Panasonic’s mirrorless cameras are best known for their video powers, but with its latest model, the company is finally getting serious about photography as well. The $3,300 full-frame Lumix S1R II is not only the company’s first camera capable of 8K video but can fire off 40 fps bursts of high-resolution (45 megapixel) RAW photos. It also offers a more advanced autofocus system, putting it squarely into the conversation with Sony, Canon and Nikon.

I’ve had a pre-production unit for several days now and so far, I’m impressed. The original S1R was a chunky 2.24 pound monster, but the S1R II is much lighter at 1.75 pounds and considerably smaller in size. That makes it less burdensome than before — though still a bit bigger than the Nikon Z8 and Canon R5 II. It also has one of the fattest grips I’ve ever seen that gave me a firm, secure hold on the camera.

Panasonic made other substantial changes to the body, removing the top display and shifting the mode dial from top left to top right. In the latter’s place a dedicated burst mode dial and photo/video/S&Q switch was introduced, while a new autofocus dial was placed at the back. Handling is now near the top among high-end full-frame cameras in my book, matching or even beating my favorite, the Sony A1 II.

Panasonic

The rear 1.8-million-dot display was also overhauled and not only flips out for content creators but also tilts up and down for photographers — putting it on par with the excellent screen on Sony’s A1 II. The electronic viewfinder has the same 5.76-million-dot resolution and 120Hz refresh rate as before, but now offers a more natural 100 percent magnification.

The S1R II supports both SD UHS II and fast CFexpress Type B cards (rather than XQD as before) with a slot for each, while also allowing SSD recording via the USB-C port like the S5 IIX and GH7. Other inputs include mic, headphone and a full-size HDMI slot, along with a 10Gbps USB-C port. The battery is the same as the one on the GH7 and G9 III but delivers just 350 shots max on a charge, unless you buy the optional DMW-BLK22 battery grip. The S1R II will also offer full-float 32-bit audio recording, but only with the optional DMW-XLR2 audio accessory. 

Steve Dent for Engadget

Shooting performance is dramatically better with up to 40 fps (RAW 12-bit) burst speeds with continuous autofocus enabled, compared to a rather pitiful 6 fps on the previous model. It can also hit 10 fps speeds in mechanical mode or 9 fps with 14-bit RAW output. That matches the lower-resolution Canon R1 (though that model does it in 14-bit RAW mode) and is only below Sony’s A9 III that can hit a mind-boggling 120 fps burst speeds in RAW mode.

Panasonic also overhauled the phase-detect autofocus system to add more speed and AI smarts. It can now lock onto a subject’s face and eyes quicker and follow their movements more smoothly, but also detect and automatically switch between humans, animals, cars, motorcycles, bikes, trains and airplanes. From my observations so far, it’s not quite up to the speed and fluidity of Sony and Canon’s latest models, but Panasonic is nearly there.

Panasonic

When it comes to image quality, JPEG photos look natural with realistic colors, though I wasn't able to open RAW files on this pre-production camera. One big improvement is at high ISOs in low light thanks to the dual ISO sensor that keeps noise under control all the way up to about ISO 12800. 

On the video side, the S1R II now supports internal ProRes RAW and 8K video capture, but not both at the same time. ProRes RAW captured to CFexpress or USB-C is limited to 5.8K but uses the full width of the sensor, so it’s a good solution for 4K productions. 8K, meanwhile, can only be captured in 4:2:0 LongGOP MP4 formats at 30 fps (4K tops out at 120 fps in Slow & Quick mode). 

That compares to 60 fps max on the Canon EOS R5 II and Nikon Z8, and both of those cameras can do that format in RAW. Sony’s A1 II, by contrast, can also do 8K 30 fps video but doesn’t support RAW recording at all. And of course, the S1R II supports V-Log recording and promises up to 14 stops of dynamic range, slightly less than the S1R. It'll also allow for external ProRes RAW recording at up to 8K to Atomos recorders via a firmware update coming after the initial launch. 

Panasonic

Panasonic’s updated stabilization system promises up to 8 stops of shake reduction, but there are a few significant updates. It reduces edge distortion for video without cropping, though there’s a small amount of vignetting if you do that. As before, it supports e-stabilization at regular and high strengths, and now offers the high-strength mode for anamorphic lenses.

That raises the issue of rolling shutter, since the S1R II doesn’t use a stacked sensor like its main competitors, the Nikon Z8 and Canon R5 II. Distortion is definitely more prominent than on those models, but readout speeds are relatively quick so it’s not offensive except when doing whip pans or filming very fast moving subjects.

At $3,300, the S1R II is priced well below the $4,300 Canon R5 II but nearly on par with the Nikon Z8, which can currently be found at $3,400. It’s set to start shipping at the end of March 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/panasonic-takes-on-canon-with-the-full-frame-45-megapixel-s1r-ii-mirrorless-camera-140048286.html?src=rss

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© Steve Dent for Engadget

A free version of Microsoft Office for Windows might be on its way. Microsoft has been silently testing an ad-supported version of Office reported Beebom. Free versions are currently only available on the web. 

