VR in a potentially positive way. In Flora Lau's Luz, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, there’s no major downside to VR, it’s just another way for humans to connect. And in the case of the film's two lonely leads, art gallery worker Ren (Sandrine Pinna) and pseudo-gangster Wei (Xiaodong Guo), VR serves as a life raft of human connection, something that could help them find peace in a world where they both feel adrift.

Set in modern-day Chongqing (a city so neon-filled and futuristic it seems more sci-fi than real) and Paris, the characters in Luz live alongside technology familiar to us. Smartphones and OnlyFans-esque livestreams featuring young girls are commonplace. But the virtual reality hardware in the film — including ski mask-like goggles, pointed finger sensors that resemble a witch's nails — is both a step ahead, and slightly behind, where we are today. Luz, both the name of the film and the VR world people visit, is a fascinating artifact of the immersive reality space from several years ago. That was before we knew finger tracking could be the main input mode in a VR/AR headset like Apple's Vision Pro.

Ren and Wei experience the VR world of Luz as an escape from their real-world troubles, though that ultimately proves futile. Ren tries to connect with her stepmother Sabine (the legendary Isabelle Huppert), an emotionally distant Paris gallery owner who is avoiding any help for a potentially fatal illness. Wei, meanwhile, is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Fa, who he can only see anonymously via that aforementioned livestream.

The lead's storylines intersect during an in-game hunting expedition for a mysterious neon deer, which appears to be the closest thing to "winning" Luz. Wei and Ren reluctantly bond, and eventually they start to find ways to heal their emotional wounds. It's an intriguing concept, though we don't spend enough time with both characters hanging out in VR to truly sell their relationship.

Sundance Institute

Luz doesn't attempt to deliver a fully CG VR world like Ready Player One (thank god), instead we see a hyper-stylized version of the real world with an abundance of neon lights, floating particles and characters dressed as if they're about to head to Comic-Con. Obviously, it's an easier way to convey VR, but the film is also portraying a version of the technology that's practically identical to the real world. If VR were truly so immersive, why even bother with real life connections? (Stylistically, it reminds me of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s forgotten Polish sci-fi film, Avalon, which also explored how people can redefine themselves in a VR simulation.)

While Lau goes to great lengths to craft gorgeous VR imagery, what the film really needs is more time for its two leads to sit down and talk to each other, instead of having us infer emotion as they stare off into the distance. At just an hour and forty two minutes, there’s plenty of room for more character exploration. But at least we get some intriguing conversations between Ren and Sabine, with Huppert being her typically charming self. (Perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the film is that Sabine, a hip presence in the visual arts scene, hadn’t tried VR until Ren convinced her. We’ve been seeing artists adopt VR for installations since 2016, so it’s far from a new concept.)

Luz is close to being a great film, with its strong performances and confidently composed cinematography. But through either restraint or weak screenwriting, we don’t always have a sense of how the leads relate to the world, or even what they think of each other. The overall approach feels too cold and distant for a film that's ultimately about rediscovering human connection.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sundance-premiere-luz-explores-how-vr-can-help-us-find-connection-in-the-real-world-140005020.html?src=rss

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© Sundance Institute

Google has given US employees in the Platforms and Devices team the option to exit voluntarily before it starts cutting jobs. The news was first reported by 9to5Google. Google's Platforms and Devices team has 25,000 employees and was formed when the company merged its Android and hardware teams last year. It's in charge of a bunch of Google products, including Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Pixel, Nest and Fitbit. However, only employees based in the US who are directly reporting to the division's VP, Rick Osterloh, can leave voluntarily with a severance package. 

Osterloh reportedly told the team in a memo that the "voluntary exit plan" is for those struggling to meet the demands of their role or those unhappy with the company's hybrid work setup. People have until February 20 to sign up for the exit program, and since the memo says they'll find out if they've been accepted on March 25, some people may not be able to leave the company with the severance package it's offering. Google is scheduled to release its earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2024 in a few days, and it'll be interesting to see if it reveals a decline in revenue or any other weakness that could've led to the buyout and impending layoffs. 

"The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package," Google said in a statement. "This comes after we brought two large organizations together last year. There's tremendous momentum on this team and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency."

According to CNBC, employees were pleased with Google's decision to offer voluntary exits with severance instead of going straight to job cuts. They were apparently aware of Google's future cost-cutting efforts and asked for voluntary buyouts as an option. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-let-platforms-and-devices-employees-leave-voluntarily-prior-to-layoffs-130017394.html?src=rss

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TikTok may be back online, but the app’s future in the United States is still far from certain. President Donald Trump’s executive order delaying enforcement of the ban was only a temporary reprieve for the company.

While ByteDance was once resistant to the idea of selling TikTok’s US business, that seems to have changed since Trump took office. A ByteDance investor said that striking a deal to keep TikTok in the US is “in everybody's interest." Officials in China have also suggested they are “open” to a deal, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A number of people and companies have signaled some interest in TikTok. Trump himself has said he would like to see a “bidding war” for the app and that the US government should own a stake in the company. What an eventual deal may look like, though, is unclear. These are the offers we currently know about. Trump’s executive order gave the company 75 days to come to an agreement.

Oracle

NPR recently reported that Oracle was working with Trump Administration officials on “a plan to save TikTok that involves tapping software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to effectively take control of the app's global operations.” Under this arrangement, ByteDance “would retain a minority stake in the company” but Oracle would oversee “the app's algorithm, data collection and software updates.”

Headed up by Trump pal Larry Ellison, TikTok has an existing partnership with Oracle. The cloud company already hosts TikTok’s US user data and the company was a key part of TikTok’s original negotiations to remain operational in the US under a plan called Project Texas. (Those negotiations abruptly fell apart in 2022.)

Trump also previously signed off on a deal for Oracle and Walmart to acquire a 20 percent stake in TikTok in 2020, when the president tried to ban the app during his first term. That deal never materialized. Now, Trump’s position on Oracle is unclear. He told reporters that Oracle was not among the “many people” with whom he had discussed a deal for TikTok. (Ellison, notably, has been at the White House in recent days. He joined Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for the announcement of the Stargate Project.)

Microsoft

Microsoft is reportedly also interested in playing a role in TikTok’s future, according to the same NPR story, which said Microsoft was among the “other potential investors” involved in the talks with Oracle. Trump seemingly confirmed this. When asked directly if Microsoft was interested in buying TikTok this week, Trump responded “I would say yes.”