The update would allow users to access PowerPoint, Word, Excel and more for free. There appears to be a few conditions for the fee-free option. It appears to include an ever-present banner on the righthand side and 15-second videos that play every few hours. Any documents must also be stored in One Drive rather than in local files. 

Each system also comes with limitations. For example, Word wouldn't have drawing and design tools or dictation. Excel foregoes conditional formatting, recommended charts and more. PowerPoint loses all draw, animation and record tools, among other features. 

"Microsoft has been conducting some limited testing," a representative for the company told PC Mag in an email. "Currently, there are no plans to launch a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps." 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-testing-a-free-with-ads-version-of-office-140030345.html?src=rss

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© JULIEN DE ROSA via Getty Images

Adobe has launched a brand new Photoshop app for iPhones, which it's also releasing for Android later this year. While there's already a Photoshop Express for mobile, the company says the new app was "designed from the ground up" with more features and has an easy-to-use mobile interface. The app, which is free to download and use, comes with Photoshop's core imaging and design tools. Users can make selections, layers and masks in the app to combine or blend images. They can also replace parts of an image with the Tap Select tool, remove elements from a photo with the Spot Healing Brush and add new elements by using its generative AI tools, such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand. 

Users will have access to free Adobe Stock assets and can link their apps with other Adobe applications, including Express, Lightroom and Fresco. Adobe is, as expected, offering premium upgrades to the app's capabilities for those willing to pay for the new Photoshop Mobile and Web plan. The $8-a-month service will add features to the app on mobile and iPad and will also include access to Photoshop on the web. Users who already have an existing Photoshop subscription, however, will also be able to enjoy the new Photoshop app's premium features. 

The premium features included with the new plan include the ability to transition editing from Photoshop mobile to the web if a user needs a bigger screen or more precise controls. Users are also getting extra generative AI features, including Adobe Firefly's Generate Similar, which allows users to create new variations of an existing image. Subscribers will get access to 20,000 fonts, be able to make precise selections of people and objects with the Object Select too, isolate objects with the Magic Wand, erase elements with the Remove Tool, copy and clone certain elements with the Clone Stamp and fill portions of an image with Content-Aware Fill. They will also be able to control an image's transparency and lighten or darken certain areas of an image. The new app for iPhones is already available from the App Store worldwide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/a-new-adobe-photoshop-app-is-coming-to-iphones-140003461.html?src=rss

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© Adobe

Educational tech company Chegg has sued Google in federal court claiming that its "AI Overviews" that appear ahead of search results have hurt its traffic and revenue. In order to be included in Google's search results, Chegg alleges, it must "supply content that Google republishes without permission in AI-generated answers that unfairly compete for the attention of users on the internet in violation of antitrust laws of the United States." 

Previously, publishers like The New York Times have sued AI companies over copyright infringement, accusing them of training large language models (LLMs) on IP material without permission. However, Chegg is taking another approach, instead accusing Google of abusing its monopoly position to force companies to supply materials for its "AI Overviews" on its search page. Failing to do so, it says, means it could effectively be excluded from Google Search altogether. 

Chegg included a screenshot of a Google AI Overview that takes details from Chegg's website without attribution, though the page in question appears lower down in the search results.

Google told CNBC that it would defend itself against the suit. "Every day, Google sends billions of clicks to sites across the web, and AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites," a spokesperson said.

Google's use of its monopoly power in this way "amounts to a form of unlawful reciprocal dealing that harms competition in violation of the Sherman Act," Chegg claimed, while citing a federal judge's ruling from last year that Google is a monopolist in search. The tech-ed company said that it is particularly affected by these practices because the "breadth, depth, quality and volume of Chegg's educational content holds enormous value for artificial intelligence applications." 

Chegg is the latest in a long list of companies suing Google over alleged misappropriation of IP content, though as mentioned, using the Sherman Act is a novel approach. As of January 2025, 38 copyright lawsuits related to AI have been filed in the US, according to a site keeping track of the claims — so far with mixed results. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/educational-tech-company-chegg-sues-google-over-ai-overviews-133017759.html?src=rss

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© ASSOCIATED PRESS

Security cameras can give you peace of mind by watching things when you’re out of the house. They can also help keep tabs on your pets’ actions or let you check in on other parts of your property like your backyard. Set them up outdoors or at a window and you can get notifications when someone’s delivering a package or heading to your door.

Of course, anything that takes footage in and around your home is a privacy risk, so you’ll want to look for security cameras with proper privacy features. And if you’ve already got some smart devices, it’s important to know whether your new camera will work with them. Some cameras are practically useless without a subscription, while with others, the subscription is just nice to have. There’s a lot to consider — so we tried out over a dozen well-regarded models, filming our cats, dogs and other household members for weeks to help you pick the best security camera for your home.

What to look for in a security camera

Hardware and design

One of the first things you’ll want to consider before buying a security camera is where you intend to put it. Do you want an outdoor or indoor setup, or cameras that can work in both environments? That’s the first decision to make, since not all cameras are designed to be weatherproof. Next, consider where those cameras will live: do you need ones that can easily mount to the side of your home or above your garage? Do you want cameras in every room of your house, installed up in a ceiling corner out of reach? Should those cameras be able to swivel and turn on their own to track subjects or give you a wider field of view?

Check the specifications for the cameras you’re considering to see if they come with any mounting hardware in the box, or if you’ll need special attachments to get the capabilities you want. For example, an extra feature like solar power for outdoor cameras typically requires buying the solar panel separately, or buying a configuration of the camera that includes the panel in the box.

Another hardware component to consider is the proper connection for local storage. Many security cameras give you the option to save footage locally by connecting a thumb drive or a microSD card either to the camera itself or to its base station. If you don’t intend on using cloud storage (which typically comes with a subscription cost), choosing a security camera system that allows for local storage will be key.

Battery life

Battery life considerations will only apply to wireless cameras, so you’ll want to make note of the expected battery life of any wireless camera you’re considering. For most that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, it will come down to how “busy” the camera will be on a regular basis recording video. Some could estimate a minimum battery life of a couple weeks to one month with high usage, but you could get even more than that if the camera is in a low-traffic area.

I personally think you should be getting at least three weeks of battery life out of any rechargeable-battery security camera — anything less and it becomes a hassle just to keep the device in working order. Also, be prepared to access your cameras (including those mounted in high places) whenever you need to recharge their batteries. Scant few options today (looking at you, Blink), run on AA or AAA batteries, and those tend to last up to two years before you need to replace them.

Audiovisual features

Nearly every security camera can send you a notification when it detects motion. Most also offer more sophisticated alerts, like person, package, pet and vehicle detection, though those sometimes require a subscription. You can decide under which conditions you’d like to be alerted as well. Many cameras will let you set location preferences, using your phone to discern where you are, so you’re only alerted when you’re away. Some can then be programmed to turn off completely when you’re home, or you can decide to keep the camera recording without alerting you of activity. Systems without location tracking can be armed on a schedule or manually turned on and off.

Almost every security camera can listen as well as see — some can send you an alert when specific sounds are detected, such as breaking glass, barking dogs or fire alarms. Those microphones also let you hear what’s going on in the room, while built-in speakers allow for two-way conversations.

If viewing events at night is important to you, you’ll want to consider a camera’s ability to see in the dark. Most use infrared LEDs to detect motion and record events after the sun goes down. Infrared will work in total darkness, but can only produce a black and white image. A few cameras can capture color video at night through a combination of larger sensors and onboard image processing, but they won’t work in total darkness. A couple of the options we tried have an onboard spotlight you can manually turn on to light up a space for a better picture.

Subscription features

Without exception, every camera we tested has an optional subscription component. These typically run between $3 and $15 per month, though some offer a discount if you pay for a year up front. Advanced (and sometimes basic) features are paywalled behind these subs, so if you’re looking for things like person detection, extended live feeds, cloud storage, event labeling and longer event history, you’ll want to check whether you get those for free or only if you pay up.

Cloud storage for video clips beyond a day or so is the most common subscription-only feature, but some cameras have the option of using local storage with a microSD card or flash drive. Cameras that work with Apple’s HomeKit will usually let you store clips using your iCloud+ plan, so you might not need a separate subscription for those. To help make sense of whether you need to pay for a plan or not, we detail the monthly prices and membership features for each pick below so you can gauge the full cost of the level of monitoring you want.

Privacy settings

The majority of security cameras use cloud storage for clips. Even those that store your footage locally on SD cards or USB drives are usually connected to the world at large through Wi-Fi. Anything that’s in communication with other networks has the potential to be accessed by bad actors. Manufacturers take measures such as encrypting video before it’s sent to the cloud and requiring two-factor authentication to sign into any account to make systems safer. Users can go one step further by regularly installing security updates and making sure the passwords they use are strong and not reused elsewhere.

As for keeping your personal activity private, all cameras have a disarm feature, but some can automatically turn off when you are home if you share your location. Others will also let you set privacy zones and won’t capture footage or send alerts for movements in designated areas. That could be a part of the house you don’t want recorded or, for outdoor coverage, parts of your neighbor’s yard or driveway.

All the units we tested have indicator lights that turn on when a live view is being accessed or recording is taking place. But you’ll have to check what your particular camera’s LEDs mean, as nearly every one is different. Recording in progress is sometimes indicated with a red light, sometimes that light is blue, and on other cameras, it’s green. Some security cameras let you disable the recording light too, if you don’t want to alert would-be intruders that you’re watching them.

Compatibility

If this is your first foray into smart home gear, you just need to ensure that the camera you buy will work with your phone — and all of our top picks here have apps that work with both iOS and Android. If you already have TVs, smart monitors, home hubs, doorbells and other smart devices, check that what you buy now will work with what you already have if you want the most seamless system.

We’ve listed which of the three major smart home ecosystems each of our picks will work with, but in general, Alexa has the widest compatibility with third party brands, followed by Google. Apple’s HomeKit has a smaller number of compatible cameras on the market, but the list is still sizable enough and includes well-regarded brands like Ecobee, Logitech and Aqara, so you’ll likely be able to find one with the features you want.

Best security cameras for 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-security-camera-130035012.html?src=rss

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© Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Amazon doesn’t usually do device events in February, but in a year of turbulence, why not? The company is holding a presentation in New York, and, like in the past, Amazon won’t be livestreaming anything.