As with Oracle, this isn’t the first time Microsoft has attempted to acquire the social media company. Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok in 2020 and take over its US business, but the deal abruptly fell apart. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later described it as “the strangest thing I’ve ever sort of worked on.”

Perplexity AI (and maybe the US government)

Just before TikTok briefly went offline, Perplexity AI threw its hat into the ring, offering a deal to ByteDance that “would “create a new entity combining Perplexity, TikTok US and New Capital Partners.”

Since then, Perplexity has reportedly tweaked its proposal. According to the Associated Press, the AI company is now floating a plan that calls for the “U.S. government to own up to half of that new structure once it makes an initial public offering of at least $300 billion.” Under this plan, ByteDance would keep a minority stake in the company and “would contribute TikTok’s U.S. business without the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app.”

MrBeast

YouTuber MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, joked on X about buying TikTok ahead of the initial ban. He later said that “so many billionaires” had reached out to him about making an offer that he was going to try to actually pull it off.

At least one group has already confirmed his involvement, along with other “high-net-worth individuals” looking to make an “all-cash offer.” That group, led by employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley also reportedly includes Roblox CEO David Baszucki. According to Bloomberg, together they have put together “significantly” more than $20 billion for a bid, though it’s not clear how seriously their offer is being considered. Bloomberg notes that there’s also a possibility that MrBeast may attach himself to other bids.

Project Liberty

Another set of investors that’s proposed a bid to buy TikTok is a group known as Project Liberty. Led by investor Frank McCourt, it includes Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank fame. The group initially came forward before the ban took effect. However, it’s not clear where they stand at the moment.

O’Leary previously told CNBC that deals involving a government stake may not comply with the law. “That 50/50 deal, I would love to work with Trump on, so would every other potential buyer ... But the problem with some of these ideas is they are inconsistent with the ruling of the Supreme Court,” he said. “I would love to do a deal, if the law provided for it, but I don’t have the luxury of breaching the order of Congress.”

This week, he said that the deal "changes by the hour," writing on X that iIt's clear to me now that we're going to have to do a dance between the original owners, the founders of ByteDance itself, and interpreting the law of what Congress and Supreme Court has upheld."

What’s next?

So where does all this leave TikTok? For now, the company is in the same limbo it’s been in since it was briefly taken offline. The app is still not available in Apple or Google’s app stores and it could go down again if the company is unable to reach a deal.

For now, though, it seems both the government and ByteDance are much more willing to negotiate than they have been in the past. While these are all the semi-credible plans we know about now, the situation is likely to change over the next few weeks as the various sides attempt to hammer out a viable deal. We’ll keep this post updated as new details emerge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/what-will-happen-to-tiktok-a-look-at-the-potential-buyers-000110723.html?src=rss

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© NurPhoto via Getty Images

GoPro is rolling out a software update for its entry-level Hero camera that allows users to shoot 4:3 video in 4K. This is great for the kinds of clips that populate social media sites like TikTok, as the footage is taller. The update is available for free via the company’s GoPro Quik app on iOS and Android.

Obviously, the new aspect ratio is intended for social media content, but shooting in 4:3 has several use case scenarios. For instance, it can be the perfect choice for capturing video from a first-person perspective. If social media isn’t your bag, GoPro says that these 4:3 videos can easily be cropped to 16:9 "for a traditional widescreen look." 

There’s another tool available with this update that adds a bit of pizzazz when converting from 4:3 to 16:9. The app’s SuperView Digital Lens option adds a widening effect during the conversion process, which makes captured footage “look faster, more immersive and more exciting.” This app-based lens has been available for a while, but only worked with GoPro’s pricier offerings. 

Speaking of budgets, the cute lil Hero camera is just $180 right now. It’s also incredibly light, at 86 grams. The company’s calling it the “smallest, lightest and widest angle GoPro, ever.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/gopro-pushes-update-to-its-entry-level-hero-camera-adding-43-video-for-social-clips-195325285.html?src=rss

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OpenAI’s latest machine learning mode has arrived. On Friday, the company released o3-mini and it's available to try now. What's more, for the first time OpenAI is making one of its "reasoning" models available to free users of ChatGPT. If you want to try it yourself, select the "Reason" button under the message composer to get started. 

According to OpenAI, o3-mini is faster and more accurate than its predecessor, o1-mini. In A/B testing, the company found o3-mini was 24 percent faster than o1 at delivering a response. Moreover, set to its "medium" reasoning effort, the new model can come close to the performance of the more expensive o1 system in some math, coding and science benchmarks. Like OpenAI's other reasoning models, o3-mini will show you how it arrived at an answer instead of simply responding to a prompt. Notably, the model works with ChatGPT Search out of box, enabling it to comb the web for the latest information and useful links. OpenAI says it's working on integrating search across all of its reasoning models.   

"The release of OpenAI o3-mini marks another step in OpenAI’s mission to push the boundaries of cost-effective intelligence. By optimizing reasoning for STEM domains while keeping costs low, we’re making high-quality AI even more accessible," OpenAI said. "This model continues our track record of driving down the cost of intelligence — reducing per-token pricing by 95% since launching GPT-4 — while maintaining top-tier reasoning capabilities. As AI adoption expands, we remain committed to leading at the frontier, building models that balance intelligence, efficiency, and safety at scale."

With today's announcement, o3-mini will replace o1-mini in the model picker. Additionally, OpenAI is tripling the rate limit for Plus and Team ChatGPT users from 50 messages per day with o1-mini to 150 messages per day for o3-mini. OpenAI's recently launched $200 per month Pro tier offers unlimited access to the new system. 

When OpenAI first previewed o3 and o3-mini at the end of last year, CEO Sam Altman said the latter would arrive “around the end of January.” Altman gave a more concrete timeline on January 17 when he wrote on X that OpenAI was “planning to ship in a couple of weeks.”

Now that it’s here, it’s safe to say o3-mini arrives with a sense of urgency. On January 20, the same day Altman was attending Donald Trump’s inauguration, China’s DeepSeek quietly released its R1 chain-of-thought model. By January 27, the company’s chatbot surpassed ChatGPT as the most-download free app on the US App Store after going viral. The overnight success of DeepSeek wiped $1 trillion of stock market value, and almost certainly left OpenAI blindsided. 