Engadget will attend, however, and liveblog the event so you’ll know what’s happening. Amazon has teased its next-gen Alexa for what feels like years, promising a conversational vibe and the ability to process and execute complex requests. Is it ready to chat? And what random tech will Amazon cram it into? Clocks? Microwave ovens?

Here’s what we’re expecting.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

• Disney+ just dropped an explosive trailer for Andor season 2

• How to get MagSafe charging on an iPhone 16e

• Nintendo Switch 2 is launching soon, here’s everything we know so far

• Slice-of-life soccer game Despelote kicks off on May 1

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A fancy camera so minimalist it doesn’t even have a memory card slot

There's a huge built-in SSD instead.

Sigma

Sigma’s newest camera is the BF, a 24.6-megapixel full-frame, mirrorless camera with a built-in SSD instead of a removable memory card. The BF is compatible with L-mount lenses, and as well as photos, its 35mm full-frame sensor can capture 6K video and supports things like HEVC encoding and capture speeds at up to 120 frames per second. At the highest settings, the camera can cram in up to two and a half hours of video footage — probably enough. The Sigma BF will be available, body-only, for $1,999 in April, in black or silver.

Continue reading.

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A second of Google Veo 2 AI video footage will cost 50 cents

A minute will cost $30, then.

Google’s Veo 2 model, announced last December, now has pricing. At the moment, Veo 2 is limited to two-minute clips at up to 4K resolution — a lot more than ChatGPT’s 1080p 20-second snippets. It’s difficult to compare pricing as Sora is part of a subscription-based service. If you’re paying for a $200 ChatGPT Pro plan, that’s 500 videos per month, while the Plus plan caps at 50 videos at 720p and only five seconds.

Even if many don't bite at that pricing, Google is already testing its Veo 2 AI to generate backgrounds for YouTube Shorts.

Continue reading.

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An M4 MacBook Air could be here in just a few weeks

Apple might announce a powerful new Air in March.

Apple

In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple is readying itself for the launch of the upgraded laptop next month. The company is reportedly winding down inventory of the existing models. The M4 MacBook Air is expected to come in two sizes, 13-inch and 15-inch, like the previous model.

Last year’s M3 MBA launched awkwardly: Apple unveiled the M4 chip just a few months later.

Continue reading.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121547503.html?src=rss

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Apple AirTag packs are on sale at Amazon right now, and you can get a bundle of four for just $68. That's the lowest we've see the four-pack go for on the e-commerce website at $2 less than the previous all-time low. It's a great chance to grab a bunch of the tracking devices in one go, especially if you have a lot of bags, belongings and maybe even pets that you want to keep an eye on. If you get a single AirTag from Apple's website, it will cost you $29. With this deal, one AirTag will only set you back $17. 

AirTags are easily one of the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy today, especially if you're an iOS user — setting them up and connecting them to your account is pretty much a one-tap affair. The Find My network is vast, what with all the iPhones and AirTags already out there, helping you find a belonging that you're tracking if you lose it. 

When you're looking for an item, you can play a sound on the AirTag's built-in speaker from your iPhone to help you find it. If you have a newer phone, the AirTag's Ultra Wideband technology can even lead you right to it if it's nearby. You'll be able to see exactly how far you are from the tag, and you'll get directions on your device's screen. Take note that since AirTags are round, coin-like objects with no way to attach to an item on their own, you'll have to get accessories to be able to use them as keychains or to attach them to your pets' collars.

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/mobile/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-drops-to-a-new-low-of-68-120018339.html?src=rss

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© Apple

Despelote is heading to Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 1. Despelote is a super stylish soccer game that's secretly about life in the Ecuadorian city of Quito in 2001, and it comes from local developers Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, and published by Panic. 

You play as 8-year-old Julián, and spend your time kicking the ball, meeting people and exploring life during Ecuador's economic recovery just ahead of the unifying 2002 World Cup. The in-game city comprises actual photographs of places around Quito, but the backgrounds are covered in a layer of high-contrast grit, while people and the soccer ball stand out as stark line drawings. The audio was recorded on location, too, and the result is a game that looks and sounds like a soothing memory. 

Despelote was announced in 2023 and originally due to land in 2024, but it now has a firm date of May 1. It's already picked up a handful of accolades, including four nominations at the 2025 Independent Games Festival. There's a demo on Steam, if you're intrigued.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/slice-of-life-soccer-game-despelote-kicks-off-on-may-1-234256915.html?src=rss

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Sigma has announced the BF, a new 24.6-megapixel full-frame, mirrorless camera that has a built-in SSD rather than an a CFexpress or SD card slot. The company is known for making lenses and unconventional cameras, and the BF's design and unique approach to storage definitely fit the bill.

The Sigma BF is milled from a single block of aluminum, and looks it, with mostly flat, angular edges that don't seem entirely designed for human hands, save for a thumb rest on the back. This is all part of the BF's deliberately minimalist approach, which extends to the lack of text on the body of the camera and the camera's haptic buttons. Besides the thumb rest, the back of the BF features a high-resolution display, pill-shaped status monitor for highlighting whatever setting you're adjusting, a dial for navigating menus, an option button, a power button and a playback button. The top of the BF is even simpler: there's just two microphones and a shutter button.

The BF is compatible with L-mount lenses, and on top of photos, its 35mm full-frame sensor can capture 6K video, and supports things like HEVC encoding and recording at up to 120 frames per second. The built-in 230GB SSD in the BF is "capable of storing more than 14,000 JPEG files, 4,300 uncompressed RAW images or 2.5 hours of video at the highest-quality setting," according to Sigma. Like plenty of modern mirrorless cameras, the BF also comes with several different color modes that can tweak the look of your photo. Options include modes like standard and rich, and color specific settings like powder blue, forest green and sunset red.

Sigma

All of that sounds cool in theory, especially if you're interested in a camera with an idiosyncratic design, but you have to be willing to pay for it. PetaPixel writes that the Sigma BF will be available body-only for $1,999 in April 2025, in either black or silver.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sigmas-latest-camera-is-so-minimalist-it-doesnt-have-a-memory-card-slot-223502411.html?src=rss

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© Sigma

Monday's ID@Xbox indie showcase included release dates for a few upcoming games we've been tracking. 33 Immortals, which lets you round up 32 pals to try to escape hell with, arrives next month, with the escape room mansion game Blue Prince coming in April and the quirky shooter Revenge of the Savage Planet following in May. All three will be on Game Pass on day one.

33 Immortals

Thunder Lotus Games

Get ready to run like hell in 33 Immortals, which Engadget's Mat Smith previewed at Summer Game Fest 2023. The multiplayer roguelike top-down action game inspired by Dante's Inferno and has charmingly retro graphics — not pixel art but more like old-school animation, a la Space Ghost. (Yes!)

It supports up to 33 players per 25-minute raid. But because developer Thunder Lotus Games isn't scaling down the difficulty for smaller squads, you may need the help of 32 friends to get the hell out of hell.

33 Immortals arrives in Early Access on March 18 for PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It will be a day-one title for Game Pass.

Blue Prince

Dogubomb

Meanwhile, Blue Prince is a puzzler that drops you into a sprawling mansion; its room configuration is up to you. You'll explore the manor's (changing daily!) 44 rooms with a limited number of movements, trying to find the mysterious 45th room to get your inheritance. If you can't find it before using up your turns, then no easy money for you.

"Blue Prince feels like a build-your-own escape room wrapped up in a strategy game and tied together with home-renovation sim twine," Engadget's Jessica Conditt wrote in our preview. "Even though it supports a broad mix of unrelated concepts, Blue Prince feels a lot like home. And it will be, once I find that 46th room."

Blue Prince launches on April 10. It will be available on PC (via Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It will be a day-one title for Xbox Game Pass and the PS Plus Game Catalog.

Revenge of the Savage Planet

Raccoon Logic Studios

Arriving a bit later is Raccoon Logic's delightfully zany Revenge of the Savage Planet. The sequel to 2020's Journey to the Savage Planet is another satirical adventure shooter with plenty of wacky new gadgets to take down the planet's hostile beasties.

You can use the goo cannon to create slick surfaces to trip up enemies. There's also a whip to do your enemies like Devo. Or swing across otherwise inaccessible points with a grapple. You can also try your hand at a lasso that lets you capture creatures like Pokémon. (But hopefully, not too much like Pokémon.)

Revenge of the Savage Planet comes to PC, PS5/4 and Xbox Series X/S on March 18. It will be on Game Pass on day one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox-showcase-gave-release-dates-for-three-indie-games-were-looking-forward-to-212015408.html?src=rss

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© Raccoon Logic Studios

Tron: Catalyst, the follow-up to Tron: Identity and the next game from Bithell Games, is set to launch on June 17, 2025. The game is technically standalone, but builds on Identity's narrative and tackles the world of Tron from a new isometric perspective.

Paired with the release date, Bithell Games and publisher Big Fan also showed off a new trailer at the ID@Xbox Showcase that offers a glimpse of how combat and narrative work in the game. You play as Exo, a program from the "Arq Grid" with an ability called "The Glitch," that lets you exploit time loops in the game, replaying levels with new knowledge to uncover secret and shortcuts. Exo will of course be challenged by the leaders of the Grid throughout, forcing you to fight through enemies on foot or a Light Cycle. As Engadget learned in an early preview of the game, you'll also be able to upgrade your combat abilities to suit your preferred style of play.

Tron: Identity is a visual novel, so Catalyst represents a bit of a departure in terms of gameplay, but that's one of the things that makes the game intriguing. Some amount of narrative choice is still there based off the trailer, it's just sandwiched between new, exciting, action-adventure bread.

Tron: Catalyst will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC on June 17, 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tron-catalyst-hits-consoles-and-pc-on-june-17-205146866.html?src=rss

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© Disney

Another week, and there's another new AI model ready for public use. This time, it's Anthropic with the introduction of Claude 3.7 Sonnet. The company describes its latest release as the market's first "hybrid reasoning model," meaning the new version of Claude can both answer a question nearly instantaneously or take its time to work through it step by step. As the user you can decide what approach Claude takes, with a dropdown menu allowing you to select the "thinking mode" you want it to take.