In the aftermath of last week, OpenAI said it was working with Microsoft to identify two accounts the company claims may have distilled its models. Distillation is the process of transferring the knowledge of an advanced AI system to a smaller, more efficient one. Distillation is not a controversial practice. DeepSeek has used distillation on its own R1 model to train its smaller algorithms; in fact, OpenAI’s terms of service allow for distillation as long users don’t train competing models on the outputs of the company’s AI.

OpenAI did not explicitly name DeepSeek. “We know [China]-based companies — and others — are constantly trying to distill the models of leading US AI companies,” an OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian recently. However, David Sacks, President Trump’s AI advisor, was more direct, claiming there was “substantial evidence” that DeepSeek had "distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-o3-mini-is-here-and-available-to-all-users-190918706.html?src=rss

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It's time for another edition of Engadget's weekly deals roundup where we bring together worthwhile tech deals from the past week. If you're in the market for home entertainment gear, you're in luck thanks to Super Bowl-adjacent sales. Even if you don't care about the repeat clash between the Eagles and Chiefs, you can still save up to 25 percent on Sonos speakers and get discounts on a number of decent TV sets. You can check those out in our separate TV deals roundup or browse a few highlights below. As for non-sports-related tech deals, a bunch of Apple gear is on sale right now, including AirTags, the Apple Watch and three models of iPads (the Pro, Air and mini). Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.  

Sonos

• Sonos Era 100 smart speaker for $199 ($50 off) at Sonos: One of our favorite smart speakers has returned to its lowest price yet. As part of a wider sale at both Sonos and Amazon, the Era 100 is $50 off. We gave it a score of 88 in our review thanks to its great audio that can reach loud volumes. We're also fans of connectivity options that include Bluetooth and line-in. Sonos simplified its Trueplay tuning feature that optimizes the audio output for the room and the speaker will work with Alexa and Sonos' own voice assistant (which just handles music duty, and the speaker doesn't support Google Assistant).

• Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $399 ($100 off) at Sonos: We named the Beam the best midrange soundbar and right now it's $100 off. That's $30 more than it was for Black Friday, but still a decent deal on a quality TV speaker that will make movies more immersive and dialogue more clear. You can also pick up the original Arc soundbar for $250 off — that version is likely being discontinued in favor of the Arc Ultra, which unfortunately is still full price. 

• Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $70 ($29 off) at Amazon: A new model of Apple's AirTag is likely coming this year with predicted upgrades that include a longer range. But as it stands now, these are the best way for iPhone users to keep track of their bags, keys, luggage and more, according to our testing. AirTags rely on other iPhones to anonymously ping lost tags and we found that system almost spooky in its accuracy. This is a return to the record-low price the 4-pack of tags has hit many times over the past few months. Also at Best Buy. 

• Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off) at Amazon: We saw this deal a couple weeks ago and now it has returned. It represents an all-time low on Apple's latest small-scale tablet. The iPad mini 7 is our pick for the best compact iPad — in part because it's the only one —and we gave it a score of 83 in our review. Apple refreshed it last October with a faster chip and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. This configuration has 128GB of storage and Apple's A17 Pro chip. It also boasts 8GB of RAM, which is enough to support Apple Intelligence features. 

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

• Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2, 128GB) for $499 ($100 off) at Amazon: This is a great time to grab our pick for the best iPad for most people. This is just a dollar off from the record low of $498 we've seen previously. We gave the M2 iPad Air a score of 91 in our review when the tablet came out last May. We think it hits the sweet spot between performance, features and price — particularly right now. The 13-inch Air is also $100 off. Both deals are also available at Best Buy.

• Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4, 256B) for $1,099 ($200 off) at Amazon: Apple's latest high-end iPad is back down to a record-low price. The smaller 11-inch M4 iPad Pro is on sale for $899, though it's been that price for much of the past few months. The M4 is Apple’s latest chipset — Apple put it in the iPad Pro before putting it in a MacBook. The Pro is an absurdly powerful tablet, handling tasks as demanding as video editing alongside the usual streaming, gaming and browsing people usually use tablets for. In our review, we called it one of the nicest portable screens we’ve seen with extremely fast performance, but also called it "prohibitively expensive," especially when you factor in the accessories needed to get the most out of its potential.

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

• Apple Watch Series 10 for $329 ($70 off) at Amazon: This is a return to a record-low price for Apple's latest smartwatch. The Series 10 is our pick for the best smartwatch overall . It has everything we like about the Series 9 but has a bigger screen that’s easier to see from different angles and an overall thinner design. It received a score of 90 from us in our review. Also at Best Buy.

• Alienware 32-inch 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor for $765 ($435 off with code) at Dell: Enter the code MONITORS15 at checkout for an additional 15 percent off the $900 sale price. The 34-inch model is $250 off, but there's no available coupon code. This is one of our favorite gaming monitors and we called it “an incredible ultrawide OLED.” The curved QD-OLED panel features 4K resolution and a max refresh rate of 240Hz.

Engadget/Daniel Cooper

• Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E mesh router for $120 ($80 off) at Amazon: Here's a 40 percent discount on the Fog colorway — other hues are full price. This made our list of the best mesh routers because it's reliable, easy-to-use and is perfect for those who want a mesh system that you can set up and then forget about. Also at B&H Photo. 

• Google 2024 Nest Learning Thermostat for $240 ($40 off) at Amazon: The latest iteration of Google's smart thermostat is $40 off, which is about $10 more than the lowest price we've seen. Google says this latest model delivers more accurate readings thanks to the help of AI, offering suggestions on how to lower your energy usage and automatically adjusting your settings based on schedules, ambient temp, weather and more.

• Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $28 ($17 off) at Amazon: A couple of Anker's Soundcore speakers made our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, proving that the company is good at making more than just charging accessories. This one has an IPX7 waterproof rating, 24-hours of play time on a charge and 12 watts of output. The sale price is a return to a low we've tracked many times over the past year or so. 

• Anker USB C to USB C cable for $7 ($2 off) at Amazon: If your puppy also likes to chew on cables she finds on the floor, you may be in the market for a new one (cable, not puppy). Anker accessories number among our favorites on countless buying lists and this one is down to just $7. The 60 watt rating should be more than enough to fast charge any smartphone or tablet out there. 

• Anker USB C Charger (Nano 65W) for $30 ($26 off) at Amazon: For an equally speedy wall adapter, you can snag this 65 watt Anker charger for nearly half price. The compact brick sports three ports, two USB-C and one USB-A so you can charge up three different devices at once. 