"We've developed Claude 3.7 Sonnet with a different philosophy from other reasoning models on the market. Just as humans use a single brain for both quick responses and deep reflection, we believe reasoning should be an integrated capability of frontier models rather than a separate model entirely," writes Anthropic. "This unified approach also creates a more seamless experience for users."

Anthropic doesn't name OpenAI explicitly, but the company is clearly taking a shot at its rival. Between GPT-4, o1, o1-mini and now o3-mini, OpenAI offers many different models, but unless you follow the company closely, the number of systems on offer can be overwhelming; in fact, Sam Altman recently admitted as much. "We hate the model picker as much as you do and want to return to magic unified intelligence," he posted on X earlier this month.

Anthropic says it also took a different approach to developing Claude's reasoning capabilities. "We've optimized somewhat less for math and computer science competition problems, and instead shifted focus towards real-world tasks that better reflect how businesses actually use LLMs," the company writes. To that point, current Claude users can look forward to "particularly strong improvements in coding and front-end web development."

Claude 3.7 Sonnet is available to use starting today across all Claude plans, including Anthropic's free tier. Developers, meanwhile, can access the new model through the company's API, Amazon Bedrock and Google Cloud's Vertex AI. 

Speaking of developers, Anthropic is also introducing Claude Code, a new "agentic" tool that allows you to delegate coding tasks to Claude directly from a terminal interface. Available currently as a limited research preview, Anthropic says Claude Code can read code, edit files, write and run tests, and even push commits to GitHub.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-new-claude-model-can-think-both-fast-and-slow-203307140.html?src=rss

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The Apple iPhone 16e looks like a solid handset for most consumers. It’s got plenty of power, a gorgeous display and the Action button that first debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro series. It doesn’t, however, offer any way to wirelessly charge the device using MagSafe. 

Just because Apple excluded the feature doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck. Here are a couple of options for using MagSafe charging on an iPhone 16e. The easiest way to get this going is to pick up a MagSafe-compatible smartphone case that has been specifically designed for Apple’s latest handset.

This ESR case seems like a solid entry, and it’s on the cheaper side. We haven’t gotten a chance to review it yet, but an older ESR release with MagSafe functionality easily made our list of the best iPhone cases.

The second option is to go with a simple adapter ring. We recommend this one from PopSockets. It’s budget-friendly, easy to use and allows integration with other MagSafe accessories. Just pop it on a pre-existing case. It's not compatible with silicone, textured or anti-fingerprint coated cases.

The final option? Charge your phone the old-fashioned way, via USB-C, and just tuck the cable out of the way. This may not fool anyone, but it’ll juice the phone up quicker. The iPhone 16e uses the older Qi1 wireless charging standard and maxes out at 7.5w, while the other iPhone 16 models support Qi2 at speeds up to 25w, provided you have the right charger.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/heres-how-to-get-magsafe-charging-on-an-iphone-16e-201026681.html?src=rss

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It's sort of out of character for Amazon to be hosting a devices event in February, as opposed to its usual Fall launch. But this Wednesday (February 26) at 10am ET, the company is holding a presentation in New York City. As it's done in the past, Amazon won't be livestreaming this event, and you won't be able to watch Panos Panay and his colleagues present to members of the media. Don't worry about FOMO, though, because we've got you. Engadget will be attending and liveblogging the event, so if you follow our updates it'll almost feel like you're right there with us! We'll have commentary on the announcements, as well as the in-person vibes and quality of snacks. Our Sam Rutherford will be sharing pictures, too, so you won't miss a thing. Bookmark this page and come back on February 26 to stay informed!

In case you were curious if it'll be worth your time, here's a quick refresher on what we expect to see at Amazon's devices event this week: Alexa. The company has teased its next-gen assistant for what feels like years at this point, promising a conversational cadence and the ability to process and execute complex requests.

Rumors are sparse on what Amazon has up its sleeve, so we're not too sure whether there will be any new hardware. It's quite likely the company will show us updated Echo speakers to go along with the smarter Alexa, or a refreshed model of the Echo Buds that serve as a conduit for the assistant. For now, though, we assume there won't be new Kindles at the event, since Amazon released those late last year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-follow-the-amazon-devices-event-on-february-26-200022212.html?src=rss

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Everyone's favorite sorta-poker game Balatro is set to cause yet another dip in global productivity levels. The roguelike — which encourages you to bend and twist the rules of poker in all kinds of wild ways — is available on Game Pass Ultimate, PC and Standard. Apple Arcade subscribers also have access to it at no extra cost. 

A trailer that premiered during Monday's ID@Xbox showcase also revealed the latest batch of cosmetic crossover card decks that are now available on all platforms. They include tie-ins with Critical Role, Dead by Daylight, Assassin's Creed, Fallout, Bugsnax and Rust. Those follow collabs with the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Stardew Valley, The Witcher 3 and Vampire Survivors. Seems like everyone wants to be pals with Balatro developer LocalThunk!

Meanwhile, it emerged on Monday that PEGI, the body that runs the age rating system for games in Europe, has reclassified Balatro after determining it is suitable for players aged 12 and older. The board upped the age rating from 3+ to 18+ shortly after Balatro was released just over a year ago due to it containing "prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling," per publisher Playstack. The game was also temporarily removed from digital console storefronts in some markets.

Playstack contended at the time that "Balatro does not allow or encourage gambling." Following an appeal, PEGI's complaints board has at last lowered the age rating to 12+. "Although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating," the complaints board concluded.

Following that and a separate successful appeal for Luck Be A Landlord (which is also now rated 12+), PEGI plans to revise its guidelines for games that have gambling-related elements. "At this moment, any teaching or glamorization of simulated gambling automatically leads to a PEGI 18 rating," it said in a statement on Monday. "On the basis of these appeals, the PEGI Experts Group will develop a more granular set of classification criteria to handle gambling themes and the simulation, teaching and glamorization of gambling in different age categories, which will now include 12 but also keep 18 as an age category for games that simulate gambling typically played in casinos and betting halls."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-about-to-hook-a-lot-more-players-now-that-its-on-game-pass-192958603.html?src=rss

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Google is planning to end support for SMS-based two-factor authentication in Gmail, Forbes reports. Sending a code to your personal phone via text message has long been an option Google offered to verify your identity, but it has unavoidable security issues the company wants to address.

The goal is to "reduce the impact of rampant, global SMS abuse," Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer tells Forbes, and the solution, at least for now, is QR codes. Instead of entering your number and receiving a text with a code you need to enter, Google will throw up a QR code you need to scan with your phone. The reliance on your smartphone is still present, but now you don't have to rely on the lax security of SMS messages.

Using SMS two-factor authentication is better than nothing, but text messages aren't as secure as other methods. Criminals can intercept your message just by convincing your carrier to port your number to a new phone. By tricking a provider to send multiple SMS messages to a number a criminal operation controls in a process called "traffic pumping," they can even make money on each text, Google says. Considering the volume of SMS messages the company sends to both verify users and make sure people aren't bulk-creating accounts to send spam, it's not hard to see how SMS could be problem.

Ultimately, the goal for Google and other companies like it is to use passkeys and move away from passwords entirely, but adoption is slow, and making the current, much more familiar process secure is still meaningful. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/gmail-will-stop-using-sms-for-two-factor-authentication-185615193.html?src=rss

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It’s been well over two years, but the wait is almost over. The second season of Andor hits Disney+ on April 22. The platform just dropped a juicy trailer to get all of us Star Wars fans pumped and ready.

The footage shows plenty of cool stuff, including the return of Rogue One’s chief antagonist Orson Crennic and the beloved droid K-2SO. The Death Star makes an appearance, which isn’t surprising given the ending of the first season. Mon Mothma also attends an extravagant “let them eat cake” type of party. 

There are a few bombastic explosions and several shots of the titular Cassian Andor walking down hallways. One thing this trailer doesn’t spoil is the plot. The footage is just a hodgepodge of cool moments, so we still have no idea what our favorite rebel spy will be getting up to in season two. To me, this is a good thing.

For the uninitiated, Andor is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and is set after the rise of the empire but before the events of the original Star Wars movie. It’s very good, with a tone that can only be described as “prestige Star Wars.” It stars Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough and, sometimes, Forest Whitaker. Season two brings new actors into the fold, like Adria Arjona.

Disney+ is doing something unique with the release schedule here. Three episodes premiere on April 22, followed by another trio each week for a month. That adds up to 12 episodes. April is a big month for returning genre TV, as season two of The Last of Us premieres on April 13.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/disney-just-dropped-an-explosive-trailer-for-andor-season-2-184842360.html?src=rss

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Apple plans to ramp up its US hiring and investments. On Monday, the company said it will hire around 20,000 workers and spend over $500 billion in the US over the next four years.

In 2021, several months after former President Biden took office, Apple said it would invest $430 billion domestically over the following five years. Bloomberg notes today's announcement marks an added $39 billion in spending and an extra 1,000 jobs annually over its previous numbers.

The newly announced package will include a new manufacturing facility in Houston to build servers for Apple Intelligence, which has increasingly become central to the company's plans and advertising campaigns. The Private Cloud Compute servers that handle Apple Intelligence's more complex server-AI queries use Apple M-series chips, which are still produced in Taiwan.

Apple said most of the 20,000 new jobs will focus on R&D, AI and machine learning, silicon engineering and software development. The company will also expand its data center capacity in North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada to help meet Apple Intelligence's growing backend needs.

The company will also open an Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit, where its engineers will work alongside "experts from top universities such as Michigan State" to consult with small and medium-sized businesses on implementing AI and smart manufacturing techniques. Apple will also offer free in-person and online skills development courses. It already runs a Developer Academy in the Motor City.

The announcement follows a meeting between Tim Cook and President Donald Trump last week at the White House. Trump implied that Apple was making additional investments to avoid tariffs due to the iPhone maker's heavy reliance on manufacturing in China. "They don't want to be in the tariffs," Trump said after the meeting.