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

• Crucial X9 Pro 1TB Portable SSD for $70 ($30 off) at Amazon: Our favorite portable SSD is back to an all-time low price. It's rugged and compact and performs well for its 10 Gbps speed class and offers fast-enough transfer speeds for most uses.

• Sasmsung PRO Plus microSD Memory Card for $90 ($30 off) at Amazon: Our pick for the best microSD card is once again 25 percent off. We like this one for its consistent and quick read/write performance and excellent value, particularly when it's on sale. Just note that there are faster cards out there, but this should serve you well if you're looking for a good pick to free up more space on your Switch or add some speedy storage to a camera.   

• Anker PowerConf C200 2K Webcam for $48 ($12 off) at Amazon: Our favorite budget webcam is even more budget friendly with a $12 discount. We like the crisp 2K resolution, dual mics and customization options. If you need something to make your video meetings look better, this is a good place to start. 

TV deals ahead of the Super Bowl

LG

Engadget's Jeff Dunn put together a roundup of TV deals that retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and others are offering ahead of the Super Bowl. These sales aren't necessarily tied to the game — TV prices often fall around this time of year as manufacturers get ready to reveal new models in the spring. Still, there are some decent prices on TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense that other trusted reviewers have deemed worthy (we don't formally review TVs here at Engadget). A few picks are detailed here, but you can head here to see full list. 

• LG B4 OLED TV (48") for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off MSRP): This ties the lowest price we've seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG's 2024 OLED lineup. While it's not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and the like. It's also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It's just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice

• Hisense U7N QLED TV (65") for $698 at Amazon ($300 off): Several reviewers we trust say that the U7N delivers better brightness, contrast and HDR performance than most TVs in its price range. It's built with most of the features expected from pricier LED sets, including quantum-dot color, mini-LED backlighting and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also runs on the handy Google TV platform. Its viewing angles are poor, so it's not great for watching shows with a large group, and you may need to tinker with settings to get an optimal image. But the 65-inch model should be a strong value at this price, which is only about $20 more than the all-time low we saw briefly around Cyber Monday. Also at Walmart and Best Buy. — J.D.

Amy Skorheim

• Samsung The Frame 2024 QLED TV (55") for $868 at Woot ($630 off): This deal from Amazon subsidiary Woot has been live for a few weeks, but it ties the best price to date for the 55-inch version of Samsung's stylish Frame TV outside of a one-off eBay coupon deal. You'd buy this set for its design above all else: It can't match the contrast and color volume of other TVs in its price range, as it lacks local dimming altogether, but it's convincingly built like a framed piece of wall art that can blend in with your home decor. Its matte panel helps it fend off glare in a bright room, and you can display actual artwork onscreen when you're not watching something. It's worth noting that Samsung unveiled a new and improved "Frame Pro" TV at CES, but we'd expect that to cost more whenever it arrives. — J.D.

Deals from last week that are still live today

We assemble this deals roundup each week — and sometimes discounts from the previous week are still going strong when we put together the new one. If you didn't catch last week's post or were waiting to jump on an item or two, here are the sales that are still active today:

• Crucial X9 Pro (1TB) for $70 at Amazon ($31 off MSRP): The X9 Pro is our pick for the best portable SSD, as it combines steady performance for most needs with a rugged, super-compact design that's easy to take on the go. We saw this deal earlier this month, but it matches the largest discount for the 1TB model since late 2023. Also at Best Buy. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice

• Meta Quest 3S (256GB) + $15 Newegg gift card for $350 at Newegg ($65 off): The Quest 3S is the budget recommendation in our guide to the best VR headsets. While its older fresnel lenses aren't as crisp or clear as the pancake lenses in the superior Quest 3, they're good enough for most people just getting started with VR, and the headset as a whole is just as fast as the pricier model. More importantly, it supports all the same apps and games. The 256GB model has been $50 off at several retailers for a little over a week, but at Newegg you can now get a $15 gift card thrown in for no extra cost. Also at Amazon, Meta and others without the gift card. Meta says the price drop will end on February 8. — J.D.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

• Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $100 at Amazon ($30 off): The Astro A40 TR is the top wired choice in our guide to the best gaming headsets. Its open-back design helps it sound wider and more spacious than most options in this market, which makes it better for picking out enemies in online shooters or just feeling more immersed in a big action game. Being open-back means it leaks and lets in a good chunk of outside noise, so you shouldn't buy it if you often play in a noisy environment. The built-in mic isn't the best, either. Still, the enveloping sound makes it worthwhile. This deal is only $10 more than the all-time low we saw around Black Friday. Also at Logitech and Newegg. — J.D.

• SanDisk Ultra (1TB) microSD card for $69 at Amazon ($16 off): The SanDisk Ultra is slower than the top recommendations in our microSD card buying guide, especially when it comes to write speeds, so you wouldn't want to stress it with large file transfers. If you can afford one of our main picks, get that instead. But if all you want is a big chunk of storage for as little cash as possible, it should be fine enough in a cheap tablet or gaming handheld. This ties the lowest price we've seen for the 1TB model. It's a dollar more at SanDisk and B&H. — J.D.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC) for $15 at Steam ($45 off): Its mission structure is dated, the movement is clunky and some of the writing can be, let's say, less than graceful. But Rockstar's Old West epic remains an achievement in maximalist world design: painstakingly detailed (literally), filled with stories and shot with unusually cinematic flair. You may not finish it until 2026, but if you've been waiting to take the plunge, this is a new low for the Steam copy and only $2 more than the lowest price we've seen overall. Other Rockstar games are also on sale. — J.D.

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection (PC) for $10 at Steam ($30 off): We've seen this deal multiple times over the past year, but it ties the all-time low for Microsoft's Halo compilation, which gathers six of the iconic FPS series' essential games in one package. (Well, five essentials, plus Halo 4.) We include this one in our list of the best couch co-op games, but note that the PC version here only supports online co-op, not local play. — J.D.

• Super Mario RPG for $30 at Target: Super NES classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars didn't necessarily need a remake, but this Switch version thankfully adheres the original's oddball spirit while sprucing up the visuals for true 3D. If you're in the market for a breezier, lower-stress RPG, it should fit the bill. This deal matches its all-time low. — J.D.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

• ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) gaming handheld for $450 at Best Buy ($200 off): The original ROG Ally isn't as powerful or long-lasting as the newer ROG Ally X, and all Windows gaming handhelds are saddled with less optimized software than Valve's Steam Deck, which remains the top pick in our buying guide. However, when it's discounted to this extent, the older Ally is worth considering if you really want a handheld PC that can play games from any client, be it Steam, the Epic Games Store or the Xbox app. It's still a touch more powerful than the Deck, too, and its 120Hz VRR display does wonders to keep games looking smooth. And for as slipshod as Windows can be, ASUS has made its Armoury Crate app at least a little easier to navigate over time. Just don't expect more than a couple hours of battery life, and don't bother using the microSD slot. This deal ties the all-time low for the model with a Z1 Extreme chip. — J.D.