Apple hasn't said whether investments are related to tariffs, instead framing them as a sign of confidence in the nation's ability to innovate. "We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we're proud to build on our long-standing US investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country's future," Cook said in a press release.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-plans-to-invest-500-billion-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years-181217017.html?src=rss

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My dream of a Sayonara Wild Hearts sequel might never be fulfilled, but the sudden arrival of an enhanced version for PS5 just filled my heart on a dreary Monday. Publisher Annapurna Interactive announced the upgrade for the 2019 rhythm action game during its latest showcase.

The PS5 edition includes support for 4K visuals, 120 fps gameplay and haptic feedback via the DualSense controller. There's also a new unlockable mode called Remix Arcade that's only available on this PS5 version. Here, you'll try to nail high scores across random chunks of levels with no loading time between each. Developer Simogo notes that the mode will get progressively faster to add to the challenge. 

Simogo had some downtime while figuring out its next big project after Lorelai and the Laser Eyes and the opportunity came up to bring Sayonara Wild Hearts to PS5. The PS4 version already works on the console and the team wasn't really interested in only upgrading the fidelity. 

However, the studio "thought about the hardware and what type of experience that would only be possible on it and remembered that PlayStation 5 has a very fast SSD, which would allow for the type of quick loading we needed for our long lost Infinite Shuffle mode." Along with adding some new art and sound assets, the renamed Remix Arcade has "a random element that [will] sometimes mirror the level visually to keep players on their toes," the studio said.

Best of all, the enhanced edition for PS5 is a free upgrade from the PS4 version. Sayonara Wild Hearts is also available in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Otherwise, it costs $13.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is one of my favorite games of all time, so I'm more than happy to have an excuse to play through its riotously fun, heart-mending story yet again. I'm tempted to plug my PS VR2 headset back in to let the stylized art and signature neon purple wash over my eyes as the dreamy pop soundtrack fills my ears.

Here's hoping Annapurna brings the game back to iOS as well — it left Apple Arcade a few months ago. I need to have Sayonara Wild Hearts available at all times. It's not enough to have it on PS5, Steam Deck, Switch and PC (can you tell I like this game a whole lot?).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/an-enhanced-version-of-sayonara-wild-hearts-for-ps5-is-out-now-174752837.html?src=rss

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Blendo Games' latest installment of interactive weirdness, Skin Deep, is due to hit Steam on April 30, after nearly seven years of development. Skin Deep is a first-person sci-fi shooter, but it doesn't look (or smell?) like any of the dramatic space operas or realistic, precision-based games that generally flood this genre. 

Skin Deep takes place on a futuristic cargo starship managed by an insurance corporation and filled with its clients' valuables, and you're the cryogenically frozen security officer kept on board in case something goes awry. Space pirates ambush the ship, your body thaws, and a non-linear game of shooting, sneaking, sabotaging and smelling ensues, all presented in Blendo's signature blocky 3D style.

Skin Deep features a mix of puzzles, madcap comedy and action scenes, and alongside the first-person gunplay, there's a sneeze mechanic and a stink system that sometimes leaves little smelly clouds in your wake, alerting nearby pirates to your presence. It's like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but with fewer medieval peasants and way more space cats. Did we mention there are a bunch of cats that you have to save on the ship? Because there are, and some of them are dressed in little cowboy outfits.

For the odor mechanics, players become stinky only when it makes sense narratively, like when they're expelled from the ship's trash shoot alongside all the fish bones and rotten things. Your smell clouds subside once you figure out how to wash up. Sneezing follows a similar in-game logic.

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"If you're crawling through a dusty vent your little sneezy air level will increase, then you'll do a big sneeze noise," Chung told Engadget in 2021. "And there's a bag of pepper that we have. If you shoot it, a big cloud of pepper flies out. You can pick up a pepper bag and throw it at someone and they'll start sneezing."

Skin Deep is the most action-focused game that Blendo has ever made. The independent studio, led by Brendon Chung, has a lineup of award-winning titles under its belt, including Quadrilateral Cowboy, Gravity Bone and Thirty Flights of Loving. These titles tend to highlight clever puzzles and polygonal oddities, and Skin Deep is the first Blendo project to feature first-person shooter mechanics.

That's not to say FPS development is a new idea for Chung. He got his start in game development by customizing levels in Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Quake 2 and Doom 3 when he was a kid, and FPS games are often what he's drawn to as a player. He's still using a modified port of id Software's Doom 3 engine, idTech4, to make Skin Deep.

"I've played like a bazillion FPS games because I just really enjoy them," Chung said in 2021, "but I feel like there's so much that can be explored and that I wish these games would explore." You know, like well-dressed cats and stink systems.

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When we talked with Chung four years ago, the Skin Deep FAQ page read, "Is Skin Deep going to take 4+ years of development time like your previous game Quadrilateral Cowboy?" And the answer was, "I hope not." Today, there's an "(update: oops...)" added to that response. Development on Skin Deep started around July 2018, according to the FAQ.

Skin Deep is published by Annapurna Interactive and it's heading to Steam on April 30. A new demo is live now on Steam, as part of the Steam Next Fest hullaballoo. Steam Next Fest runs from February 24 at 1PM ET to March 3 at 1PM ET, showcasing a ton of fresh game demos and developer insights on the storefront.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/blendo-games-oddball-sci-fi-shooter-skin-deep-hits-pc-on-april-30-173010803.html?src=rss

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