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/get-four-apple-airtags-for-70-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-180954439.html?src=rss

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WhatsApp has claimed that some users were “possibly compromised” by spyware, according to a report by The Guardian. The Meta-owned messaging app went on to allege that nearly 100 journalists and activists were targeted in the attack. Additionally, the platform says it has “high confidence” that the Graphite spyware came from Paragon Solutions, a company founded in Israel that was recently acquired by a US investment firm. 

Hacking experts allege that this was a “zero-click” attack, meaning that the targeted users wouldn’t have had to click on a nefarious link to get infected. This is a similar method to another large-scale WhatsApp hack, in which spyware called Pegasus infected over 1,400 devices. Once a device is infected by something like Pegasus or Graphite, the spyware operator has total access. This even includes the ability to read messages sent via encrypted applications like WhatsApp and Signal.

WhatsApp says it has informed the 100 or so users of the potential attack, but has declined to disclose where they are based and who they are. It did say that it disrupted the alleged attacks back in December, though it's unclear how long the targets may have been under threat.

“This is the latest example of why spyware companies must be held accountable for their unlawful actions. WhatsApp will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately,” a company spokesperson said. WhatsApp has sent Paragon a “cease and desist” letter and says that it’s exploring legal options.

As for Paragon, it recently entered into a controversial $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department. Wired reports that the one-year contract tasks Paragon with providing a “fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance and training.” The company has yet to respond to the allegations from WhatsApp. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/whatsapp-claims-that-100-journalists-and-activists-were-the-targets-of-israeli-made-spyware-171701672.html?src=rss

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© Unsplash / Rachit Tank

Let's run it all the way back to 2000. EA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims by making the original game and The Sims 2 available to purchase once again. You can buy them separately — with expansion packs included — for $20 for the original game and $30 for the sequel. A 25th birthday bundle that includes both costs $40 on Steam, the Epic Games Store and the EA app on Windows. EA Play Pro subscribers also have unlimited access to the games on the EA app starting today. There's no word as yet on the re-releases coming to consoles or Mac.

Rumors emerged in recent days that the two games might once again be available to buy after EA released a teaser video that included user interface elements from them. Kotaku notes that the original game was only available on a physical disc format, while support for the sequel ended over a decade ago. Since then, players have had to jump through hoops to get them to run on modern systems. Maxis says it has been working to make the re-releases more compatible with Windows 10 and 11, but notes that it had to nix one expansion pack and some original songs from The Sims 2: Legacy Collection for licensing reasons.

I wish I still had the full-body scan I had captured of myself at the Millennium Dome in 2000 so I could properly play as a child version of myself in The Sims again (the avatar might still be on a floppy disc somewhere in my parents' garage). Nevertheless, I'm sure I and many others will be spamming the "rosebud" cheat to afford all the gear we want for our virtual homes, while some folks will surely be happy to send a particularly annoying Sim for a swim then delete the pool ladder, prompting an appearance from the Grim Reaper.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-sims-and-the-sims-2-are-back-on-pc-as-part-of-the-series-25th-anniversary-celebration-170535474.html?src=rss

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If it's your turn to host a Super Bowl party this year, you might be looking to beef up your sound system before all of your guests turn up. Perhaps with something like that in mind, Sonos is running a sale on its speakers and soundbars on both Amazon and its own website. One of its products, the Era 100, has dropped to an all-time-low price of $199. The speaker will typically run you $249.

The Era 100 is our pick for the best midrange smart speaker and we gave it a score of 88 in our review. It delivers great audio and can reach loud volumes, while Bluetooth and line-in support are certainly welcome. With the Era 100, Sonos has simplified its Trueplay tuning feature by making use of built-in microphones to optimize audio output for the room the speaker is in. On the downside, while the Era 100 works with Alexa and Sonos' own voice assistant, it doesn't support Google Assistant.

Like other Sonos speakers, the Era 100 can be used as part of a whole home audio system. So you'll be able to set up units in other rooms so that even when they're away from the TV, your guests can still hear all of the action at the same time as everyone else.

It's also possible to set up two Era 100 units as rear speakers in a home theater setup. If that's the route you wish to go down, you might want to have a soundbar in place too. As it happens, several of Sonos' models are on sale.

The original Arc soundbar is down to $649, which is $250 off. As for the Beam Gen 2, that can be yours for $100 less than usual at $399. We reckon the Beam is the best midrange soundbar. However, the Arc Ultra, our recommendation for the best premium soundbar, isn't on sale this time, unfortunately.

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/sonos-speakers-and-soundbars-are-up-to-250-off-right-now-155920350.html?src=rss

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The rumors were true: Warner Bros.'s platform fighting game MultiVersus will shut down online services after Season 5 ends on May 30. The upcoming season, which begins February 4, promises two new characters: Aquaman and Lola Bunny. Real money can no longer be used for microtransactions as of today, but players with premium currency in-game can use it until the shutdown.

The game had 20 million players less than a month after the open beta began in July 2022, but the developing studio Player First Games also took it offline for 10 months in March 2023, only fully launching on May 28, 2024. Despite the strong start, the player count dropped sharply in 2023, and the hype died instantly, as seen on Steam Charts. The open beta’s promise was seemingly undermined by predatory microtransactions and a long grind to unlock content.

MultiVersus will remain playable offline after Season 5 ends, though the game will be removed from Steam and other stores. While disheartening to see a once-promising platform fighter head to the landfill, Brawlhalla, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 and Fraymakers remain viable alternatives, as does the obvious poster child for the genre, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/season-5-of-multiversus-will-be-its-last-154839513.html?src=rss

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The Meta Safety Advisory Council has written the company a letter about its concerns with its recent policy changes, including its decision to suspend its fact-checking program. In it, the council said that Meta's policy shift "risks prioritizing political ideologies over global safety imperatives." It highlights how Meta's position as one of the world's most influential companies gives it the power to influence not just online behavior, but also societal norms. The company risks "normalizing harmful behaviors and undermining years of social progress... by dialing back protections for protected communities," the letter reads. 

Facebook's Help Center describes the Meta Safety Advisory Council as a group of "independent online safety organizations and experts" from various countries. The company formed it in 2009 and consults with its members on issues revolving around public safety. 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the massive shift in the company's approach to moderation and speech earlier this year. In addition to revealing that Meta is ending its third-party fact-checking program and implementing X-style Community Notes — something, X's Lina Yaccarino had applauded — he also said that the company is killing "a bunch of restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse." Shortly after his announcement, Meta changed its hateful conduct policy to "allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation." It also removed removed a policy that prohibited users from referring to women as household objects or property and from calling transgender or non-binary people as "it."

The council says it commends Meta's "ongoing efforts to address the most egregious and illegal harms" on its platforms, but it also stressed that addressing "ongoing hate against individuals or communities" should remain a top priority for Meta as it has ripple effects that go beyond its apps and websites. And since marginalized groups, such as women, LGBTQIA+ communities and immigrants, are targeted disproportionately online, Meta's policy changes could take away whatever made them feel safe and included on the company's platforms. 

Going back to Meta's decision to end its fact-checking program, the council explained that while crowd-sourced tools like Community Notes can address misinformation, independent researchers have raised concerns about their effectiveness. One report last year showed that posts with false election information on X, for instance, didn't show proposed Community Notes corrections. They even racked up billions of views. "Fact-checking serves as a vital safeguard — particularly in regions of the world where misinformation fuels offline harm and as adoption of AI grows worldwide," the council wrote. "Meta must ensure that new approaches mitigate risks globally."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-safety-advisory-council-says-the-companys-moderation-changes-prioritize-politics-over-safety-140026965.html?src=rss

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© Tom Williams via Getty Images

You might already have a good idea of which smartphone you want to be your next one. But there are more solid options available now than ever before, making the decision not as cut-and-dry as it used to be. While the decision is a bit easier if you know you want an iPhone, there's even enough variation between those new models that you may have to think about it longer than you anticipated. If you’re an Android person, you have even more options to choose from — including foldables — and more questions to answer before you spend any money.

At Engadget, we review phones regularly and have tested dozens over the years. Whether you’ve had your eye on one of our current top picks, one of Samsung's Galaxy S25 phones, a cheap phone or another device, we’re here to help you decide which is the best phone to buy this year.

Android or iOS?

When you're searching for the best smartphone, it becomes clear that each OS has its pros and cons. Apple’s tight-knit ecosystem makes it super easy to share data between iPhones, iPads and Macs or seamlessly hand-off phone calls or music from one device to another. At the same time, you’re effectively locked in, as services like Apple Messages aren’t available on other platforms.

As for Android, there’s a much wider range of handsets from companies like Google, Samsung, Sony and more. However, Android phones don’t enjoy that same length of software support and often have lower trade-in values. In short, there’s no wrong answer. However, you will want to consider how your phone will fit in with the rest of your devices. So unless you’re really fed up with one OS and willing to learn another, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone (or vice versa) – especially if everyone else in your household is using the same platform.

Cameras

Since your cell phone often pulls double duty as your primary camera, figuring out what kind of photo tools you want is key. Nowadays, practically every mobile phone can take a great picture in bright light. But if you want a long optical zoom, you’ll probably have to upgrade to a more expensive device.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Mid-range phones often only have two rear cameras (a primary wide-angle lens and a secondary ultra-wide camera) and can sometimes struggle in low-light situations. Each phone maker also has various features that might be a better fit for your style, with Apple offering four different color presets on the latest iPhones, while Google’s Pixel 9 Pro comes with neat tools like dedicated long exposure and Action Pan modes.

Will you get mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7?

The good news is that in 2025, most phones have at least Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6e and support for some kind of 5G connectivity. However, if you want the fastest wireless speeds possible, it’s going to cost you a little extra. For example, on certain networks, mmWave 5G offers up to gigabit download speeds, less latency and better bandwidth. But mmWave 5G also requires more sophisticated (and pricier) modems, which means support for it is often missing on less expensive devices.

On the bright side, mmWave 5G isn’t as widely available as other versions of 5G, so depending on where you live and what network you’re on, you may not be missing out on much right now if you buy a phone that doesn’t support it. It’s a similar situation for Wi-Fi 7, which is available on some high-end handsets like the Galaxy S25, but harder to find on cheaper devices. Wi-Fi 7 also requires you to have a compatible router, so unless you know you need it or have a specific use case in mind, the lack of support for mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7 shouldn’t be a dealbreaker when looking for a new phone.

Other features to consider

Because not everyone agrees on what makes the best phone, you should think about any other specs that might be extra important for you. Mobile gamers will almost certainly appreciate the 120Hz refresh rates you get on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro. Alternatively, if long battery life is important, you’ll probably want to go with a larger iPhone or an Android phone with a battery that’s between 4,000 and 5,000 mAh in size. Meanwhile, if you find yourself juggling a lot of devices, it can be really nice to have a phone that supports reverse wireless charging, which on Samsung phones even lets you recharge the company’s Galaxy Watches.

Other smartphones we've tested

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Like its predecessor, the S25 Ultra is an incredibly versatile phone. It’s one of the few handsets that come with an included stylus and premium features like a gorgeous 6.9-inch AMOLED display, titanium frame and a 5x telephoto camera. It also has excellent performance and strong battery life. The issue is that, aside from improved AI, this year’s phone doesn’t offer that much more than the previous model (or the one before that), and with prices starting at $1,300, we feel it needs to do more to earn a top pick spot.

OnePlus 12

While the OnePlus 12 wasn’t able to unseat the latest Pixel, it’s worth mentioning because it offers powerful specs for the money. It features a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a big and bright 6.8-inch, 120Hz OLED screen and the best battery life we’ve seen on any phone to date. OnePlus also brought back support for wireless charging for the first time in several generations, along with a good (but not great) IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. And even though its huge camera module looks a bit ungainly, its photos are surprisingly sharp. But the best thing is that, with a starting price of $800, the OnePlus 12 costs $200 less than its biggest competitors.

FAQs

How do I know which smartphone is the best for me?

While choosing the best smartphone can be challenging, it mostly comes down to how you plan on using the device. All of the best phones available now get the basics right — you’ll be able to make calls, text and access the internet without many hiccups. If your smartphone is your most used gadget, you may want to consider paying for a device on the higher end of the price spectrum. That will get you better overall performance, higher-quality cameras and a phone that will last for many years. If you don’t use your phone for everything, you may be able to compromise on performance and extra perks and spend less on a still-capable handset.

How much is a smartphone?

Smartphones range in price from $300 to over $1,500. The best budget phones available now will usually compromise on overall performance, design, camera prowess and extra features to keep costs down. On the flip side, the most expensive phones will have powerful processors, triple-camera arrays and even flip or fold designs. Most people will find a phone that fits their needs somewhere in the middle of that wide price range — we’ve found that most of the best smartphones available right now cost between $500 and $1,000.

What can you do on a smartphone?

Smartphones are essentially small, portable computers that let you do things like check email, browse social media, follow map directions, make contactless payments and more. This is all on top of the basics like making phone calls and texting, which we’ve come to expect in all modern cell phones. Smartphones have also mostly replaced compact cameras thanks to their high-quality, built-in shooters, and the fact that most smartphones today as just as portable, if not more so, as compact cameras.

How long do smartphones last?

Smartphones can last years and people are holding on to their phones longer now than ever before. Software updates and battery life are two of the biggest factors that can affect phone longevity. Apple promises five years worth of software updates for its latest iPhones, and Google promises the same for its Pixel phones. Samsung phones will get four years worth of Android updates from the time they launch. As for charging speeds and battery life, your phone can deteriorate over time as you use and recharge your phone on a regular basis.

Recent updates

January 2025: Updated to include details about Samsung's latest Galaxy S-series phones.

September 2024: Updated to include the latest iPhone 16 models and a new midrange iPhone top pick.

September 2024: Updated to include an editor's note about the latest iPhones and to mention the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold in the "best foldable phone for multitasking" section.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-smartphones-140004900.html?src=rss

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Uber has filed a racketeering suit against a group of legal firms and medical professionals, claiming they staged car crashes and performed unnecessary surgeries to commit insurance fraud, Bloomberg reported. The group allegedly recruited passengers involved in purported or minor vehicle collisions and provided "medical unnecessary... [sometimes] invasive and painful surgeries like spinal fusions," according to the federal suit filed in Brooklyn yesterday.

Driving the alleged racket is New York's no-fault insurance, particularly as it applies to cab and rideshare chauffeurs. The city forces those workers to carry personal injury coverage up to $200,000, four times that required for individual drivers — providing potential scammers with lucrative targets. 

There are other issues behind the claim. New York City's largest taxi insurer, ATIC (American Transit Insurance Co.), which insures about 60 percent of the 120,000 for-hire vehicles in the city, recently went insolvent. Uber sued ATIC last year, saying that its "unreasonable practices" spawned 23 lawsuits against Uber, forcing it to deal with the claims itself in court. 

On top of that, ATIC itself filed a $450 million racketeering suit in December last year, also seeking damages from doctors and others for insurance fraud. That has left New York with a big mess around the availability and pricing of for-hire insurance, so Governor Kathy Hochul recently proposed legislation to make it easier for insurance to adjust commercial car insurance rate. 

Uber has been pushing for insurance and tort reform in multiple states to address rising insurance costs that have hurt its business. The company recently agreed to a $328 million settlement with New York rideshare drivers who were underpaid between 2014 and 2017. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-files-racketeering-suit-against-new-york-groups-alleging-car-crash-fraud-130056714.html?src=rss

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In the span of a week, the Chinese startup DeepSeek has completely disrupted the AI landscape with its free and "open source" R1 model. In this episode, Devindra, Engadget Senior Reporter Igor Bonifacic and Producer Ben Ellman dive into what makes R1 so special, and what DeepSeek is doing differently from OpenAI and other competitors. Also, we try to figure out what’s up with “Incention,” a weird AI/blockchain project for creating new Hollywood IP, and wonder if Helion’s fusion reactor is actually legit.

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!

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Topics

• DeepSeek’s R1 model shakes up the AI landscape – 1:55

• Quick mention: Sam Rutherford’s Galaxy S25 review “Too much AI, not enough Ultra” – 30:19

• Incention is proof that blockchain nonsense is alive and well – 37:16

• Fusion startup Helion has Altman and Thiel on its side, but maybe not physics – 42:50

• Google agrees to rename Gulf of Mexico on U.S. version of its maps – 49:19

• Working on – 50:07

• Pop culture picks – 51:32

Credits 

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Igor Bonifacic
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-deepseek-blows-up-the-ai-world-123036730.html?src=rss

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It’s early 2025, the weather’s still cold, so it must be time for Samsung to kick off the year’s flagship smartphone race with its latest barrage of devices. This time, we’ve got three S25 phones, ranging from the $800 S25 through to the $1,300 S25 Ultra.

Let’s start with the flagship, the S25 Ultra. This year, Samsung has honed the design of the slate to closer match the rest of its family, while adding a substantially upgraded ultrawide camera sensor. There’s also a powerful 3nm Snapdragon Elite for Galaxy added, a collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm that augments its computational photography skills and more. (Not to mention incredible battery life.)

And you know what? It’s another great phone, capable of going toe-to-toe with the iPhones and Pixels of this world. However, it also looks very similar to last year’s model, which makes the S25 Ultra a less impressive update, given its price.

Then there’s the Galaxy S25 — priced the same as the last few S-series base models. I spent over a week with it, and much of its hardware remains the same, with incremental improvements to the camera, courtesy of behind-the-scenes processing, and that incredible battery life. And it’s Samsung, so it was always going to be a solid premium phone with a gorgeous screen. But if you were thinking of upgrading from an S24 (or S23, even S22), it’s a hard pitch.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

• Comcast unveils ultra-low lag internet connection

• UPS plans to slash its shipping business with Amazon by half

• A private start-up called Helion aims to have a working fusion reactor by 2028

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OpenAI isn’t happy with DeepSeek’s sudden rise, thinks IP theft is bad now

Even if it didn’t name the Chinese startup explicitly.

The big story this week is around DeepSeek AI: the open-source chatbot that reportedly requires far less computing power than competitors and was developed on a (relative) shoestring budget.

It subsequently put stocks related to AI, like NVIDIA, into a tailspin, although they have somewhat recovered. DeepSeek’s had brief success, even stimulating a response from President Trump.

Now, ChatGPT maker OpenAI says Chinese startups are cribbing the models of US AI companies. It claims rivals are persistently trying to copy the technology of existing AI companies, adding that OpenAI and its partner Microsoft have been banning accounts suspected of “distilling” its models.

The company didn’t explicitly mention DeepSeek in its statement, but… yeah. Also, let’s not forget: OpenAI admitted last year that getting its AI models up to speed was impossible without dipping its toes into copyrighted materials.

How does it feel, having your hard work repurposed and regurgitated? I couldn’t possibly relate.

Continue reading.

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CVS will let you unlock its cabinets with your phone

If you install its app. And are in a handful of stores.

UCG via Getty Images

Offering the biggest reason yet to install a retail store’s app, CVS says it will let select users, without needing staff, to shop for items typically locked away in its stores. If you haven’t been to a CVS, many items are locked up to prevent theft (and antagonize everyone). The feature is only available to loyalty program members and in a handful of unnamed stores. It was being trialed in just three stores but will be expanded to 10 to 15 stores. (There are over 9,000 CVS locations in the US.)

Continue reading.

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Incention is a desperate attempt to make new Hollywood IP with AI, fans and the blockchain

White hole? More like white noise.

By the headline alone, this sounds terrible, but you should read Devindra’s takedown in full. So many questions: Why the name? Why even make Incention? Who wants this? Does it smell like a blockchain-scented Quibi? Yes, yes it does.

Continue reading.

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Ask Engadget!

AMA or AEA.

Engadget

What is the best Galaxy phone under $500? Are refurb iPads worth it? My Roomba stole my girlfriend, please advise. We’re bringing back Ask Engadget, with an entirely new email address: [email protected]. Aside from spamming free trials of apps and streaming services, let’s put it to use.

Ask me something!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121727846.html?src=rss

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Smart LED light bulbs are one of the easiest ways to upgrade your home with smart lighting solutions that are both practical and fun. These color-changing bulbs let you customize your space with vibrant RGB color options, cozy warm white or any light color you can imagine. They’re compatible with popular systems like Google Home and can work seamlessly with smart switches and other light switches, making them a key part of your home automation setup.

With app control, you can adjust the brightness (no need for a separate dimmer), set schedules and even program the lights to turn on or off under certain conditions, like when you connect to your home network. Whether you’re setting lights for movie night, creating a relaxing atmosphere or adding a pop of color to your room, these smart lighting solutions are easy to install and surprisingly affordable.

What to look for in smart light bulbs

Connectivity (To hub or not to hub)

One of the biggest appeals of smart lighting solutions is being able to control them from your phone. Most of them are able to do so by connecting to it via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or via an external hub, which handles the connection for them. Bluetooth connectivity limits the range in which you’ll be able to control the light, so it’s only best for a limited number of bulbs and ones you don’t expect to control when you’re away.

Wi-Fi color-changing bulbs are easy to set up and can be cheaper overall since they don’t require a hub to connect them. However, having something like a central Zigbee hub can make your whole system more reliable since its connection is separate from your home’s network. For that reason, hub-based bulbs tend to be more expandable, so we mainly recommend those if you want to eventually have dozens of smart lights around your home.

White or color?

Most color-changing bulbs you’ll find today are “white and color” bulbs, meaning they can glow in vibrant RGB color-options like blues, pinks, greens and everything in between, as well as shine with different temperatures of white. But there are some white-only bulbs out there, and they are often a bit more affordable than their color counterparts. While we recommend springing for the white-and-color devices, if you’d prefer white only, make sure you’re getting a bulb that can span the color temperature spectrum (typically from about 2000 to 5000 Kelvin), offering you various levels of cool and warm white light.

App features

One of the perks of smart lighting solutions is the amount of control you have over them thanks to their various app-control capabilities. Most companion apps let you do things like set lighting schedules and timers, group individual lights into room designations and create your own custom light “scenes” with different RGB options. But we have seen other features that aren’t as ubiquitous like vacation mode for automatically turning lights on and off to enhance your home security, and sync with media, which changes the colors of lights depending on the music you’re listening to or the game you’re currently live-streaming.

Smart home compatibility

If you use a smart assistant like Amazon’s Alexa or the Google Assistant regularly, make sure the smart lights or smart switches work with your favorite. All of the bulbs we tested supported both Amazon’s and Google’s virtual assistants, allowing you to use voice commands to turn lights on and off, dim them with a virtual dimmer and more. The wildcard here is Siri and Apple’s HomeKit; while numerous smart bulbs have added HomeKit support, not all lights are compatible with Apple’s smart home system.

Expandability

We alluded to this above, but you’ll want to consider how many smart lights you eventually want in your home. Some brands and lighting systems are easier to expand than others, and we generally recommend going for hub-based bulbs if you plan on putting smart lights in every room in your home. If you’re only looking to deck out your home office or living room with some fancy color-changing bulbs, Wi-Fi options should serve you well. Thankfully, these are some of the most affordable smart home devices you can get, so even if you don’t have a clear answer to this question now, you can reconsider your options down the line if you do decide to outfit your home with multiple smart bulbs.

Other smart bulbs we’ve tested

Nanoleaf Smarter Kit

While we’ve recommended Nanoleaf’s Smarter Kits in guides in the past, they’re a bit more niche than other smart lights on this list. They’re best for adding flare to your living room or game-streaming setup as they come in different shapes like hexagons and triangles and can sync with music. In addition to different colors, light animations and schedules, Nanoleaf’s Smart Kits also support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.

FAQs

What’s the best smart light bulb for Alexa?

There is no best smart light bulb for Alexa. Amazon doesn’t make its own smart bulbs (like it does for smart plugs and thermostats), but rather there are dozens of smart lights made by third-parties that work with Alexa — including all of the ones we tested. Before picking the best smart light bulb for you, make sure to check the voice assistants that the contenders support. You’ll find that most smart light bulbs available today work with Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, and plenty of them also have support for Apple’s Siri and HomeKit.

Can you put a smart bulb in any lamp?

Smart light bulbs can go into most modern light fixtures — but just like regular bulbs, they need to be the right shape/size for the fixture. A standard A19 smart light bulb should work properly in most table, floor and other lamps. If you have a fixture that takes a specific type of bulb, look for smart bulbs that will fit properly.

Do smart light bulbs use electricity when off?

Smart light bulbs do use a negligible amount of electricity when their fixtures are turned off. This is due to the fact that the smart bulb needs to stay in constant contact with your home’s internet connection or Bluetooth in order to work properly. However, their energy-saving benefits usually outweigh the small amount of power they consume even while turned off.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-led-light-bulbs-143022856.html?src=rss

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